Should I Get a Balcony Cabin?

I’m writing from my balcony aboard Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, Celebrity Silhouette. I was enjoying my novel when I looked out over the ocean and found my mind wandering to how much I was enjoying my balcony and the value of it to me. I wondered if I could share this experience with our readers. I’m going to give it a shot.

After boarding in Cape Liberty, we settled into the cabin and then went out to our balcony where we were greeted by a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty in front of the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.


Later that night, while getting ready for dinner, my longtime friend and cabin mate, Trish, pointed toward the balcony, saying, “Wow! Look at the bridge!” With our curtain open, the glass balcony door was allowing us to see a stunningly lit up bridge standing out from the blackness of the fall evening. We think it was the Verrazano Bridge.

After breakfast this morning I settled onto our balcony with a cup of coffee from the Oceanview Café, my latest knitting project from our church’s prayer shawl group and my book. As much as I love the ship, there’s something peaceful about spending bits of time out here. Since everyday life is busy with computers, phones, appointments and the sounds of the suburbs, listening to nothing other than the ship slicing through the ocean is the quiet whisper I’m looking for. And with my own little “private deck space,” it’s nothing to dress as I want and grab what I need for the short walk through the balcony door.

Considering we’re sailing off the cost of New Jersey in November, it’s surprisingly comfortable out here. I found that a beach towel found in the basket under the bed that also holds the life vests makes for just enough of a “blanket” around my shoulders to ward off the slight chill from the breeze.

Looking out, the line between the water and sky is so straight that I can understand why people once though the world was flat. My respect goes to those brave enough to have sailed the oceans centuries ago. Seeing this horizon and with the limited knowledge they then had regarding the shape of the earth, I fully understand why people were afraid they could sail off the end of the flat earth.

Like with the pain of childbirth, it’s easy for me to forget the extent of just how much I value having a balcony when I’m between cruises. Sure, if I was just in an inside or oceanview cabin, I’d spend little time other than sleeping and showering in my cabin. But this little piece of real estate is just short of heaven to me right now.

 

~ Connie
 
 
P.S.  Our travel consultants look forward to helping you book your cruise whether your preference and budget call for a balcony cabin, inside, oceanview or suite. 

Pizza at Sea & at Home

Are you a pizza aficionado? As a pizza lover, an article regarding Travel + Leisure’s Best Pizza award in their America’s Favorite Cities survey got my mind moving (and my mouth watering!) on the subject of pizza.

Deciding I wanted to write about cruising and pizza, I wondered about 24-hour availability for pizza lovers on cruises so I contacted the six largest cruise lines. Here’s what I was told.  With the number of ships each of the lines has, there may not be consistency among their entire fleets.

Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises are the best lines for true pizza addicts who need access to a 24 hour fix. Carnival claimed to have a 24-hour pizzeria on all ships, but it’s not on their room service menu.  Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Princess said that pizza is available 24-hours a day by room service.

Holland America explained that they offer pizza in their Terrace Grill 11am – 5:30pm.

A Norwegian Cruise Line agent said they “have food courts that probably serve pizza  and there’s a $5 pizza delivery on Epic,” but she wasn't sure that they have pizza in the food court.  I was put through to another department that promised to call me back with the information for the blog, but I didn't hear back.

Going for your pizza in a buffet or pizzaria is free. Having it delivered to your cabin ranges from complimentary (but please do tip the delivery person) to $5, depending on the line.

So which cruise line has the best pizza? I couldn’t find any recent polls online for that, but my favorite “pizza at sea” has been from Sorrento’s on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.

Speaking of food and travel, Candy Harrington, a travel writer whose work I'm very familiar with, is finishing a book titled “Eating Well on the Road.”   In it, she shares a lot of her hard-earned experience about realistically adjusting your diet at home and when traveling around the United States to benefit your health.  Some of the tips and strategies she’ll be including can also be applied to cruise vacations.  I asked Candy if she would share a recipe “for an easy, tasty and healthy pizza for this blog. Here’s the recipe for her:

Tomato Basil Pizza

Ingredients

1 8-inch Boboli pizza crust

1 plum tomato, thinly sliced

4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

2 T Trader Joe's parmesan, romano and asiago cheese blend

Directions

Place pizza crust on an ungreased baking sheet. Layer with tomatoes, basil and cheese. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until cheese is

melted.

Nutrition
2 Servings
Calories: 233
Sodium: 448 mg.

Are you ready to take the “pizza at sea taste test?”

Contact Connie George Travel Associates at info@cgta.com or 610-532-0989 to book your next cruise and let us know how you felt about the pizza!

This Matchmaker Saves You Money on Dining Out During Your Vacation

Matchmaking is big on the internet. Even if you’re not looking to meet your potential significant other, you’ve likely heard of companies like Match.com and eHarmony. But are you aware that there is a “matchmaker” between restaurants and consumers that can save you money on your dining out bills?

That’s more or less what Restaurant.com bills itself as. They are a marketer for restaurants and can help you reduce your cost for a night out!

The premise is simple. Find a participating restaurant on their website and purchase a $25 gift certificate for $10. Better yet, purchase the certificate during one of their many 60, 70 or even 80% off sales. Unless you’re in a hurry, waiting a day or two could reduce the cost of that “$25 gift certificate” all the way down to $2 which is exactly what I did a few months ago before a trip to Fort Lauderdale! The gift certificates do come with stipulations, but they are reasonable.

On my visit, I knew we were going to The Roasted Pepper, a favorite restaurant of friends of mine whom I was visiting. I went to Restaurant.com, loaded the zip code into their search engine and was very pleased to see that the restaurant of my choice was listed! Because there was an 80% off sale, I could purchase the $25 gift certificate for only $2. The only "catch" was that we had to spend a minimum of $40. No problem. I couldn’t imagine that we wouldn’t spend $40 and, if we really were a few dollars short, we could pick up a little dessert or appetizer for my friends to take home and still come out ahead.

While at it, I decided to check to see if there were certificates for any close-by hotels for clients who were going to stay at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel the night before boarding Celebrity Solstice the following week. I found that there was a $25 gift certificate for the hotel’s Bistro 17 restaurant! Only $2 to save $25 with the only stipulation being that you had to buy at least two entrees. Not a problem since four people were traveling! Needless to say, our client was happy to hear about this unexpected tip!

Check this site out the next time you’ll be visiting a restaurant whether it's during a trip or locally.  And while you're enjoying your dinner, toast Connie George Travel Associates, the vacation specialists dedicated to delivering value and service!

~ Connie