TLCOhio

Here is part three from our adventure in Singapore. Did I take lots of pictures? YES!! Can you avoid not wanting to capture so much that is interesting and exciting? Is this too much "eye candy" to share? These are from their highly-rated National Orchid Garden. There is more than beautiful orchids there. Plus, a large, indoor area to have and include orchids grown in higher-elevation, cooler climates. All very spectacular and super well maintained. Amazing!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 252,036 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/ This is an example of the older housing that has been preserved and maintained in Singapore. These homes, once very cheap, now cost in the millions and millions of dollars to buy just one townhouse.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) These are some highlights from the various buildings, shops, markets and more in Singapore's "Little India". Quite a wide range of goods, merchandise, services, decorations, etc..:

Here is more "evidence" as to how and why we loved Singapore so much. It was "Hot, HOT", there, however. Be warned and prepared! That was the one challenge, in addition to prices being high. it is a "first-class" city with its price tag matching that level of quality. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 253,116 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/ First on our private tour in Singapore with Danny T of Tours by Locals, we explored various areas, including Little India, the Arab Quarter (including the Mosque shown below), lunch in Chinatown, going to the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel that is the local architectural icon and also pictured below at the top-level pool. Additionally, we are shown in front of a Buddha temple surrounded by nearby newer high-rises in Chinatown.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here is one example of the river sailing through and around the Singapore financial district that is now considered third-ranking in the world.: Below was part of the view from our river ship in the Marina Bay area with the Sands in the background. As mentioned, it was Taylor Swift music. Live or recorded? Not 100% sure, but it would be fun if she did do it live, as reported, for us sailing in this dramatic setting.: Finally, here is their famed Lion spitting out water with some of the lighted architecture in the background along their waterfront. Finally, we finished at the historic and highly-rated Fullerton Hotel for drinks (Singapore Sling, of course) before going back to the ship to finish packing and getting our luggage put out in the hallway. Yes, the Singapore Sling was not invented at the Fullerton, but we still felt the history and enjoyed this luxury hotel environment. Our JW Marriott is right across the street from the Raffles Hotel, where the Sling was invented. Lots more to see and explore here.:

Love the above connection for the JW Marriott and the previous British military facilities at that location and nearby to where your father was based. It was impressive as to how they preserved many of those older buildings along Beach Road and then constructed the new, high-rise hotel/condo/offices behind those old military buildings. From the London/UK Daily Mail in late June, they had this headline: “Tripadvisor names the best travel experiences and attractions for 2024.” They had a top ten highlight being designated for Singapore's: “Gardens by the Bay” Yes, we loved that attraction during our visit there in late February and early March 2024. Below are a few of my visuals. Will post more and catch up by sharing much more to prove and verify as to how we super loved Singapore. Very impressive City-State!! More on the full live/blog connected below. Happy to answer any questions. Appreciate the earlier posts, pre-trip, that help me prepare for enjoying Singapore. Full Tripadvisor "Bests" story at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-13575785/tripadvisor-world-best-experience-attraction-Portugal-USA-UK.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog approaching 20,000 views with many visuals, including “Golden Triangle”, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992045-live-terryohio-india-to-signapore-silver-moon-rising-pix’s/ For our first Singapore evening, we visited and were amazed by the Gardens by the Bay. It is a spectacular light and music show. Look amazing? It was!! At the right lower, is one of the three towers of the Marina Bay Sands complex with their roof-top pool we visited earlier, etc.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here are a few more visuals from our evening at the Gardens by the Bay and their famed night light show, the nearby Marina Bay Sands hotel, etc.: At night on Marina Bay, here are some added views of the Fullerton Hotel, the Singapore Lion, etc.:

From the London/UK Daily Mail in late June, they had this headline: “Tripadvisor names the best travel experiences and attractions for 2024.” They had a top ten highlight being designated for Abu Dhabi's: “Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque” Yes, we loved the scale and details there when we visited in late 2018. Very well crafted and impressive site. Full story at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-13575785/tripadvisor-world-best-experience-attraction-Portugal-USA-UK.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog approaching 20,000 views with many visuals, including “Golden Triangle”, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992045-live-terryohio-india-to-signapore-silver-moon-rising-pix’s/

From the London/UK Daily Mail in late June, they had this headline: “Tripadvisor names the best travel experiences and attractions for 2024: A walking tour in Porto” with these highlights: “A walking tour of Porto's city centre has been crowned by Tripadvisor as the world's number one tourist experience. The winning Porto walking tour is described as an 'unvanquished' experience, exploring '2,000 years of history'. The tour ticks off 13 of the Portuguese city's main attractions, with one Tripadvisor reviewer describing it as 'amazing'. There is no set price for the tour, with attendees asked to pay based on their 'level of satisfaction and personal budget' - the entire experience takes around two and a half hours.” Sounds like a great reason to return to Porto soon. Right? Full story by Esther Marshall at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-13575785/tripadvisor-world-best-experience-attraction-Portugal-USA-UK.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Enjoy the Caribbean? Here are two popular posts/links with thousands of views with much info for . . . . Grenada https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2179927-grenada-pixs-fun-experiences-jan2015/page/2/#comment-66823149 Or, Aruba: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2178325-aruba-pixs-fun-experiences-feb2015/page/3/#comment-66677721

WOW!! Had no idea that things were that challenged for this super scenic part of Alaska. Yes, sadly, that will impact Silversea and the other cruise lines. Appreciate the news and updating. Fortunately for us, we were able to do the Silversea extension up to Denali in 2019 after completing our Vancouver to Seward sailing on the Silver Muse. That was early August when we were up there. At that time, the rains came at night and caused challenges in that part of the world with rail lines getting washed out for our train return to Anchorage. Weather can be a serious variable in travel. Hope for the creatures, such as this one shown below from during our visit there, can survive with these fire challenges. Good luck to all doing Alaska. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals, Our firsts in these scenic areas! Now at 22,443 views. Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

Agree, Japan has its challenges in lining up the best avails . . . and at a reasonable cost. Part of it was that Japan was late to re-open after the Covid shut-down. AND, it's very popular now . . . and not cheap normally. In early March, we stayed in Tokyo for three nights and the hotels can be challenging to afford and/or get the best locations. Be prepared for sticker shock!! BUT, from our first visit to Japan, it was definitely worth it!! Need proof and evidence?? See four quick visuals to help build excitement for that upcoming adventure. First is the Giant Buddha in nearly and super charming Kamakura. And, fortunately for us, the cherry blossoms in Kamakura were out in early March for us. Wonderful!! Third is just one sample for the Tokyo lights and evenings. Fourth proves there are many temples and much in the way of the interesting architecture to experience and see. Lots of markets, shopping, great food, etc., in Tokyo and at other locations. You can see Tokyo as the world's largest city, but make sure you can explore the smaller towns, charming countrysides, etc. We definitely want to go back to Japan and experience more. Have good friends there now and expect to gain added updates and Japan tips/insights. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 253,116 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

Yes and YES!! Agree much above as to the serious questions facing hedge funds and the variety of Wall Street "experts" these days. When that next recession comes, much will exposed with hedge funds and their self-serving "shell game", casino tactics. Many carry their "assets" at inflated book values when the realistic and/or market values these days are much lower. This is especially true with many office and retail properties. Appreciate this great, wise follow-up. When "it" happens, we can look back and said "we told you so" about hedge funds. Right or wrong? From the Wall Street Journal's sister Barron's financial publication and MSN News this morning, they had this headline: “Travel Is the American Way—Even When It’s Pricey” with these highlights: “High inflation and interest rates have made Americans wary of overspending, and they’re cutting back on groceries and electronics while holding off on major purchases such as a new home. Yet there’s still one area they’re happy to splurge—travel. And this summer is gearing up to be yet another record-breaking season. People are also venturing further. Intentions to vacation internationally are at a record high, according to data from the Conference Board and Mastercard Economics Institute.” Some travel pricing drops were noted. Also of interest shared in this reporting: "These consumption trends won’t change soon, Moody's expert Claire Li wrote. She expects consumption growth over the next few quarters will continue to be propelled by spending on services rather than goods, even if total expenditures slow down. Lower airfare has also encouraged people to travel. After two years of increases, plane-ticket prices are trending down. In May, airfare was 5.9% lower than a year ago. While there is a strong desire to travel, consumers are becoming more strategic about how, when, and where they go, Mastercard said. Luxury travel—one of the fastest-growing segments in the industry— could also remain strong. Indeed, that bullishness over wealthy travelers is largely why Viking Holdings stock has risen 18% since the company’s initial public offering this year. Cruises in general are having a moment, as lower and middle-income consumers look for the best bang for their buck." Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/travel-is-the-american-way-even-when-it-s-pricey/ar-BB1po9Sf?ocid=BingNewsVerp THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 260,222 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1362155-solstice-livefirst-timer-reportspix’s-italycroatian-june-7-19/

YES, go to the "Other" category to find out more about Bequia. Below is a link for a post that I started with many visual and added insights/options. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2180141-bequiast-v-pixs-fun-experiences-jan2015/#comment-59055561

Sadly, the impacts seem worse than I had expected. From USA Today and MSN News this morning, they had this headline: “Some Caribbean islands see almost 'total destruction' after Hurricane Beryl” with these highlights: “A more complete picture emerged Wednesday of the extensive damage wrought by Hurricane Beryl's trek across the Windward Islands, revealing destruction and at least seven deaths. At least three islands report more than 90% of the homes and buildings either destroyed or severely damaged, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency reported Wednesday. All three are within the chain of Grenadine Islands, where Beryl roared into the Caribbean on the southern end of the Windwards, between St. Vincent and Grenada." Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described "total destruction" on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. "There's really nothing that can prepare you to see this level of destruction," Mitchell said. "It is almost Armageddon-like, almost total damage and destruction of all buildings. Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture. Complete and total destruction of the natural environment." As this link details, we have previously visited Grenada and loved it very much. We hope the best for recovery and rebuilding. Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/some-caribbean-islands-see-almost-total-destruction-after-hurricane-beryl/ar-BB1pnhjf?ocid=BingNewsVerp THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog approaching 20,000 views with many visuals, including “Golden Triangle”, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992045-live-terryohio-india-to-signapore-silver-moon-rising-pix’s/

Agree with dawntrdr that Wall Street must be anticipating that the Caribbean hurricane is driving this negative stock slide. Did a little more digging. The impacts seem worse than I had expected. From USA Today and MSN News this morning, they had this headline: “Some Caribbean islands see almost 'total destruction' after Hurricane Beryl” with these highlights: “A more complete picture emerged Wednesday of the extensive damage wrought by Hurricane Beryl's trek across the Windward Islands, revealing destruction and at least seven deaths. At least three islands report more than 90% of the homes and buildings either destroyed or severely damaged, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency reported Wednesday. All three are within the chain of Grenadine Islands, where Beryl roared into the Caribbean on the southern end of the Windwards, between St. Vincent and Grenada." Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described "total destruction" on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. "There's really nothing that can prepare you to see this level of destruction," Mitchell said. "It is almost Armageddon-like, almost total damage and destruction of all buildings. Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture. Complete and total destruction of the natural environment." As linked below, we have previously visited Grenada and loved it very much. Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/some-caribbean-islands-see-almost-total-destruction-after-hurricane-beryl/ar-BB1pnhjf?ocid=BingNewsVerp THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Enjoy the Caribbean? Here are two popular posts/links with thousands of views with much info for . . . . Grenada https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2179927-grenada-pixs-fun-experiences-jan2015/page/2/#comment-66823149 Or, Aruba: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2178325-aruba-pixs-fun-experiences-feb2015/page/3/#comment-66677721

YES, sadly, this has been a hard hit, especially this early in the storm "season", to this scenic areas of the Caribbean. News reports have been devastating as to how this region has been affected. Appreciate this follow-up and we wish the best for those affected. From the Wall Street Journal, below are the charts for the three major cruise lines during the first three days of July. With the stock market closed today for the July 4 holiday and Friday being a super light trading day, I am posting these today. Not a good start for the second half of 2024?? Why and how to explain it, especially as the rest of the market has been up, UP? What do the Wall Street "experts" know that we do not understand? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Abu Dhabi vs. Dubai? Many different UAE tips, options, ideas, visuals, etc., with more than 21,600 views at: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2521493-abu-dhabi-vs-dubai-procon-factors/page/5/#comment-66634467 From the Wall Street Journal, here are the charts for the recent trades of the three major cruise lines. Starting July 1, things went negative by a significant margin and continued that way for all three days.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) By contrast, here is a look at the upward trend with the overall S&P 500.: As an added puzzling difference, Viking did not slide downward during the earlier part of this past week. Why? Viking seems to be doing very well since their opening on the market two months ago. Right?:

As an added follow-up to our Scotland friend for private tours in India, I had communicated this past weekend with Parveen, our private guide. She reminded me of the point that now is the "OFF-SEASON" in India. We sometime forget that little "detail" for there. Her mention of the “off season” makes the point that TIMING is super vital when planning any visits to India. The seasons are not all equal for this large Asian subcontinent. Plus, there are major differences as to temperatures and weather conditions in Delhi, Agra that we super enjoyed in mid February . . . versus . . . southern India that gets much hotter. Definitely make sure you avoid the "rainy season" in India. Here is a visual that I do not think had been posted previously of my wife with Parveen as we were in a colorful market location in Old Delhi. Fun location? Lots of shopping opportunities? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados on the Silver Cloud for 26 days. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 76,002 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

From the London/UK Times today, they had this headline: “The ultimate guide to visiting the Taj Mahal: everything you need to know" with this sub-headline: "One of the world’s most recognisable buildings, the Indian landmark attracts up to eight million visitors per year. Here’s what you should consider before you go.” Here are a few of their reporting highlights: “There are few buildings anywhere in the world as recognisable as the Taj Mahal. Made entirely of white marble in Agra, it was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife when she died in 1631. It took 20,000 of the empire’s most skilled craftsmen to carve the majestic white building, and its symmetrical intricacy remains just as astonishing today. The huge numbers of people that crowd this world-famous attraction are just as astounding. Visit in late autumn or very early spring, to avoid summer’s heavy rain and winter’s fog. The Taj Mahal is open every day except Friday when it’s closed for prayer. ” Fortunately during our visit there in February, weather was perfect: sunny, mild, no rain, no pollution, etc. Here is more: "It’s possible to visit Agra from Delhi in a day, taking around four hours by car or at least two by train, but it’s better to stay the night to avoid rushing." Am completing checking through all of my thousands of pictures from this adventure. Might have a few more of interest to post from the Taj Mahal and while exploring other fun locations. Full story at: https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/asia-travel/india/the-ultimate-guide-to-visiting-the-taj-mahal-everything-you-need-to-know-cwsh0rnlr THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 115,222 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Love the point above PIZZA being a favorite food group. Agree. Pep with extra cheese and sauce. Good and tasty!! Maybe this below is the answer for the severe cruise ship stock drops today. Stormy weather? From this financial news website this afternoon, they had this headline: “What's Going On With Cruise Stocks As Category 4 Hurricane Beryl Churns In the Caribbean?” with these highlights: “Shares of cruise line stocks are trading lower Monday as Category 4 Hurricane Beryl churns in the Caribbean. Hurricane Beryl strengthened to a Category 4 storm and made landfall in the Grenadines' Carriacou Island in the Caribbean Sea with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph Monday. According to a report from Weather Channel, Beryl is expected to take a general west-northwest track in the Caribbean Sea through the rest of the week.” Full story at: https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39581491/whats-going-on-with-cruise-stocks-as-category-4-hurricane-beryl-churns-in-the-caribbean THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon vs. Porto? Many different Portugal tips, options, ideas, visuals, etc. with more than 31,400 views at: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2558841-lisbon-vs-porto-which-best/page/7/#comment-66782296

Appreciate these great follow-ups, comments and sharing above and from R&T and highplanesdrifters. Excellent added info, but still way, way over my head to understand for playing in that Wall Street "CASINO". Too high risk when it's too challenging for my brain to comprehend and I cannot figure it out. WOW!! Wild stock market to start off July and the second half of 2014. It will be a short week due to our Independence Day (from you know who) on Thursday. Big, BIG drops for Carnival and Norwegian. Royal Caribbean only fell 1.86% today. The overall S&P was up 2.7%. Strange movements? From the Wall Street Journal late this pm, below are two of their charts. Not a pretty-looking SLIDE!!?? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Love the Caribbean? Here are popular posts/links with Dominica having nearly 30,000 views. Much information for . . . . Barbados: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2179164-barbados-50th-birthday-our-pixs-experiences-feb2015/page/3/#comment-65530134Or, Dominica: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2169714-dominica-love-our-experience-pictures-etc/page/3/#comment-66637276 Nearly 6% drops in just one day. Why and how? What's next??: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

Like some more, but different, food visuals? Not, this time, however, from India, the Silver Moon or Asia. For our flight on Tuesday, March 5, from Tokyo to Dallas/Ft. Worth, we depart mid-day from Japan. But arrived around 7 am on the same day of March 5. Magic? No, it was crossing the International Date Line in the middle of the Pacific. We saved a whole day!! Fortunately with our American Airlines' Frequent Flyer miles we were luck to have Business Class seats from Tokyo to DFW . . . at a reasonable miles cost. Not the 300K per seat, per flight that is often required on such flights. We flew on JAL or Japan Air Lines and expected/hoped for a little "different" experience than the same-old, same-old. How did it go? Below was our dining experience. Worked well!! Not a super-fancy, exotic dining delight, but above average, especially for airline food!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 251,905 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/ Here was our opening offer with salad, bread and beer from Japan. Loved the colorful can used by the historic beer company.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Then, the main entree, dessert, etc. Worked well and not being jammed in a narrow, tight coach seat elevates the experience up, UP!: Here was the JAL graphic as to our flight path to return us to the USA.: As we approached the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport early in the morning of March 5, we could see the sun rising in the east on the same day we departed Tokyo.:

YES!! Great savvy follow-up, as always, from DavyWavey70. Avoiding the traditional Marriotts and Hiltons, etc., is important in India. Nothing wrong with those American-based chains. BUT, local is best for multiple, excellent reasons, including what mentioned above. We stayed for three nights at the Taj in Delhi, the Oberoi in Agra and the flagship Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. All very excellent with unique architecture and interior details that made us really "feel" that we are actually "there" in India. "Boring and bland" needs to be avoided in India. We can do that back home and that is not why we go to India and other exotic locations in the world. Our heritage property used in Jaipur also fit well for what Davy has correctly prioritized. Below are some more visuals not previously posted to offer more reasons and "evidence" to go "local", unique and special in India. Keep it coming with great questions, comments, sharing, etc. All very helpful. Don't be shy as to seeking aded info and background. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 253,043 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/ Here are some additional visuals from the Taj hotel in Delhi where we super enjoyed our first three nights in India. These visuals offer more samples for the high-quality exterior grounds, interiors, etc.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) When doing breakfast at the Taj in Delhi, I enjoyed seeing this unique set-up for how the honey comb was displayed and accessed. Also, below were my Eggs Benedict at the Taj Club level of this hotel. Looking tasty and good?:

Appreciate these kind comments and follow-up. Choose wisely!! Do not just grab the first contact to reply. Ask the right, smart questions!! Of both potential tour operators and yourself. Costs must be considered, but cheapest is not always the best. As mentioned earlier, thanks to the help and suggetion of former U.S. Ambassador to India (1997-2001) and Ohio Governor (1983-1991) Richard Celeste and his skilled wife, we connected with Ganeve Rajkotia in Delhi. Her firm is Nexxtop India Tours. Website: www.nexxtopindia.com. Very experiened with great expertise, super knowledge. She knew her “stuff” and it resulted in an awesome experience. Since they are living and working in India, they are up-to-the-minute with new properties and challenges that may impact an itinerary You can reach Ganeve at ganeve@gmail.com and/or nexxtopindia@gmail.com. Tell her Terry from Ohio said “Hi!” and that you are a smart traveler. We looked at many potentials to craft our detailed itinerary. I is important to consider carefully your many, many options to fit YOUR needs, personal interests and travel style. One size does not fit all!! And, the options/potentials are so very many that you cannot do it “ALL” in India during your first visit to this amazing and diverse country/culture. As an example, some companies will provide guides that come from each of the different local cities visiting such as Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. That’s OK, maybe. But, we had the same guide with us for the whole six days in exploring the Golden Triangle. We got to know her. She knew us! We could discuss our interests and get our questions answered as we traveled between the various locations. With some tours, you probably will have the same driver for the entire trip. But that driver might only speak “some” English, but not be as fully conversational and knowlegeable as you might assume, need or desire. Also, there are many hotel variations with a wide range of pro/con factors to consider. Reasearching and fine-tuning, ahead of time, makes a major difference for deciding what things “fit” as to maximizing to achieve the best experiences and highest learning/photo opportunities. Additionally, adjusting as you go is important as the "pacing" is needed to fit your interests. You want to see and do lots and lots, but not kill yourself in the process. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 260,182 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1362155-solstice-livefirst-timer-reportspix’s-italycroatian-june-7-19/ In a small village between Agra and Jaipur, our super skilled guide, Parveen Paul, took us inside a family home to meet "locals" and learn about life in this part of India. Some guide are "good", repeating the standard "talking points" memorized from Wikipedia. Others, like Parveen, operate at a much higher level in being honest, highly knowledgeable and able to customize and adjust for our needs and personal interests as we traveled.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) When dining in Jaipur, our guide was conversing with our waiter and making sure we ordered what worked best for our dining needs at this location.:

Quite an interesting week for the cruise stocks. From the Wall Street Journal, below are some of their charts as of late Friday afternoon for the three major cruise lines, plus more. Of special interest was that earlier today, Royal Caribbean hit a new 52-week high at $162.50. Impressive?? Carnival is getting closer to a 52-week high. Norwegian is the slowest with its recovery. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog with many visuals, including “Golden Triangle”, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992045-live-terryohio-india-to-signapore-silver-moon-rising-pix’s/ It has been an impressive week for the cruise stock during the past five trading days. Where for the month of July?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here's Viking for the past five trading days per WSJ.: For the past month, Royal Caribbean has had a "rocky" ride, but a nice upward swing during late June.: For comparison, here is how the overall S&P 500 stocks moved during the most recent five trading days on Wall Street.:

From the Wall Street Journal yesterday morning, they had this headline: “Carnival’s Ship Is Coming In" with this sub-headline: "Cruisers are booking further in advance and paying more as berths fill up.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “Carnival’s stock was the top performer in the S&P 500 on Tuesday. William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia was among those raising forecasts. She noted that 'demand trends bode well for considerable pricing power in 2025.' 'We are hitting records on top of previous records' a positively gleeful Carnival chief Josh Weinstein said on an investor call.” From this story, here are the flashing yellow lights: "Look below the waterline, though, and Carnival is a different company than it was before the day that 'Covid-19' entered our vocabulary. That is why its shares remain more than 60% below their January 2020 level. Long-term debt is almost triple, and shares outstanding nearly double their levels in those happier times. The important thing now is how quickly Carnival rights its balance sheet." Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/carnivals-ship-is-coming-in-90ecc2b8 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums

YES, have more "Tasty Treats" and other visuals from the Silver Moon. See added photos below. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Enjoy the Caribbean? Here are two popular posts/links with thousands of views with much info for . . . . Grenada https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2179927-grenada-pixs-fun-experiences-jan2015/page/2/#comment-66823149 Or, Aruba: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2178325-aruba-pixs-fun-experiences-feb2015/page/3/#comment-66677721 One morning while having breakfast on the open terrace of La Terrazza, I captured this interesting angle with me and my camera shown in the glass reflection. Also featured is the water and mountains in the background. We loved having breakfast in the part of the ship where we could enjoy the sea air, water, etc.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) While docked in Malaysia, next to us was this colorful ship owned by an Asian cruise line. Glad we were on the smaller and more personal Silver Moon, not such a large, mass sailing ship.: On the crew recognition program, here was a sampling of the wonderful and hard-working staff that make the Silver Moon fun and enjoyable.: From a later visit to La Terrazza, here are some "food porn" examples for certain dishes enjoyed at this dining venue. Yes, tasty! Any of these look familiar from your dining there?:

Here's an aggressive headline and more details from Greece as they consider the impacts of cruising and those visitors. From the London/UK Telegraph two days ago, they had this headline by Heidi Fuller-Love: “How Greece is going to war on cruise ships" with this sub-headline: "The country’s PM has vowed to put a cap on cruise ships – though some believe they’ve become a scapegoat for wider overtourism problems.” Here are some of their reporting highlights by writer Heidi Fuller-Love: “Lured by glorious beaches, world-class archaeological sites and comforting cuisine, some 33 million people visited Greece in 2023, around five million more than in 2022. According to the Greek National TourisM Organisation (GNTO), 2023 was also a landmark year for cruising in Greece, with seven million passengers visiting the country aboard 5,230 cruise ships, compared to 4.38 million passengers and 4,614 cruise ships in 2022. With approximately 1.5m passengers in 2023, Piraeus, the port for Athens, tops the list of popular cruise destinations in Greece, followed by Santorini with 1.3m and Mykonos with almost 1.2m.” Cruise ship "economics" are a part of the question and rub based on this and other comments in the story: "Business owners on the island are angry at the lack of revenue that cruise tourism brings. 'They have everything on board – even souvenir shops – so they come here and just walk around and then go back to their boat without buying anything,' says Maria Dimitirou, who owns a gift shop in Oia." Another aspect of the backlash is too much of cruise ship tourism is focused on a just a few islands. Also a travel experts was quoted saying: "Unfortunately, many of the ports of call in Greece have become tourist enclaves with nothing left for the locals." Good and interesting questions? Fair or unfair? Reactions and comments? Full story at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/greece/greece-cruise-tourism-cap/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog with many visuals, including “Golden Triangle”, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992045-live-terryohio-india-to-signapore-silver-moon-rising-pix’s/

Not sure I understand and/or can explain these financial tricks/tools known as "covered calls". Feel free to explain more as to how you can "ride the wave" with this potential for these stock approaches. From this below-connected financial news website this morning, they had this headline: “Create Instant 18% Yield On Royal Caribbean, If You're Willing To Hold Long Term” with these highlights: “The stock does not pay a dividend, but savvy investors can still create a yield from Royal Caribbean using covered calls. A covered call involves buying 100 shares of the underlying stock and simultaneously selling a call option against those shares. Selling calls limits the upside but increases the yield from the investment in the form of option premium. The investor keeps the premium generated from selling calls no matter what happens with the stock.” This is way above my "pay grade" and expertise level!! Also shared in the report: "According to the IBD Stock Checkup, Royal Caribbean stock is ranked No. 1 in its group. It has a Composite Rating of 98, an EPS Rating of 81 and a Relative Strength Rating of 94." Full story at: https://www.investors.com/research/options/royal-caribbean-stock-option-trading/?src=A00619&refcode=aflMarketWatch&_gl=1*j4dk9t*_gcl_au*MTc3NTQ5MDQwOC4xNzEzNTU5NzQ5*_ga*NzI5MzY4NzcyLjE3MTU4MDA4MzM.*_ga_K2H7B9JRSS*MTcxOTQxNjYxMC4yMzEuMS4xNzE5NDE2ODY3LjExLjAuMA.. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020, many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia. This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc: Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/

Yes!! Great comments and helpful follow-up. Have at times recently posted some WSJ charts for Viking and have more shown below. But as noted earlier, if a large portion of the Viking stock is tightly control by their founder and a couple of pension funds, then the "market" is not quite as wide and meaningful for reflecting this stock's true up and down values. But, we will see what happens over time with this stock. From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, below are their charts for the three major cruises showing the different reactions to the quarterly updates from Carnival. Big, BIG jumps today. Best I can remember in recent history. Right? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals, Our firsts in these scenic areas! Now at 22,078 views. Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/ Here are the Wall Street Journal charts showing, especially for today, the massive jump UP, UP for Carnival and the other two major cruise companies. What for tomorrow and the rest of this month?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) For Viking, below are the WSJ charts as to this new stock. First, during the most recent five trading days. Second, shows the longer trends since when they were first listed about a month and a half ago.: