Conde Nast Traveller this week gave out Readers’ Choice Awards for cruising and cruise ships for 2024, and Viking did exceeedingly well. In the mega-ship category, Princess came out on top, followed by Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises. I had a great trip on the MSC World Europa earlier this year. In the large ship category, first prize went to Virgin Voyages, followed by Disney Cruise Line and Costa Cruises. For medium ships, Viking came out with the gold medal, followed by Explora Journeys and Crystal Cruises. For small ships, the number one spot went to Paul Gauguin Cruises, with Read more
river cruises
A little bit of this and a little bit of that today. SAFEST EUROPEAN CITIES A story at InsiderMonkey.com lists the safest cities in the world, which is an important topic any time but seemingly more so now given global events. Using data from the Global Peace Index, they assigned cities with a safety score. In this, the lower the number the more safe the city is deemed to be. Here’s the top 25 in descending order 25. Vilnius, Lithuania, 1.671 24. Rome, 1.662 23. Bucharest, 1.649 23. Madrid, 1.649 21. Sofia, 1.643 20. Warsaw, 1.634 19. Stockholm, 1.625 (very Read more
Today’s travel roundup includes news on air passenger protection rules for Canada, a boom in European tourism, and an item on how major U.S. destinations are hoping to restart major tourism from China. I also have a note about the new Eastern and Oriental Express train’s Malaysia trips. AIR PASSENGER RIGHTS IN CANADA Today, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is launching consultations on proposed amendments to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), and invites Canadians to participate. The Budget Implementation Act introduces changes to the Canada Transportation Act (the Act) to clarify, simplify and strengthen the Canadian air passenger protection regime. The CTA will have Read more
Air Canada has opened its brand-new Maple Leaf Lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), the airline’s 28th lounge worldwide, and its third in the U.S. The modern and exclusive respite, located in Terminal 2, features Air Canada’s first outdoor lounge terrace, together with a range of premium amenities, food and beverages, making the travel experience for eligible customers even more comfortable and convenient before their flights to Canada and beyond. “We’re thrilled to bring our Maple Leaf Lounge experience to San Francisco International Airport, giving our Bay Area customers a way to enjoy Air Canada’s award-winning product and glowing-hearted Read more
NEW YORK CITY – Viking has quickly established itself as a leader in ocean cruising. A gorgeous new ship will put an added shine to the brand. A naming ceremony for the Viking Saturn was held on the Hudson River in New York City on Tuesday, June 6, and I was on hand for the occasion. New York Metropolitan Opera chair Ann Ziff, the ship’s godmother, christened the Saturn by using a steel sword from the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore and slashing at a red ribbon, which sent a bottle of Aquavit crashing against the white hull. Read more
