Explore the World by Cruise Ship

#FriFotos Theme Friday, July 15th :  #Explore

 

   

Every #Friday #FriFotos brings you a new theme so share your #photos with us all & enjoy! #PhotoOfTheDay #Photography #Photo #Pics #TTOT Run by @alexpublicity @frifotos_ 

 

In preparing for this week's theme, we thought about our favorite way of exploring the world:  by cruise ship / river boat.  Here are a few images along with some thoughts on the topic.



EXPLORE BY SEA

Many centuries ago, sailors boarded vessels and set sail from their home lands to parts unknown.   Just imagine the thrill they had of spotting a new land from the bow of their ship. 


It is unlikely that you will discover a "new world", never seen before, and claim it for yourself or country.   However, you do have the opportunity to explore lands that you have not been to before.  Where do you want to explore?

click images to enlarge

Modern Day Explorers

 The picture above is a replica of a Viking ship which we toured in Stockholm, Sweden.  To the right is a modern day cruise ship in the harbor of Santorini, Greece.  Both of these ships transported their explorers to exciting destinations just waiting to be explored.

Captains of the ships of old navigated by the stars and crude maps while today's skippers have the luxury of modern technology and very detailed maps (partly thanks to the sailors of old).  When exploring by cruise ship, your destination is charted before you leave home, unlike those original explorers that didn't know what the next day would bring.   Experience the unknown when your ship is at sea with no land in sight.  You will get a sense of how large the world really is.   Far away lands are just waiting for your discovery.

Getting a Closer Look

Large vessels cannot always get close to shore, and it is often necessary to use smaller boats to begin exploration.   The zodiac on the left is the primary method of exploring the Galapagos islands.   It takes a small group of explorers to shore for a closer look at the environment.  Upon arriving on shore, you begin your quest to explore this new destination. 

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

Where have you explored? 
There is still time to share your pictures on #FriFotos.  If you don't have any to share at this time, check out what others are posting.   This forum is a great way to explore the world from the comforts of your chair.
 

#FriFotos Holiday Themes

Photos on Twitter

For those of you that don't know #FriFotos was a weekly photo forum by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned  @CharlesYap. Theme was revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.  Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We  co-hosted one week late last year and continued to contribute with images from our archives whenever possible.  After five years, the team announced that the final week for #FriFotos would be October 16th.

#FriFotos Returns

On December 4th, the Twitter community was invited to participate in the new #FriFotos weekly photo forum by @alexpublicity. Theme ideas were solicited and #Winter was chosen as the first theme.

We really enjoyed all the years of photo sharing hosted by the original hosts, and wanted to support the new forum, so we've been active participants. Alex invited us to co-host so we joined forces starting with December 18th when the theme was #Holidays.

 

This Week's Theme: #Christmas

Collage of Ornaments from Christmas Trees Around the World

Picture of giant tree at Museum of Science & Industry - Chicago (2014)

 For this week's theme it couldn't be anything else other than #Christmas! So get sharing your best #FriFotos with us pic.twitter.com/1EE4lVhZyF

We'll be sharing some of our ornaments from #AroundTheWorld which were from our photo collection last year.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

 to all our #FriFotos Friends & Blog Followers

Thank you to all that contributed their images.   Photography is a great way to make memories.   We love sharing our images with the world on Twitter and elsewhere and will continue to do so.

We've made a few friends along the way and hopefully that won't end as #FriFotos starts a new chapter. 

If you like Travel & Photography join us online:

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

Farewell #FriFotos Thanks For Memories

For those of you that don't know #FriFotos was a weekly photo forum by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. Theme was revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.  Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We  co-hosted one week late last year and continued to contribute with images from our archives whenever possible.

This Friday marks the end of an era.  For five years, the Twitter community has gathered each Friday to share photos related to a stated theme.  Three weeks ago, Jonathan Epstein, one of the hosts, announced that on the fifth anniversary, #FriFotos would be discontinued.

He also announced the themes for the final weeks.

Theme for today:  #Memories

This is a fitting theme as we look back on #FriFotos history.  One of the things we loved about #FriFotos was that as each theme was announced, it would trigger our review of our photo archive for images that would fit the theme.   In many cases, we also had blog posts that accompanied the images, which also helped us to relive our memories.

The happy #Memory for us was when we were invited to co-host #FriFotos #GreatIndoors theme.

Here is a sampling of what we shared that week:

• Least Likely Location for Stained Glass
• Stained Glass Off the Beaten Path
• Stained Glass Around the World Part 2
• Stained Glass Around the World
• Visit Great Indoors Across the Globe

See our #FriFotos photos on Twitter







Join us this Friday for the Final time as we join as an online community sharing images that relate to the #Memories topic.

Thank you Charles, Jonathan, Stephanie, and Spencer for all the hard work to make #FriFotos such a success.   Thank you to guest co-hosts as well and to all that contributed.   Truly this was a labor of love.   We are saddened to see #FriFotos end because it always gave us something to look forward to as the week drew to a close. 

Thank you to all that contributed their images.   Photography is a great way to make memories.   We love sharing our images with the world on Twitter and elsewhere and will continue to do so.

We've made a few friends along the way and hopefully that won't end as #FriFotos packs up after the final Friday.

If you like Travel & Photography join us online:

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

Water Wonders of the World

 #Travelpics

Water Wonders

 
Today we joined #TRAVELPICS chat on Twitter for a fun packed hour exchanging ideas and travel photos with like-minded posters. The theme was  “water wonders.”

Pictures that were shared ranged fFrom diving and waterfalls to aqua landscapes, hurricanes, coral reefs from above, and so much more.  Here are some of our answers to questions raised during the hour along with some images. (click on images to enlarge)
 
Questions for Monday’s “Water Wonders” #travelpics chat:

(3:00) Intros: Please introduce yourself and tell us where you’re tweeting from today!

Greetings from frozen #Chicago #Travelpics

(as you can see we got some fresh snow that morning)


(3:05) Q1: In your mind, what are some of the “water wonders of the world”? 
A1: Several come to mind from Niagra Falls to Gullfoss in Iceland - what do you think of

 (3:10) Q2: Share a photo of the most wild water wonder you’ve ever been to! 
A2: #Kjosfossen waterfall #Norway is a rail stop from Voss to #Flam


Norway is one of our favorite lands to visit with the mighty Norwegian fjords waterfalls amongst the most popular attractions.

(3:20) Q3: Whether above the water or below, share a tale or snap of an unusual perspective.
A3: @CelebrityCruises amongst our #Galapagos memories #snorkeling with sea turtles #Travelpics #ttot

You can learn more about our Galapagos adventure on our blog: Cruise With Christine Pappin: Diary of Celebrity Xpeditions Galapagos

(3:30) Q4: Bigger isn’t always better: Tweet a water wonder photo that’s beautiful even if small, hidden, or overlooked. 
Several answers came to mind for this question:
A4: Bay of Fundy #NovaScotia #NewBrunswick #Canada reversing falls #Travelpics #ttot
 
Visit these amazing waterfalls when on a Canada / New England cruise.  Be sure to visit in the morning and then later in the day to see the tides reverse.


A4: Brisksdal Glacier & Waterfalls #Geiranger #Norway #travelpics #ttot Norwegian Fjords

A Norwegian Fjords cruise offers the opportunity to visit Geiranger and Hellesylt.  You can walk on a glacier or ride on a path past amazing waterfalls. 

A4: Hellesylt #Norway waterfall in the center of town #Norwegian #Fjords #TTOT #travelpics

Other favorites include Olden and Tvinde waterfalls.

A4: Norwegian Fjords including #Olden #Norway waterfalls & rapids come to mind #Travelpics #ttot
A4: hard to pick just one amazing water wonder in #Norway #Tvinde #travelpics #ttot Tvinde.jpg

 

(3:40) Q5: Tell us what water wonder is your favorite–and pick one you’d hop on a plane today to see.

A5: @NPKrka KRKA National Park Split #Croatia #travelpics #ttot

One of the most amazing highlights of our Mediterranean cruise from Rome to Venice included our visit so Split, Croatia and KRKA National Park & Waterfalls.  You could spend hours there capturing water wonders.

(3:50) Q6: Show off that awesome water shot–a frozen moment, a beautiful long exposure, or something unique!
A6: Brisksdal Glacier & Waterfalls #Geiranger #Norway #travelpics #ttot Norwegian Fjords

We hope that this has sparked your interest in taking your photography to a new level.  Follow the weekly #travelpics chat on Twitter for more ideas on this and other travel topics.   We'd love to hear your ideas as well, or better yet, join us for the next chat.

Thank you to this week's co-hosts: @AntiTourist @Sihpromatum @TheTravelCamel & @VibrantIreland. 
 

Have you seen the  #travelpics recap? http://bit.ly/17RRaFq

Join us for #travelpics on Monday's at 3 PM ET every week for a fun-filled hour related to travel and photography.  

 

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc for more ideas.

Each week we post images from our trips and participate in several travel chats on Twitter.

Take advantage of these resources to assist in you in planning your dream vacations.  Of course, we are always available to answer any questions you might have about travel and the industry.

 

Think COLD this Friday

#FriFotos Theme = COLD

It's the middle of winter in North America, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with images depicting "COLD" for the weekly Twitter photo forum #FriFotos.

With all the cold temperatures sweeping the country and heavy snowfall, you may have had your fill of "cold" images.   Nevertheless, we have gone through our archives and have some inspiration for you. This image was made on a day earlier this year (brrrrrr).

(For those that don't know:  #FriFotos is a weekly photo forum by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. Theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.)    Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We even had the chance to co-host one week last year.)

Hubbard Glacier

One of our favorite sites during our Alaska cruises was the time spent cruising Hubbard Glacier.  If you've never been to Alaska we'll try to explain the experience.  The ship slowly enters the bay and immediately you start to see chunks of floating ice passing you by.  In the distance you hear the calving of the glacier (if you are fortunate) and see the blue glacial ice.  It is quite the site to see, especially if there is another ship in the bay along with you.

The best vantage point is from your balcony or one of the open decks if you haven't booked a balcony cabin.   We highly recommend a balcony for an Alaska cruise.   You can go inside your cabin and warm up between photos if you want to.

It doesn't matter what side of the ship you are on because the captain will make a 360 degree journey so that everyone has the opportunity to see the glaciers.  Here are a few of our favorite images.  We'll post a few more for the forum as well.
Cruising Hubbard Glacier (click to view photo album on our FB fan page)
(click on the photos for larger view)

Join Us this Friday on #FriFotos

We invite you to go through your photo archives and find some examples of "COLD" to share on #FriFotos this Friday.  If it makes you shiver, and you need to get away to somewhere "WARM", let us know and we can help you with that as well.

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

Stay Warm Everyone .... 

 

Smiles, Everyone Smiles

Fantasy Island - Smiles, everyone...smiles!

When @FriFotos announced this week's "Smiles" theme, the first thing that came to mind was the old Fantasy Island show where Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalba) lined the staff up and told them to smile as the guests arrived.   That became the catch phrase which is still remembered today.

Making Others Smile

The next thing that I thought about is how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to make other people smile each and every day.   My job (if you want to call it a job) is to match your vacation dreams with reality.  I know that once you arrive at your vacation destination (and possibly sooner) you are going to have smiles on your face.   How great is that?

My Own Smiles

I've also had the good fortune to have had many opportunities to smile personally as well.   For those that know me, you know that I don't really like to have my photo taken and my husband has to either work hard to get a picture with me smiling or catch me off-guard.   Sometimes, I can't help but smile, like in some of the images I'm including in my submissions for #FriFotos.

(For those that don't know:  #FriFotos is a weekly photo forum by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. Theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.)    Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We even had the chance to co-host one week earlier this year.)

Galapagos

My all-time favorite cruise was on Celebrity Cruise Xpedition to Galapagos.   As you can see in this picture, I had a smile from ear to ear as we embarked on one of our exploratory excursions via Zodiac boat.

You can read more about that trip in our blog post: Diary of Celebrity Xpeditions Galapagos.

The image above was taken on Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas.   I love penguins - even the stuffed variety, so that brought a smile to my face as well.

Greek Isles

Another of my all-time favorite cruises was our trip to the Mediterranean.   That trip started in Rome and ended in Venice with several stops along the way in Greece.

Here I'm pictured smiling in Santorini, which was indeed one of the best stops of the cruise.

Split, Croatia

What could be better than an unexpected surprise?  I couldn't have imagined how beautiful Split, Croatia would be until we actually arrived at the KRKA National Park & Waterfalls.

Read more about this trip in our blog post: Diary of Cruise with Chris to Greek Isles

Would Any of These Make You Smile?

I suspect that they would bring a smile to your face if you love nature, history, seeing new places, or simply getting away from your daily routine.

Of course, every trip can have a unique set of requirements in order to bring a smile to your face.  Knowing about the various destinations, the ships, the land resorts, tour operators, the do's and dont's for each destination, etc.  means that I can play "smile maker" (kinda like a match maker for creating happiness).  

Smiles from the Staff

Just like on Fantasy Island, the staff of cruise ships, resort destinations, hotels, excursion operators, and even passengers you meet during your trip can contribute to the enjoyment of your vacation.  When they have smiles on their faces, you can't help but smile back.  

Here, a few of the naturalists that were onboard the Celebrity Xpedition pose for a picture.  During our short visit to the Galapagos, we learned a lot from them and really enjoyed the visit because they were fun to be around.  They enjoyed what they do for a living and their smiles were genuine.

Add Your Smiles Photos to #FriFotos

We invite you to go through your photo archives and find some examples of "Smiles" to share on #FriFotos this Friday.  We think that doing so might even bring back a smile to your face as you remember a past experience.

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

Smiles, Everyone .... Smiles

 

Happy FOURth Birthday #FriFotos

Celebrating a Milestone
#FriFotos #FOUR 
 

Since joining the Twitter community, we have been participating in the weekly #FriFotos  photo forum hosted by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. A new theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.

Today we celebrate #FriFoto's fourth birthday and the theme fittingly is "#FOUR".

Every week in preparation for our participation, we search through our archives for a few images that meet that week's criteria.   Some themes are hard, while others, such as #greatINDOORS, provide a wealth of possibilities.   We actually co-hosted the event that week which was a lot of fun.

Commemorating the Event

There are many ways to interpret a theme, which actually adds to our enjoyment of the photo forum.   It causes us to look through our archives with a different perspective searching for photos that convey the theme.   It is interesting to see how others interpret the theme as well.   We often get ideas for future trips by reviewing others' contributions.  Here are some of our entries for this week:

#Four Dancers bringing balloons to #FriFotos birthday party

You can't have a birthday party without balloons, so we searched through our archives and found this image captured during a cruise on Caribbean Princess.

Let the Party Begin
 

Need some music for #FriFotos #Four birthday - we invited the Beatles but they were on @RoyalCaribbean Allure OTS 

What's a birthday party without some good music?  This group of #FOUR launched the world into a frenzy with their music and the rest is history.  I think they'd be the perfect group to perform at our party.

 

#Four dancing stars will provide some entertainment for #FriFotos birthday Direct from @PrincessCruises stage  

These energetic #Four dancing stars are on stage to really get our party going.   Join us on #FriFotos today so that you don't miss all the fun.

 

Many Well-Wishers On Hand

Congratulations @CharlesYap @TravelDesigned @EpsteinTravels from @RoyalCaribbean Captain Zini & Crew #FriFotos #Four

Everyone is invited to the party and look who showed up. Royal Caribbean's Captain of the largest vessel afloat brought along #Four of his crew members to with the #FriFotos team a Happy Fourth Birthday.

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc for more ideas.

Congratulations to the best Four-Some on Twitter:
Charles Yap, Jonathan Epstein, Stephanie Diehl & You (the contributors who make it worth the effort)

Exploring Palatine Hill and Roman Forum

Have You Seen This Before?

Another recognizable ancient monument is shown here.   Do you know what it is?   Hint:  we saw it a short distance from the Roman Colosseum.   Read on to learn more about more of our Day 1 explorations of Rome.

The Arch of Constantine stands a short distance away from the Roman Colosseum.   As we continued our day one Roman adventure, we passed this triumphant arch which was built to commemorate the victory over Constantine's co-emperor, Maxentius.

Next we continued our exploration of the Palatine Hill, which is an open-air museum with views of the Roman Forum on one side, and the Circus Maximus on the other.  Click the link to learn more about the history of Palatine Hill.  

The entry lines were shorter at Palatine Hill, so if the lines are too long for tickets at the Colosseum, you might want to consider starting here.   The ticket you purchase is a combined entry ticket, so it doesn't matter where you make the initial purchase or entry.

Near the entry of Palatine Hill you'll find WCs and a fountain with constantly running water.   Did I mention that it was quite warm, and cold water was something that was very welcome?   Keep a water bottle of some sort with you and refill it at one of the fountains as you walk through Rome  or purchase refreshments from one of the street vendors if you are more comfortable.   But whatever you do, be sure to keep hydrated.

This Stadium was seen along our journey.   As you can see much of the structure is no longer standing, but you can still imagine yourself there in the crowds to watch some event.

There are many more sites along the pathway that can be explored.   If you'd like to relax, something we didn't really do much of, there are some benches and grassy areas where you could rest and take in the surroundings.

Our exploration continued with the Roman Forum.

The Central Square of this Roman settlement was known as the Forum.   Here is where people would gather for meetings, trials, political discussions, and other activities.  Markets, shops, and taverns were nearby as well as the stadiums for games and races, which the Romans enjoyed.

Learn more about the Roman Forum here, or by searching other references on the web.

Palatine Hill - Roman Forum Photo Album


We have a photo journal of our visit to these ancient outdoor museums on our FB page.  We were starting to drag a little due to jet lag and the warm temperatures, so we moved on to other parts of Rome from here.   Also, we were starting to get hungry, so it was time to find some pizza and gelato.

Learn More

Italy Guides - Rome

Rome Tours

Hopefully you are enjoying Rome through our eyes.   There is still much more to come, so be sure to monitor our blog and FB page.

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

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Where have you explored? 

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