Best Medium Ships Poll

Conde Nast Traveler just released the results of its 2007 Cruise Poll. In the medium ship category – ships carrying 500 to 1,000 passengers – Regent’s Seven Seas Voyager came in first place.

1. Seven Seas Voyager, Regent Seven Seas, 94.6

2. Crystal Serenity, Crystal, 93.9

3. Crystal Symphony, Crystal, 92.9

4. Seven Seas Mariner, Regent Seven Seas, 90.5

5. Insignia, Oceania, 87.1

6. Regatta, Oceania, 84.8

7. Veendam, Holland America, 83.6

8. Nautica, Oceania, 83.2

9. Tahitian Princess, Princess, 82.4

10. Prinsendam, Holland America, 81.2

11. Zaandam, Holland America, 80.8

12. Amsterdam, Holland America, 79.8

12. Rotterdam, Holland America, 79.8

14. Volendam, Holland America, 79.5

15. Maasdam, Holland America, 79.0

16. Ryndam, Holland America, 78.9

17. Statendam, Holland America, 76.7

18. Pacific Princess, Princess, 76.6

Best Small Ships Poll

According to the 2007 Cruise Poll from Conde Nast Traveler, ships with fewer than 500 passengers traditionally garner the highest scores, especially for itineraries and service. Here’s how the poll panned out this year.

1. SeaDream II, SeaDream Yacht Club, 95.2

2. River Aria, Grand Circle, 94.8

3. Silver Shadow, Silversea, 92.5

4. River Adagio, Grand Circle, 92.4

5. Silver Cloud, Silversea, 92.0

6. Seven Seas Navigator, Regent Seven Sea, 91.9

7. Seabourn Spirit, Seabourn, 91.7

8. Empress of the North, Majestic America Line, 91.5

9. River Melody, Grand Circle, 91.4

10. Paul Gauguin, Regent Seven Seas, 90.9

11. SeaDream I, SeaDream Yacht Club, 90.7

12. Seabourn Legend, Seabourn, 90.2

13. Silver Whisper, Silversea, 89.1

14. Seabourn Pride, Seabourn, 89.0

14. Viking Sky, Viking River Cruises, 89.0

16. Wind Spirit, Windstar, 88.2

17. Polaris, Lindblad Expeditions, 85.7

18. River Anuket, Grand Circle, 85.2

18. Viking Century Sky, Viking River Cruises, 85.2

20. Clipper Odyssey, Clipper, 85.1

21. Viking Europe, Viking River Cruises, 84.0

21. Viking Spirit, Viking River Cruises, 84.0

23. Silver Wind, Silversea, 83.9

24. Wind Star, Windstar, 82.4

25. Endeavour, Lindblad Expeditions, 81.8

26. Celebrity Xpedition, Celebrity, 81.3

27. Wind Surf, Windstar, 80.6

28. Mozart, Peter Deilmann, 79.9

29. Sea Lion, Lindblad Expeditions, 79.4

30. Spirit of Yorktown (formerly the Yorktown Clipper), Cruise West, 78.8

31. River Countess, Uniworld, 77.1

32. Spirit of Endeavour, Cruise West, 77.0

33. River Princess, Uniworld, 76.9

34. Viking Burgundy, Viking River Cruises, 75.9

35. Royal Clipper, Star Clippers, 75.5

36. Mandalay, Windjammer, 75.0

Where Are You Cruising In 2007?

All the cruise lines have some terrific itineraries coming up. Where are you cruising to this year? We're hoping to get to the Mediterranean in 2007. Some of the itineraries that look really fantastic include:

Crystal Cruises' Serenity porting in Istanbul and Kusadasi/Turkey, Alexandria/Egypt, and Rhodes, Santorini and Athens, Greece.

and

Silversea's Silver Whisper sailing Barcelona and Palma De Mallorca in Spain, St. Tropez/France, Monte Carlo/Monaco and Portofino and Civitavecchia in Italy.

Where are you cruising this year and with what line? Click on "comments" below and let us know. And, if you have a cruise blog or website devoted to your last cruise, let us know that too!

Happy cruising in 2007!

Photo of the Serenity courtesy of Crystal Cruises

Beating Norovirus

Tony Shalhoub's hysterical character, the dectective-turned-germophobe Adrian Monk, in the USA Network series Monk is right on the money each time he asks his trusty assistant to hand him a hand sanitizer wipe. If you spend a lot of time in public buildings (schools, daycare centers, offices, nursing homes) or aboard a cruise ship, you'd be wise to pick up Monk's habit as well. Killing bacteria and other germs – and making sure not to spread them – is a big step in stopping a norovirus outbreak before it even starts.

There have been quite a few reports of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships in the media this year. However, it's important to note that you can catch this bug on land too. In fact, it's the second most prevalent illness in the U.S. after the common cold.

Norovirus is basically a stomach bug that can come on fast with symptoms of stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. It doesn't last long; 24 hours to two days, but that can feel like lifetime when you're in the middle of your long-awaited cruise getaway.

The virus, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affects fewer than one percent of all cruise ship passengers each year, is spread mainly by person-to-person contact. You can also pick up the bug indirectly, say, by pushing the button for the elevator or holding the handrail as you walk down the stairs.

The CDC offers some solid tips for staying healthy on a cruise. Click on the following links for their practical advice and information.

Cruising Tips

Recommended Handwashing Techniques on Cruise Ships

Cruise Ship Inspection Scores

San Fran to Host Cunard's Queen Mary 2

If you'll be in San Francisco on February 4 or 5, you can be a witness to history as Cunard's Queen Mary 2 makes its maiden call on the City by the Bay. This is QM2's only visit to the West Coast this year and Cunard plans to celebrate in style.

At 3:30 pm on Sunday, February 4, the QM2 will sail beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. According to Cunard, the best viewing locations including:

• The Golden Gate Bridge (from both the north and south sides)
• Pier 45 and Pier 39
• Fort Mason
• Aquatic Park
• Crissy Field

Thousands of people are expected to turn out to welcome the QM2 to San Francisco. In addition, she will be escorted into the harbor by dozens of ships, yachts and San Francisco's fire boats. This army of vessels will circle the harbor before the Queen Mary 2 docks at Pier 27 at 8:00 pm.

This stop in San Fran is part of the ship's "Around the World in 80 Days" world cruise. She'll continue on to the South Seas, Australia, China, India, Egypt and the Mediterranean.

If any of you out there are able to attend this event and have photos you'd like to share, please e-mail me at andrea edit at yahoo dot com (delete the spaces). Thanks! —Andrea

Photo courtesy of Cunard.

2007 Amex Perks on Regent Seven Seas

If you have an American Express Platinum or Centurion card, don't miss the extra perks offered when sailing with Regent Seven Seas. Just make sure the credit card Regent has on file is your Amex and you'll receive additional benefits.

For a recap of the perks themselves, visit Brown & Keene Travel's terrific message board, LuxuryCruiseTalk.com. Thanks, Ngaire!

Storm Chaser Max Mayfield Aboard Regent's Mariner

For those with a special interest in hurricanes and meteorology in general, don't miss Regent Seven Seas' upcoming March 13, 2007 Caribbean voyage with special guest Max Mayfield.

Mayfield has been a TV fixture in his role as the former director of the Tropical Prediction Center of the National Hurricane Center. He'll present three lectures on the topics of hurricane behavior and meteorology. In 2006, Mayfield was honored with the Neil Frank Award from the 2006 National Hurricane Conference for "efforts to significantly improve the accuracy of hurricane forecasting," a factor which has "undoubtedly saved countless lives and property." In 2005, Mr. Mayfield was named ABC Television Network's "Person of the Week" following Hurricane Katrina.

Mayfield will be aboard the Mariner's March 13, 2007 10-night Caribbean voyage with the following itinerary out of Fort Lauderdale:

Princess Cays, Bahamas
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Gustavia, St. Barts
Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Cayo Levantado, Dominican Republic
Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands

Regent Seven Seas is pleased to welcome Mayfield to its growing fold of guest lecturers. "We strive to offer onboard enrichment programs and lecturers who provide unique insights and expertise to our guests," noted Sophie Vlessing, vice president of guest strategy and marketing for the cruise line.

Kids under 17 sail free on this particular cruise.

Photo courtesy of Regent Seven Seas

Follow OK Couple on Cunard's QE2 World Cruise

Oklahoma's Edmond Sun newspaper is writing a series of articles following local couple Sid and Thadda Groom's 81-day world cruise aboard Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2. The Groom's plan to write about 20 ports of call during their adventure and report back to the newspaper on a regular basis.

Click here to read the first article in the Edmond Sun's series.

Map courtesy of Cunard

Top Physicians Aboard Crystal in 2007

What traveler isn't interested in staying healthy while on vacation? Crystal Cruises wants to keep its passengers fit and, with the help of Cleveland Clinic, has added important health-related travel tips to its website under the "Before You Sail" heading.

Also, as part of Crystal's renown Creative Learning Institute enrichment program, Cleveland Clinic health and wellness specialists will be aboard select 2007 sailings to present a series of interactive classes and workshops. Top physicians from one of the U.S.'s top medical centers will explain how to effectively manage headaches and arthritis, offer tips for a healthier golf game, demystify preventive medicine cardiovascular issues, and much more.

According to Kristin Turner, Crystal's manager of entertainment who oversees the program, "Crystal's guests are educated and informed and they want to enrich themselves on vacation. They also want to know that they are learning from credible professionals who will share cutting edge research. The Cleveland Clinic is one of the most respected hospitals in the world. It's no surprise that the feedback on these programs has been exceptional."

Doctors from Cleveland Clinic will be aboard the following sailings:

Jan. 31 - Feb. 11 Panama Canal voyage from Costa Rica to Miami
Featuring: Dr. Michael Modic, M.D., Division Chairman of the Neurological Institute Office
Topics: Healthcare screenings, cardiovascular disease and brain imaging diagnostics

Feb. 25 - Mar. 4 Mexican Riviera sailing round-trip from Los Angeles
Featuring: Dr. Michael O'Donnell, Ph.D., Director of the Department of Health and Wellness
Topics: Health, wellness and prevention

Jun. 10 - 20 Baltic cruise from London to Stockholm (including St. Petersburg)
Featuring: Dr. A. David Rothner, M.D., Department of Neurology and Director of Patient Education and Health Information for the Clinic's Department of Education
Topics: Neurology and headaches

Jun. 27 - Jul. 11 North Cape cruise from Copenhagen to Stockholm
Featuring: Dr. Gary Hoffman, M.D., Department Chairman of the Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Disease
Topics: Rheumatology issues

Aug. 31 - Sep. 14, port-intensive Trans-Atlantic crossing from London to New York
Featuring: Dr. A.J. Cianflocco, M.D., from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Topics: Management of osteoarthritis of the knee, the mature athlete, exercise prescription, and healthier golf

Nov. 4 - 14 Panama Canal/Caribbean voyage from Miami to Costa Rica
Featuring: Dr. Mark Froimson, M.D., from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Topics: Orthopaedics

Nov. 9 - 19 Trans-Atlantic crossing from Lisbon to Miami, including Bermuda
Featuring: Dr. Michael Rocco, M.D., from the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine
Topics: Heart disease issues

Nov. 19 - 30 Panama Canal/Caribbean Thanksgiving cruise
Featuring: Dr. Michael Rabovsky, M.D., Medical Director of the Department of Family Medicine at the Clinic's Beachwood Family Health and Surgery Center
Topics: Prevention and family medicine

Authors at Sea

There was an interesting article in yesterday's New York Times about book publishers sending authors on cruises to meet fans, read from their books, and present seminars. The article by Amy Cortese is titled At Sea with a Book to Read, and the Author of It, Too. (You may need to login to the New York Times website in order to read this article.)

Ms. Cortese talked about a recent Royal Caribbean voyage known as "Book It to Bermuda." About 150 book lovers signed up for the events which ranged from readings to seminars to knitting lessons.

You may also have heard of Authors at Sea. This group puts together sailings that bring together literary fans and authors. Their last voyage to the Mexican Riviera was in April 2006 aboard the Carnival Pride. Jackie Collins and Dean Koontz presided over the bon voyage party and authors on the bill throughout the cruise included Mary Higgins Clark, Paul Levine, Authur Frommer, and many others.

The next Authors at Sea cruise is scheduled for 2008. See their website for additional details.