Additional Homeport Announcements

 

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) on Tuesday announced that it would kick off its return to service in July with itineraries in both Europe and The Caribbean with deployment of three ships -  Jade, Joy, and Gem.

Norwegian Jade will sail from Athens, offering seven-day Greek Isles cruises beginning July 25

Norwegian Joy follows with weeklong cruises from Montego Bay, Jamaica, starting Aug. 7

Norwegian Gem will sail from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on Aug. 15

Minors who have not yet been eligible to be vaccinated will not be permitted to sail on these voyages. Minors who have been fully vaccinated are welcome to sail.

“Over a year after we initially suspended sailings, the time has finally come when we can provide our loyal guests with the news of our great cruise comeback," said Norwegian Cruise Line's President and Chief Executive Officer Harry Sommer.

 
"We have been working diligently towards our resumption of operations, focusing on the guest experience with health and safety at the forefront. The growing availability of the COVID-19 vaccine has been a game changer. The vaccine, combined with our science-backed health and safety protocols, will help us provide our guests with what we believe will be the healthiest and safest vacation at sea."

On Tuesday, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, submitted its plan to the CDC to return to service in the U.S. in July. Norwegian will also sail these cruises with those same set of protocols (Sail Safe) which includes universal testing, a staggered embarkation process, a face mask requirement for all guests while indoors, contactless foodservice ship-wide, and more.

 

We continue to monitor changes in cruise itineraries, cancellations, requirements to sail, etc. Follow us on any of our social media and this blog to stay informed.   We hope to be sailing on the high seas soon.

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Argentine Precious Stone

click images to enlarge

Rhodochrosite

Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral with chemical composition MnCO3. In its (rare) pure form, it is typically a rose-red color, but impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown. Rhodochrosite is Argentina's "national gemstone".

Famed for its banding, ranging from light pink to bright red, Argentinian Rhodochrosite is a truly unique gemstone. In ideal specimens of this stone, the banding crosses the surface of the stone in a zigzag pattern, with a sharp contrast between colors.

Inca Rose

Throughout our trip in South America we saw several merchants selling the local semi-precious gem.  These images were taken at Buenos Aires International Airport while waiting for our return flight.

As you can see the gem can be carved into many shapes, including my favorite (you guessed it) - Penguin.

As with any gem, expect to pay a premium based on the quality of the stone used for the setting.   A decent grade stone used in an earring will cost around $125 US at most jewelers.  If you are looking for something special for yourself or a gift, you'll want to check these gems out during your visit.

 

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

Related Album:

Inca Rose Gems

Additional photos can be found on our South America Shutterfly page

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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