Europe

My wife and I decided to try the pre-cruise package offered by Princess Cruises (800/774-6237) before our “Top of the World” cruise from Dover, England, to Brooklyn, New York, July 20-Aug. 7, 2011.

For $579 per person, we would be met at Heathrow Airport, transferred to London’s Chancery Court Hotel and, after two nights, transferred by van to the ship in Dover. For an additional $189 per person per night, we could book additional nights through Princess at the same hotel. Was this a good deal?

A friend and I had single cabins on Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas for the “12-Night Scandinavia and Russia Cruise” round trip from Harwich, England, to Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia and Estonia, May 18-30, 2011.

Jewel of the Seas is a beautiful ship. The staff was wonderful, and everyone connected with passenger service was outstanding, but there are a couple of things I would point out.

My wife, Rosalie, and I were fortunate to be able to attend the Giostra del Saracino, the Jousting of the Saracen (tickets, phone 0575 3772 62 [or 60 or 63], fax 377464), in Arezzo, Italy, on June 18, 2011. This tournament takes place twice a year. (In 2012 it’s on June 23 & Sept. 2.)

Debi Shank, ITN Staff

Every journey begins with a single step, and sometimes those steps turn into a leap of faith.

REPORT ON DOMINICA…

During a January ’12 Southern Caribbean cruise, we visited a botanical garden in Dominica that we thought was exceptional.

Dear Globetrotter:

With the free “Ludwig II” app, smartphone users can access info about 140 locations in Bavaria and the rest of Europe related to the king’s life (1845-1886), plus 400 photographs, a calendar of historical events and video interviews and audio quotes regarding the architecture, politics, music and technology of Ludwig’s era. The “augmented reality” features include a simulation of Ludwig’s Winter Garden in Munich (which no longer exists). If you hold your smartphone in front of a site, the app recognizes the building and tells its history.

In 2012, York celebrates its 800th year as a city. On July 9, the date when York’s royal charter was granted, choirs and musicians will perform a specially commissioned musical piece at the Eye of York, a lawn by the city’s 18th-century administrative buildings.