Porthole Cruise and Travel, October 2022 by ppigroup

DISNEY WISH is a Reality

10.2022

Divinely Delicious The Biscuit Queen's cuisine

Ghosts of the Coast Savannah's phantom fun

Old Florida A revealing road trip

ISLAND GREEN THE MALDIVES' sensational and sustainable eco-resorts

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HERE’S TO ANOTHER NEW BEGINNING

WORLD TRAVELLER SETS SAIL TO ANTARCTICA IN NOVEMBER 2022

She was built for the modern explorer who believes that the world is better experienced up close, exploring jaw-dropping locations in luxe-adventure style. Book World Traveller and enjoy one of the smallest, new expedition ships with simple elegance and a timeless Italian design, inspired by La Dolce Vita. Explore Antarctica on Atlas Ocean Voyages. Call your preferred Travel Advisor or our Voyage Specialists at 1.844.44.ATLAS (28527) or visit atlasoceanvoyages.com Bonus Savings of up to $5,000 per stateroom are based on double occupancy for new bookings made by September 30, 2022. Air, land excursions, port charges, and fees are additional. Bonus Savings may vary by voyage and accommodation selected. All promotions are capacity controlled, and Atlas Ocean Voyages reserves the right to modify or close any promotion without notice. For full terms and conditions, contact your preferred Travel Advisor or Atlas Ocean Voyages. © 2022 Atlas Ocean Voyages. Ship’s registry: Portugal. All rights reserved. PH.082922A

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RECEIVE UP TO

5,000

BONUS SAVINGS PER STATEROOM

Book by September 30, 2022

ANTARCTICA - ARCTIC & NORWEGIAN FJORDS - CARIBBEAN & CENTRAL AMERICA - ICELAND & GREENLAND - MEDITERRANEAN - NORTHERN EUROPE & THE BRITISH ISLES - SOUTH AMERICA

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Some say light is a science . But wha t happens when you go beyond the technical and aim fo r t h e A r t o f S p a r k l e ? Yo u fe e l t h e f i r e a n d energ y of the Crown of Light diamond agains t t h e c o o l s h i m m e r o f b a g u e t te s , yo u c a n’t l o o k aw ay a n d o n c e yo u ’ve s e e n i t , yo u c a n n eve r fo r g e t i t . Yo u k n o w t h a t fe e l i n g – i t ’s l i k e y o u r h e a r t p o u n d s , t h e w o r l d s t o p s a n d i t ’s t h e m o m e n t y o u k n o w y o u fo u n d y o u r p e r fe c t m a t c h . I f y o u h a d n ’ t fo u n d i t a l r e a d y, y o u h a v e n o w. We k n o w t h a t m o m e n t a n d w e l o v e r e c r e a t i n g t h a t m o m e n t fo r y o u e v e r y d a y – w e c a l l i t

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Couture Collection

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the

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NEW HORIZONS AT SEA

MSC SEASCAPE This December, MSC Cruises’ brand-new MSC Seascape will set sail, offering an immersive experience that truly connects you to the sea. Her cutting-edge design features impressive outdoor spaces for unparalleled relaxation and stunning ocean views. Enjoy 11 dining venues and 19 bars and lounges, our signature aft Infinity Pool and waterfront promenade, world-class entertainment, an expansive MSC Yacht Club, and unmissable onboard amenities. MSC Seascape will offer Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, including calls on Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, our exclusive private island in The Bahamas. Set sail for memorable experiences and discover new horizons at sea aboard MSC Seascape.

ONLY THE SEA, ONLY MSC.

VISIT MSCCRUISES.COM | CALL 877.665.4655 | CALL YOUR TRAVEL ADVISOR

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EXCURSIONS | DRINKS | SPECIALTY DINING | WI-FI

Our best amenities included in your fare Whether you’re marveling at glaciers in Alaska, relaxing on a white-sand beach in Half Moon Cay or tasting local wine in Australia, you can experience big savings on shore excursions, beverages, specialty dining and Wi-Fi with Have It All.

SHORE EXCURSIONS

Follow your own interests and delve deeply into your destination’s food, culture, history and more.

DRINK PACKAGE

Choose from a wide variety of beer, wine, spirits, cocktails, sodas, specialty coffees and more. Enjoy up to 15 beverages per day—with service charges included.

SPECIALTY DINING

Whether you prefer steak, spaghetti or sushi, don’t miss the chance to savor an expertly prepared meal at one of our award-winning specialty restaurants.

WI-FI

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s more important than ever to stay connected. Surf the web, check your email and stay in touch with loved ones throughout your journey.

*The Have It All (“HIA”) fare (and its parts) are not transferable or refundable, have no cash value, are not valid on Grand Voyages or 1- to 5-day cruise voyages, are available for 1st/2nd guests only, and are subject

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Call your Travel Advisor or visit hollandamerica.com.

to availability. Any advertised fare may be changed or revoked at any time. Fare is subject to full terms and conditions, available at hollandamerica.com/package-terms. Ships’ Registry: The Netherlands.

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CONTRIBUTORS Judi Cuervo began her freelance cruise writing in 1998 with Porthole Cruise Magazine where, as J.C. Travell, she authored the Jane Q. Cruiser and horoscope columns as well as regular cruise and ship reviews. A New York City native, her cruise writing has appeared in regional, national, Canadian, U.K., and Australian publications.

ISSUE 241 OCTOBER 2022

Jason Leppert is a 30-something cruise expert with more than 115 sailings under his belt. He’s been cruising since he was 2, thanks to his parents’ passion for travel. He’s the founding editor of PopularCruising.com; producer of the Popular Cruising YouTube channel; senior writer, cruises and cruise travel, at TravelPulse; and a contributor to other outlets.

Kate Wickers is a British freelance journalist, novelist, and world traveler. Her work includes travel, culture, and food features for international publications, including The Telegraph, The Scotsman, The Daily Mail, The Australian, Islands, and The Globe & Mail. Her first travel memoir, Shape of a Boy, was published in January 2022. Carrie McLaren, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, is a former public-relations professional turned freelance writer and mom to two teenage girls. As a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, her work has appeared in travel guides, regional publications, and local newspapers. Follow Carrie’s adventures on Twitter at @CarrieMcLaren and at www.CarrieOnTravel.com

Bill Panoff Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Linda Douthat Associate Publisher/Creative Director Grant Balfour Managing Editor Skip Anderson Art Director Sara Linda Proofreader Judi Cuervo, Alex Darlington, Jason Leppert, Carrie McLaren, Eric Paul Roorda, Richard Varr, Kate Wickers Contributing Writers Adobe Stock, Alamy Stock Photo AWL Images, eStock Photo Contributing Photographers

Bill Panoff William P. Jordan III Audrey Balbiers-Panoff Piero Vitale Linda Douthat Stephanie Davies Soren Domlesky

About the cover: Maldives, Atoll Baa Hemis / AWL Images

Sales Offices Corporate Headquarters/PPI Group 6261 NW 6th Way, Suite 100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309, USA (954) 377-7777 Email: sales@ppigroup.com William P. Jordan III Stephanie Davies Distribution Nationally distributed by Comag Marketing Group

President VP Digital Marketing

Eric Paul Roorda, Ph.D., is a maritime historian from the Lake Huron shore of northern Michigan. His books include Twain at Sea: The Maritime Writings of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (University of Chicago Press, 2018), and The Ocean Reader: History, Politics, Culture (Duke University Press, 2020). He has been a lecturer on cruise ships for more than 20 years, serving on 12 different lines.

CEO/Chairman President Chief Operating Officer Chief Financial Officer SVP, Publishing VP Digital Marketing Director of Technology

A former TV reporter, Houston-based Richard Varr has written for USA Today, AOL Travel, the Dallas Morning News, Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine, Islands, Sydney Morning Herald, Good Sam Club’s Highways, and AAA’s Home & Away. Richard also wrote the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide to Philadelphia & the Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

Porthole Cruise and Travel ©2022 Porthole Magazine, Inc. ISSN: 1070-9479 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 469066, Escondido, CA 92046. All rights reserved. Reproduction, either in whole or in part, is forbidden without written permission from the publisher. The magazine assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photography, artwork, or other material. Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine is published six times a year by Porthole Magazine, Inc. It is distributed on a paid basis to subscribers worldwide, including cruisegoers and cruise industry executives. It also is distributed on a controlled-circulation basis. Porthole Magazine Inc. shall not be held liable for claims made in advertisements. Address for all editorial and advertising correspondence: Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine, 275 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33444. Phone: (954) 377-7777. Email: bpanoff@ppigroup.com. Visit our website: porthole.com. To subscribe: Call toll-free (800) 776-PORT or (760) 268-9594 (International) 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m., Pacific time; email us at porthole@pcspublink.com; or write to Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine, P.O. Box 469066, Escondido, CA 92046-9066, USA. Subscription rates: 1-year subscription (6 issues) USA: $24.99; Canada: US$29.99; all other countries: US$59.99 (first class); 2-year subscription (12 issues) USA: $34.99; Canada: US$39.99; all other countries: US$99.99 (first class). Florida residents, please add 7% sales tax.

For questions about your current subscription, call toll-free (800) 776-PORT or email porthole@pcspublink.com.

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St. Kitts & Nevis

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER

Find the Magic Travel has the power of transformation — and that’s the greatest magic of all. IT’S SEPTEMBER AGAIN, and unless you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, that means summer is coming to an end. This time of year brings out two personal reactions that are complete opposites, and that I think I’ll always carry with me. On the one hand, there’s that wistful feeling that the long summer break is over and the daily grind of school is starting up again. (It doesn’t matter that I haven’t seen the inside of a classroom in decades. The feeling lingers.) On the other hand, there’s the excitement of September: new classmates to meet, new things to learn, and that faint hint of woodsmoke in the air that means change is coming.

ISSUE 241 OCTOBER 2022

The sun won’t be so blazing hot at noon. The stars will shine brighter at night. And here in Florida (and across the sunnier parts of the world), our cities and our beaches are starting to wake up for tourist season. New faces, new restaurants, new people to meet from all over the world … it can be a magical time here, just like the harvest season was back in the old days, up in the northern states. We’re carving our pumpkins and we’re packing our bags for cruises in the Med and the Caribbean. We’re ready for the change. And change, of course, is what magic really is. In this issue of Porthole, we’ve done our best to capture that magical sense of transformation. It’s at its clearest when reading about how tourism and hospitality leaders have learned to embrace the ghosts of Savannah, as Richard Varr reports on page 30. But you’ll find a similar transformation when reading how ocean cruising changed Mark Twain’s life, as Eric Roorda reveals on page 40, or all the changes that Disney Cruise Line brought to their newest ship, Disney Wish, as Jason Leppert unveils on page 34. Judi Cuervo gets the finger-licking facts on the way local flavors have transformed the already scrumptious cuisine of “Biscuit Queen” Regina Charboneau on page 22. Kate Wickers experiences the changing face of travel at eco-resorts in the Maldives on page 46. We even take a look at how a crafty entrepreneur is using an often overlooked element of travel — those barely used bricks of hotel soap — to transform the lives of people in need in this issue’s Personal Touch story, on page 58. Things are changing all around us. May your next trip bring some magical changes your way. Happy travels,

Bill Panoff Publisher bpanoff@ppigroup.com

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Tiktok.com/@portholecruise

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ST.

C R O I X

ST.

J O H N

ST.

T H O M A S

The Perfect Cruise Stops Here. Stop at any of our ports for white sand beaches, turquoise waters and picturesque towns with shopping and attractions that offer all the island experiences you are looking for. visitUSVI.com

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FEATURES

ISSUE 241 OCTOBER 2022

46 Maldives

34 Day @ Sea A Wish Your Heart Makes… Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship brings a dreamy Cinderella story to sea. by JASON LEPPERT

40 KEN SEET / FOUR SEASONS RESORTS AND HOTELS

Mark Twain, Cruiser The author celebrated for his memories of the Mississippi River loved ocean travel and became a fan of the very first cruise ships. by ERIC PAUL ROORDA

46 Feeling Green in a Blue, Blue World Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru

A vacation in the Maldives can unveil how much better our everyday lives could be. by KATE WICKERS

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IN THIS ISSUE 10

Contributors

ISSUE 241 OCTOBER 2022

Publisher’s Letter

Roads & Rails

by BILL PANOFF

PLANET PLAYGROUND

Wine & Dine

American Queen Voyages sails deliciously with “Biscuit Queen” Regina Charboneau. by JUDI CUERVO

Shop Around

Fashion designers are creating bold, new looks with materials that help heal the planet.

An A1A road trip reveals a seductive side of the Sunshine State most visitors never see. by CARRIE MACLAREN

Shore Leave

In this genteel Southern city, scary hauntings are serious business. by RICHARD VARR

BEST LIFE

Good Vibes

Travel opens horizons — and looks forward to a better world tomorrow. by ALEX DARLINGTON

Personal Touch Shawn Seipler has turned wasted hotel soaps into a gift of healing. by ALEX DARLINGTON

Leland & Sea

Steve Leland wanders the world in style. Now, he’s sailing with Ponant’s Smithsonian Journeys into the Arctic. by STEVE LELAND

Sail Away St. Kitts

MOSH Mouth by artists Luca Berton and Michael Turner Hemming Park, Jacksonville

Wine & Dine

Shore Leave

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: PATRICE ROSS / VISIT JACKSONVILLE; WOLLWERTH IMAGES / ADOBE STOCK / AMERICAN QUEEN VOYAGES

Roads & Rails

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ISSUE 241 OCTOBER 2022

Shop Around

27 60

Roads & Rails

Shore Leave

Roads & Rails

TOP TO BOTTOM: CHANDLERVID85 / ADOBE STOCK; ADIDAS; RYAN KETTERMAN / VISIT JACKSONVILLE; EVENFH / ADOBE STOCK

Wine & Dine

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DO THE ISLAND-HOP Soak up the sun all over The Caribbean with Norwegian Cruise Line Paradise moves to its own tempo. And you can, too. Float the day away in the warm, turquoise waters of The Caribbean, then turn up the volume on the only race tracks at sea. Hike breathtaking vistas before relaxing in our Thermal Suite at Mandara Spa or singing along to show-stopping Broadway musicals. Book an amazing vacation with Norwegian Cruise Line and start feeling those vacay vibes.

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Norwegian Joy Speedway

Magens Bay, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

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WINE & DINE

Biscuits are Just the Beginning American Queen Voyages sails with America’s most delicious flavors thanks to “Biscuit Queen” Regina Charboneau, the line’s sovereign culinary ambassador.

merican Queen Voyages’ culinary ambassador, Chef Regina Charboneau, may be known as “The Biscuit Queen” — a title bestowed upon her by The New York Times when they reviewed her feather-light biscuits. But after a taste of her culinary genius during a Columbia and Snake River sailing aboard American Queen Voyages’ American Empress, I’ve learned the label is woefully inadequate. In fact, it’s sort of like recognizing Richard Branson solely for the independent record label he launched in the 1970s and ignoring the corporate empire he built since then.

TOP TO BOTTOM: REGINASKITCHEN.COM; AMERICAN QUEEN VOYAGES

by Judi Cuervo

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: SEAN MCVEIGH; FOMAA / ADOBE STOCK; ACTION NOW PHOTOGRAPHY

Los Bermejos AN Bodegas AMERICAN QUEEN

You might say that Regina Charboneau was born to take the culinary helm of this 10-year-old riverboat line that is a celebration of America and, particularly, the American South. A seventhgeneration native of Natchez, Mississippi, Regina grew up with the mighty Mississippi, the river that American Queen Voyages plies with its opulent American Queen, in her backyard. Speak with Chef Regina today and this accomplished chef, restaurateur, author, and cooking instructor downplays an extraordinary career that includes culinary school in Paris and ownership of successful establishments in cities like San Francisco and New York in favor of celebrating the history, culture, and cuisine along the Mississippi. But as culinary ambassador aboard the fastexpanding American Queen Voyages’ fleet of four steamboats and paddlewheelers, Chef Regina goes way beyond the Mississippi. She brings creative culinary experiences to itineraries that now include the Ohio and Columbia Rivers, the Great Lakes, and Alaska, injecting each with her signature Southern charm. Aboard American Empress, for instance, Chef Regina whips up a cocktail that transforms the Mississippi River’s popular Sazerac into a uniquely local Columbia River libation, using ingredients she's acquired during our voyage: Quartz Mountain Bourbon picked up at our embarkation city of Vancouver, Washington, a bottle of The Bitter Housewife orange bitters from Pat's Teas & Spices in Astoria, Oregon, and absinthe found at the Pilot House Distillery also in Astoria, Oregon. The resulting cocktail is delicious … and as powerful as Multnomah Falls!

American Empress and Mount Hood

Later, her stint as a construction-camp cook in the Alaska bush serves Chef Regina well as we sail the Columbia River, an area renowned for its salmon. Here we see, step-by-step, how to create her delicious Salmon in Pepper Marinade with Penne in Smoked Tomato Sauce, just one of the many salmon dishes she developed while working in the remote camp early in

As culinary ambassador aboard the fast-expanding American Queen Voyages’ fleet of four steamboats and paddlewheelers, Chef Regina goes way beyond the Mississippi. her career. We get a taste of the many varieties of salmon unique to the Pacific Northwest — coho, red, blue, king, and the brown-sugar-sweetened candy salmon — and learn, too, about ivory salmon. This variety, Regina explains, is particularly rare, coming as it does from the tiny percentage of fish possessing a recessive gene that prevents the absorption of the pink carotenoids found in the typical salmon diet of shrimp, krill, and crab. Learning has never been so delicious!

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WINE & DINE

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Rock meets sea at Papagayo Beach.

“Culinary ambassador” is, indeed, the perfect title for Regina Charboneau’s role with American Queen Voyages. Warm and personable, Regina not only provides remarkable dishes and cooking demonstrations on board, but often invites guests to join her for a drink or a meal during the sailing. Unlike so many onboard culinary experts for whom prepared lectures form the basis of their interaction with guests, sailing with Regina is like sailing with a friend — a very knowledgeable friend — with easy conversation triggered not by a script, but by what we’re seeing, tasting, or sipping. Nowhere is this more evident than during the frequent foodie-focused walking tours Chef Regina conducts ashore. In keeping with her down-to-earth nature, guests may expect to explore culinary hotspots that run the gamut from a local dive bar with the best pork-belly fries to bakeries, distilleries, restaurants, food trucks, and high-end specialty shops. On our American Empress sailing, we explore right along with Regina, discovering, during a stroll in The Dalles, The Petite Provence, a French patisserie that seems lifted right out of Marseilles, offering heavenly Napoleons and other scrumptious pastries. Later, the group converges at Kainos for authentic wood-

fired pizza, ordering way too many pies, yet devouring every last bite before agreeing that the Mother Mary with pepperoni, kalamata olives, garlic, and basil was our clear favorite. Chef Regina’s anecdotes and stories are just as delicious as her culinary masterpieces. Whether she’s discussing fascinating culinary influences from immigrants settling along America’s rivers or regaling us with stories of the many celebrities — The Rolling Stones, Bob Hope, Walter Cronkite, Jon Bon Jovi, and Christopher Reeve among them — who frequented her home, her restaurants, and her blues club, Chef Regina’s conversation dazzles. She delights even those who have no culinary aspirations of their own. I mean, you don’t have to want to whip up her Coq au Vin Pot Pie with Bacon-Thyme Biscuit Crust to be awed by the account of Mick Jagger requesting leftover bouillabaisse to take back to his hotel following dinner at Chef Regina’s home. This year, Regina Charboneau will host a number of American Queen Voyages aboard American Queen, American Countess, American Duchess, and Ocean Navigator. Visit www.aqvoyages.com for additional information.

Aboard American Empress, Chef Regina whips up a cocktail that transforms the Mississippi River’s popular Sazerac into a uniquely local Columbia River libation, using ingredients she's acquired during our voyage.

TOP TO BOTTOM: AMERICAN QUEEN VOYAGES; MICHAEL GRAY / ADOBE STOCK

DELICIOUS DIPLOMACY

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SHOP AROUND

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Coming Back for More Forward-thinking fashion designers are creating bold, new looks with materials that help heal the planet.

TIGHT AND ALRIGHT

ECO COOL Since 2016, Norton Point has been making designer sunglasses out of recycled ocean plastics. Since then, they’ve expanded into all sorts of other things, from clothing to ocean-saving research. But The Current II shades prove that their core mission is still cool. These vintage-look sunglasses offer 100 percent UV protection, stainless steel hinges, and CR-39 polarized lenses that come in gray or blue. nortonpoint.com

GLOW IN THE SHADE In the Inca language Quechua, “ninakuru” means “firefly” — and designer Jennifer Moray named her millinery Ninakuru because she wanted to inspire everyone’s inner light. Panama hats like the Blake are constructed from sustainably harvested toquilla straw. This well-ventilated, rich-navy design has a cotton inner sweatband and an outer decorative band made from vintage grosgrain ribbon with decorative hand stitching. Other designs rely on materials like handsheared Argentinian wool, recycled silk, vintage ribbon, organic cotton, foraged game feathers and natural dyes. ninakuru.com

BACK TO THE OCEAN

A MUSHROOMIER FIT Adidas pioneered sustainable sneakers in 2015 with a pair of Ultraboosts made from an old gillnet pulled from the ocean. Now, their goal is to use only recycled polyester by 2024. The latest step in that direction: stylish Stan Smith Mylo shoes made from mycelium (basically, the root fibers of mushrooms). Instead of animal and synthetic leathers, these sneakers use material that it takes mushrooms about two weeks to grow. adidas.com

Oceans The Brand specializes in “ecolux swimwear for the free-spirited.” Every item they make consists of 100 percent recycled fibers … which means converting plastic bags, bottles, and other floating trash into smooth, luxurious fabric. Like all their shorts, the Moray swim trunks are lightweight, quick-drying, durable, and comfortable. Even better, they look good, too. oceansthebrand.com 

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: G-STAR; NINAKURU; OCEANS THE BRAND; ADIDAS; NORTON POINT

G-Star has been famous for sustainable fashions ever since they teamed up with singer Pharrell Williams, whose Bionic Yarn company turns plastic waste into textiles. Stylish pants like the 5620 3D Skinny Jeans are constructed out of comfortable, rugged denim that’s woven from cotton, polyester derived from recycled plastics (mostly PET bottles), and Tencel, a fiber derived from sustainably sourced wood pulp. They also look cool. Head Designer Pierre Morisset constructed the first 5620s to recreate jeans he’d spotted on a passing motorcyclist, whose pants had seen so much sun, wind, and rain that they’d molded perfectly to his legs. g-star.com

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ROADS & RAILS

[ PLANET PLAYGROUND ]

Old Florida through New Eyes An A1A road trip reveals a seductive side of the Sunshine State most visitors never see.

RYAN KETTERMAN / VISIT JACKSONVILLE

by Carrie McLaren

HISTORY, NATURE, LOCAL CUISINE, AND UPSCALE ACCOMMODATIONS await travelers who indulge in a leisurely drive along Highway A1A in Northeast Florida. Spend time getting to know the area and soak up the sunshine along the 67 miles of roadways connecting Amelia Island and historic St. Augustine. 27

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ROADS & RAILS Pamper yourself with an overnight stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island or the Omni Amelia Island Resort — both quiet getaways offering luxurious accommodations in a natural setting with oceanfront views. As you make your way south, stop in for a visit at Kingsley Plantation, Florida’s oldest standing plantation house, settled along the banks of the Fort George River. As part of the Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, this national park encompasses 46,000 acres. Afterward, check out the nearby Ribault Club, home to the “Millionaire’s Club’ in the 1920s, and now site of the Fort George Island Visitor Center. Hike the grounds’ 3.3mile nature trail or do some geocaching around what was once a Donald Ross-designed golf course.

MAYPORT

AMELIA ISLAND

OMNI AMELIA ISLAND RESORT (X2)

At just a short, one-hour drive north from downtown Jacksonville, Amelia Island is known locally for its secluded beaches, luxurious accommodations, and quaint shopping boutiques on Centre Street. Spend time at Fort Clinch State Park, home to one of the most wellpreserved 19th-century forts in the country and explore the park’s 1,400 acres of nature trails, beaches, and campgrounds.

Further south on A1A, the St. Johns River Ferry provides a unique mode of transportation for cars and pedestrians between Fort George Island and Mayport Village. Departing daily from both sides of the river, this unique 0.9 mile ride takes five minutes. Since it’s only 2.5 miles upriver from the ocean, riders get a unique view of Northeast Florida’s most

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The Alaska Railroad

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[ PLANET PLAYGROUND ]

Golf fans won’t want to miss the world’s best golfers testing their skills at the area’s famed 17th-hole island green at The Players Championship Stadium Course.

popular waterway. When it comes to fresh seafood, diners at Safe Harbor Seafood Restaurant can watch the fishing boats offload their catch and then watch it make its way right to the kitchen. Be sure to try the Mayport shrimp. Then, walk across A1A and visit the Safe Harbor Marketplace to purchase fresh seafood, sauces, soups, and more.

TOP TO BOTTOM: SAFE HARBOR SEAFOOD RESTAURANT; FLORIDASHISTORICCOAST.COM (X2)

JACKSONVILLE BEACHES As you make your way into the Jacksonville Beaches, put your feet in the sand at the oceanfront Lemon Bar, one of the area’s top beach bars. In the nearby Beaches Town Center, shop local boutiques, pick up a souvenir at Shorelines and wander the aisles at The Bookmark, Northeast Florida’s independent community bookstore — all steps from the ocean. Further along A1A, the Margaritaville Beach Hotel Jacksonville Beach welcomes guests to enjoy the beach vibes with a swim and a poolside margarita. Go for a bike ride or a walk on the boardwalk and visit the newly reopened Jacksonville Beach Pier. Learn about the railways that once made their way through Northeast

Florida at the Beaches Museum & History Center. For a bit of family fun, visit Adventure Landing Jacksonville Beach. Choose from mini-golf, laser tag, and go-karts along with the popular Shipwreck Water Park.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH At the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, refined spa, tennis, and golf experiences offer a resort atmosphere that dates back to the club’s beginning in 1928. Golf fans won’t want to miss the world’s best golfers testing their skills at the area’s famed 17th-hole island green at The Players Championship Stadium Course each March. The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa offers visitors 99 holes of championship golf and access to the resort’s oceanfront Cabana Club.

ST. AUGUSTINE In St. Augustine, discover the past in Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. First discovered in 1565, the fountain — a natural spring — is at the heart of the original site of the nation’s oldest city. Next, stop in at the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum to admire the world’s largest collection of authentic pirate artifacts, including

an original Jolly Roger pirate flag from 1830. Across the street, visit the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the United States. For a bite to eat and magnificent views, visit River and Fort’s rooftop bar overlooking the Bayfront. Then, make your way down the pedestrian-only St. George Street for dinner at the Prohibition Kitchen, a gastropub offering craft burgers along with live entertainment. For a good night’s rest, the Casa Monica Resort & Spa, with its Spanish architecture, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Just steps away from the iconic Bridge of

Lions, the property is within walking distance of historic St. Augustine attractions and dining options. For those who’d rather stay closer to the sea, the Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Augustine Beach Oceanfront Resort hotel is a 10-minute drive from downtown and offers resort amenities and onsite dining. From nature walks to ferry rides, entertainment, luxurious accommodations, and fine dining, a scenic drive down A1A provides travelers with a fresh look at Northeast Florida alongside magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean.

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SHORE LEAVE

[ PLANET PLAYGROUND ]

Spooky Savannah by Richard Varr

VISIT SAVANNAH

In this genteel Southern city, scary hauntings are serious business.

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SHORE LEAVE 204

magine waking up startled in the darkness to a crying ghost, her tears dribbling on your face. “She haunts the upstairs waiting for her lover to return,” says Patrick Godley, owner of Savannah’s historic 17Hundred90 Inn & Restaurant. He’s spinning out a lament for Anna, believed to be the ghost of an indentured servant from the early 1800s. Jilted by a sailor who left her behind, the distraught woman jumped to her death from a top-floor window.

“When a young couple came and stayed, Anna was maybe jealous of their love and hovered over the girl crying,” he continues. “The girl woke up and felt a drop of water on her face — the ghost crying with tears falling between her fingertips.” And after staying a night in what Godley calls the inn’s “famously haunted” room 204, you may leave with your very own spiritual awakening. “They’ll tell us stories like they feel a presence in the room tugging at their bed sheets and tickling their feet.” Across from Savannah’s leafy Chippewa Square, where Tom Hanks’ character Forrest Gump sat at his bus stop and contemplated life through a box of chocolates, staff at the 1896 Foley House Inn will tell you about their own resident ghost who they named Wally, a disembodied boarder who disappeared mysteriously one night. They say his stories may stem from a body found behind a wall during a 1987 renovation.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: VISIT SAVANNAH, IANKOGAL/ADOBE STOCK, ELNAVEGANTE/ADOBE STOCK, GEOFF I. JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY/VISIT SAVANNAH, ERICA WOODSON/ADOBE STOCK, KARI/ADOBE STOCK.

ANNA AND WALLY

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[ PLANET PLAYGROUND ] “I did see a figure standing there, a see-through black silhouette, an older gentleman about 6-foot-3,” admits Hayden Burgin, an inn staff member. He says stories also include hearing dulled piano music played over and over again, kitchen doors swinging open with no one there, and repeated tugging on a housekeeper’s shirt in the same room.

A LIVING INDUSTRY

CITY OF SPECTERS Tales of an otherworldly presence are typical in this colonial city founded in 1733, and it seems everyone here has a ghost story or two, from scratching on bedposts, jewelry rearranged, and jingling keys, to pale faces eerily staring out of windows. In 2003, the American Institute of Paranormal Psychology named Savannah the country’s most haunted city, likely a result of Revolutionary and Civil War casualties, yellow fever epidemics, and Native American and enslaved African burial grounds packed underneath Savannah’s Historic District and beyond. “Pretty much every step you take here, there’s a chance you’re on a different body,” quips Burgin.

Such purported hauntings have supercharged Savannah’s booming ghost-tour industry with, according to 6th Sense World Historic Ghost & Cemetery Tours, more than 100 competing companies offering evening trolley and walking tours. Guides lead their groups past historic hotels, old homes and through some of the city’s 22 shaded squares as fading twilight and dim lamplight begin to cast dulled shadows on low-hanging Spanish moss. Stops may include one of the city’s most popular restaurants, the 1789 Olde Pink House, where reservations can be hard to snag for Southern fare like blue crab beignets and fried green tomatoes. That’s where security cameras captured shadowy movements clearly depicted on a video posted to YouTube. Stories of ghost sightings and unexplained loud noises, running faucets, and flickering lights abound in the Marshall House Hotel, once converted to a hospital for Union soldiers and twice again for yellow-fever victims. Tour guides repeat the rumors of murder and death at 432 Abercorn Street, what many believe is the city’s most haunted house.

Real or imagined, ghosts are simply good for business, with many establishments touting their own spirits on their websites. “Ghost stories and liberal drinking laws are a good way to reinvest in a tourist economy based on history and architecture,” notes tour guide Max Arnzen while leading me through the red-brick Mercer Williams House. Now a museum, the 1860s Italianatestyle home was the centerpiece of the New York Times bestseller (and 1997 movie adaptation) Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The old mansion may have its own ghostly encounters, with reports of staff seeing the apparition of former owner Jim Williams, who shot and killed his maleprostitute lover in the front den.

My own ghostly experience shocked me out of bed in 2007 — not in Savannah but in Charleston, S.C., another of the country’s most haunted cities. It was my second night at the historic Mills House Hotel whose famous guests included General Robert E. Lee in 1861. What appeared to be a man dressed in yesteryear garb hovered over my bed. To this day, I’m not sure if I was awake or dreaming, but the strong ghostly presence scared me enough to sleep with the lights on for the following two nights. Back at the 17Hundred90 Inn & Restaurant, Godley shares another likely haunting. This time, it’s the ghost of a young boy named Thaddeus who leaves pennies and dimes around the inn. Godley says he found one while auditing, after stepping away for just a moment. “I went back to the desk and when I picked up the papers, there was a shiny penny on top of the desk.” And despite his experiences, he still questions whether ghosts are real. “I don’t believe in them, but I’m afraid of them,” he admits.

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AWish Your Heart Makes

…

DISNEY CRUISE LINE

Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship brings a dreamy Cinderella story to sea.

by Jason Leppert

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…

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always featured a so-called “weenie” — Walt’s own term for the architectural icon that draws guests in. So, like Epcot’s Spaceship Earth geodesic sphere or Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle, the Grand Hall serves as the ship’s social hub, anchored by a bronze statue of Cinderella herself.

New Faces in Familiar Places From that Grand Hall, the ship’s flow is recognizable but also a departure. One of three rotational dining rooms — the fresh 1923, a handsome bistrolike homage to old Hollywood — is immediately astern of the atrium with the other two stacked above. Particularly convenient to both children

The Grand Hall serves as the ship’s social hub, anchored by a bronze statue of Cinderella herself. and adults, though, is the close proximity, respectively, to Disney’s Oceaneer Club and the first of many bars, lounges, and shops (with logo items naturally, and more luxury brand names than ever before on Disney).

After checking in, kids can swiftly take a spiral slide from the Grand Hall down a deck to the newly located children’s club. The likes of “It’s a Small World” Nursery, Mickey & Minnie Captain’s Deck, Fairytale Hall, and Marvel Super Hero Academy will be familiar, but all-new is the Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, a hands-on space emphasizing creative projects combined with STEM-style experimentation. The craft and dining hall remains, with the addition of The Ride Studio, where budding designers can craft and video-test their own attractions just like Disney’s namesake creative team. And Star Wars: Cargo Bay is the latest take on the

DISNEY CRUISE LINE (X4)

tepping aboard Disney Cruise Line’s brand new Disney Wish, cast members still welcome families by enthusiastically announcing their surname in the tripledecker atrium, but the Grand Hall looks rather different this time around. Taking a detour from the Golden Age of Travel and the alternating art deco and art nouveau looks of Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, and Disney Fantasy before, Wish emphasizes its overall theme of “enchantment” with a more regal aesthetic in the form of a castle at sea. The approach is actually very appropriate for Disney as the company’s parks have

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film franchise’s delightful grunge, complete with droid parts, living and “breathing” creatures, and fun meet-andgreet opportunities. It just so happens that Cargo Bay is right below the highly anticipated Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge, set aside for adults in the evening (and all ages during the day) to enjoy the more refined side of the galaxy. As a successor to the Skyline bar on previous ships, animated “views” to the outside now show landscapes of Endor, Coruscant, and many more planets as Starspeeders cruise by and patrons imbibe. Rather than a single adult district, additional bars like The Bayou (themed to The Princess and the Frog) are more evenly spread around the ship, offering easier access and not hidden away.

Restaurant Surprises For complimentary dining, Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure and Worlds of Marvel round out the trio of main restaurants. The former is the ship’s dinner theater concept celebrating the engagement of Princess Anna and Kristoff. An audioanimatronic Olaf is super impressive as he visits diners at their tables, but the everwandering Oaken hilariously singing a europop rendition of “Let It Go” instead of Queen Elsa might just take the cake. Meanwhile, the expanded menu for Palo Steakhouse’s Italian cuisine plus premium cuts is superb for adult specialty dining. Also appetizing is Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement — both elegantly inspired by the enchanted objects of Beauty and the Beast.

For kids and kids at heart, there are again two waterslides.

On the pool deck, the Marceline Market buffet has been dialed in as more of an urban food hall with individual stations, and Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods is a terrific expansion of the grill and pizzeria, adding excellent barbecue and cantina offerings. Included soft-serve is available here, but for premium ice creams, gelato, and other treats, Inside Out: Joyful Sweets is a worthwhile alternative.

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DISNEY CRUISE LINE (X4)

Adults have their own Quiet Cove Pool, newly perched over the stern, infinity-style.

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Making a Splash Speaking of the pool, two large family pools have been replaced by seven smaller ones — six centrally spread out over terraced levels and a final, more secluded one at the forward top of the ship. Children also get the Trixie’s Falls kiddie pool and Toy Story Splash Zone, and adults have their own Quiet Cove Pool, newly perched over the stern, infinity-style. And the Senses Spa, positioned lower, has an expanded rainforest room that marvelously extends outside, with sublime whirlpools and hammocks nestled in the bow. Spun off from the spa is also Untangled Salon and Hook’s Barbery (and speakeasy, as it were, neatly serving custom whisky cocktails). With teens now evicted from said bow, the teen club Vibe

The Senses Spa... marvelously extends outside, with sublime whirlpools and hammocks nestled in the bow. is placed higher, conveniently next to the new Hero Zone indoor sports court, and tweens similarly still have Edge all to themselves. For kids and kids at heart, there are again two waterslides. Slide-a-saurus Rex is a traditional twisting body slide, and AquaMouse is an evolution of the AquaDuck water coaster as Disney’s first

attraction at sea. The front half is an opaque lift-climb ramp that displays animated shorts, telling one of two alternating stories as rafts ascend and are sprayed with dozens of nozzles, and the back half has the ups and downs of the aqua blaster and cantilevered translucent sections. The narrative quality is a lot of fun and will appeal to younger riders, but the reduction of thrills is a loss for the rest.

Showtime to Bedtime There is also no shortage of entertainment on Wish thanks to favorite pirate party fireworks, the duallevel multipurpose Luna for game shows and dancing, voluminous Walt Disney Theatre for Broadway-style shows like Disney The Little Mermaid, remounted just for Wish, and not one but two movie theaters. Never Land

Cinema and Wonderland Cinema ensure a greater variety of simultaneous film screenings in addition to the poolside movies on Funnel Vision. When it’s time to finally call it a night and slumber with sweet dreams, redesigned staterooms continue to showcase Disney’s signature split bathrooms with a toilet and sink in one compartment and a shower/tub combo and sink in the other. Concierge-level suites are afforded exclusive access to a true ship-within-a-ship complex with full observation lounge, private sun deck, and pool. These extend to the coveted Wish Tower Suite. Sleeping up to eight, this unique accommodation encompasses 1,966-square-feet of luxury living right in the forward smoke stack. Now that’s some Disney magic.

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, IN

T W K A R

CRUISER The author celebrated for his memories of the Mississippi River loved ocean travel and became a fan of the very first cruise ships.

by Eric Paul Roorda

ark Twain is linked to the Mississippi, because his iconic characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn had their adventures there, and because Samuel Clemens was a riverboat pilot before he took his pen name. Clemens/Twain also spent a great deal of time at sea. He crisscrossed the Atlantic on passenger liners. He relished those Point A to Point B voyages, designed for safety, speed, and comfort (in that order). More than passenger liners, Twain loved cruise ships, then in their infancy — harbingers of today’s cruise industry. Cruises are not intended to get from one port to another quickly. The spirit of the cruise is exploratory, voyaging from place to place, sampling cultures and taking part in activities both social and solitary, from collective games to solo time in a deckchair.

themselves to their new circumstances…. At eight there was breakfast, for such as were not too seasick to eat it. After that all the well people walked armin-arm up and down the long promenade deck, enjoying the fine summer mornings, and the seasick ones crawled out and propped themselves up in the lee of the paddle-boxes and ate their dismal tea and toast, and looked wretched. From eleven o’clock until luncheon, and from luncheon until dinner at six in the evening, the employments and amusements were various. Some reading was done, and much smoking and sewing, though not by the same parties; there were the monsters of the deep to be looked after and wondered at; strange ships had to be scrutinized through opera-glasses, and sage decisions arrived at concerning them.”

MARIO BREDA / ADOBE STOCK

Cruising Then and Now Twain embarked on three kinds of “cruises,” as distinguished from his trans-Atlantic business trips — forty of them, he estimated. He started with an 1867 Mediterranean cruise. He took a round-the-world cruise in 1896-97. He finished with several round-trips from New York to Bermuda. Wherever he traveled, Twain’s descriptions of the delights of life at sea are insightful and hilarious. His Mediterranean cruise was considered a novelty at the time, but the chartered steamship Quaker City hit several ports of call that are familiar stops on today’s Mediterranean itineraries: Gibraltar, Marseilles, Milan, Naples, Istanbul, and Jerusalem. Many of Twain’s observations about shipboard life in 1867 ring true for today’s cruise veterans. “The passengers soon learned to accommodate

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“Very often one made calculations for a heel to the right and the ship did not go that way. The consequence was that that disk missed the whole hopscotch plan a yard or two, and then there was humiliation on one side and laughter on the other.”

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Early Around the World In the 1800s, there was no such thing as the world cruise, today considered the apex of the cruise experience. But Twain cobbled one together to go on a lecture tour in 1896-97. He adored the voyage, capturing it evocatively in Following the Equator. Twain relished the long, featureless “sea days” that today’s cruise routes avoid, because they seem monotonous to most passengers, making cruise directors fill the daily schedules with activities. Boredom was not an issue for Mark Twain. “I do not know how a day could be more reposeful: no motion; a level blue sea; nothing in sight from horizon to horizon; the speed of the ship furnishes a cooling

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Day at Sea Twain loved shuffleboard, which had a different name. “’Horse billiards’ is a fine game. It affords good, active exercise, hilarity, and consuming excitement. It is a mixture of ‘hopscotch’ and shuffleboard played with a crutch. A large hop-scotch diagram is marked out on the deck with chalk, and each compartment numbered. You stand off three or four steps, with some broad wooden disks before you on the deck, and these you send forward with a vigorous thrust of a long crutch…. That game would be very simple played on a stationary floor, but with us, to play it well required science. We had to allow for the reeling of the ship to the right or the left. Very often one made calculations for a heel to the right and the ship did not go that way. The consequence was that that disk missed the whole hopscotch plan a yard or two, and then there was humiliation on one side and laughter on the other.” After a long shore excursion, he exulted at the feeling that cruisers today still understand, that the voyage is all about being at sea; that the cruise is the ship! “It was worth a kingdom to be at sea again…. We did not care, now, where the ship went to, so that she went out of sight of land as quickly as possible. When I travel again, I wish to go in a pleasure ship. [We felt] the perfect satisfaction and the sense of being at home again which we experienced when we stepped on board the Quaker City — our own ship.”

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Bermuda: Pleasant and Healthy In his last years, Twain preferred cruises from New York to Bermuda. He frequently resorted to that island in the midst of the Gulf Stream, where summery weather endures throughout the year, even in mid-winter, when North Carolina, just 500 miles west, is freezing. “That is a pleasant country — Bermuda — that is close by and easy to get to,” he wrote in his autobiography. “There is a fine modern steamer admirably officered; there is a table which even the hypercritical could hardly find fault with — not even the hypercritical could hardly find fault with the service.” He felt that the cruise from New York to Hamilton was the best medicine for his rheumatism. “We made the passage in forty-five hours and landed in lovely summer weather. The passage itself came near to curing me.” Perhaps you know that feeling....

“We made the passage in forty-five hours and landed in lovely summer weather. The passage itself came near to curing me.”

breeze; there is no mail to read and answer; no newspapers to excite you; no telegrams to fret you or fright you — the world is far, far away; it has ceased to exist for you — seemed a fading dream, along in the first days; has dissolved to an unreality now; it is gone from your mind with all its businesses and ambitions, its prosperities and disasters, its exultations and despairs, its joys and griefs and cares and worries. They are no concern of yours anymore; they have gone out of your life; they are a storm which has passed and left a deep calm behind. The people group themselves about the decks in their snowy white linen, and read, smoke, sew, play cards, talk, nap, and so on.”

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“

I do not know how a day could be more reposeful: no motion; a level blue sea; nothing in sight from horizon to horizon; the speed of the ship furnishes a cooling breeze; there is no mail to read and answer; no newspapers to excite you; no telegrams to fret you or fright you — the world is far, far away; it has ceased to exist for you.

”

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Twain on Travel

FROM LEFT: BRIAN / ADOBE STOCK; JEFFERY DAVIS / ADOBE STOCK

Of course, long sea days with a small set of traveling companions shaped Mark Twain’s feelings about the power of travel to foster understanding between people. In Innocents Abroad, the humorous travelogue based on the Quaker City voyage, he drops the jokes momentarily to note: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” On the other hand, in Tom Sawyer Abroad, published in 1894 (three years before his world cruise), Twain wrote a little less seriously: “I have found out there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” 45

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FEELING GREEN IN A BLUE,BLUE WORLD

SILVAE / ADOBE STOCK

by Kate Wickers

A vacation in the Maldives can unveil how much better our everyday lives could be.

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Meaningful Meetings Ari is a female olive ridley turtle. She was rescued after being caught in a “ghost” net (lost nets that float in from countries where trawl-net fishing isn’t banned) and has lost both front flippers and can no longer dive. I watch as Ari swims over to receive a gentle scratch on her shell from Bethany, turtle specialist and one of three resident marine biologists. “Ah, she loves a little bit of attention. She’s got the sweetest nature,” she tells me, just as Ari pops her head out of the water to check me out. To date, The Maldivian Sea Turtle Conservation Program (jointly established with Four Seasons) has nursed over 250 turtles back to health, most of which have been released to the wild, with those that need ongoing specialist care rehomed to aquariums through The Flying Turtle Program. The ocean, with its vivid hues of blues and greens, proves impossible to drag my eyes away from, which is just as well as otherwise I might have missed a stingray gliding by below the deck of my villa. Also living underneath my house on stilts is a Picasso fish, which darts territorially each time I appear and is easily spied through the clever design of the partially netted deck — perfect for lounging on while marine-life spotting. At sunset, I paddle in shallow ocean waters Picasso triggerfish and towards a fast-sinking sun, common octopus (rare while above me, fruit bats despite its name) are at home circumnavigate on their among rebuilt reefs, while regular evening patrol. injured sea turtles are helped Never have I felt more in by resident marine biologists. touch with nature.

Building Back Beautiful On my second day, I break the rule that when traveling you should leave nothing but footprints behind as I deposit a 32-inch-diameter metal frame into the Indian Ocean (bear with me, I’ll explain). The frame is full of fragments of rescued coral that I’ve spent the last couple of hours carefully tying on. It’s part of a pioneering project led by Reefscapers that began in 2001, designed to regenerate ailing reefs. The sad fact is that much of the coral in these waters suffered severe bleaching during the last El Niño phenomenon in 2016, when water temperatures exceeded 89.5 degrees Fahrenheit. It feels good to know that mine will join over four thousand others that are now thriving in the waters around Four Seasons Kuda Huraa and its sister resort on Landaa Giraavaru. I snorkel out to see some of the more established frames and spy, among the shoals of Oriental sweetlips and Moorish idols, a common octopus (rarely sighted despite its name). It’s putting on a transformative show, turning from deep red to light gray and, in texture, from smooth to rough. Within a minute, it is camouflaged among the rocks below a new blooming coral frame.

THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE: ALEXANDROS33 / ADOBE STOCK; MARINE SAVERS; AERIAL-DRONE / ADOBE STOCK; MARINE SAVERS OPPOSITE: KEN SEET / FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS

hese days, there are a few new boxes to tick when I’m choosing a luxury holiday. It used to be the size of the bed, and if my suite had a plunge pool; now it’s how green the resort is and what conservation projects they’re involved in. Sounds like a headache? It doesn’t have to be. Choose wisely and you can still have your plunge pool and enjoy a clear conscience — one doesn’t have to be sacrificed in favour of the other. Island hopping between the two Four Seasons resorts in The Maldives taught me this. Both are wonderfully luxurious. Tick. Both have impressive Marine Discovery Centres. Tick. Both give guests the opportunity to learn about the environment during worthwhile and fun activities. Massive tick. How involved you want to get is up to you, from helping with reef restoration to taking part in the monitoring of manta rays, the first project of its kind in this destination. By the way, there’s no judgement on those of you who may prefer to paddleboard and then sip cocktails by the pool. Although after I’ve introduced you to Ari, who resides at Kuda Huraa, the first resort I visit, you may change your mind.

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The Maldivian Sea Turtle Conservation Program (jointly established with Four Seasons) has nursed over 250 turtles back to health, most of which have been released to the wild, with those that need ongoing specialist care rehomed to aquariums through The Flying Turtle Program.

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DON RIDDLE / FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS

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Four Seasons Kuda Huraa

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The ocean, with its vivid hues of blues and greens, proves impossible to drag my eyes away from.

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OPPOSITE: DON RIDDLE / FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE: KEN SEET / FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS; FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS (X3)

Remote but Homey Four Seasons’ second resort sits pretty on the island of Landaa Giraavaru, which lies 50 miles north in Baa Atoll (The Maldives’ first UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve) and involves a 30-minute seaplane ride in the resort’s Triggerfish plane. This gives me views of electric blue lagoons on deserted islands, strung throughout the Indian Ocean like gemstones on a necklace. Landaa Giraavaru is larger, with a denser jungle foliage, and feels more pleasingly remote. My thatched-roofed Sunset Water Villa is vast, with a large infinity pool that juts out to sea, a bathroom with an ocean-view tub, and a washroom with a glass floor under which a family of needle fish swim. In keeping with the environmentally friendly ethos, I’m given a bike with my name on to explore the soft, sandy paths, particularly atmospheric by night when torches are lit, and long palm-shaped shadows are cast. Each evening, at Seabar, I settle down with a nightcap to watch the thrilling sight of lemon sharks and blacktip reef sharks swarming to be fed. Only locally caught raw fish is offered, so as not to affect their natural diet. In the Marine Pleasingly remote Discovery Centre, I Landaa Giraavaru, find more turtles within the Baa Atoll being nursed back Biosphere Reserve, to health, and learn is accessible via the about the ambitious resort’s Triggerfish Maldivian Manta Ray seaplane. In the Marine Project, which collects Discovery Centre, data on these gentle learn about the Maldivgiants that have a ian Manta Ray Project, wingspan of up to which collects data on 18 feet. In April, I’m the gentle giants that just a little too early have a wingspan of to join a scientific up to 18 feet. expedition out to nearby Hanifaru Bay, a UNESCO-protected biosphere reserve, but from May until November, guests are welcome to join in with gathering environmental data, such as taking identification photographs. Missing out gives me just the excuse I was looking for to return another time. “Guess who came to take a look at your coral frame yesterday?” Bethany asks me in a text. Attached to the message is a photo of the “Wickers Family” frame, now in situ out at sea. I’m thrilled to see that mine is getting some attention, with a large blacktip reef shark sniffing round. Shark visitor wasn’t a box I’d thought of ticking, but nevertheless I’m delighted it’s done. 53

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GOOD VIBES

[ BEST LIFE ]

The Right Steps Travel opens horizons — and looks forward to a better world tomorrow. by Alex Darlington

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, long-known for his concern for the environment, has recently initiated an eco-travel campaign based on principles of the Mãori. The Mãori are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand. Built into the fabric of their culture are a reverence for the Earth and a dedication to sustainability. As part of the ad campaign for his firm, Travelyst, the prince has appeared on Mãori TV urging travelers to leave a minimum “footprint” on the land. He’s even appeared in a short, satirical video that makes his point. “Travel has the unparalleled power to open people’s minds to different cultures, new experiences and to have a profound appreciation for what our world has to offer,” the duke says. He urges people to travel responsibly.

REUTERS / AL AMY STOCK PHOTO ( X2)

PRINCE PAYS TRIBUTE TO POLYNESIAN ECOLOGY

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GOOD VIBES

[ BEST LIFE ]

CRUISING ANTARCTICA TO HELP CLIMATE RESEARCH

Sylvia Earle

In February 2023, noted oceanographer, marine biologist, and conservationist Dr. Sylvia Earle will be heading up a cruise event that’s destined to make a giant contribution to saving the planet. Dr. Earle, along with a handDr. Sylvia Earle picked group of environmental scientists and other brilliant thinkers, will set out on a 12day journey to Antarctica to explore solutions to the dire problem of global warming. The project, known as The Antarctic Climate Expedition, will sail under the auspices of Aurora Expeditions. The cruise line has even created a special purpose-built ship for the voyage, aptly named Sylvia Earle. Dr. Earle is including not only environmental scientists, but also a wide variety of minds including artists, educators, economists, and curious teenagers to contribute ideas. “The importance of this expedition is to get people together who have different gifts, talents, capabilities, and powers,” Dr. Earle told reporters, “and come back with a commitment to take a new direction. It’s meant to provoke thought that will lead to action.”

Who would have thought we’d see the day? Cruise ships that provide all the lavish comforts, onboard activities, and exotic destinations guests have come to expect — and provide it while giving off absolutely no emissions. Thanks to Hurtigruten Cruise Line and prestigious research organization SINTEF, this amazing environmental achievement could be only 8 years away. “We’re excited to announce our most ambitious sustainability initiative yet, creating solutions for zero-emission passenger ships,” says Hurtigruten Group CEO Daniel Skjeldam. “Our ambition is to sail an emission-free Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express ship by 2030.” Meanwhile, on June 18, the river ship A-Rosa Sena broke new ground along the same lines, sailing out of Cologne emission-free thanks to the E-Motion hybrid propulsion system, which lets it switch to battery power when leaving and arriving at ports.

TOP LEFT: MICHAEL AW, AURORA EXPEDITIONS (X2), TOP RIGHT: TODD BROWN, BOTTOM: A-ROSA CRUISES.

ALL FUN, NO EXHAUST

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To arrive at Cartagena is to enter Spain fully... to enjoy the best of an entire country, without ever leaving this region where the sun -and time itself- have mellowed each little corner into a unique treasure Vestiges of a thousand-year-old culture, gastronomy that prides itself on excellence in every dish, the best beaches for enjoying water sports all year round, a different form of leisure living, popular and religious festivals... No place offers more Spain than this unique port: the Port of Cartagena

Brought to you by the Mediterranean. Powered by Spain

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PERSONAL TOUCH

[ BEST LIFE ]

Clean & Renewed Shawn Seipler has turned wasted hotel soaps into a gift of healing. By Alex Darlington

t all began 14 years ago when frequent traveler Shawn Seipler was checking out of his room and noticed he was leaving behind a half-used bar of hotel soap. Curious, he asked management what happens to these leftover soaps. He learned they were routinely thrown away. More thorough research revealed that all American hotels did the same thing. Seipler calculated that, nationwide, about 3.3 million bars of soap were discarded daily. The colossal waste stuck in Seipler’s craw. “I couldn’t stop thinking about that,” he said. “I decided I had to do something about it.” The environmentally concerned Orlando, Florida, resident started going around to various hotels in the city, asking if they would donate their used soap. Using a primitive process involving potato peelers, meat grinders, and slow cookers, Seipler and some friends worked out a way of melting down and recycling the used chunks. The soap was then dried and molded into brand-new bars.

So, what was he to do with these perfectly usable and totally sanitary soaps? Learning that in many developing countries, 9,000 children under the age of 5 were dying every day from insufficient hygiene because they were unable to properly wash their hands, Seipler began donating the recycled soap to the parts of the world that are most affected. Since then, Seipler has completely streamlined his recycling process. He’s also expanded the idea into a project called “Clean the World.” Now, more than 8,000 major hotel chains (among them Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott) contribute their used soap. Seipler’s organization gets the reprocessed soap to 127 underprivileged nations that need it so badly. It’s estimated that Clean the World has saved millions of lives. And as they continue their work, millions more are going to be saved. You can learn more about this creative humanitarian project (and find out how you can help) by visiting https://cleantheworld.org.

CLEAN THE WORLD

He started going around to various hotels in the city, asking if they would donate their used soap.

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On it.

Ending racial injustice requires all of us to work together and take real action. What can you do to help? Educate yourself about the history of American racism, privilege and what it means to be anti-racist. Educate yourself

about the history of American racism, privilege and what it means to be anti-racist.

Commit to actions that challenge injustice and make everyone feel like they belong, such as challenging biased or racist language when you hear it. Vote in national and local elections to ensure your elected officials share your vision of public safety. Donate to organizations, campaigns and initiatives who are committed to racial justice.

Let’s come together to take action against racism and fight for racial justice for the Black community. Visit lovehasnolabels.com/fightforfreedom

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LELAND & SEA

Ponant’s Smithsonian Journeys serve up a new way of looking at the world.

by Steve Leland

’ve long gazed with envy at the chic vessels of Ponant at anchor in Antarctica, the Kimberley in Australia, the islands of the Mediterranean, and exotic ports around the globe. The siren song of these yachts has called out to me after each of these sightings for years and I’ve fantasized about sailing with them to French Polynesia, the Maldives, and even Madagascar. So when the travel stars aligned for an expeditionary cruise from Svalbard in the Arctic, I jumped at the opportunity. Proudly waving the French flag, Ponant is no stranger to Europeans — and to in-the-know Americans who embrace an international twist in cruising. Sleek exterior aesthetics carry over to the interior’s ultra-contemporary furnishings that create an upscale yacht ambience. The reputation of French gastronomy is bolstered by creative cuisine on board and enhanced by superb wines, gourmet cheeses, delectable dessert pastries, and an open-bar policy. The 13-vessel fleet of Ponant sails the seas, fjords, and lakes of the planet with the flagship sailing yacht Le Ponant and 12 mid-sized intimate cruise ships, four of which are specifically designed for navigating polar regions. The whole fleet is equipped for expedition cruising on less-traveled waterways. With marina platforms positioned on the aft for easy access to motorized Zodiacs, these expeditionary yachts highlight the unique and indelible experience of water-level sightseeing.

LEFT: NOEMIE WATEL / PONANT RIGHT: STEVE LELAND; PONANT

Inspired Exploration

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[ BEST LIFE ]

Pardon My French On worldwide sailings, you’ll find all presentations in both French and English, a comfort to anyone who’s linguistically challenged. But my own expeditionary epiphany aboard the 240-passenger Le Boreal ventured into another realm when it was announced that this special cruise would be geared primarily toward Englishspeaking guests in partnership with Smithsonian Journeys. Fantastique! This travel branch of the Smithsonian Institute offers expertly curated itineraries in sync with Ponant’s cruises to the wonders of the world. The relationship makes it possible to explore the polar regions of Antarctica and the Arctic, the exotic South Seas, the Middle East, the historic Mediterranean, and destinations in between. Twenty-one departures in 2023 delve into cultural immersion and the influence of nature on our planet, inspiring guests to become global citizens through travel. Tres magnifique!

With 24 hours of daylight, eager explorers board Zodiacs with their eyes wide open, their minds full of newly acquired knowledge, and their bodies wrapped in the warmth of their bright-red Ponant parkas.

Supplementing Le Boreal’s own team of 17 qualified naturalists, guest speakers from the Smithsonian host enlightening conversations and presentations focused on their individual expertise. Our sailing to the hinterlands of the Arctic featured presentations on glaciers and the impact of global warming by Smithsonian geologist Katryn Wiese, and talks by Don Wilson, a long-time curator of mammals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. Wilson’s fascinating presentation on polar bears was on point given the ship’s voyage into their natural habitat. Voila!

It’s All Day, All Night Long With 24 hours of daylight, eager explorers board Zodiacs with their eyes wide open, their minds full of newly acquired knowledge, and their bodies wrapped in the warmth of their bright-red Ponant parkas. Daily excursions probe abandoned trapping sites, ice fields, and glaciers while experienced naturalists scout the shoreline for flora, wildlife, and nature’s handiwork. Curiosity about what we’ll see is resolved on Day 1 with the sighting of a lone polar bear feasting on an afternoon meal of seal. Glaucous gulls circle the beach buffet, dashing in and out with guarded bravery, hoping for the slightest unguarded morsel. The day’s exploration continues with Zodiacs cruising amid sky-blue icebergs calved from the face of three enormous glaciers carving their way to the sea. The eyes of bird watchers gravitate to an enormous colony of migrating kittiwake nesting on the towering cliffs, while wildlife spotters point out wild reindeer grazing on the shoreline below.

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LELAND & SEA Any doubts about how it could possibly get any better are eliminated on Day 2 as a visit to an abandoned whaling station is cut short by the sighting of a female polar bear and two cubs swimming between two islands a mile away. The Zodiac fleet of giddy paparazzi immediately change course for this unplanned opportunity of a lifetime. For the following hour and a half, we photograph the trio as they climb over rocky island terrain scavenging for daily survival unaware of their imminent Instagram fame. What more can be said about a fortuitous Day 3 that brings more bears dining on a small whale carcass, and cruising past a breeding site of massive walrus, and watching reindeer forage on the tundra as more energetic explorers hike to the top of the mountain? Enjoying an early evening cocktail on your private balcony provides a glimpse of a walrus bobbing in the water. The backdrop of snowcovered mountains sets the stage for the following day’s Zodiac landing on the frozen northern ice pack at 81 degrees (of north latitude, and much lower in temperature). As Le Boreal cautiously carves its way through the shrinking ice floes of the Arctic, it inspires the question of how long this fascinating part of the planet will continue to exist. Whether you opt for the calm and personal indulgence of a yachting cruise or the thrills of an expedition adventure, there is simply no lack of inspiration on a Ponant cruise. More than 30 years of providing cruises of discovery to the seven continents of the globe has perfected a balance between refined surroundings and the free-spirited celebration of living in the moment. Au revoir. 

Starboard library

The Zodiac fleet of giddy paparazzi immediately change course for this unplanned opportunity of a lifetime. For the following hour and a half, we photograph the trio as they climb over rocky island terrain scavenging for daily survival.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MORGANE MONNERET / PONANT; NOEMIE WATEL / PONANT; PONANT; STEVE LELAND

[ BEST LIFE ]

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The best of the earth Gold formed as veins inside quartz deposits within the earth. Erosion then broke the gold out to become individual nuggets. Today, when gold is found still embedded in quartz, they are kept together and placed in dazzling settings by the craftspeople of Orocal. For authentic gold in quartz and gold nugget jewelry look for the Orocal logo, the most trusted name in Gold Quartz for more than 25 years.

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Julie’s in Ketchikan has one of the world’s largest selections of this incredible work of Nature.

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www.juliesalaska.com 800.982.0554 Stay connected and like us on Facebook

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SAIL AWAY

[ BEST LIFE ]

St. Kitts

GRANT STUDIOS / ESTOCK PHOTO

THE CARIBBEAN IS ETERNAL. From the northern tip of St. Kitts, relaxing among the ruins of a British sugar plantation (reborn as the Rawlins Plantation Inn), one can look out toward the Dutch island of St. Eustasius and, beyond the horizon, the French island of St. Barts. Europe has left its traces here (like Africa has, and North and South America). But the islands are never anything but themselves.

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300 miles

>> How a silver lining forms >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

It starts at sea. Tropical waters heat up. Warm air soars skyward. Cold air rushes to the void. Cold air warms up. Cycle repeats. Faster and faster—a 50,000 foot engine of air. At seventy four miles per hour it earns a name. Harvey, Irma, Katrina. Then landfall. Roads rendered useless. Buildings destroyed. Families stranded. But for a brief moment, A silver lining appears. People see neighbors instead of strangers. And labels that divide are forgotten.

>> But when rains ease, >> when clouds part, >> silver linings need not fade.

>> >> >> >>

Let’s Let’s Let’s Every

embrace our shared humanity. connect with one another. ﬁnd our love for each other. single day.

>> Come together at lovehasnolabels.com

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