The Ravioli Railroad
Dubbed the Food Valley of Italy, the region of Emilia-Romagna lies just north of Tuscany. Two millennia ago, Romans laid out the Via Emilia connecting cities from Piacenza, southeast of Milan, to Rimini, on the Adriatic Sea. Most will recognize regional city names in their own kitchens: Modena of ba
MSC’s Newest Ships Will Run On Liquid Natural Gas
The MSC Cruise Division has just taken a giant step toward its ambitious goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050: They’ve launched MSC World Europa and are looking forward to MSC Euribia, two ships powered entirely by liquid natural gas (LNG). LNG is the cleanest, lowest-emissi
From Rice & Beans To Haute Cuisine
It’s a sultry, stormy Wednesday night in early September and Cartagena’s streets near the historic walled city are temporarily flooded. There isn’t an Uber or taxi to be found, yet a reservation at Celele Restaurant awaits us. Thirty frantic minutes negotiating with hotel staff, truncated phon
The Ancient Beauty of the Red Sea Ports of Jeddah and Yanbu
“What are you doing here?” asked the boy playing on his scooter along Jeddah’s attractive waterfront corniche. It’s a question I was asked quite a few times in my visit to the Red Sea ports of Jeddah and Yanbu. The inquiries weren’t in any way threatening, they were genuine, good-natured e
Enjoy the Dom Pérignon Experience aboard Oceania Marina
After several days aboard Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Marina, just when I was pretty sure I’d enjoyed the finest cuisine in the most sumptuous settings at sea, a small ad in the daily program catches my eye: The Dom Pérignon Experience, a six-course gastronomic triumph that showcases the finest Ch
Disney Cruise Line’s New Ship Brings Cinderella’s Story to Sea
Stepping aboard Disney Cruise Line’s brand new Disney Wish, cast members still welcome families by enthusiastically announcing their surname in the triple-decker atrium, but the Grand Hall looks rather different this time around. Taking a detour from the Golden Age of Travel and the alternating ar
Forward-Thinking Fashion to Help Heal the Planet
Back to the Ocean Oceans The Brand specializes in “ecolux swimwear for the free-spirited.” Every item they make consists of 100 percent recycled fibers … which means converting plastic bags, bottles, and other floating trash into smooth, luxurious fabric. Like all their shorts, the Moray swim
Island Hopping The Four Seasons in The Maldives
These days, there are a few new boxes to tick when I’m choosing a luxury holiday. It used to be the size of the bed, and if my suite had a plunge pool; now it’s how green the resort is and what conservation projects they’re involved in. Sounds like a headache? It doesn’t have to […]
Spooky Savannah: Hauntings in This Southern City
Imagine waking up startled in the darkness to a crying ghost, her tears dribbling on your face. “She haunts the upstairs waiting for her lover to return,” says Patrick Godley, owner of Savannah’s historic 17Hundred90 Inn & Restaurant. He’s spinning out a lament for Anna, believed to be t
Biscuits are Just the Beginning on American Queen Voyages
American Queen Voyages’ culinary ambassador, Chef Regina Charboneau, may be known as “The Biscuit Queen” — a title bestowed upon her by The New York Times when they reviewed her feather-light biscuits. But after a taste of her culinary genius during a Columbia and Snake River sailing aboard
Old Florida through New Eyes
History, nature, local cuisine, and upscale accommodations await travelers who indulge in a leisurely drive along Highway A1A in Northeast Florida. Spend time getting to know the area and soak up the sunshine along the 67 miles of roadways connecting Amelia Island and historic St. Augustine. Amelia
An Interview With a Caribbean Reef Shark
Editor’s Note: It is with great sadness we report that Bernard “Klute” Schober passed away while hiking in his hometown of Phoenix, AZ in July. Klute was a prominent slam poet and diver known for his generosity, jovial nature and love of sharks. Our heartfelt condolences go out to
The Splendid Renewal of Saxony, Germany
A shard of concrete etched with graffiti — my souvenir of the Berlin Wall found shortly after it tumbled — symbolizes how Saxony, the former East Germany, has risen above its cultural divide from the West that lasted 28 years after WWII. Since German reunification in 1990, Berlin has gained glob
The Unique Wines and Vineyards of the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are a favorite vacation destination and cruise ships regularly head there. Yet not many visitors know that this sun-kissed archipelago with its beautiful beaches, volcanic landscapes, and busy bars, 60 miles west of the coast of Morocco, is also a haven for wine lovers. Wine
Lighthouse Project Leads the Way
Exclusive river cruise purveyor Avalon Waterways, with sister companies Globus, Cosmos, and Monograms, has joined a new initiative, The Lighthouse Project, intended to spread understanding of world cultures while raising resources for the globe’s greater good. “We asked ourselves how we can do m
7 Days in the Galapagos with Hurtigruten
“Close your eyes and picture a moving tortoise,” instructs our orientation leader. “Because that’s how fast our WiFi is.” He isn’t joking. The internet connection on the Santa Cruz II brings us all back to the days of dial-up. Forget posting videos. Simply uploading a photo is an overnig
West By Northwest
Here’s a look at the cruise lines heading out from West Coast port cities and venturing into Alaska for the 2022 summer season. Princess Cruises “The reopening of Canadian ports to the cruise industry is a bold and important move that significantly expands the array of travel opportunities avail
Tips for Packing for Comfort
For those of us who aren’t the backpacker/mountaineer type, the hardest part of travel is doing without the comforts of home. Luckily, though, there are some designers (what the backpacker type would call “outfitters”) who specialize in items that make anywhere in the world feel as comfortable
An Up-Close Look at Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady
If anyone in the cruise industry was going to get Jennifer Lopez on the payroll, it surely fell to Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group. That’s right: J. Lo — international film and music superstar and global style icon — has landed a job at Virgin Voyages. The fleet-wide partnership b
Small Ships: The New Face of Cruise
As travelers have ventured back out into the world during the past year, small-ship cruising has proven to be extremely resilient. It has become the vacation of choice for many travelers. Smaller ships were among the first to return to service after a long pandemic-related shutdown. This process was
