CardowMD

And her blue cocktail!

Where are you staying in Istanbul? I have a Navigator cruise booked in early November, staying at Intercontinental and will look for feedback on my choice. hope they clean everything out so you have a safe journey!

What a crystal clear day in Athens! Great start to your trip!

What an amazing view for such a great price! The salad and sardines looked perfect!

So happy to be following you and your mom on a new adventure. Will be flying to Athens in August and need to book transportation from airport to hotel and then to cruise next day. Another cruise in November will be starting in Istanbul, so look forward to your reviews of both locations. Safe travels!

I will check later in the year for best spots to sit on Navigator for connectivity. Need to be in touch with office at least every couple days, so there are no major wild fires to deal with when I get back from almost 3 weeks out of office. Luckily, we work remotely much of the week, so not a huge deal as long as I can be in some form of contact.

@flossie009 Thank you again for sharing so much of your trip and posting menus, schedules and all the photos. Really looking forward to my Navigator cruise in November! Safe travels and look forward to your next adventure!

@PhD-iva Glad everyone let me know it’s a great musical group, not a tour group😳. Hope they get onboard in Istanbul so I can enjoy and work off a few ounces!

@mahdnc These are my favorite cabins on Summit, the outside space is spectacular. Will really be a treat going thru the canal. Was on a 10 day deck 7 port side corner last May. Best cabin on board. Could see the action behind and check out what was happening on the dock when in port. An extra closet at the entrance and the private hallway into the cabin. Enjoy!

@flossie009 They are not updated, but still look much nicer than the RCL and Celebrity bathrooms that I have been on lately. They look like they will be suitable for a solo traveler, just not the updated fixtures. Thank you again for sharing from the Navigator cruise you are on currently.

Not sure who K&B is, but I hope it’s not Nov 5 cruise. Have been a little concerned about low booking for this cruise, wondering if they are shopping around for a foreign charter. My first Navigator cruise in 20 years, but have 3 cruises prior on this lovely lady. Don’t want ship taken over by a large group, would ruin the experience. There seem to be a lot of UK cruisers with deals on the Nov 15 cruise, that had a lot of availability, too.

@kwokpotand @raudacruise I am waiting for Amazon to deliver today! Cannot wait to try it’s healing properties on some weird skin irritation I have developed since COVID…thank you for the recommendation but luckily I don’t have to worry about wild animals in my building lobby😊

That is a gorgeous site!

As Mentioned previously, trains get delayed frequently. Strikes are unannounced and common. I would not risk it in France. That may be an expensive taxi ride back to the coast.

Every town and city around the world has a market and you can usually secure these items…of course more than a $, but have purchased in Italy, France, Greece, UK, plan to purchase in Istanbul for upcoming cruise. if only traveling with carryon, decant some into 100ml travel size squirt bottle that passes through security. I usually have this in addition, in case my check thru delayed.

@Jim_Iain these phots make these deprived area look alive and vibrant. . Where these taken from your iPhone or experimenting on your new devices. Not sure what settings you are using.the color saturation is just incredible. What settings are u using on your phone?

Yes, best to take your own. If taking only carry on, find a Dollar Tree near port to get Soft soap and hand sanitizer plus any other toiletries you didn’t want to drag on your bag.

@flossie009 Thank you so much for posting. This is extremely helpful. Is it normal to have Prime 7 and Sette Mari closed for dinner or was this one of the days when you were in port over night where there were evening tours?

@Jim_Iain The colors on your photos from Fiji were spectacular. Where these taken from your iPhone or experimenting on your new devices. Not sure what settings you are using.

I definitely need to book a cruise to these destinations. The photos have really shown the natural beauty of the region. You seem to be having amazing weather. For the last few months many cruises have been plagued with rainy weather most days while sailing in that area. @flossie009 when you get a chance can you post the daily schedule showing hours of the different venues on board…dining, spa, etc.

I had options for no upcharge which would have been fine, but liked the direct flight with the lay flat business class configuration better for solo traveler. Although the connections in Europe from US going to Istanbul would have worked, there was a 4.30 layover and the 4 hour Turkish air from Geneva to Istanbul was European business class. Similar to US continental first class. 2*2*2 with standards seats that didn’t lie flat. 😚 I also put in option for the earlier Turkish air flight, mid afternoon day earlier because of seat arrangements. Their standard flight was at 11pm but older plane .You can check Seat Guru for airlines that don’t show on their site when making dummie booking. I have learned a lot from everyone’s input on these CC sites!

@papaflamingo thank you for a more detailed explanation! This was my first use of Regent air, too. I did have the option of no upcharge going thru Geneva on United, then Turkish to Istanbul, but didn’t want risk of lost luggage and extra 6 hours travel time. My original air credit was $3300, so for $3800 plus the $175, I have the flights I want for significantly less than if I had booked on my own. Also like that if itineraries get changed Regent air will make any changes. My TA has internal group that handles flight and worked directly w Regent so did not pay the $75 inquiry fee.

I just got my flights today and was thrilled! I have a direct Turkish air flight from IAD to IST a few days before the Navigator cruise starts, then have direct United flight home from FCO to IAD a day after it ends. I gave my agent about 4 to 5 options for each segment. I do have a $500 up charge on the Turkish air flight over, but it’s direct and only 10 hours, versus 16-20 hour transit non direct. Everything included is still substantially less than just one leg of the trip had I paid myself. This was all international business class in Turkish 1-2-1 configuration and United Polaris. Neither flight offers a First class option. I would get a quote then decide what you want to do.

My cruise agent said we do not need to take the insurance until we make final payment for the cruise. Currently have a 10% deposit down. This has always been the rule. Sometimes trips are booked years in advance, with deposit only.

@cruisemom42 thank you for the recommendation of the Archeological museum. That has been on my list since I booked my cruise. Now trying to figure out which day to visit!