Showing posts with label sunset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sunset. Show all posts

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Making Birthday Memories

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Celebrity Edge + Sunset Veranda Cabin + Bubbly + Family + Sunset = Perfect Birthday Memory

After a fun day exploring Key West Florida, we got ready for my birthday dinner just as the sun was starting to set.

There's nothing better than enjoying a glass of bubbly on your private balcony as the ship sails away from port.  To make it perfect, add in a sunset, someone you love, and an aft Sunset Veranda cabin.

This Western Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Edge occurred during my birthday week.  Our cabin steward collaborated with my husband to decorate our cabin.  He also put a bottle of champagne on ice.   Mother Nature provided the sunset - making my birthday perfect.

The icing on the cake, for my birthday celebration, was dinner at Le Petit Chef™. That deserves its own blog post, so stay tuned for more on that later.

Edge Mini-Series (click)










@ChrisPappinMCC

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Wednesday, August 21, 2019

More to See at Sea Than Ports

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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 5, 2019

Cruising Marlborough Sounds

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Departing Picton


Due to high winds and rough seas, our itinerary had been changed to a day in Picton followed by scenic cruising through the Marlborough Sounds before continuing on our journey back to Sydney.

The Marlborough Sounds encompass 1,500 km of coastline, bays, beaches and native forest. It is a place of incredible natural beauty, a place that needs to be seen to be believed. The area is abundant with wildlife, from penguins and rare King Shags to dolphins and fur seals, and offers some of the world's best boating, diving, fishing and hiking.



After Dinner Treat

As we cruised through the sounds, the sun was starting to set.  The sun rays glistened through the clouds and reflected in the sea.   The gentle movement of the ship through the sounds left a wake behind us as Picton got further out of sight.

Later in the evening the sky was on fire with color.  Here are just a few images captured on one of our cameras.  See the Shutterfly photo page for more images.




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


Marlborough Sounds
Sunset Cruising Sounds

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



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Friday, June 29, 2018

Sun Kissed Oksfjord


oksfjord

Øksfjord 

Sailing north, Øksfjord is Hurtigruten's first port of call in the county of Finnmark. At above 70˚ we found ourselves in the true high north. To the southeast you can glimpse Norway’s fifth largest glacier, Øksfjordjøkulen (nearly 4,000 feet above sea level). This is the only glacier on mainland Norway to 'calve' directly into the sea, a uniquely arctic phenomenon. The district has a population of 500 and Øksfjord is the administrative center for the municipality of Loppa. Fish processing plants and a shipyards speak to an area dependent on the bounty of the sea.

The sun was starting to set as we sailed towards Øksfjord.  It cast its shadow on the snow-capped mountain peaks along our route.  Sailing closer to town, we could see colorful houses clinging to the dramatic mountain landscape in this small fishing community.

http://cruisewithchris.blogspot.com/2016/03/diary-hurtigruten-classic-voyage-bergen.html
Additional photos can be found on our Norway Shutterfly page

Sailing Oksfjord





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


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