Jan115

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I agree. Thanks, but no thanks! I can find better uses for my money.

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

Interesting article. As the mom of two girl gamers (one of whom has a degree in E-game design), I agree. If the cruise lines want to appeal to a young generation of gamers and E-fanatics, the industry has to keep up. While I love my E-gadgets and have no trouble unplugging while on vacation, there is a whole new generation who would welcome all the new media options available to them.

Hi and welcome to CruiseCrazies! I hope you'll come by often to share your experiences and expertise!

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

Isn't it great! They had such a blast on their first-ever cruise, that they are joining us once again this summer - to Alaska!

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I couldn't move ahead to a new year of travel adventures without first looking back on my trip experiences of 2012. Most destinations were new to us, and some were old favorites. All were special and memorable. Therefore, in the tradition of David Letterman, I thought I would take this opportunity to count down my own Top Ten travel moments of the year. Wishing you happy and safe travels in 2013! So here goes - my top 10 favorites of 2012: #10. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey - Harry Potter's Wizarding World, Universal, Orlando Speeding through the air high above Hogwarts Castle on a broomstick without ever leaving the ground. Now, that's my idea of a thrill ride! #9. Introducing my Russian friends to New England clam cakes and chowder in Newport, Rhode Island Friends were in town for the day while aboard the Caribbean Princess and, as a native to Little Rhody, I was proud to give them my personalized 5-cent tour of Newport, including a visit to three of the city's famous stately mansions followed by lunch at Flo's clam shack. Thanks for the memories, Olga & Pavel! #8. The look of unbridled excitement on my sister-in-law's face as she and my brother embarked on their first-ever cruise aboard the Ocean Princess! Need I say more! #7. Being greeted by bagpipers and a wee dram of whiskey (or two!) to Edinburgh, Scotland Yes - whiskey - at 8 o'clock in the morning. When David asked for another, they were more than happy to oblige. Those Scots are so warm and friendly! #6. Sunset over Cape Cod Bay - Truro, Massachusetts As a frequent visitor to the outer Cape, I can honestly say there is no finer place to see the setting sun - or rising sun, for that matter. It's the closest thing to heaven on earth! #5. A pint of Guinness in a small town Irish pub - Inistioge, Ireland Who can forget this image of my husband, David, drinking a pint of Guinness in a local pub with his newfound friend, Patty. #4. Cruising up the coastline of Ireland and Scotland I'll never forget the rolling green hills of Ireland and the rugged beauty of Scotland as we sailed up and around the Isles. Literally took my breath away! #3. Canterbury Cathedral - Canterbury, England A magnificent, medieval holy place, famous for the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170. The cathedral is enormous and stunning, and I could have easily spent the whole day taking in all its glory. #2. A night at The Agnes Inn, Canterbury A cozy and friendly traditional English inn. For even more charm, choose a room in the renovated stables. If you only have one night in England, let it be a charming B&B in a quaint, Dickens-like town. AND .... my Number 1 travel moment of 2012: A personalized tour with 14 fellow cruise passengers of the Scottish Highlands including the Village of Luss, Loch Lomond, and Stirling Castle by Gordon Ross of Great Scot Tours. It doesn't get much better than this! Those big cruise line tours would be hard pressed to provide the type of personalized service we received from our private tour guide through the Scottish Highlands. This was by far our favorite day of the entire cruise around Ireland and Scotland on the Ocean Princess. It was impossible to rank one feature of the tour over another for this list, so the whole tour gets the #1 spot! Here were the highlights from the Highlands tour: A surprise stop to sample some whiskey on a Highlands hillside. Here's to you, Gordon Mist over a beautiful peaceful lake, surrounded by rolling hills and mountains, in a storybook village setting. It was a page from a fairy tale! A stop in the town of Callander for a quick lunch. The magnificent Stirling Castle and surrounding battle grounds where famous Scots like Rob Roy, William Wallace, and Robert the Bruce fought for their freedom. There you have it - the Seven Sea Journey experiences of 2012. Safe and happy travels to all my readers in the new year! For additional photos, please visit: Source

rrpcande, I agree. I wonder if we used the same local tour guide. Our guide split up the tour - most people went river floating, while he took my family to his dad's pottery shop. Then he took us for jerk chicken, came in with us and even ordered for us. It was a very personalized experience we could never have gotten with the cruiseline. I have used both cruise line excursions and local tour companies and have been happy with both. The decision to go with the ship's excursion or the local guy is usually based on destination, the time involved, and price.

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

Thanks for the review, Jason. Wishing you a happy, healthy and adventurous new year!

Happy New Year, Rose and Howie, and enjoy your cruise into 2013!

Thanks! Good thought about the morning tour in case weather interferes. We are staying in Nob Hill one night after the cruise, and I'll be sure to look for the Italian place. I appreciate all your suggestions!

The Oasis class may be fine for some, but for me - Thanks, but no thanks. I want to feel like I am at sea and not in a city of "neighborhoods".

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!