So far I have been discussing the expedition aspects of Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot, but how does it measure up as a luxury travel experience?  An International Experience While Ponant is focused on making its brand more international and with significant increases in North American guests, the product is unequivocally

My expedition on Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot continued after we ended our icebreaking journey (which is still fresh in my mind and still thrilling me) to Andreenset – the very northern island of Kvitaya; known as the White Island.  NOTE: In case you missed my last article – there was

Le Commandant Charcot awaits!  Our charter flight was from Paris to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway.  To clear up where I am going up, Longyearbyen is a town on the island of Spitsbergen, which is part of the archipelago known as Svalbard which, in turn, is part and off the coast

Disaster-proofing Travel with Patience is Required Getting there used to be, at least for me, amusing for others as my various travel ordeals seem to entertain.  For many it was an exciting time to enjoy sipping champagne and lie-flat business class seats. But times are different and there is just

I don’t have a lot to add to my reflections after my last article. But I do have to add this: I am truly impressed that Windstar – the (now not so) little cruise line that could – is succeeding and doing so in a big way.   With all of

Some people are excited about A&K Travel purchasing the old Crystal Cruise ships Some people are skeptical about it Some people are taking a Wait-and-See approach. I am more of the latter two. Let me explain why. (You knew that would be coming.) First, as I have so often repeated,

I depart on Sunday, June 26, 2022, to join Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot – which is a very cool, very high tech, very environmentally responsible, very much luxury, true icebreaker expedition ship for my 14-day Svalbard and High Arctic expedition.  To say that I am excited about this expedition would

First impressions matter and both my first…and sustained…impressions of the Windstar Star Pride are excellent.  The thing that has struck me the most is something I was told even before I was ever on the older version of this ship: “It isn’t about the hardware, but the software!”.  The staff and

My first night on Windstar’s Star Pride I dined al fresco at Candles (Windstar’s steakhouse) with some old Windstar/Seabourn friends.  The night started with an amazing sunset, then a perfect veal chop, and then three friends reminiscing  in a restaurant that we hadn’t noticed was now empty of all other