Disney Cruises – ideal for families...

Travelling with the Disney cruise line, you can experience superb parts of the world and the magic of all things Disney. A Disney cruise really is the pinnacle in fun, entertainment and adventure for all the family.

For both the young at heart and the young, Disney will offer a cruise experience no one will ever forget. With entertainment shows that rival Broadway, Disney cruises will capture your heart and your imagination.

Adults will still enjoy a relaxing cruise, with spa treatments, great meals and quiet parts of the ship, while the children, of whatever age, will love the magic of Disney. Younger children can take part in stimulating activities in safe areas, while the teenagers enjoy playing all the latest video games or chill in a New York style lounge club.

There is something for everyone on a Disney cruise and it is the finishing touches that make it really special. For example, there are digital portholes that show you some familiar faces along with sea views, Disney characters onboard the ship and other fantastic features that will help to make this a most magical holiday.

There are a number of fly cruises and fabulous itineraries available on Disney cruises, which will show you the most amazing parts of the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Most of their cruises take you to Castaway Cay, a magical and picturesque retreat that is exclusive to Disney.

Lose yourself in the magic of Disney onboard a stunning cruise ship and give your family a holiday that they will never forget.

Republic of Ireland attractions...

Flights to Dublin in the Republic of Ireland bring millions of tourists to the lush, green countryside of this tiny island nation every year.

Dublin may not have the kind of world-class monuments or tourist sites as some other European destinations, but this prosperous, vibrant city does have a rich literary tradition, comfortable pubs, gorgeous Georgian architecture, and friendly locals.

Outside the city there’s a wealth of possibilities for sightseers and holidaymakers who book flights to Dublin and the Republic.  Fishing and surfing off the coast, hiking along Connemara Way, Ring of Kerry, or Wicklow Gap, and much more.

Dublin is home to some fantastic -and free- art galleries.  A few of the best are the National Gallery in Merrion Square; the Hugh Lane Gallery in Parnell Square, and the Irish Museum of Modern Art at the old Royal Hospital in Kilmainham.

If you have the opportunity, journey to Cork and climb the hills to ring the bells at St. Anne’s Church.  Continue on up the stone steps to the parapet that offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the surrounding area.

Get a sense of the true Ireland in County Kerry.  The area is a bit touristy, but Ireland’s two highest mountains are there, as are vast stretches of moorland and stunning coastal views.  There’s also a lot of history and prehistory to investigate:  Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, and Dingle Peninsula must be seen.

The outdoor adventurer is sure to find something to do in Shannon.  From the Cliffs of Moher and Burren’s limestone landscape to Aillwee Cave and Lough Derg, there’s so much natural beauty to discover in this region. 

Cruise Ships Divide Passenger Opinion About Haiti...

Opinion amongst passengers aboard the 4,370-berth Independence of the Seas, owned by Royal Caribbean International is divided as to whether they should have disembarked cruise holiday passengers at the heavily guarded resort of Labadee on the north coast on Friday the 22nd January; a second cruise ship, another Royal Caribbean International cruise liner the 3,100-passenger Navigator of the Seas is due to dock shortly. The highly respected cruise line leases a picturesque wooded peninsula and its five pristine beaches from the Haiti government for passengers to “cut loose” with activities such as water sports, barbecues, and shopping for trinkets at a craft market before returning on board before dusk.

Although the ships are taking in a certain amount of food aid with the Caribbean cruise liners pledging to donate all proceeds from the visit to help the stricken victims of the earthquake many of the passengers are unhappy. One passenger writing on the Cruise Critic internet forum said “I just can’t see myself sunning on the beach, playing in the water, eating a barbecue, and enjoying a cocktail while there are tens of thousands of dead people being piled up on the streets in Port au Prince, with those survivors stunned and looking for food and water.”

A spokesman for Royal Caribbean International is reported as saying that the question of whether or not to “deliver a vacation experience so close to the epicentre of an earthquake” had been subject to considerable internal debate before it decided to include Haiti in its itineraries for the coming weeks, believing it would be beneficial to the recovery of the country. Using Labadee in the itinerary is critical to Haiti’s recovery; hundreds of people rely on Labadee for their livelihood,” said John Weis, vice-president. “In our conversations with the UN special envoy of the government of Haiti, Leslie Voltaire, he noted that Haiti will benefit from the revenues that are generated from each call and we have tremendous opportunities to use our ships as transport vessels for relief supplies and personnel to Haiti. Simply put, we cannot abandon Haiti now that they need us most.”

Friday’s call in Labadee went well, everything was open, as usual and the guests were very happy to hear that 100% of the proceeds from the call at Labadee would be donated to the relief effort. The Independence of the Seas delivered forty pallets comprising rice, beans, powdered milk, water, and canned foods, further supplies are due on two subsequent ships. When supplies arrive in Labadee, they are distributed by Food for the Poor, a long-time partner of Royal Caribbean in Haiti. Royal Caribbean has also pledged $1m to the relief effort and will spend part of that helping 200 Haitian crew members.

Why go on a Cruise...

A cruise is not only a trip to some amazing and exotic destinations, but it’s also a journey you will never forget. You only have to unpack once when on a cruise and you can relax knowing everything is taken care of.

Believe it or not, your money often goes further when cruising than on a land-based holiday. Everything you could ever wish for is included in the one-time price of your cruise. Food, drinks, entertainment and stunning locations are all part and parcel of your cruise holiday.

Companies such as P&O, Carnival Cruises, Thomson and others, all want your cruise holiday to be as special as possible. That’s why they include what would normally be charged as extras on a ‘normal’ holiday; spacious and luxurious staterooms, mouth-watering food, entertainment both day and night, youth programmes, qualified babysitters, children’s clubs, fitness centres and more, are all included in the price of your cruise.

When cruising for the first time, the first thing to do is to narrow down exactly where you want to go. Select a suitable itinerary, the length of holiday and your port of departure and arrival.

After that, you can book your stateroom, choose the location of the cabin, depending on where on the ship you wish to be and arrange for connecting rooms if you are travelling in a party.

After that comes the easy part, book the cruise holiday of a lifetime and wait for the departure date to come around. You can book through your travel agent, online at reputable holiday dealers or direct with the cruise company.

Skiing holidays on a budget...

OK, so we all know that skiing isn’t the cheapest holiday in the world but with a bit of planning ahead and lateral thinking you can make your spending money go a long way. So, before you dismiss ski holidays as too expensive why not consider doing the following?;

Go Self Catering - Full board is fantastic and eating out every night is a real treat but if you book accommodation with a kitchen you can save a lot of money. Stocking up at the local supermarket or local market and cooking the majority of your own meals will leave you enough money for a couple of really good meals out. Don’t forget to take provisions out with you on the slopes too so you are not spending too much on apres ski goodies .

Local Transport – Find out if the local bus can get you to the slopes or if your resort runs a cheap shuttle bus service. Or investigate other options such as taxi sharing.

Book a later date - Avoid the school holidays and the usual busy periods and you could bag yourself a bargain. If you plan your trip for late spring you may also be able to take advantage of non-holiday rates at resorts. The snow is often better at that time of year too which makes it perfect for ski deals.

Gen up - Try and found out as much as you can about your resort before you go so you get an idea of where to shop, eat and hang out. The internet is a great way to source bargains and offers, especially out of season deals. When you arrive make sure you pick up the local paper and also keep an eye out for signs and flyers advertising 2-for-1 meals and happy hours.

Glasgow – Finding your way around...

Visitors to Glasgow who stay mainly within the city centre will find it easy to get around on foot.  The centre itself is reasonably compact with the main shopping area based in and around just three roads – Argyle Street, Sauchiehall Street and Buchanan Street.  If arriving by rail, Central Station will bring you to this section of the city.

If you want to explore a little further away from the city centre then the Glasgow underground system will prove useful.  It is called the Subway and it is a simple circular system that runs around the city centre and reaches out to some of the suburbs.  It has stops at the university and the Ibrox Stadium and is a reasonably priced form of public transport. 

Surface trains can also be used to reach the suburbs and neighbouring towns, though visitors may find that some routes may not be as frequently served as some other forms of transport.

Glasgow has one of the best bus services in the country.  Most routes will have a bus every 10 minutes at each stop so getting around is easy during the day, though the frequency changes in the evening and timetables should be checked carefully.  Be aware that for security reasons change is not available on some buses as the drivers have no access to cash, so you will need to have the right money available.  

There are a variety of travel cards for using public transport and details of these can be obtained from any bus or railway station when you arrive in the city.

Chartering Your Own Ship...

Chartering your own cruise ship may seem a little farfetched, but you may find that many cruise companies will be happy to offer a whole ship for you and your group. However, it is also possible to reserve only half the ship, so if the cost of a full vessel will be above budget, this will could be an ideal alternative.

You will find that booking a full ship for your society or corporation will require a minimum number of guests. Large cruise ships will require passenger numbers in the thousands; Carnival cruises, for example, require at least 2,000 for short cruise holidays and 3,000 for longer trips. The price tag for a large ship could be anywhere from £700,000 to £4 million, so it easy to see that the majority of us will be out of the market.

However, partial chartering offers great value in comparison to reserving an entire ship. Cruise lines can give away 20, 40 or 50% of their cabins to a group or corporation, but as payment will be required in advance this is not a recommended option for smaller organisations where there are likely to be cancellations.

For smaller groups it is best to block-book your cabins through a travel agent, who will usually return the favour and pass on any discount from the cruise line. No matter how many people you choose to travel with, this will be a great option to save on the cost of your tickets.

Getting Around in Egypt...

Most major commercial flights to Egypt land at Cairo International Airport, located about 24kms from the city centre. Borg El Arab, in Alexandria and Luxor airport are the other two large airports in the country serving international travellers.

A valid passport is required for visitors from the United States, Canada and all EU countries. Visa requirements change on short notice, so it’s best to check out current conditions before departing on flights to Egypt.

Domestic flights, within the country, are plentiful and can save lots of time for travellers looking to explore Egypt. National carrier, Egypt Air, handles most domestic flights and while flying from place to place is not the most cost-effective option, it can get you where you want to go, very quickly.

Public transport, throughout the country, is generally safe and reliable. Buses are affordable and run on efficient, well-maintained routes that go to almost every major attraction. Train travel is also reliable, but can be the slowest method of transport. Rail travel, in non-stop, air-conditioned cars, is far better for longer trips than taking the slower trains that make local stops.

The taxi service is readily available and safe. This is an inexpensive option and taxis operate from all the main tourist destinations. Some services even offer large vehicles capable of transporting up to a dozen people. The only real downside of travelling by taxi is that you won’t have much control over when you leave, especially if you’re on board a large, group service vehicle. It is also difficult to discover how long it will take to get to your next destination.

Moving to the UAE for a job?...

If you are, like many Brits today, considering escaping our economic woes and taking one of the many jobs in the UAE, then you’ve got a lot of practical considerations to make.

While the economy in the Middle East has suffered some shocks and setbacks (as we saw in Dubai recently) the wealth of the region is still based on oil – and oil is still incredibly in demand. That means a whole raft of support infrastructures have grown up around the industry, from financial services to IT positions and legal services that are relatively secure compared to many similar positions in Europe.

Of course, making the leap isn’t exactly like taking a job that involves a bit of a commute. If you decide to move out there, you’re typically looking at a permanent or semi-permanent move. Contracts of 6-18 months are commonplace, but many people find themselves staying there for years.

Luckily, Western workers are well catered for. An increasingly outward-looking society, the UAE has gone to great pains to established Western-style amenities like shopping malls, golf courses, English language TV and consequently has developer a thriving expatriate community.

Many people thinking of living and working abroad feel that the biggest problem will be losing touch with the folks back home. Now, thanks to innovations such as Skype and video messaging, catch-ups with family and friends are easy and cheap. In fact, not only that, but your family can always come to visit you, thanks to the wide availability of cheap flights to Riyadh or other population centres in the region.

If you’re thinking of making the move, then there a whole raft of other complications, but it’s an increasingly practical move for many thousands of Brits and you should no longer just rule it out out of hand.

Find a luxury cruise with Carnival Cruises...

If you are looking to save on your cruise holiday this year, Carnival will come highly recommended. Not only can they offer all the popular destinations of other cruise operators, but you can often find the same cruise for a significantly cheaper price – provided you book at the right time of course.

Carnival cruises have one objective on mind – fun. Each ship of their impressive fleet can provide an exhilarating selection of activities and entertainment that is sure to appeal to all members of the family.

Their ships are separated into different classes, to differentiate between size and capacity, and there are some truly spectacular boats on display.

One of the highlights is the Carnival Valor, which is part of the Conquest Class. The Ivanhoe theatre is easily the glamorous centrepiece, but other attractions include the Twister waterslide, the Carnival Valor Shogun Club Casino and the Valor Spa.

If you are looking for a cruise holiday for the family that will also give you some time to yourself, the Valor will be the perfect choice. As well a host of clubs and venues that are strictly ‘kids-only’, there are some real luxurious restaurants and bars that will be perfect locations to while away an evening.

Carnival Cruises know that the cruise market is changing – more and more young travellers are being attracted to holidays on the seas. However, they can still appeal to experienced cruisers and know exactly what to provide for an unforgettable experience. Carnival will be a great choice to suit everyone’s requirements.