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    • My Blog Archive - June 2008 Through July 2014
  • Cruise/Travel Reviews
    • Seabourn >
      • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise >
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part I (A Look Back and A Look Forward)
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part II (Copenhagen & The First Day)
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part III (Flam & Alesund)
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part IV (Slovlaer and Tromso)
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part V (Honningsvag) - Ventures By Seabourn
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part V (Sea Days & Private Culinary Events)
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part VI (Bergen, Stavanger & The Last Two Culinary Events: Shopping with the Seabourn Chef and A Cheese Tasting)
      • Goldring Travel's 2013 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise >
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - Preparations and a Plan...Sort Of!
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - Take Off...and A Fresh Perspective
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - Air Travel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Meat!
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - The First 24 Hours and Ihhabela, Brazil
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - The Little Things (Paranagua and Porto Belo, Brazil)
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - Seabourn Quest's Chef Creates An Incredible Tasting Event
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - The Event: Montevideo, Uruguay- Caviar, Caviar and Sturgeon
      • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride >
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part I
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part II (Perspective)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part III (Storms A Brewing...And A Double Rainbow!)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part IV (Fish & Chips...And A Great Beer)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part V (Cork, Ireland and a Lucky Leprechaun Named Darina Allen)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part VI (A Day at Sea with Special Events...And Then A Most Charming Port )
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part VII (Bordeaux- Day 1)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part VII (Bordeaux- Day 2: Chateau Margaux and Chateau Lynch-Bages)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part VIII (Relaxing and "Basque"ing)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part IX (Shopping With The Chef)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part X (The Goldring Travel Food & Wine Tasting)
      • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise - Seabourn Sojourn >
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part I
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part II
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part III
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part IV
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part V
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part VI
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part VII
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part VIII
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part IX
      • Goldring Travel's 2010 Food & Wine Cruise - Seabourn Odyssey >
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - The Beginning...Almost.
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - The Beginning...Leaving On A Jet Plane
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Oy, Such Problems!
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Doing So Much and Doing Nothing
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - A Sea Day and Some Thoughts About The Dining Expereiences
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Shopping with the Chef and Sicilian Seafood Experiences
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Malta and Food for Thought
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Pizza or the Wintergarden Suite's Spa? Let's Try Both!
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - The Food & Wine Tasting to Die For!
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Finding Pizza and What It Means to "Travel"
      • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Seabourn Spirit >
        • 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Some Pre-Cruise Thoughts and My Plan
        • Goldring Travel's Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit 2009 - The Start: It's All About The Clothes???
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Walking With Wine In Venice
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Finally Onboard...Err, I Mean, Home!
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Split, Croatia: Shopping With the Chef & Chilling Out Seabourn Style
        • Seabourn Spirit 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Its About The Fish!
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Meeting Up With The Big Sister & Chef's Surprises
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Some Final Thoughts
      • Goldring Travel's 2008 Food & Wine Cruise >
        • Goldring Travel's 2008 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit: Travelogue Part I
        • Goldring Travel's 2008 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit: Travelogue Part II
        • Goldring Travel's 2008 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit: Travelogue Part III (The Food & Wine Tasting!)
      • Goldring Travel's 2007 Seabourn Food & Wine Cruise
      • Seabourn Quest Pre-Inaugural Cruise 2011 >
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part I
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part II
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part III
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part IV
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part V
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part VI - The Photos!
      • Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural Cruise (2010) >
        • Seabourn Sojourn - The Inaugural & Maiden Voyage Travelogue
        • Seabourn Sojourn - The Inaugural & Maiden Voyage Travelogue - Part II
        • Seabourn Sojourn - The Inaugural & Maiden Voyage Travelogue - Part III (The Seabourn Sojourn Has Been Delivered!)
        • Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural and Maiden Voyage - Part VI
        • Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural and Maiden Voyage - Part XII - Some Videos and Photos
      • 2009 Seabourn Odyssey Inaugural Cruise >
        • Seabourn Odyssey - The Ca' Segredo Hotel Starts The Sojourn
        • Seabourn Odyssey - First Impressions
        • Seabourn Odyssey - Cuisine, Venues, People
        • Seabourn Odyssey - The Standard Suites - Part I
        • Seabourn Odyssey - The Standard Suites- Part II
        • Seabourn Odyssey - The Upper Suites
    • AmaWaterways River Cruises >
      • Goldring Travel's 2014 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto >
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) - Part I
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part II
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part III
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part IV (Georg Breuer Riesling Tasting)
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part VI
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part VII (Bamberg Brewery Tour and Beer Tasting)
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part VIII
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part IX (Food & Wine Tasting on the AmaCerto)
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part X
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part XI - The Tokaji Wine Tasting
        • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part VI (Hualien, Taiwan and Okinawa - The Kindness of Strangers)
      • AmaWaterways AmaLotus - Vietnam & Cambodia >
        • AmaWaterways Mekong River Cruise - Radio Interview
        • AMAWaterways' AmaLotus - 2012 Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part I
        • AMAWaterways' AmaLotus - 2012 Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part II
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - 2012 Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part III
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part IV
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part V (Getting There & Day 1: Hanoi)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part VI (Let the Tour Begin!)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part VII (Halong Bay...and A Monk)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part VIII
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part IX (The Ship)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part X (The Egg)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part XI (Happy Pizza)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part XII (The Killing Fields)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part XIII (Our Last Days)
        • Review and Reflection of the 2012 AmaWaterways AmaLotus Vietnam and Cambodia Tour and Cruise
    • Azamara Club Cruises >
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises - Is it Amazing? Part I
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part II
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part III (Bali and Komodo Island)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part IV (Upscale Meets ????)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part V (Perspectives on Experiencing Developing Ports)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part V (Manila, Philippines - By Day and AzAmazing Evening)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part VII (Doing It On Your Own - Part A - Dontonbori, Osaka)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part VIII (Doing It On Your Own - Part B - Kyoto - Why You Can't Rely Only On Guidebooks or TripAdvisor!)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part IX - Reflections
    • Celebrity Cruises >
      • Celebrity Century (2011) >
        • Celebrity Century Cruise 2011 - How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity's Smallest Ship Get?
        • Celebrity Century Cruise 2011 - How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity's Smallest Ship Get? Part II
        • Celebrity Century Cruise 2011 - How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity's Smallest Ship Get? Part III
        • Celebrity Century Cruise 2011 - How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity's Smallest Ship Get? Part IV
        • Celebrity Century Cruise 2011 - How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity's Smallest Ship Get? - Some Final Observations and Thoughts
      • Celebrity Equinox (2009) >
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009- The Prologue to the Travelogue
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - The Adventure Begins...With a Bump or Two
        • Celebrity Equinox - Settling In Made Easy
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - Luxury Touches ...
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - Asian Flair ...
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - Private Tours, Israel ...
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - Egypt...Impressive and Depressing
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - Dining With the Captain ...
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - The Last Dinner ...
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - What Happens When ...
      • Celebrity Silhouette (2013) >
        • Celebrity Silhouette 2013 - How Upscale to Luxury is a Celebrity Cruise Experience? - Part I
        • Celebrity Silhouette 2013 - How Upscale to Luxury is a Celebrity Cruise Experience? - Part II
        • Celebrity Silhouette 2013 - How Upscale to Luxury is a Celebrity Cruise Experience? The Review - Part III
      • Celebrity Solstice (2008) >
        • Celebrity Solstice - An Absolutely Amazing and Impressive Ship - Part I
        • Celebrity Solstice - An Absolutely Amazing and Impressive Ship - Part II
      • Celebrity Summit "Solticized" - A Ship Inspection (2012)
    • Crystal Cruises >
      • Crystal Serenity - November 2015 >
        • Crystal Serenity - Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a "Move Up" & "Move Over" Luxury Option - Part I
        • Crystal Serenity - Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a "Move Up" & "Move Over" Luxury Option - Part II
        • Crystal Serenity - Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a "Move Up" & "Move Over" Luxury Option - Part III
        • Crystal Serenity - Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a "Move Up" & "Move Over" Luxury Option - Part IV (Food & Wine!)
      • Crystal Symphony - April 2011 >
        • Crystal Symphony - Part I
        • Crystal Symphony - Part II
        • Crystal Symphony - Part III
        • Crystal Symphony - Part IV
        • Crystal Symphony - Part V
        • Crystal Symphony - Part VI
        • Crystal Symphony - Part VII
        • Crystal Symphony - Part VIII
        • Crystal Symphony - Part IX
        • Crystal Symphony - Goldring Travel's Pacific Exploration of Crystal Cruise's Luxury Experience - "Reflections"
    • Cunard >
      • Cunard's Queen Mary 2 - A Winter Transatlantic Crossing on Her 10th Anniversary
    • fathom Impact Travel >
      • Immersing In fathom's Social Impact Programs
    • G Adventures - Amazon River Cruise >
      • Goldring Travel Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures - Part I
      • Goldring Travel Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures - Part II
      • Goldring Travel Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures - Part III
      • Goldring Travel Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures - Part IV (What Group Travel Should Really Be About!)
    • Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) >
      • Norwegian Gem - Budget Cruises Pitching Luxury: You Don't Get What You Pay For, You Only Think You Do.
    • Paul Gauguin >
      • Paul Gauguin (2007)
    • Princess >
      • Princess Cruises Doesn't Treat You Like Royalty; Celebrity Cruises Does! Which is a Better Value for the Upscale Cruise Guest? Part I
      • Celebrity Silhouette vs. Royal Princess - Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part II: The Standard Veranda Staterooms
      • Celebrity Silhouette vs. Royal Princess - Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part III: Treating You Right From The Start
      • Celebrity Silhouette vs. Royal Princess - Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part IV: The Wine Lists Speak Volumes (As Do The Beverage Packages)
    • Regent >
      • Regent Seven Seas Mariner (2005)
      • Regent Seven Seas Navigator (2006)
    • Royal Caribbean >
      • Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Travelogue - Prologue
      • Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas - My First 24 Hours
      • Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas - A Hurricane Runs Through It...Almost
      • Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Travelogue - The Last Days ...
    • SeaDream Yacht Club >
      • Goldring Travel Cruising on SeaDream Yacht Club - Italy and Corisca 2014 - Part I
      • Goldring Travel Cruising on SeaDream Yacht Club - Italy and Corisca 2014 - Part II (Getting There, The Stateroom and First Impressions)
      • Goldring Travel Cruising on SeaDream Yacht Club - Italy and Corisca 2014 - Part III ("You Can’t Teach Five Star Service" and Bonafacio, Corsica)
      • Goldring Travel Cruising on SeaDream Yacht Club - Italy and Corisca 2014 - Part IV (Calvi, Monaco, Portofino, Porto Azzurro...and Stale Bread)
      • Goldring Travel Cruising on SeaDream Yacht Club - Italy and Corisca 2014 - Part V (My Last Day...and How The Chef's Team Makes It Happen)
    • Silversea >
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part I
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part II
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part III
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part IV
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part V
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part VI
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part VII
    • Taipei, Taiwan - Independent Travel >
      • A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan - Who Knew? - Part I
      • A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan - Who Knew? - Part II
      • A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan - Who Knew? - Part III (Spa, Beauty and Fashion)
      • A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan - Who Knew? - Part IV (Cuisine: Street, Sublime & Surreal)
    • Windstar >
      • Windstar Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise >
        • Windstar Cruises' Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise - Part I
        • Windstar Cruises' Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise - Part II - The Transformation of A Cruise Line
        • Windstar Cruises' Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise - Part III - The Windstar Experience 2.0
      • Windstar Pride - Black Sea Cruise - September 2014 >
        • Windstar Cruises - Star Pride Black Sea Cruise - Part I
        • Windstar Cruises - Star Pride Black Sea Cruise - Part II
        • Windstar Cruises - Star Pride Black Sea Cruise - Part III
      • Windstar's Wind Surf - Caribbean - January 2014
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So where the heck have I been? I mean I have been on the Seabourn Odyssey for about a week and you have heard pretty much nothing. Well…

All is fine; actually better than fine…It is fantastic. However, the mix of people and the timing of events have taken a lot of time that I had not anticipated. It is not that it has been bad, or even disappointing in any way, but rather I have been working very hard to be sure that every single client of mine is having the best experience possible.

Now back to the business of blogging!

I was looking forward to visiting Crete, but came away a bit disappointed with Heraklion as it could have been most any Mediterranean port with a non-descript pier and an old city center focused on a pedestrian walkway/mall crammed with shops. It was really no more than a couple of hours off the Seabourn Odyssey and then back to the ship. Fortunately the clouds thinned into a sunny day. Only after we returned to the ship was there a shower…and then it cleared yet again.

However, once back on board my group was treated to a Private Bridge Tour with Captain Geir-Arne Thue-Nilsen personally providing the tour and letting us observe the sail-away (with one of my guests blowing the ship’s horn three times as we departed!). I especially enjoyed his giant hand waving goodbye to the pilot.

The next day, Pylos, Greece was on tap. It is a very small town (not actually an island, but on the point of a peninsula) which I believe is normally used for a marina day. Being November, even though the temperatures were in the high 60s with the sun shining, it really wasn’t an option. So we took a walk not into town, but up the hillside into the residential area. What struck me, even with so many people obviously gone now that the winter was almost here, is that the flowers growing wild were absolutely gorgeous and in a wide variety. Some were similar to those seen in the U.S., but were nonetheless different. Striking blues, reds and yellows all with different scents.

After a stroll through the town and not seeing any tavernas or restaurants that seems anything other than ordinary, we head back to the ship. Enjoying the Seabourn Odyssey is not difficult; especially when the service is as good as it has been. Just a mention to the bar staff that we were going to the forward whirlpool sent the perfectly timed glasses of champagne flowing.

But, of course, there was more to do! Executive Chef, Friedrich Mayer, (a/k/a “Chef Fritz”) gave our group a Private Galley Tour – complete with champagne and caviar. What was of the greatest interest to me was the new way the Main Galley is operating which is different from how it was designed…with two identical operations working on the port and starboard similar in size and flow of the smaller triplets; just in duplicate. Now the galley works as a single unit. As I have not seen any issues with the pace of service, it must be working!

What did become apparent is that traveling as blind couple has many challenges and it really requires a good bit of advanced planning; especially when visiting smaller places that are nowhere near ADA compliant. It quickly became apparent that my assistance was not optional and that blind traveling in Greece (for example) without guide dogs or a private guide is more of an effort in frustration than in enjoyable travel. Far beyond issues with uneven pathways are the lack of straight pathways, many drivers and pedestrian disregard for blind people and simple things like plazas really being more set up as obstacle courses (chairs, railings, bollards, tables, etc.) than open spaces where one can “feel” the openness. Fortunately, however, I have two wonderful guests who have trained me well (I think) and we have had more than our fair share of travel experiences…and laughs.

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  • Home
  • My Blog
    • My Blog Archive - June 2008 Through July 2014
  • Cruise/Travel Reviews
    • Seabourn >
      • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise >
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part I (A Look Back and A Look Forward)
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part II (Copenhagen & The First Day)
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part III (Flam & Alesund)
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part IV (Slovlaer and Tromso)
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part V (Honningsvag) - Ventures By Seabourn
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part V (Sea Days & Private Culinary Events)
        • Goldring Travel's 2015 Culinary & Cultural (formerly Food & Wine) Cruise - Seabourn Quest - Part VI (Bergen, Stavanger & The Last Two Culinary Events: Shopping with the Seabourn Chef and A Cheese Tasting)
      • Goldring Travel's 2013 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise >
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - Preparations and a Plan...Sort Of!
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - Take Off...and A Fresh Perspective
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - Air Travel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Meat!
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - The First 24 Hours and Ihhabela, Brazil
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - The Little Things (Paranagua and Porto Belo, Brazil)
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - Seabourn Quest's Chef Creates An Incredible Tasting Event
        • Goldring Travel's 2013 Food & Wine Cruise - The Event: Montevideo, Uruguay- Caviar, Caviar and Sturgeon
      • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride >
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part I
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part II (Perspective)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part III (Storms A Brewing...And A Double Rainbow!)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part IV (Fish & Chips...And A Great Beer)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part V (Cork, Ireland and a Lucky Leprechaun Named Darina Allen)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part VI (A Day at Sea with Special Events...And Then A Most Charming Port )
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part VII (Bordeaux- Day 1)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part VII (Bordeaux- Day 2: Chateau Margaux and Chateau Lynch-Bages)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part VIII (Relaxing and "Basque"ing)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part IX (Shopping With The Chef)
        • Goldring Travel's 2012 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Pride - Part X (The Goldring Travel Food & Wine Tasting)
      • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise - Seabourn Sojourn >
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part I
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part II
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part III
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part IV
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part V
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part VI
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part VII
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part VIII
        • Goldring Travel's 2011 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn - Part IX
      • Goldring Travel's 2010 Food & Wine Cruise - Seabourn Odyssey >
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - The Beginning...Almost.
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - The Beginning...Leaving On A Jet Plane
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Oy, Such Problems!
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Doing So Much and Doing Nothing
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - A Sea Day and Some Thoughts About The Dining Expereiences
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Shopping with the Chef and Sicilian Seafood Experiences
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Malta and Food for Thought
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Pizza or the Wintergarden Suite's Spa? Let's Try Both!
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - The Food & Wine Tasting to Die For!
        • 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey - Finding Pizza and What It Means to "Travel"
      • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Seabourn Spirit >
        • 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Some Pre-Cruise Thoughts and My Plan
        • Goldring Travel's Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit 2009 - The Start: It's All About The Clothes???
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Walking With Wine In Venice
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Finally Onboard...Err, I Mean, Home!
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Split, Croatia: Shopping With the Chef & Chilling Out Seabourn Style
        • Seabourn Spirit 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Its About The Fish!
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Meeting Up With The Big Sister & Chef's Surprises
        • Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Some Final Thoughts
      • Goldring Travel's 2008 Food & Wine Cruise >
        • Goldring Travel's 2008 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit: Travelogue Part I
        • Goldring Travel's 2008 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit: Travelogue Part II
        • Goldring Travel's 2008 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit: Travelogue Part III (The Food & Wine Tasting!)
      • Goldring Travel's 2007 Seabourn Food & Wine Cruise
      • Seabourn Quest Pre-Inaugural Cruise 2011 >
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part I
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part II
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part III
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part IV
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part V
        • The Pre-Inaugural of the Seabourn Quest - Part VI - The Photos!
      • Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural Cruise (2010) >
        • Seabourn Sojourn - The Inaugural & Maiden Voyage Travelogue
        • Seabourn Sojourn - The Inaugural & Maiden Voyage Travelogue - Part II
        • Seabourn Sojourn - The Inaugural & Maiden Voyage Travelogue - Part III (The Seabourn Sojourn Has Been Delivered!)
        • Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural and Maiden Voyage - Part VI
        • Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural and Maiden Voyage - Part XII - Some Videos and Photos
      • 2009 Seabourn Odyssey Inaugural Cruise >
        • Seabourn Odyssey - The Ca' Segredo Hotel Starts The Sojourn
        • Seabourn Odyssey - First Impressions
        • Seabourn Odyssey - Cuisine, Venues, People
        • Seabourn Odyssey - The Standard Suites - Part I
        • Seabourn Odyssey - The Standard Suites- Part II
        • Seabourn Odyssey - The Upper Suites
    • AmaWaterways River Cruises >
      • Goldring Travel's 2014 Culinary & Cultural (Food & Wine) Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto >
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) - Part I
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part II
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part III
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part IV (Georg Breuer Riesling Tasting)
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part VI
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part VII (Bamberg Brewery Tour and Beer Tasting)
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part VIII
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part IX (Food & Wine Tasting on the AmaCerto)
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part X
        • Goldring Travel's 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise - AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part XI - The Tokaji Wine Tasting
        • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part VI (Hualien, Taiwan and Okinawa - The Kindness of Strangers)
      • AmaWaterways AmaLotus - Vietnam & Cambodia >
        • AmaWaterways Mekong River Cruise - Radio Interview
        • AMAWaterways' AmaLotus - 2012 Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part I
        • AMAWaterways' AmaLotus - 2012 Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part II
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - 2012 Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part III
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part IV
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part V (Getting There & Day 1: Hanoi)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part VI (Let the Tour Begin!)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part VII (Halong Bay...and A Monk)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part VIII
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part IX (The Ship)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part X (The Egg)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part XI (Happy Pizza)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part XII (The Killing Fields)
        • AmaWaterways' AmaLotus - Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part XIII (Our Last Days)
        • Review and Reflection of the 2012 AmaWaterways AmaLotus Vietnam and Cambodia Tour and Cruise
    • Azamara Club Cruises >
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises - Is it Amazing? Part I
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part II
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part III (Bali and Komodo Island)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part IV (Upscale Meets ????)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part V (Perspectives on Experiencing Developing Ports)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part V (Manila, Philippines - By Day and AzAmazing Evening)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part VII (Doing It On Your Own - Part A - Dontonbori, Osaka)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part VIII (Doing It On Your Own - Part B - Kyoto - Why You Can't Rely Only On Guidebooks or TripAdvisor!)
      • Goldring Travel Experiences Azamara Club Cruises in Asia - Is it Amazing? Part IX - Reflections
    • Celebrity Cruises >
      • Celebrity Century (2011) >
        • Celebrity Century Cruise 2011 - How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity's Smallest Ship Get?
        • Celebrity Century Cruise 2011 - How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity's Smallest Ship Get? Part II
        • Celebrity Century Cruise 2011 - How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity's Smallest Ship Get? Part III
        • Celebrity Century Cruise 2011 - How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity's Smallest Ship Get? Part IV
        • Celebrity Century Cruise 2011 - How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity's Smallest Ship Get? - Some Final Observations and Thoughts
      • Celebrity Equinox (2009) >
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009- The Prologue to the Travelogue
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - The Adventure Begins...With a Bump or Two
        • Celebrity Equinox - Settling In Made Easy
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - Luxury Touches ...
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - Asian Flair ...
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - Private Tours, Israel ...
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - Egypt...Impressive and Depressing
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - Dining With the Captain ...
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - The Last Dinner ...
        • Celebrity Equinox 2009 - What Happens When ...
      • Celebrity Silhouette (2013) >
        • Celebrity Silhouette 2013 - How Upscale to Luxury is a Celebrity Cruise Experience? - Part I
        • Celebrity Silhouette 2013 - How Upscale to Luxury is a Celebrity Cruise Experience? - Part II
        • Celebrity Silhouette 2013 - How Upscale to Luxury is a Celebrity Cruise Experience? The Review - Part III
      • Celebrity Solstice (2008) >
        • Celebrity Solstice - An Absolutely Amazing and Impressive Ship - Part I
        • Celebrity Solstice - An Absolutely Amazing and Impressive Ship - Part II
      • Celebrity Summit "Solticized" - A Ship Inspection (2012)
    • Crystal Cruises >
      • Crystal Serenity - November 2015 >
        • Crystal Serenity - Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a "Move Up" & "Move Over" Luxury Option - Part I
        • Crystal Serenity - Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a "Move Up" & "Move Over" Luxury Option - Part II
        • Crystal Serenity - Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a "Move Up" & "Move Over" Luxury Option - Part III
        • Crystal Serenity - Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a "Move Up" & "Move Over" Luxury Option - Part IV (Food & Wine!)
      • Crystal Symphony - April 2011 >
        • Crystal Symphony - Part I
        • Crystal Symphony - Part II
        • Crystal Symphony - Part III
        • Crystal Symphony - Part IV
        • Crystal Symphony - Part V
        • Crystal Symphony - Part VI
        • Crystal Symphony - Part VII
        • Crystal Symphony - Part VIII
        • Crystal Symphony - Part IX
        • Crystal Symphony - Goldring Travel's Pacific Exploration of Crystal Cruise's Luxury Experience - "Reflections"
    • Cunard >
      • Cunard's Queen Mary 2 - A Winter Transatlantic Crossing on Her 10th Anniversary
    • fathom Impact Travel >
      • Immersing In fathom's Social Impact Programs
    • G Adventures - Amazon River Cruise >
      • Goldring Travel Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures - Part I
      • Goldring Travel Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures - Part II
      • Goldring Travel Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures - Part III
      • Goldring Travel Cruising the Peruvian Amazon With G Adventures - Part IV (What Group Travel Should Really Be About!)
    • Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) >
      • Norwegian Gem - Budget Cruises Pitching Luxury: You Don't Get What You Pay For, You Only Think You Do.
    • Paul Gauguin >
      • Paul Gauguin (2007)
    • Princess >
      • Princess Cruises Doesn't Treat You Like Royalty; Celebrity Cruises Does! Which is a Better Value for the Upscale Cruise Guest? Part I
      • Celebrity Silhouette vs. Royal Princess - Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part II: The Standard Veranda Staterooms
      • Celebrity Silhouette vs. Royal Princess - Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part III: Treating You Right From The Start
      • Celebrity Silhouette vs. Royal Princess - Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part IV: The Wine Lists Speak Volumes (As Do The Beverage Packages)
    • Regent >
      • Regent Seven Seas Mariner (2005)
      • Regent Seven Seas Navigator (2006)
    • Royal Caribbean >
      • Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Travelogue - Prologue
      • Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas - My First 24 Hours
      • Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas - A Hurricane Runs Through It...Almost
      • Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Travelogue - The Last Days ...
    • SeaDream Yacht Club >
      • Goldring Travel Cruising on SeaDream Yacht Club - Italy and Corisca 2014 - Part I
      • Goldring Travel Cruising on SeaDream Yacht Club - Italy and Corisca 2014 - Part II (Getting There, The Stateroom and First Impressions)
      • Goldring Travel Cruising on SeaDream Yacht Club - Italy and Corisca 2014 - Part III ("You Can’t Teach Five Star Service" and Bonafacio, Corsica)
      • Goldring Travel Cruising on SeaDream Yacht Club - Italy and Corisca 2014 - Part IV (Calvi, Monaco, Portofino, Porto Azzurro...and Stale Bread)
      • Goldring Travel Cruising on SeaDream Yacht Club - Italy and Corisca 2014 - Part V (My Last Day...and How The Chef's Team Makes It Happen)
    • Silversea >
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part I
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part II
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part III
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part IV
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part V
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part VI
      • Silversea Silver Shadow Alaska Cruise Review - Part VII
    • Taipei, Taiwan - Independent Travel >
      • A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan - Who Knew? - Part I
      • A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan - Who Knew? - Part II
      • A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan - Who Knew? - Part III (Spa, Beauty and Fashion)
      • A Few Days in Taipei, Taiwan - Who Knew? - Part IV (Cuisine: Street, Sublime & Surreal)
    • Windstar >
      • Windstar Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise >
        • Windstar Cruises' Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise - Part I
        • Windstar Cruises' Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise - Part II - The Transformation of A Cruise Line
        • Windstar Cruises' Star Breeze Inaugural Cruise - Part III - The Windstar Experience 2.0
      • Windstar Pride - Black Sea Cruise - September 2014 >
        • Windstar Cruises - Star Pride Black Sea Cruise - Part I
        • Windstar Cruises - Star Pride Black Sea Cruise - Part II
        • Windstar Cruises - Star Pride Black Sea Cruise - Part III
      • Windstar's Wind Surf - Caribbean - January 2014
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