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With three “ambiances” including oceanfront rooms, oceanview rooms, and the glorious Zen area, complete with fabulous pool, 80,000 square foot spa, and fantastic restaurants, Grand Velas is nothing short of wonderful. The variety of Zen rooms, oceanview, and oceanfront rooms, along with loads of good food, and wonderful service, all included, make this a great choice for families or couples, for an easy, relaxing vacation. The resort boasts funky rooms, restaurants ranging from sushi to a beach shack, and loads in between, swim-up bars, and access to several parks. The most budget-friendly of the bunch of resorts I visited, the El Dorado Royale offers stunning beaches, several pools, a lazy river, swim-up rooms, and loads of activities.

After a quick walking tour, complete with an underground former bunker stop for a glass of wine, we excused ourselves from the group and continued on our own walking tour. The rich chocolate flavor, dense texture, and layer of apricot jam covered in even more chocolate, paired with a coffee or glass of champagne, is a perfect way to regroup for more walking later in the day. Adding to our single-day highlight reel, the Naschsmarkt is Vienna’s largest produce market, complete with food stalls selling all kinds of tasty treats. One cannot visit the city of music, without actually seeing any music, and this highlight-reel concert was perfect.

Across the globe are countless destinations that invoke romance: exclusive resorts, remote islands, wonderful properties with exceptional service. Companies like Secrets, Excellence, and Sandals, all offer beachside resorts with amazing pools, delicious food, activities, and as much or as little to do as you would like. Cruise sea days are just that – nothing but time – and sitting on your balcony, on a small ship, enjoying caviar and champagne? Nope, you are at Mashpi Lodge, a three-plus hour drive from Quito, Ecuador, where the cloud forest meets the jungle in a stunning eco-lodge.

So when one ship docks, and other ships come in afterwards, they tie up to the already-docked ship. But it is a quaint town, and sits right on the banks of three rivers: the Ilz, The Inn, and the Danube. After a quick lunch onboard the ship, we spent a bit of time wandering the small streets of Passau, checking out the church, and strolling along the river. Generally, there is an option for a more active trip, like a 20 mile bike ride (no thank you), or a walking tour (yes, please! ), or less strenuous outing, like a panoramic bus tour.