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
653
Articles
Expertise
Cruises, Luxury Travel, Journalism
31
Cruises
32
Countries Visited
Massachusetts
Location Based

Articles By Donna

Costa Cruises Opens More Sailings Across Six Ships

Carnival-owned Costa Cruises open up more sailings for spring through winter 2026 in the Mediterranean and northern Europe.

Windstar Marks Float-Out of New-Build at Portugal Shipyard

Windstar Cruises celebrates the float out of its new Star Seeker cruise ship at the WestSEA Shipyard in Viana do Castelo, Portugal.

Cruise News Update: Cancelled Cruises, Prohibited Item and More

Cruise Hive has your weekly cruise news update, including Norwegian Cruise Line cancellations, Carnival's prohibited item, dog sailing and more.

Canadian Cruise Port Wraps Up Season With 43 Ship Calls

Prince Rupert Cruise Port wraps up a successful 2024 season with 59,000 passengers across 43 ship calls.

Weather Prompts Route Changes for Newest NCL Cruise Ship

Weather forces a route change for the newest NCL cruise ship, Norwegian Viva, currently sailing in the Mediterranean.

Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels 38 Sailings Across Three Ships

Norwegian Cruise Line cancels multiple sailings for three ships for the winter 2025-26 season, impacting a total of 38 cruises.

Carnival Cruise Line Ending Operations at East Coast Port

Carnival Cruise Line is ending operations out of Charleston, ending an era of homeporting options from the East Coast port.

Actor Eric Stonestreet to Serve as Norwegian Aqua’s Godfather

Norwegian Cruise Line announces actor Eric Stonestreet as the godfather for the new Norwegian Aqua cruise ship.

Cruise Lines Roll Out 2024 Black Friday Cruise Deals

We've got your round-up of all the Black Friday cruise deals for 2024 across all the major cruise lines, so you don't miss out!