Cruises

By Monique Burns              Part 1: Aboard the Good Ship Volendam Cruising Asia’s sun-dappled seas and moonlit straits on a 14-day journey aboard Holland America, my fellow passengers and I explore the great cities of China, South Korea and Japan.  In Hong Kong, we view Victoria Harbour’s modern skyline from

By Gary Walther DAY ONE: The Hotel Detective is sailing on a sea of superlatives, The Europa 2, a 500-passenger ship belonging to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. According to the 2016 Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships, considered the Bible of cruise guides. Europa 2 is the best ship in the world, “the

By Gary Walther Altitude condenses eye-level chaff. From the Bridge Deck, the bow of the Crystal Serenity becomes an elegant geometry, circle-in-triangle with planes of blue as background. And a figure to yield perspective. Having space to yourself, though, is not a one-off on Crystal, whose ships are tops when

By Kay Showker So much attention has been showered on Fathom’s historic cruises to Cuba, they have overshadowed the new company’s earlier launch of alternate cruises to the Dominican Republic which better reflect the Fathom experience. Those travelers who say they want authenticity in their travels and to have an

By Monique Burns For years, the Arctic haunted me.  I longed to cruise those northerly waters, to set foot in that stark, mysterious land.  I dreamt of tracking rare wildlife, from walruses and whales to reindeer and polar bears, and of following the flights of black-legged kittiwakes, northern fulmars and

Story & photos by Liliane Opsomer Inspired by the ocean liners of the 1920s, the Disney Dream, a 128,690-ton, 4,000-passenger vessel is a classic beauty. Equally classic are the entertainment, the delectable food, and the incomparable service. The ship just underwent an extensive enhancement and emerged with some quite impressive new

By Gary Walther On the Europa 2 this past September, bound from Thessaloniki to Istanbul, The Hotel Detective found himself in a sea of superlatives. The Europa 2 offers the highest passenger-space ratio of any cruise ship, a key index of luxury at sea. It has the highest cabin ceilings

By Mary Alice Kellogg “Whenever I find myself growing grim around the mouth, whenever it is damp, drizzly November in my soul… then I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.” Whoever said that had a point: sometimes you just need to get out

By Liliane Opsomer Known for their classic early-20th-century vessels, Disney raised expectations when launching the Disney Dream in 2011. I had been a happy customer when sailing on the Disney Magic five years ago and wondered if it was possible to have an even better experience. I knew I was

By Monique Burns From the rugged frontier outpost of Kirkenes, a stone’s throw from the Russian border, south to Bergen, gateway to the western fjords, Norway’s coast stretches some 2,500 miles.  From the North, Norwegian and Barents seas, and from countless fjords, rise hundreds of sun-dappled islands and islets, topped