Alaska’s Jewelry Wars Continue

If you’ve ever been to Juneau, then you have some idea how many jewelry stores there are within walking distance of Alaska cruise ships. If you’ve ever gone to a shore-excursion presentation on a ship, you also know how there is almost always one about the jewelry stores. As passengers who generally avoid both, we’re… Continue reading Alaska’s Jewelry Wars Continue

FlyOver Canada At Cruise Terminal

To experience FlyOver Canada, as many cruisers are during stopovers in Vancouver, we decided to take an expert. Her name is Alexis, she is our 10-year-old granddaughter and she has done this — to quote her — “a million times.” If you’ve never heard of FlyOver Canada, you should. When your ship is docked in… Continue reading FlyOver Canada At Cruise Terminal

Getting To Know Vincent Van Gogh

ARLES, France — For most of our lives, the name Vincent Van Gogh was little more than that, a name. We knew he was a painter, perhaps because of jokes connected to his famous last name, perhaps because it had been buried in textbooks we tried hard to ignore. We knew he was a favorite… Continue reading Getting To Know Vincent Van Gogh

A 'Must-See' Museum In Willemstad

WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO — Never having visited this part of the Caribbean before, our maiden voyage on the Carnival Freedom was fascinating, in part because of a tip from a fellow member of the cruise media. Nancy Schretter of the Family Travel Network suggested — no, insisted — that we visit Kura Hulanda Museum in the… Continue reading A 'Must-See' Museum In Willemstad

Aruba: The Best Of An Idyllic Place

ORANJESTAD, Aruba — There’s a few things you should know about this idyllic little island if cruising has never taken you this deep into the Caribbean Sea, which is precisely where we find ourselves. • Aruba is not at the end of the Caribbean, but you can see it from here…well, almost. You can see… Continue reading Aruba: The Best Of An Idyllic Place