Page 14 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! – November/December 2015

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The View from the Binnacle to the Pinnacle
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Ever since the early days of sailing ships, the compass has been an essential instrument for navigation. The ship’s primary compass and other delicate navigational equipment usually were securely mounted on a waist-high stand known as a binnacle, which was located just forward of the ship’s main wheel. Now, you can navigate from the binnacle of AAA Travel and steer your next cruise vacation on a course of excitement and elegance aboard Holland America’s newest ship, the ms Koningsdam.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
FROM THE BINNACLE – NAVIGATE NORTHWARD
Set an unusual course to the north from Amsterdam and steer across the North Sea to the British Isles, where your first port of call is Newcastle upon Tyne, England. This was the home of the British Prime Minister Earl Grey (of tea fame) and is proud of its preserved Victorian architecture and historic bridges. Visit the nearby Pennine Hills with pretty market towns and walk along Hadrian’s Wall, built by the Romans in AD 122 as a northern barrier to barbarians attacking from the north.
Continue your northward voyage to Scotland for a call at South Queensferry, where you disembark for touring in Edinburgh and on to nearby attractions. Most famous for its castle perched on a massive
rock outcrop high above the city center, this is the country’s capital, which also features Her Majesty the Queen’s Holyrood Palace, plus the Royal Mile road and the Scottish Parliament building. Golfers can make a pilgrimage to the Old Course at St. Andrews. Engineers can ride the unique and ingenious Falkirk Wheel that rotates to lift boats 79 feet on the route of a trans-Scotland canal.
While keeping a keen eye on, watch for the ever-elusive marine haggis, cruise north along the east coast of Scotland to Invergordon, the port for Inverness. This gateway to the Scottish Highlands provides access for tours through wild and
rugged landscapes to Loch Ness, castles including Urquhart, Cawdor, Eilean Donan and others, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Culloden Battlefield, and the ubiquitous single malt whisky distilleries.
Depart the land of the Scots and head out to
sea for a northwest transit to the island of Iceland. This is the land of fire and ice, where you can
view volcanoes (usually dormant), glaciers and waterfalls on the same tour, while whales and puffins can be spotted from coastal sightseeing vessels; an Icelandic horseback ride awaits the more adventurous. Your first port of call is Reykjavik,
on a western peninsula of Iceland. This is the
lively capital city of an independent republic that creatively weaves threads of Viking history into Nordic innovation with Scandinavian style.
Cruise north along Iceland’s west coast to the bucolic but bustling port at Isafjordur, for visits
to colorfully painted fishing
villages, a boat trip to view
Arctic birds and sea life, or meet
the friendly locals. Your cruise
route includes exploration of
Isafjardurdjur, a prominent
western fjord. Pass near the
Arctic Circle on your route
through the Denmark Strait to
Iceland’s north coast for a stop
at Akureyri. This remote but
significant outpost offers visits to an Arctic botanical garden, a historic turf and stone farmhouse, a rare Icelandic forest, a legendary waterfall, and a lunar landscape at Lake Myvatn. When departing Akureyri, your scenic cruising is via Eyjafjordur, Iceland’s longest fjord. Then, with a warm-hearted wave goodbye to Iceland, set a southeastern course for the mainland of Scandinavia.
Your navigational heading is across the Norwegian Sea to Norway for your first port of call at Alesund,
at the mouth of Stoy Fjord. Following a devastating fire in 1904, the town was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style popular at that time and preserved today. Tours here feature the largest aquarium in Scandinavia, panoramic views from Mount Aksla, and the islands of Giskey and Godoy with their Viking history and charming fishing villages.
A southward route along the coast of Norway brings you to beautiful Bergen. Renowned as the “Gateway to Fjord Country,” this tidy port has an attractive, pedestrian-friendly harborfront with a colorful fish and food market and historic buildings from the Hanseatic era – all with a backdrop of forested mountains. Guided tours take you to Hardanger, “Queen of the Fjords,” framed by majestic mountains and Steinsdal Waterfall. You can visit a historic-design wooden stave church and tour native composer Edvard Grieg’s lake-front villa and gardens, complete with a private piano recital.
Bid a fond farewell to Norway as your Northern Isles cruise sets sail on a southern route to return to Holland, where you disembark the ms Koningsdam in Amsterdam for the flight back to the U.S.A. Welcome home from your bon voyage!
THE PINNACLE – MS KONINGSDAM
With this first ship of its new Pinnacle class, Holland America Line is thrilled to combine the best of what cruise guests love with engaging new experiences. Brilliant hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany and distinguished ship architect Bjørn Storbraaten have teamed up to explore new ways to blend the company’s rich heritage with contemporary design.
Currently under construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy, the ms Koningsdam will set sail on its Premier Voyage on April 8, 2016.
As guests, you will have the opportunity to
enjoy fine dining in several alternative restaurants including Sel de Mer, a new French seafood brasserie; a new immersive farm-to-table dinner experience in the Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine; a redesigned casual Lido Market with themed serving stations; a stunning main dining room; and favorites such as Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto Italian restaurant and pan-Asian Tamarind.
Entertainment has always been the heart and soul of evening aboard Holland America Line and on ms Koningsdam that promise continues with Music Walk, three stages presenting a variety of live music nightly.
AAA Central Penn’s 2016 President’s Cruise combines Holland America Line’s celebrated elegance with the excitement of an unusual itinerary to the Northern Isles. Be among the first aboard the ms Koningsdam and among the fortunate few on this very special cruise.
An exceptional cruise of the Northern Isles aboard Holland America’s new ms Koningsdam.
Edited with additional content by Craig Haberle, CTC
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