What it’s like to live on a cruise ship for 8 years

What it’s like to live on a cruise ship for 8 years

Lee Wachtstetter shows off the cushioned wall hanging displaying her earrings that was a crew member’s gift. (Si Liberman)

I still remember his words. “Don’t stop cruising,” my husband told me the day before he died of cancer in 1997. Mason was a banker and real estate appraiser who introduced me to cruising. During our 50 years together, we had taken 89 cruises.

5 coolest travel products currently on Kickstarter

5 coolest travel products currently on Kickstarter

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when, if you were shopping for the newest travel gadgets you'd thumb through the latest Sharper Image catalog or see what kind of must-have tech was on display at Brookstone. But now, some of the best and most innovative travel products are found (and funded) on Kickstarter, Indiegogo or other crowdfunding sites. Bluesmart, a ridiculously intelligent suitcase that has built in GPS tracking, a digital lock and a phone charger raised $2.2 million through Indiegogo. Baubax, a feature-heavy travel jacket billed as "The World's Best" pulled in a jaw-dropping $9.2 million on Kickstarter.

California Bill Would Ban Government Travel to States Deemed Anti-Gay

California Bill Would Ban Government Travel to States Deemed Anti-Gay

The law targets Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act

A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban government-funded travel to states with laws that he says discriminate on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Taste a bit of Napa Valley on these cruise ships with menus by Thomas Keller

Taste a bit of Napa Valley on these cruise ships with menus by Thomas Keller

Seabourn announced last year that it was partnering with celeb chef Thomas Keller in offering fresh cuisine on-board its ships. Now the time has come to taste it.

The Judge: Travel company won't refund my money after I accidentally booked trip to Melbourne... in the USA

The Judge: Travel company won't refund my money after I accidentally booked trip to Melbourne... in the USA

WHEN his brother was given just six months to live, Donald Black booked the first flight he could find to Melbourne - only problem was he chose the wrong Melbourne to fly to.

Donald Black is angry that he has not been given a refund as he feels he was misled on the website

DONALD Black booked a flight to Melbourne to visit his sick brother after he was given six months to live.

Americans find ways around Cuba travel ban

Americans find ways around Cuba travel ban

HAVANA - "Is travel to Cuba for tourist activities permitted? No." That's what the U.S. Treasury Department website says. And yet Havana is loaded with Americans, from the Floridita bar, where they pose for photos with a bust of Ernest Hemingway, to the Rum Museum, where they swig rum samples.Sure, some Americans follow the rules on sanctioned travel, bringing supplies to Cuban churches or synagogues, for example, on a religious activities license. Others come on approved group tours known as people-to-people trips with themed itineraries such as the arts.

Air Travel News: Dominica Flights; United Cocktails

Air Travel News: Dominica Flights; United Cocktails

FLIGHTS RESUME TO DOMINICA

After Tropical Storm Erika shuttered the main airport on the island of Dominica in late August, the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority has approved its reopening to commercial flights. Liat has resumed flights to the island’s Douglas-Charles Airport from Antigua, Barbados and Guadeloupe. Seaborne Airlines has restarted flights from San Juan. Winair, which established service to Dominica’s smaller Canefield Airport after the storm, will continue to fly there until Oct. 25. As of Oct. 3, it will resume flights to the main airport from Guadeloupe and St. Maarten. The L’Express Des lles ferry service, which operates between Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Lucia, was largely unaffected by the storm.

Discovering Russian culture in the U.S.: Feb. 6-20

Want to know where to keep up with Russian culture in the U.S.? Read the latest here. From celebrating Boris Pasternak and Abraham Lincoln, watching Alexei German’s last film and celebrating Maslenitsa, the next two weeks are full of cultural events for people of all tastes.

Today isn’t only Friday but also International Bartender's Day, celebrated in Russia (in many other countries World Bartender Day 2015 is on February 24). This profession has a relatively short history in Russia, as in Soviet times there were few places for people to go out. But since the mid-90s Russia has been catching up with bar culture. Despite this everyone knows two Russia-related cocktails – the Black Russian and White Russian. Both of these cocktails contain vodka, the official minimum price of which went down this week in Russia.

International travel just became cheaper

The US dollar's exchange rates with international currencies have improved in the last eight months. This means food, transportation costs, and other expenses will cost you less when visiting some popular destinations across the globe.

Traveling to another country may be a dream you’ve kept putting off because it’s expensive. Well, here’s some good news for you: it’s a little bit cheaper now, so consider packing your bags soon.

The American dollar’s exchange rates with international currencies have improved in the last eight months, especially against the euro, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar and Japanese yen.

Sightrunning turns tourists into quick studies

ST. LOUIS RUNNING TOURS

The Old Courthouse (1894) and The Gateway Arch (1965) are landmarks to runners through St. Louis.

ST. LOUIS — Sweating in the soggy air of a Midwestern dusk, Joe Michaelree points out the purported burial site of the Ottawa war chief Pontiac.

Michaelree is short of breath, but not from the humidity or the emotion of recounting the tragic story of the man who led a largely forgotten native insurrection against the 18th-century military occupation of the Great Lakes by the British.

United States part 1 - Trafalgar

Trafalgar: USA & Canada Travel Video

United States part 2 - Niagara Falls & Niagara County

Niagara Falls & Niagara County, NY, USA

United States part 3 - "Maid of the Mist" in Niagara Falls

"Maid of the Mist" in Niagara Falls - Voyage aboard the "Maid of the Mist" at Niagara Falls.

United States part 4 - Bryce Canyon in the USA

Great natural wonders - Bryce Canyon, USA - David Attenborough - BBC

United States part 5 - Amazing caves in New Mexico and Yosemite National Park

Great natural wonders - amazing caves in New Mexico and Yosemite National Park, USA - David