Oct. 30, 2020 – We are pleased to report that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control lifted the No Sail Order for cruise ships today, ending the months’ long no-sail order on large cruise ship operations in U.S. waters.

The cruise lines and entire cruise industry are working with the CDC to make the return to cruising as effective as possible, as soon as possible. More to come as details emerge in the coming days. Read more...

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

Now I know why Elvis loved them so much. I also know that I could easily pack on the pounds if I ate very many of these. Read more...

                               By Jackie Sheckler Finch

Hours of painstaking labor go into creating beautiful works of art. Then the statues, called ninots, are set ablaze in gigantic bonfires.

Only one ninot is saved from the flames by the vote of celebrants. That lucky choice joins other reprieved ones at the Fallas Museum in Valencia, Spain. https://www.visitvalencia.com/en/what-to-do-valencia/valencian-culture/museum-in-valencia/fallas-museum Read more...

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

When my Grandma Georgie was born on Nov. 3, 1902, women didn’t have the right to vote. Seems hard to believe.

When she did gain that right, Grandma Georgie would march to our small town Ohio polling place every election day. She was determined to exercise that hard-won right to vote. Read more...

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

Legend says that a doctor from Haiti named Antoine Amedie Peychaud concocted a tasty remedy for stomach ailments at his New Orleans apothecary in the 1800s.

The mixture contained a healthy dose of French brandy along with Peychaud’s family recipe for bitters. Sold as a medicinal product, the stiff drink had ingredients measured by Peychaud in a double-ended egg cup known as a “coquetier.” Read more...

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

When Karolyn Grimes answers the phone at her Northern California home, her voice still has that musical sweetness that endeared her to millions of moviegoers.

And, of course, she can still recite her famous line, “Teacher says, ‘Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.’” Read more...

As we head into Fall, we want to take a moment to share with you where things stand in the Cruise World and when we might see some cruises resume in the US. Today, we have good news to share!

Cruise Lines in Europe have started returning to service in Europe on a limited basis, and with success. As a result, Cruise Lines across our country put together new plans of action that take the lessons learned from these first steps to ensure that we have a healthy return to cruising in the very near future. All the major cruise lines have submitted plans with the CDC in the last week to institute new protocols to minimize any risk and help guarantee the safety of guests and crew alike.

·  Testing. 100% testing of passengers and crew for COVID-19 prior to embarkation

·  Mask-Wearing. Mandatory wearing of masks by all passengers and crew onboard and during excursions whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained

·  Distancing. Physical distancing in terminals, onboard ships, on private islands and during shore excursions

·  Ventilation. Air management and ventilation strategies to increase fresh air onboard and, where feasible, using enhanced filters and other technologies to mitigate risk

·  Medical Capability: Risk based response plans tailored for each ship to manage medical needs, dedicated cabin capacity allocated for isolation and other operational measures, and advance arrangements with private providers for shoreside quarantine, medical facilities, and transportation.

·  Shore Excursions: Only permit shore excursions according to the cruise operators’ prescribed protocols, with strict adherence required of all passengers and denial of re-boarding for any passengers that do not comply.

With these plans in place, we hope to see ships welcoming passengers again before the end of this year. The Cruise Travel Industry is working hard with the scientific community to get this right and to be there for you when it is safe to travel. Decisions are being made using scientific data based on what we’ve learned about this pandemic on how to minimize risk and maximize health and safety.

As an agency, Crown Cruise Vacations remains committed to providing you excellent service on your upcoming travel – and our advisors are standing by to help seven days a week. Although we aren’t cruising yet, the return to the sea is coming soon and we will be there to help you navigate that next vacation.

From our family to yours, we look forward to speaking with you and sailing with you again soon.

Ross Spalding
President, Crown Cruise Vacations

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More Than Just Cruises!

Crown Cruise Vacations offers you more than just excellent values on cruises. We can help with just about any vacation out there. In fact, we’d love to help you with some of our favorite land vacation options too. Ask your Crown Cruise Vacations advisor about any of the following land and tour options.

·  Palace Resorts

·  Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara

·  Walt Disney World

·  Tauck Small Group Tours

·  G Adventures Small Group Tours

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Crown Cruise Vacations is open seven days a week and committed to bringing you the best in vacation travel.

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

With a hint of his once amazing speed, Afternoon Deelites races to the fence when he spots Michael Blowen. In a nearby paddock, Special Ring tosses his head back and raises his upper lip to show his racing tattoo.

And beautiful Silver Charm nuzzles Blowen’s shoulder while the founder recounts stories of the racing superstars who now live at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, Kentucky. Read more...

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

As a child, travel meant one of two places – either we were heading to Cincinnati to look at the Christmas lights or we were going to Kentucky to visit my grandparents. Any other destinations outside of our small Ohio hometown were virtually impossible. Read more...

Holland America Line’s new flagship pays homage to an historic vessel. The new cruise ship will be named the Rotterdam and will be the new flagship for the Holland America fleet.

The Rotterdam is expected to be delivered from Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy on July 30, 2021. The ship will spend the summer exploring Northern Europe and the Baltic on roundtrip cruises from Amsterdam. Read more...