From the Pilot House

A Salute to Travel: National Travel & Tourism Week 2013

Did you know that each U.S. household would pay $1,060 more in taxes without the tax revenue generated by travel and tourism? This week, we’re recognizing National Travel and Tourism Week and the importance of our industry to the economy as well as our part to help create lasting memories. Courtesy of the U.S. Travel Association and Travel Effect, check out these fact sheets about the widespread impact our industry is having on jobs, families and relationships.

Download Fact Sheet - Creating Lasting Memories

• 84% of respondents 55 or older still reminisce with their family about vacations they took years ago.

Download Fact Sheet - Travel Brings Families Closer Together

• More than half (55%) reported that “I have fond memories of vacations that I took as a child, and I want to create similar experiences for my family.”

Download Fact Sheet - Travel Strengthens Relationships

• Couples that travel together are significantly more likely to report that their relationship is more romantic, intimate and balanced.

Download US Travel - A Leading American Industry

• 1 out of every 8 U.S. jobs depends on travel and tourism.

Hornblower has been a leader in creating amazing experiences for over 32 years. During that time, we’ve attracted thousands of travellers in the 8 cities we cruise and held ourselves to the highest standard by providing excellence service and accommodations. Within the last decade we’ve expanded our role to enhance the experience at Alcatraz, Statue of Liberty, and most recently, Niagara Falls, where we will be opening in 2014.

You can follow and participate with us this week on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and From the Pilot House as we emphasize the significance of travel and tourism with fun facts and important tips. We'd love to hear some of your best memories cruising with Hornblower!

Surprise Mom this Mother's Day with a Cruise!

Celebrate your mom this Mother’s Day by surprising her with the perfect gift she’ll never forget! We’re giving away 4 complimentary tickets per port for our “Surprise Mom with a Cruise” sweepstakes. What a great way for mom to relax on a worry-free afternoon with her family or 3 of her closest friends. Show your mom some love and enter today!

San Diego

~Table for 4 on one of our Sunday Champagne Brunch Cruises. Enjoy beautiful views of San Diego, complete with a bountiful Brunch Buffet, free-flowing champagne and/or bottomless mimosas, and a chance to meet up with the Captain of the Ship! Enter for a chance to win: Enter for a chance to win.

Greater Los Angeles County

~Table for 4 on one of our Sunday Champagne Brunch Cruises. Enjoy beautiful views of Marina del Rey or Newport Beach, complete with a bountiful brunch buffet, free-flowing champagne and/or bottomless mimosas and a chance to meet up with the Captain of the Ship! Enter for a chance to win.

Bay Area

~Table for 4 on one of our Champagne Brunch Cruises. Enjoy views from the San Francisco Bay, complete with a bountiful brunch buffet, free-flowing champagne and/or bottomless mimosas! Enter for a chance to win.

Old Sacramento

~ 4 Tickets on our one-hour Sacramento Historic River Cruise. Enjoy a narrated history of the Sacramento River and views of Tower Bridge! Enter for a chance to win.

New York

~Table for 4 on one of our Premier Sunday Brunch Jazz Cruises. Enjoy beautiful views of New York, complete with a bountiful brunch buffet, free-flowing champagne and/or bottomless mimosas, and live jazz music! Enter for a chance to win.

 

All entries will receive a participatory discount code. Contest runs through May 6, 2013. Visit www.Hornblower.com for more information about Mother's Day Cruises in your area.

Happy Good Friday!

We’re excited to be featured in a recent post by Carli Leavitt on Sandiego.com! Make sure to check out her “Top 5 Things to Know About Hornblower Cruises & Events”. Still looking to plan your Easter Sunday? Carli’s article includes a $10 off discount code for any Easter Brunch or Dinner Cruise with Hornblower San Diego. We’re also located in Marina Del Rey, Newport Beach, New York, Sacramento and San Francisco.
For more details on Easter Cruises in your area, visit www.hornblower.com.

Great New Bag Designs

Crewmembers at Hornblower are constantly on the go! We work from boats and Islands, in California, New York and Canada and we need to be able to work from all these places. We also like to look to good! That's why we love HP's new partnership with Project Runway to create the perfect work bag.

For a few more days voting is open to the public! Our favorite is the 2 (Ways) 2 (Wear) Ultrabag! We think the flexibility is perfect when you spend your days hopping from shore to boat and we know and love the designer, Camille!

Vote for your favorite!

Our Sacramento River Cruises are a great family adventure and the perfect way to stay cool in the summer heat.

Check out the recent review from Trekaroo!

A Taste of the Far East

Today, we see sushi as a delicacy, something accessible, but also a treat. Sushi requires boldness, with its variety of intense flavors and raw fish, making it hard to believe that it was essentially a sandwich when originally created in South East Asia.

Luckily for you, we’re big fans, and in the spirit of diversity and adventurousness, we’ve crafted a snazzy new cruise…

Introducing our sushi and karaoke cruise! What better way to get to know your coworkers or get closer with your friends than rolling delicious sushi, sipping on sake, and belting your heart out as the beautiful San Diego scenery floats by. Our experienced sushi chef will help hone your craft while you enjoy every bite, sip, and sight!

The Olympics

Unless you live under a rock, you are well aware that the Olympics are in full swing. It seems every television is tuned to the same channel, with every fan out to support their nations finest in their pursuit of Olympic gold. These are the fields, the arenas, the pools, where dreams either come true or are crushed, where a single defining moment has the power to make years of training worth it.

Historically speaking, the first Olympic games began in Olympia (surprise, surprise…), Greece, in the year 776 BC. The games were closely linked to religion, and served to celebrate athletic prowess and perpetuate peaceful relations between the city-states.

Today we use the games for a similar mission. Sure, we’re not focused on glorifying Zeus, but we do seek to provide athletes with the stage and audience to be celebrated. Additionally, the games are a diplomatic feat, bringing nations together under five rings. So, show your support and national pride during this Olympic season! Even just watching is enough.

Photo Credit: http://www.olympic.org/photos/olympic-flame-burns-bright

Here Comes the Bride

If you’re headed anywhere near Pinterest prepare yourself for an onslaught of wedding ideas, decorations, dresses, cakes, flowers, and more. To a 21 year old, this at first seemed a bit daunting, but after clicking here and there and pinning this and that, I’ve been truly blown away by what I’ve found. 

Firstly, the amount of thought put into every tiny detail is extraordinary. Whether it’s a napkin ring or a seating chart, nothing is overlooked. At first I couldn’t get over the amount of work it all looked like, but as I continued to pin and repin I realized that every little thing was an expression of love. It is easy to approach weddings like a production, but in reality it is a celebration of love. Accordingly, it only makes sense that the thought, the attention to detail, are like saying “I love you” a million times.

It is impossible not to believe in love and surf Pinterest. Pinterest is like peering into a window of someone else’s life and then stealing whatever ideas strike your fancy. In this way, we get to bring some of that happiness into our own lives. 

As I continue to work at Hornblower, I’ve noticed that we are quite similar. We come up with grand ideas, and sort out even the smallest, seemingly insignificant detail, and then we get to make them a reality. The opportunity to provide the environment and the situation where people can find joy is pretty extraordinary, and it’s the reason our informal motto is “We create amazing experiences.” Day by day we work to provide the backdrop to your happiness. You are the reason we’re on Pinterest, just like you’re the reason we come to work every day. We want to know what you’re after so feel free to pin it, post it, like it, tweet it...we’ll be here.

Sweet Summertime

As the temperatures inch higher and higher and the sky is cloudless more often than not, I find myself with a problem; blindness. While the sun is enjoying its time out and about, my eyes are squinting into nothingness and begging for protection. For all of you with this problem, we've cruised (haha get it?!) around to find you the best of the best sunglasses to keep those peepers safe! And the best part is, they not only look great on your face, uping your "mysterious" vibe, but perfectly complement that casual yacht in the background...

I personally love the classic Ray Ban Wayfarer. So mysterious. You celebrity, you.

Speaking of celebrities...for further sunglasses inspiration check out these studs who recently accompanied us on the Emerald Hornblower in San Diego...

For some more real life inspiration, we've also snagged this gorgeous couple for you off another recent cruise...

Happy hunting!

 

On Your Own Turf

There are few things more exciting than travel. Unearthing a city’s secrets or exploring remote areas brings such adventure to our daily lives, as well as a fresh perspective. As a tourist, one is fully susceptible to the magic of a city, its people, its culture, its identity. We find ourselves willing to try risky foods, stay out all night dancing, and spend hour after hour just walking the streets. We open our eyes and our hearts to the splendor of our surroundings and make enjoying life our first priority.

What we forget is that we don’t have to pack a suitcase or hop on a plane to find adventure. Save yourself the stress of all those travel logistics and experience your city like a tourist. Grab your family and friends, visit all the stops, try something new, and fall in love with your hometown all over again.

Here at Hornblower we work to create experiences so that you can create memories. Whether you’re visiting or rediscovering the magic of your city, let us treat you to an adventure between the sea and the sky.