Friday, October 24, 2014
ARE YOU A FAMILY CAREGIVER OF AN OLDER PERSON? Excellent Event: Nov 1
5:18 PM | 
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
In honor of National Family Caregiver Month, the
Caregivers Service presents…
“Celebrating The Caregiver: A Free Symposium for
Family Caregivers of Older Adults 60+”
Featuring:
Ronald Adelman, MD – Co-Chief of Geriatrics and
Palliative Medicine at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center
Jane Gross, Author & Founder of the New
York Times’ New Old Age Blog
Carol Levine, Director of the Families and
Health Care Project, United Hospital Fund
Saturday, November 1, 2014
12 PM – 4 PM
Griffis Faculty Club at 521 East 68th Street
(private entrance – East of York Avenue)
A light lunch will be served.
This event is for family caregivers only.
Registration is Required. Please call (212) 746-4365.
~Sponsored by the Caregivers Service of
HealthOutreach at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center~
EVENTBRITE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrating-the-caregiver-a-free-symposium-for-family-caregivers-of-older-adults-60-tickets-13850510249
Friday, September 19, 2014
2015 Berlitz Cruise Guide Announces the WINNERS!!!!!
7:39 AM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
2015
STAR PERFORMERS REVEALED BY 30TH ANNIVERSARY
BERLITZ CRUISING & CRUISE SHIPS GUIDE
New York, NY, September 2014—And the
envelope, please!
While
2015 Berlitz
Cruising & Cruise Ships (to be published Nov. 1, 2014) reveals the
top ranking ships, with Europa 2 and Europa achieving the highest rankings,
this latest 30th anniversary edition introduces a broader focus on
the star performers. New categories making their debut in the seafaring
equivalent of the Oscars include Best in
Class for: families, teenagers, water slides, most luxurious suites, spas,
child-free cruising, foodies and the longest swimming pools. These categories
make the guide even more indispensable for veteran or first-time cruise-goers.
“Small
used to be beautiful, but size doesn’t seem to matter anymore, with some high
scores being awarded to all sizes, from boutique ships right up to the large
resort ships,” says author Douglas Ward. What’s different about routes for the
coming season? Ward explains, “Some of the cruise lines, like Princess,
Celebrity and Carnival are adding longer trips and sending their ships further
afield, to destinations such as Australia and the Pacific Ocean. The South East
Asian market is also a tempting one for the cruise lines.”
Family
cruising is the major growth area, and there are increasing numbers of superb
cruise ships available for families that represent great value for money. New
kid on the block, Mein Schiff 3 (from
rapidly-expanding cruise line, TUI Cruises) is one of the best new vessels for
families and, with a 25-metre pool, it also receives the crown for longest
swimming pool, plus the most highly rated large resort ship. What Ward
describes as ‘gimmickry’ is another trend, such as robots that can make the
drinks, as all the big resort ships try to outdo one another. Amusingly too,
brochures of the major cruise lines now include behavior sections on how to act
appropriately on board – something that would not have been necessary in the
earliest days of cruising.
Ward believes few
operators can really deliver a ship, product, and crew worthy of the highest
Berlitz star rating. For this 2015 edition, two ships, both from Hapag-Lloyd
Cruises, have achieved the score required for them to be awarded members in the
most exclusive ‘five-stars-plus’ club: Europa
2 (with 1,860 points out of a possible 2,000) and Europa (with a close 1,851 points). “Both are beautiful ships to sail aboard”, comments Ward, “with an outstanding
amount of space per passenger, high ceilinged passageways, a superb range of
dining venues and types of cuisine, and attentive, friendly, yet unobtrusive
personal service. They’ve proven themselves to be unbeatable yet again.”
BEST IN
CLASS 2015*
5 Best Ships for
Families – Chosen
for family-friendly facilities, activities and entertainment:
Allure of the Seas/Oasis
of the Seas; Disney Dream/Disney Fantasy; Mein Schiff 3, MSC Preziosa,
Norwegian Breakaway/Norwegian Getaway
5 Best Cruise Lines
for Teenagers - Teenagers
like space away from adults to hang out and meet others. Some ships get it, others
don’t. These do:
Disney
Cruise Line (Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy);
Norwegian Cruise Line (Norwegian
Breakaway, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Getaway); Princess Cruises (Royal Princess, Regal Princess); Royal Caribbean International (Quantum of the Seas), TUI Cruises (Mein Schiff 3).
5 Best Water Slides -
Children
can’t wait to go for a ride once they are on board:
DrainPipe (Carnival Cruise
Lines); Aquaduck (Disney Cruise Line);
Vertigo (MSC Cruises)
Epic Plunge (Norwegian Cruise
Line); Parthenon Slide (Star Cruises).
5 Most Luxurious
Suites - Suites
are not just about size and space but also the furnishings, service and all the
little details:
- Royal Loft on Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas
(Royal Caribbean International - Their upstairs/downstairs layout, baby
grand piano, and huge glass wall together hit the spot;
- Crystal
Penthouse on Crystal Serenity
(Crystal Cruises) - The master bathroom is wonderfully decadent, and,
imagine, it’s possible to eat Nobu sashimi and sushi in your own dining
room;
- Owner’s Suite on
Europa 2 (Hapag-Lloyd Cruises) - The bathroom is simply stunning with a
bath that could accommodate four, and a window-side day bed;
- Owner’s Suite on
- Sandringham
Suite on Queen Mary 2 (Cunard Line
– An Art-Deco apartment on two levels with a sweeping curved stairway, and
an oversized balcony deck.
5 Best Cruise Ship
Spas - Wellness
and pampering on board have become major attractions for people who want to
take care of their bodies, even when on holiday:
AIDA
Cruises (AIDAprima); Cunard Line (Queen Mary 2); Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (Europa 2); MSC Cruises (MSC Fantasia, MSC Preziosa, MSC Splendida);
P&O Australia (Pacific Pearl
5 Best ships for
Child-free Cruising
– One from each of five different cruise lines:
Adonia (P&O Cruises); Grande Mariner (Blount Small Ship
Adventures); Island Sky (Noble Caledonia ); Minerva
(Swan Hellenic Cruises); Saga Sapphire
(SAGA Cruises);
5 Best Cruise Lines for
Foodies - chosen
for the quality and variety of ingredients, their creativity and presentation:
5 Longest Swimming
Pools - Most
cruise ship pools are small considering the size of the large resort ships
today, but that’s because water can slosh around when the weather’s bad. Here
are the longest:
Mein Schiff 3 (25.0 meters); Europa (17.3 meters); Europa 2 (14.0 meters); Asuka II (13.5 meters); Crystal Serenity/Crystal Symphony (13.5
meters).
TOP 3
SHIPS IN EACH SIZE CATEGORY
The Top 3 Large
Resort Ships (2,001–6,500
passengers) All 4-star Plus
1st
Place: Mein Schiff 3
The Top 3 Mid-size
Ships (751–2,000
passengers)
The Top 3 Small Ships
(251–750
passengers)
The Top 3 Boutique
Ships (50–250
passengers) - All 5-star
1st
Place: Hanseatic
Fully
updated and revised, Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2015 ($25.99, 704 pages, with hundreds of color
photographs) publishes in the U.S. Nov. 1. Also forthcoming will be the guide in e-book format.
For further
information visit www.insightguides.com/berlitz/berlitz-cruising.
###
NOTE TO EDITORS: *Some sister ships in
the same series with identical or close to identical, features and facilities
have also been included.
For those interested
in an interview with the author or a review copy, please contact:
In the U.S: Melissa Lande or Alan
Appel, Lande PR
O: 212-706-9003 /M: 646-315-3608
In the UK: Julia Spence, Annabel
Owen or Natalie Postlethwaite,
Julia Spence Public Relations
T: 01491
824524 / M: 07802 443113
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Changes in Cruising over past 30 years per Douglas Ward
4:56 PM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
News Release
Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Ships
2015: 30th Anniversary Edition
The eagerly awaited guide by Douglas
Ward also reflects on how cruising has evolved over the years and 30 of his most
memorable cruises
The
first edition, evaluating 120 ships, appeared in 1985, when, he says, cruising
seemed to most people an expensive and rarefied experience. Since then, “some
of the romance surrounding ocean travel seems to have floated away and along
with it various traditions (like, for example, a more formal elegance in dining
rooms, bon voyage sail-away festivities,
everyday contact between senior officers and passengers, and,
thankfully, the midnight buffet).” Plus in those days, he writes, “there were
no lines for security checks, and immigrations checks were minimal. Today it’s
a different story.”
And
that story, he says, is that as ships have become increasingly more sumptuous
as self-contained resorts, the choices and standards have all increased
dramatically. “A vast range of destinations and accommodations, more lavish
entertainment, a burgeoning number of theme cruises, more sophisticated dining choices, top-end sports and fitness
facilities, high-tech (and, alas, far
too high cost) onboard digital communications and of course, stringent safety
regulations. Of course,” he says, what was true back then and is still true
today is “that is a huge difference in terms of quality depending on the
specific ship and the consumer’s price point. And that, if I may say so, has
for 30 years been the book’s central objective—helping consumers pick the right
cruise for the right price and with the right expectations.”
The
anniversary edition would not be complete without Ward reflecting on 30 of his most
memorable cruise experiences, and they could, he says, “serve as an ocean-going
bucket list for cruisers who seek the trip of their lifetime.” They’re not listed in a particular order, but two
have particular resonance:
Titanic Pose
Standing with
outstretched arms, just like Kate Winslet in the movie “Titanic”, at the very
front of Braemar as the ship glides
through the Swedish archipelago towards Stockholm.
Happily Ever After
Looking for a
partner? I met my future wife aboard a Japanese cruise ship some years ago, and
we married several years later. You, too, could meet the person of your dreams
aboard a cruise ship—it happens all the time.
For those interested
in an interview with the author or a review copy, please contact:
In the US:
Melissa Lande or Alan
Appel, Lande PR
O: 212-706-9003 / M:
646-315-3608
In the UK:
Julia Spence or
Annabel Owen, Julia Spence Public Relations
T: 01491 824524 / M:
07802 443113
Fully
updated and revised, Berlitz Cruising
& Cruise Ships 2015 ($25.99,
704 pages, with hundreds of color photographs) is published in the U.S. on
November 1, 2014. Also forthcoming will be the guide in e-book.
For further information visit, www.insightguides.com/berlitz/berlitz-cruising.
###
Monday, September 1, 2014
2015 Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Ships: Publishing SOON!
7:15 PM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
News Release
2015 Berlitz Cruising
and Cruise Ships Publishes in US November 1, 2014;
30th Anniversary Edition
Features the Influential Author’s 30 Extraordinary Cruise Experiences
NEW
YORK, N.Y., September 2014— As the popularity of global cruising continues to
surge—22.8 million passengers in 2013, more than half of them Americans—the
choices for veteran cruisers and first timers alike have never been as
plentiful and varied, and even overwhelming. There are over 30,000 cruises from which to choose,
and “picking the right ship for the right reasons and with the right
expectations,” says Ward “is what this annual guide is and has always been
about for the past three decades.”
This
special anniversary guide (US PUB DATE:
NOV 1, 2014; $25.99), widely considered the most trusted and comprehensive book
on the topic, is also a fascinating and nostalgic study of how cruising has
evolved into “one of the biggest success stories in the travel world.” Ward
also gives the lowdown on his own favorite cruise experiences– a compilation,
he says, “that could serve as a veritable seagoing bucket list for cruisers
seeking memorable trips of a lifetime.”
So
thorough and comprehensive is Douglas Ward’s meticulously painstaking
investigation each year that the Guide sets the internationally recognized
ratings system for almost all cruise ships in the world (270 of them covered in
the book), designating the author as the most feared critic in the business.
Cruisers,
who are often overwhelmed by the number of vessels and voyages available, would
be advised not to book a cruise vacation without first consulting the guide, the
only completely independent handbook that can identify the cruise and cruise
ship that is best suited to an individual. However, the annual Berlitz Cruise
Guide is not just for vacationers; cruise industry executives, travel agents,
and others in the cruise industry look to it as an invaluable resource of
comparative information.
Its
strength and enduring popularity lie not only in the annually updated,
independent and candid reviews of the cruise ships but the warts-and-all advice
on every possible aspect of cruising, whether budgeting families, singles, older
travelers or honeymooners. For example, readers can check out which cruise line
does what best, how the major cruise lines score on cuisine, facilities and
service, or see how the expedition ships compare in their adventure offerings. Those
planning luxury cruises can compare the crème de la crème of cruise ships at a glance:
find out whether tips are included, which ships have the biggest and most sumptuous
suites and which toiletry brand is supplied. Confused by the advantages and
disadvantages of the different sizes of ships? No problem. Ward cuts through
the hype for a more informed decision.
The guide doesn’t only point readers to the most appropriate cruise for
themselves, but it helps with a variety of choices. For example, some ‘private balconies’, while
expensive, are not so private, and mattress sizes vary enormously, depending
upon whether the cruise ship is British, European or from the US/Canada.
Other highlights of the guide include:
- Tips on getting
the best value for the money
- A list of extra-cost
items onboard to anticipate
- Information that
the brochures just don’t include
- A comparison of
the strengths and weaknesses of the minor cruise lines
- All the new
ships that will debut in 2015
- What to expect
from onboard entertainment and spas
- This year’s star
performers and Top 5 ships in each of 12 “Best in Class” categories
THE WORLD’S TOP
AUTHORITY ON CRUISING AND CRUISE SHIPS
The author has completed over
6,000 days at sea, participated in more than 1,000 cruises, 158 transatlantic
crossings, and countless Panama Canal
transits, shipyard visits, ship-naming ceremonies and maiden voyages. Often
described as a maritime Sherlock Holmes, Ward leaves no stone unturned for up
to 200 sea days each year, from the fluffiness of the towels to the quality of
the china and silverware, and from the welcome aboard to the disembarkation process.
Fully
updated and revised, Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2015 ($25.99, 704 pages, with hundreds of color
photographs) is published in the U.S. on November 1, 2014. Also forthcoming will be the guide in e-book format
and the 2015 Berlitz Cruise Ships app. For further
information visit www.insightguides.com/berlitz/berlitz-cruising.
###
For those interested
in an interview with the author or a review copy, please contact:
In the US:
Melissa Lande or Alan
Appel, Lande PR
O: 212-706-9003 / M:
646-315-3608
In the UK:
Julia Spence or
Annabel Owen, Julia Spence Public Relations
T: 01491 824524 / M:
07802 443113
Thursday, August 28, 2014
2015 Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Ships Publishes in US November 1, 2014;
11:29 PM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
News Release
2015 Berlitz Cruising and
Cruise Ships Publishes in US November 1, 2014;
30th Anniversary Edition
Features the Influential Author’s 30 Extraordinary Cruise
Experiences
NEW
YORK, N.Y., September 2014— As the popularity of global cruising continues to
surge—22.8 million passengers in 2013, more than half of them Americans—the
choices for veteran cruisers and first timers alike have never been as
plentiful and varied, and even overwhelming.
There are over 30,000 cruises from which to choose, and “picking the
right ship for the right reasons and with the right expectations,” says Ward
“is what this annual guide is and has always been about for the past three
decades.”
This
special anniversary guide (US PUB DATE:
NOV 1, 2014; $25.99), widely considered the most trusted and comprehensive
book on the topic, is also a fascinating and nostalgic study of how cruising
has evolved into “one of the biggest success stories in the travel world.” Ward
also gives the lowdown on his own favorite cruise experiences– a compilation,
he says, “that could serve as a veritable seagoing bucket list for cruisers
seeking memorable trips of a lifetime.”
So
thorough and comprehensive is Douglas Ward’s meticulously painstaking
investigation each year that the Guide sets the internationally recognized
ratings system for almost all cruise ships in the world (270 of them covered in
the book), designating the author as the most feared critic in the
business.
Cruisers,
who are often overwhelmed by the number of vessels and voyages available, would
be advised not to book a cruise vacation without first consulting the guide,
the only completely independent handbook that can identify the cruise and
cruise ship that is best suited to an individual. However, the annual Berlitz
Cruise Guide is not just for vacationers; cruise industry executives, travel
agents, and others in the cruise industry look to it as an invaluable resource
of comparative information.
Its
strength and enduring popularity lie not only in the annually updated,
independent and candid reviews of the cruise ships but the warts-and-all advice
on every possible aspect of cruising, whether budgeting families, singles,
older travelers or honeymooners. For example, readers can check out which
cruise line does what best, how the major cruise lines score on cuisine,
facilities and service, or see how the expedition ships compare in their
adventure offerings. Those planning luxury cruises can compare the crème de la
crème of cruise ships at a glance: find out whether tips are included, which
ships have the biggest and most sumptuous suites and which toiletry brand is
supplied. Confused by the advantages and disadvantages of the different sizes
of ships? No problem. Ward cuts through the hype for a more informed decision.
The guide doesn’t only point readers to the most appropriate cruise for
themselves, but it helps with a variety of choices. For example, some ‘private balconies’, while
expensive, are not so private, and mattress sizes vary enormously, depending
upon whether the cruise ship is British, European or from the US/Canada.
Other highlights of the guide include:
- Tips on getting
the best value for the money
- A list of
extra-cost items onboard to anticipate
- Information that
the brochures just don’t include
- A comparison of
the strengths and weaknesses of the minor cruise lines
- All the new
ships that will debut in 2015
- What to expect
from onboard entertainment and spas
- This year’s star
performers and Top 5 ships in each of 12 “Best in Class” categories
THE WORLD’S TOP
AUTHORITY ON CRUISING AND CRUISE SHIPS
The author has completed over
6,000 days at sea, participated in more than 1,000 cruises, 158 transatlantic
crossings, and countless Panama Canal
transits, shipyard visits, ship-naming ceremonies and maiden voyages. Often
described as a maritime Sherlock Holmes, Ward leaves no stone unturned for up
to 200 sea days each year, from the fluffiness of the towels to the quality of
the china and silverware, and from the welcome aboard to the disembarkation
process.
Fully
updated and revised, Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2015 ($25.99, 704 pages, with hundreds of color
photographs) is published in the U.S. on November 1, 2014. Also forthcoming will be the guide in e-book format
and the 2015 Berlitz Cruise Ships app. For further
information visit www.insightguides.com/berlitz/berlitz-cruising.
###
For those interested
in an interview with the author or a review copy, please contact:
In the US:
Melissa Lande or Alan
Appel, Lande PR
O: 212-706-9003 / M: 646-315-3608
In the UK:
Julia Spence or
Annabel Owen, Julia Spence Public Relations
T: 01491 824524 / M:
07802 443113
Monday, July 7, 2014
BERLITZ RIVER CRUISING IN EUROPE July 2014
6:33 PM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
First Edition of Berlitz:
River Cruising in Europe Publishes U.S. July 2014
BERLITZ
LAUNCHES INAUGURAL ONE-STOP RIVER CRUISING IN EUROPE BY RENOWNED CRUISE
EXPERT DOUGLAS WARD WITH HIS INVALUABLE DESCRIPTIONS, STAR RATINGS, &
EVALUATIONS
The
seasoned master of cruise vacation planning casts his nautical eye on major riverships
that operate in the heart of Europe
NEW YORK,
NY, July 2014—European river cruising has seen a remarkable upsurge in
popularity, increasing 10% a year since 2008. Close to one million people
(including a great many Americans) took a river cruise in 2013, and there are
now more than 15,000 of them from which to choose. But which one is right for
you?
The world’s
foremost authority on cruising, Douglas Ward, decided to do a companion book to
his annual bestselling Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships—which
celebrates its 30th anniversary in September—because, he says, “despite
the river cruise boom, booking one has too often been a bit hit and miss, and
that shouldn’t be.” His inaugural River Cruising in Europe (256 pages;
$19.99; July 1 publication in the U.S.) culminates years of personal sailings
and observations. Useful for veteran cruisers or first-timers (as well as for
industry pros), both guides are about making the right choice —whether deluxe
or budget —for the right reasons and with the right expectations
On a river
cruise, there are no “at sea” days, no tenders, no crowds, no lines, no
casinos, no bingo, no lavish shows. Rivers cruises have a more informal,
small-group ambiance. The vessels have flat bottoms and are designed for
shallow water, and you simply step off one and begin touring as soon as it is
tied up to a pier. A river cruise is leisurely paced and unhurried (riverships
travel between 6-11 mph) and intimate (the maximum number of passengers is
around 200) and a daily change of scenery. Ward: “You might say the destination
is the destination; whether it’s an urban landscape or something rustic, you
always have an up-close view of something interesting along the bank.”
As he does
in his annually updated Berlitz book on ocean cruising, Ward is equally
meticulous in assessing the quality of the food, facilities, service, layout,
atmosphere and accommodations of more than 280 top European riverships, sorting
it all out in candid, unbiased, totally independent,
cut-through-the-brochure-hype reviews and ratings, accompanied by full-color
photos and maps. Plus there’s considerable material on the major river cruise
companies (including AmaWaterways, whose 4-star-plus AmaPrima is the
top-rated river ship, with an overall score of 422 out of 500; Uniworld ; and
Viking River Cruises), and on seven iconic waterways and the historic sites
along them: the Danube, Rhein, Elbe, Rhone, Seine, Po and Duoro.
Among other
highlights and topics covered in the book:
- Advantages and disadvantages of a river cruise.
- Ocean cruising vs. river cruising.
- Reading between the lines on excursion descriptions
- Booking and budgeting (should you book through the company or a cruise agent? And what of booking through the Internet?
- How inclusive is “all-inclusive”? (they are actually “selectively inclusive”)
- About theme cruises (for music lovers, a Mozart cruise on the Danube is a natural)
- Why river cruises are “not really” suitable for disabled passengers.
- Differences between a river cruise and a canal barge cruise?
- What the brochures don’t say.
- Did you know? (for instance, that the Danube is the only major European waterway to flow from east to west?)
- Douglas Ward spends about nine months of the year at sea and is committed to setting
and helping to maintain the high standards of the cruise industry, which
includes ocean cruising and river cruising. He is also particularly
concerned about the rights of and provision for disabled travelers. Mr. Ward
takes pride in the book’s independence, emphasizing that he has no commercial
links with any cruise operator. Having won international recognition as the
world’s foremost authority on cruising, he has made guest appearances to
discuss the cruise industry on TV programs such as The Today Show, Good Morning
America, NBC Nightly News and CNN. He is also a composer, a musician
specializing in the accordion, and acts as judge at many music competitions
throughout Great Britain.
###CONTACT: Melissa Lande, Lande PR (212-706-9003), or Alan Appel (646- 315-3608 for your review copy of River Cruising in Europe. If you would like to interview Mr. Ward, please contact Melissa Lande at mlande@landepr.com. We will forward your questions to Mr. Ward since he is frequently aboard a vessel and cannot always be interviewed by phone.
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