Tips for Choosing the Best Cruise Vacation
Choosing your dream cruise involves some planning, knowledge and soul searching. What exactly do you expect from your experience? Are you looking to set a course for adventure, your mind on a new romance…wait… those are the words from The Love Boat and I’m not going there! There is a g
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
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.
Cruise Connection: Peruvian Perfection
Under normal circumstances, one would be hard pressed to find any commonality between intrepid exploration of the Amazon, luxury cruising, and culinary creativity. Then again, cruising with Aqua Expeditions is anything but common. Scheduling a 4-night sailing out of Iquitos, Peru, on the Aria Amazon
Ooo La La, On The Move To France
I’m onto the France vacation segment of this summer’s epic cruise and travel adventure, so it’s Arrivederci, Roma and after a two hour flight, it’s Bienvenue, France. When you think of cruising in and around France, Paris, Nice and Marseilles always come to mind. Rightly so. With reputa
Enticed by the Flavors of Abruzzo
To my throngs of ardent Porthole Cruise followers (both of you!), you know I love to expound on regional foods. Well, it’s been two days since I posted anything about that dear to my stomach subject, so allow me fill the void in your never ending search for culinary enlightenment. In Abruzzo, It
La Dolce Vita Cruising: An Italian Vacation
Italy. The land of pizza, Pisa and pasta. I’m about to start my annual pilgrimage to my adopted, de facto homeland and can’t help but wonder why so few of my friends have not made this destination a bucket list priority. I’m absolutely convinced that if my Nebraska birthplace hadn’t encr
Making Tracks To Machu Picchu
Any travel to Peru is certain to include a visit to the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu. Shrouded in the clouds and enveloped by dense mountaintop forests, the magnetism of this attraction establishes it as a perennial bucket list destination. In spite of the need for requisite planning and a certain
Made In China Part Three: Real Chinese Takeaway
The popular fall back response to the ‘what’s for dinner’ query is the ubiquitous “How about some Chinese?”. How can such a non-American food staple become so American? The fact that Chinese cuisine takeout is readily available in almost every suburban strip mall in the United States is
Gettin’ On The Ritz
It’s been said that there is a cruise for everyone. But what is an upper-echelon pleasure seeker to do when you don’t want a cruise that’s for everyone? You want one for you! Who do you turn to when generic five-star service just isn’t good enough? The answer lies with The Ritz-Carlton
Shanghai, On The Side
I’m not particularly fond of the motor coach, follow the guide’s umbrella brand of sightseeing and I have an affinity to off the grid type of travel options, especially when it comes to exotic destinations. While Shanghai, China doesn’t really fall into that category, it certainly has an appea
Gaga for the Galápagos
If you’re anything like me, you likely spent leisure time of adolescent years perusing iconic National Geographic magazines in search of natural phenomena, half-naked jungle tribes, and a milieu of animal kingdom photos. Those youthful fantasies of exotic adventure come to life through National Ge
All Ships Great AND SMALL!
If you follow my cruise escapades, it’s obvious that size doesn’t matter to me. It’s not that I’m not impressed by a ship with a bowling alley, ice skating rink, elaborate shows, or robot bartenders — I am. But I don’t need those types of accoutrements to make my cruise fantasies come
Adventure Cruises You Have to Try
As a general rule, Caribbean cruises conjure up images of white sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters, while Europe destinations offer up iconic cathedrals, castles and assorted antiquities of the past. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with viewing the spectacular sites of the Old World or
Made in China Part 2: The Terra-cotta Warriors
China’s initial capital, Xian, with a population of over 8 million today, was for centuries a bustling yet virtually unknown metropolis. Then in 1974, it burst onto the burgeoning stage of Chinese tourism with the happenstance discovery of over 8,000 terra-cotta warriors buried on a rural farm. Ar
Bring on the Baltics: Oceania Cruises mixes popular ports with undiscovered gems
By Steve Leland Location, location, location is a well-known incantation in reference to real estate potential, but in the world of cruising that mantra is more appropriately, destination, destination, destination. Oceania Cruises’ twin sister ships, Marina and Riviera, along with a supporting
Cruising with – and without – kids.
I JUST WANT TO BE ALONE! For parents everywhere, Greta Garbo said it best. A cruise would seem to be just the ticket (and well deserved) to garner precious moments of solitude, but how do you escape the munchkins of others? Several cruise lines have answered the call with innovative ways to claim yo
The Best Trains for Cruisers
I’m of the belief that you can never get enough of a good thing. So, when a fantastic 7-day cruise just isn’t enough to fill those precious holiday days, continue your luxurious indulgence with a classic train journey. Choosing a “choo choo” as a post-cruise holiday extension offers a contin
Exploring Cambodia: Touring the temples of Angkor Wat, and searching the secrets of Siem Reap.
Cruising in faraway destinations such as Southeast Asia encourages consideration to pre- and post-cruise options. These opening acts and encores to the main event range from basic hotel stays to more spectacular, engaging adventures. In compiling a high profile destination bucket list, there are spe
For Shore: The Grape Escape
Exploring France’s wine country with Uniworld By Steve Leland The memory of the first time never fades away: first date, car, job, or virtually first anything. My first cruise back in 1980 altered the trajectory of my entire life. Then, 35 years and more than 500 ocean cruises later, the summer of
