Remembering the War

click images to enlarge

Pou Maumahara 

Memorial Discovery Centre

Visitors can explore the stories behind photos, diaries and military collections and contribute further knowledge and information to create a legacy for future generations.

Hundreds of unique New Zealand war medals are on display, each one connected to an individual story. Explore the stories of these medals and their recipients through digital interactives.

The Discovery Centre is staffed by their very knowledgeable volunteers and space is provided for people to plug in laptops, sit down with books and soak up the rich history around them.

War Memorial

The top floor of the Museum is dedicated to the memory of fallen soldiers and included within the war memorial galleries is the spectacular World War One Hall of Memories. Nearly all the 5,325 New Zealand soldiers killed were buried overseas. Almost a third of all those killed have no known grave.

The Roll of Honour is engraved in white Sicilian marble slabs on the wall encircling the top floor. The letters have been cut into the face of the marble and inset with bronze leaf.  The spectacular stained glass lead light ceiling directly above the entrance foyer shows the Coat of Arms of all British Dominions and Colonies during the First World War.

Additional photos can be found on our Australia & New Zealand Shutterfly page


Auckland Museum



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

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Health and Fitness at Sea

World Health Day 2018

On 7 April, World Health Day, the World Health Organization marks its 70th anniversary. This year, World Health Day is dedicated to one of WHO’s founding principles: “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.”

Spa & Fitness Center

Why do we bring up health and fitness in a cruise blog?

Going on a cruise vacation doesn't imply that you'll have to break your health and fitness regiment..    While it is true that you can eat 24 hours a day if you like, that doesn't mean you have to do so or eat foods that go against your healthy lifestyle.   Quite the contrary is actually the case.  Cruise lines offer a wide variety of food for all lifestyles.   Many ships have recently expanded dining options to include spa menus served in either a spa restaurant setting or in the main dining room.

click images to enlarge

Perhaps one of the best Spa and Fitness Centers at sea is the Vitality at Sea  Spa and Fitness Center on the largest ship afloat, the Allure of the Seas.

Vitality at Sea Spa

The spa features 29 treatment rooms with a full menu of indulgent treatments: signature treatments, facial treatments, massage therapies, body therapies, acupuncture services, Medi-Spa cosmetic treatments, tooth whitening and men's services.

Vitality at Sea Fitness Center 

Become a master of movement and stretch your body beyond its normal boundaries.  Enjoy state-of-the-art cardio and strength fitness equipment and new programs, including Gravity, heart-rate-based spinning and Kinesis.

Following a good workout in the fitness center, continue with a well balanced three course meal from the Vitality menu.   If you have special dietary needs, Allure of the Seas, as well as other cruise ships, are able to provide meals that satisfy those requirements.   Advance notice is suggested to assure that the cruise ship has necessary ingredients in stock.

So I hate to break the news to you that going on a cruise isn't an excuse for breaking those New Years' resolutions.   In some cases, it might even make it easier to keep your resolutions, since you have the healthy foods available as well as more fitness equipment and options than many stateside fitness centers.   

Vitality Spa and Fitness (click for more images on our FB fan page - make sure to Like us)

Video: Royal Rejuvenation: Vitality and Wellness at Sea
 Rev-up, relax, or refuel at the Vitality Spa & Fitness center onboard Royal Caribbean's ships. Guests can enjoy state-of-the-art cardio equipment, enjoyable fitness classes or choose from an array of services from the spa as well fuel up with healthy fare.

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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 

Vitality at Sea Spa

Spa & Fitness Center

New Years is a time when resolutions are made.   Common resolutions include taking better care of ourselves, eating well, and getting more exercise.    Making resolutions is perhaps easy to do but we often find that keeping them, as time passes, is often much harder. For those that are still keeping their resolutions, congratulations.

Why do I bring up fitness resolutions in a cruise blog?

Going on a cruise vacation doesn't imply that you'll have to break your resolutions.   While it is true that you can eat 24 hours a day if you like, that doesn't mean you have to do so or eat foods that go against your new healthy lifestyle.   Quite the contrary is actually the case.  Cruise lines offer a wide variety of food for all lifestyles.   Many ships have recently expanded dining options to include spa menus served in either a spa restaurant setting or in the main dining room.

Perhaps one of the best Spa and Fitness Centers at sea is the Vitality at Sea  Spa and Fitness Center on the largest ship afloat, the Allure of the Seas.

Vitality at Sea Spa

The spa features 29 treatment rooms with a full menu of indulgent treatments: signature treatments, facial treatments, massage therapies, body therapies, acupuncture services, Medi-Spa cosmetic treatments, tooth whitening and men's services.

Vitality at Sea Fitness Center 

Become a master of movement and stretch your body beyond its normal boundaries.  Enjoy state-of-the-art cardio and strength fitness equipment and new programs, including Gravity, heart-rate-based spinning and Kinesis.

Following a good workout in the fitness center, continue with a well balanced three course meal from the Vitality menu.   If you have special dietary needs, Allure of the Seas, as well as other cruise ships, are able to provide meals that satisfy those requirements.   Advance notice is suggested to assure that the cruise ship has necessary ingredients in stock.

So I hate to break the news to you that going on a cruise isn't an excuse for breaking those New Years' resolutions.   In some cases, it might even make it easier to keep your resolutions, since you have the healthy foods available as well as more fitness equipment and options than many stateside fitness centers.   

Vitality Spa and Fitness (click for more images on our FB fan page - make sure to Like us)

Video: Royal Rejuvenation: Vitality and Wellness at Sea
 Rev-up, relax, or refuel at the Vitality Spa & Fitness center onboard Royal Caribbean's ships. Guests can enjoy state-of-the-art cardio equipment, enjoyable fitness classes or choose from an array of services from the spa as well fuel up with healthy fare.

Tropical Storm Danny Forms in Atlantic

Map Courtesy of NOAA - (Danny) Position as of 11 AM Eastern, Wednesday

< Click for Updated Map > <NHC Active Storms>

Current Atlantic Tropical Storm Watch

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

NOAA’s National Hurricane Center is now tracking the fourth named storm of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season. We will also monitor this storm and provide updates including any cruise itinerary changes that become necessary.

1100 AM EDT WED AUG 26 2009...THE AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER EAST OF THE BAHAMAS BECOMES TROPICAL STORM DANNY...

UPDATE: 500 AM EDT SAT AUG 29 2009...DANNY RAPIDLY BECOMING ABSORBED BY AN EXTRA TROPICAL LOW... THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED ...

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS... THIS IS THE LAST PUBLIC ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE NHC ON THIS STORM....

LARGE SWELLS FROM THE EXTRA TROPICAL LOW ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS AND LIFE-THREATENING RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE U.S. EAST COAST DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO....

Local Weather Statements

<More Details> <Warnings and 5-Day Cone >

<Bahamas Weather>

<Bermuda Weather Service>
<Baltimore, MD NWS> <Bayonne, NJ NWS>
<New York, NY NWS>

<Atlantic Canada Weather>
<Canadian Hurricane Centre>

<NASA Hurricane Tracking>

Cruise Ship Tropical Storm Updates

<CARNIVAL> <Norwegian Cruise Line> <Royal Caribbean> <Holland America>

(Aug 29) Carnival Cruise Line:
This storm has weakened significantly and we are not anticipating any itinerary changes at this time for the following cruise departures: Carnival Triumph departing from New York on August 29; and Carnival Pride departing from Baltimore on August 29.

The Carnival Miracle cruise that departed from New York on August 28 will visit Nassau on Monday, Half Moon Cay on Tuesday and Grand Turk on Wednesday.

(Aug 27) Carnival Cruise Line:
We are closely monitoring the progress of Tropical Storm Danny. All of our ships are operating at a safe distance from the storm. Our number one priority is the safety and comfort of our guests and crew.

We are not anticipating any itinerary changes at this time including the following cruise departures: Carnival Miracle from New York on August 28; Carnival Triumph departing from New York on August 29; and Carnival Pride departing from Baltimore on August 29.



(Aug 29) Royal Caribbean International: At this time, no Royal Caribbean International itineraries are being affected by Tropical Storm Danny. (NO CHANGE FROM AUG 28TH STATEMENT)


(Aug 28) Royal Caribbean International:
At this time, no Royal Caribbean International itineraries are being affected by Tropical Storm Danny. Royal Caribbean will continue to closely monitor weather conditions and will update this information again tomorrow, August 29 at noon.

Explorer of the Seas is scheduled to depart on Saturday, August 29, for its five-night sailing to the Caribbean. Earlier this week, Tropical Storm Danny showed some signs of unpredictability. However, the most recent weather forecasts available predict that the ship will be able to depart Cape Liberty and head south to Bermuda as scheduled.

(Aug 26) Royal Caribbean International:

Given the current location and projected path of Tropical Storm Danny, we are not altering the itinerary of any ship, and providing the following guidance regarding one sailing:

Ships sailing from Baltimore, Maryland Grandeur of the Seas, is scheduled to depart on Thursday August 27, for its nine-night sailing to the Caribbean. However, guests on this sailing are encouraged to monitor these updates for any possible modifications to the itinerary.

(Aug 26) Holland America: Regarding Tropical Storm Danny, we are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to watch the storm's development.

Please note the following ship itinerary information:
ms Maasdam - Scheduled to turn in Boston on Saturday, August 29. No changes have been made to the published itineraries.
NOTE: There have been no other advisories made at this time.

Live Cruise Ship and Ocean Liner Tracking: <Interactive tracking map> See where ships are relative to tropical storms.

Cruise lines will do everything to keep passengers and crew safe. A cruise is rarely cancelled because of weather, even hurricanes. The cruise lines monitor progress of any storms both in their main offices and onboard the vessels. They work closely with the various weather services, such as NOAA and NHC, to make determinations about itinerary deviations.

Continue to watch this post, I will provide updates as conditions change. If you are on a cruise this week in the area, be sure to monitor the storm closely.

Celebrity Cruises Revamps Captain's Club

Celebrity Cruises

"Become the Center of Our Attention"

Loyalty has its rewards. I'm sure you've heard that from many of the businesses you frequent. Whether it's the local grocery store, restaurant, airline, or other business, you are rewarded for repeat business in various ways. The same holds true in the cruise line industry.

Celebrity Cruises has launched the new Captain’s Club, a redesigned recognition and rewards program that delivers brand new benefits and an unparalleled cruise experience to their most loyal guests. Celebrity indicated that joining the new Captain’s Club will "make you the center of our attention".

Celebrity believes that their most loyal guests deserve more. More recognition, more service, more benefits and, quite simply, more reasons to cruise with them. They have added several exciting new features and benefits to everything members have come to expect from the existing program.

The Captain's Club is made up of three tiers currently: Classic (1-4 tier credits), Select (5-9), and Elite (10+). Celebrity plans to add an additional higher tier with additional benefits.
Depending on your tier, the following benefits have been added:

• Invitation to the all new Captain’s Club Celebration event (All)
• Upgraded benefits for onboard internet usage (Select, Elite)
• Upgraded onboard laundry service benefits (Select, Elite)
• Access to the Captain’s Club Lounge at Michael’s Club (Elite)
  

It's Easy to Earn Tier Credits
Unlike other cruise loyalty programs, the Captain's Club uses their tier credits rather than cruises to determine your benefits. Celebrity currently offers up to three ways to earn tier credits on a single cruise. This makes it easier for members to qualify for higher tiers and receive more exclusive benefits quickly. Earn 1 tier credit for each of the following (up to a maximum of 3 tier credits per cruise):

• Sailing with Celebrity or Azamara Cruises®
• Sailing on an itinerary of 12 nights or more
• Sailing in a Concierge Class, AquaClass SM, or Suite Stateroom

Of the added benefits, the premier change is the Captains' Club Lounge:

For those interested in a quiet haven of their own, Celebrity introduced the Captain's Club Lounge at Michael's Club, exclusively for Elite members and their stateroom/suite companions each morning and early evening. This new lounge will offer a casual coffeehouse-style experience from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., with complimentary espressos, teas and other menu items, a variety of reading materials and, on Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox, wi-fi access. Every evening from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Captain's Club Elite members and their stateroom/suite companions can return to the Lounge to enjoy socializing with fellow members, participate in a wine tasting event, or simply relax and enjoy a quiet, complimentary drink before dinner.

Celebrity plans to expand the program throughout 2009, adding additional benefits and a new tier. If you haven't tried Celebrity Cruises before, now is the time to start. Celebrity has always provided exceptional service, food, and entertainment to all guests, with rewards for their loyal customers. This revamped program leverages their award-winning ships, dining, and service to set a new standard for the industry for loyalty programs.

More information about Celebrity Cruises and itineraries

More information about Azamara Cruises and itineraries

Celebrity Cruises is one of my favorite cruise lines. I'm an Elite member so I am definitely excited about the expanded program. I highly recommend you include Celebrity or Azamara Cruises in your future travel plans. I'll be happy to discuss the additional benefits or provide any information about upcoming cruises. Call or email me today for more information.