Saturday, November 21, 2015

National Conference 2015


Cruises Inc. & CruiseOne National Conference was held onboard the brand new Norwegian Escape, which is based in Miami starting this month.  Here was our view from our 31st story hotel room at Marriott Key Biscayne Miami.  We had a welcome cocktail party at the hotel on Friday November 13th.  The rain waited until we were done with our party


Port Miami welcomed the Norwegian Escape into its new home port early Saturday morning.  One of our fellow agents captured these images early in the morning.


Norwegian Escape looks beautiful all lit up in Miami, but she looks even more amazing in full sunlight.  The hull art was designed by Guy Harvey, who sailed with us on our cruise.  He hopes that his art will bring awareness to conservation efforts so that generations to come can enjoy the sea.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Cruise Lines Salute Veterans

 

We could never thank our military men and women enough for their courageous service and sacrifice to our country and its people. Yet today we lift up our voices to express gratefulness and honor to these military troops both from the past and present.

 



THANK YOU FROM 
A GRATEFUL NATION 

Many cruise lines recognize our troops with special rates.  We've listed a couple offers which you might not be aware of.   Be sure to mention your military service when contacting us so that we can see if there are any rates that you qualify for.  We would be honored to help you plan some R & R.

 
Cruise Line Veterans Day Offer
Carnival Cruise Line
Saluting our soldiers with exclusive rates on select sailings through 2016! Plus, share your deal with two additional rooms.
Destinations include: Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Alaska
Royal Caribbean
Ongoing promotion allows Military, Police  & Fire personnel special discounts on select sailings

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

USMC 240th Birthday

Happy 240th Birthday
United States Marine Corps

On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia passed a resolution stating that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" for service as landing forces with the fleet. This resolution established the Continental Marines and marked the birth date of the United States Marine Corps.

Semper Fidelis
 

Since then, Marines have participated in all the wars of the United States, and in most cases were the first service members to fight. To date, Marines have executed more than 300 landings on foreign shores.
Today, there are more than 200,000 active-duty and reserve Marines, organized into three divisions stationed at Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton and Okinawa, Japan.

The images above were captured in Washington D.C. during our Regional Conference held in Virginia.   We booked the "Monuments at Night" trolley bus tour which included a stop at this memorial.

Thank you to all Marines, living and deceased, for your contributions to our safety.   Be sure to ask about military benefits when planning a vacation.  For example, many cruise lines offer special pricing or onboard credits to past and present active military personnel.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Dinner in Koblenz

Koblenz Dinner

Shortly after arriving in Koblenz, it was time for the Port Talk and then dinner in the main dining room.

Soup & Salad

The Green Salad with carrots, cucumbers, red onion, and tomatoes was the featured salad.  The two soup choices were Beef Consomme and Cream of Potato.

Main Entree

We selected the Turkey Breast Stuffed with Bread on Cranberry Sauce, with Vegetables and Potato Lasagne.  This wasn't your typical turkey dinner, but it was great.

Leave Room For Dessert
click images to enlarge


The ice cream flavor was Pistachio with Raspberry Sauce and Whipped Cream.

The other main dessert selection was Walnut Parfait with Mixed Berry Sauce.   Both of these selections were good.   When it doubt, have both.

As usual, the meal was accompanied by a selection of local wines and beers.

Another option for the evening was the Avalon Panorama Bistro Dinner which we had done earlier in the cruise.

 

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

Koblenz Dinner

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

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Cochem to Koblenz

click images to enlarge
Afternoon Sailing 
from Cochem

All aboard Avalon Artistry II was at 12:45 PM as the ship sailed by 1 PM along the meandering scenic Moselle River.   Following our German Lunch Buffet we headed up to the Sky Deck for the narrated scenic viewing .


Docked Overnight Koblenz

We arrived in Koblenz around 6:30 PM just in time for our evening Port Talk and dinner.   Following dinner, we were treated to a spectacular sunset which illuminated the nearby buildings, sky, and river.

Tomorrow we would have time to explore Koblenz, so for tonight, we just took a short stroll along the pier before returning to the ship for som rest. 

Local entertainment was provided by a string trio, La Strada, in the lounge at 9 PM.



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.

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Saturday, October 31, 2015

Reichsburg Castle Cochem

Reichsburg Cochem
(Imperial Castle, Cochem)

The Cochem Castle, or Reichsburg Cochem in German, is a place where history comes to life. The castle we see today towering above the scenic town of Cochem on the Moselle River is not the castle that originally stood there in the 12th century. That castle had a long and colorful history until French King Louis XIV had his troops obliterate it in 1689.

Cochem Castle dates back to the first millennium, the year 1000 A.D. It was the home of the Palatinate counts and was built on the orders of Count Ezzo. The first historical mention of this castle is from 1051, when it was given as a gift to a nephew, Henry I by Richeza, the oldest daughter of Ezzo and one-time Queen of Poland.


 Getting to the Castle

click to enlarge images


The castle sits perched upon a 100 m (328 ft) hill overlooking the River Moselle.  We took a shuttle bus to the castle summit where we were then met by a local guide for a tour of the interior of the castle. Qualified guides will show you the most beautiful rooms and make you familiar with the history of Cochem Castle.

Since we were part of a large group, there was a pre-assigned time for us to be at the castle.  We still had to wait for our group number to be called before beginning the interior tour.


View from Terrace


Just before the conclusion of the tour, we were treated to an amazing view from the terrace of the castle.  From this vantage point you can see the winding river, and the town below.

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


Our visit to Cochem was on day eight of our 13-day river cruise on Avalon Artistry II.   If you are just joining us, be sure to review our previous posts.

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

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Thursday, October 29, 2015

International Internet Day 2015

International Internet Day is celebrated worldwide, every year on 29th of October.

Since the year 2005, the International Internet Day has been famously celebrated to commemorate a momentous day, in 1969, in the history of telecommunications and technology.

This was the event of the sending of the first electronic message which was transferred from one computer to another on October 29th that year. 


How to Celebrate Internet Day 

Why don’t you start your celebration of Internet Day by visiting the original website, which just so happens to still be online.  Contrast that to websites today.

Internet Today

The Internet is everywhere these days, being accessed on phones and tablets, tied into our cameras and our TV’s. Wi-Fi is accessible from everywhere these days, from city buses to your neighborhood restaurant, and even at sea on cruise ships.  The world grows smaller every day as a result. Internet Day is a celebration of this culmination of computing and communication technology, and they way it has brought all our lives together.

 Keeping in Touch

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Cruise Lines today is meeting the demands for passenger and crew on existing internet resources. Passengers are looking for faster and less expensive ways to stay in contact with friends and family while on vacation. Several Cruise Lines have announced or adopted changes to address the growing demand of their customers and staff.

Luxury  Cruise Lines such as Regent, Crystal, and Oceania, have introduced Free Internet Access to a select group of passengers (such as certain suite guests).  Other lines, like Royal Caribbean are looking to increase speeds and offer multiple programs which can be purchased depending on your needs.

So, if you are planning a cruise vacation, don't leave your electronic gadgets at home.  Whether on the ship or at a local internet cafe while in port, you'll have plenty of opportunity to stay connected with friends and family if you want to.