WE DID IT AGAIN!!--WE WERE RECENTLY HONORED WITH NATIONAL PRESS CLUB AWARDS FOR OUR CRUISE COVERAGE

I am pleased to announce that my husband Tony and I have been honored again this year by the San Diego Press Club for our work on USATODAY and 10Best.com in the national 2023 Press Club Excellence in Journalism award competition. This nationwide competition honors the best of the best in travel journalism and we are thankful for this recognition of our efforts to bring original photos and first-hand narrative to our readers.

Come Aboard the Seabourn Venture on its Epic Cruise through Antarctica

Words can’t describe what your eyes will see on this epic voyage through the Patagonia Ice Fields as you make your way to the frozen wonders of Antarctica. Every day is a new adventure, which you can choose to enjoy from the comfort of your luxury cabin, or trekking through trails in search of penguin colonies, shipwrecks, waterfalls, and incredible natural wonders.

Photo credit: Joanne DiBona

On board Holland America’s Noordam, you can visit the CITY OF MURALS IN CHRISTCHURCH, NZ

Our Holland America cruise from Sydney, Australia to New Zealand brought us to so many fascinating destinations along the way. One of our most interesting ports of call was the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The central city is filled with cutting-edge architecture, truly amazing street art, a not-to-be-missed botanical garden, a lovely river walk, thermal pools, great shopping, a free trolley through the historic city, and so much more!

Photo credit: Tony DiBona. This red brick mural, created by local artist Rone, is one of the most famous in Christchurch, the City of Murals.

Art and Wine Onboard the Classic Holland America Noordam

Stepping aboard the Holland America Noordam is like stepping back in time—with all the modern amenities.

In addition to fine dining, first-rate entertainment, extensive onboard activities, luxurious accommodations and premier service, a cruise on the Noordam will definitely remain in your travel memories long after you return home.

The ship’s smaller size, with under 2,000 passengers, definitely allows you to meet with fellow travelers from around the world in intimate settings to enhance your cruise experience.

Our first impression a few days onboard was the proliferation of museum-quality art work that was featured on all areas of the ship. As veteran cruise journalists, we must admit this was a lovely invitation to relax and soak in the art, both modern and centuries-old, as we walked down the passageways and stairwells of the ship.

Enjoy some of the photos of the exquisite works of art we discovered on board the Holland America Noordam. If you have the opportunity to sail on this classic ship, make sure to taste some of the exquisite wines as described below.

Cheers to art and wine!

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE INTRODUCES LEGENDARY VOYAGES IN CELEBRATION OF ITS 150-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

If you think months-long cruises are something out of yesteryear, think again.

The Holland America Noordam, New Zealand photo credit: Joanne DiBona

In these days of telecommuting and the swift decline of physical offices, workers can now choose any remote location to take care of business—while seeing the beauty of this world at the same time.

And what better way to do so than to do so than on a luxurious Holland-America ship, which boasts many amenities— including super-fast internet— to ensure that you stay connected no matter where in the world you are.

With over 150 years of sailing to the seven continents and through five oceans and 50 seas, Holland America Line is globally renowned as an expert in long voyages. The Legendary Voyages program features extended 25– to 59–day voyages that bring guests to fascinating ports around the world. Imagine taking care of business on the high seas, and then, on your days off, enjoying visits to top ports such as Reykjavík, Iceland; Tokyo, Japan; and Papeete, Fiji, to name just a few of the many destinations Holland America offers.

I was just finishing up a travel article during my cruise on the Noordam when I looked out my balcony window and saw this magnificent view of the Sydney Opera House and skyline:

Oh, and did I mention life on board is like being in a luxury floating hotel? You’ll savor exquisite cuisine at a wide variety of dining venues, access to exercise facilities, and (after you put your assignments to bed) a selection of top-notch live entertainment. Several beverage packages are available for purchase which will give you the choice of a variety of beverages that include specialty coffees and teas to fine wines and cocktails, in addition to a long list of other options, throughout your trip.

For more information and details, check out the website at hollandamerica.com and start thinking about your new office while sailing the world!

EXPLORE THE AMAZING MURALS OF CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

In what has to be one of the most amazing array of street art we have ever experienced in our travels, we were overwhelmed by our tour of Christchurch, New Zealand, part of our shore excursion onboard the Holland America Noordam that took us from Sydney, Australia to various New Zealand destinations.

Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, enjoy our recent USATODAY10BEST article that will take you on a virtual tour of the stunning murals, as well as other scenes of Christchurch that we were privileged to see as part of this exceptional cruise.

photo credit: Joanne & Tony DiBona

Holland America Line Invites You to "SEE THE WORLD FROM YOUR DOORSTEP"

Cruising is finally making a come-back, to the delight of all of us cruise aficionados who find it one of the most luxurious and care-free ways to travel. Unpack once, wine and dine to your delight, and watch the beauty of the world roll by from your stateroom, outside deck or any number of scenic venues on board your ship.

While the actual cruise voyage represents the height of relaxation, getting to your port-of-call on time is another matter. With flight cancellations and delays at all-time highs, the thought of “missing the boat” is always lurking in the minds of potential cruisers.

And rightly so.

Any one of many factors can be responsible for delaying your arrival at your port-of-call, and you can’t avert them all without factoring in a pre-cruise stay of several days, which can add significant expense to your vacation budget.

In addition, the loss of luggage on airlines also seems to be at an all-time high, so if you are not “carry-on” travelers--which we are after years of travel experience--be aware that you may make your cruise connection, but your luggage might not!

Case in point: On a recent river cruise through France, we commiserated with a couple whose luggage was lost somewhere in the mid-West and never showed up in Paris for their cruise. They ended up buying T-shirts at the local market, and washing out the clothing they initially traveled in each night to wear each day of the week’s voyage!

So it wasn’t a surprise to learn about Holland America Line’s new “See the World from Your Doorstep” campaign. Those who want to avoid a long-haul flight can sail roundtrip from Boston, Fort Lauderdale, San Diego or Seattle with Holland America Line. The brand has more cruises over 15 nights roundtrip from these U.S. ports to destinations around the world than any other cruise line, visiting 225 ports in 91 countries.

Holland America’s Koenigsdam docked in the Port of San Diego

photo credit: Holland America

A recent survey by Cruise Critic found 82% of U.S.-based respondents would prefer to book an international cruise that sails from a domestic port than to fly to an international port. Holland America Line offers four Grand Voyages, all roundtrip from the U.S, for travelers who want to circle the world or explore Africa, South America or Australia.

Month long cruises include a roundtrip itinerary from San Diego visiting Hawaii, Tahiti and Marquesas, or a roundtrip departure from Boston visiting Greenland, Iceland, Norway and the British Isles.

In addition to extended voyages, Holland America Line also offers vacations 15 nights or less to popular locales like the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Canada, Alaska and Mexico roundtrip from a U.S. departure port and from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

 We’re looking forward to sailing out of our home port San Diego on a Holland-America cruise soon. Just a 15-minute ride from home to the Port of San Diego, we’ll launch off to experience the wonders of the world. Can’t ask for a better deal!

For more information about Holland America Line, call SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.

Holland America Cruise Line's Entire Fleet is Now Sailing, operating 240+ Cruises in the Past Year

Holland America Line's guests and team members celebrated an important milestone recently, marking one full year of a return to sailing after the cruise industry pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nieuw Amsterdam was the line's first ship back, resuming cruising July 24, 2021, in Seattle, Washington. The ship reached the one-year mark while in port in Whitter, Alaska.

Over the past year, Holland America Line's 10 remaining ships restarted in a variety of destinations as ports opened to visitors. In addition to Alaska, the brand has resumed travel to Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mediterranean, Mexico, Northern Europe, Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South Pacific. Before the end of the year, the ships will return to Australia/New Zealand and South America/Antarctica.

The highly anticipated 71-day Grand Africa Voyage sets sail in October 2022, while the 128-day Grand World and 74-day Grand South America and Antarctica voyages depart in January 2023; Asia itineraries will resume in February 2023.

Fun Facts and Figures Since the Return to Service in July 2021:

• Cruises sailed: 242

• Different ports visited: 169

• Nautical miles sailed: 502,565 (577,950 miles), enough to travel to the moon and back two-and-a-half times

• Glacier visits in Alaska: 122

• Team members welcomed back on board to serve guests: 12,287 (98 different nationalities)

• Unique shore excursions operated: more than 2,000

• Funds raised for On Deck for a Cause: $210,000

• Meals served: more than 6,500,000

• Specialty coffee drinks served: 700,000

• Beers consumed: 1,117,306

• Soda, water and juice consumer: 3,235,855

• Entertainment: more than 25,000 performances

• Trivia questions asked: 76,000

• Floral arrangements: more than 60,000 fleetwide on cruises

For more information about Holland America Line, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.