The Disney Cruise Ships

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!

About The Author
Stephanie Larkin is the editor of http://www.WaltDisneyCruise.net, as well as http://www.CruiseNewsOnline.info. She and her family love to cruise - her 3 children especially love the towel animals and chocolates left on the beds at night!

Travelling with Your Camera

by: Suzanne VanDegrift

Think positive! The year's not half over, there's still half to go. That is when it comes to Photography Events and Festivals. At least once a year, all across the country, smalltown America comes together to show their spirit by holding family-friendly festivals. These events are generally held on a weekend and feature local art, music and culture. And then there are the week long functions, such as the Yamhill Fair and Rodeo, which is held Sunday to Sunday in McMinville, Oregon. Not only will you FIND local art and cultural here, but you'll want to have your camera handy for those awesome rodeo riders and prizewinning flower entries. But the Photography Events I'm going to acquaint you with now are the ones held in metropolitan areas throughout the world. These functions draw both local and internationally acclaimed artists. There are several well known events planned for the second half of 2007. Some of these festivals are being held in various cities throughout the United States, one in Canada and two in France. If you've dreamed of combining a vacation with your love of photography, this may be your chance to do just that. Choose a destination, pack your suitcases and camera bags and head out for the experience of a photographers lifetime. First on the calendar is the Les Rencontres D'Arles Photographie held in France. Although this has already begun, it runs until September 16. If you are fortunate enough to travel to this phenomenal show, you will encounter 50 magnificent expositions. Next on our calendar is the Foto Septiembre USA, held every year September 1 - 30 in San Antonio and other Texas cities. This is an International Photography Festival which is a popular destination for both artists and photography enthusiasts. Not only do they provide a forum which allows artist to exhibit their craft, but they also operate through a website and publication. This provides exhibitors, sponsors and advertisers the additional valuable support of internet exposure. Next we head north to our Canadian neighbors in Montreal. The Le Mois de la Photo has been held every year since its inception in 1989 to celebrate the 150Th anniversary of photography. It is dedicated to Fine Art Photography and will feature 30 exhibits in galleries and museums throughout the city. The goal of this event has always been to educate the general public about photography as an art form. This year's guest curator will be art historian Marie Fraser whose theme will be The Narrativity of The Image, which should prove to be a captivating topic. Next we're headed south to Georgia for Atlanta Celebrates Photography, ACP9, held in October. This is a citywide festival which is in its 9Th year. It has art exhibits in diverse locations throughout the city. You will enjoy lectures by international and local artists, a pushpin show, a film series and the public art program. On to The Big Apple and the PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo 2007 being presented October 18 - 20. This is being called the premier event for forward- looking imaging solutions and photographic education. It also promises to bring leaders, pioneers, and rising new stars together for unprecedented networking events. Paris Photo which is considered by many to be the leading fair for still photography will be held this year on November 15-18. It will offer photo enthusiasts some 100 galleries and publishers from all over the world. In addition to the exhibits, there will be book signings, prize award ceremonies and lectures. What could be better than to be in the City of Lights with your camera and other photographic devotees. We wrap up the year in Florida at the Photo Miami scheduled for December 5-9. This International Contemporary Art Fair will be held in the Wynwood Art District of Miami. It focuses on Photo-based art, video and new media. Any one of these Photography Festivals would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip whether you're a hobby photographer or photograph for living. Dust off you your camera bags and hit the road.

About The Author
Suzanne VanDeGrift of Web Submission Services, Inc. has developed this article for http://M-ROCK.COM manufacturer of a Modular Fanny Pack Camera Bag System

A Vacation To Remember in London, England

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.

About The Author
Rene Smith is a travel guru who lives and works in Christchurch, New Zealand. Visit http://www.christchurchholidays.co.nz for other travel articles, reviews, attractions, sightseeing, tours, adventure sport, dining, accommodation and more.