Sherman's Travel

The rapidly expanding network of Scandinavian-based Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (branded simply as “Norwegian”) is about to get a major boost, with the announcement of 34 soon-to-launch routes set to roll out throughout the Nordic region. The new offerings are scheduled to kick off in March 2012, and will feature flights between cities in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland and the rest of Europe, bringing the tally of the airline’s robust network to nearly 300 routes, which spans North Africa and the Middle East, as well.

Some highlights from the new service will include: Bergen–Edinburgh; Oslo–Reykjavik; Stockholm–Corfu; Stockholm–Amsterdam; Copenhagen–Milan; Helsinki–Paris; and more. In addition to the service debuts, Norwegian will be adding capacity to 40 of its most frequented flight routes, with a particular emphasis on Mediterranean destinations. Starting rates are advertised from €27 ($37) one-way. Read more

In the minds of many, Denmark (and Scandinavia in general) isn’t a region that rings a foodie bell…yet. With more restaurants than ever before featuring organic cuisine (“green is the new black,” as the Danes are saying) and Copenhagen‘s new total of 14 Michelin-stars (more than any other Scandinavian city), Denmark is poised to become one of the world’s newest culinary capitals. At a recent lunch sponsored by Visit Denmark, the country’s tourism board, I was acquainted with many of the emerging trends in Denmark’s dining scene. Read more

On Friday Royal Caribbean’s latest masterpiece, the Oasis of the Seas, set sail from Finland on its maiden voyage to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The massive ship is five times larger than the Titanic and twenty stories high, which made sailing under a low bridge in Denmark a bit too close for comfort. Even after the smokestacks were lowered, Oasis cleared the Great Belt Fixed Link with less than two feet to spare.

Carrying a $1.5 billion price tag, the new ship is loaded with innovative entertainment options like an outdoor theater featuring acrobatics and high diving acts, a boardwalk, zip line, carousel, and – in the middle of it all – rests a living garden appropriately named “Central Park”.

The ship is expected to arrive in its home port of Port Everglades on Thursday, November 12 and will embark on a series of inaugural voyages before settling in to its routine schedule in the Eastern Caribbean.

For an up-to-date status of ship’s transatlantic journey, visit www.oasisoftheseas.com.

The late summer months of August and September are an ideal time to visit Northern Europe. Temperatures are still warm and airlines launch abundant autumn fare sales, giving travelers a golden opportunity to snag reduced rates. To top it off, the European cruise season is winding down and cruise lines are making last-ditch efforts to fill cabins on the remaining ships. This 5-night sailing aboard Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas has six sailing dates available to choose from, with prices starting from as little as $471.

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