Lake Brienz You have undoubtedly noticed the silence on my part as my travel adventures stopped abruptly in late February. What followed were 4 weeks of crisis management unlike any I have ever witnessed in my life. Golden Princess passes under Golden Gate I am pleased to report that all our clients have been accounted… Continue reading The Day the World stood still
Author: schneebergerr
As a World traveler and trains, planes, & automobile geek, I have embraced every opportunity to explore this amazing planet. As I write this, I realized vividly how far I have come from growing up in a dysfunctional family in a small Swiss town to living in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband Greg and our pets Stella and Oscar. I am very fortunate to live the American Dream, having made a career our of my passion for travel and tourism.
Regent Seven Seas Splendor – bye bye Miami – finally
Miami skyline A further 24 hours delayed due to 21 foot swells, the Splendor remained docked in Miami till 11pm Saturday night. Once out of the protective safety from the Port of Miami, we could immediately tell that it was a smart decision by the Splendor’ female captain Serena Melani to delay our departure. Production… Continue reading Regent Seven Seas Splendor – bye bye Miami – finally
Regent Seven Seas Splendor – new heights of luxury
Sister ship to RSSC Explorer, the brand new Splendor was officially christened last night in Miami and I was there. Follow me as I discover the many aspects of this ship which Regent says “perfected luxury.” Beverly Vickers & Gilett Brescia - RSSC BDM friends February in Miami and all you think of is sunny… Continue reading Regent Seven Seas Splendor – new heights of luxury
Viking Ocean Cruise – a recap
Reflecting on a week aboard the Viking Sea, I can confirm that the experience exceeded my expectations. The ship is cozy in an efficient Scandinavian way where every piece and element has a purpose. Food was exceptional and varied in all venues and the casual aspect of dress is a big plus. Octopus carpaccio above… Continue reading Viking Ocean Cruise – a recap
Viking Ocean Cruise – Barbados
As we maneuvered into our parking spot we could easily compare the Viking Sea against the Cunard Queen Victoria. QV launches in 2007 and her hull displaces 90000 GRT, roughly double the size of Viking Sea. Our included tour took us to the highest point of Barbados (the only non-volcanic Caribbean island) where we got… Continue reading Viking Ocean Cruise – Barbados
Viking Ocean Cruise – St. Lucia
Docked in Castries, the Viking Sea rests safely moored after a 205 nautical mile overnight journey along the island chain referred to as the Lesser Antilles from St. Kitts to St. Lucia. Tidbit - the origin of the term Antilles stems from the Portuguese navigators and Portuguese language. Anth = before & ilha = island… Continue reading Viking Ocean Cruise – St. Lucia
Viking Ocean Cruise – St. Kitts
A stunning day awaited us in quaint St. Kitts and neighboring island Nevis. We got off early and took a cab to the last operating sugar mill train to catch a ride. Alas, every seat was sold out so we couldn't partake in the 3-hour journey. Tip: book aboard your cruise ship for this experience.… Continue reading Viking Ocean Cruise – St. Kitts
Viking Ocean Cruise – the ship
Our home-away-from-home for the week is the Viking Sea - 2nd ship in Vikings fleet of ocean ships - with just under 1000 guests aboard. A delightfully simple layout with tons of cozy seating options abounds aboard. Definitely different from its rivals in this space. My deluxe veranda cabin category DV2 is located mid-ship on… Continue reading Viking Ocean Cruise – the ship
Viking Ocean Cruise – Puerto Rico
One of the benefits of Viking's itinerary is the overnight in San Juan which allowed us a full day of exploring. After breakfast on board, we walked over to the Sheraton Old Town and picked up our wheels for the day. I won't hold it against Hertz but it's been 10 years since I had… Continue reading Viking Ocean Cruise – Puerto Rico
Viking Ocean Cruise – Caribbean calling
Red-eye behind us, my travel companion Jerry and I connected for the second leg from Philadelphia to San Juan, PR aboard American Airlines flight 1496. It was nip & tuck as I had to sprint from gate c5 to a20 across what is a maze at PHL airport. AND wouldn't you know it - a… Continue reading Viking Ocean Cruise – Caribbean calling
New Decade – New Luggage
2020 has arrived and with it a new decade of adventure and discovery! 2019 ended for me with 134,526 miles flown, 3 continents visited, and 9 different cruise ships sailed. That is why I took a bit of a holiday break from blogging and enjoyed quality time with family and friends at home in the… Continue reading New Decade – New Luggage
Azamara Cruise – a day in Buenos Aires
A peaceful overnight sailing from Punta Del Este brought us to the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. We all grabbed our bags and gathered outside the terminal for a day of discovery with our local hosts Abercrombie & Kent. Our first stop - and a colorful at that - was the Barraccas neighborhood where immigrants… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – a day in Buenos Aires
Azamara Cruise – Cooking class in Punta Del Este
A short cruise overnight got us to the summer resort town of Punta Del Este with its white sandy beaches and rugged coastline. Our group boarded a private coach for a scenic drive along the river and Atlantic Ocean tips that form the unique setting for this resort town complete with stunning homes and hotels… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – Cooking class in Punta Del Este
Azamara Cruise – Montevideo
Our two days at sea ended with Azamara Pursuit' pulling into the Montevideo harbor in Uruguay. The group disembarked for a bicycle trip and hosted lunch courtesy of Virtuoso. Uruguay is the birth place of the steak house movement with a ratio of 3 heads of cattle per inhabitant and a world leading per capita… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – Montevideo
Azamara Cruise – unknown French Cars
A life-long follower of the French car maker Renault, even I was stumped by the models I encountered in Uruguay. This ultra-compact 4-door was originally developed for the Indian market and found its way to South America, presumably for pricing reasons. In fact, the bulk of vehicles we saw in Brazil and Uruguay so far… Continue reading Azamara Cruise – unknown French Cars
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