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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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Crystal Serenity – Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a “Move Up” & “Move Over” Luxury Option – Part II

 

When considering any cruise line, here Crystal Cruises, as an alternative to your present favorite…or simply the one(s) you have tried, there is much to consider.  What is the ship like?  What are the qualities of the amenities, venues and tours?  How is the cuisine?  What about service?  And, of course, does the style of the cruise work with yours…or what you think yours is.

 
In search of answers to those questions, our second day on the Crystal Serenity was a great opportunity as it was a sea
day spent sailing from Lisbon, Portugal to the island of Madeira.  This gave me an opportunity to begin my
careful look at the Crystal Serenity, how Crystal delivers its product and to
observe who it is exactly that sails on Crystal.
 
 
After a very unusual for me sleep in (the bed is quite
comfortable) with our suite balcony door open just enough to allow the sea air
and sounds to compliment the very gentle rocking of the ship, it was time to
check out the service and the ship.
 
 
Our butler brought us a lovely breakfast, cooked to order,
served on our balcony – which has very comfortable all-weather wicker furniture
with thick cushions – with actually very good coffee (as opposed to the
disappointing coffee elsewhere on the ship) and excellent freshly squeezed
orange juice.  The pastries were not
memorable…not that I needed to eat them!
On subsequent breakfasts the poached and fried eggs were excellent and
the granola and oatmeal top notch.  The
buckwheat blueberry pancakes were quite good as was the smoked salmon (though
curiously served with onion and capers, but without tomato.)
 
Crystal Serenity has beautiful and comfortable veranda furnishings
making your in-suite breakfast even more enjoyable

My first truly critical impression:  You would never know the actual age of the
Crystal Serenity, as the ship is immaculately maintained, though its interior
style is more akin to the finer old school New York hotels and its exterior
that of the grand Palm Beach hotel al fresco areas.  What made this more remarkable to me was the
fact that I rarely saw staff cleaning, polishing or vacuuming in public areas
during the day or evenings.  Crystal must
make a serious effort to perform these tasks when guests are asleep.

 
Actually there is one area where the ship does show its age:  The in-suite entertainment system. While Crystal has fantastic news programming (CNN, Fox News, BBC, SkyNews) its movie offerings are frustratingly vintage 2000 with a different movie on a couple of movie channels supplemented by DVDs you must retrieve from the Library…when its open.  Crystal does offer some better entertainment on your iPad, but when lying in bed or sitting in your suite that doesn’t really cut it.  (Another niggle:  In the Penthouse you really can’t sit on the sofa and watch television as the screen is partially blocked by its cabinet.)
 
Crystal really shines with its enrichment programs.  On each of the three sea days there was a
full schedule ranging from lectures by Richard Roth, a long time CNN reporter,
and a former US brigadier general.  They
were especially interesting in light of the Paris attacks that took place just
as this cruise started.  Other enrichment
options range from how to make movies with your iPad to bridge instruction,
dance lessons, knitting classes and more. 
 
It would be great if this pool on the bow of the Crystal Serenity
was available to guests.
Crystal Cruises reserves this for its crew, but they say the almost never use it.
(Maybe I’m being a bit selfish!)
For the more active, Crystal Cruises offers paddle tennis,
two golf driving nets and a putting green (with lessons if you would like
them), ping pong tables as well as a nice size pool and a true promenade to run
or walk around the entirety of the ship.  And that is just on the ship!

 

 

 
Crystal Serenity’s Deck 6 Aft has a putting green,
two golf driving cages and two ping pong tables.
Before talking more about the ship, this Crystal cruise also
included some ports worth talking about.
And while these were not the most exciting ports, if you looked there
were some interesting and fun things to do…and Crystal had a number of
excursions in each that catered to a range from extremely active (scuba diving,
serious bike riding and long runs) to those most sedentary could enjoy.  Crystal again excels in making sure guests
know what they are signing up for two ways:
The descriptions (written and on the television) are very clear about
activity levels and why (number of steps, length of walks, limited sitting
areas, etc.) and with an excellent lecturer on the upcoming ports.
 
 
But you know me and ship’s tours are a rarity.  Our independent ventures brought out one
weakness:  Crystal’s shuttles into and
from town.  They are spread out over 30
minute periods, regardless of demand, so if you don’t time yourself well, you
will be sitting on a bus for a long time (or, alternatively, frustratingly
wasting time doing something else as you wait.)
Fifteen to 20 minute shuttles would be far more appropriate.  (In Monaco there was no shuttle so if you had
any mobility issues you were relegated to a tour or ordering a taxi as the ship
may dock at the harbor, but it is a good distance and steeply uphill to the
areas you want to visit.)
 
Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
In Madeira there was only one thing I wanted to do:  A Madeira wine tasting.  But it was Sunday morning and the only place
that would be open was still closed.  So
we took a stroll after finding out the local market was also closed, and took a
gondola ride to the top of one of the hills surrounding the city of
Funchal. 
 
 
A Hazy View of the harbor in Funchal, Maderia, Portugal
But that wasn’t the reason for taking the gondola; it was
for the ride down…by toboggan!  Is
sliding down the steep road in a wicker basket with rails with only two guys
guiding it with ropes…and their feet…touristic.
Yes, but ya gotta do it!
 
Ancient wicker toboggans waiting to slide you down
the steep roads of Funchal! 
 
 
One of the benefits of cruising in November is that there
were almost no lines, so the toboggoneers were waiting for us
rather than us waiting for them.
Note: It will cost you only 15 Euros for two to get up the hill, but 50 Euros to get down (30 Euros for the toboggan that stops about half way down and 20 Euros for the taxi to go the rest of the way down and into town).
 
It was then on to Blandy’s which, fortunately was open
because there was a tour…and we made in just in time.  Crystal did offer a few wine tours (this is a Food & Wine Cruise), but they were more of a hint of what I wanted.  As I will discuss in another article, onboard the Crystal Serenity Food & Wine events were truly WOW experiences.
 
Once the staff at Blandy’s understood I wanted a true Madeira
wine tasting and not the one euro stuff offered to the tours, the fun began.  Trust me on this:  Most Madeira wine is good for little more than
cooking (if that), but the good stuff is really good stuff!
 
Not all Madeira wine is heated and shaken; a process that assists
in preserving this usually not so delicious fortified wine
 
This is the Good Stuff
And this is the Really Good Stuff!
Then it was time for lunch at a little spot in the marina
with a view of the ship.  It was, of
course, local fare with limpets (similar to clams with only one shell), 
 

 


 
grilled
sardines 
 
 
 
and a local vicious looking fish, scabbard (it is long and thin…like a sword’s scabbard), which is actually a very light fish with banana (strange, but it works).
 
 
Back on board the Crystal Serenity, it was time to relax
before enjoying what I believe is the best alternative restaurant at sea:  Nobu’s Silk Road.  
 
It was outstanding; both beautiful in presentation and in taste.
Trust me:  Order the Black Cod with Miso!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crystal allows you to dine in each of its two alternative restaurants once for no charge and then at an additional charge of $30 per person for each night thereafter. If you are in a Penthouse or higher you can order from
either to be served in your suite at no additional charge.  
 
Crystal Serenity’s Penthouse affords you the ability to
dine on Nobu in your suite!
Not bad, huh?
 
My impression so far is that Crystal Cruises has lots of strengths and options that other luxury and premium lines do not offer.  Yes, there are a few things I, so far, see as worthy of improvement, but as you will read in my following articles, Crystal Cruises is measuring up well as a “move over” and a “move up” alternative.
 
Our Crystal Cruises’ experience continues…
 
Interested in booking a Crystal Cruise? Please give me a call:

United States:       (877) 2GO-LUXURY
United Kingdom: 020 8133 3450
Australia:              (07) 3102 4685
Everywhere Else: +1 732 578 8585

Or email me at eric@goldringtravel.com.

 
 

Goldring Travel LLC
12177 Business Park Drive, Suite 6
Truckee, California 96161

US:   (877) 2GO-LUXURY (877-246-5898)
UK:   020 8133 3450
AUS: (07) 3102 4685
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Email: info@goldringtravel.com

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  • 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit
  • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey – A Sea Day and Some Thoughts About The Dining Experiences
  • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey – Doing So Much and Doing Nothing
  • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey – Finding Pizza and What It Means to “Travel”
  • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey – Malta and Food for Thought