Porthole Cruise Magazine Review

Here is the promised review on Porthole cruise magazine. As I said in my review on Cruise Travel magazine, I think the Porthole magazine has a more professional/higher quality look and feel to it though it also contains more advertising in it. The magazine like Cruise Travel offers useful information on ports and as well as telling about various cruises on offer. For example: the February 2014 issue had an insider's look at Marseille, France as well as what it's like to cruise on the Tere Moana and the Aranui 3. I thought the Aranui 3 was particularly interesting as it goes to places you'd never get to visit other wise like the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. Also, it had an article on tips for socializing at sea. One downside to cruising vice group land tours is you are very much on your own on a cruise unless a spouse/significant other, relation or friend comes along. For those curious what the future holds for cruising, it had an article on what might await future cruisers.

Price wise, the magazine is nearly half the price of Cruise Travel for a 1 year/6 issue subscription ($19.99 vice $38.95) and is less than half the price for a 2 year ($29.99 vice $68.90) with no extra charge for getting the digital version as well. If you want to buy just the digital version (an option not offered with Cruise Travel though it may be offered with the app (I plan to check on this)), it costs $15.99 for a 1 year subscription and $19.99 for a 2 year subscription (a real bargain).

Overall, this is a fine cruise magazine. It differs from Cruise Travel in that it doesn't technical details on some ships as well as offering a listing of what lines sail into what ports but, it does offer excellent (and potentially useful) articles with very good pictures. I'd say it's a more upscale cruise magazine compared to Cruise Travel. If you're into cruising, I think it's worth subscribing to especially with the cheaper subscription prices. Happy travels all!

Disclaimer: All views expressed here are my own. I didn't receive any compensation for writing this review and, I paid out of my own pocket for the February issue of Porthole magazine which I based my opinions of it on.

Cruise Travel Magazine Review

I know of 2 magazines that cover specifically travel on cruise ships. They are Cruise Travel and Porthole (will be reviewed by me later). I think Porthole is the more professional looking of the two magazines BUT, Cruise Travel magazine has its advantages in my opinion. One of them is some great and potentially useful articles. Example: the January/February 2014 issue tells readers what kind of wedding at sea packages are available on cruises as well as the rules on having the ship's captain marry would be newlyweds. The November/December 2013 issue has a cruise calendar that shows all the itineraries for different cruise lines for the winter/spring period. This can be handy in that it allows you to compare itineraries helping you find the one that best fulfills your travel desires.

Cost wise, the magazine sells for $5.99 (U.S. dollars). 1 year subscriptions sell for $38.95 and 2 year for $68.90. The magazine comes out bi-monthly (every other month).

The only down sides I've seen with the magazine is I wish there were more articles and, I think some of their reviews of various ships were a bit gushy. One reviewer of a Silversea cruise I think was a bit over the top on their praise of the ship and the things it had on board. Still, the magazine does give good information on what various ships and cruise lines have to offer.

Overall, I think the magazine is worth subscribing to if you like to go on cruises or are interested in doing it. It provides good information on different cruises, ports, ships and things to do in various ports. I was impressed enough with the magazine that I plan to subscribe to the magazine myself. Happy cruising all!

Magazine Review

As I mentioned in a blog months earlier, I ordered a number of magazines through Northwest Airlines on-line mall. It was so I could earn enough airmiles to get a free ticket from BWI to Newark Liberty International Airport. That ended up being a bust but, some of the magazines I ordered have turned out to be very enjoyable. One of them is Airways. Airways covers airlines, airports, commercial airplanes and the history behind those topics. If you're in to any of them, you may enjoy the magazine. The June 2007 issue has an article that tells of the Lockheed Constellation Starliner. This plane turned out to be the apogee of pistoned powered airliners. Sadly, the Boeing 707 was coming on to the scene dooming the plane to obsolescence. The July 2007 issue has an interesting article on Lukla, Nepal's airport. This airport is the one closest to Mount Everest. Trekkers and mountain climbers use it to bring in large amounts of supplies for their expeditions.

Not all the articles are written by the magazine's staff. Some are written by airline crews. In the July issue, Andreas Rohde a first officer with Contact Air, takes the reader through all the different steps on a flight from Stuttgart, Germany to Toulouse-Blagnac, France. It's an informative article that tells all the behind the scenes action that goes on in making the flight happen.

Overall, I found this magazine to be really interesting. Every month, it has a number of superbly written articles. I learn things I didn't know about before and the magazine helps me think of new travel possibilities. I didn't know anything about the new French business-class carrier L'Avion until I read their June 2007 article. If you want to fly from Newark to Paris in business class at an affordable price, you might want to consider them. If you're interested in commercial aviation in any way, you should very much enjoy this magazine. Price wise, you'll be looking at $5.99 U.S. an issue. A yearly subscription will be cheaper though I don't know what that costs. Cheers!