One of the world’s more exotic destinations, Fiji is a tropical paradise in the South Pacific, made up of 322 islands over three thousand km east of Australia. Once feared as the haunt of cannibals and fierce warrior tribes, today Fiji is regarded as being inhabited by supremely friendly and welcoming people who are full of joie de vivre and consider it rude to rush. It has been said that Fiji is where people wear flowers in their hair not to impress, but simply because they like to. Flowers there are aplenty blooming on these scenic, lush islands where the sun shines every day and orchids hang over waterfalls that plunge into jungle pools behind palm-fringed beaches. Visitors here can swim with manta rays, snorkel over coral gardens, scuba dive on the famous Astrolabe Reef, or ride the amazing six-metre waves known as the ‘Cloud Breakers’ off Tavarua. The Fiji archipelago is the hub of the South Pacific with more than 85 flights a week landing at Nadi airport on the main island of Viti Levu. From there it is easy to access the offshore island resorts or the other large islands of Vanua Levu or Taveuni. Viti Levu has several large towns and the bustling capital of Suva, which is a shopper’s paradise and offers an upbeat nightlife.
Article Published: September 12th, 2007
On June 26th Val Umscheid and Anita Dyck had the pleasure of escort a group to the Yukon and Alaska for the 5th year in a row. Our first morning was spent touring this beautiful area with stops at Miles Canyon, Beringia Centre, the Transportation Museum and the SS Klondike. Then it was off to be entertained at the Frantic Follies, a vaudeville revue of actors, dancers, and musicians that recapture the spirit and enthusiasm of the Klondike gold rush. Next we head north to Dawson City to spend a full day in this city that is a National Historical Site. We visited an actual Gold Mining Dredge and tried our luck panning for gold. Later that evening we tried to strike it rich at Diamond Tooth Gerties, the oldest casino in Canada. Our Journey continued into Alaska over the Top of the World Highway, the scenery was spectacular. The next day we got our first look at the massive Alaska Pipeline where it crossed the Tanana River. Lunch was served at Rika’s Roadhouse located in the Big Delta Historical Park. Then it was off to North Pole Alaska to visit Santa Claus House. We arrive in Fairbanks that afternoon and attended the Golden Heart Revue at Pioneer Park, a musical comedy about life in Fairbanks in the 1900’s. Next we had an exciting day as we board the Riverboat Discovery Sternwheeler for a three and a half hour cruise on the Cheena River. We made a stop to visit the home and kennels of the Iditarod champion, the late Susan Butcher, and experience a traditional Athabascan fish camp. That evening we had a special treat, dining at an Alaskan Salmon Bake. Next we journeyed to Anchorage where the scenery continued to amaze us. That evening we had a Bon Voyage Party at our downtown Anchorage hotel. The next morning we continue on to our final land destination of Whittier, where the Carnival Spirit Cruise Ship was waiting for us to board and be off on our Alaska Cruise.
Article Published: August 16th, 2007
A luxury cruise ship surrounded by the sea and the warm ocean breeze is a fun and exciting location for your memorable wedding ceremony. Shipboard weddings allow you to combine your ceremony and reception with a cruise honeymoon, and offer the options of your family and friends joining you on this fabulous vacation. We are your local Destination Wedding Specialist. With packages available in over 100 beautiful ports of call, you can choose a destination perfect for you and your guests. Couples are choosing cruise ship wedding packages over the traditional hometown wedding in greater numbers today than ever before. Cruise weddings allow you to plan a beautiful wedding at a fraction of the cost of a traditional land wedding. Plus, you can leave all the planning to Kaleidoscope Travel & Cruise. You just let us know what you are envisioning for your wedding, and when you arrive for your cruise, the wedding details have been all taken care of! Cruise weddings take place while the ship is in port, and couples can choose to have their wedding onboard the ship, or at a land location. You can be married in a shipboard chapel while the ship is docked in the Port of Miami, on a world-renowned beach in St. Thomas, in a rooftop garden in Italy, or even fly by helicopter to be married on an Alaskan glacier! Let the professionals at Kaleidoscope Travel & Cruise cater to your individual needs and make your wedding day the best day of your life. Call today for your free consultation and speak with one of our trained coordinators. We will provide you with tips to plan your ultimate cruise wedding.
Article Published: July 19th, 2007
On April 7th my daughter Alicia and I headed off to Puerto Plata for a mother/daughter week of sun and relaxation. We spend a week at the Occidental Grand Puerto Plata directly on Playa Dorada beach. This wonderful 4 star all-inclusive resort has 7 restaurants, 2 pools, 4 bars, windsurfing, kayaking, water polo, tennis courts, horse-back riding, pool volleyball and incredible nightly entertainment. We choose 3 different excursion of the area. Our first was the Outback Safari – we left the hotel and headed out into the country side for a day of adventure with stops at a Dominican home, a local school, lunch stop with Dominican entertainment, a river cruise and a stop at the beach for boogie boarding. Our next excursion was Paradise Island, we left the hotel at 6:00am and headed for El Castillo where we boarded a speed boat to take us to Paradise Island. On our way we were fortunate to have wild dolphins playing in the wake of the boat. Once we arrived at the island we spent an hour on a snorkeling tour – viewing amazing coral and colorful fish, after spending time on the island we again boarded the speed boat and toured through the lush green mangroves of the National Park on our way to lunch at a small fishing village. Our third tour was the Puerto Plata City tour. Our first stop was the Brugal Rum factory, where we toured the factory and sampled their product. Then it was off to the San Felipe Fortress, the Amber museum, and the local market. It was a wonderful vacation in the Dominican Republic.
Article Published: July 5th, 2007
Anita Dyck and Diana Rougeau spent May 31 to June 4 in Seattle attending the Cruise-a-thon Seminar. It was a busy weekend full of educational workshops and ship inspections. Friday morning was spent attending a training seminar from the Cruise Line International Association. At 11:00am we board a motorcoach and headed to pier 66 for our inspection of Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Sea’s. The 2,435 passenger ship was built in 1998 and refurbished in 2000. On board the Vision of the Seas you will find many of the expected Royal Caribbean features. The seven-deck-high atrium, the funnel-side rock-climbing wall, an 18-hole mini-golf course and a solarium with sliding glass roof, indoor pool, whirlpool, cafe bar and Royal Caribbean’s signature circular Viking Crown lounge. Friday evening we were treated to a welcome reception sponsored by The Port of Seattle and the Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. Saturday morning’s breakfast was hosted by Norwegian Cruise Line and then we attended a general session with seminars from Carnival Cruise Lines Bob Dickinson and Princess Cruises Jan Swartz. Today we inspection Princess Cruise Lines Golden Princess and had the pleasure of having a wonderful lunch in the Canaletto Dining Room. On Sunday after the morning classes we were invited aboard the Norwegian Pearl. This brand new ship is full of exciting options. Onboard, you’ll find 12 unique places to eat and 11 exciting bars and lounges where you can just hang. There’s even a bowling alley (a cruise industry first!) and rock climbing wall onboard. You can choose from an impressive array of accommodations from the ultra
luxurious Garden and Courtyard Villas to family-friendly connecting staterooms and suites toBalcony Staterooms, Oceanview Staterooms and Inside staterooms
Article Published: June 21st, 2007
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One of the world’s more exotic destinations, Fiji is a tropical paradise in the South Pacific, made up of 322 islands over three thousand km east of Australia. Once feared as the haunt of cannibals and fierce warrior tribes, today Fiji is regarded as being inhabited by supremely friendly and welcoming people who are full of joie de vivre and consider it rude to rush. It has been said that Fiji is where people wear flowers in their hair not to impress, but simply because they like to. Flowers there are aplenty blooming on these scenic, lush islands where the sun shines every day and orchids hang over waterfalls that plunge into jungle pools behind palm-fringed beaches. Visitors here can swim with manta rays, snorkel over coral gardens, scuba dive on the famous Astrolabe Reef, or ride the amazing six-metre waves known as the ‘Cloud Breakers’ off Tavarua. The Fiji archipelago is the hub of the South Pacific with more than 85 flights a week landing at Nadi airport on the main island of Viti Levu. From there it is easy to access the offshore island resorts or the other large islands of Vanua Levu or Taveuni. Viti Levu has several large towns and the bustling capital of Suva, which is a shopper’s paradise and offers an upbeat nightlife. 
