CRUISE RECIPE: Crystal Cruises’ Cream of Forest Mushroom Soup
Hungry to Sail Again Face it. During this pandemic, there’s certainly not much to splurge on. Nobody’s really thinking about redecorating, buying an expensive pair of designer shoes or theater tickets. So why not take that money and order some morels—those rich, earthy and fragrant
CRUISE RECIPE: Viking’s Pastel de Nata
Hungry to Sail Again Today, I’m whipping up a sweet reminder of my glorious Viking Helgrim cruise down Portugal’s Douro River last summer. And I have all the ingredients on hand! The 262-foot, 106-passenger Viking Helgrim, is a baby longship, custom-built to navigate the short and narrow l
Talking FOOD & Carnival Mardi Gras with Master Chef Rudi Sodamin
Whether he’s sprinkling parsley on flaky filets of dover sole at Rudi’s Sel de Mer or cutting the ribbon at Carnival Kitchen on board the new Carnival Panorama alongside celebrity chefs Guy Fieri and Emeril Lagasse, Rudi Sodamin is a staple in the cruise industry. His resume serving up gourmet c
CRUISE RECIPE: Lobster Pad Thai by Oceania Cruises
Hungry to Sail Again We all love Norma and Dave, the Australian couple who were content to re-create their cancelled cruise by donning bathrobes, toasting each other and watching videos of a rolling blue ocean on their living room TV. Well, sorry, Norma and Dave, but I’m hu
Eco Oceans: Scenic Eclipse Offers Fresh Greens on Blue Seas
According to Executive Chef Tom Goetter, Scenic Eclipse has 2,500 different recipes across its eight restaurants. But when you’re spending multiple days in remote, frozen tundras and rugged fjords, how do you keep ingredients fresh? Thanks to the ship’s Urban Cultivator, guests can enjoy fresh p
Last Call: Martinis – Shaken or Stirred?
The Place — Martinis Grab A Seat — All Oceania ships Standout Feature — Piano bars are a staple on most cruise ships, but Martinis outdoes them all by pairing jazzy standards on an ebony Steinway with an intimate gentleman’s club atmosphere and, of course, 26 varieties of the titular c
Sailing into a New Year!
The Monthly Mantra Cruise Year Resolutions…Cruise Year Resolutions…Cruise Year Resolutions…. It seems everyone’s making resolutions this month: Lose weight, stop smoking, stop drinking and rev up the fitness routine. As a cruise fanatic, my resolutions are a bit different.
Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso Coming to Windstar
Chef Anthony Sasso didn’t become one of the world’s youngest Michelin-starred chefs by stifling creativity. Now, he’s bringing more than a decade of culinary experience on board Windstar Cruises with a new restaurant called Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso. The new restaur
Yum Yum at Crystal Cruises’ Umi Uma
This month, the quest for the best onboard restaurants takes us on Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony. You must book a reservation at Umi Uma. Famed restaurateur and celebrity chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa created the restaurant’s Japanese-Peruvian fusion menu. His unique style c
The Holiday Spirit Starts with BACARDÍ
Rum isn’t one size fits all. It comes in a variety of colors, flavors and profiles which make it a far more unique spirit than most realize. Made from sugar cane, rum is versatile and unique and can be added to a wide variety of drinks and recipes to add a little bit of tropical […]
Seattle’s Best Breweries Before or After Your Cruise
Seattle has a vibrant and innovative brewing scene, with microbreweries ranging across town from north to south. Many of Seattles’ best breweries still only have limited distribution, so make sure to check them out while you are in town because you might not have a chance when you get home! Fi
A Cruiser’s Guide to Restaurants in Orlando
If you are flying to Orlando prior to boarding your cruise or plan on staying in Orlando after your cruise, you are in luck. Orlando provides plenty more than sun, beaches and Disney. In particular, Orlando has more than its fair share of spectacular restaurants. Regardless of your unique dietary pr
Fort Lauderdale for First-Timers
Life in the Sunshine State is a little different than elsewhere across the country. Florida is where America comes to vacation thanks to beautiful weather, gorgeous beachside hotels and the world’s busiest cruise ports. No matter who you are or what your idea of a good time is, Fort Lauderdale and
Sip Your Way Through Miami’s Marvelous Cocktails
Miami Beach is a whole lot more than just a strip of sand. This tropical paradise is where America comes to vacation thanks to beautiful weather, the world’s largest cruise ports and oh yeah, the beach. Most don’t know that once you get past the tourist area of Ocean Drive, Miami Beach is actual
The Best Place to Get Breakfast in Seattle Before You Cruise
A cruise is a fantastic way to see the sights of Puget Sound or extend a vacation on the water to more distant locales. While you’ve packed your luggage and are awaiting those famous cruise ship buffets, you’ll still need time to grab breakfast before you go. Fortunately, this city known
Last Call: Make Mine a Vera Lynn — Aboard P&O Cruises.
The Place — The Crow’s Nest Grab A Seat — Britannia Standout Feature — P&O Cruises is a very British cruise line, and Britannia is a very British ship. What else would one sip, gazing over the bow from the Crow’s Nest lounge, if not “the pleasant medicine” of gin? During Britannia&
The Heart of Vietnam
I first visited Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in 1995; Vietnam tourism was evolving and beginning to take root as an integral part of daily life in major cities. By my next visit in December 2012, tourism was booming. Brand-name hotels shared the skyline near the legendary Rex Hotel. Restaurants caterin
Last Call: Cunard’s Commander of Cocktails
Last Call celebrates the best bars at sea and the people who can’t get enough of them. Today we pay our respects to the captain with a signature concoction inspired by Cunard’s seven most renowned Commodores. The Place — Commodore Club Grab A Seat — All Cunard ships Standout Featur
A Cruiser’s Guide to Fort Lauderdale’s Best Shopping
Cruisers have a lot of choices to make and they start long before embarkation day. Do you want to cruise for 7 or 14 days? Should we get the drink package or pay as we go? Is the balcony stateroom worth the upgrade? Once you get all of that figured out, the really hard part […]
Norwegian Says Bye-Bye to Single Use Plastics
Sea turtles have a new favorite cruise line thanks to a commitment to ending single use plastics. Norwegian Cruise Line has teamed with JUST Goods, Inc, a sustainable packaging company, to eliminate single use plastic bottles and more on board the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet. Single use plastics are
