Chesapeake Bay Cruise With American By Heidi Sarna We boarded the bus like any other tour, but soon our guide, Linda Harris, began singing in low, soothing tones, accompanied by her husband, who harmonized and softly strummed a banjo. She told us afterward that it was...
Canadian Empress 1000 Islands Cruise Review By Heidi Sarna One chilly afternoon, after spending some time alone up on the Sun Deck admiring the scenery of the 1000 Islands, I paused and peered through the lounge’s etched glass doors. I could see (and hear!) that just...
Costa Rica UnCruise Adventures By Heidi Sarna I had a chat with Captain Dan Blanchard, Owner & CEO of UnCruise, to ask him all about his upcoming new 7-night Costa Rica itineraries. Dan loves getting his feet wet (and ours!) in some of the most beautiful natural...
Douro River Cruise Review By Heidi Sarna Joyfully wandering around hilly Porto, a colorful old city built on the steep banks of Portugal's Douro River where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, after flowing some 500 miles from north-central Spain, I was smitten by this...
Hooghly River Cruise Review By Heidi Sarna Updated March 2026 India is one of the world’s most absorbing travel destinations, yet it can also be challenging and overwhelming to navigate independently. A luxury India river cruise smooths out some of the rough edges...
Magna Carta Thames River Cruise Review By Heidi Sarna Walking off the 8-passenger hotel barge Magna Carta, from its Thames River mooring at the edge of lush woodlands that envelop the Cliveden House estate in the Berkshire hills, we set off on a short uphill trek...
By Heidi Sarna. I've taken more than 125 cruises during my traveling life so far, many small-ship cruises carrying fewer than 100 passengers. Hands down, these are my favorites. Thus, why QuirkyCruise was hatched. Among the many kinds of small ships out there, barge...
By Heidi Sarna With the handsome 166-passenger Star Clipper anchored off in the distance, as if posing for a postcard, we motored in one of the ship's tenders to Isla Iguana in Panama. It was one of the week's several wet landings. This meant we climbed out of the...
Europe River Cruise Packing Tips By Heidi Sarna Updated March 2026 I've taken more than 125 cruises all over the world. Many on river boats and canal barges in Europe. And, in large part, I know what to pack based on how many times I didn't bring the right stuff —...
