Experiencing the magic of Disney at Disneyland
Resort, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort
Paris is something that is rarely forgotten as a
child or as an adult. With a Disney cruise, you
can now recapture that magic on board one of
Disney’s elite cruise ships. There are several
exotic Caribbean cruise routes to choose from,
and with a spread of onboard entertainment for
all the family it is a cruise that will live long
in the memory of the young and the young at heart.
All Disney cruises depart from Port Canaveral in
Florida through Disney Cruise Lines, and take
guests out on a voyage of the Caribbean. Short
3-night cruises are catered for as well as 7 night
cruises that encompass a larger number of ports
around the Western Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean.
A typical three or four night Disney cruise takes
guests out into the Bahamas, and includes a visit to
the sun-drenched beaches of Nassau. Shore excursions
include a magical tour to the Discover Atlantis
attraction, which is home to more than 120,000 fish.
A 7-night Western Caribbean Disney cruise adds Key
West, Grand Cayman and the island of Cozumel near
Mexico to the list of port stops. At each location
a huge variety of shore excursions are offered for
both adults and kids.
On a 7-night Eastern Caribbean Disney cruise, the
Bahamas, and the islands of St Maarten and St Thomas
are incorporated into the itinerary. Again, just as
with the Western Caribbean Disney cruise you will
have a choice of many excellent excursion options
too. But, no matter which cruise route you choose
there is one common port of call - Castaway Island.
Castaway Island is Disney’s own private island. It
is located near the island of Abacco at the northern
end of the Bahamas, and is a true Never Land. Here
you can explore paradise - secluded white sandy
beaches, warm shallow waters and coconut-laden palm
tree groves await, along with a whole host of
exciting activities. You can try your hand at
snorkeling while on the island, or go on a kayak
nature adventure. The glass-bottomed boat tour is
sure worth an hour and a half of your time on the
island too.
Of course, as you would expect from a corporation
like Disney, sumptuous catering is on offer on the
island and on board the cruise vessel at all times.
Days at sea are a pleasure too with so many activities
to keep adults and kids entertained for weeks!
And, when you’re done watching one of Disney’s original
stage shows, taking your kids to meet Snow White or
enjoying a spot of wine tasting (adults only!), you can
kick back in the luxurious surroundings of your cabin
or relax on the pool deck and soak up some glorious
Caribbean sunshine.
John Metcalfe is the author and web publisher of A to Z Cruises your #1
source
for cruise information, discounts and great deals! Visit http://www.azcruises.com
now to book your very own dream Disney Cruise vacation.
When planning a travel vacation or cruise vacation, the last thing that one wants to think about is trouble or cancellation. Thus travel and cruise insurance is often left on the back burner. However, when the time comes to purchase your vacation insurance, be sure that you compare cruise insurance and travel insurance policies to ensure that you are getting what you expect. As always, it’s “buyer beware”!
That’s not to say that all insurance policies and companies are out to deceive you or hide the terms of insurance pay-outs. In fact, most are very reputable. The problem comes when trying to economize while buying insurance. You really do “get what you pay for” in most cases - especially when you compare insurance policies.
There are often so many variables when purchasing cruise insurance or travel insurance that we can become somewhat complacent with what we are purchasing. Again, “Buyer Beware!” Make sure you know what’s available and what’s included in your insurance policy package. As an example, insurance companies like Travel Guard International, America’s largest provider of travel insurance offers a wide range of benefits with their Comprehensive Coverage. Included in Travel Guard’s packages are the following benefits:
Trip Cancellation - Providing reimbursement of 100% of trip cost if the trip is cancelled under the terms of the insurance policy.
Trip interruption - Providing reimbursement of trip cost if the trip is interrupted as covered by the insurance policy such as evacuation due to hurricane.
Trip Delay - Providing reimbursement for additional accommodations or travel expenses if the traveler is delayed for more than several hours.
Lost, Stolen or Damaged Baggage and travel documents - Providing reimbursements if luggage is lost, damaged or stolen while the insured is traveling, or if travel documents are lost or stolen.
Baggage Delay - Providing reimbursement for the purchase of essential items if your bags are delayed more than 24 hours.
Medical Expenses - Providing reimbursement for necessary medical expenses up to one year after the illness or injury providing the insured traveler sought medical treatment while on the trip.
Emergency Medical Transportation - Covering the cost of evacuation and transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility.
Travel Guard Assistance - A 24 hour hotline for emergency assistance, medical referrals, prescription replacement assistance, replacing travel documents and more.
Livetravel - Travel Guard’s round the clock travel agent service for emergency or last minute travel changes such as rebooking flights, arranging hotels and ground transportation and tracking lost luggage.
Concierge - 24 hour worldwide access to restaurant referrals/reservations, event tickets, tee times, floral services, ground transportation and more.
As well, in many cases, travelers purchasing Travel Guard insurance within 15 days of making their initial trip payment also receive at no additional cost:
Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver - protection if pre-existing medical conditions force cancellation or interruption of a cruise or trip.
Default Protection - providing reimbursement of trip cost if the tour operator, cruise line, airline or other travel supplier declares bankruptcy more than seven days after the effective date of the policy.
Change Your Mind - protection against cancellation fees when a trip is cancelled for any reason.
Please keep in mind that these benefits are subject to change, but at the time of this printing, are available. The above describes a comprehensive cruise or travel insurance policy. However, as they say, one size dose not fit all. You need to match your coverage requirements and budget restraints. Again, dealing with Travel Guard International, some of their popular products include:
Cruise, Tour and Travel - Travel Guard’s most comprehensive travel insurance plan.
ProtectAssist - Solid travel insurance for the budget-conscious traveler - and Travel Guard’s most popular plan.
Cruise Guard - Travel insurance designed to surpass the protection plans offered by the cruise line.
Air Ticket Protection - Protects air ticket investment against change fees, adds other assistance services.
Student Travel Guard - A portfolio of student travel insurance plans protecting students on virtually all types from Spring Break to Semester Abroad.
We have identified, through the use of Travel Guard International’s plans and policies a vast number of cruise insurance options. We have stated before, but at the risk of being too repetitive, I think that it is important to re-iterate. “You get what you pay for. Buyer beware!”
If you would like more information regarding
Travel Guard International or would like to get a quotation for cruise or travel insurance, check out our article “Travel Guard International Cruise Insurance.” You can find the link on our Article Map listed below.
You’ve researched for your special cruise. You’ve found a fantastic cruise deal on-line. You’ve booked that cruise on-line. You’ve protected your cruise vacation investment by booking your insurance on-line. Now all that’s left to do is to get excited!
Brian A Schmidt is the author and web publisher of a1-discount-cruises.com your #1 source for cruise information, discounts and great deals! Visit http://www.a1-discount-cruises.com to book your fabulous cruise vacation! For more interesting articles visit our Article Map pages. If you have any general or specific questions regarding choosing a cruise line contact us at info@a1-discount-cruises.com using the subject line “Questions”.
I find it very interesting to read different people’s opinion’s of the exact same cruise - one person loved it, the next person hated it. Before a trip, I gobble up every review I can get my hands on - there are always some helpful tips in the reviews, and it prepares you for some things you would never have
thought of.
I think finding a cruise line that fits your life style and tastes makes most sense. This requires doing research and asking fellow travelers about their experiences and travel agents on various lines. Reviews also can also be helpful but I think the most important factor is understanding the type of cruise, and the tastes, of the person reviewing the ship was seeking, because this always flavors the review. There are many contrasting reviews of the same cruise in the various review sites on the web.
Sometimes you’ll find people on the same cruise, with the same accomodations, have paid significantly different fares. This may have to do with whether they are repeaters, deals from travel agents, deals from the cruise lines, etc.
Advertising and brochures should be taken for what they are, promotional materials. Prices in brochures are usually 30% or more higher than actual prices that TA will be able to get.
There may be plenty of interesting cruise lines that are not the biggest lines. The most commonly known lines are Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norweigan Cruise Lines, Royal Carribean, and Princess. There’s also the smaller lines like Premiere, Disney, Costa and the luxury lines like Crystal, Cunard, Seabourn, Radisson, Silverseas, quite expensive, and some feel well worth it. Then on the other side of the scale there is the ultra casual, Windjammer Barefoot cruise lines, with sailships and other tall ships such as Windsurfer, which is a more formal line. There are, besides the big 6 lines, quite a bit of choices available to people interested in cruising.
There are small riverboat cruises, cruises and large boats that do specific, often very scenic, areas of the world, like Alaska, also.
I find that some people are very flexible, that they’ll enjoy a wide variety of styles of cruising. Others are more specific and discerning and some lines would not meet their expectations in some way or another. So, it really boils down to you and what experience, or range of experiences, you are interested in.
The chat at the Water Cooler is bubbling to boiling point this week, what with all that’s been in the news recently. There’s the sadness of Jade Goody and Natasha Richardson’s untimely decease. Both women were hailed as Princess Di’s (by Stephen Fry no less who referred to the former, as a Princess D from the wrong side of the tracks), both who had somehow, after death, taken on the status of national treasures. I’m wondering if ten years down the line, Goody would be loved as she is now, a woman who faced adversity with the courage and determination of a top class boxing pro. It’s those whom both women have left behind that I feel for. It was painful to see Liam Neason’s gaunt looking face and withdrawn, hollow look after such a tragedy that was so devastating. Goody’s family are of course equally distraught. The piles of flowers outside the Goody home were reminiscent of the ones swamping London during the nation’s mourning for the Princess. It’s strange how death turns people into martyrs and legends. No one ever says anything nasty about the dead. That’s how it should be I suppose. The ancient Romans held a high respect for the dead. We should follow their lead.
If you’re the “outdoorsy” type, prefer to work on a team, have a positive attitude and are a confirmed “people-person,” you may fit right in as part of a yacht crew. Though jobs on most yachts are seasonal or part-time (depending on when someone rents it for a cruise), you will gain an incredible amount of experience while sailing your work days away.
You can apply for positions with private yachts; exploration ships that travel far and wide; commercial vessels; or megayachts and superyachts, liners or tankers. But, where do you find these jobs, anyway?
There are several yacht crew-finder services for vessel owners and employers around the world. Remember, this is a global industry, and though you’ll have full decision-making authority on things like what kind of vessel you’d like to sail on and when you’re available to crew, things like salaries or whether you will work a working holiday yacht cruise or as a voluntary crew member are largely non-negotiable, particularly for entry-level jobs.
You can also work on shore-based jobs related to the yachting industry, such as outfitters or suppliers for deck and overall yacht needs like linen services or glassware.
And think about this: You pretty much get to decide ahead of time whether you’d prefer to work on Carver yachts, Catalina yachts, Seaward Yachts, Pershing Yachts, or pal up with a few friends on the ship of your choice. The other good thing about yacht employment is that, because it is seasonal work, for the most part, there is a lot of turnover, so you won’t have to “paddle the waters” very long while looking for a job!
Another good tip to know is that vessel owners are usually very generous and pay their crew very good (tax-free) wages, along with job “perks” such as the obvious, like travel expenses and great accommodations, plus a free vacation!!
David Dunlap is the owner and founder of Only For Yachts, an online resource for everything related to yachts. Visit http://onlyforyachts.com to get information on yacht charters, yachts for sale and also sign up for the free yachting newsletter.
Most expensive Yacht owners spare no expense in flotation devices. Ship owners, US Coast Guard and the United States Navy have invested thousands if not millions in flotation and drowning prevention devices. There are companies, which specialize in just making and selling nifty flotation devices. One Canadian company Waterkite, whose technical team are self proclaimed marketing geniuses believe that such flotation devices are the only way to go. But let’s face it face it flotation devices can only be thrown 50 yards at maximum and you have a man over board and traveling away from them at 20-35 knots, it is not even going to get close.
I therefore propose a small “puffy” UAV or unmanned aerial vehicle, which can be hand launched to the potential drowning victim. This device would look like an exaggerated model airplane, which needs a diet or looks like it belongs in a cartoon of some type. This device would not be any more complicated than a GPS with a dial on it and a push button to start the battery which runs the propeller, point and shoot. Ever turn on an Alpha Numeric Pager; add a dial and throw it, it is that simple.
UAVs in the future will have many more military applications than are being used today and the lists of commercial uses and killer aps is growing. Here are some other UAV uses or potential application.
To bring this particular FFD Flying Floating Device application to the general understanding of the public and what the future of UAVs can mean, you may wish to take a look at this article to see just how useful something like this could be:
Some may criticize and a few have for introducing future technologies in this way, but to them we must say; why don’t you read Caleb Carr, Ben Bova, Arthur C Clark, Tom Clancy, Michael Creighton who write about possible futures which should be looked at. If folks think we should not write such articles for the masses, then they should never go see a Sci Fi movie or future action drama? People want to be entertained and it is a good way to teach them, because they often do not think about how these technological advances can help people, they look at research and development spending for military as wasteful. Yet we know that people are dying and drown every day; last week 2000 deaths from the Flood from Hurricane Stan remnants in Guatemala and remember the flooding from the levee breaches in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina?
Getting a flotation device to a drowning victim is about the best thing you can do and the faster the better, therefore a flying flotation device makes sense. Often rescuers hesitate and do not make good use of their tools or the latest technologies and are complete afraid. Often they are so busy trying to be safe that it takes them 15-minutes to get locked and loaded and ready for the rescue. This is a known fact of real men, who are forced to use procedure rescue techniques that take 10-minutes to complete. Some say this is a sorry excuse for a human being who is suppose to be a tough guy, that is many people’s take on it as they watch the firemen slowly put on their safety gear or police pull over and put on their vests in the middle of a back robbery going down, before rolling to the scene? What about the people who are going to be shot while they are getting ready? Serve and protect, just turned into, protect yourself forget about the public. This is such a common occurrence by so rarely addressed. If humans cannot get it done, use robots and technology and lets save some taxpayers some money in all these training of first responders for such things as sexual harassment at FEMA. We can build these FFDs or Flying Flotation Device units for under $1,000 on economies of scale.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
Some of the greatest places on Earth are offered in cruise packages. Depending on where you want to go and when, you can get a cruise to practically anywhere. If you live in the east coast of the United States, you may have heard about trips from New York to Alaska. You cruise the whole way around the United States and you end up in Alaska. The trip is usually about two weeks or so and you get to enjoy the calming sounds of the water and the excitements of the boat’s activities and don’t forget the beautiful scenery that you get along your trip. Once you’re in Alaska you can see the sights and do many out door activities. However, if Alaska doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, how about going tropical?
Bermuda and the Virgin Islands or Jamaica would also be a nice cruise to set sail for. Bermuda is a very lovely place and a cruise to Bermuda would be a great get away trip. When going to a tropical island you just have to worry about what bathing suit to wear and you can enjoy some ethnic foods and activities. In islands like Jamaica, you spend a lot of your time dancing and it could be a very romantic trip if you are looking for a honeymoon. You can spend days together all alone and enjoy the sights and sunsets. It is truly the most romantic thing to do.
A cruise ship has grown from what a cruise use to be. Many people back in the day just smoked, talked, and drank on the ship, but today, you not only can do all of that, but you can also do activities on the ship. Some of the activities that you may find interesting are dance classes, parties, clubs, card games, scuffle board, and more. Then you can also spend some time docked and on the beaches. If you want to go somewhere special, again Bermuda is the place you might want to set sail to.
In Bermuda, the beaches are not tan, they are not white, but they are pink. All the shell particles that come to the beach or shore has made the entire beach look pink. Doesn’t it should lovely to visit pink beaches? Who would have thought that Bermuda or the Caribbean could be so unique?
However, if still you aren’t interested in taking a trip to an island paradise, what about a trip to Europe? Europe can be one of the most romantic places too and it doesn’t have to be over 80* to be romantic. In Europe you have so many options to wear you want to go and all of the countries in Europe are unique and interesting. You may want to go to Great Britain and then head over to Ireland. The possibilities are endless!
“Cheap luxury cruises” may sound oxymoronic, but they are available. Remember, whereas with other vacations you need to pay for your travel, hotel, food, and entertainment, when you are you are on a cruise, all of these costs are all bundled into one!
Yes, you will have to find a way to get to the cruise ship, but once you are on it, you are set in terms of money. Your cruise ship is your source of travel, and you have already paid for it. And, of course, you will be sleeping on the cruise ship, so you do not have to worry about finding a hotel each place you go to. There are some beautiful, luxurious rooms available on cruise ships. Some of these rooms even have balconies.
Remember, though, if you are on a tight budget, you will likely be perfectly happy crammed into one of the smaller rooms, sleeping on the top bunk. After all, you are going to be spending the far majority of your time participating in the many activities offered on the ship or laying out by the pool, etc.
As for the food… well, prepare to gain a little weight! You can eat as much food as your heart (and belly) desires, and you do not have to worry about paying extra. Some cruise ships even have food options 24 hours a day! Most ships definitely have multiple food options, so you will never get sick of the food. Of course, if you plan on drinking, you are going to have to pay extra.
As for entertainment, there is always something going on. There are usually shows at night that range from comedy to song and dance and more. There is dancing and family games and contests and more! And all of these things are generally included in the overall cost of the cruise. Of course, even so, you may choose to spend all of your time laying out by the pool or playing shuffleboard.
Of course, there are some things that you will have to pay for on your cruise, if you choose to. As mentioned before, you will generally have to pay for your drinks. You will also have to pay for your all of your shopping (there is some great shopping on the ship, as well as at the ports you stop at). You may end up spending some money in the casino. Or you may choose to spend some extra moolah to go on an excursion.
The excursions can be expensive, but it is worth it to go on at least one. After all, it is nice to actually see the places that you are traveling to. There are excursions to suit the tastes of anyone and everyone. There are excursions for the adventurous, the intellectual, kids, grandparents, etc. You are sure to find one that you particularly will love.
In sum, here is a list of things that most cruises include in their fare:
lodgings
meals
personal cabin steward and cabin service
port taxes and charges
ports of call
video arcade
activities
pools
teen centers
slot games
dancing
bands
shows
library
gym
Some extras that you may have to pay for are:
casinos
child care
spas and health centers
bars
internet café
excursions
shops
transportation to the cruise departure point
gratuities
photographs (they take them for free, but you must pay to buy them)
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, and travel. For more of her articles on travel and cruises, please visit Cheap Luxury Cruises.
Among all the new alternative energies out there wind power is definitely one of the most impressive and high potential one. The facts in favor of wind power are mainly the perfect clean energy produced and also the fact that once implemented, the costs are close to zero.The negative aspects are that often the propeller towers cause problems to the overall scene and ambientalists are not always in favor of it and also if the wind is low, there might be some problems in actually generating energy.
Of course all these things have seriously taken in consideration and yet wind power appears to be a great solution, especially when compared to gas or oil and the pollution generated by those, without even mentioning the increasing price of energy and all the economical and social factors. Wind power might not be the ultimate solution, but it’s definitely a good alternative and it shouldn’t be disregarded too easily. It could be used as a back up or used as a primary source of energy with a back up, there is room to operate and improve the technology and every attempt and research is worth the effort. Wind power is however already fully implemented in many areas.
More about global warming and wind power, as well as solar energy and energy alternatives.
