Category Archives: cruise

Printing Eurocruisazy Instagrams

  April 10, 2013 - 7:00 am | , , ,
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I have so many pictures from my trip to Europe with my daughter (which we affectionately refer to as Eurocruisazy) that it has been overwhelming to think about printing them. I didn’t think I could begin to choose, so when InstaThis contacted me about reviewing some Instagram prints, I jumped at the chance to choose a few Instagrams to print. I only had about thirty Instagrams to pick from compared to thousands of regular photos, so it was a little easier to choose.  I tried not to overthink it and quickly landed on a few favorites. I LOVE how they … Continue reading →

Doge’s Palace, Venice, Italy

  April 8, 2013 - 10:00 am | , ,
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A Visit to The Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy This post is part of a continuing series about a Mediterranean Cruise I took with my thirteen year old daughter in the fall of 2012.  After wandering the city of Venice for several hours, we visited The Doge’s Palace. Overlooking the Grand Canal, Doge’s Palace was the seat of the government of Venice until it came under Napoleonic rule in 1797 and then in 1866, a part of Italy.  Before then, the palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice. Today the … Continue reading →

Venice, Italy

  March 11, 2013 - 10:00 am | , ,
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venice, venice from the bridge of sighs, venice architecture, canals, mediterranean cruise, carnival, cruise ports

Venice, Italy: A Few First Impressions This post is part of a continuing series about a Mediterranean Cruise I took with my thirteen year old daughter in the fall of 2012.  Today I am talking about Venice! You’ve seen Venice in movies, pictures and books all of your life, but still, there is nothing quite like stepping onto a boat in the Grand Canal and taking in the magical beauty of this place. It is no wonder that Venice is such a well-loved destination.  The floating city lives up to all its hype.  You cannot help but take one million … Continue reading →

Caribbean Cruise Notes: Hanging in Cozumel

  March 8, 2013 - 8:00 am | ,
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nachi cocom, cozumel, caribbean cruise

Who wants to go to Cozumel? photos by Whitney Loibner I am so in the mood for a little beach getaway.  How about you? We are going skiing this month, which will be so much fun, as usual. But still, I am a wee bit jealous of those who are heading south for Spring Break instead. When we went on our Girls’ Cruise a couple of years ago, we went to this wonderful place in Cozumel called Nachi Cocom.  It was the most perfect beach day you could imagine.  Everything was wonderful.  The food, the chairs, the drinks and of … Continue reading →

Dubrovnik, Croatia

  February 26, 2013 - 8:00 am | , ,
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Mediterranean Cruise Ports, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Old City, European Travel, Mediterranean Cruise

    If you are planning a Mediterranean Cruise in the near future, you should know, The Port of Dubrovnik, Croatia is worth the price of your entire cruise. So make sure it’s on your ports of call when you book. Settled on the Adriatic Sea coast of Croatia, this little gem of a port city is one of the greatest examples of a preserved (and oft-restored) medieval city. Old city walls completely surround the Old City.  Just over a mile long, you can walk the entire distance of the walls, which is the very best way to see the … Continue reading →

Olbia, Sardinia, Italy

  February 12, 2013 - 9:00 am | , ,
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Olbia, Sardinia, Mediterranean Cruise, Cruise ports, Cruisazy, carnival cruise, europe, travel

I am continuing a series of posts about a Mediterranean Cruise I took with my thirteen year old daughter in the fall of 2012.  Today I am talking about The Lovely Port of Olbia, Sardinia, Italy Olbia is on the northeastern side of the island of Sardinia.  There are several lovely beaches there, or so we heard. It sounds ridiculous to me now, but after three days in Barcelona, followed by stops in Monaco, Tuscany and Rome, we were so sleepy. Also, we enjoyed being on the Carnival Breeze so much that we took in as much of the nightlife … Continue reading →

One Glorious Day in Rome

  February 5, 2013 - 10:00 am | , ,
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Rome, Italy, European travel, wanderlust, Arch of Constantine, Mediterranean Cruise Port

I am continuing a series of posts about a Mediterranean Cruise I took with my thirteen year old daughter in the fall of 2012.  Today I am talking about our One Glorious Day in Rome! (The Port of Citvitavecchia) First stop in Rome, The Colosseum. Pulling up to the Colosseum was one of those surreal moments you dream about when you are planning a trip to Europe.  We glimpsed it from our bus and then our guide let us off enough away that we could take in its full scope before getting closer and going in. I had Mary Polly … Continue reading →

Under the Tuscan Sun

  January 29, 2013 - 10:00 am | , ,
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Tuscany, Cruise Port Livorno, San Gimingnano, Italy, Travel in Europe, Tuscan Countryside, The Essence of Tuscany Carnival Cruise Excursion

The Cruise Port Livorno was the next stop on our Mediterranean Cruise.  Livorno is on the western side of Italy and from the port, one can access Pisa, Florence or any number of hill towns in Tuscany. Our original plan was to take one of the excursions to Florence, but the one we chose was canceled at the last minute so on an impulse, we jumped on an excursion called The Essence of Tuscany. This was one of those fortuitous decisions that made me later wonder if perhaps a little travel angel had guided our journey. Because the entire day … Continue reading →

Musée Océanographique

  January 24, 2013 - 7:00 am | , ,
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Musee Oceanographique, Musée Océanographique, Monaco, Monaco-Ville, Mediterranean Cruise, European travel, What to do in Monaco, view from Musee Oceanographique

Perched atop cliffs, overlooking the Mediterranean sea was our favorite stop in Monaco, the Musée Océanographique. What is funny is that I probably would not have toured it if I hadn’t had Mary Polly with me.  The Musée Océanographique dates from 1901 and was the brainchild of Prince Albert I. Jacques Cousteau was even the director of the museum for several years. We wandered all around the stunning building taking pictures before entering. We loved these mosaic floors in the entryway. This kind of beautiful detail was found all over the museum, which made the building as much a marvel as … Continue reading →

Mediterranean Cruise Port: Monaco

  January 22, 2013 - 10:00 am | , ,
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Monaco, Port of Monaco, Mediterranean Cruise, What to do in Monaco, Monte-Carlo, Monaco-Ville, Europe, European Travel

In September of 2012, my daughter, Mary Polly and I went on a Mediterranean cruise on the ship, the Carnival Breeze.  This post is about our first stop. Cruise Port: Monaco. We had attended our cruise director’s lecture on the highlights of the cruise port Monaco and he was not lying when he told us that at the first glimpse of the port, we would be dazzled by its old world elegance. The sun was shining in through our little porthole windows when we woke up.  We waited in our room for our cue that we could leave the boat. … Continue reading →