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Joe Goertz

Why do people choose to go on cruises, instead of booking a plane flight? One thing that attracts people to these large boats and cruises is the food. Not only does a cruise offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, they also offer midnight buffets, afternoon snack buffets, ice cream bars and 24-hour room service! There is a veritable open bar on food. You can eat casually or formally. You can have a large meal or a small meal. You can eat with hundreds of people or privately. Keep in mind, of course, that the quality of the cruise line determines the quality of the food. Also remember that many of the cruise ships are feeding approximately 2000 people 10 meals per day!

A cruise offers everything you could possibly want from a getaway: entertainment, relaxation, great food, and variety. Next time, don’t overlook that great big boat out in the harbor.

Entertainment is another attraction. Most cruise lines run full-scale production shows, have live bands, and/or add other specials for the children. The Disney® Cruise line offers meals with Disney characters and special entertainment geared towards the younger crowd. Floating casinos adorn most cruise ships to the delight of many adults who use this as their evening entertainment. Having activities planned throughout the entire day, some cruise lines are like floating day camps. You can be as active or inactive as you choose to be.

Cruises offer one-stop-shopping. Variety. One flight plus one boat equals lots of different locations. It would be impossible to attempt to visit each port individually outside of a cruise line. It would be very expensive and much too time consuming. There would be no time for fun. Once aboard the ship, you leave only to visit the places of port. No need to pack and unpack. No need for unnecessary travel. On the ship, you have any number of things to keep you entertained while waiting for the next docking.

Carnival® Cruises is great for the first time cruiser. It has many departure sites around the country. Land and sea prices are available for those who need to fly to a port of departure. Just a few of the destinations to which Carnival® Cruise Lines will take you include: the Bahamas, Aruba, St. Thomas, St. John, San Juan Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, the Keys, Cozumel, Hawaii, Alaska, Martinique and Barbados.

Celebrity® Cruises is higher-end. It has a sophisticated AquaSpa on board and sports a unique art collection on the Galaxy ship as well. Celebrity® has received a 5-star rating for its cuisine (not food but cuisine). If all of that is not impressive enough, it also includes an in-cabin entertainment and information center.

Radisson® Seven Seas, Seaborn® Cruises and Windstar® Cruises offer even more luxury than the Celebrity® line. The Radisson® offers the ultimate luxurious experience by managing suites only. It also offers unique destinations such as Tahiti, French Polynesia, Antarctica, the Mediterranean, and Europe. The Windstar® line has romantic trimasted ships and sail to the Caribbean, The Americas, the Greek Isles and Europe.

As you can see, there are cruise lines for everyone. These lines are just a few of the many options of cruises. But every line has something which makes it unique, so you might want to do some research to make sure you find the cruise you were looking for.

About the Author:

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I can't seem to find any ideas for a Mexican themed wedding, not even Spanish-themed ideas. My wedding's on the fifth of May (Cinco de Mayo) and I really wanted to plan my wedding around that theme. Any ideas for centerpieces, especially?

— Lori

As luck (or fate!) would have it, I just spoke to TV personality and leading Baltimore wedding planner Linnyette Richardson — and she let on that she's planning precisely this kind of wedding for one adventurous couple. And as usual, she overflowed with ideas.

"They're not a Mexican or Latin couple,"she explains. "They're just having their wedding on May 5, and wanted to go with the theme." That's all it took for Lynnette's imagination to go into overdrive. Here are a few of the highlights:

- Colors: Sage and Coral. Not only does it speak to the theme, it's tremendously contemporary. "We're having a lighting company really work up the environment, creating a really warm, ambient light that folds everyone in. We'll avoid too much green light, since it's not too flattering. It'll be more of a peachy amber shade — just gorgeous."

- La Vida Loca. A giant dance floor's being brought in. The couple plans to wow their guests by performing a smoky tango for the First Dance. Afterward, pro dancers will rile the crowd with a high-energy routine, then split up to lead onlookers through basic salsa lessons.

- Southern Comfort. "The menu's got a definite southwest flavor,"says Lynnette. "We'll be serving Coronas, some Baja wines, and the food will be buffet-style so guests can mix it up." Plus, she says, she's planning a sweet and salty treat bar, featuring crowd-pleasers like chocolate-dipped pretzels and potato chips, and ample quantities of her secret weapon (slash-guilty-pleasure): Dale & Thomas' cheddar-chipotle popcorn.

- Femme Vitale. "Of course, in this case the bride's not going to wear anything fooffy," she points out. Instead, she'll don a sleek gown, a chic chignon, a luxurious bloom in the hair, like gardenia — and dramatic red lipstick.

- Beat a Retreat. The couple will do that literally: they're planning a grand exit that stars a giant, custom-designed piñata. One talented stick-wielder will crack it open to reveal a variety of tasty treats, plus individual iPods for 10 (count them!) lucky guests.

Want a few more ideas for a southwestern twang? Borrow a page from our libro:

Terra Cotta Containers. Serve chips and dips in footed bowls; place larger urns in the corners of the room and wrap the necks in thick twine. Brightly-colored Alebrije figurines on the tables will add south-of-the-border whimsy to the staidest of floral arrangements.

Striped Rag Rugs. Lay these colorful accents under chairs and tables in your cocktail corner.

Mmmm, Good. Grilled shrimp with fresh-squeezed lime and sea salt. A taquitos bar with all the trimmings. Custom margaritas keyed to your color scheme. Are you feeling the love?

Fabuloso Favors. Custom-labeled hot sauce — or mini-bottles of tequila — won't be left behind.

Tip-Top Treatments. A few sure winners: desert pods plus white orchids. Curly willow plus those fiery mini callas known as orange/rust (they deepen to gorgeous red at the edges). Sassy red sunflowers and anything. Glass vases filled with cut oranges and limes. Large clear cylinders filled with glossy chilis (red or green, your choice).

Don't forget to load down your tables with flickering pillar candles and votives.

The Final Touch. Give your creation an extra dimension: lightly scent the room with sprays or fragrant candles. Combine several for something citrusy and fresh: cilantro and orange, or lemon verbena.

Tags: cinco de mayo wedding, latin wedding, mexican wedding

Colin Hartness

It’s not just the size and opulence of their sleek and stylish fleet that attracts passengers to Norwegian Cruise Line. Norwegian Cruise Line boasts the largest ratio of staff to passengers of any cruise company and this extra service shows from stem to stern. Every inch of every ship gleams and on any trip through the corridors you always meet friendly and courteous staff in perfectly appointed uniforms.

A particular cruise feature that Norwegian Cruise Lines introduced is free-style dining. Historically, shipboard dining has been a structured affair, with meals served at preset hours, usually with assigned seating in the dining room and a dress code. Free-style dining changes all of that to match the contemporary American lifestyle. Passengers may choose from eight to a dozen dining areas on board and eat when they wish. Some dining areas serve cafeteria-style, with food already prepared and jean-clad passengers taking a tray and selecting their food items. The main dining areas serve menu-based meals with full service wait staff and where jeans and shorts are prohibited at the evening meal. All food in the dining rooms and cafeteria is included in the price of the cruise.

And you get more than your money’s worth in the quality and presentation of all food items. The average passenger gains seven pounds on a week-long cruise! In addition, Norwegian Cruise Line offers a selection of specialty or upscale restaurants on each ship and meals in these restaurants are offered at additional cost. For example, Asian, French, Japanese or Italian cuisine may be featured in a suitably decorated small restaurant. But know full well, the upscale restaurants excel in service and cuisine and provide value for the dollar for the more discriminating.

Food service is a major attraction on any cruise, but Norwegian Cruise Line also provides a full range of on-board activities 24 hours a day. A fully equipped fitness center attracts those who want to stay in shape on their vacation. The pool area is the hub of live entertainment day and evening. Ships have a number of bar, lounge and disco areas that come to life with talented performers every night. Also included in the price of the cruise is theatre entertainment that ranges from stand-up comedy to full show revues that rival those found in Las Vegas. And speaking of Las Vegas, while in international waters, passengers can enjoy all the amenities of a sparkling casino, including slots and gaming.

Norwegian Cruise Line, a premier cruise line, currently has ten large and modern ships in its fleet. The most luxurious ship in the fleet, the Norwegian Star, seasonally alternates on trips to Alaska during the summer season and cruises to the Mexican Riviera in the colder months. One of the newest ships, Norwegian Spirit, also sails to Alaska in the summer but crosses the Panama Canal to sail the Caribbean in the winter. The Norwegian Wind follows the whim of the wind and sails to many major destinations: Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean while Norwegian Sun and Dream quietly cruise the Caribbean.

The brand new Pride of Aloha, as its name implies, is dedicated to custom cruises hopping between the islands of Hawaii. There is no better way to thoroughly tour Hawaii than on a cruise ship. Also brand new, Norwegian Dawn is dedicated to sailing from New York to ports in Florida and the Caribbean.

The newly renovated Norwegian Sea routinely sails from Houston, Texas through the Caribbean. A ship fit for royalty, the Norwegian Majesty, also sails through the Caribbean to ports of call in Mexico and the Bahamas.

The Norwegian Crown is nearly 20 years old but, with only 527 staterooms, provides a much more intimate atmosphere than the newer ships that accommodate nearly 2,000 passengers. Two more luxury ships will be added to the ever-expanding fleet in 2005. The soon to be introduced Norwegian Jewel will expand ports of call to Scandinavia, the French Riviera, and Italy.

About the Author

Looking for information about cruises? Go to: http://www.whatcruises.com ‘What Cruises’ is published by Colin Hartness - An excellent resource for Cruises! Check out more cruise articles at: http://www.whatcruises.com/archive