travel

Ship Shore Excursions vs. Private Tour Excursions: Transform Your Vacation

How many of you have gone on vacation (land or sea) and wanted to take a tour/excursion? Your cruise or your resort will offer many large group options but you also researched some private tours and you’re not sure what Read More

Authentic Cruise Ship Review: The Joy of Cruising Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam 2015-16

This was our first Holland America cruise. Before I get into the actual review, I want to address several areas that I feel are misconceptions about HAL and the Nieuw Amsterdam that have appeared in reviews on this site. Keep in mind that this sailing was a NYE cruise and not typical of any non-holiday sailing.

Solshine Travel Musings, Tips and Ideas to Soothe Your Soul

Hello, We are Dave and Andrea and we love to travel. Over the years, we’ve used travel to explore new places and experience new cultures. We’ve done staycations in and around our hometown of Chicago as well as trips to Vegas, cruises to the Caribbean and Mediterranean, and land trips  in both the US, Canada and Europe. One thing we realized while traveling was how good it made us feel.