Celebrity Constellation Gets some Added Chic !!!

I have always wanted to sail Celebrities most sought after ship and also sail the Solstice Class and now you if you can't decide...  Choose the Constellation and you well get the best of both worlds...  By the way after she comes through the Canal Ft Lauderdale to San Diego she will be going back through the other way in case you are interested in a one way Panama Canal this year!

NEWLY “SOLSTICIZED” CELEBRITY CONSTELLATION® SETS SAIL WITH STYLE 

First of four Millennium Class ships completes eagerly anticipated refit Celebrity Cruises coined the word “Solsticized” in January, and yesterday, the meaning behind it became reality for guests embarking on Celebrity Constellation® in Amsterdam.

Following an ambitious 15-day drydock and revitalization period, Celebrity Constellation now boasts some of the most popular venues found on the line’s widely-heralded Solstice Class ships, including the tantalizing Tuscan Grille steakhouse; the vibrant creperie, Bistro on Five; a “cool” new ice-topped Martini Bar; the inviting Café al Bacio and Gelateria; Cellarmasters wine bar, complete with the state-of-the-art wine serving systems known as “Enomatics,” allowing guests to select and serve wines by the glass, at the touch of a button; more sumptuous suites, with all new furniture, flat-screen TVs, upholstery, bedding and carpeting; restyled staterooms, with entirely new carpeting, flat-screen TVs, upholstery and bedding; and new color schemes, carpeting and upholstery reflective of the Solstice Class’ stylish, modern design in every public venue. 

"Our newly Solsticized Celebrity Constellation is a significant outgrowth of our ‘Designed for you’ brand platform, built around our longtime commitment to identifying and designing what our guests want,” said Celebrity’s President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. “By adding Solstice Class features that we know our guests love to our already award-winning Millennium Class ships – with the impeccable service our spectacular crew delivers across the entire fleet – we’re confident we have a winning combination, expressly designed for discerning cruisers.”


Celebrity Constellation is the first of the line’s four Millennium-class ships to be “Solsticized.” Celebrity Infinity® and Celebrity Summit® will be similarly refurbished in 2011, followed by Celebrity Millennium® in 2012.

The revitalization is only part of Celebrity’s Designed for you platform, which – when combined with the brand’s Celebrity Life onboard experiences, more robust Captain’s Club loyalty program, and other brand enhancements – represents a nearly $200-million investment. 

Following her current 7-night cruise through the breathtaking Norwegian Fjords, Celebrity Constellation will present a series of 12-night Scandinavia and Russia cruises, followed by an 8-night Northern Europe and Mediterranean cruise from Amsterdam to Barcelona, where the ship will present a series of roundtrip, 7-night Mediterranean sailings, before a 14-night transatlantic voyage departing Barcelona November 6, ending in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. There, Celebrity Constellation will present two consecutive 14-night Exotic Caribbean cruises, prior to embarking on a 15-night Panama Canal voyage from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego on December 18.

Cunard's Queen Victoria in LA for 4 night Voyage Valentines 2011

Want a taste of the newest Queen in the Cunard Fleet?  How does 4 nights aboard out of LA sound for a Valentines Extravaganza next year sound!  What a a way to surprise your honey....

Yes, she will be in LA giving us a treat on 2/13/2011.  Let me know if you would like to go...  I know I put it on my calendar as a possibility !!!  I have been looking for a way to get onboard this fantastic Vessel without having to Cross the Atlantic to do it!

Here are some details from Cunard regarding some of the GALA surrounding her visit here.............


 

N E W S

Cunard Partners with BritWeek Los Angeles

Iconic Cruise Line On Board to Promote “All Things British”

     

15 April 2010 – Cunard Line, the iconic British ocean liner company sailing the youngest, most modern luxury fleet in the cruise industry, is pleased to announce a new partnership with BritWeek Los Angeles (17 April – 8 May), a star-studded celebration of British film and television, music, fashion, art and design, entertainment, business innovation, food, and sports, highlighting the rich relationship between the United Kingdom and Los Angeles.  Cunard’s participation includes co-sponsorship of the BritWeek Gala charity dinner honouring Virgin Founder and CEO Sir Richard Branson on 22 April at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.  Cunard has donated a lavish voyage package from Los Angeles to Hawaii aboard Queen Victoria, in celebration of the ship’s first Americas season starting in 2011.  Beneficiaries of proceeds from the BritWeek Gala, including the Queen Victoria voyage live auction, are Virgin Unite and Save the Children.
Being an internationally recognised British cruise vacation brand and having North American headquarters located north of Los Angeles in Valencia, Calif., Cunard has long fostered a connection between England and America. North American guests who sail with Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria enjoy British traditions as part of legendary voyages, including white-gloved afternoon tea service, a traditional English pub and Royal Nights themed formal balls. Additional opportunities to experience this rich British heritage will become available with the launch of Cunard’s new Queen Elizabeth, debuting this October in Southampton, England.
“At Cunard, we are deeply proud of our British heritage and welcome opportunities to celebrate it, both on and off our luxury ocean liners,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line. “We look forward to partnering with BritWeek and its other sponsors to spotlight the contributions of our British brethren throughout Los Angeles and America.”

Numerous BritWeek events will be held throughout Los Angeles for three weeks, bringing attention to British involvement in the city's cultural and business life, including a “BritWalk” that will take in some of the city's most exclusive streets, linking more than 50 British fashion and luxury brands, restaurants and hotels.

BritWeek is the brainchild of British television director and producer Nigel Lythgoe (“American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance”) and Bob Peirce, former British Consul-General Los Angeles. In addition to Cunard, other notable British companies sponsoring BritWeek include Virgin Atlantic, British Petroleum and 19 Entertainment.

“It is an honour for us to have Cunard, a renowned British cruise brand, join our lineup of sponsors for this year’s BritWeek,” said Mindy Gail, executive director of BritWeek. “With this initiative, we highlight British contributions to Los Angeles, and Cunard is a valuable partner in our efforts to realize this goal.”

Volcano brings an eruption of interest in cruises to Iceland

By John Honeywell on Apr 15, 10 12:37 PM  

There can be few sights more spectacular than a volcanic eruption, and while the ash cloud from Iceland may be disrupting UK flights today, cruises to the island this summer will be unaffected. Even if the cruise companies don't set up their own excursions, there will no doubt be plenty of enterprising taxi drivers waiting on the quayside at Reykjavik to take passengers on the 90-minute drive to the Eyjafjallajokull volcano which is causing all the problems.
The earliest opportunity to cruise to Iceland from the UK will be on Page & Moy's Athena, which sails from Harwich on May 14 and after calling at two ports in Norway before four calls in Iceland - Reykjavik being the last on May 23. Details on the Page & Moy website.
Seabourn Sojourn, which leaves Dover on June 6, will be in Reykjavik on June 11, and also visits Heimaey, which was evacuated in 1973 when the port was threatened by an eruption which eventually increased the length of the island from 11 square kilometres to almost 13.5 square kilometres. Cruise details here.
Marco Polo, now being operated by Cruise and Maritime Voyages, sails from Tilbury on June 22 and will be in Reykjavik on June 27 and will also be sailing round Surtsey, a small island created by a volcanic eruption in 1963. Sister ship Ocean Countess departs from Leith on July 12 for a 12-night cruise which also includes a visit to Surtsey and a day in Reykjavik on July 17. Details here.
P&O has three cruises which will reach Iceland this summer as part of voyages which also visit Norway , and all departing from Southampton. Dates are: Oriana , June 2; Aurora, June 18; Arcadia, June 19. More details at P&O's website.
The boutique ship Ocean Princess leaves Dover on June 25 for an 18-day voyage to New York, calling at Reykjavik on July 3 - and it's unlikely that flights home from the US will still be affected by then. Big sister Crown Princess sails from Southampton on July 29 on a 12-day voyage to Reykjavik and then on to the fjords.
One of the most interesting cruises to Iceland will be on Saga Pearl II which departs from Dover on June 28 and will call at six ports on the island, including Heimaey and Reykjavik, during the 14-night voyage. Sister ship Saga Ruby leaves Dover on June 30 for a 19-night voyage to Greenland, which also visits Reykjavik. Saga cruises are for the over-50s only.
Spirit of Adventure has a 14-night cruise to explore the geological wonders of Iceland, departing from Dover on July 14, and calling at Seydisfjord, Akureyri, Isafjord, Reykjavik and Heimaey.
Holland America Lines' Prinsendam, which makes a two-day visit to London on July 23 and 24 then sails via Rosyth to Reykjavik and two other Icelandic ports. The 22-day cruise also visits Spitsbergen before ending in Amsterdam.
Eminent vulcanologist Dr Peter Cattermole, who has lectured at the universities of Wales and Sheffield, will be on board Swan Hellenic's Minerva when she sails from Dover on July 28 on a 16-day cruise to the land of ice and fire, visiting Reykjavik on August 3.
For a one-way trip, there's a nine-night cruise on MV Discovery leaving Harwich on July 29, with flights home to the UK from Reykjavik on August 6. The ship spends two nights in port at Reyykjavik before heading off to Greenland and then back to Harwich, so there are also options for a full 23-night round-trip.
Finally in this round-up - which does not claim to be comprehensive - are two cruises on Fred Olsen's Black Watch. The first, of 15 nights, leaves Southampton on August 7 and heads first for Greenland, returning to the UK via Isafjordur and Reykjavik. The second option is a 12-nighter departing on September 5 and visiting Iceland and Norway.

 

Iceland Volcano Causes Disruptions Throughout Europe - Travel Agent Central Reports

 These photos and more are located with photographers on  

http://tinyurl.com/y7ntu4h

As the eruption from Iceland's Eyjaffjalljokull volcano continued to wreak havoc on Northern Europe's airspace, planes throughout the continent remained grounded on Friday, with no clear sign of when both the eruptions and the delays would end. The BBC reports that Europe's intergovernmental air control agency, Eurocontrol, said it "expects around 11,000 flights to take place today in European airspace. On a normal day, we would expect 28,000."

Of about 300 transatlantic flights that would usually arrive in Europe in the morning, no more than 120 made it over, the agency said.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Britain kept almost all of its airspace empty through the morning, allowing only a few flights to operate out of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Authorities said most non-emergency air travel would be banned through at least 1 a.m. Saturday London time. Signs in the London Underground (pictured right) warned passengers of the situation.

Scandinavia also continued to keep most of its planes on the ground. By midday Friday, all major airports in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland were scheduled to remain shut down for the rest of the day, with only a few small airports operational in the far north. Icelandair has canceled several flights due to the volcano, and added two additional flights to Glasgow to accommodate passengers heading to the U.K. (Both are scheduled to depart at 2 p.m. GMT and will leave Glasgow at 6:05 p.m. local time.) Since the ash is blowing eastward, many Icelandair flights have operated on schedule or with slight delays including flights to/from Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and the U.S.

 

Related Stories

Iceland Volcano Causes Cruise Disruptions

 

In France, the three main airports in Paris decided to allow inbound flights to land between 12 and 4 p.m. But no takeoffs were permitted, and other airports in northern France remained until at least 8 p.m. local time.

Air Berlin said in a statement that almost all German airports have been closed, and are expected to remain closed until 6 p.m.

Belgium and the Netherlands also kept their skies empty of planes.
Again, anyone planning to fly to or around Europe this weekend should check their airline's website for any information about delays or cancelations

Iceland Volcanic Eruptions Effects on Cruises from Cruise Critic

Cruise Cancellations and Disruptions Caused By Volcanic Ash (5:30 p.m. EDT) -- As Europe struggles to cope with the second day of travel chaos caused by a massive ash cloud that has grounded flights, cruise lines are putting contingency plans into place. Here's an update of what we've learned:

Passengers due to fly from the U.K. to Barbados tomorrow to join Princess Cruises' Sea Princess are being advised to wait until later today for information; the next air traffic (NATS) update is due at 2:30 p.m. BST. All other Princess ships are operating as normal.

Cunard is unaffected as both ships are mid-cruise.

P&O Cruises is unaffected as no fly-cruises are operating, although passengers travelling to Southampton from around the U.K. will need to use road or rail rather than domestic flights to reach Southampton for this weekend's departures on Artemis, Oceana and Oriana.

Ocean Village has been one of the worst affected. The April 15 'Groves and Gondolas' cruise from Heraklion, due to depart yesterday, has been cancelled. Passengers who had booked a 14-night cruise are being offered a seven-night cruise departing next Thursday with the appropriate refund, or a full refund. Those that had made it out to Crete will be taken to hotels while Ocean Village works with airlines to organise onward flights when the airspace reopens.

A special hotline has been set up for passengers sailing on any of the above cruise lines who are affected by the current travel disruption: 0845 351 0350.

Fred. Olsen tells us that it is doing all it can to get passengers out to board Braemar in the Caribbean. Passengers who had been due to fly from Manchester yesterday are now being taken to Glasgow Airport in the hope aircraft can take off.

A spokesperson for Fred. Olsen told Cruise Critic this morning that Braemar is expected to depart Barbados late tonight. As a result, the first port of call, Castries, has been cancelled, and instead the ship will now head straight to Roseau, Dominica to arrive there on schedule the following day.

Yesterday we reported that Thomson Cruises' Thomson Celebration would be delaying its Red Sea itinerary in Sharm el Sheikh in the hope of getting passengers out to the ship today. Thomson has now said the ship will depart Sharm el Sheikh this afternoon and head to Port Soknha, as some passengers due to cruise made it out of the UK before the airports closed yesterday morning.

Disembarking passengers who had been due to fly home from Sharm el Sheikh are either staying a hotel until flight restrictions are lifted, or remaining onboard the ship.

A spokesperson tells us that if restrictions are lifted when the ship is close to Sharm el Sheikh, it will return to the port to disembark the remaining guests before carrying on its cruise.

In a statement, the cruise line said: "In the UK we dispatched special assistance teams to the airports to ensure our customers were kept up to date with the latest information. Our overseas teams have also been working hard to look after those customers who were due to return home."

As we reported last night, a spokesperson for Holland America Line tells us only a handful of guests are impacted. The line has made arrangements (rerouted flights) for approximately 20 air-sea guests; those who booked their own flights have been advised to keep in contact with the line, which will hold ships if possible.

A spokeswoman for Crystal Cruises tells us Crystal Serenity will turn around on Saturday in Civitavecchia, for Rome, and that air-sea guests routed through London are protected on other flights in the event that the airport does not reopen.

Viking River Cruises tell us they have been in touch with those scheduled to sail Saturday and Sunday. They are continuing to monitor the situation and will have customer service representatives available this weekend. If conditions do not improve by early Saturday, passengers will be advised against travel and will either be rebooked or will receive credit for a future sailing.

Connections Elegant World Cruises, which sells Uniworld river sailings in the U.K., tells us that two itineraries have been affected -- a 15-day "Eastern European Explorer" voyage and an 11-day "Lisbon and the Beautiful Douro" voyage. The company has been in touch with all affected passengers and is currently assisting them in making other arrangements.

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and NCL all have statements on their websites about the disruption and what they are offering passengers.

• Norwegian Cruise Line Web site statement
  
• Royal Caribbean Web site statement
  
  

April is also the beginning of Europe's river cruise season but at the moment, it's a case of "wait and see." We're waiting for updates from AMAWATERWAYS and Uniworld. A spokeswoman for Avalon told us this morning: "The one departure we have this week is the Avalon Tulip Time due to depart Amsterdam on Sunday on board the Avalon Imagery. I'm told that it will be operating but we are of course waiting for an update from the airlines following advice from the Met Office and NATS when flights are likely to resume.

"In the event that our passengers won't be able to travel we will of course be offering to rebook them on an alternative departure or of course offering a full refund."

We'll keep you posted as more cruise lines announce their contingency plans -- and, of course, when the next NATS announcement is made at 2.30 p.m. BST.

--By Sue Bryant,Cruise Critic Contributing Editor and Kelly Ranson, U.K. Editor

Northern Lights with Shooting Star

Here is a Taste... More to come this week. Promise!

Holmenkollen ski jump

The Holmenkollen ski jump, located in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway, is host to the world's second oldest ski jump competition still in existence (the oldest being hosted by a small, local club named Medicinernes Skiklub Svartor in nearby Seterkollen).
Since then the capacity of the stands have been increased to over 50,000 people and the jump has been extended 18 times, last time in 1982. Today's tower extends 60 meters above ground, and 417 metres above sea level. The current record of 136 meters was achieved by Tommy Ingebrigtsen of Norway on 25 January 2006.^{[dated info]}

Tower Bridge

London

First Blog Post From Norway

Hello from Kirkenes, Norway !!!

Today is Friday the 12th and the photo of me to the left is leaving LAX on Tuesday the 9th.

We have been non-stop since then with a flight everyday, shleping luggage to and from airports, buses, taxi's and hotels... We are currently in our last hotel before boarding the ship tomorrow and are now traveling with 22 people comprised of Travel Agents and their spouses or traveling companions and WE CAN'T WAIT to GET TO THE SHIP so that we can unpack and stay awhile while enjoying the scenery and take a load off.....

Having said that we have been having a fantastic time in Norway!!!!!

It is absolutely incredible here and like nothing I have ever experienced. For the first thing it is not nearly as cold as we had anticipated... Today we are 69* Latitude... and 1.5 miles from the Russian Border. This town has a much larger population and is the housing is fairly modern. The houses are all built and look the same but are brightly colored as they are the only colors in contrast to the bright, bright beautiful whiteness of the snow that surrounds them..

Kirkenes is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark with a population of about 3,300, or about 7,300 if the neighbouring suburban areas of Hesseng, Sandnes and Bjørnevatn ^[1] are included. Kirkenes is located in the extreme northeastern part of Norway on the Bøkfjorden, a branch of the Varanger Fjord, which is a vast bay connected to the Barents Sea near the Russian-Norwegian border. The town is situated about 240 miles (400 km) north of the Arctic Circle.

Unlike the vast majority of Norway, Kirkenes is located east of the neighbouring country of Finland. Because of this, travelling directly west from Kirkenes actually changes the timezone forward instead of backward, like it usually does. Travelling directly east from Kirkenes (into Russia) changes the timezone forward by two hours instead of one.

One can drive 100 km south, and walk 10 km, into the Øvre Pasvik National Park, reaching the border point of the three countries, where the three timezones meet. There are only a few such places in the world. It is forbidden, according to Russian law, to walk around the marker, since entering Russia is only allowed at a border control.

We are spending the night at the Rica Arctic Hotel.  It is very lovely, modern, the rooms are large with large deep bathtubs which I immediately filled up with hot water and jumped into as soon as I got off the bus, before venturing out for some exploring and picture taking...  There is a large lounge with sofa's, conversation areas, internet cafe, free wi-fi hotel wide and hot coffee.

Tonight we are headed out for dog sledding, a visit to the Ice Hotel and hopefully see the northern lights.  I will be taking the camera and video camera with the tri-pod out to see if we can get some good shots.

I basically wanted to jump in here and say hello.  I am going to throw a couple of pics up for you and chat with you a bit later.  Hopefully more tonight or tomorrow morning while the wi-fi is free and I think I will have some time....

Here are a couple of pics to show  you where we have been..  (first actual day was an overnight to London....)

Day 1 London, only a couple of hours in the hop on, hop off bus so pics are all from the moving bus.... !!!     Fish and Chips in a pub that night.

Day 2 Oslo,   FANTASTIC Tour and night there....

Day 3 Here....

IMG00268-20100312-1002.jpg

Kirkenes airport way above the arctic circle!
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Want to Sail the Med with us in Europe Summer 2011 ????

Magic 9 day Med/Europe May 2011

 Want to Go with Us ????

Owners, Joe and Nancy and Associate Agent Alicia and her husband Hip will be onboard !!!

 

9 Day Mediterranean (05/1/11)

Port of call	Arrival	Departure
Venice, Italy		6:00 PM
"Fun Day" at Sea	At Sea	At Sea
Dubrovnik, Croatia	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
"Fun Day" at Sea	At Sea	At Sea
Messina, Italy	7:00 AM	6:00 PM
Naples, Italy	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
Rome (Civitavecchia) Italy	7:00 AM	10:00 PM
Livorno, Italy	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
Montecarlo, Monaco	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
Barcelona, Spain	7:00 AM

We are sailing on the very first, inaugural, as it stands now, sailing and the one and only ONE WAY, 9 night sailing of the 2011 season that the Carnival Magic will do.  This is a one way Venice to Barcelona sailing leaving time on either end of the 9 days to have a day or two in Venice AND Barcelona and still take a 2 week vacation. This is a great way to see the most sought after ports of Europe on a brand new ship with the economical pricing and FUN of Carnival !!!

We have locked in the best available pricing and will be offering Bon Voyage Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries along with $100 OBC.  

This is a limited time offer.  Make your reservations by 4/29/2010  Full Payment not due until 1/15/2011.

Carnival Cruise Lines’ newest ship, the 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic, will debut with a schedule of seven-, nine- and 12-day Mediterranean cruises operating round-trip from Barcelona from May to October 2011. This marks Carnival’s first full season of Mediterranean cruises in three years, as well as the first time the line has homeported a ship in Barcelona.

To commemorate the line’s return to Europe, for the first time ever Carnival is offering an exclusive pre-sale for past guests from January 19 to January 25, including complimentary two-category upgrades, along with special pricing with rates starting at just $829 per person, based on double occupancy.

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 The 130,000-ton Carnival Magic will offer a host of features popularized on its sister ship Carnival Dream, including a WaterWorks aqua park, a stunning café/live entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza; Serenity adults-only retreat; spacious, modern facilities for children and teens; and a wide range of stateroom categories. Several innovations unique to the Carnival Magic will be announced in the coming months.

Cahill added, “Making the decision to return to Europe is an indicator of our confidence in the increasing willingness of North Americans to travel internationally as we move toward 2011.”

Carnival Magic’s 2011 Mediterranean schedule will encompass three seven-day departures, six nine-day cruises, and eight 12-day voyages round-trip from Barcelona May 10 – October 16, 2011. A special one-time nine-day voyage from Venice to Barcelona will operate May 1-10, 2011.

Each of the three itineraries start and end on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, which reflects consumers’ traditional vacation patterns and provides convenient opportunities for adding a pre- and post-cruise stay. 

Seven-day cruises will feature Monte Carlo, Monaco; and Livorno, Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples and Messina, Italy.  Departure dates include July 3, 10 and 17, 2011.

Nine-day cruises will call at Marseilles, France – the line’s first call at this charming coastal town – followed by Monte Carlo (excluding the August 26 departure); Livorno, Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples, and Messina; and Palma de Mallorca, Spain.  Voyages will operate June 3 and 24, August 5 and 26, September 16, and October 7, 2011.

The special nine-day cruise departing May 1 will visit Dubrovnik, Croatia; Messina, Naples, Rome (Civitavecchia), Livorno; and Monte Carlo.

The 12-day Grand Mediterranean voyages will feature Monte Carlo or Marseilles; Livorno, Rome (Civitavecchia), and Naples; Dubrovnik (excluding the May 22 departure which will visit Palma de Mallorca); Venice (overnight call) and Messina. These voyages will depart May 10 and 22, June 12, July 24, August 14, September 4 and 25, and October 16, 2011.

On the Carnival Magic’s Mediterranean cruises, guests can sample the region’s renowned cuisine, experience unique sightseeing opportunities, view stunning architecture and visit centuries-old historical landmarks and museums.

All three itineraries will operate round-trip from Barcelona, a bustling, cosmopolitan city whose modern cruise terminal is considered one of the finest in Europe. 

As the line’s newest ship, Carnival Magic will offer a host of on-board amenities and facilities, including Ocean Plaza, an indoor/outdoor café and live entertainment venue with full bar service, a patisserie and a dance floor; Serenity, an exclusive adults-only retreat offering magnificent sea views; and The Lanai, a wrap-around promenade encircling the ship with cantilevered whirlpools that will extend over the ship’s sides.

Carnival Magic will also build upon the line’s distinction as the family cruise leader, with dedicated facilities and programming for children in three age groups – Camp Carnival (2-11), Circle “C” (12-14) and Club O2 (15-17) – along with a miniature golf course and an expansive WaterWorks aqua park with multiple water slides and other features.

Extensive formal and casual dining options, including two two-level main dining rooms, an expansive poolside Lido restaurant, an elegant steakhouse serving U.S.D.A. prime dry-aged beef, a sushi bar, and complimentary 24-hour stateroom service, will also be available.

High-tech features aboard the Carnival Magic will include the Fun Hub, a comprehensive intranet portal and shipboard social network, along with ship-wide Wi-Fi access. Health-conscious guests will enjoy a 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa featuring a thalassotherapy pool, thermal suite and elaborate spa and gymnasium facilities.

Carnival Magic will also feature 1,845 staterooms – the most ever on a Carnival ship – and will offer a wide range of accommodation categories.  These include the affordable cove balconies, located on Deck 2 and closer to the water line, and a wide range of staterooms including deluxe ocean views with two-bathrooms, some of which feature five berths. 

Contact us at 307.278.9663 or NReal@cruiseone.com

www.nreal.cruiseone.com

Luggage Update

By the way,  I forgot to tell you that I ended up paying $87.00 for the large Sub-O bag and $110 for the spinner carry on   BOTH are by International Traveller.  

I purchased them and the Camera/Loptop Bag at my favorite website for Bags of all kinds.  www.ebags.com  They have fantastic selection, pricing, service and shipping.  I also love the way the is built and the customer comments which I rely on quite a bit.  The different ways to search are helpful too.  I.E. best sellers, highest rated, etc.

I am about to start the packing.....  all my items have arrived for the trip and are assembled.  Now we just have to see if we can cram them all in and what has to stay home.....

How to Travel Around the World By Airplane

How to Travel Around the World By Airplane

February 22, 2010 at 9:35 AM | by kjb | 1 Comment

If the usual travel destinations have gotten a little boring, it might be time to consider something a little more adventurous. Traveling around the world is slightly intimidating, but doing it by airplane isn’t too tricky. There are plenty of options for flying around the globe, and there’s three main ways to get you to and from your home with time for pit stops on most continents. The best part is things are somewhat flexible, so feel free to skip over countries you’ve seen before or ones you’d rather avoid. Here’s a rundown of where to go to get things done.

· Star Alliance
Star Alliance is ready, willing, and able to take you to your dream destinations, and they can do it with help from lots of airlines including United Airlines, ANA, and Singapore Airlines. Tickets are priced depending on total mileage planned for your trip, and you can choose from 29,000, 34,000, or 39,000 miles. For those that enjoy the pain and suffering of a seat in the back of the plane, there’s a special economy option available with a 26,000 mileage allowance—in case you only have a week to finish exploring.
Once you’ve gotten the cash together to plan an adventure you’ll need to decide which way to travel around the globe. You can go either east or west, but all travel needs to continue in that direction once it has begun. Stopovers—that’s when you get to escape the plane—are stays for more than 24 hours. You’ll need to include at least three of them, but you can do as many as 15. If you go with the special economy ticket you are limited to a maximum of only five stops—bummer.

Click Here for the rest of the article and a really cool Blog!

JFK runway closure to rattle nerves, wallets

It might be a good idea to avoid flying to, from or through JFK for awhile.  Thanks to Mary for pointing this info out!

By SAMANTHA BOMKAMP, AP Transportation Writer Samantha Bomkamp, Ap Transportation Writer –

Mon Mar 1, 2:11 am ET

NEW YORK – One runway, a whole lot of problems.

The main runway at New York's John F. Kennedy International will be closed for four months starting March 1. Millions of travelers will experience delays — including some not flying anywhere near the Big Apple.

With about one-third of JFK's traffic and half of its departures being diverted to three smaller runways, planes will wait on longer lines on the ground for takeoffs and in the air for landings. Delays at one of the nation's largest airports will ripple to cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orlando.

Passengers using JFK also face another headache — higher ticket prices. JetBlue, American, Delta and other airlines have cut their schedules by about 10 percent for the shutdown period. They can raise prices because there will be a smaller number of seats to meet demand.

JFK's Bay Runway, at 14,572 feet, is one of the longest commercial runways in the world. It's a backup landing spot for the space shuttle, which has its next mission in April. The runway is being repaved with concrete instead of less-durable asphalt and widened to accommodate today's bigger planes.

The project will affect at least the first month of the peak travel season, which officially starts on Memorial Day. But the chosen four-month period was picked because it's the driest in the New York area, making weather-related construction delays less likely. Of course, prompt completion isn't certain. A similar runway repair in Minneapolis last year created thousands of delays when it was slowed by unseasonably wet weather.

Click Here for more

Quake closes Santiago airport for three days; cruise ships wait out tsunami - Just In! | Travel News - MiamiHerald.com

Miami Herald staff and wire services

The airport in Santiago, Chile was closed for up to three days after a catastrophic earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.8, struck early Saturday.

Avianca and Copa airlines both announced they were cancelling flights to Santiago at least on Saturday and Sunday. An Avianca flight headed from Bogota to Santiago Saturday morning was diverted first to Mendoza, Argentina, and then to Buenos Aires.

Among the flights affected: nonstop flights by American and LAN airlines from Miami to Santiago.

The Santiago airport suffered major damage, including smashed windows, partially collapsed ceilings and destroyed pedestrian walkways in the passenger terminals.

Santiago's subway was shut as well and hundreds of buses were trapped at a terminal by a damaged bridge.

Chile's main seaport, in Valparaiso about 75 miles from Santiago, was ordered closed while damage was assessed.

Princess Cruises said it had changed some of its port calls Saturday and Sunday as a result of the quake, but it expected that its Star Princess would be able to dock in Valparaiso as scheduled on Tuesday and depart later that same day on another cruise.

Holland America Line had four ships in the Pacific Ocean at the time of the quake but said none was affected, although the ms Zaandam and ms Maasdam remained in open ocean until the risk of a tsunami caused by the quake passed.

The quake struck after concert-goers had left South America's leading music festival in the coastal city of Vina del Mar, where organizers canceled performances on Saturday, the final night of the festival. But it caught partiers leaving a disco.

``It was very bad. People were screaming. Some people were running, others appeared paralyzed. I was one of them,'' Julio Alvarez told Radio Cooperativa.

A tsunami set off by the early-morning quake also affected travel as it rushed ashore in parts of Hawaii and French Polynesia, but no serious damage was immediately reported. In Hawaii, where 100,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas and roads into Waikiki were closed, waves were in 20-minute surges at 5.5 feet in Hilo and 6 feet at Maui.

Hilo International Airport, located along the coast, was closed.

The Port of Honolulu was closed in anticipation of the tsunami. Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America, which cruises the Hawaiian islands, had been scheduled to dock in Honolulu Saturday morning, but instead remained at sea where it rode out the tsunami.

Nearly 50 countries and island chains remained under tsunami warnings, from Antartica to Russia's far northeast.

Let's talk about the Hurtigruten Cruise Line

I thought today we would start out by talking about what inspired this trip which was the allure of cruising a different type of ship and the beautiful, awe inspiring scenery that this area of the world offers.

Today I want to talk about the Hurtigruten Cruiseline itself and the Ships.  Now of course I am only going to be able to speak of what I know about them now...  I am certain I will come back with much more first hand knowledge and share that with you later.

For more than 115 years Hurtigruten have been a part of the coastal areas of Norway. With our experience in polar areas the company have become an international travel industry company with an unique product.

This is from Wikipedia.......


Hurtigruten or Hurtigruta (literally "Express Route", but sometimes referred to as Norwegian Coastal Express in English) is a Norwegian passenger and freight line with daily sailings along Norway's spectacular western and northern coast. Ships sail almost the entire length of the country, completing the roundtrip journey in 11 days. The trip has been described as the "World's Most Beautiful Sea Voyage." Highlights include the Hanseatic League city of Bergen, the Geiranger fjord (summer only), and the Lofoten Islands.

Richard With - the founder of Hurtigruten

So when a seasoned Norwegian sea captain called Richard With proposed a regular steam ship service to link northern and southern Norway many saw it as unrealistic folly. Originally intended as a weekly daylight service from Trondheim to Hammerfest, delivering mail, cargo and passengers, this audacious mariner then proposed to extend the service to travel both day and night, winter and summer. His intention was to sail through waters that at this juncture had still not been mapped, through a landscape that for centuries had only been accessible from the sea.

The Most Important Communication Link

For 90 years the Coastal Express became the most important communication link between the north and south and it is from these pioneering voyages that the Hurtigruten tradition stems. Translating as ‘fast route’, it was the quickest and most reliable passage into the remote lands of northern Norway, regardless of weather conditions. Indeed it was not until 1983 that the mail delivery was finally entrusted to road and air routes. It is this heritage and experience that marks out Hurtigruten as one of the most professional and proficient expedition voyage operations on earth.

The Pioneering Years

During the middle of the 19th century a few steamers plied the waters along Norway’s northern coast in an attempt by the Norwegian government to unify the country. In 1893 the government offered permission for a regular route to be opened up, an offer rejected by all but one man – Richard With. On 2 July 1893, Captain With and his ship the Vesterålen sailed from Trondheim on a journey to Hammerfest that was to take 67 hours and arrive 20 minutes ahead of schedule! Realizing the journey was possible a number of other companies joined under the Hurtigruten banner.

The War Years

Following Norway’s independence in 1905, the Great War of 1914 saw the next development in the Hurtigruten story. Kirkenes was included in the route, whilst the reduced production and increased cost of coal deliveries from England resulted in the service being drastically reduced. The Depression years then saw the route regularly disrupted, before the Coastal Express began a boom period, with 1936 seeing the beginning of a daily sailing from Bergen. There were now 14 ships linking the coastal communities, visiting more ports than ever and transporting some 230,000 passengers annually. The Second World War heralded a dark time for Hurtigruten; suffering the loss of 9 ships and some 700 people, with ironically the Allies destroying twice as many vessels as Germany.

Rebirth and the Future

Following the war it was vital to rebuild the fleet as quickly as possible. The first 4 commissioned ships set new standards in comfort and service, quickly followed by 11 more over the following decade. The latter years of the 20th century saw Hurtigruten’s role change, as cars became more popular and the ship's original remit changed. New ships were built with passenger comfort in mind, with more cabins and panoramic lounges included to accommodate a new kind of traveler. A new generation of ships was built between 1993 and 2007, ensuring that today we have a fleet of custom designed vessels capable of safely negotiating not only the rugged coastal waters of Norway and the Arctic, but also the remote lands of Spitsbergen and Greenland and the southern oceans off Antarctica. Now, the idea for me of being on a ship that is a full working ship, stopping all times of day and night delivering supplies, mail, packages, people, vehicles to remote areas of the world that are inaccessible by any other means besides the sea just really struck a note with me of pure adventure. I also wondered what type of people I might mean on such a voyage both the passengers traveling on the ship, tourists and the people of Norway using it as transportation to and from their homes but of course the people in port when we have a chance to get off the ship,  (which is not at all ports of course as the ship might only stop for 15 minutes to take things off and pick up others).

 

I wanted to tell you that we will stop 34 times in 6 days on our Journey.  

The 6-day Southbound journey begins in Kirkenes in the far north of Norway near the Russian border and ends in the Hanseatic town of Bergen.  This voyage calls on the same 34 ports of call as the Classic voyage.

That is a bit of history of the Ships and Hurtigruten.  

This week I will fill you in a bit on our upcoming trip while I have the internet usage in abundance and can grab photo's and other things online to make the posts full of information and then on my trip I will share what I am experiencing...

I hope you like it!  If there is anything you want to know make sure you leave it or anything else in the comments below the posts!

Sail with us to Mexico - 3 night 4/30/10

We have 3 cabins left... On the Carnival Paradise 4 day/3 night sailing LA to Ensenada with a really fun group.  Hundreds less than going rate with $50 Onboard Credit, 2 bottles of wine and a welcome aboard cocktail party..    I only have them until Monday 3/1 and then they go back to Carnival.  Come with us!  Call me for pricing!

Mom and I go on a Norweigan Adventure!

Beginning a week from next Tuesday, on March 9th, 2010,  My mom, Mary, and I will be leaving on a Jet Plane to travel to Europe for our first time ever!  We are beginning with an 11 hour flight on Virgin Atlantic LA to London.  Before moving on to I am sure is THE Coldest Place on the Planet.  I am just sure of it which my husband can attest to by all the winter sales I have been hitting online.  

We are going above the Arctic Circle,  a place I would never have thought I would be,  and when I checked the weather last it was a brisk -14* F, with wind chills making it -30* F.  Now the people in Norway are telling me not to worry that March is *nice*, like spring, they tell me...  What I want to know is WHO'S  spring.  Certainly not mine......  I live in the Mojave Desert in California...  My winters are probably warmer than there summers....   :-)  But I digress.

I have posted the general itinerary below so you can get the gist of where we will be and what we are doing and I have done everything possible to hopefully be able to blog right from my blackberry to the blog from wherever I am.  Now, having said that........  I said hopefully.

I did order a RedFly for my Blackberry last week which I had great hopes for...   Unfortunately I couldn't find the current model available anywhere sooooo I ordered someone's used one on EBay hoping to save me a few bucks.  When I got it the screen has been cracked.  I really think it must have happened in shipping and will try and get my $$$ back but now I am stuck with trying to get another keyboard in time for my trip.  

I think I am going to go with the Freedom Pro for now and then sell it when I can get my hands on a new RedFly CN8.

I really want to be able to do my e-mail communications and writing from my BB with no internet connection time being used on the ship, etc.  It would make life so much easier, less cumbersome and less expensive for me...

OK,   so we are working on that...  One week to go.

Now the packing and luggage is another story.

Since we have 5 different flights, 6 different hotel stays and 2 train trips, we needed to travel light....... BUT stay warm, which entails, heavier, bulkier items.  We decided one checked bag which can only weigh 44#'s for international flights on SAS, and one carry on.  I am also bringing a photo, laptop combo backpack for my technical equipement.

So I went on a mission.  

I have been meaning to rethink my luggage for awhile.  Having been on 8 different ships in the last 5 months and all the hotels, trains and airplanes that go with it, I decided I needed to do something about my luggage.  The constraints that the airlines have put on us was taking it's toll and especially with my traveling solo a bit of the time it makes life harder in airports, etc if you have to much with you...  Taking all my stuff with me to the bathroom just had to stop!

My final choices had to meet these criteria: 


I wanted ONE bag for check on that was:

• as light as possible
• as roomy as possible
• no hard sided luggage (no possibility of cramming more in)
• good wheels (preferably spinners but not mandatory) 
• had outside pockets
• durable
• had high ratings with reviewers
• under $175
• was not ugly 

I wanted ONE carry-on that was:

•  #1  HAD TO BE SPINNERS  to go down the aisle sideways.  I am tired of carrying my bag through the airplane aisles.  Dr say's NO also.
• as large in dimensions as allowable
• easy to pack, not alot of inside pockets (I have my camera backpack for laptop, fragile items)
• no hard sided...  see above.  easier to fit in overhead bins
• high ratings
• outside pockets for travel docs
• was under $125
• again not ugly

This is what I ended up with:  and I am THRILLED !!!!!!!!

It is the Sub-0-G  weighing in at 6.4# !!!  It is light as a feather and really big inside.  I will tell you how it works when I get back.  I bought it here E-Bags $89.00 and free shipping.

I also bought THIS for my carry on...

Here is the link for it....It is an International Traveller Brand

 This is the Camera Laptop Bag that I got Joe for Christmas for his Camera.

It is a Case Logic Brand.  We have been using it and we love it!  Sits flat on the ground, you can just open it enough to grab the camera out of the top for quick access.  Very, Very nice..  It fits a Laptop in the back of it...plus all the cords, etc. 

  Ok....  so, now you know what I have been spending time on.  In my spare time.  I get a bit obsessive just so I can report back to you.  I will also share with you later some of the other travel gadgets in my arsenal to make life easier on the road!