Where am I again? – On a cruise ship, good signage is a treasure.
Monday Mantra Get Lost…Get Lost…Get Lost… Where am I again? On a cruise ship, good signage is a treasure. I believe that there’s a special place in hell reserved for cruise ship interior designers who fail to place a prominent plaque or video monitor showing the direction of all public rooms
Living the SeaDream
Living the SeaDream Get to know “the little cruise line that could By Judi Cuervo I was destined to fall in love with SeaDream Yacht Club. In 1986, I’d already been cruising for nearly a decade when I was intrigued by two sister ships: Cunard Line’s Sea Goddess I and Sea Goddess II. Unlike the
So Many Ways to Cruise. – To find the perfect trip, you have to explore.
Monday Mantra Decisions…Decisions…Decisions… So Many Ways to Cruise To find the perfect trip, you have to explore. When I was about 12 years old and just learning how to cook, I went to the supermarket to buy the canned tomatoes that a recipe called for. When I got there, I found a dizzying as
Italy … by Land! – Sometimes to go deeper, you have to leave the sea behind.
Monday Mantra Ciao Italia! … Ciao Italia! … Ciao Italia! Italy … by Land! Sometimes to go deeper, you have to leave the sea behind. Soon, I’ll be off to Italy! And here’s the newsflash … NOT on a cruise. That’s the part that totally baffles my friends who seem to think that just becaus
Sailing On – Beloved cruisemates never really debark
Monday Mantra Oceans Apart … Oceans Apart … Oceans Apart … Sailing On Beloved cruisemates never really debark. This week marks the one-year anniversary of the death of my husband Michael. Cruising brought us together — our wedding was even aboard ship — so I shouldn’t be surprised that e
In the Drink – What does it really take to wind up overboard?
Monday Mantra Don’t Fall for It … Don’t Fall for It … Don’t Fall for It … In the Drink What does it really take to wind up overboard? Let me make this abundantly clear: You don’t just fall off a cruise ship. Some of the stories you read in the newspaper make it sound […]
Monday mantra – Drink up
MONDAY MANTRA Drink up! … Drink up! … Drink up! … The human brain. Astrophysics. The U.S. Federal Tax Code. Cruise Ship Beverage Packages. These are some of the things that mystify mankind. Not too long ago, only the ships of ultra-premium cruise lines such as Silversea Crui
Going with the Flow – Every trip has surprises. The biggest might be how well you can handle them.
Monday Mantra Breathe Out … Breathe In … Breathe Out … Breathe In … Going with the Flow Every trip has surprises. The biggest might be how well you can handle them. “I expect we’ll touch down at JFK a half hour ahead of schedule,” announced our pilot. I was elated! My travel companion
Cold Comfort for the Winter Cruiser – At least the music is hot…
Monday Mantra It’s freezing…It’s freezing…It’s freezing Cold Comfort for the Winter Cruiser At least the music is hot…. My head is spinning and it’s not from an overindulgence in the drink of the day. Here I am on Norwegian Pearl’s Moody Blues Cruise, a 4-day
Cruise Questions Answered – The more you know, the more you’re asked … and the more you’re ready for your next cruise!
Monday Mantra Mouth Shut … Mouth Shut … Mouth Shut … Cruise Questions Answered The more you know, the more you’re asked … and the more you’re ready for your next cruise! Word gets out. You’ve cruised for years, decades even, and now you’re recognized as the cruise expert among your p
International Flavor Aboard Europa 2
International Flavor How an English-speaking cruiser fares aboard a German-market cruise ship. By Judi Cuervo Imagine you’re a theater buff. You’ve immersed yourself in the subject for decades and believe that your knowledge is absolute and your passion unsurpassed. And then, suddenly, some play
Vitamin Sea: Best Bath Amenities
Get the low-down on cruising’s best bath amenities By Judi Cuervo The lovely young suite attendant arrived moments after I had settled into my extraordinary Seabourn Sojourn penthouse. She was bearing an elegant silver tray on which, I assumed, was an assortment of welcome aboard hors d’oeuv
Solo Cruisers Unite! – Fight for your right to cruise like a couple! Down with the single supplement!
Monday Mantra Double or nothin’ … Double or nothin’ … Double or nothin’ … Solo Cruisers Unite! Fight for your right to cruise like a couple! Down with the single supplement! This single-supplement thing is really ticking me off. I’m not usually a screaming and rebellious individual who
A Thousand Million (Cruise) Questions
Monday Mantra Newbie Blues Cruise … Newbie Blues Cruise … Newbie Blues Cruise … A Thousand Million (Cruise) Questions Yes, your “Nights in White Satin” include towels … The glow of my extraordinary SeaDream Yacht Club cruise has barely dimmed yet I find myself getting ready to set sa
Many Happy Returns – How (and how not) to celebrate a birthday at sea
Monday Mantra Happy birthday to me … Happy birthday to me … Happy birthday to me … Many Happy Returns How (how not) to celebrate a birthday at sea Happy birthday to me! Honestly! I say “Honestly!” because I can’t tell you how many times I pretended it was my birthday in my early days [&h
You Can’t Take It With You — Can You??
Monday Mantra What’s in Your Suitcase? … What’s in Your Suitcase? … What’s in Your Suitcase? … You Can’t Take It With You — Can You?? Wait till you see what some folks are packing … My cruise luggage typically includes clothes, underwear, shoes, cosmetics, deodorant, ha
Cashing In – Here’s how you could really feel the surcharge pinch.
Monday Mantra A Small Price to Pay … A Small Price to Pay … A Small Price to Pay Cashing In Here’s how you could really feel the surcharge pinch. Why do I hear so many cruisers whine about surcharges that usually apply to fabulous specialty restaurants and extraordinary new features that drama
Burial at Sea
A Bittersweet Journey Saying goodbye at sea brings comfort to an oceangoing love story. By Judi Cuervo I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until [
Cruising Considerately in 2016 – Resolutions for a year of bon voyages!
Monday Mantra Promises … Promises … Promises … Cruising Considerately in 2016 Resolutions for a year of bon voyages! Happy New Year! A new year means a new set of cruise resolutions! Let’s see if I can keep these any better than I kept last year’s: I will understand that my cabin steward i
