PAST EVENTS

When considering cruising as a viable travel option, there a number of companies to choose from, many of which can take us to the same places. Deciding which to choose is often a daunting task. On this website, I offer a unique perspective to consider. I have spent decades selling travel as a travel agent and still service existing customers from time to time. As a current member of the press, I am able to take a bit different viewpoint than others, that of a person who knows what travelers want and has been successful enabling the dreams of many to come true. Actually, there’s not a lot of difference between they way I sell travel now and has in the past. Many decades ago, when I was knocking on the doors of total strangers trying to make a living ‘selling’ a successful person gave me some advice. “I don’t ‘sell’ anything. I provide a way for people to make their dreams come true. When that happens, it’s been a good day”. I never forgot that and settled in on a life of enabling people to be happy as my mission. I hope this website is of value to you in that way as well.

On this page, we have references to past events and trips we have shared with our friends, many of which began their cruise history as we did, with small children who are now young adults, starting families of their own. I hope you find this information of value. You will not find advertising here, this is not a way I make money; that race has been run and it was a good one. Now, I align with travel brands I believe are making a difference in our world and hope to add to their success any way possible.

Chris (and Lisa, my very best friend for over 35 years and for whom none of this would have been possible without)

Windstar Cruises
2018 President’s Cruise With John Delaney & Gloria Bohan
Best of the Philippines & Borneo

Published Live As We Traveled

Live, From Star Legend

At ChrisCruises

Posted In Reflection
After Travel- another look at our Windstar cruise, port by port

The Republic Of Singapore- Windstar Embarkation In Singapore A Breeze
Kuching, Malaysia- First Malasia Stop Highlights Hearty Windstar Travelers
The Kingdom Of Brunei- Behold: The Kingdom Of Brunei
Kota Kinabalu, The Philippines- Kota Kinabalu: One Of Those Places I Want To See Again
Puerto Princessa, Palawan, The Philippines- Puerto Princessa: Destination Authenticity Confirmed
Coron, The Philippines- W indstar Cruises In The Philippines: Crysta Clear Coron
Manila, The Philippines- Wind star’s Brilliant Commitment To Doing It Right, Really Right
Hundred Islands, The Philippines- Windstar Cruise Unexpected: Specific Examples

Posted In Reflection

Deeper On Related Topics Of Interest

On ChrisCruises:

At The Windstar Blog

Windstar President’s Cruise Honors Crew, Promotes Understanding

At CruiseFever.net

Windstar Honors Crew In Unique Unexpected Way

On Instagram

[soliloquy id=”75235″]

Facebook Photo Albums

Windstar President’s Cruise 2018– a recap of each day, posted as we traveled
Singapore With Windstar Cruises
Windstar Beautifully Brunei
The Lovely People Of The Philippines

Flickr Photo Albums

Pinterest– A variety of favorite photo experiences, posted in reflection after travel.

Windstar Cruises Philippines & Borneo President’s Cruise
Windstar Philippines & Borneo Cruise- Singapore
Windstar Philippines & Borneo Cruise- Brunei
Windstar Philippines & Borneo Cruise- Coron, The Philippines
Windstar Philippines & Borneo Cruise- Family Day In Manila
Windstar Philippines & Borneo Cruise- Kota Kinabalu
Windstar Philippines & Borneo Cruise- Puerto Princessa
Windstar Philippines & Borneo Cruise- Touring Manila
Windstar Philippines & Borneo Cruise- Hundred Islands
Windstar Philippines & Borneo Cruise- Hong Kong

Exposure Photo Storybooks

Exposure Photo Storybooks- Usually created after sailing and reflection, these full-size images provide a distinctly different view of destinations and events also depicted elsewhere. Actually, you can preview the Windstar Experience via our storybook Windstar’s Costa Rica & Panama Canal. Our first time sailing with Windstar, this is the reason we came back.

The Philippines With Windstar Cruises

Holland America Line
Oprah’s Share The Adventure Cruise To Alaska

On a 7-day Alaska sailing with Holland America Line for Oprah’s Share The Adventure Cruise, we compiled a list of what we saw and did via a variety of social sharing platforms

Keep The Oprah Magic Going

Official #tags and accounts we engaged for this event:

@HALcruises– Holland America Line, aHere to help you explore the world
@O_Magazine- O, The Oprah Magazine, information and inspiration so that you can live your best life
@Oprah- Oprah Winfrey, well, you know
@GayleKing- Gayle King, co-host of CBSThisMorning and Editor at Large of O, The Oprah Magazine.
@TheRealAdamSays- Adam Glassman, Creative Director of O, The Oprah Magazine
@LucyKaylin- Lucy Kaylin, Editor in Chief at O, The Oprah Magazine
@LeighHaber– Leigh Haber, O Mag books editor
@LizStrout– Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
@India.Arie– India.Aire, Artist & Explorer
@ElettraW- Elettra Wiedemann, Founder: Impatient Foodie
@GlennonDoyle– Glennon Doyle- Author, Founder: MOMASTERY
@shapewithangela– Angela Davis, Motivational Coach, Fitness Evangelist
@ritarudner– Rita Rudner- Comedian, author, actress, mom.

Worth A Thousand Words

Flickr Photo Albums- just photos, no words: over 1500 images we captured, free to share and use as you wish with attribution.

Travel Day- Making my way from Orlando to Seattle then on to the ship. Strongly suggested: one of the few non-stop flights available if booked far enough in advance.
Oprah’s Share The Adventure Guide– a complete overview of new programming introduced on our sailing to already engaging Holland America Line programming.
The Port of Seattle- The convenient cruise port where we begin and end our voyage. Pier 91 is the farther away from the airport option. Pier 66 is closer. Pier 91 enables more of a view of the city on the way to the ship.
Seattle Embarkation- getting on the ship in Seattle then going directly to our staterooms, all of which were ready upon our arrival. A huge factor for those of us who travel with carry on luggage only and refuse to let anyone else handle it.
America’s Test Kitchen comes to sea on Holland America Line bringing new life to the Culinary Arts Center
Angela Davis– Fitness Evangelist gets Holland America travelers up out of their seats for an inspiring at sea work out
Just Breathe- Holland America travelers start the day the right way with meaningful meditations and daily intentions
Eurodam Open Decks- random photos from around the ship in no apparent order
Holland America Line Room Service- Simply some of the best in the business and one feature I rarely have enough time to explore. Kudos for offering a taste of specialty restaurants in a boxed lunch sort of way delivered to your stateroom.
Stateroom 4158- a nicely-appointed standard Verandah stateroom, typical of others on ms Eurodam and the rest of the Holland America fleet. Special treat: recently retrofitted to include lots of USB ports
Holland America Crew– random shots of crew members going about their day
Seen At Sea- random images of other ships and interesting thing we saw while sailing
Juneau Alaska– seen with Holland America Line where we got off the ship to hunt for bear
O’s Book Club- a new feature on Holland America Line ships, an onboard version of Oprah’s book club highlights one of the most common cruise activities that, up until now, had nothing to do with the cruise line.
Glaciers- We spent a day slow sailing to glaciers then paused at each to examine them further. Oddly, the feeling is much like the experience of going through a full transit of the Panama Canal.
Hunting For Bear- we went by plane to hunt for bear in remote places where we saw no other humans as far as the eye could see. We did see a bear though.
O-Specific Content- flyers, handouts, keepsakes collected during the Oprah’s Share The Adventure Cruise
Sel de Mer- Chef Rudi Sodamin’s pop-up restaurant appearing once on each 7-day cruise
Alaska Sunrise- not a big of a deal on an Alaska cruise as they are more difficult to capture
Ketchikan- The place for totem pole lovers and shoppers
Adam Glassman shows us trendy cruise wear, available in onboard O-shop
Tamarind Bento Box– specialty dinner venue delivered to your stateroom
Oprah On The Menu- one item per day, featured in the buffet area
Oprah Appears- a conversation with Oprah on the ship’s main stage
Eurodam- exterior photos

Facebook Photo Albums- much like Flickr Photo Albums, the Facebook version features a story and select photos that illustrate the topic, tour or onboard event.

YouTube Video Added To Our Collection– (courtesy of Holland America Line)

Pinterest – A selection of photos about our trip to Alaska with Holland America Line

Alaska With Holland America Line– the experience on any Holland America Alaska sailing
Oprah’s Alaska Adventure Cruise-content exclusive to the Oprah partnership

ChrisCruises- The blog posts, one a day, as we traveled.

Pre-Cruise Posts– context for what we are about to share with you

The Main Event- posts with content sourced at the scene

Chris On CruiseFever

Viking River Cruises
Grand European Tour

Our Summer 2017 trip to Europe brought us back to Viking River Cruises for a 15-day Grand European Tour. It had been a while since we sailed with Viking on the river, recently devoting a lot of time to Viking Ocean Cruises, a travel experience that was inspired by, asked for and the logical next step for Viking. Celebrating 20 years in the river cruising business in 2017, the last decade saw phenomenal growth, fueled in part by the unique design of the massive fleet of new Viking Longships. Now coming back to Viking River Cruises for a first full sailing since sailing the sparkling new Viking Ocean experience, I wondered how it would compare. The experience, in a word: flawless. That’s a descriptive term we rarely use here. When we do, an explanation is required.

In the world of travel, it’s really all about the experience and memories we carry forward. At the end of the day, back home sleeping in our own bed, using our own shower, and in our everyday environment, the unasked question is answered: What are the enduring memories from travel? One of the reasons we embrace and promote the world of cruise travel is the packaging and choreography of it. Get it right and great, life-changing moments happen, bringing us back home with an expanded worldview among other personal benefits. Viking longships transport mostly North American travelers on the waterways of Europe. Recently-built versions of those Viking Longships sail in Russia, the Ukraine, Asia, and Egypt as well. As they do, a carefully timed and planned onboard program details just about every part of the experience.

See Viking Longships Illustrated for more

Example: by the book, when a passenger takes a seat in the dining room of a Viking Longship, the staff has 30 seconds to make a glass of water appear on the table. On that table will be a salt and pepper shaker. Of the two, the salt shaker is always closest to the entry point of that dining room. And so it goes, with every possible detail of the experience defined. Impressive? Sure. Is that what makes for a flawless experience? Not by a long shot.

Also on those Viking Longships are a nimble and experienced crew capable of performing multiple positions. The Program Director is a face most often associated with the experience, and rightfully so: he or she is with passengers every step of the way. Where Viking earns the flawless designation is with those crew members. It is their efforts that put the experience over the top. They are entrusted with the well-being of Viking travelers in a unique way few other travel companies have been able to deliver: they are allowed to think on their own and react accordingly to variable situations.

Throughout our journey, we noted situations and events where the human element of the experience made a difference, purposefully not mentioning Viking staff by name for one gigantic reason: It’s not about an individual here or there who might excel at their particular job at any one given time. The human element of the Viking experience starts at the top and goes all the way down to everyone we come in contact with who is associated in any way with the brand. Every single person.

Example: A selling point of Viking River Cruises is the included tour at every port of call. That part of the deal focuses our attention on what we are there for in the first place: the destinations. The 190 travelers on a Viking Longship are divided up into small groups and assigned a high-quality local guide then off they go on tour. We have had everything from college professors to life-long residents of the area. All cover the bullet point highlights of the place and include their own personal take on events that may have happened in that area. Better yet, they pay attention to individual group members, engaging them along the way. Stop there and we have a win. But that’s not the end of the story.

The night before that tour took place, the longship’s Program Director briefs Viking travelers on the day ahead and any unexpected nuances in the itinerary that might be coming their way. Empowered to deliver the best experience, that Program Director might also decide to offer some variations to the plan based on the makeup of that particular mix of traveler onboard. In addition to the regular tours, an “energetic group” might be offered for those who want to buzz right through the destination highlights. A “leisurely” group could be offered for those who want to go a bit slower and linger along the way. On the scene, at one place on our itinerary, a “late bus” was offered for those who wanted more time at a destination requiring the use of a motor coach.

In other words, on a travel experience self-proclaimed as “the thinking man’s cruise”, the crew is also enabled to think themselves.

Below is everything we have published on this flawless experience and we’re not done yet. There is one more significant piece of this interesting puzzle for you and I to think through and complete. After recently sailing both Viking’s ocean and river offerings, we’re seeing some crossover of style, focus, and direction that looks to be the next chapter in this story. Stay tuned: it might be the most exciting yet.

ChrisCruises- Posted before, during and after sailing

Flickr Photo Albums- just photos, no words: all the images we capture, unedited and free to share or use as you wish with attribution.

Budapest On The River Danube– two days in a favorite place to begin a number of river cruise itineraries
Sailing To Vienna- A day of scenic cruising on the way to the Austrian capital
Demel Vienna– An excellent use of free time provided after your included Viking tour
A Full Day In Vienna– Overnight In Austria’s Elegant Capital City
The Viking Daily– The front page of the ship’s daily newsletter, helpful for planning the day
Cafe Breakfast- The first place food is available every day on a Viking Longship and where early risers meet
Budapest Ten Minute Walk- Where we went and what we saw within ten minutes from where our ship was docked- images via iPhone
Viking Longship Ve Ship shots- Various photos of our ship in no apparent order. If they don’t fit anywhere else, they go here
Welcome Toast To Guests- Usually held on the first full day of sailing, the ship’s program director introduces key department heads and everyone meets the Captain. Something that can be done on a ship of 190 passengers. Also included, the photo of those same people posted in every Viking ship.
Viking Crew- One of my favorite albums to compile as we travel with Viking, this one hopes to capture the spirit of one of the most seriously differentiating factors in the overall Viking experience.
In the Restaurant- As the title would indicate, food photos, tablemates and other scenes captured in the ship’s restaurant
The Library- Titles on hand for the reference and enjoyment of passengers
Aquavit Dinner- An alternative to dining in the Restaurant
In The Lounge- A sampling of onboard events that happen in the ship’s lounge, also the place for nightly briefings before dinner
Labels- Beverages available at the time we sailed onboard as well as any beverages consumed ashore
Going Through Locks- This itinerary has 67 of them, I have a sampling
A Day In Melk– scenic cruising then a tour of Melk Abbey before we get lost on the way back
Other Viking Ships– seen as we sailed, other Viking Longships
Sailing The Wachau Valley- images of our day scenic cruising through the UNESCO World Heritage Site
Bamberg Germany with Viking River Cruises
Sailing to Wurzburg- Scenic Cruising on the Main river
Sailing To Nuremberg- Scenic cruising at sunset
Nuremberg, Germany– Our day at the historic World War II site
Regensburg, Germany– the sausage capital of the world (or so I think)
Aquavit Lunch– a favorite on Viking Longships
Wurzberg Germany with Viking River Cruises
Wertheim Germany- a favorite place to visit any time of the year
Wertheim In Ten Minutes– after docking and before tours, what we can see in ten minutes, round trip
Sailing through Frankfurt At Dawn– The Program Director on our Viking Longship said we would pass by Frankfurt at 3:30 in the morning- it was well worth getting up for.
Sailing To Koblenz- Scenic cruising through one of the most beautiful parts of the world.
Sailing To Cologne- Scenic cruising was a big part of our tour- we loved every minute of it.
Koblenz, Germany- a favorite place any time of the year, Koblenz takes on a unique character of its own in the summer.
Sailing to Braubach- It’s the place where Viking Travelers get off the ship to see one of the stars of the show: Marksburg Castle.
Marksburg Castle– one of the few untouched by bombing of World War II
Castles Lecture– Fun facts about all the castles we have seen along the way.
Taste Of Germany– A themed night in the dining room and on the Aquavit Terrace where Viking travelers have a grand old German time and the ship’s executive chef features fabulous German cuisine.
Cologne– The included tour of Cologne Germany
Top of Cologne- An optional tour that proved to be one of the best ever travel experiences.
River Sunrise- Not as dominant in a day on the river as on an ocean cruise, but a wonderful time of the day nonetheless
Sailing To Kinderdjik– Scenic cruising on the Rhine
Kinderdjik 2017– a favorite place in Holland, revisited

Facebook Photo Albums- much like Flickr Photo Albums, the Facebook version features a story and select photos that illustrate the topic, tour or onboard event.

Instagram Photos– A recap of our daily postings on Instagram

We’re on our way to travel with Viking River Cruises on a 15-day Grand European Tour. From Charlotte we fly across the pond to London then on to Budapest. Significant here, the distinct difference between “traveling” with Viking and “sailing” with someone else. Don’t get me wrong, ‘sailing’, by river or ocean, is a safe, secure way to see much of the world that commonly stacks up nicely compared to land vacations. We get that. This is different. This is travel with a spirit of adventure and exploration ,albeit without the backpack, in comfort. I don’t think we have fully profiled that element of what Viking does yet and it’s about time. As Vikings celebrate their 20th year of exploring the world, this is their time and we’re hoping to bring you more of a feel for what to expect than ever before. In the morning as we are crossing the Atlantic a new post will publish on our website charting a course for our journey. Stick around, this will be best.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 1, 2017 at 5:35pm PDT

It’s interesting to me, the reasons we do what we do. In any given situation, people react in ways unique to them and only them or go with the flow of the crowd. Filtered by our beliefs, the paths our lives have taken, dreams realized or alignment with the thoughts of others, paths can go in and many directions. How very unique then when like minded travelers come together to experience something perhaps predetermined by the itinerary of their lives. Such was the scene last night when Viking River Cruises showcased the stunningly beautiful splendor of Budapest. The first place visited on a two-week travel event, we’re looking forward to what is yet to come. I hope you’ll come along with us as we share #MyVikingStory

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 3, 2017 at 8:47am PDT

Arriving in Vienna in the afternoon after a lovely day of scenic cruising along the Danube with Viking River Cruises, the stage was set for a perfect first day in Austria….actually, let me explain: in the afternoon we also sailed through the history of how the European Union was created with a Viking short film. Stop right there and we would have been briefed on how the Euro works, border control and more. But the topic continued throughout the day as we discussed a number of related topics with other passengers of similar backgrounds to ours and crew who are from many of the member nations. I think that I advertised element of the Viking experience is one of our favorite parts. Later the ships program director briefed us on the life of Mozart, appropriately just before most passengers left the ship for a wonderful concert we have enjoyed on previous travels with Viking. That was just before dinner which featured Austrian personal favorite Wiener Schnitzel. End it with a lovely sunset, reflective of our full day in Vienna tomorrow. Man, this is traveling

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 4, 2017 at 12:16pm PDT

After a guided tour of Vienna, we had the rest of the day to spend as we pleased in the Austrian capital city. While I had stopped in at the iconic Demel bakery before, this was a first visit to for Lisa so we hurried there before the crowds. When asked what we would like to have I simply told them “She’s never been here before- dazzle her!”. I don’t imagine they get many requests of that sort. The face of the nice lady who was helping us lit up with child-like excitement on Christmas morning as she proudly shared her favorites from the world-famous menu. I think we need more of that sort of thing to happen in the world and plan on creating as many moments like that as I possibly can with the time I have here. I hope you will too. Many thanks to Viking Cruises for the time to make this small moment happen.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 5, 2017 at 9:23am PDT

After half of a day scenic cruising through the Wachau Valley we stopped to see the beautiful Melk Abbey. We lost our way walking back to our Viking Longship but ran into some of our new friends, crew from the ship who knew the way. Actually, I have been here before, remembered the charming town of Melk and also remember getting lost before. Twice. Still, this less traveled road turned into one of the most enjoyable walks we’ve had on this trip. It’s interesting where we end up when traveling when the unexpected can turn into a highlight of the day. Thanks Nicole and Denislav

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 6, 2017 at 9:22am PDT

Scenic cruising through the peaceful countryside in Germany, it has become remarkably easy to relax when traveling with Viking River Cruises. Another plus: repeating an itinerary multiple times. Doing so brings an air of familiarity with that particular part of the world that feels a lot like coming home, something we feel every time we travel with Viking, this trip no exception. The more we travel, the more we see what a wonderful world it is we live in. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that. We just can’t.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 7, 2017 at 9:55am PDT

Seen on a walking tour of Regensburg, Germany – one stop on our 15-day Grand European Tour. The shadow you see is that of the Regensburg Cathedral opposite of this scene.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 8, 2017 at 8:26am PDT

What’s not to like about being greeted by the ship’s Executive Chef and freshly made pretzel delights of some sort upon returning from touring Germany all day? This guy is one big part of #MyVikingStory as we sail #VikingLongships

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 9, 2017 at 9:23am PDT

Sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam with Viking River Cruises we’re collecting a lot of memories. We’re also collecting a bunch of river graffiti, artful creations under nearly every bridge we pass beneath.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 10, 2017 at 3:57am PDT

Nothing quite like German beer in Germany – burning up bonus free time after touring Bamberg with Viking River Cruises by going totally local – we speak beer fluently. Plenty of history, culture and destination immersion for one day. Time to get down to business

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 10, 2017 at 7:33am PDT

I travel a lot. Sometimes Lisa, my girlfriend of 37 years comes along for the ride. In real life, Lisa works in an office with walls and computers and stuff like that. Every once in a while I’ll catch her in a really relaxed moment. It’s then and only then that I remember the filter she sees all these wonderful places through and am so very happy I was able to bring her along to experience these amazing places I often take for granted. Wait. What am I talking about? Amazing places are amazing no matter how often we visit them. Travel is like that. In this photo, taken riverside in Wurzburg, Lisa is enjoying the view, taking in the scene on a lovely summer day. Yep, we’re traveling with Viking alright!

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 11, 2017 at 7:49am PDT

Stopping for the day in Wertheim, we spent pretty much all our time enjoying the day from the Stadt Cafe, a favorite place with a great view of the local scene. We watched as tour groups walked by, happy that seeing places on our own is also an option with Viking River Cruises. Highly recommended: anything on the menu. Really. Bonus: 60 minutes free T-mobile high speed wifi (thus the tagging of so many travelers)

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 12, 2017 at 1:09am PDT

Dining is a big part of travel, no matter what company we do it with. On our Viking River Cruise it was hard to choose where to dine…which may be a commonly difficult decision cruise lines with a multitude of options. Viking River Cruises has two and we still felt guilty when enjoying either over the other. I think that says a lot.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 14, 2017 at 3:35am PDT

It’s official, we have had nothing but great weather for the entire 15 days of our Grand European Tour with Viking River Cruises. Still, even if it rained every day we would have had a wonderful time. So many new friends on our Viking Longship Ve. Interestingly, we will probably see them again. We’ve seen what it is like to live and work at the places we explored along the way too. As we sailed from Budapest to our last full day of the tour here in Holland, the dining options have changed along the way, Those carefully curated recipes were supported by flexible onboard programming. That focused effort proved to be a nice supplement to the preparation we did in advance. Many thanks to the crew of our Viking Longship for a flawless travel experience.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 15, 2017 at 5:07am PDT

It always comes down to the people. We’ve covered a thousand miles and centuries of time on our Grand European Tour with Viking. All along the way we have been in exactly the right place to do so. In the company of open minded travelers who have seen the world, we know there’s not all that much difference between us when it comes down to things that matter. Love. Family. Work. Life. We all share so many parts of living. It’s a reality showcased by the people who work the ships of Viking with one very clear objective in mind: to be sure we have an enjoyable time. More importantly, they define it. Thanks so much Viking River Cruises.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 15, 2017 at 10:13am PDT

It’s one of our favorite parts of river cruising and we got plenty of it on Viking River Cruises Grand European Tour last week. Scenic cruising from one place to another reminds us of what a beautiful part of the world Europe can be. We pass farms and little towns not all that different from where we grew up in the Midwest United States. While other river cruise lines may sail more at night as travelers sleep, Viking mixes it up, staying late or overnight in places of particular interest that have a particularly interesting nightlife. Need to be one place at high Noon for the best experience? That happens. Sundown a stellar time to be at another place? That’s the plan on that particular day as well. Add it al up? a flawless travel experience.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 18, 2017 at 3:34am PDT

Budapest was where we started our Viking River Cruise, ending in Amsterdam. This week, our Viking Longship makes its way back to Budapest in the opposite direction. Our Grand European Tour was our best travel experience ever, in no small part due to the dedicated crew who just couldn’t do enough to make that flawless experience happen. Interestingly, that stellar performance a quality we see fleet wide. Many thanks. Safe travels friends.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 19, 2017 at 2:20pm PDT

Culinary offerings that changed as we sailed along on our Viking Longship added to the destination-focused travel experience. Plentiful free time before and after included tours of iconic landmarks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites often included time at a local restaurant or cafe as well. Unexpected bonus: a number of late nights in port enabled full scale dining at local eateries as well.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 20, 2017 at 7:57am PDT

Thinking about our travel with Viking River Cruises, I remember a few trips by motor coach when our Viking Longship stopped in the center of town but the iconic landmark and/or UNESCO World Heritage Site was beyond walking distance. Even going and coming back from those interesting places was an event as we passed through the countryside of Germany, passing working life that included farms and vineyards along the way.

A post shared by Chris Owen (@chriscruises) on Jun 21, 2017 at 12:20pm PDT

On Tumblr: TheWorldAsLisaSeesIt– One Post Every Day From Lisa’s Point Of View

http://theworldaslisaseesit.tumblr.com/post/161381694616/welcome-to-viking-ve-154365

http://theworldaslisaseesit.tumblr.com/post/161540109961/scenic-cruising-in-the-wachau-valley-absolutely

http://theworldaslisaseesit.tumblr.com/post/161572771606/dinner-on-the-aquavit-terrace-with-a-delightful

http://theworldaslisaseesit.tumblr.com/post/161617439291/regensburg-in-summertime-myvikingstory-160365

http://theworldaslisaseesit.tumblr.com/post/161722438646/ve-a-norse-creation-god-gives-humans-their

http://theworldaslisaseesit.tumblr.com/post/161728528336/lovely-day-in-bamburg-outside-the-cathedral-the

http://theworldaslisaseesit.tumblr.com/post/161804957141/in-würzberg-we-strolled-along-the-river-on-a

http://theworldaslisaseesit.tumblr.com/post/161805220121/wertheim-is-a-story-book-town-my-favorite-so-far

http://theworldaslisaseesit.tumblr.com/post/161805399946/cruising-and-castle-sighting-on-the-way-to-koblenz

http://theworldaslisaseesit.tumblr.com/post/161883376306/cologne-or-köln-was-magical-166365

On Pinterest

One more

As we sailed, locals turned out or stopped what they were doing to see our elegant Viking Longship pass by. One could not help but wonder what it would be like to live in these places and what those people who watched us sail thought of us.

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.”
― Pat Conroy

Windstar Cruises
Panama Canal And Costa Rica

2017 President’s Cruise

Sailing for the first time with any cruise line is always an interesting experience. As hard as passengers might try to prepare, actually being there brings the best answers to questions asked in advance. Sailing with Windstar Cruises, I came to define the feel of what they do. Actually, that’s not exactly accurate. I came to define half of what they do. The Windstar fleet is made up of two uniquely different kinds of ship: those with sails and those without. This is about distinct Windstar differences on ships without sails.

Pre Cruise Background Posts:

Posts Created Live During The Event:

Facebook Photo Albums:

Exposure Photo Storybook:

Windstar Cruises Costa Rica And The Panama Canal

Flickr Photo Albums:

Viking Ocean Cruises
In The Wake Of Vikings
New York To The West Indies

Viking Ocean Cruises In The Caribbean

Facebook Photo Albums-

Flickr Photo Galleries

Viking Caribbean: Pre-Cruise Countdown

In The Wake Of Vikings

Flickr photo albums

Facebook Photo Albums

Holland America Line
Norse Legends Baltics Sailing
new ms Koningsdam

While on board Holland America Line’s new ms Koningsdam, we covered a lot of ground and have more information on the way, describing much of what it is like to sail the new 99,836-ton ship. Below is a full account of information and images, gathered first-hand, on our sold out summer sailing of the a ship that is the epitome of all the Holland America Line of today has to offer. I think you will like what you see.

Posted Live as we sailed the North Sea from Amsterdam to Norway and back.

Facebook Photo Albums

Flickr Photo Collections– check back later too- more photos loading all the time

Movenpick Amsterdam– A Holland America Line choice for pre- and post-cruise hotel stays.
Koningsdam Casino – Interestingly, a nearly smoke-free venue on this ship
Rotterdam Sailaway– Originally scheduled to sail from Amsterdam, high winds pushed the embarkation port.
Koningsdam Staterooms- A variety of photos showing standard stateroom amenities including USB ports, electrical plugs and more
Dinner in the Culinary Arts Center– A potentially interactive experience where guests are invited to engage the chefs as they prepare the meal.
Koningsdam At Sea– A variety of images collected while sailing in the North Sea
Lido Market– One of the least talked about but giant features of Koningsdam
Koningsdam Galley Tour– We went behind the scenes into normally restricted areas
Pinnacle Grill- Holland America Line’s steakhouse.2 on Holland America Line
The Eclectic Koningsdam Art Collection– Unique at sea…like you might catch yourself getting lost in these works.
Sel de Mer Seafood Brasserie- one of several alternative dining options developed by Master Chef Rudi Sodamin and Holland America Line’s Culinary Council
Koningsdam Interior Spaces- Random areas around the ship
Edifjord, Norway with Holland America Line – Our first port of call in Norway
Norway Wildlife – actually, there are more than birds in Norway but these seemed especially photogenic.
Bergen Norway with Holland America Line– Where we turned around and headed back to Amsterdam

Cunard Line
New York City
Queen Mary 2 – Remastered

Sporting a whole new look and contemporary focus while simultaneously honoring their long and illustrious history, Cunard Line is on the move. We’ll be on hand to see the result of a massive remastering of the Cunard Line flagship Queen Mary 2. It’s been more than a decade since we last sailed with Cunard Line, then enjoying a 6-day transatlantic sailing from New York to Southampton.

Published During This One-Day Event

Cunard Remastering Brings Fresh Energy

Sailing Away From New York – an Exposure photo storybook

Holland America Line
Exploring The Canadian Yukon

Published During This Event

Holland America Line
Denali Square Grand Opening
Alaska

Published During This Event

Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Sea

Whitney and I sailed new Viking Sea on the first revenue cruise while the paint was still wet. Doing their exciting Empires of the Mediterranean itinerary, we sailed from Istanbul to Venice for ten days that went a little bit like this:

DAY 1 Istanbul, Turkey

DAY 2 Troy (Çanakkale), Turkey

DAY 3 Ephesus (Kuşadası), Turkey

DAY 4 Athens (Piraeus), Greece

DAY 5 Santorini (Thíra), Greece

DAY 6 At Sea

DAY 7 Kotor, Montenegro

DAY 8 Dubrovnik, Croatia

DAY 9 Pula, Croatia

DAY 10 Venice, Italy

Below is a list of all we experienced, wrote about and captured images of along the way.

Security Concerns Vs Travel Thwarting Fear– our time in Istanbul was limited, here is what we did and saw.
Viking Sea Comfortable Cruising– Trying to put the Viking Ocean Cruise experience into words, this is about as succint as I could get
Desktop-Worthy Photos Of Beautiful New Cruise Ships– While Viking Sea casts a lovely profile, also on our tail was Holland America Line’s new ms Koningsdam
Viking Sea: The Other Guys Should Have Seen This Coming– Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen promised something different to the world of cruise vacations, this posts explains exactly what that is.
A Ride On The Rocket: Fueled By Viking Ocean Cruises– Cruise lines continue to grow as does traveler interest in cruise vacations. Viking Ocean Cruises is growing at an exponential rate the likes of which we have never seen before. Here is why.
Viking Cruises Cultural Exploration A Consistent Theme– Just two out of a proposed ten ships in the pipeline , Viking continues to add more value to an already good deal. Here are some of those new experiences travelers will enjoy.
Viking Cruises Global View Via Tiny Details– Little things add up to big pleasure on any cruise line. Right now, on Viking Ocean Cruises there are more of those little things going on and it looks like more are on the way.
Viking Upgrades Logo Shop, Feeds Fan Frenzy– Once just a space for some logo stuff, Viking Sea debuts a shop full of Viking history side by side with relevant items for purchase that also reflect their mantra to Explore The World In Comfort.
Viking Evolves Onboard Experience With Arrival Of Viking Sea– A list of new onboard features that are not advertised but a very big part of what we enjoyed while sailing Viking Sea.
Viking Sea Photos: A Different Perspective– Whitney’s collection of photos: first impressions from an experienced cruise traveler who has not sailed with Viking before

Facebook Photo Albums created along the way

Flickr Photo Albums– You’ll need a free account at Flickr to view which is a good idea anyway because they let us upload a ton of photos to share for free. Check back from time to time, these albums are updated as we sail.

Seabourn Cruises
Seabourn Sojourn
Seabourn Taste of Asia Food And Wine Cruise

Hitting the ground running in 2016, Chris sailed aboard Seabourn Sojourn for 14 nights from Hong Kong to Singapore on the 3rd annual Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise . Along the way, Chris delivered details of over 90 onboard culinary events, as they happened. Through daily posts right here at ChrisCruises.com and a variety of engaging social ways outlined below, readers were invited to follow along on the 2016 journey as they have the last two events of the same name.

ChrisCruises Daily Posts –

Facebook Photo Albums

Flickr Event Photos-

Hong Kong– a brief look from what we could see on the way to Seabourn Sojourn and from her decks.
Hong Kong Local Performers– A nice detail, for those of us flying in the day of the cruise without time to explore Hong Kong, Seabourn brought aboard local performers to kick off the Taste of Asia Food and Wine Cruise
Dim Sum Lunch–
Tai Tak Cruise Terminal– Once an airport, this new cavernous facility can take two Oasis-class size ships. Interestingly, the new port is a place I first wrote about in a Gadling article. See: Recycled Hong Kong Airport Opens As Cruise Terminal for more
Wines Of Asia Lecture–
Cruising The South China Sea– shots from the balcony of my suite on Seabourn Sojourn
Seabourn Sojourn Ship Shots– random shots from around the ship at the features of Seabourn Sojourn
Dr Richard Turnbull – guest lecturer
Colonade Dining– Seabourn Sojourn’s indoor/outdoor dining venue and a personal favorite
Molecular Cocktail Demonstration– a fun time in the Observation lounge with sommelier Sebastian
Seabourn Patio Grill– Dining on deck for lunch or dinner most nights.
Seabourn Guests– random photos of our fellow travelers
Captain’s Welcome Event– Captain
Chef Bernd Seiner brought Michelin star quality to street level
Behind The Scenes- Random shots of what happens before and after passengers attend Food and Wine cruise events.
Seabourn Crew– The ladies and gentlemen that work on Seabourn Sojourn.
Tea Time With Chinese Pastries-
Sailing To Halong Bay, Vietnam- a lovely day of cruising at sea
Halong Bay, Vietnam– Perhaps my favorite port on the entire itinerary
Champagne Afternoons – a series of presentations by sommelier Sebastian Pacheco
Asian Hot Pot Dinner served in Seabourn Sojourn’s indoor/outdoor Colonnade Restaurant
Dim Sum Cooking Demonstration featuring chefs from the Peninsula Hong Kong (@PeninsulaHongKong)
Dim Sum Lunch– prepared by chefs from the Peninsula Hong Kong (@PeninsulaHongKong)
Shopping With The Chefs In Vietnam
DaNang Port– Overlooking the port from the balcony of my suite, I capture some interesting moments on the dock below.
Bordeaux Wine Seminar– on of a number of wine-oriented informational talks
Seabourn Room Service– an afterthought, I enjoyed Seabourn room service every morning with coffee at 3AM
Touring DaNang, Vietnam– I hired a driver for an efficient “just take me to the places, s
Food And Wine Pairing Seminar- new to the third edition of the Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise
Officers On Deck– a pre-dinner event on deck chatting with officers
The South China Sea
The Saigon River– Going where big ships can’t we drive Seabourn Sojourn up the Saigon River
Sihanoukville, Cambodia– a private tour of a lovely place
Sailing to Cambodia– scenes from a day at sea
Chef Muro Cooking Demonstration
Saigon Shopping With The Chefs
A Tour Of Saigon
Saigon Cruise Port– scenes from our first call at a Communist port of call
Duriya Preneet Band
Laem Chabang, Thailand
Chef Gypsy Gifford cooking demonstration
Sailing In The Gulf Of Taiwan
A Culinary Conversation With Gypsy Gifford

NEW: YouTube Video- (my first attempt with video, be kind please)

Also see

Instagram lovers will see one post a day that summarizes much of what we saw and did in the last 24 hours.
Pinterest – One board for each port of call on our Taste of Asia itinerary
Twitter has been populated with prescheduled tweets throughout the day that will be updated with events and happenings around the ship and ashore as the occur. Follow @ChrisCruises @SeabournCruise and the tag #SeabournFoodAndWineCruise.
Tumblr will be all about food and wine with multiple posts throughout each day.
Google+ posts will recap the day at its end
Exposure Photo Storybooks coming soon.

Abercrombie & Kent
Egypt And A Nile River Cruise With Jordan Extension

Arguably one of our best ever travel experiences, the river cruise element was just one part of this amazing 16-day adventure.

At ChrisCruises.com via these previous posts:

Facebook Photo Albums:

Photo Album: A Day In Egypt With Abercrombie & Kent
Photo Album: The Temple Of Luxor
Photo Album: Favorite Images From Egypt
Photo Album: The Temples Of Abu Simbel
Photo Album: The Cairo Bazaar
Photo Album: The Citadel, Amman Jordan
Photo Album: Little Petra
Photo Album: The Lost City Of Petra

Flickr Members see ChrisCruises Photo Albums
(Not a Flickr member? sign up here for free and get 1T free photo storage-must be signed in to see)

Exposure Photo Narratives – Big photos that tell the story. View on largest screen you have for best experience.

Egypt And The Nile With Abercrombie & Kent
The Enchanting Land Of Jordan (coming soon)

Pinterest Photo Boards

A&K’s Egypt And The Nile- one photo from each place
A&K’s Jordan (coming soon)

Check These Other Social Sources From Us As Well

On Twitter – @ChrisCruises – Search for #AKEgypt and #AKJordan and other tags noted below
On Instagram- ChrisCruises as well

Want To Go Deeper Socially?

Check these tags and accounts from the sources used during our Abercrombie & Kent Egypt and Jordan Small Group Travel Experience

Abercrombie & Kent

Twitter: @AKTravel_USA
Instagram: aktravel_usa
Facebook: facebook.com/abercrombiekent
Hashtags: #AKEgypt and #AKJordan and for Instagram: #abercrombiekent

Egypt Tourism

Twitter: @ExperienceEgypt
Instagram: experienceegypt
Facebook: facebook.com/experienceegypt

Jordan Tourism

North America Twitter – @JordanNorthAm
World Twitter – @VisitJordan
Instagram – visitjordan
North America Facebook –facebook.com/MyJordanJourney
Worldwide Facebook –facebook.com/VisitJordan
Hashtags: #GoJordan and #MyJordanJourney and for Instagram: #ShareYourJordan

Royal Jordanian

Twitter: @RoyalJordanian
Instagram: royaljordanianairlines

Mena House Hotel

Facebook: facebook.com/menahousehotel
Twitter: @MenaHouseHotel
Instagram: menahousehotel

Sanctuary ‘Sun Boat IV’

Twitter: @SanctuaryRet
Instagram: menahousehotel
Facebook: facebook.com/SanctuaryRetreats

Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza

Twitter: @FSCairoNP
Instagram: fscaironp
Facebook: facebook.com/FourSeasonsHotelCairoNilePlaza

Grand Hyatt Amman

Twitter: @randhyattamm
Instagram: grandhyattamman
Facebook: facebook.com/GrandHyattAmman

Mövenpick Resort Petra & Mövenpick Resort Dead Sea

Twitter:@ movenpickjo
Instagram: movenpickjo
Facebook: facebook.com/moevenpickhotel

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Europa 2

A new cruise line (for us) and a new ship, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises new Europa 2 was the scene for an interesting September 2015 sailing.

The new EUROPA 2 is a modern and casual luxury ship, which does away with cruise traditions such as the captain’s dinner. A first for any ship, the EUROPA 2 has received the highest distinction, a 5-stars-plus ranking from the 2014 “Berlitz Cruise Guide.” Holding up to 500 guests, the EUROPA 2 provides the greatest space per passenger ratio in the industry. The ship features exclusively suites with verandas and a minimum area of 28 square meters (301 square feet). Seven restaurants and six bars are dedicated to serving up culinary diversity and a large spa and fitness area accommodates the wellness and exercise trend on cruises. Its concept appeals to professionals and families in the luxury sector in particular. All cruises are fully bilingual and cater to English speaking passengers.

Production During This Event-

Posts Here At ChrisCruises.com

Facebook Photo Albums-

Flickr Photo Albums=

Azamara Club Cruises
Azamara Quest
Summer Russia And The Baltics Sailing

See more of our Azamara Club Cruises sailing to Russia, Estonia, Denmark, The Netherlands and more via these links

Complete Journal– From pre-cruise planning to after sailing reflection and every step in between, right here, updated daily as we sail in our Engaging Azamara Summer Baltics Cruise Journal

Individual Day Posts During Sailing– day by day, in the order written

Pinterest Photo Boards – one for each port and more

Flickr Photo Albums- all our photos for each place, free to use- check back frequently; we are adding more photos throughout the journey.

Facebook Photo Albums

Check These Social Sources Too

TWITTER- On Twitter follow @OrlandoChris and the tag #LoveTravel – we’re tweeting a different photo from our journey every 30 minutes during our sailing. Look at :15 and :30 past the hour
INSTAGRAM- On Instagram follow ChrisCruises
TUMBLR- Tumblr also follow ChrisCruises

Viking River Cruises
10- Day Elegant Elbe river cruise

In July, we’re back with a personal favorite, Viking River Cruises for one of their new itineraries for 2015. The Elegant Elbe promises that we will discover the natural beauty of former East Germany’s dramatic landscape, tour the opulent palaces of Saxon monarchs and stroll through beautifully landscaped gardens. We will sail between the dramatic sandstone cliffs of Germany’s Saxon Switzerland , marvel at the baroque splendor of Dresden and see how Meissenware porcelain is produced.

Of particular interest to Lisa, this itinerary promotes the idea that we can “Walk in the footsteps of Martin Luther in historic Wittenberg and learn about the Protestant Reformation”, a topic that resonates with us as Lutherans. Also interesting, the journey is bookended by one night in multicultural Berlin and one night in graceful Prague. Of particular interest to Chris: Germany = Sausages and Beer, in the summer, on a Viking Longship. Life does not need to be much better than that.

Published during this event

Learn More

Want to know more about what it is like to sail with Viking River Cruises? We have a nice library of posts started about that. See our Sailing Viking: Elegant Elbe River Cruise Journal that begins with planning and ends with reflection of the experience.

Blog Posts here at ChrisCruise.com:

•Viking Elegant Elbe: Getting Ready To Sail

•Sailing Viking: Off We Go

•Sailing Viking: Flying Across The Pond

•Sailing Viking: Our First (Very) Full Day

•Sailing Viking: Free Time Jackpot

•Sailing Viking: Scenic Cruising, No Ship Required

•Sailing Viking: The Magical Ship Swap

•Sailing Viking: History Comes To Life

•Sailing Viking: Visiting Lutherland

•The Viking Advantage: The Nature Of Travel, Applied

•The Viking Advantage: We Would Gladly Repeat Our Experience

Flickr Photo Albums:

•Wittenberg Elbe River Cruising

•Martin Luther Tour

•Viking Beyla Onboard

•Wittenberg Germany

•Viking Beyla Photo Tour

•Meissen Germany

•Meissen Porcelain Factory

•Viking Astrild Photo Tour

•Elbe River Scenic Cruising

•Dresden Germany

•Bastel Park

•Prague, Czech Republic

•Prague Tour

•Travel Day

Facebook Photo Albums

•Meissen, Germany

• Viking Astrild – a smaller Viking Longship built for the Elbe River

•Four Days In Wittenberg, Germany

•Bastel Park, Germany

•Unexpected Bonus: Elbe River Scenic Cruising

Azamara Club Cruises

Azamara Journey

12-night Venice, Greece and The Isles Of Croatia

We returned to destination-focused Azamara Club Cruises for a 12-night sailing themed Venice, Greece and The Isles Of Croatia on Azamara Journey.

We explored scenic isles and small villages in four countries in addition to some relaxing days at sea which brought time to explore amenities aboard Azamara Journey as well as fully capture the essence of a longer sailing, this one a 12-day Isles of Croatia voyage.

VOYAGE ITINERARY

DATE

PORT/CITY

ACTIVITY

ARRIVAL

DEPART

TUE 23-JUN

Istanbul, Turkey

Embark

7:00 pm

WED 24-JUN

At Sea

Cruising

THU 25-JUN

Gythion, Greece

Tendered

8:00 am

7:00 pm

FRI 26-JUN

At Sea

Cruising

SAT 27-JUN

Kotor, Montenegro

Tendered

8:00 am

9:00 pm

SUN 28-JUN

Korcula, Croatia

Tendered

8:00 am

2:30 pm

MON 29-JUN

Venice, Italy

Docked

9:00 am

11:00 pm

TUE 30-JUN

Zadar, Croatia

Docked

10:00 am

6:00 pm

TUE 30-JUN

Croatia Inside Passage

Cruising

6:00 pm

8:45 pm

WED 1-JUL

Hvar, Croatia

Tendered

8:00 am

7:00 pm

THU 2-JUL

At Sea

Cruising

FRI 3-JUL

Santorini, Greece

Tendered

1:00 pm

10:00 pm

SAT 4-JUL

At Sea

Cruising

SUN 5-JUL

Istanbul, Turkey

Debark

6:00 am

Published during this event and after

Learn More

Want to know more about what it is like to sail with Azamara Club Cruises? We have a nice library of posts started about that. See our Complete Experience Voyage Journal that begins with planning and ends with reflection of the experience.

Blog Posts

See these posts made during our 12-night Greece, Italy and Croatia sailing

•Sailing Azamara: Easy Boarding With Early Reflection

•

•Sailing Azamara: I Did Absolutely Nothing Today

•Sailing Azamara: Beyond Azamazing

•Sailing Azamara: Gythion By The Beach

•Sailing Azamara: The Focused Onboard Experience

•Sailing Azamara: We’re Not In Dubrovnik Anymore

•Sailing Azamara: They Come Out At Night Too

•Sailing Azamara: Expert Status Verified

•Sailing Azamara: Actually, The Ship Is A Destination Too

•Sailing Azamara: Chris Sees A Show, And Likes It

•Sailing Azamara: Solid Reasons To Do Just That

•Sailing Azamara: One From Each Place

Flickr Photo Albums

• White Night– A special evening on every Azamara Club Cruises sailing

•A Day and evening in Hvar, Croatia

• Azamara Culinary Operations – Part 1 (look for Part 2 after our August sailing on Azamara Quest)

• Azamara Journey Ship Guide– random photos from around the ship

• Azamara Room Service – the start of an album that will eventually have everything on the menu

•A day in Zadar, Croatia

•A day in Santorini, Greece

•A day in Kotor, Montenegro

•A day in Gythion, Greece

•Sunrises and Sunsets Seen On Our Azamara Journey cruise

•Istanbul, Turkey

Twitter Posts

•Our Twitter Feed During The Event

Exposure Photo Storybooks

• Preparing For Amazing- pre-cruise preparation for our voyage

• Sailing Azamara– Our Voyage, In Photos

Pinterest Boards

•Azamara Journey

•Azamara Isles of Croatia

Facebook Photo Albums

One from each port of call

•Istanbul, Turkey

•Azamara’s Venice

•Zadar, Croatia

•Hvar, Croatia

•Kotor, Montenegro

•Gythion, Greece

Viking Cruises

Viking Star Christening

Bergen, Norway

We were on hand in Bergen Norway to witness the birth of a new cruise line and its first ship, Viking Star

Published during this event

•Viking Star First Impression: A Whole New Ballgame

•Tactile Viking Star: Designed To Go Places

•Viking Star Qualities For People Like Me

•

•Viking Star: A Ship Built For Me, Maybe You

•Two Years Ago, To The Day, A Promise Was Made

•Viking Star To Keep Other Lines Alert

•Viking Star + Norway Flag + Bergen = Dream Come True

•A Few Favorite Viking Star Features

See more of Viking Star in our Facebook Photo Albums

•Viking Star Interior Spaces

•Viking Star Exterior Spaces

• Viking Star Christening – Via Viking Cruises Absolutely Amazing Photographers

Flickr Photo Albums

•Viking Star Crew

•Viking Star Theater

•Viking Star Culinary

•Viking History

•Viking Star Scenic Cruising

•Viking Star Tour

•Bergen, Norway

•Viking Star Laundry Room

•Viking Star Interior Spaces

•Viking Star Exterior Spaces

Holland America Line ms Westerdam

Alaska Sip-Savor-Sail

We sailed again with Holland America Line to Alaska, round-trip Seattle on a 7 day itinerary that took us up close and personal with the land of the midnight sun. Already an Alaska powerhouse, Holland America Line’s Sip-Savor-Sail element adds an additional layer of Alaska engagement like no other

•Alaska Cruise Season Begins As We Sip Savor And Sail Away

•Alaska In Sight: Sailing Away On Holland America Sip Savor Sail

•Sip Savor Sail Sea Day Full Of Food And Wine

•Alaska Wonder Awaits, One Way Or Another

•Alaska Scenic Cruising On Holland America Sip Savor Sail

•A Day In Sitka With Holland America Line

•Ketchikan Takes Back Seat To Sip Sail Savor Events, Briefly

Check These Other Resources Too:

• Our Live Instagram Feed – a photo a day of our adventure, maybe two

•Live Flickr Photo Albums*all the photos, (good and bad) updated throughout the voyage, Internet signal permitting. Check back each day as we add more photos to each of these albums:

• Port of Seattle– an engaging port authority, get to know the Port of Seattle

• Seattle Sheraton– A great pre- or post-cruise hotel property

• Seattle Space Needle– I thought it would be “great view, lousy tourist food” but it was in fact, “great view, delicious Northwest cuisine”

• Chateaux St Michelle winery– a nice little place not far from Seattle- a great pre- or post-cruise activity

• Chef Jeff Maxwell– From the Seattle Space Needle

• Wine Expert Bob Bertheau– From Chateaux St Michelle

• Beer & Wine Labels On Board– From Alaska Brewing Company products to local wineries

• Westerdam Ship Shots– all around the ship, captured throughout the voyage

• Sail Away From Seattle– our first night at sea and a lovely afternoon sail away party

•BB King Jazz Club On Holland America Line

•Chef Jeff Maxfield Stinging Nettle Soup Demonstration

•Northwest Wine Seminar with Bob Bertheau

• Chef Seis Kamimura- Now from Centurylink Stadium, Kamimura brings a rich pedigree of accomplishments to the Sip Savor Sail cruise.

• On The Way To Juneau– a day at sea was not your typical big ship day at sea, normally completely surrounded by water in all directions- see what is different here.

• Glacier Bay– A collection of what we saw throughout the day, including a rare sighting of a magnificent glacier not normally available for viewing this time of year

• Wine And Cheese On The Bow- is a signature event for Holland America Line’s Alaska operations where the forward bow section of the ship, normally closed, is opened up for passengers to engage the destination.

•Live Twitter Posts

Facebook Photo Albums photos added throughout the voyage here as well.

•Captain’s Dinner

•Sip-Savor-Sail: Alaska In Sight

•Sip-Savor-Sail: Food And Wine Events

•Glacier Bay In Photos

•A Day In Sitka

•Crab Feast Flyby

*Flickr account required – Sign up here

Seabourn

7-Day Taste Of The Mediterranean Food & Wine Cruise

The 2014 Seabourn Food & Wine Cruise proved was a stellar luxury cruise experience, so we had high hopes for the 2015 edition, titled a Taste of the Mediterranean. We got just that and far more in a stellar at sea event that included more, more and more about food and wine, piled high on top of an already wonderful base Seabourn experience.

What looked like a magic ingredient in Seabourn’s recipe for success was adding SAVEUR Editor in Chief Adam Sachs to the lineup of culinary stars. His mere presence on board provided stimulus for Seabourn chefs to plan beyond their wildest dreams in advance of sailing. On board, the Seabourn way of enabling their people to push the limit of what can be done on a cruise ship made for stop on a dime, last minute additions, modifications and alterations to that plan, interacting spontaneously with Seabourn Guests.

Check these resources, published during the event for more

•Seabourn Sail Away Brings Unexpected Bonus Event

•Seabourn Brings Destination On Board

•We Visited A Little Fishing Village In Greece

•Seabourn Chef Event Goes Beyond Demonstration

•Seabourn Sense Defined

•World Class Pizza On The Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise

•Passionate, Engaging Sommelier Makes Wine Study Fun

•Shopping With The Chefs Seabourn Style: Chefs On Tour

•French Chef A Key Ingredient In The Seabourn Experience

Facebook Photo Albums:

•Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise Sails Away

•

•Shopping With Seabourn Chefs In Amalfi, Italy

•Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise – In Photos

•Lunch With Seabourn Chefs In Livorno

•Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise- Just Food

Also see this post-cruise production-

•Back To The Real World

•Seabourn Sense Brings The Adam Factor

•Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise In Photos, Events and Hearts

Flickr Photo Albums

•Greek Sail Away Party

•Greek Barbecue Lunch

•Greek Dance Performance

•Olive Oil Tasting

• Chef Jean Claude Cavalera -Cooking Demonstration

•2015 Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise Crew

•Seabourn Sojourn Ship Shots

•St Tropez, France

•Castello Livorno

•Shopping With The Chefs

•Lunch With The Chefs In Livorno

•Opera Dinner

•Epicurean Evening

•Civitavecchia Port, Italy

•Dinner In The Galley

•World Champion Pizza Chef

•Dinner Menu Crew Briefing

•Chefs In Amalfi

•Amalfi Lunch With Chefs

•Seen On A Walk In Amalfi, Italy

•Little Things That Mean A Lot

•Dress Code Reality

•Wine Lectures, Seminars and Presentations

•Galley Market Lunch

•Chef Giuseppe Argentino Cooking Demonstration and Introduction To Italian 101

•Block Party

•Baklava Making Demonstration

•A Conversation With Adam Sachs

•Ashore in Monemvasia, Greece

•Saying Goodbye To Seabourn Sojourn

@Exposure Photo Story Book– Culinary Excellence: The Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise

Viking River Cruises 2015 Inaugural Celebration

Taking culturally curious travelers directly to the scene of iconic destinations and UNESCO World Heritage sitesaround the world, Viking River Cruises launched 12 new river vessels – 10 additional award-winning Viking Longships® and two unique vessels for the Elbe River.

2015 also marked the launch of two new itineraries highlighting the Rhine River. That was on the heels of Viking’s world record-setting christening in 2014 of 18 vessels across four countries in five days and will bring the company’s total fleet size to 64 river vessels in 2015.

Published during this event:

•As The Viking Empire Expands, So Do Choices

•Countdown To Christening: 2015 Viking Longships

•2015 Viking Longships To Continue Naming Tradition

•2015 Viking Longship Godmothers An Appropriate, Typically Thoughtful Choice

•The Stage Is Set: The Vikings Of 2015 Are Next

•The Unexpected Star Of Viking River Cruises

•River Cities A Big Part Of Viking Experience

•Favorite Scenes From The 2015 Viking Longships Christening

Facebook Photo Albums

•2015 Viking Longships Christening

•The Viking Difference

Carnival Cruise Lines– Carnival Freedom

Carnival Freedom underwent a massive $70 million makeover earlier this year that dramatically transformed numerous areas of the ship and will reposition to Galveston, Texas, in February 2015, building upon the line’s position as Texas’ number one cruise operator.

New spaces added to Carnival Freedom include the first-ever Dr. Seuss Bookville facility – part of the line’s popular Seuss at Sea program – as well as a total revamp of the children’s play areas. The transformation also included venues like Guy’s Burger Joint developed in tandem with Food Network star Guy Fieri, EA SPORTS Bar, the BlueIguana Cantina Mexican eatery, the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar and the poolside RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar.

To commemorate Carnival Freedom’s Texas debut, Carnival is teaming up with Operation Homefront to honor military families with a special pierside overnight event on Saturday, February 14, 2015, at the Port of Galveston that will include a special Carnival LIVE concert by a popular recording artist, as well as cocktails, dinner and entertainment.

Published during this event-

•Carnival Texas Event Breaks Record, Sets Bar High

•Carnival Claims Family Travel At Big Texas Event

•Galveston, Oh Galveston: Let’s Cruise!

•Carnival Freedom Questions And Answers

•On Board And Off: The Value Of A Big Ship Cruise

•The Seamless Carnival Caribbean Experience

•Fresh Look: The Carnival Of Today

Carnival Cruise Lines- Carnival Vista

Carnival Vista’s many groundbreaking features, including several innovations not found on any other cruise ship were revealed during this event. The stunning 133,500-ton ship will be the largest in the Carnival fleet when it debuts in spring 2016.

This event marked our first attempt to bring readers and followers along in a unique way, broadcasting from the scene with LiveStream, a live streaming video service.

See these posts for more and stay tuned throughout the year as we cover the launch of this unique new ship:

The Fun Continues: Intro To Carnival Vista

Our Peculiar But Interesting Intro To Carnival Vista, Livestream

Viking River Cruises – Romantic Danube Itinerary featuring Christmas Markets

Our second Christmas markets sailing in as many years took us from Nuremberg, Germany to Budapest, Hungary on an 8-day sailing like no other. Along for the ride, a blue ribbon panel of socially-focused travelers with diverse backgrounds added a unique element to our coverage. One we hope to repeat in the future. Describing the scene from our point of view gave readers a familiar voice that brought frank, inside information about this marvelous cruise travel option.

Better yet, carefully curated members of our Viking Social team saw and experienced the same places and events from a different angle, providing their own unique perspective on the journey.

Pre-Cruise Information

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: What To Wear

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Travelers We Will See On The Ship

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: River vs. Ocean Experience

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: The Viking Longships

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: When Winter Travel Is Worth It

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Remember Where You Are

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Looking Forward To Vienna

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Ocean Cruise Skills I Will Not Need On My Viking River Cruise

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Going Through Locks, Will They Be Frozen?

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Overnight In Budapest: What To Do

•Nuremberg’s Meridien Grand Hotel A Great Pre Cruise Option

Facebook photo albums-

•Nuremberg’s Meridien Grand Hotel

•Nuremberg Christmas Market

•Regensburg Christmas Market

@Exposure Photo Story Books

•Regensburg, Germany- A Christmas Markets Visit With Viking River Cruises

•The Grand Cathedrals Of Europe

Posted Live from Viking Delling-

•Viking Social Begins With A Bit Of Familiarity

•The Most Popular River Cruise Line In The World

•10 Reasons To Buy A Christmas Markets Cruise Today

•5 Secret Reasons Why The Viking Empire Is Expanding

•Viking Christmas Markets: Video Vs. Reality

•Actually, Christmas Markets Were Just One Part Of Our Cruise

Post-Cruise Information-

•Festive Sailing With Viking River Cruises – Part Eins

Seabourn

Best of the Riviera Food & Wine Cruise

We were on board the luxurious Seabourn Sojourn for the 11-day “Best of the Riviera Food & Wine Cruise” that visited some of Europe’s most appealing food and wine regions from Monte Carlo, through the French and Italian Rivieras to Rome. Celebrity Guest Chefs from the region were along on the voyage as well as Seabourn’s award-winning team of corporate executive chefs and wine experts

French Chef Patrice Olivon brought the skills he learned in Southern France to Washington D. C., where he cooked at the French Embassy, the White House and at Camp David for special occasions. He is program director of Culinary Arts at the prestigious L’Academie de Cuisine and a popular instructor and presenter.

Italian Chef Alfio Longo has traveled the world learning and practicing his craft at fine dining restaurants and in private service in New York, as well as the Dominican Republic, China and Turkey. He is currently the Executive Chef at Osteria del Circo in New York operated by Sirio Maccioni’s Le Cirque International group.

Other features of Seabourn’s Best of the Riviera Food & Wine Cruise included:

•“Shopping with the Chef” trips in local markets in Marseille, France; Livorno and Messina, Italy;

•Festive epicurean deck events and gala luncheons;

•Local specialties and regional flavors featured on menus throughout the voyage.

•Daily tastings of local foods and wines on board

Here is a complete list of our coverage during this extraordinary event

•Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise Sails Away

•Food and Wine Cruise Visits Marseilles, Meets The Neighbors

•Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise Builds On A Solid Foundation

•Food and Wine Cruise Bakes A Luxurious Cake

•Thoughtful Surprises A Big Part Of The Seabourn Experience

•Looking Deeper, We Find Gold On Seabourn

•A Day At Sea Brings Bonus Food And Wine Events

•44 Hits Of The Seabourn Food and Wine Cruise

•The Seabourn Family

•Favorite Views From My Seabourn Balcony

Socially, fans of food and wine followed along on Twitter following ChrisCruises (@OrlandoChris), Seabourn (@SeabournCruise), and the tag #SeabournFoodandWineCruise

• On our Live Instagram Feed- Keeping up with what was happening at any given moment, Instagram was the place to be.

• Facebook Photo Albums featured each stop and event along the way.

• Flickr Photo Sets were available with all our photos, unedited, in one place. Free to use.

• Pinterest boards included a number of Seabourn Food & Wine Cruise topics.

• @Exposure Photo Story Books feature big, vivid images

The Turner Classic Movie cruise

The Turner Classic Movie Cruise (TCM) set sail for the fourth time this year, with a ship load of passionate movie fans sharing and watching films, seeing the actors and talent who made them, hearing stories from behind the scenes and enjoying special panels. Sailing from Port Canaveral, Disney Magic took movie fans to Key West and Disney Cruise Line‘s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay. On board? Along with movie stars and producers Richard Dreyfuss , Shirley Jones , Roger Corman, Tab Hunter, Ann Blyth, Diane Baker andJames Karen, game show host Alex Trebek, producer-writer-actress Illeana Douglas, author and film noir expert Eddie Muller and film historian Bruce Goldstein of The Film Forum.

Content produced during this event:

•TCM Classic Movies Cruise Sails Today

•TCM Classic Movies Cruise Begins Much Like A Family Reunion

•Ten Reasons To Like The Turner Classic Movies Cruise

•TCM Cruise: A Chat With Stars, Film Noir And Fireworks

•TCM Classic Cruise: Your Questions Answered

Facebook Photo Albums:

•TCM Classic Movies Cruise

•Disney’s Castaway Cay

Carnival LIVE Concert Series-

Styx In Concert, In Mexico

Carnival Cruise Lines, known world-wide for their popular fleet of Fun Ships raised the bar on at-sea entertainment, adding top entertainers to it’s manifest of fun with Carnival LIVE, a concert series offering Carnival guests the opportunity to enjoy an exclusive onboard performance by a diverse roster of popular music artists while ships are docked at select ports of call.

Our sailing will be on board Carnival Breeze sailing from Miami to Ocho Rios, Jamaica before a stop in Grand Cayman. When the ship stops in Cozumel, there will be a performance on board by legendary rock band Styx. With 17 million records sold, a number of which were purchased by me in various forms over the years, this should be an exciting adventure.

Content produced during this event

• Instagram and Tumblr for live photos throughout the event, Internet cooperating

• Facebook for live photos and photo albums from each port and event along the way

• Flickr PhotoStream for all our photos from the entire event

• @exposure photo story books

•Carnival Breeze and Carnival LIVE Pinterest Board

Our posts here at ChrisCruises.com:

•Back To The Dance With The One Who Took Us There

•Welcome Back, Now Define Your Fun

•A Lovely Day At Sea, Just For Me

•Two Friends In Ocho Rios

•CarnivalLIVE: The Best Of Both Worlds

•The Secret Value Of CarnivalLIVE + 11 Tips

Facebook Photo Albums-

•Welcome Back

•Ocho Rios With Carnival Breeze

•CarnivalLIVE Styx Album

•Grand Cayman with Carnival Breeze

Flickr Photo Stream– all photos, unedited

Crystal Cruises

Autumn’s Palette Fall Foliage Tour

In September we sailed with Crystal Cruises for the first time on an itinerary that began with an overnight in Boston and ended with an overnight in Quebec City.Making our maiden calls to a number of interesting ports, choosing what to do off the ship is a priority and we have already started doing our homework. Thankfully, Crystal Cruises made that easy with a unique offering of Crystal Adventures shore excursions that highlight the best of the places we will visit.

Our itinerary was diverse, beginning and staying overnight in Boston which we visited not long ago for the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Life@50+ conference, enjoying a day tour by trolley that barely scratched the surface of the destination, about as rich in history and culture as it gets in North America. Staying overnight will bring even more opportunity to explore Boston. But that’s just the first place we visit on ultra-luxury Crystal Serenity.

From Boston we continue to Bar Harbor, Maine then on to Canada and Saint John, New Brunswickbefore a long day in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After cruising the Cabot Strait, we stop by Canada’s isolated Magdalen islands before a call at two gems in the Canadian Province of Quebec, Harve-Saint-Pierre ahead of Baie-Comeau, ending in Quebec City where the ship also stays overnight.

See more of our journey:

At ChrisCruises.com, in itinerary order:

•Riot Of Color Or Subtle Change, Crystal Fall Foliage Cruise Will Be Epic

•Crystal Cruises First Impressions: Absolutely Blown Away

•Crystal Cruises Adventures, On And Off The Ship

•Themed Moderation On Crystal Cruises

•Crystal Cruises, Saint John, Built On A Rock Solid Foundation

•An Outstanding Day In Halifax with Crystal Cruises

•Your Crystal Cruises Questions (sort of) Answered

•The Magdalen Islands With Crystal Cruises

•Luxuriously Appointed Ship Visits Surprisingly Friendly Canada Port

•Fall Foliage Itinerary Finally Delivers, Butlers Sigh In Relief

•Our Crystal Cruises Experience, Shared

Facebook Photo Albums:

•Our First Day On Crystal Cruises

•My Crystal Story

•Crystal Cruises Room Service

•Bar Harbor, Maine with Crystal Cruises

•Crystal Cruises Visits Saint John, New Brunswick

•Halifax, Nova Scotia with Crystal Cruises

•Fall Foliage With Crystal Cruises

Viking River Cruises

Portraits Of Southern France

In August, we went back to Viking River Cruises sailing along France’s scenic Saône and Rhône Rivers past some of the most beautiful vistas the French countryside has to offer, sailing from Avignon to Chalon-sur Saone. During the 8-day journey, we explored the famed region of Burgundy and the colorful fields of Provence. We visited Gallo-Roman ruins in both Vienne and Arles, walked the cobbled streets of Arles to see how it inspired Vincent van Gogh, and visited the historic Papal Palace in Avignon, “City of Popes.”

Continuing our education on some of the world’s most famous wines, started in France’s Bordeaux region earlier this year, we learned about the region’s time-honored winemaking traditions, sampled Burgundy varietals and try the world-famous regional cuisine in Lyon.

Flying over the pond a day early, we overnighted in Marseilles again before beginning our journey with a return to Avignon to sail this itinerary:

08/16- Arrive Marseilles, France -overnight

08/17- Avignon overnight

08/18- Arles, France

08/19- Tournon & Vivers, France

08/20- Lyon & Vienne, France

08/21- Lyon, France

08/22- Beaune, France

08/23- Cahlon-Sur-Saone, France

A recap of our daily posts:

Pre-Cruise

• Our Next Epic Trip: Viking Portraits Of Southern France

• Sailing As Vikings, We Come Prepared

• Relaxed Packing For A Summer River Cruise

• Say Hello To Valdemar The Viking

• Viking Portraits Itinerary Promises Unique, Themed Experience

• Recommended Reading Not Just A Pre-Travel Time Killer

• Designing Your River Cruise Packing List

• Travel Apps We Will Test On Our Next Cruise

• Practice Packing, Itinerary Review All Part Of Pre-Cruise Countdown

During the Event

• We Are Vikings, On Our Way To France

• Viking Portraits Of Southern France: Travel Day

• Easy Embarkation Begins Viking River Cruise

• Let The Destination Focus Begin, Effectively

• Viking Included Tours: Easy And Customizable

• Day Touring France Ends With Brilliant Viking Culinary Event

• River Cruise Itinerary Nears Rousing Finish

• Vikings Visit Lyon, Or Was That A Dream?

• Viking Portraits Itinerary: We Found The Artist

Post- Cruise

• Your Questions Answered: Viking Silver Spirits And Staterooms

•Travel Rewind: How Our Viking Plans Worked Out

Check these online sources for more of what we experienced on our Portraits of Southern France itinerary:

Facebook photo albums

•A Nearly Perfect River Cruise

•Viking River Cruise Itinerary A Solid Win

•Viking Included Tours: Easy And Customizable

•A Day In Arles, France With Viking River Cruises

•Beautiful Lyon France

Pinterest- Photo boards for each place we visit, Viking Hermod and a roundup of Viking River Cruises Portraits of Southern France itinerary

•Tarascon and Arles, France where Van Gogh Called Home

•A Day In Vienne, France

•Bruschetta, History In Lyon France

•Sampling Viking Portraits Of Southern France

•Scenic Cruising In France

Exposure- Photo Storybooks for each event (under construction, more to come)

•Hospices de Beaune- One Part Of An Amazing Day In France

•Scenic Cruising- Viking River Cruises In France

•One From Each Place- Viking Portraits Of Southern France

Flickr Photo Sets (all the photos from every place, multiple shots of the same)

•Chalon-sur-Saone

•Tarascon France via Viking River Cruises

•Scenic Cruising In France

•Arles France with Viking River Cruises

•Avignon, France via Viking River Cruises

•Viking Portraits Sample Pack

Abercrombie & Kent Connections River Cruise

Taking their broad experience on land, combining it with their luxury-level planning skills, Abercrombie & Kent Connections river/land tours produce a viable alternative and stand-alone good travel experience. We sampled the Connections focus of A&K with a package that included overnight hotel stays in Munich on the front end and Amsterdam on the back end with 8 days of river cruisingin-between. On board and with us all the way, supplementing the standard river cruise experience, our A&K guide insured that those ‘connections’ were possible each and every day.

Here, in the order they were experienced, are blog posts we published here on ChrisCruises.com during the event

•Munich, Abercrombie And Kent Style

•Charming Hotel Torbrau In Munich

•Angels And Nazi’s Make For Interesting Travel

•Historic Bamberg Germany: An Unobstructed View

•A Typically Busy Day On The River

•Free Time Revolt On The River

•Scenic Cruising A Best Part Of Any River Cruise

•Golden Memories Keep Me Coming Back

•The Abercrombie & Kent Difference

•Touring The Netherlands: Abercrombie Style

•I Visited 17 Amsterdam Coffee Shops In One Day

•Abercrombie & Kent Connections: Your Questions Answered

These articles were published on CruiseAddicts.com

•On Location: River Cruising In Germany

•Abercrombie & Kent’s Version Of A River Cruise

•On Location: River Cruising In Europe

•River Cruising: Also A Customizable Travel Experience

•Two Ports In One Day: Typical Of River Cruising In Europe

Our Facebook Photo albums

•Touring The Netherlands

•Bamberg, Germany

•Hotel Torbrau in Munich, Germany

•Munich Summer Market

•Amsterdam Coffee Shop Tour

Pinterest boards-

•Abercrombie & Kent Connections

On Instagram- Our live posts, when Internet connections permitted

Flickr Photo Albums

•Munich Market Visit

•Rothenburg, Germany

•Bamberg, Germany

•Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Exposure Photo Story Books

•On Location: Munich, Abercrombie & Kent Style

•Friday Night In Munich: A Summer Market and Bier Garden

•Hotel Torbrau: An Enchanting Gem In Munich

•Castles: A Best Part Of Any Euro River Cruise

AARP 50+ Boston

We went to Boston, Massachusetts to investigate AARP Member Advantages, a program sponsored by the38-million member American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) that brings real time discounts on travel products. Better yet, other savings realized by using AARP Member Advantage programs can add up to more travel, more frequently.

We blogged about it daily and added information via a number of social media sites as well, all in an effort to show what this organization is all about. By the end of it, one fact was quite clear: The $16 annual membership fee is a steal for what those who belong get out of it.

Read more-

•This Week: Life@50+ Boston

•Life@50+ Boston Promises Real Possibilities

•Life@50+ Boston Stars To Engage, Inspire

•Life@50+ Boston Begins Today, Offering Advantages For Travelers

•AARP Member Advantages: It’s Showtime !

Viking River Cruises Longships Christening- Avignon, France

During the Viking Longships Christening 2014 event, which shattered their own Guinness World Record for the number of ships launched in one day, we brought you more information than ever, a variety of ways:

Twitter followers, watched for posts tagged #VikingChristening, that seems to be the most widely used. The result? Over 50 million impressions as the twitterverse lit up over Viking River Cruises big accomplishment.

Instagram posts from the time we left home until our return, covering everything in-between.

Live Blog Posts detailing highlights of our travels, the Christening Ceremony, Viking Longships and more. Here is a complete list of all Viking Christening-related posts:

•Viking Longships Christening: We’re Here

•Vikings Prepare To Conquer A New Land

•Avignon, France – Viking Style

•Bordeaux Guide Typical Of Viking Standards

•Bordeaux Wine Tour Curiously Satisfying

•First Look: Viking Ships Custom Built For The Douro River

•Viking Christens Ships, Seals Partnership In Riverside Ceremony

•A River Cruise Photo Gallery That Is Missing The Most Important Part

Facebook Photo Albums:

•Viking Wine Tour

•Porto, Portugal

•Avignon, France

•Bordeaux, France

•Viking Hemming

Pinterest Photo Boards:

•Porto, Portugal

•Bordeaux Wine Tour With Viking River Cruises

•Visiting Bordeaux With Viking River Cruises

Flickr Photo Sets-

•Porto, Portugal

•Bordeaux Wine Tour

•Viking Category AA Veranda Suite

Spotify Playlists –

•Sailing In France

Princess Cruises

Cruising for a Cause: Princess Has Heart

We are back with Princess Cruises on the second Cruising for a Cause, this one aimed to raise funds for the American Heart Association programs and educational outreach. Called Cruising for a Cause: Princess Has Heart, the February 10-15 sailing will celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special line-up of expert guests and celebrities who will help educate passengers about heart health. It’s our second time around on a themed cruise and lessons learned from the first should make for an even better experience.

Live Event Posts-

•This Week We Come Back New, With Heart

•Cruise Line Promises We Will ‘Come Back New’, But Can They Deliver?

•Come Back New: Off To A Good Start With First Night Dining Experience, Cooking Demo

•Come Back New Is Actually The Effect Of Escape Completely

•Love Boat Star Wows Come Back New Cruise

•Come Back New: The Jury Is In

Facebook Photo Albums-

• Bernie Kopell Going Strong At 80

Pinterest Boards-

•Cruising For A Cause: Heart Cruise

The itinerary-

Pre-Cruise Information–

•Heart-Themed Cruising For A Cause To Raise $, Awareness; Completely

•Princess Takes Cruising For A Cause To Heart

Star Clippers’ Royal Clipper

Sailing through the Windward Islands

We sailed one of the most unique itineraries in our cruise history on Royal Clipper, the largest masted ship in the world and flagship of the Star Clippers Fleet.

•A Ship With Sails Brings Memories Full Circle

•Star Clipper Ships Offer Some Distinct Advantages

•Sister Ships Meet In The Caribbean

•A Tour Of Cabrits Dominica Brings A Different Outlook

•Antigua Welcomes Star Clippers, Royally

•Ship With Sails Stops Two Times A Day

•Star Clippers Attention To Detail: On And Off The Ship

•A Day In Terre de Haut Via Royal Clipper

•Unique Features Of The Star Clipper Experience

•Unique Caribbean Islands Visited On A Ship With Sails

Facebook Photo Albums

•Royal Clipper Windward Islands Sailing

•Royal Clipper Cuisine

•Royal Clipper Crew

•Royal Clipper Ports Of Call

Instagram Photos Posted Live At Sea

When we did have a connection, we posted live photos of the places we went and what we saw. See them again, or for the first time, right here

Pinterest Photo Boards

• Star Clippers– The Experience

•

•Royal Clipper Crew

•Royal Clipper Stateroom Details

• Coming Soon- Royal Clipper Cuisine

Flickr Photo Sets

•Sister Ships

•Royal Clipper Photos By Whitney Owen

•Photo Tender

•Cabrits, Dominica

•St Lucia Via Royal Clipper

•Royal Clipper Crew

•Royal Clipper At Sea

•Royal Clipper Ship Shots

•Star Clippers Master Album

Spotify Sailing Playlists

•Tall Ship Sailing Music

•Sailing By Night

Some Background Information On Star Clippers-

•Conde Nast Readers Vote Star Clippers Tops

•Win At World Travel Awards Validates Star Clippers Focus

•Star Clippers To Offer Short Sailings, Long On Diversity In 2014-15

•Star Clippers Highlights Unique Med Itinerary With Upgrades, Discounts

•Today’s Cruise Video: Star Clippers, A Unique Cruise Experience

Holland America Line

Dancing With The Stars Champions Cruise

Glamour. Enchantment. Thrilling dancing. It’s all part of the entertainment onboard on Holland America’s Dancing with the Stars: At Sea sailings, held throughout the year. Right now, 15 finalists are onboard Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam for the the 7-day Champions Cruise to dance for the coveted mirror ball trophy and title of Holland America Line’s Dancing with the Stars: At Sea Grand Champion.

Preview Information-

•Holland America Line Stacks Up Stars For Dancing Champions Cruise

•Dancing With The Stars To Continue Fleetwide On Holland America Line

•Dancing Champion’s Cruise Packs More Stars, Sells Out

•Dancing With The Stars At Sea Champions Cruise Sets Sail This Week

•Join Us This Week On Dancing With The Stars Champion’s Cruise

Live Posts During The Event-

•Dancing With The Stars: At Sea Takes Off

•Half Moon Cay A Popular Holland America Stop In The Bahamas

•Dance Cruise Redefines Choreography Of Onboard Experience

•Stars Peform, Make Memories on Dance Cruise

•The Exciting (no, really) Mayan Ruins Of Chichen Itza

•Seven Interesting Facts About Holland America Line

•My Favorite From The Fashion Show On Dancing With The Stars: At Sea

•Dance Contest Puts Cruise Experience Over The Top

•Dancing With The Stars: At Sea- Oh, There Was A Cruise Ship Too

Post-Event Associated Posts-

•Dancing With The Stars: At Sea- Oh, There Was A Cruise Ship Too

•Culinary Delights On Holland America Line [GALLERY]

•Dancing With The Stars: At Sea – The Playlist

•Highlights of Dancing With The Stars: At Sea

Facebook Photo Albums-

•Holland America Dance Cruise Begins

•Dance Cruise Videos

•Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins

•Half Moon Cay- Holland America Line’s Private Island

•Dancing With The Stars: At Sea- Stars Perform

Pinterest Dance Cruise Boards-

•Dancing With The Stars Champs Cruise

•Holland America Line Nieuw Amsterdam

Flickr Photo Sets-

•Dancing With The Stars: At Sea – Round One

•Dancing With The Stars: At Sea- Round Two

At CruiseAddicts.com-

•Ten Unique Elements Of A Holland America Cruise

•Dance Cruise Puts Cruise Experience Over The Top

Viking River Cruises-

Christmas Markets Danube Waltz on Viking Skadi

We’re back with Viking River Cruises exploring the Christmas markets of Europe. Taking a chunk of the 15-day Grand European Tour sailed last Summer, this 7-day itinerary titled the “Danube Waltz” sails from Passau, Germany to Budapest, Hungary with overnights book-ending what is turning out to be a similarly marvelous experience.

Questions about river cruising or Viking River Cruises, Christmas Markets or stories posted here? Send them to Chris@ChrisCruises.com for answers.

Pre-Event Background Posts-

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Your Complete Guide To International Air Travel The Easy Way

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Bringing Home Our Christmas Markets Presents

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Overnight In Budapest: What To Do

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Going Through Locks, Will They Be Frozen?

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Ocean Cruise Skills I Will Not Need On My Viking River Cruise

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Why I’m Looking Forward To Visiting Bratislava, Slovakia Again

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Visiting Vienna, Austria Via Viking Longship

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: What Passau Was Like In The Summer

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: Top Accommodations On Viking Longships

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: River vs. Ocean Experience

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: The Other People We Might See On The Ship

•The 12 Days Of Viking Christmas: What To Wear

Live from Viking Skadi-

•A Viking Christmas Begins

•A Viking Christmas: Touring Passau

•A Viking Christmas: Gingerbread and Wreath Making In Germany

•A Viking Christmas: The Hills

• A Viking Christmas: Touring Two Salzburgs

•A Viking Christmas: The Holiday Market Of Salzburg

•A Viking Christmas: Your Questions Answered

•A Viking Christmas: Vienna Christmas Market

•Ten Of My Favorite Things About Our Viking Christmas Markets Cruise

•A Viking Christmas: Budapest City Tour Exemplifies The Viking Experience

•A Viking Christmas- Visiting Matthias Church In Budapest

•Music, Cuisine Actually A Big Part Of The Viking River Cruise Experience

•Happy Holidays! (A Viking Christmas Photo Gallery)

•Unique Culinary Events Highlight Viking Cruise Experience

•Accuracy Check: Viking Christmas Markets Video Vs. Reality

Facebook Photo Albums-

•Viking Christmas: Passau

•Holiday Passau Tour With Viking River Cruises

•Gingerbread And Wreath Making In Passau, Germany

•The Austrian Countryside

•A Holiday Tour Of Salzburg

•The Holiday Markets Of Salzburg

•Your Viking River Cruise Questions, Answered

•Vienna Christmas Market

•Budapest Christmas Tour

•Matthias Church- Budapest

•Culinary Experiences On Our Viking River Cruise

CruiseAddicts Viking Christmas Review- Inside Cruise Vacations With Chris Owen

•Part 1- Passau

•Part 2- Touring Passsau and Gingerbread Making

•Part 3- Salzburg, Austria

•Part 4- Reader Questions

•Part 5- Vienna

•Part 6- My Favorite Things

Spotify Viking Christmas Cruise Playlists-

•Germany holiday Music

•Jewish Holiday Music

•Austrian Holiday music

Pinterest Boards-

•Viking Christmas Markets

•Viking Longship Viking Skadi

Flickr Photo Sets-

•Salzburg Christmas- 70 photos

•Budapest Christmas 2013 – 261 photos

• Mattias Church- Budapest- 53 photos

•Vienna Christmas Market– 22 photos

•Christmas Cheer– 65 photos

•Viking Skadi– 268 photos

Chris On Examiner.com

•Ten Of My Favorite Things About Our Viking Christmas Markets Cruise

November 2013

Carnival Sunshine Naming Ceremony

New Orleans

Carnival Sunshine’s pierside overnight gala/naming ceremony will take place aboard the ship in New Orleans with philanthropist and author Lin Arison serving as godmother.

Lin is the wife of Carnival Founder Ted Arison and also served as godmother to the Carnival Destiny, as well as the Mardi Gras and Holiday.

Content produced during this event:

•It’s Official: Sunshine Comes To New Orleans In Dockside Naming Ceremony

•Carnival Sunshine Brings New Look, Feel To New Orleans

•Secret Bonus Extras On Carnival Sunshine

October 2013

Princess Cruises- Cruising For A Cause

Princess Cruises’ Cruising for a Cause initiative is devoting entire sailings to support select charitable causes. The program provides the line’s passengers, many of whom are looking for opportunities to make positive contributions to their communities and the world, a way to make a difference even as they vacation.

Princess Cruises’ first-ever fundraising cruise to support U.S. veterans via contributions to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Inc. and Operation Homefront Inc will star country singer Rockie Lynne as a featured performer. The Cruising for a Cause voyage sails round trip from Houston aboard Caribbean Princess to the Western Caribbean, and is expected to generate $1 million for the two charities.

Content produced during this event:

•Princess Cruising For A Cause Brings A Ship Full Of Stories

•Princess Cruising For A Cause: The Stories Begin

•Princess Cruising For A Cause Loads On Extra Value

•Cruising For A Cause: Oh, And There Is A Cruise Ship Too

•Princess Cruising For A Cause Takes The Day Off (PHOTOS)

•Princess Cruising For A Cause Ends But The Experience Goes On

•Princess Cruising For A Cause: Your Questions Answered

Also see our Cruising For A Cause Pinterest board and these Facebook Photo Albums:

•Cruising For A Cause – All Hands On Deck

•Cruising For A Cause- The Stories, The People

•Princess Cruising For A Cause Takes The Day Off

•Cruising For A Cause Swings By Progreso and Merida, Mexico

BACKGROUND- Princess Cruising For A Cause initiative

• Cruising For A Cause Initiative Honors U.S. Military, For Starters

• Princess Cruises For A Cause, Set To Earn $1Million For Vet Charities

• Princess Cruising For A Cause web site

Costa Luminosa

Barcelona

5-day sailing October 25-30 with one night post-cruise in Barcelona.

This was our first sailing with Costa Cruises and surely will not be our last. Sailing in the Mediterranean took on a whole different feel on the European-oriented Costa Luminosa.

That Costa is bringing Costa Luminosa for a short series of 10-night deep Caribbean sailings is huge for one main reason: they will not try to adjust what they do on board for North Americans. In other words: get a taste for what it is like to sail on a European line full of Europeans but don’t pay the trans-atlantic airfare.

Content produced during this event:

•Sailing Costa: Skipping On To The Ship, Orientation And The Elephant In The Pool

•Sailing Costa: Those Europeans Are Not So Scary And Rude Afterall

•Sailing Costa: The European Experience

•Sailing Costa: Your Questions Answered

•Sailing Costa: 31 Unique Features Of Costa Luminosa

•Sailing Costa: Who Should Book This Ship (And Who Should Not)

On Facebook, check our Costa Luminosa Photo Albums–

•Costa Luminosa- The Ship

•Costa Luminosa- Culinary Gallery

•Palma Mallorca via Costa Luminosa

•Ajaccio, Italy via Costa Luminosa

For the 2013-14 Caribbean season, Costa Luminosa will make its debut on 10-night round-trip sailings from Miami, replacing Costa Mediterannea. Launched in 2009, Costa Luminosa is one of Costa Cruises’ newest ships and carries 2,826 guests, which represents an increase in capacity in the Caribbean for the cruise line

The itinerary sails roundtrip from Barcelona, Spain, and features calls at Palma de Mallorca; Ajaccio, Corsica; Marseille, France, and Savona, Italy…like this:

Barcelona (Spain)

–

7:00 PM

Palma De Mallorca (Spain)

8:00 AM

4:00 PM

Ajaccio (Corsica)

2:00 PM

7:30 PM

Marseille (France)

1:00 PM

7:00 PM

Savona (Italy)

9:00 AM

4:00 PM

Barcelona (Spain)

2:00 PM

August 2013-

Viking Odin Grand European tour

Budapest to Amsterdam

The river levels are down, operations have returned to normal following the major floods in Central Europe last month and river cruising is back.

We sailed on Viking River Cruises longship Viking Odin from Budapest to Amsterdam for 15 magical days along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers visiting 5 countries on 13 included, guided tours.

From Holland’s windmill-studded tulip fields to Germany’s fairytale castles, from the engineering marvel of the Main-Danube Canal to the picturesque vineyards of Austria’s Wachau Valley, this epic voyage opened our eyes to the highlights of Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.

Content Published During This Event-

•Viking River Cruises Host To A Surprising Mix Of Cruise Travelers

•River Vs. Ocean Cruise Experience: Let’s Just Get This Out Of The Way Right Now

•Viking Nails The Most Important Part Right Up Front

•The River Cruise Experience: Your Questions Answered

•Come Along On The River Via Facebook

•Viking River Longship Explorers Suite

•River vs Ocean: Some Parts Are The Same, Some Are Uniquely Different

•Playing Like Kids On the River Danube

•Locks On The Danube, A Big Part Of The River Cruise Experience

•Opera On The River? Viking Hits All Senses With Select Entertainment

•Bamburg, Beer, Brats: A Dangerously Wonderful Combination

•and yes, Meet The Beatles is the name of an album

•Wertheim Germany, An Easy, Beautiful Walk From The River

•Your Viking River Cruise Questions Answered, Part Zwei

•A Visit To Wertheim Castle With Viking River Cruises

•A Vienna Market Visit With Viking Odin’s Executive Chef

•Some Huge Differences Between Viking River Cruises And Ocean Cruises

•Viking Odin Class Of 2013 Graduates

•Scenic Cruising To The End Of The Line On Viking Odin

•River Cruise Gear: Five Must-Have Packing List Superstars

•Ocean Cruise Gear And Skills You Will Not Need On Your River Cruise

•Castles, Architecture Delight River Cruise Travelers At Every Turn

•Statements You Must Agree With To Enjoy A River Cruise

•My Viking River Cruise, By The Beer

•Something Similarly Shared By River And Ocean Cruises

•An Amazing Day In: Vienna, Austria

•Accuracy Check: Viking River Cruises TV Commercials

•Your Viking River Cruise Questions Answered: Motion, Gear And Emergencies

•An Amazing Day In: Wertheim, Germany

•River Cruise Dry Dock: No Big Deal Really

•One From Each Place- River Cruise Photo Gallery

•Spotify Playlists For Your Scenic Cruising Enjoyment

•An Amazing Day In: Bratislava, Slovakia

•Recipes: Viking River Cruises Sachertorte

•An Amazing Day In: Cologne, Germany

Check our Facebook Photo Albums too:

•Budapest Tour – 22 photos

•Viking River Cruises Longship Explorer Suite– 17 photos

•Sailing Away On The River Danube– 9 photos

•Bratislava, Slovakia via Viking River Cruises– 53 photos

•Vienna Austria with Viking River Cruises– 53 photos

•Vienna Market Visit with Viking River Cruises Executive Chef- 34 photos

•Wachau Valley Cruising- 50 photos

•Passau Organ Concert and Cathedral- 22 photos

•Regensburg, Germany with Viking River Cruises- 50 photos

•Playing Like Kids On The River Danube– 44 photos

•Locks: A Big Part Of The River Experience– 37 photos

•Nuremberg, Germany with Viking River Cruises– 50 photos

•Sound of Europe Concert On Viking Odin– 7 photos

•Cruise Recipes: Apple Strudel Making Demonstration On Viking River Cruises– 10 photos

• Bamburg, Germany with Viking River Cruises- 120 photos (I must have really liked this place)

•Wurzberg, Germany via Viking Odin– 41 photos

•Wertheim, Germany with Viking River Cruises– 123 photos

•Seen On The River With Viking River Cruises– 62 photos

•Cologne, Germany with Viking River Cruises– 44 photos

•Kolner Dom Cathedral in Cologne, Germany Via Viking River Cruises– 28 photos

•Scenic Cruising On The Rhine River with Viking River Cruises- 21 photo

•Castles By River, Land and Sea– 105 photos

•Cruising To Wertheim, Germany- 75 photos

•River Cruise Dry Dock- Not A Big Deal– 48 photos

•One From Each Place On Our Viking River Cruise– 31 photos

Finally, check our multiple Pinterest Boards frequently. We’re adding more boards and more pins to existing boards every day

•Viking River Grand European Tour

•Wertheim Germany Via Viking River Cruises

•Vienna, Austria via Viking River Cruises

•Bratislava, Slovakia via Viking River Cruises

•Cologne, Germany via Viking River Cruises

Spotify River Cruise Playlists For Your Scenic Cruising Enjoyment

• River Cruising- In Germany

• River Cruising – In Austria

• River Cruising – On The Way To A Cathedral

• River Cruising – Night Cruising Melodies

• River Cruising – On the River Danube

July 2013

Carnival Sunshine

We were in the Mediterranean, sailing on Carnival Cruise Lines new Carnival Sunshine reporting live from a variety of ports and perspectives. Check our Carnival Sunshine Pinterest Board, A live HipGeo report, following the Twitter tag #CCLSunshine for more

Content Published During This Event-

•We Have High Hopes For Carnival Sunshine

•LIVE From Carnival Sunshine

•Spanish Flamenco Dancers, in Spain, No match for Carnival’s Funship 2.0

•5941

•Top Deck Experience Alone Worth A Ride On Carnival Sunshine

•Cruise Line Steakhouse A Rare Find, Service Well Done

•Skip Rome, Stay On The Ship? That’s Exactly What We Did, In Spite Of Flesh-Eating Hot Tubs

•Get Lucky, Twice, At New Carnival Asian Themed Dining Venue

•The Safety Drill We Don’t (normally) Experience

•Funship 2.0 In All Its Glory: All Elements In Place On Carnival Sunshine

•Secret Bonus Extras On Carnival Sunshine

•Carnival Sunshine Quick Tip: Hidden Treasure Located Aft

•Carnival Sunshine Stateroom Upgrades Boast New-Ship Quality, Relevance

•Carnival Sunshine- By The Numbers

July 11, 2013 Grandeur of the Seas returns

Royal Caribbean International’s Grandeur of the Seas was taken out of service not long ago due to a fire on the ship. Grandeur will resume service from the Port of Baltimore on Friday, July 12th and we were on board the day before to see what Grandeur has to offer

Originally launched in 1996, then refurbished before in 2007, Grandeur of the Seas offers some of the most popular features found on Royal Caribbeans Oasis class ships, the largest ships in the world.

Content Published During This Event-

•Royal Caribbean Flag Flys Again In Baltimore, All Systems Wow

•New Things To Do On Revitalized Grandeur Of The Seas

June 2013- Royal Princess Inaugural

Southampton, UK

We visited new Royal Princess where Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, will name Royal Princess, the newest addition to the line’s fleet.

Follow along here for daily posts, via the twitter tag #RoyalPrincess, the Princess Facebook page and our Royal Princess Pinterest board.

Content Published During This Event-

•Princess Goes Ultra-Lux With New Royal Features

•Royal Princess Features Include LIVE TV Studio, Super Wines, Huge Pizza Place

•Come Along On A Dream Come True

•Royal And Regal Princess By The Tweets

•Royal And Regal Princess: Two Good Looking Twins

•Top Deck Features Overflow On Royal Princess And Run Over The Side

•Escape Completely Just The Start On Royal Princess

•Royal Princess: Love Boat Fans Listen Up

•Royal Princess Dining: Actually, They Do Have Something For Everyone

•Royal Princess, By The Numbers- Escapability Factor Undeniable

•Royal Princess: Your Questions Answered, Frankly

•Breaking: Royal Princess Godmother: Kate Middleton

•Royal Princess Informal Dining Options From A To Z

•New Princess Ship Debut Shaping Up Royal

May 16, 2013- Viking Ocean Cruises

Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton Hotel

Like a major Hollywood event, the grand ballroom of the Beverly Hilton hotel was packed for the much-anticipated announcement from Viking River Cruises. Travel agents, VIP guests and members of the press showed up from around the world to get details on what Viking had in store for the world of ocean cruising. Few left the same venue used for the Golden Globe Awards without a burning desire to sail on a new, ground-breaking ocean cruise ship, the Viking Star.

It was billed as “the biggest cruise story of the year” by Viking River Cruises, arguably the best known name in river cruising. Details revealed at tonight’s gala supported that claim and then some as Torstein Hagen, the plainspoken chairman of Viking filled in the blanks. He began with the need for Viking to get into the ocean cruise market. Read more

Content Published During This Event-

• Vikings Come To America Tonight, Intrepid Adventures Anticipated

• The Viking Age Of Ocean Cruising Begins

• Viking Goes To Sea- Photo GalleryA Review Of Sorts: The Beverly Hilton Hotel

• On Pinterest- Viking Cruises and Viking Rivers 2013 and Viking Rivers 2012

• On Facebook- Viking Star + Viking Ten Ship Launch + Hoorn Netherlands +

Royal Princess Yard Visit

We were in Venice, Italy at the Malfalcone ship yard where new Royal Princess is currently being constructed for an update and tour of the new generation Princess Cruises ship, the first of two being built right now.

Royal Princess marks the first new build for the cruise line since 2008’s Ruby Princess, the last of Princess Cruises popular grand class ships. They built nine of those and already have a sister ship to Royal Princess in the works too.

Royal Princess will be a careful evolution of the Princess product with a ship laid out in typical Princess patterns. Focusing on their mantra to let passengers “escape completely” Princess Cruises has designed a ship totally around that concept. It’s a success formula that has made Princess popular over the years and keeps travelers coming back for more.

Content published during this event

•Come Along On A Dream Come True

•Royal Princess Features Include LIVE TV Studio, Super Wines, Huge Pizza Place

•Royal And Regal Princess: Two Good Looking Twins

•Top Deck Features Overflow On Royal Princess And Run Over The Side

•Escape Completely Just The Start On Royal Princess

•Royal Princess: Love Boat Fans Listen Up

•What IS A Float Out Ceremony Anyway? Watch And See

•Our Facebook Gallery- Royal Princess Yard Visit

•Our Facebook Gallery- Regal Princess Float Out Ceremony

•Pinterest Board- Royal Princess

•Pinterest Board- Regal Princess

More about Princess Cruises and Royal Princess

• Princess Reveals More Details On Royal Princess

• Princess Goes Ultra-Lux With New Royal Features

Viking River Cruises Launch

We went back to Amsterdam for the launch of ten Viking River Cruise longships. In 2012, we were in Amsterdam as Viking christened four ships in one day. During this event, they more than doubled that effort and we were there, tweeting, posting photos via Pinterest and Facebook along the way and more.

We blew up Twitter with live posts from the event, including:

•Certainly no shortage of balloons at the @VikingRiver #VikingLongships naming ceremony in #Amsterdam: ow.ly/i/1IOVy

•The red carpet is rolled out and ready to go for the launch of 10 @VikingRiver #cruise #VikingLongships ow.ly/i/1INMd

•VIP’s make their way inside Amsterdam #cruise terminal for @VikingRiver #VikingLongship naming ceremony ow.ly/i/1IQ0K

•The launch of 10 @VikingRiver #cruise #VikingLongships was delayed, will start at the top of the hour. #redcarpet ow.ly/i/1IPtT

Content published during this event

•Three Unique Things About A River Cruise

•Viking Names Ten New Longships, In One Day

•Vikings Prepare For Battle, Explore New Realms

•One Viking River Cruise Difference: Travel Documents To Dance About

More about the Viking River Cruise experience

•Cruise line to christen four ships in one day

•Viking christens thinking man’s ships at Amsterdam ceremony

•River cruise line staterooms on par, if not better, than the best at sea

•Cruise line introduces suites, on a river ship

•Getting there is half of something, we’re just not sure what

•A river ride to Kinderdijk

•Upgrades a silent priority on international flights

•River cruising defined by Viking River Cruises (video)

•Making a Viking River Cruises longship (video)

•Your cruise questions answered: Viking River Cruises 101

•River cruise line staterooms, a look inside the best

•It is all about destination immersion with river cruising

Cruise Shipping Miami

We made our annual trek to Miami to explore all the latest and greatest ideas and innovations coming for cruise vacations from the industry’s premier trade show. On hand were all the movers, shakers and decision makers who drive the the major cruise lines you sail on every week.

Content published during this event

•The State Of The Cruise Industry Is Good And Getting Better

•Carnival Cruise Lines: Reassurance and Reality Check

•Carnival Cruise Line Shake Down Begins, And That’s A Good Thing

•Focused Cruise Line Appropriately Raises The Safety Bar, Puts Money Where Mouth Is

Carnival Breeze Naming Ceremony

Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Line‘s newest ship, Carnival Breeze is in Miami now after an inaugural Mediterranean season where she will sail six- and eight-day itineraries year-round. We were on hand this weekend for the ship’s naming ceremony, a big part of rolling out a new ship for any cruise line that marks the end of the construction process as the ship enters service. It was a visit back to see a ship we were dazzled by last summer and one that should fit in nicely at its Miami home.

Content published during this event

•Cruise Lines Give Back: Carnival Breeze Naming Ceremony

•Carnival Breeze At Home In Miami

•Carnival Breeze-A-Thon Promotes New Ship, Naming Ceremony

Celebrity Reflection

Celebrity Cruises

Content published during this event

•Celebrity Reflection Debuts Today In Miami

•Celebrity Cruises Reflection No Twin To Sister Cruise Ships

•A Luxury Suite On Celebrity Reflection Should Be About As Much Luxury As Two People Need

•Reflecting On Celebrity Cruises Modern Luxury

•Your Cruise Questions Answered: Celebrity Cruises Staterooms

•Eight Reasons To Sail Celebrity Cruises

Disney Dream

Disney Cruise Line

Content published during this event

• On Disney Cruise Line Little Details Add Up To Big Memories

•Unique Details On Disney Cruise Line

•(More) Unique Details On Disney Cruise Line

•Disney Cruise Line Experience: Details That Other Cruise Lines Could Steal Today

•Smackdown: Disney Cruise Line 3-Day vs. Everybody Else

•Disney Cruise Line Starts Countdown To Service From Miami

Grandeur of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International

Content published during this event

•New Things To Do On Revitalized Grandeur Of The Seas

•Royal Caribbean Grandeur Of The Seas: A Quick Look

Oosterdam

Holland America Line

Content published during this event

• 24 Hours On Holland America = Relaxation

•Three Unique Things About Holland America Line

•Cruise Line Breaks Down Onboard Programming, Makes It Tasty

•Whale Watching In Alaska Takes Concentration, Luck

•Holland America Line Brings Alaska Home, Tastefully

•Unlikely Dining Venue Tops On Holland America Line

•Some SuperStar Features On Holland America’s Oosterdam

•Holland America Line Is Not All Old People

•Your Cruise Questions Answered: Holland America Dining

Azamara Journey

Azamara Club Cruises

A Lesson On Destination Immersion

Content published during this event

• Azamara Journey to Scotland, Ireland and Northern Wales

•Lost In Space In Newark

•Classy and Appropriate, Azamazement Started Before We Even Reached The Ship

•Azamara Best Of Best

•Its West Wing Night On Azamara Journey, For Me

•Touring Scotland: Rent This Castle Please

•Ten Great Things About Azamara Club Cruises

•Ten Iffy Things About Azamara Club Cruises

•Touring Scotland: A Day In Magical Shapinsay

•Trend-Setting Cruise Line Chef Reveals Secrets

•On Board Azamara Club Cruises, Service Is The Name Of The Game

•Sailing Down A River On A Cruise Ship?

•Your Cruise Questions Answered: Azamara Club Cruises

See our Azamara Facebook photo galleries

Carnival Breeze

Carnival Cruise Lines

A Whole New Funship Ballgame

Content published during this event

•Cruise Line Entertainment Package Effective, Flexible and Sustainable

•Redefined Funship Experience Welcomes New Breed Of Cruise Traveler

•Stunning New Fun Ship, Clearly Focused On People, Just Ask Winston

•Sailing The Carnival Breeze: Memories of Marseilles

•Try River Cruising Without Leaving The Comfort Of Your Ocean Cruise Ship

•Cruise Line Steakhouse A Big Part Of Energized New Ship

•New Cruise Ship Pub A Great Dining Alternative

•Striking Transportation Workers A Good Reason To Book Shore Excursion

•Cruisers Keep Up With Sports On New Ship

•George Lopez Can Cook? Signature Menu Items On New Cruise Ship Have The Answer

•Cruise Line Steakhouse A Big Part Of Energized New Ship

•Carnival Breeze Countdown: Start Here

• Carnival Breeze Countdown: Entertainment In Multiple Dimensions

•Carnival Breeze Countdown: Burgers To Die For

•Carnival Breeze Countdown: Seeing The Med With A Friend

•Carnival Breeze Countdown: A new look for staterooms

•Carnival Breeze Countdown: Branding At Its Best

•Carnival Breeze Countdown: The Frogs and Iguanas

• Carnival Breeze Countdown: Dining Options Missed If Eating Only Guy Fieri Burgers

• Carnival Breeze Countdown: Brilliant Social Elements In Place

• Carnival Breeze Countdown: Thrill 5-D Theater Just One Of Many Thrills To Come

•Carnival Breeze Countdown: Trusted Sources

•Carnival Breeze Countdown: Carnival Gets The Keys

•Carnival Breeze Begins Inaugural Voyage Today

•Cruise Line Rolls Out New Ship, Socially

•Cruise Line Select Experiences To Be Personal, Plentiful

•Carnival Breeze 2-Deck Spa Hosts Heavenly, Relaxing Features

•Carnival Breeze Debuts With A New Look For Staterooms

•Cruise Line Welcomes New Ship With Former Idol Contestant

Viking Odin

Viking River Cruises

Content published during this event

•Cruise line to christen four ships in one day

•Viking christens thinking man’s ships at Amsterdam ceremony

•River cruise line staterooms on par, if not better, than the best at sea

•Cruise line introduces suites, on a river ship

•Getting there is half of something, we’re just not sure what

•A river ride to Kinderdijk

•Upgrades a silent priority on international flights

•River cruising defined by Viking River Cruises (video)

•Making a Viking River Cruises longship (video)

•Your cruise questions answered: Viking River Cruises 101

•River cruise line staterooms, a look inside the best

•It is all about destination immersion with river cruising

Grand Princess

Princess Cruises

Content published during this event

•Princess cruises to unique escape, completely (chriscruises.net)

•Getting Ready To Sail: PenPals for a while

•Renewed, refreshed cruise ships court a new generation of traveler

•Breakfast at Sabatini’s one sweet perk on Princess Cruises

•One-stop shopping at the medical center on Grand Princess

•Princess Cruises Sabatini’s revisited and way better (chriscruises.net)

•Anytime Dining just one way to Escape Completely with Princess Cruises (chriscruises.net)

•Cruise line steak house a family affair (chriscruises.net)

•Princess Tea Time, a new cruise video

•Cruise Line Steakhouse brings complete escape, sneaky about it too (chriscruises.net)

•Princess Cruises: Coffee, Coffee and more coffee (chriscruises.net)

Seabourn Quest

Seabourn

Content published during this event

Caviar in the surf was just one part of this milestone experience

•I think Guy Fieri is stalking me all the way to Seabourn Quest

•On board Seabourn Quest: We may not leave our stateroom..umm Suite!

•Sailing Seabourn: Check the attitude, set the stage

•At sea, there is dining and then there is Seabourn

•Caviar in the surf: Not your typical day at the beach

•Cruising to Barbados? See Blackie for a good time

•On St Lucia photo ops are plentiful

•Top digs on major cruise line vs the Seabourn experience– part one

•Major cruise line vs the Seabourn experience- part two

•Seabourn cruise even includes thrill ride, no charge

•A day in St Barts via Seabourn Quest

•The Seabourn Experience defined

•Seabourn cruise even includes thrill ride, no charge

•St Johns Cruz Bay direct via Seabourn Quest

•A taste of the Dominican Republic at Isla Catalina via Seabourn Quest

•Seabourn: Cruising amplified

Carnival Liberty

Carnival Cruise Lines

•Carnival Funship 2.0 makes Carnival Liberty a whole new ship

•Dueling songsters rock the deck on Carnival Liberty

•New cruise line programming builds on and respects past, looks forward

•Cruise line guests evolve along with onboard programming

•A little alchemy goes a long way at sea

•Funship 2.0 steps up when Mother Nature throws paradise a curve ball

•Food as entertainment on Carnival Cruise Lines

•Cruise through the vineyards with onboard value package

•Secret cruise ship areas exposed (a little) on private tour

•Future cruise program adds value

•Carnival Funship 2.0 transforms old to new on Carnival Liberty

•Cruise line takes some of the bite out of extra charges with dining packages

•Harry’s Steakhouse a nice alternative on Carnival Liberty

•Carnival Liberty: The Food

•Cruise industry updates product for a changing world of travel

Facebook Galleries

Carnival Magic

Carnival Cruise Lines

Content published during this event-

•Carnival Magic cruises to new Texas home with big event

•Cruise event prep: Carnival Magic arrives in Galveston this weekend

•Photo Gallery: Carnival Magic

•Carnival Magic arrives inTexas this week

•Galveston Island gets ready for Carnival Magic…and friends

•Photo Gallery: Maroon 5 concert welcomes Carnival Magic to Texas

•Cruise traffic heavy in Texas this weekend as Magic arrives

•At Carnival Cruise Lines it’s all about the fun

•Carnival Rocks Galveston Island with live performance

•Pre-cruise hotels: San Luis Resort, Galveston

•Galveston pre-cruise: Galveston Harbour Tour

•Galveston Pre-cruise: Lone Star Flight Museum

Allure of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International

Content published during this event-

•Pre-cruise Hotels: Best Western Plus Fort Lauderdale Airport

•Allure of the Seas Sealog: Coming to Fort Lauderdale

•Exciting travel agent conference kicks off on Allure of the Seas

•Chicago: The Musical is alive and well on Allure of the Seas

•On board Allure of the Seas: Central Park-view staterooms offer convenience and luxury

•Tonight’s Cruise Video: Life on board for cruise entertainers

•Travel agent conference reviews past, examines present and predicts future of cruise industry

•Cruise line issues bold invitation to clearly define brand

•Tonight’s Cruise Video: Royal Caribbean fleet enhancements

•Good morning from Jamaica

•Royal Caribbean’s Labadee revisited, flying

•Travel agent at-sea training adds up to big value for consumers

•Allure of the Seas: Big ship, little features

•Tonight’s Cruise Video: Oceanaria delights packed Aquatheater, every time

•Good morning from Allure of the Seas

•New Jamaica cruise port an entirely different experience

•Good Hope in Jamaica offers a look at the past

•Move over Bobby Flay, Molly Brandt is my new hero chef

•National Cruise Vacation week brings extra bonus values

•Sailing Allure of the Seas, I was captured by pirates but that was a good thing

•Tonights Cruise Video: A (really) different safety drill

•Sailing Allure of the Seas, and a yacht

•National Cruise Week Tip: Use a travel agent to book

Mazatlan, Mexico

Content published during this event-

•Mazatlan here we come

•Mazatlan is safe, just ask the dead people

•Cruise Line returns to Mazatlán as Cultural Festival Begins

•Mazatlan continues growth without cruise lines

•Mazatlan is a great place to visit by land or sea

•World Tourism Day tribute to include Mazatlan, Mexico

•Mexico ready for cruise ships to return, cruise lines not so sure

Photo Credit: Stefano via Compfight

Chris Cruises

Cruise news, tips and inside information

RIVER CRUISING

CUISINE

OCEAN CRUISING

PAST EVENTS

Windstar Cruises
2018 President’s Cruise With John Delaney & Gloria Bohan
Best of the Philippines & Borneo

Published Live As We Traveled

At ChrisCruises

Posted In Reflection
After Travel- another look at our Windstar cruise, port by port

Posted In Reflection

On Instagram

[soliloquy id=”75235″]

Facebook Photo Albums

Flickr Photo Albums

Exposure Photo Storybooks

Holland America Line
Oprah’s Share The Adventure Cruise To Alaska

Keep The Oprah Magic Going

Worth A Thousand Words

Viking River Cruises
Grand European Tour

Windstar Cruises
Panama Canal And Costa Rica

2017 President’s Cruise

Viking Ocean Cruises
In The Wake Of Vikings
New York To The West Indies

Holland America Line
Norse Legends Baltics Sailing
new ms Koningsdam

Cunard Line
New York City
Queen Mary 2 – Remastered

Holland America Line
Exploring The Canadian Yukon

Holland America Line
Denali Square Grand Opening
Alaska

Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Sea

Seabourn Cruises
Seabourn Sojourn
Seabourn Taste of Asia Food And Wine Cruise

Abercrombie & Kent
Egypt And A Nile River Cruise With Jordan Extension

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Europa 2

Azamara Club Cruises
Azamara Quest
Summer Russia And The Baltics Sailing

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Windstar Cruises 2018 President’s Cruise With John Delaney & Gloria Bohan Best of the Philippines & Borneo

Published Live As We Traveled

At ChrisCruises

Posted In Reflection After Travel- another look at our Windstar cruise, port by port

Posted In Reflection

[soliloquy id=”75235″]

Holland America Line Oprah’s Share The Adventure Cruise To Alaska

Keep The Oprah Magic Going

Worth A Thousand Words

Viking River Cruises Grand European Tour

Windstar Cruises Panama Canal And Costa Rica

2017 President’s Cruise

Viking Ocean Cruises In The Wake Of Vikings New York To The West Indies

Holland America Line Norse Legends Baltics Sailing new ms Koningsdam

Cunard Line New York City Queen Mary 2 – Remastered

Holland America Line Exploring The Canadian Yukon

Holland America Line Denali Square Grand Opening Alaska

Viking Ocean Cruises Viking Sea

Seabourn Cruises Seabourn Sojourn Seabourn Taste of Asia Food And Wine Cruise

Abercrombie & Kent Egypt And A Nile River Cruise With Jordan Extension

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Europa 2

Azamara Club Cruises Azamara Quest Summer Russia And The Baltics Sailing

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Windstar Cruises
2018 President’s Cruise With John Delaney & Gloria Bohan
Best of the Philippines & Borneo

Posted In Reflection
After Travel- another look at our Windstar cruise, port by port

Holland America Line
Oprah’s Share The Adventure Cruise To Alaska

Viking River Cruises
Grand European Tour

Windstar Cruises
Panama Canal And Costa Rica

Viking Ocean Cruises
In The Wake Of Vikings
New York To The West Indies

Holland America Line
Norse Legends Baltics Sailing
new ms Koningsdam

Cunard Line
New York City
Queen Mary 2 – Remastered

Holland America Line
Exploring The Canadian Yukon

Holland America Line
Denali Square Grand Opening
Alaska

Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Sea

Seabourn Cruises
Seabourn Sojourn
Seabourn Taste of Asia Food And Wine Cruise

Abercrombie & Kent
Egypt And A Nile River Cruise With Jordan Extension

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Europa 2

Azamara Club Cruises
Azamara Quest
Summer Russia And The Baltics Sailing