When you book a cruise beyond the fleets of ships that provide a North American experience, be prepared to accept different vacation approaches to meals, entertainment, and expenses. The rewards for such an adventurous spirit may be substantial, as the differences can be part of the fun. For seven nights in November, I cruised the…
The cruise line that calls itself the Yachts of Seabourn is in a building boom. In 2009, Seabourn, which sails perhaps the best of all the luxury ships, introduced its first new vessel in nearly 20 years. Another ship followed in 2010 and a third debuts in 2011, increasing the cruise line's ships from three to six…
Voyages end. Our bubble of civility burst in Miami, as Azamara Journey docked after two weeks at sea from Rome. We arrived in Miami, about 600 of us aboard the cruise ship (right, docked in Tenerife) that had become a temporary home. An old friend once described traveling in luxury as being a part-time millionaire.…
Nearly two weeks into our voyage across the Atlantic, from Rome to Miami on the Azamara Journey, we have grown into a community. We began this cruise traveling separately. On our first morning, many of us, singles and couples, tentatively chose an empty table for breakfast on the fantail, outside Windows Café. Now, we are…
As we sail across the Atlantic toward Miami from Tenerife, in the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, the ocean often seems nearly flat, but the swells are powerful enough to rock our 694-passenger ship. It’s not a violent movement. It is a motion that never stops. During the first crossing night, as we…
Aside from some turbulence in the Mediterranean the first night out of Rome – the TV on my cabin wall swiveled back and forth for hours – we faced gently rolling seas and chilly air on our way toward the Atlantic at Gibraltar. We made port stops at the walled city of Cartagena, Spain, and at…
Along with all the other signs of approaching winter comes fall’s march of the cruise ships across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe. I am a passenger on one of them, the Azamara Journey, headed for Miami. From late September into December, a majority of the American-based cruise ships that plied the waters of the Mediterranean,…
When choosing a hotel room for a short stay in one of Europe’s major travel destinations, location is always the key for me. Yes, I want a clean room in a friendly place. But I start with location, which, for a budget room, usually is near a train station or a subway stop. Some of the…
Seems fitting that a statue of hometowner Christopher Columbus stands in front of the train station in Genoa, Italy, where I began my journey home to America. From Genoa, a train would lead to Rome, then on to Rome’s port of Civitavecchia, where I would board a cruise ship, Azamara Journey, to cross the Atlantic…