Niagara Falls is well known. Tourists come to see the majesty of these great falls, and people get married in that mist on a daily basis. And although the Falls on the US/Canadian border might be something impressive in its own right, there is a whole country full of awe-inspiring,  gorgeous waterfalls just five hours away by flight. Iceland is an island that is made for water features. Read more...

I’ve seen hair-braiding booths set up on beaches and cruise ports to serve passengers on ships.

But I had never seen a hair braiding station on a ship, unless it was in a spa. That was a first when I saw a braider busily at work on a Disney cruise.

Butterflies flutter before our noses. Bubbles dance through the air. Our seats jerk and tilt as we stop at the edge of an abyss. And a dinosaur blow snot in our faces.

A dinosaur? Yep, in Thrill Theater all kinds of adventures await through the magic of 3-D technology. The new “multidimensional” theater is now drawing eager viewers on the Carnival Breeze. Read more...

Jacob Marvel is so excited at the treasure he just got that he finds me in the crowd to share the good news.

“I will never ever trade it. This is my favorite,” the 9-year-old declares, clutching a red-white-and-blue image of a Disney cruise ship. Complete with Mickey Mouse’s legendary ears, the ship looks as though it is sailing on a deep ocean with stars sparkling overhead. Read more...

The Blue Lagoon. It’s become one of Iceland’s biggest tourist destinations and just a few minutes drive from the island’s international airport at Keflavik. The spa is well known for its milky blue waters, rich in silica, minerals and salt, as well as its naturally warm temperature (roughly 100 degrees all the time). But the story that you don’t know about the Blue Lagoon is that the spa/resort was a happy accident. Read more...

The voice of George Lopez brings chuckles to our Punchliner Brunch on the new Carnival Breeze. Take your time making menu choices and enjoy the wide variety, the comedian advises.

“When I was a kid, my grandma only gave me two choices – eat or don’t eat,” George says. Read more...

The tantalizing sizzle of hamburgers frying on a griddle sure caught my attention. I don’t even like hamburgers but I had to try one of these tempting beef sandwiches.

After all, this is the famous Guy’s Burger Joint on the new Carnival Breeze. Created in partnership with Food Network’s spiky-haired Guy Fieri, this poolside restaurant is hopping from noon to 6 p.m. each day. Read more...

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...