Thursday, August 20, 2009
North to Alaska
Getting ready to ship off to Alaska now. We leave 30 Aug on the NCL Sun from Vancouver to Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau. Just a week this time, so we will have to party hard and fast. Meaghan will be on that ship starting 23 Aug.
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Atlantic
We have really been blessed b good weather on this cruise. Meaghan did not visit much during the summer because the temperature was often in the 40s. Three days after hitting Rome, they had a storm that closed down the seaport and did some damage to large boats, but our day there was ideal. Our first night on the open Atlantic was fairly rough, but it has settled down since then. Since then, the wind has been behind us most of the time, making for very smooth sailing. The past two days have been gorgeous, with good hot sunshine beating down on the pool deck for about 8 hours a day in air temp in the low 20s. Some clouds and rain squalls have blocked the sun at times, but generally much better than we expected. We sailed close to land as we passed through the Azores on Monday, but other than that, the scenery is a whole lot of nothing. Very beautiful and mesmerizing to watch the waves. Most days have had waves about 10-12 feet high, but they do not bother the ship much at all. From the higher decks it looks pretty tame, but they are more impressive closer to the waterline.
This is our last day at sea before docking in New York. There is one lady on board who has taken 65 cruises with NCL, and has planned her next one already. I can see why – let me count the reasons… And there is a celebrity on board – the man who played the Phantom for several years in the Broadway production. He is roughing it in the Garden Villa – a huge penthouse suite which measures 4500 square feet. That’s four times the area of our patio home in Nanaimo.
It will be tough getting off the ship in the morning. We have spent a lot of time with a super bunch of cruise staff members and have seen dazzling entertainment every day around the ship. Yes, I can see why Silvie has taken 65 trips on Norwegian ships. This final day is packed with activities, including packing our suitcases in preparation for the cold hard facts of New York City. I hear it is not much above freezing there. That will make Nanaimo seem warm. Meanwhile, we will spend 2 nights taking a very quick look at the Big Apple.
This is our last day at sea before docking in New York. There is one lady on board who has taken 65 cruises with NCL, and has planned her next one already. I can see why – let me count the reasons… And there is a celebrity on board – the man who played the Phantom for several years in the Broadway production. He is roughing it in the Garden Villa – a huge penthouse suite which measures 4500 square feet. That’s four times the area of our patio home in Nanaimo.
It will be tough getting off the ship in the morning. We have spent a lot of time with a super bunch of cruise staff members and have seen dazzling entertainment every day around the ship. Yes, I can see why Silvie has taken 65 trips on Norwegian ships. This final day is packed with activities, including packing our suitcases in preparation for the cold hard facts of New York City. I hear it is not much above freezing there. That will make Nanaimo seem warm. Meanwhile, we will spend 2 nights taking a very quick look at the Big Apple.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Starting back now
Saturday in Malaga was warm and wonderful – about 22 degrees. Again we opted to wander by ourselves. The city is nearly ½ million population, and dripping with history just like everywhere else on the Med. Picasso was born here. Good shopping, and Meg treated herself to a BK chicken sandwich, and brought out a beer for Dad. Yes, both BK and McD have beer on tap here. A few other places also have beer, of course…
We sailed from our last port as the sun was setting, and passed Gibraltor about 9:45 PM. We also set the clocks back an hour overnight, and will do so each day until arriving in New York. An extra hour of partying available each day…
Let me describe our stateroom briefly. It is about 9’ by 18’, and the balcony is the full width and about 4’ deep, with a floor-to-ceiling patio door. Inside staterooms are slightly smaller – about 8’ by 16’. The beds are the same in both – very comfy single beds – in our room they are put together as a king. We have a very nice bathroom, but the toilet deserves special mention. All the toilets on board use a vacuum-action flush. And the action is far from subtle – I’m afraid it will suck in the towels if they are too close. NCL thinks of everything – this could be a one-touch cure for constipation!
Food, entertainment, service and décor could all take up a lot of time describing, but I won’t bore you with that. Suffice to say it is about the best I could imagine. Nobody could say they were bored on this cruise – there is a huge variety of things to see, hear and do. Meg and her fellow Host/Hostesses are kept very busy running activities and stirring up the action, especially on sea days.
Weather has been very kind to us for late November. Today (23 Nov) on the open Atlantic is clear, about 16 degrees, with a 20 knot wind. This causes a few whitecaps and water about 8-10 feet from trough to crest. This big ship handles the seas very well – we do get some swaying, so the handrails are always useful.
We sailed from our last port as the sun was setting, and passed Gibraltor about 9:45 PM. We also set the clocks back an hour overnight, and will do so each day until arriving in New York. An extra hour of partying available each day…
Let me describe our stateroom briefly. It is about 9’ by 18’, and the balcony is the full width and about 4’ deep, with a floor-to-ceiling patio door. Inside staterooms are slightly smaller – about 8’ by 16’. The beds are the same in both – very comfy single beds – in our room they are put together as a king. We have a very nice bathroom, but the toilet deserves special mention. All the toilets on board use a vacuum-action flush. And the action is far from subtle – I’m afraid it will suck in the towels if they are too close. NCL thinks of everything – this could be a one-touch cure for constipation!
Food, entertainment, service and décor could all take up a lot of time describing, but I won’t bore you with that. Suffice to say it is about the best I could imagine. Nobody could say they were bored on this cruise – there is a huge variety of things to see, hear and do. Meg and her fellow Host/Hostesses are kept very busy running activities and stirring up the action, especially on sea days.
Weather has been very kind to us for late November. Today (23 Nov) on the open Atlantic is clear, about 16 degrees, with a 20 knot wind. This causes a few whitecaps and water about 8-10 feet from trough to crest. This big ship handles the seas very well – we do get some swaying, so the handrails are always useful.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Arrivederci Roma
The seaport for Roma is called Civitivecchia (spell checker hates that one!), and is actually about 90 minutes away by bus. Meg managed to get us on the crew bus for $20 each, so we had to sit on chicken crates in an open truck (actually, it was an air-conditioned Mercedes with leather seats…) It was amazing to see this nearly-3000 year old city with a tour guide. Drove by the Coliseum, walked through the old city, visited the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain, then to the Vatican for about 2 hours. The Pope was in, but we did not slobber on his ring. We had an excellent pizza lunch just a block or so away, then got in the huge lineup to enter St Peters Basilica. This is one enormous and beautiful church – the biggest Christian church in the world. Made of marble, with priceless paintings, statues, gold leaf, etc. Absolutely awesome. Then we re-boarded the bus and made our way through the 5 million people who live in Rome and got back “home” in time for another badly-needed meal…
We sailed next to the Island of Corsica and woke up at the cute little city of Ajaccio, birthplace of Napoleon. We did not take a tour here – we just wanted to walk around at our leisure. Naturally a beer at a sidewalk café was in order, and we did sample some treats for our last stop on French soil.
Friday was a sea day en route to our last med stop at Malaga, Spain. We passed close to the island of Mallorca and enjoyed another day of near perfect weather. So far the weather has blessed us. The first night was a bit bumpy and windy, and the next morning we had salt crystals all over the balcony furniture. One other night started out bumpy but calmed down quickly. It has been cool enough in the mornings (around 12-15 degrees) that most people dress warmly, but we normally ended up in shirtsleeve by mid-afternoon as the temperature neared or passed 20.
As I am writing this, we are docking at Malaga. This is our last port before arriving in New York, so we will get out for some self-guided sightseeing and shopping. Tune in later for our next update and descriptions of the eating, drinking, entertainment and activities on this fine ship. Meanwhile, you can see a lot of it for yourself by browsing to www.ncl.com and clicking on the “Ships” button. Select Norwegian Gem from the drop-down menu and you can see pictures of the various areas of the ship – even a web cam which gives a view forward from the ship. Naturally, the view will be kind of boring for the next week, but the option is there.
We sailed next to the Island of Corsica and woke up at the cute little city of Ajaccio, birthplace of Napoleon. We did not take a tour here – we just wanted to walk around at our leisure. Naturally a beer at a sidewalk café was in order, and we did sample some treats for our last stop on French soil.
Friday was a sea day en route to our last med stop at Malaga, Spain. We passed close to the island of Mallorca and enjoyed another day of near perfect weather. So far the weather has blessed us. The first night was a bit bumpy and windy, and the next morning we had salt crystals all over the balcony furniture. One other night started out bumpy but calmed down quickly. It has been cool enough in the mornings (around 12-15 degrees) that most people dress warmly, but we normally ended up in shirtsleeve by mid-afternoon as the temperature neared or passed 20.
As I am writing this, we are docking at Malaga. This is our last port before arriving in New York, so we will get out for some self-guided sightseeing and shopping. Tune in later for our next update and descriptions of the eating, drinking, entertainment and activities on this fine ship. Meanwhile, you can see a lot of it for yourself by browsing to www.ncl.com and clicking on the “Ships” button. Select Norwegian Gem from the drop-down menu and you can see pictures of the various areas of the ship – even a web cam which gives a view forward from the ship. Naturally, the view will be kind of boring for the next week, but the option is there.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
We are on board
About 10AM on 16 Nov, we met Meg at the ship and she boarded us before the ordinary people. We stuffed all our luggage into her tiny room until our cabin was ready, then toured a bit and met several of her crew mates. Everybody knew us – this girl has been so excited for weeks in a buildup to our visit. Even in the Cruise Director’s welcome aboard gathering in the 1000-seat theatre, this topic came up. He introduced his group of about 16 people with a funny dialogue about each one. When he got to Meg, he said this girl has been terribly excited – and asked “Does anyone know why?” One staff member said “Hallowe’en”. He replied – “Yes, Hallowe’en is now less than a year away, however there is another reason.” Then he had us stand up while the spotlights found us in the audience. She is a legend for her enthusiasm about all shipboard events, but Hallowe’en was one of her finest, as she was in charge of planning and running the party for the crew (over 1000 people) and various activities for the guests, including a production of “Thriller” by crew members.
We managed to find a few scraps of food on board, and what they say is true – traveling is broadening… Then back to our cabin to find some clothes for the next event - the Captain had a VIP reception, which Meg had us invited to, then some entertainment before going back to our room for a breather. Meaghan led the way, but she appeared to be lost. She took us into the wrong room. This was a larger room with a balcony, and welcome baskets on the bed and coffee table. While we were enjoying a few drinks, she and some other crew members quickly repacked our room and hauled everything to this balcony room for us. Are we spoiled or what?
Anyway it was one short night, because we needed to be ready to go at 7AM next morning. We were at anchor in the harbour of Villefranche, which is between Nice and Monaco. We tendered to shore and got on a bus for an incredible tour of Monte Carlo and the tiny village of Eze, which had a magnificent view of both Nice and Monte Carlo. I wore out a new pair of shoes AND the legs I was born with. Many photos and stories to share already, but this is supposed to be brief…
We limped back to the recovery vessel, ate and drank a little (yeah- right!) and got to bed by midnight so we could ready for the next marathon departing at 7:30AM. This time we had docked at Livorno Italy and took a bus ride into Florence for a walking tour through this ancient city of the arts. Total distance for the walk was about 173 miles (rough estimate), and the stubs of my legs have lost all feeling. My elbows almost reach the ground. Perhaps food, wine and an hour on the bus would help. Next stop the tilting tower of Pisa. The total time for the two tours was about 10 hours. Too tired to go to a restaurant, so we have room service deliver it. Then we had enough strength to go out for entertainment – a great comedy act, followed by an hour or so watching Meg and the others teach country line dancing. For your information, when the Energizer Bunny runs out of juice, Meg recharges him… In case I did not mention it – she will be with us on all tours.
Today (19 Nov) we visit Rome. Looking out my balcony door I see a fleet of buses ready to attack Rome. Time for a gallon of Red Bull.
We managed to find a few scraps of food on board, and what they say is true – traveling is broadening… Then back to our cabin to find some clothes for the next event - the Captain had a VIP reception, which Meg had us invited to, then some entertainment before going back to our room for a breather. Meaghan led the way, but she appeared to be lost. She took us into the wrong room. This was a larger room with a balcony, and welcome baskets on the bed and coffee table. While we were enjoying a few drinks, she and some other crew members quickly repacked our room and hauled everything to this balcony room for us. Are we spoiled or what?
Anyway it was one short night, because we needed to be ready to go at 7AM next morning. We were at anchor in the harbour of Villefranche, which is between Nice and Monaco. We tendered to shore and got on a bus for an incredible tour of Monte Carlo and the tiny village of Eze, which had a magnificent view of both Nice and Monte Carlo. I wore out a new pair of shoes AND the legs I was born with. Many photos and stories to share already, but this is supposed to be brief…
We limped back to the recovery vessel, ate and drank a little (yeah- right!) and got to bed by midnight so we could ready for the next marathon departing at 7:30AM. This time we had docked at Livorno Italy and took a bus ride into Florence for a walking tour through this ancient city of the arts. Total distance for the walk was about 173 miles (rough estimate), and the stubs of my legs have lost all feeling. My elbows almost reach the ground. Perhaps food, wine and an hour on the bus would help. Next stop the tilting tower of Pisa. The total time for the two tours was about 10 hours. Too tired to go to a restaurant, so we have room service deliver it. Then we had enough strength to go out for entertainment – a great comedy act, followed by an hour or so watching Meg and the others teach country line dancing. For your information, when the Energizer Bunny runs out of juice, Meg recharges him… In case I did not mention it – she will be with us on all tours.
Today (19 Nov) we visit Rome. Looking out my balcony door I see a fleet of buses ready to attack Rome. Time for a gallon of Red Bull.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Sat 15 Nov
Another beauty of a day here in BCN - up to about 17 again. Concentrated on the waterfront today, with a 90 minute tour boat ride and some wandering. Went through the aquarium, which is one of the biggest in Europe, but they were not selling any pets or seafood! Took lots of pictures which I will post for Robyn & Chris, just to tease them. There are a lot of very expensive private yachts and sailboats in the water to drool over. Makes the Nanaimo Harbour look like Toys R Us.
For an old city, Barcelona is quite modern and very clean. The architecture is absolutely breathtaking and very well preserved. One very famous landmark is La Sagrada Familia, a huge church designed by Antoni Gaudi that has been under construction since 1883, and will be finished about 2025. Gaudi had a huge influence on Barcelona - his wildly beautiful ornate work is everywhere. Population of Barcelona is over 3 million - and even in mid November there are a lot of tourists.
Our location could not be much better - we are less than 5 minutes to walk to the ocean, and our street - La Rambla - is outstanding for people-watching and entertainment. The center of the street is a 50 foot wide tree-lined pedestrian area with kiosks, cafes and excellent street entertainers. On each side of that, there is vehicle traffic - one lane plus parking, and a sidewalk about 10 ft wide. La Rambla stretches about one km from the waterfront. There is action out there all night long - not only here, but on the maze of tiny side streets. It is such a shame to sleep.
Maureen loves the leather, but has not yet bought anything. Such self-control. These people all dress well, with leather, stylish jeans and well-coordinated accessories. And the North American obesity epidemic has not hit here at all.
Tomorrow we will leave Barcelona with mixed feelings. Two full days is far too short to see the city, but there is one super-excited young woman who will kidnap us for 13 days of cruising, eating and partying. Hope she can keep up with us...
For an old city, Barcelona is quite modern and very clean. The architecture is absolutely breathtaking and very well preserved. One very famous landmark is La Sagrada Familia, a huge church designed by Antoni Gaudi that has been under construction since 1883, and will be finished about 2025. Gaudi had a huge influence on Barcelona - his wildly beautiful ornate work is everywhere. Population of Barcelona is over 3 million - and even in mid November there are a lot of tourists.
Our location could not be much better - we are less than 5 minutes to walk to the ocean, and our street - La Rambla - is outstanding for people-watching and entertainment. The center of the street is a 50 foot wide tree-lined pedestrian area with kiosks, cafes and excellent street entertainers. On each side of that, there is vehicle traffic - one lane plus parking, and a sidewalk about 10 ft wide. La Rambla stretches about one km from the waterfront. There is action out there all night long - not only here, but on the maze of tiny side streets. It is such a shame to sleep.
Maureen loves the leather, but has not yet bought anything. Such self-control. These people all dress well, with leather, stylish jeans and well-coordinated accessories. And the North American obesity epidemic has not hit here at all.
Tomorrow we will leave Barcelona with mixed feelings. Two full days is far too short to see the city, but there is one super-excited young woman who will kidnap us for 13 days of cruising, eating and partying. Hope she can keep up with us...
Friday, November 14, 2008
A full day in BCN
Wish we had much more time in Barcelona! Today we went on a bus tour to see some places we can tour again by city bus if we wish. The place is B&B - beautiful and busy, but sooooo worth visiting. Our location is terrific - right on La Rambla, which is a super walking tourist area, and only about a 5 minute walk from the waterfront. Life starts early around here, but it goes very late into the noght, even at this time of year. The weather was great today - not like the London rain we saw yesterday - clear, high about 17.
Things are not cheap here though - this afternoon I had a liter of beer which cost 7 1/2 Euoros, or about $11CDN. Needless to say, we are buying at local convenience stores and partying in our room.
Transportation is so different from North America - I think there are more scooters than people here, and the streets accommodate 2-wheel parking and driving very well. My Suburban would feel just huge here, being more than twice the size of the average large Spanish car...
One more day to see and do BCN, and then Meg wants us to board the Gem early before regular boarding so we can meet some of her friends who are leaving the ship on Sunday. I really do not want to sleep during the next 30+ hours for fear of missing some of the fun. Somehow, I feel I will return to Barcelona in the future. I have been here twice before, but not to appreciate it as I have this time.
Happy Hour has started next door, so I must sign off and get a little happier!
Things are not cheap here though - this afternoon I had a liter of beer which cost 7 1/2 Euoros, or about $11CDN. Needless to say, we are buying at local convenience stores and partying in our room.
Transportation is so different from North America - I think there are more scooters than people here, and the streets accommodate 2-wheel parking and driving very well. My Suburban would feel just huge here, being more than twice the size of the average large Spanish car...
One more day to see and do BCN, and then Meg wants us to board the Gem early before regular boarding so we can meet some of her friends who are leaving the ship on Sunday. I really do not want to sleep during the next 30+ hours for fear of missing some of the fun. Somehow, I feel I will return to Barcelona in the future. I have been here twice before, but not to appreciate it as I have this time.
Happy Hour has started next door, so I must sign off and get a little happier!
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