Pacific Coastal cruise

I always have good intentions. Last week I had planned on blogging everyday on my Pacific Coastal cruise, especially since I figured I would not get off at every port (Santa Barbara, San Francisco, San Diego & Ensenada). Well, here it is day 7 and this is only my second blog post!  I guess since I am traveling with several people I know, I am busier than expected. Being a Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce fundraiser we have had our own Happy Hour party on the first day at sea and another one tonight for our last night onboard. Went walking along State Street in Santa Barbara, went to Ghirardelli Square and took cable car to Powell & Market to have a drink and people watch in San Francisco. Yesterday in San Diego we got off for lunch at Anthony’s. Right now the ship is in Ensenada but I am finally staying onboard. I am currently writing this on a lounge chair by the pool. Too noisy on our balcony since we are on the land side of the ship and forward by where the seals lay on the rocks. They are quite loud and talkative. Well, time to go to lunch. I am enjoying this cruise  so much I can’t believe we get off tomorrow! Good thing I went this morning to the Future Cruise desk and paid a reduced deposit to get shipboard credit on my next Princess cruise (I have 4 years to book it).

Pacific Coastal Cruise

I got onboard the Sapphire Princess on Saturday and went up to the Horizon Court for the buffet lunch while waiting for the rest of the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce passengers to arrive. I'm in one of eight cabins sold as part of a fundraiser for the chamber. I normally explore the ship the first day but not this time, in part because we sailed away early (4pm). Sunday we arrived in Santa Barbara. I believe the most popular shore excursion was to the wineries but I just got off and did a little walking along State Street. Back onboard to relax. Went to an Animals Lovers Get Together but was not hosted so did not know who were the other animal lovers to show a picture of my dog sitting in my luggage while I was packing. Today was a full day at sea with sightings of whales and dolphins during the morning.  Still have not done the normal exploring of the ship but have experienced several of the bars, theatres and of course the casino. It is a beautiful ship although getting to the International Dining room can be an adventure since you can not go the that deck from the front and walk to the back due to the galley placement. Tomorrow is San Francisco. Will write more.

Update

We are trying to adjust to the change in the way people communicate via social media and market ourselves in this new arena. Travel is a business that has peaks and valleys. We can have periods of time where we are constantly busy handling inquiries and sales. When it is a little quieter, it is time to do clean up work and do some travelling ourselves. Finding time to blog and tweet on a regular, constant basis has been hard but we are trying to make an effort. Since we are half way through the summer months and several clients are currently on their trips, it is time to catch up. I will blog about our last two cruises.

Christchurch, New Zealand - Earthquake Update

Just over a week ago, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck very near Christchurch, one of the "must see" cities on the South Island of New Zealand.  The devastation caused by this earthquake severely impacts travelers bound for this destination.

NZ Civil Defense officials have assessed the condition of over 12,000 properties (largely in the central city area) and have deemed over 1,400 of these as "off limits" and in danger of collapse at any time.  The city continues to experience regular aftershocks which threaten to cause further damage.

The city center area remains cordoned off from public access as search & rescue teams forge onward with recovery operations.  Although many hotels ARE open, we recommend avoiding traveling into the city of Christchurch for at least the next two months while the recovery operation continues.

We still recommend traveling and tours to the South Island, and remind everyone that Christchurch airport, a gateway to many South Island tours, remains fully operational.

Obviously, the situation in Christchurch continues to evolve.  MY TRAVEL AGENT and our many travel partners will continue to monitor the news coming out of this beautiful region of New Zealand so that we can advise our clients properly regarding any travel plans you may have. 

Oceania MARINA Ship Inspection - 2/23/2011

Paula & I were fortunate enough to be invited to tour Oceania Cruise Lines newest ship MARINA while it was in port this week in Los Angeles.

MARINA is a brand new ship, built in 2011, with the following specifications:

1)  Gross Tonnage = 65,000
2)  Length = 774 ft
3)  Beam = 105 ft
4)  Cruising Speed = 20 knots
5)  Total Decks = 16
6)  Guest Capacity = 1,250 passengers (double occupancy)
7)  Staff Size = 800

After checking in at the newly refurbished Port of Los Angeles cruise center, we gathered onboard in the Horizons Lounge, Deck 15, to be greeted by Oceania staff & crew, with complimentary wine, champagne, and beverages.

Our self-guided tour lasted approximately an hour, in which we were able to see all of the public areas of the ship, several categories of stateroom cabins, and all of the specialty dining rooms onboard.

Oceania then served a luncheon in the Grand Dining Room, after which we disembarked from the vessel.

Our overall impression of the MARINA is that it is a VERY elegant ship, with upscale and premium amenities in many areas.  The rooms are very well appointed, and the higher end suites are quite luxurious.

The dining room staff was very pleasant and attentive, and the food was excellent.

The MARINA is currently sailing Panama Canal and Caribbean itineraries, but will soon cross the Atlantic and begin sailing various European itineraries during the summer of 2011.