Celebrating Our Veterans

Celebrating Our Veterans, Inc. would like to invite you to join them on their second annual Freedom Cruise on board the brand new Norwegian Breakaway.  The 7-night cruise will sail roundtrip, November 17-14,2013, from New York City aboard the incredible Norwegian Breakaway, making stops in Port Canaveral, Florida; Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas and Nassau, Bahamas. To see trip inclusions, please click here.

About Celebrating Our Veterans, Inc.

Celebrating Our Veterans was founded in May 2011 by Derick I. Glenn after realizing there was a major need for more community involvement with our Veterans and their families. They are committed to helping our men and women returning home from war, assisting them in finding employment and readjusting to society.

About Norwegian Breakaway

The Norwegian Breakaway is Norwegian Cruise Lines’ newest fleet member. While encompassing many NCL favorites such as Shanghai Noodle Bar, O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill and the hot spot, Bliss Ultra Lounge as well as tons of fun for the whole family, the Breakaway also offers a lot of new and exciting features and of course, the look, feel, and life of her home port: New York.

New innovative features include:

• The Waterfront - an onboard oceanfront boardwalk lined with shops, restaurants and bars
• 678 Ocean Place - 3 action-packed decks featuring daytime and nighttime amusement
•  Ocean Blu – NCL’s first ever all-seafood restaurant featuring a raw bar and a sushi bar
• Aqua Park & Kid’s Aqua Park - fun water parks including multi-story water slides, swimming pools, hot tubs, kid sized water features and their favorite Nickelodeon characters
• Tons of onboard entertainment - Fireworks, a jazz club, Broadway shows, kid’s clubs, comedy club and more!

To see all that the Breakaway has to offer, be sure to check out “Norwegian Breakaway Sets Sail May 2013…” and “Breakaway on the Breakaway”.

For more information or to book your Celebrating Our Veterans Freedom Cruise, contact your local Boscov’s Travel Specialist by calling 800-755-8020 or emailing travelrequest@boscovs.com.

Family Fun at Sea

Creating a family vacation that your whole gang will love can sometimes be nothing short of a challenge – but that doesn’t mean it has to put a drain on you or your wallet.

By cruising, family fun can be found almost anywhere. The possibilities for you to get away from it all, relax and kick back while having a great time are endless. Cruise ships venture to nearly every corner of the globe, from the sun-drenched islands of the South Pacific to the snowy alpine scenery of Alaska and pretty much everywhere in between.

Offering everything from the comfort of cozy cabins and the excitement of bustling deck areas, to all-day buffets, nightly sweets, talent shows, and special programs for the kids, cruise vacations are voyages filled with a boatload of fun and a world of possibilities. From sunrise to sunset and beyond, you will find unique activities tailored to suit just about any cruiser.

Gone are the days of shuffleboard. Now you have your pick of swimming pools, spiraling waterslides, sports decks, scavenger hunts and much more. Oh, and the ports of call you can visit are pretty cool too!

Family Time Well Spent

Just like your family, cruising is always changing and evolving, introducing new out-of-this-world ships, along with new innovative amenities catering to familes of all sizes and ages. If you’re planning a family cruise for the very first time, or if you are a returning cruiser, you couldn’t have chosen a better time to set sail as there are oodles of new ships with great itineraries and amenities to experience.

No matter how old your kids are, the ships of Norwegian Cruise Line are prime for families – and the line’s newest ship, the Norwegian Breakaway, is certainly no exception. The latest expression of NCL’s ever-popular and relaxed “freestyle cruising” atmosphere, the Norwegian Breakaway’s design will offer the best of the line’s current fleet while infusing a variety of new innovations to create the best vacation ever.

On board you’ll find NCL’s largest kids club to date for ages 3-12; and teens will look forward to getting out of bed and heading to Entourage where they can hang with their peers. Even the under two crowd can enjoy special playtime with their parents in a dedicated area.

To keep the kids active, the on board Sports Complex will challenge cruisers to a game of mini golf or to climb the largest ropes course at sea. There’s even a basketball court and an enclosed climbing cage here too. Of course no family-friendly ship is complete without a pool, or two! The Aqua Park offers five multi-story waterslides (no other ship offers that). Add two swimming pools, four hot tubs and water features and you’ve got more ways to have fun than ever. For the younger crowd, the Kids Aqua Park features squirting  Nickelodeon figures and a perfectly sized pool.

Start your planning now as the stunning Norwegian Breakaway will set sail in the Summer of 2013 from New York to the pink-sand beaches of Bermuda, and in the winter to the warm tropics of the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Florida.

Adventures with Carol – Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches

Have you ever dreamed of exploring culturally rich city of Paris? Seeing the romantic French countryside? Visiting the historic sights along the beaches of Normandy? You can do all of this and more when you go with Carol on her next adventure.

Who is Carol and why you should go on her adventure?

Carol is a regional manager with Boscov’s Travel and is based in our Neshaminy office. She has been in the travel business for 35 years and has escorted groups of 20 travelers-389 travelers to Alaska, Hawaii, Germany, the Caribbean. Many travelers in these groups have returned to go on more adventures with Carol. Her goal is always to make everyone feel excited about their journey and is always accessible  through out the trip. If you are looking for fun and excitement, an adventure with Carol is the way to go!

 Where is Carol’s next adventure heading?

Carol is off to France! More specifically, she is going on a Paris and Normandy river cruise. She chose this adventure for very special reasons. This cruise will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Landing and also, the 100th anniversary of WWI. Not a history buff? That’s alright, this cruise is also a culinary cruise offering wine tastings and special cooking presentations. Carol likes adventures that offer something for everybody.

This trip includes an overnight stay and half day guided excursion to the magnificent Palace of Versailles  in Paris before boarding your ship: the Avalon Creativity for your 7-night cruise. The Creativity offers unmatched service; first-class amenities such as Wi-Fi access, fitness center, hair salon and a whirlpool on the Sky Deck; and staterooms that are 15% larger than the industry standard. Each stateroom has floor-to-ceiling windows to give you a panoramic view of the French countryside as you cruise along.

Viking River Cruises – Viennesse Hot Chocolate

This recipe, courtesy of Viking River Cruises, comes to us from Reiner Marks, who prepared this drink aboard Viking River Cruises ships in Europe many times. Reiner has fond memories of how much our guests enjoyed the drink, which he says “tastes delicious.” Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Seven ounces premium dark chocolate, grated
Three cups of low-fat milk
One tablespoon granulated sugar
One cup heavy cream, chilled
One-half teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract, organic if possible)
One tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
Cocoa powder or chocolate shavings for garnish

Directions:
Gently heat one cup milk with the grated chocolate. Simmer in a saucepan over low heat until all chocolate has dissolved. Combine the remaining milk and the granulated sugar in another saucepan and whisk until all sugar has dissolved. Gently heat while stirring. Add the chocolate mix to the sugared milk and continue simmering over low heat. Whisk heavy cream and vanilla together on high speed and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar until peaks form. Remove hot chocolate from heat and divide into cups. Place a generous dollop of whipped cream on top of each. Garnish with a pinch of cocoa powder or sprinkle with chocolate shavings and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings, depending on mug size.

For more information on Viking River Cruises, contact your local Boscov’s Travel Specialist, call 800-755-8020 or email travelrequest@boscovs.com.

Mystery Photo #135

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Hint: Can you name this cruise ship?

Today’s Photos are courtesy of Danielle of cruisemiss.com

Mystery Photo #134

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Hint: Can you name this cruise ship?

Today’s Photos are courtesy of Danielle of cruisemiss.com

Mystery Photo #133

Here’s how it works: we post an image and provide a clue. Leave a comment with your guess. Good luck! 

Hint: Can you name this cruise ship?

Today’s Photos are courtesy of Danielle of cruisemiss.com

Breakaway on the Breakaway

Last year I shared some impressive details about Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest and most incredible ship. She sets sail on May 12, 2013 from New York City and we couldn’t be more excited!

NCL has been slowly releasing more information on this massive, floating fun zone. In addition to The Waterfront, 678 Ocean Place, Breakaway Casino, The Manhattan Room; there is much more included for its lucky passengers.

My favorite thing about traveling has always been the food, so let’s start with all of the great on-board restaurant choices. Besides the six different complimentary dining options on the Breakaway, including O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, there are also eight different specialty restaurants from a range of cuisine choices.

• Ocean Blue – NCL’s first-ever fine-dining seafood experience brought to you by Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian.
• Le Bistro French Restaurant – NCL’s signature French restaurant with new Atrium Al Fresco seating options.
• Cagney’s Steakhouse – NCL’s classic, signature steakhouse perched high atop The Manhattan Room.
• Teppanyaki – A guest favorite, Teppanyaki is an exciting hibachi-style dinner and show.
• Moderna Churrascaria – The first Brazilian-style steakhouse at sea, Moderna Churrascaria offers beautiful indoor and outdoor seating options to complement their mouth-watering menu options.
• Shanghai’s Noodle Bar – The largest noodle bar at sea is the answer to your cravings for a taste of the Orient.
• La Cucina Italian Restaurant – This colorful piazza-style trattoria offers family style Italian dining on The Waterfront.
• Wasabi Sushi Bar – Sushi, sashimi and more, artfully presented and prepared as you watch.

In addition to all of the great options already mentioned, the Breakaway went a step further and added some extra tasty treats to their menu. Setting sail for the first time in May is Carlo’s Bake Shop, the famous bakery from TV’s “The Cake Boss”. And if you are looking for a way to cool down while indulging your sweet tooth, check out Dolce Gelato; a true mouth-pleaser.

Believe it or not, Breakaway’s dining options aren’t the only headliners aboard; the entertainment options are out of this world!

Mystery Photo #129

Here’s how it works: we post an image and provide a clue. Leave a comment with your guess. Good luck! 

Hint: Can you name this ship?

Mystery Photo #128

Here’s how it works: we post an image and provide a clue. Leave a comment with your guess. Good luck! 

Hint: Can you name this ship?