Mediterranean Cruising at it's Best!

Another Mediterranean cruise is over but, as always, the memories will last forever... especially those fun little moments that are inevitable when traveling with seven relatives for 12 days!

Okay, I'm just kidding! Our family "eightsome" has done this seven times now and we couldn't enjoy one-another's company any more than we do! (Oh, I love those little opportunities to needle one particular member of the cast! But, it is all in fun!)

Well, since my last post (below) we re-visited all the naked guy statues of Florence, and spent three glorious days along the French Riviera - the Cote D'Azur - and ended our journey in Barcelona where we put our lives at risk with a bike tour of the city. Yikes! A band of about 14 bikers led through congested city traffic by a crazy guide! Actually, it wasn't that scary... we saw the whole city in 3 hours in a way not possible with any other mode of transportation. We know that because we saw it 4 years ago in a conventional way - sightseeing minibus.

Back to the French Riviera including Monaco, we visited the ports of Cannes, Nice and Monte Carlo. Stunning!!!! Counting the multi-million dollar yacht's we saw in the harbors was a challenge... must have been over a hundred! And some at Monte Carlo (pictured above) were the size of small cruise ships! The coolest of the cool were the small, historic seaside or hillside villages in the area... Villefranche, St. Paul de Vence, and more. As with all of our travels, dining seems to be the center of activity (Of course, one needs to trudge through museums, galleries and ancient villages in order to work up an appetite!) and these areas offer so much. Whether it's a four course lunch or just a coffee on the harbor front, it doesn't get much better!

But, all good things come to an end. Now, it's back to work!

Cheers,

Dick

Silversea Cruises Rock!

Hi from the Cigar Lounge aboard Silversea Cruises' magnificent Silver Wind en route from Sicily to Livorno (Florence). This is absolutely the way to travel!!!

Having sailed all three of the "luxury class" cruise lines over the years, Silversea is definitely our personal favorite. The newly renovated Silver Wind is gorgeous, the service is impeccable and the cuisine is exceptional!

Before sailing, we spent another (our 4th) evening at our favorite seafood restaurant in Rome. No pictures this time though... we arrived in a fierce rain storm and the closest the taxis can get to the restaurant is about 500 feet away, across a cobblestone square at the Parthenon. We were absolutely soaked! In fact we enjoyed wonderful seafood as if we had dived into their natural habitat!

I will give you all an update along the way... just to make you feel bad!

(Okay, we spend most of our lives sending clients off on these adventures while we just work - so everyone gets their time!)

The "tag line" of our travel agency is "Traveling in Style"and this is absolutely it.

Cheers,

Dick

All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico

Before I get to the main topic here, it's time announce that the summer season at our lake place is giving way to a new travel season so "Break Out The Tumi Luggage" once again! Those of you who call Minnesota and Western Wisconsin home already know this: 2009 has been the year of the Lost Summer! The weather has been pathetic for sun worshipers and boaters. (Great for golfers and fisherman, however.) The hot, sunny summer days have few and far between so it is being easier to leave it for an Autumn of Travel... Boston this weekend to visit our son then off to Rome, Florence, the South of France, and Barcelona with Silversea Cruises. Can't wait!!!!!!

Okay, on to business: The Riviera Maya is peppered with outstanding all-inclusive resorts that are taking a big bite out of the cruise industry. It's interesting to follow the history of "all-inclusive" resorts. They first surfaced in the 80's as an answer to the burgeoning cruise industry that was literally killing the resort industry. As they started out, the food quality was semi-awful. But it got better and better through the years. But, still, until the El Dorado Resorts entered the scene with their Gourmet Included product about 10 years ago, the cruise lines still offered more 'bang for the buck' and more quality. Now, we send almost all of our clients to these resorts... no wrist bands; no buffets, no scrambling for reservations!

Note: El Dorado resorts are for adults only but their sister resorts, Azul Resorts, are family oriented and feature the same "Gourmet Included" service. For more observations, look back at my June 22 post.

Cheers,

Dick