Cruise follies, foibles, TMI, TLI and unexpected discoveries
No cruise is complete without its follies and unexpected discoveries.
Kids have a different take on cultural exchanges on cruises
Listen up parents — if you thought the educational part of cruising was only seeing historic and cultural sites, you were wrong. It seems much more cultural exchange happens right on board at the kids’ and teen club, kids say.
In Hokkaido: navigating on our own is not that difficult
The ship staff had warned that navigating on your own in Japan is different than elsewhere. Very few locals speak English and signs are only in Japanese. I understand now why in the U.S. Japanese tourists always move in a group with a guide.
A visit to a Japanese hot springs in Hokkaido
Good news! I’m going to live at least seven years longer. That’s because I’ve visited a Japanese Onseng—a hot springs resort. They are ubiquitous in Japan—there are thousands of them.
Japanese hot tubs and amenities on the Diamond Princess
The on board Izumi Japanese Bath features indoor and outdoor bathing experiences ($15 for 90 minute visit), including misted steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi and hot tubs, some open to the sky.
On a cruise – options for dining vary on taste and budget
Like other cruise lines, Princess offers specialty restaurants on board for which you pay an extra fee.
Like on other cruise lines, the specialty restaurants offer an enhanced experience.
Shore excursions: Cranes, marshes, pluses and minuses
We’re in Kushiro, Japan, on the island of Hokkaido, and are visiting the Japanese Crane Reserve on a shore excursion from the Diamond Princess, which is spending the morning here.
East meets West on a Princess Cruise in Japan
Until I came aboard in Yokohama, I hadn’t thought much about the cruise experience being educational but here, with more than 1000 Japanese passengers, we westerners are getting a lesson in Japanese culture and food.
On a multigenerational cruise with Windstar in Scotland
The 91-year-old had chosen the Windstar Star Legend, a 212-passenger ship for a cruise with her 17-year-old grandson— one of three yachts without the line’s famous sails that the company has recently acquired from Seabourn
Cruise shore excursions: go with a group or on your own?
When you take a cruise, you can opt for a shore excursion offered by the cruise line, or you can take your own, often booking local guides.