It has been a long time since I cruised as a passenger and I decided to take advantage of this opportunity.  I am with a group of friends on the MSC Poesia sailing from Ft. Lauderdale to Jamaica and Grand Cayman.

My friend, Eileen, and I flew down Monday and stayed at the Ramada Cruise and Port.  I have to say that other than being well away from any restaurants and shopping it is very nice hotel.  The staff was pleasant, the room was clean and spacious, new bathrooms, a lovely pool area, free buffet breakfast and free airport and ship transfers.  I would book any client into there for the one pre-cruise night.  If I were staying longer, I would move closer to Los Olas or the beach.

We did take a cab to Los Olas Boulevard shopping and enjoy the boutiques and a cute al fresco restaurant for a glass of wine.

MSC Poesia

The ship is beautiful.  It is a year old but we are on its inaugural North American sailing.  MSC is an Italian owned company and they are one of the fastest growing, having added a ship a year since 2001.  The crew is multi-national, European and now Indonesian.  I felt right at home and got to practice my Indonesian.

Mirrored Cabin

We have a balcony cabin 11049 and it is a decent size, with interactive TV.  I could order room service, make spa appointments, and rent movies.  Didn’t do any of those things, though because we spent little time in our cabin.  There is a HUGE mirror at the end of the bed that opens up the room but it is a little scary in the morning when you sit up and see what you look like.  They have dispensers for soap and shampoo in the shower but no lotion (word of warning).

Lunch view

The pool deck has two pools with a hot tub area and 3 bars.  The buffet dining and the spa are on the same deck.  The spa is gorgeous, Balinese in style.  The gym is adequate with treadmills, elliptical and the usual weight machines and free weights.  They do need to put in a water fountain or water cooler though.

Two of my favorite areas are the Zebra Bar and the wine Bar.  One is great fun with Everything done in zebra; the other is very elegant with marble counters and leather furniture.

Wine Bar

We had a meet the people day in Ocho Rios, Jamaica today.  We did some jewelry shopping and had such a good time with the sales people we left as friends.  One owner and I discovered that we knew one of the Holland America captains in common which resulted in an excellent discount.  Thanks, Bobby.  From there we wandered down the street into the Market Place.  We were kindly escorted by Morris, one of the merchants.  This aspect of Jamaican shopping has not changed in 30 years.   The mall moves with you!  We wandered in the market place meeting the merchants and inspecting their handicrafts, some of which are spectacular.  Between Morris, Angela and Mary we had some great laughs and learned about how their economy is doing.  This particular market place is a couple of blocks from the port and the passengers are not venturing past those on the cruise corner, which are not owned by Jamaicans.  These small merchants are really struggling and they are the real people of Jamaica.  We, as tourists, should be more mindful of where we leave our money.

Morris, Our Guide to the Market

I asked Mary for a recommendation for good local food for lunch.  She said her favorite lace was just across the street in a shopping center.  I said great, what is the name of the restaurant and she My Favorite Place.  Sure enough that is the name of the restaurant and it is a tiny little place where for $10 we got beers, curried goat, home-style chicken, pumpkin rice and rice with peas.  Excellent food and a fun experience.

Grand Cayman turned into a forced march to the beach.  We did a little shopping in town but for liquor and rum cake.  Enjoyed the beach for a couple of hours and then back to the ship.

Grand Cayman Beach

The last day at sea was a bit cloudy but warm so had some time outside at the pool enjoying the entertainment.  The entertainment staff really works hard all day and night.  Richard, the director, was multi-talented and multi-lingual as well.  They had line dancing, aerobics, yoga and games on the pool deck each afternoon.  Even if you did not participate, it was good fun watching.

Our evenings consisted of eating in the dining room with our friends, visiting the casino, catching the shows and karaoke.  All in all it was a very pleasant 5 days sailing with friends.

If you are considering the MSC Poesia you  need to be aware that although it is sailing in North America, it is a distinctly European ship.  The staff speaks English on a widely varying level so be patient.  The dining room service needs to be stepped up a bit.  It was better at the end of the 5 days but still needs some work.  The dinner menu is not as extensive as on other cruise lines, although they had some interesting choices.  The wireless service is spotty and slow, not always available in the cabin even with an ethernet cable.  Bring a cable with you to avoid renting one from the ship.

It is a beautiful ship, as stated, and you will enjoy it as long as you know what to expect.

Sunset from Balcony

Hawaii Cruise Guide: Tips for Planning a Fun-Filled Hawaiian Cruise without Spending all of your Money on Shore Excursions [e-book]

by Colleen S. Thomas

Introduction

In the summer of 2008, my husband and I sold most of our belongings, moved out of our home in South Burlington, Vermont, and began traveling throughout the United States and parts of Canada with our 30-foot RV. Our goal was to see this beautiful country and also to find a new place to call home (someplace a little warmer than our beloved Vermont). We began our travels heading up to Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton Island in Canada before making our way down the east coast of the United States. During the fall we headed west, visiting Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, and spending the winter in Tucson, Arizona. We knew we would never make it to Hawaii in our RV so we discussed different ways to visit our 50^th state. We didn’t know much about the islands of Hawaii therefore we decided a cruise would be the best option for visiting as many of the islands as possible.

Researching our trip was time consuming. In addition to deciding on a cruise line and ship, we also had to decide on which shore excursions to sign up for, if any. Being the cheapskate that I am, I had a hard time signing up for the ship’s shore excursions. I knew there had to be a better (and less expensive) way to see the islands. So I researched the best (most popular) things to do at each island we would be visiting. I started off by reserving a rental car at each port by calling the car rental agency directly. We then made a list of things we potentially wanted to do and see at each stop.

After seeing how many of the other passengers were simply at the cruise line’s mercy for planning their visit to the islands, I decided to write an e-book to help you and other future passengers get the most out of your trip without blowing your budget on shore excursions. The book is meant to be a guide for anyone cruising around the Hawaiian Islands with any of the major cruise lines. However, specific sections pertain only to Norwegian Cruise Lines’ (NCL) Pride of America as this is the ship we ultimately decided on. This book is best used in addition to a Hawaii travel book.

Order your electronic (pdf) copy of Hawaii Cruise Guide: Tips for Planning a Fun-Filled Hawaiian Cruise without Spending all of your Money on Shore Excursions today for only $7.96.

only $7.96

The e-book will deliver advice on:

1. Best times to visit Hawaii
2. Choosing a cruise line
3. What the cruise lines might not tell you about shore excursions
4. Plans for traveling the islands on your own
5. Choosing a state room.

The book is packed with additional resources, including links and phone numbers, so you can save time and money in planning your Hawaiian cruise vacation.

Enjoy your Hawaiian cruise!

If you’ve always dreamed of a luxurious honeymoon, one that will be unforgettable, then a honeymoon cruise might be just the right ticket. Most cruises offer romance, adventure, a variety of sights to see, and plenty of great food and entertainment. You can wine and dine on the cruise ship for your entire honeymoon trip, or you can take excursions by land at several of the ship’s destinations. Either way, a cruise is a wonderful honeymoon choice to relax and be pampered after a busy wedding.

Experience Delightful Treats on a Honeymoon Cruise

If you enjoy the sea and traveling to several destinations during one trip, a honeymoon cruise provides both. You’ll get to see beautiful scenery and many interesting places during the stops without having to pack and unpack your belongings several times. You will leave the ship to sightsee and return by night, so no worry about getting different hotel rooms. A honeymoon cruise also offers romance. Most cruises have a wide variety of fine restaurants on board, serving everything from exotic cuisines by candle light to pizzas and hamburgers. You’ll also be able to relax and enjoy one another’s company in a steamy Jacuzzi.

Many cruises also feature swimming pools, casinos, bars and lounges, dance, live entertainment and concerts, games, massage and spa, and luxurious honeymoon suites.

Adventures beyond Compare

If you’ve always wanted to tour an exotic island with lush forests and unusual flowers, see the clear blue waters of the Bahamas in the Caribbean, sightsee in a European city, or sunbathe on the gorgeous beaches of Hawaii, a honeymoon cruise can take you there. You can take several exciting excursions on land and enjoy scenes of untouched nature, tour and shop with the locals in quaint villages, and see historic buildings in little known towns. Your honeymoon will be filled with adventure, as if the luxury cruise liner wasn’t enough!

Plan Your Honeymoon Cruise

Many couples are so busy planning the wedding that they forget about planning for the honeymoon. Ironically, the wedding may only last a couple of hours, but the honeymoon will last much longer, from a week up to a month! So some planning should be done in advance if you want your honeymoon cruise to be a dream come true.

First, decide on a destination you both will enjoy. Read about various cruises online to see what each one offers. Carnival Cruise Lines, for instance, offers more than 20 cruise ships with a variety of honeymoon cruise packages, including destinations to the Bahamas in the Caribbean, Dominica, Europe, Mexico, and others. Do you want a tropical cruise or an exquisite European cruise? Are the chilly waters of Alaska more your style?

Next, find a cruise that offers the amenities, food, entertainment, and adventures that both you and your spouse will enjoy. Compare pricing of cruise packages and what they include. Some honeymoon cruise packages will include excursions on land. These may or may not be cheaper than taking excursions on your own when you get there. And finally, choose a cruise that fits your style. Do you like big crowds and parties? There are cruises that are known for being “party ships.” Or, do you prefer a more relaxed, quiet setting? Find a cruise that offers what you’re looking for within your budget.

You can easily find honeymoon cruise packages and compare what they offer online. Check out travel sites for cruises or other travel packages such as Travelocity, Orbitz, Travelzoo, Expedia, and other vacation sites. There are also sites that offer adventure packages and tickets to special events (the Olympics, NASCAR races, Yankees games, concerts, and so forth) such as Ticketmaster and Cheaptickets. So, no matter where you want to go or what you want to do on your honeymoon, you can likely find a cruise or adventure to make your honeymoon dreams come true!

One of the best ways to have an amazing Alaska family road trip is to be able to have a flexible schedule to go about the places you want to see and the things you want to do. Touring Alaska independently without worrying about getting left by your group or your tour bus is the kind of vacation your family wants and needs. If you plan to check out all of the must-see sights on your vacation, you will have to book your family to different hotels for a more convenient commute to your prospective attractions. So, why don’t you just drive your Alaska family vacation away with a rented RV?! A regular-sized 20-something foot recreational vehicle can be quite overwhelming for people who are used to driving a regular sedan, but make no mistake, for the kids, the RV rocks!

Instead of packing and unpacking at each hotel along the way, just taking along your lodging with you all the time is a great idea. Traveling around Alaska, after all, requires long drives from point A to point B. With all the RV parks all around the state, exploring Alaska on a motor home is just very easy.

Plan a trip to south central Alaska and begin your family vacation to Alaska in Anchorage, where the best place to stay is at the Anchorage RV Park. There are a lot of RV rentals in Anchorage, all you have to do is pick which one works out for you. Some companies like All Alaska Tours, even help you plan your day to day trip and give you safety tips on driving and traveling around with the RV. You will find how amazingly comfortable it is to be lodging an RV when you start unpacking all your things and stacking them in the RV drawers. Everything just fits! Stock the cabinets with food and other essential supplies and you are off!

The best way to introduce the wildlife in Alaska in this family vacation is a stop at the Alaska Zoo. Apt to their slogan, Connecting People With Animals, the interactive attractions in Alaska Zoo will surely be a great way for your children to get acquainted with their favorite animals and some of the world’s most endangered species. Driving from Anchorage to Portage Glacier is truly worthwhile. Be alert and have your cameras ready for wildlife sightings as you skirt the shores of Turnagain Arm. Check the posted cruise schedule once you arrive at Portage Lake. Get on board and brace yourselves for the hour-long cruise you will never forget. The iceberg-dotted Portage Lake will definitely leave you speechless.

Take another long drive (about two hours) from Whittier to Seward where you can find the Alaska SeaLife Center located just along the Seward Highway. The Alaska SeaLife Center offers up-close and personal experience with Alaskan marine wildlife. Admission rates vary depending on the season, but you can be sure that they will always be affordable – young kids can even get in free of charge!

Drive 2 hours or so to Kenai and spend the night at the Diamond M Ranch RV Park. At Diamond M Ranch RV Park, fishing opportunities are available. Take another day cruise around the rocky and rugged Chiswell Islands the next day, a natural or wildlife area that is considered a sanctuary of nesting Alaskan birds. Right after the cruise, drive 3 1/2 hours north to Hope and enjoy the views of the Inlet and the Chugach and Kenai Mountains. At Hope, board the boat and cruise along the College Fjords, and you are sure to bring home some of the best pictures of your Alaskan family vacation.

Take the 2-hour drive to Palmer for the last stop of your Alaska family vacation with the RV. At Palmer, you can head to the Reindeer Farm and pet, feed and photograph the very friendly adult and baby reindeer or check out gigantic vegetables and monster trucks at the Alaska State Fair. Conclude your one-of-a-kind RV vacation with a stop at the Mat-Su Visitor Information Center where you can find not only informative and educational materials about the development of the Mat-su Valley, but also purchase souvenirs and other memorabilia for yourselves and your family and friends back home.

Head back to Anchorage to return your rented RV. As you do so, take this opportunity to reflect on the trip with your family. Everything that happened in this trip made the long hours of driving worth it. Your children’s unending reliving of the events during your trip will make you feel that this is an Alaska family vacation they will always remember.

So the dreary winter days of study and concentration are over, and it’s time to take a break – a spring break! College spring breaks offer students a chance to kick back and relax after months of hard work. One way many students celebrate is by taking a spring break cruise. Spring break cruises are fun, exciting, luxurious, and in many ways, safer than traveling to one particular destination while on break. Here are some tips for choosing an amazing spring break cruise.

How to Choose a Spring Break Vacation Cruise

Find a spring break cruise that offers all the party options, entertainment, and amenities you want. Many cruise ships feature a variety of restaurants offering everything from exotic cuisines to pizza and burgers. Also, ask about the entertainment. Does the cruise ship offer modern-day music concerts with the type of music you enjoy? What other types of entertainment are provided? Find out if the cruise has bars, dance halls, a casino, on-board games, and a swimming pool.

Spring Break Cruise Destinations

Popular cruise liners such as Carnival might offer many ships going to different destinations. A popular destination for college spring breakers is the Caribbean. Other popular spring break destinations include South Beach, Hawaii, Panama City, and Cancun. These places have beautiful tropical weather, abundant nightlife, and great beaches. If traveling from the United States or Canada, European cruises usually last two weeks or more, so choose one that will fit in your available time frame. No matter what your destination, being on the cruise ship for the entire trip is not so bad either. Cruise ships usually offer everything you could ever want during spring break!

Choose a Cruise Ship

There are a number of cruise ships that offer spring break packages including Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, or Costa Cruises. Familiarize yourself with these by researching online before booking a spring break cruise. Shop around to find great deals for the destinations and adventures that appeal to you. Look for all the features you want, and ask a few of your friends to come along. You might receive a discount by ordering multiple tickets. Compare destinations, on-board activities, entertainment, food, and other features before securing a cruise package.

Are You an Adventurer?

Some cruises are geared toward young adults who are seeking an adventure. These may offer parachuting, scuba diving, rock climbing, hiking adventures, or other extreme sports. Book an adventure cruise with a few friends who enjoy the same types of sports. This can be a fun, memorable time with your college buddies.

Cruise Safety for Spring Breakers

A spring break cruise might be your dream come true, but don’t forget about safety. Be careful whom you associate with even while on board the ship. Travel with close friends you can trust and stay with them at all times, especially if you take an adventure excursion or go sightseeing on land. Keep your money and valuables in a locked safe if one’s available. Take a detailed map with you when leaving the boat for a land tour. Also, find out the legal drinking age while on the ship and at its destinations. Have all the proper documentation and identification if traveling to another country. Also, let family and friends know exactly where you’re going, what ship you’re on, and how long you will be gone.

Book your spring break cruise online to enjoy savings and to find the adventure you want. You can check with travel and tour sites such as Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, Travelzoo, and others to see which offers the best deal.

Cruises aren’t only for romance, adults, and college kids. You can take your entire family on a cruise and have just as much fun as you would on any vacation. Many cruise ships today offer family cruise packages with fun stuff for kids and a good, clean atmosphere for the entire family. These usually don’t have the typical “partying” atmosphere as many spring break cruises and cruises for adults only. Let’s see what family vacation cruises have to offer.

Cruisin’ with the Kids

Kids might find a normal cruise boring, but with family cruises, there’s a long list of things to do. A cruise that caters to families and kids will allow you to have a great time without having to constantly come up with ways to entertain the kids. There are swimming pools with special kiddie stuff such as water slides or water games, video arcades, on-board games for kids of all ages such as shipboard Olympics, pizza parties, miniature golf, magic shows, sports, concerts, fun educational projects, and more. Some cruises have family-friendly movies and skating. Many offer on-shore kids’ adventures and tours to enjoy as you reach each destination.

Where to Go

A tough decision to make is where to go on a family vacation cruise. Some places are just not suitable for families. They might have too much of a party type atmosphere catering to couples or single young adults. Some places are just too boring for the family to enjoy. Compare cruise offerings to find a destination that caters to families with attractions such as zoos, children’s museums, amusement parks, water parks, tours of historic sites, or family fun centers. Teens might enjoy more adventurous activities such as snorkeling, parasailing, and hiking. When you exit the boat, you can pick and choose among several attractions to make the whole family happy.

Some great cruise destinations for families include Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida (with Disney Cruises), islands of the Caribbean, Hawaii, California, and Alaska. European cruises are also great for families, allowing you to explore interesting sites in Europe by sea and land.

A Break for Parents

One luxury you’ll enjoy on a family cruise is you can take breaks from the kids occasionally. They can enjoy supervised games and activities while you relax in the Jacuzzi, enjoy a romantic dinner, try out a casino, or just sunbathe by the pool. Many cruises have a trained youth staff for various age groups to direct the children’s activities. A schedule of kid’s activities is provided so parents and kids will know how to plan each day.

Find the Perfect Family Cruise

Family cruises are easy to book using the Internet. Check out some of the main cruise lines to find out what they offer and what destinations are available. Some of the most popular are Disney Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess, Norwegian Cruise Line, Crystal Cruises, and Costa Cruise Lines. You can easily choose a cruise package that will fit your family’s budget. But be sure to book a cruise that offers activities your family will enjoy. It should be a vacation to please everyone.

Some online resources to book a family cruise are Travelocity, Expedia, Travelzoo, and Orbitz. You can usually get discounted tickets by securing an all-inclusive family cruise package. An all-inclusive cruise will include meals, lodging, transportation, and some forms of entertainment. Be sure to find out what’s included and what’s not so you’ll know how to plan financially for the trip.

If your family vacations seem a little drab lately, a family cruise can provide the new, thrilling adventure your family has been longing for!

For the landlubbers among us the thought of staying on a ship for 7 days or more may seem a little boring. But folks let me tell you if you get bored on a cruise ship then you must be the sort who is only happy hanging off the edge of a 300′ cliff by your fingernails.

From the moment you step on board for the first time your senses tell you that you are in for a ride. The air is electrified with excitement as you enter the main atrium and are greeted by ship staff (one ship we stayed on announced each family over the ship PA system as you stepped off the gangway into the atrium – wow, talk about making you feel special).

Here are some of the activities you can experience on board as well as on shore and I think you will agree that boredom is not an option while cruising throughout the warm waters of the Caribbean.

Pool Deck

Poolside is always a boisterous place with people swimming, hanging out in the hot tubs, sitting at the bar enjoying a drink, or just sitting around a table with friends talking about what’s next. This is where the band is setup and it is common to see people being lead into some sort of dance by a crew member. Our days usually start and end around the pool deck.

Throughout the day there will be organized events on the stage by the pool. This could be a special dance, a hairy chest contest – usually for the men, a men against the women challenge which usually involves some silly activity that both parties attempt, or some other fun event. Mind you that these activities are always tasteful and can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Sports Deck

Up top there is usually a basketball court where you can shoot a few hoops or play a full game in an event arranged by the crew, play some volleyball or as on one ship get a chance to ride a Segway – a two wheeled upright people mover. On the sports deck you can usually find a few ping pong tables, mini golf, or even an inline skate track. On Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas, as well as other’s in their fleet, they have a 30′ Rock Climbing Wall. The ship provided all the safety gear including helmets and harnesses and trained crew members took care of belaying for each climber.

SPA and Gym

If you feel like working out you will find a well complimented gym containing various pieces of exercise equipment such as treadmills, exercise bikes, elliptical trainers, weight machines and free weights. They offer aerobic classes and for any who decide to start an exercise regime onboard you can have one of the personal fitness trainers guide you through a program designed for your fitness level.

For the ultimate in pampering – hey that’s what cruises do best – you can sign up for special spa treatment such as a facial, pedicure, neck massage, back massage, or even a full body wrap. They even offer the full cosmetic treatment so you can spend the day getting ready for the formal night.

Bars and Lounges

Need a break from the sun and heat then you can head indoors to one of the many bars and lounges that your ship will offer. Do you fancy sports then head to the sports bar and watch the latest game. On our last cruise we watched the Super Bowl game on a big screen set up on the pool deck.

Maybe you are in the mood for a stogey so why not head to the cigar club, or if music is your thing head off to the piano bar for some soothing sounds and if you feel like joining in, why not, the pianist always loves a little company as you get a chance to sing one of your favorite melodies.

Once night hits you can pull out your dancing shoes and head off to the disco and for a little boogeying.

Casino

With the exception of the Disney Magic every other ship we have been on had a casino. Now I am not much of a gambler but even I tried my hand at roulette – and won! Before stepping onto a cruise ship the only gambling I did was buying the friday night lottery ticket so needless to say I was a little intimidated to take part in anything other than the slots. Now I wanted to try one of the tables, blackjack, roulette, poker, whatever but didn’t know the rules so I hung around the tables and just watched people playing trying to pick up the rules. Well the dealers are more than willing to help with the rules so you can ask them questions and they will explain the rules as you go. They even offer training sessions throughout the cruise so that you can have a chance to try your hand at a game without having to pony up any cash. Just think about it for a moment why wouldn’t they want to help you afterall the odds are in their favor that they will end up with your cash anyway. Now me and my buddies are regular fun gamblers and will head to the casino for a night or two to have a bit of fun and try to win a few bucks at the same time. I have a limit so I put aside $100 to gamble with and once it’s gone I’m gone. But you know the three times I played roulette I came out a winner each time – it feels good to go home with the casino’s money.

Kids Club

The Kids Club is a fun filled place for the younger cruisers to hang out with friends of their own age. Qualified cruise staff are always in the club to supervise the children and lead them in various activities such as games, crafts, tours, and sports. There is a separate club for each age group so you don’t have to worry about your 6 year old hanging with the teens. At some point during the cruise they usually have one night classified as a late night where the kids get a chance to stay up late with their pals. This also works great for the parents as they get a chance to dine at one of the private dining rooms sans children.

You can give permission for the older kids to sign themselves in and out of the club but younger children must be signed in and out by a pre-approved parent or guardian.

So there is no need to worry about the younger set being bored lounging by the pool all day with mom and dad. Instead you may be wondering why they seem to be having more fun than you.

Library

Did you forget to bring a book, no problem, head off to the ships library and take out novel to read or just take a break and sit in the quiet of the library and flip a few pages.

Internet Cafe

Just because you are cruising doesn’t mean that you have to be disconnected from the rest of the world, although for many, me included, that is the idea. You can head to the Internet Cafe and send an email to all your envious friends back home or just surf the net for a while and catch up on the latest happenings.

Chapel

You will find a chapel on board that can accommodate a small group – did I hear someone say they wanted to get married! On our last cruise one of the members of our group got married on board just before the ship sailed on our first day. Now that’s a romantic wedding!

Restaurants

Food will probably be one of your most memorable experiences onboard. There is lots of it and the variety will suit even the pickiest of eaters. Most will agree that the quality and quantity of food alone pays for the cruise as you could not afford to eat on land like you do on a cruise ship and spend less money than the cost of the cruise. It’s great to be able to order off a menu that doesn’t have any prices.

While the food in the main dining rooms and buffets is nothing short of fantastic for those who might like to experience more romantic dining in a quieter atmosphere there is usually separate dining rooms that you can reserve for a small fee (usually around $20 per person). I have never found the food any better but the atmosphere is certainly more romantic.

Entertainment

There is no shortage of entertainment to be enjoyed onboard. You have the pool deck band, the piano bar, karaoke, but the best of all is the evening entertainment in the main theatre. After a great meal in the dining room you can head to the main theatre where every night you get to experience a broadway like show with singers dancers and a live band. What a way to end your day!

Shopping

Did you forget something at home hey don’t worry because you can head to the shopping deck and browse around for a new shirt or dress, or buy a new sun hat. If you are in the mood to splurge you can head to the jewelry store and pick out a new diamond ring or the latest Tag Heuer watch. Most ships even offer price guarantees that protect you if you find the same item in one of the port of calls at a cheaper price.

Shore Excursions

Probably one the best parts of cruising is having the opportunity to explore some of the many islands scattered throughout the Caribbean. So not only do you get to experience great dining and entertainment on board but you also get a chance to get off the ship and head off to some exotic island for a day trip. Imagine yourself lounging on a beautiful sandy beach in St. Martin or zip lining through the jungles of Belize, my favorite. Maybe you just want to hop a cab and do some site seeing around the island.

Whatever your fancy you are bound to find it somewhere along your Caribbean cruise.

Caribbean Vacations for the whole family.
Cruises and All-Inclusives.
http://caribbeanvacationing.com

Baby frigatebird (I think?)

I’ve wanted to go to the Galapagos Islands since before I can even remember. And the truth is, it is everything that people say it is. The animals really are quite tame and generally unafraid of people. You really can get so close to them that you could touch them (though it’s a big no-no). And even more so, they are still wild animals, and you can easily stumble upon them doing things like nesting, attracting mates, nursing babies, eating, etc. that you often don’t get to see during an afternoon at the zoo.

Sea lion hanging on the beach at Genovesa Island

Overall my experience in the Galapagos was really amazing (how could it not be?), though sadly some boat problems left the trip with a tinge of disappointment and tainted feeling to it. It’s hard to spend a lot of money and time on a once in a lifetime experience/dream trip and have something big and important go wrong. But I’ll get into that in a bit.

I’m going to talk about each day separately, in its own context, in an attempt to keep later situations from affecting my description of the first half of the trip which really was incredibly amazing and awesome.

As for the details, I was on the Floreana, a tourist or tourist superior (I’m pretty sure it’s not superior) class boat depending on who you ask. There were fourteen of us on the ship (two others joined us for the second half, but ended up only staying a day and then ditching it because of the problems and itinerary changes).

Floreana

Along for the trip with me were two Swedes, three Norwegians (two sisters and an older random guy who jumped on at the last minute), a British couple, an Aussie/Brit couple, three Americans from California, and a girl from Holland, who was my cabin-mate. We were all fairly young, in our 20s and 30s (except the one Norwegian guy), something that seemed to set our boat apart from pretty much every other boat we ran into!

And finally, we were on the Floreana’s 8 day/7 night “northern” itinerary, which was supposed to be like this:
Thursday – Baltra Airport/Santa Cruz Island – Twin Craters/Highlands
Friday – Genovesa Island – Darwin Bay/El Barranco
Saturday – Santiago Island – Sullivan Bay/Bartholomew Island
Sunday – Chinese Hat/Santa Cruz Island – Dragon Hill
Monday – Isabela Island – Breeding Center Arnaldo Tupiza/The Humedales/Tinterones
Tuesday – Fernandina Island – Espinosa Point/Isabela Island – Tagus Cove
Wednesday – Santiago Island – Egas Port/Rabida Island
Thursday – Black Turtle Cove/Baltra Airport

The highlight of the trip was supposed to be Fernandina and Isabela on Tuesday. This was basically the reason I chose this cruise, as I was told these islands are the best, worth missing out on the much-loved southern islands for, and that this was pretty much the only non-luxury cruise that visited them, a truly unique experience. So I was basically pumped up and most excited for this part of the cruise. Of course, this is the one day of the cruise that we missed and was changed to a crap alternative itinerary. But again, I’ll get into that in due time.

DAY 1

I shared a cab with another guy in my hostel going to the Galapagos and we arrived at the airport two hours early, as we were advised to. In less than ten minutes we were through all the security and stuck sitting in the small domestic airport, where there is only one little over-priced cafe to get food and drink and absolutely no other options, not even a small shop to buy a snack or drink.

Finally I boarded the plane, which departed around 9:50am. I was pleasantly surprised with the flight (TAME). The plan was huge, six seats across. I thought we would have to stop in Guayaquil and spend an hour waiting for more passengers to board, but we were lucky and our flight went directly to Balta airport. There our group slowly gathered together and boarded a bus to a port. There we got on a boat that took us to Puerto Ayora, where we sat and waited for quite a long while for another boat to finally take us to our boat.

Already spotting pelicans and sea lions right off the ferry!

Before we’d even gotten off the first boat in Pt. Ayora, we’d already spotted our first sea lion playing in the water next to the boat. Sitting and waiting for our next ride, I sat and watched the sea lion play in the water while a Galapagos pelican hung out below me, entertaining me with his funny habits. Already I could feel I was in the Galapagos!

We settled onto the Floreana (into our super tiny cabin!) and had lunch, then we were off on our first excursion. We first visited the Twin Craters, two craters that are really old, that’s basically what I got from it! It wasn’t exactly the most interesting or exciting start to our trip.

Giant tortoise

But then we visited a reserve with a bunch of tortoises, which was cool. There were a lot of giant tortoises just hanging around, laying in the pond or walking around. Getting so close to them, I realized what funny creatures they are.

They really are like dinosaurs, so prehistoric looking—their big, thick, wrinkly legs and dino-like feet, and the funny way they move—and they make this funny raspy-breathing/hiss kind of noise when they want you to go away, that’s very Jurassic Park-esque.

We finished the excursion off by visiting some underground lava caves. Mostly they just seemed like any other cave, but there were some cool parts. Then we sat at a bar/restaurant for a while, where no one really wanted to get anything, probably because we’d all just dropped so much cash on this trip. It was a bit of an uninspiring first day, but we were in the Galapagos, we knew better things were to come.

Even that night after dinner things picked up. Nature gave us a show right from the safety of our boat’s sundeck. Under the boat’s lights we could see tons of flying fish, sea lions, sharks (huge ones!), and pelicans, hunting or playing, flying/zipping around. It was a really incredible thing to watch.

DAY 2

Wildlife everywhere!

After breakfast we went for a dry landing on Genovesa/Tower Island, where we the only boat (it is a much less-visited island). Immediately on the beach we saw tons of sea lions sleeping and relaxing. But overall Genovesa is definitely a bird island. Once we got walking into the island, we saw tons and tons of birds. Red-footed boobies, Nazca/masked boobies, great frigate birds, nocturnal herons, the list goes on and on. Though since I was a kid I always kind of had this weird thing for blue-footed boobies, which we didn’t see on Genovesa (I had these National Geographic pamphlets for different endangered animals, and for some reason I only remember the blue-footed booby one and that I was obsessed with it), I normally don’t really care that much about birds. But these were cool birds. Big ones that acted and looked interesting.

Red-footed boobies

The red-footed boobies made this crazy loud noise. They almost sounded like elephants or something. Some of them were white, some were gray, but they were all beautiful, with bright red feet and lovely pink and blue multicolored beaks.

The Nazca boobies were just black and white, but they made this funny whistling noise, that sounded almost like someone blowing into a cheap plastic whistle or trying to whistle with their fingers. (In fact, I often thought someone was trying to imitate the boobies, but I’d look around and realize that no, it was in fact the boobies themselves.)

Nazca boobies

There were also tons of baby chicks everywhere, all looking and sounding cute and funny. And of course there were also lots of nesting birds, from parents sitting on eggs to newly formed couples flying in with branches and building their nest together – all right in front of our eyes!

The scenery itself was also great – beautiful cliffs and water (especially when the sun came out). Then we went snorkeling right off the beach, which wasn’t bad. There were some interesting fish, and I also saw two small rays, buried in the sand.

Snorkeling from the beach with sea lions nearby

We returned to the boat for lunch (spotting sea turtles in the sea right out the dining room windows!) then went for some more snorkeling. We took the zodiac boats out to a deeper area, where we saw a lot more fish, and I also saw a gigantic ray (like the kind you see at the aquarium and think “Whoaaa!”). I didn’t realize at the time how special it was, but throughout the rest of the trip everyone was always talking about how they wanted to see a big manta ray, and I had already seen it on the very first day of snorkeling!

Baby bird

After that we went to another part of the island and climbed some steps (guarded by a sea lion!) to an area with a ton more birds. Colonies, it seemed, of great frigate birds, Nazca boobies, and red-footed boobies. When we were finished and sitting and waiting for the zodiacs to retrieve us, there was a local fishing boat nearby and we watched as tons of birds circled around, waiting for the fishermen to throw out some guts or fish.

DAY 3

Docking by Santiago Island, there were a few more boats around. First we visited Sullivan Bay, where we walked on a ton of black lava flows, which was pretty awesome. There were a ton of different kind of formations/flows, so it was cool to see all the different patterns. We saw a lot of crabs and some herons, and even a couple penguins swimming around in the bay!

Crab by the beach

Then we went snorkeling. We saw a shark! Like a proper, Jaws-theme-inducing kind of shark. It was really cool, but then it turned and started heading back in our direction, and I got a bit freaked out and hurried away. I had finally taken my camera with me for this snorkel (I had been a bit paranoid about trying out my supposedly watertight camera bag-thing I’d bought in Quito, but decided that I bought it so I needed to try it) but it must have turned off without my realizing it and when I thought I’d been taking pictures of the shark, I ended up with none. I did see lots of fish and starfish, though.

Sea lion swimming by!

After lunch we went snorkeling again, seeing a lot more fish and starfish. I also had a sea lion swim by me, which I did manage to snap a quick picture of!

Then we walked up to the mirador at the top of Bartolome, looking out over the infamous Pinnacle Rock and some overall great views of the surrounding area.

Pinnacle Rock at sunset

On the way up we could see tons (and I mean TONS) of manta rays in the distance in the ocean, jumping up out of the water, flipping all around, apparently trying to get parasites off their backs. It was a really incredible sight! Then coming back through the bay we saw more penguins and sea lions.

By day three I was definitely starting to feel like, “This is the life.” Our typical day was just like this one: breakfast at 7, excursion to an island a small walk at 8, then some snorkeling off the beach, back to the boat to relax (nap, reading, tanning, whatever), lunch at noon, more relaxing, off for some snorkeling at 2, sometimes back to the boat for a little bit, then another excursion/walk, then back to relax, dinner at 7, then more relaxing, maybe watching the animals in the lights around the boat, then bedtime. What a life!

DAY 4

Cuddly sea lions

This was definitely one of the best days of the trip. We first went for a walk on the small island Chinese Hat. We saw so many sea lions, and tons of baby pups. They were so unbelievably cute! They reminded me a bit of my own pups at home (mostly Morgan). They were playing all around us, and we were sitting so close to them we could have easily touched them.

Cute sea lion pup

One was hiding under a bush, but kept making noises and coming out toward us, then waddling back under the bush. One girl had an SLR with a big lens on it and he came right up and stuck his nose in it, checking it out! The others were playing around with each other, and one was running in out of the water after his mom, trying to keep up with her. It was so adorable. And they make these funny sounds, that sound almost like they’re trying to throw up, while the adults make this sound that sounds almost like burping. It’s really funny, all the crazy noises sea lions make!

We also saw tons and tons of marine iguanas everywhere. Our guide, Victor, told us that if we were lucky we might get to see some of the marine iguanas feeding under water when we went snorkeling later. Supposedly it’s a kind of rare thing to get to see, but it was a possibility.

Well, we definitely got to see it!I’d say we saw at least five marine iguanas feeding underwater when we went snorkeling at Chinese Hat later. There were tons!

Iguana feeding underwater

I got some decent pictures of it as well, although unfortunately while trying to fuss with my camera in the stupid underwater bag I have, I a) accidentally zoomed a ton for a while and so got some totally useless pictures and b) accidentally changed the picture size to small, which is like 640xwhatever and I didn’t realize this until the end of the next day, so a ton of my beloved photos are only that small and can’t be enlarged and look nice at all – very, very sad indeed!

While snorkeling we also some some rays, some nice fish, and another shark! Again it was a big one, and unfortunately I did take a pic of it, but when I was looking through my pictures on my camera later I accidentally deleted it – grr!

Later we walked on Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz. There we saw more marine iguanas, as well as some land iguanas (which are huge and yellow), but they were harder to see because they were all hiding in the shade under bushes to keep cool (the sun was blazing and it was ridiculously hot…this is the equator after all!)

Then we were back at the boat for dinner. Our guide has been filming parts of our trip, so he showed us the first half of the DVD he’d made after dinner (which we could, of course, buy for $30 – like I haven’t spent enough on this trip!). But it was waaayyy too long, especially considering it was only half of our trip so far, and I was falling asleep by the first half of it (cheesy music and too much repetitive, pointless footage!) We were also joined earlier in the afternoon by a Finnish couple, who were supposed to be on the cruise for the next four days. (The Scandinavians had officially taken over!)

DAY 5

This was where things started to go bad. We were told the boat would be navigating from one until six in the morning to get to the southeastern port of Puerto Villamil on Isabela. At around four in the morning I woke up and realized we weren’t moving. I though it was weird, but fell back asleep. The next morning my roommate and I discussed it, as she’d heard loud noises on the boat, possibly by the engine she though.

At breakfast we were all talking about it, “Didn’t it seem like the ride was a lot shorter last night than it should have been?” And rumors were flying. After breakfast they told us the news: some water had gotten in the main engine, and they weren’t sure how long it would take to fix. (It later turned out to be that basically a huge part of the engine was broken.)

So we had to pack everything we’d need for the day and take a speed boat for about two hours to get to Isabela. There they made us pay a $5 tax (which was supposed to be included in our trip cost) and we hopped on a bus. We stopped at a lagoon where there were three flamingos. While it was interesting to see them feeding up close, they kind of trawl their beaks through the water making this funny noise, it got old pretty quickly and we stayed there for what seemed like forever just watching them eat. Maybe it was because I saw so many flamingos back in in Bolivia, but I just didn’t really care that much.

Then we went to a giant tortoise breeding center. It was pretty interesting. The giant tortoises were in different areas according to age and sub-species. First we watched a bunch of younger ones (I think around 5-7 year-olds) crawl all over each other in a rush to eat when they dropped food in their enclosure. It was funny.

It was amazing to see how they grow over the years. We were able to see little baby ones, which are so small it’s incredible to think that they grow so big. But then you see how they’re still so small until their teens, and even how they’re still not so big in their 20s and 30s. They don’t even start mating until they’re 35-40 years old! Then the really huge ones are those that are 70-80 and older. They can live up to around 150 years!

We also got to see the little-known subspecies that only appears at one volcano on Isabela, the flat-shelled tortoise. It literally looks like someone stepped on the shell and pushed it in. Each volcano on Isabela has a different subspecies, so it was interesting to see them all in one place and how they differ.

Then we walked down to the beach, which was practically deserted and quite pretty. (This part of Isabela is the only part that is inhabited.) We saw some huge marine iguanas hanging out all over the beach.

Then we went into town, where we were to have lunch. It was a really tiny town, with maybe four restaurants, a store or two, a travel agency, and that’s about it. The first thing we all did in the short free time we had before lunch was go to the store and buy sodas! I thought that was funny. After days on the boat without any soda (you can buy it but it’s really expensive), it was amazing how much I was craving a Pepsi or Coke! And apparently everyone else felt exactly the same. Although I, being the clever and thrifty person that I am, didn’t have to pay any kind of outrageous price for mine. The secret is to buy Pepsi here, the caps always have something on them, and every time I’ve gotten one it has been a free drink (except this time where I got 10 puntos – for what, I don’t know!) and so I’ve never had to pay for a Pepsi since!

After lunch we took the boat out to another place where we walked along Tinterones Trail. Basically it’s a rocky trail along this little channel of water where sharks all hang out. There were just tons of these white-tipped reef sharks swimming around or laying at the bottom hanging out. I liked the sign nearby, which said basically, “No swimming, this is a rest place for sharks.” Haha!

Also the trail was totally overtaken by iguanas. It was always one big, somewhat colorful (green, sometimes with some pinkish-red) one, I guess the male, and a ton of smaller black ones. And they were all always spitting!
Then we went and watched tons (and I mean TONS!) of blue-footed boobies flying together, then dive-bombing (sometimes all at once) into the water to catch fish. I knew there was a reason I liked them so much, they totally lived up to their awesomeness! It was really an amazing sight to see. And before someone told me that they were blue-footed boobies, I couldn’t have believed it. So many birds flying like that, I though they’d be some boring little ugly bird. Not the totally-cool-already boobies! I got some cool video of it which I will have to link to when I am able to upload it. Seriously, you couldn’t believe how many of them there were, all together in this giant swarm. Nor the way they dive, straight beak-first fast as you can imagine, into the water. You’d think they’d all be running into each other, but they don’t!

There were also a bunch of penguins swimming around, though to my dismay they swam right up to the other boat with half our group on it, but not to ours! Boo!

We also did some snorkeling in the afternoon, but it was terrible. The water was murky and algae and crap floating, terrible visibility. There was all this really high sea grass everywhere, that no matter where I swam I couldn’t seem to avoid. I started to feel claustrophobic and panicky and had to get out of the water, but it’s not like I missed much with such terrible visibility.

Then it was back on the speedboat for a long, cold ride back to our boat – sitting in the water near Baltra, the airport we’d flown into the first day! Lame, lame, lame.

After dinner (which, annoyingly, was fish and chips just like we’d just had for lunch), we were informed that the engine was not fixed and that the next day’s trip, the highlight of the cruise and what most of us were there for, was going to be changed. The alternate itinerary? North Seymour Island.

There were varying degrees of anger/disappointment/etc. I think what made me even more annoyed was how maybe half the passengers didn’t care much because in reality they didn’t know anything about the Galapagos and didn’t know the difference. Plus North Seymour is a blah island you could easily do as a daytrip on your own (if you for some reason wanted to). In fact, the Finnish couple, who’d joined this cruise solely to go to Fernandina and Isabela, had already been there and said it was pretty boring. They ended up leaving the boat the next day and getting a 50% refund.

I was also mad because I was basically sold this cruise because of this part of the itinerary as well, and the fact that they were replacing it with some crap daytrip made it even more frustrating. They also told us basically the only thing we could do about it would be to go back to the agency we’d bought the trip from (back in Quito for me) and see if they would offer any kind of compensation. This angered me even more, because even if I did get money back, I would be back in Quito so it’s not like I could use the money to do some more sightseeing or daytrips in the Galapagos.

Even now, with the trip over and still being absolutely amazing and seeing just about everything I could have wanted to see (wildlife-wise), I’m still somewhat upset and a bit bitter about this. It is people’s once-in-a-lifetime trip that we’re dealing with. And all they would talk about is what this was costing the company for repairs, etc., and so little concern with what it meant to us. But I digress.

DAY 6

The Replacement Day. It only merited less than a page in my journal and well less than half the amount of photos of every other day. Definitely no spotting orca, dolphins, and whales or seeing hundreds of penguins, swimming with them as they darted around us in the water, or getting to see newly evolving species – all things we might have seen if we’d had the original itinerary.

Instead we visited North Seymour Island. There was basically only one cool thing we saw there: the magnificent frigatebird. This was cool because the males have this red pouch they puff out when they’re trying to attract a mate. We got to see a few of them with the red out, including one which had his thing chest puffed, was waving around his wings really showing off. And one female finally did fly toward him, but he rejected her and she flew off!

We also got to get a better view of some land iguanas, and got to see some nesting blue-footed boobies and some frigate birds nesting, where we could actually see the tiny ugly chicks in the nest underneath the parents.

Then we went snorkeling. This was probably the most redeeming part of the day because we had some sea lions come swim around us, which was pretty awesome. One of them was quite a little poser, making all kinds of funny poses and flinging his body in all kind of contortions in the water. They were very friendly and playful, happy to swim with us.

We took the speedboat back to the Floreana for lunch, then got back on the speedboat and went out to Las Bachas beach on Santa Cruz. All we did really was walking along the beach. It was a nice white sand beach, and the sand was really soft in a couple parts, but it wasn’t incredibly interesting. I did have one of those “Yes, I’m in the Galapagos” moments (usually there’s at least one every day – the day before it had been floating past an abandoned boat with sea lions sleeping inside and a pelican chilling on the edge, with penguins swimming around below), while watching sea turtles swimming out in the water around us (waiting for night so they could come in and lay eggs), with blue-footed boobies just chilling on the rocks by the shore, and penguins swimming in the water as well. Just another day in the Galapagos. A less interesting one, at that!

Then we just hung out on the beach. Some people went snorkeling, but I was a bit cold and tired, and there was nothing to see really anyways. But again, the sand was nice and soft and powdery, and you can’t really complain about that.

DAY 7

This was another pretty good day, as I tried to put the previous day’s disappointment behind me. First we went to Puerto Egas on Santiago. (Really we barely left the central island area, which is what really pisses me off about taking an 8 day cruise and then ending up basically doing 7 days of easy day trips I could have done on my own for cheaper!) We did a dry landing onto a black sand beach where there were some sea lions.

Walking along the beach and into the island we saw pods of dolphins swimming out the water. We also saw a lot of seat turtles bobbing around. On the rocky shores we saw some fur sea lions (aka fur seals) hanging out sleeping. (They’re nocturnal and hunt at night.) Some of them were sleeping in these lower caves in the rocks – there were tons of these holes/caves that would fill up all the way with water as the waves came in, then completely drain really low. Back and forth, up and down, again and again. Some people in our group were totally mesmerized by this for some reason!

Then we went snorkeling! This was a real highlight. The whole trip I had been really bent on seeing a sea turtle. I have seen one once before – in the warm crystal clear waters of Pulau Perhentian in Malaysia, after years of wishing to see one, I finally was able to see one there on my last day before I left the island – but I was keen to see one again, and especially now that I had my camera with me!

Well, that dream came true times a thousand! There were TONS of sea turtles feeding out in the water off the beach. We were all super excited when we spotted the first two, feeding by a rock not far from the beach. But the more we snorkeled, the more we saw, the more it became, “Oh, just another sea turtle.” There were so many! I couldn’t even keep count.

Everywhere I turned there were more and more. It was a bit different than my Malaysia experience – the waters not as clear, the colors of the turtle and surroundings not as bright and tropical feeling – but it was still probably more awesome because of the huge numbers, and the fact that they were so close, sometimes I had to quickly swim away because they were directly under me and almost running into me as they made their way up to the surface for some air!

We also had a bit of a scary experience. I heard a loud splash not far from me and looked to see what it was. I saw a sea lion had come into the water. Excited, I started to swim toward it. Then I saw that it looked really, really big. Then I heard our guide yell to us all to get out of the area! It was a bull male, and they can get a bit aggressive. It’s a good idea not to try to swim near them!

After some lunch and relaxing, we went to Isla Rabida. There was a nice red beach, again littered with sea lions (made for some nice pictures!). There was right away a really loud young pup, making all kinds of noise. He kept waddling up to us and sniffing around curiously at our stuff. So cute!

We walked along the beach and saw tons more sea lions all the way along, including a pup Victor told us had probably only been born the day before! We saw a big pregnant sea lion as well.

Then we walked to a lagoon and then up to a nice viewpoint, then back down to do some more snorkeling. I didn’t take my camera this time, which was too bad because there were some really cool fish I hadn’t seen anywhere else before. There were also some sea lions swimming around us, and I spotted a marine iguana up on the land coming down toward the water, and I got to watch him jump in, swim around, and then begin feeding. It would have made for some really great pictures.

After dinner we had a kind of strange ceremony. They had certificates for us declaring that we’d crossed the Equator (a couple times) on our cruise. The weird part was that in order to receive our certificate, we had to say our favorite animal from the Galapagos, which would be our new name, and then we had to act like the animal in the middle of the dining cabin! I chose the blue-footed booby, so I had to fake dive and waddle in front of everyone. Other people were sharks, frigatebirds, sea lions, spotted eagle rays, iguanas, etc. Very random.

Then it was time to start thinking about things like tips and packing. None of us could believe that the week was already over. It really flew by!

DAY 8

The last day. Hard to believe! We had an earlier breakfast at 6:30, and then boarded the zodiacs. We went out to a place called Black Turtle Cove. It was lots of calm water in mangroves; it reminded me a lot of the flooded forest I visited in Cambodia.

Once we were into the main area we killed the engines and paddled around. There were tons and tons of sea turtles in the water everywhere, attracted by the calm water. Again, it was unbelievable how many there were, everywhere we turned. The cove was really peaceful and silent, with only the sounds of the insects and birds buzzing around us, along with the occasional quiet slap of water and sound of the turtles breathing as they came up for air.

After spending some time floating around the cove, we headed back out to the open water. Fitting in with our luck, the other zodiac’s engine had died and wouldn’t restart! I take this as a sign as it was someone on that boat that had brought the bad engine luck, so we narrowed down who to blame! Haha. So we had to tow that zodiac behind us until we got to the boat.

Back on the boat we had very little time left to do last minute packing and take a last glimpse around the boat. The week really felt so short, I felt like I’d barely even spent time on the boat (of course, the two days spent mostly on speedboats might have had something to do with it). I definitely could have spent a few more days living that dream-life of a cruise on the Galapagos!

Next thing we knew we were hopping onto another boat and arriving at the mainland, where a bus was waiting to take us to the airport. I had been deep in conversation with Evelina, the Swedish girl, as we were switching boats, and didn’t realize until we were getting off the ferry onto the mainland that I had forgotten my shoes in the crates on the boat, where we’d had to dump them after each excursion. I’d been so used to walking around barefoot, I hadn’t even noticed!

So I had to wait at the pier for them to bring my shoes, and unfortunately this meant I didn’t get to say goodbye to the Swedes, who I had most enjoyed spending time with on the cruise. I had been hoping to get a group photo of our whole crew, but sadly we arrived at the airport and scattered and it never got to happen. Oh well.

We had about three hours to wait around at the airport. Luckily it was all outside, so we could at least walk around and peruse the touristy souvenir stalls in the small area outside the waiting room. And of course there was still only one food place in the airport, with more options than in Quito but even more expensive. But we couldn’t resist getting some soda and chocolate!

After some delays we finally boarded the plane, and that’s where I sit now, writing this.

Once in Quito I will be go, go, go. In just a few hours I will have to visit an agency to book my a jungle tour starting the next day, buy my bus tickets for the night bus tonight, go to the agency where I bought my cruise and see if I can get anything back, and get online to send e-mails, get in touch with people, and let them know I’ll be gone again without any contact.

Then I’ve been invited to a Thanksgiving dinner thrown by the friend of a friend of my cabin-mate from the cruise, so I’ll be celebrating our holiday after all! (I hadn’t even realized it was today!)

Then tonight I will be off on an eight hour bus ride to Lago Agrio, then a boat ride into the jungle to a lodge in the Cuyabena reserve, where I will spend the next five days! Busy busy. But then I’m sure there will be another big update, then I’ll be down to the wire on the last days of my big trip, with a couple short trips to visit the cloudforest in Mindo and the Otavalo markets, then I’ll be ready to come home. Crazy!

UPDATE: I will get a bit of a refund when I get back to Quito on Wednesday, not sure how much yet. I didn’t have time to put up all the pics, so I will finish the blog and add the rest of the pics on the 2nd when I get back. Adios!

El primer día de rodaje de la película ‘Knight and Day’ en Cádiz finaliza con la grabación de una persecución protagonizada por los especialistas que encarnan a Tom Cruise y Cameron Diaz

Guillermo Paredes Otero/Cádiz

Los buenos perseguidos por los malos mientras se desarrolla un tiroteo en pleno Casco Antiguo gaditano. En eso se basó el primer día de rodaje en Cádiz de la película Knight and Day prtotagonizada por Tom Cruise y Cameron Diaz, aunque no fueron ellos quienes participaron en la escena rodada sino los especialistas encargados de sustituirles en diversas escenas de acción. Y la de ayer lo fue.

La jornada de grabación comenzó temprano, a las ocho de la mañana. Todo está preparado y listo para rodar en la calle Cánovas. Los dobles de Cruise y Diaz montados sobre la moto Ducati 1100 Hypermotard S, casi nada, el Mercedes biplaza y los tres Smart Roadster arrancando. Los figurantes vestidos, como si de verdad estuvieran en los sanfermines, ubicados en las calles Presidente Rivadavia, San José y Cánovas del Castillo. El director de la segunda de unidad de rodaje dando instrucciones a todo el equipo y pidiendo que los curiosos se metan en los portales, todavía no se ha enterado que en Cádiz se llaman casapuertas. ¡Luces, cámara y acción! Comienza la escena.

El falso Cruise conduciendo la Ducati absolutamente concentrado mientras zigzaguea entre los supuestos participantes del encierro. La doble de Cameron Diaz sentada a horcajadas sobre él mientras dispara dos falsas Sig-Sauer modelo P-250 de 9 milímetros. La reacción de los malos no se hace esperar. Dos perseguidores desde los Smart vacían los cargadores de los Kalashnikov AK-47 sobre los protagonistas. A la vez varios especialistas ubicados en medio de la calle esperan su turno para actuar. La tarea es sencilla, apartarse para no ser atropellados. La escena termina a la altura de Cánovas con San José y la toma es buena, pero hay que repetirla. Este es el mundo del cine muchas repeticiones y sobre todo tener paciencia.

Un nuevo vehículo se une a la persecución a la una y media. El automóvil va equipado con una grua que sostiene una cámara, es la encargada de realizar los travelling y es que, tras rodarse varias veces la escena al completo, el equipo de grabación se encarga de obtener planos concretos como la tensión que refleja es rostro del falso Cruise, la moto y la chica rubia disparando, los Smart, y todo esto desde diversas perspectivas.

Los que no participan en la escena mientras se rueda permanecen en la base de operaciones levantada en la Plaza de San Antonio. Algunos comen, otros se encargan de organizar y recoger el material. Hay trabajo para todos hasta que termina la jornada. Una jornada aprovechada al máximo y sin ningún incidente. ¿Será que los toros no estaban convocados para rodar hoy?

The upcoming new Disney ship, the Disney Dream, began construction in Papenberg, Germany’s Mayer Werft shipyard on March 2009.  The ship is due for delivery to Disney in early 2011.  There has been much anticipation and excitement for this ship in the past months with press releases, videos, and more.  The Disney Dream will have many of the same inspired themes, ideas, and touches like the other ships.  For example we do know that in the lobby atrium there will be a bronze statue of Admiral Donald (Duck).  The Disney Dream will encompass 14 decks, be an 1,115 feet long, 128,000-ton vessel with 1,250 staterooms which can accomodate up to 4,000 guests.  Additionally, this ship will have the first water coaster at sea called the AquaDuck.  Look for more updates in the year to come.

Keel Laying

Additionally, Disney’s private island “Castaway Cay” will be expanding.  See the video below for more information. 

Castaway Cay Expansion

Lastly, but most certainly not the least, Disney will be sailing to ALASKA!   Disney will be sailing to Alaska starting in April of 2011 through September 2011, and will make stops to Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm, and Ketchikan.  Additionally, it will be sailing along the west coast to San Francisco, California and to Victoria and Vancouver, Canada.

Disney to Alaska!

The news doesn’t stop there.  Disney is going to be adding another ship, the Disney Fantasy, as well.  I look forward to hearing more about it as time unfolds.  Disney has exciting days ahead.

–Saundra

Cruise ship arriving at WTC terminal, Barcelona Port

Introduction to Barcelona

Barcelona is Spain’s second largest city and the capital of Catalonia, a defiant and independent region of Spain, which has it’s own language, culture, and history.  Located on Spain’s southern coast its climate is classically Mediterranean, never too hot and never too cold. It’s the perfect location for a vacation, relaxing by walking the pavements, shopping, spending time at a café, eating Spanish fare in the evening, and visiting awe-inspiring sights.

Map Showing Barcelona Cruise Terminals, WTC (N,E,S) , Adossat Quay (A,B,C,D), Port Vell (M)

Barcelona Cruise Terminals

Cruise ships dock at Port Vell. The area is a tourist attraction in its own right with a large Maremàgnum shopping mall with a huge IMAX cinema, and Europe’s biggest aquarium. Port Vell leads directly on to Las Ramblas, the iconic Barcelona street lined with cafes and street entertainment that feeds into the center of the city. Las Ramblas is also known by the singular, La Rambla.

The port has 7 cruise terminals, split into 3 quays.

Adossat Terminals (Terminals A, B, C, D)
Terminals A, B, C and D are located at the Adossat Quay and are furthest away from the city center. Terminal D is also called Palacruceros. Shuttle buses make the short trip from the terminals to the foot of Las Ramblas (Colon Square).

World Trade Center Quay (Terminals N,S,E)
2 terminals are located at the World Trade Center (WTC) quay which are called North, and South. From these it is an easy walk to Colon square at the foot of Las Ramblas. The North Terminal can handle one medium sized vessel, the South Terminal  two ships, the biggest one up to a length of 253 meters.  The additional mooring space at quay East can be utlized  by either the North or South Terminals.

Port Vell (Terminal M)
Near to the World Trade Center Terminal. This ferry terminal is sometimes employed for cruiseliners.

All terminals have taxi ranks.

La Valletta, Malta, a popular destination for cruises departing from Barcelona

Available Cruises
Cruises leaving from Barcelona offer a wide variety of destinations. The most popular is a trip circumnavigating the Western Mediterranean. Alternatives would be the Canary Islands, Morocco, or longer trips to the Eastern Mediterranean and Greece. A sample of itineraries would be:

Pearls of the Riviera (Oceania) Barcelona, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, St Tropez, Monaco, Portofino, Livorno, Amalfi, Sorrento, Civitavecchia
Eastern Mediterranean (NCL) Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Piraeus, Izmir, Alexandria, La Valletta, Barcelona
Canary Islands & Morocco (NCL) Barcelona, Casablanca, Agadir, Gran Canaria, Funchal, Malaga, Barcelona
Spain, Italy, Tunisia (Costa) Barcelona, Marseille, Savona, Naples, Palermo, Tunis, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona

For a complete listing see cruises from Barcelona.

Out and About in Barcelona

It takes an enthusiastic tourist a week to tour Barcelona, so if you have only a day or two, you’ll be very busy. Don’t miss famous spots like La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s astounding church, the medieval, characterful Barrio Gothic area, and the Pablo Picasso museum. Finally visit Montjuic for a spectacular view of the whole of the city and the surrounding countryside and ocean.

Las Ramblas
An impressive promenade connecting Port Vell to Placa de Catalunya, the heart of old Barcelona. The street is lined with shops, cafes, florists, street performers, and Boqueria, a charming market. You’ll pass by the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona’s gorgeous opera theater. La Rambla finishes at the Placa de Catalunya, a large square filled by shops, cafes and bars.

La Sagrada Familia
Barcelona’s iconic church was designed by Barcelona’s most famous son Antonio Gaudi. Work began in 1883, and the spectacular building is only now nearing completion. Don’t miss features like the nativity-themed facade, the mosaic bell towers, and ornate doorways standing for faith, hope and charity.

The Museu d’art Contemporani de Barcelona
This bright white glass and concrete building rises above Barcelona old town. The Contemporary Art Museum collection, which starts in roughly 1950, includes many artworks from the Catalan region, by local artists like Antoni Tapies) as well as works by International artists such as Miguel Barcelo.

Barri Gotic
In Barcelona’s gothic quarter, the buildings date back to the thirteenth century. The streets are narrow and winding and crammed with busy life. At the center of the Barri Gotic lies the Museu Picasso, featuring the works of Picasso. Another must see is the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, a magnificent building with gothic architecture.

La Pedrera
Gaudí planned a fantastic house with undulating, living forms for the property developer Pere Milà Camps. La Pedrera was Gaudi’s last work before spending all his time to the Sagrada Família.

Parc Guell
Another Gaudi design, Parc Guell is an intriguing public park. The planting is adventurous and colorful, but the real attraction is Guadi’s design work, likeornate steps and bizarre concrete walls.

Montjuic
The area of Montjuic is 700 feet above the city’s port and is filled with cafes, boutiques, art galleries and museums. Worth a visit the Museu Arqueologic which showcases items from early civilizations from Catalonia and the Balearics. Also recommended is the Museu Nacional d’art de Catalunya, which has a big collection of Romanesque art.

Travelling to the Port of Barcelona

From the City to the Port
Walking
The WTCcruise ship terminals are the closest to the foot of La Rambla, being approximately a five minute walk. However the Adossat dock cruise ship terminals, A, B, C, D, are a larger distance away and you would need to take a shuttle bus nicknamed the Blue Bus which collects at the memorial to Christopher Columbus and drops off at Adossat quayside.
Metro
The Drassanes stop (L3 Green Line) is no more than five minutes by foot from the Christopher Columbus statue.
Taxi
It’s easy to catch a taxi from the city center to the port. This is not expensive, fare around eight euros, and fast, generally under twenty minutes.
Getting from the Airport to the Cruise Port
By bus
Take the Bus to Placa Catalunya in Barcelona, next travel by metro from Catalunya to Drassanes. From there walk to the statue of Christopher Columbus. Wait for the Blue bus which shuttles to your cruise ship terminal.
Taxi
The best way for travelling from the airport to the docks is a cab. The journey takes about 25 mins and costs around thirty five euros in total. The cost should cover per-bag extras and extra airport and cruise port charges.

Further Information

Language Catalan/Spanish
Currency EURO

I’ve been on many cruises. I’ve seen the eastern Caribbean, southern Caribbean, and the west Caribbean. This was the first time I’ve been on a cruise ever since I have lived in Miami. So I took off on Friday at noon and jumped onto the Norwegian Sky, a cruise ship owned by the Norwegian Cruise Line company.

Surprisingly enough, according to a friend, the boat is an upgrade from Carnival or Royal Caribbean cruise lines. Unfortunately, as usual, everything was geared towards tourists and Middle America. The most unexpected thing was the food. Buffet food is usually random, but this ship had very decent buffet food. They also had a ‘eat whenever you want plan’, so unlike other cruise ships where you have a set time to have dinner; in this boat, you can head to eat whenever you wanted. They also had a French restaurant, an Italian restaurant, and a steakhouse as well for a “cover” charge. Lunch and dinner at the regular dining room was excellent. Unfortunately, we were on a 3 day cruise, so we did not think it was necessary to pay the “cover” charge for the other dining areas.

We spent a lot of time at their Martini bar, which had 2 for 1 special from 6-8 PM. It was a good way to pregame before dinner, a show, or the casino. We even ordered Alaskan king crabs from the steakhouse on one of the nights and sipped on Martinis to the point we did not know if it was the boat shaking or us drunk.

We stopped by at Nassau (in which I will write a separate post on) and was scheduled to stop by at the NCL’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay, however that was canceled due to enormous waves. We managed to stop by at one of the entertainment shows and it was nothing extraordinary. The host threw some cheap easy-to-laugh jokes and that was about it. Maybe, if I get a little fatter, I’ll understand it more.

The boat reached shore early Monday and we headed straight back to work.

The cruise was a good getaway, however it would have been nice, if it was longer, and if we brought friends our age.

Few vacations offer a greater value than a cruise+ vacation. You don’t have to worry about packing and unpacking, booking a hotel or wandering around an unfamiliar city in search of a restaurant or things to do. Cruises provide it all: meals, accommodations and entertainment. Sail into new ports of call while you sit back, relax and get pampered, all at an affordable price.

Compare the costs and benefits of a Cruise Vacation to those of a typical land vacation package.

Make cruising your next vacation!

The Australian cruise industry is relatively immature when compared to that of the United States. According to the US Maritime Administration,  15.2 million passenger nights were booked on North American cruises during the second quarter of 2009 alone. The monumental demand for cruise holidays in the United States has generated massive competition between cruise lines and cruise agents. Aggressive sales tactics are commonplace as prices are regularly undercut by competitors and customers are lured by exclusive incentives such as on board vouchers and discounts in an attempt to secure their bookings. The result of course, is a better deal for consumers.

Until recent times, this competitive industry was open to international customers… but not anymore.

The Story

We’ve been looking into holidaying in Europe next year and decided that our trip would include a cruise. Having sailed with Princess Cruises on two previous occasions (and being relatively satisfied with the experience), we decided that we’d select another cruise offered by Princess for our trip. Naturally, our investigation into our cruise options started online. After visiting the Princess Cruises website and deciding on our preferred cruise itinerary, I decided to browse some online travel sites in order to compare pricing.

The Research

Given that our first stop was the Australian Princess Cruises site, I’ll begin by listing the prices offered by Princess to its Australian customers. The cabins offered are based on interior, ocean view obstructed, ocean view, balcony and mini-suite designs. The prices listed below are in AUD and are those directly available on the specified Princess Cruises site (only available to Australian customers).

NOTE: Despite the .com domain, Australian visitors are directed to an Australian version of the site based on their geography, while US customers are directed to another US version of the site.

Internal        Obstructed        Ocean View        Balcony          Mini-Suite
$6,209.00       $6,979.00         $8,009.00          $9,039.00       $10,829.00

To Australian customers, these prices may look quite reasonable for a 20+ day cruise but lets look at the prices quoted by Princess for its US customers. The prices listed below are in USD and are those directly available on the specified Princess Cruises site (only available to US customers).

Internal      Obstructed       Ocean View          Balcony           Mini-Suite
$3,930.00     $4,530.00        $6,130.00             $6,130.00        $8,330.00

The above prices aren’t typically accessible by Australian customers unless you go through a US proxy server which causes the Princess Cruises website to believe that you’re a US based customer. For a final comparison, lets convert both price sets to AUD and compare (based on an exchange rate of 1USD = ~.92AUD). All prices below are listed in AUD.

If booked by Australian Customer:

Internal     Obstructed      Ocean View      Balcony      Mini-Suite

$6,209.00    $6,979.00        $8,009.00        $9,039.00    $10,829.00

If booked by a US customer (or via US):

Internal     Obstructed      Ocean View      Balcony      Mini-Suite

$4,270.42     $4,916.69     $6,654.15         $6,654.15     $9,042.82

The differences in the above figures are significant. Significant enough to warrant some form of explanation.
Keep in mind that as far as Princess Cruises is concerned, Australian passengers embark and disembark from the same locations as the US customers do. There are no additional inclusions like airfares or transfers. The only difference is your billing address.

The Question

So, why not book through a US travel agent then? Well, according to several reputable US based cruise agents, Princess Cruises has released a directive to all resellers advising them that they are NOT to book cruises for international customers. The reason is obvious in my opinion.

While the Australian cruise industry isn’t as mature as that of the US, this doesn’t mean Australian passengers are naive enough to accept a $2000 (per person) discrepancy without asking questions. So… Princess… care to explain exactly why Australian’s need to pay up to $2000 more than their peers in the US? Given that I emailed your customer relations department the exact same question over a week ago and I still haven’t received a response (despite the fact that you found me interesting enough to follow on Twitter), I wont hold my breath…. but who knows, maybe you’ll surprise me.

Princess profiteering? You decide…

The Oasis of the Seas is by all accounts is an architectural and design wonder.  In a private tour of the Oasis of the Seas, Royal Loft Suite you will the inside one of my favorite new innovations on the Oasis of the Seas.  The new Loft Suites on the Oasis of the Seas takes the Cruise Ship stateroom to the next level.  On the 17th deck, Royal Caribbean has varying sizes of their new loft suites.  The Royal Loft Suite is the largest at 1500 sq. ft. inside and 800 sq ft. of balcony space. 

Over 100 people from ETL India just returned from their Annual Conference which was on Legends of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean Cruise from Singapore to Penang and KL! It was three days and three nights of non-stop party on and off the ship – including a spectacular Awards ‘Morning’ in the Grand Theater, and sightseeing and shopping in Singapore, Penang and Kuala Lumpur!

The Awards Morning also included the graduation of seven new managers, and promotions of five existing managers to the next levels! It was the first time that salespeople could qualify to bring their spouses by achieving an additional target, and 15 spouses were able to join the conference!  See some photos here.

Anu and the team are surely poised for another year of growth, and more exciting conference destinations to come!

One of the best parts about being in the group cruise business is that I get to share my passion and knowledge with folks just like you about the world of cruising. Being able to plan and organize group cruising events is what fills my day with joy and happiness, and now, I have the opportunity to take my happiness to another level due to all that I have accomplished.

I’ve been given the wonderful and unique opportunity to participate in Norwegian Cruise Line’s PhD@Sea program which is an industry first. This special program was designed only for cruise professionals who became Freestyle Certified (highest level of certification) at Norwegian Cruise Line’s University (NCL U), and being selected as one of the professionals to go, I have to admit that I am beyond excited and truly honored!

Norwegian Cruise Line will be whisking away 40 cruise professionals including myself aboard the magnificent Norwegian Jewel (pictured below) for a 7-night Western Caribbean Cruise on December 6th. We will be visiting many beautiful ports including Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas – which is Norwegian’s very own private island (exclusive only to Norwegian passengers).

Norwegian Jewel

So what exactly is a PhD@Sea program and how is it different than any other cruise vacation? Well to start with, this program will give cruise professionals like myself an experience that is rare for anyone going onboard. Here are just some of the exciting activities we’ll be doing onboard in addition to having a week long of cruising fun:

• Welcome cocktail reception and sail-away party
• Behind-the-scene tours
• Panel discussions
• Meeting the shipboard leadership team
• Attending a group dinner
• Receiving a personalized PhD@Sea certificate, a group photo and a farewell gift
• A professional press release announcing my PhD@Sea status to distribute to my local newspaper, radio, and television stations
• Class credit for CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association)
• And much much more!

You can take a breath now. This special group cruise program is going to be jam-packed with so much fun I can’t wait until the day arrives! I’ll be taking my sister on this cruise since she has never experienced one before and has been extremely eager to finally have the opportunity. And let me tell you, she is getting one special first-time cruise experience!

I’ll be blogging about my day-to-day experiences on the special PhD@Sea program and will be posting these entries upon my return.

All the professionals and I have already established a relationship in the NCL U forum and we’ve also created a special name for our group, and that is the “Family Jewels” – very fitting! I’ve always been excited about going on a cruise, but with this program, I can already tell it’s going to be something extra special.

Until next time…

Your Friend in Cruising,

John Trivedi, Owner
World Travelers United
(425) 205-9911

john@worldtravelersunited.com
www.worldtravelersunited.com
“We make your Perfect Group Cruise experience a dream come true!”

5.01: What the hell’s got into bullocks lately? First Dimbleby floored by a beast from his own herd, and now Tom Cruise inconvenienced in Cadiz, with seven bulls charging through the set of his latest film – apparently on their way to the beach.

(In fact, neither Tom Cruise nor co-star Cameron Diaz was even faintly inconvenienced by the holiday-making bovines: neither was even in the same city; neither even was in the same country. But two women were “slightly injured,” which will doubtless give rise to a Name-and-Shame campaign in the local red tops, featuring mugshots of bullocks skulking desultorily about public monuments).

And while we’re on animal news, how did I miss this story over the weekend? Breeders have been accused of creating “bizarre mutant cats.” Apparently, in this weird Chernobyl of cat stylists, some of “the animals’ tears do not drain away properly and cause breathing difficulties.”

Is there anything more gratuitously evil than suffocating your cat with its own tears? It’s the sort of thing I imagine Walt Disney getting up to in between torturing Communists and luring children into his gingerbread dungeon.

7.02: “Huge Ocean found on Mars,” The Mirror tells us. “A network of rivers once flowed from the planet’s southern highlands into a massive sea.” This is exciting and makes my 5am noodlings at the keyboard seem tiny and insignificant. But what strikes me is how different newspapers are now from 1957, when Sputnik was launched and the Daily Express ran Keats’ sonnet ‘On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer’ on its cover (really; its cover):

Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He star’d at the Pacific — and all his men
Look’d at each other with a wild surmise —
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

I used to know someone who told me that reading that poem on the front of the paper made him decide in 1957 to go and study English literature. Sadly, in spite of winning a scholarship to the college of FR Leavis, circumstance intervened. A girl became pregnant, and he didn’t resume his studies for another four decades. Which was when I met him. I wrote a poem about him once; maybe I’ll drag it out and dust if off sometime. I might write one about the sea on Mars, but the Mirror’s lead today, “A Space Oddysea,” is somehow less motivating.

Silversea Spirit

Silversea Silver Spirit Courtesy of Silversea Cruises and By Linda Garrison, About.com Guide to Cruises

BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF SILVER SPIRIT SEA TRIALS from Silversea on Vimeo.

www.1Cheapcruise.com 866 733-2845

CARNIVAL INSPIRATION SM Itinerary

Cruise Line : CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES
Date : Sat 05 Dec 2009
Cruise Length : 5 Nights

Date Port Arrival Boarding Departure Remark

Sat 05 Dec TAMPA, FL 4:00PM DOCK
Sun 06 Dec FUN DAY AT SEA FUN AT SEA
Mon 07 Dec GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS 8:00AM 3:00PM TENDER
Tue 08 Dec COZUMEL, MEXICO 11:00AM 8:00PM DOCK
Wed 09 Dec FUN DAY AT SEA FUN AT SEA
Thu 10 Dec TAMPA, FL 8:00AM DOCK

$727.34 total for 2. Includes: Cruise (inside guarantee), tax and port charges.
$25.00 On board credit also included. Space is limited and fare based on availability.

Thanks,
Dan Rondeau
www.1Cheapcruise.com
Follow on Twitter

The cruise lines have come a long way from the days when it was the passengers’ responsibility to entertain themselves.  The daily programs published by each ship have pages of information about what is going on around the ships and those are not even complete listings of all that one can do.

Celebrity Cruises has traditionally had a good program of onboard activities.  It is a premium line whose target market tends to be interested in more sophisticated activities.  They also are more demanding about cuisine, wine and the type of offerings in the ship’s spa.  The line has received good marks in the past for its efforts to fulfill these demands.

Nonetheless, Celebrity is revamping its onboard programming.   It is reorganizing its activities so that there are tracks of activities that are geared toward specific areas of passenger interest.  It is also establishing hosts for each area who will help to guide passengers.  The idea is to give the passenger a more valuable and meaningful experience at sea than he or she gets from having a cruise full of unrelated, albeit interesting, activities.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to Ms. Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations for Celebrity Cruises, about the new “Celebrity Life” program.  The interview is posted at: http://beyondships.com/Celebrity-art-Lutoff-Perlo.html.  It can also be accessed through Beyondships new Celebrity Cruises page. http://beyondships.com/Celebrity.html

   I spoke with Ms. Lutoff-Perlo onboard Celebrity Constellation, a ship that I have always found particularly photogenic.  She has nice exterior lines that give her a sleek look and the appearance of cutting through the water like an arrow, to use a mixed metaphor.  Inside, the ship has a splendid contemporary design with an interesting art collection woven into it.  Accordingly, I have updated and expanded the Celebrity Constellation section of Beyondships with quite a few new photos as well as with new menus, recipes and other information.  The profile page for Constellation is at http://beyondships.com/Celebrity-Constellation-Profile.html and the photo tour begins at http://beyondships.com/Celebrity-Constellation-Tour-1a.html

            Last month, I published an article about the revitalization of Caribbean Princess based in part upon my interviews with Captain Marco Fortezze.  During the voyage from which that article arose, I had several talks with Captain Fortezze in which we talked about his career, his style of command and what it is like to drive a ship like Caribbean Princess.   Since he is an articulate and intelligent man who has had an interesting career – - he was promoted to captain at the young age of 40 – - I thought I would do a second article specifically about Captain Fortezze.  This article should also be of interest to those of you who are interested in the way a ship likes Caribbean Princess operates.  It can be found at: http://beyondships.com/Princess-CB-art-Fortezze.html

 Piraeus, Port of Athens 

Piraeus has been the port for Athens since Classical times. The port was founded at the beginning of the fifth century BC by Themistocles, who foresaw the possibilities for its 3 natural harbors. The early buildings were consolidated by Pericles with the construction of ‘the Long Walls’ to protect the route to Athens. Nowadays it is an important city in its own right, containing much of Greater Athens’ trade. For most visitors, though, it is the inter-island ferries based in Piraeus that are the reason for passing through.  The port sees the departure of up to 60 ferries per day. 

Note that the official spelling of Piraeus is now Pireas, and all signs have been updated. 

Athens is only 7 miles from Piraeus, and the majority of travellers will spend the visit in Athens.  Nestled on a plain between five hills, Athens can get hot, dirty and polluted in the summer months.  But at the city’s heart stands the magnificent Acropolis, a don’t miss attraction for travellers from all around the world.  Jusrt North of the Acropolis lies the cosmopolitan tourist-friendly district of Plaka, a place full of historic interest, and these two form the staple of  travellers. 

Piraeus Cruise Terminal A

Cruise ships dock in the Piraeus Port located on the southern side of the city.  The port sits on the Saronic Gulf, in the Aegean Sea. The port is an important ferry terminus, serving the Greek Islands. Greece is composed of a multitude of islands, so ferries are vital and ferries arrive at and leave from Piraeus throughout the day and night. The cruise ship berths aresituated on the quays to the southern side of the port.
Cruiseliners berth at either Cruise Terminal A or Cruise Terminal B. Cruise Terminal A, accessed by entrance E11, is situated in mid-harbour sandwiched by the Mioulis and Xaveris quays.  Cruise Terminal B, approached by gate E12, sits at the mouth of the harbour, protected by the Termistokleous pier.  The cruise ship load of Piraeus is about 11 cruise ships.  For more port information, see Piraeus Port, Greece.

Available Cruises
The cruise ship routes from Piraeus typically visit a selection from ports in the Ionian Sea, the Black Sea, and Egypt.  For a comprehensive selection of cruises from Piraeus, see Cruises from Athens, Greece.

Shopping in Plaka District, Athens, Greece

Out and About in Athens 

The Acropolis
The main focus of the visitor’s attention in Athens is the Acropolis. It costs 12 euro to enter into the Acropolis.
The top attracation in Athens is the Acropolis, a 150 m (512 ft) rock in the center of the city topped with a number of temples built in around 400BC. The archeological importance of these ancient buildings makes the Acropolis world-famous.  It costs 12 euro to gain entrance.
At the top of the Acropolis stands the magnificent Parthenon, a superb classical Greek temple, a magestic sight from  almost everywhere in Athens.
Another iconic building is the Erechtheion. The six ladies that serve as pillars are reproductions, you can see 5 originals in the Acropolis museum. Number 6 is in the British Museum in London, together with large parts of the Parthenon frieze.
Syntagma Square
See the soldiers dressed in their unique skirt withwhite tights and odd shoes. Especially recommended is the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Plaka
Near the Acropolis sits the Plaka District. This area is made up of narrow meandering streets.
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum can be found towards the west end of Plaka. Here you’ll find the impressive Tower of the Winds, a 8 sided tower with a different wind deity on each side. Shares ticket with Acropolis.
The Shops in Plaka
There are a ton of local products worth purchasing. olive oil, small carpets, and leather shoes are all manufactured/grown nearby and offer excellent value. The local antiques market is always bustling and fascinating.
Dining in Plaka
Eating in one of the sidewalk restaurants enjoying a plate of local food with a glass of ouzo is a great way to spend the lunch hour. 

Marina Zea, Piraeus

Marina Zea
Zea, also called Pasalimani, is where you can catch one of the Flying Dolphins to the islands in the Saronic Gulf, and there are also the most fantastic yachts moored there in the marina, which is one of the largest in Europe. There are lots of restaurants, shops, and taverns along the shore; if you like boat-watching, sit outside a café and watch the activity in the beautiful harbor.
Hellenic Maritime Museum
This nautical and naval museum has many exhibits showing Greek ships, both modern and ancient. There are paintings, ship models, flags, maps, and all sorts of equipment used on ships. A section of the wall built around Piraeus by Themistocles in ancient times is here, and so are some items from Aristotle Onassis’s yacht. There are some weird little objects in this museum, such as ship models that prisoners carved from bone, and many very interesting exhibits for those interested in naval history.
Archeological Museum
The archeological museum has exhibits from ancient times, such as statues that date back to the 4th century BC. There is a very large funeral monument, grave markers, and important bronze statues of Apollo, Athena, and Artemis. Sculptures from both the Classical and Roman periods are on display, as are many treasures excavated in Piraeus; there are also ruins of an ancient theater nearby.
 

Bridge over the main road from the Rail station towards the Port entrance

Traveling to the Port of Piraeus

From the Piraeus Electric Train station
It’s around one mile from the rail station to Cruise Terminal A, and around a mile and a half to Cruise Terminal B. Don’t be tempted to walk, as its quite a distance on a swelteringly-hot afternoon.  Rather cross over the main road on the new bridge for pedestrians. Catch a coach to your cruise terminal (lines 832, 833 843 or 859).. 

Metro Rail Line
The simplest way to travel from Athens to the Piraeus Port is via the metro rail line.  ISAP Line 1 (green, Kifissia – Piraeus) connects the city of Athens directly to the port. Look at the metro map (http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/ath/athens.htm)  for the route to take from your location in Athens.
Bus
Two buses that shuttle between Piraeus and Athens. Buses Nos 040 and 049 operate all day, and run every 20 minutes from 0600 until midnight and then every hour. Bus No 040 runs between Syntagma square (Plaka district) in Athens and Akti Xaveriou in Piraeus (situated right between the cruise terminals).  Bus No 049 links Omonia Square in Athens and Themistokleous Square in Piraeus.  Alight at Karaiskaki sq which is opposite gate E8, and from here get a 843 bus to the cruise terminals located at gate E11 or E12.
Taxi
Cab prices are relatively modest in Athens, but unscrupulous drivers are not uncommon, so use the service recommended by your hotel. It’s more for baggage (EUR0,30 for each piece), and more for entrance to the port ( EUR0,60). The trip between Athens’ center and PiraeusPort takes around 30 min and the cab fare is around EUR20.
Travelling from Athens Airport to Piraeus Port
Metro Train
Line 3 connects Athens airport to Monastiraki where you change to green Line 1, taking you to Piraeus. The journey time between the airport and the port is about an hour and a quarter.
By Bus
Bus no X96 runs day and night between the airport and Piraeus’s Karaïskaki Square, with services 3 times an hour. The bus departs from the lot outside arrivals Gates 4 and 5. On arrival at Piraeus you need to catch a further bus to the cruise terminals (number|no 832, 833, 843 or 859).
Taxi
There’s an additional charge for trips from Athens’ airport, Baggage costs more on a per-item basis and the trip takes at least one hour (iit’s 30 km between the airport and the port) so the cab fare can be €50 or more.

Further Information 

Language:  Greeek
Currency: EURO