BARCELONA — The Oceania Riviera was our christening christening, which is to say our first. If you're like us and you've never been able to enjoy the spectacle of seeing a cruise ship become official, what follows will give you a rough idea what happens… The ceremony begins with the pre-ceremony. Acrobats tie themselves… Continue reading Oceania Riviera Christening Cat's Meow
Category: People
A City and A Painter Linked Forever
AIX-EN-PROVENCE — In Hollywood, famous people get their "star" or a handprint on a sidewalk. In this pretty little place, Paul Cezanne gets the sidewalk. You wouldn't likely find Aix-en-Provence (pronounced "ex-on-prah-vence) unless you took a guided tour from the Oceania Riviera, moored 28 kilometres away, like we did. By extension, you also wouldn't see… Continue reading A City and A Painter Linked Forever
Marseilles: Two Ports Busier Than Ever
MARSEILLE, France — We loved this first-ever Mediterranean seaport the last time we were here. Then we remembered why. We'd been travelling the roads of France with two teenagers and a pre-teen, squishing five people in hotel rooms built for four (or less), and when we arrived in Marseille, the people at the Novotel… Continue reading Marseilles: Two Ports Busier Than Ever
Breakaway: New Meaning for Parents
Norwegian's new ship, due next year, is going to have the first water park at sea to encourage you, as parents, to take the whole family cruising on the Breakaway. Several ships have water slides and the same strategy. So how many slides does it take to make a water park? According to the NCL… Continue reading Breakaway: New Meaning for Parents
Royal Caribbean Keeps Helping Haiti
Now here's a novel way to help the stricken people of Haiti, still devastated by that 7.0 earthquake more than two years ago. Send a party to explore Haiti's rich history on its northern shore, where the cruise ships land, to see if shore excursions can contribute to rebuilding the country's equally devastated tourism… Continue reading Royal Caribbean Keeps Helping Haiti