Victory Cruise Lines Launch Great Lakes Cruising

Watch the latest Cruising Authority video review of the Victory I cruising the Great Lakes.  In July of 2016, Victory Cruise Lines was launched with a ship cruising the Great Lakes in the Summer months and then from Miami to Cuba in the Winter. To plan your own Victory Cruise Lines journey to the Great Lakes, please visit Vantage Travel. 




Thanks for visiting this Cruising Authority site.  The official Cruising Authority site is at www.cruisetalkshow.com where you'll find more up-to date content about the cruise industry.  This site is a Blog site for Cruise Journalist, Barry Vaudrin.

Once again, to plan your Victory Cruise Lines journey, visit VANTAGE TRAVEL for details and get in-touch with an expert regarding the Victory I and Victory Cruise Lines.

Ruby Princess Has A Heart - The Love Boat is Alive and Well

February 10^th – 15^th 2014 the Ruby Princess with Princess Cruises embarked on a unique mission to the Western Caribbean to support the American Heart Association.  Onboard were leaders with the American Heart Association as well as a few celebrity speakers all gathering to bring attention to heart disease and an updated method of CPR that focuses more on getting the heart to start again after a heart attack.  Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer with Princess Cruises, Dr. Grant Tarling was onboard to produce an event to educate passengers and crew about “hands only” CPR using the beat from the song Staying Alive sung by the Bee Gees.  Among the celebrities onboard this special cruise was Chef Marc Anthony Bynum, Ary Nunez who is a celebrity trainer and fitness expert.  Four-time Super Bowl champion Jesse Sapolu of the NFL San Francisco 49ers told us his story of heart surgery and football.  The beloved actor from The Love Boat television series, Bernie Kopell, who played The Doc on the show, entertained passenger with a Q&A session.  The entire cruise event was created to support the American Heart Association and educate passengers and crew about heart disease.

I’ve been on hundreds of cruises, produced many videos and audio podcasts, and I have taken thousands of photos on numerous cruises over the past fifteen years, however; this was my first cruise with Princess Cruises, so I want to present to you my perspective on this Cruise With Heart aboard the Ruby Princess.  I must admit I had preconceived thoughts about Princess Cruises and their ships, based on many reviews and articles written over the years.  I’m very pleased to say that my expectations were exceeded and I was very impressed with the Ruby Princess.  The Princess Cruise’s Love Boat brand certainly remains alive and well onboard, evident by the great level of service among the crew.  The dining experience was excellent, and I enjoyed the cuisine and décor of the restaurants.  It’s interesting as a ‘student of the cruise industry’ to witness the early beginnings of cruise lines and how they’ve grown-up over the past twenty years.  In my humble opinion, Princess Cruises has aged well. 

The crew learning the Hands-Only method of CPR

The theme for this cruise was all about creating healthy habits to take care of your heart and to learn the ‘Hands-Only’ method of CPR which has saved countless lives over the years.  Passengers enjoyed the seminars from celebrity experts and catching photo ops with television star Bernie Kopell and NFL 49’er Jesse Sabolu.  For those who have been on many cruises, these themed cruise events can truly be a delight to vacation and learn valuable tips on daily living and health.

A very meaningful and special surprise from Captain Fabrizio Maresca and Dr. Grant Tarling, was when they honored Bernie Kopell for his role on The Love Boat, by giving him a promotion from a three stripe officer to a four stripe commander for his years of service aboard The Love Boat and Princess Cruises from 1976 to present.  In a short but sweet presentation in the Piazza atrium, Bernie Kopell was given a new officer blazer with four-stripes and a nametag acknowledging his nearly forty years of service.  I’m going to continue writing about the massive impact The Love Boat television show had on the cruise industry, because I’m not sure it’s too well known how significant this little TV show had on this multi-Billion dollar industry.   I also planned ahead and through Cruising Authority, presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Bernie Kopell.  I’d like to give each of the main actors from The Love Boat, the same Lifetime Achievement Award, and hopefully soon, I will have that opportunity.   For those of us that enjoy the cruise industry, we owe a great debt of gratitude for that TV show.

This particular voyage on the Ruby Princess was unique because it was a five-night cruise, allowing more people to experience a taste of Princess Cruises within five glorious days to the Western Caribbean ports of Grand Cayman and Cozumel.  Typically, Princess Cruises operates longer voyages starting at seven nights and even ten to fourteen-day trips world-wide.  I was thrilled to bring my wife on this cruise because it gave me an opportunity to take her to Grand Cayman, a port she had never been to.  I chose the Stingray City and City Tour Excursion, which made stops at Hell, the Turtle Farm and then a boat ride out to the sandbar where Stingray City is.  The weather was perfect; perfect water temperature, and perfect air temperature.  The boat stops at the sandbar, and passengers jump into the beautiful water that is only waist deep, with perfect white sand, and stingrays swimming around our feet searching for a treat.  Our guide took pictures of us holding the stingrays, feeding them, kissing them and we even got a back-rub from these strange sea creatures.

The next day, Ruby Princess took us to Cozumel where my wife and I embarked on a very unique and exhilarating excursion.  Two world-class, America’s Cup racing yachts, the American Stars & Stripes and the Canadian yacht True North.  Each boat carried ten passengers that were all given jobs to drive the yachts, some tightened the main sail and some the forward sail, while others managed the ropes and even steered the boat.  Both vessels competed in an actual race, so the passenger’s felt the adrenaline as the wind swept these large sailing yachts across the sea at speeds of roughly ten to twelve knots.  With the sea spray from the water splashing over the bow, the wind, and sound of the sails, this authentic race was very exciting and a lot of fun!  I’ve been on a sale boat a number of times and I do know how to sail, but this was something special to operate and ride on this fine-tuned racing yacht!

Award presented to Bernie Kopell

Also unique to this cruise aboard Ruby Princess was that this particular cruise was during Valentines Day, perfect for couples to renew their vows and enjoy an incredibly romantic environment aboard The Love Boat.  In the shops onboard I bought something special for my wife for Valentines day.  I found a charm bracelet and picked out some meaningful charms that I knew my wife Terri would like.   Of course the gift was a big hit; she loved it!  So this cruise had many firsts…#1first cruise with Princess Cruises, #2 first time cruising with my wife on Valentines Day, #3 first time my wife visited Grand Cayman, and #4 first time on a racing yacht.   My advice, make every effort to cruise with Princess Cruises, especially on Valentines Day!

This cruise was made possible by The Cruise Brothers at www.cruisebrothers.com or call them at 1-800-827-7779 and also TravelSafe at www.travelsafe.com or call them at 1-888-885-7233

Be sure and visit Cruising Authority at www.cruisetalkshow.com.  Friend us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cruiseships you might also like to subscribe to our Youtube Channel where we have many great videos.  

Watch as Cruising Authority presents Bernie Kopell with a Lifetime Achievement Award!

Here is the first video in our four-part series filmed aboard the Ruby Princess

Enroute to Victoria, Canada

Day seven aboard the Oosterdam
We spent the whole day at sea aboard the Oosterdam enroute to Victoria.  Circumstances leaving Ketchikan and fog caused the ship to have a later arrival into Victoria.  The scheduled arrival time is 7:00pm, but we arrived at about 8:30pm.  Tours were cancelled, but passengers were fully refunded and offered free shuttle service into town.  The day at sea prior to arrival into Victoria allows passengers to enjoy all the activities, entertainment, dining and spa treatments Oosterdam has to offer.  During this cruise I enjoyed a fabulous massage by a skilled therapist.  I get a lot of massages both on cruises and when I'm at home and I was truly impressed with the skills and the technique offered by the therapist in the Greenhouse Spa & Salon.  An absolute must when cruising aboard the Oosterdam is dining in the Pinnacle Grill, which is one of the specialty restaurant aboard the ship and like a steakhouse experience.  Vista Dining Room is the main restaurant on the ship and offers very refined service and quality, so if you choose the Pinnacle, Canalleto's Italian restaurant, Terrace Grill or the Lido area are all great choices depending on your mood.

I was impressed with the musicians onboard the Oosterdam.  The shows are great,  musicians in the Ocean Bar play your favorite dance tunes and are fun to listen to.  I saw numerous activities and lectures around the ship, like a sport and nutrition expert, there was a multi-media trivia contest that was clever.  Days at sea are so full of activities and fun things to do, but on an Alaska cruise the scenery and ports are fantastic!  I think there is a rise in families taking their kids to Alaska, because of the fun excursions involving such adventures such as seeing wales, bears, and other wildlife, as well as things like helicopter rides and dog sledding.

Day Eight
I did not go into Victoria because I had been there in the past, and it was getting late, so I spent some time packing, relaxing, and preparing for disembarkation early the next morning in Seattle.  I think Holland America Line did a great job coordinating disembarkation.  Of course passengers put their large luggage outside their stateroom the night before arrival into Seattle, which is then distributed shoreside and organized by colors and numbers on your luggage tags.  The Port of Seattle is also a very unique cruise port because you can check your bags from the ship to the airport and you can even have your flight boarding pass printed out to make the transition from ship to shore, to airport and home again as smooth as possible.  I went on a shore excursion after disembarkation in Seattle, a tour of Seattle by bus, and a boat trip through some locks from a lake, back into the Port of Seattle.  The tour ended by taking us all to the airport.  It was seamless and convenient.

You can visit this link at our Cruising Authority website HERE to see all of the multi-media content from this Alaska cruise aboard the Oosterdam.  There's video, audio, photo albums, and more articles about this ship at that link, however; I'm posting this link before I have edited the videos so mark the page and visit often within the next couple of weeks to see more and more content posted.  

      

Sitka Day Five

Today we anchored next to Sitka, and it was perfect weather!  I visited the Sitka Raptor Center where they care for injured birds.  I interviewed one of the bird handlers / trainers and she brought out a snow owel and one of their bald eagles.  This raptor center is a non-profit organization and they do a fantastic job of rescuing injured birds and mantain a very informative center for visitors to learn more about Alaska's wildlife.  There's also a beautiful trail that leads to a river where the salmon are packed thick into this area.  I took the trolley car which only cost $10 for an all-day pass...it sure beats walking, which we did the last time I was in Sitka.  After returning to the Oosterdam, I made arrangements to go out in a tender to photograph the ship while at anchor.  I call it my "Hero shot" and I'm very happy with how the pictures and video turned out.  I'll have to share these pictures when I return, because as I mentioned, my laptop had a total hard drive failure.  It was a pleasant evening dining in the Vista Dinning room with colleagues.  I had the Almond crusted Salmon. 

Day Six we were in Ketchikan, and I went on the floatplane and crab feast excursion with a colleague, Doug Parker, who is also a cruise journalist.  I had been on this exact same excursion several years ago with my family and enjoyed it so much it was a pleasure to repeat the experience.  The tour left in the morning shortly after we docked, however; because of the dense fog, we were told that the floatplane part of the trip would be cancelled.  We decided to go anyways because the crab feast is tremendous.  Once we arrives at the George Inlet Lodge, we were informed that our floatplane will indeed take us back to Ketchikan, because the fog cleared up. The crab feast did not dissappoint us, and the float plane ride was a lot of fun.  After we returned back to Ketchikan we walked around town a bit before boarding the ship. As we were pulling away, a guy was running along the dock trying to get someone's attention, because he had missed the ship.  Prior to departing two names were announced over the PA system, they were instructed to report immediately to the front desk, well, the guy wasn't onboard and he did miss the ship...too bad.  The expense is completely up to the passenger who missed the ship to make his way to the next port, which would not be cheap.  It would be a nightmare!  That's why it's always important to keep a close eye on when the ship departs and the times posted at the gangway. 

Apparently it was record-setting weather today in Ketchikan, sunny and beautiful with temps about 85 degrees. We had great weather as we departed Ketchikan and made our way out to sea once again.  The Captain must have really put the pedal to the medal, because the ship seemed to barrel across the water at high speed...I'm guessing 18 knots or better.  A hour or so after departing we ran into some fog, so as I am typing this, the ship's whistle or fog horn is sounding off every couple of minutes. 

Tracy Arm Cruising

Day Three aboard the Oosterdam
Today Oosterdam cruise through Tracy Arm which was very scenic.  Unfortunately, my laptop had a complete hard drive failure, so I must resort to writing my blog from the Internet Cafe on Deck 10 forward.  I don't have much to post today because most of the day revolved around resting.  This Cruise Journalist gig can sometimes be tiring believe it or not.  The gentle movement of the ship doesn't help (that's a good thing by the way).  Why in the world would anyone come to Alaska?  The amazing scenery and the local culture which is rich. It's amazing that this whole world of glaciers and majestic mountains, and vast waterways are right in our backyard here in America.  I truly think an Alaska cruise is not for older people and their parents, Alaska has so much to offer families with kids and couples.  Also, for those who love the great outdoors, nature, wildlife, there's so much to offer. 

Day Four Juneau
Today we were in Juneau, and I went on a fascinating excursion to see the wales and an incredible glacier.  This is my second visit to Alaska by ship and the first time on a wale-watching adventure.  If you're a photographer...wow, what a great opportunity to take amazing photos of the wales.  As I am typing this someone just shouted "There's a Wale"!  Everyone in the Crows nest lounge ran to the port side of the ship to see the wale...funny!  I think I can feel the ship list a bit as people scramble to see the wale.  Anyways, back to my blog.  We took a small 50 foot boat out to a popular site where the humpback wales are known to swim around, and we were not dissappointed.  There were at least five wales spouting off and flipping their giant tale in the air as they dive.  Their blowhole shoots water into the air at the rate of about 300 miles an hour, kind of like when a person sneezes, it's the same thing with wales as they exhale.  Sorry I can't share any photos at the moment, but because of my laptop crash, I'll have to wait till I get home to post the numerous photos, I've taken in the last few days.  After our boat ride to see the wales, we went to Mendenhall Glacier and a nature walk where we did see a small bear.  It's really amazing to see people on these tours go so wild over seeing a wild animal. 

I post more about life onboard the Oosterdam later.  The food by the way has been glorious!

Akaska Cruise Oosterdam Day One

Day One - Arrival Day August 12^th Boarding the Oosterdam in Seattle

My flight got into Seattle at 8:30am so I took a cab to the pier to meet with a preresentive from the Port of Seattle for an interview.  It was a pleasure to speak with Jean Cox, she was very knowledgeable about the port and all the  things this particular port has to offer. After my meeting with Jean, I took a cab to the Undergroud tour.  Parts of Seattle burned and so many areas were built over the top of old Seattle.  So you can still see some of the old street, storefronts, and walkways under the city.  I’ve always wanted to see this tour, but haven’t had a chance. 

Boarding the Oosterdam was very quick.  I immediately went to my stateroom 5185 all the way at the back of the ship, to unpack. I hung up my shirts and put away my clothes, then kicked back a while in my room before it was time for boat drill at 3:30pm.  At 7pm we had a special party in the crows nest for the media people that are onboard.  It was good to meet some colleagues and meet a few new people.  I passed on dinner this evening because it was just too late after my early flight this morning.

Day TWO- at sea aboard the Oosterdam, August 13^th. 

Today we are at sea all day and the Oosterdam is plowing along like she’s on a mission.  I think we’re moving about 20 knots.  I wandered into the Vista Dining room for a late lunch.  I had a delicious chicken curry salad, a cheese seafood soup, and tilapia, everything was presented to perfection and tasted great!  Today was a very lazi day for me.  I didn’t do much other than walk around the ship. I took a nap.  I participated in a board room meeting about the daily programs.  Someone from corporate was onboard conducting this survey with only a handful of passengers.  I just stumbled into this one.  It was fun to offer my two cents as to the presentation of the daily programs.  The seas are a bit choppy today, and Oosterdam is showing off her ability to keep her momentum going.   Tonight is formal night so I need to put on the suit and tie.  This really sucks traveling alone, and hey it’s only the first full day.  I hope to skyp with Terri in a little bit.  Tomorrow we’re cruising all day again, through Tracy Arm, so there will be things to see.  

Queen Mary 2 - Two Famous Ocean Liners

Introducing the first episode in a series of six shows featuring the Queen Mary 2 during a trans-Atlantic crossing.  Two Famous Ocean Liners is the name of this exciting and informative series with your Host The Cruise Journalist, Barry Vaudrin. Stay in-touch and view all of our Queen Mary 2 content at www.thecruisejournalist.com

QM2 Crossing - Day 7

Disembarkation from QM2 in Southampton
My wife was very pleased about the fact that she did not have to pack our luggage the night before our arrival into Southampton and the end of our crossing, because our steward took-on that task for us.  The last night of a crossing is often filled with mixed emotions because of the reality that we must leave the womb and enter into the real world the following day.  We said our goodbyes to our newfound friends we made during this crossing, had a great dinner and  recognizing that we need to wake up earlier than usual the next morning, we went to bed at about 11:00pm.

When I woke up, we were just backing into our berth in Southampton andy the Ocean Cruise Terminal  46 and 47 just across from the dock that the Titanic departed from in 1912 at dock number 44 and 43.  It was rainy, but we were told it would clear-up as the day progressed.  We put our large piece of luggage outside our door before we went to bed.  We had pink luggage tags and Princess Grill passengers were asked to meet in the Chart Room at 8:30am for disembarkation.  We had a quick breakfast in the Princess Grill then headed down to the Chart Room.  I made a quick run around the ship to take a few last-minute pictures, then with great efficiency, it was announced in the Chart Room that we could proceed to the gangway.

I liked the new Ocean Cruise Terminal which was very efficient.  We easily found our large piece of luggage in the designated area, loaded all of our luggage onto one of the carts and proceeded to exit where the taxi's and buses were eagerly waiting.  It was a very short distance to the WhiteStar Tavern Hotel where we would stay for the next two nights, and I pondered the idea of walking, but it would have been a bit of a struggle and task to drag our luggage, so we took a taxi.

We made our way to the WhiteStar Tavern / Hotel, but as we expected, it was too early to check-in, however; the guest services person at the hotel was so kind to store our luggage while we went for a walk.  I don't want to go into details, but as my wife and I walked around the streets of Southampton we were a little discouraged by some personal issues.  We had a fantastic trans-Atlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2, but we were facing some issues back home that gave us some concern.  We walked to Ocean Village and found a little cafe to rest a while and stay warm, because it was a little chilly.  I looked past a line of people waiting to get on a boat that tours the port of Southampton and saw a cinema and decided to go check it out and see if there might be a movie we could watch while we wait for our room to be ready.  Terri waited in the cafe and I went to check out the cinema.  To make a long story short, there was a local church conducting a Sunday morning service in the cinema and so Terri and I went to church.  It was called Life Church Southampton, and they had an excellent guest speaker that morning.  It's amazing how God works, because both Terri and I felt so welcomed and our hearts were comforted, which was just what we needed at that very moment.

After meeting some very friendly people at Life Church Southampton, it was time to check-in at the WhiteStar Tavern / Hotel.  We checked-in, our luggage had already been placed in our room, so we kicked-back and relaxed a little in our boutique hotel room.  My wife was exhausted, so she took a nap while I wrote in my blog and loaded some more photos and video onto my computer.  Later that day, June 24th, I wanted to watch the QM2 depart Southampton on her next voyage, so we walked to the Ocean Cruise Terminal.  QM2's departure was delayed an hour so we waited around the dock for two hours.  When it was finally time for QM2's departure, What A Great Show it was to see that massive and graceful liner move away from the dock and head out to sea.      

QM2 Trans-Atlantic Crossing Day Six

This morning we spent about hour in the Canyon Ranch Spa to luxuriate in the Aqua Thermal pool, then to the steam room.  I had two interviews scheduled this morning, one with the Chef and then the Chief Engineer, all before noon.  After my interviews I took a few more pictures and went up to deck twelve to catch the ship’s whistle again on video.  When QM2 opens up her voice it’s thrilling to hear those powerful Whistles. 

Lunch was in Princess Grill and we enjoyed continued conversations with our tablemates, and of course fine dining.  It was a challenge for me in retrospect, to manage my time onboard…it seems we spent an awful amount of time in the restaurant eating and socializing…and I kept thinking I need to get this footage or that footage, or explore the ship more.  I was also regretful that I didn’t see as many shows because we were either in the restaurant or too tired.  Some of the shows start at 10:45pm and by that time we had both had a long day of creating video, taking pictures, exploring the ship, so we were tired and ready for sleep.  It doesn’t help our time management situation since our suite is so ridiculously comfortable. 

This afternoon we filmed in the Commodore Room that has fabulous views forward over the bow. It reminded me of the Observation Lounge on the original Queen Mary.  I couldn’t get enough of the ship’s library, in fact I found a few books I absolutely must get….Ted Scull’s books and Daniel Butler’s book Cunard Line’s history.   Also, “The Queen Mary The World’s Favourite Liner by David Ellery” was one of the best books on Queen Mary I have ever seen and I’m surprised I don’t have it in my own library of Queen Mary books.

I scheduled to meet a fellow passenger in the Chart Room at 6:00pm then a young man at 7:00pm.  What a great surprise it was to have this young man come up to me and said, hey are you Barry Vaudrin that makes the Youtube videos?  He said, it’s because of your videos you made on the Queen Mary that I’m here on this trans-Atlantic crossing right now.  Basically he heard that his grandmother crossed on the original Queen Mary and so he was searching for videos on Youtube and found my Cruising Authority videos featuring the Queen Mary. My videos inspired him to go see the original Queen Mary in Long Beach and that sparked an interest to cross the Atlantic on the QM2.

It was our final dinner in the Princess Grill and we enjoyed further discussions with our tablemates.  Actually, they were people at neighboring tables.  It was yet again a fabulous dinner.   When we returned to our suite, my wife had one less thing to worry about….our cabin steward packed our luggage for us.  We put our large piece of luggage outside of our door and went to bed.        

QM2 Trans-Atlantic - Day Five

I had no interviews today.  We went too Breakfast in Princess Grill then I did a lot of photos and video around the ship.  For lunch we did something special that I enjoyed very much, and we ate in the Britannia Restaurant.  Wow, I love that room, it’s so grand and reminiscent of the old liners with a beautiful use of wood veneers, lighting and décor.   I enjoyed another plate of Fish N Chips.

We had a leisurely afternoon, I did a little more video.  I spent time blogging and loading some of my content onto my computer.  We stopped in to watch the Royal Academy actors perform Made in Venice, and I must say their performance was superb. 

We walked around the ship a bit then spent some time in our suite.  We heard an announcement from the Captain that a water pipe broke and so all the cold and hot water throughout the ship had to be shut off while it was repaired. 

Dinner was in the Princess Grill and as usual was very satisfying, particularly for me because it was lobster and seafood night.   Waiting for my main entrée I decided to get up and walk around the ship outside a bit….I just couldn't let the beautiful evening at sea with the sunset go to waste.  I think I was gone about fifteen minutes and completely enjoyed my little walk.  After my little walk I was ready for my main entrée.  The dessert was incredible!  As we were leaving the Princess Grill a little girl ran past us as her mother was standing at the entrance calling to her…it turns out she was running into the wrong restaurant, she was suppose to be in the Queens Grill on the other side.  It also turns out that this was the wife and little girl of the Prince of Abu Dhabi.   

QM2 Crossing - Day Four

QM2 Trans-Atlantic Crossing – Day Four

We started out the day this morning in the Canyon Ranch Spa. For about two hours we enjoyed a very relaxing time of water therapy in the Aqua-Thermal Pool, the Steam room and then we just relaxed on a lounge chair.  It was an absolutely beautiful and sunny day, not typical North Atlantic weather, so Terri and I spent some time on deck.  I made a visit to the dog kennels on deck 12 and watched the owners and their dogs play on their own deck space.  I think there are six dogs and six cats on this crossing.  Next on the agenda was lunch in the Princess Grill, which has been an exquisite experience.

I had an interview with the Production Manager today at 4:30 then at 5:30 I spent some time on the bridge of QM2 where I took a few pictures and made a short video.  After our visit to the bridge, I worked on more video content…this will be fun for those watching my videos, but I had a steward wheel me in a wheel chair as I held my video camera, all the way around Deck 7, which is where the boats and wrap-around open deck are located.  I think four times around this deck equals one mile.  It took the steward about four and half minutes to make the full circuit around Deck seven.  What I’ll do in my video is speed-up the film so the circumnavigation around Deck Seven can be experienced in about sixty seconds.

I then had some urgent business matters to attend to regarding Cruising Authority and some paper-work that I needed to email.  I asked for the assistance of our Concierge who was very helpful with several important emails and documents that needed to be sent immediately.  All of this business activity set me back about an hour, so we were a little late for dinner in the Princess Grill.   A very convenient element to dining in the Grills is that there is no first or second seating, each Grill passenger is assigned a table for the duration of the crossing, so there’s no rush to get in and out of the restaurant in time.  We have enjoyed the discussions among our neighboring tables and getting to know our fellow travelers.  After Dinner, Terri and I wandered through the ship. We sat for a while in the Queens Room to watch the dancers.   It was fun to watch the Dance Hosts seek out various female passengers for a dance to the big band orchestra.  The Queens Room is truly one of the most beautiful rooms afloat, and I think it still holds the title as having the largest dance-floor at sea.    

QM2 Crossing Day Three

Day Three onboard QM2 in Mid-Atlantic

This morning we decided to have breakfast in Princess Grill.  I had the Eggs Benedict which is one of my favorite morning-time meals.  I also had a bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar.  My wife had an egg over-easy and bacon, along with her Sweet Tea.  One of our first evenings dining in Princess Grill I told the head waiter about the tea my wife prefers, and he said he would make for her a special brew just for her.  He has done a fantastic job creating my wife’s favorite drink…Sweet Tea, which is kind of a southern thing. 

After breakfast I had my first round of interviews with the Ship’s Hostess and the Entertainment Director.  Both interviews went fine and in a timely manner.  Next on the agenda for us was a special treatment in the Canyon Ranch Spas called the Rasul Ceremony.  It’s an ancient asian ritual where a man and a woman couple will spread exotic mud on each other, then sit in a steam bath, and finally rinse off the mud with a gentle rain or shower. In our Rasul Ceremony in the Canyon Ranch Spa, they had five different kinds of exotic mud in little dishes for us to use.  One was for the face, then another for the chest, arms, belly, and legs.  The idea is that the exotic mud detoxifies the body, and purifies the skin; It’s a fascinating experience for couples.  After our Rasul experience we hung out in the Aqua pool and sat in the steam room.  I’m a huge fan of steaming, and the steam room on QM2 is very nice, but I’m not a fan of the strongly scented eucalyptus oil that’s sprayed into the steam.  Some really like how the smell opens up the sinuses, but I prefer the pure and clean element of steam only.  Terri enjoyed the steam.  I told her it would make her skin feel better as the toxins come out, and you can loose a little bit of water weight by steaming. After our Spa experience we made our way up to Deck 11 aft and sat in the outdoor hot tub in an area reserved for Grill passengers.   

I still have not conducted any personal commentary as I want to do, but I still have some time to do that.  We ate lunch today in the Golden Lion Pub, and had their famous fish & chips, which was wonderful!  You need to ask for the malt, so if you’re on the QM2 and order the fish & chips, be sure to ask for some malt to go with the fish.  We went through immigration today which was extremely speedy, it took us about two minutes, then we were off to explore the ship a bit.

Today I also had an interview with Captain Christopher Wells, and surprised my wife with something very special.  After my interview with the Captain I made secret arrangements to renew my marriage vows with Terri, my wife of 15 years.  It was of course an enormous honor to have the Captain of the Queen Mary 2 conduct the renewal of our wedding vows.  For those who wish to marry onboard the Queen Mary it is now possible after a change in the ship’s registry from Southampton to Hamilton, Bermuda.  My wife was completely surprised when the Captain began to conduct this very special ceremony.  We have an official certificate signed by the Captain.   Our adventures on this Queen Mary 2 trans-Atlantic crossing continue!  Tonight we plan to dine in the Todd English Restaurant.     

QM2 Crossing Day Two

Day Two at Sea Trans-Atlantic Crossing – QM2

Our first full day at sea was very relaxing, in fact too relaxing, considering I was too relaxed to write anything or even take many pictures or video.  I haven’t had any interviews yet, however; tomorrow afternoon at 4pm, our third day, Terri and I will be meeting with the Captain for an interview.  Today, our second day at sea again has been very relaxing especially since we started our day with breakfast in our suite then we went to the Canyon Ranch spa for some “water therapy” as I call it.  Canyon Ranch has many wonderful services and treatments, but both Terri and I enjoy the large thermal bath with several different types of bubbly delight; one is a curved stainless steel bench just below the surface that you can lay on and relax every muscle in your body and seemingly float on bubbles. The next bubbly accent is a round area in the middle of the pool that has a surge of bubbles creating somewhat of a current that you can nearly swim against if you choose, or you can enter inside the semi-submersed circular rim and experience kind of a weightlessness as the bubbles lift you up.  Next, there are two large water nozzles pointed into the pool with a steady thick stream of water jetting into the pool…now when you stand under this thick stream of water, the force of the jetting water is like a deep tissue massage.  Finally, there is a waterfall you can stand under; the water comes out of a ceiling chamber and rains into the pool, so you can get refreshed under a waterfall-like experience.  It’s all very relaxing, particularly with the soothing lighting on the ceiling and sounds of the waterfall.  The thermal pool is warm water so it’s like a giant, but fancy, hot tub or water-zone for adults. 

Today the QM2 is passing through some fog, which is typical for this part of the Atlantic.  In the days of the older liners, fog was slightly more precarious because they didn’t have the satellite navigation and all the high-tech gear the QM2 has today, but it is still a weather condition that worries captains.  As a precaution, QM2 sounds her foghorn every two minutes or so, as we continue on at about 21 knots.  My wife decided to take a nap, and we have left our balcony door open so we can hear the gentle sounds of the QM2 making her way through the sea…I’ll never tire of hearing that sound.  There’s also a fascinating “wind” sound as the pressure from the corridors and our open balcony door force air under the door creating this unique sound.  We are not the only passengers with their balcony door open, because I can hear this whisking wind sound as I walk through the corridors.

Today we have officially passed over the exact spot the Titanic sunk one hundred years ago.  It’s amazing the advancements in society and technology at sea since 1912, sometimes I think we have come so far, but in many ways the culture aboard an Atlantic liner remains the same.  Titanic was an incredible ship in her day one hundred years ago, but the QM2 is four times larger than Titanic and of course far more comfortable and technologically advanced.

I still hope to produce some content for the video series I’m putting together.  It stresses me out a little that we are now on our second day at sea and I haven’t really produced much video or photo content.  I have also gone to bed far too early, simply because I was just too tired to continue on.  As I type this, my wife is in bed sleeping or napping, at 4:14pm.  I think over the years she has been sleep deprived so she’s taking advantage of the restful and relaxing environment here on the QM2.  I should mention something about our dining experience onboard so far.  We have the privilege of dinning in the Princess Grill Restaurant which is considered to be the finest dining at sea, just under the Queens Grill, but I don’t think there is too much difference between the two Grills.  Both my wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed the dining experience in Princess Grill.   I have noticed something that is different from the days when I worked on QE2 and of course the days of the original Queen Mary, and I don’t want to sound like I’m making a racial statement here, but nearly the entire waiter staff is from India, and sometimes because of heavy Indian accents, it’s tough to communicate.  My wife and I discussed this while we were dining, because it’s an interesting observation.  My thoughts are that we are on a British ship, or registered in Hamilton, Bermuda, and Cunard Line has such a strong British heritage, yet it seems we are dining in an Indian restaurant at times.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love Indian food, I’ve been to India; my observation is simply that the best of the best in the Grills seems to carry more of an Indian culture rather than the classic British experience.  The menu items have also been influenced by the Indian culture, with many entrées that are Indian specialties.

QM2 Crossing Day One

(Written at Sea in the Atlantic, about Queen Mary 2)
We had a nice flight from Minneapolis to New York on Saturday, June 16th, and upon arriving at Kennedy Airport, I called for our driver and we were picked up by private limo and taken to our hotel for the evening at the Hilton New York.  After checking-in to our hotel room, we set out to find some dinner and walk around New York a bit.  Oddly enough, out of the numerous times I have been to New York, I had never ventured into Central Park, so we made a special effort to walk into this amazing oasis of trees and rocks smack in the middle of an incredibly busy city.  While looking for someplace to eat, we came across a Todd English restaurant next to The Plaza.  Todd English is a chef that has certainly made his mark over the years.  Both Terri and I had met him and I recently had Todd English on my talk show, Cruising Authority.  Additionally, Todd English has a restaurant onboard the Queen Mary 2.  This restaurant in New York, however; was very eclectic with numerous food stations and many different styles of foods like an Italian area, deli, and some others.  It was a little confusing walking around this restaurant, but we were finally seated and ordered something simple, a baked Mac & Cheese with pork.

Our next stop was Times Square.  Even at 9:00pm this spot in New York is lit-up brighter than anything we've seen in Las Vegas with giant digital billboards and signs.  There were some Chinese protestors chanting and singing against the human rights issues in China.  We made a visit to the Hershey store fro some chocolate and then headed back to the Hilton.

Ok, June 17th happened to be Father's Day, and what an incredible day it was as we had some breakfast in the hotel and then boarded the bus for our embarkation on Queen Mary 2.  As we went over one of the bridges to Brooklyn, we got our first glimpse of the graceful QM2 waiting for our arrival.  Everyone in the bus got very excited when they saw the ship for the first time.  It really is something special when you see this ship in-person for the first time.  Photos do not do justice, because the QM2 has that bigger-than-life appearance to her. I was excited too, although this was not the first time I saw the ship, I couldn't help but smile, knowing that my wife and I were about to embark on a classic trans-Atlantic voyage about a regal ship, the Queen Mary 2.  Seeing this ship has certain meaning to different people, but for me, for my entire adult life and much of my childhood, I have studied the history of the original Queen Mary which is now permanently docked in Long Beach, California, and I have followed the QM2's design, construction and launch eight years ago, so for me this ship has enormous meaning.

We went through security and were routed into a special VIP line for Grill passengers.  The QM2 is one of the few ships in the world today that maintains somewhat of a "class" system.  The "class" is determined by which dinning room you eat in and there are three basic choices; The Britannia Restaurant, Princess Grill and Queens Grill.  The Britannia Restaurant is where the majority of passengers dine, weather in first or second seating.  I love the decor of this restaurant because it is such a regal and elegant room harkening back to the days of the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.  Then their are the Grill Restaurants which only have one seating, and cater to a very upscale demographic.  For the quintessential luxury experience, by far the Grills accommodations and dinning offer the finest at sea.  My wife gasped as we entered our suite and saw the basket of fruit and chocolate dipped strawberries, not to mention the beautiful room that we will call home for the next seven days.  Our room, number 10032, has a bathroom with a tub, a walk-in closet, a mini-bar area, vanity and desk, a large Queen-size bed and sitting area and a large private veranda.  It's a very comfortable room, and we are looking forward to relaxing in this suite all week.

Our departure from New York was beautiful, the weather was perfect and at about 5:45pm we pulled away from the Brooklyn dock and headed out into the Hudson.  I took many pictures as we passed under the Verrazano Bridge, then we changed our clothes and went to dinner in the Princess Grill.  Our first night onboard QM2 was picture perfect.  I was a little tired because of all the anticipation of boarding this great ship.  After dinner we walked around a bit and called it a night.

Preparing for Two Famous Ocean Liners

Time is certainly clicking along and tomorrow my wife (Co-Host) and I depart for New York.  Last night, Lugless (FedX) picked-up our large piece of luggage and will deliver it directly to our hotel in New York.  This is such a fantastic way to travel, eliminating checked-bag fees at the airline, and dragging around a heavy piece of luggage through the airport. http://www.lugless.com/  This is an incredibly convenient service and for those who travel, contact Lugless and investigate for yourself how great this service is.

Today, (Friday) I will be busy making sure all my batteries for all my devices are charged and that I have all my cords and chargers and memory cards.  I'm also going to put all of the paper-work related to this trip in a file and pack it.  Last night I picked-up my Father-in-Law who will be staying with our son, Jacob, while we are gone.  I'm also going to get started with sales-calls regarding my Alaska cruise in August aboard the Oosterdam with Holland America Line.  Today, I'll also pack my carry-on.  For this trip, I'm not bringing my briefcase, because it's broken, so everything is going to be packed in my carry-on.  Today, I'll also work on my scripts and outline for my shooting schedule.

There is a lot to do when preparing for a trip like this.  It's a little different when a passenger is preparing for a crossing like this, as opposed to a Cruise Journalist.  Not that your usual passenger doesn't have a lot to do, along with some pre-vacation anxiety, as a Journalist pile onto of that all of the usual packing, planing and anxiety, but also the numerous variables related to filming, scripts, onboard interview schedules, time management while on the cruise and so much more.  Then after the cruise that's when I get very busy with editing hours of content into short, entertaining segments.      

Preparing for Queen Mary 2 Trans-Atlantic Crossing

I'm in the process of introducing somewhat of a new brand under Cruising Authority called The Cruise Journalist, and this series of programing onboard the Queen Mary 2 will be the first integration of this new brand.  I've also put a lot of thought into what I'm going to call this series of videos filmed aboard the Queen Mary 2 during a trans-Atlantic crossing.  A possible title is "Two Famous Ocean Liners".

This Queen Mary 2 crossing will be the culmination of effort that has been in-motion for at least three years.  Now we are only a few days from our departure out of Brooklyn & New York.  Queen Mary 2 departs Brooklyn on June 17th which is Father's Day!  What an incredible Father's Day that will be for me!  I am also preparing to do all I can to make this voyage a very relaxing and enjoyable experience for my wife Terri.

There are still some loose-ends to the final preparations for this crossing.  It's very tiring sometimes as I try to pull the massive-level of details together right up to the last couple of days prior to departure.  Some of those last-minute details include the completion of scripts for the six-episode video series, fine-tuning the arrangements with all the brands involved, packing, preparing the cameras and laptop computer and making sure I have enough computer and camera memory.  I've also been collecting data and historical information.  It makes my head spin to think of all the details involved with planning an epic trip like this, but more importantly planning for a successful media campaign that our current and potential audience will enjoy.

Subscribe to this blog because I will be updating and posting here during the crossing on QM2.  

January 13th (at Sea aboard Brilliance of the Seas)

Have I mentioned how much I love sea days? I have tried to relax a little on this sea day, however; Mr. Diggle and I did a few video shoots today, and I’m planning to do more as the sun begins to go down. Today we past through the straight between Iran and UAE, a distance of only 34 miles separates the two countries. There is a lot of political unrest in recent days with Iran, so it’s somewhat fascinating to consider we are so close to this tension in the Middle East, enjoying all the fine dining and luxuries a cruise ship like the Brilliance of the Seas has to offer. Tomorrow morning we dock in Abu Dhabi and it looks like we will be participating in a city tour. The adventure continues when we get back to Dubai, and film the spectacular Burj Al Arab hotel, arguably considered the world’s most luxurious hotel. Then, tentatively we have plans to visit the QE2. Finally after disembarking from the cruise on the 16^th, we have reservations to stay in a two-bedroom suite at Burj Al Arab.

January 14^th (Abu Dhabi UAE)

This morning we arrived at Abu Dhabi, which was a very large city…I thought we were arriving back into Dubai. I’ve been told that Abu Dhabi has more money than Dubai, so the construction happening there is tremendous. It reminded me of China, where it seems there is also a massive phase of new buildings being built. Like China, the new large buildings are often very unique in design, pushing the boundaries of architectural and aesthetic genius. Today we participated in a shore excursion to see the incredible mosque, completed in 2007 and built entirely out of marble with inlaid mother of pearl. The massive interior structure includes one of the largest carpets in the world and the largest chandelier. It is a place of worship for Muslims from around the world, with rooms divided for men and women. Any female visitor or tourist must put on a black robe and cover their head in order to enter the mosque. No shoes are worn inside the structure. This mosque was the dream of a local sheikh ruler, who designed the structure, but died shortly before construction was complete. It took ten years to build the mosque and is larger than the Taj Mahal in India. This excursion was truly fascinating and our guide was very knowledgeable. The excursion also made a stop at the mall in Abu Dhabi and we saw the presidential palace and some other interesting sights. I enjoy going to the mall in Muscat Oman, and I must mention that it was fun for me to walk through the malls in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which are very modern. One particular mall in Dubai for example is larger than the Mall of America back in my hometown of Bloomington, Minnesota.

We departed Abu Dhabi to another amazing sunset in the Arabian Desert. I was up on deck when the sun came up today, and then watched from the deck as the sun went down. The temperatures during the day on this cruise has averaged about 78-80 degrees and sunny, which is very comfortable, however; at night when the sun goes down it can get a little cool, relatively speaking, to about 65 degrees. I say “relatively speaking” because I come from Minnesota where in the winter months, temperatures can easily reach -30 to -50 degrees below zero, incredibly cold temperatures that many who live in places like Florida or Dubai can’t even imagine.

January 15^th, Dubai UAE

This morning we arrived again into Dubai. I was up early in the morning watching as we approached Dubai with the amazing city lights blazing. I could see in the distance the Burj Al Arab hotel where we will be staying the evening of the 16^th. Today, however; the Brilliance of the Seas is our floating hotel in Dubai, because we stay one more night aboard this beautiful Royal Caribbean ship before officially disembarking the ship in the morning on the 16^th. We have a very busy day planned today in Dubai. On the schedule is to visit Burj Al Arab and conduct our official tour of the hotel and produce our video content. Our appointment was at 8:30am however; our limo driver thought we just wanted to “see” the Burj Al Arab hotel, and he didn’t realize we had an official appointment to enter the hotel complex, which is gated and exclusively accessible to only hotel guests, so we were a little late and arrived at about 9am. Featuring the Burj Al Arab hotel in my video series was very challenging, because the hotel is very cautious and protective about any media content produced about their facility and require in advance our script and video shooting locations. Rather than try and “loosly” follow a script like I usually do, I had very limited time to get the shots done, so I tried something different and used my MacBook Pro as a teleprompter to make sure I get the shot done right with only one take. We shot video in the lobby, in one of the suites, and in the restaurant perched high up near the top of the building. I was instructed to not include any employees or guests from the hotel in any of my shots. The extravagance and opulence of Burj Al Arab is over the top and impressive. Doug and I were impressed with every detail this spectacular hotel, and our heads were spinning at the thought that tomorrow we will be checking-in as guests of this palatial and exclusive hotel. After a successful few hours of shooting video and taking pictures, our stretched, black, Chysler 300 limo was waiting for us at the entrance to the Burj Al Arab hotel, among a few other impressive vehicles like the latest Ferrari, several Rolls Royce Phantoms and a Seven-series BMW. Our next appointment was with the PR representative for the QE2 in an office at the Burj Kalifa which is the world’s tallest building down town Dubai. She had asked me to call when I was on my way, so I did, and when I reached her while we were enroute, she told me she couldn’t meet with me as planned, however; she would send our names to the QE2’s gangway so we could board the ship. With our sleight change of plans we had some time to meet with the owner of the Dubai Exotic Limo company at his request. We were thrilled to meet with Mr. Izzat Rustom, the owner of this fine limo company.

Our meeting with Mr. Rustom went well and we learned more about his company and his vision for futher development of not only a luxury limo service, but also yacht charters and luxury condominiums and escorted tours. As we talked with Mr. Rustom, we decided to take a few pictures of his stretched limos in front of the QE2. Mr. Rustom got on his iPhone and instructed all his drivers to meet at the QE2’s location for a photo shoot. As a photographer, I’ve specialized in professional portraits and of course love taking pictures of cruise ships, but this was a new one for me to take portraits of a fleet of eight stretched limos. We tried arranging the cars in a couple different positions, but capturing the length of all these cars together was a challenge. If I were to get the best possible shot, I was going to need a ladder to be positioned higher to capture the depth and length of this fleet of stretched vehicles. There was no ladder in sight, however; I did notice a few workers hanging out as we took pictures of these cars. I thought the workers were from the cargo ship docked nearby and talked with them briefly to discover they were actually responsible for a large truck with a crane built into it. I asked them, matter of fact, if we could use their truck to get a better picture, and they were thrilled to be able to help. So now I had something better than a ladder, I coordinated a crane to be moved into position to achieve the best possible photo of the limos with the famous QE2 as a backdrop. After sketching out on paper what I thought would be the perfect position for these limos, the work began to direct eight limo drivers to park their vehicles at the perfect angle to get the best portrait of this fleet of luxury cars. It was an epic event. All the drivers, the owner, Mr. Rustom and my colleague, Doug, were thrilled at this unique opportunity to produce such a great promotional photo, which I’m happy to say the picture turned out great!

Sadly, our appointment to board the QE2, even after many emails and phone calls, did not turn out as planned. I had planned to feature the QE2 on my talk show for my viewers and listeners, but without going into detail and because of a breakdown in communication, access to QE2 was not going to happen. You can imagine my disappointment after coming all this way around the world to re-visit this iconic ocean liner, and then not being able to board the ship. The last time I boarded the QE2 was in 1993 while she was in San Pedro, California, not too long after I had worked onboard the ship as Stage Manager. Regardless of my disappointment, however; I was thrilled at the chance to see the ship again, even if it was to gaze up at her from the dock.

It was a very successful day, packed with great memories, lots of photos and video, but now it was time to get back onboard our floating hotel for the evening, Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, and rest. I was tired after today, because I put so much energy into the videos and photos at the hotel and of the limos. After dinner onboard the Brilliance of the Seas, Mr. Izzat Rustom, invited us to meet with him downtown Dubai, and he sent our limo driver to pick us up. I was ready to call it a night, because I was very tired, but I thought it was important to meet with Mr. Rustom in a more casual and relaxed, unofficial visit. Izzat was a wonderful host! It was great to spend some time with him socially and see the city of Dubai at night. The nightlife in Dubai is very international and upscale with residents and tourists from all over the world. The scene near the base of the tallest building in the world has a large man-made lake, with a spectacular dancing water show that rivals Las Vegas, and a giant mall with upscale restaurants and a delightful promenade, with palm trees light-up with twinkling lights….it reminded me of Fashion Island in Newport Beach or Rodeo Drive in California.

January 16^th Dubai UAE

This morning we packed our bags and had a little breakfast before disembarking the Brilliance of the Seas. We were among the last passengers to leave the ship, made our way to the pier and waited out front for our beautiful, black, stretched limo to pick us up and transport us to the dreamy Burj Al Arab hotel, arguably, the world’s most luxurious hotel. We had a taste of what to expect yesterday during our video shoot, but this time we arrived as guests of the hotel. Special doormen who opened our limo doors, assembled our luggage and escorted us to the front revolving door of the hotel. We said goodbye to our limo driver and entered the hotel. There was a line of hosts waiting for us in the lobby, one offered us a cool scented towel, the next offered us a delicious and sweet date, and finally we were given a sample of Arabian hot coffee. A young woman greeted us, and escorted us to our suite on the 12th floor. It was as if we were the only guests arriving that day with servants scrambling to carry our bags and practically carry us to our suite in a cloud of luxury. Both Doug and I just looked at each other in amazement upon entering our two-bedroom suite which was nearly identical to the one we photographed yesterday. After the young woman Concierge showed us our suite and how to use some of the electronic features, she introduced us to our private butler who was there to take care of any further needs we may have during our stay.

It was at this moment I wish my wife, Terri, could be there with me. Without question, this was the most luxurious, extravagant hotel room I have ever had the privilege of experiencing. The 335 square metres two-bedroom, two floor suite was made for royalty, and for the day, we lived like royalty. The lower-level of our suite had a large lounge area, dining table for six, a smaller lounge, a kitchen with a separate entrance for the butler. There was a small office, which included a computer, printer, stationary and everything you would need in an office. The upper-level of our suite had two bedrooms, one with a large twin bed and a master bedroom with a king-size bed. Each bedroom had it’s own separate bathroom facility that was equally luxurious, and stocked with full-size Hermes bathroom products. The large floor to ceiling windows looked out at the famous Palm Island. Doug and I sat in the living room and just started to laugh in amazement at how fortunate we were to be there in such luxurious accommodations. Doug had never experienced what it was like to have a butler at our service, and wasn’t sure what a butler did, so I gave him a demonstration and asked the butler to draw me a hot bath in the master bedroom’s bathroom. It’s a large tub with jets to soothe the muscles, which I needed after the past week of scrambling to get photos and video. Doug went to the pool and explored the hotel, while I slipped into the hot bath with sea-salts added to the churning water. After my hot bath, I put on a luxurious cloth rope and slippers, opened-up my laptop and went online to check my emails. I wanted to take a nap, but how could I justify wasting the time sleeping when I have such a short stay in this luxurious suite. Unfortunately, my flight out of Dubai was at 1:45am that night, so I had to leave the hotel at about 11pm to get to the airport. What a shame I couldn’t experience the comfort of sleeping in that king-size bed with a mirror on the ceiling. I did, however; take the time to visit the spa in the hotel, which had an awesome steam room and sauna and a spa attendant to give us cold bottled water or a cool scented towel.

Our brief stay at Burj Al Arab was a treat that will be difficult to top. I look forward to editing my video footage of the hotel and the whole Dubai cruise experience. We certainly experienced the rich life on a luxury cruise with Royal Caribbean, stretched limo transportation throughout our visit to Dubai and accommodations at the world’s most luxurious hotel, Burj Al Arab. I take back with me on the long journey home, fantastic memories of the cruise aboard the Brilliance of the Seas, lots of video and photos and Burj Al Arab. It was a successful trip, and I think my travel colleague, Doug, also thoroughly enjoyed the experience.