Following in the foosteps of Viking and Virgin Cruises, Oceania Cruises has announced that it is going adults-only, restricting new reservations to guests age 18 and older.

It's a welcome move for many travelers who prioritize relaxation and tranquility over kid-friendly activities. Not that there were many children on board in the past, but now it's official.

The new policy is ushering in which the line is calling "a new era of tranquility and sophistication at sea." Not to worry if you're already booked for a future cruise with your kids, the line says it's honoring existing reservations made prior to Jan. 7. This policy shift reflects Oceania Cruises’ dedication to providing a relaxed atmosphere of genuine hospitality and meaningful connection – hallmarks of voyages aboard the premium line beloved by foodies.

“Our guests have consistently shared that the tranquil environment aboard our ships is one of the primary reasons they return time and time again,” said Jason Montague, chief luxury officer of Oceania Cruises. “By transitioning to an adults-only experience, we are enhancing the very essence of the Oceania Cruises journey – one defined by sophistication, serenity and discovery.”

The Miami-based company operates eight premium cruise ships sailing to more than 600 ports in Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, South America, Asia, Africa and Australia. The line offers inspirational journeys that give passengers the freedom to explore at their own pace, savor each destination and enjoy the company of like-minded fellow travelers who share a passion for discovery.

Ocania is famous for its fine cuisine — which I have had opportunities to sample and it is outstanding. And if you ask repeat passengers why they keep returning  to the line, they will tell you that is mostly for the food, with service and style also factors.

Feedback from a survey

Oceania Cruises says it conducted extensive research that provided feedback from loyal repeat guests, experienced travel partners, and new-to-brand guests. Feedback consistently showed that guests choose Oceania Cruises for its serene atmosphere, sophisticated service and unhurried pace, traits that are highly sought after and valued by mature, affluent travelers.

For more information about Oceania Cruises’ new adults-only policy and to explore upcoming voyages, please contact a Cruiseable travel advisor at 1-877-322-3773. See our Bliss Filter at the right to scope out the variety of itineraries aboard Oceania.      

Put your lips together and sail 

Well, this is rather unique. Holland America is adding an innovative lipstick blending bar to its onboard offerings. Just what women want? Maybe. Not so sure we want to spend time on a ship doing this when we could easily do it at a beauty counter at home.

But for passengers who may not have the time to shop for lip colorings on land, this might work out well. 

Lipstick experts on board

Here's how it works: Holland America has partnered with MYX Blend Bar, a Dallas company that lets women create their own custom lipstick or lip gloss. Guests work with beauty consultants to choose pigments, finishes, flavors, and other additives to design a personalized lip product at the onboard lipstick lab.

The Blend Bar beauty consultants create signature lipstick or gloss products from more than 30 premium pigments. In addition to providing personalized hues for your mouth, the goal is to let you bring home a lasting memory from your cruise. The hands-on Blend Bar experience is guided by an expert beauty consultant who will help guests create a wearable memory of their cruise vacation.

Color chart

Photo courtesy of Holland AmericaThe new Blend Bar debuting on HAL

Blend Bar also offers a palette of more  four luxurious finishes, and more than 20 signature flavors to craft a custom lipstick or gloss. Perfect for any age and bookable for individual or group experiences, Blend Bar is in the beauty section of the shipboard shops.

In addition to the 20-plus flavors and essences, dimension can be added with frost, shimmer or iridescent effects. Once blended, the custom formula is melted and poured into a lipstick mold or gloss tube. Guests can create a custom name for their lipstick, which will be applied to the tube upon completion. In addition, each guest receives their personalized product along with a formula card listing their selected ingredients for future recreations.

The Blend Bar is currently  available on Nieuw Statendam, Eurodam, Westerdam, Oosterdam, Zuiderdam, Volendam, and Zaandam. The rollout of Blend Bar to the remaining four ships in the fleet will be completed by mid-November.

Added touches

“Today’s travelers are looking for more than just a vacation — they want exclusive experiences like Blend Bar that feel personal, immersive and meaningful,” said Carole Biencourt, vice president of onboard revenue for Holland America Line. “We’re excited to launch the first lipstick blending bar at sea, where our beauty-loving guests can express themselves and create a unique souvenir of their time on board.”

Raising the bar 

Blend Bar uses products with the highest quality/integrity, free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates and GMOs, as well as cruelty-free, gluten-free and vegan ingredients, Biencourt said. The pigments are packed with antioxidants and SPF for everyday sun protection.

The Blend Bar experience costs $65 for a custom lipstick or liquid matte, and lip gloss costs $60 per tube.

For travelers considering a respite from the pressures of work, life or the ongoing pandemic, Playa Hotels & Resorts' Hyatt Zilara offers an adults-only, all-inclusive brand that promises a relaxing and eventful vacation for any couple, friend group or destination wedding party.

Hyatt Zilara has resorts in Montego Bay, Jamaica; Cap Cana, Dominican Republic and in Cancun, Mexico, allowing guests to explore everything from nearby jungles to colonial cities and beach paradises.

All of them feature an all-inclusive concept, which means that access to all dining areas is included with a stay, in addition to all drinks, room service and more. All entertainment, events and activities are also included, except for spa and salon treatments.

After Crystal Cruises relaunched under new owners Abercrombie & Kent two years ago,  one of the biggest laments from passengers was the ships' lack of a casino.

Well, management listened. And the luxury line has announced it is bringing back casinos to Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony through a partnership with Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, a hospitality and gaming company that is the largest employer in Monaco.

The only Casino de Monte-Carlo at sea

This will mark the first and only Casino de Monte-Carlo at sea — and a new chapter for the brand that promises to add an elevated level of entertainment and gaming experiences.

The gambling venues will debut aboard Crystal Symphony during the chairmen’s cruise departing from Venice on Nov. 14 and on Crystal Serenity this December. The casino will also be featured on the two oceangoing ships during future sailings and in all of Crystal's new vessels, with the exception of expedition vessels.

Princess Cruises is relocating its 2,590-passenger ship Grand Princess to San Juan, Puerto Rico, starting in October 2025 and running through March 2026. What's more, the ship will visit more ports than ever during its seven-day itineraries.

Bookings open May 16, 2024, for what is bound to be a very popular itinerary.

Passengers will be able to shop for high-end brands at stores galore on the 4,300-guest Sun Princess when the ship debuts today on its maiden voyage out of Civitavecchia-Rome, Italy.

Sun Princess, the first Sphere Class ship, offers more than 5,800 square feet of commercial space from premium brands offering everything from bling and beauty to fashion and accessories.

Among the more than 25 brands making their debut at sea are Chanel No. 1, Beyond Yoga and Varley. Also available are sustainable fashion from Neu Nomad and Italian elegance with Pinko handbags. In addition, WAVES, the first Princess-branded merchandise boutique, will makes its debut on board, offering an exclusive limited Princess Inaugural collection that celebrates the iconic new ship as well as new lines featuring the Princess Seawitch.

"This expansive retail environment, created in partnership with Harding+, marks a new level of excellence for Princess retail,” said Sabine Muhlberger, vice president of onboard revenue experience at Princess Cruises. “Our guests are going to love this new and unique shopping experience that will enhance the already spectacular cruise experience aboard Sun Princess."

What's on deck  

The retail design boasts open, spacious areas with interactive merchandising and pop-up locations. For instance, on deck 8 the Premium Watch Lounge features the first-at-sea Breitling Lounge concept and the latest TAG Heuer boutique design as well as The Fine Timepieces Boutique — a wonderland of signature watches for both men and women from Longines, Rado, Tissot, Hamilton in addition to pre-owned Rolex watches.

The Beauty & Wellness Boutique, also on deck 8, offers name brands such as Chanel, Dior, Lancôme, Estee Lauder, Clinique, and a curated range of sustainable and organic skincare brands including Comfort Zone, Neom Organics, This Works, Rituals and unisex clean skincare by REN Skincare.

Courtesy of Princess CruisesSun Princess boasts a host of name brands such as Chanel, Dior and Estee Lauder, among many others.

Bling it on

Three new upscale brands will be available for purchase. These include the award-winning London-based jewelry designer Shaun Leane, and Paris-based jewelry designer Yvonne Leon. There will also be a diverse selection of gender-neutral precious metals and materials from John Hardy and costume jewelry featuring the latest retail store concept design from Swarovski.

Tippler favorites

Cocktail lovers can buy some fine spirits such as  Johnnie Walker Blue Xordinaire while fashionistas looking for cool specs can eye the offerings at interactive brand displays. These include brands such as Tom Ford, Prada, Oakley and Maui Jim, pre-loved luxury leather and accessories from Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Gucci, and Pandora Jewelry.

After its maiden voyage, the 175,500-ton Sun Princess begins a series of sailings throughout the Mediterranean through early October before moving to the Caribbean, with all voyages featuring its signature  Princess Medallion amenities. Sun Princess features the most balcony staterooms of any ship in the fleet and offers 29 restaurants and lounges. 

Need a reason to take a Crystal cruise? The luxury ship operator has created a  couple of good ones on its luxury ships Symphony and Serenity.

First on the list is one designed for film and theater buffs that sails from Laem Chabang (Bangkok) to Hong Kong, Feb 16 - 28, 2024. Presented for passenger pleasure on this one is a wowza lineup that includes Grammy-nominated Christine Allado,  Broadway musical historian Steven Friedman, former regional marketing director for United Artists and Columbia Pictures Andrew Friedenberg and esteemed American movie and TV actor Bruce McGill, who will be aboard for fireside chats to share industry anecdotes.

There's disappointing news for passengers booked on Princess Cruises's Sun Princess inaugural voyage ... and perhaps cruises after that. Princess and Italian ship builder Fincantieri have announced a delay in the delivery of what will be Princess's largest ship.

The postponement has led to the cancellation of the ship’s debut voyage, a 10-day sailing originally set to depart from Barcelona on Feb. 8. The cruise line has been largely mum on the reasons for the delay or how long it will last. 

Sun Princess is the first ship of a revolutionary new platform designed exclusively for the brand. Obviously, many people who booked the cruise will be disappointed. 

“We understand that this news is disappointing, and we share in that disappointment. We recognize the anticipation that surrounded this sailing, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this cancellation causes,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises.

Full refunds will be issued for fares and any additional services purchased in advance, and any travel agent commissions will be honored, according to the company. 

It's a fair guess that the delay is the result of supply chain issues or the challenges posed by the new build of a vessel that's the first in a new line of ships. Such vessels often have newly designed interiors and features on board that are new for the shipyards constructing them.

When you want to take a cruise today, it’s as if you’re a time traveler. Step right this way into the Wayback Machine!  Offline, travel agents want to send you print brochures by snail mail. Online, your only choice is a cruise booking site straight out of 1990s central casting, where you're required to navigate page after page of drop-down menus and browse through teeny-tiny thumbnail images.

Enough with the time travel!

At Cruiseable we’ve built a sleek, modern, visually rich cruise discovery engine that lets you browse through thousands of beautiful images — of both ships and destinations — accompanied by trustworthy travel journalism instead of marketing hype.

The newest ship from Princess Cruises, Sun Princess, will debut in October 2024 with a bounty of food choices for every ethnic taste. Passengers will never feel hungry, that’s for sure.

One of the highlights will include a theater of Japanese Teppanyaki at Umai Teppanyaki, where the cuisine mingles with captivating performances.

For pub fans, there will be O’Malley’s. Princess says the venue “reimagines the classic Irish pub concept with a refreshing twist."

Seafood devotees can grab their fill at the Catch by Rudi from award-winning chef Rudi Sodamin. And for American food traditionalists, the Promenade will serve up slices of pizza, gourmet burgers, flavorful hot dogs, freshly baked bagels, and a tempting selection of ice cream.

River cruising is one of the breakout stars in travel for 2016 and there are more ways than ever to experience rivers around the world onboard any number of ships. However, there are a few tried and true tricks to making your river cruise experience a success and to fall in love with this mode of travel that can take you around the world.

Here are five ways to enjoy the journey.

One of the first things I always did when cruising on a Crystal ship was to book massages and facials. The ships’ spas were so popular that treatments often sold out well before embarkation day.

So it comes as welcome news that Crystal Cruises, which is returning to the high seas this summer after bankruptcy proceedings, will be launching a new conceptual spa aptly named Aurora — inspired by the Roman goddess of the same name.