Cruise Port Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is the capital and most-populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in Australia. Noted for its cultural heritage, the city is the home of Australian rules football, Australian impressionism and Australian cinema, and has recently been recognized as a UNESCO City of Literature. Melbourne is a vibrant city famous for street art, live music and theater.

Where Your Ship Docks

Cruise ships tie up at the Station Pier and Terminal. There are facilities at the pier and a number of transportation options are near by. The pier is right at the center of Melbourne’s famous beaches.

Melbourne beach next to Station Pier and Terminal

Wheelchair Accessibility

Disembarking – This port has a developed cruise ship pier but the ease of disembarking can vary by the individual ships gangway designs. The Melbourne pier disembarks right near Port Melbourne railway station with access to the light rail trains. For passengers using wheelchairs there can be a moderate ramp incline to deal with.

Port Area Characteristics – Melbourne has a well developed wheelchair friendly infrastructure. The port area is flat with a few moderate inclines. Intersection crosswalks have few issues with curbs or other wheelchair obstacles.

Getting Around Melbourne

Often cruise ships offer shuttle bus service into the center of Melbourne and a taxi fare should be under A$15 each way (3 miles).

China Town Melbourne

The best way to see the area is to buy a myki Explorer pack from SkyBus ticket booths (Adult A$15). Available at Melbourne Airport and Southern Cross Station, the PTV Hub at Southern Cross Station, and a number of hotels. Packs include a pre-loaded Myki card with enough value for one day of travel in Zone 1 and 2, instructions on how to use myki, maps for trains, trams and the city centre, and discounted entry to attractions in Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Trams – Passengers can board trams at signposted stops displaying maps, route numbers and a timetable. Route numbers are also displayed on the front of the tram. Travel within the central area of Melbourne by tram is free, though you will need a myki card if you plan to start or finish your journey outside this central area. For information on the area covered by the Free Tram Zone and a downloadable map, go to the Public Transport Victoria website HERE.

Buses – Melbourne buses run frequently to major hubs, including shopping centres, schools, hospitals, leisure and sports venues, and some of Melbourne’s biggest attractions. Find transportation system maps HERE

Currency

Australia has its own Dollar (A$) and US Dollars are generally not accepted.Most major credit cards are welcome and there are ATM machines readily available. Recent exchange rate is about A$ 0.81 = US$1.00.

Attractions

About three miles east on the beach from the cruise pier is St. Kilda Pier, offers great views of the Melbourne skyline and Port Phillip Bay. This pier is a city destination for strolling, cycling, rollerblading and fishing as well as sunning on the beach. See if you can spot the penguins in the water from the St Kilda breakwater.

Melbourne Gardens is the central part of Melbourne’s cultural life and a key part of the heritage of the city. Stunning landscapes, beautiful lakes and a huge plant collection, the Gardens are a place to hike, relax and discover treasures. Take the Aboriginal Heritage Walk, in the garden, a Free Guided Walk.

Polly Woodside is a tall ship and museum, managed by the National Trust of Australia, it’s located in South Wharf on the Yarra River.

Art – In the Southbank precinct are the Arts Centre and the National Gallery of Victoria. At Federation Square, art and architecture offer a backdrop for a number of art choices, from audio visual shows at ACMI, and the Aboriginal art collection at the Ian Potter Centre NGV.

Spend some time browsing the Queen Vic Market with aisles of fresh produce as well as organic wines, freshly brewed coffee and great baked goods.

Centre Place is the heart of Melbourne’s famous alleys or laneways with its bluestone cobbles representing the stereotypical character of the city’s famous laneways. Changing stencil art and graffiti provide a backdrop for a day of cafe hopping and boutique shopping. Stop and have a beer at Hell’s Kitchen as you sit and watch the crowds in the laneway below.

AC/DC Lane named after the famous Australian musical group, ACDC Lane is the embodiment of Melbourne’s love of native rock ‘n’ roll.

Cherry Bar, 68 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000. The soul of the Melbourne rock scene was founded by the drummer of the Cosmic Psychos in 2000, this rock ‘n’ roll bar features live music and is a launch-pad for local aspiring musicians.

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Todays Featured Poster • Christ of La Laguna, Tenerifi, Canary Islands

This crucifix has been in Tenerife, Canary Island’s since 1520. The Cristo de La Laguna (Christ of La Laguna in English) is a Catholic crucifix of great historical, artistic and cultural significance. It is one of the most revered Spanish religious sculptures and considered by many as the best European crucifix in terms of artistic quality. The local legend tells the story of a stormy night at the Convent of San Miguel de las Victorias (today Sanctuary of Christ) in the Diocese of Cuenca, in Priego, Spain. That night the nuns heard a knocking at the door, and when they opened it found a large box, with a bright light shining from inside. When they opened the box they discovered the statue of Christ on the cross. It was widely accepted as a miracle. The Cristo de La Laguna is known to have been in Venice for a while and from there, taken to Barcelona and from Barcelona to Cádiz, where it was on display in the church of La Vera Cruz. After that it moved to Tenerife in 1520.

Join us as we visit historic treasures, natural wonders and vibrant cities set against backdrops that are endlessly changing and visually magnificent. Celebrate a world of travel experiences with these decorating accessories that are perfect for framing.

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Celebrity Cruise Ships • A Guide

Celebrity Cruise Line

Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 by the Greece-based Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line to form Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the latter since then. The company has its headquarters in Miami, Florida. Celebrity’s signature logo is an “Χ” displayed on the funnel of Celebrity ships, and is the Greek letter chi, for “Chandris”.

Celebrity consistently has the highest overall rating on CruiseCritic surveys along with the most ships on their top ten cruise ship survey.

Celebrity Millennium 2000 • 91,000 GT •2,137 passengers • refurb in 2019

Celebrity Infinity 2001 • 91,000 GT 2,170 • passengers • Refurb November 2020

Celebrity Summit 2001 • 91,000 GT • 2,158 passengers • refurb in 2019

Celebrity Constellation 2002 • 91,000 GT •  2,170 passengers • Refurb April 2020

Celebrity cruises characterizes itself as a more upscale experience featuring longer and farther reaching itineraries. They are also noted for their onboard lecture series called Beyond The Podium, with notable guest lecturers often with a focus on the region being visited. They often provide a number of onboard classes from painting to jewelry making and “behind the scenes” tours. Celebrity also pride themselves on their live musicians performing in venues throughout the ship along with the quality of their theatre stage productions.

Onboard you are more likely to find lawn croquet than water flumes and naturalist lectures rather than scavenger hunts. Every ship features a number of speciality restaurants, wine bars and cafes.

Solstice Class

Celebrity Solstice 2008 • 121,878 • GT 2,850 passengers • Refurb October 2021 – Celebrity Solstice is one of our most decorated ships at sea with a world of innovations. The first Lawn Club at sea. The first cruise line to have five women redesign its staterooms. Outstanding cuisine takes dining to a whole new level. Celebrity Solstice® also features Canyon Ranch Spa® and fitness center. Pamper yourself with spa treatments.

Celebrity Equinox 2009 •121,878 GT •2,850 passengers• refurb in 2019

Celebrity Eclipse 2010 •121,878 GT• 2,850 passengers• Refurb November 2020

Celebrity Silhouette 2011 • 122,210 GT• 2,886 passengers • Refurb January 2020

Celebrity Reflection 2012 •125,366 GT •3,046 passengers • Refurb February 2023

Edge Class

Celebrity Edge 2018 •130,818 GT • 2,918 passengers – The Edge Class of ships was designed to shatter expectations. Featuring luxuriously designed rooms that erase the boundary between indoors and out, a cantilevered Magic Carpet SM soaring above the sea, and a collection of 29 world-class restaurants, bars, and lounges, Celebrity Edge has been voted Best New Ship by the editors of Cruise Critic.

Celebrity Apex (Edge class 2020 129,500 GT 2,918 passengers – Featuring luxuriously designed rooms that erase the boundary between indoors and out, a cantilevered Magic Carpet soaring above the sea, and a collection of 29 world-class restaurants, bars, and lounges.

Celebrity Beyond (Edge class 2022)

Galapagos Expeditions Ships

Celebrity Xpedition 2001 •2,842 GT •96 passengers • refurb in 2015

Celebrity Xperience 2017 • 1,610 GT • 48 passengers

Celebrity Xploration 2017 • 319.5 GT

Celebrity Flora 2019 •5,739 GT •  100 passengers

Future Ships

Celebrity Ascent (Edge class 2023)

Todays Featured Poster • The Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain, an 18th-century fountain in Rome, Italy is on almost every Rome “must see” list. Designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini it stands an impressive 75 feet high and 150 feet wide, and is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world.

Back in the fifties a popular movie came out called Three Coins In The Fountain. It was about three American roommates working in Italy who made wishes to meet the man of their dreams by throwing coins into Trevi Fountain. Before that movie it wasn’t a practice to throw coins in Trevi and over the years that movie scene has morphed into a tradition. Now it’s throwing a coin over your right shoulder into Trevi Fountain to guarantee that you’ll return to Rome.

In the mid sixties Trevi Fountain again became the center of attention when Federico Fellini’s movie La Dolce Vita staring Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg was released. Trevi Fountain is the night scene of Anita Ekberg in a strapless black dress dancing and wading through the fountain.

Join us as we visit historic treasures, natural wonders and vibrant cities set against backdrops that are endlessly changing and visually magnificent. Celebrate a world of travel experiences with these decorating accessories that are perfect for framing.

Cabo San Lucas, A Cruise Port

Cabo San Lucas, or simply just Cabo, is a popular resort city at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. The population of the city is over 200,000 inhabitants but can easily be outnumbered by visitors. Because of its location where the waters of the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez meet it’s noted for its sport fishing and is often referred to as the Marlin Capital of the Pacific. The city boasts a number of luxury homes, upscale resorts and having its harbor full of expensive yachts. It is also a popular port of call for cruise itineraries out of California.

Where Your Ship Docks

Cabo San Lucas is a tender port as the harbor doesn’t have room to accommodate large cruise ships. Cabo provides a convenient tender dock and the marina area has plenty of good public facilities.

Wheelchair Accessibility

Disembarking – This is normally a tender port as large cruise ships cannot be accommodated at its piers. Wheelchair bound passengers will encounter challenges both in getting on tenders as well as disembarking at the pier.

Port City Characteristics – The marina area has an average wheelchair infrastructure but the town outside the port area can be a challenge for people in wheelchairs. Sidewalks can be narrow and intersection crosswalks may have curbs or other wheelchair obstacles.

Transportation

The two main tourist areas in Los Cabos are the towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, approximately 20 miles apart and the resort area in between is referred to as the Golden Corridor or just The Corridor. There is only one main highway in the area, Highway 1, which runs the length of the Baja Peninsula, ending in Cabo. Highway 19 travels the coast between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo

Renting a car in Los Cabos is generally on the expensive side but less than taking taxis especially if you’re looking to go any distance. A one way taxi trip between to the two towns will cost about US$60. Car rental agencies are located downtown.

Currency

The local currency is the Mexican Peso with an exchange rate of about 1 Dollar = 19 Pesos. Credit cards are welcome and there are ATMs but make sure you know the bank and charges before using one.

Attractions

The southern Baja is noted for beautiful desert landscapes and gorgeous beaches along with the famous the Arch, often called “Land’s End”, where the Sea of Cortez & the Pacific Ocean meet.

Near the tender dock is a great area for strolling around the marina featuring great restaurants, cafes and bars. In Cabo San Lucas, the marina is Cabo’s central hub where you can people watch and check out the luxury yachts moored in the water.

While in port don’t pass up a snorkeling trip or going out whale watching. There are also a number of sunset and dinner cruises along with a glass bottom boat tour.

In the winter the area is a major feeding and mating location for humpback whales, so don’t pass up an opportunity for a whale watching boat tour. Rated as one of the best things to do in Los Cabos in season and you’re almost guaranteed to encounter whales.

Another attraction in Los Cabos is the Church of San Lucas, a 300-year old Spanish mission church.

Los Cabos has a lot to thank The Eagles for. The famous Cabo Wabo Cantina chain was started by Sammy Hagar of The Eagles. The Cabo Wabo Cantina was an enormous curiosity and success from the day it opened in 1990 even though Cabo San Lucas was a pretty small place for a big nightclub back then.

Another popular attraction is the Hotel California made famous by the Eagle’s recording. But The Eagles claim the song has actually nothing to do with that hotel Los Cabos. There was even a legal battle about claims made by The Hotel California regarding the song. The hotel was actually founded in 1948 by a Chinese immigrant and it’s located between La Paz and Los Cabos and was popular because it was the only place for miles around that sold cold beer. The hotel is about 45 minutes by car from Cabo San Lucas taking Coastal Highway 19 but keep in mind it isn’t what people claim.

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Cruise Port Málaga Spain

Málaga, Spain, is a popular cruise destination on the Costa del Sol in the Mediterranean, and is located east of Gibraltar on the Alborin Sea. This port is a remarkable blend of the historic and the modern with a near perfect climate.

The city of Málaga has been inhabited since prehistoric times, evidenced by the cave paintings of the Cueva de la Pileta (Cave of the Pool) and was originally established as a city by the Phoenicians some 3,000 years ago. The Phoenicians settlement at Málaga was called MALACA using the natural harbor as an important centre for salting fish. Málaga has seen a number of major transitions, being occupied and settled by the Romans and later became a major Muslim city in Spain. The Muslims were expelled after the area was conquered in 1487 by the Christian kings of Europe. Today it is a thriving modern city sitting along beautiful beaches in the heart of the Spanish Costa del Sol.

Where Your Ship Docks

Cruise ships dock at a terminal at Paseo de la Farola marina. The pier is right downtown and has a number of shops and cafes right on the marina and includes free public facilities. Getting into the main shopping district is less than five or ten blocks and the old city is just a little farther.

The shops along the Paseo de la Farola Marina.

Transportation

Alcazaba sits above Old Malaga

While the city has good public transportation, within the city centre you can see practically all the main sights on foot, as most major attractions are found in the nearby historic district. Within the major urban area and in the nearby suburbs, Malaga’s city buses, commuter trains along with a city-bicycle hire service will take you anywhere you want to go. Malaga planning to open its new Metro lines in Spring 2022.

Malaga’s city buses are operated by EMT with about 50 lines that run all across Malaga. The central city bus routes operate every few minutes, from early morning until about midnight. A single bus ticket within the Malaga urban area costs 1.30€. You can also buy a 10 trip card for 8.30€.

Currency

The local currency is the Euro but most credit cards are welcome everywhere. There are also ATM machines available operated by a number of major banks and networks. To use cash you need to convert some money to Euros.

Attractions

Málaga is very proud of their favorite son, Pablo Picasso and the city is home to a wonderful museum and gallery dedicated to his works (Websites HERE and HERE).

The Alcazaba Fortress of Málaga, Spain. This fortress palace, whose name in Arabic means citadel, is one of the city’s principle historic sites and is not only beautiful but holds commanding views of the city and harbor. Built by the Muslim Hammudid dynasty in the early 11th century, it is the best-preserved alcazaba (citadel) in Europe.

An exhibit of aftifacts in Alcazaba
Inside Alcazaba
The excavation of the Roman amphitheater that sits under Alcazaba
The road under the walls of the Castillo de Gibralfaro

The city also has a number of additional archaeological sites of interest including Roman amphitheater ruins in the old town and standing above the city on the Mount Gibralfaro summit is the Castillo de Gibralfaro another medieval Moorish fortress.

The Cathedral of Málaga is a Roman Catholic church constructed between 1528 and 1782 in the Renaissance architectural tradition. It only has one tower of the intended two completed. Located in the old town within an area defined by now missing portions of the medieval Moorish walls. The remains of Moorish walls still surround nearby Alcazaba and the Castle of Gibralfaro.

There is a local story that the second tower of the cathedral was never finished because the Málaga citizens sent the money intended for construction to America to support the American revolution. Not sure if this story is true but it is a popular local legend.

There are a number of spectacular caves outside Málaga but on a day in port you will need to make arrangements for a tour in advance. Many are poorly developed and would require you to be in good condition to visit. Perhaps the most famous is the Cueva de la Pileta (Cave of the Pool) located about 50 miles outside of Málaga. The cave features Paleolithic paintings which many believed to be over 20,000 years old along with the underground pool and cavern formations.

The Málaga Old City is a great location for cafes, restaurants and shops. Be sure and make time to stroll its narrow streets, have lunch at an outdoor cafe and browse its many galleries and shops.