by: Stephanie Larkin

Disney’ cruise ships – the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder – embody the style and spirit of the grand ocean liners of days gone by, coupled with every modern amenity you have come to expect from a premiere cruise line. The two ships are basically identical save for some decorating details – the Wonder is decked out in an Art Nouveau style, while the Magic is fashioned in an Art Deco style – and the names of some of the restaurants and clubs. Both ships incorporate an interesting dining rotation, whereby your tablemates (in fact- the entire dining room full of guests) is rotated through the 3 restaurants along with your servers and wait staff, so that you get to experience a different restaurant each night without sacrificing the careful attention and pampering of having your own servers. And what restaurants they are – Parrots Cay embodies a fun, tropical flavor (and incidentally serves a fabulous breakfast buffet, and Disney characters often drop by unannounced, so be sure to have those cameras and autograph books handy!). Animator’s Palate is a most unique restaurant where the décor starts out black, white and grey, but by the end of the meal is a full burst of colors and Disney pictures, all coordinated with a musical soundtrack, and Lumiere’s/Triton’s, which is an elegant restaurant decorated with beautiful mosaics depicting scenes from The Little Mermaid on the Disney Wonder and Beauty and the Beast on the Disney Magic.

Both ships have a variety of features and activities designed exclusively for the younger set, including a family pool and water slide (fashioned as Mickey’s gloved hand), snack bars poolside serving chicken nuggets, French fries and ice cream, a fully-equipped kids ‘camp’ open ‘till midnight with counselors, great activities, play areas and computers, great Disney-themed shoes (including one starring all of the kids onboard, assisted by their counselors), and more characters than you could ever meet at Disney World. All of this attention to the kids certainly doesn’t shortchange the adults, who are treated to their own pool and spas, adult-only restaurant (make reservations as soon as you board- Paolo’s is a big hit), adult clubs, and even their own beautiful, private cove on the beach at Disney’ own Castaway Cay island paradise.

Rooms on the Disney Cruise ships are about 25% larger than comparable rooms on other cruise ships, and many include a unique split 1 1/2 bath, to make getting ready easier for families. There is certainly more food than you could eat or activities you could participate in to fill several cruises, and you’ll certainly find yourself wishing that the cruise were longer – or start planning your next cruise before you even disembark!

by: Rene Smith

My time in London was set right in the middle of my month long overseas adventure. From Christchurch, New Zealand I’d traveled through Bangkok and onto the majestic city of London. Just flying over the area was exciting; looking down on the Thames River was great and for some reason reminded me of the Eastenders TV programme.

After settling in at my sister’s apartment I got some valuable sleep, traveling can be great fun but the jet lag can quickly bring you back down to earth. The next day I headed out to St Paul’s Cathedral, it’s an amazing monument and was well worth the visit. After taking the usual touristy photos in front of St Paul’s I moved on to the Tate Modern Art Gallery. They had some really fascinating exhibitions on at the time with some great sculptures and art work.

Heading out to lunch reminded me of how expensive everything is in London after you’ve exchanged New Zealand dollars to British Pounds, after coming from the very cheap Bangkok; I realized that this part of my holiday was going to be expensive. Holidays are all about spending money though so it was time to move on and spend some more.

Being a huge sporting fan I was very keen to get to Wimbledon to watch some tennis. After the first day got rained off I decided to make the journey to the grounds and see what my chances of getting in were. Turned out that I just had to wait in line, a particularly massive line! Luckily waiting in line turned out to be part of the fun, I received my queue card, my official guide to queuing handbook and numerous other goodies that were dropped off to those who were waiting so patiently. We waited in the line for an hour and a half in the end which wasn’t too bad, especially when you compare it to the other line of people who were queuing for good tickets to the following days play!

As I walked into the legendary Wimbledon complex I realized that this was so much more than a few tennis courts, it was like a small town it was so big. I watched some games on the outer courts first, had to pinch myself that I was actually watching tennis at Wimbledon, where were my strawberries and cream? After having some fun checking out the speed of my own tennis serve I ventured towards the main courts, I managed to purchase some resale tickets to the main courts and ended up watching both Raphael Nadal and Andy Murray, couldn’t believe my luck! The atmosphere was amazing, even for so early in the tournament.

The next day involved lots of time in the underground and on foot as I made my way around London’s Museums. I went to the Science, Victoria & Albert, Natural History and British Museums and thoroughly enjoyed each one, just the buildings were impressive. I particularly enjoyed seeing all Egyptian and Greek artifacts such as vases, statues and the Rosetta stone. It’s a shame I had limited time because there was so many interesting things to see.

For dinner we went out to the Ivy, a very posh restaurant that my sister had booked well in advance. The food was good and the atmosphere nice, if not slightly pretentious. After a few drinks at a local pub we meandered back to Clapham Common and my sister’s apartment. It had been a great day of sightseeing and certainly one I wouldn’t forget any time soon. Luckily I had bought enough memory on my digital camera to last me a lifetime because I was taking a lot of photos.

London is full of amazing sights and to do it justice you would have to spend weeks exploring its vast areas. The only problem is that it can take a long time to get from A to B so you have to be prepared for some frustrating times whether it’s delays on the underground or huge lines at famous attractions. Luckily you’ll never find yourself disappointed with what you find in London, it’s a destination that should be on every traveler’s to do list.

by: Terry Roberts

There is nothing more relaxing than having a week or two to spend at the beach. Vacation homes are a wonderful change from staying at a large or impersonal motel or hotel, plus they have the added convenience of being close to or even right on the water, having all the amenities of a house, as well as being much larger than a hotel room or even a suite would be.

Many of the beach vacation homes available offer all the features of a hotel vacation. If you are considering a rental and are going through an agency or property management company, it is usually possible to have a rental car provided for you upon arrival. In addition, many companies and agencies can also offer bonded and professional cleaning staff, chefs and even tour guides that will personalize your beach vacation and really make it a holiday for everyone in the family.

If you would prefer to just be able to relax and enjoy the warm weather, beach vacation homes can offer a quiet, stress-free holiday environment. To ensure that you get the best possible rental property, be sure to check the following:

* Ensure that you know the full amount of the rental and any additional expenses that may be included. Most beach vacation homes, especially those that are right on the beach or at the water will book up at least one season in advance. Holiday times such as summer vacation, spring break and even Christmas holidays may be booked several seasons in advance.

* Before sending a deposit or providing a credit card number for a deposit or reservation, fully understand the cancellation policy or any insurance that you may need to have on the property.

* Whether you are renting beach vacation homes from an individual or a company, be sure to get everything in writing before supplying a deposit or credit card information, especially if you have not rented through the company or from the individual before. A verbal agreement is not binding or legally valid in a court but a written, signed contract is a legal document.

* Finally, check the area in which the beach vacation home is located. While property right on the beach is great in quiet or secluded places, on busy beaches it can be a bit more stressful and noisy, especially if you are wanting a quiet vacation spot.

Doing some advanced research on beach vacation homes is simple through the internet or making a few phone calls. Planning your vacation is half the fun and knowing what you want and finding just the right beach vacation homes makes the holiday perfect for the whole family.