Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

  We were fortunate to arrange an anniversary trip for good friends from Seattle. He is a cruise lover, but his wife wanted the go to Europe! She won... They visited London and Paris on the Trafalgar tour. Enough said by me, here is the trip report from our friends, Ned & Caroline.  Thanks Caroline, for letting us post your journal!     "The adventure began on Aug 25th as we left our house at around 10am and headed to the Seattle airport for departure at 130p.  We enjoyed a smooth flight to Chicago and waited to board a 9pm flight to London.  The excitement builds!  I am going to Europe!  Red eye flights are not a bad option here – the flight was “only” 7 hours but sleeping ate up most of that time.  And then – we landed at Heathrow! (actually on Sep 26) My first taste of Merry Olde England.  We were in the hands of Trafalgar tours. We were taken to our hotel, the Thistle Euston and checked into a comfortable but small room.  Up...

During the past decade, Astoria, OR, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, has emerged as a delightful port of call on cruises of the Pacific Coast, as well as cruises that reposition ships from Alaska to warmer locations for the winter. Astoria is at the far north end of Oregon’s gorgeous coastline of dramatic headlands, dotted with beaches, evergreens and lighthouses. You’re likely to be welcomed at the pier by music from a local band, setting a festive tone for your exploration of the area. To discover the area’s maritime history, hop on the colorful Astoria Riverfront Trolley and ride to the Columbia River Maritime Museum. The trolley also glides along the bank of the Columbia River and passes beneath the graceful Astoria-Megler Bridge, which connects Oregon and Washington. If you’re feeling thirsty, Astoria has several craft breweries ready to welcome you; or, visit the Flavel House Museum, a magnificent Queen Anne-style mansion, for a traditional afternoo...

Whether Seattle is your starting point for a cruise to Alaska or a stop on a cruise along the West Coast, it’s a city you’ll love to explore.   Perched between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, the peaks of the Cascades and the Olympic Peninsula, Seattle is set in an area of stunning natural beauty. It’s often cloudy, but the locals will tell you it doesn’t rain all that much – and when it does, there’s sure to be an inviting coffee house nearby. The rain also feeds the city’s cloak of evergreens, the source of the nickname “Emerald City.” Ships dock at the Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal in downtown Seattle, or at Terminal 91, where you can catch a taxi to downtown’s attractions. There’s a lot to see, including the Pike Place Market, America’s oldest continually operating farmer's market. In addition to the Fish Market, where fish are tossed through the air before being wrapped for customers, Pike Place features fruits and vegetables, handicrafts, collectibles and cut...

The island of Trinidad is quite different from its neighbors in the southern Caribbean. The island, about the size of Delaware, is an industrialized nation with an economy that rests securely on oil and natural gas production. Cruise ships dock in Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain, a regional center of business and finance complete with skyscrapers.   Venture into and beyond Port of Spain, and you can find the cultural mix and historic attractions that make Trinidad a fascinating cruise destination. Start with a short ride from the dock to the Queen’s Park Savannah, a lovely park ringed by the “Magnificent Seven,” a collection of historic mansions; the Royal Botanical Garden, with an amazing collection of exotic   plants; and the Emperor Valley Zoo, with everything from toucans to tortoises. Trinidad is a bird-lover’s paradise, with more than 400 species. The Asa Wright Nature Center, a former plantation, is now a rainforest enclave that is home to toucans, cuckoos a...

The rich volcanic soil of Grenada, the largest of the Grenadine Islands in the Southern Caribbean, is the basis of the island’s delicious spice industry. This “Island of Spice” produces nutmeg, allspice, clove, cinnamon, ginger, cocoa, bay leaves and mace. Visitors flock to the island’s spice estates, where there’s often a mouthwatering aroma in the air. The production of nutmeg is a testament to the hardy spirit of Grenada, as more than 80 percent of the island’s nutmeg trees were destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Grenada’s southern position in the Caribbean keeps it out of the path of most hurricanes, but the powerful Ivan ended a 49-year hurricane-free stretch. Grenada’s nutmeg growers lost no time replanting their groves with new varieties intended to survive the next big storm. There’s also much more to this island than its famous spice industry. The mountainous interior features the Grand Etang Forest Reserve, filled with lush foliage, glorious waterfalls, swimming holes...