Are you ready to go cruising this fall and winter? But which cruise line to pick or where to go? Well, our friends at CruiseCompete sent me their CruiseTrend report for 2017 and it has a wealth of information, like:

CIVITAVECCHIA, ITALY - It was mid-day when we started out from Rome in the direction of this seaside town, which serves as the Eternal City’s port.

DISENCHANTMENT BAY, ALASKA - There’s many reasons people take an Alaskan cruise - a chance to see the state’s natural beauty up close while witnessing whales, bald eagles and wildlife playing in their natural habitat are a few.

SKAGWAY, ALASKA - Cruise lines aren’t kidding when they say they want to attract a younger audience. And they are appealing to young families by turning unused space aboard ships into everything from daycares to discos. And the kids, in all age groups, love it.

SOMEWHERE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC - Joachim Koerper pointed to a small white dot on the black ocean and wondered what the light twinkling in the night represented.

CHONGQING, CHINA - A group of “coolies” jumps to attention and charge our taxi when it pulls up in front of this city’s cruise ship terminal.

JUNEAU, ALASKA - When booking a cruise, make sure you bring along some running shoes and workout clothes. That is if you want to keep off the one pound a day the cruise industry says passengers gain during a normal trip.

ROME - The car that picks us up at Rome’s international airport passes golden fields of autumn grain that sweep down into the Mediterranean as it heads in the direction of Civitavecchia, the ancient seaport where we’ll begin a seven day cruise aboard Silversea’s sleek Silver Spirit.

SOMEWHERE IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA - On a dark and stormy night at sea, we ask our Seadream I concierge Brenda to recommend a DVD that we can take back to our comfy cabin and enjoy on our state-of-the-art entertainment system.

FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA. - The man wrapping the bathing suit I’ve just bought in the store on trendy Las Olas Blvd. asks if I’m a passenger on one of the cruise ships that dock daily at nearby Port Everglades. Before I can answer, Keith Glasco, the manager of the Tommy Bahama outlet tells me that the cruise industry “means a lot” to his business.