Walnut Grove Cruise & Ltd Travel Blog

They say on St. Patrick's Day everyone's a little bit Irish. So it's fair to say that on Rabbie Burns' Day, we're all a little bit Scottish. The national poet of Scotland – he wrote the song you likely sing every New Year's Eve: Auld Lang Syne – was born on January 25, 1759. And every year on January 25th, Scots... read more

What's better than a once-in-a-lifetime cruise to the Galapagos Islands? Sleeping under the spectacular night skies in one of the most remote places in the world on the deck of a ship that's the height of modern luxury.   The Celebrity Flora is a first for the cruise line, dedicated to exploration of the natural wonder of the Galapagos islands. The ship launches... read more

Have you resolved to travel more AND be more fit and well? Why not put these life goals together on your next cruise? Cruise lines have upped their health, wellness, and fitness games in recent years. In fact, some of the best wellness experiences in the world are now at sea.BestTrip's Lynn Elmhirst has put together her list of wellness/fitness opportunities on river,... read more

The new evening entertainment experiences debut on the Seabourn Odyssey alongside updated popular 'An Evening with Tim Rice' and coincide with an upgraded Grand Salon.Time your enjoyment of Seabourn's delectable dining on the Odyssey so you'll be comfortably seated in the Grand Salon with an after-dinner drink for the evening's entertainment. Four new shows are joining a revamped 'An Evening with... read more

For a city whose nighttime skyline overlooking Victoria Harbour is already a global icon of urban lighting and signage, a light festival might seem like overkill. But the new Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival expands the effects of Hong Kong's famous neon signs and lit-up skyscapers to a street-level playground of luminous artworks during the darkest months of the year.Debuting in... read more

The Celebrity EDGE has launched and is turning heads at every port. Its standout sleek, urban resort styling and game-changing technology have a high point: the Magic Carpet.You'll see what we mean in the video above. But the Magic Carpet isn't the only showstopper on the EDGE. You'll also fall in love with:  1.    The Resort Deck, encompassed by an outward-facing, untraditionally... read more

When your 'vacation' is really an obligation, you're taking an 'obli-cation'. You've taken these trips: cross-country to the in-laws' for the holidays. A family or friend's destination wedding. The mandatory winter break or summer holiday family reunion/group vacation.When you take an oblication, the usual steps you take that ensure fun travel may no longer apply.On any of these occasions, you may find yourself... read more

It's a long-standing tradition and one of guests' favorite experiences of a Seabourn cruise. And it doesn't even take place on board the ship.Seabourn's Shopping with the Chef complimentary shore excursions to landmark local markets in ports of call are legendary, and a signature of the luxury cruise line.It's no surprise to find Seabourn chefs shopping in local markets. Take a Seabourn... read more

Seabourn specializes in culinary memories. This luxury cruise line has long been famous for its tradition of 'Shopping with the Chef'. In Quebec City on a Seabourn fall colors cruise from Montreal through Canada and New England, we took Shopping with the Chef one step further – to its natural conclusion, in a delectable Seabourn dish.Shopping with the Seabourn Quest's Executive... read more

Cirque du Soleil has been charting new entertainment territory since it began and it's changed what we think of as 'circus' shows.You may have been lucky enough to go to a Cirque du Soleil shows on land.But there's only one place you can see the innovative, extraordinarily talented Cirque performances at sea.European-based cruise line MSC has exclusively partnered with the... read more

The very word 'Tahiti' evokes the mystique of one of the most remote and romantic island destinations in the world. An island hopping escape to even a few of the 118 islands and atolls in this South Pacific paradise is not only the ultimate escape from northern winters, Tahiti is the trip of a lifetime.  (Top image credit: Chris McLennan/Tahiti Tourism). Picture your arrival, welcomed... read more

It's an ice-class ship with the latest technology, able to navigate spring and fall in the world's polar regions. It's also one of the most luxurious vessels the globe's remote regions – from sub-zero to tropical climes - will have ever seen. The Crystal Endeavor sets sail in August 2020, with bookings now open to reserve a suite in her inaugural season.... read more

If you're trying to come up with the perfect family vacation for the holidays, time to think about cruising.Whether you are new to cruising or a seasoned sailing family, here are 5 tips to ensure every member of the family has a fun, memorable… and relaxing holiday.By: Lynn Elmhirst, Producer/ Host and cruise expert, BestTrip.TV1. Location, location, location. Pick your... read more

Supplies exclusive donor perks for July-long campaign; new museum to launch in 2019. It's the quintessential British luxury cruise line, but Cunard is still the perfect cruise partner to help build a new museum for the ultimate symbol of America.A highlight of Cunard's Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossings from Southampton near London, England, is a sail past the Statue of... read more

Since the 19th century, Hurtigruten has been bringing travelers closer to Nature.  Its tongue-twister name is Norwegian for 'Express Route' (it might help to think: 'hurried – route'); it was founded in 1893 to establish a coastal route for locals and early adventure travelers to Norway's epic fjords.Fast-forward to the 21st century. More than a dozen Hurtigruten ships now take travelers on... read more

They call it the 'Magical Flying Beach Chair' and it's probably one of the world's most memorable - and scenic - 6 minute trips to the beach. It's just like the ride you take to the top of a ski hill, except on a snowy mountain, you brace against the chilly wind. But on the tropical Honduran island of Roatan, the... read more

From an isolated backwater behind the Iron Curtain, Croatia has transformed itself into Eastern Europe's 'Riviera'. Sun worshippers discovered the miles of sunny, pristine beaches and dramatic cliffs of the Dalmatian coast.Other tourism followed for ancient and historic monuments, including UNESCO world heritage sites and even some communist concrete architecture, spellbinding natural beauty featuring islands, waterfalls, and mountains, and the good... read more

Think only the super rich and celebrities get the privileges of private islands?Guests aboard Holland America Line cruises in the Eastern Caribbean can get a taste of private island lifestyle too.HAL's private island is Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, and it's the featured port of call on the Oprah Winfrey Girls' Getaway cruise.BestTrip.TV has already been to this fantasy... read more

San Francisco, Toronto, Sydney, Berlin… Now you can add another destination to celebrate Pride Month: at Sea.  Celebrity Cruises held its first Pride party fleet-wide in 2017, wherever its ships were around the world. Now it looks like the cruise line's new tradition of celebrating LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion during international Pride Month and festivities is here to stay.2018's Pride... read more

As you can see, it was a tight fit when the newest mega-ship at sea arrived at one of the man-made wonders of the world in an iconic photo-op for the modern age of cruise travel. On her inaugural sailing from the shipyard where she was built in Germany, towards her homeport of Seattle, the Norwegian Bliss became the largest passenger... read more