Here are a few shots of Geiranger Fjord and its waterfalls, taken from the ms Rotterdam at sailaway on a beautiful sunny afternoon in Norway.

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Thanks to guest Clarissa for sending in these incredible pictures from her Alaska cruise.

We had a wonderful time a board of the Westerdam cruising to Alaska this past month. As a photographer enthusiast I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty and diversity of Alaska but mostly the high quality cruise experience my husband and I had. Please enjoy some of my best shots….from Juneau and
Sitka.

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“Albania? Are We Allowed to Go there?”

The answer is yes. A few years ago Albania was taken off the restricted countries list that was on our U.S. passports for so long. The Albanian Adventure shore excursion departs from Corfu by hydrofoil and the ride is about 45 minutes to the port of Sarana. The town is “under construction” to say the least. There are hundreds of unfinished buildings that will turn the town into a proper resort town. Albania has only had about 20 years of freedom since communist rule so in that sense it’s a really young country. Building has stopped because the money has run out for some projects but they expect it to start again.

We traveled a few miles out of town up on winding roads to the UNESCO site of Butrint National Park. The sites covers centuries of building from 4th C BC to the 19th century with its lovely church. The views and history make it worth visiting. I came away with a hopeful feeling that Albania’s tourism will continue to grow and the country will come into its own.

Mussel beds.

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Thanks to guest Cheryl Kaufenberg for sending in these stunning photos from her South America and Antarctica cruise.

We sailed on the last of the winter 2013 South America/Antarctica cruises out of Buenos Aires on HAL’s Veendam. Weather the entire time was absolutely fantastic allowing us first of all to spend a day in Stanley in the Falkland Islands before sailing on to Antarctica. A trip to Bluff Cove to see king and gentoo penguins made the day a hit. The four days sailing around the Antarctic Peninsula were filled with plentiful opportunities to experience and photograph both the landscape and the wildlife while the seminars presented by antarctic specialists were highly valuable. There were ample choices of excursions at all ports of call with opportunities plentiful for experiencing what is unique about Uruguay, Southern Argentina, and Chile. For a once-in-a-lifetime experience consider sailing 60 degrees south with Holland America Lines! We really enjoy sailing with Holland America, as it is our favorite cruise line. The captain we had on the Veendam for this particular trip was especially exemplary. — Cheryl Kaufenberg

Antarctica.

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Lesbos, Greece, is a new port for me and Holland America. It is famous for the female poet, Sappho. The town is quite small with an attractive harbor front. I had a limited amount of time so chose to climb up to the castle and check out the history and views.

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Today Oosterdam is at Sitka, Alaska, and the ship’s Security Officer John Pris was able to capture stunning Mount Edgecumbe up close and from a distance. From any angle it looks just breathtaking!

Nice day in Sitka with Mount Edgecumbe, a 3,200-foot tall dormant stratovolcano, located on southern Kruzof Island.

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Thanks to guest Nancy Goforth for sending in these photos from Glacier Bay, Alaska.

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Thanks to Niño L. Lagare, Eurodam‘s second electrician, for sending in this great photo from Ephesus at Kusadasi, Turkey.

The world-famous ancient Greek-Roman city of Ephesus offers a breathtaking scenery. The panorama itself will drag your imagination to the past. This is a city St. Paul once visited and wrote about in his Letter to the Ephesians.

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