Colorful Cartagenians No visit to this town would be complete without a stroll through the UNESCO world heritage protected colonial city center. This was our next destination on our #BigFive experience for a day. Colonial city center of Cartagena Our bubbly guide Belkin navigated us through the narrow and bustling streets checking out local artisans… Continue reading Christmas at Sea – Cartagena de las indias for a day – Part 2

Onward in Cartagena Colombia Todays stop had been on the top of Kurt’s list as he had traveled through Columbia with a back pack decades ago. Filled with excitement, we approached this scenic port in tge Caribbean Sea mid day and waited impatiently for Onward the be cleared by local authorities. Once ashore, we walked… Continue reading Christmas at Sea – Cartagena de las indias for a day – Part 1

Azamara Onwatd docked in Curaçao As this turbulent year of 2022 is coming to an end, our holiday cruise visited two of the Dutch ABC islands. On tte 30th we stopped in Aruba and today we are moored in 🇨🇼Curaçao to ring in 2023 in a few hours time. Quaint Dutch waterfront in Willemstad Aruba… Continue reading Christmas at Sea – Year end in Aruba & Curacao

Navigation tower for the massive triple lock complex No kidding, I have been waiting for this opportunity for a lifetime. My fascination for engineering marvels had this on top of the list. Today was the day for me to finally visit the man made masterpiece that changed global commerce forever - the Panama Canal. New… Continue reading Christmas at Sea – Panama Canal

Main Street in Puerto Limon After two days of holiday cheer and time at sea, we arrived in a new for us destination in Costa Rica’s Puerto Limon port for a delightful rain forest excursion. Anyone who knows me understands that I fear snakes. So we negotiated the best tour that has the least chance… Continue reading Christmas at Sea – Puerto Limon

Peaceful breakfast at Windows cafe outside While most of the US and Canada suffer from snow blizzards and below freezing temps, I feel very fortunate to be aboard Azamara Onward in 70+ degree Caribbean weather on this very special day. Our ship spent the morning hours completing the remaining distance to our first port in… Continue reading Christmas at Sea – Eve aboard

South Beach in holiday lights Red-eye flight and a full day’s work behind me, I picked up my traveling companions Kurt and Jim at MIA and we made our way to South Beach. While we all have been to the 2-mile Art Feco district of Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue, none of us did it… Continue reading Christmas at Sea – Miami for a day

On BART to SFO What a turbulent year it turned out to be! 2022 started with some optimism early on till another variant of Covid-19 slowed progress and many of our supplier partners had to cancel departures and programs. By spring, things improved, border restrictions ended and people were eager to shed their masks and… Continue reading Christmas at Sea – Azamara Onward here we come

Scarlet Lady from the air As my flight climbs out over Miami, an uninhibited view of the ship emerged out my window. It was the perfect backdrop for my final reflections on the experience I was privileged to have had over the past five days. Scarlet Lady in port at Puerto Plata The best way… Continue reading Virgin Voyages – Give It A Go

Direct Travel advisors aboard Scarlet Lady Entering a busy market with a new product, especially an expensive one from an up-front investment perspective is not easy. Add to that a global pandemic right as the commercial launch was scheduled and you have a “perfect storm” of cards stacked against you. Virgin never lost its mojo… Continue reading Virgin Voyages – A New Way To Cruise

Entertainment galore One of the innovations #VirginVoyages brings to cruising is the cutting edge diversity “of and in” its programming. Unlike traditional cruises, shows repeat multiple times throughout the cruise at different times, giving more guests a chance to attend. Ranging from 45 to 75 minutes, the programs feel fresh, are fast-paced, and innovative in… Continue reading Virgin Voyages – A New Way To Entertain

Pool Deck A restful night in my Seaview Terrace room behind me, I began exploring Scarlet Lady’s creative spaces and venues. There is so much on offer, it’s truly hard to pick an ideal first day. How about a creative breakfast at “The Wake”? Well that is what I decided to do. Come along… Seaview… Continue reading Virgin Voyages – Ahoy Sailors

Virgin voyages pier V at Port of Miami Long awaited, time has finally come to board a new ship and brand on the high seas with a decades-long halo of being trendsetting in every sector they touched. Namely that of Virgin Voyages’ first ship Scarlet Lady which will be our home away from home for… Continue reading Virgin Voyages – My First Outing

Surrounded by orange everywhere Priority one - Party This years’ Labor Day Weekend is of the extraordinary kind. Norwegian Cruise Line conveniently dropped its christening voyage guests off in Amsterdam the day before the Dutch Grand Prix on the legendary Zandvort track. It was a sign I couldn’t ignore even though I didn’t realize the… Continue reading Labor Day Weekend firsts – plates, planes, and a party

This lovely hamlet is your quintessential British beach town. Our ship docked a few miles away in Portland Port where double decker buses shuttled us back and forth. Overlooking Weymouth beach As this was the last few days of summer break in the UK, so tons of families at the beach swimming, playing and building… Continue reading Norwegian Pr1ma – Stop in Weymouth, Dorset