Julie Sambuco

Sometimes, it’s all about spending meaningful time together. When we planned a cruise with Rose, my wonderful 91-year-old mother-in-law, our priority was her. The destinations were secondary — the cruise line, however, was paramount. We chose Regent Seven Seas and their newest ship, Grandeur. It was perfect! (November 2024, 7 days, Miami to Miami, Western Caribbean)

Avalon Waterways is an award winning luxury river cruise provider, and after traveling nine days on the Balkan Discovery Itinerary from Budapest to Bucharest, I understand why. The ship is immaculate, the staff are incredibly accommodating and the excursions are truly immersive.

Eighteen nights on Regent Seven Seas Cruise (RSSC) in March of 2024, plus pre- and post-trip accommodations in New Zealand, Bali, Sentosa and Singapore resulted in a "bucket list" trip that is hard to imagine. From beginning to end, this was a five-star experience, and I hope the following overview helps you decide if this trip is right for you.

When the ship becomes part of the destination, you are bound to have an amazing trip. That is what happened when we booked a cruise with the sole criteria that it be March 2023 and in and out of the port of Miami. The sailing that met our criteria was a Caribbean sailing on the Regent Seven Seas (RSS) ship, Splendor. Although we had just done a similar sailing on another cruise line, and would repeat some of the ports of call, it was to be our first RSS cruise, so we decided to give it a try.

Crystal is back! For more than three decades Crystal has been an award-winning cruise line known for its exceptional service. In 2022, the Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group acquired the Crystal brand and relaunched Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. It was my pleasure to sail on back-to-back cruises, for 14 nights, on Crystal Symphony in May/June of 2023. A&K kept many of the Crystal staff, so it felt like an old home week. Old guests hugged room attendants and wait staff that they had not seen since before the pandemic.