By GERRY BARKER

Some twenty-five years ago, Pam and I took our first train trip. It lasted almost two weeks and covered 8,500 miles — Texas to Chicago, Chicago to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Seattle, Seattle to Chicago and back home.
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Along the way we met fascinating people, enjoyed amazing scenery and got to see the country the way you never can from an airplane, or even a car. In short, we were hooked.

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By GERRY BARKER

MIAMI_ It was almost surreal, but docked at the Port of Miami’s Terminal E, there she was — Crystal Serenity.

The scene brought back a flood of memories. In 2019, Pam and I celebrated Christmas onboard Serenity cruising the Caribbean, and ushered in 2020 watching fireworks off the coast of Barbados (read about it here). A few months later, COVID arrived, and not long after, Crystal, one of the most respected and awarded luxury cruise brands, went out of business.

​But thankfully, the story didn’t end there. Crystal was rescued by A&K Travel Group, who invested $150 million to renovate Serenity, and her sister ship, Symphony. The new and improved Serenity, which made her maiden voyage July 31 from Marseille, was on full display as Miami welcomed her back for the start of her winter season.  READ MORE.