He went to sea, to see the sea … yes, I did indeed.

My first 24 years were spent growing or struggling up in the “smoke” as we used to colloquially call it – London. The expectancy of the ‘60s developed into the dreariness of the ‘70s and, after some tough familial experiences, I graduated from University College London with a Bachelor of Science degree in Experimental Psychology (about as useful as an ash tray on a motor bike!). My heart was in entertainment, however (I discovered a talent for singing almost overnight at the age of 16) and I longed to be involved in theatre or in the leisure business. After a couple of years working in various (and some dubious) theatrical productions, I found myself in a Christmas show in Glasgow, of all places, in the dead of winter 1983.

I’m sure you get the picture. Twenty-four years of questionable weather, a challenging family situation with a single mother raising three boys, career confusion … then suddenly fate, being what it is, plucked me from this world and transported me to the world of cruising and to what has become my greatest love – the ocean.

It wasn’t exactly that dramatic, but it was quick. I auditioned and interviewed for a position as Assistant Cruise Director for P&O Princess Cruises in London in March 1984. Read More

I did not leave my heart in San Francisco, as the old song goes. It came home with me, joined to my new husband as we started our married life together.  San Francisco left something of itself with me in the form of an enduring memory of the wonderful time I spent there on my honeymoon.

Of course, most honeymoons would be described as romantic, but I think that San Francisco meets the criteria in a unique way. A hillside city that tumbles onto a scenic coastline–how could that not inspire romance?

There is also something intangible about San Francisco that captures the senses. I think it’s the very light that fills you with emotion. From the amber glow of the sun on the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset, which warms the senses, to the chilly fog that suddenly sweeps in off the water and makes you want to cuddle close, the city has an ambience that plays to couples.

There’s an adventurous facet to San Francisco that is also romantic. I realize that Alcatraz Island–the famous former prison that was guarded in part by shark-filled waters–and the heart-skipping hills that seem like roller coasters don’t fit most people’s definition of “romantic.” Read More

It made perfect sense to my traveling companions and me that, during a cruise to Antarctica, we were deciding on our next journey—a tropical adventure.

As our cruise ship skirted the coldest place on earth—itself a destination for the bucket list—we talked excitedly about one day going to Cambodia’s long-hidden temple city, Angkor Wat.

I have explored many far-flung places with my friends Mindy, Randy and Kathy—China, Tibet, Machu Picchu and more.  We travel well together because we share the same philosophy about travel: to journey far and wide, to go deep into the countries we visit, and to get as close as possible to the locals and their lives as they’d allow.

That was our goal when we ventured to Cambodia last April.  Cambodia’s incredible, moat-ringed temple of Angkor Wat was our primary destination although the country itself, so different from our own, was of great interest, too.  As we flew into the capital city of Phnom Penh, where we would stay for a few days before heading to the Angkor region, I checked my hand luggage for Teddy.

We were joined by a special guest, one of my mom’s teddy bears.  Mom had passed away only two months before and this was my way of remembering her and the annual cruise we took.  She also loved to travel, so perhaps she passed along the travel bug to me.  On my more exotic trips she enjoyed reliving my experiences through the photos I’d share with her.  Now, Teddy was part of the team.  He was our special mascot and tribute to my mom. Read More

Alaska was at the top of my bucket list for as long as I can remember.  My father had fostered my love of wildlife and wilderness during my childhood in Pennsylvania, and I expected that Alaska would hold an abundance of both.  Well, I was right. In 1983, at the age of 28, I followed my dream to visit Alaska and cruised from Vancouver to Whittier.

The untouched, spectacular beauty of Alaska deeply impressed me, and as my flight home from Anchorage took off over the snow-capped Wrangell-St. Elias mountain range, my fate was sealed.  I knew with absolute certainty that I would come back to this place.  I had not seen Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America.  I wondered, though, how I would afford to return.

Two months later I began my first day of employment as a district sales manager with Princess Cruises, where I would have the opportunity to share my knowledge of and enthusiasm for Alaska.  And, since we offer land tours into the interior of Alaska, I knew one day I’d be able to see Mt. McKinley.

It was three years and one month later when I finally set my eyes on this great 20,320-foot mountain, the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.  The mountain was named after President William McKinley in 1897, but most locals refer to it by its native Athabaskan name:  Denali, meaning “the high one.” Read More