Royal Caribbean International is celebrating an addition to its spring and summer UK deployment – in May 2013 the 3,114-guest Adventure of the Seas will offer cruises from Southampton alongside the 3,634-guest Independence of the Seas, based in Southampton for its fifth season offering some amazing cruise holidays.
Dominic Paul, vice president and group managing director, Royal Caribbean International, EMEA, explains:
?The UK cruise market has long been a success story for Royal Caribbean International and doubling the number of ships sailing from Southampton is another great milestone. Royal Caribbean International is fiercely proud to have changed the face of UK cruising with the introduction of activity-packed ships offering rock climbing, ice skating, surfing and much more. Not only does having both Adventure of the Seas and Independence of the Seas sailing from Southampton mean we can offer a greater variety of cruise holidays from the convenience of a UK port, but it also means we continue to demonstrate our commitment to the UK market, and the port of Southampton.?
Royal Caribbean International first based a ship in Southampton in 2005 with the 2,435-guest Legend of the Seas and this has since steadily increased with larger and larger ships calling the cruise city home. 2013 is the first year that two Royal Caribbean International cruise ships will be based from Southampton.
In 2008 the world?s largest cruise ship at the time ? Independence of the Seas ? launched from Southampton and has remained based from the port during the spring and summer months of the year ever since. The addition of Adventure of the Seas to Royal Caribbean International?s UK deployment sees the cruise line offer more Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Iceland, Baltics and Canary Island cruises than ever before.
When Adventure of the Seas arrives in Southampton on 24 May 2013 the ship will offer a series of seven, 12, 13, 14 and 16-night cruises. An early booking offer allowing savings of up to ?500 per stateroom will apply to all Adventure of the Seas cruises booked before 31 May 2012 when the new deployment goes on sale on 20 March 2012.
Itinerary highlights from the new Adventure of the Seas UK-based 2013 season include:
????Seven-night France and Spain mediterranean cruise departing Southampton and calling at Vigo, Gijon and Bilbao in Spain, and Le Havre for Paris in France available from ?599 based on 24 May 2013 departure
????A 12-night Baltic cruise featuring destinations such as Oslo, Copenhagen, Tallinn, Helsinki and an overnight stay in St Petersburg departing Southampton from just ?999 based on a 31 May 2013 departure
????A 14-night Mediterranean Cities cruise departing Southampton on 7 July and 13 October 2013 with ports of call in Malaga, Cannes, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Cartegena, Lisbon and Vigo from ?1,199
The early booking offer allows for savings of up to ?500 per stateroom on cruises of 15 nights or more, save ?400 on cruises of 11-14 nights, and save ?200 per stateroom on all cruises between six and ten nights in duration. A deposit of just ?150 per person secures the early booking price, and protects from any future price increases. Plus, Royal Caribbean International is also offering a number of value added options for guests including free car
parking in Southampton, free coach travel to UK departure ports, and low prices on regional flights to UK departure ports on all cruises booked of ten nights or more as part of the early booking deal.
All prices quoted are based on the savings allowed by early booking offers. Price offers only apply for bookings made before 31 May 2012.
Adventure of the Seas features an in-line skating track, an ice skating rink, a rock climbing wall, a street of shops and restaurants running through the center of the ship, extensive family facilities, and a host of restaurants from fine Italian dining to casual burger bars.
On 2 May 2013 Independence of the Seas will arrive in Southampton following a dry dock enhancement and will offer a series of new itineraries including more shorter cruises such as two-night cruises le Havre for Paris and three night cruises to Le Havre for Paris and Zeebrugge for Bruges. Independence of the Seas will also offer eight night cruises to Norway, 14-night Norway and Cork cruises, various 14-night Mediterranean cruises, and 12 night Canary Islands cruises.
For more information on Royal Caribbean International, Adventure of the Seas and Independence of the Seas please visit Royal Caribbean, call 0844 493 2061, or talk to your travel agent. Travel professionals should visit cruisingpower.co.uk.
Media Enquiries:
RCL Cruises Ltd: Louise James (louisejames(at)rccl(dot)com) and Surinder Manku (smanku(at)rccl(dot)com) on 01932 834 200
Siren Communications: Sarah Rathbone (sarah.rathbone(at)sirencomms(dot)com), Matt Chandler (matt.chandler(at)sirencomms(dot)com), Stacey Stockwell (stacey.stockwell(at)sirencomms(dot)com) or Sally Crossley (sally.crossley(at)sirencomms(dot)com) on 0208 237 1210 / 07595 055 882
About Royal Caribbean International:
Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 22 innovative ships, calling on more than 270 destinations in 72 countries across six continents. The line also offers unique cruise tour land packages in Alaska, Canada, Dubai, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand.
Royal Caribbean International is part of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., a global cruise vacation company that also operates Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur, CDF Croisieres de France, as well as TUI Cruises through a 50 percent joint venture with TUI AG. The company owns a combined total of 40 ships and has one under construction and one under agreement.
Question by T-Smoak: on the cruise ships “oasis of the seas”, are there water slides?
Best answer:
Answer by haskill333 Nope for some reason royal caribbean have always stayed away from waterslides.. But trust me that ship has so much other stuff that u wont be needing water slides.
Cruising is the preferred holiday option for those who enjoy luxury, relaxation and the variety of the seven seas.Incidentally, around the time of the tales of Sinbad and the Arabian Nights the “Seven Seas” would have been the Persian Gulf, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Red Sea (including the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea), the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic sea and the Arabian Sea.In fact, there are over 100 bodies of water called seas of one sort of another, but after the Europeans discovered America , the phrase “Seven Seas” largely referred to The Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic Oceans, the Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.
It’s the expanses of Ocean in the modern definition that plies. The fleet of vessels operated by this company are definitely for those who like the amenities and variety of public spaces that a larger ship can provide, but still want the all-inclusive luxury and exemplary service you get on a 6-star vessel.The 50,000-tonne Seven Seas Mariner cruise ship certainly provides that. As befits the area the ship cruises, she is a warm and friendly vessel with an intimate ambiance and without the breadth of facilities found on other Regent cruise ships. Even so, the Paul Gauguin is one of the best ships to ply the waters of the South Pacific with guests enjoying a casual dress code appropriate to the Polynesian destinations, food inspired by a two-star Michelin French chef and plenty of water sports opportunities even when at anchor with her own retractable marina.
Oasis of the Seas features a unique concept that will provide guests with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences based on their personal style, preference or mood in seven neighborhoods, including Central Park, Boardwalk with the AquaTheater, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place, and the Youth Zone.
The latest neighborhood unveiling introduced a wealth of kid- and teen-friendly adventures that lie within the Youth Zone – covering a total expansive area of more than 28,700 sq. ft. (2,669 sq. meters) – including, Kids Avenue, a central boulevard connecting children with dedicated Adventure Ocean spaces and various themed play areas; the cruise line’s first nursery for infants and toddlers (six months or older); and state-of-the-art teen areas.
The Adventure Ocean youth program aboard Oasis of the Seas will feature the cruise line’s award-winning curriculum currently offered to young guests fleetwide, but with an exciting new and enhanced approach, including impressive spaces created and equipped specifically for designated activities allowing for a more robust program. All Royal Caribbean Adventure Ocean and teen programs are led by exceptional, energetic and college-educated counselors, whose goal is to create memorable experiences for the cruise line’s younger guests.
Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated advancements is the addition of the Royal Babies and Tots nursery, a first for Royal Caribbean. This colorful space will serve as a fully-staffed nursery where children can be left in the care of Royal Caribbean’s trained professionals, as well as host various playgroups created by Fisher-Price and Crayola for babies and tots.
Open daily, the nursery will offer parents childcare drop-off options in the daytime and evening, carefully maintaining an optimum staff to child ratio. Free-time play also will be offered daily, creating an interactive environment where parents and children can bond while playing with a variety of Fisher Price developmental toys in specially-designed programs offered exclusively for guests sailing with Royal Caribbean. The Crayola Beginnings line of toddler art tools will be featured in unique developmentally-appropriate art activities designed for parents and children to enjoy precious creative moments together.
In addition, Oasis of the Seas will introduce exciting new common play areas, including the Kid’s Arcade for video games; the Workshop, where families can learn scrapbooking skills or create personalized jewelry; Imagination Studio where children can explore the world of color and imagination through Adventure Art by Crayola; a fully-equipped lab for Adventure Science Lab, where Einsteins-in-the-making can expand their knowledge; Play, a circular area where children can rollick and participate in a variety of sports and games; and Adventure Ocean Theater, the first-ever children’s theater at sea – complete with a stage and curtains, audience seating and state-of-the-art production equipment – where children of all ages can learn about theatrical productions, take part in talent shows, or sign up for hip hop dance classes.
The teen-only spaces will be located one deck above the Adventure Ocean areas and adjacent to the ship’s Sports Deck, where kids can test their skills on one of the ship’s two FlowRider surf simulators; the miniature golf-course, Oasis Dunes; or the Sports Court for volleyball and basketball games. The physical separation of the teen-only spaces from younger Adventure Ocean guests will be one of the many striking enhancements implemented as a recommendation of Royal Caribbean’s Teen Advisory Board — a group of teens recruited last year to identify what youths between the ages of 12- and 17-years would want to see aboard future Royal Caribbean ships.
In addition to the areas within the Youth Zone and teen-only spots aboard Oasis of the Seas, special attractions for children of all ages also will be located throughout the ship’ other neighborhoods. Along the Boardwalk, kids and teens will be able to shop at retail stores tailored to their interests, and infants and toddlers can ride the Carousel with their parents or enjoy the climbing and play space modeled after a 50’s-style gas station next to the popular Johnny Rockets restaurant. The lively Challengers Arcade also will return aboard Oasis of the Seas, and will be decked out with the latest video games sure to entertain kids and teens. In the Vitality Spa and Fitness Zone, teens and tweens can enjoy a menu of spa options specially tailored for them in a dedicated space at the Vitality at Sea Spa.
A diverse selection of activities for families and guests of all ages will be found in all of the neighborhoods throughout Oasis of the Seas. Family-friendly innovations range from the industry’s first amphitheater, the AquaTheater, featuring theatrical diving performances and spectacular water and light shows; the first zip line at sea stretching 82 feet in length and suspended nine decks above the exciting Boardwalk area; and in the Pool & Sports Zone, the H2O Zone aquapark with its toddler pool and the first beach pool at sea, featuring a true-to-form sloped entry and colorful beach chairs and umbrellas to give guests the ultimate beach experience.
Ocean Cruise, the most competitive and creative and stay specialist around.
(Part 2-3-4 on this channel) The Oasis of the Seas is Royal Caribbeans newest and grandest ship to date. 5400 passengers and 7 neighborhoods. zanza.com Cruise Zanza Blue – millions of miles at sea.
Did You Know Radisson Seven Seas Cruises for Six Star Cruising?
Are you looking for fabulous luxury cruise line vacations? Look no further! Radisson Seven Seas Cruises® offer customers six star cruising luxury. To emphasize this statement, you must know that Radisson Cruises has been named the prestigious World’s Best Small Cruise Line by the readers of Travel + Leisure and in 2003 by Conde Nast Traveler. The fleet of luxury ships afforded Radisson to earn a leadership role in the six star cruise industry.
Radisson Cruises is part of the Carlson Companies Inc. group, one of the largest privately held corporations in the United States. This corporation includes world renown brand names like Radisson® Hotels and Resorts, Carlson Wagonlit Travel®, Carlson Liesure Travel Services®, Cruise Holidays®, SeaMaster Cruises® and even T.G.I. Friday’s®. With that kind of name dropping, one can better understand how Radisson can provide such fantastic service and luxury.
Radisson Seven Seas strives as one of their objectives to provide “an ultra-luxury cruise experience” for their cruise passengers. Their cruises offer and feature additional benefits and enhancements providing their customers true and added value. Radisson offers more imaginative itineraries and unique shore excursions making for luxurious “voyages of exploration and discovery”. The Radisson staff will even custom design a special tour to accommodate your desires.
The Radisson Fleet
Next to the company’s commitment to you their valued customer, you will want to ensure that the actual venue – the cruise ships themselves – offer the “style” of pleasure or vacation cruise you desire. These luxury vessels are designed for fewer passengers than many of the other “big names” in the cruise industry. Numbering in the hundreds instead of the thousands, these cruise ships are more like large luxury yachts. At Radisson, they strive for a more personal and accommodating luxury cruise experience. The elegant ships offer beautifully designed “common” spaces as well as spacious and comfortable staterooms. Radisson has added new all-suite, all-balcony ships to their armada of luxury liners to ensure that every cruise passenger has the opportunity to travel the upscale manner they deserve. Their fleet has capacities from 320 passengers to about 700 passengers as well as an exploration vessel on which only 198 privileged passengers will experience Antarctica!
Dining with Radisson
Luxury travel of any description requires exquisite dining options. Radisson has addressed this need with chefs from Le Cordon Bleu of Paris dining options on their newest luxury ships. All of the “luxury yachts” in the Radisson stable offer excellent ding in the most elegant of dining rooms. And the intimate size of the vessels make for a comfortably luxurious dining experience.
Radisson On-board Service
Radisson Cruises prides themselves on providing their luxury cruise guests with their renowned “Above and Beyond” level of service. With a 1 to 1.5 ratio of passenger to staff, you are assured of personal, pampering service befitting a six star cruise. 24 room service is of course available and during the dining hours, you may wish to enjoy your meal in your suite. Depending on the level of your suite, butler service is available. Concierge service is even available on Seven Seas Mariner. All of this makes for a comfortable and pampered cruise experience. In Radisson’s words, “upscale, but not uptight”.
Activities Aboard Radisson
Each Radisson Voyage has a guest lecturer providing insights into the unique cultures and places you’ll be visiting. On all but the Paul Gaugan, Classes and workshops are available. Depending on the individual ship, art auctions, a well stocked library, duty free shops,dance classes and table tennis offer cruise guests a variety of diverse activities. Again, individual ships offer golf cages, shuffleboard, jogging track, and paddle tennis present cruise passengers with sports activities. Paul Gaugan has a watersports platform offering kayaking, windsurfing, waterskiing, and scuba diving. On selected voyages only, the Club Mariner Youth Program is offered with a variety of activities for children ages 6 to 11 and 12 to 17. Of course, all have the mandatory swimming pool for exercise and relaxation. The spa and fitness area amenities vary depending on the actual ship.
No matter what a luxury cruise line vacation means to you, you’ll surely be enraptured with a luxurious cruise with Radisson Seven Seas Cruises®!
If you have questions on how to quickly and easily compare cruise lines, send us an Email at info@radissoncruise.org with the subject line “questions” and let us know. If you have any specific questions regarding which cruise line to choose, let us know that as well and we will try to answer them.
www.ucruiser.com filmed Freedom of the Seas while it was leaving Port Canaveral for the very first time. The port arranged a Sail-a-Bration event to celebrate the worlds largest cruise ship. MS Freedom of the Seas is a cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. It is the namesake of Royal Caribbean’s Freedom Class of cruise ships, and can accommodate over 4300 passengers and 1300 crew on fifteen passenger decks. In addition to two sister ships, Freedom of the Seas will keep the title of the largest passenger ships ever built (by gross tonnage) until construction of the Oasis Class ships in 2009, also owned by Royal Caribbean International. The Freedom of the Seas was built at the Aker Yards drydock in Turku, Finland, which also is building the other ships of the Freedom Class. Upon its completion, it became the largest passenger ship ever built, taking that honor from Cunard’s RMS Queen Mary 2. Freedom of the Seas is 2.4 metres narrower than QM2 at the waterline, 6 metres shorter, has 1.5 metres less draft, is 8.3 metres less tall and 10 mph slower. Freedom of the Seas however is the larger ship in terms of gross tonnage. While its gross tonnage was estimated to range from 154000 GT to 160000 GT, its official rating by Det Norske Veritas, a Norwegian marine classification society, is 154407 GT, compared with QM2′s 148528 GT. Freedom of the Seas has the highest gross tonnage of any passenger ship yet built. The ship features three swimming areas an …
A lot of people simply avoid thinking about other aspects than passports and plane tickets when going on an international vacation and such an approach is not correct. Any international vacation will require a lot of research in order to have a healthy and safe trip and you do not want to forget anything so that your trip will be perfect.
First off we would like to emphasize on the fact that you need to be informed when thinking about health. You could start with looking at the Center for Disease Control web site to see if there are any disease or outbreak problems you should be worried about. Any doctor in your area could help you in getting the right prescriptions and immunizations you might require. Always know what you need before actually talking to the doctor. The same thing goes for any possible social or civil problems in the country you are visiting. We do not want there to be any conflicts that could put you at risk so tourist guides and the Department of State are also places you need to put on your prior to the trip research list. Combine this with a good knowledge of the location’s customs when talking about dress codes and legal problems.
The next step would be talking to people about your trip. There is a big chance that you will find someone that was already there. You can obtain email addresses or telephone numbers and you can ask various questions about what you might want to know. Word of mouth travel advice is invaluable when talking about any trip and learning stuff from people that were already there once. This is because these people have already been there and they can tell you what is relaxing and what is not, what is thrilling and what is not and so on!
Think about what you need to know when linked with your personality and plan your trip according to what you like doing. If you are a thrill seeker look for attractions you would love and would get your adrenaline levels to skyrocket. If you are fond of shopping look for the best shopping hot spots and so on. It all depends on the individual or the group of people that is going on the vacation. Make sure that there is a bit of everything for everyone so that the trip will provide a good setting for every single person and this is how you should do useful travel research.
Article first written for the blog. Get the you need for a perfect vacation!
One of the most often asked questions from travelers about Costa Rica besides “How much does it rain in the rainy season?” is: “Do we really need a rental car?”. The answer depends very much on you, but by describing a bit more the conditions I can make the decision easier for you!
Driving in Costa Rica is not as difficult as it seems in some frightening reports. Nevertheless it is true that the Costa Ricans that are known for a laid-back and calm attitude seem to get into a hurry as soon as they sit behind the wheel of a vehicle. They are not alone on the planet with this particularity, the only difference is that in many other places the people seem to be always in a hurry.
The roads in Costa Rica are famous for their potholes and some destinations can only be reached on a gravel road. If you plan only to visit San Jose and Jaco you may be fine with a sedan, but it is highly recommendable to . In the rainy season you will even have to cross some rivers. Even some of the main attractions for tourists in Costa Rica are only accessible with an all-terrain vehicle. The road to Monteverde is not paved and there are no plans for doing so. The local community wants to protect this unique place and does not want that to make their place accessible for huge tourist buses.
The big advantage of is, that you are independent and can make a stop whenever you want. Fruits and crafts are sold along the roads, this is always a good opportunity to have some small talk with the locals.
You better get up early in Costa Rica, because the sun goes down around 6 pm. Driving at night in Costa Rica can be dangerous and is not recommendable. Most of the roads don’t have lights and road marking mostly exists on the main roads.
The alternative to renting a car is to travel with the extensive bus system. This is a good way to see the country and meet the Ticos. There are buses going almost everywhere in Costa Rica, connections between outlying areas are limited. The capital San Jose is the major transportation hub of Costa Rica, sometimes it is necessary to return and switch the bus here. Before you buy a ticket for the bus ask precisely if this bus really goes to the destination where you plan to go. There are several towns in Costa Rica which share the same name! You can assure going to the right Playa Hermosa by mentioning the Province where you plan to travel. There is a Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste and a Playa Hermosa in Puntarenas. There are several other examples like Naranjo and San Isidro.
Traveling by bus is certainly cheaper than renting a car, but is most often slower. There are several hundred bus companies operating in Costa Rica and unfortunately they don’t always work together. This can result in an unplanned overnight stay at a place where you missed your connecting bus.
So the decision is still up to you, but it should be easier for you take it now
.Beautiful city of Barcelona, capital of Catalonia (a Spain’s province), is situated on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered at either end by 2 river deltas. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after its capital city Madrid. Barcelona has a population of 1.5 million, over 4 million including suburbs. The varied, eventful history of the city dates back 4,000 years to the first settlements by ancient farmers. Later it became a Roman colony, the Visigoth’s capital city, and then it came under Moorish rule. It went through sieges, destructions and occupations, finally to become an autonomous democracy 1975. The city has always played an important role in political and cultural life of Spain and it is well reflected in the variety and quality of historical buildings, museums, many other tourist attractions. Today Barcelona is one of the most diverse European cities with unique culture and rich traditions. You can find here a formidable balance of the traditional things and the avant-garde. A cosmopolitan metropolis, Barcelona affords visitors a warm and sincere welcome, being acknowledged worldwide as one of the best tourist-friendly cities in Europe. Barcelona’s organization of the 1992 Olympics provided regeneration of this dynamic city, gave a fresh start to its infrastructure development. WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE: POINTS OF INTEREST – La Ramble is a tree-lined pedestrian boulevard packed with buckers, living statues, mimes and itinerant salespeople selling everything from lottery tickets to jeweler. Pavement cafes and stands selling craftwork, street performers surrounded by curious onlookers, a noisy bird market, Palau de la Virreina, a grand 18th-century rococo mansion, the Gran Teeter del Liceu, the famous 19th-century opera house- these are all colorful parts of La Rambla’s mosaic. La Rambla ends at the lofty Monument a Colom (Monument to Columbus) and the harbour. Barri Gotic – also known as Gothic Quarter, it is the old part of the city. Picasso lived and worked in Barri Gotic from 1895 to 1904 and Joan Miro was born and lived here during his youth. Gothic Quarter is situated on the right hand side of the La Rambla, it contains a concentration of medieval tall Gothic buildings (14-15th century) on narrow cobbled streets and now is home to much of the city’s nightlife. La Sagrada Familia – La Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous and magnificent among Barcelona’s landmarks. The life’s work of Barcelona’s famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, the magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against the sky with swelling outlines inspired by the holy mountain Montserrat. Above each facade there are four towers, 12 in total, which are dedicated to the Apostles. The tower in the center, the tallest of all at 170 m., is dedicated to Jesus Christ. Around these there are the towers of the four Evangelists, and the tower over the apse is dedicated to the Virgin. They are encrusted with a tangle of sculptures that seem to breathe life into the stone. Gaudi died in 1926 before his masterwork was completed, and since then, controversy has continually dogged the building program. Nevertheless, the southwestern (Passion) facade, is almost done, and the nave, begun in 1978, is progressing. La Pedrera – Casa Mila (Mila House) is an apartment building, the last example of Gaudi’s civil architecture.It is one of his finest and most ambitious creations, extraordinarily innovative in its functional, constructive, and ornamental aspects. Visitors can tour the building and go up to the roof, where they can see spectacular views of Barcelona. One floor below the roof is a modest museum dedicated to Gaudi’s work. Montjuic – the largest open space in the city, its main attractions are the Olympic installations, the Spanish Village and the hilltop fortress. Montjuic, the hill overlooking the city centre from the southwest, is home to some fine art galleries, leisure attractions, soothing parks and the main group of 1992 Olympic sites. Montjuic is covered in ornamental gardens with water features and is the most popular destination in Barcelona on Sundays. Tibidabo – is the highest hill in the wooded range that forms the backdrop to Barcelona. It has amazing views of the whole of Barcelona, a stunning cathedral, and a family fun park Parc d’Atraccions with old-style rides offering breathtaking views. A glass lift at the park goes 115m (383 ft) up to a visitors’ observation area at Torre de Collserola telecommunications tower. Modernisme – spectacular modernista architectural creations dotted around the city by famous Antoni Gaudi and his contemporaries. Camp Nou – home of F.C. Barcelona, one of Europe’s leading soccer teams, with capacity of almost 100,000 spectators. The Seu Cathedral – Built in medieval times on the site of a Roman temple, La Seu is one of the great Gothic buildings in Spain. Parc de la Ciutadella – Barcelona’s favorite park and a Sunday afternoon rendezvous for families, friends and ducks The Sardana – traditional Catalan dance, performed outside the cathedral and at national festivals, with everyone encouraged to join in.
MUSEUMS – The Barbier-Mueller Museum of Pre-Columbian Art -the only museum in Europe devoted exclusively to Pre-Columbian cultures. Housed in a gothic palace, its collection is one of the finest of its kind and gives visitors an insight into the rich world of the earliest cultures on the American continent. This tiny museum contains one hundred pieces, including wood and stone sculptures, ceramics, tapestries, jade, often found in international exhibitions and prestige publications. The exhibits represented the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Chavin, Mochica and Inca civilisations. Palau de la Musica Catalana – one of the world’s most extraordinary music halls, it is a Barcelona landmark. From its polychrome ceramic ticket windows on the Carrer de Sant Pere Mes Alt side to its overhead busts of Palestrina, Bach, Beethoven, and Wagner, the Palau is the flagship of Barcelona’s Moderniste architecture. Museu Picasso – is Barcelona’s most visited museum. 3,500 exhibits make up the permanent collection. Picasso spent several years (1901-06) in Barcelona, and this collection, is particularly strong on his early work. Displays include childhood sketches, pictures from the beautiful Rose and Blue periods, and the famous 1950s Cubist variations on Velazquez’s Las Meninas (Ladies-in-Waiting). Gaudi Casa-Museu – Gaudi lived in this pink, Alice-in-Wonderland house from 1906 to 1926, which now houses a museum of Gaudi-designed furniture, decorations, drawings, and portraits and busts of the architect. Fundacio Miro – it was a gift from the famous artist Joan Miro to his native city. The museum opened in 1975, and now it is one of Barcelona’s most exciting showcases of contemporary art.
BEACHES – One of Barcelona’s greatest draws is undeniably its beautiful beaches. Beside world-famous Costa Brava and Costa Dorada which are within 1-hr drive time from Barcelona, there are also several nice beaches over 4 km long within the city boundaries, we will list just several of them here: Nova Icaria- Closest to the Olympic marina, always crowded, this wide swathe of rough golden sand is great for food goers. There are three perfect beach bars and two very popular restaurants on the promenade (Mango and Chiringuito de Moncho) and countless bars and restaurants are just a short stroll away. Bogatell- This beach is twice the length of adjoining Nova Icaria and fringed by a stretch of stone walkway perfect for jogging, roller blading and cycling. Three large informal restaurants on the promenade. Mar Bella (Metro Ciutadella Vila Olimpica, plus 20-minute walk)- Barcelona’s only naturist beach close to a peaceful park – good for a picnic or siesta under the trees. Barceloneta- wide and long, a traditional and popular stretch with locals, crowded, noisy and very jolly.
WHEN TO GO, WEATHER: The best times to visit Barcelona are late spring and early autumn, when the weather is still comfortably warm, around 21-25°C. Summers are usually hot and humid, with temperatures averaging +30 (+ 86 Fahrenheit). Especially avoid the “dead” month of August, when many shops, bars and restaurants close for the month as many local inhabitants head out of the city. Winters are cool with average daytime temperatures around +12 C (+59 Fahrenheit), occasionally rainy.
GETTING THERE AND AROUND: By a direct flight to Barcelona, or through Madrid or via another large European city from almost any major airports in the world. The highest fares are from May to September, the lowest in March-April, October-November and December to February (excluding Christmas and New Year when prices are hiked up). Note also that flying on weekends may increase your ticket cost. If traveling to Barcelona from within Europe you can also chose train, bus or car, though these take much longer than a plane and often work out no cheaper. Many Mediterranean cruises include Barcelona as a port of call.
ACCOMODATIONS: We can offer you a range of choices. You can choose vacation rentals in Barcelona starting from $ 125 USD for a double room in a 4-star apartment hotel. Or you can opt for hotels from $ 65 USD for a double room in a 3-star hotel. Accomodation prices do not change much throughout the year due to the steady all-season flow of visitors to this extremely popular tourist city and surrounding resorts.
DINING: Besides restaurants you can eat at bars where you would have a succession of tapas (small snacks- three or four chunks of fish, meat or vegetables, or salad, which traditionally used to be served up free with a drink) or raciones (larger ones). The bar option can be a lot more interesting, allowing you to do the rounds and sample local specialities. Generally, the average cost for a meal consisting of two dishes and dessert would come to about 25 Euros. Travellers on an extremely limited budget can do well for themselves by using the excellent markets, bakeries and delis and filling up on sandwiches and snacks. Decent restaurants and cafes are easily found all over the city, though you’ll probably do most of your eating where you do most of your sightseeing, in the old town, particularly around La Rambla and in the Barri Gotic. Look for the best and most authentic seafood restaurants in Barceloneta, a seaside neighbourhood. Gothic Quarter neighbourhood is home to some of the oldest and most traditional restaurants in the city. Gracia is a very popular area among young people during the weekend, it leads the way in terms of exotic restaurants (Lebanese, Egyptian, Thai etc.).
TRANSPORT: Barcelona has excellent transport system comprising the metro (subway), buses, trains and a network of funiculars and cable cars. You can find a link to transport maps at the end of our guide. On all the city’s public transport you can buy a single ticket every time you ride, but even over only a couple of days it’s cheaper to buy a targeta – a discount ticket strip. The T-10 targeta is valid for ten separate journeys on the metro, buses and trains. These tickets can be used by more than one person at a time. The metro is the quickest way of getting around Barcelona. For black-and-yellow taxis there is a minimum charge of $ 2 euro. You’ll obviously have a great deal more freedom if you rent a car . Major roads throughout the city are generally good, and traffic is generally well behaved, though Spain does have one of the highest incidences of traffic accidents in Europe. It also has some of the lowest fuel prices on the continent.
SHOPPING: Barcelona, one of the most stylish cities in Europe offers great shopping, from designer clothes and accessories to household items. You will find the city to be quite cheap for a lot of items, especially if you coincide with the annual sales ( rebaixes in Spanish) lasting from mid-January until the end of February, and throughout July and August. The best shopping areas in Barcelona are the old streets off the upper part of the Ramblas. Souvenirs include ceramics, which are widely sold in the streets around the cathedral; leather goods; city’s delicatessens, particularly cooked Catalan meats and sausages; a porron (the long-spouted glass drinking jar); CDs and tapes of Catalan rock and pop, sardana music, Spanish rock or flamenco. If you’re looking for original gift ideas, some of the best hunting can be found in the shops of any of the city’s museums, where you’ll find reasonably priced and unique examples of Catalan disseny (graphic), and other original items ranging from postcards to replica works of art. We wish you a nice and safe trip!
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