Dunedin and Akaroa

Hi all,

We arrived in Dunedin, New Zealand this morning to another beautiful fall day.  This part of NZ is filled with very large trees, beautiful vistas and very friendly people.  Kim and I took a shuttle from the dock area into Dunedin and hiked over a mile from the center of the city, through the shopping district, across a very old university to the Botanical Gardens.  We spent a couple of hours enjoying the gardens, flowing water and birds from across NZ.  An incredible garden with some great people to show you around and talk about the plants and country.  (Mama – wouldn’t Mrs. Scott be proud!)

We hiked back and ate lunch with the locals at a nice restaurant with bluff oysters, NZ wine, shoestring potatoes and great bread.  The locals were good company and shared their opinions as to why we should return to NZ and just avoid Australia.  The cost of items and the exchange rate here is on par with the US.

No luck tonight in the Casino.  We are setting them up for a big win later in the cruise!!!!

Keith Q

We are now in the town of Akaroa, NZ.  We have been on another hike to see two cemeteries and a garden called the Garden of Tane.  If we were in the right place the garden is more of a beautiful trail than a garden as we know them.  We had heard some wonderful birds and seen some lovely apples hanging from the trees.  We are finding internet services at the local libraries which are free.  Seems as if everyone from the ship is here.     

Fiordland Nation Park, New Zealand

Hi all,

We are currently sailing the Fiordland National Park at the bottom of the south island of New Zealand (April 18 @ 11 AM).  It is a little cold and windy, but very beautiful clear skies.   The park ranger that boarded our ship indicates this is an unusual clear day.   This area of New Zealand gets 24 feet of rain per year.  Waterfalls and rainforests are abundant!  (Russell – the park ranger mentioned that they are over populated with Red Deer and allow hunting from helicopters – sounds like a great get-a-way!)

We just left the Milford Sound where we went in and turned around.   We are headed for the Thompson Sound then the Dusky Sound for sightseeing before traveling to Dunedin by morning.

Kim tied for 1^st last night in the Poker Tournament.  They decided to split the pot rather than playing it out.  I had a good night in the Casino with a rather skillful run at 3 card poker – if I say so myself!

Our wonderful house sitter (Shanna Watson) reports everything is going well at the house.  It is a great comfort knowing that things are being looked after.  She has not mentioned the puppies (our little terrorist) so that could be an issue!

Take Care!

The problem with the deer is they don’t belong here.  They were brought in with wapiti and possums.  Now they are eating away at the under story foliage and causing erosion. They even make products out of a combination of possum and sheep fur/wool called something mink.   

As far as Keith saying he was rather skillful at 3 card poker.  He really picked a lucky seat as there is not any skill in the game.  But he did bet well…

We made it to the dining room for the first time last night.  We have good table mates.  A Couple from South Dakota and three siblings who live near San Francisco who are all retired.  They have a great pizzeria onboard which we have been to once and might be on the plan for lunch again today. 

We have tried to attach photos but the internet on the ship can't handle the uploads.  So we will post photos once we are on solid ground.   

Pacific Rim Post 1

Please follow along with our trip along the Pacific Rim.  I am going to add photos as we go along.  These will be letters sent from Keith to the family and in my defense I may/will add some comments. 

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All,

We arrived in Sydney as planned.   Long flight and we arrived at 6:00AM Sydney time on Friday and we were able to catch a few hours of sleep on the flight. We spent the day touring Sydney Harbor, the botanical gardens, took the ferry to Manley Beach and now we are about exhausted!   We are 15 hours ahead of you guys.  The weather is perfect – it is Fall here and the high today was about 78.   Lots of palm trees – I don’t think is ever freezes here.

We will venture out for dinner in a little bit and will probably be in bed when you guys eat breakfast.

It was truly a long flight and we were in economy but at least we had an open seat between us.  The Gardens were wonderful, large and had the coolest bats hanging out in the trees in the middle of the day.  I did not know bats were ever out during the day.
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Hey,

Kim and I are out at sea today – Monday the 16th.   It takes two days to sail to New Zealand from Sydney.  Kim is slowly getting use to the confined space of a balcony cabin – Did I say slowly!

Sydney was a very beautiful city and the Harbor area is a thriving market center with great restaurants, night life, shopping and all kinds of excursions.  It is also very expensive.  Across the board things are 30 to 40% more expensive when you factor in the exchange rate.  A decent meal for us with a bottle of wine in Dallas is usually around $60 the same meal in Sydney - $110.00.  It is a very clean city and also very Green.  One of the political parties in power is the Green Party – Kim is ready to move!

Today Kim is taking up Zumba and I’ve been to the gym .  We had to work out due to the large breakfast.  The most entertaining bar tender is working in the buffet area and we already have our seats in the bar area for most meals.

Princess Cruises was kind enough to reward me with this Graduation Cruise; however, there is NO CRAPS TABLE IN THE CASINO on the Sea Princess.  I will personally take up the matter with the board of directors as soon as I get back home!  J

More to come – We are checking email early in the morning – that is in the afternoon for you guys.

It is a small cabin.  We still like each other right now ;).  Even when you get out into the countryside of Australia it is green by design.  We were way out of the city up in the Blue Mountains and where they were doing road construction they made sure there were still fenced off areas for bikes and pedestrians to continue to use. 

Zumba was fun but I think you should have ‘some’ rhythm.   Good workout and I need to continue if not playing tennis.  I just returned from my first Rotary meeting, there were only 4 of us today. 

Galveston Carnival Cruise Inspection of Magic and Triumph

We went down to Galveston over the weekend to inspect Carnival Triumph and the new Carnival Magic.

We drove to Galveston from Dallas and it took approximately 5 hours. If flying, you would want to travel to Hobby (HOU) as it is only a 45 minute transfer to the port.

We stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton this trip, but we prefer the Hilton. The Sheraton was modern, clean and a full service hotel.  Most hotels in Galveston offer free parking during your cruise and free transfers to the dock if you book a room before departure.

Friday night we had dinner at Landry's Seafood House a very nice restaurant with a good wine selection right across from the beach on the seawall. Saturday morning we had breakfast compliments of the San Luis Resort - AAA Four Diamond Award winner since 1999.  FYI - Landry's Corp. owns the San Luis, Hilton Galveston, Holiday Inn Resort on the Beach, Rainforest Cafe and Landry's Seafood and all are adjacent to the official Galveston Island Convention Center. Landry’s is also scheduled to open "Pleasure Pier" over Memorial day weekend 2012 which will have several rides, restaurants, and clubs all on a pier along the seawall.

Our first ship inspepection was the Carnival Triumph which is doing 4 and 5 day western Caribbean cruises year round. This is a major upgrade from the Ecstasy which has moved to Port Canaveral. This ship was in dry-dock in 10-11 and had routine hotel maintenance, cosmetic enhancements such as new carpeting, wall coverings, tile work, lighting in lounges and public areas and Suite 7288 was converted and now ADA compliant.

Carnival Triumph is a great ship for families, singles and couples who want a short cruise on a nice big ship. Air pricing may be more favorable to the Houston area from many cities in the US.

Saturday evening – Moody Gardens Tenth Annual Festival of Lights and Dinner at Moody Gardens Hotel.  We visited the mile long walking tour of lights. It was beautiful and all the families truly enjoyed this evening. Moody Gardens http://www.moodygardens.com/ is a great pre or post cruise destination. They have a 10-story glass Rainforest Pyramid filled with free roaming Saki monkeys, two-towed sloths, tamarins, birds, lizards, butterflies, a spectacular canopy walkway and beautiful plants from the rainforest of Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Dive into the oceans of the world at their Aquarium with over 130,000 square feet of exhibit space and 1.5 million gallons of water. Come face to face with thousands of colorful tropical fish, penguins, and seals in one the largest "underwater classrooms" on earth.  You can also experience what’s happening in the Discovery Museum with hand-on interactive exhibits and displays.

Within minutes away, enjoy 32 miles of sandy beaches, the Lone Star Flight Museum, the Mary Moody Northern Mansion, Bishop’s Palace, the Tall Ship Elissa and the Railroad Museum. For added adventure, slip and slide at Schlitterbahn http://schlitterbahn.com/gal/ , the world’s most popular water park, adjacent to Moody Gardens.

Sunday Morning we had Breakfast on our own before heading over to the beautiful new ship Carnival Magic. This is truly a great ship for everyone. There are some great family rooms which sleep 5 with split baths. If you have not seen these rooms they have one bath with a toilet, standup shower and lavatory through one door and a small tub and lavatory through a second door Category 6M and 6N. This is a large ship with full occupancy of 4724. There are public areas for all age groups. Adults have new lounges with specialty drinks and the kids have their own areas with dance floors, arcades and the mandatory video games.

There is also a rope course, water park, putt putt, full court basketball court. The Spa has a Thermal Suite area with five rooms which are free to use if you are in a "Spa Room" or $35 for a day pass or you can get a cruise pass (check for pricing). There is also a Thalassotherapy Pool which is a therapeutic oasis that has been based on the concept of a natural bubbling spring. As you are immersed in its effervescence all you worries and stiff and sore joints will simply wash away. For both you can get a single VIP Pass $149 and Couples VIP Pass $249.

We saw a wedding party boarding early (10ish) and they had the wedding in the Conference room and reception in one of the lounges so the guest could be off the ship by 3ish. We dined in one of the main dining rooms and the service and food was outstanding.

We would highly recommend cruising out of Galveston. Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas is also sailing out of Galveston during the winter months and Princess and Disney are moving ships here next season.

Please let me know if you have any questions about Visiting or Cruising out of Galveston.

Carnival Triumph Pool

Moody Gardens Feastival of Lights

Carnival Magic Thermal Suite Area 

Carnival Magic WaterWorks

Carnival's Infamous Molten Choclate Cake - Magic

Kim Quimby – kimqy@verizon.com

Cruising is the perfect family reunion...

Cruises are the perfect family getaway which works for a single family as well as large extended family reunions.  Cruises are all about making memories which last a lifetime and are as much fun to plan as they are to experience and to reminisce about for years to come.   

When bringing multiple generations together it can be difficult to keep everyone happy and entertained but that is not the case on a cruise.  You can be super active and athletic or enjoy total relaxation with a good book, a wide array of spa treatments or just hanging around the pool.  Let’s look at an average day at sea and what the choices are for everyone to do.  I am using a Cruise Compass (a newsletter delivered to your stateroom with daily activities) from Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas for Day 4 day at sea for this example.   http://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/en_US/pdf/CruiseCompass.pdf

For the active family member who wants to be doing something and does not want to miss a thing:

                7 am – Breakfast in the dining room meeting new friends.   (Eggs Benedict)

                9 am – Baggo Tournament (sign-up 8:45 am) – Country Club          Deck 12

                10 am – Napkin Folding Class – Colony Club                                          Deck  6

                11 am – Cash Bingo – Colony Club                                                           Deck  6

                Noon – quick lunch at the Windjammer Café                                       Deck 11

                1 pm – Slot Tournament – Casino Royale                                              Deck  6

                2:15 – Beginner’s Salsa Dance Class – Colony Club                             Deck  6

                3:30 – Service Clubs Meeting (Rotary makeup), Schooner Bar         Deck  6

                4:30 – Trivia Challenge – Hollywood Odyssey                                        Deck 13

                5:30 – Black and White and Saloon Costume Portraits, Centrum      Deck  5

                6 – 7 Get a shower and dress for dinner

                7:30 – Headliner Showtime (pre-dinner)  Aurora Theatre                  Decks 5, 6

                8:30 – Dinner with the family (late seating) - Cascades                      Decks 4,5

                10 pm – Dance the Night Away – Starquest                                          Deck 13

                Midnight – sleeps well to the rocking of the ship (fun day)

For the Athlete –

                7 am walk-a-mile, 7:30 Sunrise Stretch, 8 Wheels in Motion, 9 Shape Up, Step Up, 10 intro to Pilates,  10:30 Secrets to a Flat Stomach ,  11:30 Salad bar lunch, 1 pm Adult Basketball Knockout,  2 pm Rock Climbing Wall, 4 Core Motion, 5 Pathway to Yoga,  6 hit the steam room and hot tub before getting ready to meet family for dinner,  10:45 Radiance Quest,  Midnight – stop by the casino on the way to bed

For those who want to relax –

                8 am coffee delivered to stateroom,  9 am breakfast in the Windjammer, 10 spa treatment, 11:30 a little shopping or read a bit before lunch,  12:30 lunch in the dining room,  1:15 Diamond and Gemstone Seminar, 2 movie – Bruce Almighty,  5:30 Big Band Dance Music,  7:30 Port and Shopping tips, Dinner with family, 10 listen to piano music in the schooner bar before bed. 

Sun lovers  -

                9 am breakfast in the Windjammer on the way to the pool.  10:30 laying out with a fruity umbrella drink,  12 grab a burger and bring it back to the pool,  bucket of ice cold beer, 1 pm Belly flop Competition,   1:30 Horse Racing and Horse auction, poolside, 3 Ice carving Demo, pool side,  4 walk a mile (maybe),  5 get out of the sun for a while and have a snack before getting ready for dinner,  8:15 Singles Mix ‘n Mingle,  Dinner with family,  10 Wild West Dance Party with new friends

Teens and kids-friendly activities

Teen-only lounge area, Scratch DJ Academy, Airbrush tattoos, Internet Café, Generation Y spa Treatments for kids and teens, Theme parties, Nintendo Wii gaming, Sports Court, Rock climbing wall, miniature golf, pools, Kids program – Aquanauts 3-5, Explorers 6-8, Voyagers 9-11, Teens 12-14, Teens 15-17 include age-appropriate facilities and activities experienced and certified Adventure ocean staff

As you can see from just this one day of activities there is something for everyone.  You can see as much of each other as possible or only get together for dinners.  This is life onboard the ship and when you are in port there are any number of activities which will match your style of vacation desires.   https://secure.shoretrips.com/default.asp  Some guests even decide to spend a quite day onboard the ship during port days. 

Cruising also offers the widest range of pricing in a single vacation.   There are interior staterooms which can hold up to 4 guests for as low as $200 per person for short cruises and go all the way up to lavish suites which have butler or concierge service on the same ship and they all include meals and entertainment. 

Cruise vacations allow you to unpack once and see the world.   What better way to do this with your extended family with everyone doing the things that make them happy.   Call your travel agent and start dreaming about the premiere vacation of a lifetime.

Top Tips for Best Value Travel

The economy and our government officials continue to make me a bit nervous about spending and investing my hard earned money.  One day the experts tell us things are improving, the next day we are told to buy gold and hide it under the bed.  (Tough to do at over $1700 an ounce!)   Today, luxury and budget travelers alike are looking for best value for their vacation dollars.   Below are a number of tips you might consider when planning your next vacation:

Book the Best-Value fully refundable fare early, then continue reviewing the price for saving opportunities.   This tip will allow you to achieve that early saver price, but be positioned to jump on a savings opportunity later if the supplier drops prices to reduce inventory.  Purchasing “cancel for any reason” travel insurance can provide the same benefit if buying non-refundable travel.

Remain Flexible!  Offsetting travel days by + or – 3 days can result in significant savings on airfare and other transportation.

Alaska in May

Plan your vacation during shoulder periods.   For an Alaskan cruise, this would include May and September – the weather may not be as warm as June/July, but savings can be greater than $1000 per person on a cruise/land tour package.  Travel October through April in Europe and avoid other tourists, save on hotels and airfare, and enjoy a more authentic experience.

Patiently Waiting

If your travel schedule permits, arrive at the flight counter early and add your name to volunteer for a bump.   If the flight is full, you could end up with a later flight and a valuable flight voucher to use on your next trip.  Afternoon and evening flights often provider a greater opportunity to be bumped.  Kim and I had an opportunity for a $500 voucher each a couple of years ago, but we did not want to give up our first class upgrade.  Turns out the later flight arrived at DFW before we did.

Destination Awareness!  Many countries continue to provide savings opportunities on hotels and dining.  As an example, the Argentina peso continues to provide great exchange rates and their seasons are opposite of ours in the US providing great escapes from our temperature extremes.

Kids eat free.   If traveling with children, look for family friendly hotel/resort with additional savings.

Don’t forget your travel reward programs.   You don’t have to be a road warrior to gain significant benefits through travel rewards.   Credit card reward programs provide valuable travel benefits.  Be sure to check your balances and be aware of benefits that expire.

Consider Vacation Rentals.  This is a great savings opportunity for groups and multi-family vacations.   Condos and Villas in gated resort settings around the world often provide numerous amenities that hotels and resorts do not offer.   This may include a cook, butler and even a driver for your group’s safety and comfort.  Many owners have multiple properties and can be booked together for large groups at a greater savings.

Check alternate airports for flight savings.

Use a travel agent.   Go ahead and find your dream vacation and lowest price available then ask us to beat it.   Even if we only match the price we often can find that extra amenity or find additional services that create a memorable travel experience.   We are your advocate and are able to work with travel providers resolving issues while you are on the beach drinking a Pina Colada.

What are your favorite ways to save money when you travel?

The feel of Key West

Key West is one of the most interesting places on earth.  OK let me explain interesting.  I should have said eclectic, hippie, laid back, cool, happy, rockin, beautiful, and fun… 

This is a place where happy hour starts at 7 am but most people don’t bother to get up till around noon.  So the morning happy hour covers those who have not yet gone to bed.  The first time we were in Key West was off a cruise ship and we had a nice long day in port.  We scheduled a walking tour which hit most of the famous tourist spots; Hemmingway’s house with the six toed cats, the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens.  We also ate the mandatory Key Lime Pie and Conch Fritters at Mallory Square.  On this tour was the inspration for our outdoor fireplace.  I took a photo of a fireplace on the tour and saved it for a few years before Keith built this from the photo. 

Also on this first trip to Key West we wanted to take a small bottle of rum back on board our ship and so we went out to find the a bottle store.   The first small liquor shop we came to was the size of a walk-in closet with two ‘interesting’ people inside. (use definition above) I am not sure they actually knew we were there but we were able to find what we were looking for and paid and left with a memory not to be forgotten. 

On our next trip to Key West we decided to just walk around and go to Duval Street to see what it is all about.  We will never have a trip which does not include a walk down Duval as you can see the most ‘interesting’ people.   This trip we also decided to do our first and I think last official ‘Pup Crawl’.   This was a walking pup crawl and we hit 8 or so pups where we each received a drink and a bit of history.  Our guide was very ‘interesting’ and knew a lot of history about the pubs and Key West.  Our very favorite pub was/is the Schooner Wharf Bar.   We have made sure to visit this rather ‘interesting’ place every time we go, it is hidden behind many buildings beside the boat docks, looking just the way it did many years ago.  Their motto is “A last little piece of Old Key West”, and that it is and does not disappoint if you know that is what to expect.   Imagine where the ship captains would hang out after being at sea for months. 

I know we have missed a lot of attractions in Key West and we might find our way to see more of them if we can just get past all the ‘interesting’ people.  We would be happy to return to Key West at any moment and maybe we will even find a beach or go snorkeling their someday.