Uninhabited, Untamed, and Untouched
Outside of the city and beyond the canal zone, Panama presents a visitor with surprisingly unspoiled nature. So be sure to hone your listening skills and practice watching for the rustling of trees in the canopy above. The rain forest in Panama covers 63 percent of the country and sequesters 160 ton
Mooning Over SH Diana
When you walk onto Swan Hellenic’s newest ship, SH Diana, you are immediately greeted with a sense of elegance and sophistication. That’s not what you might expect from an expedition ship, but the newest member of Swan Hellenic’s fleet captures the essence of high-class exploration. As soon as
A Different Sip
Every coffee lover has a favorite. Do you sip only single-origin Colombian or Brazilian? Perhaps you prefer flavored varieties, with vanilla, pecan or hazelnut added. Even if you’ll drink any dang bean that has caffeine, surely you go for one or two grocery-store brands over the others. But have y
A Stunning Vista
Were it not for the 18th-century baroque-period bastions within view, we might think we were in Hollywood instead of Malta. A lively, open-air cocktail reception and decadent dinner kicks off an evening filled with lavish entertainment and gala celebration. Even big names are in attendance: Emmy Awa
Delicious Castles
Craving a destination with Old-World flavor? Once the strongholds of European nobles, these castles today cater to globe-hopping gourmands, serving up local cheeses, organic chocolates, wine and beer, and more, along with a hefty dose of history. AUSTRIA Prior to COVID-19, beer lovers were encourage
Fashion for the Future
Hats off to Piper & Skye, a company that not only creates beautifully crafted luxury handbags and accessories, but helps save our planet as well. All their bags, wallets, and other products are fashioned out of materials with a low carbon footprint and made from invasive species. Case in point:
Pampered? Or Pushing It?
Day breaks over the Sea of Cortez with the honey-colored glow of a stunning sunrise. Witnessing this from a cruise ship fills your spirit with an energy that affirms your choice to explore this stunning region on an expedition sailing. Several cruise lines visit the Sea of Cortez from Baja Californi
Summertime Calls For Swedish Luxury Fashion
Summertime in Sweden calls for pleasantly warm temperatures and the urge to peel off layers of clothing depending on the UV Index. Even though the heat can verge on the unbearable during the summer (it is the Land of the Midnight Sun, after all), residents and visitors alike love this time of year t
Geothermal Iceland
After a long journey to Iceland, I was desperate for a hot shower. But when I turned on the faucet I was overwhelmed by an egg-like stench. The odor came from silica impregnated with hydrogen sulfide, which is present in Iceland’s hot water due to the island’s immense geothermal activity. The wa
Quebec Cruises Greener
The Port of Quebec continues to make the cruise industry more environmentally sustainable through an ongoing Quebec International Cruise Forum. The forum draws ideas from a variety of sources. It brings together citizen groups, members of the maritime industry, representatives of the tourism sector,
Authors in the East
The Chao Phraya River flows opaque and powerful through Bangkok, a working river if there ever was one. Merchant ships once wound their way upstream from the sea to unload coal and take on rice and teak wood, and even today a few bright yellow colonial buildings and a customs house remember East mee
Creatures of the Drake & the Bransfield
All penguins are little people wearing tuxedos. This is a truth that no one can deny. But now I can say authoritatively that king penguins are minor nobility at a society function, while gentoos are busy waiters and maitres d’hotel, waddling officiously back to the kitchen while keeping an eye on
MSC Cruises unveils MSC World Europa with an eye on the fleet of the future
When MSC Cruises named its newest ship in Doha, Qatar, in November last year, the privately-owned cruise line pulled out all the stops. The MSC World Europa naming ceremony included an incredible drone show, an impressive fireworks display set against the Doha skyline, and an appearance from a disti
Earth Day Every Day
1. Northern Exposures. Iñupiaq photographer Brian Adams and Anchorage Museum Director Julie Decker take readers on an Arctic tour in I Am Inuit. This collection of vivid portraits and personal stories from 20 communities of Alaska Natives defies expectations as it reveals 21st- century life among p
Visiting Southampton
Almost 2 million people cruise from Southampton annually. However, many who come to the UK’s most popular cruise port rush to tourist destinations such as Stonehenge or Windsor Castle which involve hours-long journeys. What are they missing in this port city? I grew up near Southampton and took th
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
