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

Cunard Details Wellness Spaces on New Cruise Ship

Cunard Line details the wellness spaces feature onboard the new Queen Anne cruise ship, which will debut in 2024.

Star of the Seas Revealed as Second Giant Icon-Class Cruise Ship

Royal Caribbean reveals Star of the Seas as the name for its second giant Icon-class cruise ship, which will debut in Summer 2025.

Cruise Line’s Fleet Achieves Highest Scores in the World

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet has achieved the highest scores out of a total of 341 ships around the world by Insight Guides.

Norwegian Cruise Line Increasing Cabin Capacity For Solo Guests

Norwegian Cruise Line is adding more solo cabin capacity across the fleet from January 2, 2024, with new stateroom categories.

Norwegian Cruise Line Adding New Game Show for Guests

Norwegian Cruise Line is adding an interactive Wheel of Fortune game show to its ships, starting with Norwegian Escape.

Celebrity Cruises’ New-Build Departs on Sea Trials

Celebrity Cruises' fourth Edge class vessel, Celebrity Ascent sets off on sea trials from the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in France.

Boston Welcomes Its Largest Cruise Ship of the Season

Boston, Massachusetts welcomed its largest cruise ship of the seas, the giant MSC Meraviglia, based out of New York.

Cunard Makes Partnership for Its Large Screen Onboard New Ship

Cunard Line partners with the British Film Institute for its large outdoor screen onboard its new Queen Anne cruise ship.

Holland America to Bring Fresh Fish Aboard All Cruise Ships

Holland America Line is brining fresh fish aboard all of its cruise ships sourced from local ports, for all the line's restaurants.