By Ronald Kelly
PASADENA—Even though it is only March, we are well into the planning stages for three special worship and fellowship opportunities—a Western Caribbean cruise, a Canada-New England fall colors cruise and a Costa Rica adventure tour.
Western Caribbean cruise
For several years many members have discovered how fantastic our WCG Caribbean cruises are. The Caribbean offers wonderful weather and interesting ports of call. This year we will cruise the Western Caribbean on the MS Zuiderdam— one of the newest ships in Holland America’s fleet. The Zuiderdam offers more outside cabins and cabins with verandas than other ships in the Holland America Line.
Our first stop will be at Key West, Florida, then we will travel on to Cozumel, Mexico, to the Grand Cayman Islands and finally to Half Moon Cay, a private island in the Bahamas owned by Holland America.
The Western Caribbean seven-day cruise is from Oct. 2 to Oct. 9, and prices start at $512 per person. A WCG cruise offers fellowship with other members and features inspirational worship services and music.
Canada-New England cruise
The WCG will once again partner with Holland America Lines for a fall colors Canada-New England cruise. This 10-day cruise, Sept. 30 to Oct. 10, from New York to Montreal through the St. Lawrence Seaway, is on the MS Rotterdam. Prices start at $1,594.
The major attraction at this time of year is the opportunity to view the autumn colors. Ports of call are Newport, Rhode Island; Gloucester, Massachusetts; Bar Harbor, Maine; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Sydney, Nova Scotia; and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
We will cruise the Saguenay Fjord and stop in Quebec City and finally Montreal. The MS Rotterdam is the flagship of the Holland America fleet. This is more expensive than most of our previous fellowship cruises, but a number of members have asked for something longer than a seven-day package.
Choosing a cruise
We negotiate rates that are almost always lower than group cruises sponsored by other ministries, and the fun, fellowship and inspiration of spending a week or 10 days with fellow members is invaluable. Add to that the inspiration of messages from WCG ministers and the uplifting music of our worship leaders, and you have the best of all cruising and fellowship worlds.
Costa Rica land-based tour
For those wanting more adventure, we have added Costa Rica to our fellowship opportunities. This land-based tour will be Oct. 1 to 8.
The day we arrive we are met by a bilingual tourist staff, and then we have private transportation to the Melia Cariari Hotel for dinner. Our second day starts with departure to El Cairo, where we leave for the river, have safety instructions and then indulge in whitewater rafting. We spend the night at the Marriott Hotel.
On our third day, we leave for the Tabacon Resort and enjoy the hot springs and other features. On day four, we arrive at Cañon Negro and have a guided boat tour. On our fifth day we have miscellaneous activities and then enjoy a free afternoon for personal activities or leisure.
On day six we arrive at Buena Vista and have a guided canopy tour. Later that afternoon we depart for a spa and spend time in the hot springs or a mud bath.
On day seven we arrive at Palo Verde and have a boat tour with a naturalist guide. Later that evening, we will have a farewell dinner.
This trip is sure to offer you fellowship opportunities and adventure in addition to the regular worship services conducted on all our group tours.
If you are interested, please contact Travel Gallery (see details below) for an information packet and pricing. Whether we have this group tour depends on sufficient interest and a minimal number required to host a group, so early interest and applications are appreciated.
Early bookings
So, even though it’s not yet spring, we appreciate early bookings. Often prices are better for early booking. For those on the cruises, early reservations assure the pricing and cabin categories most desired. The less expensive cabins tend to reserve early, so call, write or e-mail for information if you think you might be interested in any one of these opportunities.
Because of the limited time frame to enjoy fall colors, and the immense popularity of this cruise, the New England-Canada cruise tends to sell out early. So, if you are interested in this cruise, in order to avoid disappointment, we recommend booking as soon as you are certain.
Copyright © Grace Communion International, 2004