Donna Tunney

Cruise News Writer

Donna Tunney is a travel news/feature writer and editor with 20-plus years covering cruise news, luxury travel, and Europe and UK destinations. A former staffer at Travel Weekly and at the USAToday Network, she also was a luxury travel columnist at Travel Market Report, and a cruise columnist at Sherman's Travel.

How did you get started in cruises?

My first job in the travel industry was copyeditor at the trade publication Travel Weekly in 1990. In 1992 my editors sent me on a cruise assignment to Eastern Canada/New England, and I’ve been hooked on cruising ever since. I eventually became Travel Weekly’s senior cruise editor, in 2011, and continue to be a cruise contributor at the publication.

What makes you a cruise expert?

Covering cruising from a business perspective gave me insights into the market as well as historical knowledge of the industry. I have sailed on about 30 cruises with 14 cruise lines, on both ocean and river ships.

I was a travel and cruise content producer for Travel Market Report, Sherman’s Travel, and TheTravel.com, and held senior editorial positions at regional newspapers in the USA Today Network. I’ve also received three reporting and editing awards from the New England Newspaper & Press Association (2005, 2015, and 2018).

You can check my Muck Rack profile here.

What’s your favorite cruise line?

It’s hard to choose just one, but I’d have to say Cunard, the UK-based luxury line. As a lifelong Anglophile, I enjoy the British atmosphere onboard — the Golden Lion Pub, formal afternoon tea, white glove service in the dining rooms, and more. This is the line that operates the iconic Queen Mary 2, which has, believe it or not, a planetarium onboard.

What’s your top tip for new cruisers?

Start by booking a short itinerary of just two or three nights to see if cruising generally agrees with you before committing to a full week or longer voyage.

You find out more about the Cruise Hive team right here.

2022
Started at Cruise Hive
631
Articles
Expertise
Cruises, Luxury Travel, Journalism
31
Cruises
32
Countries Visited
Massachusetts
Location Based

Articles By Donna

Seven MSC Cruise Ships Sailing from the US in Winter 2026-27

MSC Cruises releases its US deployment for the winter 2026-27 season with seven cruise ships.

Carnival Ship Forced to Remain at Sea Longer Due to Tropical Cyclone

The Carnival Luminosa is being forced to remain at sea as major Tropical Cyclone strikes the Australia east coast.

Norwegian Cruise Line Begins Rolling Out 4 New Musical Shows

Norwegian Cruise Line begins rolling out four new musical shows debuting through September 2025 across nine cruise ships.

Major Canadian Port Expects Slight Drop in Cruise Traffic

Vancouver is expecting a strong 2025 season with 301 cruise ship calls currently scheduled, bringing over 1.3 million passengers.

Cruise News Update: Captain Departs, Ship Tilts, Inspection

Cruise Hive has a loads of cruise news from the past week, including coffee maker confiscation, Royal Caribbean inspection, ship tilting and more!

Galveston Port to Update Master Plan With Traffic and Safety Initiatives

Port of Galveston moving forward with its master plan update, working on improving traffic and a plan for growth.

Alaska Port to Lift Sales Tax Exemption on Visiting Cruise Ships

The popular Alaska cruise port of Ketchikan will soon begin collecting a sales tax on items sold onboard cruise ships.

Costa Cruises Adds Embarkation Port for Caribbean Voyages

Carnival-owned Costa Cruises adds Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic as an embarkation port for Caribbean cruises.

True Crime Cruise to Set Sail on Norwegian Joy in 2026

A True Crime Cruise will set sail on Norwegian Joy in January 2026, with real crime experts and activities.