Ponta Delgada is a small city of around 70,000 people located on the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores. Situated west of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean, this area has been continuously inhabited since at least 1444, when small fishing villages were established around the islands. In the early part of the 19th century, Ponta Delgada was of significant economic importance to Portugal and at one point was actually considered the third largest city based on economic strength and population. The farm land surrounding the city at one point had a major citrus industry, trading extensively with the United Kingdom. Continue reading →
Crusiing
Crossing the Atlantic – Is it Right for You?
If you talk to ten people about cruising, you’ll no doubt get ten different answers about its attractiveness. Some people love it, while others absolutely hate the idea. One particular kind of cruise seems to evoke controversy over its merits, and that is the crossing, or repositioning cruise.
As the seasons change each year, cruise lines generally move their ships to different markets. A ship that cruises the Alaskan market in the summer months might move to the Pacific coast of Mexico, or even transfer to Australia and New Zealand. A ship that normally cruises the Caribbean in the winter might go to Europe.
When the cruise lines make these transitions, they of course don’t want to take an empty, non-revenue generating ship across the ocean, so they’ll sell the cruises. Continue reading →