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Vacation on a cruise ship

The luxury of the interiors is the main shock of the first hours of the cruise. All these Swarovski grand pianos, Swarovski steps, elevators, reflections, the diversity of bar interiors... I advise you to take a map of the liner at the reception or in the cabin and spend time navigating the rough Swarovski terrain. This will definitely come in handy in the future. Accommodation. We had a cabin with a balcony on deck 9 (price category 7). Don't be surprised, category and deck number don't match. Those who took the 13th deck (11th category of price) I feel a little sorry for. The fact is that the 14th deck seriously hangs over the 13th, forming, as it were, a long visor, skillfully covering the sky. Therefore, I still consider that we were very lucky with the deck level and number.
Nutrition. Well, everything is simple. If you want culinary troubles and lose weight - a la carte restaurants are your choice. If you want something simple and Swedish: you are on the 14th deck in the huge Boro-Boro. By the way, many do not go deep, but in vain. Behind Boro, there is a Pago Pago restaurant, it is absolutely the same as Boro, only you can sit on the stern and look at the outgoing sea from the 14th deck. I don't know about the rest, but we both had breakfast and lunch in Boro and Pago because of the amazing panoramic views that floor-to-ceiling windows form. Meeting the sunrise at breakfast is something! For dinner, everyone goes according to the places that are written in the map.The dinner menu is, um, very interesting. During the whole week of sailing, we had a strong feeling that the length of the name is inversely proportional to the number on the plate. The name of one dish can take three lines, and when it is brought, the Russian guy needs five times as much to eat. But no one bothers if you order the same thing again. The menu is varied, you can fantasize and experiment. All food is really free. With the exception of individual paid desserts on the menu.Tours. We corresponded with local guides, and, if inexpensive, took a tour from them in Russian. (I can advise Inna Revenchuk in Palermo - the perfect guide, inpirro@gmail.com) Prices for excursions on the ship in English are from 40 to 80 euros per person. Russian groups charge even more. Therefore, we did not bother: when going ashore, we took a taxi (15-20 euros) to the center and walked using maps downloaded from the Internet.

May is the very month when we stop thinking about work. The sun is warming, the calendar is full of weekends, someone goes to nature for barbecues, and someone is already actively rotating the globe and looking for where to go on vacation. The variety of choice is very pleasing, you can choose a beach holiday by the seas and oceans, sightseeing tours in Europe, or travel to exotic islands. In May, there is still no that sweltering heat, a comfortable temperature, the sea is warming up and the season is already starting in most resorts, nevertheless, the prices for holidays in May are not so bite.

Perhaps May is one of the best months to visit European cities. You can forget about outerwear, dress boldly in summer and take a walk along La Rambla in Barcelona, ​​take a picture in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, see with your own eyes how the famous Cannes Film Festival takes place and watch that indescribable riot of colors in the Royal Park of Flowers in the Netherlands, where in early May, thousands of tulips are still in bloom.Before the summer heat comes to Turkey, you have a great chance to go to sunny Istanbul - a city where all the best of European and Eastern culture is collected. The temperature in May is already comfortable for walking. You can walk through the Grand Bazar, see the famous Blue Mosque, or visit the modern art gallery, and in the evening go to one of the many nightclubs. Istanbul is a city of contrasts. Another interesting region worth seeing in May is Cappadocia. This unique place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia will be remembered for a lifetime.    If after a long winter you still want to bask on the beach and splash in the sea, choose the Mediterranean coast: Antalya, Kemer, Side, Alanya are already waiting for their tourists in May. The air temperature during the day rises to +26 degrees, you definitely won’t stay without a tan, and the water in the Mediterranean Sea is not so warm yet - about + 22 degrees, so swimming is refreshing. Do not forget that the prices for holidays in May are very affordable, because this is the very beginning of the season on the coast and the time of big discounts.Morocco Bali 

about cruises in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean with a child

I used to think that only very wealthy people could afford to travel on a huge snow-white liner. This myth was dispelled when, on a travel forum, I accidentally saw a sale of Caribbean cruises: $ 200 for a week tour on a five-star ship! I had a shock in the good sense of the word, and I began to study the websites of cruise companies for a long time and painstakingly. It turned out that a cruise can be bought really inexpensively (including air tickets, the rest will be comparable to a trip, say, to Thailand or Western Europe). As a result, we have already gone on a cruise twice: in the Mediterranean in 2011.
There is an opinion that cruises are boring and such a vacation is more suitable for pensioners. Yes, there are a lot of elderly people on the liners. Moreover, the higher the status of the ship, the more elderly people. This is because it is very convenient to relax on a cruise. Almost every day you find yourself in a new place, but you don’t have to go anywhere, fly, drag a suitcase, plan a route and spend time moving. Loaded things once, settled down and that's it! This is especially important when traveling with a small child or in the last months of pregnancy.If you want - walk, go sightseeing, go to the beach, if you don't want - stay on the ship, swim in the pool, sunbathe, sleep, sit in a restaurant. A cruise can be a very dynamic holiday, or it can become a complete relaxation. It all depends on the wishes of the guests. When I talk about cruises, I get asked two questions all the time.1. Does the ship rock? On modern liners, such powerful stabilizers are now installed that pitching is not felt at all. At some point, you generally begin to forget that you are at sea. It seems that this is an ordinary hotel somewhere on the coast. We felt slight hints of pitching when we went to the Caribbean Sea through the Atlantic Ocean. But it was only swaying when we did not experience any negative emotions, and the child slept better than usual.2. Is there any discomfort from the fact that there are about 2000-3000 passengers and about the same number of attendants on the ship at the same time? No. The ship is huge, and everything is so perfectly organized that we have never seen pandemonium. There is always a free table in the restaurant, you can always swim in the pool, go to the evening show, there are never queues for elevators and so on. Even when the liner berths in a new port, you can always leave freely, and even enter later. In Egyptian hotels there is more pandemonium.How to buy a cruise ticket? Cruises are sold by USA travel agencies, but comparing prices, I saw that the “cheat” from the official price of the cruise company is 50-100%. Yes, the cost of the tour includes the services of a Russian-speaking guide, but is it worth paying so much for an interpreter? The minimum knowledge of English is quite enough to buy a cruise, and, already being on the ship, to navigate and understand everything. Everything is organized so simply and clearly that even with a couple of dozen English words you can safely travel.The ticket price depends on the duration of the cruise and the type of cabin. The cheapest is internal, without a window. The most expensive is a penthouse with several rooms. Both times we took the middle option - a cabin suite with a balcony. With a child, this is especially convenient, because when the child is sleeping, you can safely chat on the balcony, looking at the sea, without fear of waking him up. The sites, as a rule, indicate the cost of the trip per person based on double occupancy. Children are not always free! You have to look at some of the specials. For example, I bought under the promotion “the third person in the cabin is free”, so even if an adult was traveling with the child, he would also be free.What to do on board a cruise ship? The liner has a concert hall with such equipment that will give odds to most St. Petersburg halls. There are real Broadway shows, concerts, dance performances twice a day, at eight and ten in the evening, so my husband and I managed to watch the show in turn (Alice did not appreciate the theater). There is a library with books in different languages, including Russian; game room with checkers, chess, dominoes and puzzles. There is a real casino, a jogging track, a basketball court, a cinema, several shops, a beauty salon and a SPA. And, of course, pools with sun loungers and many viewing platforms where you can sit and admire the sea, sunset and even dolphins.

    Traveling on cruise ships every year is becoming more and more popular not only all over the world, but also in Ukraine. Cruise companies offer more and more interesting routes. But like any tourist product, cruises have their own seasonality. So, we propose today to determine the best time for a sea voyage. To do this, it is important to know the sailing region, because each of them has a high season and low dates when liners are not represented in the region, due to the change of seasons they change the sailing region. Also, the best time for a cruise is determined by the climate of a particular region, the likelihood of storms, excursion opportunities.     The Mediterranean is one of the most popular destinations for summer holidays. Greece, Italy, Turkey, French Riviera, Monaco, Spain - all these countries have access to the Mediterranean Sea. It is here that a huge number of marinas are concentrated. The yachting infrastructure in Europe is second to none. Therefore, if you crave new experiences, be sure to take a trip on a yacht in the Mediterranean. This area covers a large number of countries, cultures and landscapes. You can rent a yacht with a professional skipper or buy a ready-made tour - it all depends on your capabilities and preferences.
    The best time to sail on the French Riviera The Côte d'Azur has a typical Mediterranean climate. The high season lasts from late April to early October. Summer here is hot and dry, the maximum temperature (+35°C) is observed in July and August. Winds in the French Riviera during the summer are usually weak. However, sometimes, for 1-2 days, a strong northwestern mistral blows.Yacht routes in Italy may include the Amalfi Coast, Naples, Portofino, Sardinia, Capri, Sicily, Venice, the Tuscan archipelago. During the trip you will enjoy the crystal clear sea and the untouched landscapes of the Aeolian Islands, the rocky coasts of the Gulf of Naples, the emerald green of the Costa Smeralda.The best time for yacht tours in Italy Continental, alpine, oceanic and Mediterranean climates merge in this region, creating favorable conditions for sea voyages. The best time for a yachting holiday in Italy is from June to early September. The maximum air temperature in the high season reaches +31°C, and water - +26°C.

A small prefaceRecently, cruise vacations have become increasingly popular, and this is not surprising. The cruise provides an opportunity not only to have a great rest, constantly being in the fresh air, but also to get acquainted with interesting tourist sites and natural attractions. It can be considered as the most comfortable form of sightseeing tour. Formally, we can say that a cruise is a group excursion tour in which a ship is used as a means of transportation. In fact, this main feature leads to great differences between cruises and bus tours.

1. Sea cruises

• The mode of passing the route is noticeably different. At night, the ship mainly stays in ports, and the passage of the route is carried out for the most part during daylight hours. This is due to the fact that the observation of the coast, with the cities and natural attractions located on them, is one of the main components of the excursion program itself and is a great pleasure.

 

about the mediterranean cruise

Going on vacation, we opted for a Mediterranean cruise. In part, our choice was this, because my husband went to sea for 10 years before and wanted to feel like a passenger on a luxury liner. Plus, a good promotion turned up on the MSC Splendida liner. We were very glad that our journey began with the eternal city of Rome, which you need to get to at least once in your life!From the trip, first of all, we expected rest. And I'll tell you that on the liner it's still a vacation! During the day you go sightseeing, in the evening and at night you have fun in the theater, bar and with animators. Secondly, I wanted to visit a cruise ship for the first time. This is a pool, a buffet, a restaurant and passengers in elegant dresses and suits, every evening a chic performance in the theater and constant luxury around!We got from Fiumicino airport to Rome by bus, which stops at Roma Termini station. Our hotel was located almost near the station, where we got on foot from the bus stop. Check-in to the hotel went quickly, without delays and complaints. I have already been to Italy several times and noticed that breakfast is usually early and not heavy. But regardless, delicious! There are absolutely no problems with food on the liner. If you want, go to a restaurant, the truth is there on time, if you want - to a buffet, where nothing is limited by time, as well as the amount of food on your plate. During the week on the cruise, we tried everything!

Rich Mediterranean cruise program

    The service during the cruise was great! The cabin was always tidy, clean and tidy. In general, we have long wanted to go on a sea cruise. Relaxing in a huge five-star hotel with full board, which also moves - what could be better? In each of the ports, we tried to walk as much as possible on our own. In Rome, we were insanely impressed by the Trevi Fountain. Unfortunately, we did not get to the Vatican, as it was scheduled for the return trip, and the liner was delayed, as I described earlier. In Genoa we really liked the Galata Museum and the submarine nearby. In Marseille, the weather let us down - there was just a crazy wind and it was not possible to walk in such weather for a long time.Most of all I remember visiting the Cathedral of Our Lady. In Barcelona, ​​we walked along the main street and devoted a lot of time to La Sagrada Familia. We got to the local market - it's very interesting there! In Tunisia, it was interesting in a different way, after all, a different culture, different sensations. We ended up in the town of Sadi Bou Said, where there are beautiful white and blue houses and a continuous bazaar along the streets. We got to the ruins of Carthage, it's really not as interesting there as in the ruins of Rome.    I want to say that if you have children, then this type of trip is definitely for you! We looked at passengers with children - insanely convenient. They play with animators, everywhere there is an opportunity to drive a stroller or change a diaper. And be sure to take a few days on top before or after the cruise to see the city where you originally arrive. You will get double the pleasure! I hope you enjoyed my review of the Mediterranean cruise. I recommend to go on a Mediterranean cruise to all friends and acquaintances!

 How best to route

     Keep in mind that the average walking speed is 4-6 km per hour. Before planning a trip for a longer route, determine your walking speed, as well as assess your fitness. Never go hiking in new and unworn shoes, it is better to put on old boots. As much as you can - walk along the seashore with bare feet. This is useful. If you plan a long hike in one direction and the direction is not so important, go "downwind". So save your energy and go much more.

Don't go back the same way. Arrange with the owner of the rural house or with friends to take your bag to your destination. For a half-day or full-day hike, be sure to bring a waterproof jacket, a pair of dry socks, a map of the area, a phone, a small bottle of water and food at a time in a small bag so that your stomach does not rebel. 

Where to go for advice 

Travel safety 

Move quietly in natural areas and remember that in Latvia forest animals (normal) do not attack humans. However, it is better not to climb a dormant elk. A disturbed boar will usually startle with an angry grunt and rush off in the opposite direction. Ein aus dem Schlaf gestörtes Wildschwein wird auch nur böse grunzen und kurz entgegen rennen. If the behavior of a wild or domestic animal seems strange, it is best to bypass it. Rabid animals are very dangerous to people and animals, so report it to your local authorities!