Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

By Helen Maxey March 7 & 8, 2011 These were sea days so we did our usual exercise routines, attended presentations about the ship’s navigation systems, the next port of Rio de Janeiro, and an entertainment production show called British Invasion. All were informative or entertaining. March 9 Our day in Rio de Janeiro was great. The temperature was around 80 degrees with humidity in the 90 percent range. We took an all day tour to Christ the Redeemer statue. To get there we took a tour bus, then an incline railway followed by elevators and escalators. The statue is about 115 ft. high and about 85 ft. from hand to outstretched hand. It was not the best day to be there due to cloud cover, but we were able to get a few pictures as the clouds parted. Because of the cloud cover we were not able to get pictures of the surrounding area and city. We drove for miles by famous beaches including Ipanema and Copacabana. They were beautiful and crowded in places but we didn’t see any swimmers...

Cruise Pricing Still Favors Consumers Does cruising still represent a good vacation value? According to actual cost data from Cruise Holidays, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Cruise Holidays recently determined the average daily cost per person of three popular cruise destinations (Alaska, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean) for the past three years – and found that cruise prices for 2011 remain very affordable. See the cost comparison below: Average Cruise Cost per Person, per Day* 7-day Alaska Cruise 2011 - $248 2010 - $230 2009 - $255 2008 - $259 7-day Caribbean Cruise 2011 - $126 2010 - $147 2009 - $171 2008 - $158 12-day Mediterranean Cruise 2011 - $222 2010 - $262 2009 - $290 2008 - $269 *Average of all categories of cruise lines and staterooms. Includes only the cruise portion of each booking; excludes airfare, shore excursions, etc. Of course, in addition to price, you should take other factors into account wh...

The sinking of the cruise ship Titanic on April 15, 1912, will be commemorated next year by at least two cruises that will visit the spot where the mighty ship went down. The ship was thought to be unsinkable, but on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York, the Titanic struck a massive iceberg. The ship sank less than three hours later off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, with the loss of about 1,500 lives. A British travel firm has chartered a ship for a Titanic memorial voyage departing from Southampton, England, on April 8, 2012, and ending in New York. The entire cruise will be steeped in Titanic history, with menus, music and entertainment much as they were on the Titanic. After a stop in Cobh, Ireland, the ship will arrive at the spot where the Titanic sank, where a memorial service will be held. The ship will then call on Halifax, Nova Scotia, where passengers can visit cemeteries where Titanic victims are buried. Azamara Club Cruises will send the Journey fro...

Tomorrow, we catch our flight to Beijing.   On Wednesday, we expect to walk on the Great Wall of China.   Since we have several flights inside China, we may have an issue with our luggage.   We are allowed one checked bag per person with a weight limit of 44 pounds (20 kilo).  I am a gadget person and gadgets add extra pounds. With a 13 hour time difference, I expect we will have MAJOR jet lag.  From what I was told, the body will adjust to a time zone change of one hour per day.  That being the case, we will be more than halfway through the trip before we adjust to the local time. We have a 7 day tour inside China before we board the ship in Hong Kong.   Then we will spend the next two weeks on the Azamara Quest.   We hope to update our blog and facebook as often as we can.    Our trip will take us to China, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore.

A cruise of northern Europe includes many must-see ports, such as the Scandinavian capitals of Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki. You may also want the itinerary you choose to include St. Petersburg – to see this Russian city on the Baltic Sea is truly an extraordinary experience. St. Petersburg is the city of the tsars, founded by Peter the Great. It was the capital of imperial Russia from 1712 until 1914 and still contains many of Russia’s greatest cultural treasures. When visiting St. Petersburg, it’s important to book shore excursions through your cruise travel agent, which will assure that you are dealing with the best operators. Exploring St. Petersburg on your own can be difficult, and you may need a Russian visa, which you would have to obtain in advance of your cruise. The most famous of St. Petersburg’s many attractions is The Hermitage, the world’s second-largest art museum (behind the Louvre). The museum’s incredible collection includes Botticellis, Michelangelos, El Greco...

If you’re planning a European cruise for the summer of 2011, you’ll be in good company. Actual booking data from Cruise Holidays offices throughout North America show that more vacationers are planning to cruise Europe this summer than Alaska, which has traditionally topped Europe for passenger count. While the appeal of Europe is certainly based on its fabulous ports, fascinating history and modern attractions, it’s helped by the fact that European cruises represent good value. A recent survey shows that Cruise Holidays’ experts agree three to one that, for now, European cruises deliver greater value than Alaskan cruises. Cruise Holidays’ data also show that the average cost of a 12-day Mediterranean cruise has steadily dropped since 2009. The average cost per day across all stateroom categories is down to $222 per person, compared to $262 in 2010 and $290 in 2009. European cruises are also popular among experienced cruise passengers. While first-time cruisers often choose the Caribbe...

Cruise Journal by Helen Maxey Sunday, 2/20/11 We left Seattle for Dallas around 7:00 am, changed planes and waited in the Miami airport for our LAN flight to Santiago which was four hours late. It was a 7 and a half hour flight, so thanks to Wayne’s frequent flyer miles we had sleeper seats. That’s the only way to go if you can do it. We arrived just after 12-noon the next day reasonably rested. Monday, 2/21/11 We were met in the Santiago airport by a Princess Cruises rep who provided great assistance for retrieving our luggage, going through Customs, and catching the bus to the Intercontinental Hotel where we stayed. It was costly to enter Chile -- $140 each (a tax for both entering and exiting Chile), but everything went smoothly in the airport. We were warned not to bring in any food – the penalty for doing so was $10,000 – they had dogs that sniffed out food, and other dogs that sniffed out drugs. We didn’t do much the rest of the day except rest, and walk a few blocks from the hot...

2010 was a great year for new cruise ships, with several new ships continuing trends toward multiple dining venues, new types of staterooms and spectacular entertainment. Celebrity Eclipse, the third ship in Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice Class, launched with signature features like the grass-covered Lawn Club. A new feature, the alternative restaurant Qzine, offers a unique menu and make-your-own guacamole. The Seabourn Odyssey, like its sister the Sojourn, has the one of the largest spas on any luxury cruise ship. There are indoor and outdoor treatment rooms and a Kinesis wall that combines cardio, strength and flexibility training. The indoor/outdoor concept is also featured in the Colonnade restaurant, where diners can watch their delicious meals being prepared in the open kitchen. Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Epic, like the cruise line’s other ships, features freestyle dining. Unlike other NCL ships, the Epic has a sprawling Aqua Park with water slides and a tube ride, and 128 studio cabi...

News Release from Holland America Line (3/2/11) New initiative allows guests immediate access to their stateroom upon embarkation Seattle, Wash., Mar. 2, 2011 – Holland America Line has launched a new Stateroom Direct Service program that simplifies the boarding process by giving guests immediate access to their staterooms upon embarkation. Under the program, staterooms will be ready as early as 11:30 a.m., and cruisers will no longer have to check their carry-on bags and wait in public areas while their staterooms are being prepared. Additionally, arriving guests will receive their luggage earlier, allowing them more time to unpack and settle into their rooms. Guests also will have the opportunity to enjoy lunch at their leisure in the line’s Lido restaurant, which features a full-service buffet. “Holland America Line is always seeking new ways to enhance our on-board cruise experience, and through this streamlined boarding process guests can now get into their staterooms earlier and...

The Panama Canal was built to be the vital link between two huge oceans, and nearly 100 years after it first opened, it still serves that purpose admirably. During the past few decades, it has also become a terrific cruise destination, offering an unforgettable trip through one of the world’s engineering marvels and a sojourn through the lush landscapes of Central America. The Panama Canal cruise season begins in October and runs through April. There is plenty of variety in cruise itineraries, which range from seven to 21 nights or more. The classic Panama Canal cruise goes from Florida and to California (or the reverse), with stops in some combination of ports in the Western Caribbean, Central America and the Mexican Riviera. The 50-mile, nine-hour trip through the canal takes you between the Atlantic and Pacific with the help of three massive locks: Gatun, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores. Because the trip takes a full day, passengers are usually not able to disembark for shore excurs...