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Why You Should Consider a Holiday Cruise
There is no snow in the Caribbean, and ice is an ingredient, not a weather condition.
Read More...How to Plan an Alaska Cruise Vacation
An Alaska cruise is one of the best vacations you’ll ever have! It’s not an inexpensive proposition, however, so you’ll want to make the most of the time and the budget that you have forit. Basically, there are 2 ways to “do”an Alaska cruise: Sail round-trip from Seattle, Washington or Vancouver, Canada. Airfares to/from Seattle are typically cheaper and the flights are easier, so this is what I usually recommend if you can only get away for a weekend-to-weekend 7-night vacation. You don’t need a passport to take thisoptio...Read More...Bargain Alert!
With Christmas and New Year's falling on Sundays this year, some of the cruise lines with regular 7-night Sunday-to Sunday cruise routes have changed up their normal itineraries to encompass both holidays. That means they have to work in a shorter cruise somewhere along the way to get back on the regular rotation. Luckily for you, these altered routes give you the perfect opportunity to enjoy a winter cruise get-away at a bargain fare! For example: a lot of people have been interested in trying out one of Royal Caribbean's new "world's largest cruise ships"...Read More...Recipe for Mackinac Fudge
Somehow, fudge-making became a tradition on Mackinac Island...
Read More...What's New in Local Cruising
We’re so fortunate in the Dallas area to have 2 nearby cruise ports – Galveston and NewOrleans. They’re just a drive or inexpensive flight away, so we can enjoy a fun and relaxing cruise vacation whenever we want. The ports are home to Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and starting September 2012 – Disney, and Christmas week 2012 – Princess. Let’s meet the fleet: Carnival Cruise Line’s current Galveston ships are the Conquest and the Ecstasy. The Conquest sails a 7-night cruise every Sunday, usually on a Western Caribbean r...Read More...Price Matching?
Now and then someone will ask me if I “price match” and the answer 99% of the time is YES! Because 99% of the time the cruise lines and the favored suppliers of Cruise Planners and American Express have the exact same prices/packages that are advertised out in the market (be it internet or print material). In the case of cruises, many times we have an even better deal because of our block-space (group) rates, and special incentive offers that we get. In the case of packages, though, sometimes we’re a few dollars off and I can match those WHEN: * We are talking abo...Read More..."See America" Cruises
You don’t have to fly to an exotic foreign port in order toenjoy a beautiful, interesting cruise. There are several easy-to-do cruises that set sail from America’s ownshores and take you to some of her most iconic cities and seascapes. #1: Alaska Sailconveniently from Seattle! Enjoy a day or two exploring this charming citynestled against the scenic backdrop of mighty Mount Ranier, then board yourship bound for wild Alaska. You’ll seewhales, dolphins, bald eagles, and sea lions; face stunning glaciers andmountain landscapes; and disc...Read More...Top Reasons to Vacation in Europe this Fall
#1: Airfares are lower than they have been for a long time. I’m getting people reasonable air schedulesto all the major cities (London, Rome, Paris, et al) for under $1200 per ticket . My definition of a “reasonable” flight is one with only one stop, enoughtime to make the connecting leg but not too long a layover, and departures andarrivals that leave you time to spare for meeting your tour, boarding yourship, or checking into your hotel with some daylight left. #2: Public sentiment toward Americans is very enthusiastic. The locals are genu...Read More...Healthful Smoothie Recipes from Celebrity
It's all part of the Celebrity Life cruise style -- reflecting health and vitality! Try all 3: For each smoothie, place ingredients in blender and whirl until smooth * 3 cups of watermelon chunks * 1 cup of cantaloupe chunks * 1/2 cup of strawberries * 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt * 2 cups of ice Energy Smoothie: * 1 peeled and sliced banana * 1 cup soy milk (or low-fat dairy milk) &nb...Read More...Note From World Cruiser's Journal
Tomorrow we will arrive in Naples, Italy and we will hang out leisurely since the last few days and ports have been a blur. Yesterday we toured Athens, visited the Acropolis and took pictures at the Parthenon. The 2 days before Athens we were in Turkey and visited Ephesus, the tomb of St. John at the Basilica of St. John, saw a carpet weaving demonstration, visited the mountain city of Sireene and had lunch overlooking the city at a Bed and Breakfast. We spent too much money here but fell in love with the people and shop owners. Elena and I went out for dinner with people we met...Read More...The Last Few Ports of Our World Cruisers
Sadly, the incredible journey is winding down -- after a weekend in Spain with a call at Cartagena, passage through the Strait of Gibralter, a stop at Cadiz (the port for Seville), then a call at Madeira, Portugal on Tuesday -- our Amsterdam passengers will begin their crossing of the Atlantic Ocean bound for their return to Ft. Lauderdale. Here is the Wikipedia entry for Cartagena -- it looks like another amazing, historical city on the World Cruise itinerary. From the descriptions, I could imagine at least a week exploring the layers of cultures past and presen...Read More...World Cruisers -- Naples, Rome
Our Amsterdam passengers were in Naples, Italy yesterday and today, moving on to Rome tomorrow. They are certainly visiting some amazing places! Naples has a fascinating history -- see the Wikipedia entry here. I didn't realize it has a population of almost a million people. I usually think of it as a big industrial city with nothing better to bother with than the ruins of Pompeii, but I've been so wrong -- the heart of the old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There must be a thousand things to do and see there! But of course, our world cruisers do...Read More...Our World Cruisers are in the Med Now...
After 2 days in Turkey and a visit to the ruins of Ephesus, our Amsterdam passengers spent today in Athens. Surely they went to see the Acropolis, with its legendary ruins and fabulous Parthenon. The Wikipedia entry for the Acropolis of Athens is here. I didn't realize the site was so extensive -- can't wait to explore it for myself when I'm there on my cruise in a few weeks. When you cruise to Athens, you actually arrive at the port of Piraeus, which has been a developed port city since before the 5th century BC. If a traveler had the time, or their cruise s...Read More...Thrilling Update From World Cruisers!
So far, so safe. Currently we are going through the Suez Canal. The last few days have been so exciting and very tiring. We are in the home stretch with only 20 days to go and 8 more ports. Yesterday was a day of recuperation after a full day in Egypt and a full day in Jordan. Egypt was put back on the itinerary so it was an all-day bus ride to the Valley of the Kings where we walked into the tombs of the Egyptian Kings and Pharaohs and saw the hieroglyphic and heard about their beliefs in life after death and how they were buried with all their things so they ...Read More...World Cruisers Through Suez Canal
The Amsterdam called at Aqaba, Jordan on Sunday, where our passengers were planning an excursion to the ancient and mysterious rock city called Petra. The Wikipedia entry, click here, says that it was established sometime around the 6th century BC with habitation going back as far as 1550 BC! I can only imagine the fantastic photographs that a visitor could take there -- and from the map the site appears to be quite extensive. I thought at first they would be going to Port Said, Egypt, but sadly that was one of the itinerary alterations that ended up ...Read More...Update From Our World Cruisers
Just a quick update then pictures later. Entered the Red Sea so should be out of danger of pirates. The internet has been blocked to keep the pirates from being able to track us or something like that. We have warship escort currently and time to time we hear helicopters overhead. Oman was interesting. Very much an arid desert. The market in Muscat was a treat but the incense got to Elena. We saw the Sultan’s Palace and had tea at Al Bustan Palace Hotel. In Salala we toured the city but were too late to go to see the mosque. We wen...Read More...World Cruisers Heading for Suez Canal
Well, our Amsterdam passengers have been to 2 ports in Oman after visiting Dubai, and are now enjoying some sea days ahead of the last leg of their journey. Just before their passage from the Red Sea into the Mediterranean, they will have a stop in Aqaba, Jordan for an opportunity to visit the fabled ruins of Petra. Oman sounds like a place of facinating Arabian history and mystery -- the Wikipedia entry is here. I look forward to finding out more about the country from our world cruisers. From the reference material, it looks like a beautiful area that would be well worth a vi...Read More...Note from World Cruisers!
Just spent two long, wonderful days in Dubai with friends from Dallas who have lived in Dubai for three years. The first day bit was hard to adjust to the burkas but the second day we were at the Wallmart type store of Dubai and Naureen was buying Elena a Barbie doll dressed in a burka. The architecture is the best I have ever seen for buildings. Went to see Atlantis, the sound and dancing fountain show at the base of the tallest building in the world. We walked the Mall of Dubai, the Mall of the Emirates and Wafi Mall. Everyone goes to the mall and ...Read More...World Cruisers in Dubai
Our Amsterdam passengers arrived in Dubai yesterday for a 2-night stop. It seems to me that there would have been better places to spend the extra day (Holland America altered their world cruise itinerary because of the unrest in Egypt), but I'll wait and see what they say when they get back. The Wikipedia entry is here. Aside from the stunning architecture (everything looks like it sprang up out of the desert just yesterday), it isn't clear what other points of interest there might be in Dubai. And although the beaches have the appearanc...Read More...Our World Cruisers in India
Ah, India! Halfway around the world, land of mystery and adventure. Our World Cruisers have now been to the cities of Cochin in the southern part of the country, and Mumbai along the central west coast. No doubt they have enjoyed many new experiences! The Wikipedia entry for Mumbai is here, but it can't convey the colors, sights, and sounds of this ancient and exotic culture. I imagine that stepping off the ship in India is like stepping into a place split between the very old and the stunningly modern. Our Amsterdam passengers had the better part of 2 days th...Read More...Our World Cruisers Check In...
We are all watching the horror in Japan on the news. We are grateful that our friend Yumi’s family is safe. As for our travels our stops in Egypt have been cancelled and replaced with an extra stop in Ammon and 2 in Israel. We are going through the Suez Canal at this point. We had a great day in Viet Nam. The other family with 2 girls had a friend there who took us all around. We saw the Jesus statue like in Rio and beautiful carvings of the disciples. We visited a Buddhist temple and let birds go free as we made a wish. We bought the typical cone hat and...Read More...World Cruisers in Exotic Singapore!
Singapore is an island and a city, something I didn't realize until recently while doing some research for a client. It's a huge city of commerce like Hong Kong, with an equally hot climate! The Wikipedia entry will tell you much, much more here. I like the idea of a cruise for exploring Asian countries because of the language/alphabet barriers. You can take organized tours with English-speaking guides and not be intimidated by everything being so unfamiliar. It's one thing to rent a car and fumble your way around say, France -- because any foreign-lan...Read More...World Cruisers OK -- Heading from Vietnam to Singapore
Goodness, it seems like the Amsterdam has been dodging natural disasters ever since she entered the Pacific Ocean. Earthquake in New Zealand, cyclone on the Northeast coast of Australia, and now an unbelievable catastrophe in Japan. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who wasn't as lucky as our World Cruise passengers. I heard from them yesterday and they are fine. They were getting ready to dock in Phu My, the port of Ho Chi Minh City. Another wonderful opportunity for exploring the natural beauty and rich history and culture of a unique area. Here is the ...Read More...Journal Note from Our World Cruisers
We just left Manila, Philippines and are headed to Hong Kong. Tomorrow we arrive in Hong Kong around 6:30 am. We have 2 full days and lots we want to see and do. We really enjoyed Manila but very heavy being at the Military cemetery in the am and watching our crew members say good-bye to their families that they hadn’t seen in months and will not see again for many more months. The families were welcomed on board so we got to meet many of them and the kids got to run all over the ship eating ice cream. We were greeted at 7 am by a marching band, local singers a...Read More...Our World Cruisers in Hong Kong!
Wow! I'm a bit behind in my posting, but when I started researching all thing Hong Kong it didn't take long for me to be blown away by the vast history, culture, and beauty of this area. There is no way anyone could take it all in in 2 short days, but I'm sure our Amsterdam passengers are giving it a go! Here is the Wikipedia entry, which I know cannot do justice to the natural beauty of the entire harbor/island area. To fully appreciate that, we'll just have to go there! However, until then the photos shown here will have to do. The city is so big, even the...Read More...Manila, Phillipines Yesterday -- Hong Kong Tomorrow
Our Amsterdam passengers spent the day in Manila yesterday, where the crew had a joyous homecoming celebration! They don't get to go home very often, so the visit was a real treat for them. Here is the Wikipedia entry for Manila -- sounds like quite a fascinating city. I had no idea it was the most densely populated city in the world. I'm not sure how I would spend a day there -- the city has a lot of churches, some museums, an old fort, and a large greenbelt park to explore. Today is a sea day, then tomorrow they arrive in the magical city of Hong Kong for a 2-day stay...Read More...Haven't Forgotten Our World Cruisers!
On Thursday and Friday they were in Cairns, Australia, for 2 fabulous days at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef! I can't wait to hear all about their discoveries -- snorkeling in the reef is one of my personal "bucket list" dreams, is it on your list, too? I hope the flooding and cyclone problems that plagued the area this winter are past and that our cruisers get to enjoy the full beauty and splendor of this natural world wonder. Tomorrow, our Amsterdam passengers will be in Madang, Papua New Guinea. I can't find out too much about it, and Holland America do...Read More...Personal Account From Our World Cruisers!
Our Amsterdam passengers had a chance to write all their friends a note this week...
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