posted by admin on May 22
Celebrity Cruise Line Review
Every year when I take my vacation, I use Celebrity Cruises. I choose Celebrity Cruises because they never give me any trouble, and they are simply fabulous. Celebrity Cruises aren’t just about cruising, they have enrichment programs, which means I can learn something new on holiday. Last year I took a wine tasting class, and I am looking forward to sampling some of the lecture series, which are either informative or inspirational. The programs are very well developed, and the instructors are experts. My sister learned more computer skills when she took part in the program, and she really liked the instructor. My bridge instructor was also an amazing bridge player, I learned so much. I really appreciate the religious services that are offered on Celebrity Cruises. There are church services every day, and there is always a Roman Catholic priest on the ship as well. I didn’t really use the services, but if you are religious, your needs are well taken care of by Celebrity Cruises. When it comes to shows, Celebrity Cruises is great. There are so many different shows you can see, even one called ‘A Taste of Cirque Du Soleil, I’ve never seen it, but I love Cirque Du Soleil, and I bet the show is great. The shopping is awesome too. I have purchased some mementos from Celebrity Cruises that I treasure very much, like a silk flower arrangement that came from the Emilio Robba store. There’s also always a guide to let me know where to shop at the various ports we visit. The guide is so useful, and its just another way that Celebrity Cruises helps guests enjoy their vacation. When I relax on board, I love to do it at the Martini Bar. They have 26 different Martinis, and they’re always served in a chilled glass. There are several different bars on every ship, and the atmosphere is just brilliant when you visit them. Celebrity Cruises are experts at creating a beautiful ambiance for guests to enjoy.
To read other great articles on all of the different cruise vacation options avaliable to you then check out: http://www.enjoythecruise.com
Pelorus yacht
Pelorus is one of the largest private yachts in the world at 377 feet 3 inches (115 metres) in length. She was built at the Lurssen yard in Germany and was launched in 2003. She was briefly owned by a Saudi businessman who sold her to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich the following year. Abramovich had her refitted to his own requirements by Blohm & Voss. This included the addition of a second helicopter pad forward, four new zero-speed stabilizers and modifications to the exhaust, mast and stern. Pelorus is powered by two 3,600-hp Wartsila engines. Details about the interiors are scanty as Abramovich is protective of his family’s privacy and highly security conscious, but they were designed by Terence Disdale. Security features include a submarine for detecting limpet mines and a missile-detection system. (1) In 2005 Abramovich lent Pelorus to Frank Lampard and John Terry for two weeks as a bonus for being the two best players at his English football club Chelsea F.C. the previous season. Abramovich owns two other superyachts, Le Grand Bleu and Ecstasea. 32 pictures of Roman Abramovich’s Pelorus motor yacht from around the world
Maximov Andrey
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>.
How to Book a Cruise Online
CRUISE BOOKING ” HOW TO BOOK A CRUISE Discount cruise vacations continue to be an excellent option for a relaxing and worry-free vacation. More and more people book a cruise online or take advantage of the numerous cruise vacation packages available. People of all ages enjoy visits to beautiful and exotic destinations, meet great new people, and participate in a wide variety of activities while they enjoy cheap cruise vacations. You need to determine which type of cruise is best for you in order to fully enjoy the benefits of cruising. You should analyze what aspects of a cruise interest you most. Once you identify your interests, you can search for cruise vacation packages that will meet your criteria. Many people become confused when it comes to cruise booking because there are so many cheap cruise vacations available. However, you can follow a few simple steps to ensure that you choose a cruise booking that is just right for you! Step One: The first step of cruise booking involves deciding on your desired holiday destination. Search the internet and read reviews about the various cruise vacation packages and discount cruise vacations. The internet remains one of the most helpful resources when determining which cruise booking to choose. You can visit many sites that will provide detailed information on all aspects of cruise vacation packages. Many sites feature cruise reviews, cruise pictures, and additional information about particular destinations. You also have the option of contacting an online travel agent or cruise booking agent to gather as many cruise brochures as possible. Once you have found several suitable cruise ships, compare them and select the cruise line and destination best for you. Step Two: Once you decide on the cruise ship, you can now determine the duration of your cruise vacation. Many cruise vacation packages last only a weekend and you may enjoy other vacation packages for two luxurious, fun-filled weeks or more. If you have a little more money and time to spend, you can even pick a cruise package that will last for nearly three full months! Step Three: You need to analyze the budget of your cruise vacation. The price of discount cruise vacations can really vary depending on the particular cruise company, time of year, and your preferred destination. Many cruise packages allow you to pick the features you want to include. By choosing not to participate in some of the available activities or excursions, you can experience substantial savings during discount cruise vacations. Your vacation budget has a profound influence on your cruise booking. The amount you are willing to spend will determine the activities, duration, and destination for your particular cruise vacation. Step Four: Once you decide on a cruise vacation package, you need to complete the actual cruise booking. However, before you actually book a cruise online, you should contact the cruise booking agents or cruise travel agent and obtain all the necessary information you require. You need to decide on several factors before you complete the final cruise booking. These include the availability of the cruise package, point of departure, size and location of your preferred cabin, cancellation fees, and any activities you wish to include with your cruise vacation package. Step Five: Once you have gathered all the relevant information, you feel you need regarding the cruise package; you can complete the final step. This involves the actual cruise booking for the date, company and destination you choose. You have the option of using cruise booking agents or you can complete an online cruise booking from the convenience of your own home. If you are able to travel any time of the year, the best option is to book a cruise online or choose cruise vacation packages that occur during the off-peak season. Most cruise liners sail year round. You can often find amazing deals by performing a cruise booking during the off-peak season. Many more discount cruise vacations and inexpensive cruise vacation packages are available during off-peak season. The peak season for cruise booking occurs during the summer months and during school holidays. You will find that it is more expensive to take a cruise during these busy times. If you plan your cruise, you are certain to find a cheap cruise vacation package that fits within your budget.
Jay is a well known author, who writes for online cruise booking, online vacation packages and many other important topics related to online cruise booking and travels. For more details please visit the site <a href="http://www.elite-cruises.net">www.elite-cruises.net</a>
Some Excellent Cruise Tips For Your Caribbean Cruise Vacation
The first day of your Caribbean cruise vacation is here. Most of the day will be spent getting to know your cruise ship, making spa appointments, booking tours on the Caribbean Islands and trying to get cruise tips from your fellow passengers.
The first night of your Caribbean cruise vacation is always a casual night since most people have traveled a good portion of the day. It s also the night you meet your table mates. Here is another cruise tip, be a few minutes late on the first night (only on the first night-be prompt from then on). There is usually a crush of people when the dinner bell rings and everyone is trying to find their table.
If you are eating in the traditional cruise style, always ask for a large table for several reasons. You have a better chance of meeting a mix of people, and the more people you meet during your cruise travel, the merrier. One thing to do is change seats every night at the table so everyone gets to talk to everyone else during the course of your cruise vacation. It s much more fun. And a round table is ideal since rectangular ones make it difficult to talk to the guy at the other end. However, if you find that you are unhappy with your table, absolutely go to the maitre d’ and asked to be moved. He or she will accommodate you as best they can. There are people who chose to dine alone and the ships have tables for two but they fill up fast.
Freestyle Dining and Choice Dining are available on some Cruise Lines for those who want to eat on their own or don t want to be delegated to a specific dining time. Your travel agent will be able to set this up when booking your Caribbean cruise vacation.
Now you are on day two, and usually that means it’s a day at sea. You are just itching to put into your bathing suit and get out in the sun. Listen to this, it is the most valuable of all the cruises tips here, do not try to get a tan on your first day of your Caribbean cruise vacation. You will spend days of your precious cruise trying to recover from very bad sunburn. The Caribbean sun is very intense and is even more so in the summer months.
Get waterproof sun block and use it liberally if you are swimming or snorkeling. Don t forget the tops of your feet, your ears and lips, this can be extremely painful. Wear a hat so you don’t burn your scalp.
To avoid injury follow these tips. Be careful if the decks are wet, they become very slippery. Watch for the raised lips in some doorways especially between your cabins sleeping area and the bathroom. Never sit on the railings as you may fall. Wearing high heels could be hazardous in bumpy weather. When tendering to shore keep your arms and legs within the tender. These are all very good cruise tips
All of the newer cruise ships have an internet caf ©; some even have an internet connection in your room. So if you want to bring your lap top with you, by all means do. There are some small luxury cruise ships that have lap tops available for your use. Check with your cruise travel agent, he or she will know. Most people won t want to be bothered with their computers, but it is nice to check your email if you are going to be away for awhile, and ship to shore phone calls are very expensive on the cruise lines.
The last evening will also be a casual night since you have packed your bags and put them outside your cruise cabin. Tomorrow will be an early morning and the end of your enchanting Caribbean cruise vacation.
There always seem to be many questions about tipping while taking a Caribbean cruise vacation. These questions come up on European cruise vacations too, but we’ll stick to the Caribbean. Some cruise lines will absolutely not let you tip. These are the very high end cruise lines. Some automatically add it to your bill. If you do not like this arrangement tell the purser that you will tip on your own. Tipping on a cruise ship is very important since the room steward, waiter and busboy all make their living on tips. They work very hard to keep you happy during your Caribbean cruise vacation so please tip them. You may want to figure out the amount of tips you will be paying at the beginning of the cruise vacation and separate that from your spending money. You won t get caught short.
If a Maitre d does something special, like crepe suzettes at your table, you should tip him. When you order wine or drinks there is already a 15% tip on the charge, so it is not necessary to tip here. If you find a special bar and frequent it, give the bartender a bit extra on the last night. As I said tipping policies are different on all ships so find out ahead of time. Holland American has changed their tipping policy. It used to be “no tipping necessary”. That policy is no longer in place. On NCL Hawaii a $10.00 per day per person is added to your bill and it is not optional.
A nice gesture on a two week cruise is to give half the tip after the first week, the cruise staff will appreciate this. On almost all of the cruise ships, the general rule for tipping is $3.00 per day, per person for the waiter and the room steward and $1.50 per person per day for the bus boy. If you re not sure the Cruise Line will usually give you guidelines. If your room steward or waiter showed you excellent services tip them more.
Alcoholic beverages on board are expensive. All cruise ships have there own policy if you bring your own, some confiscate it and return at the end of the cruise, others allow you to buy bottles on board, and others will allow you to purchase it but won t deliver it until the end of the cruise. Each cruise line has different policies so check with your cruise travel agent. In many cases you can bring wine and champagne on board.
Here s just a small note about seasickness. On the really huge ships it should not be a problem. If you are prone to it and are taking a smaller ship, there are over the counter remedies. Dramamine and Bonine are in tablet forms and can make some people drowsy. Because of the size and the stability of the current fleet of cruise ships only 3% of cruise passengers are affected by this.
There are wrist bands that you can purchase that act on the theory of acupuncture. Then there is also the Patch that you wear behind your ear. If you do not purchase one of these before the cruise and find yourself getting a little green, the purser’s office will provide you with them. Go out on the open decks, eat saltines, green apples and drink ginger ale. Do not do anything that requires you to look down, like reading or writing.
In health food stores you can buy powdered ginger caplets which are the natural remedy. That should take care of it. Stay away from greasy foods. This is no longer a huge problem since most ships today have stabilizers that keep the ship from pitching to and fro. If you do have a problem with “mal de mar”, it is not wise to take a sailing cruise or a small ship in notoriously rough seas like the South China Sea. It is so shallow it is always a little rough. The waves bounce off the seabed and come back up making it a bit choppy. Here again the size of the ship matters and having a little information will be helpful. This is where a really knowledgeable cruise travel agent comes in.
All cruise ships have a policy on smoking. On one ship they had an absolutely no smoking policy anywhere, they have since changed that rule. There is never any smoking allowed in the showrooms or the dining rooms. In many cases they designate one side of the ship in the bars as the smoking section while the other side is smoke free.
You can smoke in the bars and in the casino. Never, ever, toss a lit cigarette overboard, it can blow back on deck and start a fire. Please be considerate of the other passengers and follow the rules. And be aware that you will encounter many more smokers on a European cruise vacation and on European cruise ships that winter in the USA.
These are just some sensible cruise tips for you to follow on you Caribbean 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
