Why Do Changes Always Bring Out Those People That Complain? (The Seabourn Experience)

Goldring Travel September 6, 2008

It always fascinates me how anytime a cruise line makes a change it is perceived as an attack on the value of their cruise(s) to be. Whether it is an improvement, the elimination of an underutilized item or an actual cost-cutting measure (as if finding ways to keep prices down is a bad thing!), there

Iamboatman Book Review: “Cruise Confidential: A Hit Below the Waterline”

Goldring Travel September 3, 2008

UPDATE: I guess the author liked my review (below). You can also read it on his website: http://lovebruns.com/Templates/Review_GoldringTravel.html. I just finished reading a very light, but interesting, book entitled: Cruise Confidential: A Hit Below The Waterline. One Crazy Year Working on Cruise Ships. It is probably worth a few hours to read it as it

Park West Art “Auctions” New Guarantee? Regent Come On Now!

Goldring Travel September 2, 2008

The Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch reported today that Park West Art Galleries announced it is markedly changing the way it does business…sort of. It has put in place its “40-40-40 Guarantee”. Supposedly purchasers can obtain a refund within 40 days after receipt of the art work. The refund will cover the full purchase price,

Mariner of the Seas Travelogue – The Last Days and A Conclusion: An Interesting Experience

Goldring Travel September 1, 2008

I am now back from my cruise. I am well rested and, while the product really is not for me, fairly impressed with most aspects of my cruise. I left off with St. Maarten. It was, well and truly, overwhelming to see the Freedom of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas and Carnival Valor on

Mariner of the Seas – A Hurricane Runs Through It…Almost

Goldring Travel August 28, 2008

We were greeted with the news of Gustav, which is projected to take the same cruise we had scheduled: Haiti, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, we made a hard left (East) and are visiting St. Thomas and St. Maarten. This gives us 2 extra sea days and 2 ports I really have no great desire

Mariner of the Seas – My First 24 Hours

Goldring Travel August 25, 2008

It has been a very interesting 24 hours aboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas. With approximately 3,735 passengers onboard, with quite a mix of ages, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, there is much that I have observed and some that just disappoints. Overall though, it has been more tolerable than I expected, though not

Sommelier and Masseuse – Specialists for Some

Goldring Travel August 18, 2008

There is a very interesting article in the August 31, 2008 edition of Wine Spectator concerning people’s expectations and use of sommeliers, wine service and wine with food generally. I think there is a lot to be learned by the luxury cruise lines not only as to what is expected, but what is perceived as

Regent Seven Seas, Please Listen: Luxury Is Really About Service

Goldring Travel August 12, 2008

I guess with a bit of irony I commented in my post this morning that Regent’s trumpeting $40,000,000 of hardware upgrades on the Voyager and Mariner was good news, but there needs to be a significant improvement in the service department. I was just taking a look over at the Cruise Critic boards and saw

Upgrades to Regent Seven Seas Voyager and Mariner

Goldring Travel August 12, 2008

There was a very brief article of a mere seven (7) lines yesterday in Travel Weekly about upgrades to the Regent Seven Seas Voyager and Mariner, but interesting silence as to the Navigator. Also, while the $40,000,000 figure was used, it is hard to tell where the money will really be spent since Mariner is

Seabourn Staff Receive Unique Training and Compensation

Goldring Travel August 11, 2008

Last week I discussed a bit about Seabourn taking back control of its officers and ship’s management by abandoning a short-lived V.Ships relationship. Today I thought I would mention a unique aspect of Seabourn as it relates to its hotel staff; that is stewardesses, waiters, etc. One thing that is unique about Seabourn is that

Windstar’s Wind Surf – Caribbean – January 2014

Goldring Travel Blog – Making Waves

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