River to Ocean Onboard a Single Ship: Windstar’s New Way to Cruise

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If you love river cruising and you love ocean cruising… then there’s a new cruise style on the horizon for you. Beginning December 2026, Windstar’s newest ship, Star Explorer, will offer new river-to-ocean cruises combining the best of both experiences. No changing ships. Your floating boutique hotel seamlessly transitions from a river cruise to an ocean voyage, and your trip continues from an intimate river experience into equally compelling coastlines. Purpose-built for river-to-ocean travel, the 224-guest, all-suite yacht can navigate waterways that are too small for larger ocean ships and reach coastal destinations that traditional river vessels can’t access. Even if you’ve already sailed aboard the world’s iconic rivers, this new way of cruising offers the next frontier. Think cultural connections, the opportunity to immerse yourself... more

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$500M Update Brings Guest-Favorite Feature Across Holland America Line Fleet

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Fans of the Grand Dutch Cafés onboard Holland America Line’s newest ships can look forward to finding this little piece of Netherlands culture and design onboard many more ships soon. At the Seatrade industry cruise conference in Miami in April, Holland America Line’s president warned the media conference that the event was not a new ship announcement. But fans of the line still have plenty to celebrate.As part of a half-billion-dollar, fleet-wide ‘Evolution,’ HAL is expanding the best of its newest, Pinnacle-class ships to other ships in six Vista and Signature-class ships. Grand Dutch Cafés and More  Inspired by European café culture and rooted in the cruise line’s Dutch heritage, the Grand Dutch Café has become a signature venue and experience, with eye-catching, iconic Delft-blue and white... more

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Top Souvenirs from a Springtime Trip to the Netherlands

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Tulip season in the Netherlands is a feast for the senses: ribbons of technicolor flowers beside canals, market squares bursting with spring blooms, and river cruise ships gliding through landscapes that look suspiciously filtered (even when they’re not!) You’re going to love your trip so much that you will want to savor the moments for as long as possible. Emerald river cruise ship docked in Willemstad, the Netherlands  I don’t believe in souvenirs that collect dust or worse! End up in landfills. Here are some mementos that fulfill the saying, “If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much.’ Many you’ll consume or share with loved ones, and others you’ll get lots of use from for years to come. Cheese, Please!Cheese may be the most delicious... more

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Orient Express Launches World’s Largest Sailed Cruise Ship

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The Golden Age of Sail is returning – with a 21st century twist! Storied travel company Orient Express made its first appearance at Seatrade, just ahead of the debut its first cruise ship: a 720-foot, 100-guest solid-sail ship that marries exquisite French hospitality, design and craftsmanship with next-generation, eco-friendly maritime innovation. Orient Express Corinthian isn’t just a first for the ultra-luxury travel company known since the 19th century for its exquisite trains and hotels. It’s a first for cruising itself. The ship’s christening in France at the end of April came as a result of 10 years of research and development on the part of French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique.Credit: Maxime CastricThe remarkable, ‘solid sail’ construction is a “concrete, technical response to... more

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Opera by the Sea: Where World-Class Music Meets the Waterfront

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The world’s waterfronts are undergoing incredible transformations, from no-go industrial sites to revitalized centers of urban lifestyle and community living. Increasingly, the centerpiece of that renaissance… is a landmark, architectural marvel music hall. Often labeled ‘opera houses,’ these venues are the opposite of stuffy, formal halls that host exclusively traditional performances. Sitting directly on the water, these new icons of modern culture embrace the ebb and flow of the waves they overlook: relaxed and connected to the city around them. Ferries arrive nearby. Locals keep waterfront promenades bustling. Visitors come for the architecture as much as the performances that embrace modern, accessible and widely-interpreted versions of anything and everything musical. And make the most of exceptional technology and acoustics.These four venues have... more

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Discovering the Future of Wellness Travel in Sweden

Story About Sweden

Recently in Sweden, I experienced ancient wellness practices intertwined with new science and artistic sensibilities. In many ways, Sweden wrote the book on wellness as a way of life and a travel destination. And my stays at two sister hotels in Stockholm proved the country is in the vanguard of redefining wellness travel again. In case you missed it, in 2025, Sweden became the first country where doctors can prescribe travel for wellness. The global leader in quality of life, renowned for its thousands-year-old sauna culture, is an inspiration for wellness lifestyle – and a beacon for wellness travelers… and now this: The “Swedish Prescription” In a wellness ‘first,’ Sweden has become the first country where patients can download a medical referral form... more

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Celebrity River Cruises Reveals Experiential Approach to Shore Excursions

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The hotly anticipated new river cruise line has shared how it’s planning to offer its guests a new way to experience the river communities of Europe when it debuts in 2027. Four curated categories of exclusive and included shore excursions reveal how guests will river cruise, Celebrity-style. Local insiders lead the Storyteller Series and Skillmaster Series, while the Keys to the City Series gives guests the tech-driven power to explore on their own with insights curated to their own interests and passions. Available once per sailing, the Celebrity Takeover Series delivers one-of-a-kind, bespoke experiences. The shore excursions are available across all 2027 and 2028 Celebrity River Cruises itineraries, and pre- and post-cruise stays in Prague, Budapest, and Amsterdam. Storyteller Series: Included locally led experiences that go beyond what guidebooks can capture Celebrity River Cruises' Storyteller Series offers experiences... more

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The April Fools of Travel Destinations

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World travel is easier than ever. But it seems world geography is not! Some destinations remain stubbornly — and even hilariously — confused by travelers, media, and even governments. The result is a mix of comedy, branding opportunity, and unsuspecting travelers finding themselves in the wrong place. In some cases, people simply don’t know the difference, and it’s a case of mistaken identity and some embarrassing social media posts. Others are tiny spelling errors that have landed travelers on the opposite side of the world from where they expected to be. There are cities, countries, and regions that regularly get confused. Admit it: even an intelligent and savvy traveler like you gets some of these destinations mixed up!  So what better time than... more

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Why is it Called ‘Easter’ Island?

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You likely already know that’s a trick question.  This tiny dot in the eastern South Pacific Ocean, but technically a territory of Chile, is actually properly called Rapa Nui. The world over, Easter Island has been synonymous with exotic mysteries of an impossibly distant, long-lost civilization and mind-boggling human endeavor. It may be the most remote inhabited island on the planet.  Only a few thousand people live on this remnant of oceanic volcanoes sticking out of the sea, and that's the first miracle itself.  The closest inhabited island is 1300 miles away (Pitcairn Island with only 50 people), and the nearest continental point is Chile, over 2000 miles away.  Local tales say a 2-canoe Polynesian expedition around AD 700 was the start... more

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Princess Cruises Celebrates Margarita World Record – and Winning Celebrity Partnership

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Cruise lines love to break records – competing for the biggest ships, introducing firsts-at-sea, and of course, creating record-breaking events that give thousands of guests the chance to make history… well, until the record is broken again! Princess Cruises is no stranger to world records. In 2024, the cruise line set a record for the largest pizza party at sea, with guests consuming over 60,000 slices across 16 ships. The event marked a partnership with 13-time World Pizza Champion chef Tony Gemignani, who developed exclusive artisanal pizzas for the fleet.Now they’ve done it again, shifting from a favorite food to a favorite holiday cocktail. And their margarita world record is one piece of an even bigger celebrity partnership mosaic.On February 17, 2026,... more

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Equine Travel Experiences to Celebrate Year of the Horse

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Whether you are a devotee of the Chinese/ Lunar calendar, for many of us, horses are our spirit animals, and the Year of the Horse reminds us why. Since the earliest civilizations – is any other creature so well-represented on the world’s cave walls, ancient scripts, wall carvings? - Humans around the world have fallen in love with the majesty, power, elegance, intelligence and awe-inspiring beauty of horses. Not to mention utility. Horses became invaluable companions in agriculture, early industry, war and transportation. In connection with what may be human’s / history changing relationship with a single animal.As technology advanced, our relationship with horses everywhere has changed… but in many places, our love affair with horses and riding traditions continues. Here are... more

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Atlas Ocean Voyages’ New Ship ‘Sails’ Into the Future of Luxury Expedition Cruising

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The romance of sailing cruise ships is back, and the new generation of sailing cruise ships has a modern and eco-friendly twist. The latest cruise line to announce it’s building a sailing yacht is Atlas Ocean Voyages, whose new ship – a luxury, expedition sailing yacht – is set to embark on the seas in late 2028. If you’re imagining historic-looking tall ships, think again. The line’s new Atlas-class vessel is an eco-friendly exploration yacht with hybrid propulsion, including wind power enabled by three carbon masts and solid sails.When conditions at sea and with the wind permit, these elements will enhance operational efficiency and enable zero-emission cruising, allowing for a silent presence on the water. The new ship is equipped with... more

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Polynesian Pearls: The Most Romantic Souvenir from the World’s Most Romantic Travel Destination

Story About Bora Bora

Inky, luminous, and subtly sophisticated. There’s a reason Tahitian “black pearls” are among the most sought-after additions to a jewelry box and a coveted memento of what may be the most exotic and romantic escape. Entire honeymoons are designed around visiting exotic lagoons, choosing an heirloom piece of jewelry and returning home with an iridescent miracle of nature in a velvet box. A Pearl of a GemUnlike mineral gems, pearls are organic, marine miracles, created individually inside oysters. If an irritant, like a grain of sand, somehow ends up inside an oyster, to protect itself, the oyster coats the irritant with layers of nacre, slowly transforming it into something luminous and magically iridescent.Tahitian pearls(often called “black pearls,” though they’re rarely pure black)... more

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Discover Your Inner Sailor in St. Maarten

Story About Saint Martin

If you love the sounds of sails snapping in the tropical breeze, St. Maarten stands out with two iconic ways to discover your inner sailor: the largest regatta in the Caribbean, and the year-round, hands-on 12-Metre Challenge racing experience even landlubbers can win – and which has been voted the #1 shore excursion in the Caribbean for 15 years! At just 37 square miles, St. Maarten is the smallest island in the world to be shared by two nations – The French northern part, which is St. Martin, and the Dutch Southern part, which is St. Maarten – creating a destination with European charm and Caribbean flair. 37 beaches mean there’s always water nearby – and it’s one of the sailing... more

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World’s Best Airports for Smart Tech – Where Does Yours Rank?

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Technology is “no longer a luxury, but the very pulse of global aviation.” Many lists have ranked airports by wait times, missing luggage, and even wellness experiences. Still, a new one evaluates the world’s airports by how they incorporate artificial intelligence, biometrics, digitalization, automation, sustainability-driven smart systems and more as core operational infrastructure – transforming and improving your journeys. The 50 Best Airports in the World for 2026 from travel trade publication Travel and Tour World traces how aviation hubs are “meeting the high-performance demands” of today’s travelers, from digital nomads to occasional travelers who expect all the efficiencies of Gen Z technology. "Crucially, sustainability is no longer a parallel initiative but a core outcome of these smart designs,” the study’s authors... more

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