Archive for category Cruise
Fiji – My Wish Come True
Posted by admin in Cruise, IsabellesTravel, My Travelin' Tweeps, South Pacific on January 13th, 2010
Please follow Isabelle on Twitter : @IsabellesTravel
I'm a passionate traveler who wants to help others make a memorable vacation!
Fiji- My Wish ComeTrue
What better time to think back on travel memories of a warm and lovely destination than during the cold winter.
Everybody has a wish list when it comes to travel. A certain destination or multiple ones, they just have to see! That choice can be based on stories you've heard by other travelers who have been there, or maybe through pictures you saw. I can't even remember why it was so high on my list. I think it was some sort of documentary I saw about it. My god, the beaches they showed and the crystal blue waters. Well, I knew one thing, I wanted to see Fiji!
To be honest, I’ve always thought it would be my honeymoon destination, but when my thirtieth birthday was around the corner, I decided to go ahead and plan a trip. And was I glad I did 
The Fiji Islands are located in the heart of the South Pacific. They consist of over 300 islands with the two largest islands being Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. I flew into Nadi, the international airport at Viti Levu.
Bula! Welcome to Fiji! I remember landing in Fiji and it was pouring rain and me thinking: “You got to be kidding me, I flew all this way for rain!” Luckily by the next morning, the rain stopped. 
My trip consisted of a three day cruise to do some island-hopping and a few days at a luxurious resort. In this story I'll focus on the 3 day cruise I went on. I did think this cruise was an excellent way to see multiple islands, even if it's sometimes just from a distance.
Meeting the other 10 passengers (yes, that's all, it felt like a private cruise was the first thing on the agenda. This wasn't hard, as we could talk over lunch, that was served while our cruise set sail to the Yasawa Islands. After a delicious meal and exploring the ship for a bit (it's not that big), we made our first stop: visiting a Fijian Village. We attended an ancient `Yagona` ceremony. Yagona or kava is the traditional drink of Fiji. It's a drink made in a wooden bowl, called Tanoa during a ceremony with music and clapping. Lovely to experience. A little tip, if you go visit a Fijian village, bring something for the children. We just took some candy and they loved it.
Back on board, we got ready for dinner. It was a special "Captain's Welcome" dinner. The crew also provided entertainment by singing and making music. And it was a nice chance to get to know my fellow passengers. They came from all countries: Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Canada and Germany.
Day 2 brought us to an amazing privately owned island which was gorgeous. It's my number 1 in my Top 5 of Most Beautiful Beaches You could relax in a hammock, sunbath, but also see some colorful underwater spectacles while snorkeling. I just loved it! And on top of that, there was a BBQ served on the beach, for a beach lover like me, this was heaven on earth!
In the evening, we were in for a surprise. The crew set up our dinner on shore in a traditional Fijian way. They prepared our food in a "lovo" which is an earth oven. Really cool to see! It was an amazing evening, we did a little quiz/show and we had to tell something about our own country. At the end, the crew treated us to some more music and dancing. A magical night under the stars.
Already the last day, too bad this was such a short trip… still I think it's a great way to see a bit more of the Fijian Islands. There are longer cruises too, but because I was only in Fiji for a week I decided on the short cruise and a beach stay for a couple of days. After another tasty breakfast ~ the food was marvellous on this boat! ~ our last stop, another Fijian Island. You could go for a beach walk, snorkeling or just relax on yet another beautiful beach.
Later we headed back to the port, but not before enjoying lunch and afternoon tea. To top of this lovely experience, the crew sang their farewell song "Isa Lei" to say goodbye.
I have to say, this cruise was amazing, the food was suburb, the crew outstanding and the travel companions delightful. It's one of my most fantastic travel memories. You know, the Fijian Islands aren't called the "Friendly Islands" for no reason. They make you feel so welcome with their "Bula" and music & dance. Fiji was everything I expected and more. I'll definitely go back one day!
Isabelle was one of the first tweeps I followed when I started on Twitter. She always brings a smile to my face when I see her in my Twitter stream. It makes my day when she interacts with me or retweets me. Now, we are friends and check up on each other outside of twitter.
Thank you, Isabelle for contributing one of your dreams come true.
I sincerely wish all your hopes and dreams come true!!–Stephanie 
Follow Me: It’s My First Time at Sea
Posted by admin in A Road Retraveled, Caribbean, Caribbean Cruise, Cruise, Mexico, My Travelin' Tweeps on December 10th, 2009
Please follow Simone di Santi on twitter: ARoadRetraveled
Traveling Girl + loaded camcorder on adventures= travel shows! Producer & host of A Road Retraveled & Traveling Tidbits.
Follow Me: It's My First Time at Sea
I'm not a travel writer, I let my video camera show you what words can never accurately describe. But I am taking this opportunity to share with you some thoughts about my recent cruise aboard The Crown Princess, on a twitter press hosted by Princess Cruises. I won't tell you all about the cruise since that will be (or currently is, depending on when you are reading this) on the A Road Retraveled and Traveling Tidibits travel shows, but I'd like to tell you what I learned about taking a cruise as opposed to traveling independently (which is what I normally do).
I never took a cruise before because my impression was cruising is for people too old to travel the old fashioned way, it would be too restrictive, limiting, boring, unlimited bad food, lack of on-land adventures, and an entire litany of what seemed like legitimate reasons. But after a week at sea, I abandoned my skepticism and became a convert!
1. Cruise ships are resorts at sea, with every imaginable amenity: pools, gyms, spas, cafe, dining rooms, art galleries, game rooms, sports, casinos, bars, night clubs, shopping, theater, movie screens, you name it, they will probably have it, and much more you never imagined!! I lacked for nothing my entire week at sea.
2. You don't have to sacrifice on-land adventures. Day excursions at ports of call provided an exciting 4×4 caravan tour of Grand Cayman and a thrilling Harley Davidson Safari in Cozumel Mexico. I've had more excitement in one action packed week cruising through Western Caribbean on Crown Princess than a month on traveling on land!! And if you book day excursions through the cruise line, like Princess Cruises, you not only secure your spot on a tour, but deal with legitimate tour operators and agencies who meet the required criteria by the cruise line. Although great experiences are not guaranteed, at least you know you won't get scammed by unknown operators on land.
And if you're on a budget or organized tours don't rock your boat, you can do your homework ahead of time, and find out what's fun and exciting to do on land. Or, just play it by ear and explore it yourself. Whatever you choose, be sure you don't miss the boat. It WILL sail without you! Another reason why I like organized tours at ports of call is they get you back to the ship on time and you don't have to worry about arriving late.
3. Sometimes even adventurous travelers need a vacation. As we hopped from one country to another through the Caribbean, not once did I have to pack, unpack, catch a train, miss the bus, get on a plane, check in and out of hotels — all of which are my least favorite parts about traveling. On a cruise ship, your "hotel" travels with you!!
4. You don't have a food budget on a cruise. One of my anxieties when traveling independently is finding a place to eat that doesn't have a tourist menu, it's not over priced and over rated, and it's not too far out of my way that makes getting back to my hotel a hassle. Then there are other issues like not knowing who cooks your food, if the food is fresh and clean, or if the kitchen is up to par with the health department standards so you won't go home with a bad case of food poisoning.
On Crown Princess not only did we meet the ship's Executive Chef Giuseppe Pollara, but we went on a tour of the galley where our food stored and prepared, and visits from the health department are public knowledge since if the ship fails inspections, it will be immediately docked. And it a huge bonus that the Executive Chef is Italian too…I love Italian food!!
5. Anyone with health issues, worried about adequate medical facilities abroad, or qualified and English speaking doctors would be happy to know that cruise ships like Crown Princess have state of the art medical facilities prepared to handle any kind of emergency that doesn't require surgery, and are run by qualified English speaking medical staff. If you loose your medication, they carry most prescriptions on ship. Let's hope the worst health issues you'd ever experience on a cruise is a mild case of sea sickness!!
6. When we set sail, Tropical Storm Idea threatened the Caribbean, and we were scheduled to follow its path. If I was traveling by land and found myself in the middle of an approaching tropical storm or hurricane, I'd have to either cancel my trip and be at the mercy of cancellation fees or travel insurance, evacuate, or spend my entire time there in horrible weather. All of that was avoided (except, for one rainy day in Roatan, Honduras) when Princess changed course and itinerary and avoided the path of Ida. When I previously wondered how would a cruise ship fare in the middle of a tropical storm hurricane, I realized it's easy: it just changes course to keep the passengers safe and in better weather to enjoy their time at sea.
7. I'm not fond of the idea of going to a night club when on vacation, drink one too many, and then make your way back to your hotel. A lot of bad things can and have happened that way. On a cruise ship, you can party till wee hours in nightclubs such as Crown Princess' Skywalker Nightclub, drink to your heart's desire, and NOT worry about how you'll get to your hotel because the most you'll have to do is take the elevator to your stateroom. And with so many crew members on board, you know you're safe 24/7. Another bonus: You don't have to worry about drinking and driving on a cruise either!
8. Unless I'm in NY, I don't have the opportunity to see a Broadway style theater performance after dinner….either there aren't any theater performances available in the area, or they're so out of the way that trying to make it on time after dinner was never a possibility. And there's the whole transportation issue of getting from point A to point B, taxi, traffic, parking, etc. I was thrilled to enjoy two theater performances on Crown Princess right after fine dining downstairs. How much simpler can it get?
9. I was previously also under the impression that being on a cruise ship I'd be denied international companionship like I enjoy when traveling on land. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is getting to know people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. I was pleasantly surprised to have met wonderful crew members from all over the world, and although time was limited because they were on duty, I'm very happy to have had the time to meet and talk to them. They were transformed from crew members, to international friends.
10. Just because you're at sea, it doesn't mean you're out of touch with family and friends. Not only Princess provides a telephone number if someone on land needs to reach you during the cruise, but with a 24 hour a day Internet Cafe and wi-fi for your laptop or smart phones, you can stay in touch with the whole world even. It's important to keep in mind that internet on cruise ships is a recent technology, and it's still very expensive and the internet via satellite is slow – so uploading videos or chatting via skype is not possible at this time.
Travel is not just about opening your mind to different destinations, but to different modes of travel as well. By limiting yourself to one way of traveling, or the way you've always traveled, you're eliminating vast possibilities for unique opportunities. You may not like every every mode of travel, just like you may not like every destination you've traveled to…but in the process, you might discover something unexpectedly fabulous!
Until next time,
Ciao for now!
Who would have thought #followmeatsea would have brought us together? I am so thankful to Princess Cruises for our new friendship!!
I appreciate you for indulging my begging and pleading to put your fingers to the keyboard and share your insights to why cruising can be a fun way to travel for everyone. Thanks so much, Simone! —Stephanie aka TravelDesigned
Carnival Mexican Riviera Cruise
Posted by admin in Cruise, Cruise Bart, Mexican Riviera, Mexico, My Travelin' Tweeps, San Diego, United States on November 21st, 2009
Please follow CruiseBart on Twitter: CruiseBart
Cruising the internet looking for the best cruise deals, finding the best cruise-related websites and passing it on to the World of Twitter
Cruise Bart Cruisin’ on Carnival’s Spirit 
I didn't tweet much on the boat (at .55 a minute) but sent out a couple and read a few. The holiday was great! We had so much fun with the kids on board (save one small incident where my daughter went missing for a half hour in a friend's cabin).
We got into San Diego at around 2:00 on Friday afternoon and got over to the hotel using the hotel shuttle. The Holiday Inn at the Bay is really nice, I had zero complaints. Free internet, rooms seemed very clean, front desk staff were all nice, I really like it. Proof again that you should discount the worst 20% and best 20% of the reviews you read. Super close to the terminal and for the price (I think it was $129 for the bay view), couldn't beat it. Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas and the Carnival Elation were in port so we got to watch them pull out that night. The kids thought that was pretty neat, watching the ships pull away from the dock with the foghorns blowing. We walked down the boardwalk a ways, then went back to the pool and had dinner. Everyone sacked out early so I took my laptop and sat in the lobby for a while Tweeting.
Next morning, we got up and had breakfast. Dropped our luggage with the concierge and headed over to the USS MIdway. My son and I had a great time looking at all the different exhibits. My wife and daughter were very unimpressed and in reflection, I should have put them in a cab and sent them to the mall. Anyways, we got off the Midway around 4:00 and saw the Spirit just pulling into harbor. We were supposed to be able to start boarding at 2:00 but they were very late getting in from Hawaii. We grabbed our bags from the hotel and went through embarkation which was a bit of a nightmare. Due to the lateness, they couldn't get us boarded until about 5:30. The San Diego cruise terminal is really just a metal building and with no air conditioning, the San Diego sun made it a bit unbearable. Our kids were pretty good but I felt really bad for some of the seniors who had to endure that. Anyway, we got on and ran up to the Lido for some supper and refreshments. We went to bed at about 10:00 and apparently the ship pulled out at midnight. The kids got ripped off, in that we didn't get to see either the ship pulling out or coming back in. Guess that's reason to go on another cruise.
Sunday we woke up to find ourselves floating south in the Pacific Ocean. We could barely make out the coast but we were still close enough to see it. Got a couple pictures as we passed Cabo but it was pretty hazy. Had a light rain in the afternoon for about a half hour but it was so warm, it was like standing in my shower at home. We took the kids to Camp Carnival at 10:00 AM and after lunch they went back for a couple more hours. Lots of good activities to keep them busy.
Monday was a second day at sea and we spent it relaxing, reading, shopping onboard. Kids were in and out of Camp Carnival, hanging out with some new friends they had met. Had our first formal night which was a hoot, delicious lobster. Still have yet to be disappointed with a meal on Carnival.
The kids learned to make towel animals in the Camp Carnival
Tuesday we arrived in Manzanillo at 9:00. We took an excursion called Beach and Shop arranged through Carnival. Hopped off the boat on to a bus, headed down to the main square. They took us around to a couple small shops. Then we hopped back in the bus and went up in the hills above the bay to take some pictures.
Manzanillo is beautiful, seems very unspoiled although there is a lot of construction going on with new condos being built. Reminds of what Acapulco or Cancun were probably like years ago, before they got all built up. Jumped back on the bus and went to a beach club where we had lunch. Yummy nachos with refried beans and cheese melted over it. My kids just wanted hamburgers, yeesh, why do I take them anywhere I wonder? A couple hours, a couple Dos Equis and back on the bus to the ship. Got some good pictures of the kids in the sand and I think we agreed that Manzanillo had the best beach of the three places we visited.
Wednesday we arrived in Ixtapa. We took a bus through town and hopped on these little 8 person fishing boats out to Ixtapa Island. Had a great spot on the beach with umbrella-covered tables and lounge chairs. Spent four hours lounging, eating, drink Dos Equis (I think you will see a trend here). Kids spent the whole time playing in the water and we dragged them back to the table for a huge plate of nachos (again, another trend).
Into the little fishing boats and back to the ship for supper. Kids were in bed and we crashed out after all the sun, sand & Dos Equis.
Thursday we woke up to find ourselves in Acapulco.
We started off by heading to see the cliff divers. That was very impressive. Kicked myself for not buying a little handheld video camera prior to the trip. Got some good stills of them diving but a video would have been good. Across the street to a silver store for shopping and free margaritas (so glad my wife doesn't like tequila). Back on the bus and then a bit of a long ride to a beach resort. Short lunch (yup, a couple Dos Equis), sat by the pool for a half hour, took some pictures of the surf and then back on the bus. The ship was only in Acapulco for 6 hours so we should have taken an excursion with just one stop (either beach, cliff diving or shopping). Too much of the day was spent in the bus running from place to place.
Friday was a ship day, spent it relaxing and catching up on some sleep. Spent a bit of time in the casino, won $60 (which I promptly gave back the next day along with another $60). Enjoyed our second formal night, the waiters sang for us. Fun was had by all!
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Saturday was our last ship day and our last day. Spent most of the day relaxing, reading and then some packing in the afternoon. Enjoyed chatting with all the dining room staff we had met over the week as we enjoyed our "Last Supper". One of the waiters taught my son how to fold a napkin into a candle complete with a little flame that pops up. Now every time we go to a restaurant, he's folding napkins. I told him if he kept it up, I was going to put him to work on a cruise ship to help pay for his trip.
Sunday morning we woke up as we were pulling into San Diego. We had to be up to meet US Customs at 6:45 before they would let anyone off the ship (damn Canadians!!). We finally got off about 10:00 and jumped in a taxi.
We headed over to Paradise Point Resort in the Mission Area. I booked it the night before we left for $89. What a beautiful resort, my wife couldn't believe I got it for so cheap. We even managed to get checked in so we could drop our suitcases and then we walked around taking pictures, the kids fed the ducks and my wife walked the beach looking for seashells. In the afternoon, the kids played in the pool and I slept under an umbrella. Afterwards, we ate dinner at a little beach bar/cafe on the resort right on the dock. It was an amazing place. If you are looking for a good place away from downtown, I recommend it. It’s about 5 minutes from SeaWorld. Only complaint was the rooms smelled a little bit musty. There weren't any windows in the room that could be left open so I suspect the smell gets locked up in it. We left the door open for an hour or so before we went to bed and it seemed fine after that, maybe I was just used to it. Monday morning we got up, hopped on the plane and we were back in Calgary.
Hope you didn't have to duck out to get a bite to eat in the middle of my story. I was just so excited about our holiday it was hard to stop typing.
Thanks, Bart for sharing your family's cruise vacation with us. Looks like I have some ammunition when you tease me about tequila now–I get the impression not only do you enjoy cruising, you are quite fond of Dos Equis!! –Your Pal, Stephanie aka TravelDesigned
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