Robert Q Travel Byron's Blog

The Celebrity EDGE has launched and is turning heads at every port. Its standout sleek, urban resort styling and game-changing technology have a high point: the Magic Carpet.

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If you're trying to come up with the perfect family vacation for the holidays, time to think about cruising.

Whether you are new to cruising or a seasoned sailing family, here are 5 tips to ensure every member of the family has a fun, memorable… and relaxing holiday.

By: Lynn Elmhirst, Producer/ Host and cruise expert, BestTrip.TV

1. Location, location, location.

Pick your family cruise destination first, and make sure every family member will have something to be excited about. A cruise is one of the best ways to introduce the family to Europe, to reach exotic destinations like the Galapagos, or see the world closer to home. (Top image: Families in awe of the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska on a Regent Seven Seas Cruise. Watch the video!)

Can you drive to a major cruise port? Ships embark from cruise ports along all coasts of North America, from Montreal, out the St. Lawrence and down the East Coast, southern ports in Florida, Louisiana and Texas, and up the West Coast from San Diego all the way to Vancouver. From these home-grown ports, cruising families can enjoy Canada and New England cruises, Bahamas/Caribbean/ Panama canal cruises, Mexico and Western Caribbean cruises, Pacific Northwest and Alaska cruises (like the Regent Seven Seas Cruise to Alaska pictured, top), and West Coast/ Baja, South America and even Hawaii cruises.

If you drive to the port where your ship round-trips, a family can save a lot on flights… and use those savings on their family cruise vacation to upgrade a stateroom category, treat yourselves to more shore excursions, even take other members of the family along too and make it an extended family get together.

2. Find the perfect cruise ship match.

Mega-ship or small ship? It depends on your family, and a good travel advisor will consult with you to find your perfect family cruise. There are enormous cruise ships that are destinations in themselves, floating theme park resorts. And for some families, they are perfect holiday destinations, with more round-the-clock adventures, activities, pools, sports, dining and entertainment than the family can even experience in a week or 10-day cruise. With social clubs for kids of all ages right through to the sedate activities many grandparents enjoy, these ships are crowd pleasers.

(Waterslides on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas)

But they are not the only options. If the kids in your family don't need non-stop activities, if you are more interested in authentic destination experiences, medium and smaller-sized ships including expedition and luxury ships - even river cruise ships - might be the best fit for your family. Smaller ships and expedition ships may not have the whirlwind of activities and entertainment of the biggest ships, but they can dock in more out-of-the-way places, and the atmosphere on board is quieter for families who make their own fun.

3. Book and pre-pay for as much as possible.

Your travel advisor can help match you to your best cruise options that have the best value for the best type of cruise experience for your family. That may involve packaged, pre-paid or included things like tips, drinks packages, shore excursions, even flights. Generally speaking, pre-paying gives you the best value for money. As an added bonus, you'll worry less about tracking your vacation spending budget while you are on holiday – and be more likely to avoid going over-budget.

Pre-booking ensures you'll also be able to enjoy a ship board experience on your first preference of day and time. Spa appointments and specialty restaurants can book up before guests even board the ship. So pre-book parents' date night or someone's birthday or anniversary dinner before you board.

The same advice goes for shore excursions. If there's an experience at a port of call that's the highlight of the family cruise vacation, booking that zip line adventure, wildlife tour, catamaran or cooking class ahead will ensure you avoid disappointment.

(Beach day on Holland America Line's private island in the Bahamas)

4. Give kids some independence – and give parents a break.

One piece of advice parents regularly come back to thank me for is that I recommend families take walkie-talkies. One could be for the parents, the other for older (tween/teen) kids. This gives kids the run of the ship to enjoy their own interests, and still be in contact with parents. Or divided between different family groupings so there's maximum freedom to break into smaller family groups and also easily check in, plan meeting places, get together for a swim, lunch, or another whole-group activity…

Pre-paid drinks packages also enable kids to serve themselves without tracking down an adult or running up a surprise tab.

Since cruise ships are self-contained, they are among the safest family travel destinations for families to enjoy their own interests in the same space. Nothing says 'vacation' like parents lounging by the pool knowing the kids are safe and having a great time on their own.

5. Look into and take advantage of on board services.

This is part of the essential cruise match-making process your travel advisor can help you with. Cruise lines are innovators in keeping kids entertained. They've developed partnerships with kids' favorite characters and movies. And many offer clubs and daycare for kids of all ages – some even for babes-in-arms that make cruises great 'babymoon' destinations. So even if your kids aren't old enough to enjoy the ship's activities on their own, ask what options are for kids of all ages.

It's a great way to change up the pace for every member of the family, from time spent with different members in different experiences.

Cruises make some of the best family vacations that provide lifelong memories and maximum family time. Parents only have to pack and unpack once while the family gets to enjoy multiple destinations and vacation experiences together. With these tips, your next family cruise vacation will be your best holiday together yet!

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San Francisco, Toronto, Sydney, Berlin… Now you can add another destination to celebrate Pride Month: at Sea.  

Celebrity Cruises held its first Pride party fleet-wide in 2017, wherever its ships were around the world. Now it looks like the cruise line's new tradition of celebrating LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion during international Pride Month and festivities is here to stay.

2018's Pride Month celebrations on Celebrity cruise ships kicked off on the Celebrity Constellation in Sicily, and on the Celebrity Reflection in Cartagena, Spain. Each ship took turns handing off the 'party baton' to the next ship to keep the parties running across hemispheres and time zones, following the clock to finally encompass all the ships in the fleet. In the end, Celebrity's Pride Party at Sea spanned 10,000 miles and 9 ships in different continents and time zones around the world. 

Olympic Bronze Medalist Adam Rippon (pictured, below, sailing on the Celebrity Summit) and two-time men’s figure skating Olympian Johnny Weir served as ambassadors for 2018's festivities that welcomed all guests on board and made for one of Celebrity's biggest fleet-wide events.

The ship-board Pride parties commemorating Pride Month are just part of the cruise line's support of the community throughout the calendar year.

The first night of nearly every Celebrity cruise year round is earmarked for a popular LGBTQ+ Welcome Party, open to and enjoyed by all guests fleet-wide. And throughout each cruise, events and social hours foster the community.

On shore, Celebrity Cruises is a Presenting Sponsor of the Miami Beach Gay Pride celebrations in the cruise line's HQ hometown. Celebrity hosts festival events and provides entertainment from the acclaimed Celebrity Productions team. Its float took home a prize for first place, with over 400 Celebrity employees marching in the Miami Beach Gay Pride parade in 2018.

Couples who are guests on Celebrity ships with more to celebrate than Pride Month can also now be legally (not just symbolically) married on board following ground-breaking legislative changes in Malta, where Celebrity ships are flagged. The line held the first legal gay wedding on a major line on the Celebrity Equinox in January, 2018. The ship's captain presided over the historic ceremony, and now, fleet-wide, wedding ceremonies performed by the Captain on board are legal marriages.

No surprise that Celebrity's modern luxury cruise line has been recognized as the LGBTQ+ Friendly Travel Company of the year, as well as 4-years' running as Best Large Ship Cruise Line for LGBTQ+ Passengers, making the cruise line a great option for guests looking for a great new place to celebrate Pride or a memorable LGBTQ+ wedding, or simply to feel welcome and at home on their next cruise to a dream destination.

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Think only the super rich and celebrities get the privileges of private islands?

Guests aboard Holland America Line cruises in the Eastern Caribbean can get a taste of private island lifestyle too.

HAL's private island is Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, and it's the featured port of call on the Oprah Winfrey Girls' Getaway cruise.

BestTrip.TV has already been to this fantasy private island port of call, to share some of its highlights with you.

Can you picture yourself there, too?

Following in the symphonic footsteps of the other members of the Crystal River Cruise fleet, the new Crystal Debussy evokes traditional European culture in a tribute to the great musical composer. The river cruise experience by Crystal, on the other hand, is a whole new approach .

The Crystal Debussy is the 5^th Crystal river 'yacht', joining Crystal Mozart, Crystal Bach, Crystal Mahler, and Crystal Ravel. They've been arriving on the European river cruise scene at a dizzying pace, as devotees of Crystal's particular luxury travel style on Crystal's renowned ocean cruises eagerly take the opportunity to explore the heart of European culture and famous river-bank wine regions in ultra-luxury Crystal style.

Crystal's approach to luxury ocean cruising translates to its river cruise experience that will make regular Crystal guests feel right at home and will take the breath away from travelers who may have tried a different river cruise experience. Crystal is making the distinction between river cruising and the Crystal experience by calling its fleet: River Yachts.

Guests on the Crystal Debussy will find one- and two-bedroom suites with Crystal's signature Panoramic Balcony-Window in an all-suite ship, exceptional public spaces including multiple dining options, top-deck outdoor lounge space… all with 6-star design-hotel style and Crystal's service of anticipation with European butler service and more staff than any other European river cruise. Michelin-inspired farm-to-table dining with complimentary fine wines, spirits, gratuities and unlimited wi-fi… it takes Crystal's 'private yacht'-feel on its ocean cruises to the rivers of Europe and transforms the concept of luxury in river cruising.

On shore, guests will be able to choose fleet-wide from over 200 curated, often exclusive destination experiences and activities. They range from cultural, natural, culinary/gastronomic, 'personal connections' to local lifestyles, and active 'exhilarating adventures'. Most are complimentary, and an included Signature Event each cruise brings guests rare access to famous European venues and live performances by world-class musicians in a nod to the fleet's musical nomenclature. Guests have access to 'Our Design, Your Time' concierge service to create truly customized shore experiences too.  

For experienced European river cruise and luxury travelers, this is another level and a new approach to river cruising.

The Crystal Debussy sails Rhine river itineraries between the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. The Rhine is famous for a magical stretch of dozens of castles perched on banks, islands and craggy cliffs along the Rhine, the fabled rock of Lorelei, and of course, the Moselle wine region.

This latest Crystal river cruise ship joins the Crystal Bach already sailing Rhine itineraries.

Crystal Mahler and Crystal Ravel sail Rhine, Main, and Danube sailings – grand voyages between Amsterdam and Budapest through the heart of Europe, connecting capital cities, scenic countryside, and charming villages in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. 

Another sister ship, the Crystal Mozart, plies the majestic Danube through Central Europe, including the UNESCO World Heritage region of the Wachau valley with its picturesque architecture and signature wine, the Bavarian countryside, and the famous culture capitals Vienna and Budapest.

The growing fleet of Crystal river cruise ships is changing the landscape of European river cruising and provides travelers who appreciate the finest luxury experience in their European land travels the means to explore even quaint corners of European countryside via the great rivers of Europe in the same quality of experience they expect in landmark luxury hotels on land.

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As you can see, it was a tight fit when the newest mega-ship at sea arrived at one of the man-made wonders of the world in an iconic photo-op for the modern age of cruise travel.

On her inaugural sailing from the shipyard where she was built in Germany, towards her homeport of Seattle, the Norwegian Bliss became the largest passenger ship ever to transit the Panama Canal.

The nearly 50 mile-long and 12-hour series of locks, canals, and man-made bodies of water is considered an engineering marvel of the world. Opened in 1914, it allows shipping traffic to pass between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans without having to sail around the southern tip of South America.  And the Norwegian Bliss' historic transit in 2018 was only possible as a result of the Panama Canal's 2016 expansion that now allows it to accommodate among the largest classes of cargo and cruise ships.

The newest – and largest – Norwegian Cruise Line ship, the Norwegian Bliss certainly qualifies. 20 decks and 168,000 gross tons, with berths for more than 4000 guests and 1700 crew.

In addition to the historic Panama Canal passage and crossing a Panama canal transit cruise off their travel bucket list, guests on the Norwegian Bliss enjoyed these highlights of the 16th ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, including many firsts at sea and for North-American-based ships:

Excitement:

The Largest Race Track: 2 levels and 1,000-feet of open-air race track thrills in electric go-karts. Alex Vega, Miami-based celebrity car guru from Discovery Channel’s reality television show, “The Auto Firm with Alex Vega”, delivered two fully customized electric go-karts to the Norwegian Bliss to add to the spectacle. 

The First Open-Air Laser Tag Experience:  Day or night, guests can immerse themselves in a fantasy environment of an abandoned space station, going into stealth mode and competing against family and new-found friends.

Eye-Popping Aqua Park: Not 1 but 2 waterslides! The high-speed Ocean Loop, a double waterslide that gets your blood pumping as you slide out over the side of the moving ship. Plus the tandem inner tube Aqua Racer.  Challenge friends and family members to race side by side to see who finishes first! 

Or let the ambitious members of the family tackle the water slides while you relax in one of 2 swimming pools or, on the deck above, find tranquility in one of 6 infinity hot tubs blur the line between the ship and the sea.  Younger kids have their own areas too, of splash pads, water cannons, tipping buckets and scaled-back water slides.

Fitness and Wellness: 

You'll feel no guilt allowing yourself to indulge in the Norwegian Bliss' culinary experiences with state-of-the-art equipment in the fitness center, as well as TRX, Fight Club, Ryde Cycle, and an aerobics room.  The Mandara Spa has 24 treatment rooms and a thermal suite that provides deep relaxation as well as full ocean views, hydro-therapy, steam room and dry sauna, samarium, salt room and even a Snow Room.

20 Restaurants, 13 Bars, and 2 Observation Lounges and 3 Shows:

Highlights include the ever-popular partnership with Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, The Cellars Mondavi Wine Bar, Ocean Blue, and elegant seafood restaurant, and a restaurant with nearly every international or classic cuisine imaginable, from the elegant evenings to pool-side casual.  You'll want to time dining and drinks around shows including the Tony-award-winning musical Jersey Boys.

The Haven:

In addition to many classes of staterooms and suites for extended families to solo travelers, the Norwegian Bliss has a 'ship within a ship', the Haven, a private, luxurious area more like a luxury small ship with highly personalized service, the Haven Courtyard with a retractable roof, private pool and lounge, spa and treatment rooms and restaurant, allowing guests to enjoy top-shelf luxury when they wish and to enjoy other restaurants, thrills, and entertainment of the rest of the ship when they wish.  The best of both worlds!

Where Can You Sail on the Norwegian Bliss?

• From June, 2018, Norwegian Bliss will make 7-day cruises to Alaska from Seattle with calls in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, British Columbia; 
• Then she will make select voyages to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles;
• In Fall 2018 and Winter 2019, the Norwegian Bliss sails from Miami to the Eastern Caribbean;
• In 2019 she returns to New York City to sail 7-day voyages to the Bahamas and Florida, and the Southern and Western Caribbean.

Ask us about specific itineraries for the Norwegian Bliss or how you too can cruise the Panama Canal.

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Applause, champagne, and celebration for the Seabourn Ovation.  The fifth ship in Seabourn's fleet has her naming ceremony May 11, 2018, officially joining the line's award-winning Odyssey-class ships.

The launch of the Ovation is the finale of Seabourn's current expansion plans. Now, the five Seabourn ships: Ovation, Encore, Quest, Sojourn and Odyssey, represent one of the most modern and consistent fleets in ultra-luxury cruising.

Like her sister ships, sailing on the Seabourn Ovation is like sailing on a private yacht – but with experiences even private yacht travelers don't have the opportunity to enjoy.

Here are 5 of our favourite features of the Seabourn Ovation:

That Yachting Lifestyle:

The Seabourn Ovation blurs the lines between private yachting and cruising. Each suite has a personal bar that is stocked according to your preferences even before you board the ship.  There's an open-bar policy throughout the ship, including champagne, premium wine and spirits, so the entire ship feels like your own chartered yacht. Similiarly, all dining experiences are included.  And the Ovation also includes Seabourn's signature water-sports open marina at the aft of the ship.  At anchor in a secluded location on one of the world's spectacular coastlines, you'll be able to experience the extraordinary feeling of getting out onto the water right off the back of the ship.

Space:

You're among only a few hundred guests on a ship that's been designed to maximize space for each guest. On the Ovation, you'll discover secluded areas for quiet contemplation as well as spaces that foster natural and easy social interaction. When you would like to share the company of the other like-minded guests, that opportunity is there, but you'll have plenty of space to relax in privacy and enjoy the peaceful sailing experience.

All-Suite Experience:

300 all-oceanfront suites provide that 'home away from home'/ country club resort atmosphere at sea. Every suite on the new Ovation includes a private veranda that not only provides you with sweeping views of the sea, but is also spacious enough for private, alfresco dining. Suites include indoor, spacious living space, walk-in closets, and superb marble bathrooms with separate baths and showers, stocked with Seabourn's own exclusive line of Molton Brown amenities.

Design:

Design icon Adam D. Tihany was once again tapped to style a sailing, ultra-luxury resort. The Ovation's design is that of a boutique design hotel/resort that welcomes you with deluxe comfort, modern elegance and stand-out design elements and innovations.

Seabourn-Exclusives:

The launch of the Seabourn Ovation means there's another destination at sea to experience Seabourn's signature moments, including Caviar-in-the-Surf, and a host of one-of-a-kind partnerships. 

• The Grill by Michelin-starred American culinary icon Thomas Keller harkens back to a mid-century upscale dining experience with table-side preparations of classics like Caesar salad and ice cream sundaes. 
• Then attend 'An Evening with Tim Rice', where the acclaimed musical theatre lyricist's best-loved works from Jesus Christ Superstar, Aladdin, and the Lion King are punctuated by his personal anecdotes and video narrative.
• Participate in the Spa and Wellness program by holistic medicine pioneer Dr. Andrew Weil. (Watch this video to experience the Crystal Sound Bowl treatment)
• And on shore, enjoy purposeful and sustainable travel experiences through Seabourn's partnership with UNESCO.

The Seabourn Ovation spends her inaugural season in Northern Europe on 7-day Baltic and Scandinavian itineraries, as well as 2-week voyages into the Norwegian fjords and rustic, northern British Isles.

You can still be a part of the Ovation's maiden sailing season and be among the first to experience this magnificent new ship.  Let us help you find the perfect Seabourn cruise for your next vacation.

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They call it 'The Garden of Europe', and it's open for only 8 short weeks every spring. The spectacular Keukenhof garden in the Netherlands is said to be the largest spring flower garden in the world – and it's the highlight of our Avalon Tulip Time river cruise.

BestTrip.TV filmed this once-a-year explosion of color of blooming tulips, surrounded by some of the famous Dutch tulip fields.  We were there and even we thought it was too incredible to be real!

Garden Travel expert Tara Nolan of SavvyGardening.com shares her insights into what makes the Keukenhof a can't-miss celebration of spring, best experienced from our Avalon Tulip Time river cruise.

And if you think the Keukenhof garden experience on a Tulip-Time cruise is just for girlfriend getaways, think again.  The gardens are a living, technicolor business card for the Netherlands' floriculture industry - the biggest in the world.  So think of it instead as one of the most stunning 'factory tours' you could ever hope to take. And bring along the guys, not just the girls.  They will be just as awed as we were!

Thinking of taking a Tulip Time cruise? Here are 8 amazing facts about flowers in Holland, home of the world's largest floriculture industry:

• Nearly half of the world's floriculture products come from the Netherlands.
• 77% of all flower bulbs exported around the world are Dutch, and the majority are tulips.
• Tulips are the national flower of the Netherlands, but they originally came from Turkey; then were bred and cultivated by the Dutch into the spectacular showy flower we know today.
• The appealing stripes on some of the most sought-after varieties of tulips are the result of a virus!
• The total land used for the production of flower bulbs in the Netherlands is over 2.5 million acres!  The Bollenstreek (Bulb Region) is more or less between Amsterdam and Rotterdam.  The Keukenhof garden is in this area, surrounded by tulip and other flower fields.
• You can rent a bicycle during your visit to Keukenhof to explore the fields surrounding it, and if you have time, you can even follow all or part of the 37 km-long, sign-posted 'Leidse Bollenroute'. (You'll love cycling in Holland; all the land is flat!)
• Holland also exports fresh-cut plants and flowers: 2/3 of the world's total.
• Amsterdam is home to the world's only floating flower market; over a dozen shops operate year-round from one of the city's famous canals.

Like we did, you can experience the Keukenhoff garden, take in some of the surrounding flower fields, and visit Amsterdam's Floating Flower Market all during an Avalon Tulip Time River cruise that delivers you to the front of the line at the Keukenhof, and overnights in Amsterdam so you can go to the flower market.

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There are over a thousand World Heritage Sites in 167 countries.  Places in the world of such extraordinary cultural or natural wonder, that UNESCO has dedicated itself to preserving them for the ages… and travelers dedicate themselves to discovering them for themselves.

One cruise line has partnered with UNESCO to help achieve both goals. Seabourn's ultra-luxury cruises sail to all seven continents.  It has a unique ability to bring travelers to many of the world's UNESCO treasures.

In fact, over 170 designated UNESCO sites are included in Seabourn itineraries, iconic places like Halong Bay in Vietnam,  (watch the video of our kayaking tour of Halong Bay with Seabourn), the Ruins of Pompeii, the Great Barrier Reef, the Birthplace of the Olympic Games, as well as Canada's Bay of Fundy, where the world's highest tides have resulted in landscapes and ecosystems making up a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.  (Watch the video where the tides of the Bay of Fundy reverse the flow of the St. John River).

In addition to helping bring guests to the sites, Seabourn has developed two types of shore excursions in partnership with UNESCO. Seabourn World Heritage Tours visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  And Seabourn Discovery Tours offer exclusive, enhanced shore excursions of UNESCO World Heritage Sites through their partnership.

In the case of both types of designated UNESCO shore excursions, a donation is made to the UNESCO World Heritage Fund for each Seabourn guest who participates.  Seabourn guests who donate additional funds to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre even earn Seabourn Club Points that help advance guests up to another membership level with added benefits.

The partnership Seabourn has with UNESCO reflects dedicated corporate responsibility in travel on a global level, and also the interests of Seabourn guests to experience the greatest achievements of humankind and miracles of Nature, while supporting their continued preservation.  At the same time, Seabourn assists UNESCO in its goal of promoting awareness and sustainable tourism to those World Heritage properties.

Our Seabourn Canada and New England cruise gave us the opportunity to visit Quebec City's glorious, 400-year Old Town World Heritage Site.  Two designated UNESCO Partner Tours are offered to guests in Quebec City:

• Historic & Modern Quebec with Parliament Visit
• Historical Walk with Horse & Carriage Ride

In both cases, guests are introduced in a unique way to the extraordinary historic, hill-top town founded in 1608 as the capital of New France, and which remains today the only walled city north of Mexico.  400-year old cobbled streets wind up and down the steep slopes of this elegant fortified town, lined with stone houses shops, restaurants, public squares, the oldest Catholic Church in North America, and the iconic Chateau Frontenac, the castle-like hotel that tops the hill and dominates Quebec City's unmistakable skyline.  (Tour the Chateau Frontenac in this video).

Our fellow Seabourn guests who were visiting Quebec City for the first time all said they felt like they'd been magically transported to a preserved town in Europe. It's almost unbelievable that it is right in the backyard of North American travelers.  It's that kind of magic and wonder that every UNESCO site inspires in visitors and Seabourn's one-of-a-kind UNESCO Partner Tours make possible.

By Lynn Elmhirst, Producer/Host, BestTrip.TV

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One of the greatest natural spectacles in the world is the unmatched explosion of colorful foliage that takes place in Eastern Canada and the North-Eastern US every autumn. And it's best experienced by cruise ship. Our cruise on the Seabourn Quest navigated the St. Lawrence from Montreal with calls at Quebec City, Canada's Maritime provinces, then along the Eastern Coast.

Watch this video for our cruise tour and review.

And here are my top 7 reasons you'll want to add a Seabourn cruise of Canada and New England to your fall travel schedule.

By: Lynn Elmhirst, Producer/ Host, BestTrip.TV

1. Seabourn packs its ultra-luxury cruise experience into boutique-sized ships, and that is an advantage you won't want to miss. Large ships can't sail any farther west than Quebec City as they don't have clearance under certain bridges; only on a smaller ship can sail all the way to Montreal.The second-largest French-speaking city in the world after Paris, and fashion, culinary and lifestyle global center is an exhilarating port of embarkation or disembarkation you won't want to miss as a pre- or post-cruise stay.
2. The smaller ship size makes you feel like you are on a large yacht, and like yachts, the Seabourn Quest is able to call as smaller, more out-of-the-way ports you might not be able to experience otherwise, like the tiny islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon that remain the territory of France in North America.
3. Seabourn is famous for its signature 'moments', little happenings that pop up to enhance your cruise experience.As you inhale the brisk sea breezes taking in the isolated shorelines lined with crimson-leaved trees as you sail by, suddenly, there's a hot chocolate-with-a-twist bar on deck.You didn't even know you wanted a delectable hot chocolate laced with your favorite liqueur… but the scenery seems to get even better with one in your hands.
4. I've always loved Seabourn's 'Shopping with the Chef' – local markets come even more alive seen through the eyes of the immensely talented, creative Seabourn chefs.Chef Jes invited our cameras to accompany him to Quebec City's Old Port Market, one of North America's great historic markets, with truly local vendors selling some of Quebec's famously rich abundance of highest quality foods. And the Chef's shopping was not for show! He was thrilled to find the miraculous last fresh strawberries of the season to surprise guests with at breakfast the following morning. And he also gave us a cooking demo using some of the ingredients we discovered at the market. It was a highlight of our call in Quebec City.
5. Overnight in Quebec City. The Seabourn Quest was docked in Quebec City in a prime location at the foot of its famous hill, and an overnight in this famous, UNESCO World Heritage, 400-year old city gave us and our fellow guests ample opportunity to experience the evening lights, and the culinary scene of this little piece of Europe in North America.
6. Getting close to Nature. In addition to calls at some of North America's most storied and vibrant cities in Canada and on the American East Coast, sailing brings Seabourn guests often quite close to Nature. The St. Lawrence is seasonal home to a variety of whales; on the cruise prior to ours, one whale cruised alongside the ship for hours. Guests were able to come from all over the ship to line the decks in awe, incredibly close to a spontaneous encounter with wildlife.
7. The suite life on Seabourn. Brisk autumn breezes as you stroll the decks or wander off the ship to explore the East's charming seaside towns are not only invigorating – they also leave you wind-blown and ready for a bath and a glass of something special. On the Seabourn Quest, your steward can deliver champagne and draw you a bath – yes! a bath on a ship! Your wonderful day becomes a perfect one.

We North American's sometimes forget that one of the world's epic cruises is right in our backyard. Seabourn's Canada and New England autumn colors cruises remind us of the beauty here at home - elevated by Seabourn's exquisite on board luxury lifestyle.

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You may be familiar with treating yourself to a massage, reflexology, or other spa wellness treatments while you're on holiday.  But an Amethyst Crystal Sound Bath?  That's a level of holistic therapy you rarely encounter at any spa, especially at sea.  BestTrip.TV took a 'dip' during our cruise on the Seabourn Quest. 

One-of-a-Kind Wellness: Dr. Andrew Weil's Mindful Living Program on Seabourn

By Lynn Elmhirst, BestTrip.TV

If holistic wellness had a 'celebrity', it would be Dr. Andrew Weil.  The pioneer in integrative medicine is a best-selling author and practitioner. Dr. Weil has been pivotal in bringing a new awareness and mainstream practice of Eastern and Western wellness to the North American public.

He has also brought his mind, body, and spirit approach to holistic wellness to Seabourn.  So your cruise can include a journey towards rejuvenation, healthy ageing, and even renewed happiness through Dr. Weil's principles and unique practices and treatments.

The ultra-luxury line wants guests to be uplifted, not just by travel to new horizons, pampered by attentive service and the Seabourn way of life, but also by the opportunity to return from your holiday refreshed and relaxed in every way.  They've partnered with Dr. Weil to bring wellness and a Mindful Living program to the entire Seabourn fleet.  It's the first wellness program of its kind at sea.

Dr. Weil's Mindful Living program at the Spa on Seabourn ships is led by a wellness coach.  This certified yoga and meditation practitioner leads complimentary classes and practices as well as wellness gatherings throughout voyages.

Dr. Weil's teachings guide a comprehensive program.  Meditation sessions provide participants with positive affirmations and mantras you can reflect on throughout the day. Restorative yoga sessions reinforce the mantra introduced in the day's meditations.  Therapeutic yoga sessions also provide guests with various health concerns a practice to help their specific healing needs like back pain, joint pain, headaches, and body alignment. 

The Mindful Living program also recognizes the other ways the practice of yoga empowers you, offering sessions that enhance creativity, mental focus and even happiness.

The daily themes of the Mindful Living program change daily in seven-day cycles, so on a week-long Seabourn cruise, you can be immersed in new mindful living practices daily.

In addition to practices, complimentary program seminars provide guests with more information on the philosophies and background and principles of the program elements and its overall mission.  The goal is to empower you and increase your awareness of the connection between mind, body, environment and wellness.  Healing arts seminars include experts' teachings about issues we can all relate to:

• Spontaneous Happiness & Spontaneous Healing
• Anti-inflammatory foods with nutritional guidance from Dr. Andrew Weil's teachings
• Healthy Aging
• Learn what happens in both the mind and body during Mindful Meditation

But every person's wellness needs are different. So everyone receives an individual consultation and specialized recommended courses of practice and treatments that go far beyond standard spa fare.  Thai Poultice massages with steamed herbs like Kaffir Lime and Lemon grass, Deeper than Deep Hot Stone Massages, Bamboo massages, Acupuncture, and the Amethyst Crystal Sound Bath featured in the BestTrip.TV video above enhance the Dr. Andrew Weil Mindful Living practices.

One of the best things about participating in the Dr. Andrew Weil Mindful Living program on Seabourn is that, unlike the effects of a massage which can disappear once you return to the stresses of daily life, some of the practices you can learn during the course of a Seabourn voyage, like meditation or breathing exercises, can go home with you, and enrich your life along with memories of your favorite Seabourn moments long after your cruise has come to an end.

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There's a tinkling, tap-tap-tap coming from the pool deck of the Silver Muse. It's being made by a hammer against a tiny shoe nail in the hands of an Italian cobbler. Before your eyes, he custom-makes Italian leather sandals for another fortunate guest.

One of the hallmarks of a Silversea cruise is the exceptional level of service. It's personified in the white-gloved, formally-suited butlers who not only provide, but actually anticipate your every need.

Before we boarded the Silver Muse, I was not aware I needed a new pair of custom-fitted, hand-made, Italian leather sandals for my vacation. Once I saw Gennaro's work, it was obvious that is exactly what I needed.

In the rarefied world of true luxury cruising, it can be hard to define what makes one cruise line's interpretation of luxury different from another's. In the case of Silversea, a cruise line with Italian roots, luxury at sea becomes la dolce vita. The good life, polished with pleasure and indulgence, Italian-style.

In that context, having an Italian cobbler on board seems almost obvious. Of course ladies and gentlemen would like to meet a skilled craftsman who can make them custom Italian leather sandals on their cruise.

Not all Silversea cruises have an Italian cobbler-in-residence. But wherever you sail on Silversea cruises around the world – and since they sail to 900 different ports of call on every continent including Antarctica, that is pretty much anywhere – a little bit of Italy travels with you.

Here's our guide to the dolce vita, Silversea-style.

By: Lynn Elmhirst, Producer/Host, BestTrip.TV

Socializing

There is an actual place called the Dolce Vita on board the Silver Muse, a relaxing lounge and gathering place sumptuously appointed and with day and evening service. A cappuccino? A glass of wine or champagne or a bespoke cocktail to enjoy as you exchange greetings with fellow guests, plan the next day's adventures, enjoy the pianist with your aperitif before dinner? Gather with intimate or larger groups in a perfect social setting. And don't miss the stylized portrait of Silversea chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio whose Italian heritage inspired and shapes the Silversea lifestyle.

Dining

Everyone loves Italian cuisine. But not everyone serves authentic Italian cuisine. Silversea does.

La Terrazza restaurant is located on an aft deck where you can choose al fresco dining so the sea breezes complement cherished regional Italian dishes, daily fresh-made pasta and the freshest Mediterranean ingredients. The restaurant's relaxed style evokes the atmosphere (and mouth-watering culinary experience) of dining in outdoor restaurants in seaside Italian towns.

Spaccanapoli is hard to say, but the original Neapolitan pizza it serves is easy to swallow. Most guests on the ship just say 'the pizza place', but that off-hand term hardly does this pizza restaurant, on the top deck overlooking the pool, justice.

Inspired by the historic street in Naples, the seaside town where pizza was born, Spaccanapoli is one of the most popular places to dine on the ship. Chefs in the open-air kitchen work hand-made dough and create made-to-order pizzas in a range of authentic recipes, baking them in a pizza oven only a few steps away from your al fresco table. It couldn't be simpler, or more special: a super-chilled, crisp rose wine in the sea breezes mingling with the fragrance of authentic Neapolitan pizza.

Italian coffee and a selection of wines are perfect accompaniments to quiet and social moments throughout the day.

Freshening Up

One of your first interactions with your Silversea butler on boarding and entering your suite involves your selection of bath amenities. Italian lifestyle brand Bvlgari is stocked in your marble bathroom, but another Italian brand, Ferragamo, is also on offer, making it easy for you to channel your inner stylish Italian as you luxuriate in your suite's bath.

Relaxing

Morning coffee on your veranda, or at the ship's spa. Any number of occasions on board the Silver Muse call for a cozy bathrobe and slippers. Italian fashion house Etro supplies particularly plush ones to Silversea. The family business is famous among those in the know for mens' and womens' wear, as well as accessories and home products. It is sometimes tempting to stay in the robes all day!

Resting

After an exciting day of travels, when you finally lay your head down at night in your suite, you'll be resting on linens from legendary Italian firm Pratesi. Join European aristocracy in sleeping on bed linens that have been called masterpieces of comfort and luxurious style. Difficulty sleeping? Ask your butler about options from the pillow menu, including lavender aromatherapy pillowcases.

Whether you're in Buenos Aires or Belfast, Capri or the Caribbean, make sure you enjoy the Italian indulgences on your Silversea ship.

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Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.