Great Stirrup Cay

All of the major cruise lines that travel to the Bahamas have a 'private' island.  Basically a beach day for cruisers.  Norwegian started the trend with Great Stirrup Cay, and is in the process of upgraded the experience.
Since we live only 15 minutes from the beach by  bicycle, going to the beach while on the cruise is not necessarily a priority.  Sitting in the dining room having breakfast, we could view the island from our table, and the one for Royal Caribbean.  Both the Majesty and Monarch of the Seas were moored about a mile away for their guests to use their private island.
After the main rush of passengers had tendered to the beach, we get in line to head ashore.  The tender was almost empty as we headed for our fun day on the beach.  NCL had created a lagoon for the tenders to load and unload passengers, guess the Bahamas have different rules about disturbing marine habitat.
Since the island is part of the Bahamas it is basically an exposed coral reef.  So once on shore it was VERY white, from the exposed limestone.  The area is dotted with palm trees, but not much shade.  There is a large pavilion where the ship's crew provides lunch for the beach goers.  Other crew members are conducting a limbo contest and music is playing.  A few shops are set up with 'beachy' items and local crafts.  The beach itself is a nice crescent with clear water, of course with most of the ship working on a tan, it is VERY crowded.  Off to the side there is a large inflated slide that is an additional charge.  After a tour of the facilities, the decision is made to head back to the ship and have lunch on the mostly deserted ship.

Another cruise....The Bahamas

So after being home for maybe three weeks, the roommate decides that another vacation is needed for Christmas.  Since neither of us have family nearby, going away has become something to do.  Last year was a short trip to Key West.  We stayed at The Douglas House just off Duval Street.  It was a fun short visit
This year he found the Norwegian Sky sailing to the Bahamas on a 4 night cruise on 19 Dec.  I would have preferred to stay home, but went anyway.  I had never been to the Bahamas and neither of us had ever sailed on NCL.  So cruise was booked and off we go.  But of course there is always something, roommate had an interview for 7 hours the week before we depart, so while on vacation he was waiting on word for that position.

The best thing about the lead up to the cruise was NO FLIGHTS!!!  The port of Miami  is only a 45 minute drive not an overnight flight.  Instead of parking at the pot, we used an offsite lot for $6/day not the $15 at the port.  There was a shuttle that picked delivered us to the terminal for the Norwegian Sky.  Since it was only a 4 night cruise, all I had was a carry-on and my loyal backpack.
Once through the lines for check in we walk up the ramp and board out floating hotel, only problem is, the cabins are not ready.  So now there is a cruise ship filling up with passengers, many with carry-on luggage with no cabins to occupy, not much fun.  With nothing else to do, follow the masses and head to the food.  At the outside dining option there was a nice assortment of items at most cook outs, burgers, hot dogs, chicken, assorted salads, all of which were tasty, and the chicken being my favorite.  With our plates full we find a table along with the rest of the passengers and enjoy the view of South Beach.
Once finished we relinquish our table so others can sit and eat and wander into one of the specialty restaurants. During the day it is a pizza parlor, and open to any passenger.  Since it is sort of secluded, it was not very busy and we sat at an empty table to one side.  My roommate goes off to see if the cabins are open and returns with good news, YES.
We had booked an inside guarantee an were given a handicapped accessible cabin.  This was nice since the cabin is larger than the standard and so is the bathroom.  There is also a small seating area with a love seat that does open to a single bed.  Extra space in a cabin is ALWAYS appreciated.

The Norwegian Sky was originally the Pride of Aloha sailing the Hawaiian Islands for NCL America.  The ship entered the Norwegian fleet in 2004 and has been cruising to the Bahamas since.  The ships origin is quite evident in the decor, scenes of the Hawaiian Islands, outrigger canoes, hibiscus flowers.  It is about time for a renovation.

Last Day...Corinth

The Pacific Princess docked  early at Piraeus, the port for Athens.  After a quick breakfast we departed our home for almost the past two weeks.  Once outside of the cruise terminal, we looked for a guide for the day, Vasili from Greecetaxi.  Our plans were to see the ruins at Corinth.
After a few minutes of waiting, Vasili shows up with a big smile.  We load our luggage into the waiting Mercedes and start our day.  The streets are full of traffic, but he navigates it well.  We pass the time talking about where he grew up and his family, it was his father's cab and he drove.  During tourist season he drove lots of tours since he was very fluent in English.
Once out of the city the road opened up to an interstate like set up.  To the right were hills and the left the sea.  Small towns dotted the countryside and coast, and the road was lined with shopping plazas, gas stations, etc, just like home, except there were no McDonalds.  We left the major road and after a few minutes we were at the Corinth Canal.  It had been a dream of Greeks for centuries to cut through the narrow strip of land that would increase Athens to the Adriatic Sea.  It was finally completed the end of the 19th century.
Vasili dropped us off on one side of the canal and drove to the other and waited.  The canal was crossed by bridge flanked with pedestrian walkways.  Being afraid of heights, I stayed away from the outside rail, that is until the middle of the bridge where a large dog was resting.  In the canal was a small freighter making its way to the Adriatic.
Once back in the car we continued to the site of ancient Corinth.  Though once a thriving city, Corinth has been mostly destroyed over the centuries from earthquakes and time.  There is part of one temple still standing, and various parts of structures.  The museum has some very well preserved artifacts.  Above Corinth is a large fortification, the drive up was along a narrow road.  At the fort, we decided not to go inside since it was very cool and windy, but the view was magnificent.

The last stop of our tour was lunch in a small resort town.  It is a favorite place for Vasili and his friends to spend weekends in during the summer.  The streets were lined with nice shops and vacation condos, and even though it was the middle of the week and the end of the season it was bustling.  We were dropped off at the waterfront promenade and went looking for a meal.  After walking to the end we decided on a place that served stuffed crepes.  We had a table so we could watch the people walking by and the sea just beyond.  Lunch was good and we returned to meet Vasili, who always seemed to appear at the meeting place as we approached.

The drive back to Athens was nice.  We talked about music, life in Athens and the United States and enjoyed the scenery.  Once closer in to Athens, the traffic got heavier since it was getting to be rush hour.  our hotel was the Sofitel at the airport.  VERY good choice, it was right across the street from the terminal.  The hotel was beautiful, and the room was very comfortable.  The bathroom was very well equipped and the shower massage great.  A great place to end a vacation.

Israel - Day 2

After a very comfortable night's sleep and tasty buffet breakfast, our group boarded the bus again to continue the tour of Israel.  Today's itinerary would circle the Sea of Galilee to the north of Jerusalem.  Along the way the countryside was dotted with small towns, Bedouin settlements and date groves.

Our first stop was a kibbutz that recreated where Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan.  The was a large gift shop with various products ranging from religious to Dead Sea products.  A large terrace area overlooked the river and steps lead down to the water.  People were in the water being baptized as the crowds milled around watching the proceedings.  This is not the actual spot where Jesus was baptized, the actual site is in Jordan, so this was a recreation.
The drive continued north to the location of the Sermon on the Mount.  The large hill offers a panoramic view of the northern end of the Sea of Galilee, and is crowned by a small church.  One of the tour members read from the New Testament as we stood on the terrace taking in the view.
At the base of the hill was the ruins of a town.  In the town were the remains of Peter the Apostle's house.  There were Roman ruins of the town which we wandered around that included grinding stones for milling grains among other items.  There were additional ships in port and this site was very crowded.

Lunch was served at a kibbutz on the eastern shore at the base of the Golan Heights.  There were several appetizer plates on the table when we were seated.  The liver pate with caramelized onions was delicious, and since no one else cared for it, most ended up on my plate.  Since the kibbutz raises cattle, lunch was steak.  Small individual desserts topped off lunch.  Since the kibbutz is self supporting, there was a  general store on the other side of the room.  Everything from fresh meat, to spices to pots to cook with.  The spices were sold in bulk, and covered a large table.
Our last stop before returning to the Pacific Princess was Nazareth.  There is a church built on the location where Joseph and Mary had their house.  There is also an enclosed ruin that is supposed to be the actual house, I accepted it was a representation of a house of that time period.  The actual town of Nazareth had grown into a small city.  There were crooked streets lined with apartments above store fronts.  After a brief tour we boarded the bus back to Haifa.

When on a cruise, there is a time given for all passengers to return to the ships so it can depart on time.  Just before this time, passengers names will be called that have not returned, and if they were on board please contact the purser.  Well, at 5:15, the names of 6 passengers were announced, two of them our tablemates.  A few minutes later, it was just those two.  The Pacific Princess was supposed to depart at 5:30, at 6:15 3 passengers were dropped off at the gangway.  It turns out they were on an excursion and had a minor medical issue, but had contacted the ship, so they were aware of the situation.
A few passengers had gathered on the upper deck to watch for the returning 'Gems of the Seas'.  At 6:40 a car swerved around the barricades at the end of the pier and sped towards the gangway.  Out of the car emerged E and J and the driver.  Watching from 10 decks up it was easy to see the driver was very mad from his body motions.  After  brief discussion, he grabbed the immigration paper from E, got in his car and drove off, E and J boarded, and the ship departed.
As usual, E and J were late to dinner, and the question of what happened was asked.  They had taken the train to Jerusalem on the first day to explore the city.  They wandered around the old city and did some shopping.  It was unclear exactly what went on, but E ended up behind the counter in one store with the owner, where he 'stole two kisses'.  It seems she allowed at least the first one.  They spent the night in a hostel that had partial walls, curtain separations and a shared bath, a little different than their shipboard accommodations.
This where the story versions start to differ.  E said they went to the train station at 3:15, J said E was haggling over gold jewelry and was reminded of the time which was already 3:15.  So they got to the train station late and missed the train, the bus would not be fast enough, so they got in a taxi.  The standard fare from Jerusalem to Haifa is 700 shekels, they only had 300.  They told the driver they had the 300 and he would be paid at the ship.  Once at the entrance to the port, the Princess port agent, the driver of the car, met up with the pair and paid off the cab driver the additional 400 shekels.  E thought that had gotten off easy.
The following day they were called to Guest Services and informed of the charge for about $125 for the cab fare.  E thought this was wrong since they told him how much they would pay.  But since English was not his first language, he understood they had some money with them and rest was on the ship.  We told her that was not bad because the ship could have left them and they would have to fly to the next port.  E was that would be bad PR and they would not leave them, obviously she has never been on a cruise where passengers had been left, because it does happen.

Patmos

Biblical historians believe the Book of Revelation was revealed to John on the island of Patmos.  Situated not far from Turkey, it is one of the many Greek Isles that dot the Aegean Sea, east of the Greek mainland.  It is a relatively small island, and is much longer than wide.  The highest point of the island is crowned with an ancient monastery.

The harbor, used for centuries by fisherman, was too shallow for even the Pacific Princess, so we were tendered to land.  Our tour bus took us to the grotto where the Book of Revelation was revealed.  The is a shrine built on the location and looks like a small church.  After re-boarding the bus, we continued to the monastery.

The location was incredible.  But when it was built, it was also a fort, place strategically on the highest point, commanding a 360 view of the surrounding area.  Once inside it was a maze of hallways and courtyards.  The chapels contain icons from the middle ages.  On one of the upper levels is a museum with artifacts of the monastery, and many religious items.

We then explored the adjacent hilltop town.  They winding streets lined with white-washed houses was the idyllic Greek Isle.  The various owners painted the front doors individual colors, and bouganvilla draped over garden walls added additional color.  One of the stops was a private home that has been in the same family for centuries.  The owner was a charming older woman with family stories of Russian trips, European vacations and times past..

The final stop in Patmos before the required shopping was at a family owned tavern.  We had a delicious snack of local food and the staff did traditional dances.  The family across the table had met our dinner table mates.  The mother had been in a ladies restroom when E arrived.  She proceeded to enter and Out of Order stall and get locked in.  She did not pay any attention to the LARGE sign warning of difficulties.  So she is in the stall pounding on the door and screaming.  Does not surprise me.  The name derived for them was Special Gems of the Sea.

Back at the port, we wandered around the streets with various shops.  It was very quaint and the shop owners were not pushy, always a benefit.  Besides the tourist shops there were some small cafes that catered to the locals.  They were enjoying the sunshine with a small afternoon snack.  After a few little purchases, we boarded the tender to return to the Pacific Princess.

At dinner we discussed our day's adventure.  Since the island is small most of the excursions overlapped.  But the interesting event was that E tried to get on a different bus, she claimed hers had no a/c.  She had taken the bus as a shuttle, and not a tour, so she was asked to leave.  Then J revealed that back in town E got on a scooter with a man she had only met once and rode off for 45 minutes.  CRAZY

Relaxing Sea Day....Sort of....

Since the distance to our next port is so far, we got to enjoy a day at sea.  These are great for catching up on postcard writing, reading or even napping.  About the Pacific Princess and the rest of the Princess fleet, the have the Princess Patter a listing of the day's activities.  These activities range from lectures to trivia games, art auctions or wine tasting and many more options.
The other couple from our dinner table and I liked playing trivia so we were at all of the matches.  We won a few, came in second  some, but was always in the top finishers.  Prizes were Princess gifts, pens, water bottles, etc.
Back to the dinner table.  We are now on DAY 4 of the cruise, and as always the LA women are late.  I'll just use initials for them E & J  The have been late every night, a trend that will be a constant for the cruise.  As usual, they wold order, then mid course make another suggestion, and it was becoming tiresome.  The waiter got to the point of bringing and extra soup for E so there was no need to go back to the kitchen.  At least they got to the point of sharing entrees, instead of just ordering an extra.  But that too was strange..  On night J ordered a beef dish, medium rare, like she wanted it.  After finishing her fish, E cut into the beef, called the waiter over and complained it was not medium.  The waiter replied it was ordered medium rare, BUT I don't like it this way, I want medium.  But you did not order it, J did and it was medium rare.  So E turns to J, why did you order it medium rare, I like it medium.
Listening to the stream of conversation was always interesting.  The story would go off on so many tangents, it was hard to remember what started it.  Conversations about pricing condos would go past martinis, tree house restaurants, Hollywood mansions to hand thrown pizza in the kitchen with the security guard.  But the one common thread was it was about E.  During one conversation, E was talking and J asked a question, E replied...don't ask me things while I am talking, I cannot do two things at once.
At one point during the meal, E asked me to call her travel agent when I got home and get the refund process started for the flight they missed.  I told her the agent would have to speak to her, since I was not her client.  She started over again, and I interrupted her.....BIG mistake.  LET ME FINISH!!  So she asked again and when she was done I looked at her turned to the person beside me and just started talking to her.  At least she did not ask me again.

Dubrovnick

Croatia as we know it today is a new country with a long history, dating back thousands of years.  The current country is part of former Yugoslavia.  After the fall of communism in Russia, many of its former allies also experienced a change in governments.  There was a period in Croatia where the neighboring Serbs were shelling cities and killing the inhabitants.  Eventually peace returned and the country began a renaissance, and tourism picked up.
Dubrovnik's location on the Adriatic made it a major trading port.  It is the only city to have rivaled Venice for trade with the east.  Its walled Old City is a UNESCO Heritage Site and worth a visit.  The new harbor is not near the Walled City, but just a short distance away.  They have a very impressive bridge right on the edge of the new harbor, which makes a great first impression.
Once we were docked, we climbed aboard out bus and headed south.  We drove past the Old City on our way to a restored mill with a brandy tasting.  The countryside was beautiful, a large mountain range to the east and the valley and foothills dotted with small villages.  The rad was close to the coast so views of the Adriatic were constant.  Once the road went almost to Montenegro, we turned east to the mill.
The mill is still family owned and open for tours.  There was a series of mill houses along a quickly flowing stream.  The owner demonstrated the mills operation.  In the past, the miller would not charge money for the service, but a percentage of the milled product.  Considering the technology was a few hundred years old, it still operated efficiently.   By operating ropes, the operator could  start or stop the flow to turn the millstone.  After the demonstration we tasted locally produced brandy flavored with either walnuts or cherries.  For nibbles there were candied orange peels and sugared almonds, both traditional snacks.
Our next stop was the resort town of Cavtat.  Not far from Dubrovnik, but much more laid back, the Croatian version of the Riviera.  Since it was off season the harbor was fairly empty, during the summer it is full of yachts.  The waterfront promenade was beautiful and lined with cafes, some of which reminded me of South Beach.  The city itself has houses built in the 14th century to the present, and its center is car free.
The Old City is a pedestrian only area, so our bus dropped us just outside the wall.  After a brief tour of the main street we were allowed to wander on our own and shop.  We attempted to walk along the wall, but the 'Winter Hours' were in effect and it was no longer open, so wandering the ancient streets was the option.  Many of the shops catered to the tourist trade,  but there were some stores for those who lived in the city walls.






As the sun set we returned to our bus and the ride to the Pacific Princess.  Remember, professional travel agents have experienced many destinations and also take training classes to stay current.  For your travel needs, contact Travel Themes and Dreams.

First Stop - Ravenna

So after an memorable first night dinner, the Pacific Princess set sail from Venice.  Since it was late, most of the city was shrouded in darkness.  As opposed to other tourist cities, Venice is more subdued and not illuminated like other destination, which makes departing photos hard to capture.
Like many ports on the Mediterranean, Ravenna has been around for centuries.  Greeks, Etruscans, Romans, all have had their turn running the city.  Good times, bad times, war have all shaped the city  and surrounding area into the current version.  Once away from the port area, we passed through the edge of the town and headed to Bologna.

The area close to town was industrial on one side, and fish farming on other.  Not sure if I would like to eat fish from a waterway across from a refinery.  But after a short time the surrounding area became fields dotted with old stone farmhouses.  Crops changed to orchards and then to vineyards as we headed inland.

The city of Bologna is in the foothills above the coastal plain.  The university there is one of the oldest in Europe and one of the largest.  One of its most noted feature is the shaded arcades.  They were constructed to offer pedestrians protection from the weather as they shopped.  Most of the sidewalks in the old city are covered, in fact there are over 25 miles.  Which was nice since this was the only shore day that we had rain.  It was a brief shower of only about 20 minutes and quickly cleared to reveal beautiful blue skies.

Of course this is Italy, so there are a few churches.  Our shore excursion stopped at a centuries old church complex that included a cloister area.  The brickwork was exceptional and has lasted longer than several ruling empires.
So after a few hours of wandering around, the tour allowed for some shopping time.  The agreed meeting place and time was established and off we went in different directions.  This may sound strange to some people, but I am not a big fan of shopping, my roommate on the other hand LOVES it.  As we wandered the streets, he would pause to look in every shoe or men's store along the way, and also home decor.  To me they are not that different from what can be found at home or on line.  The store that stopped me was the deli.  Windows filled with baked good, pasta and cold cuts.  The being Bologna, there has to be bologna somewhere.  Except in Italy it is called mortadella, the original that was copied by Oscar Meyer.  I was tempted to go in but it being lunch time, it was full of paying customers, so I just looked.
Our lunch was in a very nice restaurant not too far from the main square.  Once inside we walked passed a woman making homemade pasta and were seated in the former wine cellar.  Meals on excursions is a good time to meet people, since it is hard to chat while walking and listening to the guide.  Lunch was local favorites.  Our first plate was sliced cured meats, cheese chunks, olives and nice crusty bread.  The entree was Lasagna Bolognese made with spinach pasta sheets.  Dessert was a very tasty chocolate torte.  And since wine is the national drink of Italy, there were several bottles on the table.  To finish off the meal a nice caffeine filled shot of espresso, then back on the bus to return to the ship.

Remember, when you are looking for vacation ideas, cruises offers the option of visiting many locations, but not having to pack/unpack everyday.  And it is especially true in the Mediterranean, where most of the ancient cities are very close to the coast.  A knowledgeable travel agent like those at Travel Themes and Dreams, can make the difference for a great experience.

Table for 6

So, all settled on the Pacific Princess.  One nice thing about traveling with a Virgo is that if you leave the cabin to wander around, the luggage gets unpacked in your absence and neatly stowed.  Since the Pacific Princess in one of the 'small ships' it does not take long to do a tour.
With the next port only a short sail, and the fact that Venice requires a connection, the ship does not depart until late.  This would allow anyone arriving on departure day to get a quick tour of the city.  Since we had been in the city for two days, we just remained on the ship.
On all of out past cruises, we have always opted for the traditional seating option.  All of out table mates have been friendly and interesting.  This would elevate INTERESTING to a whole new level.  Upon our arrival to out assigned table at appointed time, there was already a couple sitting there.  They were from Pennsylvania and decided to take a last minute vacation.  After the usual first night chat, we ordered our meals before the remaining two people arrived.  An action that would be repeated each night of the cruise.
Sometime during the second course, the last two people made an entrance.  Two women from the Los Angeles area, and polar opposites.  Introductions are made and the first night questions are repeated.  Then comes the first hint of their personalities and how dinner would be for 11 more nights.

They had only been friends for about 6 months and had only traveled once to Hawaii together.  This was a last minute trip which they booked through a travel agent.  With last minute flights expensive, they had a double connection in Dallas and in London before arriving in Venice, which is not unusual.  BUT.....
They missed their connection at London Heathrow.  One of the companions had gone to the ladies room while the other remained with the carry-on luggage and waited for the gate to be announced.  The bathroom trip resulted in getting lost.  Once the gate was posted, the other took only HER carry-on luggage and went looking for her travel partner.  After a search of the nearest facilities, she heard her name paged and went to the departure gate.  There the duo was re-united.  It was last call for boarding, BUT one passport was in the abandoned carry-on so they were denied boarding since there was no time to retrieve it and make the flight.
The lonely luggage was retrieved and so began the process of re-booking the flight.
Here is where it gets interesting.  I had by now tuned out the story, but a certain word piqued my interesting.  Now being in the travel industry, I know that if you miss your flight because of your fault, the airline really does not have to do anything, but most will want to keep a customer satisfied.  Well, I guess the 'luggage watcher' was not getting satisfactory service, and when the gate agent walked away, out came the ONE word that if you call a female, they will NEVER, EVER speak to you again.  The other agent heard it and that was it.  Excuse used....she was walking away and I needed something from her, I did not call it to her face.
Books closed on this help from the airline.  You missed the flight, it was your fault, get your own way to Venice.  This involved a transfer to Gatwick and purchasing a new flight.  But to a point this is good, since while waiting at their new flight, they borrowed another traveler's iPad to book a hotel room in  Venice.  I know, most people do fly to Europe and book hotel stays in the airport while waiting for a connection.
I got a little confused here.  Since the hotel booked for two nights, but they missed the first night, not sure where that lost night went or where they stayed.  Maybe it was just a premonition that would play out....Don't ask for details!!!
They did eventually make it to Venice, had a discussion about the missed night at the now sold out hotel which gave away their reservation as a No Show.  We were told they stayed at a nice place convenient to a 'riverwalk' and was the best place to stay.  Biggest drawback to me about the hotel, it was on the MAINLAND!.  Stupid me for booking a 400 year old hotel located walking distance to San Marco.  I find it amazing they found the ship on time, but more on this in a subsequent post.
The best way to book a trip is to rely on a travel professional, whether local or on line.  Travel Themes and Dreams specializes in cruise packages with hotel stays to extend the cruise.

Eastern Mediterranean Cruise

After a year of planning, finally my latest cruise, Pacific Princess to the Holy Land from Venice happened.  Luckily, we purchased the airline tickets almost a year ago before the price of oil caused prices to increase.  Since I had never been to Venice before, we planned on two nights before the cruise to explore.  At the end, we added one night in Athens to explore the ruins at Corinth.
Being in the travel industry,  I researched hotels and land tours before we departed.  Six months before we departed everything was in place and then it was just a mater of waiting.