Spanish
take to
cruising

From page 32

was an enjoyable and often
stimulating melange of con-
trasts featuring the allure of
several Mediterranean desti-
nations and the fascination
of a ship that is a small city
in itself, real yet unreal, a
piayground on the seas
where there is ro poverty
and the only crime is not to
have a good time.

First stop was Ville-
franche: A busy day for the
shore excursions people,
whe dispatched passengers
to Cannes, Monaco and Eze,
while your agent caught a
local bus to Nice for a quict
lunch on the beach and

‘returned ‘by train.

’ “Thanks to an sfficient

tender system it wes quick
and easy to briefly visit the
Vision of the Seas for a show-
er and returi: to Villefranche
for dinner on the quay.

2 *: Who says you have to go
with the crowd?

. » Back on board I met evo
seniors who'd had a wonder-
I day. Having taken the
hip’s excursions because it

their first time in
urope, they were <hrilled at

WHUSLLER
SUNIMED
CONGER |
SOR LES

.T-BASE HON:

BLACKCOMB. -
Mountain J

the sights they had seen, the
company, the security, even
the lunch. “My,” said one
woman, “the food was
almost as good as we get on
the ship.”

The food on board really
was very good, and those of
us who had the occasional
meal on shore couldn’t help
notice how expensive
Europe is these days,
leading to calculations along
the lines of what it would
cost to cat, and sleep, in
comparable places shoreside:
A lot.

By comparison, a
Mediterranean cruise, which
also includes transportation
and Broadway-style enter-
tainment, is very good valuc.

And so to Ajaccio in
Corsica, Napoleon’s birzh-
place, then the bustling port
ef Civitaveccia and the ship’s
excursion bus to Rome, a
90-minute ride to experience
the world’s best ice cream.

Better men than I went
to the Sistine Chapel, and
pot straight in. RCI muse

ave friends in high places.

Sicily was next, although
unfortunately another cruise
ship, the Norway, had just
dropped 2,000 passengers
at Messina, leading to
something, of a traffic jam
in the ancient lanes of
Taormina.

. Never mind, I discovered
a charming hotel close to the
Greek ampitheatre and will
return another day.

That’s another plus about

ISTLER SUMMIT C

AUG. 15, 1 P.M,
AN AWESOME QUADRUPLE BILL

Sunday, July 5, 1998 — North Shore News - 33

north shore news

> TRAVEL

cruising: You get a taste and
can always go back for more.

Sailing into the majestic
harbor of Valletta in Malta
was an experience that can
only be equalled to Sydney
or Hong Kong.

And then there was a day
at sea.

At last a chance to
explore the ship, which I
had been saving for a rainy
day because that’s another
joy of a big ship: you can
always go the movies, hit he
casino, visit the spa and have
a massage, take a dance class
and guzzle a pizza.

No need to panic about
putting on weight because
Viston of the Seas has a large
gym with a similar amount
of equipment that General
Eisenhower brought to
Normandy on D-day.
There’s even a view as vou
pound away on the running
machine.

I preferred tne deck,
three times around being a
mile, a daily routine that was
occasionally supplemented
by some strict tempo at the
Viking Club Lounge high
above the waves.

It was a lively place that
week, but what would you
expect with a strong contin-
gent of Spaniards intent on
having a good time?

You can see Vision’s rwin,
the Rin. psody of the Seas,
every Saturday night as it
sails from Vancouver to
Alaska, and the Legend of the
Seas on Sundays.

AUG. 8, 7 P.M.
AN EVENING WITH JANN ARDEN
WITH COLIN JAMES AND THE

Lrrtte Bic BAND.

~ Tickets: $25 IN ADVANCE, $30
DAY OF SHOW. Kips 6 AND

UNDER — FREE.

FEATURING CHANTAL KREVIAZUK, THE PHILOSOPHER Kincs,
Cowsoy Junkies AND Buue RODE.

Tickets: $30 IN ADVANCE, $35 DAY OF SHOW. Kins 6 AND

UNDER — FREE.

G
_WHISTLER RESORT

Signature makes moves

FIRST Choice Holidays PLC, the
British parent company of
Canadian tour operator Signature
Vacations and Encore Cruises, has
announced the acquisition of an
airline and two UK tour operators.

First Choice acquired Unijet, Hayes &
Jarvis and Leisure International Airways for
Cdn$329 million, ranking them number
three in the competitive package holiday mar-
ket in Britain.

ALBERTA
Caigary-University

BRITISH COLUMBIA
Abbotsford (Vancouver Area)
Kamloops

Kelowna

Parksville

Vancouver-Rirport
Vancouver-Northshore

©1998, Bass Hotets & Resorts inc. All ngnts reserved. Most hotels are independently owned and/or operated.

| AUG. 9, 1 P.M.
Famity DAY witH
FRED PENNER. JOIN
US FOR THIS ENTER-
TAINING DAY,
INCLUDING EVENTS
AND ACTIVITIES FOR
THE WHOLE FAMILY.

Tickets: $12 IN-
ADVANCE, $40
FAMILY OF FOUR...
Kips 2 AND UNDER
— FREE:

Tickets on sale now at the Whistler Activity

Centre. All tickets inciude a Blackcomb aipine

sightseeing pess for day of show. For special con- .

cert accommodation packages, call Powder
Resort Properties at +-800-777-0185.

“Though it took place on the other side of
the Adlantic, this acquisition is good news for
the Canadian market,” said Signature presi-
dent John MacNeill. “First Choice is now the
largest long-haul operator in Britain which
increases Signature’s buying strength in che
Caribbean and Latin America. This volume
buying power will allow us to make our vaca-
tions even more affordable. Further, access to
the long-range airplanes owned by the newly-

See Signature page 34

yy
av MU |

a aad oy
Motiday Snr §
PEXPRESS @
ve 4-800-HOLIDAY a

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Hotel 6 Suites
Charlottetown

“10114.8,WNN.SHORE.NEWS © .

he

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