Topic: Cruises

10 great summer cars

Wind in your hair, sun in your face – the summer drive is as classic a pastime as barbecues and baseball.  For dedicated sun-seekers, the right machine can make all the difference, and since most of us can’t afford the demi-convertible Maybach Landaulet limousine, here are 10 fun-loving new models sure to keep a summer smile on your face.  Climb into one of these this season, and you’ll be happy to keep driving duties for yourself.

Top 5 ways to save on your summer vacation

If you're pining for a summer vacation but worried about costs, consider how Wayne and Pat Dunlap of Del Mar, Calif., managed to tour 51 countries over two years, marvel at the Egyptian pyramids, scale a New Zealand glacier, and visit Laotian Buddhist monks all for less than $100 a day. "We often stayed at guesthouses and hostels, ate at local family restaurants, took public transportation, and in some cases, traveled on cruise ships offering reduced rates," says Mr. Dunlap, author of the travel book "Plan Your Escape." This year amid price worries and higher summer airfares, especially to Europe such ingenuity could prove essential. Here are five cost-cutting strategies that can help:

Titanic II: Replica to make same voyage, but be made in China (+video)

Australian billionaire Clive Palmer announced today that he signed an agreement with a Chinese company to build a Titanic replica in a shipyard there. 

Crippled Costa cruise ship to reach land Thursday (+video)

Those aboard the Costa Allegra, a sister ship of the cruise liner that capsized off Italy last month, faced more stifling days and nights before the vessel docks in the tropical paradise.

Costa cruise ship stranded in pirate waters near the Seychelles

Costa Allegra, a cruise ship with 1,000 people on board, had a fire in the engine room. The cruise ship, stranded in Somali pirate waters, is now being towed to the Seychelles.

Going green: View my world-class collection of hotel towel cards.

My global collection of towel cards tells guests how to be green (and save the hotel money) in a dozen instructive, chic, bossy, relieving, euphemistic, paranoid, minimalistic, and earnest ways.

Costa Concordia company to offer compensation to ship passengers

Costa Cruises has negotiated with consumer groups compensation worth thousands of dollars to passengers who were aboard the Costa Concordia when it ran aground earlier this month off the Italian coast.

A hopeless romantic meets her match

Touring Greece's antiquities, a traveler comes face to face with the temples of the ancient gods – and her childhood dreams.

Workers to pump oil from Costa Concordia on Saturday

Actual pumping of the oil isn't expected to begin until Saturday, but teams from the Dutch shipwreck salvage firm Smit were working on the bow of the Concordia on Tuesday and divers were to make underwater inspections to identify the precise locations of the fuel tanks.

Costa Concordia: Stowaways the latest uncertainty

Unregistered passengers – stowaways – may have been aboard the Costa Concordia cruise ship that wrecked off the coast of Italy, meaning the final death toll could go higher.

Costa Concordia wreck: What we know a week later

Many details have emerged about what happened before and after the Costa Concordia ran aground on Jan. 13, but it's still unclear what the captain was doing much of that time.

Costa Concordia captain: symbol of the era?

The Concordia captain's missteps and failure to take responsibility have spurred deeper discussion about a dearth of moral leaders.

After Costa Concordia disaster: 8 safety tips for cruise ship passengers

The recent cruise ship disaster in Italy has prompted travel industry experts to advise the public about safety steps they can take, not only aboard ships but also in hotels. When the Costa Concordia ran aground off the shore of Tuscany on Jan. 13, roughly 160 yards from the shore of Giglio Island, many of the more than 4,200 passengers and crew on board the ship were reportedly unprepared for the crisis and the evacuation that followed.

Nancy Dunnan, publisher of TravelSmart Newsletter, urges cruise ship passengers to take precautions to protect themselves and their belongings. She suggests the following:

Costa Concordia: Did the captain break any law in abandoning ship?

Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino has been widely criticized for leaving the ship before ensuring the safety of his passengers. Here are four questions about how a captain should act in a crisis.

Costa Concordia owner offers refunds, but gets low marks for response

Costa Concordia survivors will get full refunds, plus travel and lodging costs covered. But Costa Concordia owner Carnival Corp. faces criticism for its handling of the tragedy.

Costa Concordia: Top 4 'deceptions' by ship's captain

From the moment that Capt. Francesco Schettino made his fateful decision to steer the Costa Concordia cruise ship close to shore, to his description of whether he stayed with the ship to help evacuate its 4,000 passengers, there has been a pattern of untruths and attempted coverup. Here are four examples, running the gamut from 'technical' to incredulous.

After airing false footage of Costa Concordia, Italian media under fire (+video)

Critics say mistakes made while reporting on the Costa Concordia undermine the Italian journalism industry's argument that its strict regulations are essential to maintaining credibility. 

Two more victims found as rescuers blow holes in Italian cruise ship

Two more victims were found aboard the cruise ship Costa Concordia, bringing the death toll to 11. The hunt for survivors aboard the cruise ship of Italy continues.

Costa Concordia: Why navigation might 'fail' and other cruise ship questions

Many questions remain unanswered after Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia, collided with rocks off the coast of Tuscany and capsized this week.

Hurricane Rina near Category 3 strength approaches Mexico resorts

Hurricane Rina now has winds of 110 mph, just shy of a Category 3 hurricane. Cancun resorts are preparing for Hurricane Rina's arrival.

NBA lockout analysis: Blame the owners

NBA lockout means fewer games for fans. So who's the problem in this NBA lockout? Looking at you, owners.

Hurricane Irene hammers Bahamas (video) Where's she going now?

Hurricane Irene, with winds of 120 m.p.h., is now on a track to make landfall in North Caroline, then move toward New York and New Engalnd.

Space shuttle era ends, leaving big void for area firms

Space shuttle missions were a boon to businesses around Cape Canaveral, Fla. With the space shuttle era over, they're banking on cruise ships and other tourist draws.

The Eat, Pray, Love effect: How families finance adventure travel

Part 4 of a Monitor cover story about how families hit by the Eat Pray Love effect finance adventure travel – selling the house, taking the kids out of school and hitting the road.