The Magic of MSC Musica
Our cruise on the MSC Musica was magical. Perhaps it was because we traveled in a big group. I will always remember that cruise. Here are more pictures of the MSC Musica. Let’s just say this cruise line is definitely worth your consideration.
MSC Musica
MSC Musica
MSC Musica
MSC Musica
In the evening, there’s spectacular entertainment, here are the performers after one show
MSC Musica
Did you know MSC Cruise Lines have cruises out of Florida now? One of their new ships is the MSC Divina and the reason I am mentioning this is that I have a picture shown below with that very name on it. I don’t know why I took it at the time (during the MSC Musica cruise, and I believe in Turkey) – perhaps because it has a little resemblance to my own name? Anyway, here’s the picture.
Here’s me on the MSC Musica
Davinder on the MSC Musica
Here’s my son (looking out to the swimming pool) and daughter all dressed up for an Indian function on the ship – we were part of a big Indian group on the cruise – we enjoyed Bollywood, Bhangra and more – danced to it, and ate Indian food.
MSC Musica
Here’s a picture taken of one of their lounges.
MSC Musica
Of course MSC Cruise Lines also depart from many other places throughout the world, including Europe, where we took our cruise from lovely Venice, Italy. I think my next post might have to be on Venice. I hope you all have a fantastic week!
Just Some More Turkish Delight
Our visit to Istanbul during the MSC Cruise (on the MSC Musica) was packed with shopping, and savoring Turkish flavors – whether it was Turkish coffee or kebabs. Turkey is delightful, and so colorful.
Istanbul, Turkey
The first few pictures (below) were actually taken in Izmir, I could only tell since I looked back at my pictures, and saw some pictures of the cruise in the evening. I will include those here, so that you can see the sequence of events. The cruise stopped in Izmir first, and then we had our evening onboard, and the next day we got off at Istanbul.
Izmir, Turkey
Izmir, Turkey
Izmir, Turkey
Izmir, Turkey
Here are a few pictures taken back on the cruise ship that night.
MSC Musica
MSC Musica
Now let’s venture into Istanbul, and to the Grand Bazaar! Many people come to the bazaars of Turkey to get great bargains – you can find tea-sets, glassware, ornaments, clothes, handbags, and many other items. These bazaars also tantalize you with their aromas and Turkish treats. Don’t forget to try the Turkish coffee!
Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey
Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey
Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey
Time for some Turkish Coffee at Red Cafe
Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey
We left the Grand Bazaar, and ventured into the streets…..I must have asked this man if I could have a picture taken with him.
Istanbul, Turkey
I think this is also called the Blue Mosque, but this is of course in Istanbul
The Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Here’s the Mosque from a different angle
The Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Here are the last pictures of Istanbul:
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Well, I hope you think Turkey is as delightful as I do. I have only showed you some pictures of Izmir, the Grand Bazaar and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and some of the surrounding streets. I’m sure Turkey has many other hidden delights.
Just A Few Reasons To Visit the Church Of Our Lady Of Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta
I didn’t take too many pictures of Puerto Vallarta while I was in Mexico last year during the Carnival Splendor cruise. I think it might have had something to do with it being a very hot day.
I did visit a beautiful church, and would recommend that if you are in Puerto Vallarta, you should visit the Church of Our Lady Of Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Several reasons to visit this church: it’s beautiful; it’s historical; incredible architecture; and it never hurts to go to any house of God. Go for inner peace, contemplation and go in the hopes of being blessed. Anyway, that’s what I like to think, and so I’m just sharing my reasons for visiting it.
Here are some pictures of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puerto Vallarta
I enjoy seeing different churches and this one is a must-see.
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puerto Vallarta
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puerto Vallarta
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puerto Vallarta
I tried to get pictures from many different angles
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puerto Vallarta
You might find this information useful:
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Church Of Our Lady Of Guadalupe, Puerto Vallarta
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Church Of Our Lady Of Guadalupe
Nun at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Street scene just outside the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
And another picture of the street just outside the Church
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Now I will digress away from the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe to bring you a few pictures of the surrounding area, this courtyard is very close to the Church
Courtyard Scene – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
I’m sure you will want to buy souvenirs, here’s a sneak peek at what you can expect in PV
Souvenir Shopping, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Souvenirs, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Souvenirs, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Close by to the cruise ship, my three kids just had to pose in front of the Puerto Vallarta sign – many others were doing exactly the same thing.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Now, back to the ship – oh, the Splendor! As you can see, here in Puerto Vallarta, the ship pulled up right to dock – not like in Cabo San Lucas, where you have to go on a tender boat to the dock.
The Carnival Splendor in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Incase you haven’t seen my video of Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, here it is.
I hope you enjoyed my pictures of Puerto Vallarta, and especially those of the Church Of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I hope I gave you enough reasons to visit the Church, but if not, please read the following:
http://www.homeandabroad.com/browse/details/sites.ha?mainInfoId=48153&rqs=vacationplanner
Thanks for visiting my post!
The Splendor of Cabo San Lucas
First some island music to get you into vacation spirit – this was my attempt at making a promo video! Also, as you may be aware – my old website at http://www.bindicruises.com is not available anymore – this all had something to do with the discontinuation of Mobile Me, and my decision to not look for another website host. Also, how many websites can one person maintain??!!
I will not write too much about the cruise itself as there are other posts that I have done on the Splendor, but this is all about Cabo San Lucas. Now for some pictures:
We went into a gift shop, and this was the view from within the shop
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Another shot of the same scene but with a different camera (one was taken with the Iphone, and one with my regular camera – a Canon G10)
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
This is my son in the gift shop
Gift Shop, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
We were entertained by various groups of people
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
In case you are hungry, there’s plenty of options
Places to Eat – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Restaurants of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Did you see? That “statue” moved! It just might get you, here it is almost getting my daughter!
Restaurants in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Now for a look at the marina area of Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Family picture time, me with my kids Luca, Chandi and Niki, who inspired me to name my business Luchanik named just after them – Lu-Cha-Nik
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
I really like this picture taken near one of the hotels
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Must get in the palm trees of Cabo
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Now for a street scene
Downtown Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Restaurants of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Art of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Some useful information
Tourist Information, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
You may need to cool off and enjoy the sights
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Fancy a large cup of coffee?
Cafe Canelas, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Mexico definitely is colorful!
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
The Carnival Splendor awaits us!
Carnival Splendor, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Leaving Cabo San Lucas…..this picture was taken from the ship
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
On a previous trip to Cabo San Lucas, I took these pictures
The Arch, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
I hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures I took of Cabo San Lucas. This was the first port we stopped at, and the second port – Puerto Vallarta will be in my next post. Thank you for visiting my blog.
My Video – Leaving Hamilton By Ferry To Go Back To The Cruise Ship
In this video that I made, you will see Hamilton as viewed from onboard the ferry that we took back to the cruise ship. I don’t like my voice at all in this video, but decided to just go ahead and leave it in. Sometimes, I use Garage Band to do an introduction to my video, but this time I left it all natural – my voice as it was on that day. Isn’t it funny how we often don’t like to hear our own voices whether it’s on the telephone answering machine, or on video?
Hamilton is very picturesque. I hope you enjoy the video!
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton Ferry Terminal, Bermuda
My Video – Enchantment Of The Seas to Bermuda – Hamilton (Part One)
Hamilton, Bermuda is a very colorful place. You will marvel at all the colors – be it the colors of the homes or of the businesses in downtown Hamilton. In my video that I made just two days ago, you will see our taxi driver and hear an authentic Bermudian accent, and you will see as we go past the Clock Tower Mall in Kings Wharf. Then you’ll see Gibbs Lighthouse, as well as many colorful Bermudian buildings and homes along the way. You will then see downtown Hamilton, and the Hamilton Ferry Building.
Hamilton, Bermuda
Thank you for watching my video, and please don’t forget to press “like” on You Tube – if you like it! I would appreciate it.
My Video of the Pink Sands of Bermuda
Sand is nice no matter what color it is, most people prefer golden-colored sand or white sand. I never thought about pink sand until I went to Bermuda. My video doesn’t show just the pink sands, but the turquoise blue of the ocean, and the swaying of the palm trees…..it shows the beautiful paradise that is Bermuda.
This video will show you two beaches – Horseshoe Bay Beach, and Warwick Long Bay/Jobson’s Cove Beach. I also added some nice music so that you can completely relax while watching it. After that, you can dream of your next vacation, and you never know……it just might be to Bermuda!
You will see the couple in the picture below taking their stroll along the beach – I took their picture prior to the video taping.
Warwick Long Bay/Jobson’s Cove Beach, Bermuda
Then my daughter taped some of the video footage, while the taxi driver was ready with my camera to take a picture of me and the kids. Somehow, the sand doesn’t look that pink in this picture.
Warwick Long Bay/Jobson’s Cove, Bermuda
When you watch the video, I hope you will see how beautiful Bermuda is. I hope you like my video.
My Video of Snorkel Beach and Kings Wharf, Bermuda
I’m not sure if many of you are into snorkelling – I have never tried it, nor can I tell anything about it – but I can show you a video that I made of a place called Snorkel Beach – it’s in Snorkel Park, Bermuda.
This is the entrance to the beach, and if you watch the end of the video, upon exiting Snorkel Beach, you will see the narrow path I talked about in a previous post, that led to a rather unpleasant incident – yes, it happened right on the street you’ll see in the video, which is also on the same road as the one shown in the picture below.
Snorkel Park Beach, Bermuda
Snorkel Beach is quite different to Horseshoe Bay Beach or Warwick Long Bay – the other two beaches I saw in Bermuda – it doesn’t have pink sand, but it is still a lovely beach.
Snorkel Park Beach, Bermuda
You will get a better feel for this particular beach by watching my video – sometimes pictures capture the essence of a place really well, but sometimes a video can do it even better. I hope you enjoy the video.
Bermuda Can’t Just Be A One Time Visit!
Here are some last pictures of when we sailed away from Kings Wharf in Bermuda on August 7th, 2012.
Kings Wharf, Bermuda
Let’s catch the Dockyards one last time through the port-hole window of the cruise ship! You will see the reflection of Clock Tower Mall.
And here is the Clock Tower Mall in all it’s glory!
Kings Wharf, Bermuda
Kings Wharf, Bermuda
We also saw the Norwegian Dawn yet again, and I just had to take pictures.
Norwegian Dawn in Bermuda
Norwegian Dawn in Bermuda
Well goodbye Bermuda, I will try to make it back to you so that I can take more pictures of your beautiful country next time. You certainly can’t be just a one time visit!
It Pays To Have Travel Insurance
It can be quite costly if you travel without purchasing travel insurance, and something happens to you during your travels.
Count your small investment in travel insurance as a blessing and not a cost (it’s also peace of mind).
Spa – Enchantment Of The Seas
I am happy to report that I made the right choice when I purchased my trip insurance back in May. As you know, I suffered an injury in Bermuda (wrote about it in a previous post), and not only did I suffer an injury, but my camcorder got smashed up too around the lens. Accidents can happen anywhere, but imagine if I had gone to the hospital and had to pay out of pocket for the ambulance, guess who would have reimbursed me? My travel protection company! Luckily, I did not go to the hospital, so I did not have that expense. However, my camcorder which cost about $469 or so, was fairly new, and therefore, I put in a claim upon my return. I made a quick phone call, filled out a few forms, and supplied a copy of my receipt to Travel Guard. Imagine, to my delight, when I received a check in full. I thought I would have to get a repair estimate, but Travel Guard didn’t ask me for any of that, they just cut the check and I got it within two or three weeks or so of filing the claim.
Additionally, I want to tell you about a client who booked a cruise, and had an emergency come up one week before her scheduled cruise – her aunt had died of cancer. Understandably, she could not go on the cruise, and had to attend the funeral (which was scheduled to take place during the same time as the cruise). Luckily, she had purchased travel protection from me and she was refunded in full (since she had a reason that was covered, and could be fully documented). Remember, certain covered reasons allow a full refund when you have trip insurance, even when you would not get a refund from the cruise line because you are after full payment date (penalty phase).
So, please next time you travel…..whether on a cruise or on a flight, remember to purchase travel protection, and you will be protected.
luchanik 