My husband, Norman, and I and a friend of ours were on our way to take a cruise from Copenhagen, Denmark, through the Baltic area on the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Breakaway. We began our trip on May 9, 2018, by flying from New Orleans to Chicago on United Airlines and from Chicago to Copenhagen on SAS Scandinavian Airlines (in a code-share with United). On May 20, we would also fly back on SAS from Copenhagen.
Heavy weather stranded the Viking Sky of Viking Ocean Cruises off the coast of Norway on March 23. The head of Norway’s maritime agency said that rough seas may have caused movements in the lubricating oil tanks so large that sensors detected a shortage and shut down the engines.
Of the 1,373 passengers and crew, helicopters and rescue boats evacuated about 500 people, 20 of them injured, one critically. The ship was sailing from Tromsø to Stavanger. Norwegian authorities are investigating why it sailed despite storm warnings.
The stem segment of the Renaissance-era English ship Mary Rose, along with a pump and an anchor, were put on display with the rest of the ship's remains at the Mary Rose Museum (Main Road, Portsmouth, England; phone +44 23 9281 2931, www.maryrose.org) on Feb. 20.
Most cruise lines and hotels offer loyalty programs, but with MSC Cruises (Fort Lauderdale, FL; 877/665-4655), you can register the status you have with a competitor's loyalty program, and they'll match it with an equivalent of their own. For example, my Holland America Line 4-star status gets me Gold Status with MSC.
If you go to MSC's website (www.msccruisesusa.com/statusmatch) and provide proof of your status with another loyalty program, they'll match it when you book a cruise with them.
There are two ships, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, in the tiny ocean fleet of Crystal Cruises (Los Angeles, CA; 888/722-0021, www.crystalcruises.com). Pretty much a matched set, with rotating crew, routes and entertainment, they carry roughly 900 passengers each.
7-day, 6-night cruise aboard 12-passenger, luxury hotel barge on Burgundy Canal in northern FRANCE. Through October 2019. Highlights: Arrive Paris/embark in Tanlay or Venarey, Burgundy/at Château de Commarin, see falconry, meet count/champagne tasting in Les Riceys/Renaissance murals at 16th-century Château d'Ancy-le-Franc/in Chablis, 9th-century L'Obédiencerie. Per date booked, $5,290-$6,150 (Stateroom) per person, double occupancy (ppdo) or $5,490-$6,350 (Junior Suite). Single supp., $1,950-$2,200.
In northeastern Vietnam, Van Don International Airport (VDO) began operations on Dec. 31, 2018. The airport, in Quang Ninh Province, is located only 31 miles north of Hạ Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It was announced that same day that a cruise terminal able to hold two cruise ships, each with a passenger capacity of 4,000-plus, would be built in Halong City (Bãi Cháy). At press time, no completion date had been set. Currently, cruise passengers dock in Hanoi, about three hours away from Hạ Long Bay.
8-day, 7-night "moderate"-level barge-and-bicycle tour in the NETHERLANDS. Departures May-Sept. 2019. Highlights: Sail from Amsterdam to Spaarndam/bike from Haarlem to 19th-century Cruquius Pumping Station/in Leiden, cycle along Vliet canal to Delft/sail through Rotterdam/Gouda/cycle along Waver and Amstel rivers. $2,395 ppdo (Superior barge) or $2,195 ppdo (Premium barge). Single supp., $895 (Superior) or $495 (Premium). E-bike rental, $350. Active Journeys (4891 Dundas St.
