Semi-live from the Brilliance of the Seas 6-28 sailing

[ksrgatorfn]

well, I made it to Barcelona...however not all of my luggage did. (Thank you whomever said to cross pack just in case!!!!! I have my dresses, shoes, and 3 spare outfits.....will need to buy more it the suitcase doesn´t turn up, but I have enough to get by in the meantime!!!)

 

Barcelona is a wonderful, if not crowded, city. My hotel is right next to the Cathedral, and I am at an internet cafe that is a quarter mile or so from my hotel. As soon as I am done here I am heading out to do a little touring...might catch the sightseeing bus and just let them do the hard work for me. LOL. Regardless, I am taking Bob and kathy´s advice and headign over to La Villa restaurant tomorrow once the rest of the family arrives.

 

As we flew in, we flew parallel to the port...several ships were in, but since I was on the worng side of the plane, I could not see which ones. I can´t wait to get over there and check the ships, the water...everything out!!!

 

Anyhow, a brief update as it is t-2 days till sail away.

 

Have a great day everyone!

 

Adios!

[beachlovergirl]

Hope your luggage catches up with you really soon. If not, great excuse to shop!!! Have a wonderful cruise.

[ksrgatorfn]

good morning from day 2 in Barcelona. Again, the weather is awesome. Slept for 11 hours last night, so I am completely on European time now. Was up and out the door by 6:30, and took a constitutional around the area. I found a nice little cafe down near the docks and had a delicius cup of cafe con leche and a croissant, and then I walked down a ways and up Las Ramblas. This time of day is great because everything is still closed except the cafe´s that serve breakfast (desayuner). I just strolled and enjoyed the nice morning. I was unable to find Rob´s restaurant, but I will look for it again later.

 

Still no sign of my suitcase, so I am going to head to the airport a bit early (I am meeting the rest of my family at noon) to see what they have come up with.

 

Anyhow, t-1 day and counting. Today should be fun and busy as we try to pack as much sightseeing as possible into the day.

 

Have a good day yourselves!

 

Kim

[Sheffie]

Kim, how wonderful to be in Spain! I have never been there and am very envious.

 

I hope your luggage is at the airport.

 

Have a fabulous time in Spain and on your cruise!

[Fran Harp]

good morning from day 2 in Barcelona. Again, the weather is awesome.

 

Anyhow, t-1 day and counting. Today should be fun and busy as we try to pack as much sightseeing as possible into the day.

 

Kim

 

Kim, we just got off Brilliance on May 11. I fell in love with Malaga and Barcelona (read Spain, period.) I think living there would be quite possible!

 

When you get on the ship, if you have the chance say Hi to the Captain from Fran - he probably won't remember, given the thousands who have already gone across the the gangway - but who cares. ;) If Anselmo Boles is still doing the Schooner Bar, take in one of his evenings - he can sing just about anything you want - he did "The Long and Winding Road" when I requested it. Fabulous musician! Enjoy the cruise! We loved the ship and had a fabulous time.

 

Hope your luggage has by now turned up.

 

Fran in Toronto

[ksrgatorfn]

Howdy all. I am now happily ensconsed in my cabin on deck 3. We discovered a nice treat today...we waited until 3 to board and there was no one else ther to compete with! LOL.

 

We also had the common issue of having our beds together when we arrived, but our cabin steward had them apart adn turned down by the time I ran down to grab my camera near the end of dinner. (We have 1st seating).

 

As we left port, I was a bit saddened to discover that due to a very heavy haze, we could barely see the city. I don't know if was the humidity, the smog, or both.

 

The ship is excellent! (I made sure to check the railings...they are indeed very nice looking with their new schellacking!) We got to our rooms, and our luggage had not arrived...not that we had expected it to with our tardy arrival. We then did a quick run over to the Guest relations desk to get our internet set up (thanks for the heads up on the $120 unlimited...they didn't have it listed on the pricing list...) The connection is a bit slow...I have discovered trying to upload a picture or 2 is near impossible...but will try the wireless area in the center of the ship tomorrow to see if that is faster.

 

My sister has fallen in love with the Solarium...it is very nice and the fact that it is a kid free zone with the exception of 2 hours a day makes it seem like it will be a great place to curl up and read.

 

Having sat at communal tables on my last 3 cruises, I was very surprised to find out we had a table for four waiting for us. In a way it is nice because it is just family, but we also enjoyed the chance to get to know our tablemates on our last cruise...we still talk about them and my sister still keeps in touch with one of the couples. Our waiter, Edouardo, is from the Phillpines, and our assistant waiter, Phumza (pronounced Pumza) is from South Africa. She was very good, and made sure to ask our names and call us by name all evening. When my mom asked her how to say thank you in Afrikaanas, she said ""Baie dankie"...and dad said "Buy a donkey?". Good thing there was no food in my mouth, because it would have been all over mom.

 

We decided to go with the Platinum 7 bottle wine deal, and had our first bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (from Chile....pretty good). We aren't heavy wine drinkers, but three of us will have a glass per dinner, so we decided that between the selection of wines and the amount we would drink, thatw as the best deal for us. After dinner, which I had the spinach salad, the Prime Rib (a bit on the fatty side), with a Ivory Chocolate Fondue (which was more of a which chocolate cream custard with berries...pretty good but not what I was expecting), we decided to tour the ship floor by floor.

 

Anyhow, the ship is running at a very good clip, and we are set to arrive in Nice tomorrow at 10.

 

Two more quick things. The suitcase finally arrived this morning. Thank heavens. Who knows where it was, but everything was in it, so I don't care. LOL. Also, we found Rob's La Villa, and had dinner there last night. They were very busy with folks who were there to eat and watch World Cup soccer. There were four people working the room...the manager, a waiter and waitress (who spoke no english), and then the woman behind the bar. We decided considering how busy they were, they did a good job managing, however they needed at least one more person to be able to provide prompt service. The food was good...I had the pork steaks 9served with a feta-type cheese and grilled potatos), my dad had Salmon, my sister had chicken Paella, and mom had seafood Paella. All were very good, and we were provided with a gratis glass of sangria. (I never had the chance to mention I had been referred by Rob and kathy). Anyhow, the recommendation is a good one, so if youa re in town, try and go by. However, keep in mind, it is down a corridor and is not directly on La Rambla. So you will have to keep your eyes open.

 

OK...so that is it for tonight. Time to turn in. I'll report back again tomorrow after the tour of Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Nice.

[Saunj]

:D Wow! I am so excited to learn that there will continue to be postings from BOS since Bob's Med cruise is over! We'll be leaving on the same cruise July 10. I am so worried that my luggage will be lost. I'm glad yours finally showed up. Hope you have a wonderful time!

[ksrgatorfn]

Hey all. Sorry for the gap in posting. I am actually up listening to the Pepsi 400 from Daytona, which is why I am up and typing at 4:10 a.m.

 

So lets see....Lets start with Monaco. I will say, unlike Rob, all of the tours I am taking part in are RCCL tours. So it will be a good comparisoon between the options. I took the Eze, Cote de Azul and Monaco tour. We left bright and early and started our trek. You have to tender into the dock, and then it is a small walk up to the coaches. The coaches are parked in some ancient fort, and it was quite the nail biter getting out of the place since it was essentially a one lane road.

 

We stopped several times en route to Eze to take pictures....there was one more ship in port with us...the Millenium was also in port with us, so it was cool to look at the two ships side by side from high up on the mountain. (The Brilliance looked to be the bigger of the two...and we are partial to the BoS anyhow...LOL).

 

I have to say, if you can avoid Eze, do. I don't see much of a reason to stop there. it is a former fort up on top of a hill. A very high hill. One that you have to hike up, by foot. It was hot. By the time we got to the top, the only thing we cared about was finding water, not the little church in the fortress. The best part of the stop was the perfumerie on the way down...and the really nice blue Ferrari parked in the valet lot for the hotel that was attached to the fort.

 

After Eze, we headed into Monte Carlo. The tour bus took the upper Corniche on the trip to the principality, and it was easy to see how Grace kelly could have lost control of her car on that road. Very twisty and curvy, but boy there were some awesome views, which we stopped to take pictures of two more times before getting into Monaco.

 

Once in Monte Carlo, we were taken along the starting grid for the Monaco Grand Prix...for a race fan like me, that was neat. It also took us next to the Yach Club of Monaco....and Yach Club it is. I have seen some big boats in my day, but all of these made the ones I had seen look like dinghys. They were parked in a row like fishing boats at any other marina I have ever seen. Off in the far side of the marina were two massive yachts...mor elike mini ships. I assumed one was the Royal yacht, but who knows. They were just big. Really big.

 

We parked at the tunnel that the Grand prix uses and took elevators up to the Grand Casino. We didn't go in though, because we had to do lunch first. We ate at the Cafe du Paris, and the lunch was very good. We all were poured a glass of wine, and were served a first course of mozarella and tomatoes with bib lettuce. The main course was what I would call the high end version of fried chicken breast....breaded and lightly browned chicken breats with a mushroom sauce and some browned mashed potatoes. Was very good. For dessert, we had lemon and respberry sorbet served in a dark chocolate bowl with a strawberry glaze on the plate. That was delicious! And the perfect finish to the lunch. The only complaint I had was that we had to sit outside, and even though we were under cover and had misting fans blowing, it was still toasty...and the bathrooms were in the basement down a very narrow winding staircase...and there were only three for several tour groups, so by the end of lunch the line was up the staircase. That reminds me...bring change when you go to this area. It costs to use the bathrooms. At Eze, it was .40 euros. There was no charge at the Restaurant, but most every place else charged.

 

After lunch, we were taken to the Grand Casino. As a James Bond fan, I had the scene from Dr No in my mind as we entered. It costs 10 Euros just to go inside (covered in the cost of the tour), and once inside, it was nothing like I had expected. There are a half dozen gaming tables just inside the entrance, mostly occupied by tourists. In the back was a Slots room with about 75 slot machines. You had to get tokens to play, and I donated 10 euros to the cause. The rest of the Casino was off limits. The high end gaming areas were behind closed doors, and I know they were being used because out front was a Bentley, a Jag, two BMW M6's, and a Mercedes Limo.

 

We were given free time, and my mom and I decided to head out to look at the stores as my dad and sister went to take pictures. The stores are all high end...Hermes, Prada, Gucci, Dior, Chanel. We appraoched the Hotel De Paris...THE place to stay apparently....and ended up sliding in the doors with a very weathy group of 30-somethings. There was a gal in another tour group behind us who tried to get in and was turned away...the hotel was for guests only. (Mom and I were dressed up so we think that is why we were able to get in). The hotel was definately exclusive...the check in desk was actually four individual desks, and the display windows for the shops were draped in high end diamonds and watches and clothes. We decided we were waaaay in over our head and headed out again. After we found the rest of the family, it was tiem to get back on the bus and head into the Old Monaco...where the palace is located.

 

The bus had to park in a car park, however there were escalators and elevators to get us up to the old city...and we were depositied directly infront of the Oceanographic museum, which used to be run by Jacques Cousteau. We were then taken to the Church where Grace Kelly and Prince Renier were married, and are now buried. All of the rulers are buried there, so it is an interesting history as you walk behind the altar where the marriage took place. Grace and Renier are the last two crypts, and someone apparently leaves fresh flowers on Grace's tomb every day. Anyone who has seen the film of the marriage will recognise a lot of the church...it is large, but not as large as I had expected.

 

After the tour of the church, we headed to the palace. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to tour the palace...I would have happily given up time in Eze for more time in Monaco.

 

Well, I think I am going to start a new post for Piza...so this one doesn't get so long.

[ksrgatorfn]

Day 5 finds us in Livorno bright and early. After grabbing a quick breakfast at the Windjammer restaurant, which is at the back of the ship and you can actually sit outside and look off the back of the ship....we headed to the Pacifica Theater where we were split into tour groups. Mom and Jen decided to do the museum thing in Florence, and Dad and I decided we wanted to go see the Leaning Tower of Pisa...so we headed in separate directions.

 

The drive to Pisa took about half an hour, and I had a flashback to high school and band bus trips. Really nice bus, lots of hot tourists.

 

Pisa is a pretty small town, with a lot of tourists, and a lot of Gypsies trying to sell the tourists everything from little plastic leaning towers to fake Louis Vitton bags and Chanel sunglasses. Most of the gypsies were harmless, although there were some guys selling fake watches and women selling ugly scarves that were persistent and very annoying. A solid NO seemed to do the job though.

 

The Bell Tower of Pisa is most definately listing. I'm not exactly sure of how far it is listing, but apparently it started leaning before they even finished the second level of the tower. You might have thought that they would have gotten the hint and stopped building at that point, but apparently they were persistent buggers and kept building. After the third level, they realised that the tower was just going to be leaning and tried to make it look more upright by putting shorter pillars on the far side and longer ones on the leaning side. All that really did was make it look kind of like a banana. However, as our tour guide commented, it is a good thing that the tower is leaning, or else no one would have any reason to come to Pisa.

 

The fun thing was to watch how many people did the "look at me I'm holding up the tower" pictures. I would say half of the tourists taking pictures did that version. I didn't pose that way, however I did pose Smoke to look like he was leaning against it. Yeah, I fell victim to the trend. Cheesy as it was. At least it wasn't me in the picture.

 

After checking out the tower, dad and I headed into the church that was next to it....only cost 2 Euros compare dto the 15 to go to the top of the tower...I had on a tank top so they gave me some cover thing that was made out of the same kind of paper that your standard doctors office gown is made out of. The church was nice...old...some guy was buried above ground in a glass coffin...so that was a bit creepy...but all in all, it was nice.

 

We headed back to the ship around lunch time, and we ducked into the Windjammer for lunch and water before heading out on tour #2, a wine tasting tour. The tour guide on this jaunt a lot of fun, and had us chuckling almost all the way to the estate where the wine was.

 

The estate we visited is owned by the family that started Fiat. They now own Vespa, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo. So obviously the wine thing was on the side. The entire estate belongs to a 29 year old woman. Her half brother, who was running the family fortunes, died of cancer last year at age 33. There were pictures of him inside the living room of the 400 year old family villa...he was a good looking guy. There was a picture of him with his wife, and him fighting a bull. Total bummer on that one.

 

Anyhow, when we arrived, and were met by a lovelly young woman named Francesca, who works as the guide for the wine tasting tours. She took us into the villa and told us the history of the family and the villa (it is on 1000 acres of land and was built in 1453 or some such thing). After touring the villa, it was time to tour the cellars, which was nice mainly because they were cool, and it was in the 90's outside. It was actually pretty neat because the wine making business is just a small hobby for them, so there are only about 40 casks of wine per vintage. They only make 3 kinds of wine, all red.

 

After touring the cellars, it was time to taste what they had to offer. There were 46 folks in the tour, and they had five tables set up in a tasting room, each table with bread, cold cuts, and olive oil. Now, I will admit I am no olive oil connesseur, however, this stuff was pretty bland. Actually, it was fairly tasteless. I don't know if that is the way it was supposed to be or not, but that was my impression. I tried it on the bread, on the prosciutto, on the Salami. Nothing. Just something wet on each item.

 

The wine was another thing. They had us try four kinds....starting with the "cheap" stuff, and then the middle kind, then the high end, and finally something that was called a dessert wine but was more like a liquer or a brandy. Of the three in house wines, I liked the cheap stuff the best. It was fruity and not dry at all. However, I only bought one bottle...and it was for Jen because she loves red wine, and I am more of a white wine kinda gal.

 

The wine tasting brought our day to an end, and it was time to head back to the port and the ship. Another day down...tomorrow Rome!

[ksrgatorfn]

OK...I think I am going to call it a night..but I do want to update saying that it looks like they are going to lay new carpet in the Schooner Bar. I am sitting using the wireless on deck 6, and have been watching workers carry rolls of carpet over to the Schooner, So it is either going to be in the Schooner, Portofino, or Chops.

 

Also, folks have been out here cleaning all evening. I came out here at 2 a.m., and there have been folks scrubbing and polishing and vacuuming since I sat down. My only complaint at this point is I can't find anything to drink...all I want is a Coke, but the onyl place to get one is in the Disco on deck 13.

 

Anyhow...ttfn...more tomorrow when we have a day at sea and I have more time!

[ksrgatorfn]

OK...I think I am going to call it a night..but I do want to update saying that it looks like they are going to lay new carpet in the Schooner Bar. I am sitting using the wireless on deck 6, and have been watching workers carry rolls of carpet over to the Schooner, So it is either going to be in the Schooner, Portofino, or Chops.

 

Also, folks have been out here cleaning all evening. I came out here at 2 a.m., and there have been folks scrubbing and polishing and vacuuming since I sat down. My only complaint at this point is I can't find anything to drink...all I want is a Coke, but the onyl place to get one is in the Disco on deck 13.

 

Anyhow...ttfn...more tomorrow when we have a day at sea and I have more time!

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Great posts......looking forward to more as we're considering a Med cruise next spring.

[RDeagazio]

Ksr-- welcome aboard. I just got home tonight after spending a few nights post cruise in Barcelona and Amsterdam. I think they finally finihed sanding and varnishing the railings on our cruise-- when we got back onboard after our day in Rome, there was a "wet varnish" sign hanging on our balcony railing. I'm glad to hear the carpets are starting to be replaced as some areas were in need of this.

 

Glad you found and enjoyed La Villa in Barcelona-- you should have told the Manager Luis we sent you-- you would have been well cared for. We went back to the restaurant on our post cruise night and the place was empty-- had some tapas and sangria.

 

As for the weather-- be prepared for a hot one-- we had temps in the upper 80's and in Croatia it was 96!! You will never get away from that heat fog-- we had it all week long but the sea was smooth as glass.

 

Be sure to visit Angela in the Hollywood Odyssey on Deck 13 and Alberto in the Starquest on Deck 13-- tell them Bob and Kath say hello....you won't be sorry!!

 

Enjoy your cruise-- I hope you have as much fun as we did. It was one of the best cruises we've taken so far. I'm working on my review which will be longer than Gone with the Wind, but also enjoying your posts.... makes me wish I was still onboard.

 

Happy Sailing!!

[producegirl]

I am leaving on the 15th of August and all of these posts have just been heaven to me!!! Thanks so much and please don't stop!;)

[intentionaltourist]

Bob, we have been looking on the internet and in tour books and cannot find La Villa Restaurant. We want to make a reservation for 10 people for August 4, a friday before we sail out on the Voyager. Do you have a card from the restaurant with a email or phone ? Also which tour do you recommend for Rome? We are also klooking for a tour for an extra day in Amsterdam. Thanks.

[ksrgatorfn]

Well, it is the end of the day of rest, so now I can catch up on my posting and fill you in on Rome.

 

It is a good thing the Vatican is located within Rome, because it was hotter than...well...h-e-double hockey sticks. I think they said it was pusching 40C, which is close to 100 F. I wore a skirt because I was going in to the Bassillica...next time I will wear pants, because it was just too hot for the ankle length skirt. But I digress.

 

I chose the Taste of Rome tour while the rest of my family chose the Imperial Rome tour. They left at 7:45, and we were scheduled to go out at 8...although because folks were running late (please, if you go on a tour, be on time...it only takes away fromt he time you have at yur destination!) we didn't depart until almost 8:30. It was a 90 minute ride to Rome, and to be honest, most folks napped en route. Not that our guide wasn't good...she was informative and told us a bit about what we were going to see and what we were going to do for the first 30 minutes of the ride. But it was so long, it was just nice to catch a cat nap.

 

We arrived in Rome and were dropped off at the edge of St Peters Square. Our tour provided 2.5 hours before the actual guided tour to go out and see what we wanted, and I decided I really wanted to head to the Trevi Fountain. And I decided I wanted to take the subway because it was only 1 Euro compared to the 5-10 you would have to pay for a Taxi. Bad news was, I failed to ask for proper directions, and spent over 30 minutes trying to find the road that would take me to the Metro...the map was not to scale and I ended up down at the castle and had to turn around and hike back and re acclimate myself. I did finally find my way to the metro...which was very clean, and was a fast way to get to where I was going. Sort of.

 

Again, it is hard to judge how far the Fountain is from the Metro stop, and I got turned around and ended up a mile north of the metro instead of south where the funtain was. I found the road the fountain was supposed to be off of, but went the wrong way and ended up past the Hard Rock cafe....most definately in the wrong direction. At this point I was hot and frustrated and caved in and caught a cab the 2-3 miles to the fountain...to me by that point it was worth the 5 Euros for the ride and the chance to cool off.

 

By this point I had wasted an hour trying to get someplace that I was told was only 15 minutes away, but when I finally did get to the fountain, it was great. Not what I expected, but there were a lot of tourists....lots of gypsies. Hold on to your purses or Wallets! I tossed my coin in the fountain..we were told that the way to get the best luck was to use your right hand and toss it over your left shoulder. 1 coin means you will return to Rome. I only did one coin, so I sure hope some day to come back....just not in July! LOL.

 

After visiting the Trevi, I walked along the side street and bought some gelato....which tasted great in the heat. I then grabbed a sandwich from one of the many restaurants arond the fountain, and decided to head out and look for the one thing I really wanted...a pair of Italian shoes! I had been told there was a good road nearby for shopping, and I found a mall of sorts...which had the benefit of 1: being air conditioned and 2: having many shops in one place. I hunted around in each store and settled on a place called Zara...which was clothes and shoes. I found some great shoes...none of which were my size (39-40 European...8-9 American). Darned it all!

 

At this point, I had half an hour to make it back to the meeting place, so instead of hiking back to the Metro, I caught a cab...another 5 euro's well spent. The driver took me back to St Peter's Square, and I headed back over to the meeting location, where I grabbed a tea and gelato from a small restaurant next to the Vatican gift shop.

 

Small fact to note...everything closes at 1 for an hour. Siesta/lunch time I think. So keep that in mind when planning shopping or eating.

 

Once everyone arrived, our Rome guide joined us and took us to the Bassillica. What an amazing place. I am what most would call a "lapsed Cathloic"...I claim to be Catholic but don't go to church as often as I ought to. However, no matter what your religion, this Bassillica is amazing. We were told the story that Bassillica's have five doors in the front....and the far right door is only opened every 25 years. When the door is opened, all who have sinned are invited to walk through to have their sins absolved. In the years in between, the door is sealed shut, and a wall is built behind it so that the door cannot be opened.

 

All the artwork in the bassillica are mosaics, not fresco's...and they are absolutely amazing. Also, all Pope's who have been beattified and made saints are buried within the bassillica. Pope John Paul II is buried under the Bassillica at this time, but apparently his beattifications has been pushed forward and it is expected that within few years he will be moved to the Bassillica proper. In the meantime, just to the left of the Altar in St Peters is a Vatican Emblem that you can look through to the area below, and it is there that John Paul is buried.

 

After touring the Bassillica, we hopped back on the bus and headed for the Coliseum, driving past the Capitol hill and the Forum. It is hard to believe that the Coliseum was built in 7 years by thousands of Jewish slaves. They build it out of Marble and Iron, and it was made to seat 70,000 people. They also had what I suppose you could call the first retractible dome...made of linen and draped using ropes. Our tour did not go into the Coliseum...the tour the rest of my family was on did...but since it was 2 p.m. and I was hot, sweaty, and beat...I didn't really mind.

 

Another side note....there are some men dressed up as Gladiators walking around outside the Coliseum...and they are more than willing to pose for a photo with you. But at a cost. 10 Euros...no bargaining.

 

After the Coliseum, we hiked up to St Peter in Chains church, where Michaelangelo's Moses is located. To be honest, it was nice to see the statue, but I was about baked and done by this point. I took a few pictures, and headed out to the street vendor and bought some Powerade and just sat on one of the benches outside of the church.

 

On the bus ride home, everyone slept. We were all exhausted. I wish I had been able to see more, but I also know if I had tried to do it, I would have been beyond exhausted and probably had mild heat stroke. It was just that hot.

 

Upon our return, my dad and I voted for the Windjammer while my mom and sister headed to the dining room. It was pizza night in the WJ, and the pizza was quite good. Actually, my dad and I have become addicted to the WJ. Good food, a great variety, and it is nice to sit out on the stern and watch the ship move along. (If you are lucky, you'll see dolphins jumping in the ships wake!)

 

Today was a day at sea....despite the fact I was up listening to my race from 2-5:30, I took a quick nap and then headed to an 8 a.m. appointment at the spa with my sister and mom. We all had scalp, shoulder, hand and foot massages. Very relaxing, and we were able to watch our passing between the boot and Sicily as we were going through our regimen.

 

I have to admit, I was a bad CC board member. Because of my late night, I came back from breakfast and fell asleep...not waking until 2:30..and thus having missed the Meet and Greet. I am very bummed about that, because I wanted to meet the other members of the board. (Sorry everyone who was there!)

 

Tonight was formal night...was fun to get dressed up. They were offering free make up application in the Perfumerie, so I took advantage and had my face done by a very nice, very talented Canadian crew member. We then headed to the Captains Meet and Greet, and were told that there were 2210 people on board from 53 countries, and 2/3 of us, or over 1500, were American. Spain, Canada, and England all had over 100 people, adn the rest were in 2's and 3's. Captain Sundet was very cordial and entertaining, and it was a pleasure to meet him in person. When Executive Chef Oskar Dellai came out, he got a resounding round of applause from those gathered, and the Captain commented "They like their food!".

 

Anyhow, tomorrow we are in Delios. We don't dock until after noon, so we can sleep in and get up at our leisure. There is only one tour offered, so I wonder how many fo the 2200 people will be taking it, and how many will either be staying on board or going on their own. Should be interesting...possibly a bit rainy...and definately hot. I'll update ya'll when I have a chance!

 

One last thing...I have been able to upload 5 pictures for folks to look at. It is impossible to upload from the cabin at 41.2 kbps...so I tried to get some uploaded in the lobby during the race last night. At 33-cents a minute, it was getting expensive at about 10 minutes per photo...so I stopped at 5...but you will be able to see some of what I have seen so far.

 

http://public.fotki.com/ksrgatorfn/cruising_the_med-1/

 

Have a great night....!

 

Kim

[ksrgatorfn]

A real quick note before I head down to breakfast for an early trip to Ephesus...

 

Yesterday was Mykonos and Delos...both great places. However, to the weak of stomach, be forewarned, we rocked like a rocking chair getting into Greece. And the ferry to Delos was very very very choppy. Did I say VERY Choppy?

 

Delos is amazing. It is the only excursions available in Mykonos (although they do provide busses to take you into Mykonos...which I would do...the jewelry deals are great at the certified shops...we got over 35% off at the Opal shop reccomended in the Compass). We spent 2 hours at Delos, and could have spent plenty more...the ruins are amazing. But, keep in mind, either bring a ccover for your shoulders or lots of sunscreen...even with UVA/UVB I got burned. The temperature was part of the issue...it was maybe 78 outside, and the sky was clear, so you didn't get nearly as hot as we had at the other places.

 

Anyhow...off to breakfast. Ephesus is an early excursion...off the boat at 7:45 local time....so have to grab my french toast and fruit early!!!

[mitaxi]

Kim....Fun to read your posts.... we JUST got off the Brilliance the 28th.....

 

If you wander in to the Schooner....Say HEllo to Pablo...from Jake, Josh and Michele from Ohio.... He was a wonderful addition to our list of new friends....

 

Hope you enjoy your time as much as we did

 

Michele

[Fran Harp]

A real quick note before I head down to breakfast for an early trip to Ephesus...

 

Yesterday was Mykonos and Delos...both great places. However, to the weak of stomach, be forewarned, we rocked like a rocking chair getting into Greece. And the ferry to Delos was very very very choppy. Did I say VERY Choppy?

 

Anyhow...off to breakfast. Ephesus is an early excursion...off the boat at 7:45 local time....so have to grab my french toast and fruit early!!!

 

Waiting to hear about Ephesus. We will be in Istanbul in July - and hopefully there will be time to get to Ephesus if it is not too far. Post details, please:)

 

Fran in Toronto

[ksrgatorfn]

OK...a few more free minutes means a few more minutes to post!

 

Lets see...I left off at Delios. That means next up is Ephisus.

 

I was lazy and only did the Ephisus tour, not the full day tour, which the rest of my family took. However, Ephisus is amazing. Delios had several partial ruins, but it was hard to make out just how the island had been set up in it's heyday because there weren't many structures left. Not so with Ephisus.

 

There were three ships in port with us in Ephisus....us, the Perla, and the Sea Diamond, so it was a bit busy when we arrived at the ruins. In a way, that was find because it made me realise just what a bustling community that must have been in it's heyday.

 

Unlike Delios, which was burned by invader, Ephisus was just abandoned when the silt began making the sea receed. Therefore, a lot of the artifacts were not burned or destroyed, just aged or toppled by earthquakes or looters. As a result, there is much more to be found at these ruins than at Delios.

 

Our tourguide spoke perfect english...he was from Istanbul, and apparently children are taught english at a very early age. Don't ask me to spell his name because I can't..LOL...but he was a great guide, and also very animal friendly. As soon as we entered the ruins, there were all kinds of cats, and he had cat chow in his bag to feed them as we walked along. Apparently he was familiar with the cats, because as soon as they saw him, they began meowing for their treats. LOL. There were also several dogs in the area...just roaming around..completely harmless and quite comfortable with all the people milling about.

 

Anyhow, the ruins. Amazing. Those Romans were master builders, that is all I can say. And way before their time in many ways. The mosaic floors were beautiful, and last to this day...must have taken forever to install. The carving of the pillars and entryways was detailed and ornate. They had communal latrines where there were dozens of, well, openings and apparently a constant running of water underneath...and the latrines were meetinghouses. Our guide said they didn't need magazines, they had dozens of other men to talk with, and women on hand to serve them from the nearby restaurants. And there were many restaurants, because the poorer inhabitants didn't have the means to cook in their homes, so there were restaurants that catered to feeding them every meal. Also high end eateries for the wealthier residents. There was a library that had the facade rebuilt. A woman in our group said she had been there 28 years ago and they had only uncovered half of the remains....so she was amazed at the progress they had made. There was a group of actors that put on a little play infront fo the library...subsidized by RCCL, and the play was a bit cheesy, however it gave you an idea of what the inhabitants did for entertainment.

 

One of the things I took in was the milling of all of the tourists. There were hundreds of them roaming the streets...and I tried to imagine thousands of Roman and local residents doing the same thing in the heyday. It was mind boggling. At the height of the community, over 75,000 people lived there. That was a huge city back then.

 

Anyhow, some of the hilights...there was the remnants of a brothel...and even an ad for the brothel carved into one of the sidewalks leading up from the old port. (It is a heart, a left foot, and the head of a woman..which meant "If you want the love of a good woman, keep towards your left foot and you will find it"....amazing!)...there was a bath that was being unearthed....a mosaic sidewalk infront of the remains of dozens of shops....I can't remember what it was infront of, but a facade that had a carving of Medusa in the top of the entryway...the old port...and of course the library and theater.

 

After touring the remains, we were taken back into town where we were let off at #1 on tour Compass map...where we were given some delicious apple tea (tastes like apple cider) and a lesson on Turkish rug making. The rugs are amazing, but bring your checkbook. The cheapest was about $400, and the most expensive well over $1000...hand knotted silk...beautiful. You have to see it to understand it.

 

One warning, the vendors are very aggressive here. However, if you tell them no and keep walking they will turn their attention elsewhere. But it can be a bit nervewracking if you aren;t expecting it.

 

My tour was short enough that I had plenty of time to wander the shops. Interesting note...my family said that on their tour, they had 2 RCCL security people with them. They didn't know if that was normal, or if they were with them because it was the 4th of July. We didn't have anyone with us, however we didn't head out into the boonies like they did. (Keep in mind, the neighbor to Turkey is Iraq, however I never once saw any disdain for us, nor did I feel uncomfortable). They do check your ID 5 times en rute to the ship....there is a guard posted outside the "port"...once you pass him, there are about 3 dozen shops, a Starbucks, and a Burger King...LOL. Once you make it through the shops and to the pathway to get into the passport area, there is another check. Then you get into the passport area (they don't need to see your passport, just your seapass, however they do X-ray and metal detect you just like when you get on the ship). Once you make it through that, then you are in Duty Free land...just like in America. Past that, you make it out to the pier, where you show your seapass again to embark, and then one last time at the "doink" machine ( we call it that because it "doinks" every time you insert your card...it is the card reader that tells the ship when you leave and when you return...LOL).

 

Anyhow...that was Ephisus. Beautiful and amazing plce to visit. I heard Didima was also beautiful....so if you want to go on the full day excursioin, my family highly suggested it.

[beachlovergirl]

Have really enjoyed reading your reviews! And that machine does make a "doink"......can't wait to hear it again!

[Fran Harp]

 

Anyhow, some of the hilights...there was the remnants of a brothel...and even an ad for the brothel carved into one of the sidewalks leading up from the old port. (It is a heart, a left foot, and the head of a woman..which meant "If you want the love of a good woman, keep towards your left foot and you will find it"....amazing!)...there was a bath that was being unearthed....a mosaic sidewalk infront of the remains of dozens of shops....I can't remember what it was infront of, but a facade that had a carving of Medusa in the top of the entryway...the old port...and of course the library and theater.

 

 

 

Thanks for the details - sounds amazing, and we're looking forward to getting there.

 

Fran in Toronto

[ksrgatorfn]

I know, I know...I have fallen behind. It is amazing how busy we have been! So, what I am going to do is post the blogs I have been keeping on my personal website for friends and family. All I can say now is...this is the best vacation I have ever had!

 

 

 

Today finds us in Greece...again. However, unlike the previous visit, no ruins today. Just lots of scenery...and hiking. Jen and I struck out from Mom and Dad and enjoyed the shorter of the tours offered, just about 5 hours. We tendered over to Santorini...a very little village at the base of some very steep cliffs. The bus ride up the hill was very curvy....have I mentioned how great the drivers of these busses have been on this cruise? Anyhow, we cruised well up above Santorini to the top of the mountain, where we were treated to a beatuiful panoramic view of the entire island. Jen hiked all the way to the top where there was a church, but the combination of altitude and just the idea of climbing more steps on top of what we had climbed to get up to where were were (about 60 or so rocky steps) had me walking the roadway at the base of the church.

 

After the view...and the cool air...the weather has turned beautiful since we left Italy...we took the bus down the hill to a local restaurant, where we were treated to the local wine and some samples of Greek cuisine. The wine was...well...salty. They sun dry the grapes here and then press them...and I think the drying process makes them saltier. Either way, the wine was a pass...but the food was pretty good. There was a cheese filled philo dough, some greek olives, some pate, couscous, bread, two very sweet cherry tomatos, and some fried tomato thing. The thing in the philo dough was the best of the offerings.

 

After the snack, we went to another small village, and hiked up to another church. I swear my legs will be able to take on anything after this trip. But, the hiking has helped me lose weight instead of gain it, so I can't complain. The chuch was great, and the view awesome. (We even had the added entertainment of some Greek woman arguing with a friend or neighbor across the balconies). I have to say, with the exception of Eze, everything we have seen has been well worth the effort. This part of the world is amazing. The buildings are all white washed, the sky and sea are blue. The air is clean, and the temperature has been just amazing. I could easily come back to Greece for another vacation.

 

After the hike up and back down again, we were dropped in the main town for some shopping and the cable car ride back down to where we would catch the tender back to the ship...a different place from where we were picked up initially. We climbed (of course) up to the main shopping street, and off to the right infront of a church was a man dressed as a pirate playing as a one man band. He was amazing. Had a Lire or ukelele or some kind of stringed instrument, a harmonica, and some wooden blocks at his feet. He also had one of those green bird puppets with the stringy, fuzzy necks and legs...and as he played he had the bird bopping up and down. He was very well coordinated, and the music was fun...so we gave him a euro in his cap.

 

Jen and I wandered the streets, trying to decide if there was anuything worth purchasing, and we stumbled upon a gem of a shop. Leather shoes and purses...hand made, adn inexpensive. For anyone who has ever been to Keno in Key West, it is very similar to that. Jen bought 2 paris of sandals and a purse, and I bought a greta pair of very Greecian looking lace up leather sandals...a whopping 14 Euros. Hand stitched. All leather. Very comfy. Great purchase. I now wish I had bought at least one more pair of shoes....but I thought I might come across some nice leather Italian shoes in Nice. We shall see.

 

After making our purchases, we headed for the cable car. I was reminded of Disney with the line and the cars...and amazed at the rudeness of some of the touristgs (not Americans...Europeans). The line was long, and was about an hour in length. We were between two couples fromt he UK...one from Manchester, England, and the other from Glasgow, Scotland. Great folks, a lot of fun, and the Scots are on our ship...the Brits were on one of the other ships. We all watched as several folks tried to cut their way into line...one family honed in to my left and pushed their way forward...we tried to let them know...with out characteristic snarkiness...that we were not pleased with their efforts, but they were un phased. For all the pushing and shoving, they got on the cable car infront of ours, and then had to wait on the pier with everyone else for their tender. We found great pleasure in that. LOL. The cable cars were great fun....you could either walk down something like 600 steps, or take the cars down. There were 6 gondolas which could carry 6 people each....the view on the way down...and it ws VERY steep...was great. Mom and dad hiked down...something they regretted after the fact. We had been warned that Donkeys were used to ferry people up and down, and the Donkeys did their business on the steps...and mom and dad confirmed that. (ew!) We could also smell the donkeys by the time we got to the bottom of our ride in the gondola. So, we were glad we hadn't taken the steps.

 

Tomorrow we are in Athens....should be a great visit. Then we say goodbye to Greece and head to Italy one last time.

[ksrgatorfn]

Athens! the place where the Olympics got their start...well, sort of. Home of the 2004 Summer Olympics. Bustling city surrounding thousands of years of history.

 

Last night, mom and dad decided they had had enough of walking and hiking and wanted to call it an early day, so they asked if we would switch tours with them. We all went to the Parthenon, but their tour had 2.5 hours of free time also scheduled in it, and so they wanted to come straight back to the ship instead. Jen and I were cool with that, and so we traded out.

 

As we drove to Olympic Stadium, she began obsessing about having to go to the bathroom. We just left the ship! We got to the stadium, which was great....it was first used in 1896 (I think?) for the first of the modern era olympic games....they refurbished it for the games 2 years ago.

 

Anyhow, there was a small walk from the curb where the bus parked to the gates to the stadium, so Jen and I hopped off, chuckling about the woman, and did our thing with taking pictures, and enjoyd the history of where we were.

 

Next stop, the Parthenon....located essentially right in the middle of town, and hopped off the bus. Our tour guide found us a nice place under some olive trees to crash out while she went over the history of the Parthenon, and what they were doing to excavate. Again, the weather was amazing...very comfortable in the shade with a nice breeze.

 

 

We began the climb to the Parthenon, and at the base of the stairs leading up to the ruins, we crossed paths with mom and dad, who were on their way down. They said the reuins were great, but to keep to the gravel because the marble was very slippery. It was a very good note to make, because they weren't kidding. We made it to the top of the ruins...amazing to look at. I have said it before, the Romans were great architects. They knew how to build, and build well. Barbara pointed out that the pillars on the outside were thicker than the ones on the inside because they were required to hold more weight where the sides joined...and every pillar leaned just slightly, so nothing was perfectly level.

 

Surrounding the Parthenon were smaller temples, including one dedicated to Zeus and Athena, who, legend has it, competed for the naming rights to the city by creating something amazing. Zeus did something with the water, but no one was really impressed because water was everywhere. Athena created the first Olive Tree, and since it was something no one had ever seen before, she was declared the winner and the city was named for her.

 

It was very windy at the top and taking photos was a bit of an adventur ewith the hundreds, if not thousands, of fellow tourists milling about. However, it was just another set of amazing ruins that made you think about the people who had first lived there. Barbara informed us that they carved the marble fromt he mountains in the distance, and then set up a pully system to haul the blocks to the top of the mountain, using slaves to pull the marble up...which I am guessing was a better deal than carrying it up block by block. Once at the top, the pieces were put together to make the complex that we saw the ruins of.

 

After touring the Parthenon, we headed back down to the bus. Time to see a little bit of the city in the comfort of the coach, and then time on our own.

 

The bus took us by the Congress building, where some nice looking young men in tights and skirts stood guard, and then past the gate of Hercules and the Arch of Hedron. (I think that was what it was called...will need to check with Jen on that one). We were dropped off at the Plaka...a shopping area, and Jen and I stopped at a cafe for some lunch (I had cheese filled philo and she had spinach and cheese filled...it wasn't as good as in Santorini). However, it was good to be able to say we had lunch in a cafe in Athens with the local food.

 

After lunch, we decided to head down to the changing of he guard at the Congress building. We arrived at about the same time as a bunch of teenagers on tour. Oh my.

 

Jen and I caught the tail end of some kind of movement...the men were marching back from the moument to unkown soldiers (not a tomb mind you, just a monument) and to their little covereds guard shacks. A little history...these Honor Guards are some of the best in Greece. This job is one of the most prestigious. You get to stand guard at either the Governors house or the Congressional building. It is done in one hour increments, and you have to stand perfectly still. At the top of the hour, there is a changing of the guard, where two replacements are marched out under the supervision of a third Guard of honor. An elaborite exchange is made, adn then the two guards that were standing watch are escorted back to barracks while the new guys take over. As they stand watch, they are under the supervision of a member of the military, who comes out and ensures their unifroms are in order, that their brows are wiped of sweat, and even that their noses are not dripping. LOL. People are allowed to have their picture taken with these guards, however only on the ourside of the guard shack....in other words, they cannot stand between the Guard and his shack...or else the minder will come and roust you off.

 

These have got to be some of the best looking men I have ever had the chance to stand infront of.

 

Skirts, tights, pom pom shoes and all.

 

They all had great olive skin, dark hair, and beautiful eyes. One of them had what Jen called "Cal Ripken eyes"...just a clear blue.

 

They were amazing.

 

The teenage girls thought so as well.

 

Yikes!

 

After several moments of ogiling after the changing of the guard, we decided to head down the street to where we had seen a McDonalds and to grab some ice cream. The menu was similar to the normal one we are sued to, but with Greek additions. Pita sandwiches. Beer on tap. Greek salads. It all looked pretty good, but I got a hot fudge sundae and Jen got a McFlurry. (Those are the same everywhere).

 

We took the scenic route back through the Plaka, and en route found an Olympic Store (official) and found that everything was half off. (I guess the 2 year point marks the start of when you can put everything up on sale). So, we shopped. I bought the bosses some stuff, bought myself a very nice lanyard...took care of a Christmas present, got a really cool hat. All for under 50 Euros. Not bad at all. As we made our way back to the meeting point, I stopped and bought my cheap knock off sunglasses...a pair of Chanel wannabes. Here you can make a fake look a lot like a real deal...and with the number of Chanel sunglasses I have seen on thei trip...I'd say 10 Euros wasn't a bad deal for the pair I got. (I sepnt about as much at the Fair Oaks mall getting the knock off pair of sunglasses I have been wearing all cruise).

 

We made it back to the meeting point and sat down next to a couple from South Carolina. I had heard them talking about Clemson on the bus ride, and with the family ties we have to Clemson, stuck up a conversation. They met at Clemson, and their kids went to Clemson, except one daughter, who went to Georgia. (I offered my condolences...he said I would likely get the same sentiment from their daughter...LOL).

 

We made it back to the ship with enough time to get showered and changed for dinner. Tomorrow is another day at sea. We have said goodbye to Greece, and are headed back to Italy. One last excursion to go before we head for Barcelona.

 

Bummer.

[ksrgatorfn]

If you take the cruise that heads to Naples and pompei, take a tour called Amalfi Drive, Sorrento, and Pompei. This was the most entertaining and beautiful excursion we took all cruise. We began in Naples....although we did not tour Naples. We headed straight for the Amalfi Drive. If you have never seen nor heard of this road, it is not for the weak of stomach, however we had the best driver on the planet. His name is Pino...so if you take that tour, try and find out which coach he is driving. The Amalfi is 50 km, and has 2000 turns in it. Many of them sharp hairpin. And you have to deal with what we labeled the ¨Scooters of death´...Vespas and the like that come careening around the corners with no fear for what will be found on the other side. At one point on the tour, we almost ended up with one plastered on the front of our bus, if not for Pino´s fast reflexes with the brakes. Also, a note that if you take this tour, sit on the right side of the bus....the left side you see a lot of cliffs, the right you get beautiful views of the sea. They were just spectacular. We even saw Sophia Loren´s house that overlooks the water.

 

We were given lunch as part of the tour....as odd as it sounds we ate at a Best Western...but the hotel was built into the side of the mountain, and the food was to die for. It was the best pasta I have ever eaten...spinach and cheese filled manicotti and mozzarella covered chicken breast. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I want to find the recipe, but somehow I know I will never be able to duplicate it.

 

We stopped in a small village to do some shopping....we bought some tiles and postcards, and then it was on to Pompei.

 

Pompei was more than I had expected...not that I am certain what i expected. First, we were taken to a cameo factory...factory being the wrong word, but they hand make cameo´s there. After visiting there...and they gave 10% for cc and 20% off for cash purchases for our group....we headed out towards the ruins. (First stop though was to test some of the lemon liquer....they had a booth out front and had samples. Hoooey that stuff is strong...but good and lemony! A small painted bottle was 4€, so I bought one to take back as a gift. Then we went into the ruins. We were racing the rain...our first all cruise...and there was ominous thunder in the distance...so we didn´t take as long as we had planned because she didn´t want us getting drenched. But the ruins are fascinating. For a city covered my hot ash and lava, the restoration and excavation they have done is mind boggling. They figured out that when they were digging, ig they hit a hollow space, it was likely one of 2 things....something that had contained wood, or a living thing. They poured plaster into the holes to make casts....so they have two casts of men who were buried in the eruption, and one replica of a very heavy door. The details on the men are amazing...you can see the ouotlines of their robes, their hands and feet...their faces. Even what appeared to be a beard on one of them.....and a shoe. They have found frescoes on walls and mosaics on floors. Just amazing.

 

Aftr Pompei, we called it a day...and sadly an end to our excursions. We all agreed that this has been one of the best vacations we have ever taken. The places we have gone, the people we have met...the ship. All great. Sure, I lost my luggage, and mom and Jen got sick off of some of the pistachio´s they bought off a street vendor in Athens (i am very glad I don´t like pistachios!)...and the rip up to Eze on the first excursion was worthless...but other than that...just primo stuff. We are already talking about our next cruise and where we might go next!