The Cruising World

Chief Jacob Bue and his grandson on Ambae.
The search for the real Bali Ha’i — tracing Michener’s footsteps in Vanuatu (1 of 2)
An accordion player welcomes Noordam passengers to the port of Samaná, Domincan
Cruising to Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao aboard Holland America Line’s Noordam (2 of 2)
Situated on the stern of the Noordam, the Toulmins’ cabin had a balcony and a 18
A cruise in the Caribbean aboard the Noordam of 
Holland America Line (1 of 2)
Saving money on a cruise by booking at the last minute (part 2 of 2)
Saving money on a cruise by booking at the last minute (part 1 of 2)

The Great Recession has not caused a stoppage in cruise-ship construction, although building has slowed somewhat, and no new giant megaships are on the horizon.

I define a megaship as a “post-Panamax” vessel that cannot fit through the (for now) 110-foot-wide Panama Canal locks and carries more than 5,000 passengers. So the current world-record holder, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas — at 225,282 tons and 1,187.1 feet in length, having a waterline beam of...

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by Lew Toulmin

I never thought I was prone to motion sickness until I sailed on a brigantine from Fiji to Vanuatu, in the so-called “Pacific” Ocean, in 2003. The highly experienced New Zealand crew strongly recommended I take the antiseasickness pill Stugeron. They said that, over a period of 10 years on that tall ship, this medication had worked best for the most crew and passengers, with the fewest side effects.

I was reluctant to take anything but finally obeyed orders just...

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by Lew Toulmin

The Black Sea region is a land of legend and history. Surprisingly, very few cruise ships visit this storied area, so my wife, Susan, and I were fortunate in October 2010 to circumnavigate the Black Sea aboard the MV Discovery as guests of Voyages of Discovery.

From Istanbul, the ship called at Trabzon (Turkey), Sochi (Russia), Yalta, Sevastapol and Odessa (Ukraine) and Nessebur island (Bulgaria) before returning to Istanbul.

We joined the Discovery in...

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