Natural Wonders of Norway

I was so excited to go to Norway this summer! It has always seemed like a faraway magical place I would never get the chance to experience but I keep being reminded that nothing is impossible.

Stavanger
A lot of sights are within walking distance of the port including the Stavanger Cathedral, the Valberg Tower & Guards Museum, Stavanger Old Town, the wharf warehouses and Breiavatnet lake. There are also plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes around the port area.

Colourful buildings in Stavanger

Stavanger's Old Town

Olden (tendered port)
There are a couple of shops and grocery stores within walking distance after you get off the tender but to really see the natural beauty of this port you would need to go on a tour or rent a bike.
We took the open top hop-on-hop-off bus tour to see the waterfalls and the glacier.

Geiranger (tendered port)
The only tour I knew I needed to do in Norway was to visit Mt. Dalsnibba & Flydalsjuvet in Geiranger. It did not disappoint. The views of Geirangerfjord are absolutely stunning.

View of Geirangerfjord from Flydalsjuvet

The top of Mt. Dalsnibba (4,757 feet above sea level)

Bergen
A free 5 minute shuttle is mandatory to take you from the ship to just outside the cruise terminal. Bergen is a modern city with plenty of shops to check out just by walking around on foot.

World Heritage Site of Bryggen

In a lot of ways Norway reminded me of both Alaska and New Zealand. You get the best of natural beauty and modern metropolitan cities when you go to Norway.

Making My Way Back to the Mediterranean

This summer I was back in Europe with the Sapphire Princess to explore the Mediterranean again. Although I have been to almost every port on this itinerary (except for Rome and Livorno) last summer I was able to experience something different this time around.

Barcelona, Spain

The beach with free WiFi

Park Guell

Civitavecchia, Italy
A couple coworkers and I took the train from the port in Civitavecchia into Rome. As it was my first time in Rome I wanted to see as many of the tourist spots as I could. In particular the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps were on my radar and I was able to see all that and more on my own. Success!

Colosseum

Trevi Fountain. Yes, I did throw a coin over my shoulder into the fountain.

Spanish Steps. Conveniently the metro is located a couple steps from here so we were able to make our way back into Civitavecchia after our last sightseeing stop here.

Livorno, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Gibraltar
Last summer I wanted to see the barbary apes that resided at the top of the Rock but I didn't get a chance to. This summer we took the cable car up to the top of the Rock to see the apes. We ended up being super afraid of the apes' aggressive behaviour but it was an adrenaline pumped adventure nonetheless.

 

Asia Getaway on the Sun Princess

Nha Trang, Vietnam
I went on the Princess Cruise's shore excursion "Ponagar Cham Tower, Long Son Pagoda & Embroidery".

Hong Kong 
My first day in Hong Kong the ship was on the Hong Kong island side of Hong Kong and I did a hop-on-hop-off bus tour.
My second day in Hong Kong the ship was on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong. We went to the Mong Kok district for some street food and shopping and then explored the Nan Lian Gardens. The Gardens had free admission and was immaculate. Everything was so well kept and peaceful here. I can easily declare it as one of the best gardens I have ever visited in Asia.

Skyline of Hong Kong from the ship

Nan Lian Garden

Nan Lian Garden

Loving the Island Life in the Caribbean

I was on the Royal Princess for one month to help out during and after the Christmas and New Year cruises. This was my first time in 4 years where I wasn't in Australia/New Zealand/the South Pacific during the winter. The reason I chose the Caribbean itinerary this winter was to experience some new ports. St. Thomas was the only port I had been to before but the rest of the ports on Royal Princess' December 2017/January 2018 itinerary were new to me. The excitement of seeing a new place is always such a marvelous feeling!


Barbados:
We took a taxi ($5 US/person each way; about 15 minutes) to Harbour Lights in Carlisle Bay.

Christmas 2017 in Barbados...not bad at all!

Martinique:
I walked around and enjoyed the sights of this town including the fortress and the library.
Tip: There is free WiFi available throughout most of downtown Martinique but you have to register for an account to login to their network.

The fortress (and beach in the foreground)

The beautiful architecture of the library

Restaurants and shops

Antigua:
We took a taxi ($5 US/person each way; about 30-45 minutes) to Jolly Beach. This is one of the best beaches I have been to in the Caribbean with its clear light blue waters and soft white sand.
Jolly Beach was so nice I had to come back a second time when the Royal Princess made a stop in Antigua the following cruise.

Grenada:
I took the tour Panoramic Coastal & Country Scenic Drive.
This island is so pretty! The tour van drove us around the island and to many of the famous spots including the beach and resort where celebrities like Oprah are known to stay at when in Grenada. We only made one stop during the tour and that was for refreshments so I didn't take any photos on this tour.


Bonaire:
We took a taxi ($5 US/person each way; about 20 minutes) to Coco Beach. I wasn't overly impressed with this beach so I will try a different beach if I ever get the chance to come back to Bonaire.


Curacao:
I only had 30 minutes to explore Curacao since there was a crew drill in the morning and I had to work in the afternoon. Even with the short time I had here I fell in love with the colourful buildings and was still able to purchase a tank top at one of the shops. I would love to come back and really take the time to enjoy all that Curacao has to offer.

View from the fort. You can walk across the bridge to get to the shops.

The colourful buildings!

St. Kitts:
I went on the 4x4 Island Safari & Beach tour.
This is the only tour in St. Kitts that takes you off-the-beaten path to experience the tropical rain forest. The tour concluded with a 1 hour stop at a beach.

St. Lucia:
There is a beach about a 30 to 45 minute walk from the cruise terminal. Most of the people who were at this beach were either locals or hotel guests.
Note: The restaurants on the beach are only available to hotel guests.

I enjoyed my time on the Royal Princess and in these Caribbean islands so much that I already have plans to come back in March!

Magical Moments from Mexico

I have a newfound love for Mexico after spending one month on the Ruby Princess and getting the wonderful opportunity to experience several shore excursions. There is so much beauty and adventure in Mexico I never knew about until my November/December 2017 contract.

I have listed the tour name and a link to the tour description provided by Princess Cruises. My thoughts about the tours are written below the tour name.


Mazatlan: Concordia, Copala & Golden Zone
A great tour to experience three different traditional villages and watch their craftsmanship (tile making, pottery, and masks) in action.


Cabo San Lucas: El Arco Cruise & Playa Medano
I can't go to Cabo and not take a catamaran to see the famous arches up close. After our catamaran ride we went to Medano beach where resort staff brought lunch to us while we relaxed on the lounge chairs.

 

Catalina Island: Catalina Semi-Sub
There is an option to purchase fish food which you can launch out of the semi-submarine with a push of a button. It was so amusing to see a swarm of fishes congregate by my porthole with the push of a button.

Ensenada: City Drive & Mexican Folkloric Festival
I loved the opportunity to watch a mariachi band perform live and adored watching the dancers perform their traditional dances.

Dancing with a glass of water on their head and not spilling any water!

San Diego: San Diego Zoo Safari Park
I would love to go on a safari in Africa one day but the San Diego Zoo Safari Park was the closest thing I could do to experience a safari at the moment. My favourite part was watching the behaviour of the gorillas: I was mesmerized by them.
Tip: Go on the "Africa Tram" as soon as you get to the Safari Park to avoid line-ups later on in the day.

Giraffes spotted while on the "Africa Tram"

Gorillas :)

La Paz: Snorkeling with Sea Lions
Still pinching myself over the amazing experience of getting to snorkel in San Rafaelito Bay where a sea lion colony resides. While looking at the fishes and coral reef below me through my goggles a group of sea lions came swimming by! This was unlike any snorkeling experience I had ever done. I will never forget the first time I saw a giant sea lion sneak by under me while I was snorkeling...absolutely incredible!

Some relaxing time at the beach before snorkeling

Puerto Vallarta: Kayaking, Waterfall & Snorkeling Safari
Hands down one of the best tours offered in Mexico! A full day of activities including horseback riding, swimming in the waterfalls and snorkeling were done on this tour. To finish off the tour we had a buffet lunch at a private beach. Kayaking and stand up paddle boarding were also available at the private beach for those who wanted to do it. On the catamaran ride back to the ship we saw a couple of whales breaching within close proximity to us as well as dolphins swimming by to make this already magical day even more special. 

Puerto Vallarta: Jungle Zipline Adventure
So much fun and adrenaline! The tour guides were so energetic and friendly they were able to convince me to zipline upside down as well as to rappel down 70 feet from the tree platform to the ground. The best part of the whole tour was the pendulum swing which I was initially hesitant to do but ended up loving.


Loreto:
I didn't do a tour but it was my first time at this port and I kept saying over and over "I can't believe how beautiful it is here!"
Just walking around the waterfront area and the shopping street made for a great day in Loreto.

Muchas gracias Mexico! There is so much more to discover about you. I look forward to coming back soon.