When I first heard the smooth sounds of “Nice n’ Easy” filling the dining room aboard the Carnival Breeze, I thought what a nice treat to enjoy an old recording by Frank Sinatra.

Imagine my surprise to learn that “Ol’ Blue Eyes” wasn’t the one doing the singing. That amazing voice was coming from our maitre d’. Read more...

Europe. In relative terms, it is not that big. But the number of things for a traveler to see and do is overwhelming.There are ways, however, to maximize what can be seen but without the “hurry up and wait” mentality that can come along with a packed, multi-country itinerary. We think one of the best ways to see the continent is to see it by boat. Not a cruise ship, but a river boat. Much of Europe was built along important rivers, after all. There are tons of benefits to traveling by river, but here’s three really big ones. Read more...

Part of our irregular Dispatches series, Roger uncovers from his 2003 travel diary a most unusual European train ride.

It had been a long trip to Denmark. An overnight train from Paris, and then another five hours from Hamburg. Running a bit tight on funds, I’d eschewed the somewhat tasty train restaurant for a selection of baguette and cheese from a Paris market just before the train left. It was a tiring trip, but still fairly fulfilling. An early morning stroll to stretch my legs aboard the train turned into a chance encounter with a gentleman named George. A minister from the Midwest, he was hiding out. Apparently, his nonsmoking train compartment contained a somewhat crazy French woman, loose with her hands and possessing a complete disregard for smoking policy on the train. Read more...

Cornerstone Health and Wellness of New Jersey and Crown Cruise Vacations are getting together to provide cruisers the chance to get fit with fun and to leave the gym at home with the Sea Fit cruise this October. It’s seven days of relaxing and working out – getting fitness enthusiasts some new tips to bring home to their workout regimens, and giving converts just getting into exercise a chance to develop their own routine aboard the Explorer of the Seas October 13-20. Read more...

On this beautiful day at sea, Melissa Mixan is getting some exercise by walking the sports deck of the Carnival Breeze. Melissa is also helping raise money for a very worthy cause – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

As a school nurse, the woman from Jefferson City, Montana, says she knows how important the work of St. Jude is and she is pleased to support it. Read more...

A jewel in the middle of the ocean, Bermuda’s pink sand beaches and comfortable weather calls out to travelers far and wide. The water is gorgeous, the beaches are pristine, the golf is world-class. One could be forgiven for thinking that this small island has little left to hide… after all when a place is small enough that motor scooters are preferable to cars for getting around, the best of the island sort of presents itself to visitors, but we’ve found four places that aren’t as well known, but definitely worth a look. Read more...

The dog days of summer may be upon us, and the heat may be keeping us in the shade and seeking the comfort of Air Conditioning, but we’re still itching to get cruising – and fall foliage is closer than you might think. This means that Canada/New England cruise season is coming close, and we thought we’d share one of our favorite destinations heading up the coast of Atlantic Canada, Saint John. Read more...

On a cruise two years ago, I followed a woman one morning who was wearing two sun hats with two tote bags looped over her shoulders and a bunch of beach towels in her arms.

Where in the world is she going, I wondered. I quickly discovered that she was staking out a whole line of beach chairs by the ship’s pool. Read more...

The best cruise ever went up for sale today. If we could only choose one cruise to take in our life, this would be it. It’s on the Oceania Insignia in January, 2015 and it lasts 180 days! Six months on a ship seems like a long time, but with all the places that this ship is going, it doesn’t feel long enough. Read more...

We had the opportunity to board the Carnival Splendor in New York City this past week for a quick ship tour and a nice lunch. The five year old ship just made the Big Apple its home year round and is currently sailing on eight night itineraries right out of Manhattan. The brightly decorated ship screams fun and the service and food in the main dining room was, of course, tasty as always – but the surprise in the dining room is that the wait staff do more than serve. Read more...