Vacations other than cruises

[UKCruiseJeff]

But at least once per year, we do something else - a Silversea cruise in the Med, a week in Rome or Athens or Paris, travelling around Italy by train. Looking forward to retiring so that we can make that twice per year!

 

 

If you go to Rome ... I suggest if you haven't been there ... you google "Ostia Antica" .. ask questions. Most people visiting Rome have never heard of Ostia but I'd say it is a gem of the world that is almost unknown. You may recall in Gladiator he saying "Meet me at Ostia ....!"

 

Also if you enjoy music then google Alpheus in Rome. It is a club with around 5 or 6 live music stages at a time. Blues, Jazz, Salsa, Andes ...... all in the same night.

 

This is a Roman Taverna in Ostia and blocks of appartments that you can climb and visit and feel what it was like to live there 2000 years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ging466]

The.Most.Beautiful.Place.On.Earth :)

 

PALAU

 

A group of little known islands in Micronesia in the South West Pacific. Home of one of the most fierce battles of WWII between the US and Japan (Peleliu).

 

It's beauty is astounding.

 

Love Love Love it and would go back in a heart beat.

 

Cheers

Jennifer

[Ravenscroft]

We're finding that we have less time available now for holidays than we ever have. Work is becoming more demanding and time consuming. We are clearly doing something wrong!

So our travel over the last few years has been minimal.

I could forego most land based holidays now, in return for two or three 10 days plus cruises each year. However the reality is that we don't have that sort of time available.

My non-negotiable trip is an annual wine buying trip to Burgundy. Usually it's a frantic 5 days of lots of driving, along with great food, gorgeous French towns and villages and wine tasting. Usually manage a night in the Champagne region on the way back to the Channel tunnel.

Most years we manage one trip for several days in North America. I have a very soft spot for Canada, so it's my preference. Did 10 days driving in Québec last year, taking in Montreal, QC and the stunning Charlevoix region. Excellent food and beautiful scenery.

[Keith1010]

We do prefer cruises. Would like to do a river cruise to get to areas we don't see by cruise ship.

 

We find cruises so much easier. We realize we don't see all that we could on land but we see many more places and do not have to go through packing/unpacking and too much flying.

 

Keith

[UKCruiseJeff]

I have never been on a river cruise ... I must admit though the whole thing about sea cruises is not doing anything other than waiting for the next port to arrive ....:)

[Mr Luxury]

You yearn for stroopwaffels?! :eek:

 

Get a grip. Eat cardboard smeared with sump oil and save yourself some cash!:D

 

Would that be a first pressing of the sump oil?

[Mr Luxury]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff,is that your boss in the pictures?

[UKCruiseJeff]

That is "the Boss".. " 'er indoors" .... "she who must be obeyed".

 

Don't be lulled into a false sense of secuirty because she is small. She goes for the ankles.

 

We came very close to our perfect solution a few years back. I came up with the idea of buying a suite on The World with 3 other families. This would have given me a kitchen and 4 months of cruising per year with the ability of leaving stuff on and hopping backwards and forwards. The plan was that they'd be a company formed to buy the appartment / suite and that we would each own 25% shares and have a rotating first choice constitution. It seemed perfect. Discussed it with The World - they had no problems - in fact thought it a great idea. I asked them if they could adopt it and sell me a 25% share but they uhmmed and arhhed and the never did.

 

We floated the idea here and other places and found a firm owner and a maybe but then it fizzled out.

 

To me a 25% share in a 2 bed appartment on the World would have possibly been a perfect option.

[Mr Luxury]

That is "the Boss".. " 'er indoors" .... "she who must be obeyed".

 

Don't be lulled into a false sense of secuirty because she is small. She goes for the ankles.

 

We came very close to our perfect solution a few years back. I came up with the idea of buying a suite on The World with 3 other families. This would have given me a kitchen and 4 months of cruising per year with the ability of leaving stuff on and hopping backwards and forwards. The plan was that they'd be a company formed to buy the appartment / suite and that we would each own 25% shares and have a rotating first choice constitution. It seemed perfect. Discussed it with The World - they had no problems - in fact thought it a great idea. I asked them if they could adopt it and sell me a 25% share but they uhmmed and arhhed and the never did.

 

We floated the idea here and other places and found a firm owner and a maybe but then it fizzled out.

 

To me a 25% share in a 2 bed appartment on the World would have possibly been a perfect option.

 

My American friend has sold his three bedder this year due to the fact that he was only on the World once a year for two weeks and has a house in Hawaii that he much prefers.

His service charge was 100k a year.

The appartment was purchased by another owner.

[UKCruiseJeff]

My American friend has sold his three bedder this year due to the fact that he was only on the World once a year for two weeks and has a house in Hawaii that he much prefers.

His service charge was 100k a year.

The appartment was purchased by another owner.

 

 

Do you think the idea of sharing one between 4 families a good idea?

[WesW]

Our fav European Hotel in Europe to stay/ski/hike at:

 

Skiing:

 

 

Stunning scenery:

 

 

 

Hiking:

 

http://www.sporthotel-panorama.com/en/summer/summer-holidays-dolomites/85-0.html

 

Relaxing:

 

 

We can't wait to return (we've been going here since 1985) to the Sporthotel Panorama in Corvara, Italy next September.

[CanadianKate]

The World was beside the Whisper in Quebec City a few years ago. My dh has wanted to live on her since he first read the articles announcing the concept. To me, she's an ugly ship (sorry but I'm the daughter of a master mariner and his opinion on looks was passed on - I think the Spirit is ugly too) and I wasn't interested. Dh still was, so I looked into it more closely at that time.

 

We rent apartments when we travel and settle into neighbourhoods in the cities we visit so you'd think the concept would be a slam dunk for me. But, even if we could afford it, the service charge sealed the rejection of the idea for me. I won't buy a land-based condominium for the same reason. I want to either own something outright (and be anchored to that one location), or let someone else carry all the costs (and be free to set sail for new locations on my own timetable.)

 

The idea of a kitchen was intriguing since I observe passengers getting tired of the food on ships when they are aboard for long stretches, but I'd rather enjoy the pampering of a luxury line, including food, and make my stays just a month at a time before moving on to something else (or back to home base.)

[Mr Luxury]

Do you think the idea of sharing one between 4 families a good idea?

 

No,always do these business arrangements alone.there will always be conflicts and disputes no matter how accommodating you are.

[Mr Luxury]

 

The idea of a kitchen was intriguing since I observe passengers getting tired of the food on ships when they are aboard for long stretches, but I'd rather enjoy the pampering of a luxury line, including food, and make my stays just a month at a time before moving on to something else (or back to home base.)

 

My Friend used to get the chef to cook in his appartment when he did not want to go to the restaurant or the deli.

 

I have been invited for lunch on the World when it is in London at the end of April/beginning of May.They are seriously marketing the suites.

[UKCruiseJeff]

The annual service charge although high includes an obligatory credit with the on-board restaurants.

 

The way I had planned to handle scheduling was to split the year into 4 week blocks and each owner would get their first choice in rotation. So If it was your year to be first then you'd choose your first 4 weeks lot first, then everyone else chooses yo are now fifth in line .... quite easy really. Then people can ask each other if they want changes.

 

I didn't really see it difficult as long as it is a written constitution from the start. There would also be a sinking fund with the first 5 years paid in advance alongside the original purchase.

 

Anyway it's dead now.

[Mr Luxury]

The annual service charge although high includes an obligatory credit with the on-board restaurants.

 

.

 

 

Yes it does include food and booze.

 

I went on a few times just to help use some of the credit.

It's fine if use the facility a lot but a waste of money if you are only on for a week or two a year.

[farbster]

My only problem with the awesome suggestions is that most are so far away from the East Coast of the USA. My wife and I are both under 45, so getting away for 2 weeks in a row is about all we can handle (kids are at sleepover camp). Factoring in weather conditions during those summer weeks and not wanting to be 24 hours away by plane with the kids at camp, really takes away some of the amazing trips....Cry me a river right? LOL

 

Has anyone done Lake Como?

[Moosey5]

I just think that Amsterdam warrants more than that little bit of time. To each their own.

 

We were there in Dec. for 3 nights and had a blast.

 

You should look up the purse and handbag museum. It pains me to say this as a guy, but it was pretty interesting.

 

http://www.tassenmuseum.nl/en

 

Lawrence

 

 

Farbster - I am purse obsessed, lived in Amsterdam two years (prior to the opening of the museum I guess) and visit occasionally, but had NO IDEA it was there! THANK YOU!! We just booked our flight for Baltic Cruise on the Whisper, and tacked on two days in Amsterdam just for old times' sake. Now I know where to go when we get there!

 

Interesting land tours- have you tried Backroads? We did a cycling trip in Montana/Alberta a few years ago that was amazing. They also have hiking or multisport, but you can opt out of the physical activitiy for a day or every day if you want. Plenty of US/Canada/Latin America/Europe options. We thought it was a great combination of activity, scenery, and pampering. Not luxury by any means, but good accommodations and surprisingly good food, great guides, and someone to take care of every detail for you (assuming you like that aspect of cruising).

 

We also did a private tour of Macchu Picchu/Cusco/Sacred Valley with Aracari travel (booked through Frontier Elegant Journeys in the US) and cannot say enough good things about them. It felt like it was a world away but would be a 7 hour flight from east coast to Lima, plus maybe 1.5 hours to Cusco.

[Silver Spectre]

Cape Town, preferably when there is a Test Match at Newlands and a few days pottering around the winelands.

[farbster]

What is a Test Match? Is that when they try to use the matches to make sure they light properly? Why would that be exciting/interesting?

[jpalbny]

Cape Town, preferably when there is a Test Match at Newlands and a few days pottering around the winelands.

 

What is a Test Match? Is that when they try to use the matches to make sure they light properly? Why would that be exciting/interesting?

 

You guys crack me up! Love CPT, with or without my trusty book of matches in working order. It's a killer flight from the US ATL-JNB 15.5h direct), so would have to combine it with some serious safari time near Kruger to make it worth the time. We were particularly fond of our time in Lion Sands - a private reserve on the border of Kruger. They have another lodge in the north, near the border with Botswana, which looks equally lovely.

 

The winelands were stunningly beautiful, and we thoroughly regretted only spending one day there. Definitely plan to return! There is so much else to see in South Africa - the Garden Route, the Karoo, the mountain ranges...

 

Other non-cruise trips we're planning:

 

The Peruvian Amazon combined with Easter Island. How? LAN used to fly direct from LIM-Easter Island twice weekly, so we were going to fly to Lima, then to Iquitos for a week (some time in an Eco Lodge and time on the Aria/Aqua or Delfin), then return to LIM and fly to Easter Island for a few nights. There's an all-inclusive lodge there that looks quite nice - run by a company called Explora. So, we'll see if LAN decides to reopen this flight route and when they do, move ahead with booking. I guess this is cheating because there are a few days of river cruising in this trip...:o

 

If LAN never decides to rerun that flight routing, they still fly direct from Santiago, so we could combine some time in the Chilean Fiords with a side trip to Easter Island..

 

Circumnavigating Iceland by car for 10+ days. It's only a 5 hour flight from Boston to Keflavik. Iceland is a snap to navigate, and almost everyone speaks English (thank God; my Icelandic is a little rusty). It's hideously expensive there, but the scenery is worth it...

 

And, we want to climb Kilimanjaro. We'll need to rest up a bit afterwards, so a safari in East Africa may be the ticket there. :D

[ging466]

then return to LIM and fly to Easter Island for a few nights. There's an all-inclusive lodge there that looks quite nice - run by a company called Explora. So, we'll see if LAN decides to reopen this flight route and when they do, move

 

Hi JP

 

Highly recommend the Explora Lodge Rapa Nui on Easter Island...a wonderful experience. If Easter Island is on your radar, it is not to be missed.

 

Cheers

Jennifer

[mrlevin]

This summer, we are flying to Manchester and spending 24 days driving around Northern England and Scotland to include Ayr Flower Festival, Ballater Highland Games, Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, and World Piping Championships in Glasgow.

 

Other land tours we have taken include three weeks throughout China and Tibet; two plus weeks in South Africa including driving the Garden Route with side trip to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia; two weeks in Israel and Jordan; and numerous shorter trips around Japan, England, and Europe (worked in both Tokyo and Brussels).

 

Looking forward to retirement when so we have a chance to travel more often.

 

Marc

 

PS Wes, so much for your security clearance. :rolleyes:

[UKCruiseJeff]

Marq,

 

where are you planning / hoping to travel when you retire?

 

Jeff

[mrlevin]

Marq,

 

where are you planning / hoping to travel when you retire?

 

Jeff

 

Although we have been to all seven continents in last seven years, there are still vast parts of the world we have not seen; including portions of North America. We have nominally laid out a plan )budget) for annually two months driving around North America, two months land primarily Europe and Great Britain, and two months cruising. We have still not seen much of South America and South Asia. We still have a lot of Eastern Europe to tour and much of Western Europe to see in more detail. We still want to go back to Africa.

 

I finally crossed one hundred "countries" on the Travelers Century Club list last year; there are more than two hundred more locales on their list. :D

 

Marc