Tag: travel

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/

Where Were you One Year Ago?

So one year ago I was cruising along in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on the Disney Magic. It’s hard to believe that an adventure of a lifetime was only a year ago. I’ve been fortunate to have experienced many great travels and look forward to doing many more in the years that come. For those that want to relive my Transatlantic Voyage, click on tag Transatlantic to the right. Enjoy a few pictures from down memory lane.

From 14-Night Transatlantic Cruise – September 2011
From 14-Night Transatlantic Cruise – September 2011

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/09/where-were-you-one-year-ago/

5 Stages of Travel Interactive Infographic

Explore the five stages of travel and find out how travelers move from dreaming to sharing.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/08/5-stages-of-travel-interactive-infographic/

Sea Days and Canada

So I think that I am finally caught up on sleep and getting back to my normal routine after a great vacation last week. Since I have already posted blogs from Disneyland® and San Francisco, I won’t repeat all of the details on those days of my vacation. After leaving San Francisco, we enjoyed a relaxing two days at sea as we steamed north towards Victoria, Canada. Now, unlike the Caribbean cruises that I am used to doing, I totally misjudged the weather and temperatures outside and ended up breaking down to buy a sweatshirt on the ship. So exactly how bad was the weather? Well, as you can see from the below photos, it was sunny and clear but, we had find and 18 foot seas. Anyone for surfing in the pool?

So with it being almost too cold and too rough to really sit at the pool, what does one do while at sea? Read of course. I think I saw more copies of The Hunger Games and more Kindles/Nooks than I have ever seen in the past and people seemed to find almost any spot on the ship to just curl up. Everyone seemed to be relaxed and taking in what ever world they were transported off to while reading. I managed to read the first to Harry Potter books for the first time and I can now honestly say they are quite good and much better than the movies.

Now even with the seas, it was still a nice time to catch up with my friends ont he ship and explore more of the life below the waterline and life in general on the high seas. I even took the time to treat myself to a nice 75-minute hat bamboo deep tissue massage. I had been eying this one for several cruises and with the right offer this trip, I decided to do it. Let me just say, you can’t get any more relaxed than I felt after this one. Well worth the money.

Our first stop in Canada was Victoria, British Columbia. I’d been to Victoria twice before with the family and now going back on my own and on the best weather day of the trip, I fell in love with this town. I can’t explain in words just how beautiful this down is. It’s modern yet has an old English town feel. It’s just a great place to visit if you have the chance. Also, while in port, Efrain was able to arrange for me to have a special tour on the ship, the Bridge. I feel honored that I was able to see this special part of the ship and with a little encouragement from the Captain, I think I might have found a new calling. What do you all think?

After a perfect day in Victoria, it was time for a nice and slow journey to Vancouver. Vancouver is one of those cities that I have heard so much about and have always wanted to visit and in fact, was one of the main reasons why I booked this cruise. We pulled in at 7am on Sunday morning and were in port for a full 24-hours to explore this amazing city. I decided it was best to book an excursion to start off with from the ship which took us around town, to Stanley Park and then to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. This by far was worth the cost of the excursion. Such amazing views and trails in this park to explore and a really cool walkway along the cliffs to boot! If you don’t like heights, you might not want to do this one but, the views were worth it.

After the morning exploring the forests and town, it was back to the ship to meet up with Efrain after he got off work where we then went back in to town to have a great meal with some of his friends. After dinner, it was back to the ship to finish packing and enjoy one last night aboard the Disney Wonder before returning back to Florida on Monday.

Overall, I am really glad I booked and did this cruise, even if I was traveling alone. I had an amazing time on this trip and mark it down as one of the best cruises I have taken thus far with Disney Cruise Line. I especially want to thank Jason for taking the day and taking me around San Francisco and Efrain for going above and beyond on the ship to really give me the greatest experience and allowing me to see in to his life at sea. I also want to thank the many other Disney Wonder crew members that went out of their way to get to know me and show me a good time, Daniel, Justin, Robin, Steven, Jilly, Lance, thank you all again for a great cruise. Until next time.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/sea-days-and-canada/

Video: World of Color Finale

My new favorite nighttime spectacular, World of Color at Disney California Adventure® Park.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/video-world-of-color-finale/

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/

Greetings from San Francisco!

San Francisco – Greetings once again from the Disney Wonder! I am sitting here in the Outlook Cafe overlooking San Francisco as the fog rolls in. It’s been a busy day thanks to my friend Jason who did a great job of taking me around town and covering so much. I got to ride on a cable car and street car around town and have been to the Golden Gate Bridge, The Castro District, and the Embarcadero just to name a few.

Back on the ship now to warm up since I have been on the go since 9 this morning. The weather is in the mid-60’s but the wind makes it much cooler. We are here until 23:30 tonight so there is always time to get back in to the city before sailing. That’s the update for now. Don’t think that I will be posting any more until after the voyage but that will depend on mobile service. Until then, here are a few fun pictures including the friend that joined me for breakfast this morning and wouldn’t leave.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/greetings-from-san-francisco/

Relaxation at Sea and a Taste of Life Below the Waterline

At Sea – Today marked the first full day of my voyage north to Vancouver. Seas aren’t too bad as we go along but, it is definitely not a Caribbean cruise. I started the day off with a 5-mile run on the elliptical before breakfast and then enjoyed some nice reading time in the Outlook Bar which allows for some nice views but protected from the wind.

After that, it was time for some trivia and then yoga. I am enjoying the relaxation this trip and it is nice to have the sea days to just kick back and relax. The other nice thing about this trip is catching up with old friends. After dinner we had a chance to take in the entertainment and then I got my first tour of life below the waterline. Yes folks, I have now officially seen the bowels of the Disney Magic including I-95. All I can say is wow. I have an entirely new respect for what the crew does. My friend wasn’t able to give me the full tour tonight but plans one for later in the voyage so stay tuned as I head deeper below the waterline.

Bed time now so I can be up early for a full day in San Francisco. Internet is not fully functional so, updates may not post until after the voyage. Keep an eye on my twitter feed for the most up to date since mobile service still works. Till next time.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/relaxation-at-sea-and-a-taste-of-life-below-the-waterline/

Visiting the Happiest Place on Earth

So Sunday was a long travel day for me with getting up early and then heading to the Disneyland Resort right from the airport. It was nice to be back at Disneyland even if it was for only one day. I met up with some people I work with and met a few really awesome people in Guest Relations out there. I was lucky to be able to get all all of the attractions I was hoping to and even got to enjoy the amazing World of Color at Disney California Adventure. Top the visit off with an upgrade at the hotel, it couldn’t have been better. Pictures to be posted when I have better service.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/visiting-the-happiest-place-on-earth/

Time for Another Adventure

Hello again everyone, it’s that time again where I am in the process of getting checked in for my flight and laying out the clothes and suitcases and preparing for my next adventure. This experience has me flying to Los Angeles, CA where I will spend one day in Anaheim at the Disneyland® Resort, which I haven’t back to since 2009, before heading to San Pedro to board the beautiful Disney Wonder for the first time since 2010. I will be taking her from Los Angeles, CA to Vancouver, Canada on what should be an amazing 7-night voyage up the Pacific coast with stops at some amazing ports.

For those that are interested, our ship can be tracked by visiting Marine Traffic. I have also included the itinerary for my trip below. I will be posting on Twitter (@websteth) as long as I have as I have mobile service and I will also try to post updates here when I have internet access and if time allows. Photos from the trip will be posted shortly upon my return to Florida.

7-Night Los Angeles to Vancouver Itinerary:

 

Day Date Port Ashore Onboard
Monday 14-May-2012 LOS ANGELES
Tuesday 15-May-2012 AT SEA
Wednesday 16-May-2012 SAN FRANCISCO 8:00 AM 11:30 PM
Thursday 17-May-2012 AT SEA
Friday 18-May-2012 AT SEA
Saturday 19-May-2012 VICTORIA 8:30 AM 4:30 PM
Sunday 20-May-2012 VANCOUVER 7:30 AM
Monday 21-May-2012 VANCOUVER  7:30 AM

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/time-for-another-adventure/