10 Cruise Blogs I Can't Live Without

This May I'm participating in something called the WordCount Blogathon. It's basically a group of writers who have challenged each other to post each and every day of the month. Today every member of the Blogathon is writing about the same topic: 10 blogs we can't live without. This was an easy post to write! There are tons of excellent blogs devoted to cruise travel. Here are just a few of my favorites.

10 Cruise Blogs I Return to Again and Again

1. USA Today Cruise Log
   Gene Sloan runs the cruise coverage at USA Today newspaper and his blog touches upon everything and anything that's cruise related. He's got quite a following and passionate conversations start on the blog and message board.
   
   
2. Cruise Diva's Blog
   Linda Coffman, aka the Cruise Diva, is someone to listen to when it comes to cruise advice. She's the author of many Fodor's travel guidebooks, including The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises, co-author of Fodor's The Complete Guide to European Cruises, and contributes to Fodor's Caribbean Ports of Call, Alaska Ports of Call, European Ports of Call, Bermuda, Greece, and Greek Isles guidebooks.
   
   
3. Same Ship Different Day
   Written by Regent Seven Seas cruise director Jamie Logan, this blog shares news from around the globe via text and photos.
   
   
4. Avid Cruiser
   Ralph Grizzle is the Avid Cruiser and he spends more time on cruise ships than he does at home. He blogs, uploads articles, and has a terrific archive of photos, videos, and podcasts.
   
   
5. SeaDream's Blog
   This one is a corporate blog, but I really like the friendly tone. It's a great way to stay connected to the happenings at SeaDream Yacht Club. There's an entire section devoted to SeaDream's captains—Terje Willassen, Bjarne Smorawski, Valter Berg, and Johan Dyrnes.
   
   
6. Silversea Silver Spirit Blog
   Silversea launched Silver Spirit in January and this blog enlightens travelers about every aspect of the ship. I especially like how they upload photos from ports of call that Silver Spirit has visited. Last month she was in my neck of the woods: New York City.
   
   
7. Yacht's of Seabourn Blog
   Seabourn's blog often relies on photos to communicate the essence of a journey on one of its yachts. I like the photos from actual sailings because it helps let me know what to expect on a similar itinerary. For example, who knew you could enjoy afternoon tea in the desert at Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt?
   
   
8. Expert Cruiser
   Anita Dunham-Potter manages this blog/website that often breaks cruise news and reports on controversial topics. You'll also see Anita's byline at MSNBC.com as well as a variety of newspapers and magazines.
   
   
9. The Lazy Sea-Dreamer
   Written by a passenger, this blog will teach you just about everything you need to know about cruising with SeaDream Yacht Club. It's an excellent resource!
   
   
10. This Is My Yacht
    Here's a cruise blog from travel agent Eric Goldring's perspective. He caters to the luxury market and is incredibly knowledgeable about many of the cruise lines you're most interested in learning about. He also runs an informative message board.

There you have it: 10 of my favorite cruise blogs. I'd love to hear about your favorite sites too.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Live Cruise Update: Dolphin Watching in Moorea

Note: This week I'm blogging and tweeting live from the Society Islands in French Polynesia. We're sailing aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin from Paul Gauguin Cruises and will also enjoy overnight stays at the InterContinental Tahiti Resort and Le Meridien Bora Bora.

On our second day in Moorea (Friday), we spent the morning with marine biologist Dr. Michael Poole. He leads the popular dolphin watching excursion that can be booked while sailing with Paul Gauguin Cruises. It's a three and a half hour tour and we needed all that time since we searched about four different bays before we found a large pod of spinner dolphins. Dr. Poole has a 95% success rate of finding dolphins and he definitely did right by us.

We met up for this excursion at 8:15 am in the Grand Salon and then tendered over to the dock at Vaiare, Moorea. Dr. Poole's boat accommodates about 20 people. It's covered so sun isn't a problem but you will get wet when the boat speeds along the water. Wear a bathing suit and bring a towel!

According to Dr. Poole, the spinner dolphins stick to the lagoons in Moorea so we systematically searched each bay from Vaiare to beyond Papetuai on the northwest coast. We passed many landmarks, such as the Sofitel, Moorea Pearl Resort, Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort, InterContinental Beachcomber Resort, Legends, Le Petit Village, and the old Club Med location.

The scenery was gorgeous so we weren't worried that we hadn't yet seen dolphins. However when we hit the northwest section of the coast, we were surrounded by dozens of dolphins!

This isn't a terrific photo, but it's the only one in which we captured a dolphin actually "spinning".

We love animals of all kinds so this tour was ideal. However, it's important to note that this is not a dolphin petting excursion. Dr. Poole is a scientist and observes these animals in their own habitat. He does not insert himself or his boat into the dolphin's daily routine. He follows them and watches them but there is no interaction between the passengers on the boat and the mammals in the water.

We enjoyed Dr. Poole's presentation so much that we've already decided to go back to Moorea during humpback whale season (July–October) and will go out on one of his whale watching excursions.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photos © Leonard Hospidor and Andrea M. Rotondo

Live Cruise Update: Trails of the Ancients in Moorea

Note: This week I'm blogging and tweeting live from the Society Islands in French Polynesia. We're sailing aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin from Paul Gauguin Cruises and will also enjoy overnight stays at the InterContinental Resort Tahiti and Le Meridien Bora Bora.

Yesterday was another magical day in French Polynesian. We embarked on a five-hour shore excursion with guest lecturer Mark Eddowes. It was a fantastic tour that took us across the island to Cook's Bay, Belvedere, and into the rain forest to see several sacred marae sites.

Here's just a bit of what we saw. More details to come when I have a chance to write up a full report.

Our transportation during this shore excursion.

A stop at the agricultural school, where visitors can buy

vanilla beans, coffee beans, jams, and ice cream.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photos © Leonard Hospidor and Andrea M. Rotondo

Live Cruise Update: Le Meridien Bora Bora

Note: This week I'm blogging and tweeting live from the Society Islands in French Polynesia. We're sailing aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin from Paul Gauguin Cruises and will also enjoy overnight stays at the InterContinental Resort Tahiti and Le Meridien Bora Bora.

On Day 1 at Bora Bora we stayed at Le Meridien to get the overwater bungalow experience. Here are a few snapshots to tied you over until I can blog more and tell you all about it.

This morning we're in Moorea and are about to attend a lecture by Mark Eddowes, who's been appointed National Geographic expert in French Polynesia. We'll also take his walking tour later today.

More details to come!

Le Meridien "base" on Bora Bora. This is where you pick up your boat shuttle to the resort, which is on a motu off the main island.

The boat shuttle to Le Meridien.

The pier flanked by rows of overwater bungalows.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photos © Leonard Hospidor and Andrea M. Rotondo

Live Cruise Update: Day 1 in Bora Bora

Note: This week I'm blogging and tweeting live from the Society Islands in French Polynesia. We're sailing aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin from Paul Gauguin Cruises and will also enjoy overnight stays at the InterContinental Resort Tahiti and Le Meridien Bora Bora.

m/s Paul Gauguin in Bora Bora's Lagoon Off Vaitape

Yesterday was our first of two days in Bora Bora. We woke early and headed to the Grand Salon at 8:15 am to queue up for the Shark and Ray Watching By Glass-Bottom Boat Tour. If you're looking for a low-impact tour that's also a bit more exciting than an air-conditioned bus ride around the island, this 1.5-hour trip is for you.

About 10 of us boarded a small glass-bottom boat and boated out to the lagoon to view black-tipped reef sharks and lemon sharks. Through the glass, we did manage to find two or three lemon sharks. They stay at the bottom of the ocean so you'll only see those through the glass or while diving. Our captain also baited the water and drew the attention of about 15 black-tipped reef sharks.

Our glass-bottom boat captain piloting us toward the shark-viewing area.

The view through the glass bottom of the boat.

You can just make out the outline of a lemon shark.

Here are two of the black-tipped reef sharks that stopped by to say 'hello' and get some food!

After we had our fill of shark photo ops, we moved to a more shallow part of the lagoon where we met some stingrays. These animals are very tame here and are used to people arriving each day to feed them. Your guide will attract the stingrays and feed them while you touch their backs (very silky) and swim alongside them.

Our guide feeding a stingray.

It is easy to get out of the boat and the water is very shallow in this part of the lagoon so there is no reason not to take part. The stingrays are very gentle and it is not scary at all. This is a short excursions but well worth the while! The cost per person is about $90.

After the tour, we headed back to the Paul Gauguin to pick up our overnight bag and went to Le Meridien Bora Bora for the afternoon and evening. I need to download our photos from that stop and then I'll upload some for you to see. The resort is stunning and we loved swimming with the sea turtles in Le Meridien's lagoon. Our overwater bungalow was also stunning. More details to come...

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photos © Leonard Hospidor and Andrea M. Rotondo

Live Cruise Update: Beach BBQ at Motu Mahana in Taha'a

Note: This week I'm blogging and tweeting live from the Society Islands in French Polynesia. We're sailing aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin from Paul Gauguin Cruises and will also enjoy overnight stays at the InterContinental Resort Tahiti and Le Meridien Bora Bora.

Yesterday we had a blast at Paul Gauguin's beach BBQ on Motu Mahana, off Taha'a. This is probably the prettiest spot we've seen for an event like this. There was plenty of shade, lounge chairs, and tables and chairs. It was easy swimming and snorkeling (no waves at all) and we even swam across to another small motu.

We're in Bora Bora this morning and are about to leave for our shark and ray watching tour. After that we're heading to Le Meridien Bora Bora to spend the evening in a romantic overwater bungalow.

I'll leave you with these photos of our day at Motu Mahana and will post more details later this week.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photos © Leonard Hospidor and Andrea Rotondo

Live Cruise Update: First Impressions of Paul Gauguin Cruises

Note: This week I'm blogging and tweeting live from the Society Islands in French Polynesia. We're sailing aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin from Paul Gauguin Cruises and will also enjoy overnight stays at the InterContinental Resort Tahiti and Le Meridien Bora Bora.

First things first. When I first mentioned that Leonard and I would be sailing with Paul Gauguin Cruises, a lot of travelers emailed me to say they'd be very interested in hearing how the ship was faring now under new management. Many were loyal fans of the m/s Paul Gauguin when Regent Seven Seas managed the ship and were worried that somehow things would go downhill when new management—Paul Gauguin Cruises—came into the picture.

Stop worrying! The ship is in excellent condition (lots of money was recently invested to refurb the vessel), much of the crew remains the same (Siglo and Hal Fraser are both still onboard as are Les Gauguines), the vibe is a happy one and service has been very good. Our room stewardess Marivic is excellent, the bartenders are jovial and fast, and the waitstaff hasn't missed a thing.

This is Day Three of our seven-night Tahiti-to-Tahiti itinerary. We visited Raiatea yesterday and took the Faaroa River and Island Exploration tour that included river passage on a motorized outrigger canoe as well as a 4x4 off-road expedition. Excellent tour and the two Polynesian guides we had were both very good and conducted the tour in multiple languages.

Since that was an afternoon tour we were able to do a lot on the ship beforehand. Here are a few of the events that took place:

• Port Talk with cruise director Michael Shapiro and travel concierge Paulina Salinas
• Snorkeling gear pickup at the Marina
• A cooking demonstration from celebrity chef Dean James Max
• Shell bracelet craft session with Les Gauguines
• Moonfish carving demonstration with executive chef Mark Bishop

In the evening, we dined at L'Etoile with hotel manager Ferdinand Strohmeier. Excellent conversation and a nice way to cap off a perfect day in French Polynesia.

Today we're anchored off Taha'a and will spend most of the day at Moto Mahana. It's a beach/snorkel day with a BBQ lunch.

All in all, Paul Gauguin Cruises has—so far—exceeded my expectations. Despite the 21-hour journey to get here, I would do it all over again next week! And, right now, the value can't be beat. To be honest, I think a voyage with Paul Gauguin Cruises is the best luxury value available right now. (Check out special pricing for this summer and you'll see what I mean.)

Stay tuned for more blog posts and photos and visit my Twitter page for more French Poly messages and photos.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Tweeting from Paul Gauguin Cruises

Note: This week I'm blogging and tweeting live from the Society Islands in French Polynesia. We're sailing aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin from Paul Gauguin Cruises and will also enjoy overnight stays at the InterContinental Resort Tahiti and Le Meridien Bora Bora.

Just a quick note to let you know we're having a fantastic time aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin from Paul Gauguin Cruises. I'll be blogging later today but in the meantime, check out some photos I just "tweeted". Check back later for more details on our first impressions of the PG and our first port of call—Raiatea.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Live Cruise Update: InterContinental Tahiti & Our Paul Gauguin Cruises Voyage

Note: This week I'm blogging and tweeting live from the Society Islands in French Polynesia. We're sailing aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin from Paul Gauguin Cruises and will also enjoy overnight stays at the InterContinental Resort Tahiti and Le Meridien Bora Bora.

Day 1 in Papeete, Tahiti

When I was just a little girl, my family and I made a pilgrimage each November to the Polynesian Village in Florida. This complex, one of Walt Disney World's original resorts, was a series of longhouses—each named after a far-flung Polynesian island. My sister, brother, and I agreed that it was basically paradise: exotic Polynesian girls manning the check-in desk, tropical/kitsch decor in the rooms, a location right on a lovely lagoon, and walking paths carved out of a lush garden, lit at night by flaming tiki torches. And in true 1970s spirit, there was even a game room decked out with the hottest video games like Ms. PacMan! Heaven on earth!

I don't think it ever occurred to me all those years ago that someday, when I was all grown up, I'd be privileged enough to actually visit some real Polynesian islands! But, here I am. After a super-long trip from the East Coast, we landed in Papeete, Tahiti at approximately 11pm last night.

The long-haul trip in economy wasn't nearly as tough as I'd imagined. Our Continental flight was on-time and uneventful—all you can hope for these days! We started off a bit bumpy with Air Tahiti Nui when my husband and I initially weren't seated next to each other on the Los Angeles to Papeete leg of the trip. The staff at the check-in desk went above and beyond and got the problem fixed so we could travel together (which is important since if you know Leonard and I well, you know that despite our world travels one of us is not such a fan of flying...and that's putting it mildly).

Once on the ground in Papeete, we spent about 30 minutes in line to get through Customs. Then it was a very short taxi ride (maybe 5 minutes) from the airport to the InterContinental Resort Tahiti, where we're staying for just one evening.

The hotel seemed busy but check-in took only minutes and we sipped fruit drinks while we waited. We were upgraded to the Lotus overwater bungalows due to our status as InterContinental Ambassadors.









It was very spacious with a sitting room that had a sofa/pull-out bed, coffee table, and desk; bedroom area; spectacular bathroom with a large whirlpool tub and open-concept shower; and a large deck from which we could get right in the water. I'd definitely stay in this room again.

Our plan for the day was not ambitious. We lounged by the pool and acclimated to the time change. In the late afternoon we headed to the cruise dock at Place Vaiete in downtown Papeete on the waterfront. We've only been onboard for a few hours but so far so good. The crew is friendly, the ship is in wonderful condition, and we set sail this evening to explore the Society Islands. In an upcoming post, I'll give you our first blush impressions of m/s Paul Gauguin.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photos © Andrea M. Rotondo