How Carnival's Old Year Turned Happy

Carnival was due for some good news. In November, the Splendor caught fire off the coast of Mexico/California and, while nobody was hurt, there was a lot of bad press. In December, the Inspiration was caught in high winds and high seas off Tampa, delaying its arrival at its home port in Florida by a… Continue reading How Carnival's Old Year Turned Happy

Nassau's Fascinating Graycliff Hotel

NASSAU, Bahamas — Really, it was just a hotel. So understated from the street that you could walk by it, and we almost did. That would have been our loss. We walked through the front door of the Graycliff Hotel, just like Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall did, 33 years earlier. Except they had a… Continue reading Nassau's Fascinating Graycliff Hotel

On a Rainy Day in the Bahamas

FREEPORT, Bahamas — As we disembarked the Norwegian Sky at this first stop on a four-day cruise, we had a plan for our first visit to Freeport. The plan was there would be no plan. It was ad-lib all the way. This can sometimes be great, and sometimes not. Since this is an island of… Continue reading On a Rainy Day in the Bahamas

Panama Canal Always Sight to Behold

Next month, close friends of ours are going through the Panama Canal, on the Celebrity Constellation…west to east, San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. This is a good idea. Last spring, we made that trip in reverse, more or less, and it was one of our favorite cruises ever. That sentiment is spreading, and not just… Continue reading Panama Canal Always Sight to Behold

Cruise Ships and Muster Stations

We’ve almost come to the conclusion that the mandatory muster station drills are in the same boat as the seat-belt drills on airplanes. Nobody’s listening, in part because most of the people have heard it all before, and know — or at least think they know — what to do in an emergency. The cruise… Continue reading Cruise Ships and Muster Stations