Cruising can be one of the most value-friendly vacations going. But how the heck do you choose from all the choices out there? Here are some resources (including non-traditional cruising, like freighters) and feedback.
How Princess Cruises is servIng up innovative dining
The exclusive dining experience on the Princess Discovery is unlike any other I have been a part of during my travels. "360: An Extraordinary Experience" is dining immersion making one feel like you’re sitting in the Greek countryside with olive trees or smelling the fragrance of lavender in the south of France. Thanks to Princess Cruises, I savored this time with fellow bloggers. I immediately became captivated with the experience when I heard beautiful music played by two violinists and…
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Come along with me to the land of the iguanas:
http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/blogs/wanderboomer/2011/10/13/land...
I was asked to give some information on cruising on small ships. Here ae a few bits of info. You can get more at www.smallshipcruises.com
WHAT IS CRUISING ON A SMALL SHIP LIKE?A small ship is part cruise ship and part private yacht. You have many of the advantages of cruising, but you can go to remote locations and out-of-the-way ports where big ships can’t go.
Typically, there are no group games, few announcements, no assigned dining room seating. Instead of bingo, you have the opportunity to visit the bridge at any time and stand at the helmstation, or on a very small ship perhaps take the helm yourself. Instead of a cruise director, you have historians, naturalists and other experts who give talks and slide shows and join you at dinner, perhaps an author or a wildlife photographer. Sometimes there is a casino, more likely not, or it will be small. Sometimes there is a piano bar or a band and a dance floor, but just as often there is a local band brought on board for dancing on the aft deck. Instead of spending much time inside the ship, you spend most time outside at destinations.
Usually there is focus on learning about the environment and people and cultures of the area, with some lectures by naturalists and historians, wildlife excursions with guides, and a library with books and videos on the destinations. You might learn about ancient roots of civilization while viewing Mayan ruins or archeological sites in the Greek Islands or you might get close to nature watching the courting dances of blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos, or feeding bananas to lemurs in the Seychelles. Because there are fewer people, you have the opportunity to meet with speakers in informal conversations. The lectures, the artworks, the closeness to the environment all provide a profound sense of place to the destinations.
Because of their turn-on-a-dime maneuverability the small ships can get into secluded coves and remote places inaccessible to bigger ships, going up rivers to where they are just navigable or going to places that can be reached only by water and are less often visited.
Because of the small number of passengers, the itinerary can be flexible. You can stay for the evening for a local festival, stop to watch a whale, or launch a zodiac in minutes if there is something special to see.
To your pae listing Info Sites I would appreciate your adding SmallShipCruises.com www.smallshipcruises.com We are the biggest website in the world on small ships.
Thank you.
Shirley Lidne, Editor
You can check out shore excursions that you can book independently at our website www.smallshipcruises.com
I can't etthe link to copy on here but go to the left hand column of the site and scroll down to the blue box What To Do Before You Go. It lists shore excursion choices all over the world.
Luxury Ginger Cruise in Halong Bay - Vietnam
http://www.vietvaluetravel.com/cruises/vietnam/halong-bay/ginger-cr...
Black Sea Cruises tailor-made Shore excursions in Nessebar & Varna, an experience to remember with www.privateguidevarna.com
Hi my name is Cara Bertoia a few weeks ago my husband and I were visiting downtown San Pedro, which has a really neat collection of shops, antique stores and local restaurants. We made our trip on a Friday morning when there was a Farmer’s Market on Sixth Street selling fresh produce. We strolled around the truly unique shops, until we were famished and then we had some great fried chicken and catfish at Porky’s BBQ, which I hear also serves great ribs, for next time.
We were on our way to the Whale and Ale Pub, a favorite of ours, from our cruise ship days. San Pedro was the port where our ship docked, whenever it stopped in Los Angeles and Long Beach is just a few miles down the road.
Well the Pub is only a block from Sixth Street, and on the way we passed a store with the sign ‘Maritime Research Center’. Well since we both love to sail we decided to check it out. Well imagine our surprise when we found a store filled with cruise ship memorabilia. It truly is like walking in a cruse ship museum. I know all Cruising fans would love this shop. There is a menu from the Queen Mary on the night Charles and Di married, and a newspaper from the day the Lusitania sank. They have over a 1,000 pieces on display including art and ship models.
They also have nautical books, Scott F. Gray the owner has written books on the Queen Mary and the QEII. And since it was such a good fit they are now selling copies of my novel Cruise Quarters – A Novel About Casinos And Cruise Ships. What better place to sell a novel about working on cruise ships?
Katherine and Scott are also very friendly and love to chat with their customers.
The address of the shop is: 301 West Seventh Street and the phone number is: 310-521-0175.
Their facebook page is:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Downtown-San-Pedro-7th-Street-Village...
http://www.amazon.com/Cruise-Quarters-Novel-About-Casinos/dp/146101...
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