TLCOhio

From Conde Nast Traveler in March, they had this headline: “Most Beautiful Small Towns in Europe” with these highlights: “Flåm, Norway. Population: 350. Undoubtedly one of Europe’s most beautiful cruise ports, the tiny village of Flåm welcomes ships passing through western Norway’s vast Sognefjord. The town is scattered with boldly colored houses and surrounded by unblemished green hills, but it’s perhaps best known for housing Flamsbana—the world’s steepest railway. Hop on the train in Flåm, which will take you past waterfalls and snow-capped peaks to the summit of Myrdal Mountain.” Yes, the magazine profile brings back wonderful memories!! Many other excellent small towns to visit all over Europe. Need to pack and go? From our adventure in and all over Norway linked below, you can see more and maybe gain added options, suggestions, tip and ideas. Good luck with your research and planning. Full story at: https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/25-most-beautiful-small-towns-in-europe THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 247,434 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

From Conde Nast Traveler in March, they had this headline: “Most Beautiful Small Towns in Europe” with these highlights: “Assos, Greece. Population: 88. The charming, bloom-filled village of Assos on Kefalonia is one of the most compelling reasons to visit the Greek Islands. The tiny hamlet sits at the bottom of a hill, surrounded by the strikingly blue Mediterranean Sea on three sides. Spend some time on the village’s pebble beach before loading up on Greek food in one of the traditional restaurants lining the marina. Seriously, do vacations get any better than that?” Yes, sounds and looks wonderful!! Many other excellent small towns to visit in Europe. Need to pack and go? Full story at: https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/25-most-beautiful-small-towns-in-europe THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 256,594 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1362155-solstice-livefirst-timer-reportspix’s-italycroatian-june-7-19/

From Conde Nast Traveler in March, they had this headline: “Most Beautiful Small Towns in Europe” with these highlights: “At turns reminiscent of Norwegian fjords and Lake Como, the Bay of Kotor is lined with ancient, picturesque towns—including its namesake. Backed by steep limestone cliffs, Kotor’s UNESCO-protected Old Town draws visitors for its scenic location, but also for its history. Getting lost here is not only encouraged, but expected: Centuries ago, Old Kotor was built like a maze to confuse invaders.” Yes, brings back wonderful memories. Many other excellent small towns to visit in Europe. Need to pack and go? Full story at: https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/25-most-beautiful-small-towns-in-europe THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Late Summer 2022, many scenic visuals and details from Canada Maritimes doing Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island, etc., via a Tauck land tour. Visual Summary: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums

Interesting observation!! Is that about the tour and experience being marginal, average, not that good? Or, people getting tired of escalating demands for tips everywhere? Or, a feeling with Silversea that the tips are already covered? Sorry to hear about the fog horn, weather, etc., challenges. Hang in!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Congratulations to J.P. and Chris for your 28th!!! This coming Saturday, my wife and I celebrate our 51st. You only have 22 more years till you magic 50th. Great dinner and visuals from Le Dame. Hard to believe, given ALL of your amazing travels, that this will be your first visit to Sweden. Amazing history in Sweden. That country was a major world power at one point. Lots to see and enjoy there. Looking forward to more great pictures and details. Keep it coming!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From Yahoo News earlier this past week, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean expects strong demand trends to continue through 2024, 2025: CEO” with these highlights: “Royal Caribbean Cruises CEO says his company is seeing strong demand for cruises. Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty sits down with Yahoo Finance's Diane King Hall to discuss the cruise operator's outlook and whether or not he's seeing the 'revenge travel' trend continue.” From this interview, here are a couple of key, top highlights from the RCL CEO: "We raised our earnings guidance for the year by over 40%. Those trends continue to be very strong. And we deliver 150,000 vacations every single day to our guests. And they're super happy. The demand trends that we've seen earlier in the year is very much flowing into 2024 and even into 2025. Historically, pre-pandemic, about a third of our guests were new to cruise, a third of our guests were loyalists, and the third of our guests refers to brand. What we see now is one propensity to cruise has completely returned back that was in 2019. But we're seeing more new to cruise than we had seen in 2019. We're seeing more first to brand, which is very much in line with our growth expectations for our capacity, growth as our new ships come on. It's less about revenge travel. We don't really see in our surveying of our guests. It's more that the guest has shifted back to this trajectory of experiences outpacing buying stuff." What is the view of CEO Jason Liberty for China and its future?: "We now have a better view on how China was-- how China is going to start back up, our plan is to re-enter China next year. So we're starting up that sales and marketing machine for China, which was an incredible market for us pre-pandemic. We know that the Chinese consumer loves to cruise." How does the CEO view their brands and demographics?: "Our Royal brand is very focused on multigenerational family. Our Celebrity brand, people that are in their early 50s, more Gen X in nature. And our Silversea brand, which is Ultra Luxury and Expedition, tend to attract a little bit of the Baby Boomer side of things. What we are seeing is the guest is actually a little bit younger on average than what we saw pre-pandemic. And a lot of that is because there's more millennials that are now into the system as they got married and started to have kids and are looking to experience incredible travel experiences." Baby Boomers? Yes, I plead "guilty" and that explains why we see so many of "us" on Silversea. Right? Or, wrong? Full story/video at: https://finance.yahoo.com/video/royal-caribbean-expects-travel-demand-210222734.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 21,833 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

From the London/UK Independent in late May, they had this headline: “Barbados travel guide: Where to go and what to see on the Caribbean island" with this sub-headline: "Tropical relaxation is a given, but Barbados is more than fly-and-flop holidays – hiking, snorkelling, history and fantastic food (plus rum) are all to be found on this beautiful island.” Here are a few of their reporting highlights: “Set 100 miles east of the main curve of the Caribbean islands, this small, easy-going isle is where many of us get our first taste of this balmy region. A good choice for families, with beach resorts to suit all budgets, it’s only 21 miles long and 14 miles wide but packs in a lot: rich heritage, varied landscapes, and a thriving restaurant scene. Most upmarket hotels sit beside the calm waters of the west coast, while the south is a more congested party zone with busy beaches and nightlife. Barbados is a year-round holiday destination that is busiest in the peak season from mid-December to Easter, when travellers from Europe and North America flock in for a winter sun holiday.” Full story at: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/central-america-carribean/barbados/barbados-travel-guide-best-things-to-do-b2345529.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Late Summer 2022, many scenic visuals and details from Canada Maritimes doing Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island, etc., via a Tauck land tour. Visual Summary: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums

Appreciate these continued great comments and follow-ups about Split. Keep it coming with the excellent sharing. From US News earlier this week, they had this headline: “Best Times To Visit Split” with these highlights: “The best time to visit Split is September and October when tourist crowds have dispersed and the Adriatic Sea is still warm enough for a dip. By November, temperatures tend to drop into the 40s and 50s, where they'll hover for the rest of the winter. The months between April and June see rising temperatures and crowds, but the city's peak season is in July when the weather is hot and both tourist levels and rates for accommodations, flights and rental cars are at their highest.” Another of their links also details: "Getting Around Split: The best way to get around Split is by car since it gives you the most flexibility to travel on your own timetable, but renting a car isn't the most economical way to get around. Relying on the city's buses (and ferries for island hopping) will save you the most kuna. But if you plan on sticking close to Old Town, you can easily get around on foot." Full stories at: https://travel.usnews.com/Split_Croatia/When_To_Visit/ https://travel.usnews.com/Split_Croatia/Getting_Around/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Kotor/Montenegro: Various visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 51,399 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

Appreciate, Spins, you posting and sharing ALL of these many details, comments and follow-ups. As mentioned previously, we have not done a long trans-Atlantic (or trans-Pacific) sailing. We are still itinerary-focused with our sailing preferences. Sorry about the water shower challenge, weather issues, plus things being so busy and crowded, etc. Good that the Internet is working well. Keep sharing and especially love it when you post visuals. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Great summaries and background from labrasett, Rothko1, J.P., WesW, etc. Agreed that it is hard to compare the "past" versus today. Lots has changed, including us as we age and gain added experiences. Also, as correctly and wisely noted, the RCCL take-over happened about the same time as Covid did its nasty shut-down and create the huge financial pressures. On our first Silversea cruise back in July 2010, there were "tensions" from the "bean-counter", finance-types in Monaco wanting to cut-back and save money . . . versus . . . the on-ship staff wanted to maximize the "experience" for us as customers. Nothing new about what has been happening lately as Royal Caribbean tries to pay off the massive billions of dollars borrowed. Great point as to how the RCL take-over avoid the money squeeze that sent Crystal down the toilet. We super loved the Silver Muse from our 2019 Alaska sailing and are looking forward/ahead to our February 2024 Mumbai to Singapore sailing on the Silver Moon. We liked very much our four cruises on the Silver Cloud, but these newer Silversea ships have many improvements and offerings that are important and very good. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 247,434 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

Appreciate this helpful follow-up from J.P. Interesting that you did that much and so well with your cell phone and that spotting scope. Good work!!! Wonderful updating and details from RachelG. Continue to love the excellent "food porn" from J.P. Assuming you are using that same cell phone for those visuals, right? Looking so wonderful and tasty. Keep it coming. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From the Wall Street Journal late Friday afternoon, below are their stock value charts for the three major cruise lines. Overall, it seemed to be fairly positive week. But, each of these stocks moved in different patterns over these most-recent five trading days. Royal Caribbean, as of today, is setting at a 12-month high. Good news? Will things continue to move upward? Carnival is also today at a 12-month high-water mark. The high during the past year for Norwegian was $18.67 on 11/15/22. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal. Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 32,043 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580 From the Wall Street Journal during the past five trading days, here are their charts for the three major cruise lines. Each of the three companies had certain differences in their patterns for this past week. Right or wrong?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) From the Wall Street Journal, here is their chart reflecting the upward progress for Royal Caribbean stock during the past twelve months.:

Good added background from R&T, even if I don't understand RSI, etc. From a travel trade publication this morning, they had this headline: “Travel advisors view Carnival Corp. reorganization favorably” with this sub-headline: "Travel advisors applauded Carnival Corp.'s move to streamline brand operations, but concerns linger about how Carnival Corp. will manage its debt load." Here are some of their reporting highlights: “The restructuring, which went into effect June 1, did away with Holland America Group, a subgroup of cruise lines that bundled Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn Cruises and P&O Australia. Shared services between the four lines have been completely unwound, said Carnival Corp. CEO Josh Weinstein.” Interesting questions for Silversea, as Seabourn got grouped into with other Carnival brands. But, now they are kind of saying "No. No. That didn't work that well." Right question or not? How best to operate and service a luxury brand along with other mass-market and middle-levels lines and customer expectations? Also in this story: "At the end of March, Carnival Corp. in its Q1 earnings report said it had $32.6 billion in long-term debt, up from $9.6 billion at the end of 2019. All of the major cruise companies piled up debt during the pandemic so they could stay afloat while not operating." Full story at: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Travel-advisors-view-Carnival-reorg-favorably THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit. Now at 33,529 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Have some new updates and background fresh from Istanbul. This includes: Topkapi Palace: Treasury Section now is open. This is No:1 highlight of the palace. Esvab Chamber of Topkapi Palace is open for visits... this is the exhibition of ceremonial Sultan costumes. City is about to finish the new tram station by Port of Istanbul There is a new tram line along the coastal route of Golden Horn, starting from Galata Bridge (Spice Market), stretching all the way to Pierre Loti Hill - with an additional funicular ride up to the hill. Before this line was opened, we were suggesting use of a private van for our guests planning to visit Balat (Old Jewish quarter) and Pierre Loti Hill. Now, we simply use trams. Note about Pierre Loti - pseudonym: Louis Marie Julien Viaud (1850 to 1923), witnessing fall of Ottoman Empire and author of two books: Constantinople and Aziyade, maybe more known with his book; Aziyade since this is a love story between him as a Frenchman and an Ottoman girl... for happy-end lovers, this is not that book. This is from Kagan in Istanbul who shared so much excellent, helpful info earlier. He noted: "More to come as Istanbul evolves." Looking forward to learning and sharing more. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 243,890 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

Appreciate these great follow-ups and comments from the super history savvy cruisemom42, plus also by MeHeartCruising. Excellent and helpful background. YES, my interest for returning to these Croatian areas is increased. But, our next big "adventure" is set for February 2024 in doing various stops in India and then sailing from Mumbai to Sri Lanka, Burma/Myanmar, Singapore, etc. Lots of history and architecture there, too. First time for these parts of Asia. Split is still high for our future, later, to-do list. Don't be shy!! Please share any other added details, visuals, etc., for Split. The more you learn, the better and more attractive it seems. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 104,144 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Great, successful visuals. Wonderful!! What camera and lens were you using to get so close of a "look" with nice sharpness?? When the male returned with breakfast, was the Owl food from McDonalds? Yes, you deserved lunch, wine and a nap. Well-done. Oulu looked like it had some interesting architecture, etc. Interesting for it being named a European Capital of Culture for 2026. Excellent adventure and reporting. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Those "Politically Incorrect" items are often among the best. Humor is not always designed to make everyone feel comfortable and "safe", whatever those terms/objectives mean. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

These are the best "food porn" visuals, yet, by J.P. Great menu and tasty choices. Excellent updating and details from RachelG. Keep it coming. Look forward to finding out more from your early am excursion. Are there with no sunset and in the "Land of the Midnight Sun"? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From the New York Times Travel Section coming this weekend, they will have this headline: “36 Hours in Split, Croatia" with this sub-headline: "This Croatian port city is fueled by long seafood lunches, ancient traditions and wine-filled evenings.” Here are some of their reporting highlights by Alex Crevar with a wide variety of photographs by Maria Mavropoulou: “It’s easy to fall for Split, Croatia’s largest seaside city, which sprouted from a palace built for the Roman emperor Diocletian 17 centuries ago. And with the country’s recent adoption of the euro and entrance into the European Union’s border-free Schengen Area, it has become even easier to swoon over the history and ancient ruins that abound here. Still, travelers to Split soon discover that the unofficial capital of Dalmatia, as the country’s southern coast is known, is no museum piece trapped under glass. It is equal parts chic Adriatic beach town, active archeological site and proud, gritty port city.” While we super loved Kotor and Montenegro and Dubrovnik, we have not yet visited Split. It is on our top priority, future to-do list. This profile offers a wide range of options to consider for attractions, restaurants and bars, shopping, where to stay and getting around. Here are their key stops suggested: "The Riva, called Split’s living room, is the city’s seaside promenade and a prime spot for coffee and people-watching. Diocletian’s Palace was built between 295 and 305 A.D. for the retiring Roman Emperor. The palace’s structure still forms Split’s core. The Museum of Fine Arts, just outside the palace’s Golden Gate, displays works from the 14th century until today. The Meštrović Gallery celebrates the work of sculptor Ivan Meštrović in the sprawling summer villa he built in the 1930s." Reactions and additions from those who have visited Split? Other insights and ideas? Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/06/08/travel/things-to-do-split-croatia.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 256,594 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1362155-solstice-livefirst-timer-reportspix’s-italycroatian-june-7-19/

Love the wooded settings, scenery, visuals today. Nice and relaxing. BUT, so it ain't so with an excursion departing at 3 am tomorrow. What is worth getting up that early? Why even go to bed tonight when you need to rise up at such an unholy hour in the middle of the night?? Look forward to learning more. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate this excellent earlier follow-up fro LAexNY. WOW!!! Only around 140 passengers on this ship means more than just being able to "spread out". It creates a wonderful environment!! Lots of staff and things maybe being more relaxed. In 2015, we were on the Silver Cloud doing 17-days going up and back on Amazon River, etc. Only had 179 passengers and it was totally wonderful. Having that long of a cruise and with limited numbers, it made for an excellent experience in so many different ways. Great follow-up from JP saying: "No worries Terry. Chris hates snakes too. Luckily we were not in Rachel's group yesterday, and we didn't see any snakes at all." Glad your wonderful spouse is smart like me in not being a fan of snakes. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Late Summer 2022, many scenic visuals and details from Canada Maritimes doing Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island, etc., via a Tauck land tour. Visual Summary: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums

Super appreciate these great follow-ups and colorful visuals from bennybear. Excellent fun and exciting dining options in Portugal. Not sure if I am ready for ordering gooseneck barnacles. Maybe they taste unique and wonderful. But, I am more traditional and conventional with my seafood choices. See below. Fortunately, Portugal does well with the many dining options, especially in the seafood areas. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Kotor/Montenegro: Various visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 51,399 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193 From Portugal, here were a couple of my seafood delights enjoyed there.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

Appreciate tor our Michigan neighbor, Jim, for this follow-up. We are not doing a cruise in and around Japan. But, from following the cruise business closely, I know that right now Japan is a "hot ticket" as much of Asia was closed down for nearly three years. Many people are very interested in Japan as earlier, scheduled cruises got scrubbed. Many travelers are catching up now with bookings, making prices and avails a little tighter/higher than "normal". Also, with China now under certain "pressures" and/or limits, that makes Japan a priority for some. Agree, there are many pluses with smaller ship and reasons to avoid the larger, "MEGA" ships. Silversea has many Japan options. We have done a couple of nice, long cruises with Oceania. Check out the various options and figure out the right, best balance for itinerary, cruise line, value, etc. Finding now the best value/option for early 2024 might be challenging. By 2025 and 2026, there might be better Japan cruise options to consider as things in this business get back what was happening prior to the Coved shut-down. Seldom is there one, totally-perfect option. Also, when doing many of our "adventures", we do some good options for pre-cruise and/or post-cruise. That adds to the depth of the "experience"!! You can see that in the visual below. When you are flying a long, long distance from Michigan those combinations allow more variety and depth from these travels. My Japan research is just starting, so I am limited in my abilities to rate the various ports and options for Japan and nearby. Keep digging and planning. Lots of ways to put it "ALL" together for your best trip. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Late Summer 2022, many scenic visuals and details from Canada Maritimes doing Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island, etc., via a Tauck land tour. Visual Summary: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums For February 2024, below is a graphic giving an overall idea as to our overall "adventure". As you can see our time in Japan is limited with the major port of the timing being about sailing with Silversea for Mumbai to Singapore.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

Not sure for me that "Loving" is the right, best description about mixing in about sausage and a snake. Personally, I hate snakes and they make me feel very, very creepy. Love sausage, bacon, etc. Keep me away from the snakes!! Sorry. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

I'm not that unique or creative when it comes to bacon. Just like it and do the regular American type as pictured below. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio