MeridianTrips.com
and Book of Mormon Tours invite you to experience
a cruise through Mexico, the Panama Canal, and the Western
Caribbean that will enhance your understanding of the Book of Mormon while you explore an ancient
world, escorted by two noted LDS speakers Chris Heimerdinger
and Blake Allen. A
guided shore excursion to the ruins of Dzibanche will give
you the opportunity to experience--firsthand—a site from
the Book of Mormon time period that has been suggested by
some scholars as a possible site of Christ's visit to the
Americas (the land Bountiful) following His resurrection.
Royal Caribbean's magnificent vessel, Splendour of the Seas,
offers luxurious amenities, an 18-hole miniature golf course,
and a majestic seven-story lobby. A stunning Crystal
Canopy admits the sunlight by day, and closes at night to
create a magical effect--just like dancing beneath the stars.
Top that off with fine dining, excellent entertainment,
the opportunity to rest or seek excitement--whatever suits
your mood! When it comes to comfortable, luxurious
travel for the whole family, there's nothing like cruising.
Splendour of the Seas sails from Galveston on the seventh
of February, 2004, to destinations in Mexico,
Central America (including the Panama Canal), and the Western
Caribbean. Eleven nights on this impressive ship.
Six exciting ports of call. A chance to rest, dine, recreate,
and see the world. All for the exceptional price of
$1199 per person. What could make this vacation even more
appealing? For Latter-day
Saints, it would be to add inspirational and educational
lectures from those who can give insights on the Book of
Mormon—making this a symposium at sea.
Chris
Heimerdinger (Best-selling LDS author of numerous titles,
including the Tennis Shoes Among The Nephites series
and Passage to Zarahemla), will speak to Meridian
Travel guests aboard the ship. Among his talks, "The
Name That Matters Most," is a rare opportunity to hear
Chris share personal experiences that shaped his career
as a writer. His thought-provoking message personally
helped me, with other members of the Church, to make my
own choices concerning entertainment. Chris made a
personal commitment to celebrate the truths and values of
the gospel of Jesus Christ in his creative works.
This admirable standard is evident in his talks as well
as in his delightful novels.
In addition, Blake Allen, of Allen's Book of Mormon Tours,
will provide several presentations aboard ship, covering
the archaeology and historical findings about the region
of Dzibanche. This subject is of special significance
to this trip, as these ancient ruins are not far from where
Cozumel stands today. Some consider this area a major
candidate for the city Bountiful, where Christ appeared
to the Nephites.
These two special guests will not just enhance your overall
experience, but transform it, fascinating and uplifting
you with ideas of special significance to Latter-day Saints.
Interspersed amidst your eleven-night cruise, in comfortable
accommodations, are six ports of call, each with unique
and appealing attractions.
Enjoy a full day ashore on Mexico's largest island, Cozumel.
The 28 by 10 mile island is world renowned for its
dazzling white beaches and the remarkable clarity of the
multi-hued azure Caribbean Ocean that laps its shores.
It's no great surprise Jacques Cousteau declared it to be
one of the most beautiful scuba diving areas of the world.
You needn't be a diver to enjoy the tropical fish--try snorkling!
For the less-adventurous, glass-bottom boat tours offer
a view of marine life.
The much-anticipated Sacred Sites Land Tour ($299 per person,
but so worth it!) will begin its two-day, one-night guided
expedition from Cozumel. Our Book of Mormon Tours escort,
Blake Allen, will provide valuable instruction and insights.
He will impart an understanding of the history, archaeological
findings, and scriptural references that support this locale
as a major candidate for the site of the Land Bountiful.
Together, we'll visit the magnificent pyramid of this ancient
civilization from the Book of
Mormon period and enjoy the peace of the surrounding
jungle woodland. This is a remarkable opportunity to encounter
first-hand the sacred geography, history, and culture of
the Book of Mormon. Allen's tours to the lands of
the Book of Mormon are based on more than 30 years experience
and over 250 escorted tours to Mesoamerica. You will
personally visit important sites and study them in a way
that will bring the Book of Mormon to life.
In addition to the instructions from our guide, the tour includes
comfortable travel by air-conditioned coach, hot meals,
and overnight hotel accommodations. Interested in
something more than a regular hotel? You might choose
to lodge in modern grass huts in the jungle!
At the conclusion of this unforgettable experience, guests
will rejoin the cruise in Belize City, Belize. Numerous
early 19th-Century Belize City buildings and churches display
well-preserved colonial architecture. Visitors may
opt to take an historical tour of the city, with stops at
St. John's Cathedral, Government House, The Lighthouse monument
at Fort George Point, Museum of Belize, and historic Yarborough
Cemetery. The final stop on this city's tour is the Belize
Tourism Village, located on the Belize River mouth, about
15 minutes away from cruise ship anchorage.
Specifically designed
to cater to cruise lines, the Village has courtyards and
terminals that offer many comfort amenities, access to various
tours, and shopping. Keep your eyes open for beautiful
carvings made from zericote, a two-toned wood found only
in Belize.
Would you like more information? http://www.travelbelize.org/bc.html
is a helpful resource.
Upon leaving Belize's port, this voyage through the lands of
The Book of Mormon will continue through Central America,
culminating in a daylight passage through the Panama Canal.
This awe-inspiring manmade structure provides easy access
(and a remarkable view!) of prime rainforests.
The Panama Canal--controversial, revolutionary, amazing—took
250,000 people from all corners of the globe more than 10
years to build. Today, it stands as a monument of mankind's
ingenuity and power of conviction.
As Splendour of the Seas enters the canal, passengers will
witness the Gatun Locks in operation--an early 20th Century
engineering marvel. It's astounding to watch the series
of giant water stairways raise ships up and over the continental
divide, without the use of pumps. Water moves by gravity,
flowing from one level to another. When the water
level in one chamber equals that of the forward chamber,
the gates between them are opened, and the ship is towed
forward by mules (a.k.a. towing locomotives).
After passing through the Gatun Locks, the ship will cruise
into Gatun Lake, within the Isthmus of Panama. This
is a sight to behold! Passengers line the decks, ice cream
and cold drinks in hand, for up-close views of the scenery
and mechanisms at work.
For additional information about the Panama Canal, visit http://www.pancanal.com
Once the vessel completes its cruise in the canal, you'll
have a chance to go ashore in Panama, at Port of Cristobal.
The next stop in Central America is Puerto Limon, Costa
Rica, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Central
America. The country (no
larger than West Virginia) is full of volcanic mountains,
lush valleys, and virgin tropical rainforests supporting
a diverse mixture of plant and animal life. While
in port, be sure to sample the bounties: mangoes,
bananas, pineapples, and papayas.
Interesting shore excursions showcase Costa Rica's national
parks and awe-inspiring countryside. There are numerous
options visitors may choose to experience while in Puerto
Limon (each of these are single day excursions): aerial
tram tours, visit the capital city of San José, raft adventurous
white water rapids, horseback tours, and six-wheel drive
vehicle tours--just to name a few.
After a restful day at sea, the ship will port at George
Town, Grand Cayman. This magnificent island, kissed
by sparkling, turquoise waters, is a dream come true for
water sports enthusiasts. You can snorkel with stingrays,
go scuba diving, sail a catamaran, take in some sport fishing,
or just mellow out along the powder-soft sand of the magnificent
Seven Mile Beach.
One more port will add dimension to your cruise through
the sunny Caribbean. Montego Bay, Jamaica, offers
various onshore opportunities, including visits to historical
great houses and working plantations, traveling to and hiking
in Dunn's River Falls (the number one side tour in all of
cruising), snorkeling or scuba expeditions, and golf championship
courses. While you're there, soak up the rays on miles
and miles of white beaches. For more in-depth information
(including shopping and transportation), see Montego
Bay's tourism site
The return leg of the journey, through the clear, iridescent
waters of the Western Caribbean, will conclude at Port Galveston,
Texas. This is guaranteed to be a memorable, spiritually-meaningful
trip, brimming with opportunities to experience the many
beauties of the Caribbean and south Atlantic coast.
Meridian Trips invites you to contact us at www.meridiantrips.com or 1-888-537-8687
and reserve your cabin today.
Chris Heimerdinger
For over ten years Chris Heimerdinger has brought adventure
and fantasy to LDS readers. His first novel, Tennis
Shoes Among the Nephites, published in 1989, continues to
thrill readers young and old and inspire a greater appreciation
for the Book of Mormon. Chris resides in Riverton, Utah,
with his wife, Beth, and their four
children, Steven Teancum, Christopher Ammon, Alyssa Sariah
and Elizabeth Liahona Cecelia.
One of the goals of his books is to encourage the reader
to turn to the scriptures. As Chris has stated before,
"I'm most grateful when readers tell me they went to
the scriptures to see how much I got right. Better
yet if they linger there."
Visit Chris's website at www.cheimerdinger.com
Blake Allen
Blake J. Allen is Manager and Tour Administrator for Book
of Mormon Tours. He began his traveling days as a
young boy of 10 years old when he had the opportunity to
visit Mexico City with his father, Dr. Joseph L. Allen,
founder of Book of Mormon Tours. Dr. Allen was conducting
research in the Museum of Anthropology for his doctoral
dissertation on the White God, Quetzalcoatl. That
was the beginning of an experience of a lifetime for the
Allen family. Blake spent many summers with his family
traveling through the country of Mexico where he gained
an appreciation and love for the Hispanic people, their
culture and their history.
Blake served a mission in the Chile Santiago South Mission
from 1979 to 1981. When he returned home, he began
helping in the tour business, which by this time had become
a full-time job for his father. Blake earned his Bachelor's
degree in Accounting at Southern Utah University with minors
in both Business Administration and Spanish. He has
been taking tours to Mexico and Guatemala for 20 years.
He has a love of the Book of Mormon and enjoys being able
to share those feelings with others.
Blake currently serves on the boards of the Centro Hispano
and Tula Book of Mormon Archaeological Non-profits Foundations.
He and his wife, Marion, live in Orem, Utah. They
have six children. You are invited to learn more about Allen's
Book of Mormon Tours at www.MeridianTrips.com
Hot Deal on a Family Cruise!
For a limited time, $299* buys a complete Caribbean seven-night
voyage (both Western or Eastern) on Costa Cruise Lines (owned
by Carnival Cruise Lines).Wow! This is an unbelievably
low price! I'm certain we'll never see anything like
this come around again--especially with this much time to
spare before our departure date.March is the perfect time
of year to visit the Caribbean. Leave melting snow
and lingering winter yemperatures behind to bask in the
tropical sunlight and warmth of the islands. Enjoy
this new ship's delicious meals in a variety of exciting
restaurants. Expect superb entertainment aboard. Top
off this fantastic opportunity with a price like this, and
it's every traveler's dream vacation.
Interested in sailing with Blaine Yorgason and Merrill Jenson?
March 21st is the departure date for you! Our March 28th
departure features special guests Steven Kapp Perry and
Marvin Payne. Don't let this fantastic deal get away.
Contact MeridianTrips.com today, and make your reservation.
*port charges $139, gov't tax $64. Prices are per
person, based on double occupancy.
