cruise

Those irritating fees aren't going away, but over the next few years, some of them will be attached to new a la carte services that travelers may be happier to pay for. Think personal concierge services, intercity rail ticket sales -- and even in-flight spa treatments.

Celebrity Cruise's Mercury finally left the port at Charleston, S.C. this week after three days of intensive cleaning. The scrubbing aimed to rid the ship of any traces of the intestinal illness that has hit more than 1,000 passengers over three consecutive sailings. The three-day cleaning...

There's no smooth sailing for Royal Caribbean Cruises, which is expected to post a weak quarter as the recession soaks its revenues. The likely soggy fourth-quarter results will come despite cost-cutting and aggressive marketing.

It seems airlines will stoop to anything in their pursuit of saving or making money. Long gone are the days of free food on bargain flights. Be prepared to pay to check even one bag. As if those skinflint ideas weren't enough, AirTran Airways (AAI) is placing ads on the backs of tray tables where...

There's a battle brewing at sea, but you won't hear a lick about it from the Pentagon. That's because it involves passenger ships, not battleships. Cruise lines are fighting for customers by launching their biggest boats ever. It's no warship, but the largest boat to date -- Royal Caribbean...

I finished up a pile of work (hence my lack of WalletPop blog postings so far in 2009), I've got a pile of frequent-flier miles on American Airlines that's nearing their expiration date and with the daily doom-and-gloom headlines, I'm ready to blow this joint. What other excuses do I need to take a...

Apparently, the days of all-inclusive cruises are coming to an end. Royal Caribbean, which enjoyed a public relations train wreck in October when it announced it would be charging $15 for its New York Strip Steak, has come up with another surcharge sure to annoy people who select cruises because...

Those of us who were leaning toward Delta Air Lines because of its policy of allowing a free first checked bag can now abandon any favoritism. As of December 5 (just in time for the holidays!), it will start charging $15 for the first check bag. That figure is pretty much what everyone's charging...

On Monday, with Tropical Storm Fay bearing down on southern Florida, Norwegian Cruise Line decided it would avoid danger by starting a four-day cruise on the Norwegian Sky about two hours early. Instead of leaving Miami at 5 pm, it would leave at 3 pm. Fay may have been a bust, but you can see...

Cruises can be the trip of a lifetime for many. But it doesn't take much to make things go wrong. From lost luggage, to choppy seas, to bad weather, to illness... taking a cruise is always somewhat of a risk.And bad weather is exactly what Princess Cruise Lines says was the cause of angst for...