Category: Bashful on Boats

The Calm at the Center of the World

Traveling close to the equator can mean only one thing: Neptune, King of the Seas, is about to appear. Photo credit: L. Tripoli

Crossing the Equator in Ecuador On the list of things I am excited about when contemplating my trip to the Galapagos Islands, crossing the equator is not an entry. What is there really to trill about when passing over an…

Is a Cape Cod Whale Watch Worthwhile?

How long before we see the whales? Cape Cod, Mass. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

The first time I sign up for whale watching, on a trip to San Diego, I somehow manage to book myself on a pretty small boat on what I consider to be a pretty choppy ocean, or maybe it only…

Mississippi Queen in Hamburg

Add to the list of things I do not expect to see floating on the Elbe River in Hamburg, Germany: a steamboat named Mississippi Queen. U.S. culture is found in the most unlikely places. —Lori Tripoli Seeking other unusual sites…

Cruise Ships: Where Smaller Is Better

Disembarking from a small ship is quick and easy. Photo credit: L. Tripoli.

Cruising always promised glamour and excitement for me. My grandmother, tired of being married and with an empty nest, ran away, not to join the circus, but to sign on with a cruise line. I have yellowed postcards from her…

A Long Ride on a Slow Boat to Moscow

Aboard the M/S Russ on the way to Moscow. Photo credit: L. Tripoli.

I had been in Russia less than 24 hours when I realized that the overused maxim­—“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey”—would be particularly applicable to this trip. I was told the first day’s jaunt to the Hermitage was delayed…