Following on from yesterday when I had a post about a Tropical Storm warning which could affect the Royal Caribbean ship Grandeur of the Seas, here is the latest news from the Royal Caribbean website
Tropical Weather Update
July 23, 2010 10:00 a.m. E.S.T
Since the U.S. Coast Guard closed the Port of Key West due to Tropical Storm Bonnie, Grandeur of the Seas was unable to make its scheduled port call there today. The ship is sailing directly to Cozumel, Mexico, where it will arrive on Saturday.
No other Royal Caribbean International ship’s itinerary is currently being affected by Tropical Storm Bonnie.
Have you been on a ship in rough seas? Would love to hear your experience. I just completed a 10 night cruise to the South Pacific and we had swells of up to 5 metres. With the stabilization system on the ship you did not feel too bad during that time.
The following was released by Royal Caribbean on their website at 3.00pm EST on July 22, 2010
At this time, Royal Caribbean International is closely monitoring the itinerary of Grandeur of the Seas due to Tropical Depression #3. Royal Caribbean will continue to closely monitor weather conditions and will update this information again tomorrow, July 23 at 9:00 a.m. E.S.T.
Grandeur of the Seas is scheduled to depart Fort Lauderdale, Florida, today, July 22. According to the most recent weather forecasts, the ship will be able to depart on time and head south to Key West, Florida. However, U.S Coast Guard has closed the Port of Key West until tropical storm force winds have subsided.
If the Port of Key West has not reopened by early tomorrow morning, Grandeur of the Seas will be unable to make its scheduled port of call there tomorrow.
Should the ship be unable to visit Key West, Grandeur of the Seas will spend the day at sea tomorrow, sailing directly to Cozumel, Mexico, where it will arrive earlier than scheduled on Saturday. No other Royal Caribbean International ship’s itinerary is currently being affected by tropical depression #3.
If you are wanting to escape the cold of winter or just want a great option for a family vacation then a cruise to the South Pacific is for you. A cruise vacation is a great way to see several exciting destinations without the hassle of packing and unpacking each time you move on.
Recently I enjoyed a cruise on-board the P&O ship Pacific Jewel. The vacation cruise was for 10-nights and departed from Sydney, Australia. The ship then visited five South Pacific ports including Noumea, Mystery Island, Port Vila, Lifou and the Isle of Pines.
The cruise was all inclusive in terms of travel, food and accommodation. You did have to add on alcohol or shore tours although you could get free transfers from the ship and then just explore on foot.
The cruise started under rainy skies in Sydney and it was cold and miserable. It was hard to imagine that in just three days I would be walking along a beautiful white sandy beach under blue skies before jumping in a glass bottom boat to view coral and an amazing sampling of colorful fish.
The P&O cruise on the Pacific Jewel departed from near Darling Harbour and sailed under the Sydney Harbour bridge under darkness. This made for a spectacular departure as we got to see all the lights of the Sydney City.
A short time later we were passing through the Sydney Harbour heads headed for the open seas. Now the question was would we all get sea sick? There was a gentle rocking motion and for some the answer was yes.
Now out on the open ocean what were we all to do? The first thing was to check out the dining options. We headed up to the Plantation, a buffet style eatery. There was a wide selection of food and we enjoyed our first meal on the Pacific Jewel.
After taking care of our tummies we then went to the Marquee. This is the main venue for entertainment on the ship. The captain would later introduce his senior crew members and we found that he was an interesting man. The captain on the Pacific Jewel was Lorenzo Paoletti.
As time went on we looked around the ship a bit more and saw the various bars, swimming pools, the gym and beauty spa and pretty much everything else on-board.
Now it was time to settle down for the night and then see what tomorrow brings with our first full day at sea.
Take a look at one groups memories from a cruise on board the Mariner of the Seas. They went on the cruise in April 2008 during Spring Break Cruise. It was of course on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas. Looking at the photos it looked like a busy time at some of the ports as there were several other cruise ships.
The group consisted of 12 people from Snellville GA, Stratford CT & Rochester NY.
The Royal Caribbean cruise was a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise with stops in Labadee, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Their excursions included the Dragon’s Breath Flight Line in Labadee, Shaw Park Beach in Jamaica, Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman and Catamaran snorkel & beach break in Cozumel. Group includes Spring Breakers from Brookwood High School in Snellville, GA 30078. Gwinnett County.
The Mariner is part of Royal Caribbean’s Voyager class of ships which includes the Navigator of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas. All of these ships have the same floor plan.
The group says it was the best vacation ever! An all inclusive cruise like this one is one of the best choices for a family vacation.
Oasis of the Seas is the largest cruise liner sailing the seas. Due to its size it is obviously the most impressive of the Royal Caribbean ships. She had her maiden voyage on 5 December 2009.
The ship sails from Fort Lauderdale to the East or West Caribbean mostly for 7 nights. In the above video you can go on stroll through two of the seven Neighborhoods onboard the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas. You get to walk along the Royal Promenade and the Boardwalk area.
The ship looks more like a shopping arcade that floats than a cruise ship. It is over 1000 feet long and can take 5400 passengers in a double occupancy layout.
The full seven Neighborhoods are:
These neighborhoods are:
1. Central Park features boutiques, restaurants and bars, including access to the Rising Tide bar, which can be raised or lowered to three separate levels. It has the first living park at sea with over 12,000 plants and 56 trees.
2. The Pool and Sports Zone features a sloped-entry beach pool and two surf simulators.
3. Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center features a spa for teens.
4. Boardwalk features a handcrafted carousel, restaurants, bars, shops, two rock-climbing walls, and a tattoo parlor. Its outdoor 750-seat AquaTheatre amphitheater hosts the ship’s largest freshwater pool.
5. Royal Promenade features restaurants and shops and is viewable from a mezzanine.
6. Youth Zone features a science lab and computer gaming.
7. Entertainment Place
In December 2010 the Oasis of the Seas is set to be joined by her sister ship the Allure of the Seas which will be a great addition to the Royal Caribbean ships.
If seven days onboard the Oasis of the Seas is not enough then there is a special 9 night cruise over the new year period. You can see in 2011 while cruising. The ship sets sail on 30 December and visits Haiti, St. Thomas, St. Maarten and the Bahamas before returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Crystal Cruises offer the cruiser luxury on the high seas. They mainly service the European ports however also travel to the US and other exotic destinations around the world.
If it is luxury you are looking for with your cruising experience then Crystal Cruises is a cruise company you should consider.
Book by September 30, 2010 and you can enjoy big savings on a verandah or penthouse cabin when booking for a cruise departing from Los Angeles or Miami.
In this video from www.TheExpeditioner.com which was shot in late June, 2008, you can see about the presenters trip to Scandinavia. His first stop was in Stockholm, Sweden, during the longest day of the year (the Midsummer holiday). In this video he explores this active, cosmopolitan capital of Scandinavia and head out under the midnight sun to check out its nightlife.
A friend of mine from work has just left Australia for a seven week European holiday. She is going with her husband and son. Before going she spent hours and hours researching options for accommodation while on holiday.
They are going to Rome, Paris, Barcelona, London and the south of France.
What she found was an option to stay in other people’s apartments. The accommodation in Rome and Paris was booked through something like that. The London accommodation was meant to also be home stay however she came across a scam listing on the site.
She did this as some of the data did not seem to match up and as she researched further it became obvious that the listing was a scam. She got onto the site administrators and they removed the listing.
I saw some of the properties that my friend booked and they look fantastic. Instead of just getting a hotel room my friend and her family will enjoy two bedroom apartments complete with kitchen. So much better than just a hotel.
If you are interested in booking similar accommodation you can do it at HouseTrip Holiday.
On the HouseTrip Holiday site there are thousand of accommodation options in many of the top cities in Europe. Some examples of prices are from 18 Euro in Berlin, 45 Euros for Paris.
Interested in a holiday without settling for just a hotel room then visit HouseTrip Holiday
If you are wondering what a ball park figure would be for 6 or 7 days in Beijing not including hotel or accommodation read on.
Beijing of course is now best known as the host for the 2008 summer games. That raised the profile of the city as a result of the huge coverage the Olympic games receives.
I was actually over in Beijing at the time of the Olympics and from that can give you a rough guide for spending a week in Beijing. I have also spent 18 months living in Beijing and have been there as a tourist on several occasions.
That time was most likely the most expensive time to be in Beijing so if you go now you could expect cheaper prices.
For a week in the city assuming you are eating out most of the time you would need around $500 US.
Meals can be cheap or expensive compared with US prices. If you eat like a local you can enjoy a fantastic Chinese meal for around $4 US. Eat at a western style restaurant and you could be looking at $50 for a meal.
If you want some KFC or McDonalds there are plenty in the city. You can expect to pay around $2 for a Big Mac and around $3 for a KFC meal.
To get around the city there is an excellent transport network. The subway costs 2 RMB for a trip with unlimited transfers except on the airport line which costs 25 RMB or around $3 USD. You would probably spend $2 a day on transport. You can even get out to the Great Wall for a couple of dollars.
Now the shopping in Beijing is an interesting experience. You can bargain at many shops and prices are low if you stay away from the name brands. I spent less than $50 for new jeans, a few shirts and a few other odds and ends.
While in Beijing you would want to visit some attractions such as the Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square and the Temple of Heaven. All up the cost would be around 100 RMB or $15 US.
For the week your food costs would be around $70. Transport $15 and shopping $150. Attractions $15. All up that makes it $250 US for a week in Beijing not including accommodation or a flight to Beijing.
If you are wanting to escape the cold of winter or just want a great option for a family vacation then a cruise to the South Pacific is for you. A cruise vacation is a great way to see several exciting destinations without the hassle of packing and unpacking each time you move on.