What in the Wide World Of Sports was the Captain of the Concordia thinking?  Was it really necessary for him to move a hundred million dollar ship closer to shore so he could see and wave to friends and family?  To me anyway, this is clearly on operator, not mechanical failure.  So you ask, is cruising really safe or not?  Listen, millions of people every year have top drawer vacations without any incident.  In reality, its one of, it not the, safest ways to travel anywhere, anytime.  Please don’t let this one bonehead captain influence your decision to take that dream sea cruise.  The ships are beautiful, fun and very, very safe.  My travel agency is busier than ever booking cruise vacations.  If you have any doubts either call me or any other Cruise One Agency nationwide.  We will set the record straight.  It’s all good!

According to “Trip Advisor”  here are 10 great warm weather escapes:

1.  San Pedro, Belize.  Great dive and snorkel location with lots of green space to explore.  Always a fun stop for a week or more of sun.

2.  Tamarindo, Costa Rica.  One of my all time favorites.  It’s like Hawaii was 50 years ago.

3.  Isla Mujeres, Mexico.  Across the bay from Cancun.  Same weather with less wild night life.  Another good dive spot.

4.  Tulum, Mexico.  If you like history visit Tulum.  Explore the Mayan ruins and swim in crystal clear water.

5.  St. John’s Antigua.  I love this place.  Charter a sailboat from St. Thomas and watch the sunset.  Paradise…..

6.  Provo, Turks and Caicos.  The whitest sand I have ever seen.  Enjoy great food and beautiful beaches.Look out for JoJo the dolphin. 

7.  Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  A Pacific treasure.  Visit Sammy Hagar’s night club and dance till dawn.

8.  Christ Church, Barbados.  A long flight but worth it.  Enjoy the “flying fish” and a cold brew.  Breath taking…..

9.  Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  Top notch hotels and warm sun.  Take the golf clubs.

10.  Castries, St. Lucia.  Tour the Piton mountains and live large.  Great rain forest to see the flowers and birds.  One of the best in the tropics. 

According to Conde’ Nast magazine, if you want to be alone, here are the best places to go:

1.  Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  258 miles from the nearest major city.

2.  Moremi Game Reserve.  93 miles.

3.  Selous, Tanzania,  155 miles.

4.  Samboja, Borneo.  24 miles

5.  Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka.  40 miles

6.  Grasslands National Park, Canada.  227 miles.

7.  Muir Woods National Monument, California.  11 miles from San Francisco

8.  Great Basin National Park, Nevada.  258 miles from Salt Lake.

9.  Pyrenees National Park, France.  20 miles.

10,  Olympic National Park, Washington.  84 miles from Seattle.

Passengers taking seven night Mediterranean cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Epic next summer will for the first time be able to choose where they embark.  For example, a cruise leaving Barcelona on July 1 will embark some passengers there, some on July 4th in Civitavecchia (Rome) and yet more in Marseille on July 7th.  Everybody must stay on board for seven nights, so you can’t get on in Barcelona and off in Marseille, but this new move does mean that passengers buying cruise only can shop around for the best flight deals, and if they want to extend their stay, will not necessarily be restricted to Barcelona. 

 With several ships carrying 3000 or more passengers all departing Barcelona simultaneously on busy days in summer, spreading the load makes sense, as it takes pressure off flights.  But it does bust the traditional rhythm of a seven night cruise, as there’s no longer a common “first night,” a concept more traditionally minded cruisers may find unsettling. 

In June of 2012 Carnival will launch it’s answer to the “mega” ship competion.  The new “Breeze” will be the flagship of the Carnival fleet, and promises to be the greatest ship ever to sail for the Cruise industries largest company.  She will feature an enormous water park, several specialty resturants and a world class theater.  After viewing the Oasis and Allure  late of Royal Caribbean, this is Carnival’s response.  Details of this “floating island” can be viewed at www.carnival.com so just sit back and take the tour.  My agency has blocked 10 cabins on the October 13 sailing out of Barcelona Spain with stops in Monaco, Florence, Rome, Croatia and an overnight in Venice among others.  This is a 12 day grand Mediterranean Cruise on this fantastic new ship.  Cabins blocked are both inside economy and outside balcony, so take your pick.  If you would like to live the dream and take this vacation of a lifetime, contact me at nrennie@cruiseone.com or visit our web site at www.cruiseone.com/nrennie.