Tag: photos

I’m Still Here

I just realized that I haven’t even touched the post button on here in a while. I guess that’s what happens when life gets busy. Several fun and exciting trips coming up soon that I will blog about later though. Recently though, I just got back from Lake Hubert, MN for the 105h Anniversary of Camp Lincoln. It was a great weekend up north at the cabin and catching up with some old friends and spending time with Mom and Dad. I also did a 5k while up there and my body is still recovering! Anyways, that’s it for now. Sorry it’s so short. Here are some photos from the last trip for your viewing pleasure. Until next time.

 

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2014/09/im-still-here/

Sailing on a Fantasy

IMG_20130424_115324I am now officially back on dry land after an amazing week on board Disney’s newest vessel, the Disney Fantasy. For those that don’t know, the Disney Fantasy launched just over a year ago at the end of March and is the forth vessel in the fleet for Disney Cruise Line. While she is the same class and design as her sister ship, the Disney Dream, there are many things that have been updated and refined on her that make her what I feel is the very best of what Disney can offer.

I had the wonderful opportunity to sail on the Disney Fantasy with a good friend on a 7-Night Eastern Caribbean cruise that took us to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; San Juan, Puerto Rico and Castaway Cay in the The Bahamas. Along with the ports of call, I got three wonderful days at sea to explore this amazing ship!

IMG_20130423_135747Where to start, the simplest change which turned out to be one of my favorite changes was the addition of the Satellite Falls adult only area on the upper deck. This was the perfect spot to come and relax to read a book and soak up the sun on the deck. I couldn’t have been more pleased with this addition. The other update that I really loved was the whole Europa Adult Entertainment area. All of the night clubs are themed after various places in Europe complete with an authentic Irish Pub and a dance club themed after the London Underground, for those that know me and my travels, you will know that this just rocks my world! Everything else is nearly identical to the Disney Dream but just slightly updated to fit the theme of the ship which matches that of the Disney Wonder.

IMG_20130423_104147The ports of call on this voyage where familiar ones to me with the exception of San Juan which I haven’t been to since I was younger. St Thomas was simply beautiful the day we were in port. I couldn’t have had any better weather. I took the gondola to the top of the island and just enjoyed the view while having a nice cold beverage and catching up on emails. I felt very much like a crew member as I was looking for the available Wi-Fi to connect to. The blue in the water isn’t shown justice in any of my photos from the stop. It was just simply amazingly blue and so clear!

IMG_20130424_130417San Juan was another great stop and I spent the time to explore the old historic forts on the island and with it being National Park Week, there was not admission fees. Score! After walking all over Old San Juan, it was time to return to my new favorite spot on the ship at Satellite Falls to do some more email catch up and just enjoy reading. What a perfect way to cool off and relax for the afternoon!

In addition to the night life and the ports of call, the new shows on the Disney Fantasy are well worth the view. Aladdin and Wishes were simply amazing and I think really show what kind of entertainment Disney is known for and can put on even when you consider that you are on a ship in the middle of the ocean. I was also able to catch Oz-The Great and Powerful in 3D onboard which was a nice added bonus to the trip.

IMG_20130424_115642Even if you don’t have children, an adult can still have a blast on a Disney Cruise. This was the perfect and much needed get away that I needed for the spring where I could just step back and relax and let nothing get to me. I managed to survive with no added weight coming up from the ship as well, thank you Senses Spa and Gym. In addition to the gym, I also completed my first 5K on Disney’s Castaway Cay. You have no idea how fun a run in almost 100% humidity and the Caribbean heat!

I think the other part that made the vacation so wonderful was seeing some old friends that I haven’t had a chance to catch up with in a while since they are off at sea working on the ship. I want to thank all of you for everything you do and for giving me such a wonderful retreat for the week! Hope to see you all again soon!

7-Night Eastern Caribbean

7-Night Eastern Caribbean

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Visiting our Nation’s Capital

IMG_20130209_095100So I’m just getting back in to town after a fun boys weekend with my best friends Jason and David visiting Washington, DC. We totally lucked out and just missed the massive snowstorm the hit just north of DC the day we arrived. The weather for the trip was pretty cool but, at least there wasn’t any snow. We had a full schedule with hitting the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the National Archives right off the bat on day one. OUr second day started early in the morning with a visit to The White House where we got to take a tour inside of it and then off to the Old Ebbitt Grill for a great brunch.

After lunch we continued a nice walk over to the International Spy Museum which not only had the cool history of spy gadgets but, also included a great exhibit on 50 years of Bond Villains with props and gadgets from the films. This was far worth the cost of admission.  After the Spy Museum, it was off to the National Air and Space Museum to start our two day adventure in to the history of flight. After the museum, it was time for a quick nap and then off to dinner with my cousin LIsa and then drinks with my buddy Chris and his girlfriend Nicky before calling it a night. Talk about a long day!

IMG_20130210_120817Sunday was probably one the highlights of the trip, The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Air and Space Museum. This place is simply massive! I don’t know how else to explain it. There are so many amazingly cool planes and aircraft to see from the SR-71 BlackBird to the Concorde and the Space Shuttle Discovery. I don’t think it can be any more breath taking when you see these beautiful planes almost with in touching distance from you. standing under Discovery was truly an awe-inspiring moment. Thanks to my buddy Chris for the drive out there. I can write enough about how amazing this place is. It is definitely worth the visit to. After several hours of visiting the museum, we took a late lunch in Fairfax with Chris before returning back to the city for a nap and then dinner with Jason’s cousins and my friend Wes.

IMG_20130211_134620Our last day proved to be just a busy with a morning tour of the US Capital and then an afternoon visit to the National Botanical Gardens before heading to grab a bite to eat at one of my all time favorite places from living in England, Pret A Manger before heading the final tour of the weekend, the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress was actually pretty neat and I couldn’t help but think of where the President’s Book of Secrets might be thanks to National Treasure. We had planned to visit the Air and Space Museum again before hitting the airport but, due to flight changes, we ended up having to rush back to the hotel and hit the airport much quicker and earlier than we had planned to.

Overall, it was a very fun, yet tiering, weekend with some great fiends to a great city that is loaded with exciting treasures to discover and see. Glad we were able to get up to Washington for a visit and for those the follow my blog regularly, I think I have proved that I don’t always take cruise vacations 🙂

Here are the photos from my latest trip:

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2013/02/visiting-our-nations-capital/

Discovering New Destinations in 2013

Disney_Wonder2013 has started off with a blast this year and I am just returning from my first adventure of the new year. Last week my friend and I went down to Miami for a day and enjoyed the night life in Miami Beach before boarding the Disney Wonder on a 4-Night Bahamian cruise that took us to Key West, Nassau and Castaway Cay. It was a great trip and experiencing Miami Beach and Key West for the first time really made the trip. It was also fun to experience the cruise with a first time cruiser and a group of international friends. The only downfall of the cruise was twisting my ankle on the first night on the stairs, and no, alcohol was not involved but, seeing old friends and making some new ones onboard made up for the downfall.

4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami, FL
Bahamas_4Night

Trip Photos

Home for a few days now and catching up on laundry and house work before heading to Naples, FL to visit the family for the weekend and then back for a few days to Orlando and then off to Washington, DC for a weekend with the boys. Yes, I know I am lucky to be able to do the trips I do. It keeps me going and excited to discover new things and visit new and exciting places.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2013/01/discovering-new-destinations-in-2013/

Back on Dry Land, Again

Well, I am just returning from my most recent trip, a 5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise onboard Royal Caribbean‘s  Liberty of the Seas. This was the first time I tried Royal Caribbean and I must say that while I think I will be sticking with Disney Cruise Line, I still had a great time with my best mate David. Here is what our trip looked like.

5-Night Western Caribbean Itinerary:

 

Day Date Port Ashore Onboard
Saturday 10-Nov-2012 FORT LAUDERDALE
Sunday 11-Nov-2012 AT SEA
Monday 12-Nov-2012 BELIZE CITY 9:00 AM 5:30 PM
Tuesday 13-Nov-2012 COZUMEL 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
Wednesday 14-Nov-2012 AT SEA
Thursday 15-Nov-2012 FORT LAUDERDALE  09:00 AM

We got to do some pretty cool things while on this trip like visit the Altun Ha Mayan Site

And even raced some America’s Cup 21-Metre’s

Overall, it was a great trip! Check out below for more pictures:

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/11/back-on-dry-land-again/

Goodbye Camper

Goodbye Camper. You will always be loved and missed.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/06/goodbye-camper/

Photos: Disneyland and 7-Night Los Angeles to Vancouver Repositioning Cruise

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/photos-disneyland-and-7-night-los-angeles-to-vancouver-repositioning-cruise/

Photos from 4-Night Bahamian Cruise

So things are finally getting back into a grove at work after my short 4-night Bahamian cruise on the beautiful Disney Dream. Not much else to report at this time so I will just post the pictures from the most recent trip.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/02/photos-from-4-night-bahamian-cruise/

Traveling to Harambe

Last week I had one of the most amazing experiences I have ever done while working here at the Walt Disney World® Resort. For those that have visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, you know that there is an attraction called Kilimanjaro Safaris. This attraction takes you on a “two-week” adventure through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve where you get to see lots of animals up-close in their natural habitat from the comfort of a safari vehicle. Up until this year, that was the only way to experience Kilimanjaro Safaris. Now enter in the Wild Africa Trek.

Disney markets this unique experience as part of the Tours and Special Experiences that are offered to Guests who would like to explore more in to the parks than the usual Guest. The description for the Wild Africa Trek is:

Join the ultimate animal adventure! Journey deep into Pangani Forest on a thrilling, privately guided expedition featuring close encounters with exotic wildlife species. Get closer than you ever dreamed possible to Nile crocodiles and massive hippos. Venture on to a VIP safari across an open savanna teeming with native African creatures!

This experience truly is a VIP Safari. Our trek started us through the Pangani Forest where our amazing Guides, Andy and Devin, talked more in depth about some of the animals that are in the walking trail area of Pangani Forest. After walking through the forest, you come up on the hippo pool but this is where the experience really changes than what the average person sees. We exited from the walking trail in to the forest which is part of the Kilimanjaro Safari attraction and got to meet up with several trainers who were feeding the hippos who told us more details about them.

The next stop on the way to the savanna was a walking tour over the crocodiles on a rope bridge. Talk about a unique view and perspective! After crossing this step, it was time to board our VIP safari truck and head out to the savanna to view the animals. Along the way, we made a stop a a private outpost where food was served and yet another unique and VIP viewing experience for the animals in the savanna before returning back to the village of Harambe.

The total experience lasted just over three-hours and costs $189 on top of regular park admission. Included with the price is an exclusive Wild Africa Trek water bottle, a Disney’s PhotoPass® CD with all of the pictures your guide takes on your trip, and a light meal while out on the savanna. If you are looking for that unique experience or are looking for something new and exciting to do while at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, I highly recommend this experience. Below are the rest of my pictures from the experience:

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2011/08/traveling-to-harambe/

Photos: 3-Night Bahamian Cruise on the Disney Dream

Dates: May 19 – May 22, 2011
Ship: Disney Dream
Ports: Port Canaveral, Florida, Nassau, Castaway Cay

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2011/05/photos-3-night-bahamian-cruise-on-the-disney-dream/