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Cruising for fashionistas
Posted on July 2, 2009 by Fran Golden
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I do have my fashionista side, even if I fought it on my recent visit to Venice, stopping in Prada only to smell the leather and drool, but then quickly moving on, my credit cards unscathed (oh why oh why does the Euro remain so high?).
In any event, a cruise offering from Crystal Cruises has tickled my fancy. The luxury line will be giving its well-heeled clientele a chance to seek the advice of fashion experts on an upcoming fashion-themed sailing.
Manning the “Fashion & Style Desk, and offering complimentary advice will be two veteran wardrobe Read more
The Naked Truth on Air New Zealand
Posted on June 30, 2009 by Fran Golden
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So you sit down in your seat for your domestic flight on Air New Zealand and the safety video comes on. Borrr-ing. Except… What’s that? The demonstrators on the video are, well, naked. They are wearing “clothes” created by body paint.
Yes, the whacky Kiwis have put their own twist on safety briefings (and the accents are as funny as the lack of clothes). Check it out (and don’t worry, this is a PG presentation.
There’s also a bloopers video, but that one’s a little more racy. The carrier also has a naked ad campaign called “Nothing to Hide.”
The new, hip Seabourn
Posted on June 25, 2009 by Fran Golden
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Even is you don’t care about design features like elevators covered in grey leather - though they are pretty elevators - you have to give props to the Yachts of Seabourn for very much entering the 21st century with its new Seabourn Odyssey, the first ship the line has introduced in 15 years and the first luxury cruise ship in six years.
Odyssey is double the size of the other Seabourn ships and carries twice as many passengers - a total of 450. And yes, size matters. Read more
Seabourn’s new Odyssey shines
Posted on June 22, 2009 by Fran Golden
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Hi from aboard the Seabourn Odyssey, the brand new super luxury ship from the Yachts of Seabourn. I am among press and travel agents lucky enough to do a preview cruise on this very special ship, which takes on its first real passengers later this week.
Work is still being done while we’re onboard (the spa’s fancy hydro pool and villa suites, for instance, are not yet open) and the plan to take us out to sea has been scrubbed - instead we will cruise around Venice’s Grand Canal (what could be better than that?) and then dock.
But that’s mostly cosmetic stuff. What we can see in the mostly completed ship is that the Odyssey is a contemporary stunner. Seabourn has had a reputation of being, well, a little old fashioned with its smaller ships. This ship, which triples the size of the others at 32,000 tons and carries 450 passengers (as opposed to 200 on the other ships) is anything but old fashioned. Read more
Ah Venice
Posted on June 22, 2009 by Fran Golden
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I overnighted in Venice on my way to check out the Seabourn Odyssey, the first luxury ship to debut in six years, and first new Seabourn ship in more than a dozen years.
Like nearly everyone I know, I count this city as one of my favorites (I even had one “love” relationship that began here; it’s a romantic place).
Some things change, others don’t. The city, with all its canals and winding streets, still feels like a living museum - everywhere you look there’s something amazing. It’s simply beautiful.
St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco) is still full of pigeons and there is still a Prada store Read more
Video look at Celebrity Equinox during conveyance
Posted on June 21, 2009 by Fran Golden
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As the Celebrity Equinox heads out to its sea trials, it’s not quite furnished. But a small group of journalists, me included, got a first look around the 122,000-ton ship. Check it out.
Celebrity Equinox will be the spunky sibling
Posted on June 20, 2009 by Fran Golden
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It’s hard to wax poetic about a cruise ship that’s not yet quite furnished, but as the Celebrity Equinox left Meyer Werft and got pulled by tugs on the River Ems to the Netherlands, and to sea for the first time, those of us onboard for the “conveyance” from the shipyard learned one thing: This ship will have its own personality. While year-older and very successful sibling Celebrity Solstice exudes cool, the Equinox will be a little more spunky, a little more whimsical. Read more
Oh goodie, a new ship to explore - Celebrity Equinox in Germany
Posted on June 18, 2009 by Fran Golden
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When a new ship emerges from the shipyard, the cruise line executives get all giddy and some of us cruise writers do too. And so I find myself overnighting at the Maritim hotel at Germany’s Dusseldorf International Airporten route to tiny Papenberg, where Meyer Werft has been building the Celebrity Equinox.
I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this ship - which takes on its first real passengers next month - since its sister ship, Celebrity Solstice was my favorite ship of the past decade. Last year, when I first saw the 2,850-passenger Solstice, with its stunning, sophisticated contemporary decor and 1/2 acre of real lawn on top, I let out several audible “wow”s, and was even quoted as saying such on various other Websites. I hope to show more restraint this time, but who knows. The Equinox may even get a “yipee” or a “gosh” or a “golly-gee.” Read more
Sail from Newport on the 4th
Posted on June 16, 2009 by Fran Golden
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If you don’t have plans yet for the 4th of July weekend you may be glad you waited. A classic three-masted schooner is serving up a bargain, sailing from Newport, Rhode Island, from only $1,300 per cabin (which means for two).
The trip is on the lovely Arabella, which summers in the East and winters in the Caribbean. The Star Spangled long weekend cruise is full of fireworks and holiday celebrations. You embark on Thursday, July 2, with the first night onboard in glamorous Newport Harbor. From there you head up Narragansett Bay and call at Bristol (enjoying the Read more
Renting on Cape Cod
Posted on June 15, 2009 by Fran Golden
Filed Under IN New England, New England, Travel Advice, US Travel | Leave a Comment
So you haven’t made your summer vacation plans yet, and you’re thinking you don’t want to wander too far from home. It’s not to late to rent a house or cottage on Cape Cod. But don’t delay.
I did an informal survey of realtors and discovered that a lot of people who usually grab the best of the Cape Cod rentals in the wintertime didn’t do it this year. Blame the economy. We’re all hesitant to make financial commitments too far in advance (perhaps worried whether or not we’ll have a job a few months out).
But what that means is there’s still a lot of availability and even some deals. The folk at WeNeedaVacation, a Cape rental site, track such things and say advance bookings for summer rentals were down 20% in January and 24% in February. But then a stabilization trend began and for June they are predicting up 55% over last year. The clear message? Book now. Read more
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