Ship Review: Scenic Spirit, Aqua Mekong, and Angkor Pandaw
Magic on the Mekong Luxury awaits for travelers ready to cruise Asia. For been-there-done-that cruisers, an Asia itinerary is often next on the list. And lucky for today’s been-there-done-that cruisers, options abound along Asia’s wonderful waterways. One river in particular that’s attracting
5 Faves: Must-Try Cambodian Street Foods
Five Must-Try Cambodian Street Foods I profess to being a moderate foodie, backed up by my appreciation of food and the discovery of new tastes. And despite an inclination to be rather picky, I openly admit that I prefer street food fare over Michelin-rated cuisine. Give me back-alley grub marinated
Design Time: Oceania Cruises
Visually Classic, Stunningly Chic. Discover the grand style aboard Oceania Cruises’ Riviera. By Steve Leland I don’t pretend to be a design aficionado. I wouldn’t know the difference between mid-century modern and French provincial if I sat on it. However, I do know what I like when I
Exploring on American Empress
Modern-day exploration aboard American Empress By Steve Leland I’d had Tina Turner belting out “Proud Mary” in my head since first planning this cruise adventure through the Pacific Northwest. The closest I’d ever been to a paddlewheel steamboat was the less-than-epic 100-yard, five-minu
Three Ways to Experience a Viking Cruise
Three ways to experience a Viking cruise Is there anywhere this cruise line doesn’t sail? When Viking River Cruises, an industry leader in river cruising with more than 60 river ships currently sailing, launched Viking Ocean Cruises in 2013 to launch a series of 930-passenger ocean ships, it opene
Five Faves: Sea Days on Oceania Cruises’ Riviera
Savor Your Sea Days Five Favorite Things to do During a Trans-Atlantic Cruise I never thought I would enjoy a trans-Atlantic cruise. I envisioned a version where my budget would restrict me to steerage class (whatever that is); waltzing to big bands and high tea at 4 p.m. didn’t exactly ring m
Battle of the Barges
Battle of the Barges Cruising the waterways of Ireland vs. France By Steve Leland The prospects of an off-the-wall travel experience while sampling the trappings of the good life, such as gourmet dining with liberal libations, were all too much to overlook. Who am I to say no? So I decided to book a
Myanmar by Strand
From ship to shore, The Strand experience best showcases Myanmar. By Steve Leland It’s been said that stepping outside your travel comfort zone makes for an exhilarating experience, and I will concur that there is nothing more exhilarating than a journey to Myanmar. Decades of self-inflicted isola
Ciao, Costa – A cruise director returns on board
Ciao, Costa After 25 years, a former cruise director returns to his roots. By Steve Leland After living under the yellow and blue funnels of Costa Cruises for 10 years as cruise director, along with my wife as casino manager, we left our pseudo, onboard Italian family in 1990 to raise our own. Now,
Five Faves: Discovering five joys of river cruising aboard S.S. Catherine
Porthole‘s Five Faves Good Things Come in Small Packages Discovering five joys of river cruising aboard S.S. Catherine Despite the good fortune of having experienced 500-plus ocean cruises spanning 15 years as a cruise director, I was eager to embrace the relatively new trend of river cruising
