| Welcome to Norwegian Breakaway, a revolutionary new ship designed to connect guests to the ocean and to each other like never before. Today, Norwegian Breakaway reveals her exhilarating outdoor spaces located 17 decks above sea level. | |||
By Theresa Norton Masek
Norwegian Cruise Line’s new 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway will feature a three-story sports and recreation center with five water slides, including two with free fall sections. The facility also will include a large ropes course -- with a plank extending over the side of the ship -- a nine-hole miniature golf course, a basketball court and a rock climbing wall. “It’s really extensive,” said Norwegian CEO Kevin Sheehan at press conference at CLIA’s cruise3sixty conference. “It’s like going to camp.”
The two free-fall slides start with guests standing up and then the floor drops from underneath, propelling them into a loop. Two additional side-by-side twister slides (called The Whip) plunge guests through a spiral. For a more relaxing ride, there is an open-flume slide. The five slides can accommodate 1,000 people per hour.
Norwegian Breakaway, which will launch in April 2013, also will feature a Nickelodeon-themed Aqua Park for kids with a kid-sized pool and slide, multiple water features, bungee trampoline and spider web, a 24-foot enclosed climbing cage with a spiral slide. A pool for parents is adjacent so they can keep an eye on their offspring.
The ropes course, billed as the largest at sea, will have more than 40 elements, including a zip track. The Plank will evoke memories of pirate ships with a platform that extends eight feet over the side of the ship. Those who brave it can have their photo taken. Of course, guests will be tethered to a safety harness.
Currently under construction at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenberg, Germany, Norwegian Breakaway will arrive in its year-round homeport of New York City in early May 2013. The ship will begin weekly summer seven-day cruises to Bermuda on May 12, 2013. From October 2013 through April 2014, the ship will offer sailings to the Bahamas and Florida and the Southern Caribbean.
Caesars Entertainment, whose Atlantic City portfolio includes Caesars, Harrah's Resort, Bally's and Showboat, announced its summer entertainment lineup. Performers include Mary J. Blige, who continues her mini-residency performances at the Circus Maximus Theater, and Madonna. Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City will kick off the summer by celebrating Memorial Day weekend on Sunday with Kim Kardashian.
Over Independence Day Week, guests will have a chance to experience performances by Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx and Sarah Silverman and the return of the Tribeca Film Festival Cinema Series. Later in the month, the fourth annual Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival will take place. This year, both festivals will be on display for over 30,000 visitors at Caesars, Harrah’s Resort, Bally’s and ShowboatBy Randy Colt
You might have been planning your road trip in the U.S. and Las Vegas is in your list, but you are wondering what you can do in the Sin City when you have kids tagging along. A pit stop in Las Vegas with the family is a possibility sans the casinos and other adult offerings at the Strip.
Here are some things you can do in Vegas with the whole family:
Renewal of wedding vows
Your kids might have seen your wedding album a million times and they might have told you to have another wedding a gazillion times so she can be the flower girl or he can be the ring bearer. Vegas is a perfect destination not only for instant weddings but a fun location to renew your wedding vows. The kids will enjoy the limo ride and maybe Elvis asking you for the I do’s.
Fountain show and gelato at the Bellagio
Gelato is everywhere in Vegas but a great bargain is just inside the Bellagio near its famous fountain. You can get a cup for about $5 while enjoying the water and light show.
Camping
Vegas is all about exuberance and excess and it is nice to get away from it for a day and have a camping with the whole family. Relax and enjoy the night with the kids in an RV park like Sam’s Town and get ready to hit the road on the next day to continue your Vegas family adventure.
Grand Canyon tour in a helicopter
Hiking to see the greatness of the Grand Canyon but it is never to easy to go to the bottom of the canyon and climb back up even if the whole family has a clean slate of health. Indulge and splurge for a helicopter ride to see the natural wonder in all its glory. The kids will surely have an amazing experience and have a new appreciation of earth science and geology after the tour.
Boating
A few steps on the gas pedal from the city and you will be at Lake Mead. This is a recreational area and national park which was inaugurated when Hoover Dam branched the flow of Colorado River. You are guaranteed your piece of shoreline and water at any time of the year along the 100 mile stretch of the lake. In case you do not have your own boat, you can rent from the marina nearby.
Snowboarding and Skiing
An hour from Las Vegas,, you can have a fun time in the snow on the 300 acre property of Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort between November and April. Advance or beginners will enjoy the slopes and mountain trails. You might not have packed your coats and skis but you can rent all the gear needed. The resort also provides skiing and snowboarding lessons for adults and kids.
Circus Circus
If you want a freebie, kid friendly show, head to the Circus Circus for their juggler and acrobats. The show is located indoors and you can actually get a sit so it still nice to catch even on chilly or rainy nights in the desert.
By Randy Colt
Hotels around the world each have their own fair share of grandiose features. One of the most impressive, though, is a giant aquarium. Expectedly enough, you’ll find some of the best looking ones in places which are located close to beaches or the ocean. Amazingly, though, there are also surprising gems to be found as well. If giant aquariums make your vacations complete, you don’t want to miss out on these hotel highlights.
Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin, Germany
While most giant tanks are quadratic, the Radisson Blu’s aquarium is a graceful cylindrical structure and it’s considered to be the largest cylindrical aquarium in the world. It stands at 82 feet tall and has a generous 40 feet diameter. The aquarium also holds 264,172 gallons of water. This aquarium is called the AquaDom and could be found at the lobby of the hotel.
Currently, the aquarium has 1,500 tropical fishes. The species spread includes the blue mackerel, the trigger fish, the surgeon fish, the silver moonfish, and the humphear wrasse. Guests are encouraged to view this giant aquarium while enjoying cocktails at the Atrium Lobby and Lounge Bar. You may also take an elevator ride to view all three stories of the aquarium up close.
The Atlantis in the Palm, Dubai
Not only does this aquarium hold more than 11 million gallons of water—it’s also located the most prominent landmark in Dubai—the Palm. A must-see is the Ambassador Lagoon which is unquestionably the biggest water habitat of the Atlantis. It holds three million gallons of water and showcases sharks, sting rays, wrasse, guitar fishes and other interesting species.
As a whole, the Atlantis at the Palm holds about 250 different species of marine life. Much like its Bahamas counterpart, the Palm’s Atlantis is home to around 65,000 animals. It’s certainly a marine haven. Aside from the Ambassador Lagoon, you may also enjoy the Dolphin Bay wherein you can interact with these smart marine creatures. You can also go for the Ultimate Dive Experience which is a guided diving tour through the facility’s largest lagoons.
The Lost Chambers is also an attraction that’s worthy of a visit. Here, you’ll get to experience the wild marine life without getting your clothes wet. These are underground glass walled halls which lets you be among the Atlantis’ marine creatures even if you’re not confident enough to go scuba diving amongst them. It’s a good activity to choose especially if you’re traveling with children.
Hotel H20 in Manila Philippines
If the first thing you want to see when you wake up in the morning is an aquarium, you might want to book yourself a stay at the H20 Hotel in Manila Philippines. This hotel has about 65 rooms with 65 aquariums built on the wall. The hotel also connects to the Manila Ocean Park which showcases over 10,000 marine specimens. This includes sharks, sting rays, eels, and jellyfish.
The hotel’s aquariums, connected to the “Oceanarium” at the Manila Ocean Park, when combined are considered to be the largest viewing tunnel for marine life in Asia. The Oceanarium alone holds 5,000 marine creatures, runs for about 80 feet long. You can also view this marine wildlife through a glass bottomed boat, or wear special helmets which would allow you to walk through the reefs through the Aquanaut Voyage. The fish foot spa is also a painless but unique experience if you’re tired of the conventional way of artificially exfoliating your feet.
The Mirage in Las Vegas
The Flatiron Hotel in New York
This is literally the only place you can go to in New York if you’re looking for a giant aquarium. In the concrete jungle that is the Big Apple, it’s certainly surprising that something like the Flatiron Hotel can exist. It’s about two stories tall and while it only holds 3,500 gallons of water (a fraction of what the Atlantis aquariums have to offer), it still attracts droves of New Yorkers and tourists who are seeking for some sort of escape from New York’s urbanity. Before the facility opened last August 2011, locals had to travel all the way to Coney Island just to experience the sea. Now, no matter how cold it gets in New York City, this colorful aquarium is sure to remind anyone of the warm Caribbean Islands.
The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas
Las Vegas has always been known for putting a spunky spin on almost everything it gets its hands on. Now, this included giant aquariums. Not only is the aquarium in the Mandalay Bay huge, holding 1.6 million gallons of water, it is also home to 30 live sharks of 11 different species. So far, this is the only predator-based aquarium in North America, and it never fails to drive droves of tourists all-year-round.
Among its 14 tanks, the Shipwreck Exhibit is probably the most impressive because it’s the largest. You can view this tank through a tunnel and it holds an awesome 1.3 million gallons of salt water. This aquarium is home to blacktip reef sharks, the sandtiger and the sandbar. It also has endangered marine creatures like the Green Sea Turtle, Komodo dragons, the arapaima, and the saw fish. If you’re a bit more daring, the facility also has certified scuba diving guides who can accompany you so you can swim amongst these predators. If you’re traveling with kids, you might want to opt for the Touch Pool. Here, you can “pet” horseshoe crabs and stingrays.
The Gansevoort in Miami Beach
Miami has always been identified with its long beach strips and wild party scene. What people don’t know is that it’s also home to the longest aquarium along the East Coast. The Gansevoort Aquariumstands 50 feet long, and holds about 40,000 gallons of water. The hotel aquarium also gracefully curves around the lobby so guests are always welcomed by this awesome sight. Rest assured that you won’t just be booking your stay here for just the aquarium. The Gansevoort is one of the most highly praised hotels in Miami Beach.
The Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas
It’s not surprising that the best hotel aquarium could be found in the Bahamas. Even without the mystery of finding such a hotel feature in this destination, though, this large marine mammal rehabilitation center is still bound to produce a “wow” effect on you. The aquarium holds about eight million gallons of sea water in a total of fourteen lagoons. The facility does not just impress by numbers, though. Your kids are also bound to love the interactive exhibits.
Don’t miss out on the gigantic Ruins Lagoon which is home to some 20,000 coral reefs and small fishes. You will have to snorkel here to truly appreciate the view, though. The Stingray Lagoon and the Dolphin Cay are also large aquariums which allow you to feed and pet these truly awesome animals. The Atlantis holds about 50,000 marine animals. These animals represent 250 different species.
Pacific Beach Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii
Now you may wonder why the odd number on our list? We are actually hoping the tenth entry will come from you? Have you been to a hotel with an amazing aquarium? We love to hear from our readers. Come on, share your travel stories.
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