About Me
- Christine Maier
- I'm a 30 something who loves to travel. I have a full time job and enjoy writing (or blogging) about my travels. I've traveled through several countries in Europe as well as Russia and Egypt. I also enjoy domestic travel in the United States, including Disney. My long term travel goal is to do a round the world trip.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
World Trade Center Memorial
In March I finally had the chance to go to the September 11th Memorial. Fortunately it was a nice day, but pretty windy, which can be a problem.
I arrived about 45 minutes before my ticketed time, even though they say not to arrive more then 30 minutes early and was let in. The line moved pretty quickly and security was efficient, a marked difference from when I went to the Statue of Liberty last year.
You enter the memorial from the Southwest corner, straight ahead is the South Pool representing the South Tower or Tower 2. This pool holds the names of the first responders as well as some of the flights, South Tower, and Pentagon losses. Check out the 911Memorial website for more on how the names are arranged.
When you enter, to your left is an open area with trees, beyond the trees is the North Pool. On windy days it seems the North end of the North Pool has a water issue, the falling water being blown. I was the only person I saw who walked along the North edge of the pool. Actually, I went at more of a run and still got quite wet. I did it to honor those who had died and whose names were on that wall. But on a cold day, I wouldn't suggest it.
I love the memorial, and I have seen some great memorials around the world. There is a serenity here with the pools, waterfalls, trees. The only problem is the tourists. With so many people there it breaks the serenity of the environment. No matter how hard people try to be courteous, a large number of people always seem to fail. For that reason I think going early in the morning would be best.
After you leave the memorial you are directed to walk in a path that takes you to the shop associated with the memorial. They have a few items on display, they play some documentaries on TV's and they sell a wide variety of books, videos, clothing and other touristy types of items. It's worth a stop in the shop even if you're not looking to purchase anything. The museum is scheduled to open later this year.
I arrived about 45 minutes before my ticketed time, even though they say not to arrive more then 30 minutes early and was let in. The line moved pretty quickly and security was efficient, a marked difference from when I went to the Statue of Liberty last year.
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| A Police Officer I had the pleasure of meeting about a month before the attack |
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| The saddest names |
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| The wind blowing the water |
Monday, May 14, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Tingo!
This weeks recommendation is for Tingo.com, a hotel booking website. Tingo comes to us from Expedia and what makes it different is that you book your hotel and if the price drop Tingo will rebook at the lower rate.
I haven't had a chance to use this, but I think this is a great tool for consumers.
I haven't had a chance to use this, but I think this is a great tool for consumers.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Bus Tour Vs Cruise Ship (Europe)
When I took my Mediteranean cruise on the Norwegian Epic last year some friends mentioned that it sounded like a great way to see Europe. Having done Europe by bus tour, cruise and a bit of independent travel I thought I would write about the pros and cons of a bus tour verses a cruise ship.
Disclaimer: the experience you have on any cruise or bus tour will vary greatly based on the company you use, countries you visit and the experience you book. You can't compare a Disney Adventure tour for thousands of dollars a person with an inside cabin on a budget cruise ship. I will attempt to go with the middle of the line for both catagories for fairness sake. Think outside or balcony cabin on a mainstream cruise line like Carnival, Royal Caribbean or NCL and of a tour company along the lines of Trafalgar or Cosmos.
Accomodations: If you're looking for space this category is going to a bus tour, if you're looking for a nice new room, then I would give this to the cruise ship. Cruise ships have notoriously small rooms, with even smaller bathrooms. However, they tend to make good use of space and tend to get refirbished every few years. You'll also have twice daily service to your room on a cruise ship. Hotels in europe tend to be very mixed. I've stayed in some really nice Holiday Inn's in Germany and England. But I've stayed in some old crappy hotels with weird layouts in Italy. Hotel standards in Europe are very different then in the US, cruise cabins, although small, tend to be more in line with US standards.
Food: I'll give this one to Cruise Ships, as far as included meals go. First, you get a much wider variety of food (and a menu), often on a tour you get what they make and put in front of you, or maybe a choice of 2 different meals. On a cruise for every meal you can have as much food as you want, and often 5-10 choices of food. And if one of those choices isn't appealing to you the kitchen can usually come up with something for you. You have choices of buffet, sit down dining, room service. Tour food is usually made by a local restaurant or the hotel and can vary greatly. One place will make a bland chicken with some veggies. The next place may make a homemade local specialty, this may be better then cruise ship food, but it's not guaranteed every night either.
Both cruise lines and tour companies will cater to those with special diets, results may vary.
Traveling Experience: I'll give this one to the cruise ship. Sitting on a cramped bus isn't fun, though it's not bad either. On the cruise ship, any cruise ship, you'll be more comfortable and there will be activities, shows, swimming, or taking a nap in a bed. But, you do miss out on the cultural experience of traveling by land, but I'll talk about that later. Even worse, you miss seeing the countryside. Of course the traffic in the ocean is typically better then on highways at rush hour.
Cultural Experience: While this will depend on a lot of factors I'm giving this one to bus tours. I think that cruise ships tend to put people in more of a bubble then a bus tour (which does creates its own bubble), when you're living in the country, you can't avoid the culture. I'll talk about this later, but on a tour you'll typically spend more time in cities or towns.
When driving from destination to destination you'll stop at rest stops or shopping centers for your breaks. Anyone who has tried to navigate an Autogrill in Italy knows the food is good, but the process is confusing. And you don't mind paying for the toilet in Germany when it's self cleaning.
At hotels you often have to deal with the hotel staff, who are locals. On a cruise you're dealing wtih cruise ship staff who are generally trained to be as helpful as possible and they're from all over the world - but rarely from the destination you're visiting. When you're staying in a hotel, the staff typically lives locally, and although they are usually helpful, they'll also know the local area and customs. It can be subtle, but staying in a hotel gives a greater opportunity to interact with a local person instead of a cruise line employee. I will admit though that the hotels you stay at are used to and geared for tourists so they're not necessarily authentic experiences, they just give a better opportunity, even if it's just a simple conversation with a hotel desk clerk about local cuisine. You'll also have the opportunity to walk around the area of the hotel.
The biggest variation with this category will be what you do when you're in port. If you're going to take an excursion (from the cruise line or independently) you're often ushered from site to site to site. The best chance you'll have for a cultural experience will be from your tour guide, you don't typically have much other opportunity to interact with people outside your tour. On a bus tour you'll usually get a city tour and then be on your own to explore, taking local transport or your feet from point to point. However, if you're doing a port on your own you'll have a more similar experience to someone on a bus tour.
Finally, on a bus tour you'll be in the city overnight, this allows for a late night out, seeing a show, visiting bars and clubs - basically a chance to experience the nightlife of a city, you'll rarely get that opportunity on a cruise ship.
Time in your Destination: You're also typically in cities or towns longer on a bus tour. Even on a fast paced tour you'll have a day and a half in a major city, sometimes more time. On a cruise, you'll only typically be there for about 12 hours, which ends up being a lot less time when you need to factor in an hour or two of commute time from the port in cities like Rome and Florence. You have enough time to rush around and see the major sites and take nothing else in.
Comfort and Ease: I'll give this to a cruise. You get on the ship, a few hours later your suitcase shows up, you unpack and are ready for your trip. On a bus tour you're switching hotels every 1-3 nights. Packing and unpacking - depending on the comforts of the tour you may have to drag your suitcase to and from your hotel room. Instead of sitting in a bus for hours the cruise ship sails while you eat, sleep, drink and lay out at the pool sipping an umbrella drink.
The choice of taking a bus tour or a cruise in Europe is a personal choice. I have done both and they both have their advantages and disadvantages. For anyone who wants to expereince the countries I think a bus tour is a better option (though independent travel would be best). If you dream of seeing the major sites like The Colosseum, and The David then a cruise may be the better choice. But no matter which you choose, expect to be tired at the end!
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter: Travelingiraffe
Disclaimer: the experience you have on any cruise or bus tour will vary greatly based on the company you use, countries you visit and the experience you book. You can't compare a Disney Adventure tour for thousands of dollars a person with an inside cabin on a budget cruise ship. I will attempt to go with the middle of the line for both catagories for fairness sake. Think outside or balcony cabin on a mainstream cruise line like Carnival, Royal Caribbean or NCL and of a tour company along the lines of Trafalgar or Cosmos.
Accomodations: If you're looking for space this category is going to a bus tour, if you're looking for a nice new room, then I would give this to the cruise ship. Cruise ships have notoriously small rooms, with even smaller bathrooms. However, they tend to make good use of space and tend to get refirbished every few years. You'll also have twice daily service to your room on a cruise ship. Hotels in europe tend to be very mixed. I've stayed in some really nice Holiday Inn's in Germany and England. But I've stayed in some old crappy hotels with weird layouts in Italy. Hotel standards in Europe are very different then in the US, cruise cabins, although small, tend to be more in line with US standards.
Food: I'll give this one to Cruise Ships, as far as included meals go. First, you get a much wider variety of food (and a menu), often on a tour you get what they make and put in front of you, or maybe a choice of 2 different meals. On a cruise for every meal you can have as much food as you want, and often 5-10 choices of food. And if one of those choices isn't appealing to you the kitchen can usually come up with something for you. You have choices of buffet, sit down dining, room service. Tour food is usually made by a local restaurant or the hotel and can vary greatly. One place will make a bland chicken with some veggies. The next place may make a homemade local specialty, this may be better then cruise ship food, but it's not guaranteed every night either.
Both cruise lines and tour companies will cater to those with special diets, results may vary.
Traveling Experience: I'll give this one to the cruise ship. Sitting on a cramped bus isn't fun, though it's not bad either. On the cruise ship, any cruise ship, you'll be more comfortable and there will be activities, shows, swimming, or taking a nap in a bed. But, you do miss out on the cultural experience of traveling by land, but I'll talk about that later. Even worse, you miss seeing the countryside. Of course the traffic in the ocean is typically better then on highways at rush hour.
Cultural Experience: While this will depend on a lot of factors I'm giving this one to bus tours. I think that cruise ships tend to put people in more of a bubble then a bus tour (which does creates its own bubble), when you're living in the country, you can't avoid the culture. I'll talk about this later, but on a tour you'll typically spend more time in cities or towns.
When driving from destination to destination you'll stop at rest stops or shopping centers for your breaks. Anyone who has tried to navigate an Autogrill in Italy knows the food is good, but the process is confusing. And you don't mind paying for the toilet in Germany when it's self cleaning.
At hotels you often have to deal with the hotel staff, who are locals. On a cruise you're dealing wtih cruise ship staff who are generally trained to be as helpful as possible and they're from all over the world - but rarely from the destination you're visiting. When you're staying in a hotel, the staff typically lives locally, and although they are usually helpful, they'll also know the local area and customs. It can be subtle, but staying in a hotel gives a greater opportunity to interact with a local person instead of a cruise line employee. I will admit though that the hotels you stay at are used to and geared for tourists so they're not necessarily authentic experiences, they just give a better opportunity, even if it's just a simple conversation with a hotel desk clerk about local cuisine. You'll also have the opportunity to walk around the area of the hotel.
The biggest variation with this category will be what you do when you're in port. If you're going to take an excursion (from the cruise line or independently) you're often ushered from site to site to site. The best chance you'll have for a cultural experience will be from your tour guide, you don't typically have much other opportunity to interact with people outside your tour. On a bus tour you'll usually get a city tour and then be on your own to explore, taking local transport or your feet from point to point. However, if you're doing a port on your own you'll have a more similar experience to someone on a bus tour.
Finally, on a bus tour you'll be in the city overnight, this allows for a late night out, seeing a show, visiting bars and clubs - basically a chance to experience the nightlife of a city, you'll rarely get that opportunity on a cruise ship.
Time in your Destination: You're also typically in cities or towns longer on a bus tour. Even on a fast paced tour you'll have a day and a half in a major city, sometimes more time. On a cruise, you'll only typically be there for about 12 hours, which ends up being a lot less time when you need to factor in an hour or two of commute time from the port in cities like Rome and Florence. You have enough time to rush around and see the major sites and take nothing else in.
Comfort and Ease: I'll give this to a cruise. You get on the ship, a few hours later your suitcase shows up, you unpack and are ready for your trip. On a bus tour you're switching hotels every 1-3 nights. Packing and unpacking - depending on the comforts of the tour you may have to drag your suitcase to and from your hotel room. Instead of sitting in a bus for hours the cruise ship sails while you eat, sleep, drink and lay out at the pool sipping an umbrella drink.
The choice of taking a bus tour or a cruise in Europe is a personal choice. I have done both and they both have their advantages and disadvantages. For anyone who wants to expereince the countries I think a bus tour is a better option (though independent travel would be best). If you dream of seeing the major sites like The Colosseum, and The David then a cruise may be the better choice. But no matter which you choose, expect to be tired at the end!
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter: Travelingiraffe
Monday, May 7, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Travel Tip - Post It's
Here's a tip for this week - bring Post It's.
They're small and have multiple uses. You can write yourself notes, use them as book marks. But, the reason I'm recommending them for travel is because it's a way to write notes to friends you meet. Whether on a cruise, land tour or just in a hostel traveling on your own. Post It's are a great way to leave a quick note for someone about where your when to meet for an activity.
Yes, there are phones, but I find Post It's are quicker and simpler (lets face it, not everyone is good with technology and many phones today are mini computers). And, they're self sticking!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Saratoga Springs Spa
Back in December my friend "dragged" me to the Saratoga Springs Spa at Walt Disney World, I really enjoyed the experience.
The spa was a little hidden, located near the pool/dining area of the resort. The entrance of the spa was a little odd, it was really big, it made the check in counter seem really small and like an after thought. But once checked in the spa was quite nice. There is a locker room downstairs, as well as an indoor pool. I kinda wish I had a little more free time so I could have taken a quick dip in the pool. It was December and although it was warm, it wasn't swimming warm so an indoor pool was appealing.
After changing into robes we went to the waiting room. The room was nice, though there weren't many seats. It felt like it should have been a quiet/relaxation room, but also felt a lot like a waiting room. This is one area that separated it from some other spa's I have been to. Even if I don't have much time between treatments, it's nice to know there is a room I could sit and just relax before or after my visit. This waiting room didn't feel like that and I was having 3 treatments, it was a spa day for me.
The spa was a little hidden, located near the pool/dining area of the resort. The entrance of the spa was a little odd, it was really big, it made the check in counter seem really small and like an after thought. But once checked in the spa was quite nice. There is a locker room downstairs, as well as an indoor pool. I kinda wish I had a little more free time so I could have taken a quick dip in the pool. It was December and although it was warm, it wasn't swimming warm so an indoor pool was appealing.
After changing into robes we went to the waiting room. The room was nice, though there weren't many seats. It felt like it should have been a quiet/relaxation room, but also felt a lot like a waiting room. This is one area that separated it from some other spa's I have been to. Even if I don't have much time between treatments, it's nice to know there is a room I could sit and just relax before or after my visit. This waiting room didn't feel like that and I was having 3 treatments, it was a spa day for me.
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| Minni's Locker |
But, the staff were friendly and professional. They seemed to really pick up on if people were interested in chatting, or if they wanted to just have quiet relaxing time (I compared notes with my friend). My 3 treatments were a massage, facial and Mystical Forest Body Masque and Wrap. The treatments themselves were up to the standards of the treatments I have gotten at other spas. The treatment rooms were also at the same standard.
My favorite thing was that in the treatment rooms they left you a bell. So you could undress, lay yourself down and then ring the bell letting them know you are ready. You just have to be careful not to knock it down before you're ready.
I would definitely recommend the spa to anyone staying at Walt Disney World, they offer a great experience, and good treatments. Plus, when at Disney, it's nice to get a break and relax a bit.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Port of Naples
I have to admit, I don't know much about Naples, the city has such a bad reputation and few people get off cruise ships to tour the city. On top of that, there is so much beauty in the surrounding area, for the one time cruise passenger there is no reason to visit Naples and leave Pomepeii and the Amalfi Coast unvisited.
I'll admit to doing the same - visiting only Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. It's a shame though, Naples is one of the few European ports where the ship docks in the city and people seem to run away from it.
But this has left me pretty curious about Naples. I think for someone on a second cruise visiting Naples it would be an opportunity to visit the city, but do they? I know there is good pizza in the city, and I know there are some good museusms too. Particularly there is a museum on Pompeii, a nice suppliment if you've been to Pompeii.
So after my tour, when I had free time to enjoy sitting on deck reading, I looked out at the city and wondered. I wondered what the city had to offer visitors, and I wondered if it was worth the risk of the dangers the city is said to possess. I also wonder if when I return I'll take my own advice.
If you want some actual tips on visiting Naples on your own, Cruize Cast has a nice podcast on the city, telling you how to get to Pompeii and what other things there are to do in the city.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter: Travelingiraffe
I'll admit to doing the same - visiting only Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. It's a shame though, Naples is one of the few European ports where the ship docks in the city and people seem to run away from it.
But this has left me pretty curious about Naples. I think for someone on a second cruise visiting Naples it would be an opportunity to visit the city, but do they? I know there is good pizza in the city, and I know there are some good museusms too. Particularly there is a museum on Pompeii, a nice suppliment if you've been to Pompeii.
So after my tour, when I had free time to enjoy sitting on deck reading, I looked out at the city and wondered. I wondered what the city had to offer visitors, and I wondered if it was worth the risk of the dangers the city is said to possess. I also wonder if when I return I'll take my own advice.
If you want some actual tips on visiting Naples on your own, Cruize Cast has a nice podcast on the city, telling you how to get to Pompeii and what other things there are to do in the city.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter: Travelingiraffe
Monday, April 23, 2012
Photo Of the Week: Italy
Just a note about my posting schedule. I have started to catch up with my posting. However, I am currently taking an online TESOL course which is eating up a good chunk of my time, so I may not be able to post regularly until this summer.
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