I've been cruising since I was a small child, and I'm not sure if I experienced a single cruise where I didn't return to my stateroom at some point to find a towel folded into the shape of some animal.  It might be a monkey hanging from the ceiling, or a swan sitting on the bed - but on my next NCL cruise it may take a new shape: that of a folded towel...

So often when traveling, I go out of my way to avoid the touristy spots – especially when it’s a place I’ve been to many times.  Today however was a nice reminder for us that often, the touristy spots are popular because they have something nice to offer.  We enjoyed some beach time, good conversation, ran errands, and a great performance once back on the ship, on our second from last day on Holland America Line’s Niuew Statendam...

Ocho Rios is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Jamaica, the third largest island in the Caribbean.  We spent the day enjoying the peaceful scenery from a raft while learning about the island Nation, on this, our fourth day on Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam...

On the first full day of our cruise we visited Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line’s private destination in The Bahamas.  We took it easy and enjoyed what I truly feel is one of the prettiest beaches in the Caribbean...

Recently we had a chance to tour Carnival Conquest in Port Everglades and were rather surprised to experience a ship that is very different than any other we've been on.  We'll share some of what stood out on Carnival Conquest, along with a number of pictures and video so you can get a feel for the ship's unique look.  At the end we'll offer up our take and even talk about who we think might really appreciate Carnival Conquest...