10 Reasons Why Your Family Should Go On A Disney Cruise

1. You have children age 12 and under

Every child should experience the magic of Disney at some point during their childhood. It is a special trip they will never forget and will cherish forever. The only way they’ll ever experience Castaway Cay is aboard a Disney vessel. A Disney cruise is an excellent way to experience everything Disney has to offer.

2. You have teenagers

Disney cruises realized long ago that small children grow older and developed programs for teenagers also. If you go on a cruise without your teens, you’ll worry about what they’re doing while you are away. So bring them along on a Disney cruise – they’ll love it.

3. You are planning a cruise without your children

Why leave the kids with grandma when you can take the kids along on a Disney cruise? Disney cruises plan itineraries for your children (all the way to midnight) no matter the age group. So, each of you can enjoy yourselves separately, and come together for meals, ports-of-call, etc. When the children are with you, all the worrying about their well-being is eliminated.

4. Away time for the parents

With the kids safely onboard and their fun-filled itineraries planned, Mom and Dad can enjoy some time on their own with the peace-of-mind that their children are safe. Should the need arise; an onboard paging system can make contact with parents at any time. Whether you want to go to an onboard coffee shop, health spa, or a nightclub – Disney cruises understands and can accommodate you.

5. Excellent dining

Opulent dining choices are always at or near the top of all cruisers’ lists of what they want in a cruise. Disney understands this and offers excellent cuisine for all. There is even an adults-only formal restaurant, the Palo, which specializes in Northern Italian cuisine. The kids will like Animator’s Palate where Disney scenes decorate the walls and change from black-and-white to vivid color before dinner is done.

6. Onboard entertainment

Disney boats feature original productions at the Walt Disney Theatre. These area all live, Broadway-style productions with a cast of Disney characters the whole family is sure to recognize. Also, movies are featured in two locations onboard – at the state of the art Buena Vista Theatre, and under the night sky near the Goofy Pool on a jumbo LED screen. Plus, there’s more to the onboard entertainment than plays and movies – activities have been custom-tailored for all types of passengers. The Oceaneer Club is designed for the youngest sailors, ages 3-7 complete with a trained staff to help them enjoy the fun. For kids a little older, ages 8-12, there is the Oceaneer Lab with interactive games on a giant video wall. Also, kids can enjoy playing ship captain at Ocean Quest. Finally, for teens there are teen-only clubs designed to look like an apartment or dorm room where the tough-to-please can socialize with their age group. There are also activities designed for the whole family to enjoy together like the Studio Sea where Mom, Dad and the kids can participate in a live game show and sing karaoke together.

7. Locations visited by Disney Cruises

Disney Cruises feature a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. Other stops featured on the Caribbean cruises include Nassau, St. Maarten, St. Thomas/St. John, Key West, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. The Mexican Riviera cruise features a trip from Port Canaveral through the Panama Canal with stops at Castaway Cay, Aruba, Cartagena, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Capo San Lucas.

8. You want to do something different for Spring Break

It may be a little-known fact that Disney Cruises are a very popular choice for the college-age crowd during Spring Break, and it’s easy to understand why. A Disney cruise provides an alternative for those young adults not wishing to participate in the regular rites of debauchery in which so many other young adults partake.

9. You’ve never been to Castaway Cay

Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island and it has features perfect for the whole family. Kids and teens can venture to Never Land and adults can go to Shangri-La. Of course, the whole family can relax together on the beach and take in some sun.

10. You’ve never been on a cruise

Disney Cruises is a great choice for those travelers who have never been on a cruise. Even if traveling without children the excursion will be a trip you will treasure forever. Disney cruises has many ship excursions planned no matter the season and there will surely be a trip that fits into your busy schedule.

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How to visit Paris Museum/Exhibitions Free

A trip to Paris is always a special moment, once you have reserved your flight ticket and your vacation rental, you can focus on planning your visit. Paris has a reputation for high prices, but wise travellers will discover Paris’ museums for free.

Le Petit Palais
Built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, this museum presents works since Antiquity until end of the XIXth century. The collections are organised in two major parts : the ancient art fund (French, Flemish, Renaissance, XVIIIth century art) and the XIXth century French art fund (Doré, Delacroix, Monet, Pissaro, Sisley, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec...).

Le Petit Palais (Musée des Beaux-Arts de la ville de Paris)
5, avenue Dutuit - Paris 8
open: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
closed: Monday and bank holidays
Permanent exhibition FREE
late night opening: Thuesday (8 p.m.) during temporary exhibitions
Métro : Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau (lines 1/13) or Concorde (lines 1/8/12)

l'Atelier Brancusi (The Brancusi Workshop)
L'Atelier Brancusi is a reconstruction of the workshop, with original furnitures and tools, of the sculptor Constantin Brancusi. You can discover most of his sculptures (finished but sketches too) in their original spirit : Brancusi was preoccupied by the relation between sculptures and space.

L'Atelier Brancusi
Beaubourg Piazza - 19, rue Beaubourg - Paris 4
open: 2 pm to 6 pm
free entrance
closed: Tuesdays and May 1st
Métro : Rambuteau (line 11) / châtelet les halles (RER)

Free entrance (in the permanente exhibition) first sunday of the month
Le Louvre
Most famous museum of Paris, and one of the largest in the world, Le Louvre presents a permanent collection of 35000 works (Archeology, Decorative Arts, Jewellery, Furniture, Painting, Sculpture, Textile, Graphic art...) since High Antiquity (-7000) until 1850.

Musée du Louvres
Pyramide - Cour Napoléon
34, 36 quai du Louvre – Paris 1
open:
Museum: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (except Monday, 1/01, 1/05, 8/05, 15/08) Pyramid: 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Closed : Tuesday, 1st January, 1st May, 8th May, 25th December
Museum late night : opening on Wednesday, Friday (10 p.m.)
Métro : Palais Royal – musée du Louvre (lines 1,7)

Musée Picasso
Located in a beautiful mansion : the « hôtel particulier » Salé, the Picasso Museum presents more than 3000 works of the artists including paintings, sculptures, drawings, ceramics etc.
Musée Picasso
Hôtel Salé - 5, rue de Thorigny – Paris 3
open :
Summer : April 1st - September 30 : 9.30 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Winter : October 1st - Mars 31 : 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
closed: Tuesday, 01/01
Métro : Saint-Paul / Saint-Sébastien Froissart / Chemin Vert

Musée des thermes de Cluny (Museum of medieval art)
The museum, located between the gallo-romans ruins and a medieval hotel, presents master works of the medieval art and in particular the famous tapestries called The Lady with the Unicorn (« La Dame à la licorne »).

Musée national du Moyen Âge - Thermes et hôtel de Cluny
6, place Paul Painlevé - Paris 5
open : 9.15 a.m. - 17.45 p.m.
closed : Thuesday, 1st January, 1st May, 25 December
Métro : Cluny-La Sorbonne / Saint-Michel / Odéon

Musée d'Orsay
Originally a train station built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, this museum is dedicated to all artistic production (Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Furniture, Cinema, Photography etc) from 1848 to 1914.
Chronologically the collections presented in the Musee d'Orsay are before the one of the Louvre and after the one of the Musée d'Art Moderne Beaubourg.

Musée d'Orsay
62, rue de Lille – Paris 7
open : 9.30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
closed : Monday, 1st January, 1st May, 25th December
late night opening: Thursday (9.45 p.m)
Métro : Solférino (Line 12)

Musée Rodin
This museum, located in a XVIIIth century mansion, presents sculptures (marble, bronze, plaster etc) but also drawins from the sculptor Auguste Rodin. In addition, works from others artists, coming from the personal collection of Rodin, a exposed too. Few master works (and especally the famous Thinker) are exposed in the garden.

Musée Rodin
77, rue de Varenne – Paris 7
Métro : Varenne, Invalides, Saint-François-Xavier
Open :
Winter (October - March): 9.30 a.m. - 4.45 p.m.
Summer (April - September) : 9.30 a.m. - 5.45 p.m.
Closed : Monday, 01/01, 01/05, 25/12

Musée des arts asiatiques-Guimet
Major center for the knowledge of Asian civilizations, this museem presents one of the largest collection in the world (45000 objects), of all types of Asian art and in particular an amazing collection of archeology and antics objects.

Musée des Arts asiatiques - Guimet
6, place d'Iéna - 19, avenue d'Iéna - Paris 8
open : 10 a.m – 6 p.m.
closed : Tuesday
Métro : Iéna (9)

Musée National d'Art Moderne (Beaubourg)
Well known for his curious architecture , the Pompidou Center is a great cultural Center. It contains the Musée National d'Art Moderne which presents works since 1905 until present time. The museem is divides in two majors sections : moderne art (since 1905 until 1960) and contemporary art (since 1960 until now).

Musée National d'Art Moderne
Beaubourg Piazza – Paris 4
open : 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
closed : Tuesday, 1st May
Métro : Rambuteau (11) / châtelet les halles (RER)

Le château de Versailles
Commissioned by Louis XV The Château de Versailles was the official residence of the royal court until the french revolution.
Considered as the high point of French art and architecture during the 17th and 18th centuries The Château de Versailles is the prototype of French classical art. The gardens, designed by Le Nôtre, represents the quintessence of the « jardin à la française ».

Château de Versailles
open :
summer : April 3t - October 31 : 9 a.m. – 6.30 p.m.
winter : November 1st - April 2d : 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
closed: Monday, May 1st, May 28th, December 25th

By train :
RER ligne C
direction Versailles-rive-gauche-château
from Montparnasse station
train SNCF direction Versailles-Chantiers
from Saint-Lazare station
train SNCF direction Versailles-rive-droite

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Paris Be A Part Of It is a licensed real estate agency in Paris specialised in vacation short term rentalas well as long term rentalin Paris. Phone : + 33 1 42 33 00 65, www.paris-be-a-part-of-it.com

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Careful Planning Is Always A Good Idea For Successful Travel

OK, Hands up those who have experienced the following.

You are sitting there on the plane which has taxied out onto the tarmac ready to go; you are relaxed, enjoying the fact that once in your life you have planned everything to perfection.

Who needs those lists that your wife or partner always suggest that you have to have, and suddenly in a fit of panic you clutch your pocket only to recoil in horror when you realise that in your last minute panic to leave the house earlier on in the morning (its always those flights folks) you have your wife’s car keys in your pocket – as well as your own and she has no back up!

That my friends has got to come pretty close to almost being the ultimate nightmare scenario.

It happened to me several years ago on the 6.45 am flight from Belfast City Airport to East Midlands Airport and was a pure and unadulterated nightmare. Luckily in my case my wife has a sense of humour (at least that’s how it sounded down the mobile phone) when grovelling like mad I arrived at East Midlands and managed to call her just over an hour later.

I have to say I had never been so glad to have such a good relationship with a pragmatic and extremely helpful local florist. Cost me a fortune, I was in “deep grief” as they say, for some time but we eventually got over it.

The reason I mentioned the entire above incident is that up until that point I had been a “travel by the seat of your pants” kind of guy. My background in leisure and entertainments had by and large trained me well in the arts of being able to put your hand on your passport, credit cards and cash in a hurry and always think on your feet.

Not an ideal habit to bring with you into the outside world where you don’t have folks running after you all the time.

So marrying someone who’s entire approach to travel quite frankly could pass as a definition for the word “Organised” in the Oxford English Dictionary came as a bit of a shock to the old system I can tell you!

Well the above incident was the last straw as far as my habits were concerned and now I play things by the book with regards to planning for travel no matter how long or short the trip is, the same approach to getting the basics is followed.

All the necessary documentation is checked especially with regards to flight details, checking in times etc. This last point is essential since the horrific events of the World Trade Centre tragedy that became known as 911; travel by air will never be the same again.

If I had one tip for all potential travellers, certainly those who travel by air, or indeed this piece of advice would actually benefit all travellers. Get to your point of departure early and allow yourself time to cope with any potential problems that might occur.

Gone are my days of the Michael Schumacher impressions as I hurtle towards the airport at high speed having left it much too late….yet again.

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Stephen Morgan writes about a number of Internet based travel issues such asTravel Itineraries andVacation Ideas. A keen proponent of all aspects of free and independent services available, he advises clients to look at the whole mix of online services available at www.travel-plan-idea.com.

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Vacation & Travel Tips: Why Your Next Vacation Should Be A Jamaica Vacation

Vacation & Travel Tips: Why Your Next Vacation Should Be A Jamaica Vacation

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Why Your Next Vacation Should Be A Jamaica Vacation

One of the most popular tourist attractions almost anywhere in the world, if you ask almost any vacationer looking for rest and relaxation, would be a spot where the weather is nice and it is near the water or the ocean. It is for this reason that one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world has been Jamaica in the Caribbean islands.

Jamaica has been referred to by many travel authorities as being a tropical paradise. A Jamaica vacation at any of the major Jamaican locations includes beautiful temperate weather, white sandy beaches, beautiful mountain ranges which produce some of the most magnificent sunsets ever seen, as well as a huge variety of things to do, from shopping to casinos to world-class golfing to some of the friendliest and most active nightlife seen anywhere. What more could one ask for?

The lodging options for your Jamaica vacation run the gamut. You can go for the bed and breakfast option, where such opportunities are plentiful, and allow you to get to know the locals a bit better, as well as getting a better sense of what it is like to live in Jamaica and a flavor for the culture and customs. You can choose a mid range hotel, which is very similar to mid range hotels found throughout the US. And you can also opt for the all inclusive luxury resorts, of which Jamaica boasts several. In fact, Jamaica was the home of one of the very first all inclusive resorts, where one price includes virtually everything. At these resorts, just about everything you could want is all without the resort itself.

Many of the mid range hotels and almost all of the resort hotels are also very much geared towards families. You can get adjoining rooms, so that the parents can stay in one room and the kids are separate but still nearby in the room next door. Most of these resorts also have babysitting services and child activity services, which include beach trips, treasure hunting, and so many more things that your kids are sure to enjoy as a very memorable vacation, which allows the parents to go off and get re-acquainted with each other, knowing the kids are in good and qualified hands in their absence.

One tourist type that is usually attracted by thoughts of a Jamaica vacation would be honeymoon couples. Jamaica presents an ideal atmosphere for newlyweds. Even if you do not stay there, you should visit Treasure Beach, which is home to an ideal honeymoon resort known as Jake’s Place Hotel. If you are not relaxing at the beach, you may also want to include Strawberry Hill in your Jamaica vacation itinerary, which will treat you to Old World ambience, some of the best Jamaican native food to be found, as well as mountain hiking expeditions.

There are so many options for what to see, what to do, and where to stay on your Jamaica vacation that you would be best advised to do some planning before you start your trip. You may even find that you need to allocate more days on your vacation to be able to see and do everything you discover is possible as your plan your ideal Jamaica vacation.

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Jon is a computer engineer who maintains web sites on a variety of topics based on his knowledge and experience. You can read more about a Jamaica Vacation at his web site at Your Guide To A Jamaica Vacation.

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Travel insurance in France

Renting a property in France for a short period (less than 90 days) is called “location saisonnière” which can be translated as “short term let”. Whether you stay one week or two months, you need to be covered by an insurance called “assurance villégiature” or “holiday insurance”.

This insurance is compulsory in France and the owner is entitled to ask for a proof of purchase when you move in. Although most owners do not ask for it, you will be strongly advised to get one as it covers, amongst others, the following risks: explosion or water damage, damage to the building and other properties belonging to the owner of the accommodation you are renting, damage caused to properties belonging to neighbours and third parties.

Before taking out insurance for you and your family with a company, contact your own household insurance as they may offer interesting solutions.

However, be aware that most of them do not cover you in case of cancellation. And if you are renting an accommodation abroad, it is sometimes difficult to get full or partial refund of what you have already paid for.

Alternatively, you can also check your credit card policy before paying for your trip and accommodation, as some banks cover you in case of cancellation, lost luggage, plane delay, etc.
Enjoy your stay in France.

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Paris Be A Part Of It is a licensed real estate agency in Paris specialised in vacation short term rental as well as long term rental in Paris

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Tips on how to enjoy traveling alone

Want to go to a new exciting place, but don’t have anyone to tag along? There may be times when you have to travel alone in a foreign land. Whether just for fun or on official business, you have to take safety measures. Traveling alone need not be lonely. It could be fun in more ways than one. Don’t be reluctant to travel just because your on your own. Just remember these things:

*Plan ahead
Research and read about the place you’re heading to. Know where’s the nearest hotel, restaurant, and such. Make reservations too, if possible. That way, your travel is on a good start.

*Take a city map
You better study how to read maps. Needless to say, these can guide you where you are going, especially if it’s the first time you’re going to that place. Relying too much on the cab driver is not a good idea.

*Learn the language
Just study the basics, and the most common things you’re likely to ask a local. Learn it before you arrive.

*Hide your valuables
Put your guard up. Don’t invite muggers to come and get you. Don’t wear too much jewelry outside the streets. Use inexpensive accessories.

*Dress appropriately
Check what the locals wear on a given time of day. You don’t want your clothes screaming you’re a tourist. The lesser attention you draw to yourself, the better.

*Don’t be afraid to ask for directions
It would be okay to ask someone for directions, but be sure you are going to choose who to ask. You can ask a waiter in restaurant, or the receptionist in your hotel. Just be sure you get all information. Asking from a complete stranger outside is not advisable.

*Bring some cash
Take just enough. Traveler’s checks and credit cards are good, and it could be your primary mode of payment, but you might want to keep a few extra dollars in your pocket with local money.

*Enjoy your self
Well, you are traveling, so make the most of it. Make friends with a local. Talk to somebody over lunch in a café. Get the addresses of the friends you make to send them a thank you card. Maybe next time, you’d be their host.

Traveling alone can be your best experience. With solo traveling, you will definitely learn more about your self and what you can do. Try it. It would be fun!

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