Category: Cruising

 

I love all types of cruising. From small boats to large ships, I am happiest on the water. I am sharing stories and photos from my cruising experiences all over the world.

A Full Transit Panama Canal Cruise – Passing Through an Engineering Marvel

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.

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One Day in Cartagena, Columbia – A Colorful, Independent Cruise Excursion

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.

2022 NATJA awardThis 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.

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Cruising In Style to the Most Beautiful Islands in Greece

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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Release Your Inner Jackie O On A Luxury Sailing Holiday in Greece

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 .
“All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by”  John Masefield

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.

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A Skagway Cruise Excursion On My Own: Driving off the Beaten Path on the Scenic Klondike Highway

There are many options for excursions on an Alaska cruise. It was easy to do a Skagway excursion on my own and go off the beaten path with a self drive trip on the Klondike Highway to explore the road to Carcross Yukon and back again. I am sharing my Skagway travel experience including tips on how to get the most of an independent day in Skagway.

A cruise through southeast Alaska is a convenient way to stop and discover the coastal towns that are not always easy to get to by other means. My recent Alaska cruise offered many Skagway excursions to discover this historic port. Tempting as they were though, this time I chose to take my own road less traveled to Carcross, Yukon in Canada on the very scenic Klondike Highway.

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My Many Alaska Cruise Excursion Experiences

Alaska is a popular travel destination, and there is no easier way to see southeast Alaska than on a cruise ship. Use my Alaska cruise excursion tips for Alaska’s most popular cruise ship ports to help you plan your best bucket list Alaska trip.

I love cruising and have sailed all over the globe. But, I think that if you ever only take one cruise in your whole life, it should be to Alaska. This is a huge state with some of the least accessible national parks in the US, including the very popular Glacier Bay National Park which can only be visited by boat. The various ports of call and the many cruise excursion options offered on an Alaskan cruise provide opportunities to easily see more of this incredibly scenic state.

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PhotoPOSTcard: Just A Man And His Dog

A cruise with one of the major cruise lines is certainly the easiest and most economical way to see Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska. But when looking at the glaciers from the top of a huge ship it can be difficult to get a sense of size without something else nearby for perspective. In this case, a kayaker and his very well behaved dog provide the much needed scale to be able to get the true sense for how tall the Margerie Glacier really is.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: Slow Cruising on the La Belle Epoque

The canals of France were built in the late 1700’s to provide a means of transporting goods. Barges were loaded with timber, limestone, wine and other desirable products and they were pulled along the canals through the many locks that controlled the flow of water. Today, the canals still support boat traffic, but these historic barges have now been converted into luxury floating cruise experiences that offer a unique means of exploring the French countryside. For the next six days, I will be enjoying a one of a kind cruise on the La Belle Epoque along the Burgundy Canal, one of the many barge cruising options offered by European Waterways.

Thanks for visiting

Rose