Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

What is the best way to convert cash when you travel?   Ask a dozen people that question and you can expect almost as many answers.   Since we were recently asked this question, I thought it was time for us to offer our thoughts on the subject.   Caveat: currency conversion in Cuba is different – and it may be changing.   Get an update on Cuba before you go… You need to answer one question before you make cash conversion plans. Do you want “easy” or do you want to lower your conversion cost?   If you live on the “easy” side of the question, then we have a quick answer: before you leave on your trip, call your bank.   Many banks will offer currency exchange, for a fee.   Reach out to your bank and ask if they can exchange dollars for whatever currency you need.   Once you have arrived at your destination, visit a local ATM if you need more cash. Cash from an ATM in Budapest Last year, we converted $400 to Euro with Chase bank and the ...

Part 2 If you missed part 1, go to this link for the first half of our report:   blog.attheta.com/2017/03/cruise-report-february-2016-azamara.html After two days at sea, we arrived at our first port, Mazatlán .   This was not a new port for us to explore: we have visited this city before.   A great place to spend spring break, but not a destination for older travelers.    We didn’t want to shop or see the folkloric shows so we went to the beach -- we booked a tour with Azamara.   The tour took us to a clean hotel on the beach that served a nice buffet.   We enjoyed our time sitting on the beach, in the shade, reading, and watching the world go by.   I walked out into the water, but it was too cool to swim.   After a few hours, we took an “open roof” taxi back to the ship.   It was a relaxing day and that’s what vacations are for. Beach in Mazalan Taxi back to the Celebrity Quest The next day, our ship doc...

Part 1 The night before our cruise, we flew into San Diego. We found good weather, what a great way to begin our winter vacation, thirteen nights on the Azamara Quest, round-trip San Diego.   We picked this cruise for the remote ports of call: Guaymas, Loreto , and La Paz. We hadn’t been to this airport (SAN) in a few years and were surprised by the recent airport improvements.   The airport offers a positive first impression of the city.   No issue with our arrival or picking up our luggage at baggage claim.   Since we were staying in a downtown hotel near the airport, we caught a taxi to the Hampton Inn on Pacific Hwy.   We were surprised by the amount of traffic between the airport and the hotel, but it was still an interesting ride near the waterfront: I suspect our taxi driver took us via the “tourist shortcut.”   The hotel is a block off the waterfront. The Hampton Inn more than met our expectations for a cruise hotel.   The h...

In the cruise industry, Wave Season is the three months of the year when Cruise Lines offer their best prices for the coming year.  Some industry experts report that 50% (or more) of cruise booking happen in this three-month window. The season equates to Black Friday and the shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Wave Season runs from early January until the end of March.  Some cruise lines may extend the price breaks into April.  However, January to March is when you can find better prices for most cruises.  Many time, the cruise lines will add other incentives to the cruise package: free gratuities, a drink package, or on-board credit. Several clients have asked why the Wave Season is such a big deal in the industry.  The answer: this is when housebound customers are tired of winter.   Thanksgiving is long over; Christmas season is past, it’s cold, and we still have several months of winter ahead.  People like to th...

Australia’s major cruise ship port, Sydney, is included in many a world cruise and South Pacific itinerary. But if you really want to explore Australia, take a look at the coastal cruises that visit multiple ports around this vast island. These itineraries provide excellent opportunities for you to enjoy excursions to Australia’s UNESCO World Heritage sites, national parks, historic communities, wineries, beaches, and many other attractions.   Cruises of coastal Australia often focus on a certain portion of continent. For example, some will take you to the sunny, beach-strewn shores of Queensland in northeastern Australia, also known as the Sunshine Coast. Port calls may include Newcastle, Brisbane, Cairns, and Moreton Island, as well as emerging destinations like Mooloolaba , the Whitsunday Islands, and Port Douglas, adjacent to the Daintree Rainforest.   Cairns is a base for excursions to the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest and most spectacular coral r...

Some exciting new ships will enter the cruise scene in 2017. Whether you cruise regularly or haven’t hit the waves for a while, one of these ships may tempt you to organize your next cruise vacation right now.   The Viking Sun will be the third ocean-going ship for Viking Cruises, previously best known for river cruises. This 930-passenger ship will debut in an impressive way, launching December 15 from Miami to sail a 141-day world cruise, Viking’s first.   The Silver Muse will be the new flagship for Silversea’s luxury fleet, accommodating up to 596 guests. The ship will launch in April for a 13-day cruise from Monte Carlo to Nice, followed by cruises throughout Europe, Canada, North and South American and the Caribbean.   The Majestic Princess from Princess Cruises will launch April 4 in Rome, with a capacity of 3,560 guests. The ship will sail some Mediterranean itineraries before being deployed to China to help meet the high demand for cruise vacation...

Barbados is the easternmost of Caribbean Islands; in fact, it’s technically in the Atlantic. The ocean crashes against the rugged eastern shore, most dramatically against the scenic cliffs at the island’s northern tip. The interior is beautiful, too, with fields of sugar cane and splendid plantation houses. The protected western and southern shores are lined with white sand beaches.   It’s delightful to spend a day on Barbados basking on a sunny beach, but there are lots of other choices for an excursion. To explore the island’s interior, take a 4x4 vehicle excursion to places like Joe’s River Forest, filled with lush, towering trees; the Scotland District, which reminded early settlers of the highlands of Scotland; and Rock Hall Village, the first island community founded by emancipated slaves.   If the turquoise water around the island call to you, hop on a catamaran and sail to Turtle Bay, where the beach is a nesting spot for wild sea turtles. You can swim in the ...