Now you know our blog author
I’m Krista Borchard, Assistant Tour Coordinator at Beyond Group Travel, Inc. I met Cindy and Linda in May of 2010, just a few short months after the incorporation of BGT, and I began working with them at the beginning of August 2010. For further interest, you can read about our entire staff here. If you have traveled with us since that time, perhaps we have spoken via phone or you have received an email or two from me. If we have not met or spoken, then I hope to hear from you soon as one of our travelers!
Now, to be fair in my above statements, the three of us compose these blogs together
We are, in fact, a team, and we eagerly put this information together to share with you via our blog. That said, you remember that Linda and Cindy have seen Oceania Cruises most beautiful Marina, correct?! Recall this post from their trip to Miami. Now how do you suppose one composes a post about a ship she’s never seen? You must rely on second hand information and photos, right?! Well, not anymore! This girl has now walked the fresh carpet of Marina! I’m excited to share with you that I was able to make a day trip to Miami to see this ship in all her glory and, most importantly, beauty. I was one of the lead stalker’s in the construction updates of Marina, and I agree with posts and reviews that this must be the best ship to sail the high seas in 50+ years (although I know there’s quite a few years in there that I was not able to vouch for).
With camera in tow (including additional lenses, batteries and memory cards), it was off to the races once I was onboard. In just one hour’s time, I was able to capture over 200 photos across 10 decks. Oh yes, hurrying was involved, don’t you worry. I can imagine the picture that comes to mind of such an insane amateur photographer, but it’s ok; I don’t own a fanny pack and nor did I wear one.
More importantly, I was highly impressed with Marina’s décor, and even that is putting it lightly. I think one would naturally expect a new ship to be constructed well and have new technology, all details engineers, architects, etc. would take great interest in. But it’s the fabric on the chairs, the selection of furniture and lighting that peaks my interest! Having seen this ship, I can’t imagine why one would sail on any other vessel
Oh wait…there is ONE other ship that I would make an exception for; Marina’s sister ship, Riviera, which will take her inaugural sail April 2012. You can actually join our group for this maiden voyage sailing of Rivieria! She’ll travel from Barcelona to Athens for her first voyage. We are able to offer 2 for 1 cruise fares, a free hotel night pre-cruise, free airfare, an a bonus $1,000 savings per stateroom if you reserve with us before August 31, 2011. This actually applies to all of our 2012 Europe sailings!Now, you may notice that I have not shared one single photo of my trek through Marina with you as we do in our normal posts. Well, after over 200 photos, I did not presume you would like to scroll for days on end. Thus, I present you with an easy viewing method of everything I captured onboard. As I snapped away, I kept thinking about what, you, our travelers really needed to see about the beauty of this ship. The abundance of Marina’s beauty, however, makes it difficult to chose just a few key points.
We hope you enjoy this look at Marina!
Our experienced clients can attest that we are experts with Oceania Cruises as they are our preferred vendor. We are happy to help you with any sailing with Oceania, but you can also join Beyond Group Travel for the following group cruises!
Baltic Treasures – June 20 – July 1, 2011 – Marina
10-day Voyage – Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Denmark, Germany
Treasures of the Continent – July 29 – August 10, 2011 - Marina
12-day Voyage – England, Holland, Belgium, France, and Spain
Grecian Glory – October 1 – October 11, 2011 - Marina
10-day Voyage – Greece, Turkey, Montenegro, Croatia, Italy
Ancient Mysteries – January 21 – February 8, 2012 – Marina
16-day Voyage – Chile and Peru
Splendors of Down Under – February 5 – 22, 2012 – Regatta
16-day Voyage – New Zealand and Australia
Islands in the Sun – February 16 – 26, 2012 - Marina
10-day Voyage – B.V.I., St. Barts, Antigua, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos Islands
Samba Serenade – March 8-22, 2012 –Insignia
12-day Voyage – Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil
Mediterranean Tapestry – April 13-23, 2012 – Riviera
10-day Voyage – Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Greece
Tuscan Artistry – May 11-22, 2012 – Marina
10-day Voyage – Spain, France, Monaco, Italy
Exotic Lands – June 4-17, 2012 – Riviera
12-day Voyage – Spain, Portugal, Morocco
Italian Reflections – November 7-15, 2012 – Marina
7-day Voyage – Greece, Italy, France, Spain
Take the hassle out of group travel; call us to plan your next group trip or join ours! 713.954.4825
