Carnival 'Crash' a Family Affair

We once had married friends who had a most calamitous incident when taking one of their two cars to leave at the airport because the husband was going to be landing there late at night. They had a car accident. Both of them. Together. Bang-bang. Who hit whom? One car was a Mercedes. The other… Continue reading Carnival 'Crash' a Family Affair

Passenger Fears, Cruise Cancelations

A while ago, Norwegian announced its Jade — which sails in Europe year-round — was canceling 15 Holy Land cruises this winter because of passenger concerns about unrest in the Middle East. In light of last weekend’s horrific tragedy in Oslo, will travel to Norway suffer? Who knows? It’s only been a few days, and… Continue reading Passenger Fears, Cruise Cancelations

Calling Alaska Cruise Veterans!

Next month, we’re booked on a 7-day cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver. The Coral Princess takes the Inside Passage south, stopping in Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, and we’d like some input from seasoned Alaska cruisers. In Skagway, there are 40 shore excursions on the Princess list. In Juneau, there are 44. In Ketchikan, a mere… Continue reading Calling Alaska Cruise Veterans!

What to Expect if Email Matters

One of the shocks for first-time cruisers, at least in the era when we were rookies, is that you have to pay for soda pop. Today’s surprise for first-time cruisers is the Internet. Nobody expects Internet access for free on cruise ships, but the cost can sometimes seem outrageous. So as a public service, this… Continue reading What to Expect if Email Matters