Expedition to Galapagos

Ahoy Mates!  Batten down the hatches and secure your booty in a comfortable seat.  We are about to embark on an adventure on the high seas and land that takes us to distant shores to a Land Beyond Expectations.

This is the captain, gather ‘round to learn about our vessel, Celebrity Flora®, before we depart on our expedition to a land beyond expectations, Galapagos Islands.  She is a beauty, the first of its kind built specially to traverse the Galapagos archipelago.   Alas, only 100 souls can make this journey on this ship along with the naturalists that are familiar with the terrain and its inhabitants.

Each of your suites provide an outward-facing view of our surroundings.  Be vigilant throughout our journey so you do not overlook anything.   When we stop to go ashore, we will board landing craft while our ship remains stationary without even weighing our anchor.  This way the natives will not even hear us coming.

Over one hundred sixty years ago, a man wrote about his quest that took him to a place where he would discover how life evolved thousands of years ago.  We are about to follow in his footsteps and discover a land that is inhabited by species that can be found nowhere else on earth.  Sit back, relax, and watch this briefing. 

Captain, Isn't travel here dangerous now?   

No Mates, we have safety & health protocols in place:

(Click images to enlarge)

Why Visit Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands contain a unique combination of land and oceanic ecosystems, with many distinct habitats found in each. The Galapagos are located at the point where major ocean currents meet and the islands straddle the junctions between several shifting tectonic plates. This area is truly unlike any other place on earth.

The Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), one of the world's largest protected areas, has more than 2,900 reported marine species and over 18% of those live nowhere else on earth. Some of the best-known coastal animals of Galapagos include sea lions, fur seals, flightless cormorants, albatrosses, three species of booby, two frigatebird species, sea turtles, the marine iguana, and penguins.

 

Solemn Canada Day 2021

The 154th anniversary of Canada, July 1st, will be quite different than other celebrations. In addition to the concerns about containing the spread of COVID-19 via public celebrations, a recent discovery of hundreds of children’s remains discovered at former boarding schools for Indigenous children has led to calls to cancel celebrations. 

For the second year in a row many public celebrations will be replaced by virtual ones.  Some public celebrations are still scheduled at this time - please visit the official websites for any specific venue.  See websites below for some of the virtual activities taking place from coast to coast.

Canada Day, frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday", commemorates the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867.

Canada Day is very similar to the  July 4th holiday in the United States.  Most communities across the country normally host organized celebrations for Canada Day, usually outdoor public events, such as parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts.

Canada Day Websites

• Official Website for Canada Day
• Canada Day at Home Calgary
• Canada Day City of Charlottetown
• Canada Day in Halifax Region
• Canada Day in Downtown Kingston
• Canada Day Celebration | Niagara Falls
• Canada Day | Ottawa Tourism
• Canada Day City of Pelham
• Canada Day Quebec
• Canada Day Vaughan
• Canada Day Victoria
• Canada Day Whiterock

Canada's ports and borders remain closed preventing Alaska cruises from calling at their shores.  Our hope is that the country soon is able to reopen so that the world can visit this marvelous country again.

We have had the pleasure of visiting several Canadian cities during our cruise vacations.  These included ports of call on multiple Alaskan cruises,  Canada and New England cruises, and even Transatlantic cruises.  One of the highlights was when we extended our Alaskan cruise with a pre-cruise exploration of the Canadian Rockies.

Have you ever ridden on a glacier?  You can while visiting the Columbia Icefield Glacier in the Canadian Rockies. Specially designed vehicles, Massive Brewster Ice Explorers, take passengers on a remarkable excursion onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier.

Have you smelled flowers or gotten up close to thousands of unique flowers in bloom?  You can at one of Canada's botanical gardens such as the fifty acre Butchart Gardens located near Victoria, British Columbia. You'll see stunning floral show gardens and a National Historic Site of Canada.

British Columbia is known for floral gardens.  Minter Gardens, which has since closed, thrilled us with thousands of flowers and gardens.

Would you like to visit a fishing village, have some fresh lobster, or visit a lighthouse?  Nova Scotia has much to offer including the Bay of Fundy and many beaches where you can build sandcastles, fly kites, take a surf lesson, or just walk barefoot in the sand.

For the maritime lover, visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, where you can visit the Titanic ~ The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax, Nova Scotia exhibit and learn about the role the people of Halifax played that fateful day.

Would you like to walk where birds fly and squirrels hang out?  You can in Vancouver, Canada, at Capilano Suspension Bridge and Treetops Adventure.  I'm afraid of bridges, but I had a great time crossing a series of elevated suspension bridges, some reaching as high as 100 feet (30m) above the forest floor.

Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver, British Columbia's most popular tourist attractions.  Odds are that unless you extended your cruise vacation in Vancouver, you probably didn't visit this attraction during your cruise vacation.

There is so much to see and do in Canada, I hope that you'll plan a visit in the near future and get to know more about this North American country.   We have only scratched the surface in this article.   There are other Canadian destinations featured in past blog posts and also on our Facebook Fan Page.

To help you plan your day, we are posting this early.  

To all our Canadian friends .... Happy Canada Day 2021.

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New Adventures from Los Angeles

As Royal Caribbean® continues their return to service, they’ve listened to their guests and valued travel partners and are heading back to the West Coast of the United States for sailings out of Los Angeles.  San Pedro pier is only 23 miles from the airport.       Don’t just get away. Get more from your cruise on the newly amped Navigator of the Seas®. The newly amped Navigator of the Seas® delivers a maxed out adventure in just a few short days. Take on record breaking thrills, like the longest waterslide at sea. Soak up bigger, bolder, splashier pool days. Swap going out for going all out with next level nightlife and new dining for every craving. This is your short vacay, turned way, way up. Only on Royal Caribbean®. Think tide-turning new rides, next level lounging, and a new pool deck with double the surface area for you to swim, splash and lounge. Plus craveable dining and new nightlife hotspots that dial the excitement way up. LA becomes your jumping off point for epic weekend adventures along the Baja coast and the Mexican Riviera. For the first time in over a decade, Royal Caribbean® heads west with the Amplified Navigator of the Seas®, sailing a mix of short cruises from Los Angeles to Catalina Island, Ensenada and Cabo — plus longer wanders to Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán.  Arrive in LA prior to your cruise and enjoy some time exploring Hollywood, or simply relaxing on one of the pristine beaches as the gentle winds of the Pacific wash over your body.  Indulge in California's unique cuisine at one of the posh restaurants, or shop for that treasure you've been seeking.   Each port has something for everyone - here is just a sample of what awaits you in each port. (Click images to enlarge)   Navigator of the Seas Sailings

Current Royal Caribbean Offers   RESERVE YOUR ROYAL CARIBBEAN VACATION WITH US TODAY!  Stay Updated on Recent  Cruise Industry  & Other Travel News Click Image for Related Posts Connect With Us On         Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions. Where have you explored?  Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat Starting July 7, 2021 our new time will be 4 PM Eastern

Oh What a Beautiful Morning Today's The Day

 

"We’re Back. Today We Set Sail On the First U.S. Cruise!” 

Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean International CEO couldn't help himself - he burst into song onboard Celebrity Edge as they prepare to sail for the first time from a U.S. port in 15 months.

“This is the first cruise and just one cruise, but it’s the start of something huge,” Fain said.

He equated the transition from winter to spring with that of the cruise industry returning to sailing from U.S. ports. He wanted to tell us that there would be smooth sailing and that he had all the answers from the CDC and ports of call, but he admitted that there's still a lot of uncertainty.  

“For example, we’re still not 100 percent sure about the specific protocols on specific sailings. Here in Florida we still don’t understand all the implications about the law about vaccination documentation,” Fain said.   He did indicate that 90% of passengers surveyed have either been vaccinated or intend to be, and that they are ready to resume cruising.

He thanked "all the people that helped us get to this amazing day".  He thanked the crews that stepped up repeatedly to get crews home safe and keep ships safe and operational.  He also thanked them for implementing the new protocols which build confidence that passengers will have a healthy and fun-filled experience back onboard their ships.

He also thanked passengers who have booked and rebooked cruises, some multiple times, with hopes that their cruise would sail.  "Up until now those hopes had been dashed but they were never crushed".

Finally, he thanked the travel partners for their efforts to keep their business strong during these tough times.  He mentioned that phones are beginning to ring again "and that's a happy sound for all of us". "Together we are going to get our way back to cruising".

 

He reported that he will be on Freedom of the Seas next weekend as well as that ship has it's first revenue sailing, having successfully completed the CDC mandated test cruise this past weekend.

Yes, Richard, this is a beautiful morning, and we are grateful that you have been at the helm, getting us to this historic day in the cruise industry.  Thank you and the entire Royal Caribbean family for all that you personally did to make this possible.

Watch this video for his complete remarks:

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I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Starting July 7, 2021 our new time will be 4 PM Eastern