Oasis Of The Seasick? Not Likely, According To Captain
By · CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
Normally, stablizers are used to test the stability of a ship during sea trials. But when the Oasis of the Seas underwent its sea trials, the stablizers were used to deliberately make the ship roll.
Often, a pitch of 11 to 12 degrees can be achieved, according to Oasis’ Captain Bill Wright. But on the word’s largest cruise ship, “we couldn’t even get three degrees,” he says.
Harri Kulovaara, Royal Caribbean‘s executive vice president, marine, says, “I don’t know why we haven’t been building the wide bodies (ships) all along.”
Not only do wide ships allow for more facilities, but with a width of about 50 meters, more than 160 feet, Oasis is more stable than any of the ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet.
Content provided by the Avid Cruiser
Christmas: On The Rivers Of Europe With Family & Friends
By · CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
Europe is a winter wonderland during the holidays.
Since 2006, I’ve celebrated Christmas with friends and family in an unlikely setting — on the rivers of Europe. It’s a tradition that I have very much enjoyed and one that I plan to continue.
I love the cozy feeling of being on a vessel that transports me, and a hundred or so others, along the main arteries of Europe during this festive time of year. I enjoy bundling up to stroll historic city streets among the Christmas markets and returning to the ship to sip on hot mulled cider or, when the mood strikes, Gluhwein.
If you’re lucky, as I have been on a few Christmas cruises, snow will blanket the villages along the rivers. Last year, I trudged on powder with my family and friends through the uber-charming Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We felt like we were walking in a fairy tale. Christmas trees were decorated with red ribbons and sparkly white lights. Branches were laden with clumps of snow that had fallen from the rooftops. Icicles appeared like mini-stalactites from awnings, and under them, shop windows presented everything from wurst to gingerbread cookies, baked in Old World tradition.
Content provided by the Avid Cruiser
Port Profile: Kalmar, Sweden
By · CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
Voted one of Sweden’s best summer cities, there are many other facets to Kalmar than that as a popular destination for vacationers.
One of the most visible of those facets is the history of this city on Sweden’s east coast. Kalmar slott (the Kalmar Castle) is a symbol that the inhabitants quite rightly take pride in. In a way, the castle epitomizes Kalmar’s entire past. Once visitors start to scratch the surface, though, they will find that there is more than the castle to experience.
It was in Kalmar that Kalmarunionen (the Kalmar Union) was signed in 1397. The union united the three kingdoms of Sweden (including Finland), Denmark and Norway. And it was here that the well-known Swedish King Gustav Vasa landed in the year 1520 after having escaped from Danish imprisonment.
One of Sweden’s oldest cities, Kalmar’s port activities date back more than 1,000 years. In the Middle Ages, the port played an important role with its strategic location on the Kalmarsund trade route. Trade with the Hanseatic League was robust, imbuing Kalmar with Germanic atmosphere.
The city center is crammed with historical sites and renovated buildings that serve as reminders of developments and events like these, and of Sweden’s era as a country of great power in the Baltic region. Many of the more newly erected buildings have also been designed so as to blend in with the older houses.
But Kalmar has also developed while, at the same time, glancing at its history. This is a contemporary city, which attracts visitors from near and far. To many Swedes, Kalmar is synonymous with vacation, beaches and summertime fun. Witness Kalmar’s tenth place in a poll that ranked the favorite destinations for Swedes in summertime.
Quite a few Swedes also associate Kalmar with Oland, Sweden’s second-largest island. Oland is possibly even more of a summer paradise than Kalmar. This is where Sweden’s Royal family spend their summers, at the Solliden Palace. Oland is connected to mainland Sweden by a bridge that starts (or ends) in Kalmar. The bridge is one of the longest in Europe.
To view cruises to Sweden & Northern Europe, click here.
Content provided by the Avid Cruiser
Eyeing Eidfjord’s Shore Excursions
By · CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
Yesterday, we traveled by helicopter from Bergen to Eidfjord, an exhilarating 30-minute trip. I can certainly recommend that anyone cruising Norway pony up for at least one helicopter excursion.
Seeing the topography from up above provides a completely different perspective of this mountainous and fjord-rich country. “It’s an amazing way to see the landscape,” says Aslaug Selland, director of shore excursions for European Cruise Service, based in Bergen. “For most people, it is an experience that they will never forget.”
You need spend no more than 20 minutes aloft from Eidfjord to see Voringsfossen, Norway’s best-known waterfall, and the Hardangervidda plateau, two of Eidfjord’s top attractions.
Eidfjord’s Top Shore Excursions
If you’re not for going “up in the air,” there are many “down to earth” shore excursions in and around Eidfjord. A sampling includes:
- The Voringsfossen waterfall – (as mentioned)
- Hardangervidda Plateau – an experience that provides an immersion into the dramatic scenery and beautiful nature of Europe’s largest mountain plateau.
- Fjord cruises - For those who want to get even closer to the Hardangerfjord, cruises with local boats or ferries are offered.
- Kjeasen Mountain Farm in Simadel - Experience traditional Norwegian farm life from the perspective of the owner of the farm. Good views along the 15-kilometer drive from the port.
Content provided by the Avid Cruiser
In-Depth Alaska: Cruise + Tour = Cruisetour
By · CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
Research shows that most people planning a trip to Alaska want to see two places: Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park. You can get to Glacier Bay aboard a cruise ship and admire the national park’s stunning scenery from the comfort of your balcony stateroom. But to get to Denali (a.k.a. Mt. McKinley), you’ll have to get off the ship, lace up your hiking boots, and trek inland. That’s where a cruisetour comes in.
Cruisetours combine a cruise voyage with a fully escorted stay on land. The cruise lines have streamlined their product so that you’ll pay one price in exchange for two vacations: one at sea, and the other on land in the Alaskan interior. You’ll also enjoy two completely different travel experiences. While at sea, you’ll gaze out at glaciers, fjords, and lots of marine life. While in the interior, you’ll see snow-capped mountains (on a clear day, you may want to “fly by” Denali, North America’s tallest peak), wildlife, and what some have called “the real Alaska.” While a cruise offers travelers an excellent taste of Alaska, a cruisetour serves up the complete five-course dinner — the total Alaska experience.
Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and Royal Caribbean International are all among the major cruise lines offering cruisetours. Each line employs their own tour guides, owns their own fleet of comfortable buses, and operates private glass-domed railcars that hitch up to the Alaska Railroad for the journey between Anchorage and Denali. The rail journey alone is spectacular — on a clear day, you’ll spot Denali’s dome several times from along the rails.
In total, a cruisetour will last anywhere from 10 days to three weeks. That includes the cruise portion of your trip, and you can choose to add your land stay either before or after you sail. Some cruisetours include two full days in Denali National Park, allowing you plenty of time to spot grizzly bears and admire the mountain scenery.
Travelers can explore Denali via 90 miles of semi-paved road that reaches deep into the park, or take to the skies and see Denali from an aerial perspective. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to stay in back country lodges or mountain chateaus, and you’ll likely spend at least one night in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city.
Some cruise lines offer close to thirty different cruisetour options. With so many variations available, it’s always advisable to speak to your cruise consultant about which option is best for you. Cruisetours also fill up quickly, so plan as far in advance as possible. The greatest number of cruisetour bookings occur in October and November — for the following year’s peak season — but it’s never too late to see what’s available.
Alaska is enormous. At 586,412 square miles, it’s more than twice the size of Texas, and cruise lines skirt only a small portion of the state’s 33,904 combined miles of coastline. For many, the real Alaska lies in the vast wilderness beyond the shorelines — and a cruisetour can take you there.
Content provided by the Avid Cruiser
Seabourn Odyssey Acapulco
By · CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
Clouds, a bit of misty drizzle, but otherwise warm weather greeted us as we docked. There was, as in any port area, floating debris, but not for long. A crew assigned to pick up the trash was on duty.
I was first in Acapulco aboard a Greek ship, the Jason. A semi-regular on Petticoat Junction, I was traveling with Linda Kaye Henning and Mike Minor, stars of the series. After a late dinner at a hilltop restaurant, we hailed a taxi.
The driver spoke little English, so I said, “Quiermos a ir a la barca” Somewhat close to we want to go to the boat. There were not many cruise ships those days, so I figured he’s know where the “barca” was.
He did not understand, so I tried a different phrase. “Vamanos a la barca”. No reaction.
Mike looked him in the eye and said, “We go el boato.” And off we went.
Years later Michael (my wife if you have just joined us) and I were in port and went to a place on the beach called El Paradiseo. It served the best snapper I’ve ever tasted, and also the strongest margaritas; possibly with kerosene added to the tequila. Before our snapper arrived, we were both swimming in the surf with all our clothes on.
Some years later, arriving from the Acapulco Airport and heading to the port we passed Costco and Walmart. It felt like home. As a matter of fact the biggest difference between LA and Acapulco is everyone in Acapulco speaks English. But I digress.
Acapulco has changed. Just last June, soldiers fought a two-hour battle with heavily armed men holed up at a house in an Acapulco hotel zone. Http://www.travel-acapulco.com says, “To avoid getting into trouble and avoid scams in Acapulco, the general rule of thumb is to walk away from anyone who comes up to you and offers you something, unless you already know and trust that person. Keep a low profile – this is probably the “Golden Rule” of Mexico, and is especially applicable in Acapulco.”
I say Acapulco has changed, and I would add, so have we. This time we stayed on the ship. Others who went to see the famed cliff divers loved the tour.
My advice these days? When in Acapulco take a ship’s tour. And if you need information, well that’s up to you.
Back on board it was party time on the pool deck with caviar and cucaracha. On our way out of port, I mentioned to the Assistant Cruise Director that I was waiting for the ship to stop so the band could swim home. He changed the subject.
Dinner again at Colonnade. Sitting outside eating by candlelight and watching the shore lights fade, is hard to beat. Michael loved her appetizer of Twice Baked Boursin Cheese Soufflé with roasted sweet garlic cream. It was the best thing she had ever eaten that wasn’t dessert. She asked the server if she could have another. His reply?
“On Seabourn Odyssey, what you want, you can have.”
Content provided by the Avid Cruiser
Port Profile: Zeebrugge, Belgium
By · CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
Today’s feature, Zeebrugge, gateway to Bruges, Belgium.
While mind reading is admittedly a tricky skill, it’s probably safe to assume that most visitors do not disembark from their cruise ship in Zeebrugge with the intention to explore this Belgian destination. For most travellers, nearby Bruges is the main reason to put this region of the world on their list of places to visit. The capital of the province of West Flanders, Bruges is world famous for its historic city center. As important as Zeebrugge is from an economic perspective – primarily due to the port – it is probably not a wild guess to assume that Zeebrugge (literally: Bruges-on-sea) will continue to live in the shadows when it comes to tourism.
In all honesty, Zeebrugge will be in good company. Bruges is a difficult destination to compete with in almost any field, whether it concerns history or atmosphere. It’s not a coincidence that the entire historical city center has been included on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. This city of some 120,000 inhabitants even features 100 kilometers of canals, something that has resulted in the city being referred to as “the Venice of the north” (a nickname that, of course, also applies to a couple of other northern cities, such as Amsterdam and Stockholm).
Click here to view cruises to Northern Europe and Belgium.
Content provided by the Avid Cruiser
By the Avid Cruiser
Today’s Silver Shore Collection excursion: A visit to the market to buy fresh bread, fish and produce, then off to a local kitchen only a few steps away for a cooking class, French style.
The six-hour excursion started with a visit to the local markets: There were three, all in close proximity to Silver Wind and one another — a flower market; an outdoor market (operating only on Wednesdays and where you’ll find everything from fresh produce, cheese and ham to infused olive oils and just-out-of-the-oven bread); and the covered market, where we shopped for mussels and squid.
In all three markets, we shopped with our guide (Danielle Dumontel) and chef (Carole Aragon) for ingredients to prepare lunch in Carole’s shop/restaurant, called La Decoratrice.
The market alone was quite an experience, particularly as we had a guide who could inform us about what we were seeing — and who knew where, and where not, to shop.
The experience was not only informative but also intimate, with only seven guests participating, plus Carole’s two lovely daughters and our guide.
Donning aprons and knives, we chopped, grated, sliced and diced to prepare a meal better than we could have imagined possible. Scotsman Steve Robertson, called our risotto, with calamari and mussels, the best he’d ever had.
American Jill Steward said: “One of the things I really like about coming to this cooking class is that we feel like we’re in her home and cooking traditional food. I don’t know of any other place where I could have had this experience. I’m really glad that we participated.”
Content provided by the Avid Cruiser
Simply the Best?
By · CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
After sailing on SeaDream II, I’m better qualified to answer the question I posed at the outset of my cruise, and that was: How do SeaDream’s twin yachts, both more than 20 years old, outperform all others — at least to readers of Conde Nast Traveler?
There were aspects of my cruise that were not unique to SeaDream, and you could argue that other cruise lines do the job as good as or better than SeaDream.
Open-seating dining, the quality of the cuisine, and the fact that alcohol and gratuities are included mirrors what you’d expect on small luxury ships.
SeaDream’s ability to get into small ports, its wide expanse of deck space and its marina with all of the toys reminds me of a ship that sailed along beside us during much of the week: Windstar Cruises’ Wind Surf, a special ship in its own right.
But there are some areas where SeaDream stands apart. The company’s late nights in port combined with outdoor dinners appears to be unique.
And while at least one other cruise line offers opportunities to sleep under the stars, SeaDream makes a luxury experience out of it, even down to the custom-embroidered pajamas.
Seabourn Cruise Line offers something similar to the Crew Shoreside Casual, but SeaDream takes it one step further with the Captain’s hike. The pun was not intended, by the way.
Nearly all cruise lines claim excellent staff and cuisine — they better; their reputations depend on it — but SeaDream II really did shine in these areas. The crew exhibited a friendliness and enthusiasm that went beyond what their jobs required. They had a sort of spirit.
Moreover, wtith 94 crew members, the 110-passenger SeaDream II boasts a nearly one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio.
Should SeaDream be the only cruise company in Conde Nast Traveler’s top 100 travel experiences? My feeling is that several other cruise companies qualify for the list.
That’s not a knock on SeaDream, but rather a vote for cruising over other forms of vacation. After all, can you think of a hotel that can take you from one destination to another while you sleep? I can’t.
Nor is SeaDream perfect for everyone. Families traveling with kids are welcomed, but SeaDream is an adult-oriented experience. That said, families do charter the SeaDream vessels, and both yachts are chartered on a regular basis.
The important question, however, is this one: Will SeaDream make your list of top travel experiences? Only you can answer that.
Content provided by the Avid Cruiser
Sensational Sintra & The Portuguese Riviera
By · CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
This morning in Lisbon, I joined a Silversea Cruises shore excursion called Romantic Sintra & Portuguese Riviera. Beautiful Sintra is a short drive from the docks of Lisbon and well worth the visit.
The 4.5-hour tour on a modern and uncrowded motorcoach took us to the enchanting fairy-tale town of Sintra, a mountainous and multi-castled town that was once a favorite destination of 19th-century aristocrats. We had about 90 minutes to tour the town with a guide or on our own.
We then went to Cascais, a fishing village turned resort on the Portuguese Riviera, where we spent about an hour before heading back to Lisbon.
