These days, it is sort of a given that Holland America Line has some of the best food at sea for the larger mass-market cruise lines. The buffet tends to be out of control good, the main dining rooms provide excellent food on a regular basis, and the Pinnacle Grill set an industry standard for fine dining at sea.  But this commitment to good eats isn’t limited to mealtime on Holland America Line ships. Read more...

It’s all about the outdoors on the new Royal Princess coming this June. With some really incredible new features, the top deck is where everyone is going to want to be on Princess’ new megaship, improving on their signature “Movies Under The Stars” feature and also adding some new features that are both a first for the industry and will create some really amazing passenger experiences. Read more...

Ever wonder where the cheapest places to extend your cruise vacation would be? We know that London or New York isn’t likely to make that list of cities, but the answers of which ones do might actually surprise you!  Trip Advisor recently put together its list of the least expensive and most expensive cities to visit, and we’ve decided to simplify the list for you… and let you know the least expensive and most expensive places to stretch out your cruise vacation. Read more...

This is the first in an irregular series on our blog about some of our favorite hotels around the world. We start in London with the Andaz Liverpool Street.

We love the Andaz Liverpool Street. The first hotel in Hyatt’s upscale, very modern Andaz brand, Liverpool Street takes classic Victorian architecture and melds it with impecable modern design in a very convenient location. Just off Liverpool Street station, the hotel is walking distance from the London Tower, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Modern, and its just steps away from the Tube. Read more...

Everyone knows plans for the future can change, and often its for unplanned circumstances. Travel and vacations are no exceptions, and the unforeseen can end up being extremely costly. Fortunately, there is a tool can make you whole financially when the worst happens to prevent, or cut short a vacation. It’s called travel insurance, and its something that not enough people take. Read more...

One of the things everyone talks about after their cruise is how good the food is. Oceania Cruises has a love affair with their food, and it shows. From Executive Chef Jacques Pepin on down, the cruise line really places an emphasis on quality and attention to detail, especially when it comes to meantime. And Oceania’s newest ship, the Riviera, really places a huge emphasis on it with ten different dining venues aboard this small ship. Read more...

As the Magic Kingdom starts opening more and more of the New Fantasyland portion of the park, one huge standout is the “Be Our Guest” restaurant which offers both quick service and table dining service in a setting modeled after the Beast’s castle from the movie “Beauty and the Beast.” Read more...

The following is an excerpt from Roger’s travel journal. He went to Rio de Janeiro in 2006.

The thing about traveling in a great group of people is that it takes forever to get moving. Planning for an early morning start meant that we finally got rolling out of here at about 11:30. About two hours after the plan. One of the things about being in a hostel is that when you find people to gang around with, it can take a while to get us all ready to do the same thing. Once we finally got out and ready to go, we took a bus to Corcovado and instead of the tram, the five of us split with a private driver. He took us to a couple lookout spots on the way up. (Corcovado is in an urban forest – a remnant of the rainforest that was around Rio years ago and some of which is still there to the north and south of the city). The views were stunning, you could see everything and the planes which were landing in the local airport (jet planes, mind you) are just about at eye level. It’s a little nuts. After we got to the base of Corcovado, you have two options. Stairs (which give you more opportunity to pay ridiculously expensive prices for cheap looking souvenirs) or the elevator. I was all about the stairs, all about being the fit, healthy me that I’ve always wanted to be. About half way up the stairs, I changed my mind, but it was too late to stop. Before long, I was at the top, with the same view that Jesus has. Read more...

The Celebrity Reflection hits the seas this week on its inaugural passenger voyages. It does a short schedule in Europe before crossing the Atlantic down to Florida in December. New features on Celebrity’s latest and greatest include art classes on the Lawn Club from Art Center South Florida, the addition of Aqua Class suites and a unique to Celebrity spa which includes a hammam, sensory showers and an infrared sauna. Guests can even book their own private cabana space on the lawn with the addition of the Alcoves. Read more...

Azamara Club Cruises is a small ship, upscale cruise line that has consistently been a winner when it comes to on board experience and service, and every year the product just seems to get stronger. In 2011, the two ship line changed its focus to a more inclusive atmosphere with more overnights and longer times in port, as well as including your gratuities and wine at dinner on every voyage. For 2013, Azamara Club Cruises is introducing three new key enhancements which will make any cruise a truly “Azamazing” adventure. Read more...