Vacations that rival cruising

[Cruisin Kay D]

Prior to retiring it was cruising only!! We own several timeshare weeks so now we do both land-based trips & cruising trips. Each has it's own advantages, so we mix it up! We eat alot less on land-based trips & I like to have a kitchen to fix breakfasts & some other meals. Nowadays with people making drugs (meth) in motels, one has to be VERY careful when choosing motels....

 

RE: CABO-- we own 2 wks at Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan and LOVE to go there -- just returned -- the company has 3 resorts at Cabo & can highly recommend -- go to http://www.pueblobonito.com to see the resorts -- gorgeous buildings, landscaping, pools, lovely junior suites and larger accommodations -- not all-inclusive but onsite restaurants are GREAT! Both resorts at Mazatlan are wonderful. (We inherited these TS from an elderly relative & last year was our 1st time to "see what we were given" and were quite pleasantly surprised!)

 

We have taken week-long trips twice each to St. Martin & Grand Cayman having 1st been there on cruises, also a week-long to St. Thomas -- stayed in timeshares at St. M, rented condo at GC, hotel room in St.T.

 

Not done Alaska yet.

Going to Hawaii for 3 wks in Sept/Oct with 1 wk at Kauai in TS, 1 wk at Kona in TS and 6 nts in rented condo on Waikiki.

Have had timeshare trips to Hilton Head SC, Edisto Island SC, Destin FL, Helen GA, Scottsdale AZ, Flagstaff AZ, Pagosa Spr CO, mountains in NC, Fairfield Glade TN, Williamsburg VA. Road trip in hotels along CA coast N & S of LA, west coast of FL, 1 wk in condo in Venice FL,

 

Just returned from 1 wk in Mexico and 2 wks road trip throughout Colorado -- because we got best rate to fly to MX on Frontier, which has its hub in Denver, we didn't just change planes in Denver, we rented a car & had a week on each side of MX!! Drove over 1400 miles in SW Colo on 1st leg. Slight altitude adjustment in Breckenridge, CO after being 1 wk at sea level in MX!!

 

Now we've booked a B2B cruise -- which will be a FIRST. We've been on 10 Princess cruises & 2 Royal Carib cruises, and the B2B on HAL will be our 1st on this line!!

[Thomas M. Bottom]

"It has become way too mass market for me these days"

 

 

Sorry you feel that way eeker, but I'm part of that mass market...good or bad

 

Not being able to cruise back in the 80's I guess I don't know what I missed!

[ekerr19]

Prior to retiring it was cruising only!! We own several timeshare weeks so now we do both land-based trips & cruising trips. Each has it's own advantages, so we mix it up! We eat alot less on land-based trips & I like to have a kitchen to fix breakfasts & some other meals. Nowadays with people making drugs (meth) in motels, one has to be VERY careful when choosing motels....

 

RE: CABO-- we own 2 wks at Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan and LOVE to go there -- just returned -- the company has 3 resorts at Cabo & can highly recommend -- go to www.pueblobonito.com to see the resorts -- gorgeous buildings, landscaping, pools, lovely junior suites and larger accommodations -- not all-inclusive but onsite restaurants are GREAT! Both resorts at Mazatlan are wonderful. (We inherited these TS from an elderly relative & last year was our 1st time to "see what we were given" and were quite pleasantly surprised!)

 

We have taken week-long trips twice each to St. Martin & Grand Cayman having 1st been there on cruises, also a week-long to St. Thomas -- stayed in timeshares at St. M, rented condo at GC, hotel room in St.T.

 

Not done Alaska yet.

Going to Hawaii for 3 wks in Sept/Oct with 1 wk at Kauai in TS, 1 wk at Kona in TS and 6 nts in rented condo on Waikiki.

Have had timeshare trips to Hilton Head SC, Edisto Island SC, Destin FL, Helen GA, Scottsdale AZ, Flagstaff AZ, Pagosa Spr CO, mountains in NC, Fairfield Glade TN, Williamsburg VA. Road trip in hotels along CA coast N & S of LA, west coast of FL, 1 wk in condo in Venice FL,

 

Just returned from 1 wk in Mexico and 2 wks road trip throughout Colorado -- because we got best rate to fly to MX on Frontier, which has its hub in Denver, we didn't just change planes in Denver, we rented a car & had a week on each side of MX!! Drove over 1400 miles in SW Colo on 1st leg. Slight altitude adjustment in Breckenridge, CO after being 1 wk at sea level in MX!!

 

Now we've booked a B2B cruise -- which will be a FIRST. We've been on 10 Princess cruises & 2 Royal Carib cruises, and the B2B on HAL will be our 1st on this line!!

 

Cruisin Kay D - Thanks for the information on pueblobonito - it looks like a great place to stay. :)

 

I hope you enjoyed visiting Colorado - it's a beautiful state.

 

Thanks again for the link to the Mexico hotels.

[Suite 16]

River cruises!! One from Vienna to Amsterdam was absolutely memorable - the scenery close enough to touch, and beautiful. The excursions with perfect guides. The wine-tasting - organ concert, lovely towns and ancient cities. We'll still do an ocean cruise on occasion, but are leaving tomorrow for a river cruise, St. Petersburg to Moscow.

 

Agree with the Canadian Rockies fans - just beautiful.

[Sweetdreams]

Our DD is doing an externship at a US Historic hotel for the next several months and we will have the advantage of staying at any of the hotel/resorts listed with this registry for great prices.

 

If anyone has had great experiences-please list your comments. Thanks!

[harrodsfan]

WE average one land based vacation for every cruise. and OUr favorite is to do both. WE like to go to a base place and then take day trips as we don't Love packing...Last summer we did London, Prague, Vienna and Budapest...train to Venice and 12 day cruise on the Millinium.

In February we spent a week in Thailand and then went to Mynmar and took a weeks cruise on the Road to Mandalay. Then spent 4 days in Hong Kong on the way home...

This summer we will spend a week at a class in Oxford and then our two boys will meet us for 3 days in BArcelona and a week on the Splender of the SEas.

So I say...so both...

[anjuli]

I went on a first class tour of Australia a few years ago. It was wonderful. 14 days, staying in luxury hotels, flying to every city. Hayman Island was my favorite, we stayed for three days at this ultra-luxury resort, pampered and waited on. The trip was in 1988 and is still my favorite vacation. I have so many memories from that vacation: the three single men who had to go to three bars in each city and have a drink at each bar. The transvestite night club we stumbled into one night in Canberra, the two women on the tour who set out to get lucky in each city (and they did, yuk.) Riding camels in Alice Springs, climbing Ayers Rock, and the wine tour in the Barossa Valley in South Australia. And the bacon for breakfast, American back just isn't the same...

[Aussie Gal]

anjuli,

 

I am so glad you had such a wonderful experience of visiting our country. You certainly saw a lot in a short time. Hayman Island has been completely renovated and is now somewhere very special, even better than when you were there.

 

There is a lot to see and so different from anywhere else in the world. I am glad you enjoyed our bacon, I hope it was crisp.

 

Jennie

[cruznon]

We love cruising and all our recent vacations have been cruises. But we have also enjoyed Maui vacations where the only major decision was "do we go to the beach first or the pool first?"

The best land vacation was a week in Paris...small hotel, walking through this beautiful city, taking the Metro and eating in small neighborhood restaurants. It was incredible.

So, now we're looking at a European cruise for next summer...

[anjuli]

I really would like to go back. I dated an Aussie for several years and we would visit back and forth. I'd really like to go on a cruise there and stay for a couple of weeks. Lovely country.

 

I would love love love to go back to Hayman Island too. They were just finishing a renovation when I was there in 1988. I can't believe it has been that long.

 

 

anjuli,

 

I am so glad you had such a wonderful experience of visiting our country. You certainly saw a lot in a short time. Hayman Island has been completely renovated and is now somewhere very special, even better than when you were there.

 

There is a lot to see and so different from anywhere else in the world. I am glad you enjoyed our bacon, I hope it was crisp.

 

Jennie

[trubey]

We loved our two week vacation in the Azores so much, that within one year we had

 

 

• sold our house, sold our cars, quit our jobs
  
• bought a new house, bought a new car, permanently retired.
  

And now live 5 minutes away from that perfect vacation.

 

susan.

[Sweetdreams]

We loved our two week vacation in the Azores so much, that within one year we had

 

 

• sold our house, sold our cars, quit our jobs
  
• bought a new house, bought a new car, permanently retired.
  

And now live 5 minutes away from that perfect vacation.

 

susan.

 

 

Wow! Just had to visit the Azores region via google to see what brought all this about. What an incredibly beautiful place! Where were you originally from, if you don't mind my asking? Really admire your zest to live your life as you dream!

[trubey]

This is really hard to explain quickly on a cruise bulletin board. But the short story is that we are Americans who were looking for a different life. Bad health had made working any very longer difficult and the "world was our oyster".

 

We've all seen the movies and read the books of people who've gone off to live in Tuscany or Provence. It's a wonderful experience to start your life over again. And the Azores are a wonderful place to live. Actually they are a better place to live than to visit. The weather can be iffy, but never cold, and there really aren't many attractions. But for people who love nature, hiking, and scenery, it's the best.

 

Anyone looking for a different vacation? E-mail me. susan.

[trubey]

Sweetdreams, I answered your letter but AOL rejected it. We have had problems before in that AOL does not like our Portuguese ISP (something about it being a haven for spammers). If you have another e-mail address, send it to me. susan.

[bepsf]

My folks loved their years on Texiera - I have the feeling that if they didnt have grandkids that they wanted to see fairly often that they would seriously consider moving back to the Azores too...

 

;)

[serendipity1499]

Having been in the airline industry for 32 years, I’ve visited many exciting places for business & pleasure, both before & after marriage. Our jeep was charged by a bull elephant in Africa;fell in love with a Koala in Australia; had a 6 inch cobra in my shoe in Morocco :( (stood on the bed & called the front desk to get it out); was a guest on an aircraft carrier in Hong Kong to name a few memorable experiences. After retirement had lots of wonderful sailing trips with our good friends.:)

 

While working for a European Airline, I had not had the pleasure of visiting many places in the U.S. My DH, on the other hand, had seen a great deal of our country & extolled the beauty of the West. In the late 90’s, we watched a travelogue on PBS about the “American Orient Express” from Denver to Portland. It was so fascinating & we decided to book the trip.

 

The train carried 90 passengers & a crew of 45. We were met at the station by a white gloved Porter & escorted onto a vintage luxury train, which was elegantly appointed with mahogany, brass & ebony. Our compartment had a large window & a seat which converted into twin berths (DH in lower, me in upper), a small wash basin & toilet. When the berths were open, we had to place the ladder in my berth in order to get into the toilet. Showers were at the ends of each sleeping car & you made an appointment with your porter to use them. The hanging area for our clothes was 4 INCHES WIDE (no exaggeration) & approx. 8-9 feet tall. A minimum amount of clothing for both of us, was hung in layers on 1 (one) multi-tiered skirt hanger & 1 multi-tiered slacks hangar. All else was stored under the couch in plastic boxes. Since we were extending our vacation for 2 ½ weeks more, our porter stored our extra clothes & luggage in the Crew Car. In the a.m.only one person could dress at a time, while the other one watched from the berth. We all stayed in the same clothes all day. No dressing for dinner,:o unless you had the Presidential Suite, which was much larger & included a shower! LOL.

 

The trip was expensive, but well worth it. It was all-inclusive with elegantly presented gourmet meals, white/red wine with dinner, Tea’s with yummy fresh baked pastries, bus tours, tips for drivers/ local guides, bottled water, soda, & snacks & 2 cocktail parties. The lecturer on board was a Santa Fe RR engineer & history buff who gave us running commentary’s about the places we were going through. We traveled during the day, enjoying the scenery in the rear observation car. The bartender had every person’s drink ready at cocktail hour. Imagine trying to walk from car to car, through a moving train after cocktail hour! It’s much scarier than a storm at sea! At night we usually stayed in a station siding..(Commercial trains had the right of way). We went through the Rockies to Grand Junction, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone (Bus into the Park & with an overnight in Jackson Lake Lodge included), & Grand Teton before ending in Portland.:)

 

After Portland we flew to SFO for two days, rented a car & drove down the Big Sur, stopping at so many interesting & fun places (Madona Inn in San Louis Obispo) along the way. We eventually made it into “glitzy Vegas” for two nights & finally into the Grand Canyon for two days. Our cabin was on the rim. Beautiful sunrises/ sunsets and scenery. One morning, before sunrise, we came across a pack of Mule Deer (big ears) Hated to end this awesome trip & one we will never forget!:)

 

Thanks for putting up with this missive & Happy Cruising everyone!

[Sweetdreams]

Having been in the airline industry for 32 years, I’ve visited many exciting places .......We went through the Rockies to Grand Junction, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone (Bus into the Park & with an overnight in Jackson Lake Lodge included), & Grand Teton before ending in Portland.:) QUOTE

 

Seredipity1499,

 

Thank you for sharing your travel memoirs with us!

Though it's been a long time since our visit to Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole and Yellowstone, you "took me there, if only for a few moments"! Thanks for the memories. The "wildlife" adventures you've experienced are similiar to someof my own especially out west-stared right into the eye of a buffalo only five feet away, almost steped on a ratlesnake while fly-fishing in Yellowstone, and came too close for comfort to a very large moose while fishing later in the river to stay clear of the rattlers! Feeding the praire dogs left-over blueberry pancakes is more like the animal encounters I enjoy (in my comfort zone at least). These are certainly places not on any cruiseline's itenarary.

[serendipity1499]

Sweetdreams..And thank you for starting this fun thread..:) Have enjoyed reading about other posters memorable vacation spots..I too am an animal lover & if I hadn't gone into the travel business, had it in the back of my mind to become a Zooologist..Probably would not have suceeded though, because coming close to stepping on a a rattler would have scared the wits out of me...I can watch snakes from afar, but not up close..Hense, having to call the front desk to get rid of a tiny snake in my shoe..:o They all had a big laugh over that one..Feeding the prarie dogs left over pancakes must have been a wonderful experience for you..Every time my little "doxi" sits up it reminds us of the prarie dogs.. thanks again & Happy cruising..

[Sweetdreams]

Our DD will be completing her pastry chef externship at a historic hotel the end of October, we have an opportunity to stay at any of the 123 historic hotels in America for a great rate. Any suggestions?

 

We'd like to schedule about a week for her break before she returns to continue her course work at the campus.

 

There are about 10-12 that are completely booked for the next entire year but many other options. For those of you that may have been to some of these fine historic establishments, your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[trubey]

Are these the hotels?

 

http://www.historichotels.org/

[trubey]

We celebrated my parent's 50th wedding anniversary at Mohonk Mountain House, a few hours north of NYC, which is listed on the above site.

 

For a quiet, idyllic, pretend-the-last-sixty-years-didn't-happen environment, it was truly lovely.

 

susan.

[Sweetdreams]

Are these the hotels?

 

http://www.historichotels.org/

 

Yes, Susan, these are the hotels & resorts. Though we've never stayed at Mohonk Mt. House, the reviews are very favorable. Did you enjoy the resort?

We have already spent lots of vacation time in the state of NY and enjoyed every visit, since our daughter's college is only about 30 minutes from Mohonk, it may not be her first choice.

 

BTW, sorry our communicating by email didn't work out. We would switch from AOL in a NY minute but we are using our accrued credits from credit card coompany and have unlimited service for about 10 months out!

 

I've been enticed by your description of your new homeland and have been researching online. Someday, when things settle down in our lives a bit, we'd love to make a move to a beautiful location. Need to do a lot of "looking & visiting" first before we settle on a location.

[Sweetdreams]

Most people seem to enjoy sharing their best vacation experiences.

Where have your been? What was the best part of your experience?

Have you enjoyed someplace on "the road less traveled"?

[Rachelleh]

3 kids, one husband - cruising - PRICELESS

 

unpack once.

kids club, kids club, kids club.

 

no nickeling and dimeing for kids when they don't like a meal, no irritated parents when they don't like a meal, unlike a land vacation I just paid $20.00 for and they won't eat.

 

Cruises with kids - excursions GREAT

 

Cruises w/out kids - NO excurisons - lazy beach or shopping time - GREAT

 

room service with kids - GREAT

 

Balconies - GREAT

 

Tried a land based vacation this year, and my 7 year old sons' response upon checking into a resort property (a very nice one) said it all "where is the "butler", I don't see any towel animals" ???? Needless to say he was quite disappointed, next year we cruise.

 

Upon our return home from out last cwk (cruise with kids), at about midnight the evening of our arrival home the same son then 6 wanted to know if he could get a ham sandwich, chips and a choclate chip cookie - my response was a laughter filled "fat chance", room service does not exist at home.

 

Can't wait until our next cruise adults only - in Oct.

 

Kids cruise 2006.

[arkansastraveler]

We have enjoyed Scotland, Bonaire, Hawaii, and other timeshare trip places but the best was a freighter cruise on the old Aranui to the Maquesas. The other cruisers were from all over the world. We really enjoyed our time with them and all the wonderful sights in the Marquesas and Tahiti.