CRUISE RECIPE: Carnival’s Fruit Loops French Toast
Hungry to Sail Again No question. We adults are going a little stir crazy during this global pandemic…but at least we have booze. Think of the little kids: No friends to meet up with, no sports to play, no slides and swings and no trips to Disney World. Why not put a smile on the [&hel
CRUISE RECIPE: Norwegian Cruise Line Pretzel Rolls
Hungry to Sail Again After this pandemic, I know I’ll never take the following things for granted: Restaurants, movie theaters, bookstores, concerts, medical professionals, bars, hairstylists, eyebrow waxers, toilet paper …and Norwegian’s pretzel rolls. Any other year, I’d either be cr
CRUISE RECIPE: Onion Tarte from French Country Waterways
Hungry to Sail Again What I simply adore about cruising is its variety. We can sail massive ships, mid-size ships, small ships, river boats, yachts, expedition ships….and, with French Country Waterways, even luxury barges with a capacity of less than 20 guests. That’s my kind of soci
CRUISE RECIPE: Crystal Cruises’ Cream of Forest Mushroom Soup
Hungry to Sail Again Face it. During this pandemic, there’s certainly not much to splurge on. Nobody’s really thinking about redecorating, buying an expensive pair of designer shoes or theater tickets. So why not take that money and order some morels—those rich, earthy and fragrant
CRUISE RECIPE: Viking’s Pastel de Nata
Hungry to Sail Again Today, I’m whipping up a sweet reminder of my glorious Viking Helgrim cruise down Portugal’s Douro River last summer. And I have all the ingredients on hand! The 262-foot, 106-passenger Viking Helgrim, is a baby longship, custom-built to navigate the short and narrow l
CRUISE RECIPE: Lobster Pad Thai by Oceania Cruises
Hungry to Sail Again We all love Norma and Dave, the Australian couple who were content to re-create their cancelled cruise by donning bathrobes, toasting each other and watching videos of a rolling blue ocean on their living room TV. Well, sorry, Norma and Dave, but I’m hu
Humor: COVID-19 Says It’s all Groove, No Cruise
The Monthly Mantra Ship out of luck … Ship out of luck … Ship out of luck … I’d like to drink a toast to the organizers of Cruise to the Edge and the On the Blue Cruise, two of the most spectacular music theme cruises you’ll ever sail. Of course, I’d really like to […]
Emerald Azzurra … What a Gem!
The Monthly Mantra Worth the Wait! … Worth the Wait! … Worth the Wait! There are lots and lots of big things coming our way this year — Virgin’s Scarlet Lady, Celebrity Apex, Carnival Mardi Gras, P&O’s Iona, Princess’ Enchanted Princess, Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Sea
Floats My Boat: Saltwater Painter Stephen Card
Tucked away in Sandys, Bermuda, you’ll find the home and studio of maritime artist Stephen Card. It’s a yellow house with dark green shutters — “The color scheme,” Card explains, “of the old Rotterdam’s lifeboats.” And with that statement alone, you realize that for this 67-year-old
River, Ocean, And Now — Viking Expeditions!
On January 16, less than two weeks after the glittering Golden Globes took place at the historic Beverly Hills Hilton, the hotel’s spotlight was shining on another award winner: Viking Cruises. Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen, while no Ricky Gervais (thank God), hosted an evening that was a dazzlin
Sailing into a New Year!
The Monthly Mantra Cruise Year Resolutions…Cruise Year Resolutions…Cruise Year Resolutions…. It seems everyone’s making resolutions this month: Lose weight, stop smoking, stop drinking and rev up the fitness routine. As a cruise fanatic, my resolutions are a bit different.
Taking a Bow:Norwegian Encore
In 2015, Norwegian Cruise Line introduced Norwegian Escape, the first of its Breakaway Plus–class ships, packed with innovative dining, entertainment, and groundbreaking outdoor activities. Norwegian Joy (2017) and Norwegian Bliss (2018) added a go-kart race track, outdoor laser tag, expanded dini
Gone to Sea: Broadway at Sea
In 2010, an imposing trio of bald, blue madmen convinced me that onboard entertainment was about to take an extraordinary turn. At the time, I was seated in the Epic Theater aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s recently launched Norwegian Epic. On the elaborate stage before me, a riotous performance of
The Judi’s Choice Awards 2019
The Monthly Mantra Judi’s Choice Awards … Judi’s Choice Awards … Judi’s Choice Awards … It’s time for the 2019 Judi’s Choice Awards! Unlike all those hum-drum “best-ofs” that tackle the obvious aspects of a cruise like dining, entertainment, and itineraries (anyone could do that)
Waves in Cruise Fashion…What is Resort Casual?
The Monthly Mantra A Clothes Call … A Clothes Call … A Clothes Call … I confess. I was once turned away from a cruise ship dining room for not adhering to its dress code. It happened in Oslo in 2004 and at the time I was looking fabulous in pristine, dark blue AG boot-cut […]
Blue World Voyages: The Healthy Choice in Cruising … AND Living!
The Monthly Mantra Move it! … Move it! … Move it! Blue World Voyages is betting that it can get my fat butt out of a deck chair and transform my cruise experience into an active and healthy one with an exclusive focus on sports, fitness, and wellness. And from what I learned from the [&h
A Lifetime of Painting Cruise Ships
The Monthly Mantra Artist on Board … Artist on Board … Artist on Board … “Can we go to Cucina for dinner?” That was Bermudian maritime artist Stephen Card’s immediate reaction to me telling him I’d be visiting the island aboard Carnival Sunrise’s 4-day sailing from New Yo
Viking Helgrim‘s Rivers of Gold
The Monthly Mantra The Dazzling Douro … The Dazzling Douro … The Dazzling Douro Pinhao! Gaia! Regua! Favaios! Lamego! No, I’m not cheering on a soccer team. I’ve just returned from a Viking Helgrim “Rivers of Gold” sailing and these unfamiliar towns located along the stunning Douro River
SeaDream’s Hidden Caribbean
It’s a staggering vision: a massive cruise ship topped with a dizzying network of twisting, turning pool slides that resemble giant, vibrantly hued metal snakes. In the shadow of the behemoth sits a SeaDream yacht — SeaDream I or SeaDream II — a diminutive 4,253 grt, 112-passenger vessel that
Perfect Pre-Cruise Prep in Portugal
The Monthly Mantra The Transition … The Transition … The Transition Could it really be only one day since my butt was crammed into an airline seat aboard a trans-Atlantic flight with a temperature that had to be hovering at the freezing mark? Between shivers and trying to ignore the scre