The Sea is Calling You to Independence

INDEPENDENCE of the SEAS®

2013 Summer Europe Deployment

Independence is seasonally dedicated to Europe giving you more options for a summer vacation abroad. This Freedom class ship provides you with some of our most exciting signature features like the FlowRider® surf simulator, a rock climbing wall, ice-skating rink, cantilevered whirlpools, Royal Promenade, mini golf course, and much more!

DESCRIPTION	SAIL DATE(S) 2013	ITINERARY
14-Night Transatlantic Eastbound	Apr 07	Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Cruising • San Juan, Puerto Rico • Philipsburg, St. Maarten Cruising • Cruising • Cruising • Cruising Cruising • Cruising • Cruising Cruising • Southampton, England
2-Night Sampler	May 02	Southampton, England • Paris / Normandy (Le Havre), France Southampton, England
14-Night Canaries & Spain	May 04	Southampton, England • Cruising Vigo, Spain • Lisbon, Portugal Cruising • Lanzarote, Canary Islands Gran Canaria, Canary Islands • Tenerife, Canary Islands • La Palma, Canary Islands • Cruising • Madeira (Funchal), Portugal • Cruising • La Coruna, Spain Cruising • Southampton, England
18-Night Norway	May 18	Southampton, England • Cruising Flam, Norway • Skjolden, Norway Olden, Norway • Alesund, Norway Stavanger, Norway • Cruising Southampton, England
6-Night Norway	May 26	Southampton, England • Cruising Oslo, Norway • Kristiansand, Norway Stavanger, Norway • Cruising Southampton, England
14-Night Norway-Cork	Jun 01; Sep 07	Southampton, England • Cruising Cork (Cobh), Ireland • Cruising Cruising • Olden, Norway • Alesund, Norway • Flam, Norway • Stavanger, Norway • Kristiansand, Norway Oslo, Norway • Cruising • Bruges (Zeebrugge), Belgium • Cruising Southampton, England
14-Night Italian Mediterranean	Jun 25; Jul 13; Aug 10	Southampton, England • Cruising Cruising • Gibraltar, United Kingdom Cruising • Provence (Toulon), France Florence / Pisa (Livorno), Italy Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy • Ajaccio, Corsica • Cruising • Seville (Cadiz), Spain • Lisbon, Portugal • Vigo, Spain Cruising • Southampton, England
14-Night Spanish Mediterranean	Jun 29; Jul 27; Aug 24	Southampton, England • Cruising Cruising • Vigo, Spain • Lisbon, Portugal • Cruising • Valencia, Spain Barcelona, Spain • Palma De Mallorca, Spain • Ibiza, Spain • Cruising • Seville (Cadiz), Spain • Cruising • Cruising Southampton, England
12-Night Mediterranean	Sep 21	Southampton, England • Cruising Cruising • Gibraltar, United Kingdom Cartagena, Spain • Barcelona, Spain Palma De Mallorca, Spain • Cruising Seville (Cadiz), Spain • Lisbon, Portugal Vigo, Spain • Cruising • Southampton, England
11-Night Canaries	Oct 03	Southampton, England • Cruising Vigo, Spain • Lisbon, Portugal • Cruising Gran Canaria, Canary Islands • Tenerife, Canary Islands • Madeira (Funchal), Portugal • Cruising • La Coruna, Spain Cruising • Southampton, England
12-Night Canaries	Oct 14	Southampton, England • Cruising Vigo, Spain • Lisbon, Portugal Cruising • Lanzarote, Canary Islands Gran Canaria, Canary Islands • Tenerife, Canary Islands • Madeira (Funchal), Portugal • Cruising • La Coruna, Spain Cruising • Southampton, England
3-Night Sampler	Oct 26	Southampton, England • Bruges (Zeebrugge), Belgium • Paris / Normandy (Le Havre), France • Southampton, England
4-Night Sampler	Oct 29	Southampton, England • Paris / Normandy (Le Havre), France Bruges (Zeebrugge), Belgium • Cruising Southampton, England
13-Night Transatlantic	Nov 02	Southampton, England • Cruising Cruising • Cruising • Cruising • Cruising Cruising • Cruising • Cruising Philipsburg, St. Maarten • San Juan, Puerto Rico • Cruising • Cococay, Bahamas • Fort Lauderdale, Florida

All itineraries are subject to change without notice. Certain restrictions apply. ©2012 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd Ships registry: The Bahamas. 12028

Royal Caribbean 2012 Oslo Norway

Oslo is the oldest of the Scandinavian capital cities with a varied collection of cultural attractions and natural wonders. Situated at the head of a 60-mile fjord on the southern coast, Oslo is beautifully framed by a vast expense of woods, moors and lakes. Today, Norway's capital is a blend of 19th and 20th-century architectural styles. Woodcarvings and colorful frescoes decorate the city's buildings, and the parks and public squares are resplendent with unique works of sculpture.

2012 – Summer Europe & Transatlantic Sailings 


 VISION of the SEAS®

Ship Profile | Itineraries & Pricing | Deck Plans   Dining Menus | Wine Lists | Kids Programs | Ship Reviews | 360 Tours | Photos

On April 16, 2012, the VISION of the SEAS® sets sail on a 13- Night Eastbound Transatlantic from Sao Paolo, Brazil to Lisbon, Portugal.  Following that cruise, a special 8-Night Repositioning voyage brings the ship to its Summer 2012 homeport in Oslo, Norway.  The season will end with several short cruises in the Baltic region.

5-Night Amsterdam & Brugges

Oslo, Norway • Cruising • Bruges (Zeebrugge), Belgium
Amsterdam, Netherlands • Cruising • Oslo, Norway

9-Night British Isles

Oslo, Norway • Cruising • Paris / Normandy (Le Havre), France
Cherbourg, France • Dublin, Ireland • Liverpool, England • Cruising
Edinburgh (S. Queensferry), Scotland • Cruising • Oslo, Norway

6-Night Norwegian Fjord

Oslo, Norway • Arhus, Denmark • Cruising
Bergen, Norway • Geiranger, Norway • Cruising • Oslo, Norway

7-Night Scandinavia Russia

Oslo, Norway • Cruising • Cruising
St. Petersburg, Russia • Tallinn, Estonia • Cruising
Copenhagen, Denmark • Oslo, Norway

5-Night Repositioning

Oslo, Norway • Copenhagen, Denmark
Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany • Cruising
Visby, Sweden • Stockholm, Sweden

4-Night Short – St. Petersburg

Stockholm, Sweden • Tallinn, Estonia
St. Petersburg, Russia • Cruising • Stockholm, Sweden

5- Night Short – St. Petersburg

Stockholm, Sweden • Helsinki, Finland
St. Petersburg, Russia • St. Petersburg, Russia
Cruising • Stockholm, Sweden

Princess British Isles - Iceland - Canary Islands 2012

Tower of London Bridge

British Isles, Iceland & Canary Islands cruises

The British Isles, Iceland and Greenland beckon adventurous travelers with the promise of welcoming shores, fascinating cultures and awe-inspiring landscapes. Sail with Princess Cruises on a journey to the storied cities and natural wonders you’ve always wanted to see.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

• Our popular 12-day British Isles sailing offers the best of England, Ireland and Scotland with a visit to dazzling Paris.
• 7-day Interlude Cruises on large and small ships explore charming ports in England, Ireland and Scotland.
• Sailings of 18 days or longer to remote Iceland and Greenland, some including a transatlantic crossing.
• Ring of Kerry cruisetours pairing a 12-day British Isles cruise with Ireland's most famous attractions.

If you are interested in this article, also see: 

Princess Cruises 2012-13 Europe Deployment 

Princess Mediterranean - Greek Isles - Holy Land 2012 

Princess Scandinavia - Russia - Norway 2012 

Itinerary	Itinerary Highlights†	Ship	2012 Dates
Western Europe Sampler	3 Nights London (Southampton), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton)	Grand	Sep 1
Ireland & Scotland Interlude	8 Nights London (Dover), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Waterford, Dublin, Glasgow (Greenock), Edinburgh (Rosyth), London (Dover) Note: These departures will offer an Optional Shore Excursion in Edinburgh to see the famed Edinburgh Military Tattoo	Ocean	Aug 2, 17
Canary Islands	11 Nights London (Southampton), Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Lanzarote (Arrecife), Madeira (Funchal), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), London (Southampton)	Grand	Apr 21
Canary Islands	12 Nights London (Southampton), Lisbon, Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Lanzarote (Arrecife), Madeira (Funchal), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), London (Southampton)	Grand	Oct 22
British Isles	12 Nights London (Southampton), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Cork (Cobh – for Blarney Castle), Dublin, Liverpool, Belfast, Glasgow (Greenock), Inverness/Loch Ness (Invergordon), Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton) Note: 8/1 departure will offer an Optional Shore Excursion from Glasgow (Greenock) to see the famed Edinburgh Military Tattoo	Caribbean	May 26; Jun 7; Jul 8; Aug 1
British Isles	12 Nights London (Southampton), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Holyhead, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow (Greenock), Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Inverness/Loch Ness (Invergordon), Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton) Note: 8/13 departure will offer an Optional Shore Excursion from Glasgow (Greenock) to see the famed Edinburgh Military Tattoo	Caribbean	May 14; Aug 13
Iceland & Norway	12 Nights London (Southampton), Bergen, Olden/Nordfjord, Hellesylt (drop-off for Geiranger Fjord Shore Excursion), Scenic cruising of Geiranger Fjord, Geiranger, Ålesund, Akureyri, Reykjavik, London (Southampton)	Caribbean	Jul 20
Iceland, Greenland & British Isles Explorer	14 Nights London (Southampton), Cornwall (Falmouth), Dublin, Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), Reykjavik, Qaqortoq (Greenland), St. John’s (Newfoundland), New York (Brooklyn)	Caribbean	Aug 25
British Isles Passage	14 Nights Ft. Lauderdale, Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), Dublin, Cornwall (Falmouth), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton)	Grand	Apr 7
Western Europe Passage	14 Nights London (Southampton), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), Lisbon, Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Bermuda (West End), Ft. Lauderdale	Grand	Nov 3
Passage to Europe	11 or 15 Nights San Juan, New York (Brooklyn), Halifax, Dublin, Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), London (Southampton) Note: This voyage may be booked at 11 days from New York, departing May 3 or 15 days from San Juan, departing Apr 29 Apr 29 (15 days)	Caribbean	Apr 29 (15 days) May 3 (11 days)
Iceland, Greenland & Norway Explorer	16 Nights Copenhagen, Oslo, Kristiansand, Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), Dublin, Belfast, Reykjavik, Qaqortoq (Greenland), New York (Brooklyn)	Emerald	Sep 10
Northern Europe Passage	16 Nights Ft. Lauderdale, Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Cork (Cobh – for Blarney Castle), Cornwall (Falmouth), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Dover), Rotterdam (for Amsterdam), Oslo, Copenhagen	Emerald	Apr 26
British Isles & Canary Islands Grand Adventure®	25 Nights Ft. Lauderdale, Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), Dublin, Cornwall (Falmouth), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton), Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Lanzarote (Arrecife), Madeira (Funchal), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), London (Southampton)	Grand	Apr 7
Canary Islands & Western Europe Grand Adventure®	26 Nights London (Southampton), Lisbon, Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Lanzarote (Arrecife), Madeira (Funchal), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), London (Southampton), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), Lisbon, Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Bermuda (West End), Ft. Lauderdale	Grand	Oct 22
Iceland, Greenland & British Isles Grand Adventure®	26 Nights London (Southampton), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Holyhead, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow (Greenock), Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Inverness/Loch Ness (Invergordon), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton), Cornwall (Falmouth), Dublin, Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), Reykjavik, Qaqortoq (Greenland), St. John’s (Newfoundland), New York (Brooklyn) Note: This departure will offer an Optional Shore Excursion from Glasgow (Greenock) to see the famed Edinburgh Military Tattoo	Caribbean	Aug 13
Northern Europe & British Isles Grand Adventure®	23 or 27 Nights San Juan, New York (Brooklyn), Halifax, Dublin, Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), London (Southampton), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Holyhead, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow (Greenock), Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Inverness/Loch Ness (Invergordon), Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton) Note: This voyage may be booked at 23 days from New York departing May 3 or 27 days from San Juan, departing Apr 29	Caribbean	Apr 29 (27 days) May 3 (23 days)

†Port order and content for all itineraries may vary.

Princess Cruises 2012-13 Europe Deployment

Princess Cruises® 


2012-13

Princess Cruises® has begun announcing their Summer 2012 - Spring 2013 Programs. We are highlighting their Europe Land & Sea Vacations in this post. Captain's Circle members can take advantage of special Launch Savings.

 If you are interested in this article, also see: 

Princess Mediterranean - Greek Isles - Holy Land 2012
Princess Scandinavia - Russia - Norway 2012
Princess British Isles - Iceland - Canary Islands 2012 

Experience the Best of Europe

Windsor Castle

Answer the alluring call of the Old World with Princess Cruises. Whether you're drawn to legendary ruins, charming villas or awe-inspiring landscapes, Princess Cruises can take you there.

Sail with a crew that shares your passion for exploring this timeless region, and you'll quickly discover why they've been voted "Best Cruise Line - Itineraries."

See more of Europe than you ever dreamt possible when you sail with Princess Cruises. Whether you’re drawn to the idyllic Mediterranean & Greek Isles, the storied Holy Land, sparkling Scandinavia and Russia or the grandeur of the British Isles, there is a Europe cruise vacation that’s perfect for you!

Giants Causeway - Belfast, Ireland

2012-13 Deployment Program

Church of the Spilled Blood - St. Petersburg, Russia

• 7 ships, 57 itineraries and over 125 voyages
• The largest Europe deployment in Princess’ history offering more sailings and more capacity with the addition of Crown Princess sailing the 12-day Greek Isles
• The most popular itineraries return, including the 12-day Grand Mediterranean, 11-day Scandinavia & Russia, 12-day British Isles, 12-day Holy Land, and 7-day Interludes
• Overnight stays in magical Venice on all 12-day Grand Mediterranean, Greek Isles, Greek Isles & Mediterranean and Egypt & Aegean sailings
• Our 2-day Experience in St. Petersburg on 11-day Scandinavia & Russia cruises, 2-day Experiences in Egypt and Israel on 12-day Holy Land sailings and two days in Istanbul on our 12-day Black Sea & Crimean sailing
• New itineraries and maiden ports including Korcula, Croatia and Nessebar, Bulgaria – a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Land & sea vacations that tour Classic Italy, Ireland’s Ring of Kerry, Imperial cities of Eastern Europe, such as Prague and Vienna, and a remarkable journey to the ruins of Ancient Petra, Jordan and the Dead Sea

Princess Past Passengers are eligible for special savings when they book early! Earn up to $200 per couple; these savings can be combined with other discounts and special offers in the future.

Captain's Circle Launch Savings 

• Europe (3-day Europe has $50 savings) $100* 
• Europe Grand Adventure Cruises $200*

*Per Person Savings through 9/30/11

Europe land & sea vacations

Experience Europe in-depth on a land-and-sea adventure that combines a fabulous cruise with four to nine days on land exploring places like storied Rome and Florence, the enchanting cities of Vienna and Prague, or cruise Ireland’s magical Ring of Kerry.

Cruisetour	Nights Destination / Sailing†	Ship	2012 Dates
Tour 1: Europe’s Imperial Treasures	19 Nights 2 nights Budapest, 2 nights Vienna, 2 nights Prague & 2 nights Berlin / 11-day Scandinavia & Russia cruise	Emerald	May 4, 15, 26; Jun 6, 17, 28; Jul 9, 20, 31; Aug 11, 22
Tour 2: Classic Italy	17 Nights 3 nights Rome & 2 nights Florence / 12-day Grand Mediterranean or 12-day Greek Isles cruise	Ruby, Crown	May 13, 19; Jun 6, 12, 30; Jul 6, 24, 30; Aug 17, 23; Sep 10, 16; Oct 10; Nov 3
Tour 3: Ring of Kerry	16 Nights 1 night Shannon, 2 nights Killarney & 1 night Cork / 12-day British Isles cruise	Caribbean	May 10, 22; Jun 3; Jul 4, 28; Aug 9
Tour 4: Ancient Petra & the Dead Sea	16 Nights 2 nights Amman, 1 night Petra & 1 night Dead Sea / 12-day Holy Land cruise	Pacific	May 8; Jun 13; Jul 7, 31; Sep 29; Oct 23; Nov 16

†Port order and content for all itineraries may vary.

St. Patrick's Day Greetings from County Cork

Blarney Castle                 Charles Fort

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years.



On St. Patrick's Day, which falls in the middle of the Christian Lenten season, Irish families would go to church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. The Irish would dance, drink and feast on the traditional Irish Bacon and Cabbage. Lenten regulations about not eating meat were waived if necessary so that the traditional meal could be eaten.

Pictured above are two well-known attractions that can be visited in a day trip while docked in Cobh (Cork), Ireland.   Blarney Castle, which was constructed over 600 years ago, is most widely known for the Blarney Stone.  Legend has it that if you kiss the stone, you'll never be lost for words.  Each year visitors climb to the top to reach the stone and hang by their feet to kiss it.  The picture on the right is of Charles Fort in Kinsale, Ireland.  This 17th Century fort, which protected Kinsale, is one of the last remaining examples of a star-shaped fortress.   

More pictures and information ...  British Isles - Cork, Ireland

The Irish countryside is beautiful, the towns are quaint, and the people are very friendly. It is a great place to visit. Cruises to the British Isles stop at one or more Irish ports. June is a great time to visit Ireland. The weather is usually mild and you'll be comfortable in a light jacket on the cooler days.   Plan your Summer British Isles cruise and be sure it stops in Ireland.
 

A special offer just crossed my desk ...   here's some Saving O' the Green...

3 days of special savings on 2010  

Canada & New England - Summer Caribbean vacations 
 Special St. Patrick's Day savings event starts March 17th.

Azamara Cruises’ Europe Event

Azamara Cruises’ Europe Event

Choose from some of the most popular European destinations including the Mediterranean, Scandinavia & Russia, Norwegian Fjords, Holy Land, Italy, Greece, Iceland, and British Isles.

FREE UPGRADE TO A VERANDA
on All 2010 Europe sailings for veranda and oceanview categories.

$1,000 ONBOARD CREDIT

per stateroom for Royal and Penthouse suites.

Book between 08/13/09 and 08/20/09 to receive these extraordinary offers!

Azamara Journey ®

7-Night Mediterranean
4/25; 5/2; 5/9; 5/16; 9/12; 9/19; 9/26; 10/3/2010

14-Night Western Europe
5/23; 8/29/2010

12-Night Scandinavia & Russia
6/6; 6/30; 7/24; 8/5/2010

12-Night Norwegian Fjords
6/18/2010

12-Night Iceland & Fjords
7/12/2010

12-Night British Isles
8/17/2010

12-Night Holy Land
10/10; 11/3/2010

12-Night Mediterranean
10/22/2010

Azamara Quest ®

12-Night Holy Land
5/3; 5/29/2010

14-Night Best of Italy
5/15/2010

10-Night Greek Isles
6/10; 7/2; 7/24/2010

12-Night Black Sea
6/20; 7/12; 8/3/2010

12-Night Adriatic & Ionian Coast
8/15/2010

12-Night Western Mediterranean
8/27; 9/8; 9/20/2010

14-Night Best of Italy
10/2/2010

14-Night Ancient Empires
10/30; 11/13/2010


ONE WEEK ONLY! *New Individual & Group Bookings only. Contact me for complete Terms and Conditions. Offer may be withdrawn at any time - subject to availability. Azamara Itineraries

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years.

On St. Patrick's Day, which falls in the middle of the Christian Lenten season, Irish families would go to church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. The Irish would dance, drink and feast on the traditional Irish Bacon and Cabbage. Lenten regulations about not eating meat were waived if necessary so that the traditional meal could be eaten.

Here in the United States, St. Patrick's Day has become a celebration for not only the Irish, but for all. There are parades and celebrations which include green beer. The Chicago River is dyed green each year in honor of the event.

We have cruised to Ireland a couple of times. We've visited Cork, Kinsale, and Belfast. We were scheduled to visit Dublin, but due to a European Summit, the cruise schedule was changed at the last minute.

The Irish countryside is beautiful, the towns are quaint, and the people are very friendly. It is a great place to visit. Cruises to the British Isles stop at one or more Irish ports. June is a great time to visit Ireland. The weather is usually mild and you'll be comfortable in a light jacket on the cooler days.

Bergen, Norway

In my last post, I talked about the last British Isles port on our 12 Night British Isles / Norwegian Fjords cruise. After leaving Scotland, we had a day at sea before arriving at our next port, Bergen, Norway.

We awoke to a perfect picture postcard day. Up until this point in time, the weather had been on the cool side. You might recall it was raining in Edinburgh, just two days before. As you can see from this picture, the sky was powder blue with whisps of white clouds. What great contrast to the colorful buildings along the Bryggen (Norwegian for the wharf).

RCCL offered a shuttle bus into town for a nominal charge. It is possible to walk to town, but due to the layout of the dock area, it's actually much easier to take the shuttle bus. The first thing we did was walk to the Fløibanen Funicular where we purchased round trip tickets to ride the tram to the top of the mountain. The view from there is spectacular so we took several pictures, include this one of the Jewel OTS surrounded by the town of Bergen. You can visit as long as you like on top before your return ride.

Bergen is a city that you can easily explore on your own. We continued our self-guided tour by walking to the Bryggens Museum, a museum based on the findings of the archeological excavations of Bryggen between 1955 and 1972. A short walk from there is Bergenhus Fortress where you can tour Håkon’s Hall and the Rosenkrantz Tower.

PHOTO ALBUMS Bergen - Arrival Bergen - Funicular Bergen - Walking Tour 1 Bergen - Museum Bergen - Fort Bergen - Walking Tour 2 Bergen - Sail Away

After doing our sightseeing, we did some shopping on the Bryggen. It is possible to do Duty-Free shopping in many of the shops. There are a number of shops that allow you to pool your purchases to meet the minimum requirements for a refund. Read my blog post "Shop Unitl You Drop" for more information about Duty-Free shopping. We also spent some time relaxing in one of the outdoor cafes. Prices for food and beverages are quite high in Norway. If you don't want to spend alot of money for a meal, I'd suggest making a purchase in the Fish Market. If you like ice cream, you need to taste their soft serve ice cream - it's the best.

What a wonderful day we had in Bergen. We couldn't have asked for better weather. There was even a fashion show going on in the center square (which is near the shuttle bus pickup point). Make sure you have some comfortable walking shoes since you'll want to wander through the city enjoying the colorful scenery.

Up next - the Norwegian Fjords.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Continuing with our 12 Night British Isles / Norwegian Fjords cruise, our next port of call was Belfast, Northern Ireland.

About a month before our cruise, the itinerary was changed from Dublin to Belfast due to the EU Summit meetings that were taking place near Dublin. We were disappointed, because my husband's father was born in Dublin, and we were looking forward to visiting that area. Belfast turned out to be an excellent replacement far exceeding our expectations.

Prior to the cruise, we were active participants in the Cruise Critic Roll Call thread for this sailing. When we learned of the change in itinerary, the group searched for an alternative tour and found a local tour company, Minicoach, that offered a tour that included The Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope bridge, Bushmills Distillery, and a photo stop at the remains of Dunluce Castle. One of our group contacted them and arranged a minibus tour.

When we arranged the tour, we were scheduled to get into the port of Belfast in the morning, however prior to sailing, the time got changed to 2:45 PM (and in fact we were later than that in the end). We were quite fortunate to have a tour company that was willing to work with us.

Since we would be in port until the wee hours of the morning, we had plenty of time for sight-seeing even with the late afternoon arrival. The sun didn't set until 10 Pm, so lighting was not a concern. Bushmills Distillery was no longer possible since we couldn't get there before the final tour of the day. All the other sites were still possible.

Our first stop was at The Giant's Causeway. The Grand Causeway is pictured above. We arrived at the Visitor's Centre where we learned about the causeway which was formed 60 million years ago from lava. From there we boarded a bus which transfers us to the site of these magnificent basalt columns. The scenery here is breathtaking. The Giant's Causeway is a Natural Heritage Site and the 8th Wonder of the World. Pictures and words just don't do it justice, but for some more pictures, see my photo album and also click on both of the links above.

It would be hard to top the scenery which we'd just seen, but we headed for our next stop, Carrick-a-Rede Rope bridge. The bridge was once used by fisherman bringing the salmon catches back from the island but today it is mainly a tourist attraction. The bridge has been enhanced from a single rope to the current caged construction for safety.

In order to get to the rope bridge, it is necessary to hike quite a distance along a winding path. Make sure you have good hiking shoes to make the journey as the pathway can be a little challenging as you can see in this picture. I only went part way and my husband did go all the way to the bridge, but not across it. Since we were there after hours, we were not able to actually cross the bridge.

(Nov. 2013) The coastal scenery is a beautiful. We are in the process of moving images from the old Kodak Gallery album to our Shutterfly account, so some albums may not yet be available.

We made a brief photo stop at the sight of Dunluce Castle. Although we didn't do so, it is possible to take a guided tour of the castle grounds. For a few additional pictures, see my photo album.

Our final stop was in town for some dinner and drinks with our fellow cruisers. We picked up some ice cream cones for the trip back to the ship. For some final pictures, see our End of Tour Album. All these albums are linked on our Cruise Vacations website.

This was a remarkable port of call. It's four years since the cruise and our Cruise Critic thread remains active. It's funny that several people just posted and mentioned our Belfast tour and the Giant's Causeway in particular. I hope that you can some day see this in person.

Chris

British Isles - Cork, Ireland

Last month I started to tell you about our 12 Night British Isles / Norwegian Fjords cruise on Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas.

I've already talked about our pre-cruise stay in London, and our first port of call LeHavre, France.

In this post, I'll share our experiences in Cork, Ireland. This was our second time in Cork, the first being on September 13, 2001, just after the World Trade Center attacks. If you'd like to read about our first visit, you can do so on our Path of the Vikings cruise web page.

This trip, we booked a private tour with 16 other passengers with West Cork Tours , a local tour company. They tailored the tour to our desires.


Pictured above is Blarney Castle, our first stop on the tour. Upon arrival at the castle, we had a one hour guided tour of the castle grounds. The castle could be seen in the distance. A vast green field, so common in this part of Ireland, lay in front of us. We followed the path to the castle and then continued into the gardens.

The path wound thru the gardens, past rock formations, past magnificent tree roots that crossed our path, thru tunnels (good thing I'm short - see picture), and past streams.

After the guided tour portion of the tour, we had free time to explore on our own. Some of our group climbed the path to kiss the Blarney Stone. You need to hang upside down to kiss the stone. See our photo ablum for more pictures of this portion of the tour.

No trip to Blarney Castle would be complete without spending some time in Blarney Woollen Mills. Here you will find Belleek Irish China, Waterford Crystal, Galway Irish Crystal, Royal Tara Fine Bone China, and other fine Irish merchandise. The best thing is they will ship it home so that you don't have to lug it around the rest of your vacation.

Departing Blarney, we drove through the courtryside of West Cork and arrived at our next destination, Kinsale. As you can see in the picture, this is a colorful town with narrow streets, shops and galleries. We had 2.5 hours to explore the town, checking out the local bars, restaurants, and shops.

The people here are very friendly. In one shop, the shopkeeper demonstrated the art of blowing glass for us. We picked up some souvenirs and reboarded the mini-bus for our next stop, Charles Fort, which is still in Kinsale. See our photo album for more pictures of Kinsale.

Charles Fort was constructed in the late 17th century and is still in fairly decent condition. This is a classic example of a star-shaped fort consisting of five bastions. We entered through the archway where we were given a brief talk about the fort and then we had 30 minutes to explore on our own.

We took several photos while at the fort which can be seen in our photo album. All these albums are hosted on Kodak Gallery. This is a free service, that does require user registration.

There's plenty to do near Cork, Ireland. On our first visit, we spent a Day in Killarney including a stop at the restored 19th Century Muckross Manor House. Whatever you do, make sure you explore the Irish countryside - it is a sight to behold.

Happy Sailing,

Chris

Normandy, France - Retracing History

On June 6, 1944 (D-Day) my father landed on Omaha Beach near Normandy, France. He rarely spoke about that day other than to say that he was in a tank which was sunk when they tried to land, he was rescued, and later redeployed. He and his wife went back to Normandy for the 40th Anniversary of D-Day.

My husband and I had the opportunity to visit the area during our 12 Night British Isles / Norwegian Fjords Cruise on Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas in June, 2004. That year marked the 60th Anniversary of D-Day. The ship docked in LeHavre, France. Two of the popular destinations that can be reached from that port are Paris and Normandy. Since we had visited Paris before, we decided to retrace history in Normandy and the surrounding countryside.

Another couple joined us on our private tour. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and actually had taken part in the event planning for the 60th Anniversary. Our guide picked us up at the ship and we began our day-long adventure. This trip brought to life what had up until this point only been passages in a history book.

Our first stop was the British Cemetery (Bayeux War Cemetery). This is a well-kept cemetery with grave markers all lined up in rows. There is a main monument near the entrance which was lined with flowers (most likely left over from the recent anniversary ceremonies). Across from the cemetery was a farm where cows were grazing. If you weren't familiar with the area, you might have driven past the entrance without even noticing.

We also stopped at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. This cemetery is also well-kept. Once again, all the grave markers are in rows, but this time, they seem to go on forever. When you step onto the grounds you are no longer in France, but rather you are on American soil. All the soldiers resting there have a view of America. We spent some time walking around the grounds, visiting some of the more famous graves. It started to rain while we were there which seemed quite fitting. It was as if the heavens were crying.

The final cemetery was the German Cemetery (La Cambe War Cemetery). Unlike the previous two cemeteries, this one has had periods of time where it was not well-kept. We learned that private funding had recently been obtained to do some improvements. There is a central monument that stands on a hill in the cemetery. Looking around the grounds, you'll see groups of small crosses (as you can see in the picture above). This cemetery seemed to be very dark and gloomy, despite the flowers and other decorations.

These are just a few of the locations we visited that day. I'm including links to photo albums for the cemeteries. In my next post, I'll continue with some of the other locations we visited. The albums and other links can also be found on our Normandy Shutterfly Page.

Normandy Cemetery Photo Albums (on Shutterfly):

Normandy - British Cemetery
Normandy - American Cemetery 
Normandy - German Cemetery

I highly recommend a cruise that visits the British Isles and includes LeHavre and Normandy in particular. If possible, take the whole family so that history can come alive.

London - Land of Palaces and Castles

As promised, I'll talk about some of the Palaces and Castles we've visited in past visits to London. One of the highlights of one London visit was the Changing of the Guard Ceremony at Buckingham Palace. During our visit it would have been possible to see the state rooms also, but we didn't want to wait in line for that. We had spent several hours there already. The ceremony was quite an experience. We were very glad that we had waited for it to begin. See the London photo album for more pictures. Buckingham Palace is a must see attraction if you've not been there before.


On another stay in London we planned a visit to Hampton Court Palace We took the tube to Richmond and then the R68 bus to the palace. Make sure you have a travelcard that is good in Zone 6. We returned by train. Allow sufficient time to visit all the King and Queens apartments, the state apartments, the tudor kitchen, and the palace grounds. You can tour on your own or follow the audio guides. For more pictures, see my photo album or the official website (link above). The website can help you plan your visit.


Prior to our British Isles / Norwegian Fjords cruise, we spent two nights in London. During that visit, we scheduled an all day tour via Evan Evans tours to Leeds Castle (pictured to the left), Canterbury Cathedral (pictured to the right), and Dover. Click here if you want to see some pictures of the White Cliffs of Dover. Here are some additional photo albums from this trip: Leeds Castle (Gardens), Leeds Castle (Part 2), and Canterbury Cathedral.



Besides Leeds, we also spent a day at Windsor Castle (pictured to the left). It is possible to get there via Tube and Train. For more information about how to get there, prices, opening times, etc., see the Royal Collection website. See my Windsor Photo Album for more pictures.

These are just a few of the palaces and castles that you can easily visit during a one or two-day pre-cruise stay in London. Prior to your visit, it is advisable to check the official website to see if there are any closures or other items of interest during your visit. For example, state rooms in some palaces are only open during certain times of the year.