Perceptions of Who You Will Cruise With – You Usually Will Be Surprised. (The Slipknot Experience)

Goldring Travel February 8, 2009

Last year was a bit of disappointment for me. I went to a Jimmy Buffett concert expecting a great crowd of laid back partiers. Instead I saw a bunch of overweight and over-the-hill people that I could not conceive of ever having been “wasted away in Margaritaville”. Then I went to a Bruce Springsteen concert

Silversea – A Call from the Captain!

Goldring Travel December 1, 2008

Late today I received a call from Marilyn Conroy, Silversea’s senior vice president of sales and marketing concerning my most recent post. We had a wonderful chat about Silversea, her perspective on a number of my comments, concerns and theories. And, of course, I listened carefully to both the information she had to share as

Regent’s New Prime 7 – A New Luxury Restaurant or Just an Extra Ordinary Eatery?

Goldring Travel November 25, 2008

So the news announced today by Regent Seven Seas is that it is about to install its new Prime 7 Steakhouse on its Voyager and Mariner ships. My question, to be honest, is “What, in real terms,is new and luxury?” This replacement for the lackluster and curious Asian-esque Lattitudes sounds physically appealing: a “rich pallete

Celebrity Solstice – An Absolutely Amazing and Impressive Ship – Part I

Goldring Travel November 22, 2008

Being as skeptical and critical as I am, I did not board the brand new Celebrity Solstice for my Pre-Inaugural Cruise with any expectation other than it would be a solid, but similar, Celebrity product but in a megasize. I was very wrong! The Solstice impresses from the moment you board and Wow’s you at

Troubled Waters on the Luxury Cruise Front…And A Safe Harbor: Seabourn

Goldring Travel October 29, 2008

Over the past days I have seen a number of troubling things happening in the luxury cruise market. I preface my comments below by stating just because it is “troubling” it doesn’t mean it is a disaster. So please take a breath and then read on…. One of my Seabourn client’s wrote two weeks ago,

An Interesting Trend – More Last Minute and Higher Quality Cruises. Why?

Goldring Travel August 15, 2008

I have seen over the past couple of weeks – the usual time for the summer doldrums – a very interesting trend: People are tending to book cruises for the latter part of this year and on longer itineraries and in higher categories. While the trend of cruise lines offering lower fares closer in seems

It’s The Annual Awards Season – Yuk!

Goldring Travel July 10, 2008

Last night I received an email from Crystal trumpeting that it was named the best large ship cruise line for the 13th year by Travel and Leisure Magazine. While I believe Crystal is, in fact, the best large ship cruise line, I take exception to the poll of some “readers” of that publication as being

Cruising French Polynesia

Goldring Travel July 8, 2008

A reader of this blog wants to know what is happening with luxury cruising in French Polynesia in the next few years. The answer is: Something…and it probably will be very good. Regent Seven Seas has announced, after rumors that 2009 would be its last year chartering the Paul Gauguin, that it is again negotiating

Travel Agents and Yacht Brokers

Goldring Travel June 30, 2008

During the American Superyacht Forum I spoke on a panel addressing the issue of yacht brokers/agents who are so focused on booking a charter or making a sale that they actually undercut and weaken the very market they are serving. The parallels to travel agents is undeniable. Two concepts quickly took center stage: 1. If

An International Experience – Travel Agents That Is!

Goldring Travel June 18, 2008

One of the most curious, and antiquated, aspects of the travel business is the protectionist approaches of various cruise lines. In this world of international travel and essentially boundary-free internet access, many cruise lines slice up the market so that American travel agents are prohibited from selling cruises to residents of the United Kingdom, Australia,

Windstar’s Wind Surf – Caribbean – January 2014

Goldring Travel Blog – Making Waves

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