TravelBlog » shiplorian

shiplorian - Robert Pelletier

I'm a 64 (mentally 34) year old single guy with a horrible addiction to travel. I start planning the next trip before I even leave on the current one!!! I think it really is a sickness!!! I started traveling at 13. I had to slow down a bit while in the military and working, but since I took retirement, I've really taken off. Besides, who wants to stay in south Florida during the hot, humid summer months. Long story short...I've been to the 7 continents and my goal is to join the Century Club...which is for folks who have been to 100 countries. So far, I'm up to 84 countries.

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Joined on: May 9th 2006
Last Login: May 28th 2008

Blog Entries: 43
Photos: 80

TB Code: [blogger=16731]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by shiplorian, order by Date newest first.

By shiplorian
May 28th 2008

Hauptstadt Berlin

Europe » Germany » District of Berlin » Berlin

OK, you read all the trauma and drama of the Norwegian “sceneryathon” so this will seem a bit anticlimactic. Our flight to Berlin actually arrived early at Schoenefeld Airport - the former main airport of the DDR (Deutsch Democratik Republic) and now home to a slew of discount airlines. A bus and cab combination got us in front of the building where I had rented an apartment. We were a half hour early for the meeting time, so we waited outside….and we waited….waited past our 1:00 PM meeting…and waited even more. I asked a guy who was sitting on his balcony [View Full Entry]

By shiplorian
May 22nd 2008

A Norwegian Sceneryathon

Europe » Norway » Østlandet » Oslo

On the 22nd of May at 6:45 AM, Dick and I started what can only be described as a “sceneryathon”. It involved….(and read this slowly for the full impact) taking a taxi to a train, to another train, to a boat, to a bus, to a train, to another train, to yet another train, would you believe another train and finally to a plane…..all in 26 hours! It is officially called “Norway in a Nutshell” but it was more like shear insanity. As we walked around the Oslo train station supermarket looking to fill our travel larder, we ran into our [View Full Entry]

By shiplorian
May 20th 2008

<OFF THE SHIP

Europe » Norway » Østlandet » Oslo

GREETINGS FROM <OSLO, the jpriciest city in the world. The free3 internet at the neighborhood library is a good place to catch up. <i think <i left off with the <lisbon stop, so <i will start there. We found the restaurant we went to last year, but it had become pricy <italian, so we walked around a bit then took a city tram back to the ship. So much for <lisbon. At our next port, Vigo, Dick decided he dis not want to go to Santiago de Compostela and seemingly within seconds, I met up with Will and Adrienne who were [View Full Entry]

By shiplorian
May 10th 2008

SAILING WITH 3000 OF MY CLOSEST PERSONAL FRIENDS

Europe » Portugal » Azores

ENROUTE TO PONTA DELGADA, THE AZORES I’m sitting in the Piazza, the central core of the CROWN PRINCESS. They have just come round and passed out chocolate cookies and milk to everyone sitting here. Yum. My traveling buddy, Dick Burns is seeing what is on offer at the Trident Grill. So far, its been a very smooth crossing….but then when the ship is 950 feet long and 133,000 tons it takes a pretty rough sea to move this thing around. The food and the service has been excellent but the ship just seems too big to me. And too many people. [View Full Entry]

By shiplorian
April 20th 2008

Time for the Spring trip !!!!

North America » United States » Florida » Fort Lauderdale

CROWN PRINCESS
That great price was for an inside cabin...not one of the gazilion with a balcony.

Spring is here....la, la, la which means its time for the annual Spring trip. I'll be going again with my friend Dick Burns (we did the Atlantic crossing on PRINSENDAM, then Lisbon last May), I really thought I'd skip it this year seeing as I was on QE2 in January, but the price offered by Princess Cruises for 15 days from Ft. Lauderdale to Copenhagen was simply too good to pass up. We leave from Ft. Lauderdale on 05 May aboard CROWN PRINCESS. With some 3,000 passengers, it is a much larger ship than I would like, but everyone assures me [View Full Entry]

By shiplorian
January 15th 2008

THE LAST FAREWELL

North America » United States » New York » New York

boullion
Tradition lsays hot beef buillion at 11 AM

THE LAST FAREWELL Like all passenger ship nuts, I’ve been on this QE2 trip for a reason. The ship has been sold to the government of Dubai for delivery in November to become a hotel/conference center and tourist sight. Most of her 2008 sailings are on wait list, so those of us who believe a ship has a soul must find a time and place to say goodbye. Yes, I could have waited to wave goodbye when she leaves Port Everglades on April 10th for the last time, but sailing aboard for 10 days has been far more satisfying. In service [View Full Entry]

By shiplorian
January 14th 2008

NEW YORK AND THE 3 QUEENS

North America » United States » New York » New York

ME AND THE CAPTAIN
Getting all my ship stuff signed by the Captain

NEW YORK AND THE 3 QUEENS Today, Monday, almost seems like I’m on the first of a couple bonus days on the QE2. Once we arrived in New York yesterday morning, about 600 passengers got off the ship as it was the end of the transatlantic voyage. This included most of the dyed-in-the wool ship buffs of which my 3 table mates were a part. On Saturday night, we were lamenting the fact that cutbacks seem to be quite evident. Where was the caviar the last 7 days? We haven’t seen escargot and the only lobster had been a few odd [View Full Entry]

By shiplorian
January 11th 2008

LUGGAGE HIGHS AND LOWS

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Hampshire » Southampton

GLORIOUS FOOD

LUGGAGE HIGHS AND LOWS This morning was one of those days of euphoric highs and disgusted lows. The cabin steward woke me up at the regular hour of 8 AM with my juice, coffee and croissant and after watching the morning TV and getting myself together (which means which borrowed clothes do I wear today), I went up to breakfast in the dining room and told the waiter to bring me a “full English breakfast”. This consists of 2 fried eggs, English bacon, a Wiltshire sausage, baked beans, mushrooms, a fried tomatoe, home fries and toast. Yummers !!!!!!! When I got [View Full Entry]

By shiplorian
January 9th 2008

Almost half way

Europe » United Kingdom » England

smooth seas
we are a lot smoother than our tandem sailing mate!

Good morning all........................... The seas have calmed quite a bit and the QE2 rides like a surfboard......feels a lot smoother than the ship thatis about 1/8 of a mile off our port side. It is a constant joke on here that we have to slow down to keep up. Thereis also a rumor tht there isw a bit of broken crokery aboard the Queen Victoria!!!! I'm finding that blaming everything on the lost luggage works quite well, tho I haven't heard anything from the PUrser's Office about it being found. Gonna try and attach a couple pics with this then I [View Full Entry]

By shiplorian
January 7th 2008

At sea in borrowed clothes

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Hampshire » Southampton

Oh dear….what a terrible situation!!!!! The cabin steward appeared promptly at 8 AM and place some OJ, coffee and a couple breakfast rolls on the dresser in my little sitting area, so I relaxed thinking of how to attack my situation. After some fresh fruit and another coffee in the Lido, I went to the Pursers Office to fax the British Airways baggage claim form. That was when they realized the extent of my predicament and pulled out all stops. First, they sent me to the on-board shops where one could rent a tuxedo. In my case, however, they loaned me [View Full Entry]

TravelBlog » shiplorian

shiplorian | Robert Pelletier | Travel Blog

shiplorian - Robert Pelletier

Blogs & Travel Journals

Hauptstadt Berlin

A Norwegian Sceneryathon

<OFF THE SHIP

SAILING WITH 3000 OF MY CLOSEST PERSONAL FRIENDS

Time for the Spring trip !!!!

THE LAST FAREWELL

NEW YORK AND THE 3 QUEENS

LUGGAGE HIGHS AND LOWS

Almost half way

At sea in borrowed clothes