'QUANTUM' TAKING SHAPE AT SHIPYARD

Sparks are flying and cranes are working overtime at the shipyard where Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas is beginning to take shape. Here's a video progress report:

FLORIDA KEYS LIGHTED BOAT PARADES

Nothing says Christmas in Florida like a lighted boat parade. For those who want to mark their calendars early, here's a roundup of boat parades in the Florida Keys:

Credit: Key Colony website

Sunday, Dec. 8, 6 p.m. (sunset)
Key Colony Beach Lighted Boat Parade (Marathon Area)
Spectators can applaud vividly lit boats in the Middle Keys at the Key Colony Beach Boat Parade. Open to all boats, the parade is set to start at the 7th Street canal and wind its way through canals on the west side of the city, ending in the canal between 11th and 12th streets. The best viewing spots include the Sadowski Causeway at mile marker (MM) 53.5 and the dock area behind city hall and the post office. An after-party with awards for captains and crews is to be held at Key Colony Inn, 700 E. Ocean Drive, with a free buffet and cash bar. Contact: 305-743-7214 or www.kcbca.org/kcbca-events/holiday-lighted-boat-parade/

Saturday, Dec. 14, 6 p.m.
Boot Key Harbor Boat Parade (Marathon)
At this Middle Keys holiday event, dinghies, mega-yachts and vessels in between are to cruise the harbor in a sparkling procession. The best viewing sites include Lazy Days South, Marathon Marina, Sombrero Dockside Lounge and Burdines Waterfront around MM 47-50. Contact: www.bootkeyharbor.com/christmas_parade.htm

BUSCH GARDENS CITED FOR SCARY THRILLS

Today we ran across an item for NAD (New Acronym Dept.): HAA -- otherwise known as The Haunted Attraction Association, which bills itself as "the only official association in the haunt industry." They report that "According to the National Retail Federation, 20.3% of Americans plan on visiting a haunted attraction this fall. Research further shows that many thrill-seekers carefully plan vacations and weekend getaways specifically around visiting America’s Top Haunted Attractions."

In Florida, they are recommending Tampa’s Busch Gardens, which "delivers on all accounts with their Howl-O-Scream Theme Park. Each season, this huge compound transforms into a seriously spooky destination. Explore the four main 'terror-tories:' Ripper Row, Vampire Point, Demon Street and Ports of Skull. Take the whole family and tour haunted houses like Cut Throat Cove and ride haunted roller coasters like The Loch Ness Monster."

Not sure we agree. The scariest thing we've encountered is driving on I-95.

VIKING HONORED

Congrats to Viking Cruises, once again named “Best River Cruise Line” in Cruise Critic’s 6th Annual Editors’ Picks Awards, both in the U.S. and the U.K.  Founded in 1997, Viking was established with four Russian river cruise vessels. Today, Viking owns and operates the world’s largest fleet of river vessels – 35.

10 NEW HOTELS YOU HAVE TO SEE

Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai  (Credit: TripAdvisor)

The latest list from Trip Advisor is "10 New Hotels You Must See." Sounds like a road trip to us. If you're planning to see them all, prepare to go from New York to Shanghai and London to Lithuania, and parts in-between. Not a bad gig, right? Probably the biggest surprise on the list is the 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville, Arkansas. And you thought the city was only on the map for being the world headquarters of Walmart. -- Gerry

'REGAL PRINCESS' TO DEBUT SOONER

Princess Cruises has announced the Regal Princess will debut next year earlier than originally announced, prompting the addition of two new sailings to her maiden schedule. The ship’s first voyage, which was previously scheduled for June 2, will now be May 20, 2014. Passengers can select from two new week-long Mediterranean cruises traveling between Venice and Athens. The two new Regal Princess Mediterranean cruises are:

May 20, 2014 (New maiden voyage) – Seven-day cruise from Venice to Athens including stops in Corfu, Mykonos and an overnight call in Istanbul.

May 27, 2014 – Six-day cruise from Athens to Venice including calls to Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Santorini, Katakolon (for Olympia) and Dubrovnik.

CHEERLEADERS GODMOTHERS FOR 'GETAWAY'

Miami Dolphin cheerleaders (Courtesy: Norwegian)

Norwegian Cruise Line and the Miami Dolphins announced today that the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders are the official Godmothers of Norwegian Getaway, which will home port in Miami. The Christening Ceremony will take place on Feb. 7. Also announced was a partnership with the Miami Dolphins that designates Norwegian Cruise Line as the “Official Cruise Line” of the Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium.

At each Dolphin home game, ticket holders can picture how they would “Cruise Like a Norwegian” by having their photograph taken in front of a Norwegian Getaway backdrop and they can enter a sweepstakes to win a cruise for four on Norwegian Getaway. To celebrate the announcement, the cheerleaders will make an appearance at Norwegian Cruise Line’s photo area on the Grand Plaza (across from the Dolphins store at Gate G) at Sun Life Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 20 from 11 am to 12 pm. The Cheerleaders will be available for photos and will be giving fans commemorative posters.

TELL YOUR AMTRAK STORY

Amtrak reports today they carried a record 31.6 million passengers in Fiscal Year 2013, marking the tenth ridership record in 11 years. To celebrate, starting today, passengers are encouraged to share their rail travel stories and pictures at AmtrakStories.com for a chance to win prizes. More details on the giveaway from Amtrak:

"While we handled the driving, you were busy snapping nearly 100,000 photos on Instagram. You captured the beauty of the American landscape, our unique stations and a few selfies along the way. We know you have more to say to your fellow 31 million passengers. We're ready to help you share your stories. Submit your #AmtrakStories at AmtrakStories.com, and we'll share the best ones here on our blog. Oh, did we mention, we'll also give away a $100 travel voucher everyday to the best Amtrak story? Plus, one grand-prize winner gets an Amtrak Vacation pack for two at the end of our 31-day celebration!"

We can say "All aboard" to that! -- Gerry and Pam

CRUISING SOUTHSIDE TIKIS AT WATERWAY CAFE

Occasionally, it is necessary to drop anchor near home and that can be quite rewarding, especially when you reside in So-Flo. On any given weekend it is not difficult to find a refreshing spot on the Intra-Coastal where it is easy to grab a bite, a cool libation and watch a variety of boats drift (or speed) along. -- Pam

SouthSide Tikis at Waterway Cafe
All photos: Cruising squared


So, Happy Columbus Day.

Cheers from Cruising!

CELEBRITY TAKES CULINARY TALENT TO NYC

This month, Celebrity Cruises shifts from sea to land by participating in a series of culinary events in New York City. Those include a health food trends panel at NYC’s Michelin-starred Rouge Tomate, dinner at the legendary James Beard House, and a sponsorship of the  Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival.

On October 12, Celebrity returns to the James Beard House for “A Taste of Modern Luxury,” featuring recipes from onboard Celebrity’s ships as well as new creations, and wine pairings.

At the 2013 Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival, Celebrity will present Wine Seminars and Pairing Series Seminars hosted by FOOD & WINE. Celebrity notes, "The series will feature the world’s top sommeliers, cellar masters, wine critics, authors, James Beard Award-winning chefs, and other culinary industry leaders. Tastings will cover a wide range of insights into topics such as tips and tasting into the 'grape unknown' – unusual grape varieties, and learning the best way to taste and analyze champagne."

At the Grand Tasting presented by ShopRite, featuring all-day tastings provided by NYC’s top restaurants and chefs, Celebrity will feature the ship-inspired “Lawn Club Grill” experience, serving up "their very own take on a classic dish, soup and grilled cheese: Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup, Iberico ham, toasted Hazelnut, Sourdough Croutons and Raclette & Leek Grilled Cheese."

Having experienced the Lawn Club first-hand, we would suggest booking your trip to the Big Apple now. -- Gerry

MRS. MAC'S KITCHEN IS SMOKIN' IN KEY LARGO

KEY LARGO -- Personally, I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend than zipping down to Key Largo in the cool (metaphorically speaking) Florida Keys.

Never mind that movie with Bogie and Bacall, focus more on the song by Bertie Higgins. Sail away  (or drive like we did) to this relaxed, if a bit touristy, Key.

Better yet, stop in and focus on food at a place called, Mrs. Mac's Kitchen, established in 1976.

Their signage boasts of famous key lime pie, but I'm a skeptic when it comes to self-proclamations of any sort. In other words, I'll be the judge of the merits of a slice of pie.

The first thing you notice about this restaurant is the decor, inside and outside. The outside is brightly colored and festive, while the inside has the clean and welcoming feel of a friendly neighborhood joint. Swag lights over the tables are constructed of Florida license plates and the tables are fashioned along the lines of memory boxes. Inside your table top you will see an eclectic mix of maps, shells, tiny plastic flamingos and turtles. It is simply fun.

Fun aside, the food is the real deal here. We opted for the grouper sandwich, which arrived promptly. The serving was large and came with fresh lettuce, tomato and a generous side of fries.

Delicious.

Now, about that key lime pie. We had to try it, naturally.

The verdict?

World famous, as promised. Truly the most scrumptious key lime pie I have ever tasted. Not tart, just flavorful and smooth, with a perfect dollop of whipped cream.

Photos-Cruising Squared

Sitting on the beach in Key Largo, we happily gave the key lime pie, and Mrs. Mac's Kitchen,  a rating of four pineapples. The top ranking! -- Pam

NORWEGIAN ANNOUNCES SHIP NAMES

Credit: Norwegian

Norwegian Cruise Line today announced the names of the line’s two new Breakaway Plus class ships are Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Bliss. Those were the winning names in the “Norwegians Name Their Ships” contest, which asked fans in five countries to help select the names for the line’s two new Breakaway Plus vessels. The contest got more than 100,000 votes in five different countries, including the United States, Canada (excluding Quebec), Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Norwegian’s new Breakaway Plus ships "will be the largest in the line’s fleet at approximately 163,000 gross tons and 4,200 passenger berths each and will be similar in design and innovation to the line’s current Breakaway class, the first of which, Norwegian Breakaway, launched in New York in early May and the second of which, Norwegian Getaway, will launch in January and arrive in her home port of Miami in February."