I was on the Virtuoso Cruise Committee when Atlas was introduced as a new cruise partner. I did not offer them for some time as I have seen upstarts under perform. I watched the Virtuoso Verified Reviews and finally decided to offer...
READ MOREItaly has a draw that to many is a sirens song and Venice is it’s soul. The lagoon is a massive body of water just off the Adriatic Sea and is a busy waterway for small vessels. Large cruise ships were banned in summer 2021 and now must port in...
READ MOREThe Viking Polaris is stunning. Her glamour shots do not do her justice. It is impossible to capture her feel in photos. Space in public areas is impressive even with a full compliment of passengers she was uncrowded. I was constantly surprised...
READ MOREEarly May 2023 the Vista was christened in Malta. Attending the naming ceremony was magical, speeches and entertainment ending in fireworks. The care and attention to detail so evident in the festivities extended to Vista. As soon as I stepped...
READ MOREVictorian opulence meets modern day comfort with a serving of Americana. River cruises on American Queen are so unique that they really don’t fit into even the river cruise category. Unusual in the number of passengers for a river ship with...
READ MORESome ships are refurbished and then there is Windstar, ships cut into, rebuilt from the engines up so that they feel better than new because they did not lose the Windstar crew which is the soul of a ship. New meets old seamlessly and every inch...
READ MOREAlways known for the personal touches of the Tollman Family the Uniworld ships are individually designed for the rivers they sail and all spaces including each cabin are uniquely decorated. The Joie de Vivre has a playful moulin rouge theme with...
READ MOREFrom the moment I walked on the ship I could tell that the Edge is very different even from the Solstice class ships in the fleet. Public areas are spacious, colors are serene, art is interesting, smiles and greetings are abundant. Unique small...
READ MOREFifth in a series, the Orion keeps the refined simple elegance of her sisters with the addition of a few notable additions such as the Explorer’s Dome a Planetarium/Imax like experience. The décor is Scandinavian in light tones with color...
READ MOREThe Norwegian Bliss sailed her maiden voyage at the first of June 2018. She made news with her race track and water slides but the real news to me is that she feels grown-up. Gone are the unfortunate decorating mis-adventures that preceded Frank...
READ MOREThe Beyla is the smaller version long ship with a capacity of just 98, she was built in 2015. Sailing on the Beyla is serene with no noticeable noise or vibration. Décor is light with Scandinavian influences, Beyla is comfortable and...
READ MOREConsistency is a hallmark of Crystal Cruises. Every returning passenger knows that they will always be a welcome guest. The crew is friendly and acutely observant to both spoken and unspoken requests. When I asked for white wine that was not...
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