Parlez-vous…an app to help

One time, it happened on a street corner in Paris, in the dark. We were trying to find our way around a city we were visiting for the first time and we encountered a couple of locals whom we hoped would help. They spoke no English. We had three kids and six words of French… Continue reading Parlez-vous…an app to help

Ports a World Apart Shaping Up

We've been to San Juan, Puerto Rico twice. We've been to Liverpool, England once. At the risk of sounding like glass-half-full tourists, we enjoyed both places and, despite that, we haven't been in either as often as we'd like. These days, a lot of our travel involves cruising. Duh! Anything that by whatever means returned… Continue reading Ports a World Apart Shaping Up

Meeting the Demand for Meetings?

This one's for anybody who thinks that cruising is not becoming a way of life…in other words, a part of the fabric of society at large. Until now, conventions on cruise ships were an occasional event. Raise your hand if you've ever seen a business convention while cruising. In all the cruising we've done, we… Continue reading Meeting the Demand for Meetings?

Cruise Cost…Above and Beyond

This one's especially for first-time cruisers, the people who always ask someone like us how much the cruise will cost over and above the fare. The answer: "As much as you want." If that sounds like a cop-out, it's not. The so-called hidden costs of cruising are almost all a matter of choice. The two… Continue reading Cruise Cost…Above and Beyond

Port Help for Cruise Passengers

We were in Bermuda. Standing on the dock waiting to catch a ferry from St. George's to Hamilton, we encountered Clarence Smith. He was wearing an orange jacket, which made him hard to miss, and since it said "Visitor Information" on the back and we were visitors… Clarence is an Ambassador — that's also on… Continue reading Port Help for Cruise Passengers