Seldom are the events that mark a milestone in our lives. A promotion to a long desired position, perhaps? Or a wedding ceremony to the man or woman of our dreams, maybe? Or having a child for the very first time? All of these are great moments, much like […]

Seldom are the events that mark a milestone in our lives. A promotion to a long desired position, perhaps? Or a wedding ceremony to the man or woman of our dreams, maybe? Or having a child for the very first time? All of these are great moments, much like our graduation day. After all, they all consist of farewells to old lifestyles and hellos to so many promising things.

Graduation day is the most prominent example for such an occasion. Some view it as a time to say farewell to your youth, to those times when you were dependent on your parents care. It is also viewed as a time to welcome new experiences in the corporate of entrepreneurial world, and with it, a change in lifestyle. One thing is certain. After graduating from your studies, things will never be the same again.

You would have to say goodbye to old friends who have been with you throughout your education. You would have to say goodbye to an all too familiar neighborhood that you have become accustomed to. You would have to say goodbye to the fond follies of being a student.

But you would say hello to a lot of exciting promises as well. There is, of course, the rewarding prospect of employment in the professional world. There is the liberating experience of living on your own. There is the fulfilling challenge of establishing yourself and hopefully making it big in this world.

And it all begins with your graduation.

Here are some of the things you should expect after you have commenced from your years of formal education:

* You would have to compete with a lot of people for the job you want. Statistics show that 462 people, at the average, would be applying for the position youre eyeing. Since you will be a fresh graduate, you wont have the necessary working experience that some of these positions would require. Look for entry level jobs instead. They will be designated as such. This doesnt mean that you should cease in applying for positions that require minimum work experience. There is no harm in trying, and Lady Luck may smile on you.

* You should prepare yourself for a sudden change in lifestyle. There will be opportunities that would require you to relocate. New environments need some adjustments on your part, and this wont be easy. You will have to make some necessary sacrifices, at least initially. And you should work hard to establish yourself in your new world.

* You should also develop some necessary skills that would help you cope up with your new life. Time management is primary among them. You will need to learn how to maximize your time, and this can be done through effective schedule planning.

* You should learn how to persevere, as well. You will run into some failures, for sure. But always remember what they say: its not how many times you fall down that counts, what matters is how many times you pick yourself up. Whatever failure you encounter, think of it as a learning experience necessary for your eventual success.

* You should also set some goals for yourself. These would be your inspiration, especially during trying times. They are the achievements you would want to attain, and they will help you keep your focus throughout your post-graduate life.

Farewells and hellos are indeed the prevalent themes come graduation time. The end of an experience, and the beginning of a new life that is full of promising things and brand new challenges: these are the things that should be expected when you graduate. Will you be up to the task? Of course you would. What you have been preparing for up to that point would be laid down for you to conquer.

Tags:
Travelling Locations

More: click here…

When you are out on vacation with your family you must often be looking for an inn where you can spend the night as well as get breakfast the next morning before you’re up and away. If you are wondering whether there is a good place for bed and breakfast on the route you’re […]

When you are out on vacation with your family you must often be looking for an inn where you can spend the night as well as get breakfast the next morning before you’re up and away. If you are wondering whether there is a good place for bed and breakfast on the route you’re traveling, the answer will probably be yes in fact there are thousands of acceptable hotels and inns all over the country that will provide you with a comfortable bed as well as you morning meal.

A bed and breakfast is a renovated home or a hotel where you will get both food and lodging. When you are out with your family on vacation staying at a bed and breakfast will enable you to just relax and enjoy your late evenings, as you dont have to worry about what you’ll eat in the morning. Staying at a bed and breakfast is hassle free, as you dont have to look for food outside. You may wonder whether the bed and breakfast inns provide you with all kinds of facilities that you get in hotels. Rest assured that these inns will provide you with all kinds of services and facilities that you usually get in a hotel.

You may be asking yourself whether you’ll have the usual amenities in these bed and breakfast inns. Presently the inns with bed and breakfast give lots of amenities like jacuzzi or a whirlpool tub, air conditioning and also a high speed internet connection. Besides, the rooms are well furnished with T.V., cable T.V, VCR and also telephones. You will also get help from the innkeepers regarding the best local sights, the choicest restaurants and the most popular romantic spots.

For staying at a bed and breakfast inn you have numerous choices. It is advisable to book your bed and breakfast inn well in advance. So you must choose the right inn for you and your family. To find the most suitable one, devote some time to the planning. Consult the various advertisements on T.V. and in the newspapers. The internet is a good source of information regarding inns, and about travel in general. Talk to the innkeepers and ask them about the rooms, breakfast, check in and check out times and other information you are interested in. You can also go through the inns website for all necessary information. Some bed and breakfasts also offer suites. Instead of a single room in a hotel or inn you can go for a suite. But make sure your pocket is well-lined, because suites can be pretty expensive.

Bed and breakfast inns are mostly found in small towns and villages and in the countryside. They are the perfect place to spend your weekends or an overnight stay while passing through the area. Unlike at hotels, you can have direct interaction with the innkeeper and other guests. In most bed and breakfast inns, innkeepers treat you with warmth and hospitality. Apart from a cozy bed, you will be provided with a unique and delicious breakfast. Therefore staying in a bed and breakfast is not like staying in a hotel; you will feel more like you are staying in somebodys home.

Tags:
Travelling Locations

More: click here…

Cherie

Release Date: 11/2/2006

Crystal Offers New Excursions in Asia

Crystal Cruises is introducing more than three dozen new land adventures as part of its 2007 return to Asia. Among the options are canoeing and snorkeling in Thailand, a martial arts performance in Japan, longboat sailing along the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, cooking classes in Vietnam and Hong Kong, and multiple-night overland adventures to Hanoi, Angkor Wat and Laos. The shore excursions and land tours are offered in conjunction with four cruises departing between March 29 and May 1 aboard the Crystal Symphony. The 11- to 16-day cruises will visit 17 cities in nine countries, including a maiden call at Chan May, Vietnam. A transpacific cruise from Los Angeles to Hong Kong on March 11 kicks off the Asia program. Cruise fares begin at $4,295 per person, double occupancy. Crystal’s complimentary land program in Beijing, included with the season’s first two cruises, showcases the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall with accommodations at the Shangri-La Hotel. Crystal is also offering pre- and post-cruise land programs to Tibet, Xi’an and hotel stays at the InterContinental Hong Kong or The Peninsula Hong Kong. For more information, call 800-820-6663 or visit www.crystalcruises.com.

More: click here…

Cherie

Release Date: 11/2/2006

Costa Resolves Dispute with U.K. Shipyard

Costa Crociere has announced the favorable outcome of its lengthy dispute with Cammell Laird Holdings, which began in 2000. The Arbitration Tribunal hearing the case ruled unanimously that the termination of the agreement between the two parties had occurred due to the non-performance of the contract on the part of the former shipyard and ordered damages to the cruise company. The dispute first arose over a ??50 million shipbuilding contract, signed by Costa Crociere and Cammell Laird Holdings, which called for the former British shipyard to build and insert a new hull section into the Costa Classica for a lengthening project. The work should have taken place in late 2000 and early 2001. Costa said in a statement that Cammell Laird failed to complete the construction in time to proceed with the lengthening, so Costa cancelled the contract in January 2001. In the course of the arbitration proceedings, the Italian cruise company’s arguments were upheld. For more information, visit www.costacruises.com.

More: click here…

Cherie

Release Date: 11/2/2006

Carnival Promotes Special Holiday Season Cruises

Carnival Cruise Lines is offering holiday cruises on all 21 of its ships this year, offering a variety of three- to eight-day voyages to the Bahamas, Caribbean and Mexico from 11 North American homeports. The ships’ atrium and promenade areas will be adorned with Christmas trees, garland, wreaths and mistletoe, along with signage proclaiming traditional holiday greetings. The spirit of the season continues with a holiday-themed revue with sets that evoke a “home away from home” atmosphere complete with a faux oversized fireplace, large sofas and a Christmas tree with decorations created by the kids from the “Camp Carnival” program. Kids will also have an opportunity to perform a dance routine with the ships’ entertainers. Santa Claus also makes an appearance, bringing along a sack full of toys, which are distributed to all children on board. A parade of crewmembers representing dozens of different nationalities on board closes the popular show. Holiday menus include oven-roasted turkey with all the trimmings and pecan pie. Other featured events include caroling and readings of traditional holiday stories such as “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by the ship’s staff, while holiday-themed movies such as “The Polar Express” are shown on the in-cabin televisions. The New Year’s cruises feature a traditional countdown with complimentary noisemakers, party favors and champagne. Short cruises are priced, for example, from $499 per person for a four-day Bahamas cruise aboard the Sensation from Port Canaveral, a five-day Caribbean cruise aboard the Fantasy from New Orleans, or a five-day Key West/Nassau cruise on the Celebration from Jacksonville. For those looking for a longer cruise, seven-day Caribbean cruises from San Juan by the Carnival Destiny or from Miami by Carnival Victory are priced from $749 per person. Seven-day Caribbean voyages from Tampa aboard the Carnival Miracle or from Miami aboard the Carnival Valor are available from $799. The above prices are based on double occupancy for an interior (category 4A) stateroom and are subject to change without notice. For more information, call 800-327-9501 or visit the travel agent site at www.bookccl.com.

More: click here…

Cherie

Release Date: 11/2/2006

NCL Confirms Order for Two Newbuilds

NCL Corp. Ltd. has confirmed an order with Aker Yards of France to build two new cruise ships, with an option for a third. The ships, to be built for the Norwegian Cruise Line brand, will each be approximately 150,000 gross tons with 4,200 passenger berths. The contract price for the two ships and one option is ?‚¬2.17 billion, or approximately $2.8 billion at Wednesday’s exchange rate. The vessels will be built in Saint Nazaire in 2009 and 2010, with the optional third ship for delivery in the first quarter of 2011. With the project name “F3,” the new ships will represent NCL’s third generation of Freestyle Cruising ships. Details of the ship’s design will be released closer to delivery. The company did say that 100 percent of outside staterooms will have private balconies for a total of 1,415 balcony staterooms and suites. The new ship design will offer 60 percent more passenger space than NCL’s largest ships. For more information, call 800-327-7030 or visit www.ncl.com.

More: click here…

Cherie

Release Date: 11/1/2006

HAL Expands Menu, Wine List in Pinnacle Grill

Holland America Line’s specialty Pinnacle Grill restaurant is introducing new menu selections and accompanying wine flights for each day of the week. The 21 new menu items comprise a week’s cycle of new daily appetizers, entrees and desserts. The additions are designed to complement the Pacific Northwest-inspired cuisine served in the Pinnacle Grill aboard Holland America’s 13 ships. Samples of the new daily specials include tequila shrimp and avocado ceviche served with Peruvian aji, grilled rack of veal chop with lemon-thyme glaze and Sicilian-style roasted vegetables, and tiramisu-flavored panna cotta with passionfruit sorbet. Wine flights from Pacific Northwest cellars complement the new daily specials in four wine flights, each featuring one glass of four vintages showcasing the wine-growing regions of the Pacific Northwest. Two flights each of white and red are offered each evening and range in price from $12 to $29. The Pinnacle Grill is an alternative restaurant open for dinner by reservation only; guests pay a surcharge of $30 per person for dinner and $15 for lunch (reservations are suggested but not required for lunch). For more information, call 877-SAIL-HAL or visit www.hollandamerica.com.

More: click here…

Cherie

Release Date: 11/1/2006

Royal Caribbean’s Majesty to Undergo Renovation

ALMACO, a shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas, will renovate all cabins and upgrade food-handling facilities on Royal Caribbean International’s 1992-built, 74,000-ton Majesty of the Seas. Over the past three years, ALMACO has revitalized two other Sovereign-class ships, the Monarch of the Seas and Sovereign of the Seas. The revitalization work will start on Jan. 12 and will be completed by early February. All cabins will undergo an extensive refurbishment and the bathrooms will be modernized. ALMACO also will install new food-handling equipment for the brand-new Windjammer Restaurant, Johnny Rocket’s and the pizzeria. For more information, visit www.almaco.cc or www.royalcaribbean.com.

More: click here…

Cherie

Release Date: 11/1/2006

Regent Seven Seas Sets 2007 Europe Program

Regent Seven Seas Cruises will offer 45 European voyages in 2007, introducing two newly refurbished ships and calling on several new and less-visited ports. New ports of call include Falmouth, England; Cartagena and Valencia, Spain; Golfe de Porto, Corsica; Koper, Slovenia; Korcula, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; and Kos, Greece. The cruises will be operated by the Seven Seas Voyager and the Seven Seas Navigator, both of which will complete multi-million dollar refurbishments this winter. Suites are being re-designed with from down comforters, Egyptian cotton percale Anichini brand linens, faster wireless Internet access, and iPod players with Bose speakers in butler suites. In addition, beginning in 2007, every Regent cruise will include complimentary wine and spirits. The 2007 European cruise season begins April 16 with a 15-night transatlantic voyage by the Seven Seas Navigator from Fort Lauderdale to Monte Carlo, and culminates with the Nov. 7 eight-night voyage aboard the Navigator from Funchal in Madeira, Portugal to Fort Lauderdale. While the Voyager will sail throughout Southern, Western and Northern Europe, the Navigator will remain in the Mediterranean for more than six months, sailing from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Greek Isles. Cruises range from seven to 19 nights, and per-person prices start at $4,157. Fares include shipboard gratuities and all non-alcoholic beverages as well as select wine and liquor. “What a Fare Deal” options include a choice of roundtrip economy-class air, $499 business-class upgrades when economy air is purchased, or $1,000 savings off the cruise fare. Among the season’s highlights is the Seven Seas Voyager’s 42-night “Grand Europe Discovery,” which will depart Rome on May 26 and end in Copenhagen on July 7. This voyage explores Europe from the Mediterranean north to the Arctic Circle, with more than 25 ports of call. For more information, call 866-284-4079 or visit www.theregentexperience.com or www.rssc.com.

More: click here…

Cherie

Release Date: 11/1/2006

Royal Caribbean Reports 12 Percent Increase in Profits

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced profits of $345.4 million, or $1.63 per share, for the third quarter of 2006, compared to $374.7 million, or $1.64 per share, for the same period last year. The third quarter of 2005 included a net gain of $44.2 million, or 19 cents per share, related to the redemption of the company’s investment in First Choice Holidays PLC. Revenues for the third quarter of 2006 increased to $1.6 billion from revenues of $1.5 billion in the third quarter of 2005. Net yields increased 2.7 percent over the third quarter of 2005, driven by strong cruise pricing. Net cruise costs increased 4.5 percent; fuel accounted for 3.4 percentage points of the increase. The company’s at-the-pump fuel price averaged $442 per metric ton this quarter and $385 per metric ton in last year’s third quarter. “We are extremely pleased with the performance of our two brands,” said Richard Fain, RCCL chairman and CEO. “It is particularly gratifying to continue to show such good results despite significantly higher fuel costs.” Although the company traditionally has losses in the fourth quarter, it said it expects a “very good fourth quarter 2006 based on strong yield growth and lower costs.” The company expects net yields for the fourth quarter to show year-over-year increases consistent with those seen in the third quarter. The company also announced it has received all necessary governmental approvals to its deal to acquire the Spanish company Pullmantur and expects to close in mid-November. The acquisition is expected to negatively impact fourth-quarter earnings by 2 to 3 cents per share. Looking into 2007, RCCL said overall booking levels and ticket prices are in line with levels achieved at the same time last year. The beginning of the year is down slightly, with bookings beyond the first quarter more robust. “While it is still too early to quantify projections for 2007, management is optimistic that the current demand environment will result in positive yield performance for the full year,” the company said. For more information, visit www.rclinvestor.com.

More: click here…

Cherie

Release Date: 11/1/2006

Celebrity to Expand Expeditions Line with Second Ship

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has received antitrust approvals from Spain and Portugal on its planned purchase of Madrid-based cruise and tour operator Pullmantur. With purchase plans on schedule, company officials also unveiled Celebrity Expeditions, an extension of the Celebrity Cruises brand, and a ship swap involving Pullmantur’s Blue Dream and Celebrity’s Zenith. In August, RCCL signed an agreement with Pullmantur’s shareholders to buy all the company’s capital stock, subject to regulatory approvals. Today’s announcement eliminates the last major requirement to finalization. The company anticipates closing in mid-November. The approvals “allow us to move ahead with very exciting plans for both Celebrity and Pullmantur,” said RCCL Chairman and CEO Richard Fain. “For Celebrity, it allows us to build out and extend the Celebrity brand with tailored ships for target markets — a long-time strategy for the brand — and, for Pullmantur, it enables us to add needed capacity to the fleet.” When the 718-guest Blue Dream joins Celebrity’s fleet, it will formalize a small ship, destination-driven brand, which will operate under the banner of Celebrity Expeditions. Currently, Celebrity has only one ship, the 100-guest Celebrity Xpedition in the Galapagos, in this category. The Blue Dream will be renamed Celebrity Journey, and will join Celebrity’s fleet in April, sailing Bermuda itineraries from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, N.J., beginning May 5. Before switching brands, the ship will undergo a one-month renovation to incorporate many of Celebrity’s signature elements, such as two specialty restaurants; expanded spa services, including in-room offerings; expanded concierge service, including butlers; and additional guest suites. The restyled ship will sail the same Bermuda itineraries originally scheduled for Zenith. The Zenith will sail regularly scheduled Caribbean itineraries from Tampa until April 13, at which time it will sail a Caribbean and Bermuda itinerary from Tampa to Cape Liberty. The April 13 sailing will be the ship’s last sailing as part of the Celebrity fleet before it redeploys to the Pullmantur fleet in June 2007. After a dry-dock renovation, the Zenith will sail seven-night Mediterranean cruises between Athens and Venice. Celebrity representatives said they will contact all guests currently holding bookings on Zenith in Bermuda to transfer to similar accommodations on Celebrity Journey. Celebrity has set up a toll-free number for travel agents and guests with questions about ship or itinerary changes. That number for group and individual bookings is 888-281-9343, featuring prompts to direct callers to areas of interest. Celebrity Journey was constructed in France and entered service in May 2000, as R6 of the now-defunct Renaissance Cruises. The 30,277-ton ship has 358 staterooms. New bookings for Celebrity Journey will be available in the next several days. Ship itineraries for the remainder of 2007 will be announced shortly. For more information, call 800-437-3111 or visit www.celebritycruises.com.

More: click here…