Aloha!

I just returned from a week in Hawaii. We stayed in a beautiful boutique hotel, the Hotel Renew just a block off of Waikiki Beach. It was very clean, friendly staff and very convenient to restaurants and attractions. We were able to walk down to the beach at sunset and then have dinner at a nearby restaurant. The Aloha Burger and garlic fries at Lulu's were amazing.
During our week, we had a rental car and explored much of the island.
We drove through Diamond Head over to the east coast.


We visited Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial.
We spent a day at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

We took an interisland flight over to the Big Island for a day in Volcanos National Park. Hiking out on the lava fields was amazing. It was like being on another planet. Helping that feeling was the fact that there were no other people out on the hiking trail with us.

We drove over to the west coast and found a little known beach that was not crowded and enjoyed some snorkeling and just playing in the water.

On our final day we took a drive up to the North Shore. Since it was summer, there weren't any of the famous big waves, but the beaches were beautiful. We also made a stop at the Dole Plantation. I highly recommend the Dole Whip, but any other food there isn't the best.

Do You Love That New Ship Smell?

If you do, you are in luck. In 2009, there are still new ships set to debut. Those already on the scene are the Viking Legend, Costa Luminosa, Costa Pacifica, and the Seabourn Odyssey which is due out in June. There are six other ships due in the second half of 2009, MSC Splendida, Avalon Creativity, Celebrity Equinox, Carnival Dream, Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas and the Silversea Silver Spirit. These new kids on the block will cover a large amount of water including the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the rivers of Europe.

If you are looking a little further into the future, there are at least 14 ships coming out in 2010 and more scheduled for 2011. Those in 2010 include Norwegian Cruise Lines Epic in May, Celebrity’s Eclipse in June, and in the fall, Oceania Marina, Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas, Cunard Queen Elizabeth and Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam will be sailing.

Those who cruise often like to have the distinction of being one of the first to sail on a new ship. Others like to see and experience the newest concepts on the ocean like grass covered parks, state of the art spas, and specialty dining venues. Whether you want to keep busy with bowling, Wii, rock climbing or ice skating there is a ship for you. If you would rather be in an environment that is relaxing and without a lot of hustling and activity, there is a ship for you. With all the ships out there, you can visit virtually anywhere in the world.

Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas

I just returned from a cruise onboard the Mariner of the Seas. The ships itinerary had been modified from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest. This Voyager Class ship is beautiful with tons of activities. Rock climbing, ice skating, mini golf, and inline skating just to name a few. Our first port of call was San Francisco. Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge was awesome.
Now I have been both over the bridge and under. The weather was a little foggy as to be expected when we first arrived, but the fog burned off to a beautiful day of walking through the city. We visited China Town, walked down to Union Square and caught a cable car to the top of Lombard St. We then walked down to Ghirardelli Square to buy some chocolate. We strolled over to Fisherman's Wharf and enjoyed a breadbowl with clam chowder. Then completed the loop back past Pier 39, the sea lions and shops and back to Pier 35 where we were docked.

Back To Mexico

Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean announced they will resume their ports in Mexico following a CDC announcement this week. Carnival will finish out their modified sailings through June 15, then return to previous itineraries including Mexico. Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas on the West Coast is scheduled to resume it's Mexican ports after June 14 and in the Caribbean, they are already announcing putting Mexico back in their routes. What a great time to visit Mexico!

NCL Spirit Ports of Call

On our weeklong cruise from New Orleans, we visited four different ports. Our first stop was at Costa Maya Mexico. This port was built for the cruising industry. When you get off your ship, you walk though a little village. There is a restaurant/bar with a nice large pool. There are also a lot of little shops selling all sorts of wares. We chose to go into the town of Mahahual, a short, $3 taxi ride from the port. We stopped at the Tequila Beach Club and spent the day there. We had a nice shaded table and lots of chips and fresh pica de gallo. There were some women with an area set up for massages on the beach for only $20 for half an hour. We also walked through the small town along a beach-side walkway.













Our next port of call was Santo Tomas de Castilla Guatamala. There is a nice market area right on the dock where we were able to get our passports stamped and get some local money. There was a stage in the market with local musical and dancing groups performing. We spent most of the day on a tour to the Quirigua Archeological Site. This Mayan ruin is from the 700's BC. It was discovered when the land was being cleared for a road. The area had twelve Stelae which are large carved stone pillars. There is also a temple here. The whole area is very lush and green. We passed a large banana plantation on the way into the site. There is also a Jade Museum at the site that is very interesting and has many jade pieces for sale.
The next stop was in Belize City, Belize. Ships cannot dock here because of the shallow water. We had a ten to fifteen minute ride from the ship into town. We once again chose to visit a Mayan ruin. This time, we saw Altun Ha. This area was much larger and more spread out than Quirigua. There are restored temples and some that are still buried within the earth. There were all-spice trees throughout the grounds that had been used in the preservation of the dead. When you get to the top of the ruins, you get a view of the jungle canopy all around and it is beautiful. It is amazing how dense the jungle is there.
Our final stop on the trip was in Cozumel. Here, we got a taxi and went to Chankanaab Park. There is a price for admission and then you can enjoy the whole area. There is an area with dolphins that you can interact with for an additional fee. There is a long beach area where you can snorkel, a lagoon and a jungle trail with archeological replicas and Mayan history. If you want to see an iguana, you will here. They wander throughout the grounds. We had a great lunch in the restaurant overlooking the water.

Norwegian Cruise Lines Spirit

I just recently returned from a cruise to the Western Caribbean aboard the NCL Spirit. We flew from Denver to New Orleans, LA on January 10. Once we arrived we met up with our friends at the airport and made our way to our hotel. We stayed at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel. It was excellent. We were a block from Bourbon St. but it was very quiet. The property has quite a history including being a hospital and a brothel. There are some documented hauntings there as well! We were upgraded to the Hermann Cottages across the street from the reception area. We entered through a gate into a beautiful courtyard with a fountain and lots of foliage. Our rooms were on the upper level with a boardwalk outside. Inside, the room was very spacious with exposed brick wall and beams on the ceiling. The bathroom had a jetted tub and robes for our use.
After getting settled, we went back across the street for our complimentary happy hour drink in the pool area. We then walked down to Landry's restaurant for dinner and had some great seafood, with one stop for pralines along the way. After dinner we walked a short distance past Jackson Square over to Cafe du Monde for some cafe au lait and beignets. You can't visit New Olreans without inhaling powdered sugar off these deep fried treats. We walked back to our hotel via Bourbon St.
The next morning, we enjoyed the complimentary breakfast of cereals, breads, fruit, juices, coffee and make-your-own waffles. William, our driver from Motion Transportation, picked us up and took us to the pier. When we arrived, the line for security seemed very long and I thought we were in for a long wait. In reality though, within half an hour we were through security, had our key cards in hand and were getting our obligatory boarding the ship photo.
When we stepped on board, we were offered either champagne or orange juice and welcomed aboard. We went right over to the reservation desk and made reservations for Shogun specialty restaurant for the next evening. Then we went up to Raffles Buffet on deck 12 for lunch. It was a little crowded because it was cold out and nobody wanted to sit outside, but we had a nice lunch.
After lunch, we dropped our carry on bags in our cabins and explored the ship. We toured all the facilities, then spent some time watching the Mississippi from our balcony. We received our luggage prior to the muster drill and were able to unpack.
Leaving New Orleans, the ship makes a U-turn and heads out on the Mississippi. It takes about 7 hours to get into the Gulf of Mexico from New Orleans. We had dinner in the Garden Room restaurant and watched part of the show. We also spent some time in the Champagne Bar listening to the band there who were very good. At around midnight, we went out on our balcony just as we were leaving the Mississippi. It was very still out and the sound from the bouys was very eerie.

Disney Cruise Lines

Disney Cruise Lines will have a virtual seminar with a special offer that can be redeemed through me. Please join us!