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Hinerava Tahitian Pearls on Paul Gauguin

Carrie Finley-Bajak — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:48:50 +0000

Paul Gauguin Cruise: Hinerava Tahitian Pearls

Cruise guests sailing onboard the m/s Paul Gauguin can purchase Hinerava Tahitian Pearl designs from Kelly Hinerava Bailey.

Sailing on Paul Gauguin Cruises offers cruise guests five-star service, comfort and luxury while sailing in Tahiti and French Polynesia. Although the scenery takes center-stage, visitors on Paul Gauguin have a lot to look forward to. One facet of the Paul Gauguin cruise experience is total immersion in the the local culture, which includes lessons abou the Tahitian Pearl.

For those cruise guests that have a love for the beauty of the Tahitian Pearl, the luxury line is proud to present Hinerava (meaning Tahitian Beauty).

Designer Kelly Hinerava Bailey, who was raised in Tahiti started her company Hinerava in early 2011. Since then she has created many island-vintage-inspired creations using Tahitian pearls. She is gaining attention for her “island-chic” Tahitian Black Pearl designs.

Cruise guests sailing on Paul Gauguin can purchase her jewelry onboard.

Tahitian pearls are some of the most exotic and desired pearls in the world. Hinerava strives to bring the delicacy and elegance of the Tahitian Black Pearl to each unique and original creation. The island-vintage inspired jewelry is exquisitely sophisticated yet casual enough for everyday wear, an impression the artist terms as “island-chic”.

Exotic Cruise Destinations | Asia

Carrie Finley-Bajak — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:48:18 +0000

Exotic Asia – Cruise Destination Review

What is an exotic cruise destination?

Exotic describes someone or something that is foreign or unusual. So that means that an exotic cruise offers an itinerary that is unique (not offered week after week). For a non-cruiser that could mean just about anywhere. But for the experienced cruise traveler what means a destination that is off the beatern-path.

Fruit sellers - Taling Chan Floating Market Thailand - photo by avlxyz

Choose a Southeast Asisan cruise itinerary to discover the floating market of the Taling Chan district of Bangkok, Thailand or visit the French colonial buildings and opera theaters of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The Great Wall of China. Photo by Carrie Finley-Bajak.

A wonder and an item that shows up on a blot of ‘bucket lists” is a visit to China’s Great Wall. Northern routes will take you from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Dalian, and Eastward to South Korea and Japan.

Exotic Asia cruising: Shanghai. Yùfó Chán Sì, literally Jade Buddha Chan Temple) is a Buddhist temple in Shanghai, China

WuXi, near Shanghai.

East meets West: tour guide Jack at Taiqing Palace in China.

Taoist Monks near Mt. Laoshan at Taiqing Palace. Photo by Carrie Finley-Bajak.

Hakata, Japan.

Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

Silversea Cruises Slow Food Concept in Tuscany

Carrie Finley-Bajak — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:34:25 +0000

Silversea Cruises offers Slow Food Cruise Tours in Tuscany

Foodies sailing on Silversea Cruises are in for a treat. The luxury cruise line is offering a three-night sojourn into the Tuscan countryside for a pre or post cruise experience celebrating Slow Food.

Castello Banfi vineyard estate in Montalcino, Tuscany

For those not familiar with the Slow Food concept, it is a culinary movement that aims to bring food to consumers that is locally grown and close to source. The Slow Food movement aims to promote sustainable foods while promoting local small businesses. Darius Mehta, Silversea’s vice president of air and land programs sees this tour as a “an excellent opportunity for foodies and travelers alike to discover the beauty, food, tradition and culture of Tuscany, while also gaining greater insight into the principles of the Slow Food movement.”

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Highlights of the 3-day Slow Food tour in the Brunello region of Tuscany include:

Three nights lodging at Il Borgo, Castello
Cooking class, where participants will learn to prepare typical Tuscan specialties with the help of Silversea’s own culinary team
In-depth tour of the Castello Banfi winery
A full-day tour of Slow Food-recommended vineyards, olive groves, farms or other traditional food-producing operations in and around Bolgheri

Priced from $3,599 per guest (based on double occupancy), the Slow Food tour is offered as a pre-cruise option on Silver Wind’s April 30 voyage (#2212), Rome to Venice, and Silver Spirit’s October 22 sailing (#5233) from Rome to Barcelona. It’s also available as a post-cruise option on Silver Wind’s April 17 voyage (#2210), Barcelona to Rome.

Port of Los Angeles Cruise Calendar Winter 2012

Carrie Finley-Bajak — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:46:12 +0000

The Port of Los Angeles | Winter Cruise Season 2012

The entrance to the breakwater at the Port of Los Angeles

We love our cruise ships!

If it’s winter that means prime-time for cruise calls at the Port of Los Angeles. Even though Los Angeles is a year round cruise destination, the winter months mark the time when the port welcomes ships that normally make infrequent calls.

Some of the ships that will call on the World Cruise Center at the Port of Los Angeles

Crystal Symphony, which departs Los Angeles for Hawaii on Dec. 21 will also call again on January 4th embarking on a 13-day journey to the Panama Canal on January 4.
Cunard Line is set to sail to Hawaii on December 21 for a 14-day voyage aboard the Queen Victoria. Also scheduled for this ship from LA: a 15-day cruise to Fort Lauderdale via the Panama Canal on Jan. 4; a 14-day voyage to Hawaii on February 14; and a 17-day cruise to New York via the Panama Canal on February 28.
Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess offers a 7-night sailing adventure to Mexico on December 31, February 18 and 25. The Sapphire Princess also cruises to Hawaii for 14 nights on Dec. 17 and Feb 4. The Golden Princess heads to Hawaii for 14 nights on December 21, January 4 and 18, February 1, 15 and 29. Coral Princess leaves LA for Fort Lauderdale via the Panama Canal and multiple stops in the Caribbean for 14 nights on December 20, January 17 and February 14.
Seabourn Odyssey offers several options to the Pacific from a 20-day “Pacific Tradewinds” cruise to exotic French Polynesia to the 60-day “Stars of the Southern Cross” trip to Australia and New Zealand as well as Hawaii. All voyages depart the Port of Los Angeles on January 5, 2012.

Making LA home for the winter

Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder sets sail on a seven-night adventure to the Mexican Riviera almost every Sunday.
New to the lineup and offering shorter cruises to Baja, Mexico from Carnival Cruise Line is Carnival Inspiration.

San Pedro - Port of Los Angeles Cruise Ship Calendar for 2012

Coast to Coast: Cruising through the Panama Canal

Carrie Finley-Bajak — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:50:22 +0000

Destination: Panama Canal cruise

Built between 1904 and 1914, the Panama Canal is not only an engineering marvel, but a popular cruise itinerary. Cruise ships that transit the Panama Canal transport cruisers between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The majority of cruise choices are offered between October and April. The most favorable time to cruise the canal is after the rainy season, which ends in November.

The Panama canal consists of artificial lakes, channels, and three sets of locks. The total length of the canal is 47.9 miles.

Panama Canal transit via Crystal Cruises

Full Transit – Sail Ocean-to-Ocean on a Trans-Canal Cruise

A typical Panama Canal cruise can last up to 14-days. Cruise visitors will embark the ship in Florida (Miami or Ft. Lauderdale) and head westbound through the canal. Eastbound canal cruisers will likely embark the ship in Los Angeles, San Diego, or San Francisco before sailing through the Canal to Florida. Popular ports of call include stops in the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and California.

Partial transit

Guests opting for a shorter cruise itinerary can select a modified trans-canal experience which focusses on port calls on either the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans. Typically cruise guests will spend less time in the canal performing only a partial crossing, which means that the ship only crosses one lock. Ships arriving from the Atlantic side stop at Colon, Panama, at the entrance to the Canal.

Coral Princess makes it way through the Panama Canal. Photo from @canaldepanama

The main attractions

Costa Rica

Puerto Limón (on the Caribbean side) and Puntarenas (on the Pacific)

Panama (links from http://www.pancanal.com/eng/index.html)

Near the Panama Canal