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

Holland America: new plan for ports

Just when you think there can't be any more new twists on shore excursions, here's a new twist on shore excursions. Holland America is bringing them on board. It's being called the "On Location" program and it's being floated out over the 15-ship fleet from now until the end of the year. The idea is… Continue reading Holland America: new plan for ports

Oceans to River in Belize

BELIZE CITY, Belize — What to do in this friendly country under the arm of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and bordered on one side by Guatemala and the other by the Caribbean Sea, yet 400 miles from the Gulf of Mexico… If you're a deep-sea diver, or even a snorkeler, there's no shortage of activity. If… Continue reading Oceans to River in Belize

Dolphins in Honduras a Trip

  ROATAN, Honduras — In anticipation of my upcoming "Dolphin Encounter" I wasn't sure who would be more scared, me or the dolphin. Since only one of us swims, it was logical that my fear factor would far exceed that of Mika, the 12-year-old mammal zipping around contained waters at Anthony's Key, on this popular… Continue reading Dolphins in Honduras a Trip

Cruise Writer to Travel by Express

  Our colleague Phil Reimer, he of Ports and Bows fame, left a few days ago for a rather exotic cruise…so exotic that it took him 24 hours just to get from home to the embarkation point. That would be Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, which seem to be in the middle of nowhere,… Continue reading Cruise Writer to Travel by Express