In Hawaii, the Department of Transportation is proposing a 50% reduction in cruise ship calls on the state’s ports by 2030 and an additional 50% reduction by 2035. This will not apply to ships homeported in Hawaii. All in the name of environmental protection. Because Honolulu lacks a shore-side power hookup for cruise ships, ships must continue using their powerplants when in port. Industry representatives are mobilizing to combat the new idea, but time will tell. In May the state legislature passed a 15% environmental tax on cruise ships calling on Hawaii ports. We’ll keep monitoring this story. Pic by Tony Cassano, Go Bucket List Travel

Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas cruise ship arrived at Port Canaveral on August 9th after making its inaugural transatlantic journey from the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. The Star now joins sister ship the Icon of the Seas as the largest passenger ships afloat. The Star of the Seas will begin its cruise season later this month with short 3 and 4 day Bahama salings in August followed by a full schedule of 7 day eastern and western Caribbean itineraries. Please call us at 804-557-3006 to book your cruise on this historic ship.

Windstar Cruises has announced a special free air to Tahiti promotion, for new bookings now through July 31, 2025 on select 2025 and 2026 itineraries. The free air is applicable to Windstar’s 10, 13 and 17 day voyages around French Polynesia.

Give Go Bucket List Travel a call today at 804-557-3006 to learn more about this wonderful deal.

Nancy and Carrie just returned from the Celebrity President’s Cruise onboard the Celebrity APEX. During a cruise Q+A Celebrity President Laura Hodges Bethge walked the guests through the cruise line’s plans for European river cruising. The first ships won’t be in the water until 2027 but plans are in to aggressively expand the fleet with four more ships in 2028 and an additional four in 2028. Eventually, Laura said that all of the major rivers will have a Celebrity presence.