Opera by the Sea: Where World-Class Music Meets the Waterfront

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The world’s waterfronts are undergoing incredible transformations, from no-go industrial sites to revitalized centers of urban lifestyle and community living. Increasingly, the centerpiece of that renaissance… is a landmark, architectural marvel music hall. Often labeled ‘opera houses,’ these venues are the opposite of stuffy, formal halls that host exclusively traditional performances. Sitting directly on the water, these new icons of modern culture embrace the ebb and flow of the waves they overlook: relaxed and connected to the city around them. Ferries arrive nearby. Locals keep waterfront promenades bustling. Visitors come for the architecture as much as the performances that embrace modern, accessible and widely-interpreted versions of anything and everything musical. And make the most of exceptional technology and acoustics.These four venues have... more

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Two New Ships, Two Ways to Cruise: There Really is a Cruise Out There for Everyone

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Two very different new ships—one an intimate, design-forward superyacht, the other a high-energy floating resort—are sending a strong message. Whether you’re a cruise lover or a cruise newbie, there’s a cruise style and ship that’s perfect for you. The recent, back-to-back debut of Emerald Cruises’ newest intimate, modern yacht and Norwegian Cruise Line’s latest Caribbean mega-ship shows just how wide that spectrum has become—and why first-time cruisers, in particular, have never had more options to ‘dip your toes’ into cruising waters.Emerald Kaia and the Rise of Yacht-Style CruisingAt one end, yacht-style cruising is booming! Fewer guests, more space, and a strong connection to the destination. The new Emerald Kaia is home to just 128 guests, a scale that feels closer to... more

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$500M Update Brings Guest-Favorite Feature Across Holland America Line Fleet

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Fans of the Grand Dutch Cafés onboard Holland America Line’s newest ships can look forward to finding this little piece of Netherlands culture and design onboard many more ships soon. At the Seatrade industry cruise conference in Miami in April, Holland America Line’s president warned the media conference that the event was not a new ship announcement. But fans of the line still have plenty to celebrate.As part of a half-billion-dollar, fleet-wide ‘Evolution,’ HAL is expanding the best of its newest, Pinnacle-class ships to other ships in six Vista and Signature-class ships. Grand Dutch Cafés and More  Inspired by European café culture and rooted in the cruise line’s Dutch heritage, the Grand Dutch Café has become a signature venue and experience, with eye-catching, iconic Delft-blue and white... more

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Ancestry Travel Tips

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Do you travel for the food? Festivals? Or maybe family? Over a quarter of travelers these days are interested in heritage or ancestry-based trips. The surge in DNA testing has been accompanied by a corresponding rise in the popularity of genealogy-focused trips. People are putting their traveling ‘genes’ on. And not going sightseeing, but searching for their roots. Motivations vary from family heritage to the story of migration from their ancestral homes.Do any of these ideas strike a chord in you and beckon you to your ancestors’ distant shores?Learning: discovering your original identityConnection: walking where your ancestors lived and leftClosure: if your family didn’t choose their displacement or migrationCuriosity: sparked by DNA surprises or family loreLegacy: sharing “where we come from”... more

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5 Spectacular Annual Flower Shows Worth Planning a Trip Around

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It’s spring at last, and our thoughts turn to the outdoors and our gardens. What better inspiration for a trip than some of the most breathtaking flower shows on earth - that take nature’s horticultural gifts and maximalize the colors, the spectacle and the drama! 1. Keukenhof Gardens — NetherlandsKeukenhof’s claim to fame is scale and control. More than seven million bulbs are planted by hand each year in layered sequences—early, mid, and late bloomers—so the park continuously evolves across its eight-week season each March and April.WATCH VIDEO ABOVE: Our Tulip Time River Cruise on the Emerald Sky in the NetherlandsIt’s also known for its indoor pavilions, where Dutch growers stage rotating displays of orchids, lilies, and cut flowers at exhibition... more

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Why Travelers are Following the Trail of South Africa’s Oldest Vineyards

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For wine travelers, South Africa’s Old Vine Project has transformed a tasting trip through the Cape winelands into a journey through living wine history. Across the Western Cape, the tell-tale shapes of gnarled old bush vines — some planted decades ago — are now among the country’s most compelling travel experiences. Visitors in the know increasingly come not just to taste wine, but to stand among vineyards that survived turbulent decades of drought, shifting wine fashions, and the global race toward high-yield commercial wine production.The Champion of South Africa’s Old VinesAt the center of this movement is Rosa Kruger, the South African viticulturist widely credited with helping save the country’s heritage vineyards. I had the privilege of meeting Rosa at an event... more

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Orient Express Launches World’s Largest Sailed Cruise Ship

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The Golden Age of Sail is returning – with a 21st century twist! Storied travel company Orient Express made its first appearance at Seatrade, just ahead of the debut its first cruise ship: a 720-foot, 100-guest solid-sail ship that marries exquisite French hospitality, design and craftsmanship with next-generation, eco-friendly maritime innovation. Orient Express Corinthian isn’t just a first for the ultra-luxury travel company known since the 19th century for its exquisite trains and hotels. It’s a first for cruising itself. The ship’s christening in France at the end of April came as a result of 10 years of research and development on the part of French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique.Credit: Maxime CastricThe remarkable, ‘solid sail’ construction is a “concrete, technical response to... more

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River to Ocean Onboard a Single Ship: Windstar’s New Way to Cruise

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If you love river cruising and you love ocean cruising… then there’s a new cruise style on the horizon for you. Beginning December 2026, Windstar’s newest ship, Star Explorer, will offer new river-to-ocean cruises combining the best of both experiences. No changing ships. Your floating boutique hotel seamlessly transitions from a river cruise to an ocean voyage, and your trip continues from an intimate river experience into equally compelling coastlines. Purpose-built for river-to-ocean travel, the 224-guest, all-suite yacht can navigate waterways that are too small for larger ocean ships and reach coastal destinations that traditional river vessels can’t access. Even if you’ve already sailed aboard the world’s iconic rivers, this new way of cruising offers the next frontier. Think cultural connections, the opportunity to immerse yourself... more

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Top Souvenirs from a Springtime Trip to the Netherlands

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Tulip season in the Netherlands is a feast for the senses: ribbons of technicolor flowers beside canals, market squares bursting with spring blooms, and river cruise ships gliding through landscapes that look suspiciously filtered (even when they’re not!) You’re going to love your trip so much that you will want to savor the moments for as long as possible. Emerald river cruise ship docked in Willemstad, the Netherlands  I don’t believe in souvenirs that collect dust or worse! End up in landfills. Here are some mementos that fulfill the saying, “If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much.’ Many you’ll consume or share with loved ones, and others you’ll get lots of use from for years to come. Cheese, Please!Cheese may be the most delicious... more

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Discovering the Future of Wellness Travel in Sweden

Story About Sweden

Recently in Sweden, I experienced ancient wellness practices intertwined with new science and artistic sensibilities. In many ways, Sweden wrote the book on wellness as a way of life and a travel destination. And my stays at two sister hotels in Stockholm proved the country is in the vanguard of redefining wellness travel again. In case you missed it, in 2025, Sweden became the first country where doctors can prescribe travel for wellness. The global leader in quality of life, renowned for its thousands-year-old sauna culture, is an inspiration for wellness lifestyle – and a beacon for wellness travelers… and now this: The “Swedish Prescription” In a wellness ‘first,’ Sweden has become the first country where patients can download a medical referral form... more

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Celebrity River Cruises Reveals Experiential Approach to Shore Excursions

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The hotly anticipated new river cruise line has shared how it’s planning to offer its guests a new way to experience the river communities of Europe when it debuts in 2027. Four curated categories of exclusive and included shore excursions reveal how guests will river cruise, Celebrity-style. Local insiders lead the Storyteller Series and Skillmaster Series, while the Keys to the City Series gives guests the tech-driven power to explore on their own with insights curated to their own interests and passions. Available once per sailing, the Celebrity Takeover Series delivers one-of-a-kind, bespoke experiences. The shore excursions are available across all 2027 and 2028 Celebrity River Cruises itineraries, and pre- and post-cruise stays in Prague, Budapest, and Amsterdam. Storyteller Series: Included locally led experiences that go beyond what guidebooks can capture Celebrity River Cruises' Storyteller Series offers experiences... more

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The April Fools of Travel Destinations

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World travel is easier than ever. But it seems world geography is not! Some destinations remain stubbornly — and even hilariously — confused by travelers, media, and even governments. The result is a mix of comedy, branding opportunity, and unsuspecting travelers finding themselves in the wrong place. In some cases, people simply don’t know the difference, and it’s a case of mistaken identity and some embarrassing social media posts. Others are tiny spelling errors that have landed travelers on the opposite side of the world from where they expected to be. There are cities, countries, and regions that regularly get confused. Admit it: even an intelligent and savvy traveler like you gets some of these destinations mixed up!  So what better time than... more

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Why is it Called ‘Easter’ Island?

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You likely already know that’s a trick question.  This tiny dot in the eastern South Pacific Ocean, but technically a territory of Chile, is actually properly called Rapa Nui. The world over, Easter Island has been synonymous with exotic mysteries of an impossibly distant, long-lost civilization and mind-boggling human endeavor. It may be the most remote inhabited island on the planet.  Only a few thousand people live on this remnant of oceanic volcanoes sticking out of the sea, and that's the first miracle itself.  The closest inhabited island is 1300 miles away (Pitcairn Island with only 50 people), and the nearest continental point is Chile, over 2000 miles away.  Local tales say a 2-canoe Polynesian expedition around AD 700 was the start... more

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Polynesian Pearls: The Most Romantic Souvenir from the World’s Most Romantic Travel Destination

Story About Bora Bora

Inky, luminous, and subtly sophisticated. There’s a reason Tahitian “black pearls” are among the most sought-after additions to a jewelry box and a coveted memento of what may be the most exotic and romantic escape. Entire honeymoons are designed around visiting exotic lagoons, choosing an heirloom piece of jewelry and returning home with an iridescent miracle of nature in a velvet box. A Pearl of a GemUnlike mineral gems, pearls are organic, marine miracles, created individually inside oysters. If an irritant, like a grain of sand, somehow ends up inside an oyster, to protect itself, the oyster coats the irritant with layers of nacre, slowly transforming it into something luminous and magically iridescent.Tahitian pearls(often called “black pearls,” though they’re rarely pure black)... more

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Princess Cruises Celebrates Margarita World Record – and Winning Celebrity Partnership

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Cruise lines love to break records – competing for the biggest ships, introducing firsts-at-sea, and of course, creating record-breaking events that give thousands of guests the chance to make history… well, until the record is broken again! Princess Cruises is no stranger to world records. In 2024, the cruise line set a record for the largest pizza party at sea, with guests consuming over 60,000 slices across 16 ships. The event marked a partnership with 13-time World Pizza Champion chef Tony Gemignani, who developed exclusive artisanal pizzas for the fleet.Now they’ve done it again, shifting from a favorite food to a favorite holiday cocktail. And their margarita world record is one piece of an even bigger celebrity partnership mosaic.On February 17, 2026,... more

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