Royal Caribbean + DreamWorks = Smart

[trip style = cruising] As if a rock-climbing wall, flowrider surf-simulators, zip line and aqua theatre weren't enough, Royal Caribbean has to go and partner with DreamWorks Animation to offer themed activities on their upcoming mega-ship: Allure of the Seas.  They had me at hello--I mean--flowrider.

Sisters & Siblings The Allure of the Seas follows in the footsteps of its older and almost identical 'twin' sis, the Oasis of the Seas, a 5400-passenger behemoth and the biggest cruise ship to ever set sail. The Oasis has been sailing since November, 2009. The Allure of the Seas sets sail in December 2010, and will journey to East and Western Caribbean out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Dreamworking Royal Caribbean's recently-announced partnership with DreamWorks is intelligent on multiple levels: 1) likely taking market share away from Disney cruises 2) enticing kids to hang out with their favorite animated characters 3) equally enticing to parents, knowing their kids will be engaged day and night 4) good time to announce the partnership [Shrek--highest grossing animated feature of all time--is hot and in theaters right now] 5) providing an experience that partially mimics Disneyland's with shows, activities, parades, photo opps (no rides, yet lots of non-animated activities for parents with babysitting provided!)

Allure of the Seas Video

The Skinny Royal Caribbean's partnership with DreamWorks will debut with the Allure of the Seas, but quickly advance into the ranks of some of their other ships: Oasis, Freedom and Liberty. The partnership will extend into the following areas of cruise life: character meals, parades and photo opportunities, 3-D theater for DreamWorks movies and one-of-a-kind aqua theater and ice shows. I'm pretty sure this partnership---3-D movies, aqua theatre and ice shows---will appeal to the kid in all of us.

In on the Action If you want to get in on the action and pre-book an Allure of the Seas getaway in the Eastern or Western Caribbean, you can do so here. Prices aren't that bad, in fact, they start in the low-mid $700s/person for an interior room.

Additional Videos Kung Fu Panda

Getting Your Vacation On Donkey-Style

Madagascar Penguins in the Bridge

Alex the Lion in the Gym

Related Post Crusin' with the Fam

[photos by Nick Hobgood and rccl/dreamworks]

Spotlight :: 30 Hours in Victoria

[trip style = weekend getaway]

I love how a morning can go from serene to stressful in a matter of seconds. My morning started serene with morning yoga, but quickly progressed into stressful as I madly dashed to the Victoria-bound BC Ferry terminal with my family of 2.5 (my husband, my dog @nachoking and me). My early morning downward-dogging was the last bit of calm I'd encounter for the weekend, since we only had 30 hours to blitz BC's gorgeous capital city and our itinerary was already jam-packed with a wedding, an evening on the town with cousins, dinner with friends and a little sleep.

Arrive in Style
If I'd only known about this in advance, I could've sailed to Vancouver Island in style--and perhaps a little more 'put together'! BC Ferries is moving up in the world, launching a mani/pedi service on their Spirit ships (Spirit of BC & Spirit of Vancouver Island). The first-come, first-serve 'nail sculpting' is offered Thursday-Monday on the 7am, 9am, 11am and 1pm sailings from Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay. The cost? Not as bad as you'd think: manis $30, pedis $40 and combos $65. If someone touching your nails isn't your thing, then opt for a different type of 'touch' with a 15-minute chair massage for $20.

Victoria Bliss
Victoria is more than just twinkly parliament buildings, a tourist hub and retirement town; it's a thriving community of eco-minded people of all ages. Some of the nicest people I know live in or hail from Victoria--it must be the temperate climate, ocean breeze and island-living!  For just a hint of Victoria bliss, here are few suggestions for your next trip BC's capital.

Eat & Drink

• The Tapa Bar - A Victoria institution for the past 10 years. Eat a little or a lot of the globally-inspired tapas.
• Bard and Banker - If you're a Scottish beer-drinker, this pub's for you. You may also enjoy it if you're not Scottish, like jazz and appreciate 30 different types of beer.
• Bengal Lounge at the Empress - Grab a martini and gaze at the colonial-inspired decor--tigers and all.
• Thrifty Foods - I know this is a grocery store, but I love the quality and variety of the items offered on the shelf. Some of my faves are trail mix cookies, granola and moose tracks ice cream.

Stay
The Fairmont Empress - Location. Location. Location. I recommend this hotel for a multitude of reasons, including it being the recipient of the Condé Nast Gold List 2010. See my recent Trip Advisor review here.

Do

• Butchart Gardens - My mom and grandma would be upset if I didn't mention this family-owned floral Mecca. It's also rated #1 of 99 tourist attractions in Victoria.
• High Tea - The Fairmont Empress has been serving high tea for over a century, which is a big deal in young Canada! With a scone and spot of tea, indulge in the time-honored tradition in an idyllic, ocean-front setting.

Getting There

• By Boat: BC Ferries (if you're traveling during peak summer times, make a reservation)
• By Plane: Harbour Air

[photos by marbla123, The Tapa Bar, Jeremy Burgin]

Healthy on the Road :: All you can Eat

Famous Last Words All-inclusive resorts are famous for their massive "all you can eat" spreads of local and North American cuisine--often hotels offer mammoth breakfast buffets too.

Buffet-Induced Brain Damage I love a great spread of food as much as the next person, but don’t enjoy the ensuing buffet-induced brain damage. Seriously, if you haven’t experienced it yourself (I don’t believe you, by the way), you have observed others taken down by this acute affliction: filling our plates with enough calories to last our entire vacation, only to feel ridiculously over-full by the end of the meal...or very wasteful as we observe half of our second helping being cleared when we finally decided to throw in the towel.

Breakfast at Home vs Away We recently spent an incredible 2-weeks in Israel. Breakfast and dinner were included in the hotel package. For me and my husband, a typical breakfast at home usually consists of a bowl of porridge, yogurt, or cottage cheese topped with some yummy nuts and fruit and a cup of coffee. For some reason, when on holiday, my concept of what I need would satisfy a linebacker!

Buffet Option OVERLOAD! Brief overview of the buffet territory we covered: 1) the table filled with food more customary to the country (in Israel: delicious variety of salads, breads, local olives, and fish) 2) the pastry station...warm croissants 3) the omelette station – how fun! Must make more room on the plate for that! 4) oh wait...what’s that over there? - the waffle and pancake station...awesome! Suddenly, CRISIS STRIKES - I have no more room on my plate! What am I going to do!?  Guess I will just have to come back for seconds. What other option do I have?

Wake Up Snap out of it! I know better...so why is this happening? In short, I am facing all sorts of options that I never prepare at home, for obvious reasons, such as time.  There's another reason, it’s the thing that's often tossed when people travel: HEALTH AWARENESS. Generally, at home in my regular routine, I know what my body needs on a sub-conscious level. I know that eating 2 plates of waffles, eggs, bacon, toast, hashbrowns etc. won’t be sitting too well when I arrive at work, run errands, or do a morning workout.

Out of our Regular Routine I have concluded that part of the reason we engage in such gluttonous activity while traveling, is partly because we are out of our regular routine. We’re not heading out to the office, nor are we planning to workout, in fact, our grand plan for the day is to drag our over-full selves to the poolside, fall into a lawn chair, and roll into the water when we need to cool off.

EAT-A (Enjoyment, Appreciation, Thankfulness, Awareness) After about 5 days of experiencing buffet-induced brain damage, and the poor digestion and low energy that accompany indulging, I concluded that a plan of attack was needed. I set out to be more aware of WHAT I was putting on my plate and choose MOSTLY healthy options. I say mostly, because, hey, I’m on vacation!

Enjoy Those Extra Calories Choose where to cheat and where to save calories.  For example, if I channel my inner Martha Stewart, I can make waffles and pancakes at home, but chocolate-filled croissants are a treat I love and wouldn't even try to make, so I put one on my plate. I set out to be mindful and aware of the treat I was choosing and really savour it; as for the rest of my plate, I Ioaded it up with all the incredible healthy options like: protein, whole grains, local fruits and veggies, etc...

Thankful With all this talk of food and *choosing* to make healthy eating decisions while we travel, I'm thankful for: - food and the fact I have never known what it means to go hungry - the opportunity to taste local delicacies - the incredible fare that has been prepared for me to sit back and enjoy!

Be sure to check out previous Healthy on the Road posts to learn more about the advantages of being of being active while traveling and the health benefits of desiring good-for-you food in reasonable portions.  Healthy on the Road posts are published on the first Thursday of every month and written by our resident health consultant, Leah Munday, owner of OTfit.ca.

[photo by lookslikeamy]

Not-So-Obvious Vancouver Weekend Getaways

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With the incredible scenery surrounding Vancouver and Seattle, a great trip doesn't always mean escaping thousands of miles away.  Here are some not-so-obvious weekend getaway options for whatever trip style you're feelin' at the moment:

For the spontaneous Hotwire has a trip planning feature called go local search that finds travel options within 250 miles of home. Alternatively, why not take advantage of Bellingham's small airport and easy parking, and book a weekend in any of the sunny destinations where Allegiant flies. I recently booked an Allegiant SUPER SALE trip style = weekend getaway to California for $9.99 each way {$56 return with taxes}; you couldn't drive between Vancouver and Seattle for that little!

For the luxists Once you arrive at the sprawling beaches and gaze toward the pacific ocean on one side and the West Coast rainforest on the other, making the mini trek to Tofino is well worth it. Admiring it from your oceanview room at the Wickaninnish makes it even more magical. {Don't miss their $300 June special, valid for select dates! To Reserve: 1.800.333.4604}

For the 5-star spa seekers If the idea of being surrounded by millions of Swarovski crystals, bathing in a tub-for-two overlooking Lake Okanagan, or "refreshing yourself" in a -110 degree Celsius sauna appeals to you, then the new $122-million Sparkling Hill Resort in Vernon, BC is right up your alley. Drive or fly to Kelowna and a free shuttle will transport you to the crystal castle. {Don't miss their June Grand Opening Wellness packages from $840 -- includes 2 nights, breakfast for 2, 5-course dinner for 2 and 2 $150 spa vouchers}

For the outdoorsy who don't camp Something most people don't know is you can rent vacation homes from the Washington State Government. Whether you want a lakeside retreat or beachside bungalow, they've got you covered. Accommodations like the red-roofed Lighthouse Keeper's Residences at Cape Disappointment won't ... disappoint.

For the outdoorsy who kind of camp In addition to camping and vacation homes, the Washington State Government also offers cabins, yurts and teepees. Yes, you did just read teepees. For an incredible view, a night at Quartz Mountain's "fire lookout" in Spokane will result in weekend zen.

For the wine'ers & dine'ers Vines from three incredible wine regions thrive close to home. For those who like to "discover" the of-the-moment wine, or eat and drink their way through the Pacific Northwest, this weekend in wine country is for you:

• Vancouver - take a day trip and discover the amazing wineries in your own backyard.  Don't miss Domaine de Chaberton, Lotusland Vinyards, Township 7 and others.
• Okanagan - internationally recognized for its perfect mix of mountains, lakes, fresh air and intense sunlight, the Okanagan's wineries give Napa a run for its money.
• Washington - I just learned that Washington's wine region is situated along the same latitude as France's. Merveilleux! After Napa, Washington is the US's biggest wine-producing region with 650 wineries and vinyards to enjoy! {Don't miss Chateau St. Michelle's incredible concert series pairing their latest pour with Earth Wind & Fire, Blondie, the B-52's, or Harry Connick Jr.}

For the rail enthusiasts Try out Portland's street food scene or shop 'til you drop {no sales tax} in Oregon's biggest city. Amtrak Cascades rail service runs from Vancouver to Portland {return} and departs twice daily. Seattle to Portland has more frequent daily departures.  I hear Amtrak is rolling out wireless internet on most of their trains, but this roll-out has not yet reached the aforementioned trains. {Update: as of Feb 2011, there is wifi on the Amtrak Cascades}

[photo by @tripstyler]

Travel iPhone Apps :: Trip Advisor

Yay and f-i-n-a-l-l-y!  After much anticipation, Trip Advisor launched its first iPhone App last Tuesday.  Now you can access "the world's most trusted travel site's" mammoth offering of user-generated reviews, as well as book hotels and flights in-app. I have a love/hate relationship with Trip Advisor.  I love and value the reviews from smart, savvy travel 'advisors,' but strongly dislike the reviews from bent-out-of-shape travelers who just want to rant.  However, I recognize that a site with thousands of daily reviews is bound to have a few bad apples in the bunch.  Either way, I'm a big fan and am very excited about the app!

Find Trip Styler's Trip Advisor reviews here!

Trip Advisor App Details

• free
• works with iPhone, iTouch and iPad
• access millions of user-generated reviews of hotels, restaurants, attractions, etc...
• add your own review
• formatted for 20 countries and 13 languages
• find and book flights
• get directions using GPS for walking, driving or public transport

Other Travel iPhone Apps we’ve Reviewed

• StayHIP
• Trip Journal
• Bug Spray
• CameraBag
• Convert Everything
• GateGuru
• Kindle for iPhone
• Packing Pro
• Skype
• World Fact Book
• AAA/CAA Savings
• Royal Caribbean
• Medical Concierge
• Tourism British Columbia :: Near Me BC
• Postman Postcard
• 2010 Guide
• Nat’l Geo World Atlas
• hostelworld.com
• kayak first class
• flight control (game)