What's Your Favorite Travel Brunch

#FoodTravelChat

This Wednesday, #FoodTravelChat, the weekly Twitter chat about Food & Travel, will be featuring "Brunch Around the World" as the topic for the hour long chat that starts at 8 PM ET.


In preparation for the chat, we searched our photo archives and found one of our favorite brunches which was onboard Azamara Journey in the West Indies.  They had quite and extensive menu with many items not found on your typical brunch buffet.

click images to enlarge

Soup Creamy Tomato Basil soup & Spicy Thai Chicken Soup Carving Station Steamship Round of Beef Cold Buffet Veal Galantine with wild mushroom & Shrimp Tower Assorted Smoked Fish Platter & Assorted Cheese Platter Omelette Station Bell peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, Ham, Bacon, Tomatoes, Spinach Cheddar Cheese, Swiss Cheese, Jalapenos, Egg White & Egg Beater Omelette Salad Stations Chilled Salmon Pasta Salad with Lemon Zest, Fruit Salad Tomato Panzanella Salad, Spinach and mushroom Salad with Bacon Mixed Greens with Balsamic Dressing Hot Buffet Roasted Chicken & Mizo Glazed Halibut with Stir fried Vegetables Crispy Duck with Juniper Berry Sauce & Lamb Chops with Rosemary Potatoes Bacon & Sausage, Eggs Benedict, & Eggs Florentine Hash Brown Potatoes ,  Haricot Verts, & Asparagus Pastry Apple Pie, Pecan Pie, & Fruit Tartlet Chocolate Opera Cake & Napoleon Cake

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Thanks to our #foodtravelchat moderators @ant_kneee @ourtastytravels @s_poet82 @ChrisPappinMCC @always5star @BackpackBritts @The_Jenius

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Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Size Does Matter - They Come in Many Sizes

Grandeur of the Seas Next to Oasis of the Seas

Picking Right Ship For YOUR Cruise

We've taken many pictures of cruise ships over the years and perhaps none was as striking as this image we captured in Cozumel, Mexico, a few years ago.  Shown here are two Royal Caribbean ships:  Grandeur of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.

It should come as no surprise that the Oasis of the Seas would definitely stand out in a crowd of ships since it was (until the Allure of the Seas) the largest ship afloat.   Allure of the Seas, its sister ship, beats it out by 2 inches in length technically making the Allure larger.     Is that taking things to the extreme?  Well, maybe, but
Captains Zini and Wright had something to say about it amongst themselves.   That story was picked up by the media and has become one of the talking points about the two ships.

Watch the video of the two captains: Allure of the Seas Arrives in Fort Lauderdale

Well, back to the story about different size cruise ships.   Here are the facts about these two vessels:

Grandeur of the Seas Passenger Capacity: 2,446 Gross Tonnage: 74,000 Length: 916' Beam: 106' Draft: 25' Cruising Speed: 22 knots

Oasis of the Seas Guest Capacity: 5,400 double occupancy Gross Tonnage: 220,000 Length: 1,187' Max Beam: 184.40' Draft: 30' Cruising Speed: 22 knots

We published this picture and details before, but it is worth repeating.   Click on the image to really get an idea of scale of both Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.

Oasis of the Seas is 47 metres wide and 360 metres long, i.e. 40 m longer than the height of the Eiffel tower! Height over the water line is 65 m. Building the vessel has been compared to a huge 3-dimensional puzzle. 

The vessel consists of 180 grand blocks, the biggest with a size of length 22 m, width 30 m and weight 600 tons! The vessel´s weight is 12 times the weight of the Eiffel tower.  The Statue of Liberty does tower over the ship but you could put several Boeing 747s, London Double Decker buses and Mercedes Benz autos end to end and have room to spare.

Size Does Matter

Just to give you an additional sense of scale,  the first cruise ship we went on in the 80s was Carnival Celebration which  weighed in around 37,500 tons.   At the time, that was one of the largest vessels in Carnival Cruise Line's fleet.   The Oasis and Allure are almost 6 times heavier than the Celebration.

If you have been following our blog, you are well aware of all the activities on Oasis and Allure.   Size is obviously an advantage to ship builders - they have more canvas on which to create.  So with the introduction of these ships, we have some of the most amazing innovations at sea.

Of course, size costs more. The price tag of these state of the art vessels means someone has to pay for the ship.   The good news is there are more cabins on a large ship which means more passengers to share the weekly costs.    It does however mean that, at least for the foreseeable future, guests will pay a premium over smaller ships owned by the same companies.

More passengers can mean more wait time, but Royal Caribbean has taken that to heart in planning these ships, and you might not experience long wait times.   There are so many different attractions onboard, passengers will be scattered over the entire vessel, so it shouldn't appear crowded most of the time.  Loading and unloading the ship will be one time where you'll see most of your fellow passengers, but Royal Caribbean has taken steps to make that run smoothly.

RCI Explorer OTS & Azamara Journey

Smaller Ships



Here is another image with two ships side by side in port.  The ship on the left is Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas and the ship on the right is from sister line Azamara Club Cruises - Azamara Journey.  The Journey is one of the old "R" ships which by today's standards were very small.


If you are looking for an intimate experience with less passengers, then Azamara Journey would be an excellent choice.  The smaller size ship also allows the cruise line to visit ports that the big sisters can't get into.

Here are the facts for these two ships.  Notice that Azamara Journey has a gross tonnage of less than 25% of the Explorer of the Seas and it is about half the length of Oasis of the Seas.

Explorer of the Seas Passenger Capacity: 3,114 Gross Tonnage: 137,308 Length: 1020' Beam: 154.7' Draft: 28.2' Cruising Speed: 23 knots

Azamara Journey Guest Capacity: 781 Gross Tonnage: 30,277 Length: 592' Max Beam: 84' Draft: 20' Cruising Speed: 18.5 knots

 
We have focused on Royal Caribbean in this article, but there are other examples within the remaining cruise lines.   One important take away is that size is just one factor when planning your cruise vacation, but it is an important one.   Take advantage of the expertise among cruise specialists in deciding the right ship for you and your traveling partners.   The last thing you'd want would be to be expecting a ship the size of Grandeur of the Seas and step out of your cab to find Oasis of the Seas in front of you at the pier.

No matter what size you are looking for, you'll find a ship in one of the cruise line's fleets that meets your needs.   They come in many sizes, shapes, and with many different attractions.   Personally, the fun is in selecting the ship you want to try next and enjoying everything it has to offer once you start your cruise vacation.

As National Cruise Vacation Week continues, be sure to Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc for more ideas.  Sign up for our eNewsletter to get updates.

Find Your Beach - The Baths

The Baths 

Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Are you looking for a unique beach to enjoy during your vacation?  If so, The Baths, on the island of Virgin Gorda among the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean my be just the spot for you.

One of the most famous and popular beach areas in the Caribbean can be found here in the BVI.  Large volcanic boulders populate the sandy beaches, forming natural tidal pools, tunnels, arches and scenic grottoes that are open to the sea.    There's no other place quite like it on earth.  You'll want to spend hours there swimming, snorkeling, and exploring these amazing rock formations.   

Top of The Baths

If you are spending the day there, you'll want to head to the hill overlooking the beach area where you'll find the Top of the Baths Restaurant.  There is also a gift shop and lounge for you to explore while taking in the beauty of this area dotted with unique geometric shapes.

You'll enjoy a panoramic view of the British Virgin Islands from this vantage point.

Be sure to wear proper footwear for the hike to the beach.  Once arriving at the beach you will find some lockers that can be rented.  As you can see from the photo above, there are even some tight spaces that you can attempt to navigate along the way.

With the holidays approaching you might not be able to grab your swimsuit and head to the British Virgin Islands, so until you can go there in person ...  Enjoy your virtual tour of The Baths - Virgin Gorda (31 photos)

Having an AzAmazing Time Cruising

Experience the new Azamara Difference

Now there's more included than ever before.

Enriched 2013 Azamara Experience 

 

EUROPE 2013 - AzAmazing Evenings

Beginning with the 2013 Europe season, Azamara Club Cruises will be offering guests a complimentary AzAmazing Evenings^SM event to remember on every voyage—a chance to really see the advantages of longer and later stays in port! Be it a night at the ballet at the Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg or a polo match and reception in Saint Tropez, AzAmazing Evenings are perfect opportunities for you to experience the Azamara difference in some of the most incredible places on Earth.

The AzAmazing Evening event is complimentary, and is available on all sailings starting March 27, 2013 (Azamara Quest), and May 15, 2013 (Azamara Journey) except Azamara Quest’s November 13, 2013 sailing. A refund will not be offered if you do not attend or the event must be cancelled for any reason by Azamara Club Cruises. Cancellation fees will be applied should the quest not inform the line in advance that they won't be attending.  This is necessary  because there will  be costs to Azamara, associated with the event, based on number of passengers attending. 

Guests will be allowed to sign up for the evening events prior to departure and are encouraged to do so as space is limited.   Those failing to do so, will be given the opportunity to book onboard the morning of the event if space is available.

More Inclusive Amenities

In addition to the evening events, there's much more in store for passengers on the Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest starting with the Europe 2013 Season. Standard spirits, an international selection of beers, and red and white wines will now be available throughout your voyage.

• NEW AzAmazing Evenings^SM event on every voyage
• NEW Select standard spirits, international beers and wines at all ship bars
• NEW Selection of international beers plus wines at lunch and dinner
• Gratuities
• Bottled water, soft drinks, specialty coffees and teas throughout the ship
• English-trained butlers for suite guests
• Self-service laundry
• Shuttle service to and from ports, where available
• Concierge services for personal guidance and reservations

Related Blog Posts:

New Look for Azamara Club Cruises Ships
Azamara Club Cruises 2014 Deployment

Azamara couldn’t improve the destinations.
So they improved the journey.

Azamara Club Cruises 2014 Deployment

YOU'LL LOVE WHERE WE TAKE YOU

Offering more late-night and overnight stays in port, the award-winning Azamara Club Cruises  announced the 2014 deployment of its twin boutique ships Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest.

Up-market travelers can choose among 72 new voyages, ranging from four to 17 nights and visiting 240 fascinating destinations in 66 countries throughout Europe, the Far East, Central and South America, the Caribbean and the Western U.S. coast.

The cruise line’s new 2014 program enables guests to experience the nightlife of compelling destinations around the world that larger ships cannot reach, and includes a record-45 maiden port calls, such as the UNESCO World Geopark Langkawi, Malaysia; Maura in the Sultanate of Brunei; and the charming island-village Vila do Abraao, a favorite Brazilian getaway.

“Azamara’s staff and crew stand ready to deliver our authentic and personable service along with immersive experiences to up-market travelers,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “One hundred percent of Azamara’s 2014 voyages feature late night and overnight stays in port to offer guests the opportunity to enjoy the nightlife of some of the world’s most vibrant places. There is no better way for travelers to immerse themselves in a destination than with Azamara.”

DESCRIPTION	SAIL DATE(S) 2014	ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS
Azamara Journey 12- to 17-night East & South China Seas	January - April	Alternating departures from Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mumbai and Chennai. Visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as Halong Bay, Borobudur, Parambanan and Sangiran.
Azamara Journey Repositioning cruise	April	Repositions via the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal to arrive for its Europe season
Azamara Journey 4- to 14-night  Europe	Summer	voyages, ranging throughout the Mediterranean, North and Baltic Seas (some examples follow)
Azamara Journey 10-, or 12-night Baltic	July	all feature three full days at St. Petersburg, Russia
Azamara Journey 14-night Food and Wine cruise	August	departing Southampton, U.K., on August 20, which features two-night stays at Nantes (Loire Valley) and Bordeaux, France.
Azamara Quest 10- to 14-night Sea of Cortez and Central America voyages	January - April	Los Angeles, California - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - Manzanillo. Mexico - Ixtapa (Zihuatanejo), Mexico - Huatulco, Mexico - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala - Acajutla, El Salvador - San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua - Caldera, Costa Rica (Ports vary by itinerary)
Azamara Quest 10- to 12-night trans-Panama Canal voyages	January, March	a pair of trans-Panama Canal voyages between Miami, Fla., and Costa Rica
Azamara Quest 8-night Coastal Wine Cruise	February	Santa Barbara, California - Monterey, California - San Francisco, California - Ensenada, Mexico - Los Angeles, California
Azamara Quest 11-night less-trodden, jewel islands of the Caribbean	March	St. John, U.S.Virgin Islands - Iles Des Saintes, Guadeloupe - Roseau, Dominica - Gustavia, St. Barts - Charlestown, Nevis - Virgin Gorda, B.V.I. - Miami, Florida
Azamara Quest 15-night trans-Atlantic voyage Miami to Nice	March	Miami, Florida - Ponta Delgada, Azores - Gibraltar, United Kingdom - Cartagena, Spain - Mahon, Menorca, Spain - Cannes, France - Nice, France
Azamara Journey Azamara Quest rendezvous in St. Tropez and Monte Carlo	May 19	for the first time, guests aboard both ships can join in the excitement of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Azamara Quest 7- to 12-night Europe	Summer	mainly in the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Aegean and Black seas
Azamara Quest 11-night Mediterranean Easter sailing	April	sailing, departing April 11, offers guests an overnight at Civitavecchia, the gateway to Rome for an opportunity to attend Palm Sunday mass in the Vatican, and at Livorno for Easter Sunday in Florence.
Azamara Quest 7-, 9-, and 12-night Black Sea voyages	July - August	voyages sail from Istanbul. The August 20 voyage takes guests on a comprehensive 12-night itinerary throughout the region, including a call at Sochi, Russia, site of the 2014 winter Olympic Games.
Azamara Journey Holiday Sailings	November	depart from Spain’s Costa del Sol to the beautiful Brazil via the Canary Islands. Travelers can celebrate Christmas and the New Year as they sail from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro.
Azamara Quest Holiday Sailings	November	retrace the Spice Route to the Far East and ring in the New Year in Hong Kong.

New Look for Azamara Club Cruises Ships

Azamara Journey

& Azamara Quest

Refurbishment

Azamara Club Cruises announced that both of its ships will be undergoing some major changes late this year an early next year.   The most noticeable change will be the switch from a white hull to dark blue hulls.

Dry Dock Schedule:

Azamara Quest (8 Nights) November 7, 2012
Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz, Spain

Azamara Journey (7 Nights) January 6, 2013
Singapore's Sembawang Shipyard


According to Edie Bornstein, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Azamara, the new dark blue hulls will "better reflect the elegance onboard."

Here are the details of the refurbishments, which will be made to each ship:

• Caviar and champagne bar will be added within the specialty restaurant Aqualina
• New Chef's Table concept featuring three wine menus (Italian, French and Californian)
• The Casino Bar will be expanded and enhanced with new furniture 
• New steam room and showers; new Life Fitness cardio equipement in the Spa & Fitness center
• New carpets, upholstery and color palette in public spaces
• New mattresses and upgraded balcony furniture will be added to cabins
• Resurfaced pool with new sun loungers and pool towels 

About Azamara Club Cruises

Even before the refurbishment, intimate elegance is what you'll find aboard the Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest.. With slightly more than 690 guests you'll discover unparalleled service with one staff member to every two guests. Enjoy an evening cordial while listening to the dazzling finger work of the pianist at the Drawing Room, meet new found friends for a signature cocktail at the Discoveries Lounge, immerse yourself in the thalassotherapy pool and let the invigorating waters rejuvenate your being or enjoy breathtaking views of far away lands while feeding your hunger at the Windows Cafe. With impeccable service, scrumptious cuisine and longer stays at out of the way destinations - discover what it means to sail with Azamara Club Cruises.

Azamara Journey

Azamara Quest

Ship Statistics30,277 GT, 694 passenger capacity, 593 feet length, 95 feet beam Builder: Chantiers de I'Atlantique   Completed in 2000, Refurbished 2007

Azamara Journey PrimeC Dinner

When writing my columns the past few days, I thought about sharing some of my favorite cruise moments.  

Celebrating a special event, with friends and family, in a specialty restaurant is one of those moments.

Azamara Journey

PrimeC

Dinner Experience

While on our 12-Night West Indies Cruise on Azamara Journey, we celebrated my birthday at the PrimeC specialty restaurant.  It was a fabulous dining experience (and the food was great too).  If you've never dined at a specialty restaurant onboard a ship, I highly recommend it.   You will pay a surcharge to do so, and the cost varies by venue, but the service and quality of food will leave you wondering why you hadn't done this before.

As with dinner in the main dining room of the ship, you'll have the opportunity to select from a menu that consists of Soups & Salads, Starters, Entrees, and Desserts.   The difference between PrimeC's menu and that of the main dining room is that it never changes during the course of the cruise.   

Soups & Salads

My husband and I had different soups with our dinner.   I selected the Wild Mushroom Soup (left) - Porcini Dust & Poppy Seed Twist while he selected the Three Onions Onion Soup (right) - Gruyere Cheese Gratin & Onion Tart.    Both of these soups were fabulous - we could have easily made a meal by asking for another bowl.

Starters

Several starters sounded really good on the menu, but our waiter suggested two of his favorites which we decided to try. The Macadamia-Nut Crusted Tiger Prawns - Orange-Horseradish Marmalade and the Chicken Lollipops - Crisp Waffle Potatoes, Trio of Sauces were both excellent choices. Again, if we ordered another helping, we could have skipped the main course.

We always find that when we follow the waiter's recommendations, we can't go wrong. Fortunately, the waiter spaced out the various courses so that we had a little time to rest before continuing.


Main Entrée

Dinner selections were difficult once again, so we presented out options to the waiter and let him help us make up our minds.   My husband opted for the Broiled Cowboy Bone-In Rib Eye Steak  - Zucchini & Squash, Crisp Onion Rings, Baked Potato and Condiments.   I on the other hand went for something a little smaller:  Sauteed Filet Mignon - Steamed Broccoli & Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Dessert

Once again we couldn't decide on what to have for our final course.   In honor of my birthday, the waiter had brought me a small birthday cake and the staff sang happy birthday to me.   Since we wanted to try some of their desserts, they wrapped the cake up in aluminum foil so that we could save it for later.

I'll leave you in suspense ...  to see what we had for our dessert, you'll have to check out my Prime C Restaurant  photo album on Facebook.

Plan Your Azamazing Holidays

EXOTIC DESTINATIONS MAKE EXCITING HOLIDAYS

DISCOVER HOLIDAY CHEER IN ASIA OR SOUTH AMERICA Explore the globe this holiday season with unique voyages from Azamara Club Cruises®. New Year's Eve celebrations in Rio de Janeiro or Bali highlight the incredible events Azamara offers as part of their destination immersive holiday voyages.

With 2-for-1 fares, gratuities included and Extended Voyage savings on Azamara Journey^®, these voyages have unwavering value to match incredible destinations.

AZAMARA JOURNEY®

9-Night Rio de Janeiro Christmas Voyage | December 18 Buenos Aires, Argentina to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Fares from $2,249 | Brochure Rate $6,498 | You Save $4,249

Bask in the enveloping warmth of the austral summer sun on the picturesque beaches of Brazil and Uruguay. A funicular ride up the Corcovado to see the Cristo Redentor statue in Rio de Janeiro offers the perfect prelude to the white sand awaiting on the immaculate beaches of Punta del Este, Uruguay. Gorgeous Brazilian coastal towns like Buzios, the famous playground of Brigitte Bardot, and Porto Belo round out this amazing nine-night voyage.

8-Night Rio de Janeiro New Year's Voyage | December 27 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Buenos Aires, Argentina Fares from $2,149 | Brochure Rate $6,298 | You Save $4,149
Explore South America for eight nights and discover the electricity of the world-famous New Year's celebration from the deck of Azamara Journey, toasting champagne under the firework and star speckled sky. Look over Copacabana Beach as live music and dancing entertain upward of 2.5 million people, adorned in bright white clothing, counting down to midnight by the lapping tide of the Atlantic. As the crowd on the beach shares a good luck tradition by spraying champagne at the stroke of midnight, guests will enjoy a midnight toast on deck!

Combine the December 18 and 27 voyages for an Extended Voyage and save $700 on this custom itinerary of 17 nights exploring the idyllic and historical coast of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina!

AZAMARA QUEST®

12-Night Indonesia Holiday Voyage | December 23 Singapore Roundtrip Fares from $3,999 | Brochure Rate $9,998 | You Save $5,999

Guests will discover the exotic cultures of Southeast Asia with 12 nights aboard Azamara Quest. Diversity abounds on this voyage, from the culture of Singapore to the wildlife of Komodo Island. Visits to five Indonesian islands will prepare guests for a colorful New Year's Eve of indigenous dance and gamelan music in Bali. This voyage truly offers a wildly unique holiday experience!

Rates shown are for Club Interior Stateroom

January Azamazing Offers

Azamazing Values

OFFERS AND SAVINGS TOUCH EVERY CONTINENT

Europe, Asia, West Indies

EUROPE 2011 VOYAGES

• 2-for-1 savings

Azamara Journey

• Gratuities included

• 50% savings on pre-booked Land DiscoveriesSM

(shore excursions) beginning April 11 on Azamara Journey® 

and May 6 Azamara Quest®

BOOK BY MARCH 31, 2011 AND RECEIVE

– $2,000 early booking savings per couple

– Up to $2,000 ChoiceAir credit per couple 

depending on stateroom category

ASIA SELECT VOYAGES

Jan 22, 2011 | Mar 17, 2011 | Apr 12, 2011 | Apr 24, 2011

Asian Delights

• 2-for-1 savings

• Gratuities included 

BOOK AN OCEANVIEW STATEROOM OR HIGHER AND RECEIVE

– $2,000 per couple ChoiceAir credit

– $500 onboard spending credit per booking

WEST INDIES, PANAMA CANAL, 

SEA OF CORTEZ SAILINGS

Mar 11, 2011 | Mar 23, 2011

• 2-for-1 savings

• Gratuities included 

BOOK AN OCEANVIEW STATEROOM OR HIGHER AND RECEIVE

– Free or reduced air 

– Club Veranda stateroom for the price of a Club Oceanview stateroom

– Open bar

All rates are per person, based on double occupancy, for individual bookings, cruise only, in USD, and subject to availability. Rates may vary by ship, departure 

date, and stateroom category.  All rates, offers and itineraries are subject to change without notice. Offers may be withdrawn at any time.  Government taxes & 

fees are additional.

Happy New Year 2011

10 ... 9... 8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...

 Happy New Year 2011!!

A warm greeting to all my faithful readers and to those of you joining for the first time. I wish you many happy, healthy and prosperous days in this brand new year. May the year be filled with many sunny days, warm ocean breezes, visits to cruise ports, and relaxing sea days aboard a cruise ship.


Looking ahead .... As in most years, there are plenty of destinations to chose from when planning your 2011 cruise vacations. With the addition of Norwegian Epic and Allure of the Seas, there is plenty of extra capacity in the Caribbean.   Most of the cruise lines have pulled out of the west coast and are increasing capacity in Europe. Perhaps a trip to the Mediterranean is in order.  There's still a few spots available in the block of cabins for our 12 night Cruise to the Greek Isles.


As we mentioned yesterday, there were several other new ships added to cruise lines fleets in 2010.  In many cases, these new ships are a destination themselves with plenty of activities to keep you busy on sea days.


In upcoming columns, I'll wrap up our Allure of the Seas series as well as  our coverage of Azamara Club Cruises recent changes as we experienced them first hand on Azamara Journey.


We'd love to hear from more readers.   What are your plans for the coming year?   What would you like for us to cover in our blog in the next month?


Be sure to visit often and don't forget about our Facebook Fan page.


If you have burning questions about a cruise topic, send me an email and I'd be happy to discuss them in future columns.

Enjoy this video clip from NYE at Time's Square in New York.  Carnival Cruise line was sponsor for the confetti.   Check out John Heald's Blog for his account of the NYE festivities.

Watch live streaming video from 2011 at livestream.com

Again, Happy New Year to all and Happy Cruising.

Gator Park

Post Cruise Shore Excursion - Gator Park

Everglades National Park

Gator Park in the heart of Florida's Everglades National Park was our post-cruise destination for a few hours before heading to Miami International Airport.   The shore excursion was arranged during our West Indies cruise on Azamara Journey.   Since our flight wasn't until 5 PM,  instead of going directly to the airport, we opted for the shore excursion.

Gator blends in with surroundings

Alligators, Birds, Crocodiles

Florida Everglades is home to hundreds of bird species as well as thousands of alligators, and crocodiles.  During a visit to Gator Park, you'll get up close views of alligators and bird species for certain and you may have an opportunity to see some of the other inhabitants in their natural setting.

Airboat Ride

The highlight of the excursion to Gator Park is a 45 minute airboat ride through the Everglades.  Each airport holds up to 20 people, 4 per row.  Every seat is a great seat. While your guide will be pointing out alligators and other things of interest along the way, each person has the opportunity to be on the lookout.  You never know what you'll see during your boat ride.  

You'll be able to stand up when the pilot / guide slows down to point out alligators or other marine life.

One of our group holds an alligator

Weather plays a role in how active the alligators and other wildlife are in the park.  The weather had been on the cool side for several days, and the alligators were a little sluggish.   That was fine for us since that provided plenty of opportunities for us to see them coming out for some sun on this gorgeous day.


We've been to Gator Park before but still enjoyed our visit there.   Following the airboat ride, we had some lunch, which we ordered when we arrived at the park.   Then we watched a wildlife show which included alligator wrestling and if you were feeling brave, you could actually hold an alligator and have your picture taken with it.   Actually, you didn't have to be too brave as the alligator's mouth was secured so that you didn't have to worry about being its lunch.


There are more pictures on our Facebook Fan Page.  If your flight leaves after 3 PM, consider a shore excursion to Gator Park if your cruise offers the tour.   Another option on our cruise was a Miami City Highlights tour.  Both tours concluded at Miami's airport about the same time.   We still had plenty of time before our 5 PM flight, but did enjoy our little diversion visiting the gators of Florida.

Disembarkation Day Azamara Journey

Caught on Deck of Azamara Journey in Port of Miami
Watching a pod of dolphins playing near the ship

Today is the dreaded final day of our back to back cruises.   Seventeen days ago we left the cold of Chicago behind and headed to sunny Florida for our pre-inaugural cruise on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas which was followed by one day in Miami and this 12NT West Indies cruise on Azamara Journey.

Both cruises were amazing in their own way.   As usual, my ever vigilent husband somehow managed to capture most of the highlights of our cruises.   In this photo, he caught two of our companions and I out on deck 5 of the Journey watching a pod of dolphins playing near the ship.   We had spotted them through the cafe window as we were having breakfast.  Our friends hadn't seen them, so we told them to go out on deck to see if they were still around.   Low and behold, they were still there, thrilling anyone that was fortunate enough to be gazing out at Miami's skyline in the background.

Sailing into Miami is always a treat early in the morning.   The sun glistens off the tall buildings and reflects in the water.   I'll post some more Miami skyline pictures on my Facebook Fan Page when I get a chance.   I think you'll enjoy them.   This portion of Miami's skyline has been made famous by the CSI Miami television series.

Azamara Journey Port Everglades

We booked late flights (around 5 PM) for our return home.   It is always a good idea to book flights after noon of disembarkation day because you never know how long it will take to clear the ship.   Before anyone can disembark, non-US Citizens must clear through immigration on board the vessel.    Sometimes, the staff needs to make repeated announcements for guests to be cleared.

Passengers disembarking

The thought of hanging around MIA airport for 6 hours or more didn't thrill us, despite it being a nice airport.   We booked a post-cruise tour through the shore excursion desk.    We were given luggage tags, Lavender 1, which meant we'd be one of the first groups off the ship.   Basically, only people with early flights disembarked prior to us.

Once off the ship, we claimed our luggage, which was quite easy to find in the small number of passengers which were on the bus tour along with us.   We didn't need a porter this time, so we proceeded directly to Customs, gave them our passports and form and were on our way outside to one of the waiting buses.

Onboard bus to Gator Park and then MIA airport

The shore excursion we selected was a visit to Gator Park where we would have the chance to take a 45 minute air boat tour through the Everglades and then an interactive show which included the opportunity to hold an alligator if you liked.

We've been to Gator Park before, but this is one of those places where you can visit more than once and enjoy yourself.   Whenever you are dealing with nature, you can guarantee you'll have a different experience - you never know what you'll see.

I'll feature Gator Park in another post and also post pictures on our Facebook Fan Page.   This is a fabulous tour which is perfect for occupying a few hours before you return flight.

Arriving at MIA

Our bus pulled into Miami International Airport around 12:30 PM or so.   The driver made two stops at each of the main terminal locations, unloaded the bags, and sent us on our way.

As you can see, we still had several hours to kill at the airport, but at least we'd had a fun experience speeding through the everglades in an airboat and watching the amazing wildlife that inhabits the Florida Everglades.

There was also a city highlights tour that we could have selected.  Some of the passengers picked that excursion but regardless, both tours ended at the airport about the same time.

Sadly, this ends our current cruise adventure.    We've had a wonderful time on both cruises and will be posting additional blog articles and more pictures.   There is just so much to share with my readers, it was hard to select a sample to get started. I hope you come back often to see what other stories I have for you.   If you have questions, feel free to contact us.

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Birthday Celebration on Azamara Journey

Today we celebrated my birthday at sea on Azamara Journey.  It was a wonderful day from start to end.

While I slept, my husband had decorated the cabin with a Happy Birthday banner he purchased in St. Barth.  He also put a banner on the door.

We went for breakfast in Windows Cafe.  Following breakfast, we headed to the Discoveries Restaurant where the Grand Buffet Brunch was being served.   We took a few pictures and planned to return for lunch.

The reason we did things this way was that we had an Engine Control Room tour at 11 AM and wouldn't have time to leasurely enjoy the brunch otherwise.

The tour was fascinating as this was the first time seeing an engine control room on a ship this size.   The chief and staff have the responsibility of making sure everything runs smoothly.

Obviously, they monitor the engines, but there is so much more that is controlled by the power generated onboard.  The most important thing is keeping the temperature within the proper range for all the various ship's components.

When we returned to our cabin, our cabin steward, Valentina, and her helper, Jose, were there to greet us.  While we were at breakfast, they had made up our cabin and added more to the decorations.   They added balloons on the door and on the bed. There was a certificate wishing me a Happy Birthday.  They wished me a Happy Birthday and we chatted for awhile.  They have been great throughout the entire cruise.

Grand Buffet Brunch

It was now time to head back to Discoveries for brunch.  Since we are Discoverer Members of Le Club Voyage (the highest ranking for the loyalty program) we had a reserved table for brunch. We sat with the guests who had joined us for dinner with the Capatain earlier in the voyage.  This time, we were joined by Staff Captain Aris for a most enjoyable brunch.

Captain Aris arranged for the 8 of us to join the bridge tour at 1:30 PM, so we next headed to the Looking Glass on deck 10 where the tour gathered.  I'd missed the tour the other day due to a meeting, but my husband had gone and taken pictures.

Following the tour we went to change into our bathing suits and laid out on the spa deck which is where the thalassotherapy pool is located. We stayed up there for a few hours and then it was time to get ready for the evening's festivities.

First up was a Le Club Cocktail Happy Hour in the Looking Glass.   From there we headed across the deck to Prime C for dinner with another couple we met on the cruise.   We had invited them to join us for my birthday dinner.   We had a fabulous time at Prime C.  I'll cover that in a separate post, as that deserves its own treatment.

As usual, the evening entertainment was in The Cabaret on deck 5 at 9:45 PM.  Tonight's entertainment was entitled "Broaway Showtoppers".  The musical arrangements and direction were by Eric De Gray, our Cruise Director.  He starred in the performance along with the Journey Singers and Dancers and the Boys in the Band.  Once again, it was a fabulous show since the entertainment on the Journey is one of the best at sea.

Despite the fact that we were gaining an hour of sleep tonight as the clocks are set back to Eastern time,  I was tired and decided to retire to bed following the show.

One more sea day and then we will be back to Miami. Check out my Facebook Fan Page for more pictures.

Azamara Journey Spa and Fitness

Astral Spa Fitness

Welcome to Astral Spa, Azamara Journey's spa and fitness center.  Following lunch we took a tour of the spa, signed up for the cruise pass for the Thermal Spring and private spa deck.   The Thermal Spring features a private spa deck with Thalassotherapy Bath.   Minerals in the warm water, combined with powerful jets massage your body will you bask in the sun.

Thalassotherapy Bath

One of the best bargains for a couple on the Journey is to sign up for the full cruise use of the spa deck which includes the Thalassotherapy Bath.   The price (at time of this post) is $20 per person for a one day pass or $99 a person for the whole cruise.   A couple can purchase the same pass for $175 which is a substantial savings over single use or individual pricing.

We signed up for the entire cruise but due to rough seas, all pools were closed the first sea day.   We'll just have to go multiple times some other day to make sure we get the full benefit of the package.

As is the case ships, this spa is run by Elemis and is a full service facility.   We are looking forward to hot stones massages on Friday.   Another bargain is to schedule your massage or other service on a port day, which is why we picked Friday.   We'll be in St. Martin for the entire day, leaving at 11 PM at night which gave us plenty of time to see the port while also taking advantage of special pricing.

Check out our Facebook page for more pictures.