Celebrity Equinox October Transatlantic

Alan & Cathy recently led a group cruise on the Celebrity Equinox on a westbound transatlantic crossing from Rome to Ft Lauderdale. As is tradition, they always share their experiences with us.

Happy Thanksgiving! It is hard to believe it is already here…..time just continues to fly…before you know it the year will be over and we will be in 2011!

It has become a tradition that whenever I go on a trip I share my experience through these e-mail newsletters. This week, Cathy & I returned from leading a group on a 2 week Trans-Atlantic cruise on the Celebrity Equinox. We went with 60 of our clients on this cruise from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale.

Cathy and I have always been apprehensive about taking a Trans-Atlantic cruise. The thought of spending a week at sea without stepping on land seemed confining. We also were afraid we would drive each other crazy in a small cabin for that length of time. However, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised….we really did enjoy the Trans-Atlantic experience. Being on a magnificent vessel such as the Equinox, there was always something we could do, including just relaxing….I could definitely vacation like that!

The cruise left from outside of Rome. While we had some clients who sailed on the prior cruise to the Holy Land on the Equinox (making it a back-to-back cruise), and a few who went into Rome a couple of days early, most of us flew right in on the day we boarded the ship. Cathy and I flew with a bunch of the guests on Alitalia direct from Miami to Rome. It was my first time on Alitalia, and they lived up to their reputation of not being the best airline in the world. The crew was not very accommodating, and they ran out of wine before they even got to us. However, it was a direct flight, so worth the inconvenience.

If I were take a trip such as this again, I would probably fly in at least a day early. It was very hectic going straight to the ship. We were tired, and jumped right into touring the next morning. It would have been nice to have a day to recover from the flight and time change, especially since the cruise began with 5 straight port days full of touring.

Since many of our clients have been to the Med before, I am not
going to go into the details of every port. The itinerary for this cruise was as follows:

Day 1: Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy.

Day 2: Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy

Day 3: Cannes/Monte Carlo, France

Day 4: Barcelona, Spain

Day 5: Cartagena, Spain

Day 6: Seville (Cadiz), Spain

Day 7: At Sea

Day 8: Tenerife, Canary Islands

Days 9-15: At Sea

Day 16: Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Here are just a few unique highlights that I would like to share for you to consider if you are planning a trip to this area of the world:

Cathy and I have been to Barcelona a few times in the past, but never made the trip out to Montserrat. This was very worthwhile. It is a spiritual mountain location with a huge cathedral on top, and home of the Black Madonna. The views are magnificent, it is truly amazing to see what was built hundreds of years ago at such high altitudes.

Cathy and I joined one other couple in the group on a segway tour of the port city of Cartagena. It was a lot of fun riding the segways….a great way to see the city. The group in the tour was composed of mostly senior citizens, and by and large they had no problem in operating the segways, including up and down hills. There was one woman in the group who was a bit klutzy and fell off of her segway twice, but there is one in every crowd. (By the way, that one was my wife!)

Tenerife is the capital of the Canary Islands, located off the coast of Africa. It is a beautiful island, with mountains and volcanoes. We visited Loro Park, which is sort of a combination of a zoo and Sea World. They had amazing exhibits with penguins, apes and more, in addition to the Sea World type dolphin and orca shows. It was a fun day! After Tenerife, we began our crossing of the Atlantic.

Every morning I would work out, and then Cathy & I would take a walk on the jogging track every afternoon. Even with that consistent exercise, I still managed to gain 6 pounds on the cruise…..the food was too good! If you have not been on the Solstice class ships from Celebrity, you have been missing quite the culinary experience. The food in the main dining room was excellent. And if you get bored there, there are many alternatives on board. They have three specialty restaurants (Silk Harvest [Asian Fusion], Murano [French/Continental], and Tuscan Grill [Italian]. Charges do apply for these restaurants, but they are each unique, intimate dining experiences that are worth the cost. The ship also has “Bistro on Five” an eatery with crepes and Panini sandwiches. The ship charges $5 to eat there, which is again, well worth it!

I felt that the buffet on the Equinox is one of the best on the sea. With multiple stations including carved meats, salad bars, grills, fresh made to order pasta, fresh made to order stir fry, pizza and a full ice cream bar, I cannot imagine a palate that would not be satisfied. This had to be the one of the most popular spots on the ship!

And there were even more food choices on board….there is a healthy eating snack bar in the Solarium and an outdoor hamburger/hot dog stand. One night, when we were tired we ordered dinner through room service, and it was also delicious and fast!

The ship had many activities during the crossing. Of course there was the typical nightly entertainment. There were lectures and courses on board including lectures on astronomy and major league baseball and computer classes. There were games available throughout the day, and we planned some game events just for our clients. By the way, I came in third place on the ship in one of the blackjack tournaments!

As for the seas, they were not bad. We were concerned about crossing the Atlantic, but today's ships are so large with the most advanced stabilizer systems that they do a great job in reducing the movement. The middle of the crossing was a bit rough with the ship rocking and rolling, but I did not meet anyone who got sick from the movement of the ship. (There were plenty of people who got sick on board, as something was going around…have to keep washing those hands when on board. We came home with colds.) Most of the trip was pretty smooth, with beautiful weather.

In summary, if you are looking for a way to see some sites in Europe and have plenty of time to relax and contemplate life, than a Trans-Atlantic cruise is for you. Other advantages include only having to fly one way and, when sailing west from Europe to the USA, there is an extra hour of sleep on most days of the crossing. And, because Trans-Atlantic cruises tend to be longer trips that are not conducive to working people, they are often excellent values.

But you do need to be in decent physical shape to make this trip. It is always tough flying, walking through the large European airports, and touring. Most tours include a good amount of walking, and the streets are often hilly and uneven. It was a bit much for some of our guests. I always recommend that if clients have walking issues that they should avoid major overseas trips, as those will be difficult.

I invite you to take a look at the pictures of our trip, which are posted on facebook. Whether or not you are a member of facebook, you should be able to view these pictures by just clicking this link.

Alan Rosen

President
Sand & C Travel

If you would like more information about Celebrity Cruises, the Celebrity Equinox, Europe cruises & tours, any of the ports mentioned, or trans-atlantic cruises, please don't hesitate to let us know!

Argentina

Location: Argentina is located on the southern tip of South America. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the East, Chile to the West, with Bolivia, Paraguay, and Urugay to the North.
Capital: Buenos Aires
Climate: As Argentina is located below the Equator, the seasons are opposite of those in the US and Europe. The climate is generally temperate but also experiences extremes- the subantartic southern region, the mild central plains, and the extreme heat in the north. January tends to be the warmest month, while June and July tend to be the coldest.
Time Zone: Argentina uses the GMT -3 time zone. (Florida is GMT -5) Currently, Argentina does not observe daylight savings time but makes the determination on a year-by-year basis.
Electricity: Argentina uses 220V (voltage), 50 Hz (frequency), and type C & I plugs.
Currency: The currency in Argentina is the peso which is divided into 100 cents. ATM's are very common and can be found readily. Travelers Checks are not widely accepted, so you must go to a bank or travel agent in order to cash them. If you are looking to exchange money in Argentina, it is best to go to a bank or Currency Exchange Center. Many hotels also will exchange currency. While credit cards are mostly accepted, due to a poor economy it is likely you will be charged a high surcharge. View Argentinian currency

Exchange Rate: 1 USD = 3.956 ARS, 1 ARS = .252781 USD.

Click here to view the current exchange rate.
Population: 41,343,201 (July 2010 est.)
Country Code: The telephone country code for Argentina is 54.
Languages: The official language of Argentina is Spanish. Other languages commonly spoken include Italian, English, German and French.
Government: The goverment is a republic. The Executive branch is headed by the President- who is the head of state and head of government. The Legislative branch is governed by the President and two chambers of Congress. The Judiciary is independent of the Executive and Legislative branches.
Communication: Telephone land lines, cell phones, broadcast media, and the Internet are all widely used forms of communication. If you are bringing a cell phone to Argentina, make sure you have voltage and frequency adaptors as well as to notify your carrier. When dialing from a cellular device, dial the country code followed by the city code, and then the local number. Tips for making phone calls in Argentina.
Transportation: Travellers may rent a car but it is often quite costly. The most popular mode of transportation are the colectivos or micro omnibus (bus). There are taxis and remise, a type of taxi. Remise are often cheaper as they price of the trip is agreed upon prior. If you are travelling around Buenos Aires, you may take the ''subte'' (metro or subway). If you would prefer quick and comfortable transportation between Argentina and Uruguay, there is a Ferry service which can be expensive.
Entry: U.S. citizens for tourism or business only need a valid US passport and may stay for up to 90 days without a visa. Visitors will be charged an Entry Fee of $140 USD. This fee is a reciprocal charge in line with costs incurred by Argentinians when travelling to the US. This fee allows US citizens unlimited entry for up to 10 years.

Things To Do - Places To See

Buenos Aires

Iguazu Falls

Ushuaia

Mendoza: This lovely metropolitan city is located in the foothills of the Andes in the northcentral high plains, just across the border from Santiago. It is most popular for wine enthusiasts and adventure travellers looking to climb Aconcagua (the highest mountain in the western hemisphere), ski, hike, horseback ride, and raft. Mendoza is the largest wine producing region in Latin America and is one of nine cities worldwide in the Great Capitals of Wine.