It's done

I just received a call wanting to know why I have not signed off and finished the blog with a post from home as I usually do.
Sorry folks but that was the end. We will be travelling again in January and we are home safe and sound.
But until then... it is done.
Merry Christmas to all.
Hugs
C

Fifth of six

Five of Six,

Well this cruise is quickly coming to an end. Tonight is the last formal night and tomorrow is the last full day. We fly on Saturday morning and arrive at YVR on Saturday night around eight.

Sea days are very free, you can be as busy as you want to be or as laid back as you want to be. Ken and I choose to be quite laid back. Ken has gone to the enrichment lectures and I have taken part in the Wake Show question and going to different things like the Fashion Show. We have gone to most of the evening shows and of course we have gone to the dining room for almost all  of our meals. We find that going to the buffet is a big temptation to eat too much.

There are several things that we normally do but have not done this time. We have not gone to the hot tubs or the sanctuary pool. We have not yet gone for an ice cream cone. Even though we promised ourselves that we would use all of the punches on our coffee card we have used only 8 so there are seven left. We have not bought even one picture from the photo department. We have not bought any Future Cruise Credits.

The seas were the roughest we have experienced and I did not get sick. Usually sea sickness is a big problem for me. I guess I have finally gotten my sea legs

This is the first time we have hosted a balcony cabin a cabin crawl. It was interesting and easy and we will do it again.

As usual we have met many interesting people and hopefully we have made some new friends.

We have seen and experienced things that we never thought we would. We have seen The Leaning Tower of Pisa, We threw coins into the Trevi fountain, we saw the Vatican, We visited Gaudi’s Park Guell, We visited the Santa Familia Basilica, we visited Montserrat, we saw some of the dead of Pompeii, we roamed in the coliseum, photographed the Parthenon, and the Spanish Steps, the beautiful blue domed buildings of Santorini, medieval churches, town walls, fortifications, all of these were amazing things and it is hard to realize that we saw it all in 32 short days.

We have loved this cruise but we are ready to go home. It is time to begin getting ready for Christmas.

Our next cruise begins in 65 days. We are taking a 2 week cruise to the Caribbean with friends.

Come travel with us.

C&K

First two of six

First 2 of 6,

Sea Days are not really a time that gives you lots of things to write about. We generally just relax and enjoy the ship and the free time.

On Remembrance Day the ship had an amazing service to honor the vets. It was very well organized and very well attended. We were so impressed.

Yesterday I went to the fashion show. It was fun.

Stanley and his twin were there. I didn’t even know that there were two of them

After dinner we saw this cutie.

Perhaps you would like to see our table mates.

 Bruce and Estelle

Tom and Nancy

Greg and Renita

We have 4 more sea days to relax and enjoy . Too soon we will be home trying to get ready for Christmas and do all of the chores connected with this time of the year.

Azores

Ponta Delgada, Azores

There was some doubt as to whether or not we would get into the port. The seas have been very rough.

I don’t know what I was expecting but I was not expecting to find a big city and a very busy port. The day began gray and we wondered what to take with us. We were pleased to learn that we were going to get into port.

The driver and guide from “Amazing Tours” was waiting for us and within minutes we were loaded into the Mercades Van and on our way.

Because it was gray and seemed to threaten rain our guide changed the order of what we would see.

Our first stop was on the north side of the island. It was stunningly beautiful

We drove and saw churches and mountains and lakes and volcanoes and we learned a great deal about the area.

Just as we arrived at the blue and green lakes the clouds lifted and we were able to see this amazing sight.

Did you know that they grow hydrangea to act as fences because cows do not eat them. Can you imagine how beautiful that would be in the spring?

They have miles and miles of stone walls separating properties. The stones are black volcanic rocks gather as the farmers cleared their fields. These are dry walls made without mortar.

They have a plant which  has become a noxious weed all over the island. If I remember correctly it was called ginger lily. It was brought to the Island to help prevent land slides and to help with soil erosion. Unfortunately it only made things worse and it thrived. But they are experimenting with using the fiber from that plant to make something which will replace plastic plates etc. It appears as if they may have come up with an answer to one of the great problems of this modern world. 

As a special treat our guide took us to see a wonderful light house. This was not part of the tour but when he heard of our passion he sought out the light just for us.

It was a wonderful tour and we were back at the ship just as it began to drizzle. Perfect timing.

Third of Three

Third of Three

It was another sea day and it was another day of rough seas. The ship was really bouncing and we had to wonder if we would make it to the Azores tomorrow.

We had 2 events today. First was the slot pull. I entered but Ken did not, we felt 20 dollars was enough to invest. The group was 52 Cruise Critic members and we played for a full hour. At the end we got 13 of our 20 dollars back. I guess 7 dollars was a fair price for an hour of entertainment.

We had a quiche from the International Café for lunch.

After lunch was the Yankee gift exchange. At one point I had a very nice Light house plaque but alas it was robbed and I ended up with a baseball cap from the botanical gardens in San Antonio. It is a nice hat but I would have loved the lighthouse plaque. The person who brought it said she bought it at Hobby Lobby.

The evening show featured Tracey Shield and she did her impression of Celine Dion. Actually she was better than we expected her to be.

We knew that tomorrow would be a port day and we have a tour planned so we called it a night early.

Or we are at least hoping the wind would die down and the seas would calm enough for us to get into Ponta Delgada, Azores. We have never been there.

Azores Islands(ponta Delgada) Portugal, November 10th

Shore Excursions Best Price Guarantee

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Rising from the depths of the Atlantic, the rugged, volcanic Azores lie 800 miles off the coast of Portugal. Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the nine islands have provided a haven to Atlantic mariners for over five centuries. The Azores offer travelers spectacular landscapes that range from lush meadows fringed with brightly colored hydrangea to ancient caldera filled with lakes. And the many small villages and shops retain an otherworldly air and 18th-century charm.

Ponta Delgada is located on São Miguel, the largest of the nine Azores. The island's rich volcanic soil sustains fields of tobacco and tea, vineyards, and pineapple greenhouses. The Azores are also noted for fine crafts, particularly basketry and pottery.

Azores

Amazing Tours,
Tour number 3 , Blue and Green lakes and Fire Craters

Shore excursion itinerary

On this shore excursion we will visit the main West and Central sites of São Miguel, specifically Sete Cidades volcano and a collection of lagoons, with special attention for the Green and Blue lagoons, once considered one of the 7 wonders of Portugal. We will also visit the Fogo Lagoon and it’s volcano, well known for it’s magnificent lake with white sandy beaches and crystal clear water.

We will begin our tour by driving through the South coast on the way to the city of Lagoa, continuing on to the mountain of the volcano of Fogo, South side, enjoying spectacular landscaping views over the West, volcano of Sete Cidades, as well as South, Central and North sides of the Island.

At the top of the volcano, Pico da Barrosa, standing at 947 meters high, you will be mesmerized with the view over the big volcanic caldeira of Fogo and it’s magnificent lake with the same name.

After this wonderful stop we will take you downtown Ribeira Grande which became a city on June 29th 1981 a very picturesque city with an original garden build around the water stream. This is also the town where you will have the opportunity to have a coffee break.

To continue our tour, we will take the North coast of the Island towards Pico do Carvão that takes us to the famous view of Vista do Rei; we will be seeing spectacular landscaping views, such as North, Central and South coasts of the island, as well as the Fogo volcano located in the middle of the Island surrounded by green vegetation.

The farm village of Sete Cidades located at the bottom of the crater with the same name will be visited where you will have the opportunity to look at the church of Saint Nicolas built in 1857.

The return to Ponta Delgada will be trough the South coast where we will stop at the “Miradouro do Escalvado” where you will have a superb view over the fishing village of Mosteiros, with beautiful summer homes, beaches and natural pools, and the famous rocks leftovers of an extinct volcano

Second of three

Second of three,

This was a Rock and Roll Day. The captain came on and announced that the open decks would be closed because we were having 2 to 3 meter swells and it was expected to go to 5 to 6 meter swells later in the day and into the evening.

We went to breakfast and then looked for the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet. Vickie was there and she brought us poppies. We had forgotten ours and she had extra that she was kind enough to share with us. We are meeting them the day after the Azores.

 The get together was well attended and I got the chance to ask about the coffee cards. We were told that the old cards would be honoured until the end of 2018 and then they were just so much garbage. I am angry about that policy change. It has been tradition that the cards would be honoured as long as you have punches left on the card. I do not think that they should be able to make that change without informing the passengers at least a couple of years ahead. Not everyone sails every few months and they should be given an opportunity to use their cards.. I feel that by cancelling the cards they are taking 50 dollars Canadian from me without my permission. I always thought that was the definition of theft. The profit margin on coffee is so large that it seems very chincy to make that move. I intend to write and let Princess know how I feel.

The other thing that came up was the fact that the extra chair has been removed from our rooms. Apparently someone complained that the chair took up too much room. I would like to know who that someone was and why their opinion was the only one that mattered. So now we have only the desk chair. When eating one of us has to sit on the new soft bed which is not good for our backs or for the lovely new linen. The last formal night Ken was using the chair so he could put on his shoes and socks and I was in the bathroom sitting on the toilet to put on my panty hose. Now tell me why that was a good idea. No one asked us if we wanted to get rid of the chair. We often treat ourselves to Champagne Breakfast but without a proper chair we will not be doing that on this cruise. I can only hope the the Royal still has the spare chair when we board in January, or the Coral when we board her in April. . I intend to give Princess my opinion on that also.

We decided to essentially skip lunch. I had a plum and half a banana.

Because the sea was so rough and it was a sea day we basically relaxed and did very little until it was time for dinner. I was surprised by the fact that I did not get sea sick. I wonder if I have finally gotten my sea legs. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Last evening Nancy and Tom finally showed up for dinner. They have been assigned to our table but they had not yet showed up. They seem very nice. They are from Austin Texas so now we have 4 Canadians and 4 Americans at the table. As usual it was an evening of laughter and visiting.

After the dinner we walked a little and then went to the Princess Theatre for the show. The performer was named David Coperfield but he was not the one we had heard of before. But he was really entertaining. He sang and he told jokes and he played the guitar and he interacted with the audience. We laughed had enough to have sore sides. He did not make anything disappear but he certainly was entertaining.

After the show we went upstairs to get some cheese and some a drink. It was quite rocky but quiet and pleasant.

Then we called it a night and let the sea rock us to sleep.

First of three

First of three

The only thing we had scheduled for today was to meet Patti about our tour in the Azores.

It is formal night so we will be dressing us.

Ken went to the lecture while I was meeting Patti. For lunch I went up to Horizon and got a sandwich for us both.

I watched a culinary presentation in the Piazza.

I took a siesta

We enjoyed the wine that Kim gave us along with the snacks we got from Princess while we dressed for dinner.

After dinner we got our pictures taken with Stanley. 

We ran into Vickie and Bernie when we were walking through the wheelhouse Bar. We have made plans to have lunch together. We mentioned that we have forgotten to bring poppies for Rembrance Day. Vickie said she would bring us one during the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet.

At eleven o’clock we were scheduled to sail past The Rock of Gibraltar. Ken wanted to see it and so we decided to stay up and try to get a glimpse. Unfortunately the rock was on the starboard side and our cabin is on the Port side. So we took off our formal clothes, put on warm casual clothes and waited for time to go topside. I stayed until about 11:15 and then returned to our cabin. Ken stayed out. Ouround midnight there was an announcement that the rock would be in view in ten minutes. I dressed again and went down to deck seven. I did see it but the view at midnight is really not all that spectacular. It was lit up but really I would have been wiser to just go to sleep.. But I can say that I have seen The Rock of Gibraltar.

Another sea day tomorrow.

Barcelona Again

Barcelona…

Today the ship was in Barcelona. For the people who boarded in Rome this was the first visit to the port. For us it was the second stop in Barcelona and because we had spent a week here we decided to stay on board. We spent the day enjoying our private yacht.

There were several activities taking place but there were not a lot of people on board. We just relaxed and enjoyed the day.

I went to customer service and had then call Vickie for us. We have made plans to have lunch. That will be great.

After dinner we took in the Folkloric show. Actually because of the timing for the show we skipped dessert and headed to the theatre. There was no need to rush we could have gotten seats and the show was really not that entertaining. Dessert may have been better.

Tomorrow is officially the first of three sea days.

Please send again....

For some unknown reason I can't access Messenger using the ship's internet Could you send your message again just using regular e-mail?

Toulon Again???

Toulon, second Time???

This was supposed to be a return to Toulon but it was not to be. The captain came over the PA to inform us that they were experiencing 35 mph winds with gusts to 50 and even with help from tugs docking would not be safe.

We had ordered breakfast in our room and it came anyway. It was a lazy day to be sure.

We had planned to meet Alvan and Amy for lunch in Barcelona but we moved it up to Toulon since it was an unexpected sea day. They are very nice people. We had a great visit and we plan to do lunch again during the crossing.

We had a siesta during the afternoon and got ready for dinner. There were 6 of us at the table and the assistant waiter removed the other place setting so we guess it will remain a table for six. We laughed and visited and had a grand time.

After dinner we went to Club Fusion and enjoyed the music of ICON. We learned they are from St.Lucia. We had our cruise Ultimate Mai Tai. We usually have one each cruise.

The ship was moving quite a bit. At one point the captain announced that the first aid group was to report to the deck 6 balcony port side. We wondered if someone was hurt. But we have not gotten a report about it.

The rocking motion was very pleasant as we made good use of the electric candles that Sandra gave us.

Tomorrow we are back in Barcelona. We do not have smart phones or I would call Sandra. Oh well…. Next trip.

Return to Livorno

Second visit to Livorno

Originally this was supposed to be a visit to Genoa. However it was cancelled by the city. They decided that there would be too many ships in at the same time and they could not handle those numbers. Then they had terrible weather complete with flooding and land slides.

Because of that the shipped planned a return to Livorno. We decided to choose a Princess tour. It was advertised as a tour by boat and by walking.

It was actually named Livorno by foot and by boat.

Here is the description:

Discover the charms of Livorno, the second largest port in Tuscany. Keep your camera at the ready as you embark on the walking tour down Via Grande, one of Livorno’s busiest streets­—a vibrant mix of local activity. In Piazza

Micheli you will find the dramatic monument of the four Moors.

 Arrive at the 19^th century central market and stop to peruse its colorful stalls. Refresh with a gelato or a cappuccino and then board a canal boat to see the city from a different point of view.

Explore Livorno’s Venazia Nuova or New Venice district and glide past all of the top sightes. Conclude with enough time to walk around the area, shop for souvenirs or just relax ay a café and people watch before you get your bus and return to the ship.

Our actual day was a little different.

First we boarded a bus and headed for the boat . On the way we were given head sets to use.

When we stopped we had a short walk to the canal boat. Everyone climbed aboard at at one point I wondered where everyone would sit. Then after an introduction the captain started the motor to begin our departure. After several unsuccessful attempts it was determined that the boat was too heavy…. Some would have to get off. You see in the time since to end of the last tour and the beginning of this one the tide had gone down and we were too shallow.

So 15 of us , (last on first off, no profiling was done)… left the ship and waited on the dock as our ship moved to the next slip. This time the prop would be in deeper water. We embarked again and held our breaths. This time we met with success. This tour was much like what we experienced in Amsterdam. Our boat made its way through the canals and under the bridges. There were boats moored on either side of the canal. As we went Alexandra told us of the city and its amazing history and its relationship with Pisa. The old walls and bridges make amazing backdrops for the canal boat ride.

So the boat ride came before the walking part. The walking was quite short. We walked all along the market. We had thought it would not be open because it was Sunday but our guide assured us that we could shop. After the walk about we were given a half hour to have a good look.

Much to our delight we were then taken to a lovely little café where we were served a very healthy glass of the local wine. It is sweet and the custom is to dunk a brochette type cookie into the wine.

After that great surprise we walked back to where our bus was parked. Soon we were back on board.

It was a great tour.

ROME!!!

Rome, The. Eternal City

As I said we had a private tour booked for this stop. We knew that the city of Rome was an hour and a half away by bus and we knew we did not want to miss the ship. We were able to change the tour to suit us. Our driver was so good. Roberto was his name and his is a small family business. He picked us up right when he said he would and his vehicle was a lovely Mercedes Van with seating for 8 plus the driver of course. We were a group of six so that made it very comfortable. This is the group…. I took the picture and that is why I am not in it.

Because it was Saturday morning the traffic was light. The speed limit is higher here and most of the time Roberto was doing between 130 and 140.

On the drive in which took an hour instead of 90 minutes Roberto told us a lot about the area and its history. His English was very good and even with his accent he was very easy to understand.

Once we got to the city we were amazed at narrow lanes and streets and how the people drove. Ken kept saying he was so glad he was not driving

We went to so many places that the buses could never have gone. Roberto was true to his description and he took us to every place he mentioned in his description. I believe the one that impressed me the most was the Trevi Fountain. I was expecting it to be a fountain . It actually had been the façade of a mansion owned by someone who wanted to show his neighbours how rich he was.

The Colosseum was impressive by its size alone.  Roberto showed us a picture of what it would have looked like originally.

We saw the Vatican, the Pantheon, the Spanish steps and the list goes on.

For lunch we went to a smaller family restaurant. Ken and I shared an original pizza. The ones from Ocean Park are very different and I have to admit that I like them better. We also had a local beer and after lunch we headed back to the ship.

Roberto reduced the price because everything went quicker thanks to the smaller crowds. We as a group decided to give him those extra 60 Euros anyway.

The trip back to the ship went just as smoothly .

As a society we like to think we are so good and so advanced and so great. Considering the time period Rome was so much greater. It had all of our great cities beat hands down.

Their empire fell and I have no doubt that the empires of today will also fall. Mad men at the helm who do not put the people first will no doubt repeat history.

It is so great that we came here. It would be wonderful to return and spend days instead of hours.

Naples,Nov.2nd

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Italy's third-largest city, Naples is a bustling metropolis famed for it stately buildings, crowded streets, pizza - and notoriously bad traffic. However, this beautiful city is rich in centuries-old culture and customs. Naples is also your gateway to the Isle of Capri, the fabled Amalfi Coast and the ruins of Pompeii, buried in ash by the cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

Naples boasts an ideal location, with both the ruins of Roman cities and the stunning Amalfi Coast in easy reach.