Expedition to Galapagos

Ahoy Mates!  Batten down the hatches and secure your booty in a comfortable seat.  We are about to embark on an adventure on the high seas and land that takes us to distant shores to a Land Beyond Expectations.

This is the captain, gather ‘round to learn about our vessel, Celebrity Flora®, before we depart on our expedition to a land beyond expectations, Galapagos Islands.  She is a beauty, the first of its kind built specially to traverse the Galapagos archipelago.   Alas, only 100 souls can make this journey on this ship along with the naturalists that are familiar with the terrain and its inhabitants.

Each of your suites provide an outward-facing view of our surroundings.  Be vigilant throughout our journey so you do not overlook anything.   When we stop to go ashore, we will board landing craft while our ship remains stationary without even weighing our anchor.  This way the natives will not even hear us coming.

Over one hundred sixty years ago, a man wrote about his quest that took him to a place where he would discover how life evolved thousands of years ago.  We are about to follow in his footsteps and discover a land that is inhabited by species that can be found nowhere else on earth.  Sit back, relax, and watch this briefing. 

Captain, Isn't travel here dangerous now?   

No Mates, we have safety & health protocols in place:

(Click images to enlarge)

Why Visit Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands contain a unique combination of land and oceanic ecosystems, with many distinct habitats found in each. The Galapagos are located at the point where major ocean currents meet and the islands straddle the junctions between several shifting tectonic plates. This area is truly unlike any other place on earth.

The Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), one of the world's largest protected areas, has more than 2,900 reported marine species and over 18% of those live nowhere else on earth. Some of the best-known coastal animals of Galapagos include sea lions, fur seals, flightless cormorants, albatrosses, three species of booby, two frigatebird species, sea turtles, the marine iguana, and penguins.

 

Dreaming of Malaysia

Travel has taken a pause this year, but we can #KeepDreaming.    Our original plans for this year included visiting Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after departing Australia on Majestic Princess.

"We are proud to showcase the beauty of Malaysia, and what better way to do that in this climate than by utilizing our digital assets and giving our global audience a sneak peek through virtual experience. I hope that this also incites excitement in our fellow Malaysians to explore our lands once it is safe to travel again,”   
                                                 (Datuk Musa Yusof, Director General of Tourism Malaysia)

As we cocooned at home during the pandemic, we continued to be on the lookout for virtual content to share with our readers. We learned about a video which recently won an award. A promotional video released by Tourism Malaysia has reached the juries of The Telly Awards based in New York,  and won the silver award for Non-Broadcast under the Travel/Tourism category 2020.

The promotional video entitled DISCOVER BREATHTAKING MALAYSIA was produced in October 2019 as part of Tourism Malaysia’s initiatives to promote Malaysia which targets the millennial market segment. The 4-minute video takes viewers through Malaysia’s touristic attractions as well as hidden gems for travelers to explore, complete with suggestions for captions and hashtags on social media.

We invite you to sit back and enjoy this video which includes highlights from several attractions which we had planned to visit.  We fell in love with Malaysia during our first visit - we hope that this video will encourage you to include Malaysia in your future travels.  #AdventuresWorthSharing

Read our blog posts from our previous visit to Southeast Asia:  Diary of Southeast Asia Voyage which included stops in Penang, Langkawi, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .
Congratulations Tourism Malaysia for well deserved award

In mid-February we embarked on a cruise from Australia to Singapore. Unfortunately, Covid-19 was starting to get traction across the globe and before we even left our first port of call, we learned that the Asian portion of our trip would not occur.  We've been to Asia before, and had been looking forward to visiting Malaysia and Singapore again. 
Follow our journey to the destinations we were able to complete before heading back home.
  Just click the image (left) to our diary post.

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Let's Dream Together

For more than 30 years, we have explored the world, mainly by cruise ship. Like you, we are wanderers, explorers, adventure seekers, history buffs, lovers of scenery, and much more.  Not being able to pack our bags and go is unsettling.

We were in Australia in February, on a cruise that was to visit several ports there, and travel to distant lands of Malaysia and Singapore.  Our trip was cut short due to the unfolding events of Covid-19.

Thinking back to our journey thru Australia, we realized that before we were travelers, we were dreamers.  We imagined the places in the world we could - and would go.  Although our travel is currently on hold, nothing can stop us from resuming our dreaming about destinations we want to return to, or to seek out anew.   

This video from Avalon Waterways crossed our desk and we wanted to share it with our readers.  While we can't walk past the ancient ruins of Greece, or down the cobblestone roads in Europe, or float along the rivers and oceans, just enjoying gentle breezes through our cabin doorway, our hearts can be rekindled by our dreams.  Join me on that journey into lands that remain unexplored by us. 

Thank you Avalon Waterways & Globus Family of brands for keeping dreams alive.   We hope you enjoy this video as much as we did.

We've shared our travel stories with you since 2007 - if you need inspiration for your dreams - check out our old posts & cruise diaries.

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There's a Place Where Only the Bold Venture

Do You Dare Take the Plunge?

click image to enlarge

During our conference cruise on Harmony of the Seas in 2017, my son dared me to take the plunge into the Ultimate Abyss.  I accepted the challenge to Step Over the Edge and plummet 10 stories to the Boardwalk.

This year, at our 2019 Dare Conference on its sister ship, Symphony of the Seas, we were challenged to get out of our comfort zone and complete one or more dares.  I accepted the challenge once again, but this time it was for a good cause.   The Ultimate Abyss is a free attraction on Symphony, but our Cruises Inc., Cruise One, and Dream Vacations group reserved time for exclusive use of the slide.  Anyone wishing to take the plunge contributed $20 to Make A Wish.

Our Make a Wish goal for the conference was $120,000.  I'm happy to report that we exceeded that goal raising $136,000 during our one week conference.   There were several activities besides the Abyss which generated the money towards our goal.

There’s a place where only the bold venture and only the bravest return. Step to the edge. Peer into the darkness. Listen to the call of the unknown. There's no turning back once you take the plunge. Plummet 10 stories into the mysteries of the deep on the tallest slide at sea. Are you brave enough— or will you become a permanent resident of the Ultimate Abyss?

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Racing for Make a Wish

Norwegian Bliss Race Track 

Imagine incredible firsts on Norwegian Cruise Line's newest and most incredible ship, Norwegian Bliss. See the ocean blur by as you take hairpin turns on the largest race
track at sea. Get ready for a thrilling ride on this two-level competitive track while putting your driving skills to the test. Blue skies above and turquoise waters below!

When our Inspire Conference began, our General Manager, Drew Daly, challenged us to raise more money for Make-A-Wish than at our previous conference.    To help with that goal, the Norwegian Bliss Race Track was closed to the public for two hours as conference attendees took to the track to contribute.

We donned the special protective gear and helmets shown above and zoomed around the indoor track for several laps, until the staff waved the flag ending our spin around the track.   This video shows a glimpse of the race getting started.  Guests can purchase one-time or multiple entries onboard the ship.

Inspire Conference  - Click for More Stories & Pictures

Norwegian Bliss
October 20-27, 2018
7 days R/T Port of Los Angeles (Long Beach)

Additional photos can be found on our Norwegian Bliss Shutterfly page

Race Track album

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