Hawaii and Tahiti Added to Holland America Line's FOOD & WINE Shore Excursions
Now guests of the cruise line can choose from nearly 100 culinary-themed shore excursions that allow you to connect with destinations through their food culture while sailing on Holland America Line cruises. HAL's partnership with FOOD & WINE already includes exclusive tours in Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada & New England, the Mediterranean, and Northern Europe. These shore excursions allow you to take hands-on cooking classes with top local restaurant chefs, culinary walking tours of a destination, taste authentic street food, explore local...
Top 10 Souvenirs from a Trip to Hawaii
You'll come home with a million sun-drenched memories of a holiday in Hawaii. Here are 10 mementos you can take with you. ANYTHING PINEAPPLEThey may be the most common symbol of Hawaii, and you'll find pineapples, pineapple products, and pineapple motifs everywhere. Pineapples are actually native to South America, and their Hawaiian name 'halakahiki' means 'foreign fruit'. They arrived in Hawaii in the 1500's, but it wasn't until James Dole, the 'Pineapple King' came to the islands in 1899, that Hawaii became synonymous the...
Where's the Only Restaurant in Alaska by a Michelin Starred Chef?
That's a trick question. Michelin, who issues the most coveted fine dining ratings, only evaluates restaurants in three US cities: New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. Not Alaska.But there is still one place you can dine in Alaska at a restaurant by America's most acclaimed Michelin starred chef.Chef Thomas Keller is the only American chef to have been awarded simultaneous top, three star Michelin ratings for two different restaurants. At time of writing, he has not one, not two, but three Michelin starred...
Cycling through the Dutch Countryside on an Avalon Active Shore Excursion
One of the best things about river cruising in Europe is that it takes you into the heart of world-famous cities, charming smaller towns, and even through the countryside that you might not see any other way. One of the best things about Avalon Waterways' Active shore excursions is that they give you yet another way to explore Europe's best scenery up close – on a bicycle, on foot, by kayak and more.Active shore excursions are one of three styles of...
You Can Celebrate Richard Branson's Birthday With Him on his Adults-Only Cruise Line
With flamboyant Sir Richard Branson at the helm, the 2020 launch of Virgin Voyages is one of the most anticipated events in travel. The party-loving, trend-setting celebrity entrepreneur promised his latest travel venture would do to cruise what Virgin Air did to flying: rediscover a whole new level of tongue-in-cheek, escape-with-your-friends-to-a-private-party fun. Only this time, at sea. Bookings are now open for the inaugural season of the Scarlet Lady, the first Virgin Voyage ship, in April 2020. The ship's homeport is a splashy...
Channel Your Inner Van Gogh on this Avalon Discovery Shore Excursion in Amsterdam
What happens when you put three non-painters in a painting workshop? Can you really learn to paint like Van Gogh in an afternoon? Those were the questions on all our minds as we walked to an art atelier near where our river cruise ship, the Avalon Vista, was docked in the heart of Amsterdam.By: Lynn Elmhirst, BestTripTVI'm creative but I have zero artistic skill. Even my handwriting is famously illegible. My friends, travel expert Ryan McElroy and travel and gardening journalist Tara Nolan,...
7 Tips for Touring Tuscany
If you close your eyes and picture 'Italy', chances are, it's the rows of vineyards and cypress trees, villas and farmhouses, fabled towns and household-name works of art of Tuscany that come to mind.There are a million reasons why Tuscany is the setting of so many escapist novels, movies and life-changing travels. Here are our favorites:FLORENCEThe red rooftops of Florence are the symbol of Tuscany's capital and epic Italian Renaissance magic. Wandering the alleys and cobblestoned streets, the Boboli Gardens and the...
Discover Amsterdam's Local Food Scene on this Avalon Waterways Shore Excursion
Everyone wants to try 'real' local food when they travel. But we don't always have a real local to point us in the right direction. That's why we loved our Avalon Waterways' culinary tour of the Jordaan, a walking-sipping-snacking tour of the revitalized neighborhood in Amsterdam. It gets you out of the tourist core and into the heart of the Dutch lifestyle the way the locals in the Netherlands really live. Want to taste the local beer? And the snack the locals order...
Have You Heard About OceaniaNEXT?
Oceania Cruises is making a triple-play of transformations, breathtaking in scope, that have already begun. When complete over the next few years these three tremendous changes will elevate all of the things you love about Oceania, and give you even more to experience.A $100-million re-imagination of its four, 684-guest Regatta-class ships to make them 'better than new'A thousand artisans have been deployed in the process to up-convert the Regatta, Insignia, Sirena, and Nautica. Inspired by their newer big sisters in the...
6 Reasons We Love Seabourn Cruises to Alaska
America's Last Frontier is a destination everyone should visit at least once in a lifetime of travel. Alaska's vast, untouched waters and shores are rich in breathtaking scenery and abundant land and marine wildlife in an unparalleled spectacle of Nature.Cruising along the pristine, emerald coast between British Columbia and Alaska is one of the very best perspectives and ways to experience Alaska's riches.Not just any cruise; here's what makes an Alaska cruise on ultra-luxury Seabourn so special.By: Lynn Elmhirst, Producer/ Host,...