Oceania Marina Europe Cruise – Part 4
Since my last blog we've visited the famous port city of St. Malo, the historic village of Dinan, the French capital of Paris....and had a bit of a high seas drama. Not bad in a couple of days, eh?
Oceania Marina Europe Cruise – Part 3
It's a typical start to a European summer - one day hot, the next day wintry. It feels as though we are meandering through the seasons, but fortunately the changeable weather hasn't hampered our explorations of western France.....
Oceania Marina Europe Cruise – Part 2
Biarritz darling.....sounds posh, and it is, but that's where this second part of my blog live from Oceania Marina in Europe should have hailed from.......
Oceania Marina Europe Cruise – Part 1
I am writing this first of several blogs from my very nice Concierge Veranda stateroom on Oceania Marina (deck 10) as we cruise away from the Spanish port of Cadiz en route for Lisbon.......
Avalon Panorama – Part 2
I am writing this from a cool but still gorgeous Amsterdam, the disembarkation point for our short media jaunt on Avalon Waterway's new Panorama............
Radiance of the Seas, Day 12: Fun in Acapulco
Blue and white VW bug taxis and the sweep of the beach are two standout vignettes of Copacabana. I had some vague memory that the city was the holiday home to the stars in the 1940s and 50s. And I knew about the daring cliff divers here, and not just from Elvis’ Fun in Acapulco. So I booked a tour that would give me cliff diving and some sort of city overview. The 7am start was a shock to me and probably for the cliff divers too, as they dive until 10pm each night.
Why does Radiance of the Seas not have enough solo cabins
The topic of single cabins is dear to my heart. Since becoming a senior and lecturing to many seniors groups about the joys of cruising, the question that keeps popping up is how difficult it is for many single seniors who want to travel alone to purchase a cabin without paying a “single supplement”.
Radiance of the Seas, Day 11: at sea
Today we ran out of fresh milk and had to move to UHT. It’s a reminder of the joys of long cruises. However, this is one of the most entertaining sea days imaginable.
Radiance of the Seas, Day 10: Guatemala
Guatemala has invested a lot in developing the local cruise market and we dock in Puerto Quetzal, the country’s newly-developed main Pacific port. Perhaps because we’re the last ship before the rainy season, the President and some 120 dignitaries and travel agents are visiting the ship for lunch. I flee for a self-guided tour of La Antigua, the old national capital.
Radiance of the Seas, Day 9: at sea
I could start each sea day’s report with a “Gripe of the Day” but that would suggest the voyage is less fun than it is. So it should perhaps be called “If I Ruled the Ship”. Today there would be a beheading and if it isn’t someone else’s it’ll be mine.
Radiance of the Seas, Day 8: Costa Rica
Looking through the voyage’s sail plan in Australia, the two highlights for me were Cartagena and Costa Rica. After a lot of deliberation, I picked a tour that involved a long drive to the top of the country’s main mountain ridge to go for a walk in the Monteverde Cloud Forest.
Radiance of the Seas, Day 7: at sea
Another sea day. And some of us are looking forward to it after three days of intense activity. It’s good to pick a cruise with sea days so you can enjoy the ship and on this voyage we’re covering a lot of nautical miles. But it’s also a time when you can be annoyed by details.
Cruise Season Over – Or Is It?
It’s lonely on Sydney Harbour now that the cruise season has officially ended, but thanks to Carnival Australia we still see ships regularly from P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises that are based here all year round.
Azamara Journey, Day 8: Pompeii
Attempt No. 2 to catch the train from Sorrento to Pompeii worked – a 30-minute journey that takes you right to the gates of arguably the most famous archeological site in the world. Having had local guides at Valletta and Mt Etna, we knew we’d benefit from the services of an official guide here, and, after paying the entrance fee (11 euros), were lucky enough to find the wonderfully informative and entertaining guide Mario Visconti (10 euros).
Avalon Panorama Part 1
I am sitting here in my Panorama Suite on a rather chilly and gloomy day as we approach one of the locks west of Klobenz on the Mosel River.......
Azamara Journey, Day 7: Sorrento
Our plan was to take the train from Sorrento to Pompeii but when we arrived at the station we discovered that there was a rail strike – these occur at random with little or no warning. Plan B was to take the local bus along the Amalfi Coast to Positano – but of course that was everyone else’s Plan B as well, so the queue was horrendous.
