For Shore: Your Daily Tot on Tortola
If you’re going ashore in Tortola, why not go rum hunting? The Caribbean has the perfect climate to grow sugar cane, and during the colonial period plantations sprouted among the islands. It wasn’t long before someone noticed that the byproducts of the refining process – molasses – ferme
A Classic, Reborn
The largest passenger ship to ever homeport in West Palm Beach, Bahamas Paradise Cruises’ Grand Classica joined the smaller Grand Celebration this past March in providing a convenient daily cruise service to Freeport, Bahamas. The 52,926-grt, 1,680-guest vessel is impressive enough for her basic f
TRAVEL TIPS: New Zealand’s Slice of Scottish Paradise
Did you know that New Zealand has its own little piece of Scotland? That’s right, you can go Down Under and visit Dunedin, the city whose name is actually the Scottish Gaelic word for Edinburgh. Cruise ships head to Scotland in the spring and summer months, but if you’re looking for the United K
Ship Shape on Norwegian Bliss
Take a calorie-burning indoor cycling class, work on your abs, or find your Zen in a yoga session on the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Bliss and your instructor just may be Henry Berry, a former rugby player from England’s Lake District. Having worked as a personal trainer and run his own boot camp on
Cruise Ship Review: AmaWaterways AmaLea
The charms of the cities and villages of the Danube are a joy to discover. Aboard the new AmaWaterways AmaLea, this pleasure is multiplied. This is the 10th ship of their Certo class, and as AmaWaterways has evolved, they’ve incorporated the latest technology, architectural flow, and attention to
Leiding Lady
Browsing Grenadian fashion designer Raquel Leid’s Mt. Sealey Garden collection is like taking a Caribbean vacation. The sunshine yellows, turquoise blues, and emerald greens of her fruit- and flower-motif fabrics reflect the hues of the islands. And the styles, which float away from the body and f
TRAVEL TIPS: Doha, Beyond Skyscrapers & Shopping Malls
In recent years, the Middle Eastern country of Qatar has become a major world power, and its capital Doha is a metropolis, complete with massive geometric skyscrapers that light up the Qatari sky at night. Thanks to the discovery of oil in this small country, located on the Arabian Peninsula, Doha h
Soul Strutting At Sea
Ready to boogie, get funky, and feel the groove with soul music royalty? Then take “the hippest trip at sea” via the Soul Train Cruise. The 7-day Caribbean voyage produced by StarVista LIVE on Holland America Line departs from Orlando, Florida, and offers a mix of music, nostalgia, television hi
Heading Ashore: 9 Things to See in Rome
For most cruise passengers sailing in the Med, a call at Civitavecchia, Italy, the port of the Eternal City, means that, as the saying goes, “All roads lead to Rome.” It will necessarily be a long day on those roads – it is about a 45-minute to one-hour’s drive (or longer, depending on traff
48 Hours: Vancouver – Have a Gas in the City of Glass.
The enchanting city of Vancouver is located on the west coast of Canada and takes her rightful place as the largest city in British Columbia. She sits nestled amongst beautiful, snow-peaked mountains, brims with numerous luscious parks, and is touched by the deepest of oceans. For at least 14,000 ye
Cruise Ship Review: AIDAperla
Total Immersion on AIDAperla Those smiling red lips and exotic Cleopatra eyes on the bow make AIDA’s cruise ships the most strikingly dramatic-looking ships in any cruise port, from China to Miami to the Mediterranean. Yet outside of Germany, AIDA is almost unknown, even amongst cruise-lovers. I w
Dalmatian Coast
Tauck, the New England based touring company, has had more than 90 years experience organizing escorted trips to more than 70 countries. So it was no surprise that its evolution and expansion from luxury river cruising to small ship ocean cruising has been such a success. As it does with its river c
TRAVEL TIPS: Going to Goa
Goa is probably best known as India’s place to party, but this small state is packed with beauty and history. Goa has been through many changes, and each phase of its history is still engrained in its modern-day culture. India’s smallest state was once a Portuguese colony, and then it became
Can I Use Credit Card Points to Book a Cruise Vacation?
Sailing the high seas can be a fun family adventure, but it can also be an expensive one, too. That’s why savvy travelers know that they should put their points and miles to work for them to save money. You can use that extra cash you save and apply it towards a shore excursion or […]
Dish It Up: Season’s Eatings
Stroll from deck to deck aboard any cruise ship during the holidays, and the wafting aromas are enough to knock your blinking-lights Santa socks off. Fresh-baked Christmas cookies here, latkes there, stuffing everywhere — what’s a foodie to do? Why, indulge, of course. We’ve got the goods (and
Maximum Middle East
The scene was a cruise ship sailing in the Middle East, but it felt more like a James Bond movie. While guests on the ultra-luxurious 600-passenger Seabourn Encore were sipping martinis and champagne around the pool, four burly armed guards arrived by small motorboat, under the cover of darkness. Th
10 Things About A World Cruise That Keep Guests Coming Back
Ever since before the time of Ferdinand Magellan, people have been dreaming of, and trying to, circumnavigate the planet. And no wonder! Doing a circle around the globe, visiting scores of exotic places and experiencing a variety of cultures – in just one voyage –makes anyone feel like a superhe
A Grand Entrance for Celebrity Edge
For the first time, Port Everglades Terminal 25 has a tenant: Celebrity Edge. The newest ship in Celebrity Cruises fleet sailed into Fort Lauderdale, FL, yesterday, her new home for cruising to the Caribbean. It took the ship 15 days to sail across the Atlantic Ocean from the French shipyard where s
Seeing Seattle On a Budget
Looking for a way to see the Emerald City on a budget? We have you covered! Seattle may seem like an expensive town, but they have a lot of attractions that are free. Grab your coffee and let’s hit the streets of Seattle for some fun! Enjoy the Local Attractions Pike Place Market The essential
3 Unusual Ways to Break a Sweat on a Cruise
Hitting the gym used to be the only way to break a good sweat on a cruise vacation, but those days are over. As the health and wellness industry has embraced new disciplines, cruise lines have evolved, coming up with creative ways to make exercise feel like part of the adventure. Here are some examp