Keep an eye out for the BIG NEWS!

Oceania’s FIRST TIME in San Francisco will be in April 2011, and there are more surprises in store! Want to know what Oceania has coming up after that? Keep an eye on my blog for a big announcement! Could it be Alaska?

Pack the kids!

Disney's first new ship in 12 years, the Disney Dream, will include such innovative, family-friendly features as a massive 'water coaster' around its top deck -- a first at sea -- and an exclusive outdoor deck area for teens.

The 765-foot-long water coaster, dubbed AquaDuck, is unlike anything ever seen at sea. Using the same Master Blaster technology found at Disney theme parks, it will shoot riders upward and forward as they careen through a series of twists, turns and drops while riding an inflatable raft through a clear acrylic tube.

The outdoor deck area for teens, part of a private, swipe-card-accessed club area called Vibe, will have lounge chairs for sunbathing; two wading pools; fountains, pop jets and misters; and outdoor deck games such as ping-pong and foosball. It'll be located at the very front of the ship near the bow.

Like the 11-year-old Disney Magic, the Dream will echo early 20th century ships with a sleek bow and circular portholes, and it's over-riding design elements are Art Deco, says Dauberger. But a number of interior spaces will have a contemporary look.

Dining. Disney is sticking with the "rotational dining" concept it pioneered on its first two ships, where passengers and their wait staff move nightly between three main restaurants, but it plans new themes for two of the three eateries. One, to be called the Enchanted Garden, will transform from day to night as light fixtures "bloom" and change colors and the "sky" on the ceiling experiences a sunset (see photos above). The other, the Royal Palace, pictured to the left, is inspired by the classic Disney films Cinderella, Snow Whiteand the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty.

Like the earlier ships, the Dream also will have a signature specialty restaurant called Palo's featuring Northern Italian cuisine, an extensive wine list and high-end service.

Youth areas. The Dream will offer five elaborate and distinct youth spaces targeted at over-lapping age groups. Disney's Oceaneer Club, aimed at 3- to-10-year-olds, is home to everything from a stage for child-produced theatrical performances and storytelling sessions to a Toy Story-themed play area. Disney's Oceaneer Lab, pictured to the left and also aimed at the 3-to-10-year old crowd, offers everything from an arts-focused Animator's Studio to a sound studio where kids can create their own original tunes using song-making software.

In a new twist for Disney, the ship will offer a dedicated Tween club space called Edge. Aimed at children 11 to 13, it will be located in the forward funnel of the ship overlooking the pool deck. The Dream also will have a far larger teen area than on Disney's earlier ships. Dubbed Vibe, the 9,000-square-foot teen club (accessible by special key cards given to teens) will have a contemporary feel with trendy furniture, a fountain bar, a media room with games and movies, and a dance club area.

I am sure more will follow - stay tuned!

Always on the cutting edge!

Crystal Cruises is offering numerous optional Crystal Adventures in 2010 that focus on destinations’ Jewish heritage. The excursions enable you to absorb a region’s diverse spiritual culture, explore Judaic history in the cities of Jerusalem, Berlin, Odessa, Rome, St. Petersburg, and even unexpected places like Stockholm, Dublin, Mumbai and Montevideo.

Many options in Jerusalem explore the Jewish Quarter; the Western Wall, the holiest of Jewish sites; Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes Remembrance Authority, dedicated to the history of Jews during the Holocaust period; and other locations.

Additionally, Jewish tours in Berlin include visits to Sachsenhausen Concentration camp, a prototype for all the camps that followed, and the Jewish Old Quarter and the New Synagogue, laid in 1988, exactly 50 years after the “Night of Broken Glass.” In Dublin, there is the Irish Jewish Museum, formerly a synagogue, opened by President Chaim Herzog, Israel’s Irish former leader.

In Montevideo, Uruguay, guests can visit the Sephardic and Ashkenazi synagogues, as well as the Holocaust memorial and a glimpse into modern-day Jewish life. In Rome, the Jewish Ghetto, issued by anti-Semitic Pope Paul IV in 1555, was isolated by walls until 1870.