By David Barclay | April 2, 2025

Since I’m working on several safari trips to South and East Africa for clients, I have Africa very top of mind these days. While most clients who contact me about traveling to Africa are looking for a luxury safari experience (and maybe mixing in a few popular cities like Cape Town or Johannesburg) I thought I’d dedicate this Cruise News Newsletter to another way to see Africa, on a luxury cruise. 

While some African sights can only be seen on an overland trip, for example I have yet to see a cruise excursion to see the Great Migration or a trip to Victoria Falls, a cruise along the coast will provide guests with many opportunities to explore Africa. Day excursions inland can visit many national parks and private reserves, where cruise guests can go on game drives to see the local wildlife. Or guests can take a day long excursion with a short flight to get even further inland and enjoy views of Mount Kilimanjaro from Amboseli National Park. While sailing along the western coast of Africa, guests can see where the Namib desert meets the ocean both from land (on an excursion) and from the sea (as they sail past). The wonders of Madagascar are easily seen on a cruise, from the uniquely shaped Baobab trees to the playful lemurs. And many cruises end at either Mauritius or the Seychelles, giving cruise guests the option for a post-cruise extension to relax and soak up the warm weather before returning home.

A cruise can also be a great addition to a safari trip, allowing travelers to first explore a targeted area of East or South Africa for a safari, and then board their floating resort to explore Africa more broadly.

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There are many options for cruising the coasts of Africa and the nearby islands. Cape Town is the most frequently used port for either embarkation or disembarkation. Common itineraries include sailing either the western or eastern coastline with the cruise either starting or ending in Cape Town. It is also common to include a few of the countries/island nations off the coast of Africa, either as part of a coastal itinerary or a circular cruise that departs and returns to the mainland.

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Regent Seven Seas (Seven Seas Voyager)

16-night SHORES OF MADAGASCAR Cape Town to Port Louis
Jan 27 – Feb 12, 2026

A typical eastern shore cruise itinerary, that provides a combination of port stops in the African nations of South Africa and Mozambique, before venturing out to visit Madagascar and end on the lively island of Mauritius.

The Seven Seas Voyage accommodates up to 680 passengers and offers guests seven different dining venues. Cruise fares include shore excursions in each port and guests can add economy or business class airfare. When adding airfare, Regent includes transfers both between the guests’ home and home airport and between the destination airport and the ship.

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Silversea (Silver Cloud)

20-night Cape Town to Mahe
Mar 27 – Apr 16, 2026

Another example of an eastern shore itinerary, this one dedicates most of the cruise to port visits along the eastern shoreline before heading east towards the Seychelles. The cruise disembarks at Mahe, where guests can easily add an extra few nights at the Four Seasons Seychelles or another luxury resort.

The Silver Cloud is one of the polar expedition ships in the Silversea fleet. While normally dedicated to Antarctic exploration during the southern hemisphere’s summer, at the end of the season she offers sailings like this one as she repositions for Arctic voyages in the northern hemisphere’s summer. As an expedition ship, she’s smaller than Silversea’s classic cruise ships, carrying a maximum of 254 guests. But she still offers all the expected Silversea service, including butler service for every suite onboard.

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Crystal Cruises (Crystal Symphony)

12-night Tema (Accra) to Cape Town
Dec 11-23, 2025

An example of a western coast itinerary, this sailing lets guests visit a number of Africa nations including Ghana, Benin, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, Namibia, and South Africa.

The Crystal Symphony is one of two ships bought out of bankruptcy along with the Crystal brand by Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) which breathed new life into this well-respected luxury line. Over 80% of the former Crystal employees have returned and the service is as good if not better than before the bankruptcy. As part of the refurbishment of the Symphony, A&K combined many of the suites, increasing the average suite size to be more in line with suites on more modern luxury cruise ships. This reduced the guest capacity of the Symphony from 848 to 606, greatly increasing the space-to-guest and crew-to-guest ratios.

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Azamara (Azamara Journey)

16-night Africa Cruise: Mauritius, Seychelles & Madagascar
Jan 4 – 20, 2026

While many Africa cruises explore the coastline of the mainland, this voyage ventures to the islands nations to the east. It would make a great addition to an East Africa safari trip, allowing guests to first experience the interior of Africa before venturing out to explore the famous islands off the coast.

The Azamara Journey is one of four sister ships comprising the Azamara fleet. While of a slightly older design, she still offers a large number of suites with veranda so guests can have their own personal space. Azamara is also famous for its AzAmazing Evenings, private events planned for one night of each cruise, intended to bring guests closer to the destination, its culture, and people.

By David Barclay | March 21, 2025

Once again, my family chartered a crewed catamaran in the Virgin Islands for our spring break.  With direct flights from Chicago to St. Thomas every Saturday, we opted again to charter for 7-nights.    

If you read my blog post from last year, you may recall that as we ended our vacation and headed to the airport in our taxi, our kids asked us if we were going to charter Huntress (the catamaran we chartered last year) again for this spring break and my wife and I said that was a possibility.

Since that last blog post, returning to the Virgin Islands changed from a possibility to a reality.  As we thought about this year’s spring break trip, the Virgin Islands kept calling to us, as we had that much fun last year.  In May of last year, I reached back out to my boat broker partner, Ocean Getaways, to start the process of chartering Huntress again. Unfortunately, I soon learned that our captain and chef (Keagan & Olivia) had not renewed their contracts with the owners of Huntress, as they were moving on to the next stage of their lives in Florida.  My family was bummed, to say the least, as in only a week we felt we had gained new friends in our crew and had looked forward to reuniting with them this year.

I spoke to my colleagues at Ocean Getaways about what to do while we waited for a new crew to sign on to Huntress.  With their guidance, we started looking at a few other catamarans that could be good choices for us.  When the new crew was assigned, Ocean Getaways said the new crew was a solid crew, but also rightly pointed out that if we chartered Huntress again, we’d be directly comparing this year’s experience with last year’s, with any highlights likely getting only a little positive weighting but any negatives would likely have a heavy negative weighting in our minds.  They felt, having seen this situation before, that even if a 2^nd charter of Huntress went extremely well, we might not leave with the same magical feeling we had when we ended our vacation last year.  With a different boat, everything is new, so we wouldn’t make as many direct comparisons and could navigate an entirely new experience that could be as wonderful, but also very different, from our charter experience last year.

After reviewing the paired down options of new catamarans, we decided to try a slightly newer and slightly larger catamaran, Tru North.

Comparing Catamarans

While we enjoyed our time on Huntress last year, we were excited to experience a new catamaran.  There are several well-known manufacturers of catamarans and while the designs share many similarities (two hulls containing the cabins, a large indoor and outdoor area connecting the hulls and for larger catamarans, a meaningful flybridge above that), there are also several design differences inherent to each manufacturer’s hull layouts.

Tru North is a Fountaine Pajot catamaran, launched in 2021.  In comparison, she is 5’ longer and 3’ wider than Huntress.  She is also 7 years newer (2021 vs. 2014).  Although slightly larger, she is still designed to accommodate up to 8 guests and 3 crew members.  The added space allowed for a few larger sections of the boat, including a larger primary bedroom and a larger flybridge.  Also, both due to Fountaine Pajot’s design philosophy and being a slightly updated design, she also added a sitting area forward of the galley (and an entrance at the front of the galley for easy access) as well as a motorized swim platform on the aft that can dip into and out of the water.  The swim platform was especially nice for reading books while our kids played in the water, and for lowering our group into the water for a group snorkel.    

Tru North carried all of the expected water toys, including floating platforms, noodles, snorkeling gear, tubes, wakeboard, water skis (we requested kid skis as well as adult), standup paddleboards, a kayak, and fishing gear.  She also had two sea scooters, which our kids loved using as much as last year.  She also carried multiple SCUBA tanks, fairly common when one of the crew members is a certified divemaster and the boat offers dives to certified divers. A new water toy for us this year, she also carried two eFoils, basically motorized surfboards which can rise out of the water on a water foil.  Both the kids and adults (large kids) enjoyed trying our hands at these fun water toys.  I was also able to dive a few times after a quick refresher practice dive, visiting several beautiful coral reefs and two shipwrecks.  The RMS Rhone was a Royal Mail ship that sunk in a hurricane in 1867 while the Kodiak Queen was a WWII ship that instead of being scrapped, was cleaned and then purposely sunk to create a surface to grow a new coral reef and underwater ecosystem.

(Water skiing and eFoiling)

(Diving two different wrecks, the RMS Rhone and Kodiak Queen)

(My son with a starfish he found on the ocean floor)

Of course, other than the physical specs and onboard amenities, the other main difference between chartered boats is the crews.  Every crew is different.  Some are more formal, others are more laid back.  Some are great for large groups of adult friends looking to party and others are good with families and assisting children in learning how to use all of the provided water toys.  This year, our crew consisted of Captain Walmar, our Tamika, and steward/deck hand Hein.  Just by chance they all happened to be from South Africa and our kids got a kick out of trying to perfect their own South African accents during our week on board.  While our crew on Huntress last year and our crew on Tru North this year are different, they both fit in well with our travel group.  They struck a nice balance between catering to the adults in our group (we were never wanting for a cocktail or delicious snacks) and ensuring our kids enjoyed themselves (also with multiple snacks, non-alcoholic frozen drinks and taking them out to play with the water toys). 

(Our crew)

Our Itinerary

With a chartered boat, you have a significant amount of freedom in what you do and where you go on your charter.  As long as your requested route doesn’t endanger the boat or prevent it from returning to the home port before the end of the charter, captains are willing to sail where clients want to go.  Since we had seen most of the land-based highlights of the Virgin Islands last year, we asked our crew to focus this week on great places for fun on the water.  A balance of great places to snorkel and SCUBA dive combined with great places to use the water toys (water skiing, tubing, sea scootering, and eFoiling).  We were happy to have them reposition the boat only once per day and happy to sail for several hours to get to the next destination.  In our pre-charter call, we informed them we wanted a more leisurely pace to make our vacation relaxing and not feel rushed.  They definitely delivered on that request, the coves we visited were lovely and our breaks on shore for brief hiking to stretch our legs were exactly the right amount of time off the boat.  Overall, the route we sailed focused mostly on having fun on the water and spending time together.

(Drone photo of Tru North approaching one of the British Virgin Islands)

(Our group on the swim platform, about to be lowered in for another group snorkel)

The Food

Another perk of a chartered boat is the food.  Charter boat owners try to get the best chefs they can, as the chef can make or break the charter experience.  Several months prior to embarking on their charter, charter guests are asked to complete a detailed questionnaire asking about their food preferences.  The chef uses this information to create a menu for the week that is sure to please the palates of the guests.  If you want simple, homey food like burgers and fried chicken, your chef can accommodate.  On the other spectrum, if you want lavish multi-course meals beautifully presented to the table, they can also deliver.  A good chef will also be able to adapt the meals to address any food allergies or other dietary considerations.  Our chef Tamika was definitely a top chef and served us exquisite meals and bountiful snacks.  She was also very good at handling the allergies of our group, including fin fish, peanuts, sesame, and sunflower.  We were never wanting for food and came back a few pounds heavier than we left!

Since we were on vacation, drinks & cocktails were also an aspect of our daily routine onboard Tru North.  The crew pre-stocked beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) for us based on the questionnaire we completed.  They were always on top of filling our wine glasses at meals and inquiring about our beverage needs while we lounged on deck.  Hein is a master mixologist (though Captain Walmar was also pretty skilled at the bar) and treated us to a new tantalizing cocktail each day.  He also took care of our kids, making non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiris (and convincing them to try a few other fruity concoctions to expand their beverage horizons).

The Verdict

Was it worth chartering a catamaran again for this year’s spring break?  Definitely!  While we are going to take a break from warm weather “beachy” spring breaks for the next few years, this year’s charter was exactly what we wanted.  And while we were initially disappointed we could not charter Huntress with our old crew, after this year’s lovely vacation I’m glad we got to experience a new boat and a new crew, as it helped make this year’s charter just as magical as last year’s.  The new boat design with more outdoor space, and the addition of new water toys, including kid water skis and eFoils, helped add that little extra to this charter.  And Walmar, Tamika and Hein were the best, some of the best service we’ve ever had on a vacation. 

If you’ve been thinking about a pampered vacation in warm weather that flows at exactly the pace you want, I highly recommend considering a catamaran charter in the Virgin Islands.

By David Barclay | February 19, 2025

There are many reasons why travelers decide to voyage on a cruise on their own. Maybe their significant other doesn’t like cruising or is prone to motion sickness. Or maybe they have more vacation time than family & friends and are willing to sail on their own to see more of the world.

I have many clients who are solo cruisers and the reasons they sail on their own are as varied as when & where they like to cruise. But while their reasons for sailing solo vary, the one thing they all agree on is wanting to avoid high cruise fare single supplements. Cruise fares are usually priced on a per guest basis, but the fares assume double occupancy of the staterooms. When only one guest books a stateroom, the cruise lines add a surcharge called a single supplement to offset the fact that the cruise line is not getting a 2nd fare for double occupancy. Standard single supplements on a typical cruise are generally in the range of +50-75%, meaning solo guests pay 1.5-1.75x the stated double occupancy per guest fare. For expedition cruises and premium suites (usually penthouse and above), the supplement is typically +100%.

If you are interested in an expedition cruise, I’d recommend finding a friend or family member who also wants to go on that bucket list trip because a solo traveler is paying the price of two guests. But for classic cruise itineraries, it pays to look at the itineraries where cruise lines have lowered their solo supplements. Many cruise lines offer special solo supplement rates of +25% on specific itineraries, others go as low as +10-15%, and sometimes cruise lines offer cruises with no single supplements or +0% (though this mostly occurs as part of a short-term promotion).

In addition to getting the benefit of a low single supplement, since these itineraries are sure to attract a lot of solo travelers, they generally offer special onboard amenities to solo guests. Evening cocktail hours for solo guests to meet each other are common, as are large tables at meals for solo guests to dine together. Some cruise lines even have crew members available to be dance partners of solo guests.

If you’ve been interested in trying a cruise but didn’t want to sail on your own, I encourage you to reconsider and I’m happy to discuss cruise itineraries perfect for a solo traveler. I’ve found the cruise lines below to offer some of the lowest single supplements on a wide selection of their sailings, offering many itinerary options for solo cruisers.

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Explora Journeys (EXPLORA II)

7-night A Journey through Legendary Marvels & Cultural Fusion
July 6-13, 2026

Round-trip from Athens on the new EXPLORA II, this itinerary visits some of the most famous Greek Islands and overnights in Istanbul, allowing guests extra time in this wonderous city. While sailing the Aegean Sea, guests can enjoy Mediterranean cuisine in the Med Yacht Club, elevated Italian cuisine in Anthology, or eat at one of the many other dining venues on board.

For Ocean Terrace category suites, the single supplement for this itinerary is only +25%.

More Explora Journeys Reduce Single Supplement Fares

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Silversea (Silver Cloud)

14-night Lautoka to Lautoka
May 6-20, 2025

Round-trip from Lautoka, Fiji, this cruise visits many of the island nations in Oceania, including Fiji, Tuvalu, Samoa, and Tonga. Guests can book a port-to-port fare, which in addition to the on-board all-inclusiveness of Silversea, also includes excursions in each port. Or they can select the door-to-door fare, which includes home-to-airport transfers, airport-to-ship transfers, and economy airfare (upgradable to business class for an additional fee).

For veranda category suites, the single supplement for this itinerary is only +25%.

More Silversea Reduce Single Supplement Fares

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Regent Seven Seas (Seven Seas Explorer)

7-night Anchorage (Whittier) to Vancouver
June 4-11, 2025

A classic Alaska cruise itinerary, from Anchorage to Vancouver, this sailing allows solo travelers to experience one of the last frontiers. Guests will get to experience both cruising into a fjord to see a massive glacier and stops at quaint towns along the Alaskan coastline. Guests can book an all-inclusive fare, or add the Ultimate Upgrade which adds transfers and airfare.

For Deluxe Veranda (G1, G2) and Veranda (H) category suites, the single supplement for this itinerary is only +10%.

More Regent Seven Seas Reduce Single Supplement Fares

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Ponant (Le Bellot)

8-night Celtic Voyage: The Hebrides and the Irish Sea – with Smithsonian Journeys
May 4-12, 2025

Ponant is a luxury French cruise line that caters to an international mix of travelers (about half are from English speaking countries so English is also spoken onboard). The Le Bellot is one of the Explorer class ships, designed to visit ports larger ships cannot and offers a number of unique onboard features like the Blue Eye, an underwater multi-sensory lounge. This cruise also includes guest speakers from Smithsonian Journeys.

For most suite categories, there is no single supplement for this itinerary (+0%) or on 188 other sailings currently planned for Ponant ships.

More Ponant Reduce Single Supplement Fares

Read my blog post: Getting to know Ponant Cruises

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By David Barclay | February 7, 2025

Villas have become a popular option for group travel.  They can be perfect for a group of friends, multiple families traveling together, and multi-generational family trips.  While villas are available throughout the world for weekly or longer rental, no place is better suited for a villa rental than Italy.  And while there are many lovely rural areas of Italy with fabulous villas offering incredibly scenic views of the countryside, the epitome of an Italian villa is a villa in the Tuscany region.  In the future I’ll write a more general Villa 101 post covering the logistics of renting a villa and the options throughout the world, but today I’ve decided to focus on why a Tuscan villa can be the foundation of a wonderful vacation.  And since I recently worked with one of my villa partners, Red Savannah, to offer villa options to a multi-family client group, I have several great examples of villas to share.

What is a Tuscan Villa rental like?

Villas in Tuscany are typically rented on a weekly basis, from Saturday to Saturday.  Check-in will typically occur in the mid-afternoon (e.g. 4:00pm) on the first Saturday and check-out on the last Saturday in the late morning (e.g. 10:00am).  The rental will include exclusive use of the entire property, providing a level of privacy and exclusiveness not available at most hotels and resorts.  Villas range in size from three bedrooms (suitable for an immediate family) to mammoth properties that have 16-20 bedrooms and can accommodate 30-35 guests.  However, the majority of villas in Tuscany fall in the 5-10 bedroom range, perfect for a moderate sized group of adult couples, two to four families with kids, or a multi-generational trip with grandparents, adult children, and grandkids. 

What are the benefits of a villa rental?

A villa rental offers many benefits over a hotel or resort stay.  First, villas offer a tremendous amount of private space, enabling guests to spread out and relax.  Even with a large group you will never feel crowded, and those who need a little quiet time can always find a vacant area to read or meditate.  The interior space villas offer can be vast, with multiple bedrooms, living rooms, games rooms, etc.  And villas are typically surrounded by large private outdoor spaces, perfect for strolls, sunbathing, games, or just hanging out with traveling companions and enjoying the scenery of Tuscany.

Another benefit is that guests only need to unpack once and can use the villas as a base for exploring Tuscany.  This can be especially convenient for groups with children, as parents won’t need to constantly unpack and repack their children’s suitcases and fret about small items being left behind. 

Villas also offer access to many activities that appeal to both younger and more seasoned travelers, both on the property and in the surrounding region.  Children may enjoy running around the grounds, playing hide-and-seek, or splashing in the pool.  Adults may enjoy visiting the region’s multiple wineries or trying their hand at an Italian cooking class.  And all ages will enjoy exploring nearby hilltop towns or venturing into one of the larger cities like Florence or Siena.  Many villas also offer bicycles for guests’ use, to explore the area around the villa.

What do villa rentals include and what optional services can you add?

Every villa will include a specified number of bedrooms, with a combination of king/queen and twin beds.  They will also include a large kitchen, one or more living rooms, and a pool.  Most pools can be heated for a small extra fee, useful if traveling in the spring or fall shoulder seasons.  Villas will also include air conditioning (important for summer rentals given the hot summers in Europe the past few years), daily housekeeping, and wi-fi.  From there, what villas offer can vary, which is why it’s important to look at a few villa options and compare the amenities.  Villas might offer gyms, cinema/media rooms, outdoor kitchens, pool tables, tennis courts, spa facilities, saunas, and indoor pools. 

Luxury villas will come with pre-trip planning and concierge services, as well as a 24/7 emergency support team while in Tuscany.  Most villas will also have a property manager nearby, who will assist guests with their check-in and is available to help with other needs.

Some villas will include chef services for a specified number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners.  Additional chef services can be added (e.g. if villa doesn’t provide any, or if guests would like more meals to be crafted by the chef).  The chefs may also offer cooking classes for those looking to try their hand at Italian cuisine. 

Guests can also add additional housekeeping services, mid-week linen changes, personal laundry service, pre-arrival grocery shopping, massage & beauty services, bar service, and additional staff.

Example Tuscan Villas

Many Tuscan villas are former farmhouses that found new life after being renovated and transformed into charming vacation retreats. While some smaller villas are priced between $5,000-$10,000 per week (shoulder season pricing), the majority of villas are $15,000+ per week and the rental price goes up from there as they grow in size and amenities.  Below are examples of three villas that span the mid to upper-mid tier for size, amenities, and pricing.

Podere Tre Archi

Podere Tre Archi (picture courtesy of Red Savannah)

This villa is a typical farmhouse style villa located near Montalcino (one of my favorite Tuscan hill towns!).  It has beautiful views of the Val d’Orcia and is within easy driving distance of the wine estates in Montalcino (Brunello) and Montepulciano (Vino Nobile di Montepulciano).  It is a 6-bedroom villa able to accommodate up to 12 guests.  The upper floor houses a gym with high-performance Technogym equipment and the bottom floor houses a wine cellar with a table that can accommodate all guests. 

Off-Season: ~$26,000 / wk                        High Season: ~$32,000 / wk

Tramonti

Tramonti (picture courtesy of Red Savannah)

Another farmhouse style villa, this one is located just an 8-minute drive from Castellina in Chianti.   Tramonti offers 7 bedrooms able to accommodate up to 14 guests.  The villa offers incredible views from all parts of the property.  On clear days guests can see as far as the city of Siena, as well as the mountains surrounding the Val d’Orcia.  This villa has not one, but two beautiful pools along with a changing room and outdoor shower.  Guests who like to dine alfresco will appreciate the covered outdoor dining table, and cooks will like the outdoor kitchenette. 

In addition to the usual villa amenities, guests will enjoy breakfast preprepared by the chef each day and five other meals prepared during a weeklong stay (additional chef services can be added). 

Off-Season: ~$28,000 / wk        High Season: ~$38,000 / wk

Villa Vorno

Villa Vorno (picture courtesy of Red Savannah)

This is an example of a more formal villa with exquisite interiors that’s just a 5-minute drive or short bike ride from the beautiful town of Lucca.   It is a renovated 18th-century estate that includes the villa, the guest house, and a banqueting hall situated among expansive gardens.  It provides 9 bedrooms able to accommodate up to 18 guests, perfect for large multi-gen gatherings or multiple families traveling together.  In addition to the gardens, the property offers a large pool, a fantastic private spa, a tennis court, and it even has its own lake!

The weekly rental includes daily breakfast, three chef services, and a fun pizza night in the villa’s traditional oven.  For an additional fee, guests can add wine from the cellar, massage & beauty services, bar service, and additional staff.

Off-Season: ~$34,000  / wk       High Season: ~$55,000 / wk

What can you do on a vacation utilizing a villa rental?

The options on a vacation with a villa rental are vast.  And one of the benefits of a villa rental is guests can pursue their individual interests.  They don’t have to stay together as one large group for the entire trip, but can break up into smaller groups and head out for different experiences each day which align with their interests. 

My villa partners and I are happy to help coordinate many wonderful on- and off-property experiences.   We can assist with things like:

• Car rentals – and we recommend several smaller cars vs only one or two large vehicles, as that provides more flexibility for smaller groups to pursue their interests each day
• Private tours of Tuscan cities and towns (Florence, Siena, smaller hilltop towns)
• Winery visits and wine tastings
• Truffle hunts
• Cooking classes
• Bike rentals (if the villa doesn’t provide bikes)
• E-biking tours

The sky is the limit for your villa vacation, just ask and we will be happy to help craft wonderful experiences for you.

By David Barclay | January 17, 2025

You may have noticed I’m a little behind getting my blog post up this week.  That’s because I’m sailing on the new Silversea Silver Ray, and I wanted to gather as much experience with the ship as possible before writing this Cruise News Newsletter.  I’ve spent time exploring every nook and cranny of the ship (and there are a lot of them stemming from the unique asymmetrical design).

In what may become an annual tradition, my wife and I are once again sailing in the Caribbean on a “workcation” cruise.  We tried it last year on the Explora Journeys EXPLORA I and had such a wonderful time combining a trip to warm weather, opportunities to explore many small port towns, and time on board to work so we only need to take minimal vacation time for the trip.  If you didn’t get a chance to read my newsletter from last January about that experience, you can skim that newsletter, Live From The EXPLORA I.

This year we decided to sail on Silversea, a cruise line we have sailed on many times.  And I was excited that Silversea had a great Caribbean itinerary this year on the new Silver Ray, including a Panama Canal transit and an overnight in Cartagena, plus multiple sea days during the work week where we could enjoy the weather but keep up on the demands of our jobs.  If you are not familiar with Silversea and would like to learn more, I have a brief overview of Silversea and its fleet on my website. 

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The Next Generation of Silversea Ships

The Silver Ray is the second Nova-Class ships to join the Silversea.  The Silver Ray launched in June of last year, joining her sister ship, the Silver Nova, which launched in 2023.  This new generation of ships brings many new capabilities and improvements.  Both ships are capable of running on LNG (liquified natural gas) when it’s available. When in port the ships run on batteries and fuel cells, so they do not add air pollutants to the ports they visit. 

While the technology is impressive, the biggest change and a first for the cruise industry is the move to an asymmetrical ship design.  Traditionally, cruise ships have a symmetrical design on the port and starboard sides, while heavy structures like the exhaust stack, elevator banks, and main pool are located on the centerline of the ship to help evenly balance the ship’s weight (for stability).  The Nova-Class ships take a radical departure from this traditional design.  The glass enclosed elevator banks on the Silver Ray are located on the sides of the ship (one starboard aft and one port forward) with lovely views of the areas outside the ship.  The overall design of the ship is meant to bring in more sunlight, connecting guests to the areas they are visiting and making it feel less like they are isolated onboard the ship.  Common areas have floor to ceiling windows, and since the Ray does not mix guest suites with common areas on the same deck (suites on decks 6-9, common areas on decks 3-5 & 10-11), the common area decks have significantly higher ceilings which also contribute to the feeling of open space and a connection to the outside.  As I write this newsletter, I am sitting in the Observatory Lounge on deck 10 at the front of the ship, with beautiful views of Oranjestad’s harbor (the capital of Aruba) to my left and the ocean and small coral keys to my right. 

The asymmetrical design can clearly be seen in the position of the main pool, which is shifted to the starboard side of the ship.  On a traditional ship, the pool would be located in the center, enclosed by parts of the pool deck and deck above and all pool loungers would face inward towards the pool  On the Ray, the starboard side of the pool deck is open, with wonderful unobstructed views of the shoreline or ocean off the starboard side.  While most of the loungers still face the pool, this means they also have incredible views off the side of the ship.  Another unique space is the 3-story atrium which spans decks 3-5 on the starboard side.  Large windows let in copious amounts of natural light and the bottom on deck 3 houses The Shelter, a champagne bar that’s only available on the Nova-Class ships.

Ship Size

The Nova-Class ships are the largest ships in the fleet, about 35% larger than the Muse-Class ships of the prior generation.  But the increase in size is purposeful as it allowed Silversea to keep the best of prior ships amenities and common areas, while adding new spaces as well.  The guest capacity increased by only 20%, so the Silver Ray has one of the best space-to-guest ratios in the fleet.  While I have never felt any Silversea ship was crowded, at times the Ray feels almost deserted, even with this sailing being almost completely sold out (I was informed by the crew there is only one empty guest suite on this sailing). 

The asymmetrical design also creates many cozy and secluded spaces on the ship, so it is easy to find loungers, couches, and large comfortable chairs away from others.  Some of my favorite places include the Orange Garden on deck 10, the outside space on the aft of deck 5 outside the Panorama Lounge, and the area around the Dusk Bar.

Restaurants & Lounges

The Silver Ray has many of the restaurants common on other Silversea ships.  As with the Silver Moon, Silver Dawn and sister ship Silver Nova, the Ray has Silversea’s S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Tastes) Program which brings the local cuisine onboard through the S.A.L.T. Kitchen, S.A.L.T. Bar and S.A.L.T. Lab. 

The main restaurants which do not require reservations for dinner are Atlantide and the S.A.L.T. Kitchen.  Another Silversea classic, La Terrazza is expansive and serves a buffet style breakfast and lunch, while turning into the well-known Italian restaurant at night (reservations recommended).  Silver Note, the restaurant and jazz bar that is very popular on Silversea ships has also been brought to the Ray, but it remains a relatively small and intimate space, and while complimentary, is one of the hardest reservations to get on board (definitely make a reservation the moment restaurant reservations open 120 days prior to embarkation).  Kaiseki, Silversea’s premium Asian restaurant is also included in the Ray’s design.  Offering a complimentary lunch of sushi and other Asian dishes, at night it has an $80/pp incremental charge (an increase from the $40/pp fee on other Silversea ships).  Even on the other ships where the fee is lower, I have never thought Kaiseki was worth the premium price for dinner, but lunch can be a great option to try out this restaurant.

And not surprising, La Dame, Silversea’s premium French restaurant, is also on the Ray and has an expanded footprint.  While La Dame is an extra $60/pp on other ships, on the Ray it is an extra $160/pp as Silversea has elevated the experience with premium wine parings for the meal.  I will be dining in La Dame tonight so while I do not have any first-hand details to include in this newsletter, I have high hopes that the elevated experience will more than justify the higher extra cost to dine at this restaurant.

New but also not new is The Marquee.  This is a new space on the aft of deck 10 and combines the pool grill with Spaccanapoli (the pizzeria).  While neither of the restaurants are new to the fleet, The Marquee space has a lovely design, and I enjoy that it moves the pool grill away from the pool so I am not staring at guests lounging in their swimwear while having lunch!

The Art’s Café (coffee bar) is also present on the Ray.  While not as expansive as on other Silversea ships, I like its position on Deck 4, as it adds some warmth and liveliness to this part of the ship which also houses the Reception and Shore Excursion desks (on other ships, I feel this area is a little sterile).

The Nova-Class ships also add one new premium dining venue in the evening.  For dinner, the S.A.L.T. Lab (where onboard cooking classes are held) is converted into the Chef’s Table, which serves a pre-fix menu influenced by the region where the Ray is sailing.  While an extra $180/pp, my experience at the Chef’s Table completely justified this incremental fee.  Initially I was concerned how the chef would elevate Caribbean cuisine, but after the first course I knew I was in for a treat that evening.  The Chef’s Table is a small dining venue (we had 11 guests at our dinner) and is a great opportunity for interesting conversations with other guests and with the Chef’s Table staff.  I highly recommend this dining experience and hope Silversea will retroactively add it to the S.A.L.T. Labs on the Moon and Dawn.

For bars and lounges, many old favorites are available.  The Observation Lounge on the aft of deck 5 and Dolce Vita midship on deck 5 are classic spaces.  As I mentioned before the Observatory Lounge on deck 10 provides lovely views and is mostly deserted during the day.  The Connoisseur’s Corner is available for those who like to indulge in a cigar or fine spirits.  And popular on any cruise ship, the Ray has an expansive pool bar.

The Ray also has the S.A.L.T. Bar outside the S.A.L.T. Lab, which offers unique liquid creations based on the region being sailed.  As you might guess, on a Caribbean cruise that means many drinks made with rum, and all have been masterpieces for both the eyes and tongue.

The new addition to the Nova-Class ships and potentially our favorite is the Dusk Bar on the aft of deck 10.  The views are lovely, especially in the evening with the setting sun and the vibrant blue waters in the wake of the ship.  It is a great place to end the afternoon before heading back to your suite to change for the evening.

The Venetian Lounge, while not new to Silversea, is also a departure for the design on other Silversea ships.  The Ray’s Venetian Lounge is offset to the starboard side and is a double story theatrical space. 

Areas for Development

Leaning on my training from my days at McKinsey, it is always valuable to provide constructive feedback. Nothing is ever perfect and only through honest feedback can improvements be made.  And these truly are areas for development, not weaknesses, and something I hope Silversea can improve quickly.

My first area of feedback is the wi-fi on board, which may be more noticeable to me and my wife since we were both working on this cruise.  As expected for a new ship, the Silver Ray launched with connections to the Starlink system, which is a game changer for communication at sea.  However, on the Ray, Silversea gives each guest only one standard wi-fi connection.  If you have multiple devices, you need to log out of one device and activate your complimentary wi-fi connection on the next.  The complimentary wi-fi is also relatively slow, good for email and web surfing, but not sufficient for Zoom meetings or calls over wi-fi (either built-in capabilities of the phone, or through apps like WhatsApp or FaceTime).  Guests can also choose to upgrade to premium wi-fi, but at a cost of $29 for an individual 24hr period or $209 for our entire 9-night cruise.  For multiple devices, multiply that amount by the number of devices (e.g. connecting my phone, iPad and laptop to high speed wi-fi would have cost $627 for the cruise).

Contrast this to the experience we had last year on Explora Journeys, where we each received wi-fi access for three devices simultaneously.  And the bandwidth of the connections on Explora Journeys were as good as the premium fee-based connections on the Ray (last year I had no issues with Zoom meetings or streaming over the complimentary connections).  I also find it odd that the connections on the Ray are slow, as the complimentary wi-fi on our 2023 sailing on the Silver Origin in the Galapagos had bandwidth rates similar to the premium wi-fi on the Ray.

This deficiency in connectivity has us looking at an Explora Journeys cruise for our January 2026 “workcation” cruise.  But we are not forsaking Silversea completely, we will sail on the Silver Spirit this coming June in the Baltic, but that is a real vacation with hopefully minimal need to work, and having a rock-solid connection is less critical.

The other area for improvement, and I was informed by a crew member that Silversea is already working on the issue, is the open roof above The Marquee.  While lovely in the Caribbean, I have had clients on the Nova and Ray in cooler regions (e.g. Alaska, Northern Europe, etc.) and in inclement weather the space becomes mostly unusable.  However, I was informed by the crew that the next time the Nova and Ray go into dry dock the roof will be modified to add a clear barrier, keeping the open feel to the space but preventing rain from ruining an otherwise beautiful part of the ships.

Overall Opinion

Other than a few somewhat minor improvements I think Silversea can make, the Silver Ray is a great choice for a luxury vacation experience.  The crew is lovely, our butler took great care of us, and the ship has everything one needs to travel in style between interesting ports of call.  On our second day in Cartagena, we were docked between the Holland America Zaandam and the Azamara Journey.  The Zaandam is roughly the same size as the Ray, but with a max capacity twice that of the Ray and an onboard experience that’s not all-inclusive.  The Azamara Journey offers a mostly all-inclusive experience (though a ½ step down from Silversea in my opinion) but the ship is only about 55% the tonnage of the Silver Ray and accommodates roughly the same number of guests.  As I walked across the port and looked at these three ships docked next to each other, I felt blessed that I was sailing on the Ray and she definitely stood out as the best-looking ship in that group!

By David Barclay | December 25, 2024

When my clients hear the words “All-Inclusive Resort”, I get a number of reactions.  Some clients express an interest in hearing more.  But many of my clients tell me they are looking for a more upscale and luxurious experience than an all-inclusive resort.  What these clients don’t realize is that the all-inclusive resort segment has evolved since they first become popular in the 1970’s.  In recent years, many new luxury all-inclusive resorts have opened, and other well-known resort chains have elevated their experiences to better suit the needs of luxury travelers.  These upscale all-inclusive resorts have services, dining, and activities that rival the best of the 5-star resorts around the world.

When a client asks me to assist in finding a great resort for a vacation, I always try to include at least one all-inclusive option.  While some of my clients don’t mind getting a meaningful bill at the end of their stay, others don’t like to feel nickel and dimed after already spending a meaningful amount on their room or suite.  Multiple $100+ per person meals and $20 drinks at the bar can really put a damper on a vacation, as my guests try to mentally keep track of how much they are spending each day on their vacation.  An all-inclusive resort removes this drag on a vacation and my clients are free to relax and indulge as much or as little as they like each day.

Just as there is no common template for the best luxury resorts, as they all have their own unique personality and brand, the same is true for all-inclusive luxury resorts.  Some focus on adults while others cater to families and multi-generational trips.  Some are easy to reach in popular destinations with many off-property activities available, while others are more remote and designed to offer a peaceful refuge from the outside world.  One of the key elements in making a luxury all-inclusive a perfect fit is matching the all-inclusive resort’s offerings to the travelers and their desires for that specific trip.

Below are just a few examples of luxury all-inclusive resorts you might want to consider for your next vacation.

Luxury All-Inclusive Resorts

Grand Velas Riviera Maya

Considered by many to be the best all-inclusive resort in Mexico, the Grand Velas Riviera Maya does not disappoint!  Part of the Grand Velas chain, which also has resorts in Riviera Nayarit and Los Cabos, the Grand Velas Riviera Maya offers three separate all-inclusive experiences depending on the guests’ interests.  The Grand Class section is an adults-only area of the resort that caters to guests looking for a romantic getaway or more peace and quiet.  The Ambassador section is designed for families looking for relaxed elegance and offers many suites suitable for groups of 4-8 guests.  The Zen Grand section caters to both couples and families looking to be nestled in lush tropical foliage and surrounded by the exotic sights and sounds of the Mayan jungle.

Guests can enjoy any of the eight dining venues, including the one Michelin star Cocina de Autor, or have gourmet room service delivered to their suites.  The resort also offers kids and teen clubs, allowing parents a few hours to enjoy lounging at the pool or the fine dining options on the property.

Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya

For a slightly more budget friendly all-inclusive, many of my clients have enjoyed the Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya.  A new resort just opened in 2022, it offers a modern Mexican beach-style experience.   Ideal for families, the resort offers many rooms with two queen beds, perfect for a family of four.  Larger families can request connecting rooms (1 king + 2 queen).  For a slightly more luxurious experience, the resort offers the Enclave.  Occupying the building closest to the main lobby, the Enclave offers many extra amenities including the private Enclave Lounge with personal concierge team, upgraded minibars, an exclusive poolside grill, two large pools exclusive for Enclave guests and priority access to many wellness activities and fitness classes.

For children, the resort offers many kid focused activities for kids 4-12 yrs old as well as a kids club and teen club.  Families and kids can also visit the large splashpad / small water park and many of the pools sprinkled throughout the resort.  Adults can enjoy themed parties at night (Disco, Karaoke, Pool Party) or head over to the neighboring sister property, the Conrad Tulum, to enjoy the spa.

Beaches Turks & Caicos

For a very family focused and family friendly all-inclusive option, consider Beaches Turks & Caicos.  Located on the main island of Providenciales, it is relatively easy to reach from most major U.S. cities. 

Divided into 5 separate themed villages, this large resort offers 10 pools and 4 whirlpools, in addition to a large water park.  Guests can dine at any of 18 dining venues and grab drinks (both kid and adult) from one of the 14 bars.  Since this resort caters to families, there are any options for family rooms, including some that have a bunkbed with trundle (perfect for a family of 5).  The resort offers three room levels, the standard Luxury rooms, the Concierge rooms which include concierge service and stocked mini-bars, and the Butler Elite which butler service and top–shelf liquors and wines.

All-Inclusive Add-On Packages for Traditional Luxury Resorts

Many traditional luxury resorts have seen the rise in popularity of luxury all-inclusive resorts and have modified their offerings to compete.  While not fully transitioning to an all-inclusive offering, they offer all-inclusive packages which can be added to a standard reservation. 

Casa de Campo is a well-known luxury resort in the Dominican Republic situated on over 7,000 acres.  It offers guest numerous activities including water sports, golf, tennis, and horseback riding.  While guests can book just a room, suite or villa, they also have the option of adding on the Casa Inclusive Package.  This package includes all meals & snacks, an extensive cocktails, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages by the glass, unlimited horseback riding, use of the tennis courts, non-motorized water sports, one round of 25 cartridges at the Shooting Center, and the Family Program activities.

Garza Blanca is a popular 5-star luxury hotel chain in Mexico, with properties in Cancun, Cabo, and Puerto Vallarta.  Suites can be booked on their own, or guests can add an all-inclusive package that includes gourmet dining in the on-property restaurants, signature beverages at the bars, daily water and land activities, complimentary wi-fi and exclusive in-room amenities. 

All-Inclusive Private Islands

For the ultimate in all-inclusive resorts, consider one of the private island resorts that offer an all-inclusive experience.

Jumby Bay is a private 300-acre island located off the coast of Antigua.  It offers only 21 Private Residences, 14 Villas and 40 Suites, so the island feels very secluded and uncrowded.  The resort is fully all-inclusive, offering multiple complimentary dining venues and bars.  3 nights per week, the resort also offers themed dinners at various locations around the island.  In addition to many water sports, 2-3 times per week the resort offers a boat cruise with snorkeling around the island. 

Ambergris Cay is a 1,100-acre private island located in Turks & Caicos, about a 20-minute flight from Providenciales International Airport.  The flight from Providenciales is provided complimentary to guests of the resort but the island’s runway can also accommodate private planes flying directly there with guests.  The resort has just 17 bungalows, 2 two-bedroom beachfront/oceanfront bungalows, and 9 villas, offering a very boutique resort ambience with an island twist.  The all-inclusive offering is tailored to each guest’s desires, with à la carte meals tailored to their tastes and dietary preferences and premium spirits used in the crafted cocktails.  Complimentary activities include yoga, guided nature walks, tennis, non-motorized water sports, and onshore fishing.  There is also a kids’ club, called the Explorer’s Hut, which caters to the younger visitors (ages 5+).

Floating All-Inclusive Resorts

For the ultimate all-inclusive experience, you can also try a luxury cruise.  These floating 5-star resorts offer the highest level of dining, entertainment, and service.  And while land-based resorts constrain guests to a relatively localized area for the vacation, luxury cruise itineraries let guests explore broadly, while allowing guests to only unpack once and play or relax as much as they desire.  Cruise lines such as Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Explora Journeys, Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas and Ponant provide guests with the ultimate in luxury all-inclusive stays.

By David Barclay | December 11, 2024

It’s been a little over a year since I last wrote about the expanding fleets of the luxury cruise lines. The increasing popularity of luxury cruising, driven by the 5-star experiences it provides at a meaningful value to comparable land-based options and the ability to explore while only unpacking once, is driving the expansion of the fleets at a record pace. New ship orders extend out as far as 2032 (Crystal Cruises, resurrected from bankruptcy by Abercrombie & Kent recently announced 5 new ships to be added to its fleet by then). Even with the expanded capacity these new ships bring to the luxury cruise segment, many ships in the luxury cruise line fleets are fully selling out months in advance, especially for popular sailing routes and bucket list trips like the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica.

These latest ships joining the luxury cruise line fleets continue to push the boundaries for luxurious experiences at sea and are gamechangers for luxury cruising. While some of the newest luxury ship designs are increasing the size and guest capacity compared to existing ships in the fleets, the lines aren’t in a race to launch the largest ships they can. Unlike the mainstream lines which try to one-up each other in size and outlandish features & common areas, the luxury lines increase the size of their newest ships only when it allows a new level of luxury for their guests. The slightly larger ships allow for larger suites and new unique common spaces that improve the onboard experience delivered by these 5-star floating resorts.

Every ship improves on the design of the last and strives to provide a better onboard experience for guests. For luxury cruise lines, the evolution has led to ships with all-veranda suites (because who doesn’t like their own private outdoor space), a transition away from a main restaurant towards more variety in dining venues and improved common areas that ensure the ships feel spacious and uncrowded. Below are a few ships that have launched recently or are slated to launch soon, showing how the newest ships are evolving the luxury cruising experience.

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Explora Journeys (EXPLORA II)

Maiden Voyage: September 16, 2024

Explora Journeys is a new luxury cruise line launched by the MSC Cruise Group. The EXPLORA II joins her sister EXPLORA I (launched in 2023) and is the second of 6 total planned ships for this fleet. The EXPLORA ships are the largest ultra-luxury cruise ships, able to accommodate up to 900 guests. While still small compared to premium and mainstream line ships, the added size allows EXPLORA II to offer an incredible number of restaurants and venues. She has 4 separate pools, including one with a retractable roof allowing guests to lounge by the pool even in inclement weather. Another pool is adults only, and while she won’t host as many families and children as the ships of non-luxury lines, she does have 78 connecting suites designed for families and multi-generational groups. She also offers the most dining venues among the luxury ships (10) and bars/lounges (12).

The creators behind the Explora Journeys brand didn’t want to create just another cruise line and don’t want guests to feel like they are on a cruise ship. Instead, they want guests to feel like they are staying at one of the world’s finest hotels. This carries through the design of the EXPLORA II, with the interior feeling more like a luxury hotel. The main lobby and bar could easily be mistaken for one of the better hotels in any major city. And the ship had a very sophisticated European design throughout. 

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Silversea (Silver Ray)

Maiden Voyage: June 15, 2024

The Silver Ray is the second Nova-class ship to join the Silversea fleet (the Silver Nova launch in 2023). The largest class ship in the fleet, the Ray can accommodate 728 guests and is 35% larger than the Muse-class ships, the previous flagships of the Silversea fleet.

The Silver Ray brings several revolutionary features to the Silversea fleet and to the luxury cruise segment. First, she has an asymmetrical design, which allowed the builders to incorporate unique deck layouts. This is very noticeable on the Ray’s pool deck, where the pool is shifted to the starboard side. Traditional ship design puts the pool in the center of the ship to balance the weight of the pool water, but that means deck chairs are positioned to face the pool and away from the sea, making the pool deck feel less attached to the world around the ship. With this new design, all pool loungers face the ocean and there are no walls on the ocean side of the pool, providing pool deck guests unobstructed ocean views. The asymmetrical design is also visible in the atrium, which is shifted to the starboard side and has floor to ceiling windows that stretch 2 full decks, letting in an incredible amount of natural light.

The Silver Ray continues the move towards sustainability and carbon neutrality in the cruise industry. She is the second luxury line ship (along with the Nova) to use Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as the primary fuel and has a fuel cell/battery system to ensure zero emissions while docked in port.

The Ray also incorporates some of the best aspects of the other ships in the fleet, including many of the popular restaurants and the Sea and Land Tastes (S.A.L.T.) program started with the Silver Moon. The Ray adds to this program, changing the S.A.L.T. Lab in the evening into the Chef’s Table, a small group interactive dining experience.

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Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection (ILMA)

Maiden Voyage: September 2, 2024

The ILMA is the second ship in the relatively new Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection (RCYC) fleet, joining her sister EVRIMA. She is larger than EVRIMA, nearly twice the tonnage, and can accommodate up to 448 guests (298 guests for EVIRMA). The increased size allows her to offer the greatest space-to-guest ratio of any luxury ship and many new common areas. While her size is comparable to many mid-sized luxury ships, she is focused on continuing to deliver the luxury yachting experience RCYC brought to the seas with the EVRIMA.

The ILMA offers guests the option to dine in one of five restaurants and offers 6 bars for guests’ enjoyment. Keeping with the yachting life theme on board, her aft marina allows guests the ability to participate in watersports directly from the yacht or in the evening to dine alfresco while admiring the seascapes. She offers a variety of suite options, from the 294 sq ft Terrace Suites up to the 1,033 sq ft Owner’s Suite.

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Four Seasons Yachts (Four Seasons I)

Maiden Voyage: January 25, 2026

Another luxury hotel chain moving into the cruise world is the Four Seasons. While the Four Seasons I has not launched yet, the new line has opened the initial itineraries in early January 2026 for booking. The ship will initially sail in the Caribbean and will reposition to the Mediterranean for the summer sailing season.

The yacht, while comparable in size to many of the smaller luxury ships that might accommodate 300-450 guests, will only have 95 suites and accommodate a max of 180 guests. The smallest suites measure an expansive 537 sq ft, roughly 40% larger than the smallest suites on other luxury lines. The largest, a 3-story suite enclosed by a single curved pane of glass at the front of the funnel, offers a mind-blowing 9,975 sq ft of interior and exterior space.

The yacht offers eleven restaurants and lounges and the pool was inspired by the classic “Christina O” yacht’s pool. In a break from other luxury cruise lines, the onboard experience will not be all-inclusive and guests will pay for their meals and beverage service just as they would at a shoreside Four Seasons resort.

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Additional ships either under construction or announced for future launch:

• Oceania Cruises – Allura (2025)
• Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection – LUMINARA (2025)
• Explora Journeys – EXPLORA III (2026)
• Regent Seven Seas – Seven Seas Prestige (2026)

These launches will be covered in a future blog post!!

By David Barclay | November 27, 2024

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to stay for two nights at Bishop’s Lodge.  Located about 10 minutes outside of Santa Fe, NM, and about an hour drive from the Albuquerque Airport, it’s relatively easy to get to for a long weekend or longer stay.  Bishop’s Lodge is part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, a group of 28 unique properties located mainly in the U.S. which also includes the Lodge at Blue Sky in Utah and Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley.  It is a relatively new addition to the collection, opening in July 2021 after an $84 million dollar investment to turn it into a premium western resort.

Bishop’s Lodge is a moderate sized boutique resort, on a little over 300 acres with only about 100 acres currently developed for the resort.  It has a total of 100 rooms, including 84 guest rooms, 14 suites, and 2 residences. 

While the resort is very popular in the summer months, it is open year-round and offers numerous seasonal activities for guests to enjoy.  Visiting in the fall brought slightly cooler weather, but the days were still perfectly comfortable in the mid-60’s with plenty of sunshine and clear skies. 

For this visit, I also decided to bring along my 15-year-old son, to confirm that Bishop’s Lodge can be a great destination for adult couples, small groups of friends, and families.

History

The property was originally purchased and developed as a personal retreat for Bishop Jean Baptiste Lamy while he oversaw the construction of Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in nearby Santa Fe.  The bishop built a three-room chapel and lodge which he called Villa Pintoresca.  After the death of the bishop, the property was sold to the Pulitzer family for their private use.  The family built a small structure which would eventually become the core of the main lodge at the resort (the living room in the lodge is what remains of the old structure).  A few years later the lodge was acquired by the Thorpe family, who managed it as a ranch from 1918 to 1998.  The property changed hands a few more times, eventually being acquired by HRV Hotel Partners in 2015 and undergoing the multi-year restoration and transformation into the Bishop’s Lodge of today.

Accommodations

(The Sunset building and a Sunset Suite)

Bishop’s Lodge has multiple room categories.  We stayed in an entry-level room, a Sunset suite in the Sunset building.  Located close to the main lodge building, it was only a short walk to get to the SkyFire restaurant, the pool, and the main lobby.  Even the entry-level suites were spacious, with two separate closets, a large bathroom, and a lovely outdoor private sitting area.  Bishop’s Lodge also has a few entry-level rooms at the top of the hill, offering great views to those willing to hike uphill to them (or guests can ask a staff member for a ride on one of the multiple resort golf carts).

For large groups, the Lodge offers a two- and 3-bedroom Casitas.  Larger multi-gen groups can consider the Bunk House, which has 12 rooms.  The Bunk House is available for a full buy-out, or guests can reserve individual rooms.  11 of the rooms are identical and have a king bed in the main area of the suite and a separate smaller room with bunk beds (great for a family of 4).  If guests reserve 2 rooms, they can close doors on the hallway between the rooms and make it into a 2-bedroom suite.  The one room that is different is the Junior Suite, it’s the largest room in the Bunk House but just has a king bed and does not have bunk beds.

At the top of the hill are the premium Kiva Suites (3 in total), large one-bedroom suites off-set in a secluded corner of the resort.  The Kiva Suites are adults only and offer guests several sitting areas with in-room and outdoor kiva fireplaces and an outdoor plunge pool.

Activities

While the summer months are the most popular time to visit, Bishop’s Lodge offers activities year-round.  The activity schedule changes by the season, with a mixture of activities available for the full season and special events centered around holidays and other special dates.  We visited in early November and had just missed the Halloween festivities but could still enjoy the decoration sprinkled throughout the resort.

Summer activities include visiting the stables, horseback trail riding, guided hikes, mountain biking, exploring nearby national parks, river rafting, kayaking, paddleboarding, cooking classes, leatherworking classes, art exploration, painting classes and exploring Santa Fe.

Fall/Winter activities include many of the indoor activities available in summer, including cooking, leatherworking, art, and painting.  Unique activities include skiing, a southwestern winter culinary journey, and a Bluebird Cafe Songwriters Concert Series where the Bunk House is converted into a concert hall from January to March and all guests are invited to watch the performances. 

Bishop’s Lodge offers many southwestern wellness activities and treatments.  These include sessions for intuitive healing, astrology, sacred scents of nature, spiritual alignment, Shamantic healing, and a Kakawa Chocolate Immersion.

Bishop’s Lodge also includes many on-property complimentary activities including yoga, meditation, guided hikes of the property, post card making, and archery.

One activity that’s popular and available year-round is flyfishing.  Depending on the time of year, the expert fishing guides will take guests to various regions around Santa Fe where the fishing is good.  My son and I did a ½ day private guided flyfishing trip and our guide took us about an hour outside of Santa Fe to the Pecos River.  We had a fairly successful few hours of fishing and catching rainbow and brown trout.  It was also a lovely day and wonderful to be out enjoying the beautiful scenery and weather, and having quality time with my son away from both of our hectic daily lives.

Guests can also explore off-property on their own.  Bishop’s Lodge offers a free shuttle service to Santa Fe via luxury SUV.  It has also partnered with Mercedes Benz and has four vehicles that guests can borrow complimentary for up to 4 hours at a time (first come-first serve).

Dining

The main restaurant at Bishop’s Lodge is the SkyFire restaurant.  It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and has a lively bar that’s popular with guests in the evening.  SkyFire serves dishes with a very southwestern and New Mexico flare.  For example, breakfast egg dishes come with a choice of red or green salsa (or get both, called the Christmas salsa).  The dinner menu includes options for meat, fish, and vegetarian appetizers and entrees.  The New Mexico Truffle Bread is a favorite among staff and guests, and the dessert selection is also tantalizing. 

(New Mexico Truffle Bread and a Braided Churro)

Guests who wish to dine off-property can find many options in nearby Santa Fe, either in the plaza area or on Canyon Road.

The Verdict

Bishop’s Lodge was a wonderful western resort with a plethora of activities both on property and in the nearby area.  My only complaint about the trip is that we only had a long weekend available for our trip, I would have loved to say another night or two to further explore the surrounding area and try a few more of the complimentary activities. 

By David Barclay | November 6, 2024

The Galapagos Islands are undeniably the most popular expedition cruise location for my clients. It’s also the expedition cruise my clients are most likely to recommend to their friends and family. Since the Galapagos Islands lie on the equator, it’s a perfect destination to visit year-round, whether during a school break or in-between trips to other parts of the world that are more sensitive to the time of year.

A Galapagos cruise is a prefect expedition cruise for anyone who loves nature and wishes to see unique wildlife. Only in the Galapagos can you see penguins and giant iguanas on the same day, or even on the same rock next to each other (pictured above from my trip in March 2023). Darwin’s finches sing their songs and green sea turtles swim in the waters between the islands. Most itineraries are designed to let travelers see as many of the “Big 15” animals as possible, including Blue-Footed Boobies, Galapagos Albatrosses, Frigatebirds, Sea Lions, Giant Tortoises and Flamingos. It’s great for couple’s trips, trips with friends, or multi-generational family trips. The experience appeals to all age groups (though most cruise lines will have a minimum age of ~6-8yrs).

The Ecuador government limits the size and number of ships that can sail in the protected waters of the Galapagos. You won’t find any of the mainstream cruise lines with large ships here as ships are limited to a maximum of 100 passengers. Lines that sail the Galapagos tend to be smaller lines, either luxury lines with purpose-built ships, expedition lines, or smaller yachting lines.

The four lines I’ve highlighted below span the gamut of options for exploring the Galapagos by ship. They offer ships ranging in size from 16-100 guests and options for cruise-only packages to packages that include everything from when you depart your home until you return at the end of your trip. And in my opinion, these are the best cruise lines in the Galapagos. I’m sure one of these options would appeal to you for a bucket list adventure in the Galapagos.

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Silversea (Silver Origin)

7-night San Cristóbal to San Cristóbal (10-night total with pre/post cruise)
March 6-16, 2025

In 2021, Silversea replaced the Silver Galapagos (their prior ship in the Galapagos) with the purpose-built Silver Origin. This all-suite ship can accommodate a maximum of 100 guests. The Silver Origin pampers guests with butler service, the expertise of 10 expedition leaders/naturalists, and a total crew of 90, for an almost 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio. All suites include either an outdoor veranda or a Horizon Balcony veranda.

The Silver Origin boasts the largest interactive screen on any ship sailing the Galapagos and oversized zodiacs to ensure guests explore the islands in comfort. Silversea maintains its high level of service for guests, including their usual all-inclusive luxury experience. One change from their traditional cruise experience, the dress code is a more relaxed country club casual both day and night and there are no formal or informal nights.

Silversea offers their door-to-door fares, which includes all transfers (including black car pickup from guests’ homes), economy air (upgradable to business), 2 nights in Quito with daily activities before departing on the charter flight for the Galapagos, and return flights and transfers home after the cruise.

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Celebrity (Celebrity Flora)

7-night Galapagos Outer Loop (10-night total with pre/post cruise)
June 27 – July 7, 2025

Launched in 2019, the Celebrity Flora is another new 100 guest ship, replaced the smaller Celebrity Xpedition and Celebrity Xploration (which were sold to National Geographic – Lindblad Expeditions). Also purpose-built for the Galapagos, the Celebrity Flora is a cousin to the Silver Origin. They share the same general hull design and were built in the same shipyard, but the Flora’s interior has a more hip and trendy design to match the “New Luxury” brand image of Celebrity Cruises.

The Flora has a total crew of 80, including 8 expedition leaders/naturalists (~1 per 12 guests). Celebrity includes their traditional all-inclusive experience on this all-suite ship (food, beverages, wi-fi, tips, etc.). All suites include an outdoor veranda. Base fares include the cruise and all-inclusive onboard experience, but guests will need to make arrangements for travel to Ecuador and then out to the Galapagos Islands, or guests can add a pre-cruise package which includes a pre-cruise stay in Ecuador and flights to/from the islands.

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National Geographic – Lindblad Expeditions (National Geographic Gemini)

7-night Exploring Galápagos (9-night total with pre/post cruise)
September 12 – 21, 2025

Lindblad Expeditions is a cruise line solely focused on expedition cruising. In 2004 Lindblad partnered with National Geographic and rebranded almost all of their ships with the National Geographic name.

The National Geographic Gemini (formerly the Celebrity Xpedition) accommodates up to 96 guests who are seen to by a crew of 48. As with all Lindblad ships, the naturalists on board are National Geographic naturalists and one of the crew members will be a certified photo instructor, able to assist guests with their photography. A few cruises per year will invite famous photographers on board as guest speakers/photography instructors. Lindblad is known as a family friendly cruise line and offers the National Geographic Global Explorers Program, a program for kids 18 and under with special onboard programs and excursions geared for kids interests. All staterooms on board are outside suites, with large windows for viewing the outdoors. Base fares include an overnight stay pre/post cruise in Ecuador, transfers to/from the Galapagos, all ship-board meals and beverages, and activates/excursions.

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Aqua Expeditions (Aqua Mare)

7-night Baltra Island to Santa Cruz Island
March 21-28, 2025

Aqua Expeditions is an expedition cruise line with a focus on a super-yacht experience. Their new super-yacht, the Aqua Mare, started sailing the Galapagos in 2022. With only seven suites accommodating up to 16 guests, the Aqua Mare is one of the smallest and most intimate ships sailing the region. A crew of 16, including two naturalists, offers one of the best crew-to-guest and naturalist-to-guest ratios. Base fares include all ship-board meals and beverages, laundry, wi-fi and activates/excursions, but guests are responsible for their own arrangements to reach the Galapagos (Aqua Expeditions can recommend flight options).

By David Barclay | October 23, 2024

I recently returned from a trip to Slovenia, and it was a wonderful experience.  If you aren’t familiar with Slovenia (and maybe can’t exactly place where it’s located in Europe), that’s okay.  It’s still fairly under the radar for travelers, which makes it a great hidden gem for those looking for something new and not overrun with throngs of tourists.  To be honest, I was not that familiar with Slovenia until relatively recently.  Over the past few years, I’ve met with a few representatives from the Slovenian Tourist Board and a few in-country partners at various industry trade conferences.  Those meetings were always brief, my peers and I joke it’s like speed dating, you might have 30 meetings set up each day, each only lasting 5-10 minutes.  And it’s drinking information from a fire hose, you try to absorb as much as you can from each meeting, but usually only retain a few key takeaways.  The key takeaways I remember from my meetings were that Slovenia was a small and relatively undiscovered country for tourism, since it’s not as overrun with tourists it’s less expensive to visit than other more popular destinations, that pretty much anywhere in the country is within an hour’s drive of the capital, and that there’s incredible variety in the geography and associated experiences in this small country.

All of that was filed away in the back of my brain when last fall, traveling from our last stop in Croatia to catch our flight home from Venice, we drove through a tiny sliver of Slovenia along the Adriatic.  That put Slovenia back on my radar and prompted me to start learning more about the country, since technically I had visited it, if only for a short scenic drive.

Skipping forward to 2024, my wife and I were looking for somewhere new to visit for our fall trip.  We had a shorter travel window this year, as we could only travel for 6-7 nights (including international flight time).  This meant we needed a relatively small area to visit and needed direct flights in both directions.  Our initial thoughts were to visit either Ireland (Dublin) or Scotland (Edinburgh).  We’ve visited England several times but never traveled to other parts of the United Kingdom so one of those countries and capital cities seemed a good fit.  But having learned more about Slovenia, I proposed it as another option to the U.K.  When a few family members mentioned a desire to travel with us to the U.K. in 2025, that settled where we would travel this fall (and I’m glad fate led us to that decision as Slovenia was a perfect choice for this year’s trip).

Having decided on Slovenia, I reached out to my in-country partner, Luxury Slovenia, to discuss how much of the country we could pack into roughly 6 days.  As I mentioned, pretty much everywhere is within an hour of the capital, Ljubljana, so we knew we would use it as a home base.  But we didn’t want to just stay in Ljubljana, and decided we wanted to stay in one other region briefly so we could venture a little further from Ljubljana than we might otherwise have.  Even though Slovenia is a small country, with 6 days we couldn’t see everything.  Since we had visited Croatia the prior year and spent many days on the Dalmatian coast, we skipped the region of Slovenia on the Adriatic.  We also had to choose between either the alpine region bordering Italy & Austria, or the river land area to the southeast bordering Croatia.  In the end we thought the river land region had more interesting activities for us, so we left the alpine region for a future visit.  I’ll provide details on both the Adriatic region and alpine region at the end of this blog, as they are both great areas with lots to offer to visitors.

Otočec, the White Carniola, and the Bela Krajina Wine Region

There are no direct flights to Slovenia from the U.S., so most travelers will fly into a neighboring country and drive to Slovenia.  The two most popular airports for visiting Slovenia are the Venice airport in Italy (VCE) and the Zagreb airport in Croatia (ZAG).  While Zagreb was only about an hour drive from Otočec, our first destination, there were no direct flights.  American Airlines has a non-stop from Chicago to Venice, which determined which airport we would use.  But that meant we had a roughly three-hour drive to get to our first hotel, Hotel Grad Otočec.

Hotel Grad Otočec is a Relais & Chateaux property in a refurbished castle that sits on an island in the middle of Krka River.  It only has 16 rooms, and the castle layout gives it a very cozy feeling.  We arrived at night and the castle exterior was beautifully lit up.  We were greeted by the hotel staff and offered seats in a nearby lounge while they processed our check-in.  They also brought us sparkling wine and some snacks while we waited and relaxed after the long drive.  We had opted for a junior suite to have a little more space; our room had a separate living room from the bedroom, with a wonderful design and lots of wood surfaces that felt both historic yet also modern.  That night we dined at the hotel’s restaurant which is Michelin recommended (though it does not have a Michelin star) and had a lovely meal with a warm fire burning in the nearby fireplace.

Our first full day in Slovenia focused on the White Carniola region in the southeast, bordering Croatia.  For most of its history, this region was fairly isolated from the rest of Slovenia by two mountain ranges, and received its name from the traditional white linen clothing the locals wore until the early 20^th century.  We started our day learning how to make a traditional flatbread called Belokranjska Pogača.  The bread is fairly simple to make and doesn’t take too long to rise, making it a prefect option for a quick class.  The standard recipe calls for topping with coarse salt and caraway seeds, but since returning home we’ve substituted the caraway with both thyme and rosemary, and both are great topping options.  The bread is traditionally made just before guests arrive at a Slovenian home and served warm as a wonderful welcoming tradition.  Since the bread is scored after flattening and before baking, it is not cut with a knife but instead shared in a wonderful traditional way of breaking off pieces.  We also had our first experience with the local white wines, as our instructors also served us a delicious local sparkling wine while we baked.

Next, we kayaked down the Kolpa River through the Kolpa Regional Park.  This was a wonderful outdoor experience, the skies were clear, the weather warm, and lots of bird and aquatic life to see.  What we didn’t see was anyone else on the river until the very end of our trip, we had the whole river just to ourselves.  This is something we would experience several times on the trip, the very uncrowded spaces, feeling removed from tourism, and able to explore the country like a local.  The river current was fairly strong, and we only had to paddle when we wanted to (e.g. to cross from one side of the river to the other to explore).  This is a good thing as our guide surprised us with another bottle of sparkling wine soon after boarding our 3-person kayak (we quickly learned the Slovenians love their wines). 

After a wonderful lunch at a local restaurant, we were off to visit the Bela Krajina wine region.  Our driver dropped us off with our guide at the top of a hill in this small wine region so we could explore by foot.  After a quick walk through a few of the vineyards, we started heading towards our planned wine tasting at Vinska Klet Prus (one of the famous wineries in the region).  Along the way, we happened upon the owners of Strum (another famous winery) celebrating the last day of the harvest with family and friends.  Being Slovenia, we were of course invited to join them in the celebration and try some of their wonderful wines as well.  We also got to see a great vintage car pull up with more family & friends coming to the harvest celebration.

Our visit to Prus was equally enjoyable, we were hosted by the owner Jozef Prus.  Along with a wonderful charcuterie board (we learned the Slovenians eat a lot of prosciutto) and freshly baked Belokranjska Pogača, we sampled many of the winery’s award winning wines.  As my local partner had warned me, we ate and drank a lot on this day and skipped dinner as we were still full when we arrived back at our hotel that night!

Ljubljana

The next morning, we said goodbye to Otočec and the Hotel Grad Otočec, embarking on our roughly 40-minute drive to the capital, Ljubljana.  A city of about 300,000, it doesn’t feel overly crowded and has a lovely and sizable pedestrian-only zone in the historic part of the city below the castle and along the river.  My partner offered two hotel options, the larger Intercontinental or the smaller AS Boutique Hotel.  The Intercontinental has what you would expect from a large international hotel brand.  It’s in a tall building, has a restaurant on top with commanding views, and a full gym, spa and pool.  It’s outside the pedestrian zone so a good choice for anyone with mobility issues who wants their car service/taxi to come directly to the hotel.  We opted for the AS Boutique Hotel, and it was a wonderful choice.  Only about 100 meters into the pedestrian zone, it was easy to get to our cars/transfers each day but felt quainter being in the pedestrian zone.  The hotel is perfectly sized, with only 30 rooms, and the staff was so diligent I would have had no idea it just opened about a year ago if I hadn’t asked.  We opted for the Junior Suite to have a little more room and an outdoor terrace.  Our suite was on the corner of the hotel with commanding views of the castle and a lovely outdoor area (I worked outside for a few hours, and it was a great workspace in addition to being lovely for a glass of wine in the evening).

After getting our luggage stowed in our room (the hotel provided an early check-in for us), we started a brief tour of the historic district to learn its history and see the major sights.  This was the first time we encountered any tourists, as September brings many large tour groups to the country (in the summer months it’s mostly individual, family, and small group travelers that visit Slovenia).  We visited the Prešernov Trg, the public square which includes the famous pink church and the first department store in Ljubljana.  Next, we crossed the triple bridge, one of the famous works of architect Jože Plečnik.  We made a brief stop at city hall, and even saw the city mayor walking out as we walked in.  Last we saw the famous Dragon Bridge, as the dragon is the symbol of Ljubljana and dragons can be seen around the city (and in the gift shops).

We continued with a food focused market tour of Ljubljana.  In addition to stops at a wine bar, an indoor food market and an outdoor market, we got to experience a few more unique food vending options.  With a focus on farm-to-table and the ultimate in freshness, vending machines offered locals (and visitors) fresh dispensed milk and farm fresh eggs!

We also learned about the history of honey and its importance to Slovenia.   Just as wine regions in Europe have rules around how wine can be made (and with clear differences in wines from different regions), Slovenian honey is treated in a similar manner.  There are multiple protected geographical designations of origin for honey.  Beekeeping is only allowed with the indigenous honeybee, which are very peaceful as we found out in our many encounters with them.  Depending on the region, the bees may collect pollen from a variety of plants, including acacia, flowers, linden, spruce, forest, fir, and chestnut trees.  Each source of pollen gives the honey a distinct flavor.  Some of the honey tasted similar to honey we get in the U.S., others had very rich and earth flavors.  Honey is not only used in its pure and raw form, but also mixed with pollen or turned into various strengths of honey liquor and spirits. 

Our last stop was to visit the Ljubljana Castle at the top of the hill.   Thankfully, the city built a funicular, so we did not have to climb the hill ourselves.  Inside, we toured the castle grounds, watched a short 4D movie about the history of the castle, went to the highest tower for a picturesque view of the city, and saw a cutting from the oldest grape vine in the world.  The oldest vine is in Lent and is over 450 years old, but cuttings have been planted at Ljubljana Castle and Castle Bled (as we discovered later in our trip).

At the end of our tour, our guide introduced us to a wonderful ice cream shop, Vigò, which we frequented several times during our stay in Ljubljana!

Škocjan Caves & the Goriška Brda Wine Region

The next morning was our earliest and busiest day, we departed our hotel at 8am to travel to the Škocjan Caves, one of two famous cave systems in the country.  The other, Postojna Caves, is a little more touristy and even has a 3.7km double-track cave railway running through it.  The Škocjan Caves, on the other hand, are a UNESCO protected heritage site and have minimal human modification.  Unfortunately, photos were prohibited in the cave system, so I could only take pictures of the exterior and cave entrances.  But I’ve included links to a few professional photos of the caves.  We started in the “Silent Cave” which was the last part of the cave system to be discovered and is accessed through a man-made tunnel.  This part of the cave is beautiful and alien, with many colorful stalagmites and stalactites.  The silent cave extends for about 1 kilometer and the sections range in size from relatively small to massive caverns with huge overhead ceilings.  They are called silent as the underground river that formed the caves no longer runs through this part of the cave system, so they are silent except for the noise from visitors. 

One of the most magical parts of our tour was that it was completely private, just me, my wife, our guide, and a park ranger (who led us through the caves and taught us about each section).  During our roughly 2-hour tour of the caves, we didn’t see or hear anyone else.  This was truly impressive as the normal group tour can take up to 150 visitors through in 4 smaller groups each hour.  Experiencing the caves alone was incredible and I’m grateful my in-country partner, Luxury Slovenia, had arranged with the park office for us to have a private tour.

At the end of the Silent Caves, we started to hear the rumble of the river and soon entered the “Murmuring Cave.”  This part of the cave system overwhelms the senses, with a gorge carved by the river that’s over 350 feet deep and high vaulted ceilings that almost disappear into the darkness.  Looking up gave a small sense of vertigo, as what our eyes and inner ears told us conflicted.  Most of the Murmuring Cave is crossed on a path built along the north side of the cave, but one section must be crossed on a metal bridge built over the gorge.  After about another kilometer of navigating the path through the Murmuring Cave, we finally arrived at the cave entrance.  The Škocjan Caves are truly a natural treasure and I highly recommend visitors to Slovenia take the time to visit the caves (and arrange for a private tour if possible).

Professional Photos:

• Silent Caves
• Silent Caves 2
• Murmuring Cave Bridge & Gorge
• Murmuring Cave
• Murmuring Cave 2

We left the caves to drive about an hour to the Goriška Brda Wine Region, a famous wine region in the western part of Slovenia.  We had a lovely farm-to-table lunch at one winery followed by a visit to another winery, Radikon.  The owner and 3^rd generation wine producer, Marko, showed us his operations and told us the story of how his grandmother rescued the winery during WWII when she was only 18 years old.  We spent about 1.5 hours discussing wine, drinking wine and learning about this part of the country with Marko and his wife.  Radikon, like many Slovenian wineries, produces many small batches of multiple types of wines instead of large quantities of only a few types of wines.  This small production strategy, while beneficial for locals who can enjoy the variety, is the reason very few Slovenian wines can be found in the U.S.  We also learned that the grape, Sipon, used for the famous Tokaji sweet wines in Hungary actually came from this region in Slovenia.  It was brought to Hungary back in the days of the Austria-Hungarian Empire as part of a dowry.  Wine producers in Slovenia can’t use the name Tokaji for their wines made with this grape, so they instead call it Sauvignon Vert.

Lake Bled and the Alps

The next day we left as a free day to explore Ljubljana on our own.  We visited the Intercontinental (to see the hotel and get massages at the spa) and that evening we had dinner at the Michelin star Strelec Restaurant, which is in one of the towers in the Ljubljana Castle.

Our last full day was a daytrip to the foot of the Slovenian alpine region and Lake Bled.  Lake Bled is one of the most visited parts of the country and is famous for both the Church of the Assumption of Mary on the only natural island in the country, and for the Bled Castle. Our visit started with a stop at Vila Bled, the former summer home of President Tito and now a famous hotel, to try the famous Bled Cream Cake.  We then boarded a traditional Pletna boat and were rowed by the boatman across the lake to visit the island & church.  The church gained fame as a popular spot for Christian pilgrims and the Pletna boats and their boatmen were an outcome of the pilgrims needing assistance getting to the island.  Inside the church we pulled the rope extending up into ceiling to ring the Wishing Bell.  Our guide had told us she was informed by doctors she could never have children but rang the Wishing Bell every time she visited the church, and was eventually blessed with the birth of her daughter.  So she was a firm believer in the power of the Wishing Bell to grant visitors’ wishes.

We next visited Bled Castle and were treated to a printing demonstration on a replica of a Gutenberg printing press.  We also enjoyed wonderful views of Lake Bled and the church.  Unfortunately, it was an overcast day, so we were not able to see the Alps which were hidden in the clouds.  We toured the small  museum which provided the history of the castle and the region, and on our way out we say another cutting from the oldest grape vine in the world.

Our last activity of the day was a Slovenia cooking class.  Our hosts, Niko and Petra, taught us to make a traditional barley stew, buckwheat pockets, and Štruklji, a rolled cheese dumpling that can have a variety of fillings and be either savory or sweet.  The food was very good and filling, and we plan to make the dishes again at home (thanks to the cute mini cookbooks we received as part of our class souvenirs).  As our cooking class ended, we bid farewell to Niko and Petra and returned to Ljubljana for our last evening before flying home.

Alpine Region, Istrian Coastline, & the Lower Carniola Region

As I mentioned, there were several regions we didn’t visit.  In the North is Lake Bohinj and the breathtaking Julian Alps.  Visitors can take a cable car ride to the top of Vogel Mountain, within the Triglav National Park.  Or they might want to visit Logar Valley for scenic hiking and biking. 

We also didn’t visit the Istrian coastline along the Adriatic.  The town of Portorož in Piran Bay is a popular stop for visitors.  Several resorts are located in this area and offer guests access to their wellness spas and the healing properties of the region’s mud and saltwater baths.  Visitors can enjoy the seaside town or venture out to the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park to see the centuries-old tradition of salt-making utilizing Mediterranean salt-pans.  They may also want to tour Piran, considered the most beautiful town on the Slovenian coast.  And a visit wouldn’t be complete without trying some of the local seafood or visiting an oyster farm.

Last, though we stayed in Otočec, we didn’t visit the Lower Carniola Region, which is to the north of the White Carniola.  Here guest can visit Kostanjevica na Krki, Slovenia’s only town on a river.  Known as “Venice of Lower Carniola” due to frequent flooding, the entire town is protected as a cultural monument.  While visiting the town, guests can see the Božidar Jakac Art Museum.  The region around the town is famous for its hayracks and the Land of Hayracks is the first open-air museum of hayracks. Visitors to this region will also want to try the local wines and cheeses, and potentially a farm-to-table dinner at a local winery or cheese farm.