Background

Cruiseable is a tech startup, cruise discovery tool and travel publication out to make it much easier for people to find, plan and book a great cruise vacation. We have a team of accomplished travel writers and cruise bloggers with the mission of providing independent travel journalism that helps consumers with their travel planning.

Cruise ships have come a long way in the last decade as lines push the boundaries when it comes to size, capacity and thrilling amenities to appeal to a new generation of holidaymakers.

These days, passengers can spend time at sea in a lounge where they are served by robotic bartenders, in a spa where artificial snowflakes fall inside a snow room, or in a planetarium where they are taken on a virtual tour of outer space, and still fail to take advantage of everything on board.

From a cycling track suspended above the upper deck to a bar made of ice, these are some of the best amenities on cruise ships.

Brewmaster Colin Presby, 31, has a job at sea that no one else has ever had.

He does his beer-making at the Red Frog Pub & Brewery on the new, 3,954-passenger Carnival Vista. It is Carnival Cruise Line's largest ship and the first North American ship to have a brewery.

The action takes place in full view in front of passengers at the Caribbean-themed pub's entrance, on the ship's much-trafficked Promenade Deck.

Mixing grain he just milled into boiling water in one of two large, German-made, copper-topped glass kettles, Presby said his goal is to achieve a "wow" from beer-loving cruisers.

I had been looking forward to an upcoming cruise for weeks. But timing is everything, and mine wasn't good. I had a deadline looming as I boarded the ship. I knew I needed to get busy right away or I'd never make my deadline.

Then the on-board Internet crashed, and the prognosis wasn’t good. A shipboard tech in the computer room suggested I disembark and use land-based Internet. "We aren't scheduled to depart for hours," he said. "You probably can get a lot of work done."

As much as I hated leaving so quickly after I'd just arrived, I did so, made my deadline and re-boarded the ship.

I was disheartened. Would I spend the rest of the cruise worried about the Internet or being forced to live without it? Fortunately, no. The ship's connection soon returned, and there were no more problems.

“In our increasingly connected world, it has become incredibly important for travelers to stay connected,” said Thomas P. Ostebo, president and chief executive of Cruise Lines International Assn.

Cruises aren’t just about docking at a beach or an island. American Queen Steamboat Company has a wide variety of themed river cruises to choose from that focus on music, history, politics, wine and liquors and so much more.

Wine connoisseurs will love the ‘Vineyards, Vintages and Varietals’ themed cruises that include meeting local wine makers for tastings along the Washington and Oregon regions. Guests will also enjoy meals made with local wines and activities that educate about America’s Pacific Northwest wine country. There are two November voyages to choose from and two in March, 2017.

We didn't know quite what to expect when we came up with the idea, two months ago, to hold the first Social Sharing Angels Lunch.

JD Lasica / Special to CruiseableFeastly is a social dining startup that lets you share a meal or organize private lunches and dinners.

But we did know that the current way of connecting promising startups with angel investors is pretty lame.

So it was a bit of a surprise that the unanimous verdict from participants was that yesterday's event was, in the words of George Arabian of Steelhead Ventures, "a superb idea that's so much better than the usual speed dating events" that fill the calendars of venture capitalists, angel investors and startup founders.

I haven't written a lot about Cruiseable's fund-raising efforts, given that readers are chiefly interested in our product, tools and services rather than our business model, but it's worth a blog post to capture the positive energy that resulted from yesterday's meetup, in case others want to replicate it.

It may have been the best night's sleep I've ever had. Setting sail aboard the Star Flyer out of Athens in the middle of the night was serene and dreamy.

NASCAR has teamed with Entertainment Cruise Productions to create the first NASCAR-themed cruise featuring Hall of Famers, legendary broadcasters and genuine race cars.

Dubbed “NASCAR: The Cruise,” the themed voyage will take place on the Norwegian Pearl ship and sail through the Caribbean from January 29 through February 3, 2017. The vessel will make stops in Key West, Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay.

The six-day, five-night sailing will feature legendary drivers like Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace and Bobby Allison, as well as more recent stars such as David Ragan, Mike Wallace and Ken Schrader. The voyage will also feature broadcasters Jeff Hammond, Doug Rice and Brad Gillie, and will be hosted by television analyst and former driver Kyle Petty.

You may never have heard of Florø, Stamsund or Øksfjord. But if you visit them, you'll be very glad you did. They are just three of the 34 ports on the historic and visually stunning Hurtigruten coastal voyage.

A journey with Hurtigruten is unlike any cruise. The ships – they are an intriguing amalgam of cruise liner, ferry and cargo boat – sail up and down the Norwegian coast every day, just as they have done for more than 120 years.

They carry vital goods to isolated hamlets, pick up freshly caught fish and take locals to visit relatives. But a fair proportion of those on board will be travellers eager to admire the breathtaking seascapes on what is arguably the world’s most beautiful voyage.

The ships are nearly always close to the coast, sailing between islands and into slender fjords to hidden villages. It means passengers enjoy incredible vistas, especially in summer when the days barely pause for night. Spring and autumn are also great times to experience this spectacular journey when fares are at their lowest.

Family vacation giant Disney plans an even bigger move into river cruising than initially announced.

The company on Tuesday revealed its Adventures by Disney division will offer 14 river cruises in 2017. That's twice the number it'll offer this year as it gets into river cruising for the first time.

The voyages will include new seven-night Rhine River sailings as well as seven-night Danube sailings. The company this year only is offering voyages on the Danube.

Windstar Cruises has reinstated a year-round ship in Tahiti

I stood waist-deep in the ocean while several stingrays silently glided by; one even brushed my leg. I wasn’t afraid, though — I was captivated.

I was in Bora Bora, participating in one of Windstar Cruises’ special shore excursions during the seven-day “Dreams of Tahiti” itinerary onboard the Wind Spirit sailing yacht. Our guide, Roberto, informed us that stingrays don’t sting unless they are provoked. As he assuaged our fears and encouraged me to pat one, Roberto slowly broke off pieces of tuna and suet to give to the rays, who were behaving like puppies looking for a snack.

I reached out to touch a passing stingray and felt its sleek, wet skin.

“You see?” Roberto said. “They are very friendly.”

So is the entire crew of Wind Spirit, a 440-foot-long, four-masted ship that doubled as my home for the week.

What

If you received our invitation by email, you've been invited to a first-of-its-kind event: A lunch in San Francisco where you'll get to hear 5-minute pitches from the founders of four great startups.

Who

This event is for angels and early-stage VCs interested in the consumer Internet, mobile tech or travel sectors. You may bring a plus-one and invite colleagues and other investors, though we need attendees to RSVP. Venue holds about 25. See below for startup details.