Time to Go for a Cruise Vacation

If you're looking for a special way to impress the person you love, a chance to get away from the stress of your everyday life, or you simply have some vacation time at work that you need to use up, it might be time to take a vacation. While many adults shy away from vacations that don't involve visiting relatives, the truth is that sometimes it's important to get some time to yourself. Exploring a new place that you've never been can be a great way to get out of your comfort zone, meet new people, and discover the world around you. You'll create some fantastic memories and have some great adventures that you'll be talking about for years to come.

The Advantage of Booking A Cruise Trip

When most people go on holiday, they buy a plane ticket to their destination, fly there, and stay at that stop for the duration of the trip. They may travel around a bit, but the cost of getting there is usually so high that they decide to stay to save money. Even if they love that location, it is the only one that they get to see. For example, they could take a flight to Punta Cana, stay in a resort, and spend each day walking along the white sand beaches or swimming in the warm, blue-green water.

A cruise, on the other hand, is far different. You are essentially going to many different locations, all at the same time. You will board the ship at a port city, so that is the first place that you get to see. Many people will even fly to the port a few days early so that their trip can include an extended time there. After the boat leaves the port, you have a day or two at sea. This can be very entertaining if you have never been on the ocean before, or at least not that far out. After traveling, you get to your first stop.

However, you are certainly not going to stay there like those who flew in. You will probably just go on a day trip. A smaller craft will take you from the cruise ship to the shore, and you can then spend a few hours there, looking around, shopping, and having a good time. You may even stay for a meal. Then you get back on the ship and it continues to your next destination. There is more entertainment on the ship - games, performances, drinks, and much else. This process repeats itself at a few different places and then the ship returns to the original port and you disembark for good.

The upside of traveling with a cruise line like Royal Holiday is that you get to see and do a lot more for your money. Rather than paying for a single trip to get you to your destination, you are paying for a continuous voyage. You are paying for transportation every single day. The downside is that this is slower than flying, but you have to think of it like your accommodations and your transportation all rolled into one. When you look at it that way, it makes more sense. Much of the traveling will happen while you are asleep, and then you get to spend your days in exciting new locations. This is just as fast - if not faster - as flying every day, and it comes with a much smaller price tag.

As you plan your next vacation, you should look at both options and decide which one is best for you. Some people do not want the excitement of moving around; they just want to go to one place and stay there until they go home, and that's fine. Most people, though, have more places on their list of places to see than they can possibly get to in the near future, so they are looking for ways to see more and do more with each trip. That is what a cruise can offer, so it may be the best choice.

Cruising in Bosphorus, Istanbul

It is a beautiful sunny day today. I love this weather during fall season. It is quite cold outside but I don't have to worry because I am actually inside the house now.

It was over a year now when we had a 10-days trip in Turkey, the only country that can be found  both in Asia and Europe. One of the  places we visited  was its capital city, Istanbul. I can't believed that there are also a lot of interesting historical sights in this city.  To name a few are the  Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern and many more.

For me the highlight of our trip in Istanbul was the short cruise we had in the Bosphorus or Bosporus. It is also called as the Istanbul Strait and form as the boundary of Asia and Europe.  There are a lot of sights you can when cruising in Bosphorus, from Mosque to historical buildings and houses and villas that are  lined-up along the strait.

I am quite contented with that trip we had in Turkey last September 2011.

A mosque  along the side of Bosphorus during our cruise last 2001.

This Floating Chinese Restaurant in Amsterdam

We just saw this floating Chinese restaurant in Amsterdam when a had a canal cruise  in this city. It is actually called the Sea Palace. This pagoda-style restaurant is located near the center of Amsterdam near the Central Station.

We don't have the chance to go inside and taste their food. Our friend who lives in Holland brought us to another Asian restaurant and we did not regret going inside  because the food and the ambiance were  good. I can't exactly remember the name of that restaurant.

I read some  reviews online about Sea Palace. Others had bad experiences and some had  nice ones. I might try it in my next visit to this city.

The Sea Palace in Amsterdam during our canal cruise last August 2010.

Cruise: What’s it all about?

Some people believe that cruise holidays are not for them - or at least that’s until they try it. It can take some persuasion to get onto a ship for a week or more, as the thought of this huge vessel becoming your bedroom, lounge, dining room, cinema and gym for a prolonged length of time can be a little overwhelming. But as the converted will say, it’s worth a try: and that’s why so many tour operators have introduced short taster cruises to try and win over the non-believers.

Taster cruises are typically one or two nights long, sailing from a UK port to nearby locations such as Paris or Brussels. Customers have the chance to alight there and spend a day exploring the city, before getting back on board for the short jaunt back to familiar shores. It’s short, sharp and sweet, but many taster cruises include a full array of sumptuous cuisine and high-octane entertainment - after all, it’s designed to offer a taste of cruising, and these are certainly the highlights.

For the more confident cruiser there are countless itineraries taking in a vast range of destinations. For instance, take Thomas Cook cruises. 2012 is shaping up to be another superb year that’s packed with varied itineraries across a range of liners, from the long-established P&O Cruises to the younger and more innovative Royal Caribbean International, which brings exciting new onboard activities into the fray with surf parks, rock climbing walls and top-notch entertainment.

A cruise lets you take in a vast range of destinations and makes the most of the journey in-between too. Where else can you wake up in a new destination every morning, and while away the time at sea by relaxing on deck, working out in the gym or dining in style? Whatever your opinion of cruise holidays, it’s certainly worth a shot.

Cruising the Med

From package holidays and cheap flights to backpacking, there are many ways to explore the Mediterranean. But for those who like to discover new places without the hassle of getting from A to B, cruise holidays could be just the ticket.

Most cruise holidays are based on an all inclusive basis which means flights, accommodation, meals and snacks are all included - so all you have to do is turn up at the airport and the rest is all taken care of. It’s one of the best and most stress-free ways to discover a range of different destinations whilst enjoying the journey too: what better way to travel from Portugal to Montenegro, or Croatia to Italy, than sunning yourself on deck? What’s more, much of the longer journeys between ports are undertaken at night so you can literally wake up in an exciting new destination each morning.

One of the most popular itineraries is a Mediterranean cruise - and it’s not hard to see why. From Spain to Portugal, Venice to Dubrovnik, these cruises are the perfect way for holidaymakers to see the Med in a truly laid-back and stress-free environment. Forget trying to drive on the right or work out the local public transport: when it comes to exploring the Mediterranean without needing a holiday afterwards, this is how it’s done.

During your trip you will have the opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of some of the world’s most beautiful and vibrant cities and picture-perfect beach destinations. But on top of that you’ll also get to make the most of the ship’s top-notch facilities. Whether you’re into relaxing spa treatments, a night at the flicks or if you prefer to be thoroughly entertained with the help of some professional Broadway-style entertainment, when it comes to cruise holidays there’s certainly something for everyone.

Cruising in Danube River in Hungary

I always love to turn back time when I travel. Through the travel images I took everytime I go for a trip, it always reminds me of the places I visited. During our trip to Hungary last summer 2011, we had a cruise in Danube River in Hungary. One of the interesting places we passed-by was Esztegom.

It is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there.

That cruise trip was quite a relaxing one while watching the nature around and the places we passed-by.

Esztergom Hungary. The opposite side of the bridge is already the border to Slovakia. I love the cruise we had there last August 2011.

Cruising in Wachau, Austria

It was a pleasure cruising in Danube River in Wachau, Austria last summer 2011. In this Austrian valley, you can see a lot of picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is considered to be one of the famous tourist destinations of Lower Austria. One of the wonderful places we passed-by was Dürnstein. It is said that in this well-known place was where King Richard the Lion-Heart of England was held captive by Duke Leopold V.

Our cruise last only around two hours but I totally enjoyed the scenery around. It was very refreshing breathing the fresh air on this part of Austria.

we were about to board in a boat for a cruise in Wachau, Austria last August 2011.

Cruising in Danube- From Spitz to Krems in Austria

It was only some hours cruise trip but a very fascinating and memorable one. I was with a friend Jean during that cruise. After we traveled from Gyor, Hungary to Wachau in Austria, we did had this wonderful cruise. It started in the Spitz, a wine town and ended in Krems, a riverside town in the Danube's Wachau Valley in Austria. These towns are famous tourist spots in Lower Austria.

The landscapes and scenery that we saw around are priceless. It was truly a wonderful trip last August 2011.

Spitz, this is where our cruise started.

Krems is where the cruise ended.

a castle that we passed-by during our trip.