If you thought dancing the tango was hard, try doing it on board a ship, in four-inch heels. When we first boarded Seabourn Odyssey, we asked Rebecca Maughan, one of the Seabourn dancers, how she maintains her poise even when the ship is rolling. She responded by performing a little dance in which she pretended to stumble down a hallway in a rolling swell, saying that her way of coping was to insert little elegant half steps in her usual walk.

  More

I am in a foul mood and not just because of Minnie who, as you will see later, has continued where she left off. No, my foul mood is based on the fact that I have lost my credit card. Somewhere between the hotel in Tampa where I stayed before joining Carnival Legend and the guest cabin I stayed in for the cruise before I took over as cruise director, I have lost the sodding thing. I haven’t used it at all but this morning went to reach for it to pay for my wife and daughter’s cabin when they join me in 12 days……………and it has gone. Bugger! More

When travelers meet, it’s easy to throw around invitations like “Look me up if you are ever in town.”

Isn’t there’s an unwritten rule behind invitations like that? They are polite to offer to a new acquaintance but no one takes them seriously. It’s akin to saying “Have a great day.” More

Statendam‘s Foreman Engine Robert Feber Gosal recently celebrated 20 years with HAL! A service award ceremony was held to commemorate this special occasion and present him with his award. Below is a fun Q & A with Robert. Congratulations! More

We would like to introduce you to Robin West, the expedition leader for Seabourn’s Antarctica & Patagonia voyages.

I’m not a teenager, but I do have a crush. Ever since I saw Simon Cowell on “American Idol,” I’ve adored everything about him—his looks, his wit, his brains, the British accent, how he says it like it is, like I do. More

Yesterday, we docked in the small harbour at Picton on schedule. Our voyage from Wellington was a short one, it is only 44 miles from the pilot station off Wellington to the pilot station for Picton, consequently we steamed at a very slow speed of 8 knots to make Picton pilot for 0600. Picton lies on the tip of the South Island of New Zealand. It is nestled away inside one of the many fjords on the northern coast and we transit 20 miles down Queen Charlotte Sound to get there. More

John Heald

Just a quick blog today because I have loads on Facebook to catch up on and this weekend I have to drive to Liverpool to film this TV show thing for the beards at Carnival UK. Now many of you from North America drive for days to get somewhere and have no problem doing so. Britain is a small country and it takes around seven hours to drive the length of the country from Lands End in England to John O Groates in Scotland. More

By Peter Shanks

Hello All

Rounding off my holiday suggestions for the year ahead – this time I am going to try and persuade you to visit the Fjord and Waterfalls on board Queen Mary 2. Let me start by showing you just what you would experience in this stunning photo:

Of course one of the special things about being on Queen Mary 2 is that wherever you go you feel special – and to be on the ship amongst such incredible scenery is quite something. The voyage I have picked departs Southampton on 13 July for 7 nights. More 

You think you meet a lot of people–a hotel general manager aboard a Princess Cruises’ vessel meets thousands upon thousands of new people every year. Multiply that by my 17 years at sea, and you get the picture. I meet a lot of people!  

I’ve met some amazing, accomplished people, some witty folk who always made me laugh and so many others whose kindness made my job a pleasure. More

Seabourn Pride Destinations Services Manager Riëtte Botes sent in this report from a recent two-night Seabourn Journey to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with some of the most magnificent religious architecture in the world. 

We have just completed our first Angkor Wat Overland trip this season!  More

 Guest Sharon Johnson and her husband were on Volendam for the trans-Pacific voyage to Sydney and the circumnavigation of Australia for 55 days.

On our visit to Suva, Fiji, we had a tour out of town to see “Fantastic Fijian Fire Walkers”. We drove for an hour along the Queens Highway to Pacific Harbor. Al and I had driven this same highway from Nadi to Suva about 26 years ago. We were going to a small island off the coast of Suva for a week’s vacation. The trip took six hours and we didn’t want to be late as we would have missed the boat to the island. More

As a sommelier on Emerald Princess, I stop at dozens of tables on a nightly basis and talk to literally hundreds of people every day.

The majority of my passenger interactions are related to wine, but it’s not uncommon that conversation will evolve to other topics. Sometimes, travelers ask me what to do at the next port of call.  More

Occasionally, I get to use this blog to write my own personal opinions, not just about cruising but about what’s happening in the world. Last night I had quite a heated discussion with some guests who are bloggers and have booked a back-to-back cruise here. It wasn’t about food or Faster to the Fun or the Cheers bar program or my underpants, but rather about Lance Armstrong who, as you know, will appear on Her Royal Highness Oprah Winfrey’s show. More

For 358 days a year, my life is devoted to reality. Since I’m the kind of person who takes my work home with me, the heart patients I care for throughout the day are really with me all the time. Sometimes they even wake me up at night, as I toss and turn, worrying if a new medication will help or a surgery will be successful. 

But for the other seven, glorious days a year, I “Escape Completely,” to quote Princess Cruises’ company slogan. More

Dec. 14, 2002: HAL’s first Vista-class ship Zuiderdam, departs from Fort Lauderdale on its maiden voyage. The 1,848-guest, 81,769-ton ship is the first of five Vista-class vessels. At the heart of Zuiderdam, suspended in a three-story atrium, is a Waterford Crystal Seahorse which sets the mood for exquisite pieces of art to be seen throughout the elegant ship. More

Seabourn Quest’s Guest Services Operator Nicoli Nery reports that Destination Services Manager Chad Briggs and Crew Purser Lisa Lewis organized a series of tours for crew members in several ports recently. One that made a great impression on the crew was a visit to Jerusalem. Nicoli reports that “it was a truly incredible experience for all the crewmembers that attended. More

After several first, last and important HAL voyages, including the first leg of Rotterdam V’s last around-the-world trip and Rotterdam VI’s first eastbound trans-Atlantic crossing, the greatest was the 40th anniversary cruise commemorating the change from regularly scheduled trans-Atlantic service to cruise-only operations.  Rotterdam VI departed Rotterdam, Netherlands for New York with the great artist Captain Stephen Card on board. More

Our three children have never tired of hearing about how I met their mother so many years ago. I would delight in telling them about how something as happenstance as a fluttering kerchief on a deck of the SS United States could bring their parents together.

When we reached the magnificent milestone of our 50^th wedding anniversary, they presented us with their gift …More

Some people take a car to work, some the subway. Not a lot of people can say they’re taking a ship from A to B. Imagine that you would have to have a meeting every time you get in your car. Imagine you would have to take wind speed, weather and numerous other factors into consideration before you turn your keys in the ignition. Imagine you would have to pick up a pilot before parking your car… More

So far, touch wood, things are going well here on Carnival Breeze. Today we are in Malaga, Spain and the weather is a bit cloudy and there have been a passing shower or two but overall the cruise is going well. However, as I have said before here on the blog, trans-Atlantic cruises tend to include a few guests who by tradition will be a bit grumpy and who will find things wrong because for them, finding things that are wrong is their favourite activity on board. It is important to note that they are the minority and 98 percent of the guests will have a brilliant time. More

By Peter Shanks

Can a cruise save a marriage? When I boarded Crown Princess, I didn’t see how it could possibly unravel the ball of knots our marriage had become. But my husband, Chip, wanted to take one more shot at reviving our marriage. He booked a New England/Canada cruise in October 2007 to see if sailing away from our day-to-day problems could bring us back together. More

John Heald

I don’t get up to the Sports Deck here on Carnival Breeze much, mostly because I simply don’t have time and because it has the word “sports” in the title. However, I did get up there yesterday to check out the new foosball and pool tables we have had installed and to look at some work that the Fincantieri workers were doing while we were in Venice yesterday. More

Yvon and Cees Kloppenburg are currently on a back-to-back western Mediterranean cruise on board Ryndam. They will be chronicling their cruising experience for us on the blog.

If you think you’ve experienced it all when it comes to food served on Holland America ships, book the Cellar Master’s Dinner.  The cellar master serves extraordinary dishes and gives explanations on the dishes and wines served throughout the seven-course dinner. More

Seabourn has been named the “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by the readers of Cruise International, a consumer cruise publication centered in the United Kingdom. We’re very honored to receive this distinction! Many thanks to all our guests who voted for us, and a big thank you and congratulations to our entire staff who gave our guests the “Seabourn Moments” they voted for!  More

John Heald

Now and then I get some posts that are very personal and attack me with such venom that it leaves me quite shaken up. There was one particular post I won’t grace with publishing but let me say it was so personal and full of such hate that it pushed my thick-skinned soul to the limit.  More

On August 26, 2012, on the second to last day of the cruise, Seabourn Pride made its maiden call to Faaborg, Denmark. The good people of Faaborg gave the ship a very warm welcome, greeting them with a gun salute, followed by a parade with famous characters such as Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. More

When you travel for work 80 percent of the year, where exactly is home? My wife, Alanna, and I are on the move so much of the time that it makes no sense to buy a house or rent a condo. Who would cut the grass and feed the proverbial cat?

As work puts us on the horizonless road for months at time, we have decided to set up house at sea. Princess Cruises is our domicile of choice, our home sweet home. More

So here I am back in the cruise director chair again which up until this morning was brilliantly occupied by Butch Begovitch who will return to be the permanent CD here after the crossing. He has left the ship in good order and really has left me with no major headaches…… except one.   You see we have a new staff member who is going to require some “counseling,” as tofu eaters would call it.  More

Seabourn celebrated the announcement of the luxury Swiss watchmaker Hublot as its official timekeeper with a special visit aboard Seabourn Quest on Sunday, September 2, 2012. Seabourn Quest Captain Geir-Arne Thue Nilsen welcomed Carnival Corporation and plc Chairman and CEO Micky Arison and Hublot’s Chairman of the Board Jean-Claude Biver aboard the line’s newest ship during a port call at Cannes, France. More

This cruise (8-22-2012) marks a special occasion for ms Volendam as she celebrates her 500th Voyage. To mark this special occasion all crew members on board received a commemorative T-shirt, organized a crew party and had a photo taken on the bow of the ship.  More

This summer Seabourn Pride has been making calls to Ronne on the lovely little Danish island of Bornholm. Bornholm is famous throughout Scandinavia for its succulent smoked herring. So a place with a lot of smokehouses seemed like a place that might have an occasional need of fire extinguishers. More

My husband, Brian, was one of the lucky few who found out what he loved to do at a young age. Part prodigy, part rebel, Brian graduated from high school at 16 then headed straight from his family home in Los Angeles to the shores of Hawaii, where he became an early player in the surfing movement that would shape popular culture for decades to come. More

 By Henry Bin Uyu Hidayat, Statendam's Human Resouces Clerk

I did this drive with Yono the controller, but the stories are from a different view.

“Bears, where are you?” three of us screamed wildly, after a very long time searching. We found nothing but then …

The road trip by rental car drove slowly, from the pier to the state national park, we keep on eye on each side to hopefully find a bear.

Scrambling to find the bear in a beautiful oceanside setting along the way couldn’t stop us from taking hundreds of pictures.  More

I may not be able to walk on water, but I do hold the distinction of being the world’s first person to run a marathon at sea.

Last September, I ran 80 times around the Promenade Deck of Grand Princess, just over the required 26.2 miles, as the ship itself sailed around the coast of Portugal.  It was my 33^rd marathon, and like most of my races, I ran it for charity. More

By Peter Shanks

Hello All

I am often so enthused by our ships and the magic that happens when they come together. Looking back over the last couple of weeks, I have witnessed three very special events – each different in nature but all three very special in their own. More

John Heald

There has been lots of debate on my Facebook page and, indeed, here on the Carnival Breeze amongst the guests about the opening ceremony of London’s Olympic Games. For the most part I thought it was a piece of typical Britishness. Eccentric and slightly bonkers. A few bits were far to PC for me though and none more so than when the helicopter (we will speak more of that in a moment) flew over the statue of Winston Churchill. More

Seabourn Pride and Seabourn Sojourn shared some quality time together in St. Petersburg, Russia recently. The two ships were both advantageously docked at the English Embankment, bringing their guests in close proximity to the city’s main attractions. More

Guest Chef Sonia Hunt is currently sailing aboard Oosterdam. She is the creator and host of “Stirring It Up!” — a lifestyle entertainment show. She has been a healthy living expert on the “Art of Living” celebrity radio show and continues to host and perform cooking demos in celebrity food and wine events around the country. More

On my birthday 30 years ago, birthdays changed forever. I lay in the hospital cradling a true gift, my daughter Jana, who had arrived unexpectedly while I was supposed to be attending my surprise birthday dinner.

Jana came quickly without contractions. Just a strange feeling to stop by the emergency room and check on my pregnancy. Six minutes later my husband at the time was calling the restaurant to tell our guests to stop hiding behind the furniture and celebrate without us. More

John Heald

 I would like to blame the guest who demanded that we pay for his cold medicine last cruise for the fact that I now have a stinker of a cold myself but, unfortunately, I had it before I had a close encounter with this Petri dish of a chap. In between his shouting session about how Carnival would “live to regret not giving him free medical care for the cold we gave him,” he sneezed and gave leviathan coughs and both the guest services manager and I both wished we were wearing Hazmat suits. More

Last Thursday night, Seabourn collected a fourth consecutive title as the World’s Best Small-Ship Cruise Line from the readers of Travel + Leisure at a party in New York City celebrating the 2012 edition of the magazine’s prestigious annual poll. More

“Why don’t we go on a cruise?” Thanh asked, as she had many times before.

“Because we are not Bill and Melinda Gates,” I replied.

I am man of modest means. And men of modest means—men who have memorized the Dollar Menu at McDonald’s (or the “tasting menu,” as I call it)—do not go on cruises.  I’d seen enough old movies to know that cruising was a pursuit reserved for the select few—aristocrats and oil barons, not special education teachers. More

Travel + Leisure magazine has announced the results of its 17th Annual World’s Best survey, and you have again rated Seabourn higher than all other lines, regardless of size, earning us a fourth consecutive title as the World’s Best Small-Ship Cruise Line and securing us a place on the magazine’s newly created Hall of Fame, comprised of companies that have made the list for a decade or more. More

John Heald

Good morning from a typical rainy summer day in Essex, England. Yes, it’s me, Heidi, here and Kye, too, of course. It is not often that I get to write to you these days so thank you for all your kind words and thoughts for Kye and me. We had a great time on the ship and Kye was of course spoiled by everyone. She is a Daddy’s girl for sure and we have had some tears recently as she “wants Dadda and Mama to be with Kye.”  More

This season we have seen more bears in Alaska than in previous years. The local people have been experiencing the same and according to them it is because of the fact that spring is so late this year. The bears are hungry and are looking for food. More

The Hot Chocolate on a Stick that we showed you last month is making its way aboard the Seabourn fleet. Culinary and Beverage Operations Manager Bjoern Wassmuth introduced it on Seabourn Sojourn in May, holding a formal tasting event in Seabourn Square for sweet-toothed staff members. More

My family and I don’t vacation often—it’s not that we don’t want to go to exotic countries and stay in fancy hotels, we absolutely do—but life has a funny way of flying by, especially with kids, and then we realized we hadn’t treated ourselves to a true getaway. 

In 2010, as three generations of our family assembled at my parents’ annual Christmas Eve dinner, we noted we had three major family milestones coming up: My parents’ 50^th, anniversary; our 25^th and my oldest son, J.R.’s college graduation. More

HAL launches a kids and teen Culinary Arts Center activity program to bring the joys of cooking to the younger set. Kids are taught basic cooking techniques, kitchen safety, new ingredients and how to follow recipe instructions. Aside from the fun involved, cooking encourages kids to think about numbers and measuring, cleanliness, safety and time management. More

John Heald

Yesterday, on Facebook, I spoke about how the chief engineers on our ships are unsung and rarely acknowledged. This comment made me think about what other positions on the ships never get mentioned. In the past I have spoken about the medical team, the waiters, the stateroom stewards — or “cabin boys” as they will be called later in the blog. More

Performances by local artists are an integral part of the entertainment program on Seabourn, with hundreds of local shows presented yearly across the fleet in destinations from Bali to Barcelona to Brisbane. On a sunny afternoon in the Black Sea resort of Yalta, guests on board Seabourn Quest enjoyed a stellar performance by the Black Sea Navy Ensemble. More

It’s customary in the military to throw a big party when you retire. Commanding officers, shipmates, family and civilian friends come together to toast the new retiree on his years of honorable service.

When my husband, Sean, retired as a lieutenant after serving for 20 years in the U.S. Navy, we talked about throwing one of those big retirement bashes. More

As anyone who has ever sailed on a Holland America Line ship knows, every cruise features ‘On Deck for the Cure.’ On Deck is a walk around the promenade deck to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation. After six days at sea, we thought the Noordam crew could use a little fresh air and what better way to get that then by walking with a purpose. More

I am writing this blog in the middle of the night…since my mother got sick, I don’t always sleep so well. Her illness brings to mind my father and the life we shared as a family. So many things cross my mind: A memory that always makes me smile is when I think about the time I took my children to a bon-voyage party off the pier of Manhattan. More

Holland America Line partners with Food & Wine magazine to launch an ambitious on-board culinary program. The multi-year partnership provides HAL guests with an opportunity to experience demonstrations and seminars conducted by top chefs, wine experts and leading cookbook authors provided by Food & Wine. More

Captain Hamish Elliott went home this morning … and he brought 450 guests with him! Seabourn Sojourn made her maiden call to Tyne port, near Newcastle in northeastern England. Tyne port is also near Sunderland where the captain calls home when he is not at sea. The ship held a plaque exchange ceremony with port officials to commemorate the ship’s visit to the port. More

In recognition of its measurable efforts to reduce its environmental footprint both at sea and in port, HAL is selected as the 2010 Marine Environmental Business of the Year by the Port of Seattle and the Seattle Propeller Club. More

By Peter Shanks

On Friday 27 April I awoke with an extra spring in my step. It was a normal English Friday in many senses. It was raining – despite the fact that we are officially in a ‘drought’. It was an early start as I jumped into the car at 0545 – and I managed to escape the house without waking our Labrador up which was a promising start to the day. The early morning radio news was still banging on about how tough the economy is. More

We took the St. John's on Your own shore excursion to get the ferry from the ship straight to St. John’s. We decided to take the mature trail to get to Caneel Bay beach so we got our exercise. It was a lovely day to snorkel and relax without the crowds of St. Thomas. More

John Heald

There are many ways in which you can tell you are getting old. The forest of hair in your nose and ears for example or those weird noises I make now as I get out of a chair or off a sofa ………. aggghoooo. However, these past few days I have experienced two situations that make me think that 47 is the new 73. Firstly, while at home last week a friend called me at 9:30pm and asked: “I didn’t wake you, did I?”  More

One busy evening in Seattle, our manager of Culinary Operations, Bjoern Wassmuth, was stuck in a major traffic jam on his way home. He and his carpooling colleagues were not moving at all, so instead of sitting idly in the car, they went to a local pizza restaurant to wait for the traffic to ease. It was a charming mom-and-pop restaurant and according to Bjoern, it served some of the best pizza he’s ever had! More

How do you react to catastrophic news? We were reeling when my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Our thoughts galloped…in his 60s, Bob was too young for this! Then, after the operation, the doctor delivered the knockout blow:  A few cancer cells had settled in the lymph nodes leaving Bob with only one to five years left to live. More

By Keith Maynard: Entertainment Director - Queen Elizabeth

It was day four of our passage though the internationally recommended transit corridor into the Red Sea and whilst the crew and guests of Queen Elizabeth began to prepare for an exciting day visiting the Valley of the Kings and Luxor  all minds in the Royal Court Theatre were focussed on one result – who would win the Maritime Mastermind Final.  More

It is again one of those nice sunny days in Puerto Vallarta. However the winter highseason has come to an end. Most “snowbirds” are returning home or are home again. It was busy today with much security since the World Forum 2012 started with visits by some head of states. Today also was the last call this season of Statendam in port. Nice to see they lowered the tenders and were sailing briefly with them in the port. Looking forward to next winter and seeing Statendam again. More

Seabourn Legend guests enjoy a private, classical concert at the beautiful Celsus Library in Ephesus, Turkey. Gorgeous, isn’t it? Destinations Services Manager Francisco Parró sent us this stunning photo and described the evening as “amazing, truly unique, and simply extraordinary!”  More

John Heald

I remember when the mail used to be fun. Not email, not the offer of a larger thingy which, by the way, I decided to apply for and for my $45 I received a magnifying glass…..no, I mean real mail, the stuff the mailman brings. You know, back before e-mail, when I would receive a birthday card and check. Or even better, a birthday card with a check. There was nothing better than opening that white square envelope knowing that inside there would be money. More

By Peter Shanks

Hello All

As we approach 15 April, we will all read and hear much about the 100^th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.  It was a sad and terrible tragedy and I hope that in all the excitement to remember the story people apply a sense of dignity and respect for those who lost their lives.  More

It began, innocently enough, as a light snow, transforming the landscape around our rural Kentucky home into a transcendent holiday card. Then came eight days of intermittent freezing rain, more snow and finally, a brutal pummeling of skin-searing, sub-zero, 20-mile-per-hour wind gusts hurling around more snow and freezing rain. More

 Our staff strives to deliver as many special “Seabourn moments” as possible to guests on board. They take pride in delighting our guests and putting a smile on their faces. Recently on board Seabourn Quest, the team organized two special events for our World Cruise guests to create even more exceptional memories for them.  More

Have you ever said to yourself that you wished you had asked your parents or grandparents more about what it was like for them growing up? Several years ago, my husband and I asked my parents to go on a trip with us. We thought that going on a cruise would be a perfect opportunity to get away for a few days, spend some quality time together and learn about our family ancestry. More

The intimate, all-suite ships of Seabourn deliver accommodations, service, cuisine and attention to detail that place it among the elite in the global hospitality industry, according to the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. For 2012, the prestigious organization has invited the small-ship cruise specialist into the rarified ranks of its Six Star Diamond honorees, comprising a roster of the world’s finest hotels, resorts, spas, luxury transportation providers and others who cater to the most discerning clientele around the world.  More

On Monday, March 19, Captain Darin Bowland, Chief Engineer Frank de Vries and myself attended the 50th anniversary of the splashdown by John Glenn in the waters off Grand Turk at the Grand Turk Cruise Center. The cruise center pays tribute to The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) space program Project Mercury and the historic 1962 splashdown of the Friendship 7 capsule off the island’s coast. More

Shortly before my mother died, she asked me if I could take a cruise anywhere in the world, where would I go. I could not answer her immediately. Her question had uncorked a train of thought, an internal debate that I had avoided confronting for years.

I am a veteran of the Vietnam War. Over our 17 years of marriage, my wife Christle had asked me about my time there, often suggesting we visit Vietnam together. How could we? Vietnam was a place I left in 1966 praying I would never have to go back. But Christle sensed the deeper truth…I was curious about the place; I wanted and needed to see for myself what life was like today for the people of a country that I left so torn apart by war. More

Seabourn Pride is currently sailing in Southeast Asia, where the landscapes are stunning and the cultures are rich and colorful.  Here is a report from Cruise Sales Specialist Beate Zaderer from Vietnam:

In Ho Chi Minh City, guests experienced a “Cultural Evening in Saigon” at the beautiful and legendary Majestic Hotel, where they enjoyed pre-dinner drinks on the rooftop terrace while watching a Vietnamese cultural show. The performance reflected traditional music and dances from the Northern and Southern parts of Vietnam.  More

We have not reached the Italian ports on our World Cruise itinerary, yet, but Italy has been with us during the entire voyage.  All we need to do is head for Canaletto, a no-fee alternative restaurant for casual dinners that serves Italian fare.  Humberto and I have patronized it three times already, as they have all our favorites on the menu.  Waiters bring a basket of fresh breads including garlic bread, bread sticks and tomato bread and a large tray of antipasti including mozzarella balls, olives, asparagus and more.  Bottles of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar are already waiting on the tables. More

For anyone who has ever known a teenage girl, getting one to do something she doesn’t want to do is nearly impossible. And should you succeed, a hefty price will be paid in long sulks and lengthy complaints. This was the scenario last year as I told Miranda we’d be taking a Thanksgiving cruise to Mexico with my parents.

“They are old and uncool, and I’ll die of boredom,” Miranda said. But it was very important to me that Miranda know her grandparents. Unlike her older brother, who grew up near them, we moved when Miranda was two. She rarely saw my parents. A cruise on Sapphire Princess seemed just the thing to make a genuine connection and bridge a 50-year generation gap. More

By Peter Shanks

Hello All

Saturday afternoon, a London Veterans Field Hockey match against Maidenhead, in the pouring rain – and we lost 12-0. And given that I am the goalkeeper, you can imagine that this was not my finest hour. How on earth did that happen – well let’s rewind a week to last Saturday morning.  I checked in at Heathrow for the rather long journey to Australia. I go ‘down under’ each year at this time – an opportunity to see our ships on their World Voyages and to promote Cunard in the growing Australian market. I always find the outward journey not too much of a problem as I have a lot to look forward to. I travelled on a Qantas A380 – very good service, comfortable seat and happily none of the cracks in the wings that I was reading about in the press prior to boarding.  More

While Seabourn Quest was alongside at Cape Town, South Africa during its maiden World Cruise, Seabourn President Richard Meadows joined the full world cruise guests for an exclusive afternoon event at the Cape Coast winery owned by champion golfer Ernie Els. Departing the ship in the afternoon, the guests were driven from busy Cape Town through the suburban townships and into the bucolic countryside. More

Here are photos from Amsterdam’s grand “Mardi Gras Afloat!” The Lido’s magradome pool became a paddle boat restaurant area with Mardi Gras decorations and Jazz music just like on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. We set up Bourbon street light’s and market stalls and colorful tables with gold, green and purple all over the place. The ceiling panel was decorated with balcony banners and the ship’s officers, crew and guests wore festive outfits and masks like the clowns, jesters and musical entertainment during the parade. More

My dad is a retired plumber, and one of his favorite things to do is to hang out at the local coffee shop, talking with his buddies. They discuss just about everything including greatest trips, past and present. Dad has many vacations to share because when I was growing up, my family took car trips to see much of the United States and he and mom also traveled to Europe. But I knew he still had one special place on his travel bucket list. He wanted to go to Alaska and the nation’s “last frontier” brought out the wanderlust in him. More

Excellent company, delicious cuisine, and a special performance by award-winning music composer Marvin Hamlisch — these are just a few special moments that world cruise guests experienced during the Gala Bon Voyage Dinner in Ft. Lauderdale before they embarked on their 109-day journey aboard Seabourn Quest the next day. On Jan. 4, 2012, Seabourn President Richard Meadows, along with other company executives and shipboard staff, welcomed guests to The Ritz-Carlton, Ft. Lauderdale for a spectacular event before bidding them bon voyage!

One of the evening’s highlights included a piano performance by Mr. Hamlisch, who delighted the crowd with a special song he had written specifically just for the World Cruise. Below are a few pictures from the gala; you can view more photos on our Facebook page.  More

Travel writer Georgina Cruz and her husband Humberto are currently sailing on Amsterdam’s 112-day Grand World Voyage and will be sending in cruise diaries throughout their time on board. Here is the first entry. Enjoy!

Imagine for a moment that you have the opportunity to experience the world – all seven continents – in one neat package. It is the ultimate voyage, a true circumnavigation of the planet, in our case, onboard Holland America’s flagship, the ms Amsterdam, 112-days circling the globe to and from Fort Lauderdale. My husband, Humberto, and I had dreamed, planned and saved for a World Cruise for years, but had been unable to do so until he retired last year... More

Perhaps to celebrate a milestone occasion, to re-connect with friends and family, or to mark a special accomplishment?  Princess Cruises recently launched a new blog called "Inspired to Cruise", where each week throughout 2012 Princess will post inspiring stories from passengers sharing the reasons why they've cruised.  Hope their reasons will inspire your own!

by Tim Corthorn

A day at sea or a day in port...? I can never choose which I prefer because whenever you look out of the window there is always something different to see. I start my day the same way a lot of people on board do - by looking out of the window to see exactly where we are. As a ship’s navigation officer it is always good to know where you are! As you look out at the world around the ship you might spot familiar sights, and although you have seen them before they are always as amazing as the first time. The sight of the Rock of Gibraltar appearing over the horizon and getting bigger and bigger as the ship gets closer and closer is one such example. I have seen it so many times but this sight is by far one of my favourites. More