It’s probably the best kept secret in upscale cruising. But the adventures are just so incredible that we can’t keep the secret any longer. As the European cruise season starts to take shape in the next couple months, one small-ship cruise line is standing out with special values and offers that simply nobody else is offering. Azamara Club Cruises has always had a sterling reputation on service, but in 2013, the focus is on the journey as much as the service with the introduction of Azamazing Evenings. Read more...

With the Norwegian Breakaway nearing completion, Norwegian Cruise Line is starting to reveal details about the next new ship to be introduced in 2014, the Norwegian Getaway. Based in Miami, this new ship, like the Breakaway before it, will be themed around the city it sails from. And with Miami being the Magic City, the Getaway is bound to be full of magical experiences. Read more...

Marlene Heideman decided to get in some exercise and sightseeing at the same on a cruise stop of the American Queen riverboat.

Rolling a bicycle off the boat for a quick tour of Paducah, Kentucky, the Cincinnati woman says the pedaling transportation is a wonderful option. Read more...

Who doesn’t want to own a private island in the Caribbean, a secluded place to get away from it all? When I cruise, I always appreciate the cruise lines that have their own exclusive stopping places with no one else but the cruisers on our trip.

Located in the Bahamas, Princess Cays belongs to Princess Cruise Line. Situated on the southern portion of the island of Eleuthera, Princess Cays is about 80 miles from Nassau. Read more...

The Grande Caribe small ship wins major points for its unusual drink system.

The 96-passenger Grand Caribe, part of Blount Small Ship Adventures, has a very practical system that worked very well on my recent cruise.

It always irks me when a cruise ship charges extra for fountain soft drinks and the price is usually terribly inflated for a small cup of flat cola. Read more...

Robert DeNiro watches over my shoulder. Sophia Loren, Rod Stewart and Jackie Onassis smile from across the room.

Of course, these are just historic photographs. But they do help set the atmosphere for “An Evening at Le Cirque” ($39 each) on our Eurodam cruise.   Served in the Pinnacle Grill for only one evening on the cruise, the dinner presents a wonderful taste of Sirio Maccioni’s celebrated New York restaurant. Read more...

Alright, so we admit it. We love cruises. We love everything about cruises. We especially love new ships. That’s why when a ship finally hits the water, there’s a little extra energy in the office. The countdown to Breakaway is on. Hard to believe that the ship will be sailing in less than two months, especially considering it just hit the water for the first time last week. We’ve got a video here, and we just had to share. Read more...

She doesn’t look a day older. But raven-haired Snow White is now 75.

The first Disney princess, Snow White has been charming movie goers since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was first released at Hollywood’s Carthay Circle Theater on Dec. 21, 1937. Read more...

It’s Valentines Day and our thoughts turn to love, of course. So on this Valentine’s Day, there’s only one cruise line we think about. Princess Cruises, home of the Love Boat. And Princess has pioneered a lot of things when it comes to cruises, not the least of which is expressing love by tying the knot at sea. Read more...

Seems like the Blounts of Rhode Island had always been in the oyster business. The family oyster beds flourished. Workers were busy. Eager buyers lined up for the quality shellfish. Life was good.

Then came the 1938 hurricane. By the time the winds quit roaring  and the seas stopped churning, E.B. Blount & Sons Oyster Company was devastated. Read more...