Rent romance: A houseboat on the Nile
German spies hid out on the Nile's floating abodes. Nobel Prize laureate Naguib Mahfouz used them as a literary backdrop for drug-hazed gatherings of Egyptian bohemians.
( PAUL GARWOOD, Associated Press, 10/21/2002 08:16 AM PDT)

At home on the high seas
Bill Wright, 48, is a Florida native whose mailing address has been in Norway most of the past 20 years. Reason: He is a captain of cruise ships, and his land address isn't necessarily an accurate indicator of where he resides. He has been with Royal Caribbean for 11 years and was the first skipper of its jet-powered Radiance of the Seas. The mega-ship can carry 2,200 passengers and a crew of 875. He recently took an administrative job with Royal Caribbean, on land.
( JOHN BORDSEN, Travel Editor, 10/14/2002 08:17 AM PDT)

Oh-so-smooth sailing
No worries over airport security. No anxiety about arrival and departure times - or delays. No layovers. No transfer fees. No schlepping of suitcases. No baggage claim. No hotel check-in. No restaurant bills. No hassles.
( By Robert Zausner, Inquirer Staff Writer, 10/07/2002 08:42 AM PDT)

Enjoy your excursion without capsizing your cache
A brown sheet of paper, slipped under the cabin door as Voyager of the Seas headed back toward Miami, greeted us with the bad news:
( By ALLEN HOLDER, The Kansas City Star, 10/07/2002 08:46 AM PDT)

GERRY VOLGENAU: Sign on for some deals when booking
Cruise bargains abound, even as the industry undergoes changes.
( 10/07/2002 08:54 AM PDT)

Seven ports in seven days: If it's Tuesday, this must be Messina
On the morning of our departure, I opened the drapes at the Grand Marina Hotel and saw The Ship. That gigantic ocean liner, European Stars - our home for the next week - had docked right outside our window as we slept.
( BY ROBERT CROSS, Chicago Tribune, 10/07/2002 09:00 AM PDT)

Smokers get help at sea
Smokers who would like to quit and who aren't put off by the possibility of a little drama at sea can sign up for one of six Caribbean cruises on which a stop-smoking program is being offered next year.
( BY DONALD D. GROFF, Knight Ridder Newspapers, 10/07/2002 08:55 AM PDT)

Go where you want to go - and when
Silversea Cruises recently weighed in with an intriguing vacation-planning alternative. Instead of offering its passengers the typical choice of just a set cruise itinerary, the ultra-luxury line's new Personalized Voyages program lets cruisers practically set their own course.
( BY ARLINE BLEECKER, The Orlando Sentinel, 10/07/2002 09:06 AM PDT)

Cruise interrupted, what's next?
Cruise vacations are always portrayed as romantic, carefree escapes. And, in most cases, they are. But if you had the misfortune of being on one of four Holland America Line cruises in August, you must have felt like a dark cloud was hanging over your head.
( BY ALFRED BORCOVER, Chicago Tribune, 10/07/2002 09:24 AM PDT)