Good afternoon one last time travelers! This is the final week of the Ireland blog posts and we saved the best for last! This week we will be discussing important first-time tips for Ireland Travel. Let's dive right into it!
Tip #1- Learn the rules of the road! Ireland drives on the other side of the road and some road signs look different, so pay attention and learn the differences
Tip #2- Be prepared for drives to take longer. Ireland has few large highways like we do in the U.S. so short distances will take longer than they seemingly should.
Tip #3- Bring Euros. The currency of the EU is definitely a necessity to have. 
Tips #4- While there are familiar food favorites, try some new ones too! Ireland has many pubs and restaurants all with their own types of food and drink. 
Tip #5- Take in some live music! Irish music is like no other and you will not want to miss live pub music 
Tip #6- Do not be afraid to go off the beaten path, you may find some hidden Irish gems!
Tip #7- Do not plan every minute of your trip. Take some time to stroll at your leisure and explore the villages and towns to see what they have to offer.
Tip #8- Pack for different kinds of weather, no matter the seasons!
Tip #9- If you are on an escorted tour, prepay gratuities and as much else as you can to avoid running out of cash on hand for tour staff.
Tip 10- Pack good and comfortable walking shoes for your time exploring!

This post concludes our summer Irish Blog series. Thank you to everyone who read these posts, it has been a joy to put them together for you all. Please contact us at Port of Call Travel if you are ready to book your next trip to Ireland! I would highly recommend visiting this great country someday soon, it will not disappoint you. 

Hello again travel lovers we are back after a short hiatus from the blogs. This week we have a different blog post for you. I recently traveled on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas on a weeklong Caribbean cruise that stopped at Port Canaveral, Florida, Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Nassau Bahamas. Check out my full review of the ship and itinerary below! 
​

Our cruise on Symphony was truly a vacation to remember! Our vacation started in Cape Liberty, New Jersey as the port is in driving distance for myself and my travel group. We boarded at about 10:30am and check-in is super easy at Port Liberty! We were on board the ship within 25 minutes of arrival. Upon boarding we secured our cups for drink packages and connected our devices to the Wi-Fi. Our E-muster drill was super simple, and if you have not cruised since the pandemic, this will be a game changer for you. 
Symphony is a beautiful ship, Royal really outdid themselves with this one. This ship is part of the Oasis class of ships which means there is something to do for everyone. From Central Park to the Boardwalk there is no shortage of entertainment for you. The ship has countless dining venues, many of which are included in your cruise fare! Pizza, Mexican, Ice Cream, Pastries, hot dog bar, and of course the main dining room and buffet are all included in your cruise! You will not go hungry on this ship. There are also plenty of entertainment venues on this ship. Boleros Lounge has live Latin music and dance classes daily, the Schooner Bar has a piano area that comes to life every evening, and Royal Caribbean productions in the theatres never disappoint! There are also of course many pools and other outdoor entertainment including mini-golf, basketball, water slides, surf-simulator, and more! 

Now onto the ports of call for this trip. Our cruise made 3 stops, two in the Bahamas and one in Florida. Our first stop was Cape Canaveral Florida. We had visited here a few times before, so if this is your first time, definitely go visit the Kennedy Space Center. This time we chose to go to Cocoa Beach and visit the famous Ron Jon shop. The area is very beautiful and walkable so it's perfect for an afternoon in Florida. 
Our next stop was Nassau, Bahamas. This port is one of the most frequently sopped at cruise ports in the world. On our day at Nassau, two other Carnival ships were docked alongside us. We chose to spend our day in Nassau at Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville Resort. We purchased our day pass from Resorts for a Day, which is great for any destination that has all inclusive. They offer refunds up to 24 hours before your anticipated arrival date. Our time at Margaritaville was fantastic! There is a large "Fins Up!" waterpark and beach access for all daytime guests. The food is not included at this resort and is something to consider prior to booking. 
Our final destination was Royal Caribbeans award winning private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay. This island is a MUST SEE for any cruise lover. Royal invested tens of millions of dollars to completely transform this island to a beautiful destination. The past times we have gone here we have visited South Beach or the Coco Beach Club. We decided to go back to the beach club this time because of the outstanding experience it offers to guests. We got off the ship at 8am to ensure we got a perfect spot at the club, and we had a Celebrity ship in port with is that day. This beach club is the best excursion we have ever done on a cruise by far. The elevated experience it offers guests is unmatched, including a beautiful beachfront infinity pool and lobster or steak for lunch. This excursion can get slightly pricy but is worth it if you can find a deal at the right time. There are also plenty of included options at CocoCay as well as included food. To explore all of those options check out our travel resource page and visit Royal Caribbean Blog for more help! 
Check out some pictures from the various excursions below!
​

All in all, this cruise was another home run by Royal Caribbean!  We all enjoyed every aspect of this cruise and would highly recommend it to any traveler looking to cruise. If you are interested in a trip on Symphony or any other vacation, get in contact with us at Port of Call travel to get your booking process started! Happy travels!

Welcome back everyone! After a brief hiatus the weekly blog posts are back! This week we have an important topic for those looking to plan a trip to Ireland. The time of year you travel is almost just as important as the destination itself. Factors like weather, festivals, and other events all can make or break your trip. So, this week we will be discussing the best times of the year to travel to Ireland and why, so let's dive in! 
Most people, even if you have not traveled to Ireland, know that Ireland is infamous for rain and clouds. However, there are some periods of the year where travelers will see better weather. Summer is the obvious answer here when temperatures will reach Mid-Upper 60s and you will see more sunshine. This time of year schools are also out of session in Ireland so there are many festivals, carnivals and gatherings, so this is a perfect time of year to see the buzz around the various cities. The only real downside to this time of year is prices for travel are at their peaks, airfare and hotels will cost you a pretty penny. I would still recommend this time of the year as the best time to travel especially for first time travelers to Ireland .
Spring and fall bring similar weather patterns to Ireland, with temperatures in the mid 50s and long days. The weather is slightly crisper, and children are back in school so you can expect less crowds in some of the tourist hubs throughout the cities. There is less activity overall so if you are looking for festivals and parties, this may not be the season for you to visit Ireland. This is not to say that there is nothing to do by any means, just less in comparison to summer. On the plus side, airline prices especially start to fall as well as hotel and Airbnb costs, so if you do not mind less going on and slightly cooler weather, visiting in spring or fall may be for you! 
The last season is Winter and were going to split this up into 2 sections, Christmas time and non-Christmas time. The Christmas time is a fantastic time to visit Ireland as long as you can handle the very cold weather. The towns light up with festivals and markets and there are smaller crowds as well. Some prices can rise slightly around the holiday but are generally lower than peak summer season. As for the non-Christmas season, there is not much going on in Ireland and some attractions might have different hours for the off season. Prices are at their lowest in January and February so if you are looking to travel on a budget, this is the time of year for you!
Thanks for reading this week's edition of the Emerald Isle! We have a few more weeks of these blog posts coming and that will conclude our summer series. As always, if you are ready to book your Ireland trip or anywhere else contact the experts at Port of Call Travel to book your vacation of a lifetime!