We’ve never been on a cruise ship that stopped in Turkey. Now, chances are we never will. Such is the cruise climate in this volatile part of the world, even though Istanbul and Kusadesi aren’t in the same area code as places bordering on Syria, where there are daily fears of terrorist attacks. On the… Continue reading Turkey Ports A Victim Of Fear
Tag: Crystal Symphony
Crystal Casinos Using On-Board Credits
Two things in life that cannot be refuted: 1. We live in a points world. 2. Everybody likes free stuff And so it is that Crystal Cruises is raising that bar for the rest of the industry, by allowing passengers to convert “on-board credits” into “gambling dollars.” Starting next month, when the Crystal Symphony sails… Continue reading Crystal Casinos Using On-Board Credits
Cruise Voluntourism Crystal Clear
Cruise ships attract poverty. Because passengers are considered affluent, rightly or wrongly, poor people in ports flock to wherever cruise people go, sometimes to sell wares, often to beg. For passengers, this can be a help-or-not-help dilemma, just as it is on the streets of major cities in North America. Many cruise lines have… Continue reading Cruise Voluntourism Crystal Clear
Mexico's Inside Waters Rocky, Too
Over a group lunch on Sunday, we eavesdropped on a conversation in which one person’s daughter was going to Mexico for spring break. “Isn’t your daughter worried about going to Mexico?” someone asked. This week, the Mexican Tourism Board is at the Cruise Shipping Miami 2012 trade show, trying and hoping to sell their towns… Continue reading Mexico's Inside Waters Rocky, Too
Anybody Ready for More Football?
Maybe it’s because a week after the Super Bowl, I’m already in football withdrawal…but after a little arm-twisting I convinced my better half (and I do mean better) that we should write about a cruise with a football theme today. It leaves New York for England on May 8, and it’s a re-positioning cruise for… Continue reading Anybody Ready for More Football?