4/18/2019
Culinary Delights Of BarcelonaInternational travel allows people to gain a new appreciation for other cultures of the world, and a big part of any culture is the cuisine. The food of a region is a reflection of their history and geographical location and the resources they have available to them.
Spain, a top food and wine destination, has six distinct culinary districts - the North, Pyrenees, Valencia, Andalucia, Central and Catalonia. I'm always interested in learning about places my clients have been to, especially ones they rave about. So when they share their experiences with me, I am so delighted, especially when I have permission to share them with my readers.
One of the best questions I get from potential clients is 'Why should I book this cruise through you versus booking direct"? You're just going to cost me more money.
I love this question. It allows me to communicate my value and dispel a few myths at the same time. 3/14/2019
Choosing An Alaska Cruise ItineraryA cruise to Alaska is high on the list for many wanting to see this most beautiful part of the world. In fact, aside from the Caribbean, Alaska is the most popular destination for first time cruisers.
A cruise to Alaska is perfect for anyone new to cruising, not only for the exceptional scenery and adventure the area offers, but also because a large part of the itinerary is through the Inside Passage, the protected waters that stretch from northern Washington to Alaska's Panhandle. These waters make for much smoother sailing than on open ocean. In fact, ALL Alaska cruises go through the Inside Passage. This may have you concluding then, that all itineraries are pretty much the same. Not entirely accurate - you do have a number choices. Having been through a good number of TSA checkpoints, I have a pretty good idea of what can trigger a secondary check after a bag has gone through the x-ray machine. This goes for checked bags as well.
The rivers of Europe have you experiencing a lot of old world charm in cities big and small. Amazing, photogenic old world charm, all with their own unique personalities.
For anyone wanting to explore ancient cities and historic castles, walk through charming wine villages, take in the lively city of Amsterdam or visit one of 40 museums in Basel, a Rhine and Moselle river itinerary is a great fit. Plenty of picture perfect moments await you on itineraries that include one or both rivers. Following are my top nine most photogenic places to see. 2/13/2019
8 Top Greek Island Vacation DestinationsWith 6000 islands and islets, a great climate, safe waters and miles of sandy beaches, Greece has always been an ideal Mediterranean vacation destination.
While Santorini , Crete, Corfu and Rhodes are the most visited, don't overlook the other 220+ inhabited islands. It can be hard to choose which ones to to visit. Hopefully these eight guidelines will assist with your decision. It's been over 40 years since I lived in Hong Kong, and 28 since I last visited. I know a lot has changed over the years, but I also know the traditions and essence remain the same. It was in Hong Kong that I experienced my first Lunar New Year, and where my intrigue of Chinese culture began.
I have very fond memories of my time there, and look forward to making my way back to this vibrant city. 1/31/2019
Don't Forget About Your Passport DetailsIt seems that most everyone is experiencing "Where did the time go?" syndrome.
So my tip for today is for you to take a moment to think about any time sensitive tasks you have for your upcoming trips. Write them down (if you haven't already) and make sure you set some time aside to get them done. One big example - if you are going on an international trip, check when your passports expire! You do not want to risk being denied boarding due to an expired or soon to expire passport. With how quickly time passes by, you may not realize how long ago you received or renewed your current passport. Best to double check. If you don't have a passport, getting one isn't difficult. It just needs some planning. 1/10/2019
My Experience on the Royal ClipperIMAGINE yourself on the teak deck of a timelessly elegant clipper ship, a warm breeze blowing in your face as the crew unfurl 54,000 square feet of sails above you.
You begin to tingle head to toe. As you sail into the sunset, you sigh when you realize this is one of the most incredible experiences you have ever had. 12/12/2018
3 New Exciting Cruise Ships Coming In 2019Earlier this year I wrote about all the new cruise ships being launched in 2018 and 2019. They included Seabourn's all suite ship the Ovation, Scenic's Eclipse Discovery yacht, Viking's fifth ocean cruise ship Orion and Ponant's new explorer class Le Laperouse and Le Champlain ships, the Celebrity Edge and Holland America's Niew Statendam which launched in December and the mega ships launched by Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean.
Not to be outdone, Amadeaus, AmaWaterways, American Cruise Lines, Avalon Waterways, CroisEurope, Crystal, Emerald Waterways, Uniworld and Viking launched or will launch new river ships. A lot of new ships. Very exciting! 11/28/2018
On The Edge!This last week I had the opportunity to sail on Celebrity's newest ship, the Edge. Over the last 12 months I attended a number of webinars to learn more about what the ship had to offer, and hands down, she is impressive.
The build up to the inaugural was exciting, but seeing everything in person is an unmatched experience. Being one of the first to see this ship with everything brand spanking new was especially sweet! From beautiful neutral colors and jewel tones to innovative staterooms and distinctive venues and experiences, the Edge is quite the ship. This week we celebrated Veterans Day, in honor of all veterans who have served in the US Armed Forces, in war or peace, dead or alive. The official day is November 11, the anniversary of the official end of World War I.
Overseas celebrations triggered a fond memory of my visit to the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial near Carthage, just outside of Tunis. The experience was one I will never forget. What an incredible feeling. 11/6/2018
The Ups And Downs Of River CruisingThere is very little about river cruising I don't like, except that the time goes by far too quickly. Then again, for me, every cruise feels that way, no matter the length.
A rarely talked about fact in ocean cruising is that itineraries are not set in stone and cruise lines can change them with little or no notice. My guess is that most people never read the contract details, so when this happens, they are "shocked". While most sailings follow the scheduled itinerary, stops are occasionally skipped or changed due to weather conditions or operational logistics that make it unsafe to call on that particular port. This too can happen on a river cruise, especially when the river levels are too high or too low to navigate. Levels too high make it difficult to get under the bridges; levels too low make it difficult to navigate through sections of the river or to get close enough to the pier. River cruise ships are built for optimal performance (for example the navigation bridge lowers down into the ship so it can get under bridges) and have incredibly low drafts (some as low as 1-3 feet under the keel!). This allows for minimal interruption, but even the best designs can't cover every situation. How do you plan for this and what happens to your cruise if there are changes made to the itinerary? 10/31/2018
17 Annoying Travel Habits On An AirplaneWith holiday travel soon upon us, I found the following excerpts from an article written by Laura Begley Bloom, Senior Contributor, Forbes Women, to be very timely. The full article can be found on www.forbes.com, published on October 31, 2018.
What bothers you most when you're flying? Armrest hogs? Aggressive recliners? Stinky seatmates? Genfare — a company that works with transportation companies to update and improve systems for collecting transit fares — decided to get to the bottom of things. In a new study of 2,000 Americans who fly at least twice per year, the company identified the 17 top travel annoyances for airline passengers. 10/10/2018
An Under The Radar Polynesian GemA little like Hawaii 50 years ago (except no crowds and many more modern conveniences). A bit like Tahiti except much more affordable. A big slice of paradise. Yet largely undiscovered by North American travelers.
This would be the Cook Islands. 15 beautiful and lush islands make up this Polynesian archipelago, with stunning white sand beaches, volcanic peaks, turquoise lagoons, beautiful coral reefs, laid back lifestyle and some of the friendliest, if not the friendliest, people in the world. The islands remain unspoiled, with no chain restaurants and no buildings higher than the tallest coconut tree! In fact, that's the law. How can you go wrong? 10/3/2018
Zodiak MomentsAs the saying goes, big surprises come in small packages. Zodiak excursions do just that - surprise, excite and treat you to once in a lifetime experiences.
There are a number of special places in the world that are only accessible by zodiak, or skiffs - small boats designed to take a small number of people into places that bigger ships (and even small ships) just can't get to - places where there are no ports or no docks. For most people, their first introduction to Alaska includes a cruise through the Inside Passage, with stops most often in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. Icy Straight, Haines and Sitka are occasional replacements for one of the "big 3", as I call them.
Each of these stops offer unique experiences that highlight the best things about Alaska: Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, salmon fishing and the 14,000 totem poles in Ketchikan, Russian history in Sitka, bears in Icy Straight and exploring the Yukon from Skagway. These are just a few examples of special memories that are created in the Last Frontier. While I often recommend these cruises, I also point out that when 3-5 ships are in port at the same time, especially during the peak summer months, it does get crowded. And thus it would be remiss of me not to mention the quieter ports of call. 8/30/2018
5 Must See Places In Western AustraliaAustralia's largest state, WA for short, stretches over a third of the nation, borders two oceans and has more pristine beaches than any other state. And with only 10% of the nation's population, it is far less crowded than Australia's eastern states.
Nature and aquatic wildlife, pioneer history, Aboriginal Australia and food, wine and beer experiences are just a few reasons that attract visitors to WA. 8/22/2018
This Is For The Birds!This article is dedicated to the twitcher, aka bird watcher looking to collect sightings of rare birds. It would be a bit of a stretch for me to call bird watching a hobby of mine, but I have to admit, I'm fascinated by a number of bird species.
Eagles - absolutely love them. I think they are the most beautiful creature on earth. Most hawks are a close second. Penguins - with Antarctica being #1 on my bucket 8/9/2018
Start A Travel Tradition!Do you have a tradition when you travel? If not, you should start one.
I have friends who no matter where they are in the world will seek out two things: the best local cup of cappuccino and the best local fish and chips (generally not consumed at the same time!). Other friends have sought out the Duck Boat tours (although this tradition may have stopped), and another friend tries to take a local bike tour to check out the neighborhood. I too have a few traditions. 8/2/2018
48 Hours In St. Petersburg, RussiaThe star attraction on a Baltic cruise for most people will be St. Petersburg, Russia. It was for me. I'd seen plenty of pictures of the iconic sites, which truly intrigued me, but I was also very curious about the people and what was "beyond these sites". What was it like to be in Russia?
Two full days touring St. Petersburg didn't make me an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But along with the seeing the iconic sites, I did get a glimpse of the beyond, behind the scenes if you will. For this I am grateful. I did not know what to expect, and while I had a few preconceived notions, I went with open eyes. 7/25/2018
My Baltic Cruise ReviewOn July 4th, we sailed out of Copenhagen, the beginning of our 9 night Baltic cruise. We were treated to sunny days the entire cruise, and though I rarely let weather hinder my experience, I must admit that not having even one drop of rain was quite special.
A Baltic cruise had been on our wish list for a number of years, and this itinerary and timing fit perfectly into an already planned visit to Germany. In all honestly I would have preferred a smaller ship (a much smaller ship!) as it would have reduced some of the transfer time, but none the less, we packed in a lot of experiences. A Baltic itinerary is not one I would describe as relaxing. It is however, incredibly interesting, very rich in history, with each port offering unique experiences. Following are the highlights. 7/10/2018
A Fairytale Land Of CastlesThis article was written by AmaWaterways. Stepping through the Loire Valley is a bit like stepping back in time – way, way back to a time where fairytale princes and princesses lived among kings and queens and nobility in grand, extravagant castles.
Novelist Henry James once described the Loire Valley as ‘the land of Rabelais, of Descartes, of Balzac as well as good dinners and good houses.’ Indeed, life is sweet in the Loire Valley – the food, the wine, the beauty of both the land and the many châteaux and the brushes with royalty and celebrated historical figures. 6/17/2018
Where To Find Elbow Room On Big ShipsMajor mainstream cruise lines have all recently introduced new ships, the 4000 plus passenger mega-ships. The Bliss from Norwegian Cruises, the Symphony of the Seas (the largest ship in the world) from Royal Caribbean, and the Horizon from Carnival, among a few. They are the "hottest" thing in cruising, especially for those who see cruise ships as their vacation destination. What's the attraction? Exciting new amenities - race tracks, laser tag, water parks with unbelievable crazy slides, zip lines, new foodie venues including breweries and restaurants galore. And the list goes on. These mega-ships may not be your normal type of cruise or vacation, especially for those who prefer the intimacy of a small ship experience. There may be times, however, where a big ship experience is the best option for the group traveling, for example a multi-generational family or groups with a wide variety of budgets and interests.
The secret? You can get a similar small ship luxury experience on a big ship. Here's how: |
Laurie Marschall - Owner and Founder
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