cruising

It's now been two weeks since the Costa Concordia accident off the Tuscan coast of Italy. That tragic event aside, cruising is still a remarkably safe vacation choice. What's probably not as safe is investing in Costa's parent Carnival.

There's never a dull moment on Wall Street, not even when most of us are distracted by imminent arrival of the holidays. Let's go over some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead.

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...

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...

In great news for cows but another blow for vacationers, the cruise vacation giant Royal Caribbean has elected to charge $14.95 to anyone who orders New York strip steak in the main dining room. Eat all you want, the line says. Just not that.Much of the fun of taking a cruise has been that...

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...