Norwegian Escape Christening

From 9 Nov 2015

Here I am at the Norwegian Escape Christening.

In November of 2015, I had the great privilege of sailing on the Norwegian Escape's 2-day pre-inaugural cruise.  Before she set sail, she was christened in style with a traditional ceremony and fun party starring Pitbull.  As a self professed ship nerd,  I was delighted to attend my first ship christening.

Norwegian Cruise Line knows how to throw a party!

As we waited for the festivities to begin, the atmosphere was electric with excitement.  The Cruise Director, Julie (yes, Julie), mc'd the event and made sure everyone stayed chipper in the record breaking heat with free cruise giveaways and many reminders of the free drinks to stay cool. Not only were there 3 open bars serving beer and mixed drinks generously, but they had bartenders on segways delivering drinks.  I got the feeling Norwegian Cruise Line knows how to throw a party!

President of Norwegian Cruise Line, Andy Stuart

I was hot waiting in my chair sipping my Landshark beer, despite knowing water would have been much healthier in the stifling heat, but I was too excited to be uncomfortable.  Finally, Froggy, a Miami radio celebrity, got on stage to get the official christening ceremony started. He introduced Norwegian's relatively new CEO, Frank Del Rio, who gave a short speech followed by Andy Stuart, Norwegian's President.  The ship's captain also said a few words and then two blessings were made, one by a Rabbi and one by a priest.  I think there must be a joke in there somewhere!  

Watch Pitbull christen the Norwegian Escape in the video above.

Finally, the big moment had arrived.  CEO Frank Del Rio came back out onto the stage accompanied by the ship's Godfather, Pitbull.  In maritime tradition, the ship's Godfather officially named the Norwegian Escape and christened her with Vodka.  The tradition is to christen a ship with champagne but Norwegian is not afraid to think outside of the box and Pitbull owns Voli Vodka.  The great thing about having Pitbull as the ship's Godfather was the free Pitbull concert!  He put on an amazing show right after the christening and earned himself a new fan with his energetic vibe and positive message.

Pitbull put on a terrific concert after the christening.

After the concert, it was time to get back on the ship and set sail off of the coast of Miami for 2 days.  The Norwegian Escape lived up to all of the hype in my mind.  She is a beautiful ship and a step up from previous Norwegian cruise ships.  She reflects her new CEO's experience in luxury cruising with her luxurious suites and elegant decor. 

The Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony

Living Room

Dining Room

A Bed with a View!

Luxurious Bathtub

Large Balcony is right!

The Haven by Norwegian is a dedicated area for those staying in The Haven Suites and staterooms.  It is a popular "ship within a ship" concept that has some great benefits including a private pool and sundeck, private restaurant and lounge, and the personal service of a certified 24-hour butler.  For the discerning crowd, they can enjoy the private luxurious area of a small ship but also still have access to all of the activities and restaurants of a large ship. It's also great for families who are not in the same income bracket.

The private pool area in The Haven

In addition to the luxurious and beautiful Haven, the Escape has many other attributes.  Among my favorites is the Waterfront, a quarter-mile wraparound oceanfront promenade that allows you to eat al fresco with amazing ocean views.  Sometimes I think the romance of the ocean gets lost in modern day cruising but not so with Norwegian's Waterfront (which is also on the Getaway and Breakaway).

The 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar on the Waterfront

There are a mind-blowing 26 dining options and 22 bars on this ship so taking advantage when Norwegian Cruise Line has the free drink package and specialty dining package is a huge value.  With less than half of the dining options complimentary, it would be easy to spend a small fortune on food and drinks.  My personal favorite of all these choices is the District Brew House with over 50 bottled beers and 24 craft beers on tap.

The District Brew House has great craft beer on tap.

Overall, I was very impressed with the new Norwegian Escape and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who wants to cruise to the Caribbean on a first class ship with plenty of fun activities, great entertainment and top notch food.  

Click here to see my full album of Norwegian Escape pictures.

There is plenty to do onboard the Norwegian Escape!

I hope you have enjoyed reading my entry from this Traveling Travel Agent's travels.  I am a travel agent because I am passionate about seeing as much of this big beautiful world as possible and I love helping others to do the same. If you would like to learn more about our travel services, visit us at www.PurplePalmVacations.com.

Happy Travels!

Best Day in Hawaii - Our Drive Around O'ahu

From 25 Oct 2015

My husband, son and myself on Waikiki Beach.

After years of touring the Caribbean, I finally decided it was time to head west to Hawaii with my husband, Mike, and son, Braden, in tow. Our first full day started early at 4 am (8am back in Denver). This worked out well since I wanted to get an early start to our big day driving around the island of O'ahu.  We got dressed and walked down the block to a 24 hour diner called the Wailana Coffee House.  Braden had the best waffle of his life covered in strawberries and whipped cream.  Our nice waitress jokingly called it his birthday waffle because it looked similar to a birthday cake. Mike and I had fresh pineapple juice with coffee and pastries.  The food was delicious, the hospitality was top notch and the atmosphere was that of an old time diner.  We were big fans and knew we would be back (especially for their advertised $4 Mai Tai's)!

  

There was so much beauty on our drive around the island!

After a yummy breakfast, we hopped into our rented Chrysler and headed east to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, the best snorkeling on the island in a bay formed by a volcanic crater.  This was our first stop of the day because I wanted to make sure we got there early enough to get a parking space. Shortly after getting out of Honolulu we saw a bright green mountain with a slanted top and evidence of past lava flow.  We pulled over to get a picture and would later see that beautiful mountain as part of the back drop at Hanauma Bay.  That was just the first of many stunningly beautiful Hawaiian island vistas. 

Hanauma Bay

At Hanauma Bay we paid the $7.50 fee and went inside the park to wait for an orientation movie which is shown to everyone in order to keep the bay safe.  We watched the movie and walked down a steep path to get down to the the bay. The bay was stunning with green mountains jutting up on each side and looking like the Hawaii I was picturing in my mind.  We got in the water and found that the snorkeling did not disappoint. We saw a myriad of tropical fish including a big rainbow colored one, a long skinny one with a trumpet like nose and the state fish, the humuhumunukunukuapua'a.  We all had a terrific time snorkeling and agreed that it was indeed a great place to snorkel with the variety of tropical fish and the gorgeous setting.

The view from Nu'uanu Pali State Wayside Park & Lookout 

Our next stop was the Nu'uanu Pali State Wayside Park & Lookout with supposed amazing views of the island from above.  While the view was nice, I found the vistas on the drive to get there more impressive.  At times during our drive, the tall lush green mountains next to the blue ocean almost took my breath away.  

The Shrimp Shack Truck

Next we headed up the coast on the windward (east) side of the island with lots more beautiful views in store.  Our target was the North Shore with a lunch stop on the way.  We drove through a couple small towns without a lot of lunch options and then saw a sign for the The Shrimp Shack.  We thought that looked perfect and it was!  We found it just as we were beginning to think we had passed it and it was a truck parked across the street from the ocean. We parked on the ocean side of the street and crossed over to order. I ordered the garlic shrimp, Mike, the coconut shrimp and Braden, the chili and rice with a delicious pineapple orange float.  We put our towels on the grass by the beach and a had a delightful picnic by the ocean.  It was a wonderful lunch with some of the best shrimp I've had and lovely ocean views!

Lunch with a view!

By this time Braden was dying to get back into the water but I held him off for the North Shore.  We drove on and found the birth place of surfing, Akukai Beach Park, aka the Banzai Pipeline.  The flag was red and the waves were huge but they let us swim at own risk and so we did.  Beat up, however, would be a more appropriate verb than swim. At one point just as I was getting comfortable with body surfing, I missed badly and lost my pants!  The mighty ocean tossed us around like leaves on a windy fall day.  We walked away with bruises, sand burns and sand in every crevice of our body but we had the time of our lives going up against those mighty waves. I also enjoyed watching the many surfers catch a wave and ride it effortlessly to shore.  After that last hit that took my pants down, I was feeling a little dazed and confused (and humiliated!) so I was ready to find another beach with smaller waves so we could swim without getting beat up. 

Akukai Beach Park aka the Banzai Pipeline

We left the long stretch of the beautiful tan sand at the Pipeline and drove on to the next beach.  We had trouble finding a suitable beach for swimming.  They either had no parking or had huge waves.  Finally we found that the Hale'iwa Beach Park had plenty of parking and virtually no waves.  Poor Braden was uncomfortable with all the sand in his pants and everywhere else so he was happy to jump in the water to clean off. Mike and I were happy to do the same and the water felt heavenly and serene compared to the Pipeline.  After swimming and relaxing in the pretty bay albeit rocky beach, we decided it was time to make the trek back on the inland Kamehumeha Highway back to Waikiki. 

Braden and Mike in Hale'iwa

First, we decided to stop in the cute town of Hale'iwa for coffee and a snack.  We found a very nice and quaint set of shops with a coffee house and stopped there.  Parking was again sparse but we managed to find a spot.  I ordered an Island Latte (macadamia nut and coconut) and it turned out to be the best latte of my life.  I was excited to get my first latte with a pretty foam picture on top, a Hawaiian flower.  Mike ordered the Lava Mocha and Braden the Hot Cocoa with whipped cream. The nice boy making Braden's cocoa exhibited his Aloha spirit and worked hard to get a picture of a bear in his whipped cream for him. We all enjoyed our drinks along with the island hospitality and grabbed a few snacks at the gift ship before hitting the road.  Mike and I had chocolate covered macadamia nuts that were amazing!  

The best latte of my life!

The drive back to Waikiki didn't take too long and overall we found island driving to be easy and fun although congested at times.  The three of us agreed that our drive around O'ahu was our favorite day in Hawaii.  I know I would not have truly appreciated the island of O'ahu had we not taken our drive around the island.  It gave me a picture of the diversity of the island, the beauty of the island and the charm of the people who inhabit the island.

I loved the mountains on the windward side of O'ahu.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my entry from this Traveling Travel Agent's travels.  I am a travel agent because I am passionate about seeing as much of this big beautiful world as possible and I love helping others to do the same. If you would like to learn more about our travel services, visit us at www.PurplePalmVacations.com.

Happy Travels!

Disney's Aulani - A Hawaiian Paradise for Families

Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa

Last week while on the beautiful island of Oahu, I spent 2 nights at Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa to see how it compares with Disney's other products.  Upon arrival, my husband, son and I were greeted with a traditional lei and fruit infused water and my first impression was good indeed. I could see the legendary Disney service has extended its reach to Hawaii.  Or was that the Aloha spirit that we had already been enjoying all week?  Hard to tell for sure, but either way, the service was wonderful throughout our stay.

This was our Deluxe Studio Oceanview Room.

We were upgraded to the Deluxe Studio Oceanview Room which not only gave us a gorgeous full on view of the beautiful Pacific Ocean but also a nice kitchenette with a fridge, microwave, coffee and even a toaster which came in handy for the pop tarts I had brought my son to save money on breakfast.  We were very happy with our room and what I enjoyed most was sitting out on our balcony each morning with my husband, Mike, writing in my journal, sipping delicious Hawaiian coffee and gazing out at the never-ending beauty of the azure ocean.

The beautiful ocean view from our balcony.

The pool area is nothing short of spectacular with the longest lazy river I have ever seen, 2 thrilling water slides, 3 pools including one for adults, an interactive splash zone and even a snorkeling lagoon.  Braden, my 11 year old son, loved it all; he was delighted when he discovered whale sounds under water at the infinity pool, he couldn't get enough of the speedy waterslides and he even liked meandering through the lazy river with me. We also both really enjoyed the snorkeling which is in a great lagoon for first timers with all of its wonderful colorful fish.

The lovely infinity pool was my favorite place to hang out.

The lazy river was long and beautiful.

The beach was a bit smaller than I was expecting and I was slightly disappointed to learn it was a man-made lagoon instead of a natural beach.  But then that is more of a personal preference because I enjoy natural God-made beauty so much and I had really gotten accustomed to that kind of beauty in Hawaii!  Disney knows what they are doing, however, because the beach is perfect for children of all ages with its gentle waves and protected cove.

A view of the lagoon from above.

Aulani's beach up close.

As we enjoyed our time leisurely moving from pool to lazy river to waterslide and genuinely enjoying being in paradise, I couldn't help but think how Aulani is like one big Hawaiian Disneyland ride.  It was cool in a way but also made me appreciate having been to other spots on Oahu to see the real Hawaii. To be fair, Disney does work hard to give you the authentic Hawaiian experience but it is still Disneyfied. 

My son, Braden, and husband, Mike at Ama Ama.

As I expected, the food was tasty but over-priced and similar to Walt Disney World in many ways.  The buffet at Makahiki was very good with lots of choices but even for a small family of 3, the bill had my eyes popping out of my head.  We had lunch at Ama Ama by the beach and that was a very enjoyable dining experience for us. Either the lunch prices weren't too bad or I was intoxicated by the beautiful ocean views and Mai Tai because I didn't almost pass out when we got the bill this time.  And when Mike joked that there was something wrong with Braden's dessert, our kind waitress brought us another despite the fact that his plate was empty!

The views were spectacular at Ama Ama.

There were lots of great looking family activities at Aulani including movie nights, nature walks, an interactive scavenger hunt and much more but my family and I are all water babies so we played hard at the pools and beach all day and crashed hard early every night.  If we had been there longer, the activities would have been great and it definitely makes a longer Aulani stay necessary if one does want to take part.

One of the best sunsets I've seen on our last night.

Overall, I was very impressed with Aulani.  I felt like it delivered what it promised and it's setting is pretty close to perfect.  I think it is best suited for families with younger kids and I think a stay at Aulani needs at least one day off the property to see more of Oahu because there is Disney's Hawaii and there is Hawaii.  Both are great!

Me with my hubby and son on the couch in our room.

Click here for my complete Aulani picture collection including different room categories.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my entry from this Traveling Travel Agent's travels.  I am a travel agent because I love to travel and I love helping other people travel! Through strategic partnerships, I offer my clients preferred rates, complimentary upgrades and extra amenities like wine or shipboard credit. If you would like to learn more about our travel services, visit us at www.PurplePalmVacations.com.

Happy Travels!

My Crazy and Dangerous Adventure in Naples, Italy

21 July 2003, Naples, Italy

Naples, Italy

In the summer of 2003, I had the amazing opportunity to visit my good friend living in Naples for a 2 1/2 week Italian adventure. On 21 July, I ventured out on my own and got to experience the uniqueness and craziness of downtown Naples. My friend (who I am calling Jane) drove me to the Aversa train station where I caught the train to Stazione Centrale downtown. There I caught the Metro to the Montesanto stop where I was to start the walking tour I had planned. Instead of pulling out the map immediately as I now know I should have, I started to wonder around aimlessly, my favorite method of exploration.  

Castle Nuovo

I walked down some narrow streets past outdoor fruit vendors, looking for breakfast and coffee (caffe).  I found a small store that sold Italian doughnuts but no caffe.  I bought a doughnut and ate it as I wandered again in pursuit of that ever-needed jolt of caffeine plus I was already hooked on Italian cappuccinos!  Sorry Starbucks but they've got you beat. It was not even 10:00 am yet and the day was already sweltering.  I walked past several tiny stores selling clothes and other various items and finally spotted a cafeteria.  I sipped a delicious cappuccino in a real coffee mug at the counter and paid the friendly Italian man on my way out.  I wasn't sure if I was supposed to pay beforehand but he seemed ok with it. You do not pay the person behind the counter where you order as in the US but a separate person behind the cash register on the other side of the store.

Downtown Naples

Now that my first two needs were met, I decided to pull out the map and figure out where I was.  I did not see any street signs so I kept on walking, hoping to see a piazza or a church that I might find on the map.  It was like I had a map to a different city, however, because nothing matched up! After several tries, I finally gave up and found a taxi who could take me to a landmark I knew from the map.  I found a very nice taxi driver to take me to Castel Capuano.  He dropped me off at what looked like the castle so I thanked him and said goodbye in Italian.  As I walked through the grand arch and around what I thought was the castle, I discovered it was a church instead. I decided no more wondering aimlessly for me so I asked a man at the door of the church where the Castle Capuano was. He pointed across the street and I was relieved.  After a choppy conversation in Italian with the taxi driver, he had taken me to the right place after all.

A statue of Caesar in Naples

So far Italy was not like other foreign countries I have been to in that not as many people speak English. It was fun to use the Italian I had learned for the trip.  Finally, after half a day of being lost in a strange foreign city, I knew where I was. Then Jane called to check on me and told me where to find the street signs. They are on the buildings quite a bit higher than my eye level. Knowing this helped to ensure that I wouldn't get lost again (or so I thought).

Naples Duomo

My next stop was a Duomo (cathedral) that was only a couple blocks away.  It was lovely from the outside but I couldn't go inside because there was a herd of people on the front stops and quite a few polizia around.  My guess was that it was some kind of protest.  

The narrow streets of Naples

Downtown Naples is an amazing place that is almost indescribable. The streets are very narrow with many cars, scooters and pedestrians trying to share the same limited space.  People don't wait at crosswalks to cross the street, they dart across the street, dodging cars like a live arcade game of Frogger.  There are vendors of all kinds occupying stores no larger than my bedroom at home. People live in crowded apartments above and hang their laundry out to dry in the alley outside their windows. The pace is fast but the people are usually friendly, especially the men. At one point I politely declined an invitation for a date by a friendly polizia by explaining I was married and he told me he didn't mind because he was married too!

Laundry hanging above the street in Naples.

After having an un-sliced square pizza pie in the birthplace of pizza for lunch and a delicious gelato for dessert, the intense heat drove me to seek the coolness of Jane's apartment.  I thought I found my return Metro station without incident until I arrived there and saw nothing but a small snack store.  I made the mistake of asking a man (up until now everyone was so helpful) where the metro stop was.  First he wanted me to sit down and have some pizza. I said no and the next thing I knew he led me to the small store inside the station and tried to get me to buy a ticket.  I said, "no, I already have a ticket," and then realized I was surrounded by 6 or 7 men. Immediately my internal alarm went off and I high-tailed it out of there as fast as I could.  I'm pretty sure they wanted to rob me and looking back it was quite scary!  I later found out from Jane that I was in a high crime area.  I decided to risk no more and took a taxi to the Stazione Centrale where I caught the train to Aversa and arrived safely back at Jane's place with a grand adventure to tell!

Me in front of Naples Lake.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my entry from this Traveling Travel Agent's travels.  I am a travel agent because I love to travel and I love helping other people discover our big beautiful world! If you want to learn more about my travel agency and the services we provide, visit us at www.PurplePalmVacations.com. Happy Travels!

My Adventure on the Alluring Amalfi Coast, Italy

20 July 2003, Amalfi Coast

The breathtaking Almafi Coast

In the summer of 2003, I had the amazing opportunity to visit my good friends living in Naples for a 2 1/2 week Italian adventure of a lifetime. On July 20th my friends, who I will call Jane and John, drove me to the Amalfi Coast for a day of sightseeing.  We drove from Naples to the coast through hair pin turns on steep hills with jaw dropping gorgeous vistas of lush green mountains jutting dramatically from the Mediterranean Sea.  

Herding goats on a busy, narrow road

As we drove on the narrow road up the coast, I was sure several times that our small Volkswagen would not be able to squeeze by the buses that were on the road.  Somehow that cramped road was always able to accommodate both vehicles. At one point I was surprised to see two boys herding goats on that busy road but they were and we drove on by them.  This would not be the first time or the last time that I was surprised by Italian behavior.  As we continued, we drove by one picturesque town right after another all built on the hillsides of the dramatic cliffs.  

I enjoyed stunning views like these on the drive up the Amalfi Coast.

We had planned to stop in Amalfi to walk around, have lunch and go to the beach but there was not a parking spot to be found.  The town was amazingly crowded with people, cars and scooters squeezed into every possible nook and cranny.  The beaches were umbrella to umbrella with barely a square inch of sand to be seen. We gave up on Amalfi and drove on to the next town.  We got the same story there and drove on again.

The extremely crowded beach in Amalfi

Finally we found parking in Vietri, almost an hour's drive from Amalfi. We had lunch at a nice ristorante overlooking the sea.  I had the Penne Pomadora which was delicious as usual.  The food in Italy did not disappoint and indeed was just as good, if not better, than I had imagined. Although, the food was tasty, I am sure that I enjoyed the view that came with lunch more than the food.  It was simply stunning!    

This is the beautiful view we enjoyed with lunch.

After lunch we went shopping for souvenirs.  Vietri is famous for it's beautiful and colorful ceramic dinnerware.  I opted not to buy dinnerware, however, and instead bought a lovely ceramic clock with a colorful Amalfi Coast scene painted on it.  Summer in Italy is hot and humid and after shopping, I was ready to cool off with a swim in the Mediterranean Sea.

Vietri had lots of shops with beautiful Italian souvenirs

We walked about a half of a mile down a steep hill and found a small crowded beach to camp out on for the afternoon. We found a square of uninhabited beach, paid .50 Euro to use the bathroom to change in, and went for a swim.  The water was cool and it felt so good to get out of the heat.  I was disappointed to see that the shoreline was sprinkled with litter but once I swam out a little, the water became fairly clear. Despite the litter, it was a refreshing and exhilarating first swim in the deep blue Mediterranean Sea.  

This is the beach we landed at in Vietri.

Our drive home was crowded and I was surprised by the aggressiveness of the Italian drivers and even more surprised to see a gentleman relieving himself on the side of the highway outside of Naples.  I realized just how sheltered my life had been and just how different other cultures are from ours.   

A gorgeous house built on the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast.

I had a great day exploring the breathtaking Amalfi Coast and soaking in the beauty was food for my soul.  I was impressed by the gorgeous green mountains, the alluring blue sea, and the charming towns but I was disappointed by the immense crowds. I will return to this fabulous coast but I now know not to go during summer when seemingly every other European is trying to share the same crowded space!

I am enjoying a delicious Cappuccino in Vietri.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my entry from this Traveling Travel Agent's travels.  I am a travel agent because I love to travel and I love helping other people discover our big beautiful world! If you want to learn more about my travel agency and the services we provide, visit us at www.PurplePalmVacations.com. Happy Travels!