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    • The Best of Goldring Travel’s Making Waves Blog
  • Cruise/Travel Reviews
    Seabourn
    Seabourn Quest – December 2019 (South Georgia Island and Antarctica III)
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica and Patagonia – Goldring Travel’s Third Expedition – Part I
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica and Patagonia – Goldring Travel’s Third Expedition – Part II (Anticipation)
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica and Patagonia – Goldring Travel’s Third Expedition – Part III (South Georgia Island)
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica and Patagonia – Goldring Travel’s Third Expedition – Part IV (Hope Bay, Cuverville Island, Lemaire Channel and the Iceberg Graveyard)
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica and Patagonia – Goldring Travel’s Third Expedition – Part V (Paradise Bay, Torgersen Island & Half Moon Island)
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica and Patagonia – Goldring Travel’s Third Expedition – Part VI (Patagonia)
    Seabourn Quest – January 2019 (Antarctica II)
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica Revisited – Part I (Pre-Cruise Perspectives and Santiago) 
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica Revisited – Part II (Desolation, Getting the Party Started and Perspective – Chilean Patagonia)
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica Revisited – Part III (Ushuaia and The Drake Passage – Are We There Yet?)
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica Revisited – Part IV (First Days in Antarctica: Revelations, Deception and Ansel Adams)
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica Revisited – Part V (Antarctica Weather, Wonder & WOW!)
    • Seabourn’s Antarctica Revisited – Part VI (The Falklands – It’s Ain’t Over Till Seabourn Says It Is Over!)
    Seabourn Quest – January 2018 (Antarctica)
    • Antarctica and Patagonia: An Adventure on the Seabourn Quest – Part I
    • Antarctica and Patagonia: An Adventure on the Seabourn Quest – Part II (Falkland Island Penguins)
    • Antarctica and Patagonia: An Adventure on the Seabourn Quest – Part III (Drake Passage and Greenwich Island-Yankee Harbour)
    • Antarctica and Patagonia: An Adventure on the Seabourn Quest – Part IV (Torgersen Island/Neko Harbor – “The Lifting of the Fog!”)
    • Antarctica and Patagonia: An Adventure on the Seabourn Quest – Part V (Peterman Island)
    • Antarctica and Patagonia: An Adventure on the Seabourn Quest – Part VI (Captain Larsen and Class, Crossing the Southern Polar Circle & Breaking Records)
    • Antarctica and Patagonia: An Adventure on the Seabourn Quest – Part VII (Waterboat Point, Kayaking…and Sadness)
    • Antarctica and Patagonia: An Adventure on the Seabourn Quest – Part IX (Punta Arenas & Goldring Travel Goes Local and Culinary)
    • Antarctica and Patagonia: An Adventure on the Seabourn Quest – Part X (El Brujo Glacier, Galley Market Lunch and Castro, Chile)
    • Antarctica and Patagonia: An Adventure on the Seabourn Quest – Part XI (Reflections + Puerto Montt and Heading Home)
    Seabourn Sojourn – June 2018 (Alaska)
    • Seabourn Sojourn in Alaska – Part 1 (Getting There)
    • Seabourn Sojourn in Alaska – Part II (Calm Seas, Great Views, but a Rough Start)
    • Seabourn Sojourn in Alaska – Part III (A Seabourn Moment and “Such a Hike. Oy!”)
    • Seabourn Sojourn in Alaska – Part IV (Tourism, Tracy Arm, Kayaking and a Duck)
    • Seabourn Sojourn in Alaska – Part V (Seabourn Ventures: Inian Islands, Icy Strait and College Fjord)
    Goldring Travel’s 2019 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise – Seabourn Ovation
    • Goldring Travel’s 2019 Culinary & Cultural Cruise -Part I (Getting There…Oy Vey…and Copenhagen)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2019 Culinary & Cultural Cruise -Part II (Seabourn Signature Suite & Gothenburg, Sweden)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2019 Culinary & Cultural Cruise -Part III (Olso & Sandefjord, Norway…Getting Culinary – Norwegian, Sushi and Earth & Ocean…and Discussing Whaling!)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2019 Culinary & Cultural Cruise -Part IV (Newcastle upon Tyne, Thomas Keller and Complimentary Wines)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2019 Culinary & Cultural Cruise -Part V (Invergordon, Scotland – Glenfiddich Whisky!)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2019 Culinary & Cultural Cruise -Part VI (Scrabster, Scotland and Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland – Who Knew?)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2019 Culinary & Cultural Cruise -Part VII (Goldring Travel Grand – Scottish & English – Culinary Event, Galley Market Brunch & More)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2019 Culinary & Cultural Cruise -Part VIII (Bremerhaven and The Kiel Canal, Germany)
    Goldring Travel’s 2018 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise – Seabourn Encore
    • Goldring Travel’s 2018 Culinary & Cultural Cruise – Part I (Getting Ready and Looking Forward)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2018 Culinary & Cultural Cruise – Part II (Barcelona and Mahon, Menorca)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2018 Culinary & Cultural Cruise – Part III (Monaco and Portovenere, Italy)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2018 Culinary & Cultural Cruise – Part IV (Rome and Amalfi, Italy)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2018 Culinary & Cultural Cruise – Part V (Syracusa, Sicily and Crotone, Italy…and Chef David )
    • Goldring Travel’s 2018 Culinary & Cultural Cruise – Part VI (Corfu, Greece – A Culinary & Cultural Day to Remember!)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2018 Culinary & Cultural Cruise – Part VII (The Seabourn Chefs Let Loose! and Katakalon, Greece)
    Goldring Travel’s 2017 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise – Seabourn Encore
    • Goldring Travel’s 2017 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise – Part I (Getting There and Getting On With It)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2017 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise – Part II (Tangier, Morocco: Why It Is “Culinary & Cultural”; Not “Food & Wine”)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2017 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise – Part III (Cadiz and Portimao : Sherry, Cocktails, Cheese…and a Mixology Competition!)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2017 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise – Part IV (Incredible Private Cooking Demonstration and Fireworks in Gibraltar)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2017 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise – Part VI (Tapas…And I Mean Tapas!) 
    • Goldring Travel’s 2017 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise – Part VII (The Famous Food & Wine Event: Chef’s Nine Court Tasting)
    Goldring Travel’s 2016 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise – Seabourn Quest
    • Goldring Travel’s 2016 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise on the Seabourn Quest – Part I
    • Goldring Travel’s 2016 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise on the Seabourn Quest – Part II (British Wine Tour and More)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2016 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise on the Seabourn Quest – Part III (Torquay, Pokémon Go and Little Things)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2016 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise on the Seabourn Quest – Part IV (Stornoway, Scotland and Smoked Salmon)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2016 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise on the Seabourn Quest – Part V (Kirkwall, Ullapool, Whiskey and the Kindness of a Stranger)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2016 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise on the Seabourn Quest – Part VI (Oban, Greenock and Belfast – Seabourn Moments!)
    • Goldring Travel’s 2016 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise on the Seabourn Quest – Part VII (Belfast, Liverpool – And Another Seabourn Moment!)
    Goldring Travel’s 2015 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise
    • Part I (A Look Back and A Look Forward)
    • Part II (Copenhagen & The First Day)
    • Part III (Flam & Alesund)
    • Part IV (Slovlaer and Tromso)
    • Part V (Honningsvag) – Ventures By Seabourn
    • Part VI (Sea Days & Private Culinary Events)
    • ​Part VI (Bergen, Stavanger & The Last Two Culinary Events: Shopping with the Seabourn Chef and A Cheese Tasting)
    Goldring Travel’s 2013 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise
    • Preparations and a Plan…Sort Of! 
    • Take Off…and A Fresh Perspective 
    • Air Travel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Meat! 
    • The First 24 Hours and Ihhabela, Brazil 
    • The Little Things (Paranagua and Porto Belo, Brazil) 
    • Seabourn Quest’s Chef Creates An Incredible Tasting Event 
    • The Event: Montevideo, Uruguay- Caviar, Caviar and Sturgeon ​
    Goldring Travel’s 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride
    • Part II (Perspective)
    • Part III (Storms A Brewing…And A Double Rainbow!)
    • Part IV (Fish & Chips…And A Great Beer)
    • Part V (Cork, Ireland and a Lucky Leprechaun Named Darina Allen)
    • ​Part VI (A Day at Sea with Special Events…And Then A Most Charming Port )
    • Part VII (Bordeaux- Day 1)
    • Part VII (Bordeaux- Day 2: Chateau Margaux and Chateau Lynch-Bages)
    • Part VIII (Relaxing and “Basque”ing)
    • Part IX (Shopping With The Chef)
    • Part X (The Goldring Travel Food & Wine Tasting)
    Goldring Travel’s 2011 Food & Wine Cruise – Seabourn Sojourn
    • Part I
    • Part II
    • Part III
    • Part IV
    • Part V
    • Part VI
    • Part VII
    • Part VIII
    • Part IX
    Goldring Travel’s 2010 Food & Wine Cruise – Seabourn Odyssey
    • The Beginning…Almost.
    • The Beginning…Leaving On A Jet Plane
    • Oy, Such Problems!
    • Doing So Much and Doing Nothing
    • A Sea Day and Some Thoughts About The Dining Experiences
    • Shopping with the Chef and Sicilian Seafood Experiences
    • Malta and Food for Thought
    • Pizza or the Wintergarden Suite’s Spa? Let’s Try Both!
    • The Food & Wine Tasting to Die For!
    • Finding Pizza and What It Means to “Travel”
    Goldring Travel’s 2009 Food & Wine Cruise – Seabourn Spirit
    • 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit
    • Some Pre-Cruise Thoughts and My Plan
    • The Start: It’s All About The Clothes???
    • Walking With Wine In Venice
    • Finally Onboard…Err, I Mean, Home!
    • Split, Croatia: Shopping With the Chef & Chilling Out Seabourn Style
    • Its About The Fish!
    • Meeting Up With The Big Sister & Chef’s Surprises
    • Some Final Thoughts
    Goldring Travel’s 2008 Food & Wine Cruise
    • Travelogue Part I
    • Travelogue Part II
    • Travelogue Part III (The Food & Wine Tasting!)
    Goldring Travel’s 2007 Seabourn Food & Wine Cruise
    • Goldring Travel’s 2007 Seabourn Food & Wine Cruise
    Seabourn Quest Pre-Inaugural Cruise 2011
    • Part I
    • Part II
    • Part III
    • Part IV
    • Part V
    • Part VI – The Photos!
    Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural Cruise (2010)
    • The Inaugural & Maiden Voyage Travelogue
    • The Inaugural & Maiden Voyage Travelogue – Part II
    • The Inaugural & Maiden Voyage Travelogue – Part III (The Seabourn Sojourn Has Been Delivered!)
    • Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural and Maiden Voyage – Part VI
    • Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural and Maiden Voyage – Part XII – Some Videos and Photos
    2009 Seabourn Odyssey Inaugural Cruise
    • The Ca’ Segredo Hotel Starts The Sojourn
    • First Impressions
    • Cuisine, Venues, People
    • The Standard Suites – Part I
    • The Standard Suites- Part II
    • The Upper Suites
    AmaWaterways River Cruises
    Goldring Travel’s 2014 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise – AmaWaterways AmaCerto
    • (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part I
    • (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part II
    • (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part III
    • (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part IV (Georg Breuer Riesling Tasting)
    • (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part VI
    • (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part VII (Bamberg Brewery Tour and Beer Tasting)
    • (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part VIII
    • (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part IX (Food & Wine Tasting on the AmaCerto)
    • (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part X
    • (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part XI – The Tokaji Wine Tasting
    • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia – Is it Amazing? Part VI (Hualien, Taiwan and Okinawa – The Kindness of Strangers)
    AmaWaterways AmaLotus – Vietnam & Cambodia
    • AmaWaterways Mekong River Cruise – Radio Interview
    • Part I
    • Part II
    • Part III
    • Part IV
    • Part V (Getting There & Day 1: Hanoi)
    • Part VI (Let the Tour Begin!)
    • Part VII (Halong Bay…and A Monk)
    • Part VIII
    • Part IX (The Ship)
    • Part X (The Egg)
    • Part XI (Happy Pizza)
    • Part XII (The Killing Fields)
    • Part XIII (Our Last Days)
    • Review and Reflection of the 2012 AmaWaterways AmaLotus Vietnam and Cambodia Tour and Cruise
    Avalon Waterways

             – Avalon Myanmar – Myanmar River Cruise – April 2017

    • Avalon Waterways Myanmar – Part I (March 2017
    • Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part II (Getting Here & Getting It On)
    • Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part III (Yangon – Day 2)
    • Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part IV (Bhamo to Katha)
    • Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part V (Katha to Tigyang)

    • Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part VI (Kya Hnyat to Kyauk Myaung)

    • Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part VII (Mingun to Mandalay)
    • Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part VIII (Sagaing to Bagan)
    • Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part IX (The Ship: Avalon Myanmar)

    •  

      Avalon Waterways – Myanmar (Burma) – Reflections: “Isn’t This Amazing!?”

    Azamara Club Cruises

       *Azamara Club Cruises – Azamara Journey – Singapore to Dubai (April 8, 2018)

    • Azamara Club Cruises – Azamara Journey – April 8, 2018 (Singapore to Dubai) – Revisiting the (Upgraded) Experience
    • Azamara Journey Asian Adventure – Part I (Getting There and Getting Set)
    • Azamara Journey Asian Adventure – Part II (Initial Impressions and Myanmar)
    • Azamara Journey Asian Adventure – Part III (“Cruise Global, Go Local” in Sri Lanka)
    • Azamara Journey Asian Adventure – Part IV (The Culinary Experience)
    • Azamara Journey Asian Adventure – Part V (Cochin, Goa & Mumbai, India)
    • Azamara Journey Asian Adventure – Part VI – Reflections (Azamara Journey vs. Regent Seven Seas Voyager)

    * Azamara Quest – Southeast Asia and Japan (February 2015)

    •  Azamara Club Cruises in Asia – Is it Amazing? Part I
    • Azamara Club Cruises in Asia – Is it Amazing? Part II
    • Azamara Club Cruises in Asia – Is it Amazing? Part III (Bali and Komodo Island) 
    • Azamara Club Cruises in Asia – Is it Amazing? Part IV (Upscale Meets ????)
    • Azamara Club Cruises in Asia – Is it Amazing? Part V (Manila, Philippines – By Day and AzAmazing Evening) 
    • Azamara Club Cruises in Asia – Is it Amazing? Part V (Perspectives on Experiencing Developing Ports)
    • Azamara Club Cruises in Asia – Is it Amazing? Part VI (Hualien, Taiwan and Okinawa – The Kindness of Strangers)
    • Azamara Club Cruises in Asia – Is it Amazing? Part VII (Doing It On Your Own – Part A – Dontonbori, Osaka)
    • Azamara Club Cruises in Asia – Is it Amazing? Part VIII (Doing It On Your Own – Part B – Kyoto – Why You Can’t Rely Only On Guidebooks or TripAdvisor!)
     

     

     

     

    Celebrity Cruises
    Celebrity Xperience – Galapagos (2017)
    • Celebrity Xperience – The Galapagos- Part I
    • Celebrity Xperience In The Galapagos- Part II (Getting There, Pre-Cruise, Baltra & Black Turtle Cove, Santa Cruz Island
    • Celebrity Xperience In The Galapagos- Part III (More Than You Expect)
    • Celebrity Xperience In The Galapagos- Part IV (Sea Lions & Boobies & Penguins, Oh My!)
    • Celebrity Xperience In The Galapagos- Part V (The Attack of the Flightless Cormorant…and Other Cool Stuff!)
    • Celebrity Xperience In The Galapagos- Part VI (Incredible Birding, Baby Sea Lions and So Much More)
    • Celebrity Xperience In The Galapagos- Part VII (Reflections & Updates on the Ships – Including the new Celebrity Flora – and What to Consider.)
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
    Celebrity Century (2011)

    – How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity’s Smallest Ship Get? – Part I
    – How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity’s Smallest Ship Get? Part II
    – How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity’s Smallest Ship Get? Part III
    – How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity’s Smallest Ship Get? Part IV
    – How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity’s Smallest Ship Get? – Some Final Observations and Thoughts

    Celebrity Equinox (2009)

    – The Prologue to the Travelogue
    – The Adventure Begins…With a Bump or Two
    – Settling In Made Easy
    – Luxury Touches Here, There and OK, Not, Everywhere…But There Are Lots of Them!
    – Asian Flair Onboard and On Shore
    – Private Tours, Israel and Conflicts in Perceptions and Perspective
    Celebrity Equinox 2009 – Egypt…Impressive and Depressing
    – Dining With the Captain and the Reidel Wine Seminar
    – The Last Dinner (Tuscan Grille) and Disembarkation
    – What Happens When A Class Act Meets Highly Discounted Cruise Fare

    Celebrity Silhouette (2013)

    – How Upscale to Luxury is a Celebrity Cruise Experience? – Part I
    – How Upscale to Luxury is a Celebrity Cruise Experience? – Part II
    – How Upscale to Luxury is a Celebrity Cruise Experience? The Review – Part III

    Celebrity Solstice (2008)

    – Celebrity Solstice 2008 Inaugural Cruise – Part I
    – Celebrity Solstice 2008 Inaugural Cruise – Part II

    Celebrity Summit “Solticized” – A Ship Inspection (2012)

    Celebrity Summit “Solticized” – A Ship Inspection (2012)

    Crystal Cruises
    Crystal Serenity – November 2015

    – Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a “Move Up” & “Move Over” Luxury Option – Part I
    – Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a “Move Up” & “Move Over” Luxury Option – Part II
    – Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a “Move Up” & “Move Over” Luxury Option – Part III
    – Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a “Move Up” & “Move Over” Luxury Option – Part IV (Food & Wine!)

    Crystal Symphony – April 2011

    – Part I
    – Part II
    – Part III
    – Part IV
    – Part V
    – Part VI
    – Part VII
    – Part VIII
    – Part IX
    – Goldring Travel’s Pacific Exploration of Crystal Cruise’s Luxury Experience – “Reflections”

    Cunard

    – Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 – A Winter Transatlantic Crossing on Her 10th Anniversary

    Fathom Impact Travel

    – Immersing In fathom’s Social Impact Programs

    G Adventures - Amazon River Cruise

    – Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures – Part I
    – Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures – Part II
    – Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures – Part III
    – Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures – Part IV (What Group Travel Should Really Be About!)

    Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)

    – Norwegian Gem – Budget Cruises Pitching Luxury: You Don’t Get What You Pay For, You Only Think You Do.

    Paul Gauguin

    – Paul Gauguin (2007)

    Princess

    – Princess Cruises Doesn’t Treat You Like Royalty; Celebrity Cruises Does! Which is a Better Value for the Upscale Cruise Guest? Part I
    – Celebrity Silhouette vs. -Royal Princess – Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part II: The Standard Veranda Staterooms
    – Celebrity Silhouette vs. Royal Princess – Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part III: Treating You Right From The Start
    – Celebrity Silhouette vs. Royal Princess – Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part IV: The Wine Lists Speak Volumes (As Do The Beverage Packages)

    Regent Seven Seas

       Regent Seven Seas Voyager – August 2017

    • Goldring Travel Revisits Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Seven Seas Voyager: Rome to Barcelona – August 1, 2017)
    • Goldring Travel Revisits Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Seven Seas Voyager: Rome to Barcelona – August 1, 2017) – Getting There and First Impressions
    • Goldring Travel Revisits Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Seven Seas Voyager: Rome to Barcelona – August 1, 2017) – Part III (Florence and Ajaccio: Starting to Drill Down on the Regent Experience)
    • Goldring Travel Revisits Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Seven Seas Voyager: Rome to Barcelona – August 1, 2017) – Part IV (La Spezia and Monaco: Consistent Inconsistencies and Misses)
    • Goldring Travel Revisits Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Seven Seas Voyager: Rome to Barcelona – August 1, 2017) – Part V (Antibes and Marseilles: The Ensemble Experience, Cultural Wine “Tasting” and Sette Mari – Luxury Experiences for Sure)
    • Goldring Travel Revisits Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Seven Seas Voyager: Rome to Barcelona – August 1, 2017) – Part VI (Palamos, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca & Valencia: Culinary Bliss..and Consistent Inconsistencies)
    • Goldring Travel Revisits Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Seven Seas Voyager: August 1, 2017) – Caveat Emptor! Consistently Inconsistent: Not a “Six Star Luxury” Cruise Experience
    Royal Caribbean

    – Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Travelogue – Prologue
    – Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas – My First 24 Hours
    – Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas – A Hurricane Runs Through It…Almost
    – Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Travelogue – The Last Days …

    SeaDream Yacht Club

    – Italy and Corisca 2014 – Part I
    – Italy and Corisca 2014 – Part II (Getting There, The Stateroom and First Impressions)
    – Italy and Corisca 2014 – Part III (“You Can’t Teach Five Star Service” and Bonafacio, Corsica)
    – Italy and Corisca 2014 – Part IV (Calvi, Monaco, Portofino, Porto Azzurro…and Stale Bread)
    – Italy and Corisca 2014 – Part V (My Last Day…and How The Chef’s Team Makes It Happen)

    Silversea
    Silversea Expeditions – Silver Discoverer – November 2016 (Indonesia & Myanmar)
    • Silversea Expedition Cruises – Silver Discoverer Indonesia/Myanmar Expedition: Part I
    • Silversea Expedition Cruises –Silver Discoverer Indonesia/Myanmar Expedition: Part II (Singapore & Raffles Hotel)
    • Silversea Expedition Cruises – Silver Discoverer Indonesia/Myanmar Expedition: Part III (Ship Happens: Singapore Day 2)
    • Silversea Expedition Cruises –  Silver Discoverer Indonesia/Myanmar Expedition: Part IV (The Ship Arrives)
    • Silversea Expedition Cruises –  Silver Discoverer Indonesia/Myanmar Expedition: Part V (The Expedition Begins – Orangutans & Jimmy Buffett)
    • Silversea Expedition Cruises – Silver Discoverer Indonesia/Myanmar Expedition: Part VI (What is an Expedition Cruise? Why am I Here?)
    • Silversea Expedition Cruises – Silver Discoverer Indonesia/Myanmar Expedition: Part VII (Myanmar – No Complaints!)
    • Silversea Expedition Cruises – Silver Discoverer Indonesia/Myanmar Expedition: Part VIII (Myanmar – Developing Tourism & Finding Nemo Again)
    • Silversea Expedition Cruises – Silver Discoverer Indonesia/Myanmar Expedition: Part IX (Reflections)

       
       

       

    Silversea Silver Shadow – June 2013 (Alaska)
    • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review – Part I
    • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review – Part II
    • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review – Part III
    • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review – Part IV
    • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review – Part V
    • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review – Part VI
    • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review – Part VII
    Taipei, Taiwan - Independent Travel

    – A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan – Who Knew? – Part I
    – A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan – Who Knew? – Part II
    – A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan – Who Knew? – Part III (Spa, Beauty and Fashion)
    – A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan – Who Knew? – Part IV (Cuisine: Street, Sublime & Surreal)

    Windstar
    Windstar Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise

    – Windstar Cruises’ Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise – Part I
    – Windstar Cruises’ Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise – Part II – The Transformation of A Cruise Line
    – Windstar Cruises’ Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise – Part III – The Windstar Experience 2.0

    Windstar Pride – Black Sea Cruise – September 2014

    – Windstar Cruises – Star Pride Black Sea Cruise – Part I
    – Windstar Cruises – Star Pride Black Sea Cruise – Part II
    – Windstar Cruises – Star Pride Black Sea Cruise – Part III

    Windstar’s Wind Surf – Caribbean – January 2014

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AmaWaterways’ AmaLotus – 2012 Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part III

 

I depart on my Vietnam and Camodia experience on the AMAWaterways AmaLotus in just a few days and the whole family is getting pretty excited.  I was going to write about the specifics of our trip here, but I got side-tracked…in a good way.

I have organized the flights, seats, lounge during the layover at Heathrow, transfers, early check-in and adjoining rooms at the Sofitel Metropole Hanoi.  I have visited www.myvietnam.com to pre-arrange our Vietnam visas on arrival and printed out our approval letter, landing forms and obtained our passport photos.  (See I do the same thing for me that I do for you!)

It is also easy to organize some more appropriate clothing for your 16 year old (read: Go to a discount store and purchase the tennis shirts and shorts he would never be caught dead in at home so that is he presentable on the ship, doesn’t offend any Vietnamese or Cambodians with the messages on his “normal” t-shirts).  This is a regular pre-travel event for us so there is no drama.

Of course as I do this I also re-dye the underside of my daughter’s hair purple…and have to admit it looks pretty darn good; and subtle enough that it may turn heads, but not stomachs.

It was a piece of cake to invest $100 for 30+ teenager-friendly discount DVDs for the 48 hours of travel (there and back) and the evenings in the hotels and on the ship (knowing that the ship’s collection is most certainly more slanted towards an older crowd) and anticipating the ship will not have many (if any) kids.  Chick flicks, really bad horror movies, action movies, comedies, etc.  The bins at Walmart and Costco are great for this.

And, as another little travel tip:  The Therm-a-Rest Travel Cushion is a great investment.  It is a collapsible and adjustable air cushion you can use on your seat or on your lumbar region.  I find that by adjusting the air content and moving it around over long flights my bottom and my back are much happier.

All set?  Not quite.

What is interesting is that me, my wife, my 13 year old daughter and my 16 year old son each have truly different expectations of this trip, Vietnam and Cambodia.  I guess being the “old guy” and very much aware of the protests concerning the Vietnam War and also the Khmer Rouge genocide this trip has multiple levels of interest….beyond the beautiful scenery and different cultures. 

And then my 13 year old honor’s student daughter said to me, “There was a war in Vietnam?” And now you know why I have never taken my children to Disney.  There is an entire world out there and teaching them about $10 Mickey Mouse ice creams, long lines and sanitized mini-replicas of the alleged real world is not what raising my family is about.  (Footnote:  I was also looking at Spring Break possibilities and booked two Concierge Class cabins on the Celebrity Silhouette and then sat with my daughter whose friend will be going to Disney…so she asked about a Disney cruise.  I showed her that the Celebrity cruise was only about 35% of the cost of the Disney cruise with all of us sharing a single cabin.  Her response:  “That’s ridiculous to pay that much to have breakfast with Mickey Mouse!”)

But I digressed:  Now I could have turned to a long lecture with those glassed-over eyes that teenagers get, or I could have plunked her down in front of the television and put on a documentary (or even the movie, Platoon) while playing Crosby, Stills & Nash protest songs in the background concluding, “That’s what the war was about.” But I had a better idea!

I found a tiny, hole-in-the-wall, Vietnamese restaurant in Edison, New Jersey called Pho Anh Dao.  The restaurant is in a tiny strip mall in between a piano store and a Dunkin’ Donuts adorned with florescent lights and about 15 green and black Formica tables.  Our table (the only open one) was next to a soda refrigerator.  Letting my wife see the restaurant, I became fascinated with its content, but also noticed we were the only table that was not of Vietnamese descent; a good thing!

Our waitress was Vietnamese, but came to the U.S. from an area just south of Saigon proper when she was a child, having returned only once.  She was very friendly, patient and frenetic at the same time.  Besides explaining the condiments and how to use them, she explained that we are to eat everything.  The lettuce is not a garnish, but part of the meal. She strongly noted, “Nothing is wasted!”. 

I found it interesting that this was such an important point for her.  And, thus, the conversation with my daughter about why she thought that to be the case.  (See the riches of travel without even having left New Jersey…and the reason I so integrate food with travel!)

My wife orders Deep Fried Vietnamese Egg Rolls.  Our waitress points out that is not Vietnamese, but is on the menu for Americans!  She said they still are very good, especially when wrapped in the lettuce leaves and dipped in Fish Sauce.  She was right.  But from then on it was authentic Vietnamese all the way. 

Spring Roll with Shrimp Wrapped in Rice Paper.  The beauty of this dish is that it opened up a discovery for me:  Vietnamese cooking uses a good bit of mint and it really freshens and lightens the dish.  The dish usually has pork in it, but my daughter now is a pesco-vegetarian.  It was served with delicious Peanut Sauce

Vietnamese Pancake w. Shrimp.  This was attacked so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to photograph it!  It is a golden brown crepe of sorts (French colonial influence! More cultural lessons.) filled with bean sprouts and . To that you open the crepe and add lettuce and mint.  It had its own sort of Hoisin sauce, but my daughter was loving that Peanut Sauce so she added some.

And then what I had come for.  Something I never had, but had heard it was what Vietnamese cooking is know for. Pho (pronounced “Faa”).  It is a rice noodle soup fill with other things.  So I ask our waitress what is the most traditional Pho.  She says it is not explained on the menu, but is simply called Pho Combination.  Now I am getting very happy.  She says it contains lots of things most Americans won’t eat:  tripe (stomach lining), tendon, and other things.  You know I ordered that. 

This huge bowl arrives with all sorts of goodies, including very rare beef (still cooking in the hot soup), meat balls of some sort, noodles, and more. 

With this comes a plate containing bean sprouts, fresh basil and jalapeno chilies.  I am told to put the dish’s contents in the bowl along with, if I like, Sriracha Sauce (Vietnamese hot sauce).  One word:  Awesome!

 Now, what to drink with your Pho?  I knew what I wanted:  There is a Washington State Riesling called Kung Fu Girl that is a great paring, so I brought some with us. 

But for my daughter?  Well, remember that soda refrigerator I was talking about?  It was like being a kid looking through the glass at the candy counter wondering how I was going to spend my five cents.  You check out this one and that one and then you weigh your options.  We decided to go with the most unusual one to us, but which our now beloved waitress says taste a bit like strong tea with lots of honey:  Grass Jelly Drink. 

It tasted great, but the texture…chunks of a jelly like substance that tasted very good…was weirding my daughter out.  Another lesson:  Don’t let the texture get to you.  Five bucks says you can eat all the jelly!  She did it.

An interesting thing to consider:  The can, if you look at it, is an “old fashioned” steel can with seams on the top, bottom and side of the can.  It also weighs about three times that of the more modern aluminium cans we are used to.  I have discovered it is part of the Vietnamese culture of recycling everything…and one thing that was plentiful post-war was metal.  So if you keep recycling it, the equipment remains usable and the cycle continues.

And then when dessert came, a strange looking glass filled with all sorts of different colored jelly and soft sweet stuff called Seven Color Rainbow Ice with Coconut Milk, she was “all in”…and extremely happy.  (Can you imagine the face if that arrived before the Grass Jelly Drink experience?)

The photo is not the one my daughter had, which was actually far more attractive, but I figure you probably wouldn’t have thought it came in a glass sort of like a milkshake!

So now, having had a bit of a culture lesson, through food, about what the cuisine is like, not to be put off by texture, how nothing is wasted and the influence of French colonialism…all in a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Edison, New Jersey with a really friendly waitress and a soda refrigerator staring at you, we will do a just little bit more homework on the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge and we will be on our way.

I promise the next article will be on the specifics of our trip!

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