European Explorer: EXTREMELY late/long REVIEW

[bluenoser2]

So, this was the one port that Dad (a) had never been to, and (b) badly wanted to see the Barbary Apes. This is also the one port I badly wanted to show DH and Dad that my research on CC was valid and we could do this without a ship's tour. I had (barely) convinced Paul to NOT book the Princess excursion (“but there’s only 3 seats left on this one!”), and as it was, had to hold him back from getting off the ship as soon as we docked to wait for a taxi and guide!

 

 

We made it to almost 8:00 before the preservation of sanity became more important than proving a point, and indeed, we were some of the very first off the ship. The vans were just starting to get lined up. Drivers were there right away to sell their tours. It was a bit confusing at first, but before long we had a driver; another group of 4 joined us and with an almost full vanload we were off. The tour was well done and our guide was great. He knew everyone that happened by and would tell us who they were, and was very informative, personable and approachable (and I loved his accent). There were no crowds at all at this time of the day – later that road up the rock started to look pretty crowded. We stopped to see Africa – it was a beautiful clear day and the views from above were gorgeous.

 

 

 

Then we were off to St. Michael’s Caves were we were dropped off at one end to go in on our own, and see the stalactites and stalagmites. There are concerts performed in there at times, but today they had very peaceful Pachabel piped in which was quite lovely. I lost DH in there somewhere, but I knew I’d have to drag him out. Do you know how hard it is to get a former geologist out of a cave like that? We were the last to arrive at the van which met us at the other end of the caves, but it was fine – there was no pressure to stay on a schedule, and when I muttered something about “geologist...” they all nodded, and were quite sympathetic.

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop was the Ape stop, which was great fun – I had been a little nervous about this, but our guide was so good about preparing us and he himself was so good about dealing with the animals and respecting their territory and habits, that there was no need to be apprehensive. I even fed one of them! After that we visited the Siege Tunnels – again, let the DH go anywhere under or in ground and he’s going to go all the way! We were the last back again, and that was fine. Dad enjoyed chatting with the guide outside, and I think he had an excellent time. The ride back to town was comfortable, and after seeing the narrow winding road, I was glad we weren’t walking it! The tour was proclaimed a success – you who are reading may say “You’re Welcome” on behalf of all the CCers that helped me win this battle! Thank you so much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back in town, Dad walked back to the ship, and we began our wandering. We had used our last Euros for the tour and needed an ATM (it was a holiday and the banks were closed). Of course, the only one we could get to work for us outsiders gave us Gibraltarian pounds....so it was an excuse to do a lot of shopping while we were there. Lots of souvenirs later, we had 4 pounds left, and entered the Gibraltar Crystal store, where I bought a lot more than 4 pounds worth – of course, I used my credit card for it, so we still had to find a way to spend the rest, without needing more. (It’s like the cookies and milk dilemma....) We did, and then walked back to the ship, loaded down with bags, and very hungry!

 

 

 

Catch of the Day: A tourist has just asked a storekeeper where the Internet cafe is. He goes to a local guy, drinking a cup of coffee at a table outside and says “How do I tell this lady directions to the Internet Cafe?”

“We have an Internet Cafe?” is the reply.

 

 

 

 

We had lunch in the dining room on this day which was very nice (especially the chocolate pecan pie) and after relaxing in the afternoon by the pool, I met Dad for afternoon tea. I found him suffering at a table for 8, with 7 women. So I asked the waiter if I could steal him away and start a new table, which we did, and 4 others joined us. We had a great time there – between the 6 of us, we represented 5 different countries!

 

 

By that time I had lost Paul, but went back to the room and was treated to a show by some dolphins cavorting right by our side of the ship. Paul had been at the Gibraltar Sail away, and had the Union Jack flag to prove it. This signalled the end of the Mediterranean segment of our voyage as we departed. The outer decks began to get a little chillier now when the ship was moving.

 

 

Tonight was Cosmopolitan Dinner and we shared with 4 others, and had no wait for a table. This must have been my favourite dinner because there were a lot of stars in my little notebook! The eggplant in puff pastry, the tropical fruit chilled soup and the surf and turf all got 3 stars, and primarily for sentimental reasons, the Sacher Torte got 4 – I had been waiting all cruise for that one! I asked for it so quickly when the waiter came around with the dessert menu, that the rest of the table except one all had it just because I looked so excited about it.

 

 

We ended our day with the theatre production of “Shake, Rattle and Roll”. Remember that title for tomorrow.

[cruisingallover]

well done bluenoser. I have nothing to add as we had a very similar day. We got off the ship early with Marilyn and Perry hailed down a cab, negotiated a price and off we went. We saw the same things you saw so I won't bore the crowds. When we returned from the Rock our credit card got quite the work out also as everything is tax free. :)

[vickie_bernie]

I am thoroughly loving your review -- also I love your Canadian question comments....

 

especially the survivors of the Titanic comment!!

 

I really enjoy talking to people on board and especially love when they ask us questions about our Country... amazingly some actually think there is a 10 ft snow bank at the border...

 

Keep up the great review and glad you enjoyed your voyage

[bluenoser2]

“Shake, Rattle, and Roll” – who would have thought a theatre production could be prophetic? We shook, rattled and rolled all through the night – the cabin was pretty noisy and creaky, but I actually liked the motion for sleeping – it didn’t cause any seasickness; after all, we were on ...

THE BOAT TO PORTOFINO! We chose the dining room for breakfast since it was lower (less motion) and we could be served (less spillage)– I didn’t feel coordinated enough to navigate the buffet and keep my footing with the swaying of the ship. Since we weren’t getting to Lisbon, Portugal, until noon, we had a lazy morning, and even tried the trivia game where we teamed up with a couple from Australia. The visiting was better than our score.

 

 

 

We went up on deck to watch the approach into Lisbon. The port lecturer was talking us through it – however, it was a bit of a game to interpret what he was saying, since his voice would cut in and out, only giving us snippets of what he was saying. Does this happen on everyone’s cruises or just ours? Seems we experienced the same thing when we came into Venice in 2007, and viewed glaciers last year in Alaska! Maybe it’s just my aging ears....

 

 

 

 

 

We crossed under the bridge on the Tagus River, which sounded like a major beehive (the bridge, not the river)– so noisy with cars! As the ship prepared to dock, we (and everyone else on the ship by the looks of it) grabbed a bite to eat at the buffet, and then got off the ship, and queued up for the shuttle. This was a much longer drive than the shuttle in Barcelona, and we were glad to have done it. Dad accompanied us on the way in, and then went off on his own, knowing we’d be out far longer than he cared to be. With our walking tour maps in hand we started off.

 

 

 

 

Now, I’m not going to say we got lost, just that we got a bit more exercise than we had planned on the Lisbon hills trying to get our bearings. We were also still in search of an ATM for some cash, but had no luck with this, as the pin numbers were 5 digits and they wouldn’t work for us. Deciding that we really had spent more than enough in Gibraltar anyway, we counted our pennies and came up with 1.36 Euros. That would have to do us for today.

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed wandering through Alfama where everything seemed like one big party. So colourful and loud and ... well, fun! We realized in Barcelona that we were coming into major Soccer territory...if we hadn’t felt soccer fever before, we certainly were aware of it in Lisbon, as the World Cup was in full swing, and on every television set that was wired up at every outdoor cafe, or on balconies.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking tour #1 was declared a complete success, even though my hips were starting to notice the LARGE cobblestones of the streets we were walking on. We began our #2 tour, and strolled through the pedestrian shopping street – Augusta Street. We salivated over the pastry shops on every corner, and decided our souvenir of Lisbon would be the Portuguese custard pastries (Pasteis de Nata)that I had heard about before coming. We had just enough to buy 2 little ones to savour, and they were yummy – DH let me have both of them – how chivalrous – aw, he was just waiting it out for pizza and cookies poolside, I know.

 

 

 

 

 

Our feet were tired, our pockets were empty, so we headed back to the shuttle, got right on the first bus, and headed back to the ship, for pool time – those pools were a whole lot chillier today than they had been the day before!

 

Catch of the Day: We went to see the comedian’s 7:00 show before having dinner (bratwurst and a mini-cheesecake at 4:00 can really take the edge off). The funniest part in that show, was when the announcement from the captain came over the loudspeakers, interrupting the monologue – recommending passengers who suffer from “mal de mer” to take something now, and “those who have teeth to put in a glass at bedtime, don’t put it on a shelf above your bed” – we were in for some stormy seas.

 

So, we went to eat. It was the Greek-Turkish Dinner, and the only 3 star item tonight was the baklava which I’m always a sucker for. We checked in with the kids via internet after supper (they still weren’t missing us, just a lot of Math Anxiety...final exams were upon them), and then went to watch the movie (Ghostwriter) in the theatre at 10:15. I was feeling very self-conscious about nodding off several times, when I realized I could hear that familiar gentle snoring sound from beside me. Neither of us had a clue what was going on in the movie, so we tottered (literally because of the rolling of the ship) off to bed.

[OCNJ Cruiser]

Darn It! I caught up to your posts bluenoser2! Now I have to wait until tomorrow to read more! I love your style of review! Your posting is a little burst of sunshine amidst all this rain:)

[cruisingallover]

I remember hearing the announcement that the ship would be rocking and rolling but truthfully never felt a thing. After being in a terrible storm on the Grand the year before I guess any motion pales in comparison :eek:

 

Lisbon is a city of contrast. You can experience both the historic and cosmopolitan parts of the city on your visit. It was our first time there but not our last. We will go back to Portugal and spend more time there in the future.

 

We took the Hop On Hop Off, 20 Euros per person I think, which pulls right up in front of the cruise terminal. They have 2 routes. The red line and blue line.

 

We got off at the Baixa City Centre (downtown) and walked around. We then decided to go up to the Monestary of St. Jeronimo. We walked for several minutes with another couple and caught the local bus which cost us 2 Euros. The views from the Monestary were breath taking. There is a small entry fee.

 

Guess who we saw again....yup Dr. Gary and gang. :)

 

We headed back down and strolled the streets for a couple of hours. We stopped at a pastry shop for a portuguese pastry and coffee. Too funny as we had the same one you had Marla. Looks like the same bag....could we have been there at the same time and not of known it :confused:

 

After some purchases....a ceramic rooster (which is the national symbol and brings one good luck) , a few tea towels and a Christmas ornament we caught the hop on hop off bus back to the ship.

 

Weather was warm so we headed up for some sun. Not sure what we did after that but I am sure it was fun :D

[mississauga]

Bluenoser and cruisingallover, thank you for your continuing review. Like others, I am enjoying following you from port to port. It's great to relive the ports we have been to and learning about new ports you are coming to now. What's great about this review is we are getting commentary from 2 different posters and seeing it through different eyes.:)

 

Sounds like you both enjoyed this cruise. Looking forward to more of your insights as you continue with this fun review.:D

[cruisingallover]

mississauga.... l hope we can finish by Christmas. LOL ;)

[bluenoser2]

....and I was thinking, finished by Thanksgiving! Well, maybe by American Thanksgiving, but if it's OUR Thanksgiving, I'm going to have to type faster!

[cruisingallover]

....and I was thinking, finished by Thanksgiving! Well, maybe by American Thanksgiving, but if it's OUR Thanksgiving, I'm going to have to type faster!

 

 

well as long as you finish by Oct. 21 as we will be leaving for the Grand Princess :D

[lewje]

Bluenoser2, this is the best nights read I have had for years. Very amusing , very indepth, very realistic. You truly are a fantastic writer. Cant wait for the rest....Thanks:)

[mississauga]

mississauga.... l hope we can finish by Christmas. LOL ;)

 

....and I was thinking, finished by Thanksgiving! Well, maybe by American Thanksgiving, but if it's OUR Thanksgiving, I'm going to have to type faster!

 

well as long as you finish by Oct. 21 as we will be leaving for the Grand Princess :D

 

I have faith in both of you. You are doing this at a good pace. Besides the terrific commentaries by both of you, thank you bluenoser2 for your brilliant photos.:D

[lovevacadays]

Catch of the Day: We went to see the comedian’s 7:00 show before having dinner (bratwurst and a mini-cheesecake at 4:00 can really take the edge off). The funniest part in that show, was when the announcement from the captain came over the loudspeakers, interrupting the monologue – recommending passengers who suffer from “mal de mer” to take something now, and “those who have teeth to put in a glass at bedtime, don’t put it on a shelf above your bed” – we were in for some stormy seas.

 

Thanks for your review. I'm really enjoying it and the above comment is tooooo funny:D I hope everyone complied and no one got a rude awakening with a glass of teeth on their forehead!

[bluenoser2]

(she looks a little nervous, doesn't she?)

 

Last year we were posing near the Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska on our 25th wedding anniversary. This year, we’re in the middle of the deep blue sea. I was going to skim over this day, but “it’s my party and I’ll write if I want to.” Feel free to skip over this one if you’re looking for a port, we’ve just started 2 sea days. I have to say, we were both a little disappointed in the “stormy seas” warning – nothing really developed, though some of the swells were pretty impressive when you looked through the windows of the lower decks. I think we just noticed in our cabin because we were pretty far back,....er...aft.

 

Despite my best intentions of “I’m just going to have fresh fruit and maybe a bit of oatmeal for breakfast”, I waddled out of the dining room having had fresh fruit.....and a cream filled donut and French toast. Apparently, it’s my party and I’ll also eat all I want to.

 

We looked after financial matters first, which for us was securing some quarters to do laundry (I know, don’t do laundry on a sea day, and yes, everyone else was), and exchanging some Canadian currency for Euros. (The fur pelts were taking up too much closet space anyway.) After our experiences of the last 2 ports, we decided to be safer rather than sorrier, even if it meant transaction fees, etc.. After getting our workout doing laundry, I headed downstairs for the totally underwhelming marzipan and chocolate demonstration.

 

 

Catch of the Day: What I didn’t get a picture of, was the swarm of people going for the samples of chocolate covered strawberries at the end of the presentation. Because obviously, there is no food on the ship anywhere else. Thanks, but I’d rather wait to get home and eat them fresh from the field!

 

I turned around and headed for the International Cafe instead. I perused the Michelangelo Room where the $10 sale was, and happily left with no more than I entered.

 

(Florence usually preferred the buffet, but she did come out to the dining room occasionally - she was a little worried whether she was dressed appropriately.)

 

 

After lunch it was time for our Promenade walk – of course, we couldn’t do the whole circuit outside, because the front was shut off due to the winds. We walked and watched dolphins beside us; they were having a grand time playing in the wake of the ship - they looked for all the world like several sea-doo riders trying to get the best wave behind a speedboat! After our hour walk, we headed up to the pool. Now THERE were some impressive waves! I’ll be the first to admit that it doesn’t take much to keep me amused, but I really did enjoy just sitting and watching the pool, which was not open for use, with the waves breaking over the sides. It was actually too noisy to sit near the pool with all that crashing of surf, but on the upper deck it was quite lovely.

 

I looked for Dad, but found pizza instead (!), gave up, and went to my room to read...er...nap. After getting ready for another formal night, we did go to the Captain’s Cocktail Party – one of them, anyway. I still thought Captain Nash was more entertaining than a couple of the comedians had been, but he’s probably rehearsed his lines more often too. There were plenty of people out for dinner in the dining rooms tonight (LOBSTER!), but when we went at 7:30 we moved quickly through the line and got in. We shared our table with a couple from Vancouver, and within a couple of minutes, Dad and the gentleman found several people they knew in common and they were good for the evening. We had a great and very leisurely meal – the conversation got 4 stars, the food of the “Candlelight Dinner” didn’t fare as well. I liked the potato latke and smoked salmon appetizer, but I would have liked more latke, less salmon. I did enjoy the artichoke bisque with lemon, but I was a walking bulb of garlic for the next 24 hours I’m sure. The lobster tail with crab cakes and asparagus was o.k. – well, I’m not the biggest lobster fan, and it wasn’t done well enough for me, so Paul got extra, which is why I’m his favourite date at lobster suppers. (Well, I suppose I’m his favourite date anyway....I hope so!) I always take care of his asparagus for him, so we call it even. After dessert, Zanina tracked us down, since she had lost us when we entered, and soon we were presented with our little anniversary celebration cake, which was wrapped for us to take to our room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Off you go now, do some cramming, because tomorrow you've got a mid-term exam on the ports we've been to. I couldn't have you getting bored of all this sea day time now could I?

[cruisingallover]

Happy Belated Anniversary!!! Sounds like you had a great day and evening. Love your sense of humour and I wish we got to meet in person.

 

I will chime in once you get back to land.

 

p.s. say hi to Florence for me ;)

[u2cruiser]

Poor Florence doesn't seem to have her paws/hooves firmly on the rail there. Just imagine the drama unfolding here in your review if she fell overboard because of the sea swells :eek:.

 

I like your anniversarsea day report just as much as the port days :D.

 

Wow! Princess even makes a feature out of foil wrapping ;)

[u2cruiser]

Happy Belated Anniversary!!! Sounds like you had a great day and evening. Love your sense of humour and I wish we got to meet in person.

 

I will chime in once you get back to land.

 

p.s. say hi to Florence for me ;)

 

Enjoying your reports too cruisingallover, thanks :)

[OCNJ Cruiser]

I don't think Florence was underdressed for dinner. The "Black on White with a splash of color" look is perfect! ...or is it "White on Black"?! I'm never sure!:p

[bluenoser2]

Alright, here it is, the exam I hope you prepared for...pencils ready? No cheating, see if you can correctly identify the following 5 ports/cities found in pictures below. And.....go.

 

 

#1.

 

 

 

 

 

#2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3.

 

 

 

 

 

#4.

 

 

 

 

 

#5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All done? Good. The second sea day was very relaxing and restful for us - I do know that Paul is NOT ready for a transatlantic cruise or anything with more than two consecutive sea days - he was VERY ready to set foot on land by the end of our 2nd sea day! The air on deck was decidedly cooler, and the short skirt I was wearing just didn't cut it when we promenaded after supper. Speaking of supper, Paul rated his Viennese Apple Strudel 4 stars, his second favourite dessert of the cruise. And I finally had the Love Boat Dream which was excellent and much better than what I had on the Sapphire last year.

 

And it wouldn't be a day's review without.....

 

 

The Catch of the Day: A man coming off the elevator on the lido deck, starting to go one direction, then turning 180 degrees, looking confused and totally frustrated, murmuring "where the h*** AM I?"

[cruisingallover]

you are hilarious :D

[oncruisecontrol]

Very nice photos.

[scubababy]

Ahhh, your post is bringing back many fond memories for me. We were on that cruise with you!!! Loved the cruise - loved it.

 

Good ports, good sea days, great captain and staff! I did get kind of tired of the sea days though especially with the cooler weather and the "waves". . I remember the Captains annoucement the evening the seas did get rougher. We were sitting in the Sabatini's getting ready for a lovely dinner. And, I forgot my seabands and my seasick meds! My mother in law did too. So, I hightailed it to our cabin (Sabatini's is in the front, our mini suite was in the aft - arggghh), and brought back our seasick remedies. Our waiter was having trouble standing up with the motion of the ship. It was becoming quite comical. I heard that the next evening Sabatini's was closed, but you could get take out if you had reservations!!!

 

Anyway, keep your posts coming. I love remembering this wonderful trip!!

 

Oh, one thing to mention about our cabin. We had the aft mini suite on the dolphin deck with the largest "uncovered" balcony on the ship. Fortunately, our weather was pretty good the entire trip. Having the sun shining on our deck made the days at sea more enjoyable. We actually "laid out" a few days even though it was cold in the shade. Also, being able to have an open view at night to the stars was amazing. We are one of the few that love this mini suite. We've requested it on our last two Europe cruises!

 

Patti

[caribill]

Alright, here it is, the exam I hope you prepared for...pencils ready? No cheating, see if you can correctly identify the following 5 ports/cities found in pictures below. And.....go.

 

#4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gibraltar

[cruisingallover]

1. Monte Carlo

 

2. Portugal (flag and poster gave it away)

 

3. ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

4. Gibraltor from the Rock

 

5. Italy

 

hey 4 out of 5 ain't bad Teach :p

[notentirelynormal]

1. Monte Carlo

 

2. Portugal (flag and poster gave it away)

 

3. ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

4. Gibraltor from the Rock

 

5. Italy

 

hey 4 out of 5 ain't bad Teach :p

 

#3 has got to be Barcelona judging from the shape of the statue (Gaudi style).