(Press Release) ​Geneva, Switzerland – April 30, 2025 – This summer, MSC Cruises is redefining family fun at sea with an enhanced entertainment lineup designed to create unforgettable memories for guests of all ages. From high-energy game shows and interactive experiences to dazzling parades and dynamic parties, the updated program offers something for everyone, from the youngest cruisers to teens and their parents.

Beginning June 2025, families onboard MSC Cruises can enjoy brand-new, immersive activities tailored to spark excitement and engagement.

Riviera Rose (Courtesy of Riviera Travel)

By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life

It's hard to believe a travel company that's been in business 42 years and won multiple industry awards year after year could be a best kept secret here in America. Meet Riviera Travel.

British-based, Riviera is ready to educate the North American market about their European river cruises, which, says Marilyn Conroy, their executive vice president for business development, offer "top of the line premium river cruises at less than premium prices."

Ms. Conroy was at the recently-concluded Seatrade Cruise Global conference in Miami Beach to spread the word about how Riviera is ready to "go full force in North America."

"We've got 13 beautiful ships," she said, "with three new ones coming out this year." One of those is the Riviera Rose, boasting a new split-level design, which just started sailing on the Douro River in Portugal. Riviera's ships sail all of Europe’s major waterways, including the Danube, Douro, Rhine, Moselle, Main, Rhône, Seine and the Dutch Waterways.

By GERRY BARKER

It's a classic case of they said it couldn't be done.

It started in the 1870s, when Henry Flagler, founder of Standard Oil and one of America's wealthiest Gilded Age titans of industry, sought a warm climate for his ailing wife and discovered Florida.

Realizing its potential as a vacation mecca, Flagler built a string of resort hotels all along Florida's east coast, from St. Augustine to Palm Beach and south to Miami, and also constructed a railroad -- the Florida East Coast Railway -- to connect them. But why stop in Miami, when tropical Key West beckoned.

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(Press Release) MIAMI, FL - April 21, 2025 – Charting the course to “Create an Epic Sea Change for All,” Virgin Voyages is an irresistible travel brand focused on delivering award-winning sailing experiences while making a positive impact. In honor of Earth Day and the incredible seas it navigates everyday, Virgin Voyages is releasing its 2024 Impact Report and unveiling further details about its highly anticipated Celebration Voyages. 

By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life

Frequent cruisers have all heard the horror stories. You return from a fabuluous vacation at sea and get a CPR-inducing phone bill -- all because you forgot to activate "Airplane Mode" on your smartphone.

For example, one Royal Caribbean passenger racked up $1,300 in roaming charges. But that was peanuts compared to the German family who reportedly ran up $14,000 in charges on their cruise.

If you aren't a fan of phone bill sticker shock -- and who is? -- WMS is at your service.

Founded in 2004, and based in Miramar, FL., they pioneered the first wireless network on a cruise ship 20 years ago and continue to expand their operations, serving over 25 cruise lines with more than 200 ships and ferries in service around the world.

By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life

French Polynesia. Just the name itself conjures romantic visions of swaying palms, crystalline blue waters and tropical landscapes. In a word, paradise.

For honeymooning couples, adventure seekers and travel lovers eager to explore its 118 islands located in the middle of the South Pacific -- halfway between South America and Australia -- Air Tahiti Nui is ready to take you there. Established almost 30 years ago, today Tahiti's flagship airline operates a fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners from its home base, Tahiti's Faa'a International Airport.

Sebastien Desfresnes, Air Tahiti Nui's cruise and specialty sales director, sat down with me at the just-concluded Seatrade Cruise Global conference in Miami Beach to talk about the airline and the cities it serves.

"We have two getways in North America -- Los Angeles and Seattle," he said, with up to seven flights a week scheduled from LA, with twice-weekly service from Seattle. Working with their airline partners, travelers can connect from the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest and the East Coast.  Additionally, the airline also operates flights to Paris, New Zealand and Tokyo.