When I told a friend I was cruising to the Conch Republic, he looked a bit puzzled. “Is it in the Bahamas?” he asked. “Or maybe Hawaii?”

Good guesses. But wrong on both. The Conch Republic is located in the good old USA, in Florida, in fact. Conch Republic is the nickname for Key West. Read more...

Think you can recognize a new vessel by the flag it flies while cruising the waterways of Washington and Oregon?

Of course, most of us know that when we see Mickey Mouse or those trademark ears, it must be a Disney ship. And Norwegian Cruise Lines ships boast those colorful Peter Max murals. Read more...

ABOARD THE CARNIVAL FREEDOM – Are you a fan of rocking piano music made famous by the likes of  Jerry Lee Lewis? Maybe your tastes run more to 1980s pop from Cindy Lauper and Michael Jackson.

Or could be the smooth soul songs of Otis Redding that soothe you. Then there’s the feel-good beach music for island time with Jimmy Buffet, the Beach Boys and more. Read more...

  ABOARD THE S.S. LEGACY – No need to fret about misplacing your cabin key on the S.S. Legacy. Cabins have no keys.

“That’s just one less thing to worry about,” said Patrick Rice, hotel manager for the S.S. Legacy. “We want you to relax while you are with us.” Read more...

ABOARD THE MSC DIVINA – Those little blue creatures known as Smurfs are now delighting youngsters of all ages on the new MSC Divina. The 3,500-passenger ship has a Smurfs-themed Mini Club (ages 3-6) and a Junior Club (ages 7-11),  as well as other fun-filled family activities with the ship’s giant Smurf mascot as the guest of honor. Read more...

Shore excursions are part of the fun of cruising. Going ashore and taking a tour is an exciting option on cruises. And, almost always, there are more tour options than I can do. Makes for hard choices.

But Carnival Cruise Lines has now come up with a cruise industry first to be sure passengers get the best shore excursions possible. Carnival just announced a guarantee that guests who book a Carnival shore excursion and find a comparable tour at a lower price will receive an onboard credit of 110 percent of the difference. Read more...

ABOARD THE CARNIVAL BREEZE – Are you a Blue Iguana or are you a Red Frog?

Seems like a strange question. But there is an interesting story behind the two critters who now make their home on Carnival Cruise Lines. The BlueIguana Tequila Bar is featured on the Breeze, Conquest, Dream, Glory, Liberty, Sunshine and Triumph. Read more...

ABOARD THE SEABOURN ODYSSEY – It is just a small thing. But it makes me happy. And it shows the strong commitment that Seabourn has to taking care of even tiny details for a top-notch cruise.

One of my pet gripes is that cruise ships and international hotels often don’t provide clocks in guest rooms. I don’t want to carry a bedside clock with a lighted dial every time I take a cruise or go overseas. As a longtime journalist, I have this thing about knowing what time it is – no matter whether it is day or night. Read more...

KOTOR, Montenegro – An expensive delicacy, the plump porcini mushrooms looked great to me. But something about them raised the concerns of Rafael Peterkovic.

He eyed the mushrooms carefully, thumped their thick stems with his forefinger. Sniffed them, too. Then asked the mushroom vendor if he could use a knife to slice one open. Read more...

If you’ve ever cruised on this vessel, you might have relaxed in this very spot and watched the sun set on a beautiful day.

For a bit of cruise ship trivia, see if you can recognize this popular vessel. Don’t look at the answer below until you have formulated yours. Read more...