2015 Ms Rotterdam - Greek Islands. Turkey, Israel, and Italy

Ms Rotterdam Greek Islands Cruise 2015

Thursday 22 October 2015

It was a hectic morning with the final packing and the arrangements prior to leaving for the Cruise. I was ready on time for John (my brother ) to pick me up to take me to the airport.

The check-in procedures went very efficiently and it was not long and I was relaxing in the Qantas Club at the Cairns Domestic Airport for the flight to Brisbane. Then about 20 minutes before our scheduled boarding time we were advised we would be delayed because of a severe storm over Brisbane.

This started the heart thumping as there was only 90 minutes connection time in Brisbane for me to get off the Qantas flight and transfer to the International Terminal to catch the Emirates flight to Dubai.

Well we landed an hour late but fortunately for me there were 19 other passengers to make the connection. Qantas handled it well and we were escorted to the transfer bus and to the International Terminal and then given priority going through the Security and Immigration departure procedures.

Two minutes before the doors closed I was still huffing and puffing as I took my seat on the A380 aircraft for the flight to Dubai.

As usual the service and flight was excellent on the Emirates flight but I must admit the first 2 Gin and Tonics were greatly appreciated and relaxed me for this 14 hour flight.

Friday 23 October 2015

Our early morning pre dawn arrival at 5.30am was on time and the lights of Dubai looked fantastic from the air as we came in.

OMG the Dubai airport is so large but I must admit it is not as frightening now as I have been here about 4 times over the past 18 months. That being said it took me over 45 minutes to get to the departure area for my flight to Venice. 

Fortunately there was an Emirates Business lounge not far from my departure gate so I was able to relax and freshen up in comfort for the next 2 hours before going to the departure lounge.

From the time we boarded the aircraft we spent about an hour on the ground before take off. The 6 hour flight went very well as I got a good sleep.

The arrival at the Marco Polo International Airport Venice was an hour late and the Immigration and customs procedures went very swiftly and in no time I was in a van on the way to my hotel.

Boy oh boy it was great to have a hot shower and change clothes then I caught up on emails as I took advantage of the  hotel’s free Wi-Fi.

I went down to the Bar and dining room  and tried an Italian beer, well lets say I did not want another so I had a couple of ‘Voddos  Zero’ (Vodka and Coke Zero). As I was not that hungry I had a delicious pumpkin soup with great bread and a glass of red wine for dinner.

I was up in my room and in bed by 9.30pm.

Saturday 24 October 2019

Well the out of sync body clock had me up at 2.30am, so this gave me time to make a few Viber calls and start this travel blog for the trip. 

I had a most enjoyable continental brekkie in the hotel dining room. Today was a clear sunny day and the temp was 17C so very comfortable conditions for the cab ride to the ship.

The boarding process went very efficiently and because of my status I was on the ship in no time at all.

I went to the dining room for lunch and then off to a Mariners welcome drinks in the Crows Nest and on the way I was claimed by some of the bar staff that I had met on previous cruises. Manny one of the Barmen escorted me up to the Crows Nest and introduced me to his boss Kenneth the Beverage Manager. What a nice gentlemen Kenneth is, made me feel most welcome and then introduced Papaku to his staff.

After the function I went down to unpack and to be ready for the mandatory lifeboat drill that was held at 5pm.

I had a few drinks at the Crows Nest and was talking to a Pommie chap (Alex) and he agreed to join me for dinner.

The meal was excellent however jetlag and lack of sleep since 2.30am this morning were starting to win over me. I had to excuse myself after the main course as it was a battle to keep my eyes open.

I was in bed and asleep by 9.30pm.

Sunday 25 October 2015

Today is a sea day as he cruised towards Dubrovnik Croatia and we were experiencing very calm seas.

I awoke just after 6am feeling alive and refreshed. I finished the unpacking and got ready for brekkie.

I had a great table for 2 by myself and was entertained by the fussy old farts around me. The service was great and yes I had my croissants with vegemite (Don’t tell other Aussies about this).

The talk on the future ports was very informative and prepared me for the many new ports I will visit.

The pre lunch Bloody Marys went down well in the Lido Bar and then I got some Chicken  for lunch and took it down to the cabin to eat before a 2 hour nanna nap.

I awoke in time for the Happy Hour in the Crows Nest and did the first 30 minutes there and then adjourned down to the OB (Ocean Bar)

Dinner was an enjoyable meal as I had a rack of lamb. There was a beaut English couple seated beside the Papaku table and provided great conversation.

After dinner I adjourned to the OB for a night cap. Kenneth the Beverage manager joined me and I got a photo of him wearing my Wallabies jersey. 

Australia beat Argentina in the semi finals of the World Cup and will now play the Kiwis in the Grand finals.

I called it an early night by being in bed by 11.30 pm.

Monday 26 October 2015

I awoke after a good nights sleep and I think my body clock has adjusted to local time. It was a clear postcard perfect day for our arrival at Dubrovnik.

After brekkie I got organised and took a shuttle bus into the old walled city. 

There is no doubt that this is a very beautiful but historic city. I did a walk through the city and then took a local bus for a ride around the surrounding area.

I caught the shuttle bus back to the port where I visited the many souvenir stalls before going back on board for a late lunch.

After all this exercise I had an enjoyable 2 and a half sleep and I only made it to the last 15 minutes of Happy Hour at the Ocean Bar. The majority of folk at the bar were Aussies or Dutch so there  was lots of laughter and fun.

Oh I nearly forgot to tell you the composition of the guests nationalities.

              Dutch                  423

              Yanks                  386

              Canadians          178

              Poms                   98

              Aussies               84

The rest if the 31 nationalities were represented by small numbers to make up a total number of 1313 guests.

There are 14 Five Star Mariners, 71 four star and 231 three star on board. I even met an Aussie couple that are doing their first cruise.

After dinner I was in the front seat for the Filipino crew show. 

As usual it was a very enjoyable demonstration of national pride.

Tuesday 27 October 2015.

I was up for early brekkie and then up to the top deck of the ship to take advantage of the tremendous views of the city of Sarande Albania perched along the hillside.

Today is a tender port and the beautiful blue sea was as calm as a millpond.  Actually it was one of those days that made me feel it was great to be alive. I will let the photos do the talking as it is very hard for me to put the correct words together to give an accurate description.

I went over to the port in the 15 minute tender ride and proceeded to have a look around this former Communist city. Well what a surprise it was so undeveloped and would be a town planner's nightmare. There was no town centre and the streets and footpaths were badly in need of repair. But I guess this all added to the charm of the place.

Actually it was great to stretch the legs and walk around also the port had very good free WiFi that I took advantage of. I now can tick off Albania from the bucket list of countries visited.

After a few hours ashore I caught the tender back to the ship to have my Bloody Mary and a Chicken Burger for lunch before my nanna nap.

The happy hour at the Ocean Bar was great, actually on this ship I seem to be adopting the OB as my bar more than the Crows Nest.

Alex joined me for dinner and then a night cap in the OB before heading off to bed. 

We had to put the time forward by an hour as tomorrow we will be in Greece.

Wednesday 28 October 2015

It was another great day and perfect weather for the tender ride over to the port of Argostoli Greece. A Costa ship had the wharf so that is why we had to tender.

I purchased a 3 hour local coach tour just after I got off the tender.  

The tour was beaut and most enjoyable as there were folk from the Costa ship as well as the Ms Rotterdam. There were only about 18 on the tour so everyone could spread out.

 

What a place and when you consider the population is only half of what it was before the earthquake of 1954. After the demolition of housing caused by earthquake  over 70% of the population emigrated to Athens, the USA and Australia.

The tour took us to the Katavothres Water Wheels, the Light House and then we visited the Divino Winery for wine tasting. OMG the guy had us try about 11 wines and 2 vinegars which I thought was very generous of him. Some of the old girls were a bit giggly when we got back on the bus.

We then visited St George’s Castle high on the hilltop and later spent time for a coffee break in the village of Kastro. On the return we stopped at the Koutavos Lagoon for a photo opportunity. I was surprised to see so many Aussie Gum trees planted around the sure line.

I made back on board just in time for Happy Hour in the  OB with a few of the Aussie guys.

Alex joined me for a pre-dinner drink and then for dinner. Kenneth the Beverage Manager  joined us for a night cap in the OB.

I think it was about 11.30 by the time I got to bed.

Thursday 29 October 2015

We actually arrived at the port of Katakolon Greece just after midnight as some generator maintenance had to be carried out on the ship.

Brekkie I had in the Dining room at 8.30am as I enjoyed a sleep in this morning. I then went dow to the cabin to update my blog but after about 15 minutes I decided to go back to bed where I had a fantastic 3 hour sleep and woke up at 12.30 pm.

I have been to this port before and had taken the train up to Olympia so this time I thought I would just visit the village of Katakolon.

After lunch I decided to catch the shuttle bus into town for a look around. Well on Greek time I waited for the every 15 minute Shuttle  bus however after an hour and ten minutes I gave up. Sitting in the sunshine was most enjoyable and the time was not wasted. I couldn’t be bothered walking the 20 minutes into the village.

I filled in time downloading photos before I went up to Happy hour in the OB. It was a most enjoyable Happy Hour with the Aussies.

Tonight I went to dinner in the Pinnacle Grill with Kenneth the Beverage Manager. What a charming Host he was and excellent company which ensured a great dining experience.

We went up to the Crows Nest after and listened to the BB King Blues group for a while then I caught up with Alex for a night cap in the OB.

It was after midnight by the time I got to bed.

Friday 30 October 2015

At last it is a sea day as we cruise towards Iraklion Greece. 

I had a light brekkie as I had the Mariner’s Brunch and reception late morning. This function went off very well and I was acknowledged as being the only Platinum Member on board. The table we sat at had heaps of fun and was great company.

My cooking class was cancelled as it seemed I was the only participant so I decided to have a big afternoon nanna nap before going up to Happy hour.

OMG the news that greeted me that because of the troubles in Turkey , HAL had cancelled the visit to Istanbul for safety reasons. Rhodes and Nafplion both Greek ports have been substituted. Many folk were very hostile and complaining and gave the Captain and officers a hard time. As I have said on many previous cruises in the interests of safety, although I also am disappointed for missing a port I always support the decision of the Captain and the Company as I appreciate them not wanting to endanger my life.

After dinner the pub crawl was held and that was heaps of fun as we tried different drinks as we made our way around 4 of the bars.

I ended up having a bit of a late night and it was just after 1am by the time I made it to bed.

Saturday 31 October 2015

I was a bit slow in starting after the big night and only had a light brekkie before going off for the day in Iraklion Crete. Alex joined me and we took the Hop on hop off bus for a tour to see the sights. We were up the top of the bus when a light shower of rain fell, so I got out my little Hong Kong fold up umbrella to keep us dry. It must have been a sight as the breeze as we drove along the umbrella turned inside out.

I was very impressed with the tour and the points of interest as we went along. We stopped off at Knossos the ruins of a very large castle dating back to 1700 years BC. Its labyrinth was believed to be the birthday of the Minotaur – half man, half bull creature – that was born to the Queen of King Minos.

We spent a few hours there touring the large site and then found a great Coffee shop to rest our very tired legs and try some local food.

We returned to the to the hop on bus for the trip and the remainder of the tour as we headed back to the port.

After a hot shower it was off to Happy Hour in my Wallabies jersey as we were playing the Kiwis in the final of the Rugby World Cup. Because of satellite problems we were unable to watch the game and had to rely on the BBC news headlines to get the score.

As it was Halloween I got dressed up as a Vampire for the evening and dinner. It was a fun night.

We learnt the final score of the RWC and that the Kiwis had a big win over us which was not a surprise.  The bar staff handed me heaps of tissues to dry up my tears.

I made it to bed by 11.30pm.

Sunday 1 Nov 2015

The view was great looking at the buildings up on the cliff changing colours from Gold to White as the sun came up over Santorini.

I seemed to be the expert in our area of the breakfast dining room as I seemed to be the only one that had been there before.

What a bonus of a day it was as we were the only cruise ship there today, so it was a very pleasant visit without the crowds.

After taking the tender over I than caught the cable car up to the top; The views were fantastic on the ride up the cliff.

I had a good look around then found a beaut café for a coffee and the catch-up on the wifi.I did a little shopping before heading back the tender transfer  to the ship.

I had a late lunch of pizza and Bloody Mary before having my nanna nap.

 I had some computer problems because of the internet connection and couldn’t send any emails so I gave up in frustration and went up to Happy Hour.

Hay great news my new best friend Kenneth the Beverage Manager has been able to obtain for me Guinness in the cans with the widgets. So I now have a couple of Guinness each afternoon at happy hour. As most of you know I don’t like bottled Guinness and to have the genuine canned in Dublin Guinness is a bonus.

Dinner with the couple from New Jersey (David and Mary) and Alex was the usual fun time an of course we were the last to leave the Dining room.

I called it an early night after a night cap and was in bed by 11.30 pm.

Monday 2 November 2015

Today we arrived in the Turkish Port of Kusadasi Turkey to discover the Ms Prinsendam was also berthed on the adjoining wharf.

I caught up with emails and Face Book and then had a leisurely brekkie in the dining room.

The boys from the OB had arranged to meet me at 11 am to go to town and have some lunch. I always feel protected and safe with my ‘body guards’ escorting me through the busy streets. They were more surprised than me when they heard folk yelling ‘Papaku Papaku’ from across the street.It was some of the crew from the Ms Prinsendam so we went over to say G’Day to them.

Kusadasi is a very clean, friendly and tidy city and the shopping is fantastic. I even bought a new pair of shoes. Weather I got a bargain or not will remain to be seen.

Six of the bar staff joined me for lunch at a Chinese restaurant for a very delightful meal. Wow those guys can eat and are poetry in motion watching them enjoy the meal.

I came back with them to the ship and then got ready to do a tour of the Ms Prinsendam which was a great excuse to catch up with my friends on board her. I was made most welcome as I did my own Papaku tour catching up with as many of my Prinsendam friends as I could.

On my return to the Ms Rotterdam I was late for Happy Hour but enjoyed my Guinness before getting ready for dinner.

After all the excitement of the day I only had one night cap after dinner and retired for the night at 11 pm. Tonight we have to put the clock back an hour as we go back to Greek time.

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Well in Oz it is Melbourne Cup Day today and it was strange to here the results at 6am in the morning (Because of the time differences).  Wow the first woman jockey to win the cup.

Anyhow back to Greece and today I visit Rhodes for the first time.

It was a tender transfer to the port on another perfect sunny Greek day. Alax came with me today and we got non the Hop on Hop off bus for a tour of the city and surrounds before entering the old city to walk around.

What a fantastic place full of history and with the perfect weather adding to this enjoyable adventure. We checked out a coffee shop and before returning to the tender found a nice garden bar and tried the local beer.

We made it back to the ship just in time for Happy hour and then I had to get ready to go to the Pinnacle Grill for dinner. I hate to say this but on this ship the Pinnacle Grill has no atmosphere and in not an inviting or friendly place to dine.

I called it an early night and was in bed by 10.30 pm.

Wednesday 4 November 2015

Alex and I were joined at Brekkie by David and Mary in order to coordinate our sight seeing for our visit today to Nafplion Greece.

As it was a tender transfer we went over to the port just after 10 am where we hired a taxi to take us out to visit the Ancient Corinth archaeological site which is dominated by the Archaic temple of Apollo.

The city of the ancient Corinth grew up on the northern slopes of the hill of Akrokorinthos, which acted as the fortified citadel of the ancient and medieval cities. The site was occupied continuously from the Neolithic period to the Middle Ages.

We were very lucky to have David with us as he is a Professor of Ancient History and explained the history and gave us a commentary of the site.

We also visited the Museum on the site before then driving  over to Mycenae which was the main centre of the Mycenaean world and gave its name to a period and a civilisation that evolved throughout the entire Greek world between the 16^th and 12^th century BC.

We returned back to the ship and had a late lunch about 3.30 pm after a most educational and enjoyable day.

After Happy hour there were free drinks with an open bar for an hour to make up for us missing out on the visit to Istanbul.  OMG The bar was crowded by the usually non drinker folk when the have to pay but with free drinks they pushed and shoved to order the top shelf drinks.

As usual we were the last to leave the dining room.

After a night cap I got to bed about 11.00 pm.

Thursday 5 November 2015

Because of the Greek Marine Pilot’s strike we had to anchor off the coast of Mykonos so that meant tender transfers again.

David and Mary joined Alex and I for Brekkie. Shock and horror the ship has run out of Vegemite.

We went over to the port on the tender and then were transferred by shuttle bus to the town. It was a lot cooler today and with a bit of a strong breeze but a sunny cloudless day. All the white buildings with the blue trims added to the postcard perfect ambiance of the day.

It was just beaut to walk along the sea front and I was amazed by the crystal clear blue water .

We found a great little beach front restaurant to have coffee and Baklava as we used their very fast wifi.

It was about 3.30 pm by the time we were back on the ship so it was up to the Lido to the Dive In to get a chicken burger.

After happy hour it was down to get ready for the formal night and I had a VIP cocktail party to go to in the Crows Nest before dinner.

This was the first chance to have a chat with Hotel Manager Bart Groeneveld who was very friendly  as we talked about the various officers and ships we had both sailed with.

 Dinner was a fun time as David and Mary joined us and of course we were the last to leave the dining room. It was David’s birthday so I arranged for the boys to sing to him.

Alex and I finished off the night with a night cap or 2 in the OB.

Friday 6 November 2015

Oh the luxury of arriving at a dock after  our last few ports of tender transfers, and may I say what a clean and tidy port it was with a new cruise terminal.

Alex, Mary, David and I met up for brekkie to plan our day in Athens. We set off to catch the Yellow Hop on Hop off bus.

I was very impressed with Athens by how clean and modern it is. Before coming away all we saw on the TV news was the problems the Greeks were having with the Euro, elections and other financial issues. I think I was expecting to see folk begging in the streets of a dirty grotty city.

We made our way to the Acropolis for our first stop to climb up the hill to explore the remains of many buildings dating back to the 4^th century BC.   

Having a Professor of Ancient History with us and explaining the site and the history of it was a fantastic bonus. I will let the photos do the talking of this bucket list site.

After a few hours at the Acropolis we headed by foot into town and found a beaut sidewalk restaurant for lunch.  What a fantastic experience and my calamari was excellent.

We then resumed the Yellow bus for the city sights tour of this beautiful city. OMG in the late afternoon the traffic was hectic and slow.

It was well after 6 pm and dark by the time we were back on the ship. A quick drink in the OB was a great bonus to finish up a excellent day.

Tonight Alex and I went to the Pinnacle Grill for dinner, Oh what a change in attitude compared with my last visit. Even the serious undertaker like manager tried to smile and welcomed us there. The service by the drink and food staff was excellent as well as the food. Kenneth the Beverage Manager came in to join us for sweets and coffee at the end of the meal.

We adjourned to the OB for farewell drinks as Alex was leaving the ship tomorrow. It is always sad when you have to say goodbye to folk when they get off and you are staying on.

I call it a night just after midnight.

Saturday 7 November 2015

I met up with Alex for his last brekkie in the dining room and we also caught up with David and Mary before they left the ship. 

So I now have to make new friends,  as there will be a big change over of guests today.

By mid morning I was on the Yellow bus again as my ticket was also valid for today. I did the city sights again and I was a little cooler today compared with yesterday. 

The skies were clear and very blue and perfect weather for taking photos of this beautiful city.

I returned back to the ship just before 3 pm and was rounded up by Kenneth to go to a Mariners welcome on board drinks in the Crows Nest.

I had my ‘Papaku Masarap Chicken Berger’ for a late lunch at the Lido bar before adjourning to the OB for Happy hour. Ian and Laura from Brisbane joined me for drinks and then we arranged to meet for dinner in the dining room.

It was a beaut meal and the company excellent.

I adjourned to the OB for a night cap, and guess what? I only had an iced water.

It was good to get an early night and in bed before 11 pm.

Sunday 8 November 2015

Today we will be in port until 5pm this arvo so I plan to have a restful day as there is a marathon in the city and many of the streets will be closed off so the bus services will be suspended until about 1pm.

I had brekkie in the dining room before coming back to the cabin to get this blog up to date and the photos down loaded. It seemed strange to have brekkie alone as for the past 12 days I had my Pommie Mate Alex join me at the Papaku table.

I got from the office the break down of the nationalities on board and was surprised to see the Yanks now outnumber the Dutch and the Aussies beat the Poms.

Yanks                  514

Dutch                  376

Canadians          152

Aussies                              62

Poms                   37

Belgium              21

All the other nations had less than 20 and most of them less than 5 persons

The Mariner status:- 5 Star 16, 4 Star 97 and 3 Star 233. The rest were one and two stars.

I will only leave the ship to go over to the terminal to use the wifi later today.

Ian and Laura joined me for the Happy hour and they joined me for a fun filled dinner in the Canaletto.

Monday 9 November 2015

We had already docked in Kusadasi when I woke up so after getting ready I did brekkie and was surprised to find a jar of vegemite on the table. The vegemite was  sent compliments of Laura and Ian from their own private stock.

I met up with the boys and girls after their drill to go to lunch. The kids were treating Papaku to lunch. Manny and Alex had gone ahead to buy the fish, prawns and other items from the markets. 

They had arranged with a seafood restaurant to use their kitchen so that Alex could  cook the meal.

WOW what a fantastic Filipino meal we had and the 12 of us enjoyed every bite of it. It is always a privilege and honour to go out with the ‘kids’ and  be so accepted as part of their family and have a meal. I will let the photos of the meal do the talking.

After the meal most of them had to return to ship for their duties. Dexter had a late start so he was delegated to look after Papaku and make sure I didn’t get lost. We did the shops and as it was the end of the season the sales were fantastic as after we leave there will be no cruise ships in until next year.

So 4 new Polo shirts later we returned to the ship.

I was joined by Laura and Ian for happy hour and had my own company at the Papaku table for dinner. 

A Spanish Coffee was my night cap and I had an early night by being in bed by 10.30 pm.

Tuesday 10 November 2015

Today we arrived at Marmaris Turkey which is often referred to as the Turkish Riviera. Marmaris lies where the Aegean and the Mediterranean Seas meet. It is surrounded by hills and has one of the largest natural harbours in the world.

OMG you should have seen the expensive boats in the marina.  Went ashore with Laura and Ian and took a taxi into the city. What a great and friendly place.

We have been so lucky with the end of season sales and with out the crowds. We found a nice harbour front seafood restaurant where we had a feast.  I even tried some BBQed Octopus, oh what a relaxing place to eat and have some local wine.

We walked back to the ship along the Harbour front enjoying the views, shops and the boats. 

When we got back to the marina I tried to withdraw 150 euro from the ATM. Shock and horror the receipt and my card came out but no cash. A man tried to help me and rang the bank to report it. I tried again and out came the 150 euro. So now the million dollar question is has my account been reduced once or twice as I have 2 receipts?  So now I have to check the bank balances on the net and it may be a few days before it shows up on the account.

I made it back in time for happy hour and then went down to get ready for the evening. As I was not very hungry after the big lunch I decided to have a club sandwich from room service.

I stayed up for the Filipino Crew show so I didn’t get to bed until after midnight.

Wednesday 11 November 2015 (Remembrance Day)

Today we have the luxury of a sea day as we cruise to Haifa, Israel.

I had an easy morning catching up on sleep and emails before going to the 11 am service for Remembrance Day. I then went up to the Lido for a bloody Mary and lunch.

 OMG would you believe a heap of new folk on board had taken over the Papaku bar stool at the Bar. I didn’t sulk I just moved over to a table with Ian and Laura and had my lunch there.

At 2 pm we went to a wine tasting in the dining room. Jason the Cellar Master did an excellent job and certainly knew his wines.

Then it was off to Happy Hour where I took a box of Baklava up to the kids to share.

Tonight is a formal night but we decided to have Pizza on the aft Lido deck with a bottle of French red wine which was great. I wore my 17 year old black leather jacket that has only been worn about 5 times. (Well there is not much use for leather jackets living in Tropical Cairns.)

After a Spanish coffee for a night cap in the OB I was off to bed at 10pm.

Thursday 12 November 2015

I had a bit of a sleep in and then went up to have a leisurely brekkie as we had not planned to go out until 11 am to explore the port city of Haifa Israel.

I met up with Ian and Laura and we left the ship to have to go through security which was very unfriendly (a bit like the USA when Bush was President). After leaving the terminal we got in a taxi to go into the town centre with a very unfriendly taxi driver who dropped us off in the slum area and charged us 20 euro for a 5 minute drive.

Well this slum old part of town was dirty with rubbish everywhere and certainly not what I was expecting in Israel. So by now we were not impressed at all. Ian got out his GPS map on his i-pad and we then walked to where the taxi was to drop us off.

This was vast improvement but still a bit grubby so we found a nice outdoor restaurant in the German part of town.   After a beer we then ordered a light lunch and we started to like the place a bit more. 

The meal was excellent and the service was good however it was not very friendly.

We then walked around and got a taxi back to the ship which was half the price of the first taxi.

We made it back in time for Happy hour and then I had to get ready to go to dinner with Kenneth the Beverage Manager at the Canaletto. As usual he was great company and a perfect host.

I went down after the meal for a night cap and was in bed by 10pm as tomorrow I have a 10 hour day tour to Jerusalem.

Friday 13 November 2015

Breakfast was delivered to my cabin at 5.50 am in order for me to get organised for the day tour to Jerusalem.

Ian, Laura and I  arranged to be on bus 9 as Dexter from the OB had got himself a tour escort gig for the day.

Jerusalem is the holy city to the three major Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam and a pilgrimage destination for the faithful.

Our first was a visit to the church of John the Baptist, a Franciscan  church built on the site of the the sacred grotto traditionally known as the birthplace of John the Baptist.

We continued on through the farm lands  and the new neighbourhoods of Jerusalem to see the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) and then on to Mount Scopus for great views of the city and the Judean desert.

We had lunch at Rabat Rachel before going to a view point of Bethlehem. As we had a Jewish driver and tour guide we were not allowed to go into Bethlehem because of the troubles.

Then down to the Old City on Mount Zion to visit the tomb of King David, the room of the last super. 







We then entered through the Zion Gate and walked among the walls through the Armenian quarter to the Christian quarter to visit the church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Then on to the Jewish quarter and the Wailing Wall at dusk, OMG this was an experience. For this long 10 hour tour I will let the photos do the talking.

For me seeing the tomb of Christ and all the religions getting on together was the highlight of the tour.

We got back to the ship just after 7 pm so I went to the OB for a quick drink before going down to freshen up with a nice hot shower.

Laura, Ian and I had a room service Club sandwich in the OB and after a night cap I was pleased to get to bed just after 10.30 pm.

Well to sum up Israel, I can now say I have been here and done that. It was not what I expected.

Saturday 14 November 2015

Francis an Aussie entertainer from Darwin joined me for brekkie at the Papaku table. What an interesting bloke as he has played for the Queen, the Pope and The President of the USA while they visited Downunder.

He joined me to go ashore and explore Larnaca, Cyprus. It was beaut to return to a clean and tidy city on the beachfront. We walked along the esplanade and found a beach bar so we tried the local beer and caught up on the wifi.

 I had the calamari and Francis had the Octopus and we had some more local beer. Kenneth the Ship’s Bar Manager joined us for a beer.

We visited the castle fort and then found a great place to have lunch. 

We got back to the ship just in time to get the second half of Happy Hour. What a fun time was had in the Aussie corner of the OB.

Francis joined me for dinner in the dining room and then we had a night cap in the OB before popping into the showroom to check out Shirley Dominguez playing her Harp. What a beaut show she put on and her rendition of Don’t Cry for Me Argentina was simply magic.

I called it a night just after 11 pm.

Sunday 15 November 2015

Today is a sea day as we cruise towards Rhodes on a very calm sea and a pleasant temp of 23C.

I had brekkie in the dining room with Francis before adjourning to the cabin to catch up the blog and check emails etc.

At lunch time I had a Bloody Mary and my papaku Masarap chicken burger and was joined at the lido bar by Francis and Kenneth.

I took the advantage of the sea day to have a nanna nap before I met up with the gang at the OB happy Hour.

It is formal wear for tonight so I got dressed up and went to dinner with Francis. After dinner I went to the theatre to watch Voce. This group is made up of 4 young ladies who are international soloists and provided a beaut show of opera, pop and everything between.

I called it an early night and was in bed before 11pm.

Monday 16 November 2015

Francis joined me for a light brekkie before I went on the morning half day tour of Rhodes. This visit to Rhodes we were able to dock as the marine pilots strike is over.

It was a very enjoyable tour through the countryside and as the holiday season is over for the year we had most of the roads and villages to ourselves. 

We visited the town of Lindos thirty miles away from the port. The town is on the coast however the bus could not go down the little road from the main road up on the hill. Well going down was ok but my concerns were about the climb up would be a challenge.

After having a walk around and finding a great coffee shop with free wifi I thought I better start on the climb up the hill as I didn’t want to hold up the bus. I got up the first 50 metres and was puffing and panting and thought OMG I don’t think I will make it. I decided to hitch a ride up and pulled over a farmer in his van and got a ride up.

We visited a pottery place and saw a demonstration of a vase being made then it was back to the port. Rhodes is a beautiful island and it would be a great place to return to for a holiday one day.

After lunch I had a big nana nap and was late for Happy Hour so was greeted with cheers from the regulars.

Francis had dinner with me in the dining room and he informed me he had been advised his show will be tomorrow evening. I only had a quick nightcap in the OB and was in bed before 10.30pm.

Tuesday 17 November 2015

I had brekkie in the dining room before coming back to my cabin to catch up on the paperwork and emails etc.

I met up with Francis at 10 am to go ashore and explore the town of Iraklion Crete. Last time I was here it was raining and I went with Alex on the Hop on Hop off bus so today it was fine and we just got a cab to the town centre and then went exploring.

After a little bit of shopping (yes another couple of t-shirts) we found a beaut sidewalk coffee shop with great coffee and good wifi.

After a few hours we headed back to catch a cab and return to the ship.

Yes you guessed it, I had a papaku masarap chicken burger and a bloody Mary for late lunch and then had a well earnt nanna nap.

Bert the Hotel Director met me to advise he had arranged for me to go on board the Ms Maasdam to visit friends and crew in Civitavecchia before going to the airport in Rome on Saturday. The Maasdam will be also in port as part of her Voyage of the Vikings cruise.

I went to dinner with Ian and Laura in the dining room before going to see Francis on stage in his show .

What a fantastic show Francis Diatschenko put on for our entertainment. This Internationally renowned Aussie Guitarist had the crowd spellbound by his musical skills and received an outstanding standing ovation. 

No wonder he had been required to play for the Pope, the Queen and other VIPs like President Obama and various Prime Ministers when they visited Australia. 

What a privilege to have seen this concert and over the past week become a friend of this great young man.

Francis’s show was followed by the Indonesian crew show. This was another beaut demonstration of national pride by these talented staff.

Laura and I joined Francis in the OB for a night cap before calling it a night about 12.30 am.

Wednesday 18 November 2015

Today is a sea day as we sail towards Messina Italy.

I did brekkie with Francis and I gave some of the photos I took in his show last night. I had an easy morning doing some packing and getting laundry ready.

I allowed PB out of the cabin to go to brekkie and catch up with some new and Old friends for a few hours today.

This morning my cooking class was on which was heaps of fun .Then the eight of us went to the Pinnacle Grill to try the food we cooked.

 

 Of course the food we sampled was cooked by the chef.

Tonight we are not getting dressed up for dinner and will have Pizzas out on the aft deck of the Lido.

They were washing down the deck so we had to adjourn to the Lido inside to have our Pizzas. It was a great night and even Kenneth joined us for a while.

I called it an early night and was in bed before 10pm. Tonight we have to put the time back by an hour as we sail towards Sicily Italy.

Thursday 19 November 2015

I met Francis for brekkie at 7.30am after a beaut nights sleep. For the first half hour we just about had the dining room to ourselves. I guess because as we don’t arrive at Messina until 10 am many folk have decided to have a sleep in this morning.

Big changes announced today because the weather forecast for arrival in Rome is not looking good and could be dangerous, we are now missing Naples and going direct to Rome.

For me this is great because they have arranged for me to visit the Maasdam tomorrow afternoon and will go to the airport after the tour on Saturday from this ship.

Mid morning I met up with Francis and we went into town for a walk around and do some wifi. Today was a dull and overcast day so the jacket has to be worn. There was no rain so that was a bonus. We tried some of the local beer at a little sidewalk and it went down well so we had another.

The majority of the shops closed up for siesta about mid day so most of the blokes were happy as the women couldn’t do much shopping.

We returned to the ship about mid arvo and yes, you guessed it, we had chicken burgers for late lunch.

I didn’t get time for a nanna nap before Happy hour.

Tonight the Aussies (Ian, Laura, Francis and I) were joined by Kenneth the Beverage Manager and went to the Canaletto for dinner. The meal and the service was great after we got in past the scarecrow manager.

 A big story but I think he is the wrong person for this job and in my opinion is driving people away. The place was empty except for about 3 other couples. When we arrived I told him our booking for 3 had now increased to 5. He told me he couldn’t fit us in. I stood my ground and he let us in and gave us an empty table for six. His attitude and behaviour was like something out of Fawlty Towers.

Francis and I after the meal adjourned to the OB for a night cap and I was in bed by 11.30.

Friday20 November 2015

I woke and started packing before going to brekkie as this is the last day of the cruise as we cruise towards Rome.

I finished the packing after the laundry was returned before going up to meet Francis to go ashore.

At this stage it looks like the Maasdam will not be in port until 9.30 tonight so I have decided not to go over to visit at that time of night.

We went exploring the port city and found a great pizza place to have a local beer and pizza.  

After a few hours ashore and heaps of walking we returned to the ship for the final packing. 

I missed happy hour so just called in to the OB for a quick drink and to say G’Bye to a few folk.

I went to the last supper with Francis and while having dinner we watched the Ms Maasdam dock at an adjacent wharf.

 Then down to the OB to say Goodbye to the staff and was surprised to be served up a cake and be given gifts from the bar team.

I called it an early night as I wanted to get the bags out into the hallway after the final packing.

I was in bed by 11.30


Saturday 21 November 2015

I had my last Brekkie with Francis and after our goodbyes I went down to the cabin to get my hand luggage and leave the ship.

At no time at all I was sitting on the coach going direct to the airport. Shock and horror I was meant to be doing a tour before going to the Airport. Well there was a stuff up and they had issued me with the wrong ticket. At this late stage there was nothing I could do about it so I went direct to the Airport.

As I couldn't check in my luggage until 5pm I had to sit in the public area with my luggage from 9.45 am until 5 pm. 

What a long day and then when I finally could check in I was not able to use the Emirates Lounge as it had burnt down some months before. At least I didn't have to mind all the luggage any more.

What a bonus to find when I got on the flight I had 3 seats to myself. The flight from Rome to Dubai was only half full.

As usual the Emirates service was excellent and a very restful flight.

Sunday 22 November 2015

Our pre dawn arrival in dubai was handled very efficiently and in no time I was in the Emirates Business lounge relaxing and refreshing for the long 15 hour flight to Sydney.

I was pleased we could enter the flight directly from the lounge and did not have to go down to the public areas.

I had my favourite A380 Qantas economy seat (48A) an exit aisle and the first row of economy so heaps of legroom and no one was in 48B.

The Capt advised there were so maintenance issues he wanted fixed before we could take off. 

We finally took off 2 hours late which stuffed up our connections when we arrived in Sydney.

The service and meals were good but nowhere up to the standard of Emirates.


Monday 23 November 2015

Our dawn arrival in Sydney was very efficient and it was beaut to be able call the officers Mate. 

At no time I was on the shuttle bus from the International Terminal to the Domestic flight. I checked into the Qantas Club but did not have time to have a shower so just settled for a shave and cleaning my teeth.

It was a full flight home from Sydney and I slept most of the way.

 The lunch was served in a cardboard box.


I arrived just after midday and was Met by my friend Steve who drove me home via the supermarket to get some basic supplies.

What a fantastic holiday and in case you didn't guess I just loved the Greek Islands and Turkey.