posted by admin on May 11
Destination Preview: Exotic South America
© 2007, All Rights Reserved
From cosmopolitan opera houses to cowboys on the range, South America is an immensely diverse cocktail of everything from regal to rustic. A cultural mecca as well as a wildlife sanctuary, this birthplace of the tango rewards visitors with constant sites, adventures and taste temptations. White-sand beaches, glacier-dotted coastlines and dense green forests offer every outdoor enthusiast something to anticipate. Five-star restaurants, boutique shopping and museums provide welcome relaxation.
Chile Offers Diverse and Interesting Activities
As you approach this port, you’ll immediately take note of the abundant wildlife. The confluence of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans is of particular appeal. On a few cruise lines, such as Celebrity, onboard naturalists are at the ready to show points of interest within this exceptional ecosystem. Once on land, you’ll want to enjoy one of the favorite local snacks here: Chilean wine and sausages.
Tour local wineries and visit private clubs, where you’ll delight in wine and sausage tastings. Take a tour aboard one of two 65-foot motor-sail yachts where you’ll be catered to with a gourmet lunch. For the more adventurous types, embark to the Andean Lake National Park on a canoe trip that escalates into a trek across Loreley Island. Still better for the extremely active, take a 4×4 safari, as you explore the foothills of Osorno Volcano and then ascend to 4,000 feet to view some of the most breathtaking scenery on the continent. Excursions are even available that allow you to snow ski while looking over the ocean!
From motor-coach tours to wildlife encounters with penguins to strenuous hikes, there is nothing ordinary about Chile.
Argentina Calls to the Intellectual and Adventurous
Regal: sophisticated: mystical. Argentina hails as the origin point of the tango and bears a striking resemblance in many ways to Europe. Opera houses, museums and cathedrals beckon to the intellectual while sea lions, river quests and gaucho fiestas call to the adventurous.
Take a comprehensive sightseeing tour and view the amazing architecture of the Recoleta Quarter, Plaza de Mayo and Metropolitan Cathedral. If you prefer excitement, a wide range of escapades are available. Spend the day in the company of authentic gauchos, as you attend a genuine Argentinean barbecue (called an asado). You’ll be entertained by local musicians and regaled with demonstrations of skill and horsemanship.
Need more adventure still? A day trip to Iguazu Falls sets you free to cruise the Iguacu River right up to the waterfall. Shift gears from your boat to a four-wheeler and zoom through the subtropical forest to take in all the native wildlife and foliage. Delta and river cruises are also popular.
At the end of the day, sit back, relax and let yourself be overwhelmed by the beauty and grace of professional dancers engaged in the tango. This entertainment extravaganza is the perfect way to end a fun-filled day.
From the Strait of Magellan to Brazil, Peru and beyond, Celebrity and other cruise lines now offer an impressive collection of premium South American destinations. With an entire continent to explore, you’re sure to find something for every member of the family to enjoy!
Roy Witman is Vice-President of Cruise Vacation Center at <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com">http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com</a> offering the best deals on <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com/european_cruises.htm"> European cruises</a>.
Cruise Ship Dining Explained
There are many cruise ships now that have Freestyle Dining (Norwegian Cruises) or Choice Dining (Prince Cruise line) available. Or on Disney Cruise Lines they have what is called Rotational Dining . They have you and your table mates rotate through the three restaurants each evening.
CRUISE TIPS: There is usually open seating for breakfast and lunch in the main dining room. Be adventurous with the menu because if you don t like something you can send it back for a replacement. And if they have two things on the menu that you like ask for both of them. My husband, John, always orders the Filet Mignon and the Lobster Tail when they are served on the same night. Many times he tells the waiter to bring what the waiter recommends for that evening.
This means you don t have to choose first or second seating. (First seating is 6:00 to 6:30 and Second seating is usually 8:00-8:30). There can be more than one restaurant where you just walk in when you are ready to dine. Every ship will ask for your dining preference when you book your cruise. You can indicate first, second or flexible dining, whichever will make you more comfortable. The newer ships have a 24 hour dining spot which is always casual so if you don t want to do the formal nights you don t have to, although I find dressing up to be quite fun.
You will have many options for each meal. You may have any meal delivered to your room, taken in the buffet restaurant or in the dining room. There is usually outdoor dining around the pool with hot dogs and hamburgers, pizza, salads, even Tacos.
There are also alternative dining rooms available on some ships that require an additional fee but the service and food are generally 4 to 5 star and worth it if you want to splurge.
In my experience families with young children and people who go to bed early usually dine in first seating. But if you don t want to be on a schedule or want to meet new people every night, go for the alternative dining option. Of course you can always ask for a table for two, but be aware that there are only a few of them.
If you make a special request one night, John always asks for blue cheese, your waiter will bring it every night. They pride themselves on remembering your tastes. (This only happens when you choose traditional dining). On one cruise we asked for Melba toast, and you bet, every night we had Melba toast. There is one thing I always make clear to the waiter. I am not a big eater but I like to taste everything. I tell this to them the first night so they don t think I am unhappy with the food. It is their job to keep you happy and they take it very seriously.
If you don t want to eat in the main dining room almost all ships have a Lido caf © where it is casual but you order from a menu and are served by a waiter. It s one of the many choices if you don t want to participate in a formal night or if you just want to eat by yourselves. On Carnivals single cruises they encourage this style of dining so the singles can meet more people. There are exceptions to this but not many. On some of the newer ships the Lido is open 24 hours a day.
On most of the cruise lines they offer the food of the region that you are visiting. While on Hawaiian cruises expect to be served Hawaiian food. When on an Alaskan cruise you will be given the choices of salmon and Alaskan king crab legs. It makes more fun to dine on the local cuisine.
All of the cruise lines offer healthy alternative menus or what they call spa menus. So if you want low-fat, low-salt, low cholesterol, vegetarian or any other type of diet, they are available. It is best however to inform your travel agent of any special needs so they can notify the cruise line ahead of time. If you have special dietary needs make sure the cruise lines knows before hand. For example, Royal Caribbean cruises cater to food allergy, Kosher, Indian, Vegetarian and Gluten Free Diets.
To be really safe read all of the cruise reviews and cruise critics sites for each ships food and service ratings.
Happy Cruising, enjoy it, we do!
Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.CruisingTips.com
What Cruise Destinations are Hot
Right now, the areas of cruising that are selling very well are the Mediterranean and Alaska. These two areas are selling so well that Royal Caribbean has moved a total of 7 ships, from the Caribbean and Alaska, to mop up the excess business that has taken them by surprise. Carnival Cruises is launching their brand-new ship there-the Carnival Freedom. This is unprecedented for Carnival. Since they began, every new ship that they built was always launched in the Caribbean arena. After the Carnival Freedom finishes the Mediterranean cruises, it will be doing 7 day Eastern and Western Caribbean areas starting in the fall of 2007. Alaska cruises and Alaska cruisetours are selling very well. If you are planning on booking a cruise in either the Mediterranean or Alaska, you should not wait. These cruises are seasonal and space is obviously limited. The old ploy of waiting to get a last minute special is not going to work in these areas because demand is astronomical. If you are going to the Mediterranean or Alaska-book it now. Now, when there are areas that are booming, like the Mediterranean and Alaska, obviously that means there are areas that are lagging. This means you will find better than normal rates in these areas. Right now, those areas that are lagging are the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Bermuda. You can get lower than normal rates for these cruises because demand is lagging. My advice is don’t follow the crowd. If you really want to go to the Mediterranean or Alaska, unless you can find an off date that is affordable, wait until next year. Take advantage of the low rates for the Caribbean, Bermuda and Bahamas cruises. You will save a mint and still have a great time. Since rates are lower than normal, it is a perfect opportunity to find a new ship that you wanted to try out but in the past was out of your price range. The one thing that is a constant in the cruise industry is change. What’s hot this year won’t be the next year. Go against the crowd and it will save you a lot of money! All Aboard Cruises Corp are experts in Caribbean Cruises, Mediterranean cruises and Alaska cruises and can be found at http://www.allaboardcruisescorp.com. For more information on Caribbean Cruises, see All Aboard Cruises Corp.
President of All Aboard Cruises Corp <a href=http://www.allaboardcruisescorp.com>Caribbean Cruises</a>
At the Helm: Bob Dickinson, Carnival Cruise Line's CEO
by Roy Witman © 2006, All Rights Reserved
Often hailed as the most popular and the largest cruise line, Carnival didn’t make it to number one on its own. It’s had a lot of direction from CEO Bob Dickinson. Who is this man and what measures has he taken to make sure every passenger has a blast when sailing on a Fun Ship ?
A former employee of both Ford Motor Company and RCA, Dickinson achieved the position of executive vice president of Carnival in 1972. In 1993, he was promoted to president and a short time later added CEO to that title.
With a strong marketing and operational vision for the cruise line, Dickinson has brought this once fledgling company to superstar status through his unique innovations. In fact, he is so admired in the industry that Dickinson was named “1999 Travel Executive of the Year” by Travel Trade magazine. He was also awarded a position in Advertising Age magazine’s 100 Best Marketers in the Nation.
Part of his management savvy is due to his willingness to participate in programs such as PBS’s Back to the Floor where six top bosses were taken from the top floor of their high-rise office buildings and demoted to blue-collar workers within their own companies. From cleaning cabins to waiting tables to sweating it out as a poolside bar server, Dickinson hung with the other employees during a weeklong cruise aboard the Carnival Imagination.
He took the time to listen and learn about employee complaints firsthand, such as the pink shirts poolside staff must wear. Joking about the “polyester-lead blend” material, Dickinson discovered just how personal management decisions about every aspect of the employee work environment can be.
An avid wine collector, Dickinson has pressed hard to create a truly impressive and virtually unmatched collection within the Carnival fleet. With over 18,000 bottles in his personal wine cellar, Dickinson says wine is more than a hobby, naming it as interesting, complex and a living thing. And his favorite bottle of wine on the Carnival wine list? A 1998 Legacy California Cabernet that sells for $50.
Often giving countless bottles of wine away for charity, the Carnival CEO quotes a net figure for one year of $800,000 raised for philanthropic purposes primarily due to wine. Dickinson’s passion has recently extended to his business life as well. Carnival launched its first ever Wine Cruise aboard Liberty in December 2005. It was such a hit - being hailed by some as “the most outstanding wine-related event” - that the cruise line has scheduled a sequel for December 3, 2006.
This seven-day itinerary sails to Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. During the voyage, passengers can take part in numerous wine-related activities, including seminars and lectures about every aspect of wine from its history to the science behind creating different varieties. And, of course, wine tastings are a focal point of the week.
While guests are not required to be members of Carnival’s wine club to participate, they do need to pre-register for the special functions prior to boarding. Your travel agent will have details on all the events and registration procedures.
Dickinson will undoubtedly influence Carnival’s efforts as well as those of its sister companies (including Holland America Line and Windstar Cruises) continuing the success of each. What’s the key? How has he been able to build and hold fast to the number one position for so long? When asked, Dickinson replied that it was all about taking the mystery out of cruising, making it affordable to the average person and putting the customers’ experiences first. Truly, Carnival has achieved the status as the cruise line for every man.
Roy Witman is Vice-President of Cruise Vacation Center at <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com">http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com</a> offering the best deals including <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com/hawaii_cruises.htm"> Hawaii cruises</a> from <a href="http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com/carnival_cruise_line.htm">Carnival Cruise Line</a> and others.
Get Out There And Have A Blast On Your First Cruise!
So you’ve never cruised before……well, what are you waiting for? Get out there! See what you’ve been missing!
An Alaska Cruise Offers Unlimited Fun
If you are looking for the cruise of a lifetime, Alaska is the place you want to be. Alaska offers natural landscapes and wildlife along with some of the freshest air you will probably ever breathe. These are just a few of the reasons Alaska is growing in popularity. It is so popular; in fact that is the most booked cruises of the entire cruise lines in the world. But what should you expect when you cruise Alaska? Well, the wild life is a big draw for the area. You actually get to see the animals in their natural habitat, not just a well-simulated environment. The mountains are absolutely breathtaking and there are huge glaciers you can actually walk on top of. A lot of cruises to Alaska include docking where you can go inland and explore the wilderness for yourself. You will be dazzled at the awesome beauty and untamed wilds of the Alaskan landscape. You will see forests, glaciers as well as untainted shorelines and much, much more. You may be wondering if you go on a cruise, do you need to also tour the land? The answer is a resounding yes. There are things that you will see on the water you cannot possibly appreciate from the shore. Vise Versa, you will not be able to see the wild life without going on land. On the land tour, you can see ride the Alaska Railroad and stay in some of the beautiful lodges in the National Park. On the Alaskan cruise, you will see whales, salmon and glaciers. The nice thing about the packages where both cruises and land tours are available is that you can make your excursion what you want it to be. You can spend more time on land, or the boat or equal time in both locations. If you have never been to this region of the world, an Alaskan cruise may bet the perfect way for you to see it. You can also use Vancouver or Seattle as jumping off and landing points so you can take in additional sights as well.
Ryan Puusaari loves to cruise the world. If you are trying to decide what type of cruise vacation to take or would just like to read about the different cruise experiences avaliable then check out Ryan's website: http://www.enjoythecruise.com
Take Your Cruise Vacation From The Philadelphia Cruise Port
There are now cruise lines that depart the Philadelphia cruise port from early spring to late fall. All of the cruise lines are now making cruise travel a close to home event. The Philadelphia cruise port has undergone a $15 million dollar upgrade to enable it to handle cruising using state of the art facilities. Normally if you mentioned cruising, the Port of Philadelphia would never come to mind, but thanks to the new cruise lines marketing of close to home cruise travel, the Philadelphia cruise port has become very popular. Since this new concept of cruise travel, thousands more people have chosen a cruise vacation.
The Philadelphia cruise lines include Norwegian Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruises, both offering cruise vacations to Bermuda. The Philadelphia cruise port is uniquely situated; 62 million people live within a five mile drive. And Philly has so much to offer. There are first class hotels, good transportation, colorful neighborhoods and lots of history. All of it is within walking distance. As the tourism board says when it is touting the Philadelphia Cruise Port, it is Americas “Berthplace”.
The United States Constitution was written in Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell lies directly across from it. In Independence Hall the chair that George Washington sat in and Thomas Jefferson’s walking stick are on view. A short distance away is the house where Betsey Ross sewed the American flag. At Penn’s Landing is the Independence Seaport Museum, a delight for people who love the sea. There is also the Reading Market, the oldest continually running marketplace in the US. The Amish people bring their homemade items to sell Wednesdays through Saturdays. Don’t forget to eat a Philly Cheese steak then run up the famous steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art just like Rocky.
For people who choose to take their cruise vacation from here, the Philadelphia cruise port is five minutes from interstate 95. Parking is plentiful and will run you about $10.00 per day. If you fly in to take your cruise vacation, taxis are a flat rate of $20.00 from the airport to Philadelphia’s Cruise Terminal.
After boarding one of the cruise lines, you will most likely leave the Philadelphia cruise port at 3:00 PM. Use this time to explore your cruise ship and to unpack and settle in. Make any appointments you want on this day as spa and beauty appointments go fast. Tonight will be a causal night for dinner. The next day you will have a leisurely day at sea to do what ever you want. This night will probably be formal night and will be billed as the Captain’s Welcome Dinner.
The next day is exciting because you will land at St. George Island at two o’clock. Head to St. Catherine’s Fort, built in the 1600’s, it has spectacular views of the ocean. Go inside to view a replica of the British Crown Jewels and various military paraphernalia. St. Catherine’s Beach is at the foot of the Fort and is one of the nicest beaches around.
Bermudas oldest church, St. Peter’s, contains many relics. You will have to climb many steps but it is worth it. Don’t forget to visit King’s Square where you can view pillories, stocks and whipping posts the favored form of punishment in the 16th and 17th centuries.
You will overnight on your cruise ship at St. George Island, departing the next day at 7:00 AM for Hamilton, Bermuda, arriving there at 9:00 AM. You have the whole day and night to explore the historic Churches, Forts, Lighthouses and Museums. You may just want to go to their beautiful blue water beaches. Wonder over to the Royal Naval Dockyard or opt to experience swimming with the dolphins. Once again you will overnight on the cruise ship and depart the next morning at 8:00 AM.
You will have another day at see before returning to the Port of Philadelphia
Now that you know about the Philadelphia cruise port and their cruise lines, call your travel agent and book a cruise vacation.
Happy Cruising!
Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.CruisingTips.com