The ABCs of Greece & Italy! X, Y, and Z, and that Friends is THE END!!! :) See you in Asia and Australia, Join Me THERE!!

[Steppesister]

Yeah, I understand. I'm sure I'll fall hopelessly behind again at some point.

You and me both, Brother.

You're not kidding about the traffic. I'm always studiously putting my TR's in the correct sub-folder, and....yeah, I get far fewer visitors. I'm glad you found me though!

Me too. And of course, I'm behind there (and everywhere) again. Hopefully between classes I can spend a bit of time on the DIS and catch up again. Right now, it's all I can do to just keep up here and that ain't much.

You need to feed that girl.

LOL!!

Her dogs are so naughty.

I look forward to doing this myself when I don't have to pay for 5 other people.

Yeah, we'd have never done that with all the kids at home either. Now they're on their own and bills are much more manageable. (You're gonna love it!)

The only time I truly care is when I'm flying Southwest, where your boarding position determines whether or not you get stuck in a middle seat. Otherwise, I just want everyone to follow the rules. I'll board when it's my turn, my carry-on will actually fit in the compartment or under my seat, etc.

Even on SW I've never had an issue. Even lately, I've gotten the exit row and never had a problem with bin space. And follow the rules. Geez how hard can it be? I have seen gate agents telling people to go to the end of the line if they're trying to jump it. Last trip I took on SW there was a couple who were together but he was in A and she was in B. They told her she couldn't board until her group and they did NOT get to sit next to each other. Guess they should have checked in together.

This sounds even worse than the TSA line in Orlando, and that's saying something.

It was absolutely a joke. They wonder why there is an increase in testy passengers. It's like they sit in a boardroom and think up new ways to make the passengers and angry and "DONE" as they can before they board.

As a veteran of many government operations, I can say that this all sounds suspiciously like one of the classic state government scenarios in which one jerk has ruined a situation for everyone else. We can always make things efficient and easy--don't want to go through security during your layover? No problem!--until that one idiot tries to sneak something dangerous through and ends up ruining it for the masses. I'm just speculating here, but it wouldn't shock me.

I'd say you are exactly right.

I have not, but I will properly abandon all hope now.

It's always the best policy to just resign.

What happened to "the customer is always right"?

LOLOLOL!

Yeah.

NO.

Not Beverly?

You know what, now that you say that, I'd imagine you are not that far off. Now that I understand how much Italians love their bitter beverages, this doesn't surprise me at all that they like this too. Huh.

People always rave about Italian cuisine, and...this is never mentioned.

Right?! I just had no idea!

Nope.

Oh come on!! It's so appetizing!

Or a trip to Taco Bell.

You have a stronger stomach than I do. I would have flushed the $20.

We have a theme here....

Didn't see that one coming.

It would have been a MILLION times better if it had had the pasta in it like it should have.

 

[Steppesister]

C is for: Catching Trains to Cruise Ports​

Of the 10 days we’d be together, and of all the myriad of ways this trip could be stressful, this would be the day that my parents would swear under no certain terms that they would never transfer or stay in Venice Old Town ever again. I’m inclined to agree to some measure. Let me tell you the tale of 4 weary people simply trying to get on a cruise.

A little background: When I booked this cruise, it was advertised as “sailing” out of Venice. Since that time, Venice is no longer allowing cruise ships to make port there as the wake and weight of the ships is seriously damaging the wetland and shorelines surrounding the area causing irreparable damage to the structures of Venice Old Town and other islands nearby. Instead, cruise lines are now docking in a port city nearly 3 hours south called Ravenna. Had we known this, we 100% would have booked our flights and travel in and out of Bologna, which IMHO is just as interesting, if not more so, and FAR easier logistically to navigate and get around in- especially for someone with mobility issues or who might struggle with luggage on the bridges or on the uneven stone walkways of Venice. Now… don’t get me wrong! I love Venice, and I would go back in a heartbeat for a few very specific things to do (which I will get to near the end of this TR), but for our purposes of transferring to the ship, we’d have chosen Bologna or Florence as a starting point.

And so begins our day of more travel. It wasn’t too difficult to get up as the jetlag was real. It would take days to adjust, but that is par for the course. It was only just light when the alarms went off at 7:30. Our train wasn’t until 10:30 which left plenty of time to enjoy a coffee and pastry with a view beforehand. Now a word about my dad. He is a very impatient person when it comes to food and when he is hungry the world needs to stop what it’s doing and bow to feed the beast. There are plenty, and I do mean plenty, of caffetterias in Venice and every other Italian village and city. There are literally several to a block. Some have outdoor seating, some have standing room only and are truly a to-go deal; some are tiny, others large. He wanted to stop at the first one right outside the Airbnb door. Mikki and I had to get a bit stern with him.

"No, this one isn’t inviting and does not have a view whatsoever."

“But it’s right here!”

“Yes, and there will another closer to the station right on a canal!”

“Yes, but I’m hungry!”

“Yes, we know you are; you always are!”

He wanted to stop at every single one between there and the train station.

Oy, for 10 days…. We finally did find a very nice one, which was NOT the one I’d pre-researched before the trip. That one didn’t have seating which wasn’t an option given our ridiculous amount of luggage and the need to have Mom not stand as much as possible. What I can tell you is that it was mere feet away from the Santa Lucia Stazione and very, very busy, even at 8:30AM, with the hustle and bustle of commuting workers arriving by vaporetto from the Mainland, shopkeepers setting up their crap-stands, and tourists wandering around in a daze just as lost as they’d be for their entire stay.

Breakfast was amazing. I got the requisite croissant pastry, this time filled with chocolate and a thick, strong latte. The others followed suit and got pastries of other iterations as well and Dad tanked up on Coke- always served with lemon in Italy. Surrounded by both locals and tourists, we took our time enjoying the morning sun and beautiful view one can only enjoy in Venice.

​

We arrived at the train station too early for our train to be displayed on the Departures Board, so we found a bench and took turns going potty. We soon found out that it costs money to go potty in Italy. (This is true in many parts of the world, just a heads up.) Money in the form of coins which we did not have, that is. Dad and Mikki had disappeared but did not tell us that one of their errands was to find some change for said potties. But Mom had to go… right now. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I told her to hand me a $20 bill and I’d go change it quickly. You can imagine my shock when the agent handed me $15 back. I was peeved (I’d rather a better word here, but family board and all that), but as you’ll find out later, I didn’t learn my lesson very well. But at least we didn’t have a potty accident right there on Platform 5. After my expensive exchange run, Mikki and Dad returned with a good chunk of change with only having to buy a pack of gum.

When we bought our tickets before leaving home through the Trainline App (VERY easy to use, by the way; we used it a TON for this trip!) we knew nothing about Italian trains, what to expect, the stations, transferring… nothing. Had we, the following doo-doo show would not have occurred.

We bought the first class tickets with coffee and snack service, Wifi, luggage storage, and a few other extra perks. This was the only time we upgraded not knowing what to expect. When the train arrived, we found our carriage and seats and settled in for the first 1½ hour leg of our journey. Life was peachy and the scenery was blissful. I wish I could show the rolling hills covered in vineyards, small estates with tidy home gardens, and stone and terracotta villages we passed all along the way, but sadly l didn't take any photos. However, I did when I passed along this route later in the trip.

(Photo credit: Michaela Buren)


(Photo credit: Michaela Buren)
​

We arrived in Ferrara, our transfer station, with 10 minutes to spare. Under normal circumstances and for folks with strong legs and little to no baggage, it wouldn’t be a problem at all. Easy peasy. But as it was, we were a mixed group of young and older with a crap-ton of bags to manage. Even with no stairs or steps Mom was having a hard time with her luggage and now we were faced with a very hellish 10 minutes. Most train stations in Italy have stairways down, under the tracks, and back up again to get to adjacent platforms. Mikki and I started trying to find which platform we even needed, then had to find which way to go to get to it. This took 5 of our 10 minutes. The long painful process of getting all of our VERY heavy bags down and back up those stairwells fell to Mikki and me while Mom and Dad simply had to hurry along and get there. By the time Mom and I got there I literally THREW the last bag onto the train and, sadly, I confess, yelled at her to “JUST GET ON IT!” The doors were literally closing, and the whistle had been blown. I was a freaked out hot mess and longed for a very large glass of wine hot off a Tuscan hillside. It was at that moment that we looked at each other and said that particular scenario will be avoided again at all costs and Mom and Dad swore they’d never fly in or out of Venice again. It’s easy enough to take a train (without too tight of a transfer) into the city if you want to visit.

Our leg from Ferrara (which I’d end up transferring at about 4 times this trip) to Ravenna was another nice 1½ hour ride and all too soon we were out of the station and not exactly sure how we were going to get to the port which was another half hour bus ride away. I’d done loads of research on what others were doing and how Celebrity would handle this and was pretty sure we’d end up taking a taxi on our own. Others were saying on FB groups that sometimes the cruise line had shuttle buses. And that’s how it played out. For $10 each, which was less than we could take a taxi for, we ended up being the very last folks they let on the bus that was waiting. Hurrah!! 30 minutes later, we pulled up to this hot zone. You can take that any way you like. All or none might be accurate.

​

We had to sit on the bus for another 15 or so minutes so they could re-route the hordes and then were finally able to join this queue. It did look long but the check-in process was actually pretty efficient. The only thing that made it all the longer was doofuses like me who couldn’t find the right documents quickly, or who misplaced their phones and had to momentarily step out of line to fish through a bag, or who was struggling with too many things to be able to use 2 hands. In all it took about 30 minutes to be onboard including passport checks (which served as immigration), security and baggage scans, and Covid test verification. I might add it went about 100 times smoother than the boarding process in Vancouver for the Alaska cruise. Canada, you need to up your game there.

(Photo credit: Michaela Buren)


(Photo credit: Michaela Buren)​

I think I will leave off there, because just writing that makes me want a cocktail and to decompress again from that exhausting travel day. Coming up, we have 1½ days at sea before we make our first port stop. How did that go? Stay tuned, Friends!

(Photo credit: Michaela Buren)​

 

[Steppesister]

Not bad. But also too bad I didn't get to tell you about another way. Maybe it would've been a bit more (?), but... worth it perhaps? You could've hired a water taxi right from Marco Polo that would've taken you to the nearest stop to your airbnb. I did that (in reverse) when I was there and hurt my back and couldn't walk.

I researched private taxis and those are north of $100 at the minimum. Way more than we paid.

The opposite of my experience getting vaporetto tickets. Agent was not at all helpful.

OH bummer!! You'd think customer service agents whose entire income depends on tourists would treat their customers better.

phew! But... I would've been shocked if there was. I mean you really need to be sensitive to get sick on an almost glass smooth lagoon. (Okay, the occasional wake from passing boats.)

It was not devoid of a bit rocking for sure. I'm glad it wasn't more! It wasn't very smooth.

Italian butt shot.

Was it that obvious?

Oh dear. Always a possibility when traveling with family, but... add in those factors... yikes!

This was the first, but certainly not the last little hiccup.

Looks really nice! A lot nicer than the hotel we stayed at.

I really liked that one. Some were pretty dumpy and cheap, but adequate enough, and some were even nice than this.

Well of course. Wasn't that a presidential decree? Harry S Truman, I believe: "The butt stops here!"

I think that's a pretty common Venetian view actually.

I think you are right. The places with better views were, I'm sure, all hotels for 4 times the price.

Really? Huh. I don't think we ever had that problem. Then again, we weren't trying to eat at...

VV yeah....

...four o'clock.

Time for happy hour, but the timing of our travel demanded.... MORE!

Make hay while the sun shines. I'd love to go back and finish up some unfinished touring.

I have some things I would like to go back and see/do as well. I'll get to those nearer the end of the TR.

There's a hand missing from this picture.

I think hers was busy taking her own shots?

Really pretty shot.

Thanks!

Whoa. This, I think, is my favourite shot.

I got a few winners from the old cell phone.

Um... yeah, that doesn't look even close to as nice as your first go-round.

It was not as nicely presented, by a long shot, but the toppings were however comparable and pretty good. (The mush not so much.)

Looks as dark as the chef's (obviously) black heart.

Seems like a lot of $$ for that small plate.

It was bigger than it looks. More than enough for both of us with extra.

Uh, oh... you have "sleep" in quotes...

Hmmm, I suppose I forgot to write about that part. Let me fill you in here:

There were 3 areas to sleep in- a double bed in the Master bedroom, a fold-out couch that was a double, and a set of bunk beds in a small bedroom. I wanted to do the Airbnb a favor and just bunk in with Mikki o the fold-out couch. But after 2 hours of fitful trying, I gave up. The street noise was pretty loud with the cafe right outside the window, Mikki was tossing and turning, and I chose to finally move to the bunk in the other room and got some sleep. It wasn't long enough, but that's the way it goes with jetlag anyway.

 

[Steppesister]

Wow, your photos of Venice are just beautiful!!

The story of travel is frustrating. I'm glad you finally found some food. I was hungry for you.

Thanks, Vanessa! I had a lot of fun hunting for fun photos to take!

Travel can definitely be smoother than ours was in some ways, but all in all, it wasn't really horrible except Mikki's Canada part and the Airbnb delay. Food sure makes a lot of things better, doesn't it?

 

[Steppesister]

I haven't been on the Dis much lately, but just happened to see this! So glad you finally got to go to Italy (and Greece) after all this time! Your itinerary reminds me a bit of my own Italy and Greece travels. During my junior year abroad in Versailles, we had multiple breaks for travel and sketching, including a month in Italy and Greece. Iirc, our route was Paris-Vienna-Venice-Florence-Naples-Rome-some port city-Athens-Mykonos-Santorini-Crete-Athens-Rome-Paris. So, not quite the same as yours, but a lot of overlap!

I'm not here much either and barely have time to even update this TR. I love to read others' reports too for some downtime, but that's a rare commodity with classes. Yes, we went to many of those same places and I'll be sharing about them along the way. I'll bet it was a lot of fun getting to sketch along the way!

 

[vamassey1]

My DH is just like your Dad. When he's hungry he's a bear. He wants food right now.

You travel day was giving me anxiety. It's great you had some down time while actually on the train. I hope things get easier now that your on the ship.

 

[rdkeim]

Oh my - travel can certainly be stressful but you had more than your fair share. I had anxiety just reading about it! We did a train trip around Switzerland in Sept. We were on a organized tour so had a tour manager handling the train schedule and getting everyone on/off. You do need to get ON quickly because the train will not wait. I hope once you were on the ship you were able to decompress and could start to enjoy your adventure!

 

[KathyM2]

The flight to Newark was wholly uneventful, which in this day and age is a minor miracle and rather a sigh of relief.

Finally getting a chance to (try) to catch up on here....but I did see bits and bobs of your trip pics on FB...looks fantastic!! And yes....any travel that doesn't involve flight cancellations and delays is a miracle these days...especially if you have to touch Canada...our airports are the pits right now...although they are working on it....and there's a new customs app that is speeding things up at least here in Toronto....hope for the future!

The only advantage I can see is overhead baggage space. I don't carry a ginormous bag and it almost always fits under my seat. I've never once had to check it, and even if I did, big deal. It's free, you can fit your earbuds, charging cord, and phone in a pocket, you get your bag back at the gate, and unless you accidently mistook a laxative for your vitamin, you probably don't need your change of clothes for a few hours.

I totally get the "wait until the last second to board the plane" camp....EXCEPT...since covid and the ridiculous number of bags that are getting lost these days...for my last few trips I've been trying to go carry on only - with a little roller bag plus a backpack that counts as personal item...thus...I need both space in the overhead and under the seat...and if you are in the cheap seats....you can get on and there will be no room left in the overheads...and then you are screwed and have to gate check...and then your whole "trying to go carry on only..." is wasted and then you agonize over the fact that you might as well have brought more clothing or room for shopping and an actual "checked bag" size suitcase....so that's my thinking now when carry on only...but with a checked bag...totally with you on avoiding sitting in cramped seat any longer than required...

It’s not as pretty and felt like we may as well have been walking to San Diego.

This walk is quite long I agree....especially after being awake a good 24 hours...at least you were able to catch some zzz's on the plane lol

 

[Steppesister]

My DH is just like your Dad. When he's hungry he's a bear. He wants food right now.

You travel day was giving me anxiety. It's great you had some down time while actually on the train. I hope things get easier now that your on the ship.

An expensive Italian vacation was not the place to compromise on food! LOL! Hungry or not.... be patient!

For sure; while we were on the train, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Such gorgeous scenery!

 

[Steppesister]

Oh my - travel can certainly be stressful but you had more than your fair share. I had anxiety just reading about it! We did a train trip around Switzerland in Sept. We were on a organized tour so had a tour manager handling the train schedule and getting everyone on/off. You do need to get ON quickly because the train will not wait. I hope once you were on the ship you were able to decompress and could start to enjoy your adventure!

I can say that for the most part, things got a lot better after this. There were a few more silly hiccups, but at least not more really, REALLY close calls with trains. Italian trains are NOT joking when they say they run on time. If it leaves at 10:43, you better have your hiney in your seat by 10:42. They WILL leave without you. Boarding and our first sea day(s) coming up soon....

 

[Vero4us]

I am LOVING this trip report! Thank you so much for allowing me to travel with you to all the places I am hoping to go to myself . Quick question - what are the shoes you are wearing while on the plane and in line for the cruise?

 

[Steppesister]

Finally getting a chance to (try) to catch up on here....but I did see bits and bobs of your trip pics on FB...looks fantastic!! And yes....any travel that doesn't involve flight cancellations and delays is a miracle these days...especially if you have to touch Canada...our airports are the pits right now...although they are working on it....and there's a new customs app that is speeding things up at least here in Toronto....hope for the future!

I'm not posting very fast so I think you'll do okay. The better pictures are coming up as I am only just now starting to dive into editing my DSLR photos.

I hope travel gets better! You'd think with improved technologies it would be heading that direction... the lost luggage really is inexcusable.

I totally get the "wait until the last second to board the plane" camp....EXCEPT...since covid and the ridiculous number of bags that are getting lost these days...for my last few trips I've been trying to go carry on only - with a little roller bag plus a backpack that counts as personal item...thus...I need both space in the overhead and under the seat...and if you are in the cheap seats....you can get on and there will be no room left in the overheads...and then you are screwed and have to gate check...and then your whole "trying to go carry on only..." is wasted and then you agonize over the fact that you might as well have brought more clothing or room for shopping and an actual "checked bag" size suitcase....so that's my thinking now when carry on only...but with a checked bag...totally with you on avoiding sitting in cramped seat any longer than required...

OH, very good points there, Kathy! I know C-19 has changed travel to some degree and flights are now pretty much full. I really try to book non-stop so there is a lower chance of lost bags, so check at least one for some trips, but have lately just done one carry-on and a shoulder bag. So far I've had good luck.

 

[Steppesister]

I am LOVING this trip report! Thank you so much for allowing me to travel with you to all the places I am hoping to go to myself . Quick question - what are the shoes you are wearing while on the plane and in line for the cruise?

OH It's quite a while since I"ve had a new reader! I'm so happy you're here and enjoying this wild ride so far. I'm just now getting started so there's a ton more.

I'm super thick into graduate/Nurse Practitioner school so this will be a slow slog I'm afraid. Hang in there... I update as small rewards as I study along.


These are my favorite shoes EVER! I have 2 pairs and usually buy extra when I order. I like the pink and green ones I have. But they make other colors too. This is the brand and you may have to hunt for the colors you want on several google searches and hunts.

https://tiosebon.com/products/tiosebon-women-knitted-sneaker-3

 

[pkondz]

Of the 10 days we’d be together, and of all the myriad of ways this trip could be stressful,

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world...

this would be the day that my parents would swear under no certain terms that they would never transfer or stay in Venice Old Town ever again.

Oh dear...

Let me tell you the tale of 4 weary people simply trying to get on a cruise.

What could be difficult about that? There's a boat. You get on the boat. You sail away.


No?

causing irreparable damage to the structures of Venice Old Town and other islands nearby.

Yeah... maybe a pretty good reason to not let the cruise ships in there.
Besides, Venice is busy enough with tourists, that they really don't need an additional 2000 folks at the drop of an anchor

It wasn’t too difficult to get up as the jetlag was real.

I'd have thought the reverse.

He is a very impatient person when it comes to food and when he is hungry the world needs to stop what it’s doing and bow to feed the beast.

So... like most men.

“Yes, but I’m hungry!”

“Yes, we know you are; you always are!”

What I can tell you is that it was mere feet away from the Santa Lucia Stazione and very, very busy, even at 8:30AM, with the hustle and bustle of commuting workers arriving by vaporetto from the Mainland, shopkeepers setting up their crap-stands, and tourists wandering around in a daze just as lost as they’d be for their entire stay.

Dunno... that doesn't sound all that inviting.

Pretty view, though. I'll give you that.

But Mom had to go… right now.

When ya gotta go...

I told her to hand me a $20 bill and I’d go change it quickly. You can imagine my shock when the agent handed me $15 back.

Ouch.
Pricey lesson.

I was peeved (I’d rather a better word here, but family board and all that),

No, it's okay. You can actually say Peeo-ed.

After my expensive exchange run, Mikki and Dad returned with a good chunk of change with only having to buy a pack of gum.

We arrived in Ferrara, our transfer station, with 10 minutes to spare. Under normal circumstances and for folks with strong legs and little to no baggage, it wouldn’t be a problem at all.

Dunno. Strange station and 10 minutes? I think I'd be stressing even with zero bags and an Olympic sprinter as a travel companion.

The long painful process of getting all of our VERY heavy bags down and back up those stairwells fell to Mikki and me

Ugh. Been there. Threw my back out just like that... and in Venice too.

By the time Mom and I got there I literally THREW the last bag onto the train and, sadly, I confess, yelled at her to “JUST GET ON IT!”

Oh dear. Well... stress...

You don't look too stressed here, though.

Nice shot of the gang.

 

[pkondz]

I researched private taxis and those are north of $100 at the minimum. Way more than we paid.

Huh. I have no recollection of even paying for mine. Have no idea how much it was.
I was too busy concentrating on not screaming.

Was it that obvious?

I KNEW IT!!!!

This was the first, but certainly not the last little hiccup.

So I've read.

I have some things I would like to go back and see/do as well. I'll get to those nearer the end of the TR.

I think hers was busy taking her own shots?

"Hand in the photo, kiddo."

It was bigger than it looks. More than enough for both of us with extra.

I would've been happy with smaller. Lots smaller. None, actually.

There were 3 areas to sleep in- a double bed in the Master bedroom, a fold-out couch that was a double, and a set of bunk beds in a small bedroom. I wanted to do the Airbnb a favor and just bunk in with Mikki o the fold-out couch. But after 2 hours of fitful trying, I gave up. The street noise was pretty loud with the cafe right outside the window, Mikki was tossing and turning, and I chose to finally move to the bunk in the other room and got some sleep. It wasn't long enough, but that's the way it goes with jetlag anyway.

One person on a fold-out is bad enough. Two? Don't blame you for moving.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Wow great update. We were able to get on our cruise ship in Venice years ago.
I had no idea it had changed.
I’m glad you made it and now you have a sea day to decompress!
Happy Thanksgiving my friend!

 

[Steppesister]

D is for: Departures with Day Drinking and Dining​

Stoked to finally be onboard a cruise I’d booked and re-booked 3 times over the last 3 years, it was time to celebrate; to party; to EAT; to tour…

Isn’t it appropriate to start with a glass of champagne for sail away? This is a rhetorical question.

​

But first a few housekeeping items to take care of. All that cumbersome baggage needed to be dumped, even though by now we had shed ourselves of the heaviest of it all. I do appreciate the bell services that cruises offer to get your stuff delivered. We made it to our low-budget cabin and wondered if there’d been a gigantic mistake.

This is what we saw:

​

How were 4 people going to fit on 2 beds?! I mean we all liked each other well enough, but… Just no. The little couch was a fold out, but that was still not going to quite cut the mustard. (Which reminds me of “cut the cheese” which is a story I don’t want to forget to tell; if I do forget, could someone please remind me?)

Prematurely incensed, I was this close to picking up the phone to call our cabin steward, but one of us… I’m not even sure who now, looked up.

Ahhhhh, there it is.

​

Obviously, Mikki and I were relegated to those, but we wouldn’t see them until after dinner and turn down service. They would give a whole new meaning to that. We watched our required muster video and tapped “I watched it.” for the whole party then went to find a snack. On the way, we also tapped in at our muster station and were taken off the naughty list.

​

Mikki and I had to visit the Customer Service desk to see if she could be added to one of the shore excursions that I’d booked but was full by the time she tried. Luckily, there was one spot left and we were so happy this worked out! It was also nice that they applied the cost of the one she was able before to book to the new one, so there wasn’t much more OOP for the new booking.

After that, we all explored the ship a little to get the lay of the land. Well, okay, not technically land, but you know. There were some very interesting pieces of art for sure, but truth be told, Holland America, the line I took to Alaska a few months ago, has the art thing won in spades. My favorite was this one… a real ego booster when you’re half naked at the pool.

(This was a super nice pool! It was hot tub temp and salted- called Thallasotherapy, this actually does have some scientific evidence to be therapeutic for many conditions including circulation and thyroid function.)



​

We still had a few hours before sailing so were able to find just the right place to watch everything and be comfy, and all too soon it was time to get things moving! Being the nerds we are, we found ourselves perched over the rail geeking out over the tugs and pilots and the whole 180* turn that the ship did inside the breakwaters. Pretty cool stuff, ya know.

​

Oops! Time for another drink! (They’re ‘free’ with the purchase of an $2100 cruise).

​

They had a special going on for 30% off in the specially dining steakhouse if you booked for the first night, so we did. For $30 we got an all you can eat deal that we couldn’t pass up. It’s an occasion to get a little dressier, so I put on one of my casual dresses (no photos of any of us; we were SO terrible at this!) and we all promenaded down to the Tuscan Grill. Our reservation was for 6:30 and to our complete surprise, the place was nearly deserted. I thought to myself, uh oh, this can’t be good…

We were given a nice table and left to peruse the menus.

​

In the end, we got a small charcuterie and some bruschetta to start. Both were fantastic! We ordered a bottle of some Montepulciano Tuscan Blend wine as well. The sunset we were treated to made for a little slice of Heaven on Earth.

​

Sadly, I fell down on the job of getting photos of our mains. I know that I got the Snapper with Rosemary Sauce and Mashed Potatoes (the one photo I did get), Mom got the 9 oz. Filet, Dad, maybe? got the Ribeye, and Mikki ordered the Filet as well with a side of Lobster Mac and Cheese. Maybe. The only things that I can say for sure about the mains are that Mikki was grossly disappointed in the Mac and Cheese, but the steaks and my fish were quite good. Turns out, this would be our best meal by a very, very wide margin and we probably should have done the upcharge and eaten here for all of our meals.

​

Of course, we were far too full for dessert, but ordered 5 of them anyway. These had mixed results.

To share, we got the Spumoni Donuts, a strawberry shortcake, fig gelato, a crème brulee, and some sort of panna cotta which isn't on the menu anymore. Everything was really good, except the donuts in the donut dish which were stale beyond being edible. The sauce was other-worldly though. Funny how dessert can always seem to find a way into an already overly stuffed tummy.

​

The entire next day was a “sea day” which gave us plenty of time to relax and decompress after some hectic and stressful travel the days before. If memory serves, and more often than not these days it does not, Mikki and I found our way into the pool and hot tub, we napped, and we found what would be our favorite pre-dinner act to sit and watch- a husband/wife viola and cello duo who played gorgeous classical. My dad had a ton of requests, some of which they could play, others they “promised” to learn. Our favorite was the Offenbach Number 50, Opus 2. Crazy good!

(Yes, it's a Chihuly.)
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We also found ourselves at the first of many trivia games. We won that one- the only one we’d win the entire cruise. But this photo tells another story as well: See Mom digging in her purse? Yeah, that would be Mom’s favorite activity for 10 days. I literally cannot count how many times she lost her glasses or her Sea Pass. If not those, it was her money, or her passport, or… At the front of the line boarding the ship? Sea pass, gone. Ready to head down to dinner? Phone, gone. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree… my future is bleak.

​

One regret I had while on this trip was that I didn’t bring a book. I’m just not much of a fiction reader at all but did find that I had some extra time that I wished I could fill. I even asked for recommendations from y'all, but sadly, I ran out of time to actually follow through and buy one. We did get “free internet” for the cruise, but almost EVERYTHING was blocked including YouTube, so basically the only thing you could do was Facebook or IM. There was a small library, but I never bothered to make my way down there, so I guess it wasn’t that important in the end.

The next day we’d be in our first port by the time we woke up. So stay tuned for Olympia/Katakolon Greece!!

 

[pkondz]

Stoked to finally be onboard a cruise I’d booked and re-booked 3 times over the last 3 years, it was time to celebrate;

Yeah... after 3 years of delays... I'd say you have reason to celebrate!

Isn’t it appropriate to start with a glass of champagne for sail away? This is a rhetorical question.

Well, I personally think that... oh... sorry. Rhetorical question. Nevermind, then.

You certainly don't look like your stress level stayed once you boarded.

We made it to our low-budget cabin and wondered if there’d been a gigantic mistake.

This is what we saw:

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Uh... Did you guys get arrested and thrown in a cell or something?


(yes I'm kidding)

Ahhhhh, there it is.

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No way! The beds are in the ceiling??? Huh!!

Mikki and I had to visit the Customer Service desk to see if she could be added to one of the shore excursions that I’d booked but was full by the time she tried. Luckily, there was one spot left and we were so happy this worked out!

Glad that worked out.

After that, we all explored the ship a little to get the lay of the land. Well, okay, not technically land, but you know.

The lea of the sea? The motion of the ocean?

My favorite was this one… a real ego booster when you’re half naked at the pool.

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It was hot tub temp and salted- called Thallasotherapy,

mmm... I'm in. Literally, if I was there.

Being the nerds we are, we found ourselves perched over the rail geeking out over the tugs and pilots and the whole 180* turn that the ship did inside the breakwaters. Pretty cool stuff, ya know.

That is cool. I'd probably be doing the same.

I put on one of my casual dresses (no photos of any of us; we were SO terrible at this!)

Well darn! We'd love to see the cleaned up crew.

In the end, we got a small charcuterie and some bruschetta to start. Both were fantastic! We ordered a bottle of some Montepulciano Tuscan Blend wine as well. The sunset we were treated to made for a little slice of Heaven on Earth.

Sounds pretty darn nice.

Turns out, this would be our best meal by a very, very wide margin and we probably should have done the upcharge and eaten here for all of our meals.

Oh dear... And you have how many days to go?

Of course, we were far too full for dessert, but ordered 5 of them anyway.

Funny how dessert can always seem to find a way into an already overly stuffed tummy.

Funny "ha ha" or funny "I'm going to puke"?

If memory serves, and more often than not these days it does not

we found what would be our favorite pre-dinner act to sit and watch- a husband/wife viola and cello duo who played gorgeous classical.

Very nice.

(Yes, it's a Chihuly.)

I was just going to say "That has to be a Chihuly." Glad I was right.

See Mom digging in her purse? Yeah, that would be Mom’s favorite activity for 10 days. I literally cannot count how many times she lost her glasses or her Sea Pass.

Oh, man... not frustrating at all, I'm sure.

t the front of the line boarding the ship? Sea pass, gone. Ready to head down to dinner? Phone, gone. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree… my future is bleak.

One regret I had while on this trip was that I didn’t bring a book. I’m just not much of a fiction reader at all but did find that I had some extra time that I wished I could fill.

But wait... didn't we recommend some??

I even asked for recommendations from y'all, but sadly, I ran out of time to actually follow through and buy one.

Then you have no one to blame but yourself!

 

[Paulaparm]

Just got all caught up. Venice is beautiful!!

 

[afwdwfan]

Everyone was packed well before now, except my daughter Michaela, who’s far too busy for trivial things like making sure her passport, the singularly most important item to pack for an international vacation, was in order.

That gets the adrenaline going... I'm glad she was able to find it.

While I was, obviously, very happy she could join us, I was a little sad as well. I'd gotten this personalized passport holder for her Christmas gift 2 years earlier to use on the trip that we were all supposed to go on.

The good news is, it did its job and protected the passport.

Luckily, a gate agent saw my mom fidgeting with her cane and looking uncomfortable and with resolute authority simply said to us, “Follow me, please.” Rather confused, she led us to a roped off area for pre-boarders and that was that. Within 5 minutes we were on the aircraft and settled in.

I'm glad they were able to help out!

Then again, it's a government operation.... what more can I say?

I think this sums it up nicely.

I think I will leave off there, because just writing that makes me want a cocktail and to decompress again from that exhausting travel day. Coming up

So go get a cocktail. Honestly, that was some really ambitious traveling with your group. I feel overwhelmed by all of it and I wasn't even there!

(Which reminds me of “cut the cheese” which is a story I don’t want to forget to tell; if I do forget, could someone please remind me?)

Don't leave us hanging...

Oops! Time for another drink! (They’re ‘free’ with the purchase of an $2100 cruise).

It's going to take a while to get your money's worth, but I have faith.

Turns out, this would be our best meal by a very, very wide margin and we probably should have done the upcharge and eaten here for all of our meals.

I'm torn... not sure if this is a good thing that it was an enjoyable meal or foreboding about the quality of future meals.