The Carte Atlas Journal

Colombia just recently joined the river cruise map, and is already a “not to be missed” destination. A Magdalena river cruise sails a river closed to travel for decades. The answer to the question lies in years of planning finally coming together. Guests now reach towns few outsiders have visited by ship. WHY DID IT […]

When someone is on their first cruise, they can be often startled by a sudden, deep horn blast. They usually assume something has gone wrong. In almost every case, it’s actually routine. COLREGS GOVERN WHEN SHIPS MUST SOUND THE HORN Ship horns exist primarily as a safety and communication tool, governed by an international rulebook […]

A Panama Canal crossing is one of the few itineraries where the calendar genuinely changes the experience, not just the weather. It borders on an expedition because it is a wonderous event, while also being an ocean cruise as it is likely you will not disembark. To say you have gone through the Panama Canal […]

The Bahamas sit just off the Florida coast, so travelers often assume the timing rules differ from the wider Caribbean. In practice, the same seasonal patterns apply, just with milder swings. DECEMBER THROUGH APRIL IS THE MOST RELIABLE WINDOW Temperatures stay comfortably in the mid-70s to low 80s, and rainfall drops to its lowest levels […]

If you have landed here, perhaps yourself or a loved one may often get motion sickness. First of all, great job searching for the answer. This is an important marker for any great luxury travel advisor to be aware of. And it is important to share this information with your travel advisor as it can […]

“But wait, we want to go to Rome, not Civitavecchia!” My dear fellow traveler, you have discovered something that nearly all cruise voyagers do. The city you are visiting, is not actually right next to the ship! Booking a “Rome” or “Florence” cruise will often lead to a surprised discovery that the ship docks in […]

When my clients come to me with inspiration for a cruise, often times it can be for a place they truly love. That place is our home, the United States of America. However, one note often comes of this. The ship must dock in an international port, and that stop is not a marketing choice. […]

A Northern Lights cruise is one of the few trips I help curate where the calendar matters more than almost any other factor, since the aurora simply is not visible outside a specific stretch of the year. Clients need genuinely long, dark nights for any real chance of seeing it, which typically rules out summer […]

Clients are often surprised when I suggest a transatlantic crossing instead of a traditional port-a-day itinerary, assuming it means several boring days at sea. Once they understand what the trip actually offers, it usually becomes one of their favorite sailings. WHAT MAKES A TRANSATLANTIC CROSSING WORTH IT? Value is the most immediate reason to consider […]