Aqaba (also spelled Al'Aqabah) is a port of call in Jordan, sitting on the edge of the Red Sea's Gulf of Aqaba. This port of call is popular with cruise ships because it provides easy access to the ancient city of Petra and the desert at Wadi Rum. Overnight shore excursions go as far inland as the Dead Sea and Jordan's capital city of Amman.

One bit of trivia -- Aqaba flies one of the world's largest flags over its port.
Aqaba, Jordan - Red Sea Port on the Gulf of Aqaba

Picture of Aqaba (c) Linda Garrison

An Avalon Waterways Central European cruise tour includes two nights in a Paris hotel; a fast ride on the TGV from Paris to Metz; a seven-day Avalon Tranquility cruise on the Moselle, Rhine, and Main Rivers from Trier, Germany to Nuremberg; and two nights in a Prague hotel. It is a marvelous cruise vacation, with two great cities and many small river towns to explore. And, there's all that wine!

Cruising the Romantic Rhine on the Avalon Tranquility (c) Linda Garrison

Our winter cruise roundtrip from Los Angeles to Baja and the Mexican Riviera on the Oceania Cruises' Regatta was filled with gorgeous days at sea and fascinating ports of call. The Regatta stopped over at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, but many on the ship had signed up for this cruise because it included a day trip to beautiful Copper Canyon, Mexico on the El Chepe Train.

Join me for a 10-day Oceania Regatta Mexican Riviera Cruise.

Regatta (c) Linda Garrison

The Celebrity Eclipse was launched in April 2010, and she is one of the gorgeous ships in the Solstice class. I did a two-night preview cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse soon after she reached her winter home base of Miami, and am happy to say that she is as beautiful and entertaining as her other sister ships, the Celebrity Solstice, Equinox, and Silhouette.

Although the new ship is almost identical to her sister ships, she does have a few small differences. Some of the carpet, wall covering, and furniture colors are different, as is the magnificent artwork and the the look of the Sky Lounge and Cellar Masters. The grand staircase in the main lobby is curved rather than straight, but the ship still has a tree in the elevator lobby. One nice change is that the AquaSpa and fitness center have different entrances. The most obvious differences are two additions -- (1) the iLounge and (2) an innovative new restaurant, Qsine, in the space occupied by the Asian restaurant, Silk Harvest, on the two earlier Solstice-class ships.

Let's take a tour of the Celebrity Eclipse.

Celebrity Eclipse Photo Galleries

• Celebrity Eclipse Outdoor Decks and Exteriors
• Celebrity Eclipse Interiors
• Celebrity Eclipse Dining Venues
• Celebrity Eclipse Cabins
• Celebrity Eclipse Lounges and Bars

Celebrity Eclipse Library (c) Linda Garrison