By Sherry Laskin Two full days. That’s how long it takes to travel 2,438 miles by train from Chicago to Emeryville, California. Slightly over 48 hours, if the Amtrak California Zephyr is on time. Spectacular Scenery and a Cozy Bedroom on the California Zephyr A trip aboard the Amtrak California Zephyr eluded me for years. […] Read more…
How about a heated bathroom floor? Yes, please. The difference between upper premium and luxury cruise lines isn’t always easy to distinguish. Viking Ocean’s first ocean cruise ship, the 928 passenger Viking Star, is a case in point. After 12 days of cruising the Mediterranean aboard Viking Star I felt as though I was aboard a stunning […] Read more…
Solo Female Travel Tips It’s taken me a lot of years to compile this new list of my best solo travel tips. Decades, actually. My first solo trip happened when I was 12 years old. My dad put me on a two-night train ride from Chicago to Phoenix to visit family. As I settled into my […] Read more…
The MSC Cruises world cruise for 2020 was just announced, setting sail in 2020 on board MSC Magnifica. Reservations begin November 23. It’s a 116-night sailing, calling at unique destinations including Peru, Papua New Guinea, Bali and India. The 2020 MSC World Cruise features an itinerary that includes more exotic, bucket-list destinations. There will be […] Read more…
Just announced, Cunard Alaska cruises will take place in mid-spring in 2019. Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth will set out on a series of Alaska cruises, that begins when Queen Elizabeth sails from Japan to Alaska and then remains in the region through June. After the Alaska cruises, the ship will cruise down the West Coast of the […] Read more…
The small Italian town of Candela, on Italy’s eastern side (think Adriatic Sea) wants to lure new residents to its dwindling population. Nicola Gatta, mayor of the medieval town in Puglia, is determined to increase its current resident count of 2,700 to its former days of 8,000 and more. Editor’s Note – Nov 3, 2017: […] Read more…
The buzz about Royal Caribbean’s new Symphony of the Seas is turning into a roar. As the newest Oasis Class ship under construction, when details about the Symphony were released, Royal Caribbean fans were really excited. Symphony of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship in the world when she is launched in April […] Read more…
The very popular port of call on an eastern Caribbean cruise itinerary is the culturally unique island of St. Maarten/Saint Martin. Half Dutch and half French, this small island of only 37 square miles is dominated by over 300 restaurants, 36 sugar-sand beaches, luxury hotels and resorts and a blending of four languages: Dutch, French, […] Read more…
Construction for new American Duchess begins soon. Memphis-based American Queen Steamboat Company announced they’ll begin work for their new American Duchess paddle wheeler. Scheduled for a June 2017 launch, the new American Duchess will accommodate 166 passengers and be the first purpose-built boutique paddle wheeler sporting the largest suites on the Mississippi river. The new river ship […] Read more…
MSC Cruises announces the name of their next ship and floats out another. On Friday at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, MSC Cruises revealed the name of its second Meraviglia-class ultramodern mega cruise ship. The ship was named MSC Bellissima and will begin cruising in Spring 2019. Also on the same day was the ceremonious float-out for the new […] Read more…
Avalon Waterways review and insider tips Since in 2004, Colorado-based Avalon Waterways cruises some of the world’s most beautiful rivers. Avalon’s 22 river ships cruise the rivers of Europe, Asia, Egypt and Peru. Avalon Waterways also offers cruise tours in the Galapagos Islands. Geared mostly towards the 55-years and up passenger, Avalon excels on their organized […] Read more…
Prices for Holland America specialty dining are on the rise. While I’m a big fan of specialty dining restaurants aboard ships, there are specific venues that stand out in my mind. Usually it’s one or two restaurants per ship that I revisit each voyage. With Holland America specialty dining venues, I have always had a […] Read more…