Cruise

In June 2014, my husband, Fred Teger, and I began a self-drive tour of several of the countries that comprised the former Yugoslavia. 

My wife and I cruised from Shanghai, China, to Papeete, Tahiti, on the Insignia of Oceania Cruises (Miami, FL; 800/531-5619, www.oceania cruises.com), April 11-June 4, 2015. 

About a month before our departure, I was placed on a relatively unknown restrictive diet. I immediately called Oceania Cruises and advised the company of my situation. I was told that, while they had never heard of a low-FODMAP diet, they would have the chef contact me upon boarding.

A river ship carrying 456 passengers and crew on an 11-day Yangtze cruise from Nanjing to Chongqing, China, was struck by a tornado on June 1, causing it to capsize and killing 442 people. Most of the passengers were senior Chinese nationals. The 14 survivors included the captain and three crewmembers. 

The 20-year-old Eastern Star had last gone through routine maintenance in late 2014 and was licensed for sailing until April 25, 2016. 

The physical isolation of Antarctica, the anticipated viewing of wildlife and spectacular scenery and reports of disappearing Antarctic ice shelves all were factors that led my wife, Betty, and me to Antarctica as a destination. 

For all sailings of the Norwegian Sky in 2016, passengers will receive unlimited alcoholic and soft drinks (excluding drinks costing more than $11), and bottles of wine purchased on board will be priced 20% off. 

To accommodate the “Ultimate Beverage Package,” Norwegian Cruise Line (866/234-7350, www.ncl.com) raised cruise fares slightly, though, reportedly, less than the cost of a comparable beverage package.

In an attempt to prevent alcohol being smuggled aboard its ships, and citing behavioral issues and the amount of time it took to inspect boarding passengers’ bottles for alcohol, on June 9 Carnival Cruise Lines (800/764-7419, www.carnival.com) banned most bottled drinks from being taken aboard during embarkation.

Passengers will be allowed up to 12 unopened bottles of water or cans of soda, and passengers over 21 are also allowed one unopened, 750-milliliter bottle of wine or champagne.

In a partnership with AmaWaterways, Adventures by Disney (800/543-0865, www.adventuresbydisney.com), a separate company from Disney Cruise Line, is running seven Danube River cruises in 2016, the Walt Disney Company’s first foray into river cruising. 

The 7-night cruises, with family- oriented activities, sail from Budapest, Hungary, to Vilshofen, Germany, in July, August and December. The Dec. 15 date includes visits to Christmas markets. Cabins start at $4,179 per person, double occupancy, including meals, gratuities and airport transfers.