Travel&Vacation

For the mere act of transporting us from shore to shore we can thank Carnival Cruise Lines. But for making this cruise a special cruise, about you and me and the music, and not just an ordinary cruise, we have to thank Simple Man Cruise. And for the money they’re laying down to charter this wonderful cruise, we have to thank Sixthman. This cruise turned out to be four days of nonstop music and sun and fun. I even told my editors I’d need a week to recuperate when I got back. They thought I was joking! Obviously these wankers have never been on one of the Simple Man Cruises. Billed as the Simple Man 2009 Cruise, it was hosted by Lynyrd Skynyrd. We were due to cast off at 1600 hours, and when we weighed anchor it was to the sound of music on the Lido Deck. But you could hear the
(Read the full post about ‘Music Review … with a Cruise Thrown In’…)

1 week with cabin fever…if you’re under 65 DO NOT DO THIS TRIP. Especially if you’re from BC/Northern Canada or California/Oregon/Washington. It’s a long haul, the weather is not great, the food is, meh and everything other than your bed and food are extra. Stops are short, cold and boring. The one thing I looked forward to – Hubbard Glacier, we couldn’t get close to at all. It was one of the worst vacations I’ve had. Part of the list How NOT to travel

Western Caribbean cruises are an ideal first cruise or multigenerational cruise because they offer something for everyone. Itineraries usually include a few days at sea, enough to explore the ship but not too many to frustrate independent travelers. The ports can entertain die-hard beach bums as well as adrenaline junkies, shopaholics, sightseers, and partiers, and all the ports offer family-friendly activities. And as the destinations visited are among the closest to the mainland U.S., cruisers can choose to depart from many ports and save on airfare. Like all Caribbean destinations, the western Caribbean sees its peak traffic in the winter months. You’ll find the lowest prices from June through November—hurricane season. The western Caribbean has been hard hit by hurricanes
(Read the full post about ‘Cruise destination spotlight: Western Caribbean’…)

There are no blockbuster stories to report today, so I’m blogging instead about several news items you may find interesting.

Carnival has teamed up with
Shape
and
Men’s Fitness
magazines to offer the fourth Mind/Body Cruise aboard the Carnival Conquest. The seven-night western Caribbean sailing departs on December 2 and will offer fitness and relaxation classes, meditation sessions, healthy cooking demonstrations and nutritional workshops, and other wellness seminars.

The Costa Serena will have her inauguration party in Marseille, France, on May 19. A show of lights and images called “Mediterranean Serenade” will honor the great monuments of Marseille. The ceremony will also feature fireworks, the traditional champagne smash, and a performance by the Choir of the Opéra de
(Read the full post about ‘Cruise news tidbits’…)

There’s been lots of cruise news since the end of last week, so I’ve decided to write a news roundup so you can all catch up.

MSC Cruises announced that it will build a fourth Musica-class ship. The
MSC Magnifica
will debut in 2010. Its sisters, the
MSC Orchestra
and
MSC Poesia
, will launch in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

Royal Caribbean plans to build a second Genesis-class ship for delivery in August 2010. Like its prototype sister (to debut in 2009), this ship will carry 5,400 passengers and will feature new amenities—some which may have never been seen before onboard a cruise ship.

Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce Nintendo Wii video game systems fleetwide this spring. Wii systems will be located in the main atrium, kids’ club, and other public areas, and guests can
(Read the full post about ‘Cruise news in brief’…)

You just can’t stop the Mouse. Good ol’ Mickey is always looking for new ways to bring his particular brand of vacation fun to more people across the globe. His newest plan? Two new ships for Disney Cruise Line. Frankly, I’m surprised he didn’t think of this before, given how successful the cruise line seems to be.

The Disney Cruise Line fleet currently consists of the
Disney Magic
and the
Disney Wonder
. In 2011 and 2012, the cruise line will introduce two new unnamed ships. The new-builds will be taller than the existing ships and contain 1,250 staterooms each. This addition will double the capacity of Disney’s fleet.

I’m sure the company will have no problem booking these rooms. This year, other family-friendly lines have been dropping fares to fill Caribbean sailings. I’ve seen
(Read the full post about ‘Disney Cruise Line expands with two new ships’…)