12 November 2013

I thought I had already sailed on my favourite ship in the world, but boy have I changed my mind after spending seven wonderful days cruising along the French and Italian Riviera's, on-board the Azamara Quest. From the moment we arrived in Nice everything ran so smoothly. On arrival at the sunny port of Nice our luggage was quickly taken from us and delivered to our cabin, and we boarded the ship to check in with a lovely glass of champagne, which was quite different from the normal hectic quayside check in used by other cruise companies, certainly this was more chilled and relaxed. Once our well-appointed balcony cabin was ready and we had unpacked we started to explore the ship. My first impression was that it was a very traditional and elegant ship, but very warm and welcoming at the same time. Around every corridor there was always a welcoming smile from a staff member, making you feel more at home. The food on-board was amazing, very high quality with loads of choice in both the buffet and main dining room, and the included drinks was an added bonus. Included in every Azamara club cruise is all your food, drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic and tips. You are given the opportunity to upgrade your drinks package to have premium branded spirits from only $12 per day. Each day you are on-board they serve a different wine to tie in with the Itinerary you are travelling on too, so fantastic value. There are two speciality restaurants on-board also that you can pay a supplement of $25 to dine in, this is complimentary for Suite guests, Aqualina specialised in Mediterranean food and Prime C in beef and seafood. The ports that we visited were all very interesting and different at the same time. On one of the evening's when we had docked in Monte Carlo we got to experience the Azamazing evening excursion which Azamara provide on a complimentary basis, we were collected at the port and taken to the Oceanographic Museum there, were we were greeted by stilt walkers dressed up in the most fabulous sea creature costumes. The evening was an experience of what the museum had to offer along with some canapé’s and drinks. Our voyage took us from Nice to Monaco, St Tropez, Sardinia, Amalfi, Sorrento and Rome. The thing that I enjoyed the most about this ship was that, due to the size of it, we were able to dock in most ports we visited without having to take a tender ashore. This has such advantages when you are only docked for a few hours in each place. Also it was lovely sight being moored up beside some of the world’s largest yachts in Monte Carlo. Hopefully I will return for another sailing on this wonderful vessel as it was truly a delightful experience.

06 September 2011

As a Gold Travel Counsellor each year we are rewarded with a long weekend to somewhere exotic, this year the destination was Dubai. We flew from Belfast to Dubai via London with Emirates airlines and after clearing immigration and customs, we made our way to the Westin Mina Seyhai Hotel located on Jumeriah Beach. The hotel, like most hotels in Dubai was very opulent, marble floors, chandeliers and plush furnishings in the lobby, everything you would expect from a five star property. After check in it was time to have a few hours on the beach before our planned brunch at the hotels famous Friday Bubbalicious. One word WOW I have never seen so much food in all my life, included in the price was champagne and cocktails, no wonder it gets booked out every Friday by the ex-pats and locals. So after all that eating it was time for a quick snooze in the sun, before the evening events. That evening we were transferred to the new and upcoming part of Dubai an area called Bur Dubai which is home to the Mall of Dubai (the world’s largest shopping mall), Khalifa Tower (the world’s tallest building) and the spectacular Dubai Fountain. Here we had some food and drinks at the new Armani Hotel. The last time I visited Dubai which was 20 months prior to this trip this area was a building site, it always amazes me how quickly things get done here. The next day after a sumptuous breakfast we were off on a city tour which included a trip to the top of the Khalifa Tower, this was the part I was most looking forward to and I wasn't disappointed. The views from up here were amazing. After coming back down to earth we were allowed some time for a spot of retail therapy at the Mall of Dubai which also houses the largest aquarium! The next morning it was time to recharge the batteries and indulge in some relaxation after a couple of hectic days it was great to stay at one of the hotels four pools. That evening we went next door to the One and Only Royal Mirage and watched the sunset over The Palm with a cocktail, before our Gala dinner at the Atlantis hotel (or pink palace as I like to call it!) After a fun filled weekend it was time to bid farewell to this fascinating city, no matter how many times you go each time there is something new to see or try out. It will always amaze me!

06 September 2011

After a busy school year it was finally time for our August family holiday, and the destination was St Lucia. We chose the fabulous Windjammer Landing resort in the north of the island as we felt it ticked all the boxes for a fun filled family holiday. After a nine hour flight from Gatwick and a further road transfer of just over an hour, we finally arrived. A warm welcome from the staff, a nice cold towel and refreshing rum punch was waiting for us; a nice touch after a long journey, before we were quickly whisked to our three bedroom estate villa. If you fancy taking to the air, the transfer can also be done by helicopter! The resort is made up of a variety of accommodations and has something to suit everyone from couples, families and groups. These include romantic suites for two, one and two bedroom hibiscus suites with jacuzzi's on the balcony and two, three and four bedroom villas with pools - all on the hillside overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Our estate villa was very nice indeed; it had three bedrooms each with their own bathroom, a fully equipped kitchen with every mod con including a washing machine and dryer, cable TV and DVD player and best of all - its own pool. The good thing about Windjammer too is that you can choose to come self catering, bed and breakfast or all inclusive. Cases unpacked it was time to get the shuttle to the beach from our villa and go and find out what activities were on offer for the next couple of days. After looking at the list we knew we wouldn't get bored if we didn't want to just lie in the sun. The Jacquot fun club is the free onsite kids club for ages 4 - 12, younger children can participate if accompanied by a babysitter for a fee. The club provided excellent activities including Tie-dye, talent shows, treasure hunts and much more, loads to keep our seven year old happy. Watersports including Hobie cats, Banana Boat rides, Tubing, Kayaking and Wind surfing were also complimentary no matter what board basis you were staying on, which I found excellent as normally with other properties this is only offered when on all inclusive. Most nights there was some type of entertainment from steel bands, live music and even a Caribbean night with Fire Eaters! So after a few busy days and nights enjoying the activities and fabulous food in the evenings we decided it was time to go and explore more of what the island had to offer outside of the hotel, so we hired a private yacht for the day and sailed down to the south of the Island to take in some the islands spectacular scenery. We sailed to the Pitons and Marigot Bay where the British won the battle against the French for control of the island. The scenes here where truly breathtaking, then we had some time for snorkelling in the clear waters. Even though the resort had everything for our family it was really nice to get out and see the locals and learn more about the island. There are various activities available in St Lucia if you want to explore more such as zip lining in the rainforest, deep sea fishing, jeep safaris to the island volcano and much more, you definitely couldn't get bored. The people of St Lucia are amongst the friendliest in the Caribbean; they are always smiling and are so happy that you are coming to explore their island, truly proud to show it off. We felt very safe at all times. I can't wait to get back, and especially to Windjammer as everyone treated you as if you were part of the family, it will be just like coming home.

02 August 2011

When I was organising our honeymoon over 12 years ago I had put the Maldives on our list of destinations we wanted to go to, in the end we chose the Caribbean, but the wish to visit these amazing set of little islands remained. When it came round to organising our 10th anniversary trip, we decided that the Maldives ticked all the boxes and I got my wish! From the moment we landed into Mahe we were not disappointed. After a 45 minute speedboat journey we arrived at Huvafen Fushi, our home for the next 7 days. Just like a picture postcards the, colour of the Ocean is the first thing that you take in, secondly the genuine smiles on the hotel staff. During our visit we stayed in an overwater lagoon bungalow, which had every gadget imaginable, every man’s dream! A button on the palm beside the bed closed the curtains, another turned the lights on and off, and another button played the music on the iPod, very James Bond! So the girls wouldn't feel left out the bathroom was fab too, his and hers sinks, a free standing bath overlooking the lagoon and huge mirrors - everything was very well thought out. One thing that worried my husband about going to the Maldives was that he would get bored easily, after a day or so there, this thought had left his mind! We spent our day’s snorkelling, relaxing by the main pool or the plunge pool of our overwater bungalow, having massages at the spa, taking boat trips, catching up on the list of books we wanted to read and enjoying the fabulous fresh food on offer. Most evenings the hotel had some sort of entertainment on from local bands, dancers, gala dinners etc. The one thing that was nice is that most people walked around barefoot even in the restaurants, so all the nice flip flops and shoes I had bought stayed in the wardrobe until I was leaving. It was very relaxed! The quality and variety of good food amazed me, as you do forget that you are on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, it was amazing how everything was so plentiful. The Maldivian people are wonderful, nothing was ever any trouble and they always wanted to please you, very genuine and friendly people. I would simply say that the Maldives for me is heaven on earth. It was a truly amazing experience that you never want to end in a very Romantic destination. Hopefully someday we shall return!