Travel Maven Blog ...... David Molyneaux posts from TheTravelMavens.com

Cruising Alaska, a delightful day in Petersburg

Where else can you watch log rolling, a herring toss and Fools on Spools?

 

Fools and Spools remain upright in Petersburg’s July 4 parade (photo by Fran Golden, TheTravelMavens.com)

Petersburg, Alaska

Fancy free summer travel can be so much fun when you meander as a stranger into one of America’s lively small towns — especially when you encounter a festival or other special event.

In many small towns, holidays and civic celebrations are special, with parades, family gatherings, local entertainment, and contests attracting much of the populous. This was certainly the case with a spirited log rolling competition on the very chilly waters of Petersburg, Alaska.

Starting to plan for next summer's vacation? Most small towns of America are not on the beaten tourist track. In Alaska, big ships get you to some communities in the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska. Small ships and the ferries of the state-run Alaska Marine Highway can get you to even more.

Bigger waterpark, more outside dining, craft beers on Carnival Vista cruise ship

Slip your cabin card into the slot and pour yourself a beer on Carnival Vista (Photo by David G. Molyneaux, TheTravelMavens.com)

When a major cruise line brings out its first new ship in four years, the design, style and atmosphere onboard speak to how the company currently sees itself: This is who we are, now. 

While some North American cruise companies are moving more upscale or appealing to a more global clientele, Carnival Cruise Line plows familiar North American waters.

The company continues to dance with the kind of ships that have brought success and profits, tweaking new vessels primarily to stay current with vacationers’ expectations.

In other words, says Carnival’s president, Christine Duffy, when you build a new ship, “Do no harm.”

The 3,954-passenger Carnival Vista, which began sailing the Mediterranean in May and arrives at its home port of Miami in November, fully fills its role.

WaterWorks on Carnival Vista (Photo by David G. Molyneaux, TheTravelMavens.com)

 From bow to stern, Vista screams, “I am Carnival.”

Cruise picture of the week from 2012 London Olympics

Sea Cloud in London

 I am flying to Scotland tonight for a quiet Friday in Edinburgh, while most of the world has its eyes on another part of the United Kingdom, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

Terrific place to be, London, especially if you've got a place to sleep for the night, such as Silversea’s Silver Cloud. This week, Silver Cloud sailed under London’s Tower Bridge where the 2012 Olympic Rings are prominently displayed. The ship tied up alongside the HMS Belfast.

What’s new, what's not on a Carnival Magic cruise

If you cruise on the new Carnival Magic, what you will see is:

Carnival’s first Italian restaurant, first Caribbean pub, first draught beer labeled just for Carnival, first ropes course, a host of family deck games, and three flashy production shows.

New interior designs make the ship brighter and more cheerful than its sister Carnival Dream (2009). There are more outdoor activities than on Carnival ships past.

What you won't see, says Carnival president Gerry Cahill, is a ship that is more luxurious than the vessels Carnival passengers are familiar with.

The best Carnival ship ever built? Yes. Highfalutin? No.

Walking the ropes course on Carnival Magic cruise ship

Carnival Cruise Lines has introduced the first ropes course on a cruise ship. The 230-foot course on the new Carnival Magic, now cruising in the Mediterranean, is so well planned that anyone of moderate athletic ability will be able to get around. Yet, if you want to tackle the course at a different pace and style, you can get a serious workout.

Station by station, I worked my way around the ropes course on the Magic's sports deck in about 15 minutes, stopping to chat with others along the course. It had been a while since I did a ropes course – since my days in the U.S. Army – but this one is not terribly difficult, and no drill sergeant will be yelling at you to pick up the pace.

There are two courses, side by side, each in a circle, one inner and one outer, above Carnival’s new play area that includes such games as ping pong and foosball.

Riding AquaDuck on a Disney Dream cruise

Like nearly every other passenger on the new Disney Dream cruise ship, I rode the AquaDuck water coaster during a recent preview sailing.

The Duck was fun, wet, and easy. I liked it so much I did it twice.

You sit on a raft similar to an air mattress, with pockets for one or two riders, front and back.

The raft is propelled by jets of water through a tube that drops, twists, turns, and then, ingeniously, glides along a clear, enclosed path above the pool deck so you can wave to your friends and family below – and if they are quick, they can take your picture, above.

The AquaDuck is destined to be the signature activity on the 4,000-passenger Disney Dream, which begins cruising this week on a regular schedule out of Port Canaveral, Fla. The port is about an hour east of Disney World and Orlando.