Adventure of the Seas Photos

Here are some fantastic photos of "Adventure of the Seas" from Royal Caribbean. Enjoy!

Superior Balcony Ocean-view Stateroom

Adventure Theater

Pool Bar - for a drink and a dip!

Titanic Walking Tour

RMS Titanic, the most famous cruise ship of all times, might have sunk on April 15th 1912, but the liner remains alive in the memories of thousands and millions of people from across the world. The wrecks were discovered in 1985, and the subsequent James Cameron classic “Titanic” has certainly kept the liner alive in public memory.

Titanic was launched on May 31st 1911, and this year, we are celebrating or marking 100 years of this event. The event is being marked all over the world, but at the very place where it was built, there is a memorial walking tour that takes people across the dock and gives them an insight into how this great liner was manufactured from scratch, a 100 years in the past.

Titanic Walking Tour – The Details

It is an easy walk, where the guide will take you through the flat ground at a leisurely pace. The tour lasts for 2 hours, and in between, there is the additional café break at the Pump House café for 30 minutes. Your guide will take you through Queens Island in Belfast, Ireland, where the Titanic and its sister ships were constructed. This is no ordinary walk. You can know in person how a legend was born.

What You Will See

• You can see the famous drawing offices where Thomas Andrews designed the Britannic, Olympic and the Titanic.
• You can see the building that houses the biggest attraction of Titanic. Valued at more than £97 million, as many as 500,000 tourists are expected to see this in 2012. See it before they do.
• Take a stroll on the slipways where the ship was constructed and launched. See the exact spot where the ship first touched water. You can compare the pictures of then and now.
• View the HMS Caroline, which is the last remaining World War I ship. It is in the dock and is still in service.
• View the pump house and the dock. If you have seen the movie, then you will surely remember the ship sailing off. This is the exact dock from which it sailed into the ocean. The dock has remained unchanged ever since those days of 1911. You will definitely appreciate the massive size of the ship. At the pumping house you can see the original tool shops, and the huge pumping engines of the Titanic. There is an audio visual program here too.

The walking tour costs £12 for adults, for kids between 10 and 16 years it is £8. The cost is £5 for those who are under 10 years of age, and kids under 5 go free. Family ticket for 2 kids and 2 adults cost £30. Call up Colin at +447904 350339, or you can also visit www.titanicwalk.com.

Cruise Dining – Are You Being Taken For A Ride?

It is a fact that a majority of the cruise liners of today have a plethora of specialty restaurants on board. Of course, there are many individuals, who would love a salad bar, an eatery that specializes on Thai cuisine or the choicest of Turkish delicacies, or an eating joint just for the tastiest kebabs. But there are those who are criticizing the cruisers for neglecting the regular dining operations. They say that this is being done smartly to entice the passengers to try out the fee-based establishments.

However, this charge is being vehemently opposed by the cruise lines themselves. The Associated VP, F&B of Celebrity Cruises, Scott Steenrod said, “Our main dining rooms are the heart of our dining operation, and we would never do anything to undermine that”. Though many passengers are critics are not convinced, but the cruise industry in general is agreeing with what Scott says. Explaining their position, they say that the experience of a specialty restaurant cannot really be duplicated in the large dining room. For instance, a steakhouse will always offer more choices than what will be there in a dining room.

This justification certainly sounds logical, but there is a key difference. When you are in the shore, you always have plenty of regular dining options, and could thus go to another eatery if you are not satisfied with one. But out on sea, with water all around you, the passenger has to accept what is being offered – no choices here.

Perhaps in response to such criticisms, many cruise lines have now stopped charging extra for the specialty dining experience. In Regent Seven Seas for instance, you do not have to pay more to dine at their two specialty eateries. However, you must still make an advance booking. So, no spur of the moment decisions please. In Crystal Cruises, there is no charge for the Italian or the Asian restaurant, however, you must pay $180 to dine and wine at the Vintage Room.