William Doonan's new mystery novel, Mediterranean Grave, explores crime on the high seas and establishes a valiant and original protagonist. Henry Grave is an investigator for the Association of Cruising Vessel Operators. A World War II P.O.W., Henry is as cunning as he is charming, and at 84 years of age, he fits right in with his fellow passengers. The cruising yacht Vesper is anchored off the Greek island of Thera, in the caldera of an ancient volcano when Henry comes aboard. An Egyptian federal agent was onboard to guard a valuable Minoan cup, but the agent was murdered and the cup, stolen. With the help of a Nicaraguan soap opera star, a New Age spiritualist, and a blind pickpocket, H

Valentine’s Day has traditionally been celebrated with a simple dinner for two. Couples exchange cards professing their appreciation for one another, gift the usual candy and jewelery and call it a day. As Valentine’s Day draws closer, many people are looking to celebrate that special day in a more memorable way. Sacramento has a number of exciting events and specials to choose from on Valentine’s Day and the weekend prior. While many make reservations at their favorite restaurants, why not book a Valentine’s Day Lovers’ Cruise, provided by Hornblower Cruises, for a change? “Sacramento’s Cupid’s Valentine’s Weekend Brunch Cruise,” on Sunday, is a two-hour cruise departing from the L-S

The hottest spot for a New Year's Eve celebration is aboard the Empress Hornblower in Old Sacramento. They will have two fireworks cruises on New Year's Eve for the 9:00pm and 12:00pm fireworks at Tower Bridge. The first is a Dinner Gala cruise from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. Enjoy the fabulous buffet dinner, open standard cocktail bar, including after dinner liquors and house champagne, festive New Year's Eve party favors, pre-boarding photograph and live DJ entertainment for dancing. The second is a Midnight Cocktail cruise from 11:00pm to 1:00pm. Enjoy delicious hors d'ouevres, free flowing house champagne with a no-host bar for all other beverages, festive New Year's Eve party favors, pre-boa

Start snorkeling today. Seems simple enough! Why do I need a class to, “Learn to Snorkel?” Snorkeling may seem easy enough, except when you realize you are in the Ocean and there is a problem. I found that “Education today” and practice really allowed me to enjoy my trip to Mexico. Training allowed me to solve my own problems. I saw so many other “cruisers” who hated the experience, because they had an issue and didn’t know there was a simple fix. My training allowed me to learn in a pool; make mistakes and solve problems. I found out that taking a snorkeling class before my cruise to the Mexican Rivera helped me really enjoy my days on the beach and in the water. The instructor told me