Colleen McDaniel

Jan 15, 2025 | cruisecritic.com.au | Colleen McDaniel

Whether you take a Tahiti cruise or visit Tahiti by land on your own, this destination is the stuff of dreams. Beautiful beaches, swaying palm trees and flower leis at every turn. You know you want to go, but should you take a Tahiti cruise? Book an overwater bungalow in Tahiti? Or look for a cheap Tahiti hotel? As you'd expect, there are positives and negatives to French Polynesia cruises and land vacations, ranging from inclusivity to cost and convenience.

Dec 10, 2024 | cruisecritic.com | Colleen McDaniel

Sakura is Explora II's Pan-Asian restaurant. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)HomeCruise ArticlesI Ate My Way Through the Best Dining at Sea – Here’s What I Found Out Sakura is Explora II's Pan-Asian restaurant. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)Editor-In-ChiefColleen McDanielLast updatedDec 10, 2024Read time7 min readExplora Journeys’ first ship, Explora I, debuted in 2023 and was immediately lauded by Cruise Critic’s editors and reviewers for its boutique-hotel approach to cruising and impressive dining options.

Sep 19, 2024 | cruisecritic.com | Colleen McDaniel

Shanghai at night as seen from a cruise on Viking Yi Dun. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)HomeCruise ArticlesTaking a Cruise in China: What You Need to Know Shanghai at night as seen from a cruise on Viking Yi Dun. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)Editor-In-ChiefColleen McDanielLast updatedSep 20, 2024Read time7 min readWhenever I’m talking to potential cruisers about why I think cruising is a fantastic vacation option, the one perk I always mention is that it’s a hassle-free way of traveling. It’s true.

Sep 19, 2024 | cruisecritic.com | Colleen McDaniel

Viking Yi Dun docks in Shenzhen, China. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)HomeCruise ArticlesWhat it’s Like Sailing on a Viking Cruise in China Viking Yi Dun docks in Shenzhen, China. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)Editor-In-ChiefColleen McDanielLast updatedSep 20, 2024In September 2024, Viking Yi Dun began sailing in China, opening its ship to English-speaking passengers for a short season and finding a way to help reopen tourism in China, which had largely fallen off during and after the pandemic.

Sep 10, 2024 | cruisecritic.com | Colleen McDaniel

Nieuw Amsterdam in Ketchikan (Photo: Aaron Saunders)HomeCruise ArticlesHolland America Delivers a Seamless First Cruise to Alaska Nieuw Amsterdam in Ketchikan (Photo: Aaron Saunders)Editor-In-ChiefColleen McDanielLast updatedSep 9, 2024If you’re thinking about your first cruise to Alaska, two cruise lines typically jump to the top of the list because they’ve been providing vacations there for so long and offer extensive land-extension options: Holland America Line and Princess Cruises.