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Cobh - Historical Village near Cork, Ireland

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:48:52 +0000

Cobh (pronounced "Cove") is a picturesque harbor town just a few miles from Cork, Ireland. Cruise ships dock in downtown Cobh and run shore excursions to Cork, the Blarney Castle, Waterford, Killarney, or the Irish countryside.

However, Cobh is a nice place to spend the day if you want to just relax and just enjoy strolling around this pretty little village on Cork Harbor. It's also filled with maritime history, having been the last port of call for the Titanic in 1912 and near the site where the Lusitania was sunk during World War I.

Cobh (c) Linda Garrison

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Cobh - Historical Village near Cork, Ireland originally appeared on About.com Cruises on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013 at 08:48:52.

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Viminacium - Fascinating Archaeological Site near the Danube River in Serbia

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:31:29 +0000

Viminacium is near the Serbian town of Kostolac, and river cruise ships sailing the eastern Danube stopover for a few hours so that passengers can tour the large Roman archaeological site. It's very interesting to look out over today's crop fields and imagine a bustling town and Roman fort from almost 2000 years ago.

The three areas at Viminacium open thus far include the northern Roman military gate, the thermal baths, and the imperial mausoleum. Guides, who may be either working archaeologists or professional guides, provide explanations, drawings, and models to help visitors understand what they are seeing on the tour.

Viminacium Imperial Mausoleum Graves (c) Linda Garrison

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Viminacium - Fascinating Archaeological Site near the Danube River in Serbia originally appeared on About.com Cruises on Tuesday, May 21st, 2013 at 08:31:29.

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Take a Walk on a City Wall

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:16:06 +0000

A great way to get a bird's-eye view of an old city is to walk on top of the ancient wall surrounding the town.

Those who have cruised Europe can fondly remember walking the wall in Dubrovnik, Lucca, or one of the towns along the Danube River. And, of course there's that famous wall on the other side of the earth--the Great Wall of China. Yangtze River cruise tours always include a walk along this amazing structure.

The About.com Guide to Adventure Travel has compiled a list of her favorite "wall walks". Can you think of any others?

Dubrovnik (c) Linda Garrison

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Take a Walk on a City Wall originally appeared on About.com Cruises on Monday, May 20th, 2013 at 08:16:06.

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Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve near Richards Bay, South Africa

Sun, 19 May 2013 08:29:00 +0000

The Hluhluwe-Umfolozi (pronounced shu-shu-ee um-fo-loo-zee) Park is the oldest game reserve

in South Africa. Established in 1895, Hluhluwe-Umfolozi is one South Africa park where the Big Five (lion, elephant, rhinoceros, cape buffalo, and leopard) can be found.

I visited Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve in the early morning while on an African cruise on the Silversea Silver Wind. The ship stayed two days in Richards Bay so that passengers could do overnight excursions to other nearby game reserves like the St. Lucia Wetlands.

Zebra (c) Linda Garrison

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Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve near Richards Bay, South Africa originally appeared on About.com Cruises on Sunday, May 19th, 2013 at 08:29:00.

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Parliament Palace in Bucharest

Sat, 18 May 2013 08:26:49 +0000

The Parliament Palace in Bucharest, Romania is the second largest building in the world. Danube River Cruises in eastern Europe often include Bucharest as a port of call. A visit to this huge palace is a must see for Bucharest.

Bucharest Parliament Palace (c) Linda Garrison

More Photos of the Bucharest Parliament Palace

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Parliament Palace in Bucharest originally appeared on About.com Cruises on Saturday, May 18th, 2013 at 08:26:49.

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Tour of the Seabourn Odyssey

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:02:30 +0000

The Seabourn Odyssey is the first in its class of ships for The Yachts of Seabourn. She has two sister ships, the Seabourn Sojourn and Seabourn Quest.

The 450-passenger Seabourn Odyssey maintains the exceptional service, delicious cuisine, and casual onboard atmosphere that past Seabourn cruisers love and expect.

I sailed a 7-day Adriatic cruise itinerary from Venice to Athens on the Seabourn Odyssey and loved everything about the ship. Join me on a tour of the suites, dining venues, and public areas of the Seabourn Odyssey.

Let's take a pictorial tour of the Seabourn Odyssey.

Seabourn Odyssey at Anchor in Fiscardo, Greece (c) Linda Garrison

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Tour of the Seabourn Odyssey originally appeared on About.com Cruises on Friday, May 17th, 2013 at 08:02:30.

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Tunis - Walking Tour of the Medina

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:15:49 +0000

Cruise ships sailing the western Mediterranan and docked at La Goulette, Tunisia often include a tour of Tunis as a shore excursion option.

These tours include a walk around the Medina and one of the enclosed souks (shopping areas).

The city tours also will travel to the Bardo National Museum, which has the world's largest collection of Roman mosaics. Tourists might also choose to visit Sidi Bou Said, a small town near La Goulette and the remains of Carthage.

Tunis Souk (c) Linda Garrison

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Tunis - Walking Tour of the Medina originally appeared on About.com Cruises on Thursday, May 16th, 2013 at 08:15:49.

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Oasis of the Seas Outdoors

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:57:02 +0000

The Oasis of the Seas has wonderful indoor public areas, but the outside decks really are special and different.

Its size allowed the designers to be very creative in their use of the space. And, since the Oasis of the Seas is based year-round in the sunny Caribbean, it makes sense that the cruise ship would have spacious outdoor areas and plenty of activities for guests to enjoy in the sunshine and fresh air.

Two of the most talked about areas are the Boardwalk and Central Park. However, these photos demonstrate some of the many other fascinating outdoor deck areas on the Oasis of the Seas.

Oasis of the Seas (c) Linda Garrison

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Oasis of the Seas Outdoors originally appeared on About.com Cruises on Wednesday, May 15th, 2013 at 08:57:02.

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Delivering the Mail in British Columbia

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:12:15 +0000

When in Alaska a few summers ago, I took two memorable shore excursions that involved new methods of transportation for me.

The first was a helicopter ride over the Juneau Ice Fields and the Mendenhall Glacier, and the second was a float plane ride from Campbell River on Vancouver Island where we delivered the mail to the residents of the some of the outlying islands of coastal British Columbia. Both were exciting activities, and neither was as scary as I feared they would be! We were cruising on the marvelous Seven Seas Mariner, but these two shore excursions are offered by many Alaska cruise ships.

Don't I look like a competent co-pilot in this photo at the right?

Campbell River, BC Photo (c) Linda Garrison

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Delivering the Mail in British Columbia originally appeared on About.com Cruises on Tuesday, May 14th, 2013 at 08:12:15.

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Norwegian Breakaway Is Launched in New York City

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:26:55 +0000

New York City got a new resident on May 8 when Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship, the Norwegian Breakaway, was christened in a festive ceremony onboard the ship.

I'll be posting more photos and information on the new Norwegian Breakaway in a few weeks. These photos from the christening ceremony and article on the christening capture a little of the New York fun.

Fireworks at Christening (c) Linda Garrison

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Norwegian Breakaway Is Launched in New York City originally appeared on About.com Cruises on Sunday, May 12th, 2013 at 12:26:55.

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