Call It Holland American Idol

We should perhaps begin by saying we may be the only two people in America who have never seen American Idol. Not once. It’s just not our way to spend 60 minutes of our life that we can never get back. That’s not to say we don’t appreciate the skill level of American Idol contestants.… Continue reading Call It Holland American Idol

Making New Memories in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh. The Mekong Delta. Phnom Penh. Hanoi. Cambodia. Khmer Rouge. If you’re a teenager of the ’60s, as we are, all of these words can mean only one thing to you. The Vietnam War. The words were on newscasts for nights and weeks on end, in a seemingly endless tale of torture, sadness,… Continue reading Making New Memories in Vietnam

Where There's a Port, Carnival Goes

It was often said that sailors had “a girl in every port.” When Carnival was shuffling ships in the south this year, it was our friend and cruise colleague Phil Reimer who observed that the world’s biggest cruise line “…is going to have a ship in every port” around North America. Or something like that.… Continue reading Where There's a Port, Carnival Goes

Cruise Crews Enter Epic Era

Every time we have been on a cruise, we’ve made friends with crew members. Sometimes, we exchange contact information, promising to keep in touch. Almost always, when we disembark, it’s the last we see of each other. One of our new friends invited us to visit him in Turkey. Maybe we will. Another said we… Continue reading Cruise Crews Enter Epic Era

Fish Story and Mexico's 'Inside Passage'

Before launching (nautical term) into today’s blog, may we indulge you with our introduction to the Sea of Cortez, that finger of water between mainland Mexico and Baja California? This was just a few years ago, and you’ll get the short version, in part because time has a way of eroding long memories. Three kids,… Continue reading Fish Story and Mexico's 'Inside Passage'