3 September

Today was a day at sea. We lost an hour last night and promptly made it up by sleeping in this morning!

After breakfast, we soaked up the Mediterranean sun on the pool deck. It was pretty windy, but it offset the hot sun nicely and allowed us to stay out longer. It's very fascinating to lay there on your lounge chair and discreetly watch people from behind your sunglasses. There are all kinds of people on this ship, from families with young children to retired couples, from conservative and quiet to loud and brash, from fit and attractive to not so fit and not so attractive! It is truly eye-opening to see how self-conscious we are as Americans, when the rest of the world is completely at ease with who they are and how they look. I suppose my reaction is a product of the culture we live in and I honestly react without thinking twice.

Then, the moment we'd been looking forward to for three days arrived! Time for our couples massage! We each got a nice, hour-long Swedish massage. It always amazes me when I see such a petite person and then feel the strength and control they wield. She started with my back and neck, moved to my calves, rolled me over and finished with my arms, hands, legs, and feet. I wasn't able to see Jeremy, so I assume he got a similar treatment, but I did hear his therapist ask if he'd like her to walk on his back! Yikes! And he said yes! Afterwards, he said it was good, but a little unexpected and painful when she used her toes to dig into his back muscles. Honestly, I'm not sure how she had room to stand on his back without hitting her head on the ceiling...but she was petite! They didn't want us to run back to our cabin and take showers right away as they'd used an aromatherapy, so we had a late lunch. Just as we finished up lunch, they were changing out the buffet from lunch to afternoon snack and we discovered tortilla chips and melted nacho cheese, like you get at any sporting event at home. So we stuck around for a light snack, then headed back to wash off the oils, and fell into bed for an afternoon nap!

Tonight, the Captain hosted a Welcome Aboard reception and it was the first Formal evening of the cruise. We were able to meet Captain Oerjan (pronounced Or-ee-on) and have a photo taken with him. We enjoyed a glass of wine as they introduced all the officers on board the ship and Captain Oerjan gave a brief speech, including his experience in the cruise industry, working his way up from a deck hand, statistics about our ship, crew, and guests aboard, and the future of Royal Caribbean. The crew represented nearly 70 countries! He rattled off how many guests were representing each country, and people cheered as their countries were named. Half of all guest on board are from the U.S. and the U.K., with roughly 450 from each country. The remainder of the guests represented about 40 other countries, with even Switzerland and Ecuador represented! Probably the most notable part of his speech was about a new ship that is being built for voyages beginning in 2009. Compared to our ship, which is 70,000 tons and carries 1,900, this ship is to be 260,000 tons with a capacity for 6,000! Captain Oerjan said that Royal Caribbean is already working with ports of call that will be able to accommodate this monstrous ship to develop itineraries. It was quite interesting!

With Captain Oerjan Raadmannsoey from Norway

At dinner, it was thrilling to see John, Jim and Philip all dressed in tuxes, and the ladies were utterly beautiful in their evening dresses, dripping with jewels. We felt a little under dressed, but I think we looked quite dashing ourselves! Particularly since we're used to wearing and seeing each other in jeans and t-shirts most of the time! The ship's photographer was of course very visible all evening, shoving his camera in everyone's faces and posing us. I was really pleased with the shot he got of us tonight, especially after our weak attempts at a self-portrait!

The professional shot


Our self-portrait



The evening entertainment was the first performance by the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers. They performed numbers to music from movies like Blues Brothers, Dirty Dancing, Saturday Night Fever, and Footloose. Compared to the shows we saw on our Alaskan and Caribbean cruises, the singers and dancers were pretty exceptional. It's unfortunate that they only perform a few times during the week and not every night. We headed for bed right away tonight, as we have a big day ahead of us in Turkey tomorrow!

2 September

Today we woke up off the coast of Dubrovnik, Croatia. They organized all the excursion groups in the theater before we were allowed to debark. At first, we thought it was a little unnecessary, but we quickly found that it was pretty smart and efficient. We had to board a tender to get ashore, so they wanted each group to be together on the tender, through the crowded streets of old town, and all the way to the bus. We just missed the tender in front of us, but watched as a family got separated from their elderly mother in her wheelchair. As the tender started to pull away, the daughter was frantically trying to get some one's attention that her mom was still on the ship in her wheelchair, but it was no use. They put her on our tender and she was visibly annoyed that the staff forgot about her. When we arrived at the dock, her family was all there waiting and cheering when they saw her and saw that she was in one piece. They were even taking pictures of her on the tender all by herself!

Once off the tender, we quickly found our tour guide and tried to keep up with her all the way through old town to the bus. As I mentioned earlier, it was very crowded, and the architecture had me mesmerized -- I was trying to take pictures while walking, trying not to fall and break my ankle in the stone gutters! There was a giant stone wall around all of old town that was quite impressive as we approached in the tender, and gave you a secure feeling being in the protected village.I finally gave up on taking pictures, knowing we'd have to walk back through old town to get to the tender.

The walls around old town Dubrovnik

The bus stop was clogged with buses, nose to tail, all of them. But rather quickly, they were all filled and on their way to their tour destination. Our tour guide was great. I wish I could remember her name, hut honestly wouldn't even know how to begin spelling it! She was beautiful -- young with long dark hair, dark olive skin, stick thin, wearing a light blue polo representing her tour company, a pale yellow long cotton skirt, and aviator sunglasses. She spoke English rather well, even with her heavy accent, though her grammar wasn't perfect and at times was a bit humorous. Much of our tour included information about their recent war of independence from Yugoslavia and Serb rebels, how difficult it was to live through, how long it's taken them to rebuild, and how they still live with a little bit of that fear everyday. It was really very touching how much personal emotion she injected into her history lesson. Honestly, she didn't look much older than us, so she must've been quite young during the war.

Our first tour stop was the arboretum in Trsteno (pronounced Tris-ten-yo). At the entrance to the arboretum is a giant, I mean GIANT, Oriental Plane tree. There had been two, but if I remember correctly, she mentioned that the second one had to be taken down. The arboretum was started by a noble family in the 15th century who asked ship captains to bring back exotic plants and seeds from their travels. I was quite a hike downhill to reach the arboretum, and several of our tour group stayed behind because they had difficulty walking as it was.

The giant Oriental Plane tree

Once we reached the gate, it was apparent how big the arboretum really was -- it was like stepping into a rain forest. There were so many large trees towering overhead, their canopies converging and almost blocking out the sky. It was really very beautiful, quiet and peaceful. Each species of tree and plant had a small sign giving its Latin name and its common name in several languages. There was also an interesting aqueduct (or ditch) dug around clusters or sections of trees in order to provide irrigation. The water seemed to be provided via fire hoses attached to fire hydrants sprinkled around the park. It was mostly green, but every once in a while, you'd see a flowering species that offered a splash of color and whimsy to the lush landscape. There was a fountain nestled in to the trees along the walking path with a statue of Neptune, and several little buildings scattered throughout the garden, a small chapel with green doors, a villa housing the only restrooms in the park, a pavilion providing outstanding views of the coastline, and an old mill containing antique olive oil presses. It was an even tougher hike back up the hill to our bus, and I was relieved to finally reach the top!
The fountain of Neptune



Back on the road, near Ston (pronounced Stone), we drove past massive salt pans that allow Croatia to harvest and produce salt. At one point, salt was a precious export for Croatia and therefore needed to be protected, so again, they built these fortified stone walls to keep others from stealing the salt.

Salt fields

Our second stop was a rustic little winery owned by the Miloš (pronounced Mee-losh) family. We got a brief lesson on how the grapes are harvested and the different lengths of time that the grapes are allowed to dry before being pressed into wine. Then we sat in the lovely little tasting room, and Mr. and Mrs. Miloš served us a full glass of white wine, followed by crackers, a full glass of red wine, and some fresh slices of parmesan cheese. Again, I couldn't tell you the name of the wines, let alone spell them, but the red wine was out of this world. It smelled and tasted like no other wine I've tasted before. The aroma was beautiful, smelling of, what I thought was a flower but learned later, was tobacco -- no, not smoking tobacco, but perhaps the tobacco leaf or plant itself. It was really wonderful and words can not do it justice. We bought two bottles, the red we tried, and a red that Mr. Miloš described as even better. It is a shame that Croatian wine is not well-known or widely available, for if Miloš is any indication of what the other wineries can produce, I never need to drink another wine from California, Italy, or France. I'm still pretty partial to Australian wine though, so I'll be careful to leave it off my chopping block!

Mr. and Mrs. Miloš

After the wine tasting, the tour took us back to Ston so that we could explore the little village on our own. Many of our tour group hiked up to the fortified walls, but it was warm and we hadn't had much to eat, so we decided we could admire the walls from where we were. Ston is a sleepy little village, only a few cafes, and only a few more houses. We walked up and down several of the little alleys, with only a hint of life every now and again as we heard voices coming from behind closed shutters, or the woman we saw spraying off the walk with a hose. It was really very charming.

Fortified walls around Ston

A Ston alley

Soon, we were back on the bus headed to Mali Ston (pronounced Mah-lee Stone), or "Little" Ston for lunch. Mali Ston is right on the channel where they trap fresh oysters. Our lunch was at a small cafe, under the canopy on the patio. We were served fresh bread, and two oyster dishes, one with rice closely resembling paella, the other a spaghetti pasta with a very thin marinara sauce, with white wine and bottled water. The rice and pasta were good, but I left the oyster consumption to Jeremy and others at the table!

The channel at Mali Ston

After lunch, the bus took us back to Dubrovnik and dropped us off right were we got on earlier in the morning. We started to make our way back through old town, this time pausing longer to get pictures, and this time I did fall and nearly broke my ankle! I landed hard on my right knee and twisted my left ankle, but boy did I do a great job of protecting the camera! That kind of ruined the mood for any shopping I had in mind, so we headed for the tender back to the ship. The old town was much quieter and more calm than it had been that morning, so we strolled (I gingerly limped...) to the dock and boarded the tender. Lo and behold, who did we run into on the tender? John and Lisa! They hadn't gone on a tour, but rather explored Dubrovnik on their own. My ankle hurt, so I wasn't in a mood to chit chat either, but the noise of the engine quickly droned out any chance for conversation anyway.

See the concave stone gutter on the left? This is where I almost broke my ankle this morning. I fell not far from here this afternoon, though it wasn't because of the gutter!

Back on the ship, we got a couple of frozen yogurt cones (which I promptly dripped down the front of my shirt...add insult to injury, I guess), and strolled around the pool deck. We paused at the bow of the ship and watched the crew ready the vessel for departure. It was quite fascinating how much labor and time goes into raising the anchors. The links of the chain on the anchors were huge, and the chains seems to go on forever...it literally took almost an hour for the entire process. There was one deckhand that stood and sprayed fresh water on every link that came out of the sea, washing off the salt and rust as it was stored away for its next use. When we thought there couldn't possibly be any more chain to reel up...okay, we got a little bored...we turned to head back to our cabin. We got not ten feet away when the ship's horn was sounded. We both jumped and I think one of us probably wet our pants!

Tonight's entertainment was a chap from the U.K. with mad voice, piano, fiddle, and guitar skills. He even performed "Devil Went Down to Georgia" much to Jeremy's delight, though he made it a bit more PG-13 for the crowd. Honestly though, we were probably the only two in the audience that appreciated it. I imagine he's used to performing in front of a larger American crowd, and the theater wasn't full -- those that were there seemed to be of a European descent and I just don't think The Charlie Daniels Band is all that popular this side of the pond!

Dinner was much more comfortable this evening. We're all starting to get to know one another and come out of our shells. Maxine mentioned that she drives a Mini Cooper convertible...of course she does, don't all Brits? Jim's not as sullen as once thought, and I'm pretty sure someone dropped the word "daft" in our conversation tonight! I'm falling in love with our new friends -- I may not just be dreaming in an accent, I might actually be speaking with one by the end of the week!

31 August - 1 September

Our gate in Philly before they announced the delay -- notice the "On Time" remark in the lower right corner!

It was a relatively smooth and easy trip. The only hiccup we had was a broken plane in Philly. They had to replace a coupler on the 2nd high-frequency radar in order to have communications in Europe. Fortunately, the part was in Philadelphia and we were off the ground only 90 minutes late. In comparison to the length of the flight, it really wasn't that bad. We arrived in Venice only 45 minutes late, so the tailwinds were good and we made up half the delay in the air. Customs was a piece of cake and ALL three of our suitcases arrived intact, within seconds of each other! Yay! That was one of my main concerns since I've never travelled to Europe before.

It turned out that a large contingent from our plane were booked on our cruise and we filled up a bus in no time and were on our way to the ship. Again, we had no issues checking in for the cruise and they allowed us to embark at 10:30 even though embarkation wasn't scheduled to begin until 2:00. Staterooms weren't to be ready until 1:00, so we sat and enjoyed the warm weather at a table on the pool deck. As more people boarded the ship, we were quickly reminded that we were in in Europe -- two groups sat on either side of us and lit up cigarettes and smoked us out of our nice little spot. It was then we realized that the starboard side was smoking and the port side was non-smoking! As if the crew knew we needed rescuing, the Windjammer Cafe opened for lunch.

Being a Mediterranean cruise, there was a whole section of the buffet dedicated to the region with a spread of pita bread, hummus, kalamata olives, tzatziki sauce, roasted tomatoes, and some seafood. I was in Heaven!

After a bite to eat, we quickly headed to the spa to book our massage appointment before they were booked solid. We headed back to the pool deck, making sure to sit on the non-smoking side and chilled until the cabins were ready. We met a rowdy bunch of retirees from Boston while we waited.

At 1:00, we headed for our room for a much needed nap! Our bags hadn't arrived yet, so we flipped on the TV to wait, but just as soon as we got comfortable, a knock on the door signaled that our bags had arrived. Without the energy to unpack, we crawled under the covers to catch a short nap -- which turned into a long three-hour nap! We hadn't intended to sleep so long, but we must've needed it. We were woken by the announcement that the muster drill was in 30 minutes. We'd wanted to take showers and change clothes first, but didn't get much chance!
The muster drill -- so you know how to wear your lifevest and where to gather in case of emergency

Almost as soon as the muster drill was over, the engines fired up and we pulled out of port in Venice. Our stateroom attendant gave us a hint which side of the ship to be on to get the best view and he didn't disappoint! We ordered a bucket of beer and lounged at the railing watching Venice slip by. It appeared to come straight out of a photograph -- hundreds of brick and stone structures rising up, topped with red-tile roofs glowing from the afternoon sun. St. Mark's Square looked absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to return to Venice to explore it ourselves!







St. Marks Square, including the bell tower and church

We finally got a moment to shower and change, just in time for the evening entertainment. They previewed the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers, who would performing later in the week and then two small acts. The first, Fluorescence, a cute black light puppet-type show with fluorescent pink and yellow boas and birds with long legs. The second, a married couple, Mysteriaque (pronounced Miss-teer-ee-ack), who performed aerial lifts and magical illusions under some corny-themed pretenses (a cat burglar and Zorro).


Second seating is later on this ship, 9:00 instead of 8:30, like we've had in the past. Our table mates are all from the U.K. Philip and Natalie, a just-married couple on their honeymoon, and two couples celebrating their 25-year anniversaries, Jim and Maxine, and John and Lisa. Jim and Maxine seem very typically British to me. Besides the accent, I don't know if I can think of the appropriate words to describe them at the moment. Jim is very quiet and almost glum most of the time. Maxine is a big bigger, louder, and chattier. John and Lisa seem very fun. They are quite stylish -- from their clothes and hairstyles to Lisa's glasses -- and appear to be hip and much younger than they probably are. It's hard to imagine both couples being about the same age and the same point in their lives with older children! Natalie is very sweet and shy and Philip strangely reminds me of Prince William. They look nothing alike, but Philip is very bright and proper, even a bit authoritative -- it's clear who's in charge in their relationship. Dinner felt like we were stuck in an episode of Frasier, listening to Maxine and Lisa talk is like having Daphne on both ends of the table! Everything is "lovely" or "brilliant"! I'm pretty sure I'll be dreaming in a British accent the rest of the week!