Life is a patchwork of experiences
This comprehensive guide describes all the Sky Princess dining options that I discovered while on a recent cruise. And if you’ve ever wondered what a Chef’s Table experience is like, I describe that as well.
There are many reasons to take a cruise, and a never ending supply of good food is certainly one of them. On a recent cruise to Norway, I tried many of the Sky Princess specialty restaurants, along with the included Sky Princess dining options. I also had a chance to try the much sought after Chef’s Table dinner experience.
Continue reading “Discoverimg the Sky Princess Dining Options and the Chef’s Table Experience”
In this sky Princess review I am sharing my personal cruise experience with lots of information about the ship, the itinerary and the excursions I did, including many photos for inspiration.
As I sit on my balcony, drink in hand, I am mesmerized by the scenery that slips by. On this day it’s not the typical frothy ocean blue. Today, the water is a calm, deep, sapphire shade, reflecting the surrounding emerald green slopes where waterfalls slip and slide for hundreds of feet and little, red roofed cottages look like something out of a fairy tale.
I am cruising through Norway’s longest fjord and I am wishing that this day will never end!
Continue reading “Cruising Sky High With Princess – A Complete Sky Princess Review With Photos”
A week long Loire Valley barge cruise with European Waterways was a truly relaxing and slow paced journey with intimate service, gourmet food and wine, and visits to out of the ordinary sights in the French countryside.
Before there were planes, trains and automobiles, France developed a vast network of canals that were used to transport goods from one part of the country to another. These canals connected to the major rivers and also to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The canal network made it easy to move all manner of goods from one part of the country to the other, and in particular, allowed Parisians to easily taste the delicacies from all corners of their realm.
Today, the canals and their many locks are used primarily for recreation. European Waterways expertly manages a fleet of 12 luxury barges that ply the many canals of France on a variety of itineraries. I had already experienced a wonderful cruise along the Burgundy Canal on the La Belle Epoque and was quite familiar with this unique way of touring France’s less visited countryside.
Continue reading “An Intimate European Waterways Loire Valley Barge Cruise on the Renaissance”
Luxury barging in France on the Burgundy Canal with European Waterways has been one of my most memorable travel experiences. Discover why a France canal cruise should be at the top of your bucket list with this detailed review.
To have unique experiences is at the heart of why I travel. Recently I was privileged to have one of the most extraordinary luxury travel experiences that I have ever had. I was invited on a France canal cruise on the barge La Belle Epoque with European Waterways. For six days on my Burgundy, France Canal cruise, I had the ultimate slow travel cruising experience that included gourmet meals, amazing wines, impeccably attentive service and uniquely curated excursions.
Continue reading “My France Canal Cruise – Quiet Luxury in the French Countryside”
A traditional Costa Rica cooking class showed me that I could still make local connections in a meaningful way on a cruise ship excursion.
I love cruising, but I am very picky about my cruise excursions. Typical ship excursion involve big busses and large tour groups that take passengers to the most popular sights. This may let you check off one more item on the “bucket list” but does nothing to provide a true connective experience to the local culture or the environment.
However, on my recent Princess Cruise through the Panama Canal, a ship excursion in Costa Rica billed as one of their “Local Connections” program had me intrigued. The tour promised to take us to the Macaw ecolodge high in the rainforest where we would take part in a cooking experience using locally grown ingredients. This sounded quite appealing and would not be something I could easily do on my own, so I signed up and hoped for unique glimpse into Costa Rican culture.
A full transit Panama Canal cruise was on my travel wish list for a long time. I finally had the chance to experience it and was not disappointed.
There are some places on this planet that are easiest to experience from the deck of a ship – the Panama Canal is one of those sights. This “Engineering Marvel” was built to aid in the faster transport of goods between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, thus bypassing the long and hazardous journey around South America and Cape Horn.
But transiting through the Panama Canal has also become a very popular cruise ship destination. I recently took a 16 day full transit Panama Canal cruise from Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco on the Ruby Princess and going through the canal was the highlight of my cruise.
Continue reading “A Full Transit Panama Canal Cruise – Passing Through an Engineering Marvel”
I had only one day in Cartagena, Columbia on my Panama Canal Cruise and I made the most of it by exploring the city’s UNESCO listed sights on my own.
This story was recognized by the North American Travel Journalists Association with a Silver award in the Photography – Cover or Feature Photo/Illustration category in the 2022 annual media travel awards competition .The first stop on my Ruby Princess full transit Panama Canal cruise was Cartagena, Columbia. This was my first visit to Columbia, and I would only have six hours in port so I was going to make the most of it. My focus for my one day in Cartagena was on the UNESCO listed Old Town and the nearby Fort Castillo de San Filipe de Barajas.
Continue reading “One Day in Cartagena, Columbia – A Colorful, Independent Cruise Excursion”
In this Ruby Princess review I share detailed information with lots of photos from my recent cruise including a review of my cabin, public spaces and food options.
Some days I wish I had a maid. And a cook. And since I am dreaming, lets add a chauffeur and a gardener to the list. I’ve probably watched Downtown Abbey once too often and read too many books set in Britain’s golden age where the hired help does all the work and the Lord and Lady of the manor just get to have fun.
Continue reading “Living Like Royalty on a Princess Cruise – A Ruby Princess Review With Photos”
I discovered some of the most beautiful islands in Greece on a recent cruise. I am sharing my experiences and photos to inspire your next Greek island adventure.
My luxury Mediterranean sailing cruise took me to some of the most beautiful islands in Greece. Our itinerary combined the classic Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini with some of the less touristy islands like Syros, Kos, Patmos and Milos.
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Experience the best sailing holiday in Greece with the beautiful Running On Waves tall ship.
This story was recognized by the North American Travel Journalists Association with a Silver award in the Cruise category in the 2021 annual media travel awards competition .There wasn’t just one star, but rather, a pantheon of constellations blanketing the sky as the last rays of the setting sun disappeared over the horizon. To the east, a slim crescent moon was slowly rising out of the sea with the same grace as the goddess of love in Botticelli’s painting. A slight breeze and the gentle back and forth rocking informed me that our ship was under way. My dream Greece sailing tour had started.
Continue reading “Release Your Inner Jackie O On A Luxury Sailing Holiday in Greece”
