Oceania

Win a Free Oceania Cruise!

Published December 3, 2019 | By Clark Norton

Christ the Redeemer Statue overlooks all of Rio from Corcovado mountain. Photo from riodejaneiro.com.

Rio de Janeiro is one port on an Oceania cruise to South America. Photo from riodejaneiro.com.

Oceania is near the top of my list of favorite cruise lines.

It features mid-sized ships, in the 600 to 1,250 passenger range, interesting itineraries covering much of the world, and terrific food — or, as their ads put it, “the finest cuisine at sea.” In my experience — which includes two Oceania Mediterranean cruises — this is no exageration.

Oceania cruises are ideal for baby boomers — the atmosphere onboard is refined and the passengers tend to be older adults.

The cruise line is rolling out two new ships, one in 2022 and another in 2025, the first two in its new 1,200-passenger Allura-Class line.

And now for the good news: Oceania is currently conducting a contest to name the 2022 ship, with a top prize of a free inaugural cruise for two… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, contests, Cruises | Tagged Oceania, Oceania Allura-Class ships, Oceania Cruise Line, Oceania ship naming contest, Win a Free Cruise | Leave a comment

What’s New in Cruising for 2017

Published January 13, 2017 | By Clark Norton

Carnival’s soon-to-be-introduced Ocean Medallion can be worn around the wrist. Photo from Princess Cruises.

Every year brings advances to the world of cruising: new ships and amenities, breakthrough technologies, more enticing itineraries.

As cruise lines jostle to stay one wave or river bend ahead of the competition, they grow ever more creative – and passengers reap the rewards.

In 2017, that means more personalized experiences, a more varied choice of destinations, and more “Wow!” factors than ever. Happy sailing!

A Techno-Gizmo That Does It All, Almost

Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, has announced plans to begin rolling out a techno-marvel medallion in 2017 that will do almost anything for you on board except mix your drinks (for that, you’ll need to sail on Royal Caribbean’s new mega-ship the Harmony of the Seas, which sports cocktail-preparing robots in its Bionic Bar).

Paired with an optional app for maximum… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Boat travel, Caribbean, Cruises, cultural travel, Islands, Technology, Travel gadgets | Tagged Azamara Club Cruises, Carnival Corporation, Carnival Fathom, Celestyal Crystal, Cuba, Cuba cruises, Havana, Ocean Medallion, Oceania, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Viking Ocean Cruises, Viking River Cruises | 2 Comments

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.