Tuesday, March 11, 2008

World Cruise Moving South

This vacation is only for true cruise lovers and/or people with lots of leisure time. However, it is also possible to break this incredible exploration into segments. You could take this cruise in sections on different years if you are unable to spend 67 straight days being pampered. This is a definite bragging rights cruise. How many people do you know that have completed a world cruise?

Here are some of the highlights of this incredible exploration aboard Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Voyage). This trip (southbound) occurs in the fall which allows you to see the fall foliage in New England.

Arctic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Caribbean Sea
Pacific Ocean
Iceland
British Isles
Nova Scotia
New England in the fall
New York City
Charleston, SC
Key West
Belize City
Guatemala
Honduras
Panama and the Panama Canal
Ecuador
Peru
Chile
Antarctica
Argentina

Your itinerary for this world exploration aboard Hurtigruten is shown below.

Day 0: You will depart for Iceland

Day 1: You will depart Reykjavik, Iceland aboard your Hurtigruten cruise ship

Day 2: Heimaey, Iceland

Day 3: At Sea in the Atlantic Ocean

Day 4: Sornoway, Scotland

Day 5: Oban, Scotland

Day 6: Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Day 7: Douglas, UK

Day 8: Cork, Ireland

Day 9: Galway, Ireland

Day 10-13 At Sea in the Atlantic Ocean

Day 14: St Johns, Newfoundland

Day 15: St Pierre

Day 16: Sydney, Nova Scotia

Day 17: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Day 18: Bar Harbor, Maine

Day 19: Glouchester, Massachusetts

Day 20: Oak Bluffs

Day 21: Newport, RI

Day 22: NY, NY

Day 23: At Sea in the Atlantic Ocean

Day 24: Charleston, SC

Day 25: Savannah, Georgia

Day 26: Port Canaveral, Fl

Day 27: At Sea in the Atlantic Ocean

Day 28: Key West, Fl

Day 29: At Sea in the Caribbean Sea

Day 30: Belize City, Belize

Day 31: Santo Thomas de Castilla, Guatemala

Day 32: Roatan, Honduras

Day 33: At Sea in the Caribbean Sea

Day 34: San Andreas Island, Columbia

Day 35: Puerto Limon (San Jose), Costa Rica

Day 36: Bocas del Toro, Panama

Day 37: San Blas Island, Panama

Day 38: Christobal, Panama

Day 39: Fuerte Amador, Panama

Day 40: Cross the Equator

Day 41: Manta, Ecuador

Day 42: At Sea in the Pacific Ocean

Day 43: Salaverry (Peru)

Day 44: At Sea in the Pacific Ocean

Day 45 & 46: Callao, Peru

Day 47: General San Martin, Peru

Day 48: At Sea in the Pacific Ocean

Day 49: Arica, Chile

Day 50: Iquique, Chile

Day 51: At Sea in the Pacific Ocean

Day 52: Coquimbo, Chile

Day 53: Valparaiso, Chile

Day 54: At Sea in the Pacific Ocean

Day 55: Puerto Montt, Chile

Day 56: Puerto Chacabuco, Chile

Day 57 & 58: Cruising the Chilean Fjords

Day 59: Puerto Natales, Chile

Day 60: Punta Arenas, Chile

Day 61: Cruise the Beagle and Cockburn channels

Day 62: Cruise past Cape Horn

Day 63 - 66 Antarctica

Day 67 Antarctica & Depart in Buenos Aires

It would take a very large report to include details on each of these ports but stay tuned for this information in the future. I hope you have the time and money for this trip. If you do please drop me a line.

Have an adventurous day.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Exploring the East Coast

This is a beautiful exploration of the entire east coast. This trip is only available from Lindblad twice a year as it is a repositioning cruise. You will learn the secrets of coastal life while enjoying some beautiful scenery and culture from some great coastal cities such as New York, Washington DC, Yorktown, Charleston. All of this is enjoyed aboard the new National Geographic Explorer.

Day 1: Your trip will begin (southern route) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. You can always plan on arriving a little early to explore this scenic area. There are some tours leaving from Halifax (such as Grayline.com) that you could enjoy to the famous Peggy's Cove Lighthouse if you arrive a day early. You will board the National Geographic Explorer in the waterfront area.

Day 2: Enjoy a exploration of the Brier Island Nature Preserve. After that you will cruise the Bay of Fundy which has the highest tides in the world, as much as 50 feet. You will watch for whales and dolphins as they enjoy feeding in these rich tidal waters.

Day 3: You will dock in Camden, Maine a very picturesque coastal village and one of my own east coast favorites. Enjoy exploring the center of this village and look for seals in the harbor.

Day 4: You will cruise through the Cape Cod Canal to Martha's Vineyard. You will enjoy the day on the Island of Martha's Vineyard.

Day 5: Cruise into New York City where you will pass the Statue of Liberty. Enjoy the day choosing from many options for exploring New York City and enjoy a great reception later with awesome city views.

Day 6: A relaxing day at sea

Day 7: You will cruise Chesapeake Bay and enjoy touring Washington DC. You will enjoy a special visit to the Smithsonian Institution. You will enjoy a memorable reception in the evening.

Day 8: Enjoy Jamestown, Virginia a historic colonial settlement. You will also visit Yorktown which was the site of the first battle of the Revolutionary War.

Day 9: Enjoy the view of beautiful coastal beaches as the ship cruises to Cape Lookout National Seashore. Enjoy the beautiful beaches and coastal habitats. You will also be able to see the famous Black and White lighthouse.

Day 10: Beautiful Charleston will be your destination today. Charleston is very scenic with old mansions and buggy tours are easily found. You will learn about the history of Charleston today. If you are a great food lover there are several tremendous restaurants here, as well as some rare imported beers. I first had Meisel Hefe Weiss (I apologize if this is misspelled) here, a tremendous 'light wheat' German beer.

Day 11: Today you will enjoy Cumberland Island and Fernandina Beach. Explore the palmetto forests and enjoy the wild horses and other wildlife.

Day 12: A relaxing day will be spent cruising the Florida Coast. You will learn about the marine life from the staff and keep your eyes open

Day 13: Arrive at Miami and disembark. You could choose to extend your exploration a little more by visiting the florida keys for snorkeling, fishing or exploration. Another option would be renting a car and driving Alligator Alley through the Florida Everglades.