Diamond Cruise & Travel

Tag: cruise

How to Choose Your Cruise Cabin – Quick Guide

One of the questions we’re often asked at Diamond Cruise & Travel is how to choose your cruise ship cabin. Fold out the literature from any of the major cruise lines and you’ll see hundreds of little rectangles set on four or five different decks, all in different colors. Before you simply choose the lowest or highest priced cabin, it helps to learn what makes one cabin better than another, or, what makes one priced higher or lower than another. Here are the choices typical of today’s large cruise ships:

Inside Cabin

The lowest priced, inside cabins open to a hallway and back to other cabins so there are no windows or natural light. If you plan to spend most of your time at the pool, on the beach, on shore excursions or out and about having fun, then an inside cabin offers a fine way to save on costs. But it can feel tight when two people try to get dressed for dinner at the same time.

Oceanview

Just as the name implies, Oceanview cabins face the ocean and, therefore, are set on the outer ring of the ship. They feature a window or windows of various sizes from a porthole to large, picture window. Waking up to the sun rising over the Atlantic is reason enough to go with a window. And it doesn’t cost much more than an inside cabin, either.

Oceanview with Balcony

Instead of a mere window, Oceanview with Balcony cabins replace the windows of Oceanview cabins with sliding glass doors that open onto a private balcony overlooking the ocean. Your cabin gets natural light all day long and your balcony typically comes setup with sitting chairs and a table for books, tablets or drinks. Imagine when breakfast gets delivered not just to your cabin but to your own balcony hovering above the water.

Mini-Suite

Take an Oceanview with Balcony cabin and make it bigger and more comfortable. Then add a separate sitting area with a couch and cocktail table. Can’t sleep? In a mini-suite, you can relax on the couch and watch TV without disturbing anyone else in the cabin.

Suite

When you’re ready to sail in high style, go for a suite. Suites provide the same comfort and amenities as a luxury hotel, in contrast to the slightly cramped feeling below in the inside cabins. These are the largest cabins and feature a large living area separate from the sleeping area, a large balcony and a higher level of attention from your own service team. It also includes a host of privileges such as access the Concierge’s Lounge (Royal Caribbean) for a wine breakfast, among others.

For an immediate, free consultation and to place your name on our mailing list, call us at 800-547-9829 or e-mail us at eecruise@aol.com

August 1, 2014
Twenty Ways to Enjoy Breathtaking Bermuda
Something about the Bermuda Islands keeps you coming back again and again.

When I first traveled to Bermuda in 1964, I never dreamed I’d be back so many times. I certainly never expected to return 25 times, but there is something about the Bermuda Islands that entices you to return time after time.

So breathtaking are the glorious beaches, from aquamarine pools and sandy bays to the famous pink sands at the South Shore beaches. My favorite beach is John Smith’s Bay, with soft sand and great swimming and snorkeling. No, it’s not where most first-time cruisers go to the beach. You just have to know about it, and once you do, you’ll enjoy the calm seclusion of an almost private little hideaway.

The most pristine coral reefs in the world set the stage for world-class snorkeling. Just float on the surface while brightly colored fish gently swim about the reef among lobsters, sea turtles and more. This is a dazzling display you’ll never experience in a doctor’s office fishtank. Twenty-nine protected marine areas also offer some of the most dramatic, high-visibility diving areas in the world.

When in Hamilton, the capital, don’t miss the Hog Penny on Burnaby Hill, just off Front Street. The Hog Penny is the original inspiration for the Cheers Pub in Boston. With their 50-plus year history, the Hog Penny is my favorite spot for “to-die-for” pub style food. Their Bermuda fish chowder tastes of authenticity.

Bermudians are always smiling and welcoming. How interesting to see men wearing jackets, ties and Bermuda shorts riding through the streets on their mopeds. So many reasons to return. I will be cruising back next year to again experience the Bermudian people and their hospitality.

While many popular Caribbean island destinations are still recovering from colonial rule, Bermuda remains a part of Great Britain. Everyone speaks English, driving is on the other side of the road and tea time is still a thing – and something worth experiencing. After 150 cruises all over the world, I can always find a reason to sail back to Bermuda.

Here are twenty ways to enjoy Bermuda:
- Relaxing on the beach
- Swimming
- Water skiing
- Snorkeling
- SCUBA diving
- Sailing
- Fishing
- Parasailing
- Stand-up paddleboarding
- Golfing
- Touring historic forts
- Searching for pirate treasure
- Climbing up a lighthouse
- Strolling art galleries
- Horseback riding
- Spelunking
- Hiking and biking
- Riding a moped
- Driving on the wrong side of the road
- Enjoying high tea
For an immediate, free consultation and to place your name on our mailing list, call us at 800-547-9829 or e-mail us at eecruise@aol.com
August 1, 2014
Cruising Italy from Rome to Venice

Eileen Entin of Diamond Cruise and Travel enjoys a sunny day amid the ruined city in Pompeii, Italy. A veteran of more than 150 cruises, Entin’s Italian tour was part of a Mediterranean cruise from Rome to Venice. Photo: Diamond Cruise and Travel.

I’ve traveled around the world on more than 150 cruises but none of those vacations fully prepared me for this 12-day, Mediterranean cruise. In Italy, we toured Rome for three days and while walking on the Apian Way and climbing to the top of the Roman Colosseum were dreamlike experiences right out of a European history book, the clearest memory must be the pizza. Seriously. Growing up in the New York area, I know good pizza but none compared to the pizza we enjoyed in a seemingly ordinary, nondescript restaurant in Rome.

This authentic, Roman pizza had a very thin, crispy crust covered with a very tasty tomato sauce and fresh-picked herbs and spices. The flavor was robust and I’m sure has never been replicated in America. You’ll just have to go to Rome for the experience.

And in Italy, you don’t have to wait outside a restaurant for a table. They bring the tables outside on the sidewalk. On busy days, they just bring out more tables. In between sampling fantastic Italian cuisine, we toured the Vatican, just outside of the city center of Rome. Looking up at the work of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel truly inspires a mixture of awe, disbelief and fascination. Add a highly professional docent who can bring the painting alive and reveal the centuries of colorful history and the experience becomes more than magical. Seeing St. Peter’s Basilica and the 40 angelic faces in person was just as breathtaking.

Joel and Eileen Entin of Diamond Cruise and Travel sneak a photo in between the mobs of tourists at the Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy. Photo: Diamond Cruise and Travel.

The most valuable part of the experience was learning exactly where to stay when in Rome.

From Rome, our itinerary called for a cruise out of the port of Civitavecchia to Venice, with stops at Pompeii, Pisa and in the Greek Islands. Special thanks go to our personal tour guide for handling transfers from the airport to the hotel, and to the ship. We arrived on time every time. Finding a local guide who’s reliable and knows how to get around town in a foreign country is highly recommended.

Cruising into Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius casts a shadow over the ruined city yet seems as calm and quiet as any ordinary mountain. Touring the remains of the city and its people frozen in time, it felt as if we were extras in a History or Discovery Channel episode chronicling the eruption that covered Pompeii in volcanic ash. Archeological digs continue to progress today. Thousands of artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum may be seen in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

At the Leaning Tower of Pisa, nearly every tourist leaned into the tower cathedral at just the right angle and had their pictures taken looking as if they were either holding the tower up or pushing it over (this is actually a personality test of whether one is good or evil). The good people move next from Pisa to Venice.

Joel Entin of Diamond Cruise and Travel enjoys a gondola ride in Venice, Italy. Of the more than 150 cruises he’s enjoyed, this was his most relaxing. Photo: Diamond Cruise and Travel.

The closest thing to Venice in America is the Venetian in Las Vegas – but now that I’ve enjoyed both, there really is no comparison. We crossed the Bridge of Sighs, had drinks in St. Marks Square and relaxed riding the canals in a gondola. Our gondolier was both knowledgeable and charming. If we’d had more time, we might’ve enrolled in a class to learn how to become a gondolier – maybe the next time we travel on a European cruise.

I’ll put some of my favorite experiences from the Greek Isles part of this itinerary together soon. If you would like to learn more about our trip, or for a quote on a custom trip to Italy, just call me or email eecruise@aol.com.

For an immediate, free consultation and to place your name on our mailing list, call us at 800-547-9829 or e-mail us at eecruise@aol.com

February 2, 2014