– Avalon Myanmar – Myanmar River Cruise – April 2017
Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part VI (Kya Hnyat to Kyauk Myaung)
Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part IX (The Ship: Avalon Myanmar)
Avalon Waterways – Myanmar (Burma) – Reflections: “Isn’t This Amazing!?”
*Azamara Club Cruises – Azamara Journey – Singapore to Dubai (April 8, 2018)
* Azamara Quest – Southeast Asia and Japan (February 2015)
– 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
– 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
– 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!)
– 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 Voyager – August 2017
– 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)
Over the holidays I had some time (actually very little time as many people were booking cruises while snowed in and before Seabourn’s fare increases) to look forward into 2011. And what I saw was somewhat surprising. I am visiting and cruising a lot of North America…and I am excited about it.
On January 22, 2011 I am hosting a small group (do I host any other size group?) on the Celebrity Century for a friend’s 60th birthday. It is a short five day cruise out of Miami visiting Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Grand Cayman. Everyone has booked either a Sky Suite or a Royal Suite and we have reserved Murano, the specialty restaurant, for our exclusive use one evening. I didn’t pick the itinerary, but keeping in mind that most of the guests haven’t been on many cruises it probably will be interesting for them. As I do not plan on getting of the ship for long it will be a great experience to revisit the concept of “luxing up” a Celebrity cruise and comparing it to what is received from the luxury-designated cruise lines.
In March I will again be making my way to the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Conference in Miami, Florida to hear all of the cruise lines big announcements and learn more of the subtle changes and focuses coming in the industry. It is a great conference focused on the industry…not on travel agents or the public.
After that, on April 17, 2011 I will be boarding the Crystal Symphony with my family for a seven day cruise of the West Coast in Veranda Cabins. We are departing out of Vancouver and then visiting Victoria, BC; Seattle; Astoria, Oregon; San Francisco; Santa Barbara, California; and, Los Angeles. I think it is a great West Coast itinerary with a little bit of a taste of everything…and with some snow still on the ground up north. I am not sure how Crystal came up with this itinerary or why it is available in mid April, but for me and my family it allows us to revisit some places we love and to experience some others that we really should be more familiar with.
Of course, the comparison between our Celebrity Sky Suite and Crystal Veranda Cabin experiences will be very interesting. The one thing that strikes me immediately is that the Crystal itinerary is so far superior in diversity and interest that I “fear” the experience will be skewed. I am also certain that there will be a bit more enrichment on the Crystal cruise and a bit more football playoffs for my New York Jets (hopefully) on the Celebrity cruise.
Then, after quickly unpacking in May it is off to the American Superyacht Forum which this year is being held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This three day event is one of my favorites of the year.
Taking a break from the Western Hemisphere the plan is to revisit the little mountain village of Islamlar, Turkey in July.
In September it will be the nine day 2011 Goldring Travel Food & Foliage Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn departing out of Quebec City, Quebec and then sailing to Port Sanguenay, Quebec; Sydney, Nova Scotia; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Bar Harbor, Maine; Boston; and, New York City. I will be writing more extensively about this great cruise which will be (hopefully) at the peak of leaf season and with the cold waters providing some great fresh seafood. And, of course, the Ensemble Experience in Halifax, a Goldring Travel Exclusive Experience and a private Food & Wine Tasting are all included at no additional cost.
So with travels in 2011 starting in Lake Tahoe, California and then from Miami, Florida into the Caribbean…and then back to Miami…and then Victoria, British Columbia to Los Angeles, California…then to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida…and then Quebec City, Quebec to New York City it looks like this world traveler is going to be enjoying his own backyard.
How many of you have been to the Western Hemisphere cities I will be visiting? I bet there are a few that peak your interest. You may not want to wait to read what I have to say about them!
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