Long and Round…and No Flights

Flying is (or can be) a pain, right? When's the last time you took a long flight that was flawless? Impeccable, aggravation-free experience from check-in at one airport to check-out of another? No delays, either on the way to the plane or on the tarmac? Free of cramped quarters, free to eat what you want… Continue reading Long and Round…and No Flights

Internet Issue Bound To Change

Remember when… Every time you checked into a hotel and asked about getting on the Internet, the hotel was happy to provide you with an ethernet cable to connect, for a price? Remember when… WiFi was available at airports, at a cost that bordered on the ridiculous? Today, almost every hotel provides free WiFi, if… Continue reading Internet Issue Bound To Change

Royal Princess Preview for Writers

There are lots of times lots of us would like to be where Phil Reimer is, and this week is one of them. Phil is Canada's pre-eminent cruise writer and, after a short stop on the river in The Netherlands and on the edge of St. Mark's Square in Venice, he was off to see… Continue reading Royal Princess Preview for Writers

No. 5 Reflects Best of Solstice

In wondering whether we'd be able to tell the difference between the Celebrity Reflection and the Eclipse, the only other Solstice Class ship we'd been on, we quickly realized the answer was in the measurements. The Reflection is 60 centimeters wider. Two feet. Cruisers who were on the Solstice, the five-year-old matriarch of the Class,… Continue reading No. 5 Reflects Best of Solstice

Upon Reflection, People are Special

Quite by accident — or by failure to follow directions — we enjoyed our most pleasant evening on the Celebrity Reflection in the company of a junior waiter, a waiter and a sommelier. This is typical for us. We make more friends among cruise ship staff than we do passengers, which means either we enjoy… Continue reading Upon Reflection, People are Special