I really wanted my Oceania Riviera cruise experience to be exceptional, albeit I did take its “Finest Cuisine at Sea” with a bit of a marketing over substance approach. Unfortunately, things fell short; and not just a little short.  At the outset, I need to mention that my Reflections articles normally reflect back on the

My journey on Oceania Riviera continues, as we are approaching our final ports, some of the ones I have most been looking forward to are coming up. Hiroshima has been high on my list of places I have wanted to visit. Having grown up at a time when World War II was still fresh in

It was time to experience two days of learning and understanding of the history of Tokyo, formerly known as Edo.   Between Instagram,  TikTok, and YouTube, you can be lulled into the belief that you can easily visit Tokyo on your own. The reality is that you can “visit” Tokyo, but you really can’t “see” it

As I prepared to board the Oceania Riviera for a cruise circumnavigating southern Japan, what I have long said has come into play: Taking a cruise is really like a sandwich, the bread (cities that you embark and disembark in) matter as much as the meat (the cruise) itself.  And with Tokyo, Japan being the

There was a lot of excitement when the Four Seasons announced it was building a luxury boutique yacht/cruise ship. However, at the time I expressed both my skepticism and belief that it really would have no effect on the luxury cruise market. Today it was announced that two of its most integral people have left

The plan was to fly to Quito, Ecuador on January 9, 2024, arriving late at night, fly to Manta, Ecuador in the morning, and then explore Manta for about two days before boarding Silversea’s Silver Nova; its newest ship. Let’s just say things didn’t go according to plan. Wait! What?  Did you really think I

I am thrilled to announce that Goldring Travel is now a member of The Affluent Traveler Collection travel consortium! Before I get into the details of what you can expect moving forward, a very quick explanation of, “Why and Why Now?“.  As you may know, Goldring Travel was a member of Ensemble Travel for over twenty

I am frequently asked by both media outlets and potential expedition travelers, “What is an expedition cruise really like?” and “Who should ‘consider’ an expedition cruise?” Alas, the answer to both of these questions is not straightforward…And that is where Goldring Travel comes in! Why should you consider my opinions? I have more hands-on experience than