Streets are draped in mourning. Wailing “widows” in fishnet stockings and miniskirts lament loudly. Paraders dressed as popes, bishops and nuns bless onlookers and each other.

It’s “El Entierro de la Sardina” or the “Burial of the Sardine” in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, capital of the largest of the Canary Islands. It’s when a gigantic 30-foot papier mache fish is carried through city streets and thrown on a massive bonfire. As the huge fish goes up in flames, fireworks light the night to signal the official end of Carnival. Read more...

Memorable cruise moments often involve food, particularly spectacular desserts. One of my favorite ways to end a great cruise meal is with anything chocolate.

Carnival Cruise Lines, in particular, has a delicious Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. When it is listed on the menu, that is always my choice, especially if it is served with a scoop of ice cream.

For those who want to try the popular sweet at home, Carnival is sharing its recipe. But, be prepared. Your family and friends might like it so much that you’ll soon be making it for more than special occasions. Or you’ll be booking a Carnival cruise where you can sit back and order the cake without having to make it yourself.

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

1 pound dark chocolate

1 pound butter

10 eggs

10 ounces sugar

6 ounces flour

Melt chocolate and butter. Mix eggs with sugar and whisk for a few minutes. Add flour. Combine egg mixture with melted chocolate and mix. Pour into individual greased molds. Bake in oven at 400 degree for 14 minutes.

Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and, if desired, garnish with fresh fruit. Serve warm with ice cream. Serves 12.

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines

The cruise is booked and you are set to sail for the very first time! Cruises are a really excellent way to see the world in a relaxing, stress-free environment, but its a very different type of travel than a guided tour or something on your own. There are secrets and strategies that make an experience extra special, and we want to share them with you. So without further ado, here are five tips to help you cruise like a pro!

It’s just a small thing but it shows Carnival Cruise Lines’ commitment to conserving energy and helping passengers have a more enjoyable cruise.

When my daughter Kelly and I first checked into our cabin on the Carnival Breeze, we saw attendants in the hallway helping cruisers figure out how to turn on the electricity in their rooms.

Have to admit, the first time I went to Europe many years ago and discovered the practical key card-activated electricity system, I was a bit puzzled, too. But I soon learned how useful it is and how it can save on electricity.

A new touch on the Breeze is a slot inside the cabin door is where you put your key card to turn on the electricity.

“It’s to save on electricity,” explains crewmember Zsolt in the guest services office. “The lights and TV aren’t on if you aren’t in the cabin and don’t have your key in that slot.”

Air conditioning continues to work so that the cabin is always comfy when passengers return. But I’m sure many passengers have probably left their cabins without turning off the lights or electricity – an unnecessary expenditure if out of the cabin for any length of time.

The key-card system is also on the Carnival Magic and the new Carnival Sunshine. Another benefit, Kelly and I discovered, is that it’s a handy way to know where your key card is when you get ready to leave the cabin.

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

The economy might feel a bit shaky, and the finances may not be strong enough to jet away right this second, but its still a great day to start planning a vacation. We get the question in the office a lot, “when is the best time to plan our next trip?” The answer: “Today!” In most cases, locking down a trip early helps guarantee good rates, good availability and has very little downside. And in the last few months of the year, the time is especially right to plan ahead. With fewer people looking to travel, tour companies and cruise lines are giving some of their best prices of the year, coupled with amazing amenity offers.

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.

And it doesn’t cost extra aboard the Carnival Breeze.

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.

The library is a popular spot on the Carnival Breeze. Not only for the books, magazines and games, but also for the card-key operated wine dispensers and literary cocktails.

Maybe sip a Hemingway’s Papa Doble while enjoying a good novel?

Surprised? The Carnival Breeze does indeed have a bar in the library, along with a first for Carnival Cruise Lines – card-key operated wine dispensers. Makes sense to me.

With the new year set to begin in just a couple days, vacation planning season is about to begin. Given the strength (or lack of it) of the economy these days, a lot of travelers are looking to get the best value possible on their upcoming vacation. As always, we’re here to help, and our advice? Book today! Some of the best deals are available when booking early, and there are plenty of good reasons to book far ahead of time, we’ve just got three of the best reasons why the best deal is today’s deal.

He used to live in the forest, soaking up the rain. Now he lives on the Carnival Magic, basking in the sun.

That’s the Carnival story about the RedFrog. And they’re sticking to it.

In fact, the little tree frog has made himself so at home on the cruise ship that he has his own private label draught beer, custom-brewed specially for Carnival – ThirstyFrog Red.

The first pub ever on a Carnival ship opened in May 2011, on the Magic with ThirstyFrog Red beer and the response was overwhelming. “They ran out of beer the first day,” said Vance Gulliksen, Carnival Cruise Lines spokesman. “This is a huge hit for us. ”

So popular has ThirstyFrog Red become that it is now served on 17 of the 24 Carnival ships. “Carnival is the only place you can get it,” Gulliksen said. “It’s a fun thing to do but we didn’t realize how popular the pub and the beer would be.”

The pub itself is an island-themed watering hole located on the Promenade Deck of the Magic. The décor is decidedly Caribbean meets Key West with nautical styled interiors, warm woods, vibrant tile work, portholes and images of ships at seas, plus foosball and game tables, a jukebox and live music.

The 100-seat indoor-outdoor pub serves Caribbean favorites – Bahamian conch salad, grouper fingers, firecracker Jamaican chicken wings, Jamaican jerk pulled pork sandwiches, beef sliders, coconut shrimp and more – all just $3.33 per dish.

RedFrog Pub also serves top Caribbean rums and regional beers such as Jamaican Red Stripe, plus tropics-infused cocktails with a focus on “Tings.” The drinks are made with Ting, Jamaica’s unofficial national lemon-lime soda.

At $5.50 for a 19-ounce glass, ThirstyFrog Red is an amber beer with a light taste. For its faithful fans, ThristyFrog Red is also served in a 101-ounce tube for $27.95.

“It’s great,” said Sam Wilson of Houston, relaxing in a wooden swing on the RedFrog patio. “If I could get it at home, I would sure buy it. Guess I’ll just have to take more Carnival cruises because I definitely like the Carnival beer.”

Wilson and his friends posed with a smile when a bartender aimed a huge camera in their direction. The pictures of customers are then displayed behind the bar for a colorful collage.

As RedFrog himself might say – “Chill out. Live life to the fullest.”

– By Jackie Sheckler Finch