Almost live review - Infinity 6/17 Greece & Turkey & post cruise stay on Paros

[hawkesbaynz]

Fabulous and informative travelogue as always. We have been to Mykonos and Rhodes. Would love to visit Paros and am wondering if I could yacht charter there (have done the Aegean & Dodecanese a few times).
 

Looking forward to the Japan travelogue too as we are visiting in April (and took your previous guide recommendation for Kyoto😀). 
 

Out of interest do you ride motorbikes in Germany or are mopeds just a holiday thing?

[Miaminice]

11 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

Out of interest do you ride motorbikes in Germany or are mopeds just a holiday thing?

Well, I used to… when I was young 🤣

We live in the Black Forest near the Black Forest High Road which is a popular turf for motorcyclists. Many years ago I had a (real) motorbike as well and we often did tours to the nearby Alsace region and even to Tuscany once. Times changed, interests and hobbies changed and the motorbike just sat there without being moved for a year or two. So eventually I sold it.

 

Even if we didn’t rent a standard motorcycle in Greece now, I have the license. So we were able to rent scooters with a larger engines - which was good in hilly terrain. And for Birgit sitting behind me, the larger scooters are also probably more comfortable than a standard motorbike.

So in a nutshell - currently it’s just a holiday thing. And even then, this has been a first for quite some time.

 

BTW in one of the shops Birgit overheard another lady mentioning that she was there by sailing boat. So I guess a charter.
 

Edited July 8, 2023 by Miaminice

[lovesnow]

I enjoyed reading your review. My sister and I are doing this same cruise in September.  Do you happen to have the Celebrity daily newsletter? 

[Jim_Iain]

Really enjoying your live post.   Your photos are incredible and really bring back such fond memories.

 

 

[Lastdance]

Thanks for sharing the Greek Isles on your vacay.  A picture is truly worth 1,000 words.  I loved Zakynthos from our Beyond cruise this year; fell in love with Shipwrecked Beach by land and by sea. From your view, its seems like you visited there too.  Greece is so amazing, especially off the beaten path.  You two certainly know how to travel, enjoying all aspects of the culture!

Edited July 13, 2023 by Lastdance

[Miaminice]

On 7/13/2023 at 12:58 AM, lovesnow said:

I enjoyed reading your review. My sister and I are doing this same cruise in September.  Do you happen to have the Celebrity daily newsletter? 

Unfortunately not. I always used to take them home after previous cruises - just to throw them away at home. So this time I left them on board. 

[Robbie555]

On 6/28/2023 at 1:41 PM, Miaminice said:

Back in our stateroom we found a surprise card and bottle of champagne from the Concierge and Captains Club hostess, two lovely young ladies with whom I chatted yesterday. So while sailing away from Rhodes after a fun filled day, Birgit was having some bubbly on the balcony.

 

 

(BTW: No, it wasn’t our anniversary)

Thanks for sharing these great pictures. I will be sailing aboard the Celebrity Infinity next May 2024 and I look forward to seeing these great places in Greece.

I do have a few questions about this picture though as I'm a little confused about it. You mentioned that it was NOT your anniversary. So does it mean that this gift and card was for somebody else who was celebrating their 12th anniversary?

 

Or if this card and gift was for you, then how did your Concierge get your personal information and assume that it was your 12th anniversary? Did they get your information after your conversation with the Concierge the day before according to you?

 

The main reason I ask is because I will be celebrating my anniversary and I'd like to see what options are to celebrate it and receiving such a card and gift is always a nice gesture and I'd like to know what you had to do to receive this gift.

[Miaminice]

7 hours ago, Robbie555 said:

Thanks for sharing these great pictures. I will be sailing aboard the Celebrity Infinity next May 2024 and I look forward to seeing these great places in Greece.

I do have a few questions about this picture though as I'm a little confused about it. You mentioned that it was NOT your anniversary. So does it mean that this gift and card was for somebody else who was celebrating their 12th anniversary?

 

Or if this card and gift was for you, then how did your Concierge get your personal information and assume that it was your 12th anniversary? Did they get your information after your conversation with the Concierge the day before according to you?

 

The main reason I ask is because I will be celebrating my anniversary and I'd like to see what options are to celebrate it and receiving such a card and gift is always a nice gesture and I'd like to know what you had to do to receive this gift.

 

To answer the easy part of your question first: You can let them know it´s your anniversary. I think even in the check-in forms. They will surprise you - most of the times with a cake after dinner.

 

The card was a different story. I am trying to keep it short 🙂
I spoke to one of the lovely concierge ladies because of a totally unrelated matter. She looked up my room number, saw my name and saw that the booking was made in Germany which surprised her.
I explained that the simple reason was that I am German and we live in Germany. She seemed even more surprised and said; "But you have no accent! I thought you were American." I smiled, we chatted a bit and I told her that we - my wife and I - had the same thoughts when we met many years ago. We met as seat neighbours in a plane from JFK in 2009 and started a conversation in English. We both have a 'history' with English, me American, my wife with British English. That time we chatted in English for three hours before we realized we could actually both speak German. 

 

While I chatted with concierge Katarina, concierge Crisha arrived and Katarina told Crisha with a big smile how my wife and I met. Since both loved our "fairy tail" story, I told them how the story continued... because my now wife and I said good bye after the flight without exchanging names and numbers. I still managed to find her again and now we are married for 12 years. 

 

Concierge Katarina and Crisha apparently both liked our love story and my wife and I later found the card in our stateroom. So the reference wasn´t to an anniversary but just to our time of being married.

I know it is a long story - but believe me, this is the nutshell version 🙂

[GRR66]

Great review and thanks! 

[Miaminice]

9 hours ago, GRR66 said:

Great review and thanks! 

 

Thank you!

[GotMINI]

Loving your review and especially the pictures!  Just booked 9nt-Greece on Infinity for Sep 2024.  I will definitely be taking notes from your review.  We are hoping to go early and spend sometime in Athens and also Santorini.  I realize our ship goes there, but we want more than 1 day there.  Excited to start planning!