Ask The Experts

World of Cruising - The Mississippi Returns; Fall issue 2011

Editor Simon Veness reports on two major new initiatives that will bring America’s major river back to cruise life…

When the 111-year-old Delta Queen Steamboat Company went into liquidation in 2001, it threatened to spell the end for one of the world’s most classic – and long-running – cruise styles. For several additional years under differing owners, the three traditional river steamboats struggled along without getting the much-needed TLC they needed, and their audience seemingly died out with them. Mark Twain’s much-loved waterway was in danger of becoming a riverboat-less world, no longer able to supply the timeless charm of slow journeys through the heart of America. But, not only is there news of a revival for one of the Delta Queen boats, there are now TWO companies setting out to address the issue in 2012.

First, American Cruise Lines announced they are building the Mississippi’s first all-new riverboat in more than 16 years, with the construction of the 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi, which will be ready for its debut in August. And then the new Great American Steamboat Co rolls on to the scene with the acquisition of the American Queen, one of the classic ex-Delta Queen vessels, and the largest steamboat ever built (in 1994).
See more online here: http://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/destination-features/the-mississippi-returns-1248.html
Orlando Attractions Magazine, Winter 2011 - Boma, Flavors of Africa
Susan & Simon Veness
The idea of “theme” is so fundamental to Walt Disney World it’s lmost impossible to think of any Disney experience without considering what it’s based on. But there is one place where a manufactured theme takes second place to an even better reality: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and its buffet restaurant, Boma - Flavors of Africa.
Boma highlights the importance of culture as much as cuisine, and Chefs John Clark, chef de cuisine at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Amber Kent, sous chef at Boma, brought that distinction into sharp focus. Chef Clark told us, “The dining room cast members in blue and white and the kitchen cast members in black are all from Africa. We have eight cultural representatives from Africa in the kitchens for Boma, Jiko and Sanaa. We’ll say to them, ‘We’re thinking of creating this dish,’ and they help us make it authentic.”

Journeys magazine Winter 2009

It may be best known for its wild weather and wildlife but Alaska has a history that is equally wild, says Simon Veness

Skagway is one of the smallest towns you are likely to visit on a cruise. With a population of just 862, it is barely a blip on the radar of sea-going destinations. At first glance, it is also a hodge-podge of 20^th century curiosities - a modern cruise terminal that adjoins a rather ramshackle railway system that leads on to a town that clearly had its heyday before ‘tourism' ever got going. But scratch the surface and you discover a compelling history that is startling in its detail and fascinating in its scope. Forget Tombstone, Dodge City and Santa Fe, this is the real Wild West - the Wild North-West.

Orlando Attractions magazine, Fall 2009
	Dive In To The Drive-In! Written by SIMON and SUSAN VENESS "Hello," said our waitress, Joyce. "I'm going to be your Car Hop today!" And with that greeting, we were conducted inside the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Disney's Hollywood Studios, arguably the park's most iconic restaurant. Some people come to the Studios for the adrenaline rush of Rock 'n RollerCoaster and Tower of Terror; others for the movie-style thrills of Star Tours and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular; some prefer the frantic fun of Toy Story Midway Mania and Muppet*Vision 3-D; and younger visitors gravitate towards The Little Mermaid and Playhouse Disney. But, for a handful of dyed-in-the-wool Disney fans, no visit here is complete without setting foot in the Sci-Fi Dine-In, a true original in the great pantheon of theme park entertainment.

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