Scott's Thoughts - "The Cruise Dude!"

Win a 7-night air-inclusive trip to Kenya!

2010-04-29T10:47:00.001-07:00

Legendary World, through our affiliation with Signature Travel Network has partnered with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Africa Travel, Inc. and Emirates to offer this amazing 7 night air-inclusive trip to Kenya!

This DREAM vacation includes: economy roundtrip airfare on Emirates from select US gateway cities. Two nights at The Norfolk with breakfast, two nights at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club with full board, and three nights at Fairmont Mara Safari Club with full board and two daily game drives. All transfers by land and air, park fees and taxes and fuel surcharges are also included.

Cruise with Iron Chef Cat Cora!

2010-03-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

We're excited to bring you the unique opportunity to travel with Food Network, the first and only cable channel dedicated to connecting viewers to the power and joy of food. Don't just watch Food Network... live it! We now have the pleasure of offering you exclusive access to authentic and engaging Food Network travel experiences with memorable cruises featuring Food Network stars!

7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise sailing roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale.

Theme Cruise: Food Network Competition At Sea

Food Network Competition At Sea Featuring Iron Chef Cat Cora

You will enjoy All Access to “by invitation only” Food Network events including:

• VIP Pier side Check in

• Red Carpet Welcome Aboard Reception

• Food Network VIP Lounge & Screening Room

• Enriching Culinary demonstrations lead by Iron Chef Cat Cora and other Food Network special guests

• Dine around featuring favorite Food Network recipes

• Caribbean Cocktails at The Lawn Club

• Battle of the Celebrity Solstice Chefs competition event

• In addition Food Network guests will receive pre-paid gratuities and special turndown gifts!

Click here for details!

New Bon Appetit Travel Programs!

2010-03-10T10:44:00.000-08:00

Legendary World, as a member of Signature Travel Network, is now offering exclusive access to Bon Appétit cruise and land vacations. Bon Appétit magazine celebrates the world of great food and the pleasure of sharing it with others, and its participation in our Personal Enrichment Series now extends this worldwide. Our clients will enjoy private access to unique Bon Appétit culinary adventures.

Our clients will be able to immerse themselves in a destination through epicurean experiences. Highlights may include hands-on cooking classes, tastings, wine and food pairing dinners, and much more. The Bon Appétit trips will provide value to our clients through a variety of private events, exclusive amenities and in-room/in-stateroom gifts.

Our new website has been launched and includes much more than just the travel programs, but a rich experience in Culinary Travel, Articles, Recipes, Tips and Articles! Enjoy, and "Bon Appetit!"

Guest Video Post: "Top Reasons to River Cruise in Europe"

2010-02-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

The Avid Cruiser’s Ralph Grizzle talks with the vice president of AMAWATERWAYS about why river cruising is such a great way to see Europe.

Savoring Chile & Argentina's Cuisine, Wines & Culture

2010-02-19T14:04:00.000-08:00

We are delighted to announce a new fully escorted small group tour to Latin America. With international food and wine expert Liz Caskey as your host, travel and taste throughout some of Chile and Argentina's famous wine regions with Cox & King's. From wine makers to farmstead cheese makers, connect with the people who make it happen.

Savoring Chile & Argentina's Cuisine, Wines & CultureSpecial departure: September 23-30, 2010

Highlights:

• Explore vibrant markets in Santiago, winding through the stands of our favorite vendors.

• Taste your way through notable wineries of Chile's Colchagua Valley, from unassuming "garage" bodegas to chic and innovative wine superstars.

• Meet local farmers and beekeepers, as well as artisanal producers of cheeses, premium olive oils, and herbal liquors.

• Enjoy delicious meals prepared with the best of seasonal produce in rustic haciendas, renovated wine cellars, turn-of-the-century villas, and al fresco.

• Tour Mendoza's main wine regions, including Luján de Cuyo, Maipu, and Uco Valley, with the dramatic Andes as a backdrop.
• Learn to prepare regional classics during a cooking class at Cavas Wine Lodge, Mendoza.

Trip Costs and Booking:

The cost for this 8-day, 7-night journey is $4995 based on double occupancy ($685 single supplement). Includes all accommodations with most meals, sightseeing, transfers, baggage handling, and taxes. Meals not stated on the itinerary, gratuities and personal expenses, are an additional cost. Internal airfare is an additional $325 per person in economy class. International airfare is not included. Tour starts and ends in Santiago, Chile.

If you're passionate about food and wine, and exploring how they are intrinsically tied to the local culture, we invite you to travel with us, Savoring Chile & Argentina's Cuisine, Wines & Culture.

Ship Tour - Silver Shadow (Silversea Cruises)

2010-02-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

January and February of each year, some of the world’s finest cruise ships travel through the ports of Los Angeles and San Diego as they begin their World Cruise Programs. These cruises range from 119 days to as much as 163 days, visiting exotic ports of call, carrying internationally known lecturers and experts of all kinds and circumnavigate the globe, ending in London, New York, Miami or Los Angeles. When these amazing ships and their worldly guests come through Los Angeles we try to get out and see them, as they are not on the West Coast of the US often.
This last Superbowl Sunday (2010), while the Saints and the Colts where gearing up for battle in Miami, I was queued up in San Pedro, in the rain with about 30 other travel professionals for an exclusive and rare invitation to tour the Ultra-Luxury cruise ship, the Silver Shadow, part of the 6 ship fleet of Silversea Cruises.

First of all, Silversea defies comparison to the rest of the mainstream cruise companies and ships. What I found in my afternoon on the Silver Shadow was a truly unique, luxury travel experience, and I will expand on that more shortly. Many of our clients are used to asking us about this ship and that ship and how they compare. We have used comparisons to hotels, such as ship A compared to ship B, would be similar to the difference between a city hotel like the Trump International in Chicago and the La Quinta Resort in the California desert and what all that means to the client. We have compared them like cars, this ship is for people that prefer a Mercedes, with a driver over a zippy BMW sportster. These comparisons help us get across the style, the “feel” of a ship and the level or service or care expected on a certain vessel.

Silversea transcends this type of comparison in that it is not a floating resort or hotel at sea, it is a true luxury lifestyle experience. I found the ship extremely understated, but very elegant at the same time. The artwork is impressive and rare, but also simple and subtle. The dining venues are immaculate, well designed, beautiful, but again understated and comfortable. I walked away with the feeling that Silversea is for Travelers and Voyagers, not simply a vacation.

Silversea is also an international company with approximately 50% of their guests coming from homes outside of North America. This makes for a very different and enriching travel experience. One afternoon you may be sitting by the pool with the winemaker from a vineyard in Argentina, then dining with a doctor from Ireland. This international mix adds to the overall travel experience, but also has Silversea offering more to their guests than found on other ships to accommodate the international crowd.

Launched in 2000, the Silver Shadow only carries 382 guests in six-star personalised service, and all of them in ocean-view suites. I found the suites to be exceptionally well laid out and spacious, regardless of the room type. My favorites were the mid-range Silver and Medallion Suites ranging from 521 - 701 square feet plus a Veranda. Both of these had a nice sitting area, gorgeous italian marble bathrooms and a Glass wall enclosed bedroom area. These suites are designed for comfort and relaxation and I found them to be that, and so much more.

View a full ship tour here: Silver Shadow Ship Tour

Silversea is one of the only All-Inclusive cruise ships, that is really All-Inclusive! All Silversea Guests receive complimentary beverages throughout the ship and the cruise, including fine wine, spirits, bottled water and anything else you could desire. They also stock your in-suite mini-bar with your personal preferences prior to your boarding the ship. Silversea aims to make the experience seamless, with transfers into town included at most ports around the world, complimentary in-suite dining if you choose, an exclusive and complimentary shoreside event on most cruises and a butler at your service to help unpack, pack, assist with dining arrangements and anything you could ask for.

I’ve posted pictures on our Legendary World Facebook Page - so become a FAN and check them out! If you have any questions about Silversea or Luxury Cruising, you know how to get ahold of us!

Please post any comments or share your experiences on Silversea by clicking on the “Comments” button below.

Ship Tour - Oceania Regatta

2010-02-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

I recently had the pleasure to tour the m/s Regatta, and enjoy lunch aboard in the Grand Dining Room with Adele and some other Travel Industry Professionals.
When launched in 2002, Oceania Cruises, founded by industry veterans Joe Watters and Frank Del Rio, created a new category in cruising - and called it Deluxe cruising. The idea was to fill a missing niche between Premium (Holland America, Celebrity, etc.) and Luxury (Crystal Cruises, Regent, etc.).

From all accounts they have mastered this category, and after touring the ship, I can’t wait to sail with Oceania in the near future!

The differences are noticeable even from the pier as we walked towards the gangway and our entrance to our Deluxe ship, the m/s Regatta. Docked next to us in San Pedro was the Norwegian Star with a capacity of 2200 guests! Our ship looked like a beautiful private yacht in comparison, welcoming us on a very special voyage. As we boarded, the decor, furnishings and finishings immediately soothed the soul, relaxed our minds and made us all slow down and take it in. The lobby was reminiscent of a boutique hotel and the staff and crew were there to greet us and direct us to a welcome cocktail reception in Horizons, the top deck, forward lounge.

Adele and I grabbed a glass of Wine (when in Rome, as they say!), located a spot with some friends and proceeded to take some pictures of this incredible lounge. This area of the ship, and many to follow, are very much like being at the Country Club or Golf Course Lounge back home. Oceania tries in its decor to be welcoming and make you feel at home, and they have succeeded in this endeavor. It feels very comfortable, but not at all sloppy or too casual. It is elegant and sophisticated, without being snobby. The dress on Oceania is “Country Club Casual”, so for those of us that do not care to wear Tuxedos and Suits in the evening, Oceania is a great escape!

Next we headed off to tour the Staterooms and Suites of the m/s Regatta. It was actually rather comical at first, as 350 Travel Professionals all left the Lounge and headed in the same direction to visit the 12 staterooms they had reserved for us! Adele and I quickly found a parallel passageway and shot to the front of the group, and ahead of the crowd as most of them struggled to peep their heads in the doors, as 30 came out of the staterooms. Hey - it’s why our clients look to us for “creative” solutions and ideas!

The Staterooms on the ship are beautifully decorated and very well designed. All have flat screen TV’s, which really add a lot of space to the staterooms compared to the boxy TV’s of old. The inside Staterooms and the lowest level oceanview with portholes and picture windows are 160 and 165 square feet respectively, but felt rather spacious overall. This is probably due to the fact that the bathrooms are VERY small in these categories. They are functional, and for the value of these staterooms is OK, but they are very small. The Balcony Staterooms measure 216 square feet with a 45 square foot balcony. Personally I love the balcony Staterooms regardless of the ship. even if I do not spend any time outside, I love having the floor to ceiling glass as it makes the room feel so much bigger. I also love to have the door open during the day to enjoy the fresh air, and depending upon the destination, have been known to leave the doors open all night. Just don’t tell my cabin steward!

Of course my favorite on this ship are the Owner’s Suites, ranging in size from 786 to 962 square feet, located on the very front or very back, with large wrap-around verandahs, Jacuzzi bathtubs, Butlers, Wedgewood furnishings and all the little extras you would expect in a Suite on Oceania.

Canyon Ranch, right here in Tucson, has recently partnered with Oceania Cruises to add a Canyon Ranch SpaClub on all of the vessels. It is not just a Spa at sea with a fitness center, but a true Canyon Ranch experience, with exceptional facilities and staff to create a complete Health and Wellness program on the Regatta. If you are a Spa nut - then Oceania Cruises is for you!

One of the differentiating features for Oceania is the dining. First of all there are four, open seating restaurants throughout the ship that are available to all guests and without the surcharges that we find on the Premium ships. There is the Grand Dining Room where we were treated to a magnificent five-course lunch and spectacular wines. There is the Polo Grill serving the best steaks not only on the high seas, but in the world. And served in a style reminiscent of the old Hollywood haunts we have all seen and dreamed about in the movies. There is Toscana hailed for its simplicity and keenly balanced flavors, firmly rooted in family traditions. Many of the recipes have been handed down for generations, coming from many of the Italian culinary staff of Oceania itself. Then there is Tapas on the Terrace, each evening this area becomes an alfresco dining experience under the stars! Enjoy specialty cocktails, authentic tapas, paellas and flavorful regional specialties from Spain.

In addition, there is a spectacular 24 hour complimentary room service menu that is second to none that I have seen in my 20 years of cruising. Order coffee, fresh fruit and pastries as your wake up call or a full five course dinner experience served in your stateroom.

We also took some time and toured the pool and deck area of the ship, and the casual, upscale style holds true here as well. The deck chairs and loungers are made of a beautiful Teak and covered with soft white (and thick!) padding for lazy days out by the pool enjoying a good novel or lively conversation. Next to the pool is Waves Grill, the casual lunch spot where you can grab a burger, salad or sandwich while enjoying the pool or as a quick stop between tours and other activities onboard when you do not feel like going to one of the restaurants.

I hope you enjoyed this quick review of the Oceania Regatta and I would love to have you add any comments below if you have sailed or visited this vessel or one of it’s sister ships! If you have any specific questions, please feel free to e-mail me at Scott@LegendaryWorld.com

Carnival Splendor - Mexican Riviera

2010-01-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Carnival Splendor - January 3-10, 2010

I am sailing this week on the Carnival Splendor, one of Carnival's newest ships and a new class of ships for Carnival Cruise Line. we are sailing from Long Beach, California to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. The Mexican Riviera is a great, easy, fun week long getaway for those of us that live on the West Coast. Most of our group drove to the port, boarded and we were off - very easy!

I've been wanting to sail on this new ship since it first arrived in California in early 2009. Many of our clients and staff have already been aboard and have come back with raving reviews.

When you first hear there are over 3000 passengers on board, many time my first thought is "YUCK"! Who wants to be on be ship with so many other travelers? But one onboard, it becomes apparent what a great job the ship designers are doing these days with these large ships. There are MANY small lounges, spaces, restaurants, pools, walkways and other facilities, that you rarely see lines or large crowds of people.

The boarding process in Long Beach only took about 15 minutes from the time we parked until we were on the ship. All of the check in lines were open, and with the online pre-registration completed, all we had to do was show our passports and credit card, and we were given our keys to our stateroom and directed to board the ship - easy!

Upon boarding we all decided to met up at the Lido Deck, poolside for a cocktail and a chance to relax and get into the "Cruise Spirit"! The pool area of the Splendor was an incredible three decks high with an amazing 50 foot television screen that was used to show all kinds of programming. Music Videos during the day while hanging out at the pool, CNN in the

morning for the early birds who were out for coffee and some fresh air, Movies under the Stars with popcorn and cocktails for "kids" off all ages, and we even watched a few of the Bowl Games so far! The lowest level had the pool, lounge chairs, bars, stage for live music and all the amenities you would expect on a cruise ship. The next level up was a great getaway from the sun, but still a part of all the action around the pool since it was covered by the top deck. The third deck up from the pool was all sun deck - out in the open with lounge chairs and lots of people on the sunny days we had all week. From here you can still hear all the music and all the excitement, but you are far above all the ruckus and people running around. Serene, but

sunny and energetic!

A new feature on this ship and spreading to the other ships in the Carnival fleet, is the Serenity Deck or Serenity area. This is an Adults-only relaxation area! As good a job as the ships do with activities for the kids, it was great to have an area that was completely off limits to kids! This area is outside on the upper sun deck, with quiet music playing, upgraded decking and lounge furniture, a private bar and staff to pamper you. It was a great place to sun, read a book (I've finished two novels already, and it's only day three!), meet friends for a drink or just sit an enjoy the sea.

The Serenity Deck is just another component that continues to make cruising one of the

best vacation option. In the past I used to say that cruising was for everyone and for every type of vacationer. But now it is even better, in the fact that you can have "your" type of vacation on just about any cruise ship. There are so many options, cabin types, activities that you can design your favorite way to vacation by just enjoying the areas of the ship that appeal to you. No more are you limited to meals at set times in set dining rooms, no more do you have to endure the steel drum band and belly flop contests by the pool to enjoy the sun, no more do you have to go the the showroom if you want entertainment in the evening. And for those that want all of that - they are still there too! It is all about choices in todays cruising! Well, my battery is running low and I'm off to the gym for an hour or so - and the rest of the group is of to play golf in Puerto Vallarta! Have a great day!

Chicago, Chi-Town, The Windy City!

2009-07-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

My latest adventure took me to one of my favorite cities AND my new favorite Hotel!

When The Trump International Hotel and Towers was announced as the location for the meeting I was attending, I felt like a kid in a candy store! Not only am I junkie for great hotels, but I was really excited to see what "The Donald" was up to in the hotel industry!

I had heard that Chicagoans were originally not in favor of The Donald building on their landmark, famous riverfront, but eventually the barriers came down and a Magnificent new addition to Chicago was born. Not only is the hotel not what one would expect of the brash, gold-plated billionaire, it is a beautiful architectural masterpiece on the outside, and a chic, subtle, exciting, relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable experience on the inside!

Usually heading to a newer hotel with this kind of anticipation and high level of expectation can lead to disappointment, but The Trump truly "trumps" the other luxury hotels I have visited in the United States.

Upon entering the intimate lobby, the idea that there would be grand expressions of excessiveness and "over the top" decor where immediately wiped away by the beautiful, subtle furnishings, fresh flowers and small spaces. The staff was not in the way, tripping over themselves in a obtrusive manner, but were right there when you needed, to get checked in and get your bags whisked away to the room.

The rooms are impressive, but again not gaudy in any way, shape or form! One of the great features of the guest rooms at The Trump are the "Urban Kitchenettes" in all of the rooms, except the Spa Rooms. These allow for a private, romantic dinner in your suite, prepared by the Hotel Chef, as well as the small luxury of being able to make something for yourself if you choose to stay in or simply want to have a nice cup of coffee and relax with a newspaper.

~~~

NOTE: If your dreaming of experiencing this hotel!

The Trump International Hotel and Tower is part of our Signature Hotel and Resort Program of over 600 of the finest hotels, resorts, boutique inns and adventure lodges in the World!

For all of our Guests at The Trump, we are pleased to be able to offer the following, exclusive amenities:

Continental Breakfast for two Daily, also Available through Room Service
Welcome Chocolates in Room Amenity
$50 Spa Credit per Room, per Stay

The following amenities are subject to availability at the time of check-in:

Upgrade

~~~

OK - back to the Trump! I was originally to be at the hotel for two days of gruelling meetings, if you can call hanging out with some of the brightest minds in the travel industry - and at The Trump Hotel anything close to gruelling. :)

The meeting space and the staff were incredible! Our meeting room looked out over the city and was a fantastic space to share ideas and reports on what we are up to in our travel businesses. We were hosted to a reception by the executives of the The Trump Chicago and The Trump Hotel Collection in the Skyline Room, a luxurious, intimate space overlooking the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, just as the sun was setting. It was a great way to complete our meetings, socialize with friends and get to know our partners at Trump a little better!

For me it was the beginning of a busy weekend of sightseeing, sports, dining, and hanging out with my favorite niece for the weekend!

Thanks to the entire crew at The Trump that made our meetings and
my trip so enjoyable! We all really appreciate it!

Here is a fun little video I put together showing off The Trump and our Fun, Crazy, Chicago Weekend!

Click the image above or HERE to view video! Enjoy!

The Thousand Fan, Thousand Follower CHALLENGE!

2009-06-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well, we have finally taken the plunge!!

We have created a Facebook Fan Page (Click here to become a

FAN!), we have set up a Twitter Account and will start tweeting on July 1st (Click here to Follow us!) and have taken Legendary World Radio to the Internet as a Podcast (Stay Tuned for details - we are awaiting the proper links from our web developers!

But in true Legendary World style - we did not just want to start having Fans, Followers and Listeners - we want to have FUN with it and do some good. And, if you are going to have fun and raise money for charity -

DO IT BIG!

So today we are launching The Thousand Fan, Thousand Follower CHALLENGE for our existing Fans, Followers and Friends - and many new Fans, Followers and Friends. And I promise I will not use those "F" words again in this post!

Today we start with One Fan, One Follower - and that is OK!

We have partnered with our favorite Cruise Lines, Holland America, Carnival and Princess, yet again for an exciting, fun and interesting experiment to see how fast we can get to 1000 Fans on our Facebook page and 1000 Followers on Twitter!

Many of you remember that in 2008 it was our 20th Anniversary and we gave away TWELVE CRUISES over Twelve Months! I think we had as much fun as our clients! Many of the winners are still in the planning stages.

We have put together a special CHALLENGE for all of you to help us recruit these Fans and Friends - and once we get to 1000 Fans in Facebook, we will do a drawing and award a seven day Mexican Riviera or seven day Caribbean Cruise to one luck Fan! The same for Twitter - 1000 Followers and a Cruise will be awarded! In addition, we will donate $1000.00 to charity at each Milestone - AND let the Fans and Followers decide who to donate it to - through an online poll!

Once BOTH have 1000 - a THIRD Cruise will be awarded! No we are not CRAZY - we just like to interact with you and have some fun while we are at it.

So...

Tell your friends in Facebook to become a FAN - and have them tell their friends...
Sign up to follow our Tweets and RT (Retweet) them to your followers...
And e-mail anyone you think would enjoy this Blog and this experiment to come along for the ride!

Ireland! This weeks eNewsletter Topic

2009-05-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

Click Here to Read this weeks eNewsletter - featuring Ireland!

To have the weekly eNewsletter, specials and deals sent right to your inbox weekly - click here and sign up on our e-mail list - AND enter to win an incredible vacation!

Se’ San Diego – A Feast for the Senses!

2009-04-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

I recently decided it was time for a weekend getaway to San Diego, to visit friends, favorite restaurants and see what “America’s Finest City” was up to! My regular readers know this is one of my favorite getaways – and they are always different!

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Julie Chavarria, Director of Leisure Sales for Se’ San Diego, while she was traveling though Arizona promoting her amazing new hotel. During our lunch, I was invited to come see the hotel the next time I was in town. Never being one to miss out on a new hotel, new experiences and always wanting to see what new innovations and programs are being launched, I decided to call Julie and see if she had availability for the first night of my adventure in San Diego. Luckily she did!

One of the first things that impressed me about Se’, was the call I received from the Chef Concierge, Chuck Huller, about 5 days prior to my stay to introduce himself and offer to help me make Tee Times, Dinner Reservations or anything else that would make my stay more enjoyable! WOW! I’ve stayed at some of the best hotels in the World, and this was the first time I actually received a phone call, in advance, to see how my experience could be made more enjoyable. It was perfectly timed as I wanted to take some of my friends to dinner at the onsite restaurant Suite & Tender, by James Beard award winning executive chef Christopher Lee. Chuck took care of all the arrangements and sent me an e-mail to confirm the reservations and offered me is direct phone line in case I needed anything else. We are off to a great start with Se’!

So, on a beautiful Friday morning in Tucson, I boarded my favorite Southwest Flight to Lindbergh Field in San Diego. I fly Southwest about 40 flights per year. I am not sure why, but just getting aboard, getting settled with my iPhone, coffee and a magazine is like coming home! The flights are usually on time, the crew is ALWAYS accommodating and happy, and the trips are just so easy.

Anyway – back to the trip at hand! When I arrived in San Diego it was overcast, cold and dreary, and after leaving a warm, beautiful day in Arizona, I was wondering if I made a mistake. But that is what travel and exploring are all about, so I headed to Hertz to get my car and then to a few business appointments I made while in town. It is great when you can mix business with pleasure on these trips!

I arrived at Hertz and went to the car, and was surprised and excited that is was a new Altima Hybrid! I’d been dying to try a hybrid, but had not had the chance – until today. The first thing I noticed was no key, just a switch. Now that part was not all that surprising as I had gotten used o my moms Mercedes not having a key. The strange part was that when I pushed the button a little light came on and simply said “ON”, but there was absolutely no engine starting or noise of any kind. I assumed it was not working, turned it off, made sure the car was in Park, and hit it again, still NOTHING! I got out of the car, made sure the electronic locks where off, reentered the car and tried it again. Still nothing! I went ahead and put the car in drive, no noise, but as I eased off the brake – IT MOVED FORWARD! For those of you that have a hybrid, you probably think this is a little weird – but I was so amazed by the lack of noise while the car was in electric vehicle mode. Once I got out of the parking spot, the engine roared to life and all was good in the world. It took me awhile to get used to the car engine stopping every time I got to a stop sign or intersection, and being completely silent – but I sure got used to it over the weekend, and climbing back in my Expedition at the end of my trip sure had me thinking about a better way to get around.

OK, I’ve finished my work and headed to Se’ San Diego to settle in and see the hotel before meeting my friends for dinner. When I first arrived at the hotel, I was escorted into the lobby though this amazing, huge wooden door that was absolutely beautiful and pivoted in the middle to allow it to open enough to “sneak” in, like you were entering some kind of super secret clubhouse or private enclave. Once inside you are struck by the simple design, but soaring ceiling, floating staircase and multitude of textures! There is not the traditional desk, where you wait in line to check in, but comfortable seating where you are offered Se’s Signature Cocktail, the Zen Royal, made of organic vodka infused with cucumber and rosemary, and topped with sparkling wine. It was perfect! It is very light and refreshing with a taste of vodka, but not overwhelming. Within just the first 10 minutes of my visit the entire experience was perfectly crafted to relax, take away any pressure of the day and prepare you for an incredible stay.

Next the hostess brought my room keys right to me, asked if I had any questions or special requests, then politely took my credit card and went off to get me checked in while I enjoyed my drink and took a closer look at the lobby and thought about my plans for the evening. Once I arrived in the room, I was again awed by the beautiful one bedroom suite (Thanks Julie!), sweeping views of the city, and again all of the textures and exotic materials used in the décor, it was stunning!

We had reservations for dinner at 7:00 PM, so my friend Whitney and I met in the lounge at 6:00 PM for a drink and to catch up on life! The lounge was again awash in textures, from Stingray leather covering the bar, to exotic wood furnishings, a “Flame” wall, live plants covering another wall – it was simply amazing and relaxing at the same time. In the evenings on the Weekend - the rooftop Lounge "Siren" has a series of incredible performers that do a Cirque-type of show and presentation while perched over the hotels pool - it was impressive to say the least!

I have to wrap this up, so I will tell you that the dinner in Suite and Tender was another “Feast for the Senses” with simple, small portions, but combining many different and unique flavors and combinations – you’ll have to check it out to get all the details!

Away We Go Again! Celebrity Solstice, Eastern Caribbean!

2009-03-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

This week I am off to the Eastern Caribbean with about 60 friends and associates from the Travel Industry for our Annual Horizon Club Cruise, consisting of the top travel professionals from Signature Travel Network.

It is a great week to learn more about the particular cruise line we are sailing, and this year our cruise is on the new Celebrity Solstice! It is also a fun event to gather with OLD friends (Paul - I'm referring to you!), make new friends, and relax. The Solstice is one of the newest and most innovative ships afloat. Watch this blog over the next week and I will update you on all the Cool, Exciting and Fun additions to this ship!

We have recently added Celebrity Cruise Line as one of our Partners in our Food and Wine At Sea program and will soon announce our newest cruises and chefs for 2010! Stay Tuned! For current details visit us at www.LegendaryFoodAndWine.com.

We are in Fort Lauderdale today and it is perfect! It is currently 73 degrees, high clouds and a great, cool, but balmy breeze blowing in from the sea. I have been "volunteered" by the guys to take the girls out in search of Champagne this morning - so we are off to Totally Wine - conveniently located near the hotel! :) Joyce has to have her Veuve Clicquot!! And she has got me hooked as well! The cruise lines allow each person now to carry on one bottle of wine or Champagne per person - and of course we would NEVER sneak on any additional! :)

Richard Fox - forget you ever read this!

Tomorrow we are "At Sea" - so I will update with details of our "Sail-Away" party (Blended Drinks and Little Umbrellas are involved!) and some of the great new innovations on this ship!

Twitter Widget added to Blog!

2009-03-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

follow me on Twitter

Mariner of the Seas!

2009-02-27T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have just returned from a two day Inaugural Cruise on the Mariner of the Seas! Click Here for a Ship Tour. It has been years since I was on a Voyager Class ship, and I forgot how INCREDIBLE these ships are!

For me cruising has always been about choice - but Mariner offers choices not found on other ships! From an Ice Skating Rink, to the signature Rock Climbing Wall (no - not this trip!), to In-Line Skating, to Amazing Dining Choices, the list goes on and on.

Our entire staff was able to attend, with spouses and companions - so it was a great getaway for the team, a time to see a new entrant into the Mexican Riviera and just hang out. I was lucky enough to get a Junior Suite, and my niece Brittany flew in from Philadelphia to join me on the cruise and visit for a few days - that is always a blast!

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the service in the multiple dining venues and options. We had dinner in the main dining room both nights - and everything was exceptional! We had breakfast in the Windjammer and it was very good, lots of choices and lots of stations where items where made to order.

The Casino was GREAT! :) Brittany and I play craps, so the first night we played for a few hours and lost only $10.00 or so - but the next night we played and got on a roll and won $300.00 for the night! Brittany and I happily split the winnings and went off to the Irish Pub for a celebration and sing along! Both nights found our group out until after 1:00 AM!

Then on Sunday we had a very busy day visiting some cousins in Los Angeles and then driving to El Centro to stay with friends on the way back to Tucson.

I'm now back in sunny Tucson and loving it! It has been in the 90's the last few days and I am headed out to the Accenture Match Play Tournament this weekend - should be amazing! Its a great week to be in Tucson, as in addition to the Golf - it is also RODEO WEEKEND in Tucson! The schools have been closed since Wednesday and everyone gets into the activities!

I'm home for a few weeks - then off to the Caribbean for a week on the new Celebrity Solstice with about 50 friends from around the country!

Until next time!

Working in the "Windy City!"

2008-09-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

This week I am attending an industry conference in Chicago, and every time I land here I get excited about the City, the Food, the Architecture, the River, the Food, the Sports....

What a great city! For me, it's one of those cities that I always love to spend time in, but one of those that is immediately "off the radar" as soon as I leave. I'm not sure why, but as I thought about it, a lot of cities are that way for me - great to visit - but never really somewhere that I say I can't wait to re-visit or move too.

Luckily, I get to the "Windy City" once a year for one conference or another. I did learn today that the nickname - Windy City - is NOT due to the wind or weather coming of the lake - but a backhanded remark by a New York Sun editor, referring to all the boasting the city did about their hosting of the World's Fair in 1893!

Last night we had an opportunity to attend a reception and dinner at the new Trump International Hotel & Tower - and WOW! - is all I can say! The hotel is part of our Signature Hotels and Resorts program, and a few of our clients have actually stayed in the hotel already - even though the tower is still under construction above the hotel!

The reception was held on the 16th floor and the views were AMAZING! I've attached a couple pictures I took with the trusty iPhone. There were 200 of us - and the Trump Organization pulled out all the stops - a great time was had by all!

OK back to Work! :)

Legendary World Radio - Launched 09/06/08!

2008-09-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

HELLO! What a weekend! We launched a new Radio Show this weekend called Legendary World Radio. Not just ANOTHER travel show - but a complete lifestyle show - featuring Travel, Food, Wine, Adventure, Stories, Friends and much more.

This is the show where we ask...

"When was the LAST time you did something for the FIRST time?"

It's all about discovery and experiencing this Legendary World we all reside in.

Our first show had a "Green Theme" and our in studio guest was my friend and fellow wanderer, Gina Murphy-Darling aka Mrs. Green. Mrs. Green has a highly acclaimed Radio Show called Mrs. Green Goes Mainstream - where she is moving the "Green" needle, one convert at a time - and makes it FUN! I can attest to this approach as I have started to change some of the practices within our office and in my personal life too!

On the show Mrs. Green announced her new cruise project, called "Mrs. Green Goes to Sea!" A very special cruise about "Going Green". She has some great presenters, programs and goodies planned for all participants! Check it out!

We were also honored to be joined by Tina Stotz, Manager of Sustainability, Auditing and Environmental Initiatives at Holland America Cruise Line. We had a GREAT conversation with her about all the impressive technologies and procedures put in place by today cruise industry to continue to improve their performance in the protection of the environment that is so important to all of us.

Check out our Radio Show website and sign up for our eNewsletter - you might win a cruise!

Alaska Cruise w/Sam The Cooking Guy!

2008-06-04T14:35:00.001-07:00

WOW! What a cruise! I have just returned from a week in Alaska with a group of clients (now friends!) and Sam Zien. Sam is better know in San Diego as "Sam The Cooking Guy" due to his highly rated television show of the same name.

You can view the pictures from my trip in the slideshow above or simply click on the picture and it will take you to the complete album to review quicker. I'll get back here and post some information on the trip, sights and other stuff as soon as possible.

Business!... and Pleasure!

2008-03-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

Whoever said you can't mix business with pleasure - was an IDIOT! :)

I recently had to make a quick one night trip to San Diego to meet with some executives of Clear Channel Radio and the Dr. Laura Syndicated Radio Show to discuss our upcoming Dr. Laura Cruise.

It was a last minute meeting, set for the next morning. I jumped on my trusty Southwest Airlines flight for the one hour trip to the shore - still not sure where I would spend the night. As the flight dropped towards the San Diego Airport, I saw out the window an old friend - The timeless Hotel Del Coronado!

Upon arrival in the baggage claim area I called a friend in the Sales Department to see if she could get me a room - within minutes I was in my rental car, heading across the Coronado Bridge to my FAVORITE Island Hangout - THE BRIGANTINE!

I lived in Coronado for over 8 years, and as anyone who has ever lived there - it becomes part of you. And as soon as you cross that bridge - it is home once again! With so little land to develop, it seems like it never changes. The "Del", Glorietta Bay, Miguel's, The Brigantine and The Lambs Players are always there like old friends!

My first stop was my personal favorite - for a Brig Brew and a San Diego favorite - the Fish Taco! YUM - I'm getting hungry just writing this! KB and Brian were behind the bar - and of course, said hello, as if I had been in the night before - even though it has been a year since my last visit to the Island!

Now it was time to head over to the Del - right

across the street and check in, and check out the latest happenings at one of my favorite hotels. I checked in - and to my surprise - found that my friends in the sales department had upgraded me to an AWESOME oceanview suite! THANKS AGAIN! If you ever want to stay at the Del - give me a call and we will make sure you are treated like Royalty.

The entire staff of the Del and all the KSL Resorts are an incredible group. We have worked with them over the years and have enjoyed a wonderful business relationship. It actually started in La Quinta, California when I was on the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce with the current President of KSL Resorts - but that is another story.

The view from the suite was incredible - I was tempted to settle on the balcony, open a book and relax, but wanted to see the recent additions to the resort - the Beach Village at The Del.

Beach Village, an exclusive enclave within the iconic setting of the oceanfront resort, offers an ultra-luxe contemporary vacation experience. Located on Coronado’s award-winning beach and inspired by the original hotel’s coastal architectural style, the guestrooms and suites at Beach Village offer dining and living spaces with fully-equipped kitchens and gourmet-quality appliances, cozy fireplaces, plush 400 thread-count bedding, spa-style baths with soaking tubs and spacious ocean-view balconies and private terraces. Guests of Beach Village enjoy private pools and hot tubs, private access to the beach and personalized concierge service to tend to your every need.

It is my goal for this summer to find a way to reserve one of the One and Two Bedroom Villas for a little escape this summer from the Tucson heat!

After my sightseeing and walk on the beach, it was back to the Suite where I ordered Room Service and enjoyed a relaxing dinner on the patio and an early night - this was after all a BUSINESS TRIP! :)

SLAMMED is the Word!

2008-03-03T14:21:00.001-08:00

We have been SWAMPED here at the office for the last month!

I'm not complaining, but I have not been able to put up a day by day account of my trip to The Galapagos! And my friends have not let me forget it! :)

So I have decided to at least get a link up here to my pictures! The are not captioned or explained, but at least there are there.

I'll try to get back here and add some commentary soon... But future trips are looming on the Horizon - so we will see.

Off to Ecuador and The Galapagos!

2008-01-08T06:15:00.000-08:00

Well, it's FINALLY here!

We are off to South America! I am traveling this week with 34 other Travel Professionals from the Southwest United States for an exciting and educational trip to Ecuador and The Galapagos Islands! The agents are all members of "The Association of Travel Agents of America" (ATAA), of which I am the current President, and get the pleasure of co-hosting this trip with fellow board member Bruce Iacobelli. Hey - tough job, but SOMEBODY has to do it! :)

Today we are flying all flying to Quito, Ecuador for two nights before heading off to the Islands and our Adventure!

Quito is at approximately 9500 feet, and one of the highest airports in the World. It is also very near the Equator (Lat. 0 00'00" S) - and one of the highlights of our tour tomorrow morning!

Upon my return from the trip I will upload pictures, commentary, etc. right here - so stay tuned! We have a Travel Show in Tucson the weekend of my return, so it may take until the following week to get everything uploaded and ready for you - but I promise I will get it done!

Fiesta Bowl 2008!

2008-01-03T06:03:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone - sorry for the few month absence, but I'm back! And have just gotten home from an AMAZING couple of days in Glendale Arizona and the FIESA BOWL!

It all started with a phone call from my mom, asking if I was interested in going, as she has some good friends from West Virginia that were going to the game and had access to tickets! My mom, always the adventurer (now you know where I get it) immediately said yes and called to see if I wanted to meet her and the group for the game. Of course, I too said "YES!" and set out to find some rooms and learn about the teams.

Mountaineers? Sooners? I was not familiar with either team, but does it really matter! It's the FIESTA BOWL - and in the new Glendale Stadium to boot - home of the upcoming Superbowl XLII!

We decided to stay at the Wigwam Resort, as that is where Mom's friends were staying (Doug, Susan, their daughter Lindsay and husband TJ) - and it is very close to the Stadium. We arrived on New Years Day around 2PM - just in time to take in the Florida vs. Michigan Game by the pool and meet everyone. After Michigan beats Florida, we were off to Scottsdale for the W.V. Mountaineers Founders reception and party! The ballroom was filed with fans from not only West Virginia, but all over the country - here in Arizona to cheer their team to victory! By now, mom and I were honorary "Mounties", with our Blue and Gold on and as excited about the game as everyone else!

After the party we headed back across town (Even with the 101 loop done - the Scottsdale to Glendale drive is about an hour!) and decided to make a stop at the new Margaritaville that opened up right next door to the stadium. As you can imagine - this was my idea - and mom got to learn about Parrotheads, Phun and all kinds of new things.

Well - on game day the resort erupted in a sea of Blue and Gold - and Red and White, with the Sooners Fans outnumbering us 10 to 1. We had to listen to the news of the Mounties impending doom, how they did not have a chance as the coach had quit, and how Sooners were due a win - yada, yada, yada... We headed out to the stadium about 1:00 PM after Mexican food and some killer Prickly Pear Margaritas near our hotel - recommended by Lindsay! Great Call!

We got to the stadium and started to meet up with friends of Doug and Susan's from WV. Many of them had their motorhomes and tailgate parties where in full gear already! We hung out here for awhile and met some people who had extra tickets - so they swapped with us and our tickets went from the endzone to the 20 yard line! SWEET! We bought some WV "gear" enjoyed all the excitement, the rivalry, the energy and headed into the stadium around 5PM for the 6PM game. The stadium is beautiful and very well laid out. If you are lucky enough to get to go to the Super Bowl (I'll be there if my SD Chargers are!) or to a Cardinals Game - you will see what I mean. The concourse and concessions are set up perfectly, lines were minimal and it was very easy to get in and out of the stadium parking - even for a sold out game!

The Mounties came out strong, and never looked back! It was a beating like no one imagined! The WV Mountaineers looked awesome and beat the Sooners by 20 points! It was a great game and I can't wait to visit WV in the future and try to take in a game!

I'm off to the Galapagos in a week - and will have LOTS of great pictures when I return! Speak to you then!

Whirlwind Tour!

2007-10-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Well it was quite a "long weekend" for Scott!

The Cruise Place and Legendary World are part of an organization called Signature Travel Network, a co-operative of about 200 agencies from around the country that collectively do over $3 Billion in Travel Sales - yes that is Billion with a "B"!

Many of the technology tools, marketing programs and training programs my company uses are developed and managed by Signature. Signature is Owned by the member agencies and we get together once a year to elect a Board of Directors, learn about new programs and to network. Well, our Annual Meeting was held last weekend at the Ritz Carlton Lake Las Vegas and WOW!

Lake Las Vegas is about 30 minutes East of Las Vegas Airport - but a World Apart! The entire area surrounds a man-made lake that whisks you away from all the hoopla of "Vegas" and transports you to the Italian Alps. It feels like you are in a tranquil Italian Villa, with all the amenities of a Ritz - it was incredible!

I spent two days at the meetings, then had to shoot off for Cabo San Lucas to meet up with my staff and one of our groups! This was the Inaugural Sailing of our "Music and Margaritas" Theme Cruise, sponsored by KPRI Radio in San Diego and the Phoenix and Tucson Parrot Head Clubs! What is a Parrot Head Club you ask? Parrot Heads are members of the 200 or so Jimmy Buffett Fan Clubs spread across the USA to support Jimmy Buffett and his laid back lifestyle - and benefit great local causes at the same time! "Party with a Purpose" is their mantra!

I flew to Cabo on Saturday (But the group departed San Diego on Thursday!) and met up with many members of the group at The Giggling Marlin in Downtown Cabo - just across the street from the Cruiseship Tender Pier. The "Marlin" is famous for hanging patrons up by their ankles and taking a picture of you with a giggling Marlin painted on the wall in reference to all those fishing shots we have seen with fisherman and their catches! We had a few laughs, a few tacos and a few beers while everyone filled me in on the parts I had missed - sounds like a good time was had by all!

We headed back to the Carnival Elation to dance to the Trop Rock sounds of "Stars on the Water", the awesome San Diego band we brought on board for our private parties and concerts! We danced by the pool for two hours, as we sailed out of Cabo!

Mini Vacation - San Diego!

2007-09-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I decided to take a quick trip to San Diego to escape the Tucson heat (yes - it's STILL hot here...) and take in the San Diego Chargers home opener vs. the Chicago Bears!

I decided a quick full day adventure was in order! I invited my niece Brittany to join me - and away we went! It all started with a 6:45 AM flight to San Diego on good old Southwest Airlines - always on-time, always fun and a great way to start an "Adventure"! Upon arrival in San Diego we took the Hertz Bus to pick up a convertible and head to the beach, for some fun before the 1:00 PM Kick-off of what many of think should have been the teams in last years Super Bowl! :)

First stop - the WaveHouse! My favorite beach spot in San Diego - and Voted the Best Breakfast in San Diego in 2006! We decided it was a little too early for Bloody Mary's and settled for an awesome breakfast, while I caught up on all the things going on in Brit's active life, work and new house - some things I did not need to know!

Then it was off for some roller-bladeing and watching as the beach and the neighborhood came to life! Mornings are by far my favorite times and I love wandering in different cities as the locals start their day and smells start to fill the streets as coffee, pastries and other goodies are being prepared.

OK - Time to head to Qualcomm Stadium (still Jack Murphy Stadium for us long time Charger Fans) and see if we can find a tail-gate party to crash! I decided we should take the trolley to avoid the long lines to get in - as this game has been sold out for months! We left the car in Old Town and jumped on the Trolley and were surprised to see as many Chicago Orange Jerseys as there were Charger Blue! One of the great things about games in San Diego is that rival fans LOVE to travel to San Diego - not only is it a beautiful city - but the Charger Fans are some of the most hospitable and friendly in the league! Everyone was laughing, having a good time, wishing the other team good luck and just ready for a great game - with two great teams!

I decided to call my "Charger Girlfriend" (story another time) and see if her and her husband are at the game and set up yet. DUH! was the answer I got, so we headed over to H2 parking section to see my good friends Cathy and Steve and join their party. Since we were traveling light today we had nothing with us but our clothes - and Cathy and company pulled us right in and we partied with them until time to head into the game. Rod Laver, a famous Tennis Player from years past was even part of the group! We had a ball! Thanks Again Cathy! :)

Time to head to our seats! Brittany did not know it yet - but my favorite seats in the stadium, and where I always sit are in the Club Seats. They are halfway up the stadium, giving PERFECT views of the field from all angles, there are 4 private lounges with TV's for when you need a break from the heat AND they serve you in the seats - Stadium Heaven as far as I am concerned! The pre-game show was just getting started as we arrived, checked in with the neighbors - who luckily ran about 75% Charger Fans and 25% Bears Fans - and were surprised and amazed as 4 F-18's screamed across the sky just above the stadium as everyone erupted from their seats and the game began!

I won't go through a play by play, but suffice it to say it was a defensive battle in the beginning with the Bears leading 3-0 at half time - but then the Charger Offense, lead by P. Rivers and LT ratcheted up the intensity in the second half with 14 points and the defense holding the Bears to ZERO - giving the Chargers a Season Opener winning score of 14-3! Go Chargers!

We hung out in the private lounge for a beer after the game to let the crowds dwindle and to mingle with the Charger Fans and soak up all the excitement of the WIN! Our flight home was not until 8:50 PM, so we decided to go back to the WaveHouse, watch the surfers on the Patio Wave Pool and watch the sunset - before heading back to Tucson and the realities of home. (I was actually so wiped out - I took most of Monday off!)

Back at the WaveHouse! The WaveHouse is right on the Beach in Mission Beach, home of Belmont Park and one of the Oldest Wooden Roller Coasters in the US, originally built in 1925. While living in San Diego we always would bring visitors and friends here for a run on "Giant Dipper"! We got a great seat at the Bar and proceeded to watch the guys and gals as they surfed Bruticas Maximus - a 10 foot wall of water and one of the most incredible wave machines in the country! There were hundreds of people on the patio, in the restaurant and just standing around watching all the activity - it was a great way to end a great day!

But all good things must come to an end - and I could see Brittany was starting to crash. :) Time to head for the airport, return the rental car and get our boarding passes. As usual, the flight was on-time and smooth as silk. We landed in Tucson, retrieved our cars and headed home for a good nights sleep! Great Day - thanks Brit! See you next time! GO CHARGERS - it's off to New England for my Chargers and a very tough game this Sunday.

*Images Taken with my iPhone! :)

Fly-Fishing - Greer, AZ!

2007-08-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

I know - I have been AWOL for a few months! OK, LOTS of months! :) But, I'm back!

I've just returned from a spontaneous trip to Greer, AZ - in the White Mountains of Arizona! You might say, "so what!", but this is a great, hidden treasure in Arizona, near the New Mexico border. Many folks in Phoenix and Tucson have never even been here - I was shocked to hear that so many locals are not aware of this Jewel in our own backyard!

Greer, Eagar, Springerville, Nutrioso, Alpine....

Never heard of them? You are not alone! These are great, small towns (click here for map) along State Route 260 and US Highway 180 in the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona. These towns are not far from the better known Show Low, Payson or Pinetop - but a world apart in character, local hospitality and country laid-back lifestyle!

Wednesday morning last week I awoke with a wild idea to head to the mountains and do something different, get away from the "city", the heat and the same ole', same ole'. So I decided to call a very good client, and now friend; well known and highly regarded fly-fishing guide, Chip Chipman. Chip and his wife Penny are clients of The Cruise Place and I had heard great stories about guiding, and the beauty of the White Mountains. So I shot Chip an e-mail and he happened to have time to give me some lessons on Saturday and a guided fishing trip on Sunday - PERFECT!

Chip directed me to the Greer Lodge and Cabins - and I booked myself a cabin - not really sure what I was getting, but just glad to get a place this close in. The Greer Lodge is one of the best lodges in the area and almost always booked well in advance. One of the "Lodges" is called the Red Setter Inn and is actually a B&B within the resort grounds. It was named one of the Top 10 B&B's in the WORLD by Fodor's! (click here for the article). I knew I was in for a GREAT weekend!

I arrived Friday afternoon around 5:00 PM, after an incredible 4 hour drive from Tucson, via Oracle, Globe and Show Low. The drive was a perfect way to leave the hassles of the work week behind, put on some Jimmy Buffett CD's and enjoy the scenery! And its was AWESOME! The terrain quickly changed from desert scrub brush and cacti to pine trees, meadows and green, green, green. The monsoons have made the mountains as lush as the deserts I love. The big difference - it was now 71 degrees vs. the 105 degrees I left behind a few hours ago.

I checked into my cabin, unpacked all my new "Fly-Fishing" attire and headed to the 373 Grill on the Lodge grounds - and only a few steps from my cabin. Ah, how convenient! :)

The 373 Grill, named after the highway that takes you the last 5 miles from the main road 260, is a perfect spot to sit back, relax after a long drive or a day of fishing, hiking, horseback riding or any of the other activities in the area, and have a cold beer or glass of wine and take in the scenery! The Grill has indoor seating or a patio with fresh air and grand vistas.

I decided to head back to the cabin, watch a DVD I brought and start a new book I've been wanting to read - a perfect ending to the first day of my Fly-Fishing Adventure!

SATURDAY MORNING!
When I checked in the previous day - everyone working in the office said that I MUST get up early, and walk the property, as the monsoons have brought out the local Wildflowers as well as the Wildlife! So here we are, 6AM, hot coffee in hand and 59 degrees out - YES! :) The grounds of the Greer Lodge are incredible. I enjoyed about an hour hike, sighting deer, trout in the streams and yes - lots of wildflowers - it was one of those perfect mornings - and I was only an hour away from meeting Chip and my first Fly-Fishing lesson.

Greer Lodge has stocked ponds that are used for guests to practice either on their own, or with a professional Guide. I looked around at all the frustrated fathers with their kids, and husbands with their wives (enough said) and was glad I had decided to call Chip! We spent two hours going over all the basics, the Roll Cast, The Overhead Cast, The False Cast, as well as reading the water and refining the techniques. Chip was a great teacher and made it all come together. At first I felt like we were flailing around and it was not working, but within a few minutes of coaching it all started to feel right and I was getting in the groove. Now I was still not very good at it - but I was having fun and starting to get the fundamentals!

We finished the lesson and I headed back to my cabin around noon. I was planning on going back to the ponds and practice this afternoon and take in some horseback riding, but the monsoons came in with a fury around 1:00 PM and did not let up until after 7:00 PM - so my activities where out - but the show was great - and I settled in for the afternoon to read my book - also by Jimmy Buffett, "A Pirate Looks at Fifty!" Talk about escapism - it was a unique afternoon of reading, watching and listening to the storm and dreaming of all the adventures and far away places in the novel. It was early to bed - as tomorrow Chip and I are hitting the streams near his home.

SUNDAY MORNING!
Time to pack, check out, grab some coffee and head the 45 minutes East to Nutrioso to do some Fly-Fishing! The morning was cool, crisp, overcast and smelled of pine! Chip and I met at the post office in town and headed to his home where I would leave my car. We got in his truck and headed to the East Fork of the Black River - where Chip knew all the "hot" spots! The water was high from the storms and Chip said these where going to be tough conditions, but we decided to try one of his favorite spots anyway. I forgot everything from yesterday, so at first I was all over the place - fly in the bushes, fly in the trees, everywhere but where Chip was directing me at in the stream! It came back pretty quick and we kept working on getting the fly out to the right spot and then the stripping technique was worked on. After about 15 minutes we had our first fish! It was an Apache Trout and about 8 inches long - what a rush to catch the first one - and I knew if we caught no more - at least when I got home and my mom (an avid fly fishing fan) called, I could say we caught one!

The "big" one! About 10 minutes later we had another hit and this guy was a fighter (but what did I know - this was my first time!) and I had a great time reeling this one in. Chip seemed a little shocked at the size, but I'm not sure if he was just making the trip more fun. I reeled in a 14 inch or so Brown Trout and it was bright, colorful and feisty! This trip was just catch and release, so we let him go and went back to looking for the next one. In the first 2 hours we caught another Brown Trout at 16 inches and another Apache Trout at about 7 inches - WOW - what a morning! We decided to try some other spots down the road, but did not have any luck in those areas, so we decided to take our last 20 minutes and go back to our original part of the stream for one last try. We had a few hits, but no more fish. It was a great day of fishing and learning about fly-fishing from a pro like Chip. I highly recommend taking a few lessons if you want to enjoy this (or any new activity) to it fullest!

2006-10-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

Princess iExcel 2006

Here is my second attempt at You Tube! This is a second trip we took to Alaska this summer by land. enjoy!

2006-10-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

Centurion Cruise 2006 HD

Here is a fun little video I compiled tonight on my Holland America Cruise! Enjoy - the music is fun!

Ketchikan and the Misty Fjords!

2006-08-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today we arrived in the early morning and had a great view of the town as we arrived from our balcony. There is nothing better on an Alaska Cruise than a balcony cabin! Almost every morning we order coffee and croissants from room service and just sit an enjoy the scenery as we awaken and prepare for the day. Many cruises is is not as big a deal, but for Alaska you are almost always close to land and the spectacular scenery.

Today we have booked a floatplane tour to the Misty Fjords National Monument! We are a little nervous as we join or group for the transfer to the marina - the weather is beautiful, but full of clouds and far off drizzle! The trip is about 2 hours long, flying out of the marina and over a few islands to reach the Park, then we tour around some of the volcanic mountains, drop into the canyons for a close up view and then actually land on one of the hundreds of lakes we cross for a close up look! IT WAS AWESOME! We had a great pilot who has been in Ketchikan for over 30 years and was really good! I got to sit in the front seat as the co-pilot and had a ball! On the return flight we flew really low through the canyons and just kissing the mountain tops as we flew below the clouds back to the harbor. Upon our return we got a great view of the four cruise ships in the harbor, and landed right next to the Serenade of the Seas - right next to it!

Today we leave early from town, so it was off for shopping and then boarding by 1:00 PM. Tonight we are having dinner in the Pinnacle Grill with some friends. The Pinnacle Grill is Holland America's upscale alternate dining experience. It is a small restaurant on the ship that only seats 60 - 80 guests at a time. All the meals onboard Holland America are exceptional, but we hear the Pinnacle is just superb - and we can hardly wait!

Sitka!

2006-08-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to get a little more active and have booked a Kayak Excursion that takes us around the inlets to the fresh water estuaries so we could see the Salmon running and we are not disappointed - WOW is all I can say, the Salmon where incredible, and we where also treated to an up close and personal visit with two Bald Eagles! Both were perched only about 30 - 50 feet from us, above in a tree as we paddled up and watched them for about 10 minutes and then watched them swoop down towards the water and fly swiftly towards the sky. We were told they where hunting Salmon and are there most of the mid-summer period for kayakers to see and enjoy. We also saw some huge Jellyfish and Starfish during our paddle! After our trip, we wandered through town enjoying all the Russian Handicrafts and artwork before grabbing a bite to eat and heading back to the ship to watch us as we sailed back out into the open seas and the Inside Passage on our way to Ketchikan.

Juneau - Whale Watching

2006-08-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

This evening we are invited on a private shore excursion with the rest of the Centurion Group to go Whale Watching and see what else we can find! Our group of over 20 people are bussed to the local Allin Marina and loaded into three beautiful high speed catamarans for our Quest! The catamaran is three decks high, with very comfortable seats, binoculars and maps in each seats for us to use. We also have been presented with a full buffet of Salmon, Reindeer Sausage and all kinds of other local delicacies - and a full open bar - of course! :)

Just as soon as we leave the harbor we spot our first Humpbackwhale and are able to sit back and watch as it breaches the surface, spouts and dives back down with its spectacular tail rising into the air! We watch a few more times then head off to look for more. This time it takes us about 45 minutes to find another whale - but this time we spot a whole pod of them and watch for another hour as they swim, dive, jump, spout and generally feed and protect their young! On the way back to the marina - the captain brings Priscilla to the front of the cabin so we can all sing Hapy Birthday! Priscilla's face was a red as her hair! A great day was had by all!

Juneau, Alaska!

2006-08-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Juneau - Capital of Alaska!

We arrived today in Juneau for Priscilla's Birthday! This morning we have booked an EARLY river rafting excursion down the Mendenhall River which flows directly off the Mendenhall Glacier - which means the water is Ice Cold - actually it is 35 degrees where we put the rafts into the water. We meet our group at 7:30 AM for the trip to the Glacier and our next adventure. When we arrive we are issued a paid of rubber boots to keep our feet from numbing, along with full length rain coats and pants to help keep us warm. We are warned NOT to fall in if possible - no problem there!

We are loaded into the rafts with a family of five and begin our journey down the valley to the inlet below. Our trip is approx. one hour long and travels 7 miles down the Mendenhall Valley. The rapids are very small, al class one and one class two rapid - easy for any one of any physical ability to accomplish. We have a great trip, with a great group and just rafting along the base of the Glacier makes our day! We are now off to town to have a cold beer with some friends at the Famous Red Dog Saloon in the center of town - to warm up of course!

Glacer Bay II

2006-08-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

We met some friends in the Crow's Nest and decided to go to their suite so we could enjoy some Champagne and watch the Glaciers from the vantage of the balcony. The Captain has positioned the ship parallel to the Glacier so that we can wait and watch for an calving activity - we are not disappointed! We sat for about 45 minutes and were treated to four or more active shows of ice falling - HUGE cracking sounds - icebergs being created - it was very cool! We decided to visit the Jacuzzis on the aft of the ship and watch as we depart Glacier Bay - the cold air and the hot water where invigorating - and we got to see a pod of Orca jumping and swimming by as we departed the Bay! What a day! Tomorrow we are in Juneau for Priscilla's Birthday - Red Dog Saloon - here we come!

GLACIER BAY!!

2006-08-01T09:12:00.001-07:00

Today we entered Glacier Bay at approx. 11:00 AM and first picked up our local "Pilot" who will guide the ship and it's crew through the channels, inlets and bays to give us up front and personal views of these amazing glaciers. We also picked up a pair of naturalists from the National Parks service who will provide commentary, stories and answer questions during our 8 hours in Glacier Bay. The whole of what is now Glacier Bay used to be a massive Glacier itself and has been receding for hundreds of years, creating the 65 mile long Glacier Bay and the many Glaciers that feed it.

Today the temperature is in the 50's and it is overcast and misty! Wonderful if you have been in Arizona for the last few months as I have! We have decided to bundle up and join a few intrepid adventurers on the bow for what we hear is the best viewing and picture taking on the ship. we also hear they are serving hot toddy's so we are sold! We find only about 20 other people braving the cold - but the view is AWESOME! We hang out for about 60 minutes and decide to retreat to the comfort of the Crow's Nest lounge on the top of the ship - where it is packed with passengers and where the naturalists are giving their presentations. The massive Glaciers are incredible to view from here too. As we are relaxing, another Holland America ship passes by, with the Captain's both blowing their horns! Everyone was cheering and waving - very fun!

Day One - Sea Day!

2006-07-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

We are approx. 200 Miles North of Seattle on our way to Glacier Bay - our destination for Tomorrow! Holland America boasts the largest number of cruises to visit Glacier Bay each season, as one of the original cruise lines to open up the Alaska Cruise market to passengers and tourists. The picture you see here is the Seattle Skyline as we sailed from port yesterday afternoon - it was spectacular!

Last night we spent the time getting to know the ship and familiarizing ourselves the the "lay of the and" if you will! First of all the ship is BEAUTIFUL! See my previous post for a link to a simple ship tour and you will see what I mean! There are some fabulous new enhancements to this ship and the entire Holland America fleet - collectively called their Signature of Excellence program. One of my favorites is a complete "Culinary Arts Center" designed in conjunction with Food & Wine Magazine. Over 60 chefs will travel on Holland America in 2007 offering once in a lifetime experiences to passengers that enjoy food and wine programs and hands-on learning.

We are lucky enough to have a suite for this trip - and the new enhancements in the cabins and baths are incredible! First of all are the Elemis Amenities and the separate shower and bathtub, with jacuzzi jets! The beds have been upgraded to Euro-Top Mattresses, beautiful bedding and linens - and even a PILLOW MENU! To make sure get exactly what you want or need!

Today we are in meetings with the other Centurion Agency owners and Holland America executives to see what is coming in 2007 - so stay tuned! For now I need to get back into our meetings so I will sign off for now! By the way - the internet here is great, with complete internet cafe AND 6 Wi-Fi Hotspots throughout the ship!

But before I go - I want to give away a $200.00 Ship Board Credit (SBC) to one of our clients or other followers of the blog!

To enter, simple send me an e-mail to:

SBC@TheCruisePlace.com if you are a client of The Cruise Place in Arizona, or
SBC@LegendaryWorld.com if you are a client of Legendary World in California.

I promise some GREAT pictures, and info as we really get into the heart of Alaska!

Centurion Cruise 2006!

2006-07-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we are off again on another adventure!

Priscilla and I are off to the Great Land of Alaska - home of wide open spaces, Glaciers, friendly peoples, active days and relaxing nights! And if you know Juneau - the famous "Red Dog Saloon!" Stay tuned for more on that on our Juneau Port Call.

We are sailing this time with Holland America as the recipient of their Centurion Award, along with other Top Cruise Sellers from around North America! We will be sailing on the new Westerdam - with all of it "Signature of Excellence" enhancements completed! Click here for a ship tour!

Please feel free to follow along with us as we experience Alaska, using this Blog! I will post pictures and information daily, as well as announce some fun contests and specials for our clients as ew travel!

St. Maarten - Two Perfect Days!

2006-02-19T10:56:00.000-08:00

Well, here we arrive in St. Maarten! Pictured is our little group after 5 days of fun, sun, surf, pampering and ANYTHING else we wanted! Normally as you get off the ship you are sad, knowing there is an all day plane ride ahead, saying goodbye and all that - BUT not this time! We decided to spend two nights in St. Maarten this trip - and what a great choice!

Not only did we disembark the ship in a good mood and ready for some more fun, but we got to see alot more of St. Maarten that would normally be allowed in a "port stop".

We stayed at the Wyndham Sapphire Bay Resort, right on the border of the French and Dutch sides of the island, very close to Marigot. We arrived at the hotel by noon, unpacked and enjoyed a leisurely lunch by the pool. We then struck out to see some of the Island, shop and of course look for some Guavaberry Rum!

Beverly Hills of the Caribbean!

2006-02-18T10:48:00.000-08:00

After last night we were looking forward to a relaxing day in beautiful St. Bartholomew, better know as St. Barts. We had a wonderful time strolling the streets. The girls loved the french clothing shops. I really enjoyed watching the mega yachts come and go. This islands yachting community puts any other I've seen to shame.

The island is decorated with quaint homes with red-orange roofs. Palm trees grow think on the hills. This is a definite must visit while in the Caribbean.
Priscilla and I had lunch at a waterside cafe while Adele went to famous sea shell beach. Steve hasn't made it out of his cabin yet. :)

Later we returned to the Sea Dream were Adele and I took jet skies and zipped around the ship. Priscilla and Steve watched us from The Top of the Ship lounge.

Sea Dream Surprises! Jost van Dyke...

2006-02-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Wow, how do I tell you about today. Do I start with the private beach and five meat, five fish and everything you could ever want to go with it, BBQ the Sea Dream's head chef prepared on the beach? The very special caviar and champagne presentation served by white uniformed/white gloved senior ship staff, at high noon, in the water, with the ship blasting it's horn in the back ground! The amazing Thai massages the girls got on the beach or the Soggy Dollar bar, where you swim, buy, drink, swim? That how your dollars get soggy.

Jost van Dyke is a major hot spot for New Years Eve. Thousands of boats tie together around the island to celebrate the coming of the new year. I have always wanted to attend this celebration. I have to say the way I was introduced to the island by The crew of the Sea Dream may top any New Years Eve experience the island has to offer.

By the way Priscilla and Adele went snorkeling as well. They said the fish were beautiful.

Later on that evening. After naps. We tendered back to hang out at a local palapa roofed bar and dance club, we'll I wouldn't really call it a club. But we did dance!

Luxury @ Sea - Visting St. John, USVI

2006-02-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

This morning we took a small motor boat called a tender from the Sea Dream to St. John. We walked up and down many of the city streets finding a thriving community. In a street market I had a wonderful conversation with one of the merchants. She had moved to St. John from New York City about three years ago. She loved her escape.

After exploring the town we grabbed a local bus that took us to a World Famous Trunk Bay. There is a fee to go onto this beach but let me tell you it is worth it! There is a huge reef that is beautiful and I'm sure would have been awesome snorkeling. Unfortunately we had moved into an area with sporadic showers and the the San Diego girls wouldn't go into the water. So we laid out for a bit on the beach (when it wasn't raining), had lunch at the little beach shack and headed back to our sanctuary, The Sea Dream. When the beach bus dropped us off back by the tender there was a Sea Dream staff member waiting at a shaded table with light snacks and cold water for us. We waited about 5 minutes, then our tender took us back. We enjoyed the rest of the evening upstairs at the top of the ship lounge. Where we would end up spending most of our evenings.

St. Thomas - Cocktails & Friends!

2006-02-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

We flew from San Juan to St. Thomas this morning. The plane we were in flew low enough that we were able to see all the the islands and beautiful water beneath us for our 30 minute flight. We gathered our luggage and headed for the Sea Dream II.
As our driver approached the private dock we were stopped by a security guard who asked for our boarding passes and passports. Only Sea Dream passengers are allowed on this dock far away from the other cruise ship terminals. The crew greeted us tagged our luggage with our room numbers and we hopped back in the cab and headed for town. In town we ate, drank and were merry. The girls went shopping at the local outside market. After a full day of adventuring we headed back to The Sea Dream. Again we were greeted by the crew.

When we boarded we were handed a glass of champagne and welcomed by Captain Eric, the cruise director and the spa staff. After going to our cabins and changing into comfortable dinner attire we came back up on deck to relax at a table by the pool. While there the spa staff gave us shoulder massages that left you feeling like mush. So starts our Sea Dream Caribbean adventure. p.s. The food is incredible.

Valentines in the Caribbean!

2006-02-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today is Valentines day and my girlfriend Priscilla, Adele and her husband Steve are all taking off to the Caribbean. We will land in San Juan. Spend one night, then fly to St Thomas then board the Sea Dream II. We will be on board for four days. Disembarking in St. Martin, for two awesome days then head home on the 21st. We are all so excited!

It felt wonderful to get off the plane and step out in the hot Caribbean weather. We headed for town. We only had the one night in San Juan so we wanted to find a nice restaurant to eat dinner at. We asked the locals and they turned us on to the Yeurba Buena!. The food was delicious. The best part was our table was a large wood swing. We had Valentines dinner rocking back and forth out side under the San Juan sky.

Portofino, Italy

2005-07-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today we are in the center of the Italian Riviera and one of the most exclusive little towns in the Mediteranean! Here is the home to the famous Splendido Hotel and seasonal anchorage to many of the worlds Mega-Yachts.

As we pull into the harbor to anchor, we can see no less than 30 Yachts over 120 feet long and we are all in awe! The town is very small with less that 1000 year-round residents, and stores like Prada, Escada, Gucci and scores more - right alongside waterfront restarants, artists and craftsmen. We decided to take a break from our days of museums, monuments and histrical sites - and take a nice three hour cruise along the coast to see some of the Riviera.

From our boat we take a tour from the town of Portofino to two other communities on the area that are complete contrasts to Portofino. One is the local business center with hotels, banks, services and they typical resort district you would expect. The other little town was absolutely fantastic and was a remote, rustic fishing village of just a few hundred people. We wandered the town here, had some local foccacia bread and ice cream - yes a strange combo - but very good! We also walked along the beach and realized that we had yet to go swimming in the Med! Tom and I decided tomorrow in Monte Carlo we would seek out a beach for a swim! But now we must head back to our boat.

We spent the rest of the day wandering the galleries and shops of Portofino, before heading back to the ship. Tomorrow and Monday we are in Monaco!

Livorno and Florence

2005-07-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

This morning we arrive in the port of Livorno - gateway to Florence. Considered the art and cultural center of Italy and by many the World! Her Michaelangelo, under the De Medici family created many of the masterpieces we have all heard about.

Today we booked a private tour of 13 of us to see all the important sites and get a little better explanation and history that you can in a group of 100 on a bus. We start out today at 8:00 AM alongside the Crystal Serenity. We are met by our coach and local tour manager for the 90 minute trip to Florence. Once in Florence we meet Ann - we are all surprised - and in the end extremely happy - with the petite woman who met us who looked and spoke like she just got of the plane from New England! Ann introduced herself and we learned that she was originally from Conn., but had been living in Florence for 42 years with her Italian husband! She was an excellent guide, personable leader and very well connected as we learned.

NOTE: Record heat was recorded today of 110 degrees!

We started off with a short walk through some of the plazas on our way to the Uffizi Galley, home to many of Michaelangelo's works, as well as Leonardo di Vinci and many others. We spent well over two hours with Ann learning about the history, politics and commerce of the area and the artists - it was all very interesting. We then headed to lunch in a local Florentine restaurant, well off the beaten path. We enjoyed local specialties and some local white wine. A few of the group are very disappointed the the statue of David is not on our tour! Ann gives us a wink and askes us to follow her! OK - We are GREAT followers! We simply walk up to the backdoor - Ann gives the guard a few Euros and we are in! Other on the ship later told us they waited in the heat for HOURS to spend a few minutes admiring the statue! :) And with Ann giving us the history and story behind the statue - it was truly magnificent!

The heat was starting to get the group as we got close to 6 hours touring and walking! We started to loose two at a time to local pubs, hotel lobbys and department stores. We decided we had all had enought and thanked Ann, said our goodbys and went out to take some pictures, do some shopping and cool down!

We met up with our coach at about 6:00 PM and returned to the ship by 7:15 PM - an 11 hour day! Boy were we glad to get back to the ship and get a shower! Tonight was also my birthday - so we had a private cocktail party and dinner with about 20 friends we had made - on deck at 7:30 PM! - No rest for the weary!

Taormina - Sicilian Treasure!

2005-07-27T02:29:00.000-07:00

Today we anchored in the tranquil harbor of Taormina, along with Windstar Cruises, Wind Surf and Clipper Cruises Royal Clipper! On the other side of town was also the brand new Carnival Liberty on her Maiden Voyage. To say the least the town was HOPPING!

I actually had the opportunity while walking through town to see two couple who obviously knew each other from home go running up to each other both exclaiming "What a small world!". It turns out that one couple was on the Wind Surf and the other on the Crystal Serenity with me! Wow - the world sure is getting smaller!

Taormina is on the East Coast of the Island of Sicily and only three miles from the "toe" in the "Boot of Italy". when we sailed away we actually sailed between the Island and Italy through the Straights of Messina. It was breathtaking to have land on both side of the ship while we watched the sunset from the Palm Court Lounge, with the band playing, families dancing and the land so close. Speaking of families, there are over 120 children on board - it was sure a shock on such a long cruise, but I also know family cruising is on the rise! It was fun to see multiple generations of families all traveling, sightseeing and sharing memories that will last a lifetime!

In port today I ventured off with some new friends from the cruise, did some shopping - lots of shopping again! I did buy a few things to bring back - but I'm not a big shopper. We also toured the ancient Greek Amphitheater and had a few snacks as we wandered. I always try to take in the local tastes while traveling. Taormina is built high above the Sea and just spectacular! I wish I could post more pictures - but it takes so long from the ship. I will add a while section to the website upon my return!

Ciao for now!

Visit to the SeaDream II

2005-07-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we were lucky enough to be docked next the SeaDream I and SeaDream II!

I recently had dinner with Larry Pimentel, CEO and co-owner and he graciously offered us an opportunity to visit these magnificent Yachts. I was actualy so excited about his presentation that Adele and her husband Steve, and myself have already booked a little get-away to the Virigin Islands to sail on the Sea Dream II in February for Adele's Birthday. After seeing the yachts - I cannot wait!

Sailing on SeaDream is a Yachting Experience - NOT a cruise! You spend you time unhurried, eating on deck, enjoying the pool and the ports on your own schedule. The ship is small, casually elegant like a 5 star resort on the ocean - no Tuxedos, no Formal Nights and no Broadway shows - but lots of quiet time with friends, exotic and exciting ports and suberb cuisine!

SeaDream carries the new Segway personal transportation devices for pasengers to play with in port - and they looked like a blast! The Yacht also has a drop down marina from the aft part of the ship allowing passengers the use of all equipment and toys! JetSkis, water skiing, boats, kayaks - again a very personal experience.

One the favorite features I saw were the beautiful Sun Beds passengers used on the top deck during the day for sunning - and can now reserve for an evening under the stars! Imagine the ships crew making them with beautiful duvets, egyption sheets, candlelight and a bottle of Champage and spending the night under the stars! WOW - looking forward to my Feb. Cruise!

Well tomorrow its off to Sicily and the city of Taormina! Ciao!

Corfu, Greece!

2005-07-26T23:50:00.000-07:00

Here we go again! Today we decided to skip a structured tour and head into town ourselves. One of the nice "extras" Crystal Cruises offers is complimentary shuttles into town from each of the ports we dock in, if needed.

So today we jumped on the shuttle and headed to town. First we headed off in the wrong direction and got to the end of the road - literally! We went back and started over! Once we got to the main part of town it was another beautiful, narrow street filled city - much bigger than the past few stops. The picture above is one of the pathways - shared by Hotels, Restaurant, Street Vendors and all types of commerce. The buildings here where about 8 stories high - they made nice cool oasis' of activity in the streets below.

Here we bought Olive Oil and Ouzo to bring home! We seperated again and I headed off to walk back to thw ship along the harbor and found a great little seaside resataurant for a Greek Salad and yes - Mythos! The local beer! :) We board the SeaDream Yacht later for a tour - I'll post a picture when we return!

Dubrovnik, Croatia

2005-07-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Well, we have made it to the famed "Walled City" of Dubrovnik! This morning we awoke to the sounds of the Cathedral Bells off in the distance and the beautiful Walled City of Dubrovnik!

The picture is taken from the center of town looking back at the draw-bridge we had to cross the enter the city. Again it was an amazing town with long narrow streets filled with shops, restaurants, and tourists!

Today I went solo on a walking tour of the city walls, since most of the group was ready for a break from the long hot walks, but I could not pass the chance to walk along these walls that had protected the city for Centuries and had as recent as 1991 been bombed by Yugoslavia under the direction of President Slobodan Milosevic - who many may know was charged at the Hague with War Crimes. You can see the recent destruction very clearly int eh contrast of the bright new red roofs as compared to the ancient coverings! There are also a few holes blasted in the walls of the Cathedral that have been left as a reminder of that recent war.

After the tour I stopped for a Mozzarella and Tomatoe Salad - one of the Med. favorites of mine! And of course a local beer - Pazo! Well I am off to meet the gang and maybe the beaches - they look incredible!

On to Sorrento! And Positano! And...

2005-07-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

After leaving Pompeii - and MORE SHOPPING! Jeez - Italy is MADE for Shopping!

We headed to Positano, a very exclusive, popular and expensive resort on the Amalfi Coast and it was beautiful! We had lunch in a spectacular cliffside restaurant where I too the above picture. Actually the entire region, made up of many small towns, are built on the cliffs over looking the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea.

This entire area is beautiful and I cannot do it justice here in a few minutes! (I'm being asked to get ready for dinner - ok, not asked!). This whole region is filled with history and facinating architecture. I have taken to wandering for hours the small towns, backroads and markets after the rest of the gang has headed back to the ship. I have really gotten smitten with the are and already working on next summers trip from Venice to Athens in July! (Tom, Kim?)

Be back later to add some more!

The Ruins of Pompeii

2005-07-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

OK! Today we are off for a full day tour to the ruins of Pompeii and the along the Amalfi Coast around Sorrento - and I'll put that in a separate post with a picture of the coastline.

First its off to POMPEII and the ruins I have heard so much about. We boarded our motorcoach at approx. 8:15 AM, after a night of Karaoke, Dancing, Casino and other Crystal Serenity offerings - so I will tell you first the group was a little quiet and some even a little GRUMPY! :)

We arrived in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvias by 10:00 AM and were immediately awe-struck at the ruins and the sight of the volcano. Maybe it was not all that huge - but it was just something we had been talking about before and in preparing for the trip. The one thing that struck me as odd was the whole "Info Center", "Ticket Booth" aspect - it felt a little like an amusement park. I do understand that it is needed to manage the tourists - but it felt a little weird. We had a wonderful guide who took us through the main streets of Pompeii, showed us the Gladiator Training Facility and event the "Red Light" district and an unusual signpost to the area!

We spent about two hours and then headed to Lunch in Positano, and a tour of the Amalfi Coast - see next post!

The Vatican!

2005-07-22T06:29:00.000-07:00

I actually had no interest in seeing the Vatican on this trip, but mom and others said it was a “must see” – so we saw. And it was AWESOME! A definite “must see” if you are planning a trip to Rome. We had a private guide pick us up at the hotel and personally toured us through the Museum, the grounds, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Square and Basilica. Again the immenseness of the buildings and the structures were just awe-inspiring, and having a private guide made it very educational. Our guide, Paulo, was a local guide used by the hotel and he wisked us through the lines, got our tickets and knew what to show us and what to skip based upon our time restraints. He spoke to us about the history of Vatican City, its status as a separate country, how it was formed, etc. all the way back to the time of Christ.

On a separate note, I would HIGHLY recommend getting a private driver and guide in foreign cities if your desire is to learn and see the sites rather than just “view” the sites. We gained so much more and saved so much time it was well worth the cost. It is not cheap, but it is worth it.

We were back at the hotel by 2:00 PM for our trip to the Port. More tomorrow – we are off to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast!

Rome - Part Two

2005-07-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I got a little sidetracked yesterday, but I am back to complete the day as I toured Rome and then boarded the ship! Anyway, after leaving the Fountain I headed directly to the Colusium – something many of us think of as quintessential Rome! One of the things that struck me was the cleanliness of the city – I am used to large cities being very dirty, smoggy and congested. Rome was very busy, bustling with life – but very meticulous, very clean. As I raced from corner to corner, enjoying the architecture and the people I suddenly turned a corner and there it was – magnificent! The Colusium and the Roman Forum were spectacular – both in daylight and again that night when I visited!

From there I hiked back to the hotel to meet up with my mother as she was the next to arrive in our group. We decided a rest was in order, but had the hotel arrange a driver and tour after the break. We also arranged a private guide for the Vatican the following morning and transport to the ship – approx. one our away.

We were picked up by our driver and whisked away to the great sites of Rome! Sidenote: The Drivers in Rome are Crazy!! There are no lanes pained on the wide lanes – just lots of cars, scooters, trucks and buses working to get to where they need to go! It was actually lots of fun once you got over the initial terror!  I also found during my hike that there are crosswalks painted on the street at the corners – but they are more of a SUGGESTION, not a rule! You simply ease yourself out into traffic until they stop or you do – its kinda like playing Chicken at 100 kph!

Anyway – we saw all the major sites and had a great dinner in the Piazza Novana that our concierge had arranged. I dropped mom off and headed to the local neighborhood bar for a nightcap and to chat with the locals – had a blast! More on that in another post!.

When in Rome!

2005-07-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Due to the modern wonders of technology, I have decided to post thoughts, sights and pictures throughout my 14 day Mediterranean Adventure on the Crystal Serenity! Please feel free to post any additional information or experiences you have had in Europe for the benefit of those that are reviewing this blog! Please also feel free to e-mail a link to anyone you think would enjoy participating and following along on this adventure!

Day One – Rome or Roma as the locals prefer!

I arrived fresh this morning after a great overnight flight from JFK, sleeping all the way, enjoying the great airline food, comfort and service. RIGHT! Actually it was not too bad, but I arrived in Rome at 7:00 AM local time or 10:00 PM Pacific Time. I promised myself I would stay up until evening to get my “body clock” on schedule! We will see…

We stayed at the famous Hotel Majestic, right on the Via Veneto one of Rome’s most well know boulevards, just down the from the Excelsior Hotel, the American Embassy and an unfortunate icon in modern times – the Hard Rock Café! Yes – I did go in and buy a pin for my friend Lori Carstens – and had to have a beer or two to toast my friends – but I digress…

I arrived at my hotel at approx. 10:00 AM and immediately set out to see the sights for a few hours before other members of my group started to arrive. I first got Euros at the local change house – and received my first shock of the day! We all hear Europe is expensive, but until they take your $200.00 in Dollars and return to you only $156.00 in Euros does it hit home! Oh well…

The concierge gave me a map, a few ideas and I hit the road – First stop – the Fontana di Trevi or Trevi Fountains as we are used to calling them here. As I walk I am struck again, like in most European Cities is sense of history and timelessness we do not have in the US due to the fact that the “new” buildings in Rome are older than our entire country! To see ancient ruins, surrounded by homes, businesses and modern roadways is quite a shock for me. Rome is a very easy city to get around in and the streets well marked for a walker like me. Within minutes I was wandering down a street barely wide enough for a golf cart – and I came upon the fountains!

In an area no larger than basketball court where HUNDREDS of tourists snapping pictures, tossing coins and making wishes into this beautiful fountain that had survived hundred and hundreds of years of wars, rebuilding and destroying and it was magnificent – I’ve included a few pictures as we go along and this was an amazing square. I can back the next morning so I could see it without the crowds and it was truly amazing. One of the things I found so interesting was the IMMENSNESS of the monuments. You literely had to start taking pictures blocks before you got close because they were too big to get a decent picture once you arrived!

I'm Back....

2005-06-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

WOW! What a few months we have had here! I was so into this whole Blogging thing - and then life got in the way - oh well - I'm back now!

We have lots going on at The Cruise Place! First of all we had a fire in the restaurant adjacent to our office in San Marcos, Ca. that has displaced our staff there temporarily. Luckily no one was injured and we were able to retrieve our backed-up data in a few hours and get our systems up and running within a day. Calls were transferred to our Tucson office for two weeks - but all is now back to normal. We expect to be back in our office in 45-90 days.

We have also moved forward on our expansion plans and have committed to opening an office in Kansas City in the next month or so! That has been very exciting!

I closed escrow on a new home in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday - its a very cool - older Adobe home in an established neighborhood on the East side of Tucson, very near our office.

Starting Monday we will be taking calls from customers interested in sailing on the "Apprentice Legends Cruise" in September!

As you can see we have been REALLY busy - but we all love it! Stay tuned - I'll try to get back in here more often and keep everyone informed.

Thanks!

Scott

"To Book or Not To Book" - On the Internet that is.

2005-02-21T18:28:00.000-08:00

This is always an interesting topic around my office. My thoughts and feelings on this are not always welcome or agreed with, but I guess that is one of the benefits of being the boss! :)

I am a big believer in the power of the internet, for providing information, access to research, opinions, reviews and so much more! The internet also allows for simple, low cost transaction-based business, as well as for all of us to deliver information to each other through e-mail.

It started to become clear to me when I was finding myself booking my own airfare at www.Southwest.com and hotels room at www.Priceline.com. I was not the most popular person around my office! At that time these companies, as well as Expedia, Travelocity and the others were considered "Public Enemy #1" and a threat to our livelihood. What I saw was a much easier way to book an airline ticket and a hotel room that the antiquated technology and systems that we in the travel industry had at the time.

What I started to see was that we were not very valuable to our clients as "Button Pushers" as anyone could do that now, but we had incredible value to our clients through our experiences, through our professionalism, through our knowledge of destinations, and through the business relationships we have developed with travel suppliers over many, many years of business. What I was hearing throughout the industry was advice not to book on the internet, using scare tactics, false information and horror stories. I was determined to work with our agents to become the experts we are today in using the internet to help our clients, not to fight against something that was inherently better for our clients. I mean get real - I was using the internet to book flights - how could we tell clients not to do the same!

The internet has been proven out to be the best place to buy a book, buy or download a song, buy an airplane ticket and other simple, commodity type items. We made a choice to start focusing on peoples vacations, on their time together with family and friends, on specialty trips like cooking, or fitness trips where we can use our skills and experience to assure all of our clients a great vacation, everytime. That you cannot get on the internet.

So in closing, I say Yes - book your airline ticket, get that book for the cruise, and even download a song for your Ipod on the internet - but for your vacation, business incentive program, fundraising cruise - I say call a professional Travel Agent that can help you take care of all the details - and if they are good, I guarantee they are doing much of the research on the internet too!

Thanks, and happy surfing! Please feel free to let us know some of your favorite travel websites - and check out www.TheCruisePlace.com - and let us know what you think!

Scott

What is "The Cruise Dude"?

2005-02-13T18:55:00.000-08:00

For this Blog I decided to use a "handle" that was given to me by my good friend Leslie Bailey in Montgomery, Alabama! Leslie is an Entertainer, Radio and TV Personality, Restaurant Owner, Author - and an all around Great Gal!

We did a cruise together last year called "Hey Leslie What Cruising?" as she was launching her cookbook - and what a time we had! It was here that I became known as "The Cruise Dude". I'm not sure how it started - it could have been after a few Margaritas in Cozumel at Senor Frogs, or it could have been in New Orleans as we were sailing away for 4 days of sun and fun - either way it stuck!

Click photo to order!

The cruise turned out to be a great way to "launch" (no pun intended) the cookbook, do some fun cooking demos and just spend time with fans and supporters of Leslie! The cookbook has become one of my all-time favorites and I have included a link above if you are interested in purchasing! And if it is a favorite of mine - it must be easy! Enjoy!

First Blog!

2005-02-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my Blog!

Everyone is talking Blogs these days and as I realized how much I enjoyed reading the specific Blogs produced by people I do business with - it hit me that my clients and friends might enjoy this as well.

The purpose for my Blog will be to discuss issues in the Travel Industry today, Destinations and whatever strikes my fancy! The Blog will allow customers and web-surfers to post comments on the topic to enance the overall value of the on-going web-logue or "Blog".

I hope you enjoy this! If you do - tell your friends, if you don't - tell me!