October 5, 2017
It was worth every Delta Skymile to travel business class from Atlanta to Rome. We were on a very comfortable Airbus with fully reclining seats.
We arrived in Rome the next day well rested and ready to begin our adventure.
October 6, 2017
After a bit of a wait, our driver took us from the airport to the little port town of Civitavecchia where we stayed in a charming B&B La Corte degli Ulivi.
Franco, the sweet, helpful owner suggested that we have dinner at his friend's restaurant, Aqua. His friend picked us up at the B&B, took us to the restaurant, and then returned us back to our home away from home. Both of our pasta dishes were delicious!
October 7, 2017
We enjoyed a relaxing morning, then Franco's brother took us to the cruise terminal where we boarded Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Sea, Stateroom 7094. Our balcony is HUGE!!
Truly, one could practice ballroom dancing with no problem. Robert quickly located a coffee bar where he would spend many happy hours. Also, on the 13th floor, we found the Diamond Lounge which we may now enjoy since we've reached Diamond status. Our cute cabin gal is Julia Barankina from Romania.
October 8, 2017
Today, we arrived in Messina, Sicily with sunny, gorgeous weather. (Take too long to upload pictures on the ship, so pictures will be added later) We boarded our comfortable bus, destination Mt. Aetna. The ride was lovely; however, we were dismayed to see the amount of trash thrown along the roadside. We walked along one of the craters, inactive, of course, and we could see Mt. Aetna clearly spewing smoke into the perfectly clear sky.
Afterwards, we rode to the adorable little town of Taormina, where we window shopped and also enjoyed cappuccinos with grilled ham/cheese sandwiches.
I also treated myself to a delicious mint chocolate chip gelato!
October 9, 2017
Happy 87th Birthday, Meme! We arrived in Valletta, Malta to once again, crystal blue skies and perfect temperatures. Our bus tour took us along the city, then to the very colorful port of Montedaska, then on the blue grotto, and back through the town.
We had a bit of a challenge getting back onto the cruise ship, some how all of our bus' passengers turned right, instead of left! Back on the ship, I spent the afternoon reading by the pool.
October 10, 2017
A day at sea is typically blissful, just like today. We slept in, enjoyed lots of quiet time, naps, time by the pool, and relaxation at its best. Good thing we both loaded lots of books on our Kindles!
October 11, 2017
Mykonos, Greece is exactly how one would picture a gorgeous Greek Island. We were tendered to the shore where we roamed the seemingly endless streets lined with merchants, coffee shops, and restaurants.
The buildings are all white with beautiful domed tops, and colorful doors. The gentle breeze from the Aegean Sea kept us comfortable as we explored the island. Rob went back to the ship after an hour or so, but I continued visiting all the "tourist highlights" such as the windmills, the various monasteries, little Venice, and Paradise Beach. No wonder, Jackie O. loved this island!
October 12, 2017
Santorini, Greece is beyond description. As you approach the island, it looks as if the top is covered in snow, but instead, it is the entirely white building town. The two options to reach the top are to travel by cable car, or climb the donkey path, which the cruise director highly discouraged! Luckily, we had an excursion which took us by tender to the other side of the island where you simply stepped onto the dock! We then took a bus around curvy hairpin turns to the top where we visited Santos Winery, which had an amazing view.
We sampled some wine - white was okay, red was good, and the dessert wine was awful! Back on the bus, we traveled, VERY SLOWLY, due to traffic, to the town of Oia where Mama Mia was filmed. The white buildings with blue domes made a truly majestic setting against the cloudless blue sky. We shopped a bit, Rob bought me a gorgeous pendant, and then I enjoyed a delicious mint gelato. Our bus made better time traveling to the town where we took the cable car back to the tender, but the line was VERY long. Luckily, we were on a Royal Caribbean excursion, or we would have missed the sailing. The cable car ride was actually quite fun. Rob would say that this was his least favorite excursion, but I'm glad that we didn't miss the beautiful scenery!
October 13
Athens, Greece. Since we had already seen the antiquities of the city, we decided to take an excursion to Ancient Corinth, which turned out to be Rob's favorite excursion. The bus trip took a little over one hour to reach Corinth. We stopped next to the Corinth canal to see the view from the top. Then, we traveled to the ruins of Corinth. Today's guide was truly an expert in Greek history and kept us all captivated.
We stood in the spot, bema, where the disciple Paul delivered several sermons.
He showed us the evidence that Jews also lived in the area. We strolled briefly through the little town, then traveled to the area where we boarded our cruise boat for the Corinth canal.
Once again, we had beautiful weather which made for a perfect day!
October 14, 2017
Another restful day at sea, although we did have to spend a portion of our day packing for tomorrow's disembarkation. We read most of the day, in fact, I spent the entire afternoon on our balcony. Oh, how I love watching the water.
We completed the paperwork to leave the ship early, enjoyed a delicious dinner, and then watched the show which was a Celine Dion sound-alike named Tracey Ridge. She actually had a fabulous voice and the show was a great way to end our cruise.
October 15, 2017
Naples, Italy. We're still marveling about how easy it was to disembark the ship. Luckily, we had a porter who knew exactly where to take us, and our luggage, to meet our driver, Joseph. I was concerned that we might have to wait a bit, since it was 8:30 and we had arranged to meet at 9:00, but there he was, early! By 8:40 we were traveling to Sorrento. Joseph pointed out beautiful areas as we traveled along, and we actually stopped a couple of times to enjoy the view. By 10:30, we were at our Hotel, Plazzo Guardati. Unfortunately, our room was not ready, but the hotel manager suggested that we go to the roof top for cappuccino, which of course, we did. This sweet gentleman delivered our cappuccino while we relaxed and admired the view. As we were leaving, a lady stopped me to tell me how much she liked my watch. I thanked her, and told her that the watch was purchased here a few years ago. She then told me that she and her husband were the owners of Capri Watches, the manufacturer of my watch! What a very small world.
The Stewarts were traveling to Sorrento, so we decided to shop for Rob's wallet, which he found almost immediately! So, we then decided to find a place for lunch since our room would not be ready until 1:30. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch with great people watching opportunities! When we returned to the hotel, our room was ready, so we unpacked. The Stewarts arrived soon after, and Rob took a nap, while we shopped for treasures.
After showers, we went out for drinks at the luxurious Vitoria Excelsior Hotel, and then a fabulous dinner at Da Ginna's, where Rob enjoyed a huge veal scallopini, and I shared salad/pizza with Teri.
October 16, 2017
Sorrento - Happy Birthday, nephew, David. And, we're off to Capri. Rob was not very happy about the steps and challenging walk to the ferry terminal. Sorry, Rob. We then boarded another boat for the tour around the island, including the Blue Grotto.
Unfortunately, the wait to get into the Blue Grotto was two hours, so we opted to change boats to return to Capri. We rode the funicular to the top, and enjoyed another fabulous meal at Al Capri. Next, we rode the local bus to Ana Capri where we shopped, strolled, and eventually rode a cable car (since rider only) to the very top of Ana Capri. The views were stunning.
After a rather long wait for very crowded buses, we opted to take a convertible taxi back to Capri. Best 20 Euro ever spent! We went into the original Watches of Capri store where Rob spoiled me with another gorgeous watch!
We decided to drink red wine that Alan brought from Castalina in our lovely hotel's sitting area. Thank you, Alan, for the wonderful treat! Rob took a short nap, while we sipped wine and looked at pictures. Everyone then walked down to the Red Lion for yet another delicious meal!
October 17, 2017
Pompeii, Italy. We opted to hire a private guide for our tour of Pompeii which proved to be a very wise decision. Salvatore was full of information regarding the ruins of Pompeii.
We marveled at the roads with the marble "reflectors" as well the chariot tracks, the "fast food" restaurants with the ridges of the sliding doors, and most fascinating were the various baths and drainage systems.
Once back in Sorrento, we enjoyed lunch, then Rob napped while I shopped. Two purses later, I returned to the hotel. We decided to enjoy drinks at our "swanky" place again, and then dined at
October 18, 2017
The Amalfi Coast!!!! A more majestic drive I can't imagine.
We stopped in Poisitana, Amalfi, and then Ravello for a lunch like we'll probably never experience again in our lives. We had a cozy outdoor table for two with a breath-taking view of the entire area. The ravioli were the best we have ever eaten, along with a fantastic tiramisu. Did I mention that Rob had a cappuccino in every city we visited? Our weather was "chamber of commerce" and the day was one we'll always remember!
October 19, 2017
Travel day - sadly, we say farewell to Sorrento, as Joseph drives us to Civatevecchia. We stop for a quick lunch at a "truck stop" along the Autostrade. The sweet server gives us an extra croissant. I suppose we must look hungry. We arrive again at our cute B&B where Franco escorts us to our rooms. Rob takes a nap, while Teri, Alan, and I enjoy another bottle of the delicious wine Alan purchased while in Castalina.
We share a van with two other delightful couples who will also be on our cruise. Jurgen and Angelica are from Berlin, Germany. Susan and Jamie are from Van Couver, Canada. Everyone enjoys another delicious dinner at Aqua before returning to our B&B.
October 20, 2017
This morning, all of us eat breakfast together before heading to the ship. Franco's brother has to take us couple by couple to the cruise terminal because his car is small, AND we have lots of luggage! Quickly, we process onto our lovely "home away from home" Celebrity's Reflection.
After a short wait and coffee, we can settle into our new Stateroom on the 11th floor, Cabin 1648, with a very competent attendant, Benedict. We join the Stewarts for lunch as we wait for our luggage. Once it arrives, I unpack us just in time for the lifeboat drill. Then we rest a while, before getting ready for our first happy hour and dinner. We decide to opt for the main seating at 8:15 pm, as well as changing tables to #227. Off we go to explore sunny Spain.
October 21, 2017
Day at Sea! Breakfast, relaxing coffee, Beyond the Podium lecture on the history of Spain, lunch, gym time, naps, happy hour, and dinner. Our sweet servers, Adash and Arush take excellent care of us at dinner. Love our days at sea!
October 22, 2017
Barcelona, Spain. Today we have a four hour tour called City of Barcelona. We notice NO demonstrations in this city as the residents of Catelonia have just voted for their independence. So, we enjoy our bus trip, especially when Rob grabbed the lady's leg behind his seat while looking for his arm rest. Luckily, she has a great sense of humor, and teased him about getting fresh. Then, as we go to view La Sagrada Familia cathedral, Rob tries to hold hands with Teri, thinking it was me! He was horrified as we all enjoyed a great laugh. Back to this "Sacred Family" cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi, a very famous Spanish architect. It can best be described as "unique". It has been in construction for over 100 years with hopes of its completion in 2026. We also walked through the city's historic area, saw the 600-year old Gothic-style cathedral of St. Eulalia.
Unfortunately, it was Sunday, and the majority of the stores were closed. Rob and I enjoyed a cappuccino on Las Rambla where the locals held their typical Sunday tapas open-air market, along with traditional Catelonian dancing/music. Back on the ship, we had lunch. Then Rob took his retirement nap, while I found the perfect poolside lounge to read, sip a Miami Vice, and relax. I watched Royal Caribbean's, Freedom of the Seas, sail away with fond memories of our previous cruise with David and Lily a couple of years ago. We've decided that our favorite happy hour bar will be The Martini Bar since they do make the best martinis. Dinner was delicious as always. Tonight we had lamb inside of phyllo dough pastry, with a warm centered chocolate lava cake for dessert.
October 23, 2017
Cartagena, Spain. Today, we had another excursion, Cartagena City Tour where we explored one of Spain's oldest cities. The history of the city dates back to 223 BC, leading to an eclectic culture with roots in Roman, Muslim, and Arab traditions. We visited the Punic Wall, Carthaginian age ruins, as well as the original foundation of the city. We especially enjoyed the Roman Theater, where Rob found a buddy!
During our free time, we enjoyed a traditional Spanish type lunch with various tapas, such as cheese, almonds, ham, fried calamari, bread, and of course, Sangria!
Rob opted to walk back to the cruise terminal, while Alan completed the excursion, and Teri and I explored the charming little city with gorgeous sidewalks. We made a couple of make up purchases, then the stores began to close for the typical siesta time, 2:30 - 4:00 pm. We must keep this in mind on future excursions. As we returned to the ship, we walked through a little Spanish flea market, but, surprisingly, made no purchases! As always, we concluded our evening with happy hour and a fabulous dinner.
October 24,
Malaga, Spain. Rob and I are truly enjoying our "perfect spot" for breakfast in the Blu Café. This morning, we watched the sun rise while dining. Today's excursion, Malaga City Tour - small group, was indeed a mini-bus with about 20 passengers. We enjoyed discovering Spain's Costa del Sol, capital, founded in the 8th century by Phoenicians. This city boasts an eclectic range of styles and traditions, from broad thoroughfares to Gothic architecture. We drove to the top of the city for a spectacular view of the city. Next we visited another Roman theater, and then walked over to Pablo Picasso's home. We toured the city cathedral, known locally as La Manquita. Afterwards, we strolled a while, then enjoyed a Coasta coffee. Rob went back to the ship on the mini-bus, but Teri, Alan, and I opted to stroll, shop, and enjoy a tapas lunch, where I had some of the best sangria that I've ever sipped! After a few purchases, Teri and Alan enjoyed a pastry as we began our stroll back to the ship. Along a most gorgeous promenade, we kept hearing these VERY loud birds, BUT we couldn't see them. Finally, Alan noticed that the reason we didn't quickly see these birds was their bright green colors that camouflaged them into the palm trees. Seriously, these birds looked like parakeets on steroids! Our walk also took us along the very beautiful beach.
Walking through the duty-free terminal, Teri spotted a sun glass shop and encouraged Alan to look for "blue" sun glasses to replace a pair he used to own. Well, these Roberto sunglasses, billed specifically as the official sun glasses of Costa del Sol, were the lightest sunglasses I've ever put on my face! All three of us bought a pair from the cutest, sweetest sales girls in Spain, well, at least in Malaga. Returning to the ship after our nice walk back, we all remarked how much we've enjoyed our last two ports. Nap time, balcony time, happy hour (with our newly purchased Spanish almonds), and another delicious dinner concluded another perfect day in sunny Spain.
October 25, 2017
Thank goodness for days at sea! I desperately needed to update this travel blog. So, after breakfast, leisurely coffee, including reading and needlework, Beyond the Podium history talk on conflicts in the Mediterranean, I am finally spending some time journaling while Rob reads/naps. Last night, it was VERY foggy, so around 3:00 AM the crew kept sounding the fog horn about every five minutes. I finally got up to check out why this was happening, and I can honestly say that the fog was so thick that I couldn't see over our balcony! The remainder of the afternoon was spent at the gym and then reading on our beautiful balcony. After our happy hour with the delicious new Spanish almonds we purchased in Malaga, we enjoyed dinner, followed by dancing in the atrium with our new buddies, Jamie, Susan, Jurgen, and Angelica. Happy that we get an extra hour to sleep, we head off to our room around midnight!
October 26, 2017
Tenerife, Canary Islands. We met a delightful couple, Tom and Chris, in the Blu restaurant this morning, who happen to own a vineyard in Bucks County, PA. All of us are going on the wine excursion today, so we had plenty to discuss. Today's driver and guide, both named Carlos, took great pride in sharing their island. We took off to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Laguna, where we first stopped at the market. Alan happened to find a fabulous nut section, tucked away in the corner, so we restocked our supply of delicious Spanish nuts. Back outside, I happened to spot two groups of school kids having lunch, which of course, tugged at my teacher heart strings! We then enjoyed a guided walk from Plaza del Adelantado towards the church of Santa Catarina, where we saw two convents. The guide explained to us that the young girls were watching us from the tower. They could see us, but we couldn't see them, so he had us wave to them. We also went inside one of the famous libraries, to see the gorgeous courtyard, and then off to see another lovely courtyard inside the government building. It was a charming stroll through the little town. Then, we journeyed to the northeasterns area of Tenerife, known for its outstanding wines. We visited Bodegas Alvaro, and La Casa del Vino, a wine museum located in a 17th century house. Tenerife does not export any wine, and we certainly understand why!
Back on the ship, Teri and I turned in our forms for duty free tax refunds, and then dashed off the ship for last minute shopping opportunities. After our routine happy hour and dinner, we all joined the Canadians and Germans for "silent disco dancing" on deck 15. What fun! Everyone wears headphones with three different selections of music, so you might be dancing to one number while your partner is dancing to something entirely different. Good thing we had an extra hours sleep again, for we danced the night away!
October 27, 2017
Today we began our seven day stretch at sea! Luckily, Rob and I woke up early enough to enjoy our favorite breakfast place, Blu. The French Toast is the best I've ever tasted. Next, we enjoyed coffee until Alan and I went off to the Beyond the Podium history lecture on the Roman Empire! Rob had returned to the room, so I went to the gym and then to the Future Cruise lecture. We had lunch on deck 14, then went back to enjoy time on our balcony. Happy hour with our delicious Spanish nuts, dinner, and then dancing on Deck 3. Tonight's music wasn't too great, but, as always, the people watching was outstanding!
October 28, 2017
We're getting our sea days routine set. We have a wake-up call for 0800 hours since our phones are useless as the ship arbitrarily makes up the six time zones we must readjust to before reaching Fort Lauderdale on Friday. Our breakfasts are always at Blu, where we've chatted with the most interesting folks who seem to be very well traveled. Lunch will be at the Opus Dining Room where today we chatted we a fellow, Peter, from Alberta, who had just completed the James Path walk from France to Spain. It was truly fascinating to listen to him describe this amazing 337 mile trek. We also had some additional excitement on the ship, which we totally missed due to our gladiators lecture. Apparently, a hot water heater erupted on deck three, flooding the grand foyer. The crew and guests quickly began moving the lovely art work that had been set up for the auction. For the remainder of the day, the crew worked on getting the area dry. Our captain has the greatest sense of humor. When questioned about what he does when the ship begins to flood, he responded by saying that he tastes the water. If it is potable, all is good; however, if it is salty, there might be a reason to worry! I spent the afternoon enjoying the glorious sunshine on deck 15, listening to the band, various singers, and a class on line dancing. I smiled when the band played "Red, Red Wine" as it is my favorite cruise song. It was a "chic dress" night which meant a fantastic menu of chateaubriand. We laughed a lot during the "Dancing with the Stars" as various crew members and guests competed. Afterwards. we did a bit of dancing ourselves up on deck 15 - the Sky Lounge.
October 29, 2017
Sea Days are simply the best! Our routine is established and it is beyond relaxing. Luckily, our weather has been gorgeous and the seas very calm. I finished an embroidery panel that I'm working on for a Thanksgiving quilt, so today I've started the final panel. Rob's on his fourth book. Enjoyed our meals, drinks, dancing, and sea day life.
October 30, 2017
Today, an adorable little sea bird performed for quite some time as I relaxed on our balcony. Watching this bird soar into the sky, then dive back into the water for food was simply captivating. I took far too many pictures, but finally narrowed them down to just a few.
Our ship is all decorated for Halloween! It's absolutely incredible to see all the carved pumpkins and cute decorations throughout the ship.
October 31, 2017
Happy 42nd Anniversary to us! We have celebrated our anniversaries all over the world, but never in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on a gorgeous cruise ship. I must admit that this anniversary will always remain a special one.
We treated ourselves to gelato in the afternoon, which was fabulous, especially since the gal made the waffle cones fresh as we ordered. The Stewarts treated us to an awesome dinner in the Murano. Thank you, Teri and Alan! Seeing so many of the passengers dressed in costumes was a delightful treat, which was topped off by a "Monster Bash" dance in the grand foyer. Yep, it was definitely a day to remember!
November 1, 2017
Are you kidding me???? November???? Already?? And true to November's usual weather pattern, it is our first "liquid sunshine" day thus far on our trip. So, it's a great day to catch up on the blog, read, do needlework, and relax!T
November 2, 2017
The last full day of any cruise is always bittersweet, but this cruise seems particularly so. We've loved every moment of our trans-Atlantic crossing. I did manage to finally enjoy a hot dog (for lunch) and the remainder of the day was spent doing all the activities we love on a cruise, EXCEPT for packing to go home. Lots of farewells, and a very special Happy Hour spent with our new cruise friends,
Rico, Sumita, Jorgen, Angelina, Susan, and of course, the Stewarts and us.
November 3, 2017
Easy disembarkation, easy trip to the airport, easy flight...UNTIL, I heard this horrible screech in my left ear, then a very painful "pop" and total deafness. I can't begin to describe my agony. I begged the flight attendant for two Styrofoam cups, hot water, and paper towels, BUT, she couldn't help me because a former passenger had sued Delta when trying to stabilize their ear pressure. So, I dug through my purse, found one Muscinex, which I immediately took, followed by three Advils. I knew that the descent of the flight would be torture, so I immediately began chewing gum....an entire pack. Luckily, the pain was tolerable. Once home, I waited for my hearing to return, which eventually happened in my right ear. The next morning, my pillow had quite a bit of blood, so I surmised that my ear drum had ruptured. Unfortunately, it was the weekend, and no ENTs were available. So, I muddled through until Monday, when Dr. Beaty arranged for Dr. Kim (ENT) to see me. Sadly, she confirmed my self-diagnosis, and treatment began. Steroids, antibiotic ear drops, nasal spray, sinus rinse, and oral antibiotics were my daily ritual. I returned several times to Dr. Kim for what I affectionately called ENTC (ear and nose torture chamber) for about six weeks. NOT the way to end a perfect vacation.
