Oberammergau Passion Play has begun in Germany and many of our tours visit surrounding countries such as Switzerland - take a look at what you are missing!

BRUSSELS IN BLOOM

When I was little if one had a carpet from Brussels you were rich! Take a look at this "carpet" just one of the wonders you will see in Europe!

Windstar Europe

Windstar Cruises has just announced the most amazing deal on 3 of it's European Itineraries. Check out our website for all the details! www.cruisenet.ca

New Deals

Until I can convince Yolanda (meaning- she finds the time!) to write a little blog update on her Windstar Med cruise, I am just going to post about some of our amazing offers.

Right now Regent Seven Seas Cruises is offering some great deals on their 2010 Europe itineraries. All-inclusive departures include Free shore excursions, Free Roundtrip Air and 2 for 1 Fares. Go to our website to download the printable flyer or call us for the latest pricing and availability.

Silversea Cruises is offering new 2010 Culinary & Wine Voyages with savings of up to 60% off plus Free Air. The printable flyer is also on our website or you can call our offices for details.

www.cruisenet.ca

Watch your Oakville Beaver next week for our Bon Vivant Flyer. Very exciting.

Our first Oberammergau clients departed this week. Fingers crossed that the Icelandic volcano keeps it's cool and lets everyone arrive in Europe on time.

Latest News

Bon Vivant Travel Exclusive

Cruisenet has recently partnered with the Ensemble Travel Group to bring you the Bon Vivant Adventures in Culinary Travel Exclusive! We are so pleased and excited to announce our premier culinary tour:

Flavours of Tuscany Tour - October 1 -11, 2010
For those with a passion for an intimate look into the culinary side of Tuscany.

Tour Highlights:
Explore San Lorenzo Market in Florence and enjoy lunch at Trattoria Garda
Hands on cooking classes at La Toscana Saporita in Viareggio and Dante Alighieri in Siena
Tour and tasting at the Giuseppe Giusti's Balsamic Vinegar Gran Deposito
Experience a day in the life of a Tuscan organic farm at La Petraia

The tour includes:
Tour escort
Roundtrip airfare from Toronto in Economy class onboard Air Transat
All roundtrip airport transfers
Ground transport on deluxe air-conditioned motorcoach
All hotel accomodations
All hotel taxes and service charges
Continental breakfast daily
5 lunches & Bon Vivant Welcome and Farewell Dinners
3 hands-on cooking classes
Mix & Mingle with authors/chefs Susan McKenna Grant and Sandra Lotti
City tour of Venice, Florence, Bologna and Siena
You can download a copy of our brochure with day to day details by clicking here, or call our office to talk to a Bon Vivant specialist.


More Foodie Stuff:

Bonvivanttravel.ca - Everyone has an inner bon vivant just salivating at the idea of travelling abroad. But which is your bon vivant personality type. Take our quiz and find out if you are an Elite Gourmand, Everyday Epicurean or Artisan Adventurer.
Globe & Mail Food & Wine Section Wednesday April 28, 2010
Foodies>>Culinary Democrats or Cultural Snobs?
..."Are you a culinary populist or an elitist? If you're a foodie, chances are you're a bit of both." read more

Cheese>>Bella Casara Buffalo Mozzarella
..." Buffalo mozzarella is most extraordinary when consumed within a few days (if not hours) of being made..." read more


Bon Vivant Blog
La Petraia - True Tuscany, True Luxury
Ethereal, fabled, stunning- these words dance around in my mind as we drive up the cyprus tree-lined path leading to La Petraia. A fully restored and expanded 12th Century farmhouse stands proudly in the distance while the bright purple blossoms of fragrant lavender beckons gently in the breeze, perfuming the air with nature’s aromatherapy. La Petraia, or “Place of Stone” is a special place, made all the more idyllic by Canadians Susan McKenna Grant and her husband Michael Grant. read more


Join the Bon Vivant Facebook page to keep up with our latest culinary topics.
Join our Cruisenet Facebook page to keep updated on our latest specials.

Past the Halfway Point

Our arrival in Gustavia St. Barths was bright and early in the morning. We took the tender into shore after a relaxing breakfast. The first shop we saw was one of Glen's favorites, Quicksilver. And that says a lot, as Glen, like most men I know, is NOT a shopper. We headed straight over and Glen browsed for a new sunhat, flipflops, tshirts, everything. Eventually I grew bored with the fact that I was not doing the shopping and we moved on. Walking along the main street there were many souvenir shops of a much higher caliber than previously seen on the cruise. There were also LOTS of great looking restaurants and bars where we could sit on a patio and people watch. We walked the length of the port which is a large U shape and then back again. We picked out a nice restaurant to have lunch and sat and watched all the locals and tourists go by.

The first thing we noticed about St. Barths was that it was so clean and tidy. Clearly the french influence was a great benefit. Plus, ALL the people were saw were smiling from ear to ear. Whether they were locals or tourists it was very clear that everyone really liked being in St. Barths! We had to agree. It had a great feeling and was a little more upscale but not so much it felt snobby. It was very comfortable. We will definitely be making our way back to St. Barts in the future.

After a nice walk after lunch we headed back to the ship and hit the pool for a swim. It was so hot and sunny and the pool was the perfect refresher. Along with a nice cold beer and on to my second book of the trip.

After enjoying a relaxing afternoon we prepared for our group dinner in The Restaurant. We got ready early as we had the privilege of touring some of the other cabin category's prior to meeting for dinner. We were able to view one of the larger cabins which is exactly like our cabin only doubled. During the Wind Surf's renovation they had knocked the wall down between two cabins and created a 'his and hers' bathroom and instead of two beds, the second bed area became a living area. We couldn't believe how big and spacious the cabins felt until we got to see a Bridge Suite. Wow! Huge! Luxurious! The bathroom with separate shower and jacuzzi bath was larger than my master bath at home! Large flat screen tv and surround sound had my husband hooked.

After our fantastic tour, we finished on the Bridge Deck right by the Bridge and decided to check out it the. We had been told it was quite amazing to see at night in the dark, with all the instrument panels glowing. The bridge office kindly explained all the equipment and gps system and even zoomed the gps in to the Toronto Harbour so we could see all the vessels currently docked in port. How amazing.

Off to our group dinner and by this time the ship was sailing quite quickly to Basse Terre, Guadeloupe and the wind had really picked up. The Restaurant is at the front of the ship where one feels the rocking and swaying of rough seas a lot more. Many of our fellow group members were looking a little green around the gills and it was quite the challenge to just walk across the dining room. It did make for fun dinner conversation as all the passengers appeared thoroughly inebriated as they tried to reach the exit without knocking over any waiters.

We decided to adjourn to the bar at the back of the ship where we wouldn't feel the swaying quite so much but we seemed to be the only ones trying to put a brave face on it. The bar was deserted as everyone was hiding in their cabins down below.


The next morning we arrived in Basse Terre and it was raining. Mind you, only a Caribbean rain shower which for the most part only lasts a few minutes and then the hot sun is back blaring again. Unfortunately for us, the showers came and went, numerous times. We had been told by the bridge officer the previous night that Basse Terre wasn't that great a port and we'd be better served to visit Ile des Saintes in the afternoon. The only difference was that Basse Terre was the only port of call where we didn't have to tender. But, we decided that our view from the deck was plenty and instead watched the rain showers moving over the island and out to sea from the comfort of our canopy covered deck chairs.


After lunch we arrived in Ile des Saintes which was, as promised, worth venturing out. The port was really tiny compared to some of the other ports we've visited but quaint. We decided we would rent scooters and go exploring... except that as we disembarked the tender, Glen realized he'd left behind his driver's license. So, we walked instead. We walked right across the island to a beach on the other side. it was a lovely walk especially as there are almost no cars on the island, only scooters. The streets are just wide enough for one car so scooters and pedestrians are easily accommodated.


After a swim and sunbathing at the beach we walked back to the port for a drink at one of the bars. We sat out on the patio and watched all the activity out in the harbour. It was such a beautiful day and everyone was clearly enjoying the water sports. Just as we were heading back to the tender the local school children got out of class. It was the same organized chaos as back at home, only here, the children were being met by their parents on scooters instead of minivans!

Back on board we decide to order dinner from room service. This was a bit of a challenge due to the fact that neither Glen or I could decide what restaurant we wanted to order from! Once we learned we could order from ANY of the dining menus or the room service menu it made things even worse. In the end I ordered an appetizer from The Restaurant, entree from the Degrees and Glen ordered from room service menu and The Restaurant. Then we ordered two bowls of popcorn and sat and watched a movie from the DVD library. Just like home!

The next morning was our next shore excursion at Pigeon Island, St. Lucia. We were going Deep Sea Fishing, something Glen and I had never done before. It was quite the experience as anticipated. The seas were very rough once we left the comfort of the shoreline. We were also bombarded by numerous storms with freezing cold rain and high winds. We had to hang on quite tightly as the ship was bouncing up and down with the waves. Sadly that was the most excitement we had... never did catch a fish, although we did get a few bites. Not what we'd hoped for but the experience was worthwhile nonetheless.

We returned to the pier to enjoy a bbq lunch on the island which had been canceled. Unfortunately the rain showers had been so continuous and long lasting the hot dogs and hamburgers were swimming in their buns and the staff had called it quits. We headed back to the ship for a delicious on board bbq lunch instead and no one seemed to miss the beach bbq at all.

We had our group cocktail reception this evening to say goodbye to our host and newly found friends. We watched the sunset as we sailed around the Pitons. It seemed the Captain was able to maneuver the ship very close to shore. We could actually see into peoples homes along the shoreline as they turned on their lights. We could even see people taking photos of the ship as we sailed past. It was really amazing to be so close to shore in such a large vessel.

Off to pack up our suitcases and early to bed as we had customs and immigration at dawn the next morning!

Sailing the Caribbean

On Tuesday, we awoke to the sounds of us anchoring in Basseterre. The sway of the ship now stopped, breakfast was our first stop. Looking out over the quiet and slowly awakening island of St. Kitts we decided to head in to the shops to get our kids some souvenirs.

There was a small shopping area right at the port where we found jewelry shops, tshirts, souvenirs galore. We quickly found what we were looking for and decided to head back to the comfort of the ship. We really didn't have plans to spend time in Basseterre and my book was really good. I had heard so much talk about the Twilight series, I'd decided to give it read to see what all the fuss was about. Fuss away! It was such a good read, I didn't want to put it down!

After spending the morning in Basseterre, we set sail by lunchtime for Charlestown, Nevis. Now that I was deep into my book, my husband and I decided to stay put on board and enjoy some of the quiet while everyone else was taking the tender into town.The water sports marina was now open and Glen thought he'd take a swim. Unfortunately we were anchored quite far out of the port of Charlestown therefore exposing us to a bit rougher seas than if we were closer into port. Glen and the other adventurous guests didn't swim far from the dock as the tide was very strong and made for a lot of hard work to get back to the ship. The staff had set up the trampoline, kayaks and sailboats which a few guests tried out but grew tired very quickly fighting the strong tide.

We tried out the Restaurant for dinner and again we enjoyed a spectacular meal. Everything was delectable.

We later set sail for Marigot Bay, St. Martin where we were planning to take a shore excursion so we were off to bed early.

We had to get up early (7:00 am!!) in order to get breakfast and then meet in the Lounge for our shore excursion. We were going on the America's Cup Regatta! After Greg handed out our box lunches (which was more than we could possibly eat!) and did the head count we were off to the tenders and across the bay.

We were informed that we were tendering off the port of Marigot Bay which is the french side of the island and much quieter than Philipsburg which is where all the large cruise ships dock. Unfortunately, we wouldn't get to experience the 'quiet' Marigot as there were 4 or 5 ships docked in Philipsburg, including the Royal Caribbean's much talked about Oasis of the Seas. Which meant that the population on the island almost tripled for the day. Traffic jams and chaos abounded.

We had to take a bus around the island to Philipsburg which I guess normally takes about 15 minutes but today took over 30 minutes. On the way, it was apparent that a lot of construction is underway across the island. They are dredging Great Bay at Philipsburg so more of the larger ships can dock and using the sand to create more land around what I think is Great Salt Pond. It was fascinating to watch the parade of dump trucks dumping their loads into the pond and creating land where there wasn't any a few minutes earlier!

We were met at the bus by the America's Cup Regatta rep who, believe it or not, was from Oakville, Ontario! After the compulsory bathroom visit - we were all made to visit the loo before getting on the race boat which made us all laugh, we were split into three groups and then ferried out into the bay for our brief (and I mean BRIEF) lesson and practice before starting the race. Glen and I ended up on the Stars & Stripes, competing against the Canada II and True North. We'd hoped we were going to be on a Canadian vessel to be patriotic but we didn't want to sabotage our US Team so we gave it all we had. The wind picked up and away we sailed.

It was quite exhilarating and almost a little scary as the boat leaned from one side to the other, waves splashing over the hull, but that was nothing compared to the rain storm that blew over us as we finished the second leg of the race. Poor Glen and I were working the grinders as fast as we could without being able to see a thing through the downpour of freezing rain. After about 5 minutes it was all over, and so was our lead. Seems the Stars & Stripes needs a lot of wind to win a race, whereas the Canada II and True North prefer a lot less wind, so after keeping the lead all the way to the last leg we not only lost but came in LAST! Humiliation.

Next, St. Barths - our favorite island of them all!

True North	a tad windswept	The Port at Philipsburg
Stars & Stripes	The Oasis of the Seas	Looking back at Philipsburg
The Mall at Marigot Bay	Heading back to the Wind Surf	Waiting for the tender