Marine and Nature Adventure: Galapagos Islands

A trip to Galapagos or Galapagos Islands is something travelers shouldn't miss. A week or two to explore Galapagos Islands would be enough to satisfy one’s cravings for leisure and edifying marine and nature experience. 

Situated 972 kilometers west of Ecuador, this group of volcanic islands is composed of thirteen major islands and more than forty islets surrounding the equator in the Pacific Ocean. These are the islands that must have been left out if not because of Charles Darwin who made it famous. Thanks to him for making every Galapagos Cruise Ship full with travelers any time of year! 

Galapagos Islands is famous for its rich marine life being declared as Marine Reserve in 1986, Whale and Shark sanctuary in 1990 and World Heritage Site in 2001. It has a large number of endemic species among other marine species identified like mollusks and echinoderms. It is also a home to unique species like marine iguanas and giant tortoises and lovable mammals like penguins, sea lions and dolphins. Apart from that, Galapagos also boasts the amazing nature scenery and unique wildlife on land and sky. 

To date, it continuously attracts travelers near and far, who are nature lovers and keen or simply curious to maritime adventure. Do you know Galapagos was named as the world’s number one scuba diving destination? Apart from that, it is as well perfect for other fun sea activities like snorkeling, swimming and whale-watching. A cruise to and around Galapagos Islands is also an experience to die for. Galapagos is definitely an awesome experience for all travelers! 

Top 10 Things To Do Whilst In Nice

The following are just a selection of the many exciting options on offer in France's leading southern resort.

1. Dance the night away
Choose a nightclub that suits your mood and budget, whether you fancy something radical and funky or a more laid-back vibe. Choose Le Smarties on Rue Defly for a 70s feel or Ghost at 3 Rue Barillerie for an intimate club feel featuring drum and bass served up with cocktails.

2. Enjoy a spa treatment
Every city has a choice of spa venues and treatments, but only Nice can boast 'chococooning.' La Bulle D'Isis on Rue Massena offers chocolate lovers the opportunity to be covered in the creamiest of ganache mixtures along with liberal amounts of melted chocolate in the cause of beauty.

3. Sample the wine Nice is at the centre of a movement aimed at producing the most natural wines using the minimum amount of chemicals during production. Sample a variety at La Part des Anges on Rue des Gubernatis which is a fantastic little bistro which also sells wines.

4. Take in a concert
With a couple of large exhibition halls regularly featuring big names in modern music, Nice is perhaps surprisingly quite renowned for its modern music scene. If a stadium type concert isn't quite your thing, check out the eponymous Francis Gag Theatre which hosts events from Moliere plays to rap gigs and dance productions, mainly aimed at keeping Nicois dialect and folklore alive.

5. Try the local delicacy
Everyone should sample the traditional bread recipe of the region the socca. A kind of flatbread made with chickpea flour it has been described as being similar to a pancake. Nissa Socca on Rue Son Repart serves up traditional socca along with pizza and pasta accompanied by jugs of wine and beer for a lively atmosphere. Chez Rene Socca on Rue Miralheti is legendary for the street views, surly waiters and authentic flavours.

6. Visit an art museum 
Nice is home to some world class art museums offering styles from classical to pop art. The Musee d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain set on the Promenade des Artes offers a fantastic collection from across Europe and America. The Musee Matisse is a villa set close to the artist's former home which celebrates his life and work in a unique setting.

7. Relax on a private beach
The beaches around Nice are notoriously stony, making them uncomfortably hot to walk on when the sun is blazing down. Choose a one of the hotels which offers guests carpeting to spare them blisters and have your refreshing drinks brought directly to your sun lounger.

8. Have afternoon tea
Take a day cruise along the Med and follow it up with tea on the terrace at Auer Gourmet in the shadow of the Opera. Have a snack to accompany the vast selection of teas, including 'green tea and mint' and 'spicy chocolate'.

9. Take a trip back in time
Pay a visit to the Musee de Paleontologie Humaine de Terra Amata on Boulevard Carnot. The result of an archaeological exploration of the area, the museum offers artefacts dating back 400,000 years including examples of early tools and a footprint literally set in stone.

10. See a Russian church The Avenue Nicolas II is the setting for the bizarre sight of a traditional Russian Cathedral, complete with onion domes. Featuring the fantastic colours that Russian architecture of this style is so well-known for, the interior is filled with beautifully-worked icons, carvings and wall paintings.

This guest post was contributed on behalf of Cruise.co.uk.

Honeymoon Cruising in Millionaire’s Mega Yacht Fashion

Variety Cruises is delighted to announce special Honeymoon packages across a portfolio of cruises that includes the Greek Islands, the French and Italian Rivieras, Sicily, Cuba or the Seychelles Islands – some of the most trendy, most romantic or most upbeat destinations for today’s honeymooners!

All Variety vessels are ‘Mega Yachts’ – a motor yacht designed as a mini cruise ship. Luxuriously appointed to deluxe millionaire’s standards they only carry between 44 or 72 passengers. Furthermore, being of smaller size, then can access the smaller more romantic harbours that the big ‘factory liners’ struggle to visit. Honeymoon packages include cruises on Variety’s new Eur 29,000,000 flagship Variety Voyager that is the first sea-going vessel to be awarded membership of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Boutique Collection.

Our Greek Islands cruises all include Santorini, the honeymooners’ Mecca, but you can opt to rub elbows with the rich and famous in Monte Carlo, Saint Tropez, or Portofino with the Romantic Rivieras program. Alternatively you could choose romantic strolls on some of the most amazing beaches in the world in our Seychelles program, a honeymoon filled with shopping and 1001 fairytale nights on a Oman-Abu Dhabi cruise, or Cuba's music filled life dancing the Salsa and drinking the Mojitos on our Cuban Sight and Sounds program.

The Variety Cruises Honeymooners’ package features:

• Cabins with Double or King bed
• Welcome Honeymooners treatment including a Complimentary bottle of Champagne and a Fruit Basket
• A Candle Lit Dinner at our Special Honeymooners location on board our ships (for all our programs outside Greece ) or at a preferred restaurant in Santorini or Mykonos for our Greek cruise programs
• 10% discount for any wedding anniversary on board our ships
• Automatic access to our Variety Club membership
• “ Our Memories” gift at disembarkation
• A free massage for 2, if on board our Harmony V, Variety Voyager and Seychelles program vessel.

‘Renew your vows’ becoming increasingly popular
Variety Cruises is finding that more and more people are choosing to renew their wedding vows later in life and what could be more romantic than doing so at sea where tradition demands the ceremony is conducted by the Captain of the ship.

The Honeymooners’ package is also available to those who choose to renew their vows. For those who are more recently married, Variety insists the cruise must be taken within 6 months of the wedding date and asks to see a marriage certificate.

About Variety Cruises: With its signature style of small cruise ships, Variety Cruises continues to be the premier line for life-enriching journeys created especially for inquisitive travellers. The family-owned Variety Cruises is one of today's largest boutique yacht cruise lines in the world with a fleet of 11 fully owned vessels including mega yachts, sail cruisers and private luxury yachts. The company has announced new 2012 itineraries in the Middle East, West Africa, Mediterranean cruises, The Adriatic, as well two new ships; the new build Variety Voyager Mega Yacht and the refurbished two-masted sail cruiser, Panorama II. All Variety Cruises’ ship host a select number of passengers ranging from 12 to 72, providing the intimacy of a private yacht that can dock into smaller ports of call in cosmopolitan locales. Founded in 2005, with a history dating back to 1949 under the Zeus Cruises name, Variety Cruises’ experiential itineraries embrace each destination, exploring a colourful collection of popular sites and hidden gems in Greece, Turkey, the Adriatic, Italy, France, West Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, Middle East, Southeast Asia and more. In 2011, Variety Cruises was honoured with the Condé Nast Traveller Greece Reader’s Choice Award for Best Small Ship Cruise Company in Greece.

Last Minute Cruises: Bag a Bargain Break On Board

Looking for a last minute deal on summer 2012 holidays doesn’t have to mean you are restricted to an unwanted villa in Spain. Last minute cruises from the Royal Caribbean Cruise International can sail you and your family away to the destination of your dreams for a bargain price.

Whether you are looking for a week away, two or even three, Royal Caribbean Cruise International has itineraries organized to cover Europe, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean islands. Where you go is up to you.

Choosing a cruise holiday no longer demands that you rub shoulders with the snooty, nor is there a feeling of restriction on activity. Modern day liners cater for all, from mature couples to young families and everything in between.

Facilities on-board are superb. Although entertainment and refreshment areas vary depending on your liner of choice, you can expect to be blown out of the water.

Adults can enjoy a selection of bars, a sports center and theater performances. Dining options are plentiful from fine dining experiences to burger bars and cafes. Relaxing days can be spent by one of the ship’s pools and indulging in a spa session, inclusive of tranquil treatments.

Royal Caribbean Cruise treats its passengers to a full board basis during their stay. Wherever you choose to dine, make sure you do it in style and pick that exotic dish you’ve been yearning for.

Children aren’t forgotten on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. From ice skating and rollerblading to the on board H20 mini water parks, there is everything imaginable to make your cruise a memorable holiday for the whole family.

Treating the tots and teens couldn’t be easier than on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Let the cast of their favorite DreamWorks productions join them for dinner, perform live in front of their eyes and hit the big screen.

Search online for the best deals on last minute cruises from Royal Caribbean Cruise International.

A Floating Resort

How would you like to ride on this splendid ship or...I call it floating resort? If the ocean can be as still as this in the picture for all time, I would love to live on this ship. If only this could be true and affordable.  

Photo not mine.

I was wowed the first time I saw this picture tagged by a friend on my Facebook wall. Tsk! To think it's almost time for a beach break, the best time to cool down during the hot-dry season, came this inviting scenery of a floating resort. I couldn't imagine the amazement I will feel when I get to see this ship for real, much more boarding on it and swimming on its pool. Could there be someone genius enough to build this ship with all its fun and luxury?  Whoever invented this ship, which I believe invented on Photoshop sure is a genius for making such fantasy seemed so true. 

The Toilet Ladies

I found this picture funny. Do you know why? Enlarge it if you can't see clearly.

Or maybe I am just too narrow. It's the "Toilet Ladies" that I found funny, which happened to be a perfect label to these ladies who were toilet ladies during the time they were boarding on GP vessel to their educational tour in Cebu. I am very sure my youngest sister was a toilet lady during that sea trip. She was in and out the toilet the entire trip to  either pee or throw up. I am linking this to 366 Blog Photo Challenge, now on its 14th day.

Boating, A Stress-Free Break

Have you done boating before? Boating is one great activity for the whole family because you cannot only enjoy the quality moment together but also the water and the beautiful sceneries. Isn’t it a great way to escape from your busy world for a day or two and enjoy that relaxing break together with your family or with your friends?

Hoseasons brings you a stress-free break with their Silsden cruises. Get ready to jump on their silsden boats that tour you around their cruising routes, which bring you to Silsden wildlife and breathtaking attractions including the beautiful Yorkshire countryside, Worth Valley stream railway and the historic market town in Skipton. One of the boats they have is Dan’s Drum that can surely accommodate the whole family. It is complete with home and kitchen equipments for the whole family’s convenience. And oh, a maximum of two pets are allowed. The boat is a home away from home. Get on board now!

Experience Virginia Beach Fishing

Are you looking for an awesome fishing spot? Virginia Beach Fishing offers an entertaining and a rewarding fishing experience with all the charters there are. Some people take fishing as their means of livelihood while some take it as an entertainment. Every shudder of a fishing rod gives a tang of excitement to the one holding the rod for it means a catch. I could say it is addictive once you have your first catch for it is what I felt when I took my first catch, an ell, off the fishing hook. Some people even considered fishing a sport that they even join full-time fishing operation to any fishing charters. There are several fishing charters you can join in Virginia. One is located in Rudee Inlet on the Atlantic Ocean, which takes pride being a fist class Virginia Beach fishing charter. If you haven’t tried fishing yet, you better try an awesome fishing experience now.

3 Ways to Swiftly and Easily Tack a Sailboat

Tacking is also called coming about, which is a sailing tactic done by making a turn from one side of the wind to another side by having a turn through the direction from which the wind comes. I haven't tried riding a sailboat nor operated it but I found tacking tips that surely be very useful when you think of boat sailing. To make a quick and smooth tack effectively, you should thoroughly follow these steps:

Use a mainsail to tack a small boat
You can tack a small boat with a mainsail only. You can do this by:

• Preparing your tacking task by sheeting the sailboat’s mainsail tightly and closely to the wind without having to lose the speed of the boat.
• Warning other crew when you are about to tack. You need to shouting the “Ready about!” command.
• Transferring to the other boat side when tacking a small boat that does not have a ballast or perhaps has just little one. Make sure to move as fast as you can prevent the boat from capsizing or blowing away.
• Shouting “Hard alee!” when you are ready to tack. It signals that you are going to push the tiller firmly to the lee side which will cause the boat to turn up and then tack.
• Continuing to maneuver the boat to a new direction while the turn carries on. Be careful not to over steer, as this may cause smaller boats to capsize.

Use a jib to tack a sailboat

To tack a sailboat with the use of a jib will require similar steps like the ones above. Although, there are a few additional steps:

• Immediately prior to the turn, prepare the jibsheets. During the tack, release the one being used and bring in another one swiftly while the jib is crossing over to the other side.
• When the jib is blown backward during a tack, it’s time to release the jibsheet. Simultaneously, hurriedly pull in the jibsheet to the other side, preventing the jib from fluttering away to the side.

Be aware of problems that will likely occur when tacking

Being aware of the possible problems that would probably happen while tacking is very important. Here are some points to be cautious of so you are able to handle any of these circumstances when they arise:

• In irons – the boat will stop due to turning the boat very slowly. If this occurs, you need to get back to your usual speed and try the tack again. You can avoid this by speeding up and moving close to the wind before you tack.
• Over-steering – is turning the boat quite far subsequently to a tack. If this happens, you have to lower the sails to accelerate speed. After that you can steadily raise your sail to reach to the hoisted position.
• Snagged sheets – the best solution to this is prevention. To avoid sheets from seizing any foredeck fixture, maintain some tension on the jibsheets before and throughout the tack.