Hawaii - The Start

Destination Hawaii – Waikiki

So here we are in Waikiki Beach, on a glorious December day, ready for our cruise but keen to see something of this famous part of Honolulu before we leave.

So what do you do? Easy – you walk it. All of it. After a soothing night in the Modern Honolulu hotel, we were ready to head out about 8.45 local time (-5 hours, EST). Thanks to two important tips from our friend Stewart Chiron, aka The Cruise Guy, who is also a Hawaii expert, we had a couple of strategies to employ:

1)      Have breakfast at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, where the Tropics restaurant is perfectly situated overlooking the beach and offering a range of classic and Hawaiian menu favourites. We especially loved their Hawaiian Bananas Foster French Toast (with macadamia nut ice-cream; yes, for breakfast!) and the Loco Moco – a fried egg on a burger on rice, with thick gravy. Absolutely delicious.  

2)      Take advantage of the ship’s late sailing (7pm) to see as much of Waikiki as possible. Therefore, our transfer from the hotel to the port isn’t until 5pm, giving us most of the day to explore.

And explore we did – along the full length of Waikiki Beach and back again, a gentle stroll along in the 80-degree sunshine, dipping our toes in the sea and enjoying the long stretch of sand. With surfers and paddle-boarders to watch and plenty of fish (and two amazing moray eels) to observe in the water, it was truly a gorgeous walk.

We made it as far as the New Otani Resort (another Cruise Guy recommendation), where we stopped for a drink overlooking their beautiful Hau Tree Lanai, one of the most picturesque restaurants on the island. After a couple of cocktails, we wisely caught a cab back to our hotel and then wandered across (about 10 minutes) to the huge Ala Moana shopping centre, a four-storey mall of immense proportions.

Here, we scoped out some Christmas presents for family (no mention of what, just in case they’re reading!) and enjoyed a Christmas concert from a local cultural centre, whose children were a true delight to watch and hear as they performed a range of festive songs with Hawaiian dances. Just brilliant (and all to raise money for needy families).

A leisurely lunch included a fresh tuna sandwich and a local beer (the Paradise Porter – delicious), and we then began a slow wander back at the hotel, stopping at Crazy Shirts for some more Christmas shopping.

Our faithful town car driver was there on the dot of 5pm to pick us up and, in no time at all, we were  at the port of Honolulu ready to check in with hardly another person in sight (great call, Stewart!).

Finally, we were on Pride of America, and heading to our home for the next 7 days, stateroom 8512, forward on the port side with extra-large balcony. Great way to start the trip – and we’ve fallen in love with Hawaii and its people already.

Next up - Maui, Day 1

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

Welcome, Cruise Guy!

World of Cruising magazine is excited and proud to welcome aboard (or welcome back!) Stewart Chiron as our latest special guest contributor, starting with our Winter edition next month.

Stewart, better known on TV and Radio as The Cruise Guy, is a long-time cruise expert and proponent, dating back more than 20 years. He is one of the world's most-quoted cruise aficionados and is frequently called up by the major News channels for all things to do with cruising and cruise ships.

He's a regular contributor on trends and deals for leading news organizations, like ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, WGN, Good Morning America, CNBC, Travel Channel and CNN. He appears in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, Detroit Free Press, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Huffington Post, and The Miami Herald. 

He is also quoted in magazines like Money, Newsweek, Family Circle, Smart Money, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Tom Parsons' Best Fares, and Frommer's Budget Travel. And, from our new Winter edition, he will feature in World of Cruising as well!

Stewart (left, with Love Boat skipper Gavin MacLeod) was actually involved in the early days of the magazine 15 years ago and continues to be a great source of information and insight, hence The Cruise Guy column will be a lively, chatty place to get his opinion on the latest news of the day and learn even more about this fascinating business as he frequently rubs shoulder with the movers and shakers throughout the industry.

He says: "As a founding member of World of Cruising Magazine, I’m excited to be back on-board, sharing the inside track with some of the most informed, discerning cruise readers in the world. Brand new ship deliveries are slowing down, so stay-tuned as cruise industry tries to keep us stimulated."

It is just another reason to make sure you have your subscription up to date - and be ready for the next edition of the world's leading cruise publication. 

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

Now Boarding - Cruise Radio!

We at World of Cruising are delighted to welcome aboard Doug Parker - otherwise known as Cruise Radio on Twitter and for his great cruise podcasts - to the magazine, starting with our Summer edition next month.

Doug (left), from Jacksonville, Florida, created Cruise Radio in 2009 and has quickly become one of the most-followed podcasts online, as well as being the foremost cruise radio broadcaster, with over 125,000 weekly listeners. With more than 10 years' experience in FM radio and a keen passion for cruising, he and co-producer Matt Basford now showcase the full array of cruise news, features and experiences on the weekly show, with regular special guests including Stewart Chiron, America's popular 'Cruise Guy', and consumer advocate journalist Christopher Elliott.

Starting with our Summer edition, Cruise Radio will have its own slot in our News pages, offering Doug's personal take on the latest news and views, with comment and opinion on the big stories of the day. And he said: "I'm thrilled to work with World of Cruising and be able to provide cruising fans in the United Kingdom with the latest cruise industry news. Through this great opportunity, I hope to able to introduce a new audience to Cruise Radio and our enthusiasm for the cruising industry."

World of Cruising editor Simon Veness added: "We are delighted to have Doug 'on board' and providing another exclusive view for our readers. It continues to add to our cruise portfolio and highlights how we stay at the forefront of all that's relevant in this exciting and ever-changing travel field."

You can look up more about Cruise Radio online at www.cruiseradio.net, subscribe for regular Cruise News updates, enjoy Video snippets and, of course, tune in to the weekly Podcast for the very latest from this cruise-savvy team. You can also download the very latest mobile app from iTunes to ensure you have all their latest news and episodes on the go!

With our already world-class line-up of writers and columnists, including award-winning British author and cruise doyen Gary Buchanan, arch blogger John Honeywell (aka Captain Greybeard), The Admiral, cruise historian Peter Newall and Aft View insider Peter Rushton, it ensures World of Cruising remains at the head of its class, being both contemporary and superbly insightful.

To subscribe to the magazine from anywhere in the world follow this link.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

It's A Fantasy Float-Out

Disney Cruise Line are now firmly on course for the arrival of their new Disney Fantasy vessel in March with the official float-out today of the 128,000-ton ship at the Meyer-Werft Shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

The second new ship in as many years, DCL will unveil the ship with inaugural events in both New York and Port Canaveral  (Florida) in March, when Fantasy will also start regular 7-day Caribbean voyages from the line's purpose-built terminal just 45 minutes from Walt Disney World.

Numerous bloggers and Tweeters were in Papenburg for the big event - which included the inevitable Disney speciality of fireworks - and you can see the best of them on the following links from Stewart Chiron (@CruiseGuy) and Chris Owen (@orlandoChris):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht7gemvtv2s&feature=youtu.be&a

http://www.chriscruises.net/2012/01/cruise-video-disney-fantasy-float-out-ceremony/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

You can also read the full report on Disney Cruise Line's own website, here: http://dclnews.com/galleries/2012/01/09/disney-fantasy-float-out/#photo-1

Don't forget you can also follow World of Cruising on Twitter at www.twitter.com/worldofcruising or just @WorldofCruising.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.