Steve Leland

We drove through rural villages sprinkled along the  mountainous roads and arrived in the sleepy fishing village of Boca Chica. A short tender ride delivered us to our base of …

Photo: Illa Experience HotelIf you enjoy the charm of old cities, the traditions of South American colonial culture and unfettered authenticity, Quito, Ecuador is your kind of place. Built on the …

The launch of new ships is always cause for optimism in the world of cruising, but when a new company comes online with three brand new ships it’s cause for …

I’m up to jumping on any cruise, anywhere and anytime. I’ve experienced every imaginable type of cruise, unheard of destinations and every type of vessel from mega ships, yachts, sailing …

Picturesque words like beautiful, chic and artistic compel verification when bandied about in cruise jargon. With no hesitation the new Celebrity Beyond has made her inaugural splash into the waters …

Whoever said that all cruise ships are created equal should be subject to a public flogging on deck. Sure they all have entertainment, food and more food, activities galore and …

Feature Photo Credit: Hurrem Sultan Hamami  Other than a few layovers in the beautiful Istanbul airport, it’s been 20 years since I first set foot on the country’s terra firma. …

A transatlantic cruise from Ft.Lauderdale to Southampton, U.K. affords the perfect opportunity to assess what makes Princess Cruises the cruise line of choice for its thousands of devoted followers. It …

Photo: Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau

It comes as a surprise that anyone would ever dream of starting a new cruise venture considering the pandemic challenges faced by existing cruise lines, but Greece based Elixir Boutique …

In spite of the pandemic purgatory of 2020 periodically rearing its ugly head again, cruising has resumed, albeit in a somewhat revamped style. Each month that goes by finds new …

Traditional launch parties are always full of fanfare but none more entertaining than the recent naming ceremony of MSC Virtuosa in Dubai, UAE. The gala event was attended by celebrities, …

apex [ ey-peks ] noun,: the uppermost point, the highest or culminating point, peak, summit, climax. The latest addition to Celebrity Cruises’ fleet has been christened in perfect agreement with …

If you are sailing into or out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the proverbial ‘so much to see, so little time’ is a gross understatement. If you can arrange a …

If there is one thing synonymous with the Italian way of life, eating would certainly rank at the top of the list. For Italians, it’s not just sustenance for survival, …

Spending a day at sea is never wasted on me and sailing between Palma de Mallorca and Messina, Sicily on the Costa Smeralda provides the perfect opportunity for a ‘me/we’ …

After ships sat idle for what seemed like an eternity, cruising has returned with a race to establish homeport advantage. Straight out of the gate, favorites like St. Maarten and …

It’s easy to find top name restaurants by perusing any guidebook, but discovering authentic eateries that locals keep for themselves is no easy task. While most visitors to Barcelona follow …

Malta has always been a popular port of call but with it becoming a new staging ground for cruising as a home port, I embarked on a mission to experience …

Have you ever visited a destination time and time again, never getting enough? I’ve been fortunate to travel to some of the most awe inspiring locations of the world, cruised …