Grape Destinations: What is Port Wine?
Port, when used in the context of a cruise ship, usually refers to the left side of the vessel. However, when in the dining room of that very same cruise ship, port becomes something very different. In the Douro region of Northern Portugal, you’ll find thick bunches of touriga and tinta grapes cas
Grape Destinations: A Wine Glass Tutorial
The best (or maybe worst) part about living in our modern age is the sheer number of choices we have. For wine drinkers, not only are there numerous varieties of wine, but hundreds of labels which make them. A trip to the wine store can be an almost overwhelming experience because of how many differ
Sampling Sydney’s Cocktail Culture in the CBD
Next time your cruise ship docks in Sydney Harbour and you’d like to visit some of the city’s most unique cocktail lounges, here are three in the Central Business District that we highly recommend. Our American daughter, Ashley, lives and works in Sydney and we recently visited her to celebrate
Grape Destinations: Have You Heard of Anderson Valley?
Napa Valley is easily the most famous wine-making region in California and probably the United States as a whole. The region’s fame and considerable fortune in the winemaking industry are renowned, but it’s not the only place in California where grapes are pressed into Decanter Awards. Just 100
Celebrating National S’mores Day on a Cruise
There’s a fine line between perfectly toasted and blazing inferno, which do you prefer? The art of s’more making varies from person to person based on taste preference, but no matter what, the main idea stays the same; have fun! S’mores are sweet, gooey and make a big mess, how could you not l
Grape Destinations: What Does a Wine Decanter Do?
It’s probably hidden in a box somewhere in the attic or basement collecting dust with all your other wedding gifts, but a wine decanter is one of the best ways to get the most out of any bottle of vino. A decanter may seem unnecessary, but if you truly want to appreciate the subtleties of [&hellip
Is This the Best Cheeseburger at Sea?
Landlubbers rejoice, you can know get one of the best burgers at sea without setting foot on a cruise ship! Passengers aboard Princess Cruises are no doubt familiar with “The Ernesto,” a burger found in The Salty Dog Gastropub and Salty Dog Grill on board Princess ships. Previously, onboard the
Expedition Cruise Eats
People always ask me, “What is the food like on a seventeen day expeditionary cruise?”. Well, to be honest no one has actually asked me that, yet, but I want to offer my answer and head off eventuality. I would argue that it’s relatively easy to come up with a rotating roster of creative cui
Grape Destinations: Wine and Your Health
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but so too can a glass of Argentinian Pinot Noir, bold and fruity to the nose and complex on the tongue. Wine and your health may not seem like two things which go together, but there are plenty of benefits to enjoying a glass of the right […]
Bermuda, Booze, Horizon: Three ingredients to a killer cocktail
The Monthly Mantra Hitting the bottle … Hitting the bottle … Hitting the bottle … People cruise for all sorts of reasons: to visit exotic ports of call, to relax poolside, to enjoy the fine dining and to meet new friends. I, meanwhile, cruised to Bermuda aboard Carnival Horizon last week to pi
Grape Destinations: A Snootful of Art and Wine
Dreaming….. How often do thoughts of childhood wash over us? How often have these thoughts transported us to a time when everything was a lot easier and laid back ? Fun times, uncomplicated lives, not a care in the world, no gizmos to peer into, great outdoors most of the time, good simple foo
A Food Lover’s Guide to Seattle’s Pike Place Market
A visit to Seattle, aka The Emerald City, isn’t complete without wandering through the foodie friendly Pike Place Market. You’ll find some excellent eateries here and highly entertaining vendors. In fact, the market’s prime attraction is the wader-clad fisherman in front of a mountain of fish
Grape Destinations: Getting Lost in Florence
Bubbles come in handy when you are fashionably late. That was a great lesson learned on a trip I recently took to Tuscany. You and your travel partners are sharing the wheel. On those hills the views are stunning and nobody cares if the GPS is audible, at least. The Winding Roads of Florence I [&hel
Get in the Spirit With Celebrity Cruises’ Norway-Themed Cocktail
Cruisers sail for a number of different reasons. Some want to get away from the stresses of daily life during what little vacation they get every year. Others, however, are on a journey to visit new places and experience new things they can’t anywhere else. Celebrity Cruises has a new cocktail abo
Nice Rice: The Many Flavors of Indonesian Cuisine
Indonesian cuisine has always been one of my favorites since my first exposure to it on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Why Curaçao you ask….(You did ask didn’t you?). The ABC islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, are intrinsically tied to the Netherlands with a strong Dutch profile.
Grape Destinations: A View From The Top (Of a Fermentation Tank)
Being in the wine business certainly has its perks. One such perk, “Harvest intern” for a week in beautiful Napa Valley, California. In late September 2016, for the second vintage in a row, I worked side by side with the owners, wine makers, cellar masters and other interns at Amici Cellars, a p
Grape Destinations: Rosé Wine by the Pool
The perfect weekend came just in time for a break. Sounds familiar? Of course it does, specially when you have a place near the sea in mind. I was really enjoying a mojito de parcha, (passion fruit mojito) by the pool at Copamarina in Guanica, when I saw a man with a glass of rosé […]
Mmm Mmm Marina!
As a first-time visitor to French Polynesia aboard the 1,258-passenger Oceania Marina, I must admit that culinary pursuits were the last thing on my mind. I’d found an idyllic sun-drenched paradise here with a sparkling sea in a million shades of turquoise, overwater bungalows bordering emerald la
Grape Destinations: Seize the Wine!
There is a quaint wine bar and restaurant called Carpe Diem in downtown Napa Valley. It serves ostrich burgers and house made burrata that makes me salivate at the thought of it. My mother discovered this wine bar within its first year of business. I had recently turned twenty one when she first too
Dish It Up: Premium Palates
Imagine nibbling caviar, the roe and accoutrements shaped like a flower. Picture tucking into a lobster tail adorned with truffled leeks, before a Grand Marnier soufflé is rushed tableside. Such extravagant repasts are the norm on luxury cruises, especially in seas like the Mediterranean or the Car
