Expedition to Galapagos

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

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

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

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

Captain, Isn't travel here dangerous now?   

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

(Click images to enlarge)

Why Visit Galapagos

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

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

 

Celebrity Cruises Returns to Galapagos

Celebrity Cruises Announced 

Galapagos Deployment Schedule

In a special trade webinar yesterday, Celebrity Cruises updated travel advisors on their upcoming announcement regarding their return to service in the Galapagos.   If you have been following my blog, you know that Galapagos is our all-time favorite cruise destination.  It is a Land Beyond Xpectations.

Deployment Update:

While working with health and government authorities towards this shared goal, we are evaluating all current itineraries. The determination has been made that we can safely sail in the Galapagos this summer beginning on the below dates with 7-night itineraries. 

• July 4, 2021 – Celebrity Flora® 
• July 24, 2021 – Celebrity Xpedition® 
• September 18 – Celebrity Xploration®

As a result of this deployment change, Celebrity Cruises is suspending all Galapagos sailings scheduled to depart before the above noted return-to-service dates.

In addition, they are announcing the following Offers for future sailings:

As Celebrity Cruises returns to service in the Galapagos, they will be limiting capacity to about 50% just like they are in other destinations.  In the case of Celebrity Flora that means you'll have an even more intimate cruise vacation as there are only 100 people at full capacity, however, the crew will be at full capacity providing you with an incredible experience you'll never forget.   

What's more, you can forget about your masks when exploring the various islands, as the inhabitants (iguanas, blue footed boobies, and giant tortoises) won't mind.  You'll be able to still get up close and personal to them - they won't care about social distancing either.

Now is the time to explore this amazing destination.   We still remember our experience there as if it were yesterday and we've not had any vacation like that before or after it.   Call me today to start planning your return to cruising.

Explore Galapagos in Luxury

Check out our Galapagos Diary

Celebrity Xpeditions Galapagos

10-Night Cruise Tour

August 29, 2008

Land Beyond Xpectations

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

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

 

How to Spend Summer Vacation

When we think of Summer...
CRUISING comes to mind

We missed the "live" tweeting on #travelpics because we were on a Seminar at Sea on board Carnival Breeze.   We still wanted to share our responses, so pardon the late entries.

Questions for last Monday’s summer-themed #travelpics chat: 

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

Key West, FL during Carnival Breeze #cruise #travelpics (picture above is Carnival Breeze in port)

(3:05) Q1: Home or abroad, where is your favorite place to spend your summer? Why?

A1: On a cruise - doesn't matter where it is going. Great way to #seetheworld  #travelpics

Seeing the world by cruise ship is one of the easiest ways to get around.  You embark your ship and unpack and each day you are either somewhere at sea or in a new port of call.

This cruise took us from Miami, Florida to Key West, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico before returning to home port of Miami.

(3:10) Q2: Share a photo from your most recent quintessential summer vacation.
A2: Relaxing is what #summer #vacation means to us  - by the pool, in the sun or shade #travelpics

I guess we can't be more recent than the vacation in progress during this #travelpics chat.  Truth be told, it was a mix of business and pleasure, but our trips always are that way since we are constantly learning and gathering images and information to share with our followers.

In this image, you see the Carnival Breeze main pool area on Lido deck.   It's not far form there to your favorite meal venue, such as Guy's Burger Joint.

The perfect ingredients of sun, shade, water, and plenty of places to simply relax can be found around the pool area.  Top that off with perfect weather, and it doesn't get much better than this.

 
(3:20) Q3: BESIDES swimming at the beach, what do you think of when you picture summer? Favorite activities?

A3: #summer fun activities for me include #waterparks Carnival Water Works #travelpics

At home we've been known to take a summer vacation that includes some time at a water park or two.  Carnival Breeze's Water Works is a great place to splash around.  I opted for the slightly slower orange tube which dumps you into the "drain" at the bottom of the slide.

(3:30) Q4: Show a summer photo of yours that ISN’T sand, surf, or sunglasses.

A4: as I get older, I'm getting braver Carnival Breeze Rope Course was my next conquest #travelpics


This definitely doesn't include sand or surf, but since it was bright, but glasses did automatically darken.  Here I am waiting for the people ahead of me to clear this next section of the rope course.  It took some figuring out at first, but once I got the hang of it, the rest was "easy".

(3:40) Q5: What is the most unique place you’ve ever spent your summer?

A5: it was end of #summer when we visited #galapagos Celebrity Cruises #travelpics

We explored this Land Beyond Xpectations via Celebrity Xpedition.  Here you'll see species that can be found nowhere else on earth.  You can snorkel with turtles, sea lions, and other marine line.   Walk along paths where Darwin explored over a hundred years ago before writing his famous publication.

(3:50) Q6: From hiking to wildflowers, show off your favorite view of summer anywhere in the world!
A6: #galapagos islands have many beaches like Urbina Bay #travelpics


We traveled by zodiac from Celebrity Xpedition to this landing site in Urbina Bay.  You can't tell from the picture, but it is one of the more difficult wet landing sites on our trip due to the inclination of the beach.   After landing on the beach we went on a short hike in search of Giant Land Tortoises and Land Iguanas before returning to spend some time snorkeling and swimming in the bay.

This concludes our #travelpics chat about #Summer.  We'd be happy to share other images from our summertime cruising adventures if it helps you plan your escape.

This final image was captured in Cozumel at Secrets Aura Resort.   We spent the entire day there relaxing, swimming, and enjoying a fabulous fresh fish lunch.  We'll write more about our day there in future posts, as well as the rest of our trip, so be sure to follow our blog.

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.

Discovering the World by Cruise Ship

Click Images for Larger Versions

#FriFotos #DISCOVERING 

A Photographic Journey

This week's Twitter  #FriFotos theme was #DISCOVERING. #FriFotos is a weekly photo forum by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. Theme is revealed every Tues 12pm ET.   Participants from all over the globe share their personal images with the audience.  Here are some that we shared this week, we hope you enjoy this mini journey across the globe.

Bermuda

We've cruised to Bermuda multiple times and each time we discover new things.   Bermuda is a very easy destination to explore as there is an excellent public transportation system which include public buses, ferries, taxi's and the newly added shuttle service.  Private tours can be arranged dockside or in advance.

Most ships, like Norwegian Breakaway, dock at
Royal Naval Dockyard, Kings Wharf, Bermuda.  From there we took a ferry to Hamilton and then walked to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI).  There are many opportunities for hands-on discovering.

Lightbourn Shell Collection

There were many exhibits at BUEI for us to explore, but perhaps the highlight of our visit was the amazing shell collection, some of which is pictured in our cover image.  We could have spent hours discovering the Lightbourn Shell Collection.

BUEI Mission: “To Advance the understanding, appreciation and knowledge of the ocean and to encourage the protection and preservation of the marine environment.”

As lovers of the sea, this is a must see attraction while in Bermuda.  For more images and  details about activities while docked in Bermuda, see our previous article: King's Wharf Bermuda.

 Amsterdam, Netherlands

Our next stop during our #FriFotos photo tour was in Amsterdam.  One of the places you can discover is the Royal Palace.  Once again, we spent hours touring the palace and capturing images documenting our visit.
Amsterdam is another city that is easy to explore.  The best way to get around is by canal boat water taxi.  It doesn't operate all the time, but if you are there during high season, you can get on and off as you please, explore the destination and then continue to another location or return to your ship.  There was also a bus, which cost 1 euro when we were there, that takes you all around town.   We caught it right across from where our river cruise ship was docked.

Galapagos

The final destination we'll share with you in this article is Galapagos.  This is a Land Beyond Xpectations which we have covered in great detail in our article: Diary of Celebrity Xpeditions Galapagos.

Shown here is one of our Naturalists explaining the fossil remains found on Fernandina Island.  Each day there were at least two opportunities to discover more about the land where Darwin explored many years ago.

Here you will discover a land that is inhabited by species that can be found nowhere else on earth.

We posted several more images from each of these destinations as well as images from Ireland, Norway, Netherlands, and Canada.  The images can be seen on our Twitter Photos tab.

These are just a subset of the destinations which can be explored by cruise ship.  Each week we feature a few of our images in the #cruisechat, #travelpics and #FriFotos Twitter chats, which are our favorite outlets for sharing with our followers.

Please join us each week to Discover the World by Cruise Ship.


Now it is time for you to DISCOVER:
Search for cruises to:    BERMUDA      EUROPE       GALAPAGOS  


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

Cruising to Somewhere Exotic

What Does Exotic 

Mean to You 

Last week we shared photos on the theme of “exotic,” on #travelpics Twitter chat. We included exotic birds, animals, and destinations from our photo archives. It was difficult to pick just a few to share.

This Blue-Footed Booby was one of our favorite exotic bird species inhabiting the Galapagos Islands. 

  A Land Beyond Xpectations

Over one hundred fifty years ago, a man wrote about his quest that took him to a place where he would discover how life evolved thousands of years ago.

Our ultimate exotic destination is an archipelago of volcanic islands near the equator in the Pacific Ocean.  We were met by a team of naturalists who transported us by Zodiacs to our waiting ship, Celebrity Xpedition. 


You can see Celebrity Xpedition in the distance from our beach vantage point on  Fernandina Island in this photograph.  This isn't your typical beach as you can see.

We've written an entire series of articles, Diary of Celebrity Xpeditions Galapagos, on our journey to exotic Galapagos.  When #travelpics posted the theme for this past week, that destination was the first thing that came to mind.

Looking at the questions below, we bet that you already know our answer for Q6.

Tahiti - French Polynesia 

Our second choice for exotic destinations was Tahiti (French Polynesia & Cook Islands).  We were fortunate to cruise the Tahitian Islands on Tahitian Princess before it was renamed.   That ship is perfect for traversing the island chain.

In this image, the crew on our catamaran treated us to some fresh tropical coconut.  Exotic food, flowers and scenery made this our number two pick for this week's travel photo chat.

How Would You 
Answer These Questions



[RECAP] Questions for last Monday’s “exotic”-themed #travelpics chat: 

(3:05) Q1: What’s an exotic location that you’ve never been to, but are eager to visit?
(3:10) Q2: When you think of the word “exotic,” what do you think of? Share your travel photo interpretation.
(3:20) Q3: Share a photo of something exotic you found in the natural world!
(3:30) Q4: What is it you like most about exotic locations? Scenery, weather, people, cuisine, customs…?
(3:40) Q5: Scenery often makes a spot exotic. Tweet a shot of a stunning location.
(3:50) Q6: What’s the most exotic place you’ve ever seen? What made it incredible?

See our answers and those of other posters:  #Travelpics 2014-07-28 Recap


Do you have an exotic cruise adventure to share with our readers?  We'd love to hear about it and see your travel pictures.   Contact us for an opportunity to share your story.

The next #travelpics will take place Monday, August 4th, 2014, from 3-4pm Eastern time (8-9pm UK time). This week’s theme is “quickfire,” so get ready for a dozen fast-paced questions on photography, travel, and more!

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.

What To Do for Summer Vacation

Let's Go On a 
Summer Cruise ....
Where?  How Long? When?
What Cruise Line / Ship?

As Summer officially arrived this past weekend, thoughts turn to vacation time with your family.  The kids are out of school, so you don't need to worry about getting back in time for classes.

You've decided a cruise would be something you'd like to do as a family.  This would be your first cruise - so where do you start.

This Week on Twitter:  #cruisechat #FriFotos #summer

Planning your summer get-a-way may seem like a daunting task, but the Twitter cruise community is coming to the rescue.   Today on Twitter, we participated in #cruisechat.  It is a weekly chat that is strictly focused on every aspect of cruising.  This week's topic was #summer.

Later this week,  Twitter event that we participate in, #FriFotos, is also featuring #summer as its theme.  If you view the tweets for these two Twitter events you might get some starting ideas for your own summer vacation.


#cruisechat Tuesday, June 24th 

To get you started with your planning, we'll share with you our responses to the questions posed in this week's Twitter chat.  This is a fun-filled hour that you don't want to miss,

Q1: When you think of a summer cruise, what's the first image that comes to mind? Why?
A1:  first thing that comes to mind is one of the cruise lines private beaches

Q2: What destination is atop your summer cruise bucket list? Why?
A2: #Europe tops #summer #cruise destinations All your favorite ships are repositioned

Q3: What cruise line/ship are you planning to sail for your next summer cruise? Why?
A3: Maybe @CelebrityCruise back to the #galapagos Bartolome Islands pictured here


(Image on left: Bartolome Islands)

Q4: #CruiseChat Photo Break: Share a favorite family photo from a summer (or other) cruise
A4: @SimonTravels @CruiseNorwegian #bermuda Hartley's Undersea Walk #adventure #cruise #summer


Bermuda is one of our favorite destinations.  The people there are so friendly and there is plenty of activities for everyone in the family.

See our Shutterfly share site for more pics.

Q5: Why is a cruise a better choice than other summer vacation options for your family?
A5: #summer #cruise to #Europe is educational & fun for entire family. Easier to get around & see more. #cruisechat   

(Image on left - Mykonos, Greece)

Q6: Which family members do you think enjoy a summer cruise more: the parents or the kids? Why?
Agree with this RT @SimonTravels @MSCCruisesUSA: A6. Trick question! They both enjoy it equally, but in different ways! 

Q7: Why is a summer cruise the perfect choice for a family reunion? Which of your relatives would enjoy it most?  
A7: Family reunions on a #cruise perfect for multi-generational families Time together without the planning fuss


Q8: What food or beverage item would you seek out first on your summer cruise? Why?
A8: If on @CarnivalCruise first food to seek out would be a burger from Guys #summer #cruise

(Guys Burger Joint on Carnival Cruise)


Q9: Lots of ships in the Caribbean this summer mean lower prices. What's the best deal you've gotten on a cruise?
A9: @CelebrityCruise Remember me suggesting #galapagos for #summer We used Captain's Club Elite status discount :)

We've shared our answers with you here, but this was a very active chat, so be sure to check out the recap link above or simply search on Twitter.  #cruisechat will take a break for the 4th of July, but will be back on July 8th, so be sure to check back then for more cruise info.

We hope this gave you some ideas for your summer vacation.  We'd be happy to discuss any of them in detail with you if you'd like to contact us.

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