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A Cruise Ship Review Of The New 2006 Cruise Line Offerings For Your Cruise Vacation

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Travel Tagged with , , , February 26th, 2009 @ 3:04 am
Mary Hanna asked:

If you are a veteran cruiser or just curious about cruising, the year 2006 will be introducing many new cruise ships for you to consider when planning a cruise vacation. Call your travel agent and ask about the cruise lines and their new cruise ships and then book a cruise vacation. Here is a cruise review of the new cruise line additions.

Holland America is introducing the Noordam. This new cruise ship was launched on February 22 and has been getting very good cruise reviews. It will be the last cruise ship of Holland America’s Vista-class series.

However, it is the first to be designed for the cruise line’s “Signature of Excellence program.”

The Noordam can accommodate 1,848 passengers. For this new cruise ship, there have been some design changes to enhance the cruise vacation. The new designs were focused mainly on the public areas and staterooms, the meeting point of many cruise travelers.

They have made additions to the very popular Explorations Cafe. As veteran cruise travelers are well aware, it is a coffee bar/Internet cafe, game room, and library.

NCL America’s Pride of Hawaii is the newest cruise ship for 2006 by NCL America. It is the sister vessel of the Norwegian Jewel and offers an excellent cruise vacation.

For the cruise line, Pride of Hawaii marks the first new build from the hull up.

It launched was in June. This cruise ship will accommodate 2,224 passengers. It will be another cruise ship in NCL America’s “Freestyle Cruising” concept being offered for your cruise vacation.

The Pride of Hawaii’s interior decor will be, of course, Hawaiian.

This cruise ship will be departing weekly on Mondays for your cruise vacation and travel the islands, calling Honolulu home.

In December the Norwegian Pearl is set to sail in the Caribbean in the winter months and Alaska in the summer months for your cruise vacations. One of their innovations is the Bar Central concept. It features a martini bar, a champagne bar, wine bar, and a beer and whiskey pub all connected.

The Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas was launched in May in time for summer cruise vacations. Cruise reviews call it the most innovative cruise ship for RCCL so far.

This 158,000-ton cruise ship has a capacity of 3,600 passengers. It will actually be 10,000 tons larger than Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. It will be the largest cruise ship to be built so far.

The Freedom of the Seas has an added feature that other cruise ships do not. It actually has a place to surf on the top cruise deck. This is a new and unique amenity for RCCL’s Freedom of the Seas cruise ship. Other cruise lines have virtual golf or movies under the stars but no one has a surf park. The cruise line has built the largest rock climbing wall ever.

Following its launching, the Freedom of the Seas will sail seven-day cruise vacations to the Caribbean from Miami.

The Crown Princess, Princess Cruises christened in June. The Crown Princess is expected to accommodate 3,110 cruise travel passengers with 1200 crew.

Princess Cruises lines redesigned the Skywalker’s Disco, which gained popularity from cruise passengers on their cruise vacations. They also have the Lotus Spa which has been expanded on the Crown Princess.

New pastries and snacks will adorn the International Cafe. Crown Princess will have the first ever wine and seafood bar of the entire cruise line.

Expansions were made to other popular features like the Wheelhouse Bar, Sabatini’s Trattoria, and the Sterling Steakhouse.

Crown Princess cruise vacations will sail roundtrip from the Red Hook terminal in New York. This cruise vacation will make stops in the Eastern Caribbean, Bermuda and Turks and Caicos.

MSC will launched their new cruise ship MSC Musica on July 01. Musica is an Italian ship that will bring MSC into the ranks of big cruise ships. It is expected to accommodate 2,550 passengers.

One of its outstanding features will be that a full 80% of its 1,275 staterooms will be outside rooms. In addition, 65% of these staterooms will have verandas.

It will also feature a large spa area. The Musica’s cruise passengers will also have several dining options. They will enjoy a three deck high waterfall and many different entertainment venues.

Musica will sail the eastern Mediterranean from Venice.

The Costa Cruises’ new ship the Costa Concordia is owned by Carnival Corporation based in Miami, while Costa cruise lines is based in Italy.

This will be the largest cruise ship to join the Costa Cruises’ fleet. It will be launched late this year on July 14. It is expected to accommodate 3,000 passengers.

The Costa Concordia will have an European theme for its interior decor. All the room’s names will be European inspired. They will have the Grand Bar Berlin, Cafeteria Helsinki, and the Milan and Rome dining rooms.

A unique amenity to the Costa Concordia is a Formula 1 driving simulator for cruise passengers to enjoy on their cruise vacation.

This new cruise ship will sail year round in the Western Mediterranean. For those taking their cruise vacation on this ship, they will make ports of call in Spain, France, Italy, Gibraltar, and Malta.

So much to choose from! Check out other cruise reviews of these new cruise ships to find out on which cruise ship you will spend your 2006 cruise vacation.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.com

http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com

and http://www.CruisingTips.com

Wine Charms

Growth of Wines From Their Origin

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Travel Tagged with , , , August 29th, 2008 @ 9:33 pm
Shijina asked:

Wine is one of the few things for which the people in every part of the world are crazy and it has remained as one of the most popular beverage throughout the history. The facts reveal that people have been enjoying this extremely tempting beverage from the last four thousand five hundred years.

The first sip: Since 6000B.C people have been drinking this incredible drink. The wine residues were found during the Neolithic era in the present day sites of Iran and Georgia. The first drops of wines as per the research have shown that the wines existed in Iran from 5400 B.C to 5000 B.C. no one yet is much sure about the history of the wines, we all know that the wines were drunk by many people in the middle east in 2500B.C. Egyptians have specified in the Old Testament about the usage of grapes in the wines.

Wines in Egypt

Wines were popular in the ancient Egypt and they were used in many of the rituals and ceremonies. They usually drank red wine however a recent discovery has shown that they even drank white wines. But red wines were more popular than thewhite wines. In the Ancient walls of the Egyptian tomb, there are scenes depicted about the process of wine making plus there are the lists of the different types of the wines available during their regime.

Wines in Greece and Rome

The Greeks have initiated many wine traditions that are been followed in the modern era of wine culture. This drink was so important to them that there existed a deity of wine and revelry called as Dionysus. They also had a festival in the honor of the deity which was called as the Anthesteria where in the Greece had several wine related contests. There are many references about wine in the Greece culture they are mostly reflected in the writings of Homer and Aesop.

Wine has been a very popular drink even in the ancient Roman Empire; it was an integral part in the Roman diet. This was the time when the process of wine making was transferred as a big time business and the methods also improved during this tenure. This was the first time when there was usage of bottles for the storage purpose and barrels huge barrels were used to shift them or in other words ship them.

Dark ages: During the dark ages the environment in the world was not much stable, there was chaos all round the world. Because of the existence of different cultures the uniform methods of wine making were no more. Different people produced wines with different methods. However this tenure did not see much growth in the wine industry.

Wine in modern days: During this time wine has become more popular than ever. There has been an increase in the retail sales of the wines from 30% to 50%. Thus wines have become the talk of the day and people are consuming them more and more. They are pairing wines with food and enjoying this crazy drink to the core.

Wine Gifts

I Love French Wine and Food – a Provence Bandol

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Travel Tagged with , , , August 13th, 2008 @ 3:43 am
Levi Reiss asked:

If you are in the market for fine French wine and food, why don’t you consider the world famous Provence region in southeastern France? Perhaps you will find a bargain wine in this sun-drenched ideal tourist location, which is marred only by the number of tourists. I hope that you’ll enjoy yourself on this fact-filled wine education tour of this French candidate for paradise in which we review a local red wine based on the red Mourvedre grape.

Among France’s eleven wine-growing regions Provence ranks ninth in acreage if you include the island of Corsica, which most people do in spite of their considerable differences. Provence is synonymous with rose wine, and although its percentage is declining, happily according to many wine lovers. Over 50% of Provence wine is rose, or as some might say, pink. Many of its wines are pink and flabby, but others are not. The region is home to dozens of grape varieties, often not found elsewhere. With an average of three thousand hours of sun a year, it is no surprise that many Provence wines taste baked.

One secret to making fine tasting wine is limiting its production. The Bandol AOC reviewed below and its high-quality neighbors are capped by law at 180 cases per acre (40 hectoliters per hectare). In this area growers could double their production, almost without trying. But any gains in quantity would be lost in quality. Voila. Limiting Corsica’s wine output has helped reduce Europe’s famous, or rather infamous, wine lake.

While Provence has many great places to visit, let’s start by honoring this wine’s home town, Bandol, population eight thousand. It’s right on the coast, about thirty five miles (fifty five kilometers) southeast of Marseille and has become quite a tourist attraction. Bandol’s port has a capacity of fifteen hundred sailing vessels which means many, many yachts. It is quite a center for scuba diving and deep-sea fishing. In high season unless you love crowds you are better off visiting the vineyards right outside town.

For a change of pace head about four miles (six kilometers) north of Bandol to La Cadiere d’Azur, a medieval village of some three thousand perched on a hilltop overlooking the vineyards. Vincent Van Gogh was here. When you see it you’ll know why.

Before we reviewing the Bandol wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are some suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Caviar d’Aubergines (Egglant Puree). For your second course savor Poisson aux Herbes de Provence (Fish with Provence Herbs). And as dessert indulge yourself with Tarte aux Noix (Walnut and Honey Tart).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Domaine Le Galantin Bandol Rouge 2005 14.0% about $20.00

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. Description Bandol, the most serious wine of Provence, [is] typically a deep-flavoured, lush red blend dominated by the Mourvedre grape. Tasting Note (Jancis Robinson, Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd Edition, 2006) This version is mostly Mourvedre with a touch of Grenache for balance. Its lovely collection of aromas include cherry, anise, marzipan, and garrigue. And now for my review.

Before the first meal I sipped some of this wine. It was dark, fruity, powerful, and long. You know that the wine is present. The first meal was delicatessen-made thin strips of beef with sliced vegetables. I added rice and a Thai hot sauce. The wine remained long and strong with dark chocolate. I have the distinct impression that this Bandol could hold up to anything. I am getting an image: people sitting around a campfire devouring raw or scarcely cooked bear meat – I have no idea what bear meat tastes like but I know this Bandol could handle it. This is not a wine for watercress sandwiches – with or without the crusts. I liked the wine with a cocoa strudel. The chocolate of the wine accompanied the “chocolate” of the cake. There was, however, a discordant note that I will discuss shortly.

The second tasting involved broiled beef ribs accompanied by jerk sauce, barbecued red skin potatoes, and commercial grilled eggplant. The wine was thick and mouthfilling, but there was something about its acidity that was not quite right, let’s not mince words; it was unpleasant. This also happened with the first meal. It may be hard to believe but swirling the glass vigorously removed this secondary defect. In the present series of reviews covering more than sixty wines this is the first time that I have encountered such a problem.

The final meal consisted of a pan-fried lamb chop that had been marinated in olive oil, garlic, and sliced red onion plus an artichoke, garlic, and tomato salsa and corn on the cob. The wine was full and long brimming with chocolate and to a lesser extent tobacco. The defect is long gone and the wine was excellent. As strong as it was the Bandol accompanied rather than overpowered the subtle meat. Jancis Robinson was right, who am I to doubt her? I tasted garrigue, which are Mediterranean spices.

The first cheese pairing was with a mild-tasting Italian Pecorino Fruilano, which somehow cut across the wine. Frankly I was surprised that such a weak cheese could denature such a strong wine. The Bandol retained its taste when paired with the more flavorful Dutch Edam. I tasted deep chocolate.

Final verdict. This wine is a winner. I must confess that I am somewhat baffled by the problem with the defect. But I am very, very willing to take the chance on it again. Just between you and me, I won’t waste it on cheese pairings.

Wine Gifts

I Love Italian Wine and Food – a 2007 Vino Novello (new Wine)

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Travel Tagged with , , , July 29th, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
Levi Reiss asked:

It’s been quite some time since we have written about Italian wines. Make no mistake, we still love them. But we ran through all twenty regions of Italy (not literally) and reviewed at least one wine from each region with two exceptions. Then we proceeded to review French and German wines. There are scads of Italian wines to taste and review, but we have to give other wine countries a chance. Here we review a very timely wine, a Vino Novello. Each year, starting in early November, Italy releases Vino Novello, pleasing some people and disappointing many others. Will you be delighted or disappointed with the 2007 offering? When you finish reading this article, rush out to your favorite wine store and sample the wine. Whether you are delighted or not, you probably will have fun. Traditionalists consume roasted chestnuts and fresh figs with such wines.

New wines are produced by a special method known as carbonic maceration in which whole grapes ferment in stainless steel tanks, often reaching a temperature of 25 to 30 degrees Centigrade (77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit). This process continues for some 5 to 20 days, and may be followed by crushing the grapes, which then undergo traditional fermentation for a few days. The exact procedure varies from one winemaker to another, but the ensuing wine is virtually tannin free. The lack of tannins implies a short shelf life. While you don’t have to drink the wine immediately, most people finish the season by Easter. According to the Italian winemakers, perhaps not the most impartial of groups, the 2007 harvest was the earliest and leanest wine harvest in thirty years. Is this yet another proof of global warming?

New wines are usually colored bright red or violet. They tend to be fruity, tasting of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, banana, and freshly squeezed grapes, depending on the grape variety used, the production method, and the area in which the grapes are grown. Detractors talk about bubble gum, lollipops, nail polish, and jello. Many people claim that new wine tastes of grape juice with alcohol. You can be sure that if you don’t like a given new wine, you will gain nothing by storing it for two years. It won’t improve with time.

Italy is a major player in the new wine game, producing about 18 million bottles a year. Appoximately one third of the production is exported to Germany. The most important Italian new wine regions are Veneto and Tuscany, followed by Piedmont and Trentino-Alto Adige. Let’s take a closer look at one new wine.

Wine Reviewed Novello del Veneto IGT 12% about $9.50

I bought this bottle in mid-November, shortly after its release. The Novello del Veneto wine, with a designer label, is made from Corvina and Rondinella grapes native to the Veneto region in northeastern Italy. Interestingly enough, the Corvina grape is quite tannic, but you would never guess from tasting the final product. You may be familiar with these two grape varieties; they are the major components of Valpolicella and other well-known wines from Veneto. I’ll spare you the marketing materials that supposedly described this wine.

I first tasted these wines with a slow-cooked beef stew with potatoes and Romanian style smoky eggplant. The wine was dark but thin. I tasted some tobacco and the combination was quite pleasant but perhaps the meat’s spice, harissa a pungent North African condiment, was too much for the wine. When I tasted the wine with chunks of spiceless meat, the Novello del Veneto was a bit more forceful.

The next pairing involved kubbe, alternate spelling kube, mideastern ground rice balls with a beef stuffing in a spicy tomato sauce. And they are excellent. The wine was fruit forward, it didn’t seem like a new wine. This is a complement. The wine balanced well the pepper in the tomato sauce. On the downside it was grapey.

The final meal was a broiled rib steak that was briefly marinated in a ketchup, mustard, onion, and garlic sauce. The wine was fruity, but frankly not up to the steak. Do I taste bubble gum? As this description, the wine wasn’t very long.

My German Emmenthaler (Swiss-type) cheese has become quite old and hard. The wine was moderately acidic and fruity, with some black cherry. Perhaps its presence was because the cheese has become rather tasteless. The French goat cheese’s ammonia overwhelmed the wine.

Final verdict. Faith tells me that one day there will be a new wine that meets my not very rigorous standards. Reason tells me that this will not happen; the rush to market makes for inadequate processing of the grapes. In this case reason triumphed and the wine did not. On the other hand, what do you want for $9.50?

Wine Equipment

Onboard Cruise Ship Expenses – How To Keep Them Under Control

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Travel Tagged with , , , July 16th, 2008 @ 11:43 am
Kristen Olsen asked:

On many cruise ships the key to your cabin doubles up as an on board charge card. Any additional expenses such as drinks or excursions can be added to your on board account.

And in the midst of all the holiday excitement it’s extremely easy to run up a big additional bill in a short period of time. So here’s how to keep down the cost of your on board account without ruining the excitement of your vacation.

Beauty

Most beauty treatments on cruise ships are expensive extras that have to be added to your onboard account. So before you leave on your vacation, make sure that you get your hair cut and have all the beauty tratements that you want. Land based salons are often much cheaper than their ocean going counterparts.

Casino

If you want to keep your costs down, one of the best ideas is to give the casino a wide berth. And that includes bingo and all other games of chance.

But if you feel the need to experience everthing that the ship offers, stick to the timeless advice – Only gamble what you can afford to lose. Give yourself a strict budget before you visit the casino, see how long you can make it last, and once it’s gone, don’t draw any more money. And whatever happens, don’t go to the casino with the misguided impression that you can win your spending money for the rest of your vacation.

Drinks

Another hot topic at present is whether or not you should take your own drinks on board. In most cases cruise lines will turn a blind eye if you want to bring bottled water or soft drinks onboard. But alcohol is a different matter. Cruise companies make large amounts of money from the sale of alcohol, so if you try to bring anything more than a bottle of champagne of a special bottle of wine, it will probably be refused.

Another way to get your own alcohol onboard is to send yourself a gift of a bottle of your favorite drink to be delivered to your cabin, either through the cruise line or an independent service.

In the bar, the cost of drinks will be on a par with a similar land based bar. So here are a few tips to keep costs down;

Only order your drinks in a special keepsake glass if you really want one, as they cost much more than a drink in a conventional glass.

In the restaurant, wine is much cheaper by the bottle than by the glass. Unfinished wine can be kept till you want it by the restaurant.

Wine brought in to onboard restaurants will incur a corkage fee which can cost up to $10 per bottle.

On most ships, fruit juice and water are free.

And finally, never turn down the chance to go to a welcome party (the captain’s welcome party, the first time cruise party, the repeat visitors welcome party etc). These normal include a complimentary drink for every person and will allow you to meet some of your fellow passengers.

Excursions

The cost of onshore excursions can quickly mount up, so if you want to save money, think carefully about the ones that you really want to experience.

As a rough example a simple half day coach trip can cost up to $50 per person, while a more elaborate adventure can easily cost upwards of $250 per person.

However, there are a couple of ways to cut the cost of these tourist trips. Consider organising these adventures yourself. Either contact your tour operator before you leave, or hire a guide when you arrive in port. Another option is to get together with a few of your fellow passengers and share the cost of hiring a local guide and appropriate transport.

Exercise

Most cruise ships offer a wide range of exercise equipment and basic exercise classes for free. However, you may have to pay for the more specialised classes such as yoga or pilates where specialized instruction is provided. If you want to save your money for other parts of your vacation, walking around the deck of the ship is a great way to get some exercise.

On some of the larger cruise ships one circuit of the main deck can be almost half a mile. So it’s easy to save money and get the benefit of the sea air at the same time.

wine shipping

Wine Tasting In Napa Valley

0 comments By Wine Delivery Filed in Travel Tagged with , , , April 3rd, 2008 @ 12:07 am
Kris Koonar asked:

Wine has been a part of our lifestyle for centuries. Wine used to be served in royal courts and is now served in every bar and restaurant. Wine is served at almost every occasion in life, from births to deaths, celebration, as part of food and while socializing. If you are the sort of person who enjoys the finer things in life, then Napa Valley in California is the place to be. Napa Valley is called the land of wines, as there are more than 280 wineries in the area alone and it is known to produce some of the best wines in the world and also is the main wine growing area in the United States.

Wine tasting is all about sampling and evaluating the wines. When you swirl the wine in your glass and take that first sip, you judge from the color, aroma, flavor and texture of the wine. Wine tasting helps you understand the quality of the wine, its maturity, flavor and aroma and faults, if any. Wine tasting is also called blind wind tasting. This is where the bottle and label of the wine is unknown to the wine taster. He or she judges the wine only by its taste, color, aroma and texture; this removes all traces of bias. Wine tasting also involves the use of wine tasting kits with blotting strips and aroma bottles.

Wine tasting is very popular all over the world and even more so in the United States and other European countries. People form wine tasting groups and clubs just to enjoy their passion for wine and to socialize. California is the most popular wine tasting state in the United States. This is because it has wine producing areas like Napa Valley and Sacramento. The Napa Valley some 10 years ago had more prunes and walnuts than grapes. There were only 10 wineries then, where now there are more than 280. Cabaret Sauvignon and Chardonnay are like the essence of the wineries and there are very few wineries without these oh-so popular wines.

Wine tasting is a great activity for all those wine lovers whether connoisseurs or novices and Napa valley has a whole plethora of choices. Wine tours and wine tasting events like buffets and parties are the best place to go to for wine tasting. If you are looking for an exciting evening in Napa Valley, consider wine tasting. This offers tourists and others a chance to indulge in an evening filled with fun and education, where you get to taste wine and learn all there is to learn about the process. And if you think you will feel out of place just because you are not a wine connoisseur, do not worry; there are stewards and wine experts that help.

Wine tasting gatherings and events open up a whole new world for you. You will be exposed to the best wines in the world and will be served complimenting breads and cheese to enhance the taste of the wines. Remember to not wear strong perfumes or scents when going to a wine tasting affair, as the scent of the wine is supposed to be stronger than your perfume.

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