What’s better than a wonderful cruise vacation?  A wonderful cruise vacation that’s FREE, of course!
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and USA Today newspaper have launched the Reporter at Sea contest, looking for a talented citizen journalist (blogger?) to cover the pre-inaugural voyage of the Oasis of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world.
Oasis of the Sea has 16 decks and can carry 5,400 guests in 2,700 staterooms.  It’s themed around a neighborhood concept, with specific themed areas:  Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa & Fitness Center, and Entertainment Place.
Starting today, …read more

Everyone loves a behind-the-scenes look at the travel industry, and I’m no exception.  When I talk about the things that happen on a flight, people often can’t believe the stories – and more than once I’ve been accused of making things up.  Believe me, with what we see every day, we don’t have to make this stuff up!
It was with that frame of reference that I picked up Cruise Confidential:  A Hit Below the Waterline: Where the Crew Lives, Eats, Wars, and Parties? One Crazy Year Working on Cruise Ships by Brian David Bruns.  Bruns left life on land …read more

I read lots and lots of travel blogs posts over the course of a week, but it’s only the best of the best that I share with you.  This week, these blogs made me smile, laugh, wonder, question, or simply admire.  Perhaps you’ll feel the same way.
The Buenos Aires Guide – Be careful when booking you’re hotel, or you may wind up at one that rents by the hour.
Nerds Eye View – Pam is off at BlogHer with a bunch of other Seattle travelbloggers.  While I had to miss the event due to a scheduling matter, I’m keeping up …read more

Today I’m pleased to introduce you to Jon Rochetti, a fellow travel blogger and friend, and who, over the years, has shared with me his wonderful city of Washington DC.  Today he writes a guest post about a trip to Cozumel, Mexico.
—
The image of the submarine varies. Let it be Jules Verne’s submarine, the Nautilus from the book 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the claustrophobic World War II U-boat searching the Atlantic for it’s next target, a nuclear-era stealth “boomer” playing blind man’s bluff with the Soviets, or a deep sea exploration sub diving to uncharted regions of the …read more

Gearing up for some international travel this year?
As part of your trip planning process, make sure that you have all your paperwork in order.  If you’re flying be air, or on a cruise ship, you’ll be asked for some of these documents before boarding.  Don’t forget them — you’re won’t be able to leave home without it!
Here’s what you need:

Passport or Green Card
Notarized permission to travel letters for all minors (under 18 years of age) not traveling with BOTH parents.
Any required Visa for countries you will be visiting.
Sufficient medication for the duration of your trip, in its ORIGINAL container …read more

While many of the sectors within the travel industry are struggling, the cruise industry is thriving.  In fact, it’s the fast growing segment in the travel industry, yet this $30 Billion business is still is looking at at rocky times ahead.  So what’s up with that?
In a one-hour special, Travel Expert Peter Greenberg and crew investigate the strengths and weakness of the cruise industry, and they spend a week about the Norwegian Pearl, one of the newest ships from Norwegian Cruise Line.  These ships are mini cities and self-contained resorts, complete with shopping malls, swim parks, casinos and clubs …read more

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is a popular Mexico travel destination, appreciated mostly for it’s location on the Pacific Ocean.  It is a port of call for many cruise lines.
Given its location on the ocean, Puerto Vallarta is very popular with boaters, and sailboats are a common sight. 
Enjoying a sunset cruise, whether on a private vessel such as this one, or on one of the many rentals, is a popular way to spend an evening.
 
Photo credit:  personal collection
________________________________________

Find your ghoul-mate this year with a Halloween Singles Cruise organized by Singles Travel International. You’ll sail away onboard Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas to the Mexican Riviera with ports of call in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.
Special onboard events are designed to encourage mixing and mingling and include costume and other parties and special events, along with special tours in every port. 
The ship leaves Sunday, October 26th from San Pedro Pier in Long Beach and returns Sunday, November 2nd.  Pricing starts at $840/person.  If you’re traveling alone and looking for a roommate, Singles Travel …read more

Today’s matchbook of Bateaux Parisiens comes from Jon at Travel Photo Daily.  He said that he just came across it, but that is was at least five or more years old.  It brought back lots of great memories of my trip to Paris last fall, so a very big THANKS for the contribution.
Bateaux Parisiens is a cruise company that conducts sightseeing, lunch, and dinner cruises on the Seine, along with operating a river-boat shuttle called Batobus.
I opted for an evening sightseeing cruise, and for an hour we cruised the Seine while the hostess pointed out a number of attractions.  …read more

My trip to Hawaii last fall was motivated by a desire for some rest and relaxation, some warm weather, and an overall escape from my gray Seattle life.  I was longing for time spent on a balcony, watching the sunset or sunrise, listening to the waves, and having a slow-paced week ahead of me.
In fact, that type of vacation is one of the reasons people love Hawaii – sun, sand, surf, and stepping on the treadmill of ordinary life.
But at some point, you’re going to want to do something else.  I had a handful of ideas of those “other …read more