We’re going to start off the New Year with a tough trivia question. At least it was tough for me. It has to do with a place that is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

I would never have noticed it if a tour guide hadn’t pointed it out when I was on my way to board the S.S. Legacy. As my bus turned the corner, the guide told the interesting tale of this small plot of land. Read more...

During the Spanish Civil War, three bombs fell on the Basilica del Pilar in Zaragoza, Spain. Two bombs went through the ceiling. Another landed just outside the church. None exploded.

“It may have been a stroke of luck,” said local guide Benoit. “That is a plausible theory.” Read more...

Barbara Kensey thrusts one hand out, palm forward and launches into the words and moves of the well-known Supremes song, “Stop, In the Name of Love.”

From an old photograph hanging on the wall, singer Diana Ross seems to look over her shoulder at all the hullabaloo going on. A tour of the Motown Historical Museum  in Detroit includes music and lots of it. Read more...

She proudly struts down the street, her long slender legs clad in gold boots. Peacock feathers atop her head sway in the breeze as parade watchers cheer and clap when she passes by.

Accepting the adulation with calm poise, she seems to know she is top dog. Read more...

The nation’s 38^th president was born in Omaha in 1913 and named Leslie Lynch King Jr. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s because his name was soon changed.

“Shortly after his birth, his mother moved to Grand Rapids. Following a divorce, his mother married a man named Gerald R. Ford,” said Kristin Mooney. “His mother then changed her son’s name to Gerald R. Ford Jr.” Read more...

Since beginning its partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2010, Carnival Cruise Line has raised more than $18 million.

Now, Carnival has announced that it will raise its pledge to a total of $33 million by 2024.

“Because of the generosity of our guests and team members, we are able to increase our fundraising goal and look forward to continuing to support our friends at St. Jude,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. Read more...

As duckmaster at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Doug Weatherford has no doubts who is boss. After trailing the fowl on their daily march to the elevator, Weatherford acknowledges the obvious.

“The ducks don’t actually follow me,” he admitted. “They lead me.” Read more...

The Ketchikan Visitors Bureau now has a beautiful new totem pole, courtesy of Princess Cruises. Crafted by local carver Kelly White, the specially created totem pole is to celebrate the cruise line’s golden anniversary in Alaska.

Inspired by strong and important sea creatures, the totem pole features a killer whale, a powerful hunter and navigator of the seas; an octopus, a mysterious, intelligent and complex creature of the seas; and halibut, a proven reliable food source throughout the year.   Read more...

Get ready for a holiday brew. Carnival Cruise Line has released its ParchedPig Pumpkin Ale. The new fleetwide seasonal beer is available in bottles and on draft.

Available for a limited time, ParchedPig Pumpkin Ale is a bold, full-bodied beer with a hint of spiciness and notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, caramel and brown sugar. It is available in 22-ounce “bombers” and on draft in bars and lounges across the fleet, as well as at breweries aboard Carnival Vista and Carnival Horizon. Read more...

Cruise ship passengers know that the mandatory safety drill is important and necessary. Maybe not fun but a procedure that must be done before the ship sets sail. Stateroom videos also help reinforce that safety message.

Taking its safety as seriously as it takes its fun, Carnival Cruise Line combined the two. And who better to spread that big message but the line’s Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal. The result? Carnival is unveiling an entertaining and creative new safety briefing video. Read more...