My recent Royal Caribbean Cruise started at Quebec City and ended at magical New York. Quebec City is superb, quintessentially French and worth two or three days to explore if you can manage the extra time.
I was cruising on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas and the ship was berthed on the St Lawrence River just below the promontory on which the iconic Chateau Frontenac is located, one of the classic hotels of North America. The old town (since 1985 a UNESCO World Heritage site) is div
Cruise ships offer many options for shore excursions during their cruises and they can often be a highlight of your cruise. However I have found that the prices when booking on the ship are often excessive. At many ports of call local entrepreneurs line up on the dock to provide alternative tours.
One consideration you need to be aware of is that if something goes wrong with a locally organised tour and you are late back the ship will not wait for you and it could lead, as it did on a recen
Cruises have so much going on at any given time, catering to all kinds of individual preferences. If you want your family or group of friends to stick together like glue through the whole vacation, two things will happen: (a) you will miss a lot, and (b) you'll resent each other by the end of it. For example, your husband is fond of the casino, but the last thing you want to do on a warm, tropical day is spend it inside a smoke-filled, noisy room. Go to the pool or spend time lounging on your de
The shopping arcade on any cruise ship is a mecca for many passengers. Most ships have a range of shops selling goods ranging from clothing, watches, jewellery, souvenirs to cameras and duty free alcohol. In generak I have found the quality of merchandise is good with brand names a feature. Often there is a gallery selling ( or auctioning) art works although in my view much of it is pretty ordinary.
It is fascinating to watch the passengers searching for that special item to take home. Ther
You found a great cruise deal on line and booked it. You patted yourself on the back and told all your friends about it. Maybe it was a buy-one, get-one-free promotion. Or maybe it was a free upgrade. Whatever the deal, congratulations! But before you click the "Reserve" button, be sure you know what you're getting. Do yourself a favor and study the deck plan. Pay close attention to the following:
Square Footage. How large (or tiny) is the cabin? You and your 3 buddies crammed into a 145 sq
Most cruise ships offer a choice for evening meals between fixed seating or the ‘freer’ MyTime dining arrangement.
I don’t really like dining at 6pm (too early) or 8.30pm (too late) so the flexibility of choosing my dinner time is welcome by me. Fixed seating times usually also mean being with the same table companions the whole cruise. I like to have the option of dining with my wife or joining other couples or individuals we meet along the way.
MyTime dining also provides a more flex
This is the Carnival Sunshine through my eyes.
As usual, once you get on the ship all your troubles melt away. We got this far and came to a screeching halt... lol I was on my tip toes, reaching over people's heads (I know they thought I was nuts) just trying to snap a glimpse of what lay ahead.
After a brief pause we were moving again and officially... Walking On Sunshine! I could not believe we were finally there! The atrium was beautiful. It was like I was in a dream and being
To save money and enjoy a more relaxing cruise experience, try a repositioning cruise. Cruise lines will typically have their ships spend a season cruising the same itinerary. During, say, the spring or fall, these ships will be relocated – or repositioned – to a new geographical area of the world to begin a new cruise season and new itinerary. Rather than have these ships sail empty, cabins are sold, usually at a reduced rate. For passengers who like lots of peaceful days at sea, this can be a
Sure, you're on vacation, but that doesn't mean you have to sleep the day away. You'll miss so much. Here are my five best reasons to force yourself out of bed before sunrise:
(1) View a breathtaking sunrise at sea; you'll forget all about how much you wanted to sleep in.
(2) Photograph nature in its best light. The natural lighting for taking photos is best early morning and just before sunset; this was especially true for the glaciers on our Alaska cruise and our cruise 2 years ago a
When I heard the Carnival Destiny was going to be “Sunshined”, I thought it sounded pretty cool. Then when I heard it was coming to New Orleans, I was REALLY excited. I don’t know why, but I really wanted to sail on that ship! New Orleans was doable. SO, while on the Magic last May, I booked a cruise on the Sunshine and went skipping (literally… I skipped) back to my cabin.
Once we were home, I patiently waited for it to set sail in Europe. Then I started reading how everyone hated the ship
A cruise is the perfect way to mark a romantic event. After all, nothing puts us in the mood than sun, sea and a cruise ship. Why not add a little something else to celebrate the grand occasion!Whether you are celebrating with an on-board wedding or simply looking for some alone time with that certain someone, cruise lines have made it easy to order gifts and packages to say "I love you." Your travel agent can help you choose the perfect gift or package. If you booked direct with the cruise line
Those who have cruised before know what a popular place the ship's buffet is on embarkation day. It's as though 3,000 cruisers arrive on board and haven't eaten in days. Eager, hungry vacationers line up at the door, squirt the required antibacterial lotion into the palms of their hands, fill their plates, and search for the grand prize: a seat at which to enjoy their lunch - all while carefully and steadily balancing plates and cups along the way. Depending on the ship and venue, it can be a ve
In 2013, David and I were blessed with another year of amazing travel firsts - first time to Alaska, first time to San Francisco, first time to the Grand Canyon, first time in a tiny 6-seater plane, and other notable moments of first glimpses. New and different sights and opportunities always produce an abundance of fresh stories and photos to share. Here, in no particular order, are our top 10 most memorable travel experiences of 2013, followed by photos I took:
Flightseeing in Ketchikan,
And the time has come. Wow. I can't believe it's almost here! So I will be leaving for nearly a month of just fun, fun, fun! Next week I leave Baltimore to hang in Los Angeles and Long Beach for a few days before heading up to San Francisco to catch Grand Princess! I still can't believe I'm getting ready to sail on this 16 escape to Hawaii and the Mexican Riviera... AHHH! Sorry y'all, I can't contain my excitement! It's just come full circle for me. This has been a trip a whole year in the makin
As the holiday season approaches each year, I wonder aloud to those who will listen: Wouldn’t it be great to combine two of my most favorite things in the world: Christmas and a cruise vacation. From the moment I picked up a copy of John Grisham’s “Skipping Christmas,” at the library, I knew that book was written with specifically me in mind. If you haven’t read the book, or seen its weaker film version (“Christmas with the Kranks”), the story is about a couple that decides one year to forego Ch
Hey, y'all! Happy Thanksgiving! You know today is one of the coolest holidays we celebrate here in the United States. I know many traditions have grown over the years on this iconic day. Many watch the Macy's Day Parade, some may slave over a stove for hours while the bargain shoppers may start plotting when they're going to hit up their favorite retail stores to catch some Black Friday deals. But my understanding of this day is to come together with those we love and begin to think on the thing
You might think that after the Costa Concordia tragedy in January 2012, people would have more respect for the muster drill. For the most part, on the majority of our cruises since that time, I have noticed an alertness among the passengers that wasn’t necessarily there before. Passengers WANT to know what to do in case of a ship emergency. Ships have stepped up their drills and passengers are paying attention.
At least that’s what I’d observed – until I boarded Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance
Progreso is becoming our home away from home ?
The first time we went to Progreso I wasn’t really impressed, but drink enough tequila and corona and really what does it matter? Unless you are a man trapped in a chicken fighting contest with other men thanks to your lovely wife and her big mouth.
The next time we returned to Progreso, the drunken tequila drinking on the beach days were still haunting Mark so we set out for some hotter than hell culture at the Mayan ruins during July. Cl
Has this happened to you? You book your cruise on-line directly with the cruise line. A few weeks later, you meet a travel agent, and you instantly strike up a bond. She's experienced, personable and seems to work hard to provide personalized service to her customers. Even better, she is prepared to offer you onboard credit, a bottle of wine and a free shore excursion. She also advises you of a myriad of ways to save money on your cruise and offers advice and tips on how to make your experience
Hey, everyone! Thanksgiving is coming upon us quickly and boy am I excited! Last year I sailed Carnival Breeze's inaugural sailing from the U.S. and she was truly a blast! I did the untraditional approach with dinner for Thanksgiving last year and ordered... wait for it... wait for it... FRIED ALLIGATOR! Yum-o! Now I know some of y'all just looked at me like I was crazy but hey, when you slab a little hot sauce on it, it tastes just like chicken! It was so in good in fact, I had two orders of
You had every intention of heading directly to the airport after the cruise, but the prime flights were sold out, leaving only the 8:00 pm flight. Or maybe you chose this flight because it was the cheapest. "What on earth will I do for 12 hours?" you ask. Whatever you do, don't waste it sitting around at the airport. There are far better places to people watch. Here are a few ideas for spending those precious final hours of your vacation.
Take a ship excursion and tour the port city. Cruise
Hey everyone! I hope you all feel well-rested and a little more relaxed with the extra hour of rest some of us got this past weekend! I wanted to share with you a decision I made that I've wrestled with for sometime now...
Beginning in 2014, I will no longer be writing for this blog, The Cruisetacular Weekly. There's no bad blood or behind-the-scenes drama between CruiseCrazies and I. this is a decision I came to. Honestly, I've been spreading myself too thin and need to narrow my focus - w
Hey, y'all! Thanks for coming back this week to get the full 411 as to why I picked Carnival Breeze and Norwegian Epic as my two favorite cruise ships afloat. I was reading some of your comments from last week's post and saw an overwhelming love and support for ships in the Princess Cruises fleet. So is it safe to assume that 1.) Many of you are happy I'm gonna be sailing Grand Princess for the holidays and 2.) Many of you are experts at "Escaping Completely" and can help a brotha out? I'll defi
