Venice – One of the World’s Most Romantic Settings

A couple of years ago, I was one of 20 Cruise Holidays franchisees to participate in the Cruise Holidays President’s Circle cruise, which was a seven-day Mediterranean cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Splendour of the Seas that departed from Venice.   If you’re taking a cruise that begins and/or ends in Venice, do yourself a favor and spend a few days exploring its fascinating sites. I guarantee that you will experience at least one of the following:

1. You will get lost while wandering through the rich labyrinths that are part of the magic of Venice
2. You will fall in love all over again
3. You will wish you had more time to play in Venice
                                                                                  
A few words of advice about staying in Venice: Stay as close to the heart of Venice in the vicinity of St. Mark’s Square as you can afford. Transportation in and around Venice can be very expensive and besides, if you’re only in Venice for a few days you don’t want to waste precious time traveling to the major sites such as St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica di San Marco) and the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale).

On all of our trips, Steve is the designated photographer and in Venice he remarked that all you need to do to take a great picture is to aim the camera at just about anything because Venice is so incredibly picturesque. My favorite memory was the gondola ride with the young Italian on board singing O Sole Mio with his heart in his hands. Just for the record, I was with Steve in the gondola.

Steve's photos of Venice

Wine and River Cruising

I’ve always thought that wine and cruising made a great combination. Even if a glass of wine (or two) isn’t part of your daily routine at home, it’s easy to get into the habit while cruising on the Mediterranean or the European rivers. Whether you’re admiring the lush Rhône Valley vineyards from your perch on the Sun deck or enjoying the vineyard-rich, UNESCO-designated Wachau Valley while savoring a Sacher Torte in the dining room, you will undoubtedly find yourself in the mood to sip a glass of wine while cruising in these renowned wine-growing regions.

However, if you’re more serious about your wine, there are European wine-themed river cruises. In 2011, Avalon Waterways will be offering four of them:

• The Blue Danube Discovery Wine River Cruise from Budapest to Prague on the Avalon Tranquility, July 15-27 and from Prague to Budapest on the Avalon Tranquility, October 27-November 6.  You will participate in a wine tasting excursion in Budapest or Prague and visit a Wachau wine cellar in Melk.  While onboard, you will attend an Austrian sweet wine lecture and tasting and enjoy a food and wine pairing gala dinner. Do you know the difference between an Austrian Grüner Veltliner and a German Riesling Spälese? It is one of  the many things you will learn on this cruise.

• Windmills, Vineyards, & Paris Wine River Cruise from Paris to Amsterdam on the Avalon Luminary, October 3-15. You will explore the Moselle wine-growing region, visit the charming wine village of Bernkastel and taste several of the region’s varietals, attend fascinating lectures on French and German wines and enjoy a food and wine pairing gala dinner onboard.

• Burgundy & Provence Wine River Cruise from Arles to Paris on the Avalon Scenery from October 31-November 10. You will tour a wine cellar in Beaune and have the opportunity to taste some of France’s famed Burgundy, Chardonnay and Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines. On board the Avalon Scenery, you will be treated to a Beaujolais wine tasting, a food and wine pairing dinner gala dinner and a wine and chocolate tasting.

Are you a member of a Wine Club? Do you have a favorite sommelier who knows his or her way around the wine regions in Europe? Then let me help you design your dream wine cruise. We’ve all heard of food and wine pairings. I think it’s time to do some cruise and wine pairings!

Culturally Rich Cruising Experiences on Azamara Club Cruises & Oceania Cruises

 

Azamara Journey-Norwegian Fjords

For those of you seasoned travelers who are looking for culturally rich cruising experiences on elegant, intimate mid-sized ships for less than $500 per person per day, take a long look at Azamara Club Cruises and Oceania Cruises.   Azamara Club Cruises owns two of the R-Ships from the former Renaissance Cruises fleet, Azamara Journey (formerly R.6) and Azamara Quest (formerly R.7) and Oceania Cruises owns three of them, Insignia (formerly R.1), Regatta (formerly R.2) and Nautica (formerly R.5).  In addition, Oceania Cruises is building Marina, which debuts in January 2011 and with 1,250 passengers, is almost twice as large as its other three ships.

Oceania Nautica - Halong Bay

Both of these distinctive cruise lines offer a sophisticated yet relaxed way to travel, five-star cuisine, comfortable accommodations with top-of-the-line amenities, country club environment, superb service, and rich, port-intensive itineraries.  In 2011, the Azamara Club Cruises fleet will overnight in 36 ports on four continents and the Oceania Cruises fleet will overnight in 36 ports on five continents.  Azamara Journey will spend two nights in Rio de Janeiro and St. Petersburg while Azamara Quest will spend two nights in Bangkok.  Insignia will spend two nights in St. Petersburg while Nautica will spend two nights in Rangoon (Yangon), Myanmar.



 As far as price is concerned, there isn't much difference between the two.  In November 2010, the cost per person per day in the lowest category Club Veranda Stateroom (V3) on a Mediterranean cruise in September 2011 on Azamara Journey or Azamara Quest is $397.52; the cost per person per day in the lowest category Veranda Stateroom (B2) on a Mediterranean cruise in September 2011 on Insignia or Nautica is $421.36 and on Marina is $433.17.

 

You might be wondering how you would choose one over the other.  Itinerary would probably be the most important factor.   However, Azamara Club Cruises includes boutique red and white wines with lunch and dinner; gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar wait staff; and complimentary shuttle bus service in many ports.  Oceania Cruises includes complimentary seating in all specialty dining restaurants.  Oceania Cruises is also launching Marina in January 2011, which will include more spacious accommodations (a veranda stateroom on Marina is a roomy 282 square feet and has a bathtub).  Marina also offers the Bon Appétit Culinary Center and Artist Loft enrichment center.

Culturally Rich Cruising Experiences Aboard Azamara Club Cruise and Oceania Cruises is a more in-depth analysis of the difference between the two.  I would love to hear about your recent experiences on either one of them.



Should I Cruise or Should I Stay at an All-Inclusive Tropical Land-Based Resort?

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Cruise Holidays convention at El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico which is a very nice all-inclusive land-based resort south of Cancun.  Although our convention is normally held on a cruise ship, this year it was held on land, which gave me the opportunity to experience an all-inclusive resort for the first time.  Being an avid cruiser, I was initially disappointed that our convention would be held on land but started to get excited about it when I realized that staying at the El Dorado Royale would allow me to sample cruising's major competitior, the all-inclusive tropical land-based resort.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the expansive accommodations, beautiful grounds, extensive dining choices (the D'Italia Casitas Restaurant was especially good), and the friendly service of El Dorado Royale, I wouldn't trade it for a cruise.  To me, there is something particularly magical about sailing away in the sunset while bidding farewell to the crowd left behind on the pier and musing about adventures to come on faraway islands.

On a cruise, you have the opportunity to visit different places and if you happen to be cruising in the Caribbean, each island has a distinct personality and charm all its own.  It's easier to meet new and interesting people and swap stories with fellow travelers on a cruise because people who don't know each other are more likely to dine together.   And, if the weather is not to your liking at a particular destination, it's good to know that the cruise ship will be moving on to another, perhaps fairer port, the next day.

However, if you're going to a tropical paradise where there is much to explore and you need more than a day or if you just want to plop down on a beach chair and decompress for a week, a land-based resort might be a better choice for you.

In the meantime, I'll continue cruising.

More photos of El Dorado Royale

Cabaret Au Château

Steve and I attended the Cabaret Au Château at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville last weekend.  It was a gala event sponsored by the Alliance Française de Seattle and it was the next best thing to being on a cruise in France. 

The evening began with a festive reception and silent auction featuring music by Danick.  As I sipped my bubbly apéritif, I enjoyed listening to the entertaining French conversations around me and after half a glass I was no longer reticient to speak some French of my own.  I did a better job speaking on this evening than I normally do in my French class on Thursday nights at Alliance Française so maybe I'll suggest to my instructor, Gwen Sauvage, that she bring a nice bottle of Chardonnay to the class.  It's amazing what a glass of wine will do to loosen the tongue.

One of the many reasons I enjoy France as much as I do is the way the French savor the whole dining experience.  I'm not just talking about the fabulous  French cuisine and the excellent wine; I admire how the French relax and take pleasure in eating, drinking and enjoying each other's company as if there were no tomorrow. 

This evening's delicious meal and our interesting dinner companions brought the French joie-de-vivre out in us.  The roasted chicken breast with proscuitto-sage stuffing and roasted shallot sauce melted in my mouth. And, I would not have traded the gingerbread cake with brandy sabayon, caramel sauce and warm apples for a rich chocolate dessert even though I'm a confirmed chocoholic.  The Chateau Ste. Michelle 2008 Muscat Canelli was a particularly good choice with the gingerbread cake.   During dinner, we had the pleasure of listening to Rouge, with vocalist Janet Rayor bringing French music to life at each of our tables.

   

A Voyage to Remember

For the past few weeks, I've been asking my friends, family, colleagues and clients to post a photo on my Cruise Holidays Facebook page of their most memorable vacation.  To encourage them to take the time to do this, I've been offering a $25 onboard credit on the next cruise they book with me.  One of the most interesting responses I received was from Carole Casper, former owner of Cruise Holidays of Seattle.

Carole's most memorable cruise was with Theo Fabergé on the Silver Whisper's "Baltic Reflections" inaugural voyage, July 27- August 7, 2001.  Just being on this voyage would be remarkable but it turns out that Carole was instrumental in bringing Theo Fabergé on board and designing Silversea's Romanovs Remembered package, a rare opportunity for guests to experience the hidden wonders of St. Petersburg and receive a limited edition, commemorative Silver Whisper Egg designed by Mr.Fabergé.

 I asked Carole if she knew Theo Fabergé before Silver Whisper's inaugural voyage and she said, "No, I didn't know him but my Slavic heritage encouraged my love for all things Russian.  I've admired his family's eggs for my entire life so I just started online trying to find him."  Carole not only found him but introduced him to Silversea because she thought a Theo Fabergé Egg and a special tour of St. Petersburg would be a perfect fit for the Silver Whisper's inaugural voyage.  Silversea executives obviously agreed with her and commissioned Mr. Fabergé to design a numbered, limited edition "Egg" to celebrate the inaugural season of the line's newest ship.  Carole developed the ideas for the tour program in St. Petersburg with the help of recognized Russian imperial art historian Lynette G. Proler.

I need to take a page from Carole's book.  I'm an avid francophile and a member of Alliance Française, where I'm working hard to improve my French.   And I love culturally rich cruising experiences.   I have group space on Uniworld's Grand France river cruise from Paris to Arles on September 18 - October 2, 2011 and although this will be a wonderful cruise, it doesn't include any exclusive experiences designed by "yours truly."  I'm just going to have to let my imagination run free -- do you think a glass of fine French wine would help?

River Cruising: A Unique Way to See Many Places in Our Beautiful World

I love river cruising because it combines the best of ocean cruising and land tours. You unpack once and your floating boutique hotel takes you into the heart of both bustling cities and charming villages while you sit back and enjoy the picturesque scenery along the way.

Ocean cruising certainly has its advantages. Since the ships are much larger, more activities, entertainment and dining options are available on board. But as discerning cruisers have discovered, more isn’t necessarily better. If you’re more interested in delving into the history and culture of the fascinating regions you’re visiting than being entertained on board, a river cruise is ideal. Unlike most ocean cruise ships, river cruise ships overnight in many ports of call giving you the opportunity to explore the area by day and to experience the night life. Think about Amsterdam; its personality changes as the sun goes down. If your ship sails at 5:00pm, you just might miss the most vibrant element of a city’s DNA.

If you’ve been on a lot of land tours, I can assure you the river cruise ship is a lot more comfortable than the roomiest of motor coaches. And you won’t have to pack your bags and put them out the door for pickup by some ungodly early hour every morning because on a river cruise you unpack only once.

In Europe, you can take an unforgettable journey across the heart of Europe from the North Sea to the Black sea on three historic rivers: the Rhine, the Main and the Danube. If you’re a connoisseur of everything French, you can experience all of France by cruising on the Seine, Saône and Rhône rivers. You can also travel Europe’s spectacular UNESCO World Heritage-designated river valley through Portugal and Spain on the Douro River.

Discover the rich history and traditions along the imperial waterways of Russia including the Neva, Svir and Volga Rivers. Explore China’s mighty Yangtze River as you sail through the most impressive stretch of the river featuring the Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge, collectively known as the Three Gorges. Journey along the Nile River in Egypt and experience incredible sights that include ancient temples, tombs and local villages.

River cruises are now offered by leading river cruise providers on the exotic Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam where temples, trade routes and fishing villages in the river’s path are untouched by time.