Europe

• January 25, 2015

  2014’s best cruise experiences

  Before we all get caught up in guessing about cruise trends and goals for 2015 — such as which major cruise line will be the first to announce Havana as a port of call — let’s look back at some favorite cruise experiences from 2014: ▪ Best new onboard activity Sky-diving on Quantum of the…

• July 23, 2014

  Puttering around Europe, cruising on Windstar’s new Star Pride

  Windstar Cruises is carving out a popular niche with a growing fleet of small ships that carry 312 or fewer passengers. The latest, Star Pride, is cruising the Mediterranean.

• May 30, 2014

  Joys of a small cruise ship, visiting the Med’s quiet harbors

  Star Pride notes from the Mediterranean Sea One of the best reasons to choose to cruise on a small ship in the Mediterranean Sea is the opportunity to visit ports with delightful harbors where big cruise ships cannot go, to dock among the stunning pleasure yachts or tender to the heart of town.   Harbor…

• May 29, 2014

  Humming ‘1492’ as a Windstar Mediterranean cruise memory

  Star Pride notes from the Mediterranean Sea Two weeks off the Star Pride in the Mediterranean between Barcelona and Rome's port of Civitavecchia, and still I am humming the theme from "1492: Conquest of Paradise."  Officers of Star Pride slowly raise the flag of Windstar Cruises at daily sail-aways, to the music of ‘1492: Conquest…

• May 28, 2014

  Cruising on Star Pride, casually elegant from a carry-on bag

  Star Pride, the first of three power yachts to arrive in Windstar’s hands during the next 12 months, is cruising the Mediterranean with an airy Yacht Club, redesiged lounge and dining room, an atmosphere of warmth, and a contemporary style similar to Windstar’s sailing ships.

• July 24, 2013

  Cruising on the new Royal Princess

  With all the hoopla today about George Alexander Louis, also known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, I’m reminding my friends that I saw Kate’s first baby weeks ago. The Duchess of Cambridge at the Royal naming That was the occasion of another naming, the cruise ship Royal Princess, of which the Duchess…

• March 22, 2013

  Shorter cruises for luxury lines show off ships around the world

  Cruise lines from mass-market to luxury increasingly are designing shorter voyages, both to introduce their ships to vacationers who have not been to sea and to provide getaways for busy world travelers who may have only a few leisure days to spare.   Tea time in Palm Court on Crystal Serenity (Picture from Crystal Cruises)…

• February 11, 2013

  Cruising into 2013, ships new and renewed

  Some intriguing new cruise ships are on the way, including Norwegian Breakaway, which will breakout with a major party in New York in May. Peter Max painted the hull for Norwegian Breakaway, which will be sailing out of New York In England in June, Royal Princess is due to debut with a long-awaited new design…

• July 27, 2012

  Grateful for safety in the air

  Second verse, same as the first. I'm heading to Scotland tonight. Saturday is a cruise on Azamara Journey's voyage of castles, distilleries and pubs, ending in Dublin. Please don't leave without me. Didn't make it to Scotland last night, as storms from the Ohio Valley to New York delayed my planes and plans, and those…

• July 26, 2012

  Cruise picture of the week from 2012 London Olympics

  Sea Cloud in London  I am flying to Scotland tonight for a quiet Friday in Edinburgh, while most of the world has its eyes on another part of the United Kingdom, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. Terrific place to be, London, especially if you've got a place to sleep for the night, such…