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Photo courtesy of Avalon Waterways

TRAVELSAVERS’ Nicole Mazza served as the godmother of the Avalon Visionary while Canadian travel industry insider Vanessa Lee, acted as godmother to the Avalon Vista.

Pond Skimming at Bolton Valley in Vermont

But that didn’t dim the high school freshman’s enthusiasm for the new sport. “ It was so exciting and fun,” he said after his first weekend of lessons at Bolton Valley Resort in Vermont.  “Being on those slopes made me feel alive,” he said.

That’s the idea, of course. But that Isaiah and five of his classmates—all from the inner city–even had the opportunity to experience a snow sport took a lot of teamwork.

It’s no secret that the snow sports industry wants to encourage more minorities to hit the slopes. But that’s not easy with lift tickets costing over $90 at many places, not to mention all the gear that’s needed.  (Even long underwear and the right socks can be expensive.)

That’s where this wonderful partnership that got Isaiah and his housemates to Bolton Valley came in. The boys—all identified as having potential for academic success in middle school –live in a group house in Westport, CT and attend Staples High School under the Auspices of A Better Chance that sends inner city boys and girls to prep schools and suburban communities like ours around the country.

The Chill Foundation ,  was started by Burton founders and Vermonters Donner and Jake Carpenter here at Bolton Valley to get at risk kids out on the slopes—kids who live near the mountains but may never have seen them—and to use snowboarding to enforce positive life lessons.

These kids have been referred by local agencies, are bused to a mountain near where they live, outfitted from head to toe and taught to snowboard which becomes the vehicle to help them find success and ultimately build self esteem.

Since starting at Bolton Valley—the resort has a strong commitment to giving back to its community—and  thanks to partnerships with ski resorts and private donations, the program has reached thousands of kids in a dozen North American cities and those as far away as Australia and Austria—some 1300 each ski season participate in the six-week program learning the rewards of perseverance, respect , responsibility for others and for their equipment, courage, and in the end, pride at what they have accomplished.

Those are lessons we could all learn, of course, and vacation is a good time to reinforce them.   For many families, all it would take is a camping trip, a visit to another country to experience a different culture or to the ski slopes to get out of their comfort zone.

Our ABC boys, though, don’t often have the opportunity for such experiences.  That’s why we’re so fortunate that  for the past three years, Chill has graciously provided gear for our boys—everything from waterproof jackets and pants, gloves and helmets–while Bolton Valley donates rental equipment, lessons, rooms and even coupons for breakfast and lunch. Board members, including me and my husband, donated the weekend to drive and chaperone the boys.  SmartWool  sent long underwear and snowboarding socks this season and a popular local restaurant, The Reservoir  in Waterbury, VT covered the boys’ dinner, which they loved.

“I enjoyed the food and the resort itself,” said Luis Cruz, the other freshman I n the group. “I enjoyed learning for the first time and then jumping into the hot tub.”

“Everything was tranquil and calm, and it felt particularly comforting,” added Isiah. “Perhaps it was because everyone was there for one central purpose: to enjoy themselves and to have a pleasant time.”

Even those like senior Stephan  Patterson who prefers the beach to the snow was glad he came, though he conceded, “The sauna was my favorite part.”

“The instructors were young and really cool,” added  Ruben Guardado, a sophomore, who would like to try skiing next season.  Another plus to a weekend away, he said, “Was not worrying about anything . That was so nice..a real  treat.”

It’s never too late. One of our middle-aged chaperones, who hadn’t skied in eight years and never off the easiest terrain, got out of his comfort zone and took a ski lesson.

The boys were impressed.  But more important, so was he.

Atrium of the Fascinosa

The last time I saw Venice was about 5-1/2 years ago. It was over a Labor Day weekend when our ship docked near the Plaza San Marco and although Italy doesn’t observe our version of Labor Day, they were surely celebrating that weekend. The Plaza was

wall-to-wall tourists and accents indicated visitors hailed from Russia and Mississippi, from  Brazil and Jamaica as well as all of central Europe and the Americas.  It was our fifth or sixth visit so we didn’t feel the need to join the throngs for long. And there were throngs!

That’s not quite the case today, but this amazing city still draws a lot of tourists — and a lot of cruise ships.

Among the vessels docked near the beautiful new Costa Fascinosa are the MSC Musica, NCL Jade and Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of the Sea.

Sprawling pool area

Fascinosa is a lovely new vessel. Along with Costa’s Favorosa, it is the largest in the fleet. Art throughout the ship features well-known Italian film stars from Marcello Mastroianni to Melina Mercouri and many performers whose names do not both begin with the letter “M.” There are photos in each elevator car, wonderful shots of films are everywhere.

The name “Fascinosa” is translated as “fascinating.”  So if the performing arts are your thing, if you “get” opera (consider each deck is named for a famous opera:  Aida, Gilda,  and more,) and don’t mind movie stars watching over you as you enter and exit the elevator, hope to grab a drink at the Babylon Disco, Topkapi Grand Bar, Blue Velvet Bar or the Lido Blue Moon Bar, this ship’s for you.

But the real star of the show today is the city of Venice, a wonderful old and elegant favorite of travelers from around the world.  Those on the port side of the ship have a superb view of the magnificent St. Mark’s Square and the tall bell tower and amazing 14^th century Basilica.

Babylon Disco aboard the Fascinosa

Some guests are already heading out for a ride along the Grand Canal in a romantic gondola  – and some are hoping to meet a romantic gondolier – while others have are off to tour the Doge’s Palace.

My hope for tomorrow is to find time to revisit the old Ghetto and Synagogue, a short vaporetto ride from St. Mark’s Square, maybe visit a museum and get back to the ship.  We’ll see.

It is oh-so-tempting. Even a $15 cup of coffee at one of the cafes around the Square would be fun – expensive but fun, but my mission is to tour the ship and see what Costa is offering. So I will keep you posted.

For now I can tell you Fascinosa is lovely. It’s new and bright as a penny. Beginning next week, she will offer seven-day cruises from Bari and Venice to Greece and Croatia and in the coming winter will sail to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

I have my sea legs and have spent a lot of time on cruise ships and never tire of the experience. I like big ships and small. I enjoy European and Alaskan itineraries and of course, my own backyard, the Caribbean. I have sailed to Asian ports and on barges. Last year I fell in love with river cruising on my first river cruise up the Danube.

Three months ago I broke three bones in my left foot. I was put into an immobilization boot and yep, I was immobilized! And I was grounded, unable to put weight on my foot.

I used, in turn, a wheel chair, a knee walker and finally a cane. The boot, which I slept in for two-and-a-half months, was finally replaced with a soft, shoe-like contraption. I am now wearing real shoes – on both feet – and it feels wonderful.

During those months I had to avoid crowds and had to miss, among other things, the debut of Disney’s newest ship out of Port Canaveral and a repositioning sailing on Azamara Club Cruises to Rouen, France. (I did, though, discover wonderful friends who dragged me – along with my equipment – to doctor’s appointments and out to lunch or dinner.)

A week ago I traded in the wheel chair, etc. for a Lufthansa Airbus 340-300 to Dusseldorf and then on to Venice for the launch of Costa’s new Fascinosa. The new ship was sailing from Venice.

I am going back to work and delighted to be doing so. I can’t guarantee I’ll be dancing a tarantella, but I’ll be back in harness.

During the next few days I will share details of the new ship and how Costa execs plan to market Fascinosa.

It should be fascinating.

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Jelly belly Factory, Fairfield, CA

As a resident of Northern California (and yes, there is California north of San Francisco- many people mistakenly believe the state ends there) this trip south is a short and convenient one.  We made the jaunt down I-5 toward San Francisco for a long weekend recently, and discovered there are lots of family-friendly activities, not only in the city, but in the surrounding area as well.

One of the more highly anticipated stops on our trip was the Jelly Belly Factory, in Fairfield, California.  The Jelly Belly Visitor Center is open daily from 9-5, and guided factory tours operate daily from 9-4, with some holiday exceptions. My advice, however, is to try to visit during the week.  We happened to stop at the factory first on a Sunday, when the production lines were shut down, so our visit consisted mainly of a simple walk through.  We visited again on Tuesday, when all the lines were running, and it was much more exciting, giving a better feel of the process and for the volume of candy that’s produced there.  My kids enjoyed the free samples (no-brainer there), robotic elements, videos that told about the history of the factory… and especially the gift shop, which offers all manner of Jelly Belly candy and merchandise.  (Note: We also had lunch there at the café, where their jelly-bean-shaped hamburger buns and smiley French fries were an instant hit with the under-12 crowd.  The food was surprisingly good.)

Click here for a video with more information and details on the Jelly Belly Fairfield Visitor Center and tour.

Marine show, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

We stopped next in Vallejo at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, which possesses some truly heart-stopping rides and a pretty impressive marine show.  We watched Shouka, the killer whale, demonstrate some amazing out-of-water leaping abilities, along with playful “dancing”, waving, and prolific audience splashing.  This is just one of several live shows, (see more about the animals shows here) and probably my favorite part of the park.  A couple of tips: you can buy tickets online, but pay attention to the park days and hours of operation, in spring; they’re only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Also, wear good walking shoes, the distance from the parking area to the park is probably close to a mile, although you can make it easier on yourself by taking a tram at least part of the way.  Kudos to the staff there, we found them to be unexpectedly welcoming and friendly in every circumstance.

Another stop along the way was Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, which is located high (HIGH) above the city of Berkeley.  Although at times I did suspect that the GPS might be laughingly leading us on a wild goose chase, we did, in fact, wend our way through the hills into a clearing that houses the museum and an absolutely spectacular view of the city and the bay, where we could see the tips of the Golden Gate Bridge peeking out through the fog.  The view alone is worth the trip.  The museum itself is engaging, and currently has hands-on exhibits and information for kids on nanotechnology, and Earth and space.  It also offers a design challenge to build a bridge prototype and test it. Outside, the facility features an earthquake simulator and hands-on erosion tables where you can control the water flow from the simulated Sierra Nevada, compare rock types, and examine the native

Lawrence Hall of Science, Image via UC Berkeley

plant collection.  The next exhibit to be featured, according to their website, is “Tony Hawk | Rad Science: Skateboard legend Tony Hawk joins forces with physics to make 900-degree revolutions in midair, ride up vertical walls, and fly over rails.”  Read more about the Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science here.

After experiencing all of these things, we were ready to head to San Francisco.  Having decided to stay in Corte Madera, we planned to take the Larkspur ferry into the city.  More about the stay and our visit to the city in the next post….

We were comfortably ensconced in our seats on a nonstop American Airlines flight to Eagle County Regional Airport, the closest airport to Vail, CO, when the pilot announced we were making an unscheduled stop in Chicago.

Why? He said neither he nor the co-pilot were qualified to land at a mountain airport. The passengers were flabbergasted. Didn’t he know where he was going when we took off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport?

We’d all spent more money to fly nonstop to the mountains to avoid changing planes. We were also trying to avoid the drive to the mountains from Denver which can be arduous because of traffic, not to mention snow.

We were also concerned that a non-qualified pilot might be at the helm flying into the mountains. (As it turned out that day, winds were very high and landings in the mountains tricky.)

When we landed in Chicago—to change pilots and refuel—I called the American Airlines media relations folks. The explanation: Because the pilot had been scheduled for this flight, he thought he was qualified to fly the route, though he didn’t have the special qualifications needed for a mountain landing. It was a scheduling mistake — understandable, but scary at the same time. Why the pilot didn’t check and the mistake wasn’t corrected before we were in the air, I couldn’t discern. Could it have anything to do with the airline going through bankruptcy and downsizing its operations?

We were delayed more than two hours, sitting at Chicago’s O’Hare for more than 45 minutes. Sure we were annoyed but glad that our plane was now in the hands of a pilot experienced in mountain landings.

But it is what happened next that has made me realize when it comes to travel, you really have to stand up for yourself.

I asked the public relations representative what recourse the passengers had for the inconvenience and extra expense of paying for a nonstop flight to the mountains (at least $100 more per ticket) when, through no fault of their own, or the weather, or mechanical failure, it turned out to be anything but. On the plane, the only thing we got offered was a free drink. The flight was so bumpy, few took advantage of it.

Contact customer service, I was told. My husband and grown son were on the flight with me so I had each contact customer service a few days later, detailing the scenario with the same flight number. They had separate reservation numbers and different addresses, though the same last name. My husband was offered 5,000 Aadvantage miles; my son a $150 voucher. When I asked why they weren’t offered the same thing, they were each offered $100.

Finally, AA did right by us and gave us each a $250 in vouchers which was roughly the cost of the flight. But that never would have happened if I hadn’t kept asking questions. And I have to wonder what they did for other passengers who might have paid much more for their tickets. I asked how many passengers on our flight had complained but AA declined to tell me. I wondered how many thought it was worth the trouble.

Special to AllThingsCruise

As a travel writer and a veteran of dozens of ocean cruises, I usually don’t get overly excited about another one. But this cruise was different.

The Aegean Odyssey, the only ship operated by a three-year-old company called Voyages to Antiquity, is a relatively small vessel, and that’s part of its charm. It carries a maximum of about 340 guests, in contrast to the industry trend which keeps launching massive ships carrying thousands.

The ship began life as a ferry back in the 70s.  It has been successfully converted to a modern though modest cruise ship catering especially to us history nuts who find ourselves living in the 21^st century, whether we like it or not.

Several features considered standard on large ships are not offered on this one. There is no casino with constantly ringing slot machines, no theater offering a “Salute to Broadway,” no amusement park stuff like rock walls and tube slides, no frivolous classes in napkin folding or the creation of towel animals, and most thankfully, no deceptive “champagne art auction.”

There is also no extra-charge “specialty restaurant,” either. You’ll find just two attractive dining areas (beer or wine is included with meals, by the way), two well-decorated lounges, and an open-air bar up on the lido deck. The lido also offers a modest size pool and a hot tub or two. There’s a spa, a hair salon and a boutique around somewhere, although I hardly noticed.

The raison d’être of the Aegean Odyssey is adult education, especially in the form of stimulating experiences for the history, culture, or archeology buff, categories in which I cast myself. On my trip, the ship provided two academic lecturers talking about the ancient world. The average intellectual level of the passengers was high, and the median age was also. This is not a cruise for the kiddies, and none were on board during our trip. One group, the Road Scholars (formerly Elderhostel),  was also booked on this trip.

My wife and I signed on for a standard two week itinerary in April, 2012. It included a dozen ports beginning with Venice, Italy, and finished with an overnight experience in Istanbul, the major city of Turkey. The pièce de résistance for me and many others was that nearly all of the shore excursions were included in the fare. Our only demure is that we took this trip in the early spring, which meant the weather was not always as cooperative as we would have preferred.

After Venice, the port call schedule was as follows:

Pula, Croatia. Roman ruins are sprinkled liberally throughout the city, including one inspired by the Coliseum in Rome. This one is still used for some public events, albeit considerably milder ones than the gladiator contests for which it was built 2000 years ago.

Split, Croatia. A prominent feature is a palace built by the Roman emperor Diocletion, so that he could spend his golden years back in his home town. The palace has now been cleverly incorporated into the grid pattern of the city’s streets, and anyone can go to the open market or even rent an apartment in the ancient structure.

Korcula, Croatia. This medieval village occupies a steep hill at the end of a peninsula. An old house there purports to be the birthplace of Marco Polo.

Dubrovnik, Croatia and Kotor Bay. Dubrovnik, known far and wide as the “Pearl of the Aegean” is the perfect example of an ancient walled city. Following our half-day visit, the ship spent the afternoon cruising the lovely Kotor Bay, in Montenegro.

Corfu, Greece. One of the most popular of Greek holiday islands today, its praises were also sung by no less a poet than Homer. The fort at the harbor was built by the Venetians and later finished by the British.

Monembasia, Greece. This castle town was known as the Gibraltar of Greece. In our case, we had to skip it. The waves were too high and so the harbormaster closed the port.

Rethimon, Crete. Heavy waves prevented our landing in Rethimon, too, but the captain sailed around to the other side of the island to put in to the city of Heraklion, instead. The top experience for me was the included tour to the Palace of Knossos – the seat of the Minoan civilization which flourished around 1000 BC. I was fascinated to read about this place as a youth more than 50 years ago.

Santorini, Greece. Because we lost that included half-day trip in Monembasia, , the ship provided an included all-day tour here in Santorini, instead of the half-day originally scheduled. The whitewashed towns cling to the top of sea cliffs which are remnants of an ancient volcano.

Naxos, Greece. Like Santorini, it’s an island with very vertical community, but unlike Santorini, this one begins down at the waterfront. With several beaches, the island is also a popular holiday destination for Europeans during the summer. But we explored it on a fine day in April, when the crowds were absent.

Lemnos, Greece. The charm of this small island is that it is relatively undiscovered by the summertime hordes which descend on some other Aegean islands. The ruins of an ancient castle overlook the town.

Istanbul, Turkey. The cruise ended in the major city of Turkey. With more than 13 million people, it is established on both sides of the Bosporus, meaning it exists both in Europe  and Asia. The main included tour from the ship took in the major sights, including Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, and the Topkapi Palace Museum in a single morning.

Fares for the two-week cruise range from $4595 per person double occupancy in inside cabins to $7650 for accommodations in the balcony staterooms. Round-trip air fares from the U.S. are $595 per person, inclusive of all taxes, fees, and surcharges.

For day-to-day detail on our own experiences on the Aegean Odyssey, see http://allthingscruise.com/tags/travelwriter .