Beginning with cruises last weekend, there is no smoking in any of the piano bars on the ships of Carnival Cruise Lines. That’s great news for all the piano bar lovers who can’t stand the heavy haze of second-hand cigarette smoke. I thank you, Carnival, and so do most of the piano players. The new non-smoking rules announced this week by Carnival — and by Princess and Holland America — go far beyond the piano bars. My …
The cruise lines have long made an effort to become more eco-friendly, and in honor of the recent 40th annual Earth Day, Holland America Line has announced the roll out of its new sustainable seafood program. This new program showcases environmentally responsible purchasing practices and sustainable seafood. The line has partnered with the Marine Conservation Institute to create seafood menus that help promote the continued availability of fish species that are essential to a biologically diverse marine …
Holland America Line is a distinguished line- it has enjoyed a notable record of traditional cruises, world exploration, and transatlantic crossings since 1873. Of particular interest to me, however, is Holland America’s focus on passenger comfort; they are classically designed, but relaxed enough to be popular with younger adults and families. Holland America recently released information on their 2012 voyages, and among them are 44 unique itineraries and 103 departures. The cruises range from 7-35 and offer …
Marcia Levin is currently sailing on Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam. I didn’t blog yesterday. Instead of sitting here in my cabin at my trusty laptop, I took an early water aerobics class, then sat in on a cooking class where passengers learned to make flowers out of a watermelon, and finally took a five-hour tour to El Yunque rain forest in Puerto Rico which I enjoyed tremendously. Today the ship is in St. Martin and before I …
Marcia Levin is currently sailing on HAL’s Nieuw Amsterdam Not every cruise passenger wants to zip through the air, box, bowl or zoom through a tube on top of rushing water. Some of us may enjoy watching our friends and relatives take part in any or all of the above, but me? I prefer things like lectures, seminars and how-to classes while I am on a ship. Over the years I’ve heard lectures on financial matters, politicos …
Off Grand Turk, in the Turks and Caicos islands, south of the Bahamas, I went fishing. Anybody who knows me might wonder about that decision, but the simple truth is that I saw “Light Tackle Fishing” on the shore excursion list during a Caribbean cruise on Holland America’s new Nieuw Amsterdam. I thought, why not? I can tackle some light fishing. I had fun, thanks partly to the luck of the draw. Six men from a ship …
By Tim O’Keefe It was smart to rent a car to drive from our home port of near Orlando to Fort Lauderdale, where the Maasdam was docked. At under $100, better than flying and no port parking fees to pay. And since we had a 24-hour rental, I picked up the vehicle the day before sailing so we could do some preliminary luggage loading. Luckily, when I picked up the car, I mentioned to the Budget Rent-A-Car …
All Things Cruise is dedicated to the joy of travel. Specializing in ocean, river, ultra-luxury, small ship and expedition cruises.
Heidi, Editor-In-Chief
