I recently spent eight days in and around Bogota, Colombia, and found the people, culture, and cuisine to be fascinating.  In fact, I am looking forward to returning to Colombia to explore more of its six distinct regions. The one issue I discovered it that as an emerging destination, the logistics and standards are not always

On one of my first Seabourn cruises, I bought my daughter, Devin, a Seabourn teddy bear, which for more than two decades she has called Seabourn Bear.  Seabourn Bear has seen Devin through a lot, from the normal trials and tribulations of youth, her parents’ messy divorce, getting through college and graduate school at a

Seabourn Cruise Lines announced it has sold the Seabourn Odyssey to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.  The Seabourn Odyssey will continue, under a charter agreement, to operate as a Seabourn vessel until August 22, 2024.  With the loss of 450 passenger berths from this sale, but the recent addition of the Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit (each

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) is the parent company of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line; a combination that has combined three independent cruise lines essentially through the tenacity (some – many? – would say I am being kind) of Frank Del Rio.   It has been a tumultuous history to date

Last week I wrote a brief article about the pretty rapid demise of Josh Leibowitz as president of Seabourn Cruise Line. Leibowitz is Out as President of Seabourn – What the Heck is Going On? What I honestly didn’t expect were the communications – direct and indirect – from Seabourn folks: current and former, employees and

It was announced today that Josh Leibowitz – who, admittedly, was truly my nemesis – is out as Seabourn’s president; a notably brief tenure of less than three years.  The announcement states that “he is leaving the brand to pursue new opportunities”, which usually means he was involuntarily terminated. This is of note, since previously

“Tolerance versus Trust” is the best way to describe my brief journey to Bogota, Colombia. As a human being and as a traveler (they usually are interconnected) it wound up being one of those journeys that truly touched me…and made me a better person.  My journey was eye-opening, educational, thought-provoking, frustrating, and truly enjoyable. But

One thing I wasn’t really expecting when I decided to travel to Colombia was a Michelin Star level of cuisine or, to be honest, such a cacophony of flavors that are unique and subtle at the same time.   As you know from my first day’s local culinary and cultural experience: Goldring Travel Heads to Colombia –

Colombia is, without question, an emerging destination. The question was, at least for me, “Is Colombia an emerging “tourist” destination or a “traveler’s” destination?”  Currently, I think after spending a few days here, with the assistance of three excellent guides – one independent, one from Impulse Travel (Raul), and one from Pro Colombia (Stephany) –

So what made me want to travel to Colombia?  It was a combination of things; one was planned, one was fortuitous, and with a bit of personal shame, a desire to see if it was time to rid myself of a prejudice. The “plan” was an invitation from the Colombian government’s tourism authority to participate