Posts Tagged ‘Cruise’

A Cruise In The Beautiful Virgin Islands?

Cruises are an exciting and relaxing vacation. They allow you the opportunity to relax, enjoy the open sea, and enjoy the many luxuries of the ship. Selecting a cruise destination can be hard. There are so many great destinations out there. One of the most popular destinations is the Virgin Islands.

If you are interested in a cruise to the Virgin Islands, there are numerous vacation packages you can check into. There are several offers online or you can check with your local travel agency.  The cost is going to vary depending on special offers, the type of accommodations you are wanting, how many days you plan to travel, and if you need airfare. Many packages include more than one port of call.

Most cruise ships are set up with activities to entertain people of all ages. Parent and children will have plenty to do throughout their day.  A cruise to the Virgin Islands will allow you to enjoy traveling the ocean as well as taking on time on new land. Here you can explore the beaches, rain forests, and exotic wildlife. You can then return to the ship to continue on your ocean journey.

Cruise ships are a very safe method of travel. Everyone boarding a cruise ship is instructed on safety procedures and life jacket use prior to the ship living the port. They also allow for more leisurely travel. Some cruise ships hold only a few hundred people while others hold thousands of people. Some of the activities onboard include exercise classes, night clubs, gambling, bingo, and crafts. Many cruise ships have pool tables and bowling alleys. You just might even forget you are on a ship once you start getting involved in the many available activities.

A Guide to Mediterranean Cruise

Mediterranean CruiseNatural beauty of Mediterranean Sea, romantic Greek islands and visiting ancient cities along the way have attracted many people from around the world to enjoy Mediterranean cruise as their lifetime experience. Hence, the Mediterranean cruise has the most varied type of cruise routes available. There are over 100 seaports around the Mediterranean coastline, offering numerous combinations of cruise vacation from 3-day trip to over two-week trip.   

You can expect a diversity culture experience on a Mediterranean cruise. There are over 15 countries for you to visit, including Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Portugal, Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Turkey, Ukraine, Morocco, etc. Each country has its own unique attractions, all of which you can sample as your cruise ship gracefully sails around the calm blue Mediterranean Sea.

mediterranean_cruiseThere are two major routes of Mediterranean cruise among varied routes in the Mediterranean, Eastern and Western Mediterranean cruises. On a short trip of Western Mediterranean cruise, you can depart from Civittavecchia port of Rome, Italy, then visit unique cities of Florence and Pisa in Italy, Cote d’Azur resort towns of Villefranche-Sur-Mer in France, and the world-famous Las Ramblas in Barcelona along the way before traveling onwards to Malaga, Spain. The Western Mediterranean cruise offers the wonderful coastline of Italy with the dormant volcano of Mt Vesuvius, ancient Pompeii and the stunning city of Rome. The islands of Sicily and Sardinia are also exciting places to visit on the Western Mediterranean cruise.

The Eastern Mediterranean cruise offers route to the Greek Isles visiting Piraeus (Athens) – Greece, Santorini – Greece, Mykonos – Greece, Corfu – Greece, Kusadesi (Ephesus) – Turkey, etc. In another route of the Eastern Mediterranean cruise, you can discover the spectacular Croatian coastline and its beautiful city – Dubrovnik, before diving southeastwards to sample classical Greece and its sultry islands. The island of Crete with the historic Palace of Knossos is always worth a visit.

The longer period cruise package (12 to 16-night cruise trip) usually offers both Western and Eastern Mediterranean routes and additional routes to the North African nations and the island nations of Cyprus and Malta with variation on port of calls. Some of the options include Aegean Adventure, Adriatic and Aegean Highlights, Greek Isles and Adriatic, Classical Empires, Black Sea and Turkish Treasures, etc. With so many options available, you just need to evaluate your purpose and your preferences for Mediterranean cruise you want.

Rome attractionsHistory, culture, grand cities, ancient monuments, romantic islands and spectacular views are among the attractions you will discover on Mediterranean cruise. The Mediterranean regions have witnessed the rise and fall of ancient civilization since thousands years ago. The countries in Mediterranean are rich in historical relics left over by thousands years of occupation. If you have ever wanted to have a truly unique holiday experience, take a Mediterranean cruise.

Moving Memories Through Cruise Ship Weddings

Every couple wants an exceptional wedding experience. Some may opt for a solemn church wedding; others may seek a colorful garden wedding, while others may decide on setting their vows in extreme and extraordinary ways. But whatever you like your wedding event to be, nothing compares to the exceptionally that cruise ship weddings offers.

With its growing popularity for the past decades, many couples choose this special experience to tie their knots, because of its grandiose arrangement, and its evenhanded outlays. That is why many wedding planners in cooperation with cruise ship agencies are offering such a package at a reasonable price.

But even if the meaning of having a reasonable price is still hundreds of thousands, the package being presented for this type of marriage celebration is complete and can be enjoyed both by the couples and their guests. Your wedding will only be for one day, but memories that you and your partner, as well as all of your guests have carved on board will be considered everlasting.

The reason why there are a lot of couples choosing to get married aboard a sea vessel and not on the Holy church at a dry land is the fact that the uniqueness of the destination and of the experience getting to wed while riding the waves is a big advantage for such a memorable celebration. It’s simply a matchless way to celebrate love!

Moreover, having a wedding on the ship while overlooking a breathtaking degree of ocean view will create a feeling of like “all of the heaven’s eyes are on you and your partner”. Nonetheless, it is also very instrumental in creating wonders and awe in each of guest witnessing this memorable event.

Taking the waters for exchanging of vows will also fashion a hushed and tranquil atmosphere that will provide a beautiful setting for “I do’s” and other intimate talks.

In addition, what sets this type of wedding scene apart from the traditional ones celebrated inside cathedrals, is that you can opt to have your marriage ceremony done while you are on board the ship , or you can also have a cruise around the crystal blue waters surrounding the different islands of the Caribbean, and after the voyage, you can stopover at a beautiful spot and exchange your vows on the shore.

The latter option is usually what every bride calls a “dream wedding” set on white sands and unruffled waves. Moreover, the majestic open space that nature offers is also quite impressive for wedding receptions compared to having the party set on hotels where there is much restrictions for fun and actions.

Getting wed on a cruise ship will give you a chance to let the natural world decorate your wedding day. That is, you will be witnessing birds chirping along as you switch vows. You will also feel the refreshing cool breeze of the wind, and the solemnity that the clear blue sky gives.

Many couples have also been impressed with the smell of fresh flowers and trees, and the unexpected natural light that illuminated the whole event, such as the romantic sunrise and sunset, as well as the enchanted beam that the moon and twinkling stars bring.

Cruise South America With Costa Cruises

An adventurous cruise through South America will take in a huge array of wildlife, you could see many natural wonders and some spectacular scenery, and even lost cities along the way. Rich with beauty and atmosphere, a South American cruise truly is a unique experience.

For travellers who are in search of breath taking mountain views, vast tropical rainforests and natural, rugged beauty a South American cruise really is it. The west coast of Chile with deep fjords and icy glaciers is something to behold. In contrast you could experience the tropical atmosphere of a mangrove river in Costa Rica or explore a tranquil fishing village in Mexico. This huge continent covers many thousands of miles and has equatorial tropics and sub Antarctic regions. There are fourteen countries and territories that make up the continent and that means some wonderfully diverse cultures as well as many interesting animals to be seen, from Whales to Penguins and Sea Lions as well as many tropical birds.

This is adventure cruising, and as well as the main cruise itself, you will probably want to take excursions away from your ship in order to truly experience this region. Boat up the Amazon to see the jungle surround you and a wonderful array of wildlife and birds that just can’t be seen anywhere else. Take an excursion to see OIinda, a wonderful Portuguese hilltop town which is now a UNESCO world heritage site. Or sightsee in the exotic and cosmopolitan Rio de Janeiro. You might even take in Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands on your route and experience a little slice of Britain out in the South Atlantic.

Travel round the Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of the southernmost continent, and visit Patagonia, a vast landscape of deserts and mountains that stretch between Chile and Argentina which in it’s gentlest parts looks something like the wildest areas of Scotland, here you can go penguin spotting and visit the national glacier parks, and possibly even see a killer whale. There are so many places to visit in this area that no cruise can take them all in, but whichever route you choose you are bound to experience some wonderful sights, and if visiting Antarctica appeals to you, it is possible to take a day cruise out there from some main cruises, but these can be expensive at around £1,500 per person for this day event. It is however a once in a lifetime experience.

In between visits to exotic places, there is of course the wonder of the South Atlantic ocean to see. From your ship at night you will be able to view the stars over the water in this vast unspoilt area, and there are many aquatic creatures to look out for along the way in the daytime such as the South American sea lion which can be found on the Peruvian, Uruguayan, Argentine and Chilean coasts. So, with fine dining aboard ship and adventurous trips inland to be taken, as well as incredible wildlife and astounding landscapes and seascapes to be seen, most people enjoy cruising this area which is like no other anywhere on the globe.

A Cruise Through The Royal Carribbean

cruises are luxury hotels that move every half hour, it’s a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, a mass of one hundred thousand tons, that glides on the ocean between Florida and the islands of the Caribbean on a regular basis.

Royal Caribbean International is the second largest cruise ship operator in the world with revenues in excess of $4 billion. It owns 28 ships with more than 65,000 berths on them and is growing. Here’s their story.

Flash back to 1969. An idea suddenly struck Arne Wilhelmsen and Edwin Stephan (Arne was a Harvard-educated investor and Edwin a famous Floridian businessman). The idea was that there was a large community of extremely wealthy Americans in Florida, and that this community would put down top dollar for a short, relaxing luxury cruise to the nearby Caribbean.

Arne and Edwin marketed this brainwave to some of the shipping magnates in Norway who readily bought it and came up with large investments. After a short gestation period, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (and an entire new industry) was born.

By the next year (1970), the infant company could speak of it’s first possession: The SONG OF NORWAY, a splendid cruise ship, weighing 18,500 tons and equipped for 700 passengers, custom-built in Finland. The most stunning feature of it was a cocktail lounge cantilevered around the smokestack (Edwin Stephen got the idea from the Seattle Space Needle). This lounge was built into many of the Line’s later ships and became the hallmark of the Company’s fleet.

* Growth, Growth and More Growth *

The founders of the Company pursued their vision of achieving market dominance through a continual program of adding ships and services. A consolidated record of this, which is very difficult to find elsewhere in the media, is presented below:

1971

Cruise ships NORDIC PRINCE and SUN VIKING arrive

1978

SONG OF NORWAY cut in half, 75-foot piece with 164 cabins introduced in between

1980

NORDIC PRINCE augmented the same way

1982

SONG OF AMERICA arrives with a larger, more luxurious lounge around the smokestack

1988

SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS, the largest cruise ship ever built at 73,162 tons for 2,276 passengers, arrives at a cost of $150 million

1990

- NORDIC EMPRESS arrives

- The Company expands beyond the Caribbean: Mexico, Alaska, and Europe are added as destinations;

- Industry’s first computerized booking system introduced

1991

- MONARCH OF THE SEAS arrives, ready for 2,354 passengers

1992

- MAJESTY OF THE SEAS delivered, equipped for 2,354 passengers

1993

- The Company goes public

1995

- LEGEND OF THE SEAS arrives, built for 1,804 passengers

1996

- GRANDEUR OF THE SEAS arrives at 74,000 tons and for 2,440 passengers

- SPLENDOUR OF THE SEAS, in the same class as GRANDEUR, delivered

1997

- Name changed to Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited (RCCL)

- RCCL buys Celebrity Cruises and its four working ships from Chandris Lines at a cost of $1.3 billion

- RHAPSODY OF THE SEAS, at 79,000 tons and for 2,435 passengers, is delivered

- ENCHANTMENT OF THE SEAS, at 74,000 tons and for 2,440 passengers, arrives

1998

- Enter VISION OF THE SEAS, 79,000 tons and to carry 2,435 passengers

- Joint ownership agreement signed with Chicago’s Pritzker family (that has $15 billion in assets) and Haifa’s Ofer family (that owns one of the world’s largest shipping companies, Ofer Brothers Shipping Co)

1999

- VOYAGER OF THE SEAS comes in at a whopping 140,000 tons for 3,114 guests

2000

- EXPLORER OF THE SEAS arrives; in the VOYAGER class, it has marine laboratories on board as well

2001

- ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS arrives: 3,114 passengers accommodated per cruise

- RADIANCE OF THE SEAS delivered: 2,100 passenger capacity at 90,000 tons, with gas turbines, it is the first in it’s class

- The company buys 20% of UK tour operator First Choice and launches a joint venture cruise line. It offers land-based tours in Alaska through Royal Celebrity Tours.

2002

- BRILLIANCE OF THE SEAS, a vessel in the RADIANCE class, arrives and is ready for duty

2003

- SERENADE OF THE SEAS, the third RADIANCE class vessel, is delivered

2004

JEWEL OF THE SEAS, RADIANCE class, makes its debut

… and of course, more ships, even larger that the earlier ones, are on order!

* Conclusion *

With revenues in excess of $4 billion, RCCL is a juggernaut which will not slow down.

Its ships are floating cities, boast amenities such as rock climbing walls, miniature golf courses, swimming pools, ice skating rinks, sun decks, basketball courts, beauty salons, exercise and spa facilities, gaming facilities, lounges, bars, cabaret performances, cinemas, shopping arcades, multiple restaurants and casinos.

Most importantly, when on a cruise, one experiences some priceless bonuses: unpolluted air and a virtually noise-free environment. These are truly, in the modern context, balm for the soul.

If you can afford the entirely reasonable average fare of $400 per person for a 3-night cruise in a luxury stateroom don’t think twice about it, sign up for a cruise and gain the experience of a lifetime!