Showing posts with label photo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photo. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

More to See at Sea Than Ports

Click images to enlarge
Look Beyond the Destination
Seeing Cruising in a New Light

Exploring the world by cruise ship is a passion that we've had for more than 30 years.  On our first cruises, each destination was a new adventure.  We had not been to the ports of call before, so everything was brand new.

After all those years, we still do have some new ports to explore, but more often than not, we find ourselves visiting some of the same destinations.

Keeping Cruising Exciting

How does one keep cruise vacations exciting? Several ways come to mind, such as cruising to new destinations, booking brand new ships, or trying different shore excursions.

Learning to See at Sea

The image above is the view that the captain has on Caribbean Princess.  What a marvelous view it is, especially on a beautiful day.  In this image, there are some beautiful clouds above the horizon just off the bow of the ship.   There isn't any island in sight - you can look for miles, but all that you'll see is ocean and clouds.   You can become one with nature in these peaceful surroundings.

Give Yourself a Photo Assignment

Looking at the image to the left, several themes come to mind:  sky, clouds, water, relaxation.   What did you see when you looked at this picture taken at sea?

You don't have to be in a port city to find interesting subject matter for your photography.  When you get back, share your images with others.  Encourage them to see the world.

Stormy Skies

Sea days are a favorite time during a cruise for us.  It gives us time to really relax and unwind.  When in ports, we tend to be "on" since we have easy access to the internet and our always-connected life style (checking on our guests needs for example).

It is a little more difficult when at sea, we'd have to bring our phones or tablet along to get connected.   Even on stormy days, one can enjoy the view - especially if the storm is in the distance.

Painting the Sky With Color

Our favorite time of day is dusk when Mother Nature puts on a light show for all to see.   This image, captured off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, has the sky on fire.

We highly recommend being on your balcony or up on the open decks when the evening is approaching so that you can experience this magical light and, if you want to, capture your own memorable images.


So Much More Than Ports


Hopefully this shows you that even if your ship is sailing to familiar ports, there is so much more to See at Sea.   Make some time during your cruise to lay out on deck and watch the clouds go by.

Do you remember trying to figure out what shapes could be seen in the clouds when you were young?  Why not do that again now, or even share that experience with other family members or friends?



@ChrisPappinMCC
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Friday, July 15, 2016

Explore the World by Cruise Ship

#FriFotos Theme Friday, July 15th :  #Explore
 
   
Every brings you a new theme so share your with us all & enjoy! Run by  @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!

@ChrisPappinMCC

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.
 

Monday, December 28, 2015

Travelpics - Best of 2015

#Travelpics Theme - Best of 2015

Please join   with wonderful co-hosts @VibrantIreland and @GapLifeTravel each Monday for #travelpics, the travel photography chat/share on Twitter. It all happens every Monday at 3pm EST/8pm UK time.  While other chats simply talk about travel, #travelpics is all about participants sharing their own travel photos about each theme. Come join us!

This week’s theme is all about the Best of 2015! Come share your best experiences in travel, photography, and storytelling. It’s the last chat of the year, and @ishootandtravel is guest co-hosting!
Questions (with our reponses) for Monday’s “Best of 2015” #travelpics chat: 
(3:00) Intros: Where are you tweeting from for this last #travelpics chat of 2015?
Greetings from TN @AntiTourist @VibrantIreland @GapLifeTravel @ishootandtravel #travelpics
 
(3:05) Q1: What was the highlight of your travel experiences in 2015 and why?
@VibrantIreland @ishootandtravel A1: @AvalonWaterways #RiverCruise - amazing way see #Europe #travelpics

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page.
 
Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Bernkastel - Wine Country

(3:10) Q2: Of all the travel photos you took in 2015, does one uniquely stand out? Share it!
@ishootandtravel A2: @AvalonWaterways provided front row view #Rhine #Moselle #Travelpics  http://bit.ly/1Iz818W
Do you know where the following picture was taken?  You could find out from our Shutterfly Album.
 Where is Chris

(3:20) Q3: What were the major destinations you visited this year, and which was your favorite?
@ishootandtravel @VibrantIreland A3: #Rhine #Moselle #Switzerland to #Amsterdam - Fav: #Germany #travelpics  

(3:30) Q4: What’s your travel OR photography goal of 2015 that is unique? 

@VibrantIreland @ishootandtravel A4: #photos from different perspectives; iPhone pano like previous pic #Travelpics 

Mount Pilatus Caves

We spent about 30 minutes exploring the caverns taking pictures framed by the openings.  If you get chilled, you might want to bring a light jacket or sweater as it is cooler inside the passages.

Don't miss this part of the excursion.   It is also possible to climb stairways to get even a higher vantage point if you are so inclined.
 
Always look for different perspectives to add interest to your photo diary.
 

 2016 - Norway

(3:40) Q5: What trips are you now booking for 2016, and what are you hoping to photograph there?
@ishootandtravel A5: coastal #Norway #cruise February - hoping for more like this & northern lights #Travelpics 

We love Norway and are looking forward to spending some more time there in 2016.   We will be shooting from various locations along the Norway coast and from our home away from home on Hurtigruten MS Vesteralen.   The image above was taken in Tromso, Norway.
 
(3:50) Q6: Show off a photo from 2015 that you never expected or planned on.
@ishootandtravel A6: this postcard view #Berkastel from our @AvalonWaterways Artistry II Panoramic Suite 

Avalon Artistry II Panorama Suite offers the perfect view of the surrounding countryside right from the comfort of you bed or chair.   Just slide open the wide door to a view that is more than half the width of your cabin.

It doesn't get much better than waking to this view of Bernkastel,  Germany.

Good Morning - Strasbourg


(3:55) Bonus Q7: Share your travel photo from 2015 that will make everyone ooh and aah–it’s THAT good!



It's hard to pick a favorite or "best" from the thousands of images we took in 2015, but this is definitely one that we thought you might enjoy.

We hope that you've added some fantastic travel memories in 2015 and that you will have many more in 2016 and beyond.   If we can ever offer advice or plan your dream trips, we'd be honored to help you capture some travel pics.    Thank you to the #Travelpics hosts for another great year of travel photos.


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

Thursday, December 24, 2015

#FriFotos Holiday Themes

Photos on Twitter

For those of you that don't know #FriFotos was a weekly photo forum by   . 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


@ChrisPappinMCCThank 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

Thursday, December 11, 2014

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 . 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!

@ChrisPappinMCC

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

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

Smiles, Everyone .... Smiles

 

Friday, October 17, 2014

Happy FOURth Birthday #FriFotos

Celebrating a Milestone
#FriFotos #FOUR 
 
Since joining the Twitter community, we have been participating in the weekly   photo forum hosted by . 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:

Dancers bringing balloons to 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 birthday - we invited the Beatles but they were on 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.
 


dancing stars will provide some entertainment for birthday Direct from 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 from Captain Zini & Crew

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!
@ChrisPappinMCC

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)

Thursday, July 24, 2014

That's Alluring Entertainment

Blue Planet
Click on any image for a close up view
#FriFotos Theme
ADRENALINE!

Friday is here again, and we'll be including some of our images in the Twitter photo chat #FriFotos.  It took us a few minutes before we knew exactly what images in our archives would best depict this theme.  Here are just a few...

Cruise Ship Entertainment

In particular, the aerial and acrobatic shows must definitely get the performers adrenaline going.  The feats that these performers accomplish are even more amazing when you think about the fact that their stage and any gear used in the act is moving / rolling with the waves of the seas.

Blue Planet - Jump
Blue Planet

One of our favorite shows was on Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas.  It's a high energy show that uses all sorts of props like the suspended globe above.   Imagine being suspended high above the stage and clinging to a globe while performing several maneuvers such as the ones pictured above.

Blue PlanetAnother segment of the show has the performers bouncing among "rocks" in an elaborate prop that has a trampoline in the center.  It's not too bad when only one person jumps, but imagine several jumping from either end at the same time, again while the ship is moving.

Ice Skating at Sea

Allure - Ice Games
Also on Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas, you'll find ice skating shows that will thrill you.   Just like in an Olympic event, ice skating jumps are an important part of the show. 

There are triples, doubles and quads.  There are Toe Loops, Loops, Flips, Salchows, Axels,  Lutzs and Sequence Jumps.  These maneuvers are hard enough to perform on land, without adding the additional element of ship's motion to the equation.

Allure - Ice Games
Some of the acts feature individual skaters while others have partners or even an entire cast of skaters performing their parts as if acting out a play.

We've only included a couple images here, but we have many more in our album:

Allure OTS - Ice Games 

We'll feature some more of them on Twitter and Pinterest as well.

Allure - Diving
Aqua Theater Shows

Another entertainment feature on the Allure of the Seas is the Aquatic Shows in the Aqua Theater.  The shows feature high diving and other acrobatics.

Once again, we have many more images on Twitter and in our photo album:


Allure OTS - Aqua Show

We really enjoy these high-energy shows on cruise ships.   Royal Caribbean is one of the best cruise lines when it comes to entertainment.   They even have their own production company for Broadway style shows.

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

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

6 Examples of Texture in Travel Pictures

Mykonos, Greece #TRAVELPICS 
the travel photography chat/share on Twitter

Monday we joined #TRAVELPICS chat on Twitter for a fun packed hour exchanging ideas and travel photos with like-minded posters. The theme was “texture” and participants shared their own travel pics about the theme and answered pre-arranged questions. Here are our replies.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC
 


Q1: What are elements that add texture to make your travel photos stand out?
ParthenonA1: @AntiTourist #travelpics Cloud sky waves color water rocks buildings streets mountains are all elements that add texture #Mykonos #Greece #ttot

These first two images were captured during our 12-Night Mediterranean & Greek Isles Cruise

Q2: Whether it’s snow in a forest or tiles on a home, show us a travel photo that’s all about texture.
A2: @AntiTourist #travelpics   Acropolis a Journey Into Antiquity  http://bit.ly/1zBWs8Y #Athens #Greece #cruise #ttot

Q3: Share a photo of yours that shows off texture in a unusual fashion: shadows, birds, abstract patterns…
A3: #travelpics Glacier ice flowing in #Hubbard Bay #Alaska has interesting patterns #ttot #cruise

Photography opportunities abound in Alaska. As our ship cruised through Hubbard Bay, we emerged from our balcony cabin to capture floating chunks of glacier ice like this.


A Man & his Donkey - Mykonos
Q4: Interesting people lead texture to photos, stories, & experiences. Share a photo or tale of a bizarre or memorable encounter!
A4: #travelpics A Man & His Donkey http://bit.ly/1oY2adZ shores #Mykonos #Greece #ttot #cruise #photography

Click on the link above to learn more about this experience in Mykonos.  If you click on these images, you'll see larger versions of them which will help show the #textures we captured.

Q5: Specific or general, what’s something that has added texture to your travels? Get creative!
A5: @AntiTourist #travelpics Add special effects in the digital dark room to enhance your travel #photography http://bit.ly/1mOQjQY #ttot

Fun in Costa Maya


The instructions were to be creative, so we dug into our archives and selected an image where we'd taken one of our photos and using a photo editor turned it into an entirely different image.   Click on the link to learn more about how this and other examples shared in that post could become a part of your travel portfolio.

Building & Streets of Bergen, Norway 

Q6: Textures add interest to landscapes near and far. From your backyard to travels abroad, share a “colorful” photo!
A6: #travelpics Buildings & Streets of #Bergen #Norway composed of many colors & textures #ttot #photography

Our final example has a mixture of color and textures along with people to make a very appealing image.  Bergen is one of our favorite ports in Norway.  It can easily be explored on your own and there are plenty of photo spots to add to your enjoyment.

We only had an hour to share some of our #texture images.  The time passes so quickly during the chat.  Hunting through our archives to prepare for the chat brings back memories of our trips.

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, @TheTravelCamel, @Sihpromatum, @VibrantIreland, and @travellingmolly.

Have you seen the  recap?

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