Strasbourg Shopping

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Attention Moms & Dads

Grandmas & Grandpas

Are you looking for something unique to bring back home for the kids in your life?   How about a stuffed Stork or Gingerbread Man?

Don't forget something for yourself as well, like one of these beautiful lace scarves.

As you walk through the streets of Strasbourg, you'll find stands like the ones pictured here with unique gifts to please your family and friends.  You can even get your holiday shopping done early - tuck your gifts away until the holidays.


Looking for a Snack?

You are on a cruise and there's never enough to eat - right?  Of course there's plenty to eat, but it's OK to try some of the local favorites as well, such as these Bretzels or Nougats.



 Market Day in Strasbourg

Sometimes it is fun just "window" shopping.   What's it like to go to the market in Strasbourg?   Here are just a few of the items that you could bring home from the outdoor markets.  If we didn't have plenty of food on the ship, we would have been tempted to bring some of these fruits back to our cabin.

 
^{Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:}

Strasbourg - Grill Lunch

Strasbourg - Maginot Line

Strasbourg - Canal Boat Tour

Strasbourg - Walking Tour

Strasbourg - Cathedral

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Merry Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas

One of our favorite cruise ships is Celebrity Constellation.  In preparing this column we searched the web for an image that had the grand staircase decorated for Christmas.   Click on the image to go to the album on Flickr.  Thanks to gailf548 for sharing these pictures of the holiday decorations.

Images like this usually stay with you for some time and when you close your eyes, you can sometimes see them again as if you were seeing them for the first time.

We've had the good fortune of being able to add other images to our memory banks this year.  Our major cruise adventure this year was a 12-Night Mediterranean & Greek Isles Cruise.   We've posted stories on our blog and pictures on our Facebook Fan Page.  If you've not read our posts yet, see Diary of Cruise with Chris to Greek Isles
for links to individual blog posts and the various photo albums.

One of the many highlights of that cruise vacation was visiting The Vatican during our pre-cruise stay in Rome.  Last night the Pope celebrated midnight mass inside St. Peter's Basilica.   The mass was broadcast across the world to millions of viewers. The alter was setup in front of the entrance to St. Peter's tomb which can be seen in this image.  This year's mass had a special meaning since we had actually been there just over six months ago.  See more images in our album: St. Peter's Vatican.


For those that have never been to Rome, we highly recommend adding this to your bucket list of places to visit.  We actually stayed in central Rome and explored the city by mainly walking from one attraction to another.   Our hotel was near the Roma Termini Train Station, so we transferred to the ship by train. Rome is one of those destinations which you could spend days exploring and still not see it all.   That shouldn't stop you from seeing the popular attractions during a pre-cruise stay.   Make sure to throw a coin into Trevi Fountain, so that you'll return one day.

Holidays are a time for family and friends and a good time to share vacation photos and stories. My wish for you this Christmas Day is that you are sharing the day with those that you love and care about, and who have mutual feelings for you. For those that are away from home, such as cruise ship crew and those serving their countries in the armed services, may the peaceful images in your mind help you to be close to those you love, if only in your heart and mind.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives by sharing our adventures and cruise industry information.   My blog and Facebook fan page are my gifts to you.  I hope you enjoy them.  Merry Christmas to all.

Happy St. Nicholas Day 2011

Christmas Time in Europe

St. Nicholas of Myra is a popular Christian Saint among children across Europe because of his reputation as a bringer of gifts. Both the North American Santa Claus and the British Father Christmas are legendary figures whose attributes derive from the myths surrounding St. Nicholas.


Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day, December 6th, kept alive the stories of his goodness and generosity. In Germany and Poland, boys dressed as bishops begged alms for the poor—and sometimes for themselves! In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on a steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds. December 6th is still the main day for gift giving and merrymaking in much of Europe. For example, in the Netherlands St. Nicholas is celebrated on the 5th, the eve of the day, by sharing candies (thrown in the door), chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint's horse, hoping St. Nicholas will exchange them for small gifts. Simple gift-giving in early Advent helps preserve a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child.

Patron of Sailors and Voyagers

Sailors, claiming St. Nicholas as patron, carried stories of his favor and protection far and wide. St. Nicholas chapels were built in many seaports.

Several stories tell of Nicholas and the sea. When he was young, Nicholas sought the holy by making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There as he walked where Jesus walked, he sought to more deeply experience Jesus' life, passion, and resurrection. Returning by sea, a mighty storm threatened to wreck the ship. Nicholas calmly prayed. The terrified sailors were amazed when the wind and waves suddenly calmed, sparing them all. And so St. Nicholas is the patron of sailors and voyagers.

Plaka The Neighborhood of the Gods

View more images in The Plaka album

Historic Plaka

We left The Acropolis by motorcoach for Plaka where we had an hour of free time to browse through this historic shopping district. The cobblestone pedestrian lanes are lined with boutiques, souvenir stands, jewelry stores and flea market stalls offering a wide variety of items.

Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens. It is known as the "Neighborhood of the Gods" due to its proximity to the Acropolis and its many archaeological sites.

Dolls in Costume

The Plaka is your spot to shop in Athens. Pandrossou is a pedestrian street, lined with shops, with plenty of fun stuff for kids – dolls in costume (some are museum reproductions), polished stone eggs, embroidered slippers, miniature Greek vases and statues, ceramic boxes, bronze helmets, ceramic horses, painted wooden donkeys, onyx boxes, Athena's owl. Andrianou is another good shopping street.

I am sitting here at my computer wearing the Greek embroidered slippers that were purchased in Plaka.   They are very comfortable and keep my feet cozy. 

Leather Goods

Another good find in Plaka is the selection of leather goods.  If you are looking for a new handbag, there is an ample selection and prices are reasonable.  As you can see from the photos, you don't even need to go inside the store, if you don't want to, because most of the shops have a selection of their wares on display along the pedestrian lane.

Although we only had an hour to explore Plaka, we made very good use of our time purchasing a few items that for ourselves and as gifts.   If we had a disappointment at all from our visit to the Plaka, it is that we couldn't have a meal there since upon conclusion of our free time, we were headed to our lunch stop.  The cafes and tavernas were inviting, and we felt bad making excuses for not stopping.

Lunch deserves its own post, so we'll tell you about that in another post.  Come back often to read the rest of the story of our Greek Isles adventure.

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




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Celebrating Mothers

Tomorrow across America, we celebrate our mothers, both living and deceased.   It is fitting that honor be given to mothers, for without them, we wouldn't be here.   Setting aside a day to honor mothers dates back centuries and can be traced to the 1600's in Greece, where there were celebrations of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods.  The history is quite fascinating.  To read more, I'd suggest reading the following article on the web:  The History of Mother's Day


Mother's Day as we know it today was first officially proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson on May 9, 1914, when he made an official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May. The tradition of giving a Mother's Day Proclamation continues to this day with each President of the United States doing so every year.

Mother's Day isn't only celebrated in the United States, but across the world.  There are several different dates however as can be seen here.

So what do you give a mother who has given you the most precious gift, life?   It is pretty common to give moms flowers, candy, jewelry, greeting cards, and dinner on Mother's Day.   Often young children give something made in school or do little things, like cleaning up their rooms.   To the mom, it typically doesn't matter how big or small the gift is.  In fact, they might be just as happy with just the words "I love you mom".

If you are looking for something different to give to mom this year, it's not too late.   Would she like to get away, with or without the family?    Perhaps she would like a few days of pampering and just relaxing on a cruise vacation.  Talk to the rest of the family and see what they think.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms on your special day.   We hope that you enjoy your day with family and friends.

Black Friday - Leave the Stress Behind

Looking for Something Different this Year?

The busy holiday shopping period has begun. If you go to your local mall, people are dashing from store to store frantically trying to find that special gift for a friend or someone they love.

Do you hate going to the malls to shop during this busy season?

Are you struggling to find the perfect gift for someone on your list?

Would that person enjoy a relaxing vacation on a beach like the one pictured above?

Do your gift shopping from the comfort of your home or office.

There is no question that 2009 has been a tough economic year. You might have noticed that several cruise lines introduced new ships this year. The most recent addition is the world's largest cruise ship, the Oasis of the Seas. What were the cruise lines thinking?

A new cruise ship doesn't happen overnight. In fact, from inception of an idea to the inaugural sailing takes many years. When Royal Caribbean placed its order with STX Europe in Finland, the economy was in much different shape.

Now that there is all this extra capacity, each cruise line is competing for passenger's cruise vacation dollars. That's great news for you, the consumer! Every day, fantastic offers have crossed my desk and I've shared them with you, my faithful readers, throughout the year.

Guess what? The bubble is about to burst. Prices will soon be rising again as the economy starts to recover. There is still time to take advantage of the low prices - but you must act now.

Remember my words in a couple months or so. Don't set yourself up for regret - book your 2010 cruise vacations NOW. They make great holiday gifts!!

Take advantage of Black Friday Offers

Let us CUSTOM DESIGN a CRUISE VACATION for YOU.

Shop Until You Drop

The busy holiday shopping season is now behind us. By now, hopefully you've gotten all the post-holiday bargains, exchanged the gifts that didn't fit, spent some of you gift card money, and have gotten shopping out of your system. But, perhaps you really love to shop and instead are missing shopping already. Not to fear, there is hope for those that love to shop.

I'd like to suggest a new venue for your shopping excursion. Shop while on a cruise. There are plenty of opportunities to shop during a cruise vacation. This picture shows some of the shops onboard Caribbean Princess. If you didn't know better, you might think that you were inside a neighborhood mall. There are a few keys to having a successful shopping experience during a cruise.

Many cruises ago, we decided that we'd dedicate at least one cruise for some holiday shopping. On our Baltic cruise, we decided that we'd buy gifts from Russia for everyone on our Christmas list. Some items were purchased onboard the ship, but the majority of the items were purchased on land during our private tour.

By shopping during a cruise, you are able to purchase unique gifts that will have a lasting meaning for the recipient. In the picture above, taken in Bergen, Norway, you could purchase some hand-made items for someone on your list. Of course, don't forget about your collections and yourself while doing your shopping.

A happy shopper is an educated shopper. I strongly encourage you to do some research prior to your cruise. There is a wealth of information available on the internet. In our Cruise Vacations website, there are several links provided under the Shopping category.

You'll want to be able to answer the following questions: What is the best bargain in this destination? What unique items can be purchased here? What are the custom limitations?

What are the duty-free rules? How do I get the taxes refunded? Are there items that I am not allowed to bring home (such as Cuban cigars if traveling to the U.S.)? Are there local markets where I can purcahse hand-made items?

One advantage to shopping while on a cruise is that you can take advantage of duty-free shopping. You'll want to know what your custom limits are and also how to get refunds of Value Added Taxes (VAT) you might pay. Sales tax / VAT is included in the purchase price and can make up to 20% of the price tag. It is important for you to undertand how to obtain a refund.

For example, in the UK, there is a VAT added to all purchases. You need to complete a form to obtain a refund of the taxes. For the latest information on Value Added Tax (VAT) see the HM Revenue & Customs website.

In Norway, you will see TAX FREE shops during your visit. The thing to note is that there is a minimum purchase amount to qualify for a refund. As of this writing, the minimum purchase amount is NOK 315 on regular goods. While in Bergen, we found that several of the stores were actually associated together and you were allowed to "pool" you purchases to get the refund.

On some itineraries, a customs agent is located at the pier or onboard the ship to process tax refunds. This is a great benefit that you'll want to utilize if it's available on your cruise. Check with Guest Relations onboard if you need assistance.

Often the ship will do a shopping briefing and/or have brochures with recommended stores.
Watch your daily paper for details about shopping talks or special sales onboard the ship.

Sometimes there are specials offered in the various stores for ship passengers. Most ships will offer a guarantee on merchandise purchased in one of the recommended stores. That's not to say you should restrict your shopping to those stores, but if you do, you'll have the added security of the cruise line assisting you with any problems that occur after the sale.

The final thing I'd like you to consider is the ship itinerary. Obviously, if you are looking for a particular item, it will most likely be easy to determine which cruise to select. One thing that you may not have considered is the oboard ship inventory and how a change in destination might be a benefit to you and offer bargains.

For example, the last cruise to a particular destination (and possibly cruises that follow) may offer an onboard discount as they clear out merchandise to make room for the new destination's merchandise.

Take for an example, a cruise that visits the Baltic during the summer and the Caribbean during the winter. After the last Baltic cruise, they will want to clear out the Russian and other Baltic country's merchandise. So, if you want some Russian trinkets, but aren't able to get there this year, perhaps the first Caribbean cruise after the Baltic might be a good one to consider.

I hope this gives you some ideas about planning for a cruise vacation that includes some shopping. Again, I strongly suggest that you do some homework prior to your cruise so that you can have an enjoyable time and get some good deals. Check on the web, talk to your cruise specialist, read the shopping information, and attend the shopping talk(s) onboard the ship and you should be in good shape.

Happy Shopping,
Chris