Cruises can be expensive, and getting nickled-and-dimed for optional port excursions after paying for the initial cost of the cruise is about as fun as putting antibacterial gel in your eyes. So, a huge advantage of sailing with Regent Seven Seas is that you get unlimited free excursions–a wonderful value…unless the excursion ends up beingContinue reading “Racing the Waters of St. Maarten”
Author Archives: The Travelphile
12 Hours in San Juan, Puerto Rico Part 2: From Boricua to Mofongo
After Tarzan-ing through Puerto Rico’s tropical forest, we freshened up on the ship and headed back out into the city of San Juan. We opted out of a ship excursion because we craved an authentic feel for the place. But we’d already discovered that the guidebooks we bought were lacking in any real content, context,Continue reading “12 Hours in San Juan, Puerto Rico Part 2: From Boricua to Mofongo”
12 Hours in San Juan, Puerto Rico Part 1: Welcome to the Jungle
Sunscreen: check. Bathing suit: check. Eager-beaver attitude: check. Our first port was calling our name, and I, for one, was ready to hit the beach and take in a year’s supply of Vitamin D in the form of Caribbean afternoon sunshine. As we packed our day bags with our necessary gear, a husky Italian voiceContinue reading “12 Hours in San Juan, Puerto Rico Part 1: Welcome to the Jungle”
On the Good Ship…
After an exhaustive search for just the right cruise for our family vacation, we settled on a small cruise ship (450 passengers) that went to Eastern Caribbean ports that enticed us; provided enough variety for dining, entertainment, and activities; and included everything from great accommodations, all drinks, and specialty dining to round-trip airfare, transfers, shoreContinue reading “On the Good Ship…”
In Search of a Perfect Cruise
My eyes felt like shriveled raisins, abandoned on the vine under the harsh glare of a seething sun. After having stared at my computer screen for so long, I couldn’t tell if my vision was going or if my haggard brain had simply stopped sending messages to my eyes about how to function. It wasContinue reading “In Search of a Perfect Cruise”
Disneyland Haters: Maybe You’re Just Doing It Wrong
Have you ever met someone who’s repulsed by just the thought of going to Disneyland? “How can you stand it? The lines are ridiculous! It’s so fake! It’s too expensive! It’s so commercial! It’s so lame! Have you seen the kind of people that go there? They’re total Disney freaks!” As much as I loveContinue reading “Disneyland Haters: Maybe You’re Just Doing It Wrong”
Disneyland: On the Corner of Main Street and Memory Lane
Once upon a time, in a faraway land called Anaheim, I went to Disneyland five days a week for two years– I’m not saying that I worked there, but one might say that I was a “good friend” of Pocahontas…and an original one at that. ‘Twas a magical place, and even after a full dayContinue reading “Disneyland: On the Corner of Main Street and Memory Lane”
How to Find Great Values in Venice
Centuries-old former palaces crackle and peel away in the thick, briny air. Bottom floors of old merchants’ warehouses sit empty and still cling half-heartedly to their romantic patina of a time long past, slowly but beautifully decaying under the Venetian heat, humidity, and rising waters. As I glide down the canal on a slow vaporetto,Continue reading “How to Find Great Values in Venice”
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men
“Please don’t rain yet. Please don’t rain yet. Please don’t rain yet.” My mind looped this mantra, and I plastered an everything’s-alright smile, hoping my face wouldn’t betray my anxiety. Twenty-eight people were following me through the cobblestone streets of Paris, and I didn’t want their only two days with me in my favorite EuropeanContinue reading “The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men”
Best of Europe: Tasting the Best of the Marais
Many travelers pride themselves on “discovering” up-and-coming, locals-only, or unsung places. Finding these gems, you feel like you’re in a secret club: the I Know Something You Don’t Know Club. But the pride is short-lived. What good’s a secret if you can’t tell anyone? So I share these places with fellow travelers, hoping they’ll haveContinue reading “Best of Europe: Tasting the Best of the Marais”