Click on the photo above to launch a Flickr slideshow featuring the best photos from our eight-day Mekong cruise.

One highlight of our 8-day Mekong cruise: a 20-minute ox-cart ride back to La Marguerite. Click on the photo above to launch a Flickr slideshow.

Friday afternoon in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, passengers from La Marguerite enjoyed ceremonial song and dance at the National Museum. The performance is part of a blessing ritual in the days before the New Year on April 13 (sometimes celebrated on April 14).

Our morning was a bit more grim, as we visited the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Photos and captions below.

A grim but necessary morning in Phnom Penh. We visited one of the Khmer Rouge's many 'Killing Fields,' where the renegade regime committed genocidal atrocities during its rule from 1975 to 1979. Our guide (pictured) told us how his father was captured and imprisoned by the Khmer Rouge and how out of thousands at S-31, was only one of six to survive. How? He noticed that the Khmer Rouge used hundreds of padlocks to incarcerate prisoners but had no system to organize the keys, so they were forced to cut the locks with bolt-cutters each time they took a prisoner away (for interrogation and torture likely). Upon arriving at S-31, our guide's father told the guards he could pick the locks, saving the padlocks for future use. Although he had never picked a lock before, he had observed someone doing so years before. Each morning at a cafe in Phnom Penh, the father had watched a shopkeeper pick a padlock to enter his store. In a test before the prison commander, the father succeeded in unlocking 7 of 10 padlocks. As a worker in the prison, he was no longer treated in the same way as prisoners. However, he was shackled each day. Never mind that he could pick the lock any time he wanted to. After the Khmer Rouge was toppled, his father returned to the village where he had been given up for dead.

At The Killing Fields In Phnom Penh. It is estimated that the Khmer Rouge exterminated as much as one third of Cambodian's population between 1975 and 1979.

Little girl at the site of the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh.

Children at the site of the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh.

Blessing day at Phnom Penh's Killing Fields

Monks performing blessings at Phnom Penh's Killing Fields

Victims of the Khmer Rouge atrocities in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is situated at the site of the notorious Security Prison 21 (or S-21). A former high school, S-21 was used a prison and torture chambers during the Khmer Rouge's rule of Cambodia.

Small prison cells at Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, situated on the site of the notorious Security Prison 21 (or S-21). A former high school, S-21 was used a prison and torture chambers during the Khmer Rouge's rule of Cambodia.

Tuktuks, motorcycle taxis pulling trailers that seat from two to ten are a cheap and easy way to get around Phnom Penh.

Situated near the Royal Palace, the National Museum exhibits more than 5,000 pieces of Asian art, sculptures and statues.

Monks who came to perform blessings at Cambodia's National Museum.

At Cambodia's Royal Palace

At Cambodia's Royal Palace

Our Guide Thoai At Cambodia's Royal Palace

At Cambodia's Royal Palace

At Cambodia's Royal Palace

Lion Pavillion

Long known as the gateway to the mysteries and the abundant riches of the Orient, Hong Kong is one of those special places that lives up to its reputation for dramatic and romantic images. My travels there have always made me enjoy a small fantasy in which I’m a bit of a player in a movie, but the thing is I can never decide whether that film is set in the 1930s or contemporary times.

Hong Kong offers so many familiar images ranging from gleaming, artistic skyscrapers to far more traditional and simple sights, such as Chinese junks bobbing in the harbor, often in the shadow of modern cruise ships.

While Hong Kong offers many insights into traditional urban Chinese life, modern times and high technology are constantly intruding. Often the two co-mingle. Workers use bamboo scaffolding to erect glass and metal skyscrapers. The city operates an efficient subway (with tickets that conveniently work from within your pocket or purse), but you also can hire a rickshaw to get around.

Dai Pai Dong / Streetside Food

Hong Kong features one of the world’s largest shopping malls, where you can find the most upscale brands, but you’ll also want to stop at the exciting street markets virtually anywhere in the city. The city boasts hundreds of elegant and sophisticated restaurants catering to international clientele who routinely insist on the best, but for something truly exotic, snack at the countless food stands on the street, called dai pai dong.

These marvelous contrasts make Hong Kong, a Chinese city with a powerful British heritage, a uniquely special place to visit. Hong Kong is a city where you can explore Chinese culture while still maintaining a connection with your Western roots.

The British may have withdrawn from Hong Kong in 1997, handing it over to the Chinese government, which created the Special Administrative Region for governance, but the Brits’ influence can still be found everywhere — from the orderly queues and double-decker buses to English pubs and afternoon tea, as well as the free-market economy, public infrastructure and more.

With so much to do and to see, Hong Kong is a great destination for a short stop or an extended stay. The cuisine is the best in Asia, the scenery on the peninsula and the surrounding islands is stunning, the people are consistently pleasant and willing to provide assistance, and while the shopping may not be such a cut-rate bargain any longer, it is still unsurpassed for quality and choice.

Exotic but easy to navigate and understand, stimulating but non-threatening, Hong Kong stands alone as a city that offers such an abundance of appealing possibilities with few potential aggravations.

Star Ferry

You can see a lot in a couple of days. Start by boarding the Star Ferry, which traverses one of the world’s busiest waterways across Victoria Harbor between Central to Tsimshatsui. The harbor is ringed by a dramatic skyline. The Star Ferry, which has been operating here since 1874, provides a great perspective on Hong Kong, and at less than 50 U.S. cents, it’s quite the bargain.

The ferry drops you within minutes of the highly efficient Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Central station, where you board a train to Tung Chung on Lantau Island. From there take a 25-minute cable car ride on the Ngong Ping Skyrail, relishing unforgettable views of the South China Sea and Hong Kong International Airport.

At Ngong Ping Village, visit the Walking with Buddha Museum. This also gives you access to the Big Buddha. Sitting on his lotus throne, this brass statue is an imposing 112 feet tall and weighs more than 250 tons. Climb the 268 steps to reach the platform where the Giant Buddha is seated.

Besides admiring the statue, there is much to see and do at the nearby monastery. Enjoy a vegetarian lunch prepared by monks or take a brief stroll to the nearby tea plantation. Not too far away is the Wisdom Path, an outdoor replica of the centuries-old Heart Sutra, one of the world’s best-known prayers revered by Confucians, Buddhists and Taoists. The sutra is displayed on wooden pillars placed in an infinity formation to symbolize the idea of endless splendor.

After you’ve gotten in touch with your inner Buddha, you will want to drop in on the Ngong Ping Tea House for a refreshing brew and insight into some Chinese tea traditions unique to Hong Kong.

After tea, it’s time to retrace your steps to Central. Drop in on the famous Mandarin Oriental Hotel, another of the great monuments of Far Eastern hospitality. From here, you will find easy access to take the funicular to Victoria Peak, famous for its views of Central, Victoria Harbor, South China Sea, Kowloon and undulating hills beyond.

The newly revitalized Peak Tower, one of Hong Kong’s most popular attractions, not only has some of the best views from its rooftop platform with striking 360-degree vistas over Hong Kong, but also a wide range of spectacular shopping, dining options and entertainment attractions for the kids.

Enjoy breathtaking views of Victoria Harbor and Kowloon’s mountains, soaring skyscrapers and pastoral hillsides while dining at Pearl on the Peak, which boasts a 270-degree view of the city and promises to deliver superb dining experiences.

Return to Central Station and board the MTR to Admiralty to browse around Pacific Place, one of the many up-market shopping malls Hong Kong is known for. Part of the complex is the Island Shangri-La Hotel, where you’ll want to have lunch at Café Too. Asian or Western stations prepare Italian pasta side by side with Chinese noodles and Indian tandoori. A Hong Kong tradition done particularly well here is the wonton noodles dish—a modest HK$120 (US$15).

After a short walk back to Central, spend a half-hour exploring The Lanes, three narrow alleys connecting Des Voeux Road and Queen’s Road. Stalls sell watches, clothes, and shoes. While the merchandise is already at bargain prices, this is the place to haggle and save a few extra dollars if you feel inclined. A floor of stalls sells silks and other cloth.

Stanley Market

Hong Kong is not as cheap as it used to be, but the Stanley Market, with 200 or so shops and stalls lining narrow lanes, is still fascinating and offers good value for souvenirs and gifts.

Pick up a couple of trinkets and then stroll down to the old classic Colonial Murray Building, which was moved from its former Central location to make room for the offices of acclaimed architect I.M. Pei’s futuristic angular Bank of China Tower. Every piece of the Murray Building was numbered, stored, and eventually reassembled here in 1998.

Today, its most notable tenant is your next stop, the Hong Kong Maritime Museum. Hong Kong is first and foremost a port city, and that’s ’s the focus of the exhibits here, ranging from the distant past to the present day. Container ships carry finished goods from busy mainland Chinese factories to markets overseas — much as sailing ships used to transport tea, silks, and porcelain along the same routes. Peruse the museum and enjoy the interactive games, including a simulator that allows you to guide a ship into port.

Jumbo Floating Restaurant

Move on to Aberdeen and the Jumbo Floating Restaurant. The garishly painted multistory structure with a pagoda roof is a veteran of countless movies. The building’s recent makeover led to the opening of Top Deck at the Jumbo, offering high-quality international cuisine and great views of a crowded harbor where live-aboard junks share space with luxury yachts. Don’t miss chef Alan Yu’s warm chocolate pudding with coconut ice cream.

Flag a cab to Sai Kung, a New Territories town known for its waterfront promenade and seafood restaurants where you can watch the sun set over the harbor. At one of the dozens of restaurants, select your fish, still swimming, fresh from the tank, and it will be steamed with soy sauce and ginger. Also sample the steamed prawns, along with a seasonal green vegetable, fried rice, and a couple of bottles of icy Chinese Tsingtao, which goes well with the food.

You also will want to explore the Western District, one of Hong Kong’s most fascinating neighborhoods. A window into Chinese traditional lifestyle, the Western District features shops offering fresh produce, cloth, dried seafood, live snakes, healing herbs and medicines.

For spectacular views of the city as well as live music, head to Aqua. If you’re there on a Wednesday evening, you’ll likely hear Hong Kong’s leading jazz songstress, Elaine Liu. Not only will you be treated to good music, but as the sun disappears, you’ll watch the city ignite in neon — a perfect ending in this city of contrasts.

Available itineraries range from five to 14 days, all departing between November 2009 and March of 2010, and the sale is based on double occupancy for a 277-square-foot ovean view stateroom. Of course, Seabourn’s personalized service, complimentary open bars throughout the voyage, fine dining in an open-seating restaurant and, on many itineraries, free watersports from the yacht’s unique Marina.

The voyages included in the one-week sale are:

Seabourn Legend

• 11/23/2009 14 days Ft. Lauderdale to Caldera, Costa Rica from $3599
• 12/07/2009 14 days Caldera, Costa Rica to Ft. Lauderdale from $3599
• 03/20/2010 5 days St. Thomas to St. Thomas from $149
• 03/25/2010 7 days St. Thomas to St. Thomas from $1999

Seabourn Spirit

• 11/15/2009 12 days Lisbon to Ft. Lauderdale from $2765
• 12/16/2009 5 days St. Thomas to Ft. Lauderdale from $1349

Seabourn Pride

• 02/13/2010 14 days Singapore to Hong Kong from $4999
• 02/27/2010 14 days Hong Kong to Singapore from $5249
• 03/13/2010 14 days Singapore to Hong Kong from $5249

Seabourn Odyssey

• 11/28/2009 12 days Ft. Lauderdale to Ft. Lauderdale from $3999

Cruises in the South Pacific combine cosmopolitan cities with lush jungles, exotic wildlife, snow-capped mountains and fjords, plus white-sand beaches and coral reefs. It’s no surprise that explorers, artists, writers and visitors have been coming here to cruise the south pacific since at least the 18th century, when Captain Cook and his colleagues first arrived.
Cruises in the South Pacific feature a multitude of destinations that are a study in contrasts. Each region has its own distinct cultural appeal.

Though there are nuances among itineraries, most run 12 days or longer, and nearly all include a mix of cruising Australia’s east coast and Tasmania (the Australian island state) with New Zealand’s North Island and South Island. Some extended itineraries, often more than 30 days in length, also feature Asia.

A continent and a nation, Australia features the desert expanses of the Outback, where you’ll find kangaroos, koalas, wombats and the platypus. Equally stunning is the Great Barrier Reef, an underwater wonderland teeming with marine life.

Australia also boasts breathtaking cities, such as Sydney and Melbourne. Often called the most spectacular harbor in the world to enter via a cruise ship, Sydney’s famed Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge await guests on deck and evoke the spirit of “G’Day!”

Cruisers also have a chance to explore inland. Cruisetours, which are tours offered before and after cruises, typically are offered only in Australia and allow passengers to get deep into the Outback to admire the giant red monolith known as Ayer’s Rock and the ochre domed rocks known as the Olgas. Other cruisetours take pre- or post-cruisers to the Great Barrier Reef.

Passengers on a South pacific cruise can opt for flight-seeing excursions that afford stunning views of the Daintree Rainforest, Tasmania’s Mt. Wellington, and the Great Barrier Reef.

Southeast of Australia is New Zealand, comprised of the South Island and North Island. New Zealand boasts an abundance of natural attractions and recreational opportunities hard to rival. Only in Auckland, for example, can cruise passengers board an America’s Cup yacht to sail past the America’s Cup Village, with its super yachts. Cruise passengers also can retrace the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, visiting some of the best-known sites from the film.

Since the first sailing ships from Europe dropped anchor among French Polynesia’s lagoons and coral atolls, the magical islands have symbolized romance and natural beauty. Vacationers on South Pacific cruises can take in volcanic peaks shrouded in wispy clouds, mysterious rainforests, white-sand beaches, a profusion of flowers, including Tahiti’s spectacular black pearls.

Remember, with seasons reversed in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, the major cruise lines typically operate “Down Under” from November through March.

For her first world voyage, Queen Elizabeth will offer a complete 103-day circumnavigation of the globe from her home port of Southampton, crossing the Atlantic en route to New York. U.S. and Canadian guests may choose to join the cruise in New York, Fort Lauderdale or – after the ship transits the Panama Canal – Los Angeles.

From the west coast, Queen Elizabeth will continue her westward journey to the ever-popular city of Sydney, where she will be docked overnight, and then the South Pacific and New Zealand. From there, it’s on to the exotic ports of Asia, including Singapore, Bali, Vietnam and Thailand as well as another overnight stay in Hong Kong. Then the ship sails on to Malaysia and India before calling on Dubai, also an overnight, followed by a visit to Oman for a Suez Canal transit. This will be followed by visits to the wonders and antiquities of Egypt, Greece, Italy and Portugal en-route back to Southampton. From Southampton, North American guests can rendezvous with the Queen Mary 2 and take in a legendary Transatlantic crossing to complete their personal circumnavigation of the globe.

Segment voyages of 12 to 25 days are also available if it seems too difficult spending more than three months living in luxury on a gleaming, new ocean liner. Of course, these segments can also be combined.

In a conference call to Wall Street analysts Carnival Corporation CEO Micky Arison said, “We have started tweaking pricing on a variety of brands.”

Read: Prices are increasing. However, some incredible deals are still to be found.

Despite the global economic slowdown, nearly 20 million people chose to cruise in 2008, a healthy increase of 7.9 percent growth over 2007 that contributed to the five-year growth rate of 6.9 percent, according to reseach by Shippax Information.

The Caribbean continues to be the largest market for cruising, representing one-third of the passengers who cruise. However, the European cruise destinations, particularly the Mediterranean but also the Baltic and Northern Europe, showed some nice growth and may be overtaking the Caribbean.

The economy did have an impact on orders for new ships, which were low at just seven. However, with annual and long-term growth trends such as these, it would seem that the cruise lines are being understandably cautious and will probably place orders for magnificent new ships once the economic picture appears more stable.

OnboardSpa Co. is a new partner with Windstar Cruises, providing a full menu of products and services through the spas, salons and fitness centers aboard the Windstar ships.

For instance, O SPA London is a certified organic spa experience designed for the face and body. The products are created with essential oils, extracts of aromatic plants and herbs, and earth and sea botanicals. All ingredients are sourced from organic, sustainable sources, such as The Eden Project, the largest biosphere project in the world; Lisadell House, an organic medicinal co-operative on the West Coast of Ireland; and Georgina Koomson’s FairTrade women’s co-operative in Ghana. Body treatments feature pure botanicals, ancient stones, crystals and muds.

Balinese, Swedish, classic, reflexology, sports as well as fire and ice stone massages are available. Ayurveda and aromatherapy options are designed to rejuvenate and harmonize the chakras of the body. Facials include an intensive eye masque experience. Acupuncture is also offered. The salon will offer cuts, hair coloring, styling and treatments using French Kérastase products. Guests can also choose to take part in a Pilates Institute at Sea Program, yoga, personal training, mediation, and fitness classes led by a team of fitness professionals.

While we long ago dismissed the complaints about getting fat at sea as a personal choice that people exercise when they choose to eat to excess and fail to take advantage of the fitness opportunities on the ship, we have to say that the treatments, fitness classes and products available on Windstar through OnboardSpa should help people finish a cruise feeling better than when they started.

Silversea Cruises is reporting that last week it set a corporate record for daily call volume, part of a three-week surge when bookings exceeded the same period of 2008 by nearly 150%. Silversea, like most cruise lines, particularly in the luxury segment, has been sweetening the pot to attract more guests.

The line has been offering 50 percent savings on more than 50 worldwide voyages. Also, the cruise line has recently expanded their popular $1,000 Onboard Spending Credit offer. For example, the $1,000 Onboard Spending Credit is available on Silver Whisper’s September 12, sevven-day cruise from Istanbul to Athens with calls in Marmaris, Symi, Volos and Nafplion.

The recent flurry of activity may indicate that travelers are feeling more confident about committing to a luxury vacation. Alternatively, it could be a sign that advance-booking trends are growing shorter and shorter.

Silversea’s onboard spending promotion allows guests to use the Onboard Spending Credit as they choose — without limitations. The credit can be applied toward any shore excursions or onboard services including spa treatments, dinner in the Relais & Châteaux Wine Restaurant, rare wines, premium spirits, boutique and Internet Café purchases. In addition, the offer can be combined with other available discount promotions, including Early Booking Incentive, Advance Payment Bonus, Silver Sailing, and Free Air programs.

The booking deadline has been extended to July 31, and it applies to itineraries on the all-suites ships Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Whisper and Silver Shadow to the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Seychelles, South America, the Far East and the South Pacific. Of course, Silversea is an innovator in the ultra-luxury cruise vacation business, having won numerous awards and earning top ratings from several publications.