Somewhere in the Mediterranean…
31 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
Waves crashing against the ship
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
We had big plans today to take advantage of our last full day at sea. After breakfast, we planned to meet up with Kenny to brave the Sky Course obstacle course once again. However, nature had other plans. The course was closed due to high winds. In fact, it is so windy and cold, that it is difficult to be out on deck at all. So, instead, Mom and Kenny and I went to the Ocean Plaza Lounge to play some television trivia. We followed that up with a return to the art auction where Mom scored an awesome deal on five paintings. By the time the art auction ended, we could feel the ship rocking significantly. In fact, it became difficult to walk around anywhere on ship. By mid-afternoon, we decided to return to our stateroom. We watched from our balcony as huge waves crashed against the ship. And, that’s right around the time that Tracey and I turned green with seasickness. The only thing that made us feel better was to lay flat on our backs in our beds. We flipped through television channels and prayed that the rocking would end.
Mom, being the experienced sailor she is, was completely unaffected by the motion. She went out to meet Kenny for a drink and when she returned, she brought us pizza and ginger ale. Having a full stomach definitely helps. Mom informed us that the whole ship was sick and the crew had placed vomit bag stations by all the elevators. We spent the rest of the night watching Discovery Channel (one of 4 available channel options) and wishing we could get off this roller coaster.
Enjoy the one picture I managed to take today, when I wasn’t about to vomit.
Romance at Sea
30 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
The Obstacle Course on the Sports Deck
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
It’s another full day at sea as we continue along the Italian coastline and back towards Spain. Tracey had another late night partying at the nightclub, so she slept in while Mom and I had breakfast. Today, we’re feeling adventurous and we want to check out the Sports Deck. Our first stop: the obstacle course, suspended several feet above the deck. Two strapping young Latvian men secured our harnesses and tried to ease our fears as we examined the series of tightropes, balance beams and other contraptions ahead of us. I went first with Mom following close behind. There’s an “easier” side and a “harder” side, but I failed to see the difference. Very carefully, we made our way around the course without falling. We were so excited that we went around again just to be sure we had really completed it. With both of us being afraid of heights, this was a major personal milestone.
Miniature Golf and the Obstacle Course above it
After conquering our fears, we were unstoppable. Mom and I played a round of miniature golf and I was astounded when she got a hole-in-one on the toughest hole! Then, we played foosball and a giant game of Connect Four. After mastering the Sports Deck, we made our way to Lido Deck to play movie trivia. Tracey joined us at lunch time for cheeseburgers on deck. From there, we attended an art auction for the next two hours, which was my first auction experience ever. It turned out to be super fun and addictive. We enjoyed learning about the artists and the various pieces. We participated in afternoon tea at 3 p.m. and spent some time looking at jewelry in the ship’s store.
Tonight is another formal evening, but none of us have any motivation to get dressed up. We’re very relaxed and feeling quite lazy. So, while everyone else returned to their cabins to primp for dinner, Mom and Tracey and I found some bar stools at the ship’s lobby bar and settled in for a few rounds of wine and cocktails. We were slightly self-conscious of our “resort wear” looks while everyone surrounding us wore sparkly gowns and tuxes, but that feeling soon wore off as we enjoyed our drinks.
Turns out, we were at the right place at the right time. A few drinks in, a gentleman named Kenny from Florida approached Mom and they started talking. Turns out he’s single, no kids and cruising alone. He bought Mom a drink. Two hours later, he asked her out on a date for the following evening! Go Mom!! 
A great birthday present, indeed…
Since we weren’t dressed up for the dining room, we went to the Lido Deck for a casual buffet-style dinner. During dinner, we sailed past the island of Stromboli. It was pitch black as we looked out to sea. You could barely see any difference between sea, land and sky. But, then it happened. Every eight minutes or so, the active volcano on Stromboli spewed red lava against the night sky. Everyone “ooh-ed and aww-ed” as we sailed past. Unfortunately, my photo is completely black with one tiny sliver of red light at the bottom. Not worth posting here.
Tracey and returned to our stateroom to put dresses on, while mom turned in for the night. We met our friend Gail and her husband at the Piano Bar. We enjoyed a few more drinks and then ventured over to the Vibe nightclub. We talked with a few guys and then, out of nowhere, the ship’s Hotel Director Donato Becce, one of the top four highest ranking officers onboard, approached me and asked me to dance. Naturally, I said yes and we spent the next half a dozen songs spinning on the dance floor, much to the delight of his watchful staff. For the first time on this vacation, I stayed out late… until 2 a.m.
Happy 60th Birthday, Mom!
30 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
Mom and her pina colada
Monday, May 30, 2011
Happy 60th birthday, Mom! The big day is finally here. We’re still in Venice. Our ship spent the night in port and we are scheduled for departure at noon today. Since we don’t have enough time to go back to St. Mark’s Square, we’ve decided to treat this as if it were another day at sea. We slept in a bit and had a leisurely breakfast in the dining room.
Tracey and her "Lovers" cocktail
We changed into our swimsuits and went on deck. But, lounge chairs are difficult to find today. I suppose the other 4,000 passengers had the same idea we did. We finally found a whole available deck, but it had no view and was mostly shaded. No matter. As long as we had our cocktails, nothing could bother us. We spent the entire morning relaxing on deck. However, it is very windy and cold!
St. Mark's Square as we depart Venice
At noon, all the cruise ship passengers came on deck to watch the ship sail. The views of Venice were incredible. We watched as the Italian Coast Guard assisted the ship as it maneuvered out of port. Once back out at sea, we grabbed deli sandwiches for lunch and went in search of a less windy sunbathing location. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one and we ended up curled up in towels on our stateroom balcony deck chairs. After an afternoon nap, we showered and got ready for a special birthday dinner at the ship’s steakhouse.
Mom and her birthday cake
The steakhouse requires advanced reservations and a special $30 per person charge (all other food on the ship is all-inclusive). It wasn’t difficult to figure out why. We were treated to the very best including champagne, surf and turf, escargot, lobster bisque, mashed potatoes and a chocolate dessert sampler. It was highly indulgent and wonderful. After we rolled out of the steakhouse dining room, we wandered next door to a lounge. The lounge was hosting Karaoke. We sat and watched for awhile, trying hard not to laugh when a woman with a thick German accent sang “Achy, Breaky Heart.” It was hilarious! From there, we wandered around listening to bands at various bars and lounges and browsing the shops. When we returned to our stateroom later, we had a chocolate birthday cake waiting for Mom. Unfortunately, after the kind of dinner we had, the chocolate cake remained untouched for the next day or two until it started gathering dust and we had to toss it. Ah well. It’s the thought that counts…
The Most Romantic City in the World: Venice
02 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Mediterranean Cruise, Venice, Italy
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Arriving in Venice, Italy
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Mom and I were out on our balcony at 6 a.m. to watch as our ship arrived in Venice and sailed through the Venezia harbor. It was such a calm, peaceful experience to watch the glow of the sunrise over the quiet city. It was well worth getting out of bed so early. It just so happened that our room was on the right side of the ship to see St. Mark’s Square.
Passing by Venice's famous St. Mark's Square
Mom and I got ready for the day and headed to breakfast in the dining room around 7 a.m. Since Tracey had been out until the wee hours of the morning, she decided to stay in the room and sleep. She promised to join us later in St. Mark’s Square.
We’re exploring Venice on our own today; no guided excursion since we’ve been here before in 2008. As we left the ship, we found a water taxi, which would take us directly into St. Mark’s Square, the main (tourist) square of the city. Venice may very well be the most unique city in the world. There are absolutely no motor vehicles anywhere in the city. You get around by water taxi, gondolas or by walking. And, it can be a lot of walking with a lot of bridges to cross. No fear of getting hit by a car or motorcycle here!
The free-standing Campanile Tower of St. Mark's Church
The water taxi made two stops before arriving at St. Mark’s Square. We stopped for a moment to take in our surroundings. We saw the Campanile Tower, originally built in 1156 – 1173. However, the entire tower collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt as it was in 1912. We also admired the two, free-standing granite columns symbolizing St. Theodore holding a spear and with a crocodile to represent the dragon he is said to have slain. The second column has a winged lion, a symbol of St. Mark. The columns have been there since approximately 1268. Between the columns, public executions (beheadings) took place so it is said to be bad luck to walk between the columns. On our last visit here, we had toured the inside of Doges Palace, the residence of the supreme ruler of Venice in the 1300s/1400s. The palace is connected to the prison next door by the Bridge of Sighs, aptly named because the view from the bridge’s windows was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before imprisonment. Today, the Bridge of Sighs is said to be lucky for lovers if they kiss on a gondola beneath it.
Mom in front of Doges Palace
Since we’ve toured St. Mark’s Square at length before, we decided to explore the alleys and spend the day shopping. Our first stop was an ATM and a bathroom. Believe it or not, but Venice charges 1.50 euros to use the public restrooms. That’s about $3 every time you go to the bathroom! You better make the most of it. 
We set off to explore and immediately came across one of many gelato shops. Yes, please! With our gelato cones in hand, we were unstoppable. We browsed shop after shop after shop, winding our way through the various alleyways.
The Clock Tower in St. Mark's Square
Venice is known for its Murano glass, a product they’ve been perfecting since the 10th century. Authentic Murano glass will have a sticker backing on the piece. Apparently, some shops claim to sell “Murano” and it is really plastic from China. Mom and I were like kids in a candy store. We bought lots of jewelry and trinkets. We returned to St. Mark’s Square around 12:45 p.m. since we had promised to meet Tracey there at 1 p.m. She found us right away (which was a miracle considering how crowded the square gets!).
We were all ready for lunch. We decided to try Trattoria Al Leoncini, a restaurant just behind Doges Palace. Mom and I shared a Caprese Salad. Tracey had the gnocchi, Mom had spaghetti and I had lasagna. And, of course, we enjoyed some wine and Tiramisu.
Gondolas in Venice
After lunch, we continued shopping and exploring. We tried to follow the signs leading to the Rialto Bridge, but never quite got there. The alleyways turn and twist and you can easily find yourself lost. So, we stopped for more gelato and then decided to return to the ship for awhile. It’s really hot today and we’re getting tired of walking. Our return water taxi ride was a bit interesting because two men (easily in their 70s) got into a shoving match to be the first to board the taxi. The water taxi employees actually had to break them up. And, naturally, these two men were both on our cruise ship. We’re finding that the older passengers on this cruise tend to be very pushy and rude. It’s fascinating. It’s kind of like the way people might act when they think there isn’t enough food to go around. I don’t understand it at all.
Me in front of a "parking lot"
Mom in Venice
A Murano glassmaker in action
Back on the ship, we dropped off our purchases and took some time to freshen up. We’re actually scheduled to take a sunset gondola ride through the canals of Venice. We met our group in front of the ship and took a private boat back to St. Mark’s Square. Our guide led us through the alleys to the gondola boarding location. We boarded the gondolas in groups of four and enjoyed a relaxing 40-minute ride through Venice. One of the gondolas near us had an Italian opera singer and accordian player who kept us entertained with romantic songs like ‘O Sole Mio’. Five or so of the gondolas in our tour group came together, side by side, in the Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge (we finally saw it!).
The boarding location for our gondola ride
Getting ready to take our gondola ride
Awww...how romantic!
Family portrait!
Rialto Bridge in the Grand Canal
Gondoliers side-by-side
Views from our gondola
First Day at Sea
01 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Breakfast in the dining room
It’s our first full day at sea with no land excursions. We’re sailing from Sicily, around the “boot”, up the Adriatic Sea and on to Venice. We slept in a bit today and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the ship’s dining room. We were seated near the windows overlooking the back of the ship and fantastic views of the ocean behind us. After breakfast, we made our way to the Lido Deck where we found three deck chairs in a perfect location overlooking the pool. It’s a nice hot day without a cloud in the sky and we intended to take full advantage of it. On the large-screen television above the pool, we watched the Cruise Director’s Morning Show. Then, we were entertained with live bands as we soaked up the sun.
Tracey in front of Waterworks
One of the best things about this ship, is the Waterworks area featuring two water slides and several interactive water features. By mid-morning, we worked up enough courage to try them out. We got hooked! We went down those slides many, many times and each time it was surreal to imagine that you were going down a water slide in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea! Looking around, there was nothing but sea as far as the eye could see! Our friend, Gail, from the Mt. Etna excursion, joined us on deck and we hung out with her all day. All of the water activities had us working up an appetite. We ordered our pool side Pina Coladas with a shot of Peach Schnapps and began planning what we wanted for lunch.
Water slide entrance (and check out that ocean view all around!)
I had my heart set on the Tandoori station, but then they announced a BBQ on Deck 5 with sliders and quesadillas. What to do? Yes, I decided to have two lunches and have them both. The food was amazing. Plus, since it was so hot, we just HAD to go back for ice cream cones several times. It was a requirement! We spent a solid seven hours in the sun and didn’t realize how sunburned we all were until we returned to our stateroom around 4 p.m. Yikes!
Overlooking the Serenity Lounge and the front of the ship
Tonight, it’s formal night, which means everyone gets dressed up in their best for dinner. It was so nice to see all the men in their suits and tuxedos and all the women in their sparkly gowns. Photographers stop you every few feet to take your picture. This was the night we met Ronald Abi, one of the best photographers on the ship, and one we would run into again and again.
After a photo session, we went to dinner in the Northern Lights Dining Room around 6 p.m. For formal night they pull out all the stops with lobster, filet mignon, shrimp, mashed potatoes…really, anything you can imagine. And, they have this amazing chocolate melting cake for dessert.
Formal Night in the dining room
After dinner, we watched the 8:30 p.m. stage show, “Destination Unknown,” featuring a magician much like David Copperfield. When the show was over, Mom and I were exhausted from all the alcohol and sun. We called it a night around 10 p.m. Tracey, on the other hand, being the night owl she is, ventured to the Piano Bar and Vibe Nightclub until the wee hours of the morning.
Tomorrow we arrive in Venice and the captain has promised spectacular views as we arrive in the harbor around 6 a.m.
Our Family Portrait
