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Explora Journeys Is Launching Luxury River Cruises: What It Means for Your 2027–2028 Plans

 

By Pamela Fierro, Founder, Owner and Lead Advisor, Coastwise Travel

The short version: Explora Journeys, the ultra-luxury ocean brand owned by MSC Group, has signed a letter of intent with Dutch shipbuilder Den Breejen Shipyard to build its first European river ships. Sales are expected to open in 2027. Ship sizes, rivers, and launch dates have not been announced. If you’re planning a river cruise for 2027, my advice is not to wait: the top suites on established luxury lines are selling now.

This week brought some of the most interesting river cruise news I’ve seen in a while. Explora Journeys, the ultra-luxury ocean line owned by MSC Group, announced that it’s moving onto Europe’s rivers. The line has signed a letter of intent with Dutch shipbuilder Den Breejen Shipyard to construct its first river ships, with bookings expected to open in 2027.

As someone who helps travelers plan European river cruises every day, here’s my take on why this matters, and what it does and doesn’t change for anyone dreaming of the Danube, Rhine or Seine.

Read More »Explora Journeys Is Launching Luxury River Cruises: What It Means for Your 2027–2028 Plans

Why an Alaska Cruise Is the Best Summer Vacation — for Families, Couples, and Friends

Why an Alaska Cruise Is the Best Vacation for Families, Couples, and Friends

There’s a reason people come home from Alaska talking about it for years. It’s not just a vacation — it’s the kind of trip that resets your sense of wonder. Towering glaciers calving into the sea. Whales breaching just off the bow. Fresh mountain air and a warm dinner waiting for you back on the ship. Whether you’re traveling with little ones, your favorite person, or your closest friends, Alaska has a way of meeting you exactly where you are — and that’s what makes it the perfect trip for absolutely everyone.

An Alaska cruise is one of the best vacations for families, couples, and groups of friends because it combines kid-friendly wildlife adventures, romantic outdoor experiences for couples, and flexible daily itineraries that let friend groups explore independently while still sharing meals and memories together each evening.

Read More »Why an Alaska Cruise Is the Best Summer Vacation — for Families, Couples, and Friends

Cookies, Cabanas, and Humpback Whales: Alaska Aboard the Newly Refurbished Celebrity Solstice

A Happy Hour with warm cookies and hot chocolate.  A champagne toast to a glacier. A five-week-old sled dog puppy snuggled in my arms. Alaska didn’t stand a chance of being anything less than unforgettable.

I sailed the newly refurbished Celebrity Solstice this summer, fresh from her transformation transformed under Celebrity’s $250 million Solstice-class modernization. She came out the other side feeling brand new from bow to stern — and the upgrades made an already spectacular itinerary even better. Here are the moments I’m still thinking about.

Warm Cookie Hour at Sunset Park Cafe

The top deck has been completely transformed into Sunset Park, a half-acre of open-air space with lawn games, live music, and sweeping views. But the real magic happens every afternoon at 3:30, when fresh cookies come straight out of the oven at the new Sunset Park Cafe. Watching guests line up for a warm treat became one of my favorite daily rituals — there’s something about a gooey chocolate chip cookie against a background of snow-capped mountains that is irresistable.

Read More »Cookies, Cabanas, and Humpback Whales: Alaska Aboard the Newly Refurbished Celebrity Solstice

What It Really Means to Travel Well on a River Cruise

There’s one thing our happiest clients all have in common — and it has nothing to do with which ship they cruised on. 

It isn’t the stateroom they chose, the cruise line they booked, or even the destination. We’ve sent clients down the Danube and along the Rhine. We’ve booked them on Tauck, AMAWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Viking, Riverside Luxury Cruises and other companies you’ve never even heard of. We’ve watched them fall in love with Budapest at golden hour and stand speechless on deck as Cologne came into view.

Across every sailing, every itinerary, every client — the ones who come home the most transformed share exactly one thing.

They arrived with nothing left to manage.

Read More »What It Really Means to Travel Well on a River Cruise

Coastwise Travel’s Insider Access at Exclusive Cruise Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coastwise Travel Founder Attends Exclusive Cruise Summit Event, Elevating Expertise in Luxury Alaska Cruise Vacations

Virginia Beach, VA — June 2026 — Pamela Fierro,  founder and lead advisor for Coastwise Travel, is pleased to announce the successful completion of the 2026 Nexion Cruise Summit, held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This exclusive industry event provided an unparalleled opportunity to engage in hands-on ship inspections, one-on-one supplier meetings, destination immersion, and firsthand product experiences — all in service of delivering superior travel planning to Coastwise Travel clients.

Read More »Coastwise Travel’s Insider Access at Exclusive Cruise Conference

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