Author Archives: Dave

Majorca – The Island of the Famous

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Majorca (Mallorca) is a fabulous holiday destination to visit anytime of the year. With its perfect beaches and stunning scenery, it is one of the most popular places to take a holiday in the world.

Each year the island attracts more and more visitors with many of them being celebrities who just can’t resist the charms of this wonderful Balearic Island.

After experiencing a holiday in Majorca many celebrities decide to invest in their own holiday home and enjoy Mallorca whenever they choose at their own convenience. Just some of the celebrities that have chosen to buy their own property are starlet couple Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas who have a holiday residence in the North of the Island. Other famous people that have bought holiday homes in Majorca are Annie Lennox, Anni-Frid Lyngstad (of Abba fame) and Claudia Schiffer.

Majorca also has its own growing list of famous residents that range from celebrated historic artists right through to current sports megastars. Majorca has had a strong link with artists and those involved in creativity throughout the ages. The English poet Robert Graves moved to the island back in 1926 and wrote many of his works in Majorca. Much like many people do right up to this day, the poet and wordsmith visited the island first on holiday then returned to make it his home.

The tennis ace Rafael Nadal was born in Majorca in the district of Manacor. Nadal is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time and at present is the world’s no. 1 ranked tennis player.

If you would like to find out just why so many celebrities choose one of the many Villas in Majorca available then why not try out a Villa Holiday for yourself.

Discovering Kefalonia

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Kefalonia may not be one of the most heard of locations in the world, but it really is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations for those seeking everything you could expect from a holiday in the sun.

Located in western Greece Kefalonia is the largest of the group of Greek islands known as the Ionian Islands.  Kefalonia is packed full of exotic bays and coves and its beaches are amongst the top rated in the world.  Seeped in history the Island has many points of historical interest throughout it and derives its name from its first ruler King Kephalos whose reign dated back to the Palaeolithic times. Folklore has it that the king founded four towns on the island called Ami, Pronnoi, Pahli and Krani named after his sons. During those times the Island was know as Tetrapolis (The Four Towns), once you have visited Kefalonia you really can picture how it was all of those years ago.

Throughout the picturesque Island you will find lush countryside and mountainsides, for holiday makers looking for not only sand sea and surf, the island is a paradise to explore. Kefalonia is so stunning in fact that it has been a source of inspiration for many artists and novelists over the years and has even been the setting for many films.  The author Louis de Bernières wrote his novel ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ based on historical events that happened during the Italian and German occupation in World War 2.

The resort of Skala is one of the most popular destinations for those visiting the island for the first time, with its long sandy beaches and bays it is the ideal location to try out the many facilities it provides such as Scuba diving and sailing.  So, next time you think about where to take your next holiday, why not consider Villa holidays in one of the many wonderful Villas in Kefalonia.

Menorcas wonderful Villa locations

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The Island of Menorca has everything that you could wish for; wonderful sandy beaches, scenic ports, wildlife reserves and much more. Menorca is known for its cultural prominence of all of the Balearic Islands and its fiestas are something that everyone in the world should experience at some point.

With so many features and plus points it really is no surprise that the island is so popular with tourists all year around especially for those seeking Villa Holidays.

Cala Galdana is one of Menorca’s most popular villa holiday resorts and is located on the southern coast of the Island. Featuring an almost perfect shaped horseshoe bay and a plethora of sandy beaches the resort of Cala Galdana is a fabulous location and Villas in Menorca can provide the perfect base to the perfect holiday location.

The city of Ciudadella is often referred to as “Vella I Bella” which translates to the old and the beautiful. That certainly describes this wonderful Majorcan city which delights visitors throughout the year with its gothic cathedral and historic port and harbour.  Should you decide to visit and stay in the resort then you can take a ferry from the city to other Balearic Islands such as Majorca. Those seeking wonderful cuisine can be assured that they will find Ciudadella to have a wonderful variety of restaurants with most of them in idyllic locations overlooking the areas beautiful scenery.

You may well have heard about the town of Binibeca in Menorca too, this charming town is located on the southern coast of Menorca and is an unspoilt paradise. Fitting in with the regions non commercial and industrial look the town’s main type of accommodation is in the form of luxury villa properties.

A beginner’s guide to Majorca

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Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Majorca is the largest Spanish island by area size and second largest by population. Majorca is also known as Mallorca which is the Catalan and Spanish name for the island.

The capitol city of Majorca is called Palma and was founded on a Roman camp called Palmaria.  There are numerous wonderful sights and attractions for visitors to see in the city. Areas such as the cathedral area and the cities old town attract huge amounts of tourists each year who are interested in Palmas unique and historical architecture.

In the north western part of Majorca you will find 2 large mountainous areas that both stretch for around 70 kilometres and contain just some of the geographic wonders of the island. There are a large amount of naturally formed attractions such as underground caves with lakes and wonderful coves.

The two official languages of Majorca are Catalan and Spanish, Majorcan children are taught both languages and a basic amount of English.

According to statistics there are over 2500 places to dine on the island of Majorca, A large part of the Mallorca diet is based on what is traditionally grown on the island such as olives and various types of nut.

There are numerous festivals held on the island each year celebrating a range of different subjects ranging from Majorca’s history and heritage through to modern music and dance. One such festival is the ‘Majorca rocks’ festival; this year’s event will feature many musical artists from around the world such as Dizzee Rascal, Friendly Fires and Tinie Tempah.

Majorca is very popular with tourists due to its wonderful climate all year around; villas in Majorca are an extremely popular way to experience the island and in recent years villa holidays have grown from strength to strength.

Cunard celebrates with a broken bell.

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This month certainly has been an extravaganza for the cruise industry; Cunard the cruise company who are renowned for offering everything from great Mediterranean Cruises to Caribbean adventures celebrated the maiden voyage of their latest liner in New York in style.  Events ranging from fireworks and parties were just a small part of the celebrations.

As you can see in this video the New York stock exchange even had a visit from the original Queen Elizabeth Liner’s bell.  The 85 year old bell was being rung to mark the close of the exchange but the highly energetic commodore seemed to break the beater off in the process!

2011, a great year to cruise

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As we enter a new year its time to start deciding upon your next holiday choice. With so many different options it really can be tough and time consuming to try and find the very best deal and get the best value for money in whichever you choose.

People searching for 2011 Cruise deals such as Royal Caribbean Cruise deals will be pleased to know that there are many great offers available all year around.  From even a quick scout through the internet can show a huge amount of amazing cruising package deals that cruisers could find themselves partaking in throughout the year.

If you are new to cruising then 2011 could certainly be then ideal year to try out this wonderful and highly popular form of holidaying.  Depending on what type of cruise you are seeking you could try out anything from an adventure based cruise that contains many shore excursions to a Disney cruise which would cater for all of the family.

Now is the ideal time to start thinking about a summer cruise, you could easily be cruising around the Mediterranean or Caribbean at a fraction of the price you might think a cruise would cost. Already some cruise companies are compiling special offers for cruse breaks including free onboard credit and differing room size reductions, with these types of offers it really can be difficult to wonder why any other holiday bar a cruise could give you value for money in 2011.

Cruising is expected to rise in popularity once again in 2011 and with so much choice and value it is sure to be set to continue for many years to come.

Almost a Saga for Saga

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Earlier this month passengers aboard a cruise ship found themselves in the middle of a chase scene between suspected pirates and their cruise ship. The Spirit of Adventure was carrying 350 passengers on their Saga cruise holidays during the incident which happened on the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Zanzibar.

It was reported that guests aboard the boat where enjoying a black tie dinner when staff were informed via a codeword on the tannoy. The guests (many of whom were elderly) were helped by staff and moved to the middle of the liner for their own safety with their heads bowed.

The company released a statement telling the public that the ship was being followed by a vessel that was suspected to have been operated by pirates. Once the captain was sure that all guests were in a safe location aboard the ship he ordered the liner to full speed and outran the following boat. Moments later the ship disappeared and the black tie dinner continued. It was thought that the pirates were scouting the ship as they are not interested usually in passenger ships but in container and cargo ships which have a much higher value to them.

Passengers had 3 days previously been given a lecture on what to do should pirates be spotted whilst on their voyage. This is normal protocol for any passengers travelling on the Indian Ocean and passengers reported no panic during the incident and even gave the captain of the liner a Standing ovation.

There is certainly nothing to worry about when taking Mini Cruises or Mediterranean Cruises as incidents like this are very rare and without a doubt cruising is certainly one of the safest forms of holidaying.

Coming soon! the world’s most spacious ship ever

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A good amount of space is one of the most important things that we look for when buying a house or car, and certainly something we should consider when going on holiday! When booking a holiday we want me to make sure we get the best room possible and more often then not that’s a spacious room.

Cruise ships are designed to be as spacious as possible but of course they have restraints but certainly make the best use out of their space as possible.  Now cruise ships are getting even larger and spacious, offering travellers the ultimate in luxury during their mini cruises and Late Cruise Deals.

The cruise Line Company Hapag Lloyd has just announced that they will be building what is billed as the most spacious ship ever the ‘Europa 2’.  The liner is set to have it major voyage in the spring of 2013 and promises to have the most space per passenger ration of all existing cruise ships.

Plans have shown that it will feature 11 decks and only carry 516 people and contain only 256 suites, an exciting feature of the ships design is that all cabins will come complete with verandas and be of at least 28 metres in size.  The ‘Europa 2’ will be complete with many other great features such as health and Spa zones, seven restaurants throughout, four bars and lounges. Large selections of Sport and wellbeing facilities have been planned by the company that in its own words “do justice to the current trend for active holidays and wellbeing.”

2011, another Good Year for Cruise Holidays?

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Did you take a holiday last year? If so was it a cruise? With cruises becoming more and more popular the answer to these questions are frequently and at a huge rate becoming yes! Last year saw resurgence in people taking a cruise holiday with figures showing that potential passengers are seeking the best value for money they can possibly get my taking advantage of the many cruise offers and cheap cruise deals that many companies are offering.

This upward motion in sales and popularity regarding the cruise industry has just recently been echoed by the world’s largest organisation that represents many cruise ship companies.  The Cruise Lines International Association has released its predictions for 2011 stating that cruise holidays will increase this year by over 6% bringing the figure to around 16 million passengers. This prediction is very exciting for the cruise industry and something that will keep many involved in the tourism and in particular the cruise industry in great spirits throughout the year. The organisations have also concluded that the years cruising hotspots will be Europe, Asia, South America and the Caribbean.

The Cruise Lines International Association (Clia) was set up with the premise to promote the cruise industry in 1975 and since then has joined forces with 25 of the world’s largest cruise line companies.

This announcement was also made on a very special day for cruising, as three of the worlds newest cruise ships visited the same port in New York. Cunard lines Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria ships were all in port to mark the maiden voyage of the Queen Elizabeth.

Certainly an exciting time for cruise passengers and owners alike!

Cunard scoop more awards!

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Following a recent survey by one of the UK’s top cruise websites the Cruise Line operator Cunard has picked up the top award for best cruise line of 2010.  The website Cruise.co.uk contains many reviews by passengers and information regarding the cruise industry and each year helps to give the public a great idea of the best choices in cruising.

The survey called ‘the cruise passenger ratings survey’ has been compiled by the websites visitors, with eight categories in total ranging from Best cruise line, best cruise ship and best shore excursion it is looked upon as very important within the industry..

Cunard are by no means strangers to receiving rewards from the website, they have retained the title of Best cruise line for three years running now. The cruise line also scooped several other awards this year, based on its yearly performance and feedback from the public, such as:

Best Cruise ship: Queen Victoria

Best Cruise ship food: Queen Victoria

Best Shore excursion: Queen Victoria

This is certainly great news for the British-American owned cruise line company, based in Southampton the company has been at the forefront of cruising since its formation in 1839.  The cruise line already offer great cruise deals and discount cruises throughout the year making them one of the first and most popular choices when it comes to holidays.

The survey has also shown something quite unusual this year, the newly launched liner the Celebrity Eclipse was ranked within the top ten for all categories. Usually a newly launched ship along with its typical teething problems can take up to two years before it begins to rank highly.