Costumes, Masks, Food & Fun in the Caribbean ...... Carnival Time!

Who doesn't love a good carnival? But I'm not talking about the kind with the ferris wheel and cotton candy. Instead, I'm talking about the exciting carnivals in the Caribbean which have roots is long ago medieval Venice, Italy.
 

"Carnival" throughout the Caribbean region is a combination of religion, culture and tradition. Unlike Mardi Gras in New Orleans, not all islands associate Carnival with the period of Lent. But some things that are consistent among all of the islands is that the excitement always includes costumes, masks, music, food and parades. Concerts, elected kings and queens, and competitions are also typical.

Winter Carnivals are celebrated in St. Kitts, Aruba, Bahamas, Curacao, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Cancun, St. Martin, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, and Trinidad & Tobago. In the spring, you'll find Carnival going on in Cayman Islands, Jamaica, St. Maarten, Bermuda and the Virgin Islands. Summer Carnivals take place in St. Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, Saba, Barbados and Anguilla. For specific schedules of when the local Carnival is occurring and the specific calendar of events, contact that island's tourist board which you can find online.

As you can imagine, there's a lot of excitement and fun if you travel to an island during Carnival whether you are cruising there or spending your vacation in the area. However, there is a downside, too. Because of the scope of the celebration, most locals participate in some way or enjoy as bystanders. You'll find that some stores and services will be closed which may adversely affect your trip. "Carnival" can run from a week all the way up to a month. There will be key days of celebrations which are the days you'll want to be there.... or to avoid, depending on what you are looking to do!

~ Connie

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!

Four Important Tips Keep You From Missing Your Cruise

The anchor’s been raised, the steel band is playing, excitement is high for all of the guests booked on your cruise ship as they get ready for their adventure! Except for you---- you’re stuck in an airport watching your vacation dreams, days off from work and your financial investment go down the drain.

Maybe it was weather that delayed your flight. Perhaps it was a mechanical delay. Or a problem en route to the airport. Who do you get mad at? It was out of your control, right?

No matter the reason, there are things you can do so that any of those delays aren’t much more than frustrations and don’t ruin your vacation.

• Fly to your embarkation port at least one day in advance. If there is a flight delay, it becomes an inconvenience but doesn’t keep you from missing your ship. It makes flying less stressful and has you start your cruise feeling more relaxed.

• Buy travel insurance that includes trip delay. Various policies have different lengths of time qualifying or a travel delay coverage, but they can be invaluable for covering expenses incurred because of a delay or help cover expenses to get you to another airport to connect with your ship at the next port.

• Travel with a passport. Even if you are on a closed loop sailing from the U.S. that qualifies you to travel with a birth certificate instead, opt for a passport. If you have to fly to the first visiting port to meet up with your ship, you will only be able to fly to a U.S. city or territory. Without a passport, you’ll be going home.

• Watch the weather. If a storm is coming to your home or connecting airport area and it could affect your ability to reach your embarkation port, know about it and plan as best as possible. You may be able to fly out earlier or have the airline reschedule through a different connecting city.

“Stuff happens.” But with the proper planning, you can keep it from ruining your vacation.

~ Connie