My friend, Richard Joseph, recently made a visit to Dana Point, California and visited the Laguna Beach area… here are his exploration notes and recommendations. The song came on the radio and I couldn’t get it out of my head. “26 miles across the sea Santa Catalina is the place for me….” It was the [...]
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Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge christens new Royal Princess
On June 13, in Southampton, UK, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge christened the new ship Royal Princess as she smashed a bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne against it’s hull and pronounced, “I name this ship Royal Princess. May God bless her and all who sail in her.” Alan Buckelew, Princess Cruises president and CEO [...]

EUROPA’S Best 2013 in Antwerp- An extraordinary culinary event
Oh, what I wouldn’t give to have sailed on this voyage… over 30 well known chefs, winegrowers, chocolatiers, fromagiers and pâtissiers from all over Europe recently gathered together on Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa for an onboard culinary event. EUROPA’S Best 2013 brought together the shining stars of the culinary world (see the participant list below) in Antwerp [...]

A Once In a Lifetime Experience, a Voyage on an Inaugural Cruise – Seven Interesting Things about Inaugural Cruises
For those of us who love to cruise, inaugural cruises rate high on the to-do-experience list. These elite voyages often involve champagne christenings, celebrity godmothers and brand-new ship facilities and amenities. (Plus the cache of telling your friends you were on an Inaugural cruise.) Here are some reasons we love these cruises: The cruise lines [...]

Pre-booking begins today for Quantum of the Seas!
Here’s some big news! Royal Caribbean’s ship, the Quantum of the Seas, set to launch in November 2014, has opened up pre-bookings today to Crown and Anchor Members. If you are a repeat passenger on Royal Caribbean, and are interested in finding out more about the ship or want to be among the first to [...]

CLIA and major lines adopt the Passenger Bill of Rights
You’ve probably heard me make mention of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) in various blog posts here over the years. They are the world’s largest cruise association, dedicated to the promotion and growth of the cruise industry. CLIA is composed of 26 of the major cruise lines serving North America. Earlier this week, they adopted a [...]

Azamara’s Fascinating Evening Adventures
Shore excursions are very high on the list of reasons why people take cruise vacations; with such a fascinating array of options available worldwide, I am always looking to find new experiences for our AllThingsCruise readers. The latest to catch my eye is from Azamara; they have a series of excursions called the AzAmazing Evening [...]

Canada/New England cruises via the Royal Princess; Caribbean via the Regal Princess
Here’s an update on what to expect from the latest Royal Caribbean ships: Princess’s new ship, the Royal Princess (premiering next month) will be offering Canada/New England cruises from New York commencing in the fall of 2014. Four seven-day itineraries will be offered on the ship (the largest to sail the route); they will be available [...]

New Galápagos Cruise and Land Packages for Silversea
The Galapagos are some of the most interesting and exotic parts of South America, and a dream trip for many who love to cruise. Historically, however, the stumbling block for many vacationers has been that the length of time needed for an expedition to these regions has been prohibitive- vacationers simply did not have enough [...]

Queen Mary 2 Travel Diary- Moments Of Sophistication and History
Cunard never disappoints; their ships are unfailingly beautiful, luxurious and complete with amenities, yet they capture a glamour of days gone by. I have been lucky enough to sail on this line several times, and am posting a travel diary I wrote during one of my voyages- a six-day sailing on the QM2. I hope [...]
Heidi Allison-Shane
Heidi Allison-Shane, Editor-at-Large, writes for numerous travel publications. She created the CruiseTrends report for CruiseCompete — which is reproduced in many travel publications, like Travel Agent Central, MediaPost, NEWS Marketing Daily, Cruise Industry News, Travel Mole, Black Meeting and Tourism, Cruise Industry Wire, Travel Weekly, Successful Meetings, ETurbo News and The Cruise Editor. More...
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See more reviews or submit your own!
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Joys of cruising at tables filled with strangers April 29, 2013
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Nautica diary: A bittersweet farewell after so many days exploring Southeast Asia on this cruise
May 3, 2013
- Will your next trip be a cruise or a land vacation? May 16, 2013
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Canada/New England cruises via the Royal Princess; Caribbean via the Regal Princess
May 17, 2013
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Azamara’s Fascinating Evening Adventures
May 17, 2013
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Cruising on Oceania’s Riviera, a premium eating experience
June 19, 2013
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Princess: Supporting hearts on Valentine’s Day
June 18, 2013
- A Visit to California June 18, 2013
- Another grandparent trip: Marcy and Jakob head to London and then sail back on the Queen Mary 2 June 17, 2013
- After 10 years Semester at Sea students will visit Cuba as part of upcoming fall voyages June 17, 2013

