Holistic Holiday at Sea

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly

What: Taste of Health's 8th annual Holistic Holiday at Sea

Where: Key West, Fla.; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Georgetown, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico

When: Feb. 27–March 6, 2011

Why: VegNews is a sponsor!

The Scoop: For the eighth consecutive year Sandy Pukel and John Belleme (collectively, the "Taste of Health" guys) organized a late-winter cruise that combines elements of macrobiotic conference, tropical adventure, and liquid relaxation into a week-long sail around the Caribbean. After seven years on board a Costa cruise liner, the men jumped ship to a relatively new entry into the world of high-end cruising, MSC. Our home for the week, seen below, is a two-year-old little boat christened the Poesia ("poetry" for those who don't speak Italiano). Poetry it was.

The mighty ship that could: The MSC Poesia

Departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida last Sunday, we stopped in Key West, Fla.; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Cayman Islands; and the Mexican island paradise that is Cozumel. Each stop offered numerous excursions, or free time for those who prefer to swim, sunbath, or explore on their own.

Back on board I attended lectures, shared meals, or interviewed such vegan and macro luminaries as T. Colin and Tom Campbell, co-authors of The China Study; Vegan Bodybuilding.com's founder Robert Cheeke; Qi Gong instructor Marcus Gary; Post Punk Kitchen's Isa Chandra Moskowitz; cancer survivor, VN columnist, and TV host Christina Pirello; and four-time NBA champion John Salley, whose smile and charm captivated all around him.

The food, expertly prepared by 35-year vegan chef Mark Hanna, author of Greens & Grains on the Deep Blue Sea, consists of a full breakfast, five-course lunch, and another five courses for dinner (plus a gluten-free option from a recipe provided by Isa). The cruise began in 2005 as a strictly macrobiotic adventure, and has evolved since into a "modern vegan" menu that still offers ample macro dishes. Something for everyone.

Colorful Kale Salad with Ginger Dressing... yum

When not eating or excursioning, exercise classes, lectures, and late-night gatherings—which included three ice cream socials, a Daiya cheese pizza party, and a cookies and "milk" night—take up the day. Translation: If you are coming on the cruise to relax, you might have a little problem with so much stimulation buzzing all around.

A few of my many highlights:

In Key West I climbed aboard a catamaran and went snorkeling in the open ocean...

Yes, the water really is that color!

Went river tubing with Robert Cheeke in Jamaica on his 31st birthday...

The one and only Robert Cheeke

Made many new friends including the wonderful Karpel Family.

All "decked" out: Vegan life is better!

To see more photos from the holiday, stop by the photo album on VegNews Facebook page.

This was my second year on the cruise. I admit I had been skeptical of the industry, and I'm not sure I'll ever go on a non-educational cruise (I'd never been on one prior). The Holistic Holiday at Sea is a health conference that takes place on a floating hotel, which the organizers have perfected by creating an immensely enjoyable and memorable experience. VegNews is a proud supporter of the event, and I suspect our partnership will continue for many years to come. After all, the Holistic Holiday at Sea is #28 on the just-released Vegan Bucket List!

PCRM Celebrates 25 Years

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly and VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland
What: The Art of Compassion: PCRM's 25th Anniversary Gala
Where: The Lot, West Hollywood, Calif.
When: April 10, 2010
Why: Celebrating a quarter-century of PCRM’s extraordinary accomplishments

The Scoop: If you picture the folks at the Physician’s Committee for Responsible donning white lab coats rather than party gowns, it’s safe to say you weren’t in Hollywood last month. The organization known for advancing preventative medicine and ethical research let its hair down for a glorious and star-studded celebration for nearly 500 friends and supporters at The Lot—the former home of Warner Hollywood Studios, United Artists Studios, and the Samuel Goldwyn Studios—a venue which proved as fitting as the dresses and tuxes for the who’s-who of compassion that paraded and pranced around the stages where the classic films Robin Hood and West Side Story were filmed.

Event Chairs Tom and Kathy Freston kicked it all off with heartfelt words on why they are supporters of PCRM, including Tom’s admission that he never expected to end up vegan. Following the Freston’s were four-time NBA champ John Salley, the actors and actresses Marilu Henner, Jennifer Landon, Cloris Leachman, Melissa Rivers, Larry Sullivan, Mariana Tosca, and Persia White, and CNN's Jane Velez Mitchell. The evening’s entertainment included a rousing musical performance by Leona Lewis and a short yet hilarious stand-up routine by comedienne Carol Leifer. PCRM founder and president, the ageless Neal Barnard, MD, closed the ceremony with a recap of the lengthy accomplishments his organization and vision have ushered to fruition over the last quarter-century.

PCRM President Neal Barnard, MD, with VN's Colleen Holland

The gala wouldn’t have been complete without it’s quartet of awards. The Benjamin Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine was given to Baxter Montgomery, MD, a Houston cardiologist who developed a “nutritional boot camp” to assist his patients in breaking unhealthy habits; The Henry Heimlich Award honored Gilman Veith, PhD, founder of the QSAR Foundation to Reduce Animal Testing, which uses computer models to predict the toxicity of chemicals without using animals; and The Art of Compassion Award, bestowed upon Robert “Skip” Trimble, the legislative chair of the Texas Humane Legislation Network, which promotes the humane treatment of animals through advocacy, education, and legislation. Lastly, two Voice of Compassion Awards were given to Ellen DeGeneres and Marilu Henner, which honors those who, “by word or example, have communicated caring, compassion, and the highest ethical principles.”

VN Publisher Joseph Connelly and Dr. Henry Heimlich share their maneuvers.

The delicious vegan dinner, coordinated by Tal Ronnen, was an all-star line-up of dishes from the nation’s best veg restaurants and chefs: hors d’oeuvres by Millennium, salad by Candle 79, soup and entrée from The Conscious Cook, and desserts from Seed Kitchen, Sublime, and The Veggie Grill.

Congratulations to everyone at PCRM for all the organization has done in making the world a healthy, safer place as well as for inviting us to your party. All of us at VegNews look forward to working with you over the next 25 years.