Top Souvenirs from a Springtime Trip to the Netherlands
Tulip season in the Netherlands is a feast for the senses: ribbons of technicolor flowers beside canals, market squares bursting with spring blooms, and river cruise ships gliding through landscapes that look suspiciously filtered (even when they’re not!) You’re going to love your trip so much that you will want to savor the moments for as long as possible. Emerald river cruise ship docked in Willemstad, the Netherlands I don’t believe in souvenirs that collect dust or worse! End up in landfills. Here...
5 Spectacular Annual Flower Shows Worth Planning a Trip Around
It’s spring at last, and our thoughts turn to the outdoors and our gardens. What better inspiration for a trip than some of the most breathtaking flower shows on earth - that take nature’s horticultural gifts and maximalize the colors, the spectacle and the drama! 1. Keukenhof Gardens — NetherlandsKeukenhof’s claim to fame is scale and control. More than seven million bulbs are planted by hand each year in layered sequences—early, mid, and late bloomers—so the park continuously evolves across its...
River to Ocean Onboard a Single Ship: Windstar’s New Way to Cruise
If you love river cruising and you love ocean cruising… then there’s a new cruise style on the horizon for you. Beginning December 2026, Windstar’s newest ship, Star Explorer, will offer new river-to-ocean cruises combining the best of both experiences. No changing ships. Your floating boutique hotel seamlessly transitions from a river cruise to an ocean voyage, and your trip continues from an intimate river experience into equally compelling coastlines. Purpose-built for river-to-ocean travel, the 224-guest, all-suite yacht can navigate waterways that...
Celebrity River Cruises Reveals Experiential Approach to Shore Excursions
The hotly anticipated new river cruise line has shared how it’s planning to offer its guests a new way to experience the river communities of Europe when it debuts in 2027. Four curated categories of exclusive and included shore excursions reveal how guests will river cruise, Celebrity-style. Local insiders lead the Storyteller Series and Skillmaster Series, while the Keys to the City Series gives guests the tech-driven power to explore on their own with insights curated to their own interests and passions. Available once per sailing, the Celebrity Takeover Series delivers...
100 Years After Monet: Giverny Exhibit Celebrates Impressionism’s Origins
2026 marks a century after the passing of beloved Impressionist artist, Claude Monet. The museum devoted to his work in Giverny, the community north of Paris that has become synonymous with Monet and the water lilies and gardens he immortalized on canvas, presents a retrospective exhibition. From March 27 to July 5, 2026, the Musée des Impression Giverny hosts "Monet in Giverny. Before the Water Lilies 1883- 1890.” The new exhibition explores the life and work of Monet before the works...
Astonishing Facts About China's Terracotta Warriors
You never forget the moment you come face-to-face with one of the thousands of Terracotta Warriors underground in Xi’an, China. As ancient wonders of the world go, these may make the strongest impression even on an experienced traveler like me. I think it’s because, unlike the vast, mystical monuments like Egypt’s pyramids or Machu Picchu, the warriors are so… personal. On a human scale, individually, even if the archaeological site is breathtakingly vast. And you also feel like you are looking...
Oceania Cruises Goes Adults-Only: A New Trend?
Oceania Cruises has joined an exclusive cruising club, announcing that it’s joining the ranks of cruise lines banning kids. You may be surprised which – and how few - cruise lines are truly adults only. If you’ve done any luxury, especially small-ship cruising, you’re likely used to NOT seeing many children. That’s certainly about to be true on Oceania Cruises. Oceania Cruises has announced that, effective January 7, 2026, new bookings will “welcome guests aged 18 and older.” Bookings made before that...
Welcome Wave Season and Save!
'Tis the season for cruise travelers to save! Wave Season is that time of year when cruise lines roll out wave after wave of promotions, perks, and irresistible offers. They’re all competing to capture your attention… which means you get the chance to save, spoil yourself a little, and maybe even try a whole new style of cruising. Lynn Elmhirst, cruise/travel expert and journalist, shares tips for navigating Wave Season. Tips for Charting the Course for Wave Season Timing is everything. Wave season...
The World’s Biggest Cruise Line Marks a 100-ship Milestone
It sails 21 rivers, 5 oceans, and all 7 continents with more ships than any other single cruise line in the world. And now, with the naming of nine new ships in one fell swoop, Viking has marked another milestone: the inauguration of its 100th ship! During a simultaneous ceremony that spanned six countries, the river, ocean and expedition cruise line launched nine new river ships. The main celebration took place in Basel, Switzerland, on the Rhine River on board the...
Riviera Designates World First Solo Cruise Ship
Solo travel keeps growing, and now there’s a river ship just for singletons to enjoy cruising together for the whole season! Riviera Travel is launching the first-ever cruise ship dedicated to solo travelers in 2027. Now there’s no need to wait until friends or family can join you on holiday – at any time of the river cruising season. Lots of cruise lines, ocean and river, offer solo travel promotions and Riviera Travel itself even offers whole solo itineraries – more...