We are huge history and culture buffs. Port excursions usually involve museums, art galleries or other similar sites. We rarely if ever take the time to enjoy the natural surroundings. It was time to change that. On a recent trip we specifically chose two shore excursions that focused on the natural beauty of the European…
Dublin and The Guinness Story
One of the top attractions in Dublin is a visit to the Guinness Storehouse; seven stories of displays, history, retail and pubs in the building that has been brewing the beer for over 250 years. Whether you enjoy a pint or not as Guinness is not to everyone’s taste, the experience is worth the price…
Pros and Cons of a Transatlantic Cruise
We prefer to sail off season, especially now that we are retired. If we combine a cruise with an independent land tour than off season becomes even more important considering the crush of travel after the pandemic. This year we tried a transatlantic. Transatlantic (or pacific) are repositioning cruises for ships that sail different destinations…
Path of the Titanic
Although we did it in reverse order it was not lost on us that a transatlantic cruise that went between Belfast and Halifax in April was a little too close to the route taken during the fateful crossing of the Titanic. Having said that our confidence in modern shipbuilding and navigation ensured that we had…
The 80th Anniversary at Juno Beach
Today many people will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the landings in Normandy. Few of the men and women who participated in the strike that brought about the end of the Second World War are still alive, so it falls to us to remember that it was their valour and bravery that allow us to travel…
Our Top 5 Works of Art at The Met in NYC
With only one day in New York City we were limited to what we had time to see and do. After much deliberation we decided to combine a walk through Central Park with a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a top destinations for art lovers. The Met is the 5th largest art gallery in…
Two Ports In Turkiye
Our last itinerary included two ports in Turkiye; Istanbul, it’s largest city straddling both Europe and Asia, and Kusadasi which is the gateway to the archaeological site of Ephesus. Both are worth the time to explore on foot with a guide to get the best introduction to these amazing sites. The main part of the…
Why A Guide?
When we started travelling we wanted to be as independent as possible. We were content to wander freely through cities and ports with just a map we either copied from a guide book or picked up at the tourist information centre. It worked at first because we didn’t know any better. Eventually we realized we…
Big v Small Ship Cruising
There is an old adage that states “size doesn’t matter”. I’m not sure what it originally applied to but the current utilization is wide spread. The question is, does it apply to cruise ships? More and more lines are introducing mega ships, behemoths at sea that can carry more passengers and offer more activities. Is…