Uncategorized

HX Expeditions, the world’s first and longest-running expedition cruise company, has become the first commercial cruise line to call at Old Harbor, an Alutiiq community on Kodiak Island, marking a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing commitment to community-led exploration in Alaska.

The visit took place on Sunday, August 2, aboard MS Roald Amundsen, the world’s first hybrid battery-powered cruise ship, during HX’s Alaska & British Columbia | Inside Passage, Bears and Aleutian Islands voyage. Located on the southeastern coast of Kodiak Island, Old Harbor is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the Kodiak Archipelago and home to a rich Alutiiq cultural heritage.

HX Expeditions Makes Historic First Visit

Developed in partnership with Old Harbor Native Corporation (OHNC), the visit created a new opportunity for guests to experience the community through local stories, traditions, and perspectives.

“Welcoming HX Expeditions to Old Harbor marks an important milestone for our community,” said Kristina Woolston, CEO of OHNC. “This partnership reflects our commitment to sharing Alutiiq/Sugpiaq culture, history, and values in a way that is guided by the community and benefits the people.”

“At OHNC, we are committed to creating opportunities that strengthen our community while honoring the values that have sustained our Indigenous people for generations,” said Lillian O’Brien, Board Chair of OHNC. “We are proud to showcase Old Harbor in a way that reflects our culture, supports our people, and creates lasting opportunities for future generations.”

Ahead of HX’s inaugural call, the Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor passed a formal resolution endorsing the visit and supporting the opportunity to share the community’s culture, history, and values with visitors.

As part of the community’s preparations, local artists and Elders reconstructed a traditional village home, known as a ciqlluaq. The project was created to support the visit and future visitors to Old Harbor while helping preserve and share Alutiiq/Sugpiaq heritage for generations to come.

Old Harbor Welcomes First Cruise Guests

During the inaugural visit, HX guests were introduced to life in one of Kodiak Island’s oldest Alutiiq communities. Guided by community members, guests explored the village, visited the Russian Orthodox Church, learned about food security initiatives at the community’s hydroponic farm, and heard how subsistence practices remain central to community life. The experience concluded at the Nuniaq Center, where residents shared traditional arts and crafts, including beadwork, carving, painting, and jewelry-making, and invited guests to take part in augca’aq, a traditional Alutiiq dart game.

To commemorate HX’s inaugural call, community leaders presented the ship’s captain with a ceremonial paddle, a traditional symbol of welcome, friendship, and safe passage. Guests and crew were also invited to participate in celebrations marking the historic occasion.

“We believe communities should have a voice in how tourism develops and how their stories are shared,” said Sam Imes, Alaska Expedition Product Planner at HX Expeditions. With more than a decade of experience in Alaska’s cruise industry, Imes is committed to developing community-led experiences in partnership with local organizations across the region. “Working alongside Old Harbor Native Corporation has allowed us to create an experience that reflects the community’s vision for tourism while giving guests a meaningful connection to this remarkable place.”

Following its inaugural visit, Old Harbor will be included in HX’s 2027 program. As the only global expedition cruise line offering dedicated Aleutian Islands voyages, including an 18-day northbound expedition and an 18-day southbound expedition, HX continues to expand access to some of Alaska’s most remote destinations through partnerships designed to benefit both travelers and local communities.

Italy’s most treasured recipes have rarely been written down. They have been whispered across generations, scribbled on stained notebooks, and perfected in family kitchens where nonnas measure ingredients “by eye” rather than by cup.

Now, for the first time, Cesarine—Italy’s oldest and largest network of home cooks—has gathered many of these treasured family recipes into a single collection with the launch of the Cesarine Cookbook, an exclusive digital cookbook celebrating the country’s extraordinary regional food heritage.

More than a recipe collection, the cookbook is an invitation to experience Italy through the families who have preserved its culinary identity for generations.

Beyond Pasta: Italy’s Hidden Regional Cuisine

While many international visitors arrive searching for pizza, pasta and gelato, they often leave Italy fascinated by dishes they had never heard of before: recipes that rarely appear on restaurant menus but remain staples of family celebrations.

The Cesarine Cookbook captures exactly this hidden Italy.

Inside are recipes passed down through generations by Cesarine across the country—from the Alps to Sicily—including handmade pasta, regional sauces, rustic desserts, seasonal specialties and comforting dishes traditionally prepared for Sundays, holidays and family gatherings.

Each recipe reflects the diversity of Italy’s regional cuisines, where every province—and often every family—has its own interpretation of classic dishes.

Extending the Journey Home

The cookbook also reflects a broader shift in luxury and experiential travel.

Today’s travelers increasingly seek meaningful cultural connections rather than sightseeing alone. Around the world, cooking with locals has become one of the most memorable moments of an Italian vacation—not simply because of the food, but because of the conversations, family stories and hospitality shared around the kitchen table.

For guests who have taken part in a Cesarine cooking class or dining experience, the cookbook allows those memories to continue long after they return home.

For those still planning their Italian journey, it offers a preview of the authentic culinary traditions waiting beyond the country’s most famous restaurants.

Preserving an Intangible Heritage

As recipes become increasingly standardized online, family traditions risk disappearing with every generation.

By documenting authentic home cooking directly from Italy’s home cooks, Cesarine contributes to preserving a living culinary heritage that continues to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in local culture.

Each recipe represents not only ingredients and techniques, but also family rituals, regional identity and the everyday traditions that define Italian life.

“Cesarine has always believed that Italy’s greatest culinary heritage lives inside people’s homes,” says Davide Maggi, CEO of Cesarine. “Every recipe tells a family story, reflects a local tradition, and preserves techniques that are often impossible to find in restaurants or conventional cookbooks. With this collection, we’re sharing a small part of that heritage with food lovers around the world.”

Get To Know Cesarine

Founded in Bologna in 2004, Cesarine is Italy’s oldest network of home cooks and the country’s leading platform for authentic food experiences. With a community of more than 1,500 Cesarine and Cesarini across over 700 destinations, Cesarine welcomes travelers into Italian homes for cooking classes, dining experiences, and market tours, creating genuine cultural exchanges through food.

Explore the Cesarine Cookbook: https://cesarine.com/en/blog/cesarine-cookbook

What are you willing to give up on a cruise ship in exchange for a big suite at a great price?

When you’re a travel writer—or just someone who loves to sail—it’s often a question of quantity vs. quality, balancing the square feet of your accommodations against the size of the price tag. For us last week, that added up to a Grand Terrace Suite on Margaritaville at Sea Islander, sailing a six-day round-trip Mexican itinerary out of Tampa. 

For $1,491 per person, we got a king-size bed and comfy linens in a 370-square-foot suite, with a giant balcony and great perks, including priority boarding and debarkation, a special upgraded menu at mealtime, and free bottled water. We spent six days on board, including three full days at sea, and got to practice our high-school Spanish on a day each in Cozumel and Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico. 

The vibe was chill; the weather was a perfect 80-85 degrees and sunny; the food was good. The three production shows were professional and entertaining. The crowd was well-dressed and largely Floridian, with a number of ex-military traveling on the free passes Margaritaville at Sea offers veterans. 

So what do we think of the deal? It’s the best bargain at sea. 

The Details

It’s all a matter of setting your expectations. You can’t get the Ritz-Carlton at this price. But it was a really fun, relaxing, and laid-back vacation; everyone in our party of friends agreed—and so, too, do the many travel advisors and past sailors with whom Cruise Addicts has spoken. 

Like us, most of our fellow cruisers were looking for an easy vacation where they can wear flip-flops and shorts to dinner with no one raising an eyebrow—but still feel comfortable in an adult and professional experience. And indeed, that’s what we found. The staff is friendly and our Cruise Director, Zee-Jay, was fun and entertaining. The music is Margaritaville-esque, with tropical themes and easy listening predominating. In addition to the shows, there was live music around the ship and short pop-ups in the atrium. 

Our suites were bright and colorful and spacious; the room attendants were on the case with ice and towels and such. The balcony spanned the length of three windows, with a table and chairs and two chaise lounges. The drinks were good, the burgers were yummy, the steakhouse was good quality. 

All in all, we had a lot of fun. 

The Trade-Offs

When you sell suites for $1,491 (and, I would assume, sometimes less), you have to cut some corners. But we agreed the ones Margaritaville at Sea chose did not overly impact our experience. 

The most common complaints on social media center on the food—but the issue is more about the variety than the quality. At half the size of some mega-ships, Islander offers more limited menus in both the dining room and the buffet.

The dining room is easy and friendly; no reservations required and no lines. The food seemed to be fresh and of good quality. But there are only three main dishes at the buffet, usually a chicken, a pork, and a veggie dish. Of course there are always salads and deli, plus freshly made pizza, and yummy burgers and Mexican food by the pool. (And at this price, if you are really hungry you can pay extra for hot sandwiches at the cafe, crab legs or chicken wings or sushi at the specialty eateries, or prime ribs or steak in the steakhouse.) Suite guests also benefit from a special additional menu, with higher-end choices like Beef Wellington, in the main dining room.

A bigger issue is that there is no food available late night. If you are a 24-hour-pizza lover, you’ll have to stock up early and bring it to your room.

Bacon is served at breakfast only every other day, and there is no smoked salmon on the breakfast buffet. But there is an omelet station and the line moves quickly.

For gamblers, I’ve heard it takes between $2,000 and $2,500 in slot bets to be eligible for passes, and the payouts while you play are not plentiful.

As suite guests, we also had access to the Suite Lounge and Concierge service. Here too, the offerings were more limited than on the big ships, with the lounge serving only drinks and no snacks.

All that said, this is a cruise ship after all. You will not go hungry, even if you choose not to pay extra. 

Excursions

Having been to Mexico often and recently—and settling into that Margaritaville state of mind—we opted for beach break excursions rather than sightseeing on both our days in Mexico. In Cozumel, we went to Kuza Beach and Adventure Park (and were a little disappointed to discover that the lazy river and adventure park actually are not included), and in Progreso, we went to the Kokomo Beach Club. Both offered plenty of chairs and shade, along with free drinks and a Mexican buffet, and we enjoyed our day at both. 

(Note that Kuza does involve a rather long walk from the road to the beach that might be difficult for some.)

Input from the Pros

We asked a few travel advisors what their clients have thought of Margaritaville at Sea, and the feedback we got was overwhelmingly positive. 

While she would not recommend it to clients who prefer “formal and upscale” cruising, Kimberly South of Top Tier Travel Associates says her two groups onboard—one of 16 ladies celebrating a 60^th birthday and one of 20 from a retirement community—both “loved it and had no complaints.” Both the experienced cruisers and the first timers “loved the vibe and enjoyed the entertainment and food. And people from both groups have rebooked for another experience on the Islander.”

And Travel by Susan owner Susan Coda says Islander “is probably one of the best cruises I’ve taken. It’s a completely different vibe from all the other major lines. It’s laid-back and relaxed, and people just seem to get along. You can dress up or dress down. The food in the main dining room was pretty good for the most part but limited—but the tacos were one of my favorite of all the cruise lines that offer them. The crew was one of the friendliest I’ve interacted with, and crew members were everywhere cleaning public spaces. And the entertainment staff are top-notch.”

The Last Word

Prices are low on Margaritaville at Sea in part because it is a new cruise line, with just two ships and a third on the way. It’s trying to build a fan base and attract customers in a crowded field, and holding prices down by limiting food waste with a more limited menu. 

But you will not go hungry. Insiders who are willing to forgo some amenities can take advantage of a great deal—and spend a week watching sunset over the sea from their private balcony in a spacious suite, for the same price as a smaller room on many other ships.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises^® has announced plans to reimagine select accommodations aboard its Explorer Class ships, introducing larger suites, a new suite category and reduced capacity to deliver an even more spacious and luxurious onboard experience. Following planned dry docks in 2027 and 2028, Seven Seas Explorer^®, Seven Seas Splendor^® and Seven Seas Grandeur^® will each sail with a new maximum of only 344 suites, reduced from 373 suites, eliminating 29 suites per ship to provide even more unrivaled space.

Regent will continue in its rich heritage of leading the way in ultra-luxury cruise travel by expanding Veranda Suites into the largest entry-level suites in the ultra-luxury cruise industry, alongside the Deluxe Veranda Suites aboard Regent’s Prestige Class ships. Every redesigned Veranda Suite will feature luxurious amenities including walk-in closets, double vanities, and spacious balconies, and will now measure between 415 and 464 sq ft, having previously been 307 sq ft.

“Since 1992, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has undertaken a relentless pursuit of perfection. We changed the game with the launch of our Explorer Class ships in 2016, 2020 and 2023, and we are excited to now take these beloved ships to new heights,” said Wesley D’Silva, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “These enhancements reflect our commitment to continually raising the standard in ultra-luxury travel. By reducing suite inventory, expanding accommodations and introducing new suite categories, we are creating an even more spacious experience at sea while strengthening the exceptional service that defines Regent.”

In addition, new Horizon Penthouse Suites – which will first debut on Seven Seas Prestige™ – will also be incorporated into the Explorer Class collection of spacious suites. Ranging from 616 to 722 sq ft, the suites feature oversized balconies, offering an exceptional experience that blends outdoor luxury and indoor comfort. With a beautifully appointed bedroom, full bath suite, and spacious living area, Horizon Penthouse Suites create an exclusive retreat, perfect for relaxing after a day’s adventure.

Completing these opulent accommodation upgrades, three additional Distinctive Suites measuring from 821 to 918 sq ft will be added to each ship and feature a spacious bedroom with a king-size Elite Slumber™ Bed, a spacious sitting and dining area, one-and-a-half marble-and-stone-appointed bathrooms, and a large private balcony. The suites – respectively named Explorer Suite, Splendor Suite and Grandeur Suite on each ship – come with a host of high-end amenities such as fresh orchid arrangements, cashmere blankets, a sumptuous in-suite caviar service, a selection of pillow styles and the services of a personal butler.

Accommodation upgrades will begin with Seven Seas Splendor when she enters dry dock in November 2027. In 2028, Seven Seas Explorer will enter dry dock in April and Seven Seas Grandeur will follow in October.

For more information, please visit RSSC.com, call 1-844-4REGENT (1-844-473-4368), or contact a professional travel advisor.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is expanding its acclaimed ART 2 SEA program in 2027 with three specially curated voyages aboard the luxury ship EUROPA 2. Guests will enjoy exclusive access to the international art scene through onboard exhibitions, artist talks, private studio visits, museum tours and behind-the-scenes cultural experiences.

Developed in collaboration with leading gallerists, curators, collectors and art historians, each sailing features a distinct curatorial vision inspired by the destinations visited. The 2027 program includes:

·       Indo-Pacific: Explore the contemporary art scenes of Southeast Asia and Australia with visits to galleries, museums and artists’ studios, accompanied by renowned art experts including Kristian Jarmuschek, Thole Rotermund and WELTKUNST editor-in-chief Dr. Lisa Zeitz.

·       Japan & China: Travel from Tokyo to Hong Kong with art collectors Lea and Christian Schwarm, exploring East Asia’s dynamic contemporary art scene through curated exhibitions, artist discussions and exclusive cultural experiences.

·       Mediterranean: Hosted by Hamburg gallerist Carola Persiehl, this voyage highlights contemporary art across Italy, France and Spain with private collection visits, museum tours and exclusive access to acclaimed artists’ studios.

ART 2 SEA

Art is central to the EUROPA 2 experience. The ship is home to nearly 900 original works by internationally renowned artists, while each ART 2 SEA sailing features specially curated onboard exhibitions, vernissages and expert-led discussions that complement immersive shore excursions.

Sample cruise MS EUROPA 2 ART 2 SEA: The elegance of the Mediterranean from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Palma de Mallorca, from Aug 3-15, 2027 (12 days). Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 9,240 per person, double occupancy (cruise only, including early booking discount valid until Oct 31,2026). For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.com/EUX2714