If you are vacationing on a Mediterranean cruise during the next few years, chances are your voyage will begin in Barcelona, Spain. Lucky you. Starting in summer 2011, Barcelona will be home to three of the half dozen largest cruise ships in the world, Norwegian’s new Epic, Carnival’s new Magic and Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the…
Norwegian Cruise Line fired the first shot. A decade later, the dining room revolution at sea continues, as a new ship, the Norwegian Epic, pulls into New York this weekend, then heads to Miami for seven-night weekly cruises into the Caribbean — all without a main dining room. What Norwegian has wrought is a battle between the traditional two…
I began my week with halibut and cod, but now I am on a salmon run. Salmon for dinner three nights in a row is reason enough to travel to the Northwest. My first salmon meal was a filet pan fried, fresh and juicy with veggies and rice, and a glass of local pinot gris, at…
Hood River, Oregon When you look over the wide Columbia River from Oregon toward Washington on the other side, you might conclude that the white caps on the waves that seem to be traveling west to east — left to right — are the result of a very heavy current. Well, there’s a heavy current,…
It seems I was the only person in the world who had never been to Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Oregon. Fixed that. Rummaged around Powell’s downtown store – as big as a city block — for more than hour. Got a bit lost in the maze of sections and floors that once held a parking garage.…
On the road again. To the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, Portland, and mountains in between. Flew into Seattle, rented a car — through Hotwire this time. Bought the cheapest car, ended up with Hertz and, surprise, a peppy Mazda 3, far better than what I paid for. It happens. Thing about Hotwire is that you buy the deal,…
Thanks to the unrelenting ash of Iceland, I missed inaugural festivities in Southampton, England, in April 2010 when godmother and yachtswoman Emma Pontin provided the naming honors for Celebrity Eclipse. What I really missed was a chance to taste cruising’s newest restaurant, Qsine. While the Eclipse is Celebrity’s third in the Solstice series — following the Solstice of 2008 and the Equinox…
Every new cruise ship is equipped with at least one specialty restaurant. For a fee, these alternative evening dining rooms serve anything from top steaks or sushi to an elegant presentation of regional fare. But are they worth the price? The basic answer is: Yes, at least most of them. Cruise lines generally don't make…