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  • Making Waves Blog
  • Cruise/Travel Reviews
    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
    Aurora Expeditions
    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

    Explora Journeys
    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.

    Oceania Cruises
    Paul Gauguin
    • HERE IS THE ARTICLE LINK
    • HERE IS THE ARTICLE LINK
    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 …

    Sea Cloud
    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
    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
    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 Symphony – Part IX

 

 

Crystal Symphony – Goldring Travel’s Pacific Exploration of Crystal Cruise’s  Luxury Experience – Part IX

Our final day was our only tender port. With an arrival of about 10:00 a.m. and a shortened time in port (it was supposed to be 10:00 p.m., but was shortened to 6:00 p.m. so the casino and shops could open for a few hours) I thought there would be a line for the tenders. Nope. We were on the first tender with room to spare. Crystal Cruises’ guests tend to take their time. I never saw anyone rushing.

Today was our Cupcakes and Wine Tasting Tour through Santa Barbara Adventure Company. As I am not one who finds the wines of the Santa Ynez Valley too compelling, I thought combining an adult wine tasting tour with a children’s cupcake tasting tour would be a good idea. It was…other than the eight, rather cognitively challenged, girls having a bachelorette party sharing the van with us. They were nice enough, but the constant inane drivel in high squeaky voices could lead you to drink. Fortunately, I was in the right place!

The drive from Santa Barbara to the Santa Ynez Valley was 45 minutes of nice views. Upon arrival we visited Kalyra Winery, which is owned by an American surfer-dude type and an Australian. The result was a nine wine tasting that ran from awful to “I could drink that with a burger”. It is not a place I would recommend for a serious tasting, but the people were friendly, my daughter loved the dogs lying about the place (and noted the sign that said “No dogs allowed in the Tasting Room”…how Australian!) and the views were nice.

Next stop was Lincourt Winery…a big improvement. Here we had more of an actual wine tasting of eight wines including comparing its unoaked and oaked chardonnays as well as pretty decent pinot noir and merlot. The setting, in this old farm, was upscale and beautiful with the tasting, and our included deli lunch, in a large gazebo with wonderful views of the valley with the mountains in the distance. Ironically, after I mentioned we were on a cruise, the person holding the tasting started talking to me about cruises and how much he enjoys them; sort of getting himself off track about the wines…but I was, obviously, happy.

So as we ate our lunch the bachelorette party began to mellow a bit and there was enough outdoors for the sounds to dissipate and we could have a nice chat among ourselves and with the guides (there were two similar tours being run by Santa Barbara Adventure Company that day). The second guide was a young, good-looking, fellow who was recently graduated University of California, Santa Barbara and was guiding wine tours as he was finding himself (presumably on dad’s nickel) while his father was urging him to go to law school. I gave him some fatherly advice: “If you are going to be spending your father’s money either way, why not go to law school and learn something. It doesn’t mean you have to be a lawyer. Heck, look at me (sort of)!” His buddy started laughing and said, “You have got him pegged!”

After a leisurely walk around it was time for the third winery, err ‘um, cupcake bakery, at Saarloos and Sons tasting room in “downtown” Los Olivos, California really is not about the wines. It is about the family’s other business: Enjoy Cupcakes. When you walk in you are directed to a small glass bakery counter and are presented with six different cupcakes in a paper tray (like you would get a burger and fries in). The cupcakes change each week and, as of last week, they had come up with over 290 different cupcakes.

Each person, with six decadent – I mean seriously decadent – cupcakes in hand, was directed to a tasting bar where we were given a brief description of each wine that supposedly paired well with each cupcake. Folks, let’s be clear: Other than a sauterne, Muscat, Riesling or other high sugar-content wine there is no such thing as a legitimate pairing such as what was offered. But, at this point it didn’t matter. My kids consumed each delicious cupcake quickly as this is what they had been waiting for (with attendant stomach aches following shortly thereafter) and I feigned that I was engaged in some sort of authentic experience. The wines (each with photographs of family members aligned with a story about the wine) were drinkable…but then again after eating such wonderful cupcakes, unless the wine was terrible it would taste OK.

But, alas, the purpose was not to be serious. It was to have fun! How serious could a “Wine and Cupcake Tasting” tour be? And fun we did have. So if you are in Santa Barbara and are looking for a low-key, somewhat different, experience just for fun, you might well consider this.

Dropped back at the ship (after a quiet ride…since the bachlorette party was on a wine and sugar high/crash)it was time to pack. OK, first a soak in the hot tub, then pack. OK, maybe a bit of a rest and then pack. OK, how about sitting out on the balcony and enjoying the view of the Santa Barbara beaches, sailboats, kayaks and a few sea lions? OK, now we packed.

But our time on the Crystal Symphony was not over.  We had to dine at Silk Road one more time. Kathleen took wonderful care of us, including our children – who were fully prepared as they had previously dined by themselves at the Sushi Bar. After another round of Nobu’s special sashimis I had a wonderfully prepared Black Cod (a larger version of what I had the prior time). Beyond full, I was graciously asked twice if I would like more, but still full of cupcakes, I had to begrudgingly decline.

It was then time for one after dinner drink and a quick visit to the casino. (I mean we did leave Santa Barbara a bit early so the casino could be open, so I was sort of obligated.) I quickly hit for $360 and headed straight back to my cabin to show my wife the three crisp $100 bills so I could disprove her belief that I always lose money in the casino.

As Crystal Cruises has a policy of requesting no bags be put out before 8:00 p.m. (so the corridors are not filled while people are going to dinner – a nice touch), it was time to pack the final bits and put our luggage outside of our door. We had noticed that there were very few bags in the corridor when we walked back and now I know why. The crew must have radar (or watch security cameras) because as soon as I put the first bag in the hallway someone appeared to assist me with the rest of the bags…and they were gone.

After I finished my Glenfiddich while sitting on the balcony as we sailed to Los Angeles, it was time for bed…and then a very civilized disembarkation. Our disembarkation was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. without any rush to leave our cabins. So it was up to the Lido for a leisurely breakfast where we were greeted by many of the staff wishing us, by name, a safe journey home and a friendly “Hope to see you back onboard soon”.

Next up my final thoughts.

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