If you have any grasp of geography, you know that Moscow isn’t a destination that ocean-going cruise ships can reach (river cruisers can, however). And yet on a Baltic cruise, 12 of us sailing on Silversea Cruises’ Silver Whisper, spent a full day exploring Red Square, the Kremlin and other Moscow attractions.

The shore excursion from St. Petersburg, where Whisper was docked, went for $999 per person, including the one-hour-plus flights to and from Moscow on a Boeing 737 (to) and Airbus 319 (from). Tour participants I spoke with said they felt the excursion was a good value. “When will I ever be an hour from Moscow again?” asked one.

See related story: Moscow, The Kremlin & Red Square On A Daylong Shore Excursion From St. Petersburg

Fifteen of daytime’s adored soap stars will be participating in this unforgettable event. ABC stars cruising from General Hospital are Brandon Barash “Johnny,” and Bradford Anderson “Spinelli.” All My Children stars include Walt Willey “Jackson,” Adam Mayfield “Scott,” and Jacob Young “JR,” and from One Life to Live, Mark Lawson “Brody.” CBS stars attending from Young & the Restless are Michelle Stafford ” Phyllis,” Christian LeBlanc “Michael,” and Daniel Goddard “Cane.” From Bold and the Beautiful, Brandon Beemer “Owen” and Don Diamont “Bill” will be on board. The line-up from NBC’s Days of our Lives include James Scott “EJ,” Galen Gering “Rafe,” Eric Martsolf “Brady,” and Nadia Bjorlin “Chloe.”

Celebrity Events Group is offering their fans a chance to vote for the sixteenth actor to join the cruise. Soap fanatics can vote for the soap star they would like to see on the cruise by visiting the Celebrity Events Group webpage at http://soapcruise.com/soapcruise_newactor.asp. Deadline is August 31.

“Soap Cruise is the most anticipated event of the year for soap enthusiasts,” says Michael Gold, president of Celebrity Events Group. “This year we wanted to give the fans a choice as to who their favorite star is and who they want to see on the cruise.”

Devoted fans of daytime will be vacationing at sea with their friends, families and favorite soap stars. Soap Cruise Fourth Voyage will be sailing from Miami to charming Key West and exotic Cozumel. Fans will have plenty of opportunities to experience up close and personal interaction with their favorite soap stars. Not only will there be hugs, autographs and picture-taking, but fans will enjoy partying, dancing and relaxing with their soap idols in the sunny Caribbean.

Other unforgettable activities guests will experience include the beach party at Senor Frogs in Cozumel, multiple meet and greets, question and answer time, soap star talent night, and karaoke. Also aboard will be a director offering a “behind the scenes” workshop and a scene acting session during which fans and actors use real scripts from the shows. Soap Cruise concludes with a special farewell cocktail party. The first 175 registrants will get to attend an exclusive VIP Breakfast with the stars. For additional information please call 1-866-364-0330 or visit www.celebrityeventsgroup.com.

To register, get more details and watch video of last year’s third Soap Cruise Voyage, visit www.celebrityeventsgroup.com or call 1-866-364-0330. Prices begin at $925 (double occupancy) not including gratuities. For family members not participating in Soap Cruise events, prices begin at $475. Valid passport is necessary to travel. For questions about booking cabins or travel logistics, call Lori at Skyscraper Tours at (877) 442-5659.

Our host in Nuuk, Else Marie Jerimiassen, and her mother, Augusta.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. Nuuk is a cruise destination and a fascinating port of call.

The old Colonial Harbor is immensely historic. There, you’ll find the home of Hans Egede, the Danish-Norwegian founder of Nuuk. Nearby, you’ll also find The National Museum, where the Qilakitsoq mummies are eerily well-preserved. Dating from the 1400s, the mummies were found in a bog.

The Qilakitsoq mummies at Nuuk’s National Museum

But the highlight of my day in Nuuk was our guide Else Marie Jerimiassen and her mother Augusta. As you might gather from looking at their photo, the mother and daughter are delightful people. What has been particularly interesting for me since our visit is that the three of us have maintained our initial contact in a way that would not have been possible years ago, through Facebook.

In their home, the Jerimiassens speak Greenlandic, a dialect of the Inuit language, but they also speak Danish and English, making it easy for us to communicate.

On the day that we left Nuuk, Augusta told me she was going hunting with her husband the next day. About a week later, we “friended” one another on Facebook, and I asked how her hunting trip had gone.

She wrote: ”Oh we got 2 caribou, 10 trout, and 16 kilograms of blueberries. It was a wounderful trip. We left on Thursday and returned home Saturday. Sunday we were out again, and my husband got six tarmigans, and I got 3.5 kilograms blueberries. All of those blueberries to make smoothies and package and to eat.”

Reading her note, I was transported to a simpler life than we live in the busier parts of North America. I have always been intrigued with the Greenlandic people and their ability to survive in such harsh conditions. I asked Augusta if fishing and hunting for her and her husband was a bit like going to the grocery store for us.

“The sea is our big garden; the same with the nature. It is our garden too. You must have noticed when you were up here that we dont plant any salad or fruit or rice or other kinds of things that people plant in gardens. It is nearly impossible to raise any plant up here for our own consumption.”

Augusta and her husband often go to the sea and into the wild to catch what they will consume. Of course, they still visit the grocery store, but the sea and the wild provides the Jerimiassens with bountiful harvests, time and again.

Jacques Van Staden, vice president of culinary operations for Celebrity Cruises, says that the cornerstone of the Celebrity brand is the dining experience. ‘That is really what we are about: the food, the wine and the service. That’s why it’s so frustrating when people think we are downgrading the experience. We just don’t. It is quite the contrary. We do dining focus groups just to figure out how we can better serve our guests. We’re always asking, How do we deliver an experience that guests will treasure and that they will remember?’

There are accusations in the cruise community that Celebrity Cruises is downgrading the quality of cuisine in its main dining room in order to drive guests to speciality restaurants, where on ships like Celebrity Solstice, cover charges range from $5 per person to $35 per person.

On board Celebrity Solstice this week, I put the question to Jacques Van Staden, vice president of culinary operations.

“It’s a vicious rumor,” Van Staden told me during an interview in Silk Harvest, where the cover charge for dinner is $25 per person. “The specialty restaurants weren’t designed to drive up revenue. What people don’t realize is that the service charge goes 100 percent to our staff. That’s their gratuities.”

The notion of downgrading the quality of food runs contrary to Celebrity’s corporate philosophy,  Van Staden’s says. From President and CEO Dan Hanrahan on down the chain, the mandate is that any action taken on Celebrity’s behalf cannot adversely affect the guest experience. Sure, Celebrity seeks cost-savings like any company, but those cost-savings typically come from achieving greater efficiencies, not cutting back on quality.

“We are never allowed to cut back on the product,” Van Staden says. “I could literally pick up the phone and say cut all the steaks from six ounces to four ounces, and we could save, hypothetically, $15 million annually. But it doesn’t work like that. We work harder to find efficiencies so that we can save money and take that money and reinvest it in a better product.”

One noticeable example is a new program to procure seafood. Celebrity recently switched from procuring frozen fish to procuring “frozen at sea fish,” where the catch is frozen within 15 minutes after being caught. “Obviously it comes with a higher premium,” Van Staden says, “but it’s a better quality fish.”

Continually Improving

On my sailing, the specialty restaurants were booked to capacity by guests who desired an intimate dining experience outside the main dining room.

Some of the specialty restaurants offer opportunities to experience dining that would cost much more on land. Murano, for example, offers a near Michelin-star dining experience (to my knowledge, Michelin does not distribute stars to cruise ship restaurants) for $35 per person, allowing guests to enjoy an exquisite dining event in a beautiful setting.

While guests appreciate specialty restaurants, Van Staden says that cruise lines are not often rated by their specialty restaurants. “It’s about what the main restaurant and lido deliver,” he says. “Those are our two main focuses. We revamped our buffet experience. We increased the variety. We changed the menus. For the main restaurant, we invest a lot of money and a lot of time to continuously improve it. Our goal is to separate ourselves from the sea of sameness from the main restaurants on other cruise lines.”

Iron Chef Cat Cora performs a cooking demonstration during Celebrity Cruises’ first Food Network cruise. More than 150 people signed on to attend hands-on workshops and demonstrations and meet the celebrity chefs. All who I spoke with had high praise for Celebrity’s cuisine, in the main dining room and beyond.

Many guests never venture beyond the main dining room or the Oceanview (lido) Café. My own impression of these two dining venues during my sailing: the cuisine, presentation and execution is excellent. I can’t imagine anyone being disappointment in either restaurant, and I am traveling with 150 foodies who are participating in Celebrity’s first Food Network cruise. None have expressed disappointment. To the contrary, all who I have spoke with have expressed praise.

So put those rumors to rest: There’s no truth to them, and in fact, the truth appears to be quite the opposite. Celebrity is raising the bar in the main dining room instead of lowering it.

This cruise line is geared to German speakers; the website at www.aida.de is all in German, and the contact number listed below is international to Germany.

AIDA
Am Strande 3D
Rostock, GE 18055
+49 381 444 0

Stateroom design underscores what you find throughout Celebrity Solstice: taste & class. The company has since launched two additional Solstice-class vessels, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Eclipse. Some say they are formidable competitors to the luxury lines.

How do Celebrity’s Solstice-class vessels compare to luxury cruise lines where the price point is at least twice as much? Read the Avid Cruiser’s report this week during a Caribbean voyage on Celebrity Solstice.

Back in November of 2008, I wrote Celebrity’s Newest Ship Breaks The Mold. Clearly, Celebrity Solstice left a good impression on me and many others.

This week, I’m back on Celebrity Solstice, taking a second look at what a friend of mine calls, “Crystal Light.” She’s referring not to the powdered sugar-free beverage but rather to Celebrity’s competitive positioning against luxury operator Crystal Cruises.

She posits that Celebrity is a formidable contender to Crystal in some areas, namely staterooms, cuisine and other ship-board offerings. That’s quite claim, especially considering that Celebrity’s price point is about half of Crystal’s.

Are Celebrity’s Solstice-class vessels nipping at the heels of their luxury competitors? I don’t plan to a blow-by-blow comparison, but this week, I will take a look at some of the good — and not-so-good, if warranted — on Celebrity Solstice.

Bathrooms are well-designed with one small, but well-publicized feature: a shower bar to assist women in shaving their legs. Such small touches characterize the well-thought-out design on Solstice-class vessels.

First impressions are the same as last time I was on board: Solstice is an exceptionally tasteful ship in both design and on-board offerings.

Public areas are gorgeous, restaurants are both numerous (with as many as 10 dining venues, depending on how you count – five have cover charges) and impressive. Staterooms are comfortable and well-designed. Mine, 8253, has a deep balcony, thanks to its positioning in the mid-ship curve.

Situated in the ship’s curve, stateroom 8253 features an ultra-deep balcony, which makes it inviting for in-room dining or relaxing.

How will Celebrity Solstice shake out by the end of the week? Of course, purists know that Celebrity can’t compete in several areas against the luxury players:

1. With a capacity of more than 2,800 guests, a single Solstice-class vessel has more capacity than the entire fleets of most, if not all, of the luxury players.
2. On the smaller luxury lines, staff frequently address guests by their names. Not so on larger vessels, such as those in the Solstice class.
3. With the exception of Crystal, luxury lines are all-inclusive, meaning that a check will not be shoved under your nose to sign for soft drinks, specialty coffees and alcoholic beverages. On Celebrity, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice your penmanship. Crystal skirts the all-inclusive issue by providing an As You Wish Credit. See More For Your Money? Crystal Cruises Onboard Credit: How Does It Compare To The All-Inclusive?

Stay tuned this week for more on Solstice. Meantime, I welcome your questions and comments.

Imagine storybook villages and majestic cities adorned with thousands of twinkling lights and stars, grand Christmas trees decorated from top to bottom, melodious carolers and choirs with sweet sounding voices, awe-inspiring cathedrals, opulent palaces, medieval castles, and old world holiday markets – all just a stroll away from Uniworld’s luxuriously appointed ships.

Uniworld’s Europe Holiday River Cruises range from 9 to 14 days, and take travelers along Europe’s great rivers – the Danube, Rhine, and Main, and through Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Switzerland. Whether it is traveling through Germany along the Rhine and Main celebrating the origins of centuries-old traditions, discovering the elegant pageantry of four regal countries along the Danube, or welcoming 2011 in regal style in a Viennese palace, there is something unique for everyone.

Uniworld offers five expertly planned and perfectly priced, all-inclusive packages – lavishly appointed river-view stateroom; all meals with complimentary fine European wine, choice of beer, and soft drinks served during dinner; special celebratory dining events; interesting shore excursions hosted by English-speaking local guides; festive onboard entertainment and Signature Lectures; and all transfers on arrival and departure days.

For more information, please contact a travel professional, call Uniworld at (800) 733-7820 or visit www.uniworld.com.

Guests who book a balcony stateroom during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve Caribbean cruises can save up to 50 percent off a connecting balcony stateroom for an affordable family vacation.

This special Family Plan offer applies for adjoining Category 9, 10 or 11 Balcony Superior staterooms (accommodating up to four guests) on 7-night, Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises departing from Ft. Lauderdale. These cruises sail November 21 (Thanksgiving), December 19 (Christmas), and December 26 (New Year’s). Family Plan rates for four begin at $697 per person plus $81.35 per person government fees and taxes (GFTs).

Destinations on the Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises including ports like Key West, Florida; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; St. Thomas, Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Nassau, Bahamas.

Family-friendly activities to enjoy during this affordable family vacation include miniature golf, tennis and basketball. MSC Poesia features a pool for children and outdoor play area. MSC Cruises also offers a complimentary kids program filled with entertainment, fun, and games from crafts to treasure hunts. Children’s programs are available for children 3-17 years old and are divided into age-specific groups.

Not only does MSC Cruises offer authentic Italian favorites like pasta and pizza, but also All-American kid-friendly staples like hamburgers, hot dogs, and delicious pastries and desserts.

Rates are cruise only, and subject to availability. For more information, call (877) 665-4655, or contact a local travel professional.

Families who book an All Access Cruise between August 23 and September 13, 2010 will receive up to $250 in on-board credits, based on stateroom category; and half off the deposit (excluding the Garden Villa and other suite categories).

Exclusive Nickelodeon family programming featured on the two “Nickelodeon All Access” cruises includes:

· Ultimate sliming experience offers a chance for the whole family to get slimed together.

· Meet & greets with the stars of Nickelodeon’s hottest live-action shows. Special cruise guests have included stars from iCarly, True Jackson VP, and the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants.

· Special viewings and premieres of never-before-seen episodes of Nickelodeon’s hit TV shows like iCarly, Victorious and SpongeBob SquarePants.

· Meet & greets with some of your favorite Nickelodeon characters including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Aang the Last Airbender and many more!

· Nickelodeon’s signature messy game shows like Slime Time LIVE! and poolside events.

· Breakfast with Nickelodeon characters every day of the cruise.

The non-stop excitement  of the “Nickelodeon All Access Cruise” are only available on: Norwegian Jewel sailing President’s Day holiday, February 20, 2011, round-trip from New York to Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida; Nassau, Bahamas; and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s private island or Norwegian Epic departing on July 24, 2011, from Barcelona with ports of call including Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Rome (Civitavecchia) and Naples, Italy; and Palma, Majorca, Spain. Starting rates are from $899 per person double occupancy on Norwegian Jewel and from $1299 per person double occupancy on Norwegian Epic.

The on-board credit limited time offer includes $250 per stateroom when sailing in a Garden Villa, available on Norwegian Jewel; $150 for suites; $100 for mini-suites and deluxe balcony staterooms; $75 for balcony staterooms; $50 for ocean view and $25 for inside staterooms.

To book one of the only two “Nickelodeon All Access Cruises” in 2011, call Norwegian at 866-770-NICK (6425), visit www.ncl.com/nickallaccess, or contact a travel professional. Get the latest updates, play interactive games and connect with other families on the Nickelodeon All Access Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/nickallaccess.