Live from Seabourn Spirit, Oct 25 - Dec 20 2008

[cands]

I know I'm jumping the gun a little here, but the excitement of finally beginning this adventure has got to me.:)

 

Chris is at home packing and I still have to work today and tomorrow.

 

I fly out at 4:30pm on Wednesday and Chris follows the next day.

 

We booked this cruise nearly a year ago. It's hard to believe the time has finally come.

We have no idea how we are going to pack everything we need for 8 weeks at sea but we keep saying to ourselves: "Cull, cull cull" as the bags multiply and become heavier.

 

Let the adventure begin.

 

Steve (and Chris)

[jsiegel]

Have a great trip! Take lots of photos.

 

Jackie

[wripro]

Hope you guys have a great trip. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

[Seabourn-nail]

I wish you both a wonderful cruise!

How good of you to start this thread now to give us the opportunity to encourage you to post but not to forget to enjoy your selves, while you can still read it and I really mean it! The cruise is for you and not for us!

 

Have safe trips and e great cruise!

 

Marja

[cands]

Thanks for the good wishes Jackie, Wripro and Marja.

We always take lots of photos and these will all be available on FLICKR some time after we get back. I also hope to experiment with uploading some low-res ones here too.

 

Marja, I think I will enjoy writing about our journey. It will give me a permanent record of all the wonderful experiences we hope to have.

I've also given my friends and family this thread address as a way of keeping in touch while we are away. (It's only a few days until you are away again! I hope you have a wonderful time, too).

 

Kind regards to all.

 

Steve.

[cands]

Here's the itinerary. Just over 30 port days out of 56:

 

25 Oct CIVITAVECCHIA (ROME), ITALY dock n/a 17:00

26 Oct AMALFI, ITALY anchor 08:00 17:00

27 Oct TAORMINA, SICILY, ITALY anchor 08:00 17:00

28 Oct CRUISING THE IONIAN SEA at sea n/a n/a

29 Oct KATAKOLON, (OLYMPIA), GREECE dock 08:00 18:00

30 Oct ITEA, (DELPHI), GREECE dock 08:00 13:00

30 Oct TRANSITING THE CORINTH CANAL transit n/a n/a

31 Oct NAVPLION, GREECE dock 08:00 22:00

01 Nov PIRAEUS (ATHENS), GREECE dock 07:00 17:00

02 Nov MYKONOS, GREEK ISLES dock 07:00 23:00

03 Nov SANTORINI, GREEK ISLES anchor 08:00 18:00

04 Nov PATMOS, GREEK ISLES anchor 08:00 18:00

05 Nov FETHIYE, TURKEY anchor 08:30 17:00

06 Nov KUSADASI (EPHESUS), TURKEY dock 08:00 23:30

07 Nov CRUISING THE DARDANDELLES at sea n/a n/a

08 Nov ISTANBUL, TURKEY dock 07:00 17:00

09 Nov CRUISING THE DARDANDELLES at sea n/a n/a

10 Nov PIRAEUS (ATHENS), GREECE dock 08:00 22:00

11 Nov NAVPLION, GREECE dock 08:00 17:00

12 Nov AGHIOS NIKOLAOS, CRETE, GREECE dock 09:00 18:00

13 Nov RHODES, GREEK ISLES dock 08:00 17:00

14 Nov CRUISING THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA at sea n/a n/a

15 Nov ALEXANDRIA (CAIRO), EGYPT dock 07:00 n/a

16 Nov ALEXANDRIA (CAIRO), EGYPT dock n/a 13:00

17 Nov TRANSITING THE SUEZ CANAL transit n/a n/a

18 Nov CRUISING THE GULF OF AGABA at sea n/a n/a

19 Nov AQABA, JORDAN dock 08:00 18:00

20 Nov SAFAGA (LUXOR), EGYPT dock 08:00 n/a

21 Nov SAFAGA (LUXOR), EGYPT dock n/a 18:00

22 Nov CRUISING THE RED SEA at sea n/a n/a

23 Nov CRUISING THE RED SEA at sea n/a n/a

24 Nov CRUISING THE RED SEA at sea n/a n/a

25 Nov CRUISING THE GULF OF ADEN at sea n/a n/a

26 Nov CRUISING THE GULF OF ADEN at sea n/a n/a

27 Nov SALALAH, OMAN dock 08:00 17:00

28 Nov CRUISING THE ARABIAN SEA at sea n/a n/a

29 Nov CRUISING THE ARABIAN SEA at sea n/a n/a

30 Nov KHASAB, OMAN dock 13:00 18:00

01 Dec DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES dock 08:00 n/a

02 Dec DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES dock n/a n/a

03 Dec DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES dock n/a 12:00

04 Dec MUSCAT, OMAN dock 09:00 17:00

05 Dec CRUISING THE GULF OF OMAN at sea n/a n/a

06 Dec CRUISING THE ARABIAN SEA at sea n/a n/a

07 Dec MUMBAI (BOMBAY), INDIA dock 06:00 18:00

08 Dec CRUISING THE INDIAN OCEAN at sea n/a n/a

09 Dec CRUISING THE INDIAN OCEAN at sea n/a n/a

10 Dec COCHIN, INDIA dock 08:00 18:00

11 Dec CRUISING THE INDIAN OCEAN at sea n/a n/a

12 Dec CRUISING THE INDIAN OCEAN at sea n/a n/a

13 Dec CRUISING THE INDIAN OCEAN at sea n/a n/a

14 Dec CRUISING THE INDIAN OCEAN at sea n/a n/a

15 Dec CRUISING THE INDIAN OCEAN at sea n/a n/a

16 Dec PHUKET ISLAND, THAILAND dock 08:00 16:30

17 Dec LANGKAWI ISLAND, MALAYSIA dock 08:00 17:00

18 Dec PENANG, MALAYSIA dock 08:00 23:00

19 Dec CRUISING THE STRAIT OF MALAKKA at sea n/a n/a

20 Dec SINGAPORE dock 07:00 n/a

[dmb707]

Hi Steve

 

enjoy your cruise I will look forward to reading your review at some stage in the future especially the segment Alexandria to Dubai as i have booked this for October 2009.

 

As a side note do you know how much Seabourn charge for the overnight to the Valley of the kings etc?

 

Have a fab and safe trip and enjoy i am very envious ;)

 

deb

[Margate Cruiser]

We booked the overnight And if my memory serves correct, it was $769.00 per person. We are looking forward to this very exciting cruise ourselves. Judy and Steve

[Seabourn-nail]

Looks wonderful!

Again:

 

Enjoy!

[tayl]

Can't wait to read about your adventures!

[dmb707]

We booked the overnight And if my memory serves correct, it was $769.00 per person. We are looking forward to this very exciting cruise ourselves. Judy and Steve

 

Thank you for the information and enjoy your trip

 

deb

[CruisinMatt]

Anchors away! :D

[homolog]

Looking forward to meet you and the the Champions in Dubai.

We are going to pack our dancing shoes!!!

 

And please keep us up-to-date what's going on onboard.

 

Have a safe trip!

 

Chris and Uwe

[Seabourn-nail]

Too bad I won't see those dancing shoes soon!

........... tears..............

But a hug and have a wonderful cruise!

Marja

[cands]

22.5 hours till liftoff!

Spare a thought for we antipodians:

Melbourne to Singapore 7 hours 35 minutes

Singapore to London 13 hours 20 minutes

London to Rome 2 hours 25 minutes.

 

Thanks everyone for the best wishes.

Chris and Uwe, staying on until Hong Kong? Now I'm envious:) . Look forward to meeting you both.

 

Steve.

[Margate Cruiser]

You will need the first leg of your cruise just to get back in shape from you long flights. Dhl picked up 2 of our bags yesterday. We hope they have a nice flight over. Seee you at the sky bar after the drill Nov. 1st.

[cands]

You will need the first leg of your cruise just to get back in shape from you long flights. Dhl picked up 2 of our bags yesterday. We hope they have a nice flight over. Seee you at the sky bar after the drill Nov. 1st.

 

Hey Steve,

We should just about have recovered by the time we see you on Nov 1;) .

 

I'm all ready to close the cases. The next step is to see if it's physically possible to move them:eek: . Now I understand why you ship some of them!

We'll see you real soon:)

 

8 hours till liftoff.

 

Steve.

[cands]

Well, here I am in the Qantas Club Lounge in Melbourne Airport. The journey is about to begin. Check-in was a breeze. It took about 20 minutes from curb to lounge.

Melbourne Airport is trialing an Express service for 'premium' customers. I can say it's working very well.

The lounge itself is excellent. Very spacious and comfortable. The food and drink choices are very good also.

 

I'm in my favourite part of the plane, upstairs, for the flight to Singapore.

 

Catch you all later,

Steve.

[dmb707]

Steve

 

have a safe trip and it sounds like you could lift your luggage as no mention made;)

 

i look forward to your updates

 

deb

[Margate Cruiser]

Just got confirmation from DHL that our 2 bags are at the ships agents in Athens. Took no time at all. They went New York via Leipzig Germany. I thought the go by way of Amsterdam. See you soon all of you.

 

Judy and Steve

[cands]

Hi from Heathrow.

 

I arrived in Heathrow after 13 hours in the air from Singapore.

I'm now waiting for the final hop to Rome.

I also just got word that Chris has left and is currently on his way to KL from Melbourne.

So far so good.

 

British Airways Club is a great way to travel. At first I thought the front/back facing seats were a bit weird, but the bed layout really works.

 

More later,

Cheers,

Steve.

[Seabourn-nail]

Good morning!

I see you're still "on line"!

Safe flight to Rome!

 

Marja

[cands]

Good morning!

I see you're still "on line"!

Safe flight to Rome!

 

Marja

 

Thanks Marja. I'm starting to get a bit tired now! Not long to go.

Steve.

[cands]

Steve

 

have a safe trip and it sounds like you could lift your luggage as no mention made;)

 

i look forward to your updates

 

deb

 

 

Hi Deb,

I managed with just 35kg of checked luggage:eek: .

It still seems lik an awful lot to me.

We'll see how I go catching the train into Rome and walking to the hotel!

 

Cheers,

Steve.

[cands]

Transferring from Heathrow terminal 4 to Heathrow terminal 5.

 

This couldn't have been easier. There was quite a lot of walking but everything was clearly signed and it all worked efficiently.

 

Terminal 5 is a big impressive place. I met an Australian couple while transferring who invited me as a guest into the First Class "Concorde" lounge in terminal 5. It is very luxuriously. It will almost be a shame to leave.

 

Steve.