With a history that goes back almost 17 years, and a mushrooming staff of reporters and editors, it kind of goes without saying that Cruise Critic provides the most detailed, up-to-date information for you (and us), the people who love to cruise. What is not generally known about Cruise Critic is that it does not [...]
If in your travels you found a bed so comfy that you wish you had one like it at home, would you buy it? Royal Caribbean hopes so. The new Royal Caribbean Bedding Collection, with this precision engineered beds and fine Italian threads, is available to anyone interested in buying. As parents of a long-time [...]
For Gianfranco Verde, the road from opening for The Beatles to closing the door on a 39-year career on cruise ships has been, well, long and winding. He’s heading into his final contract with Princess, as Hotel General Manager on the Coral Princess. You might have made the (lucky) guess that he’s from Italy, but [...]
Remembrances from and suggestions for spending two weeks in the 48th state… Be on the lookout for nature even when you least expect it. These two pigeons we spotted on the docks where the float planes are moored in Juneau. At first we thought it was rather cute to see a couple of pigeons’ kissing…and [...]
ALASKA — The first thing you need to know about Cruisetours is: Don’t confuse them with shore excursions. Not only are they different, but “shore excursions” are available when you’re on a Cruisetour. In Alaska, Princess sets the standard for Cruisetours. They are combined with a 7-day cruise and there are four types of varying [...]
ALASKA — We’re not exactly lodge people, and we’ve never spent much time in the wilderness (one of us doesn’t like to stay anywhere that doesn’t have a lobby, which eliminates a tent). So the thought of spending a week in “wilderness lodges” was somewhat less than exhilarating. Had we only known. The way Princess [...]
Two quick ones for anybody planning a journey like ours on the Celebrity Eclipse, a Transatlantic re-positioning cruise… 1. Assuming Southampton is your destination, don’t assume that a 5 a.m. arrival ensures you can catch a flight back the same day, if you’re not planning to stay in Europe. Some airlines (American) fly only early [...]
Day One on the Atlantic Ocean… So far, so good. Just like our friends Howard and Connie told us, “like sailing on glass.” They crossed the Atlantic on the flagship of Celebrity’s Solstice Class, and we’re on the Eclipse, and either Celebrity’s found the formula or this is a typical Transatlantic trip. However, it is [...]
Continue reading about Miami: Shopping, shuttling and sailing
NASSAU, Bahamas — Really, it was just a hotel. So understated from the street that you could walk by it, and we almost did. That would have been our loss. We walked through the front door of the Graycliff Hotel, just like Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall did, 33 years earlier. Except they had a [...]
NASSAU, Bahamas — As concierges go, Ana Maria Telea is high on our list. She works on the water (Norwegian Sky), but she knows a lot about walking. Probably not on water. Faced with the prospect of snuba diving, scuba diving, even snorkeling, off-roading or deep-sea fishing from this Bahamian port, we chose walking. Ana [...]