Cruises

Columbia Queen

8/19/2005
Dominick and Margherita Miserandino
An easy way to see the Columbia River, end to end.

We were familiar with the Columbia Queen through our adventures with the Delta Queen line. The Columbia was built for that line but a little thing called bankruptcy prevented them from using it. Great American River Journeys bought the ship and now she is up and running at full speed.

The itinerary includes stops along the Columbia River, sailing west and then east and back west again. Even though you go back and forth, they don't visit the same place twice.

Silversea's Silver Wind

6/26/2004
Dominick A. Miserandino
Homecoming on a Silversea cruise ship in the middle of nowhere.

Seeing the ship had a feeling of coming home. Okay, so we didn't know the crew yet, but it was that homecoming feeling, that we truly appreciated. The Silver Wind is five-star all the way. Sure you feel a bit guilty for living it up after leaving certain parts of a third world country, but you'll get over that quickly.

Every cruise starts with the obligatory fire drill. People all stand around looking rather foolish with their life jackets on which has an additional side effect of being a social icebreaker. Margherita made some friends while I got distracted by salmon nachos.

American Queen - Jazz and Blues Cruise

3/13/2004
Janet Pope
The best trips start right at the airport. Join our adventurous reporters as they leave New Orleans on a cruise up the Mississippi River in old-fashioned Victorian Style elegance... after a contemporary airline jump.

Our latest vacation adventure began the minute we arrived at the airport. I love arriving at new destinations, but usually I dread the actual traveling, whether it is by car or plane. This time the airline experience was pleasurable, from start to finish, both going and coming home. We traveled JetBlue,where short lines and friendly service representatives greeted us upon arrival. Within 20 minutes our bags were on the belt headed to the luggage pod for our flight. Even getting through the security gate was easy and there was a guard explaining the procedure.

Radisson Diamond

12/20/2003
Dominick A. Miserandino
A departure on the most stable and unique cruise ship out there. The double-hulled Raddison Diamond.

The flight was long and the anticipation was high. In the planning stages for something as exciting as a cruise, you don't consider flight times as often. At least this thought occurred to me when we had to change planes in London to get to Athens. Just when I felt like we should be there, we had to do it again.

Windjammer Cruises

9/29/2003
Dominique Gaherty
Dominique learns to not only sail a ship but to do a bit of knitting and lobster cooking too.

As I walked across the runway (yes walked) and up to the plane at Boston's Logan Airport, the steward warned me to watch my head. Watch my head? I'm barely five feet tall - so much for my fleeting thought that the seventh row must be near the front of the plane - try the second row from the back. Thus, began my 45-minute journey on a twin-engine prop plane from Boston to Rockland Maine. Despite the mild turbulence and the four-foot interior, it sure beat a five-hour bus ride in the rain.

SilverSea Cruises

9/3/2003
Dominick A. Miserandino
What is luxury and why is it that Silversea has surpassed all of our known expectations on service?

After two years of traveling almost every two weeks, Margherita has become a bit spoiled, at least in my opinion anyway. She now has decided, she doesn't like the Mediterranean in the summer, as it's too hot. Actually, she doesn't like anywhere where the heat is greater than room temperature, which limits us to either indoors, or the Arctic Circle.

Fortunately, I found a cruise, which sails to the Arctic Circle.

American Queen

4/21/2003
Dominick A. Miserandino
Dominick learns a little bit about how to relax while steamboating up a river.

Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head.... Made my way to the bathroom and realized it was six a.m.. Looking up, I noticed I was late. Marge, Marge, Marge, Marge... Yes, that tribute to "A Day in the Life" was brought to you, to tell you a bit about the start of my day.

The taxi came at 8 a.m., and we actually made it out on schedule this time. Usually we are consistently five minutes late, which seems to be an unnatural law of sorts. No matter how early we get up, we are still not early enough, and always running out the door five minutes later.

Delta Queen

8/29/2002
Dominick A. Miserandino
The Delta Queen is so historic, it's unfathomable, it's like riding the Titanic, but without the iceberg issue.

The Delta Queen is so historic, and unfathomable, it's like riding the Titanic, but without the iceberg issue. Our country prospered and developed during the times of the steamboating era, which is exactly where the Delta Queen comes from. It was the era of Mark Twain, cotton, Robert Fulton, and well, steamboating things. Now, there are only two types of paddlewheel steam boats: a modern gambling boat that takes you out for two hours; or the Delta Queen -- the one that started it all in 1927.

If my point isn't too clear, the Delta Queen is listed as a National Historic Treasure.

Windstar Cruises

7/21/2002
Dominick A. Miserandino
Windstar Cruises bills itself as, '180 degrees from the ordinary.' Compared to your average cruise line, it certainly is different and outstanding.

Your average cruise ship is now big. Massively big ... somewhere between small cities and Vatican City. Everything on a typical cruise ship is usually considered over the top ... shows, upon food, upon music, upon other stuff.

Windstar is small and intimate. It's the difference between living in the city and living in the country. Well, more like your city apartment and your country townhouse.

But first the name. Yes, it's not a coincidence that "wind" is in the title. The 3 sails on our ship (4 sails on the Wind Surf) certainly stand out.

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