Getting married on board

Cunard has just announced that  from 2012 it will be possible to get married on board the QM2, Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth. Details are not yet available.

Many cruise lines already offer this service.
Whether you can get married at sea depends on where the ship is registered and also on the laws in your country - however you can usually get round this by getting married on board, but in port - and then sailing.

For those who love to cruise this could be the answer to wedding woes. In March 2011 a South Australian couple were the first to marry on board a P&O Cruise Ship when they tied the knot on the Pacific Jewel then sailed with their guests for 10 days of celebration and holiday.
P&O has a Ceremony at Sea package which is available on all their ships.  There are of course a number of legalities that need to be taken into account - just as there would be for a shore wedding - but if the couple and their wedding party are all able to cruise, this could be perfect.  P&O's package includes priority check-in, the bouquet, a photographer, the wedding cake and dinner on board in a speciality restaurant for the couple.
Other cruise lines that can offer weddings include: Princess, Celebrity/Azamara, Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Holland America.
If you like the idea of a wedding on board (and the idea of reducing some of the angst that planning a wedding can bring) then wedding cruise (02-99681600) and we will look into what is available to suit your schedule.

Seven Wonders of the World updated

The Grand Canyon, Machu Picchu and Mount Kilimanjaro don't make it apparently, but Iguazu Falls, Halong Bay and Table Mountain do! At least that is according to a Swiss foundation that was founded in 2001 to establish the Seven Wonders of the World for today's travellers. The original wonders have long since passed out of traveller's itineraries and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Lighthouse of Alexandria were 2 of the original wonders, all man-made. This latest list from the New 7Wonders Foundation focuses on natural wonders. Voted on via text message and the internet over a couple of years the new Seven Wonders are likely to be:

• Halong Bay in Vietnam
• The Amazon Rainforest
• Iguazu Falls, Brazil
• Jeju Island, Korea
• Komodo, Indonesia
• Puerto Princesa, the Philippines
• Table Mountain, South Africa

There will be many who disagree with this list - as with any such poll, but it is interesting and I am sure it will increase the number of people who want to visit those Wonders they have not yet discovered for themselves. 

Quick break in New Zealand

Have neglected the blog for a couple of weeks - but one of those was spent on New Zealand's north island, bushwalking - and enjoying the splendid scenery.  We spent 3 days in Rotorua exploring the area - for the second time. A day's walking in the Waimangu Volcanic Valley with a cruise across the Lake Rotomahana and the areas that once were the world famous pink and white terraces. Fascinating and awesome this area is seething with activity - mud and streams bubble and vapour rises from tree tops. The story of the last major eruption of the volcano and the destruction of the terraces in 1886 when the area was a popular tourist place is fascinating. A day in the museum at Rotorua, that was once a health resort, filled out the story of that violent night.
The museum is world class. Housed in the Bath House, an architectural wonder built in the 19th century to accommodate the travellers who had come to Rotorua for the health-giving properties of the waters and much, this building has an absorbing history - and we spent a day there, missing out on a trip to the spa. This was a pity and our only regret of the trip - we didn't leave enough time to book in for a spa and massage! We had to get to the Chateau Tongariro1

We arrived at the Chateau, in the National Park in the late afternoon as the sun was beginning to play its last rays on the magnificent Mount Ngauruhoe which was capped with snow. The hotel is excellent and we booked three nights so we could attend the Tango Ball in the Chateau on the first night and then explore some of the park over the next 2 days. We could see why this mountain featured in the 'Lord of the Rings' movies and over the next few days explored some of the terrain that also provided the backdrop for these involving fantasies.
Our last stop was overnight in Waitomo. Throughout the trip we really enjoyed the food and wine in the restaurants we discovered along the way, but the food at the Huhu Cafe in Waitomo was highlight. All fresh, local produce (except for scallops which apparently cost the earth in NZ and are too small) and wines. Slow-cooked roast lamb and home-made ice cream were among the best we've eaten. Waitomo is famous for its caves of stalicites and stalagimites and the glow-worms - and rightly so.
It was a great week - one I had planned with care so that my partner and I and our 2 friends could have an experience of New Zealand's north island that was tailored to our needs and expectations.