Countdown to Our Windstar Cruise

On Memorial Day we began the countdown to our June Italian and French Riviera cruise aboard Windstar Wind Surf. We've got our cruise docs in hand and I've already drawn up a list of what we've got to pack. I have a feeling the next few weeks will fly by!

Here's a map of our itinerary...

Some friends have asked why we're sailing with Windstar when it's so soon after the line was bought by Xanterra Parks & Resorts at a bankruptcy auction. Well, my husband and I have been stalwart Windstar fans for years and we want to show our support for the new owners. The crew remains the same as does the executive team based at Windstar's headquarters in Seattle.

Xanterra actually has an interesting history that goes back to the days of the Sante Fe Railroad (Xanterra currently operate several national park lodges and the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia) and I like their corporate message. This is what's posted on the company's homepage:

Life is short.

The world is large.

And your vacation time is too precious to waste on the commonplace.

I couldn't agree more!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Travel Insurance Primer for Cruise Travelers

Last month I wrote a piece about travel insurance for Cruise Critic and it's now live. If you've ever wondered whether or not to purchase trip coverage, head over to CC and read "Travel Insurance Primer for Cruise Travelers." 

You'll read about the disasterous end to one of our Hawaii trips and why we are now much more likely to buy insurance for all future vacations.

We will also never let our annual Medjet Assist medical evacuation membership lapse. In January my father suffered acute kidney failure while vacationing in Florida with my sister's family. It cost over $16,000 to medevac him back to a hospital near his home in Massachusetts.

If he had a MedJet membership, this incident would have been covered and we wouldn't have had to scramble to arrange the medical evacuation ourselves. My husband and I have kept our annual membership for years and we're now making sure all of our friends and family sign up as well. It's worth the price for the increased peace of mind.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

We Did It, Thanks to You! Our Charity: Water Campaign is Fully Funded

I have some excellent news to share with you. As of March 31st, our charity: water campaign is fully funded! With the help of our friends, family, and colleagues, my husband and I raised $5,460 to build a fresh water project in a developing country.

Now the real work begins! charity: water will start by selecting the location of our project. It will be placed in one of 17 developing countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, or Uganda.

From now through June, charity: water will work with the community to recruit and train a water committee, hygiene educators, and maintenance support teams. Construction for the project will begin in July and, if all goes well, the community will have a new and reliable source for clean drinking water by the end of 2011. Leonard and I hope to spend some time volunteering in this community for a week in early 2012.

The project itself will be named to honor my parents, Theresa and John, and my deceased grandmother. This means so much to me and my family. We’re still struggling day to day with the challenges of my parents’ illnesses but we are comforted by all the support our friends have shown us.

Leonard and I can’t thank you enough for helping us achieve this goal! Together we are providing 273 people with clean, safe drinking water for 20 years. That’s an accomplishment for which we can all be proud!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com