Friday, May 2, 2014

This morning we woke up to -- RAIN.  Not what we really wanted on a day that we would be getting off the ship.  We had a tour of the countryside scheduled at 9:00 am so we got off the ship around 8:45 am.  Everything went very smooth and our tour guide was there waiting for us as we got off.  Thankfully there was an awning that we could walk under most of the way.  Our guide, Andrea, brought the van over to the curb and loaded the luggage for us and we were off.

The van was very roomy.  Pat and I sat in the back and Craig and Terry sat in the middle.  Did I mention that it was raining.  It was hard to take any pictures or even know what we were looking at.  We did stop for a coffee/restroom break at a cute little coffee shop.  I think we took longer than our tour guide wanted us to but that's too bad.

On the road again he took us to some little village but he said the streets were closed off to traffic so we couldn't go there.  I really don't know what that was about.  It had quit raining and we could have walked.  Maybe he didn't have time for us to hobble through the streets.  He then took us to a place that used to be a monastery and is now a hotel.  We rode a funicular up to the top (that part was fun) and then walked around in the rain.  We found some kind of museum or something that was kind of interesting.  I think we were allowed 30 to 45 minutes or so up there so we didn't linger.

Once down from the mountain off we went again.  We drove through wine country.  The vineyards were absolutely beautiful.  We stopped again at a vineyard and had a wine tasting.  I don't usually care for wine that much but the wine we tasted -- a sparkling wine was really good.  Craig bought a bottle.  He wanted to buy a case but I reminded him that I didn't know how we would get it home.

I really don't remember what else we saw.  Did I mention that it was raining?  We did tell him we wanted to eat lunch somewhere like the locals would eat so he took us to the most expensive restaurant he could find.  He said we had reservations there so I guess he couldn't change where he took us.  However, we were the only ones in there.  I think everyone except for me enjoyed their food but mine was terrible and I couldn't eat it.  Craig couldn't eat all of his so I finished his up.

After we ate lunch we told the guide that we were ready to go to our hotel.  We were quite a ways from Venice so it took us a while to get there.  He also still had some things to show us.  Once we got to Venice, he took us to Piazzale Roma where we had a private water taxi waiting for us.  I think it took about 20 minutes or so to get to our hotel.  Out hotel had their own dock so we were able to get off at the front door.  Check in was quick an we were on our way to our rooms.

The rooms were small but clean.  We noticed that they were missing something -- wash cloths.  I asked at the front desk about getting wash cloths and they had no idea what I was talking about so we had to improvise.

We went to dinner to a restaurant recommended by our hotel.  We had the most delicious pizza and had really good service.  After dinner it had been a long day so Craig and I went back to the room.  I think Pat roamed around to see what she could find.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Today was the big day -- we would be sailing into Venice. We weren't scheduled to arrive until 1:00pm so we didn't have to get moving quite as early. However, we did manage to be at the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast when they opened. We had a nice leisurely breakfast with the Rosga's before our arrival.

It was exciting as we sailed into Venice looking at everything outside wondering what different things were as we passed. We had a walking tour scheduled for today and were to meet our tour guide outside the cruise terminal at 1:00 pm. We met the Rosga's in the Neptune Lounge and waited for the ship to be cleared. Once cleared, we made our way downstairs and couldn't believe the line of people waiting to get off the ship. I guess everyone was excited as well.

We finally made it off the ship and there was our tour guide, Igor Scomparin, waiting for us. We quickly introduced ourselves and we were off. He had pre-purchased tickets for us to ride the People Mover so we went right to the front of the line. The People Mover took us from the ship to the last place that cars are allowed -- Piazzale Roma. Once there we walked over a glass bridge to begin our walking tour.

There were people everywhere but Igor knew the back alleys so we were able to stay out of the crowds most of the time. He took us off the beaten path and explained the history of Venice and told us a lot of interesting things. The tour was only supposed to last 3 to 4 hours but it lasted much longer. Today was the first day that it was really hot and we were all about to pass out. We finally asked Igor if we could stop for a coke so we did. He continued to sit there and explain to us where we had been and where we were going -- showing us on a map.

After we got our strength back we continued on our way. At one point we needed to cross the canal. I think normally his tours would walk a longer way around but he knew we were incapable of walking much more so he treated us to a gondala ride which was just a way to get from one side of the canal to the other. I was scared to death. I was afraid we were going to tip over. When Terry got in things really got scary and he just sat in the floor of the gondola. I was afraid he would not be able to get up but he managed to.

We walked past the Rialto Bridge and there were so many people there. He was taking us to St Marks Square and on the way he showed us where our hotel was located that we would be staying in for 3 nights. When we got to St Marks Square there were even more people! He said that around 6:00 pm the crowds start thinning out because a lot of people just come into Venice for the day and by that time people begin to leave. I think he thought we were going to stick around a little while but I told him that we were tired and didn't want to miss a meal so needed to get back. We also had to pack our bags since we would be getting off the ship in the morning.

We got back to the ship too late for our 5:45 pm dining which was fine because I was exhausted and wasn't in the mood to take that long to eat. We all went to the Lido and it was good. After eating, Craig and I went back to the room to get packed up. I'm not sure what the Rosga's did but I am sure that Pat went to everything available since she never sits still.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

This morning we woke up to magnificent views as we sailed in to Kotor, Montenegro.  It was almost as if we were on the Fjords of Norway.  It was absolutely beautiful.

As soon as they announced the ship had been cleared, we went down to get on the first tender (or so we thought).  When we got ashore there were already people there.  I think our tender driver was in training because he had a really hard time pulling up to the dock.

Once we got off the tender we went to find our driver/guide today.  We were taking a taxi tour with Milo.  He was highly recommended on Cruise Critic.  I had no idea what to expect.  I kind of figured he was an older man but much to my surprise, he was probably around 30 years old and about 6’5”.  He took us to his taxi and I almost fainted.  It was a little bitty Renault.  However, when we got inside, it was roomier than the Mercedes we had taken a tour in when we were in Corfu.

He took us on a 4 hour tour and took us all over.  We walked through some villages and stopped for some breathtaking views.  We went to the Old Town of Budva and stopped for coffee and snack.  Pat asked about a nice hotel to stay in if she came back and he showed us a hotel that costs anywhere from 1,000 to 4000 euros per night.   I wish we would have had time to go look at it inside.  He just took us to a lookout point to see it.

We had told Milo that we wanted to be back to the ship by 12:30 and he said no problem.  The last tender was leaving the port at 1:30.  On the way back we got into a traffic  jam and I was afraid we wouldn’t make it back in time.  We got back around 1:05 and got into a crowd riding back.  

We still had to eat lunch and the only place open for lunch when we returned was the Lido and it was packed.  We had to circle about 3 times before we found a table and then I circled about that many times to find a short line to get something to eat.  I usually just get a sandwich because that is the usually the shortest line.

As we were sailing out of Kotor, they opened up the bow of the ship.  Craig and I went out there to enjoy it but it was pretty crowded and it started raining.  We just took it easy the rest of the day.  It was formal night and we didn’t want to get dressed up.  Craig went up to get a hamburger on the lido at 5:00 and they were already closed.  They weren’t supposed to close until 5:30 so I am not sure what that was about.  We went to the lido and ate dinner.  They have most of the same things in the lido at night as they have in the dining room.

Tomorrow we will be docking in Venice for an overnight.  The cruise is winding down but we will be staying in Venice 4 nights after the cruise.  We are supposed to have free wifi in our hotel there so hopefully I can get more pictures loaded.  Our internet has been really slow on the ship and then on Monday, the internet went down and I don’t think we will be getting it back.  Hopefully we will be getting a refund.  In fact, this posting that I am writing will have to be posted once I get in my Venice Hotel.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Today we docked in Dubrovnik, Croatia. We booked a tour with the ship today because we couldn’t make a decision on which private tour to take.  Our tour was Riviera Highlights.  When we docked, I looked outside and it was pouring down rain.  I wasn’t sure how this was going to work but we had no choice — either go in the rain or lose our money because it was too late to cancel so we went on the tour.  When we got to the showroom to get assigned to our bus they made an announcement that those that had signed up to ride the cable car that their tour had been cancelled.

They had several buses going on our tour.  We were assigned to bus #8 and we were the first ones on it which was nice.  That way we had our pick of seats so we were able to sit up close to the front.  

We went on a drive through the picturesque villages of the green and fertile Konavle Valley, where we went to the famous Konavoski Dvori restaurant. It was perfectly situated in an old mill next to the cascading waters of the Ljuta River. We had a light snack consisting of local specialties such as smoked ham, cheese, homemade bread and a glass of local wine.  It was quite filling  and tasty.

Next, we enjoyed a pleasant ride before reaching the seaside resort town of Cavtat— the ancient Roman city of Epidaurus. Over the years, Cavtat has been a favorite destination for sailors and yacht enthusiasts. In fact, former-King Edward and Wallace Simpson came here for their honeymoon.  Here we enjoyed a coffee at a sidewalk cafe.  By the time we got to Cavtat, the rain had stopped.

We then went back to Old Town Dubrovnik where we had some time to stroll through before returning to the ship.  It was a charming town and we only had an hour there.  I probably could have spent all day there.  Our ship was not leaving until later in the evening and we could have stayed longer and ridden the shuttle back but it was beginning to look like rain again so we went back to the ship.  Soon after we returned to the ship, the rain did start up again.

We had been told the previous night that our dining room was going to be closed because they were having a special meal served out by the pool deck.  We decided to make reservations at Canaletto Restaurant instead.  They had changed the menu since I had been there several years ago.  Now the food is served family style which meant that Craig and I would have to agree on what we wanted to eat.  For our main course we chose sea bass and it was absolutely to die for.  All of the food was good except for the dessert.  I took one bite of mine and didn’t eat it.  I tasted Craig’s and didn’t like it either.

They were having a special show tonight of a local Dubrovnik group.  They had a group of men singing and playing instruments and a group that did local dances.  The showroom was packed and they were very good.  

After the show, we decided to call it a night because we are having an early day in the morning.  We will be tendering in Kotor, Montenegro and have a tour as soon as we can get ashore — around 8:00 am.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Today we were in Corfu, Greece.  We had a tour booked with a taxi cab driver.  When we met up with him I wasn’t so sure about it but the company was highly rated on Trip Advisor.  This was the first tour that we didn’t have a minivan.  We were in a sedan.  It was a Mercedes but it was pretty tight in there.  

Our driver’s name was Phillip.  Phillip drove us all over the island and showed us some villages and lots of olive trees.  We finally stopped on top of a mountain at a little restaurant.  We had some coffee and a local pastry.  The views were spectacular.  After we were there about 15 minutes, we got invaded by busloads of cruisers so we hit the road.

A little bit down the mountain, Phillip stopped at a small shop where they gave us free samples of olives, and some local liquor if we wanted it.  I had the olives and they were good.  We looked around a little bit and we were ready to go.  

I had no idea this place would be so pretty but it was.  Our tour was for 4 hours and I could have easily spent more time there but it started pouring down rain so we had him to take us back to the ship.  When we got back, Terry told us to go on in the cruise terminal and he would settle up with the driver.  If any of you see Terry, ask him if he knows how to count.  That is all I am going to say about it.

When we got back on the ship the only place to eat was at the Lido so that was where we went.  This was my first trip to eat up there this cruise.  I had one of their good chicken salad sandwiches.  It was so crowded it was hard to find a table but we finally found one overlooking the town.

After lunch we were exhausted.  Craig and i came back to the cabin and took a nap — something we don’t usually do.  We woke up just in time for dinner.

After dinner we came back to the cabin for the evening.  Tomorrow we will be in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Today was a sea day which was much welcomed. Having these long port days has been very tiring.  You would think we would take the opportunity to sleep in but we didn’t.  We set our alarm so we could get up in time to go eat breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.  All of the previous days we have been having room service.  The Pinnacle Grill is available only to suite passengers for breakfast and there is no charge.  Service is very good and it is very relaxing to eat in there when you can just take your time.

After breakfast Craig and I went and spent some time in the casino.  It was fun but I didn’t win anything.  We had gotten an offer to purchase one entry to the slot tournament and get one free.  I didn’t care anything about playing but Craig wanted to so I watched him do that.  He didn’t place high enough for the finals.

We had a little bit of time to kill before eating lunch so we stopped by the Culinary Arts Center where they were putting on a cooking demonstration.  They also serve samples of what they are cooking.  I didn’t try any of it because lunch was soon but Craig did and he said it was good.

For lunch we ate in the Pinnacle Grill.  Pammy, our travel agent, had given us each a lunch there.  This was the only day that we were going to be on the ship for luck so this was our only opportunity to try it out.  I really like their lunch better than their dinner.  I had a hamburger and it was so good.

In the afternoon, there was a presentation on our remaining ports — Corfu, Dubrovnik, Kotor, and Venice.  We went and listened to hear what they had to say.  They all look like they will be good ports.  It is hard to believe that the cruise will be over soon.  We have had fun and seen a lot of things but it has been so tiring.

I had eaten so much during the day I wasn’t hungry at dinner but I went and just picked at my food.  The sad thing is, if you don’t eat your food, the waiters think there is something wrong with the food.

After dinner we went to listen to Krista sing in the Crows Nest again until the Rosga’s went to the show.  Craig and I were tired and didn’t go.

Pat had listened to the ship’s art tour on an iPod and there were a couple of things that she couldn’t find.  I had seen 2 of them and we found them after dinner.  Another one that she couldn’t find was a full size NYC Taxi Cab.  I told her that I bet it was in the Kids area on the ship.  While Craig and Terry listened to Krista, Pat and I went in search of the NYC Taxi Cab and we did find it in the kids area.  Pat tried to go in and take a picture of it but the workers in there told her to leave that she couldn’t be in there taking pictures because there were kids in there.  Well, she did get a picture anyway so our mission was accomplished.

Tomorrow we will be in Corfu, Greece.