NEW ORLEANS IS BETTER THAN EVER ~ France, Spain and Africa all claim they founded this amazing city. Descendents from these countries still live, work, dance, marry, raise families and share recipes together in what America calls its own Paris. It is a city of history and magic starting with the Creoles (French, Spanish, and African) and Cajuns (Catholic French speaking fur trappers and farmers). By the mid 1800s the "Crescent City" was America's fourth largest community having established itself as a colossal port bringing in sugar cane, tobacco, rum and fruit from the Caribbean. Today New Orleans is called the "Big Easy" because it's so easy to live there. The Audubon Nature Institute operates several attractions in New Orleans, one in the middle of town. Bourbon Street in the French Quarter is open 24 hours a day. Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino and Harry Connick Jr. were all born and grew up to become music icons for New Orleans. Hearing jazz in the city's parks is normal; so is enjoying its southern cooking and hospitality. Two must-see sites in New Orleans are the Mardi Gras World factory to learn how floats are made and the National World War II Museum, considered the best of its kind in the country. President Eisenhower gave credit for winning World War II to Andrew Higgins of New Orleans. He was a logger who turned his idea of moving logs down the Mississippi river by boat into LCVPs...Landing Craft Vehicles, Personnel. His boats landed thousands of American soldiers with their allies onto Normandy Beach in France, thereby ending the war. Aboard Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas you can enjoy ice-skating shows, climb a rock wall and play miniature golf while cruising to historical Falmouth in Jamaica, then on to Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Staterooms in the Voyager are stunning (see above). In Cayman visit the world's largest turtle farm. Learn how these seafarers swim around the world underwater for 9 months, then return to Grand Cayman every winter like we do! Each day on the cruise enjoy water aerobics in the ship's heated Solarium pool. It has descending steps for easy access. Take yoga classes, ballroom dance lessons, deck walking and tai chi too, all taught by your own home town teachers. Exercise classes are held in private for club members only and are included in your cruise price. The best cabins and rates sell out first. Book your cruise now! You have until Nov. 2nd to cancel with a full refund if needed. No insurance is required for this travel club benefit. Call 800-955-9942.

MARDI GRAS in New Orleans is Feb. 21, 2012. If you need air tickets or a pre- or post-cruise hotel room NOW is the time to book. Call Twins Travel at 703-583-2008 for competitive air and hotel rates, while they last. Be sure to ask for parking and/or ship transfer arrangements from your hotel, if needed. will offer only a post-cruise city tour of New Orleans when the ship returns Feb. 18th. Last stop on the tour will be at the New Orleans airport about 3 PM. Details TBA. To see immediate 'Big Easy' hotel room availability click here.