The end of the cruise

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Santorini by Michelle

What an amazing island! We were tethered in the port so had a leisurely breakfast then caught the ferry boat onto the island. Santorini is an incredibly beautiful island with the buildings set up high in hills. Hard to describe but the classic Greece ‘whitestone buildings with blue accents’ prints show it perfectly. It is actually a volcanic mountain so you choose one of three ways up. 1) Walk up steep terrain for approx 45 minutes 2) Steep but fast gondola to the top 3) Donkey ride to the top. Mike will cover off his option but Jake and I chose the gondola. Three minutes flat to go up a very long way! As we approach each ridge it feels like we are about to hit the rock walls but thankfully they have carved a ‘gondola’ space in each one so no contact is made! How special is it once we are there! Beautiful whitewash buildings sprinkled with accents of blues, pinks, oranges etc. I’m repeating myself but can’t help but fall in love with one of the most beautiful places/landscapes I have ever hoped to see. We have many drink stops (functional water ones due to the heat rather than let’s have a beer ones!). We shop a little and purchase Santorini prints as well as Santorini lava stone owls with blue eyes (blue eyed owls are very good luck in the Med). We also happen upon a boutique shop that promotes a sign saying “don’t waste water drink wine”. I think of several friends and take a photo before we are led inside to taste, taste, taste! Jacob who is encouraged to join us, “this is Greece of course he should drink!” decides that he quite likes dessert wine and we decide we quite like their olive oils and balsamic! After a rather large purchase being sent back to NZ for us we leave and explore the rest of the island.



Donkey Kong by Mike

So we had been told about the one dollar donkeys before and it sounded like fun. Then as we are in the boat approaching the island you see how huge and steep the ascent is! The price has gone up to €5 but it was comforting to know I was fully insured – NOT. There is a winding path and about 600 steps to get to the top and a donkey was carefully chosen for me and I head up a group of 5 with 2 men and 2 women. The start is hesitant – I think I’m too heavy – a few steps, stop, a few more, stop. It is quickly apparent I am not in control of proceedings. I let out a feeble giddyup but the animal is greek – he doesn’t understand. He starts to pick up the pace, I hear the two guys behind – they are keen to get things moving so there are a few yeehahs and hurry up’s. They overtake the women behind and come up to second behind me. The donkey behind tries to overtake but my stubborn mule won’t let him! Every time he speeds up and cuts the other donkey off. Even to the point of running straight up to the rail/ bannister and blocking him. This does not go down with me. My knuckles start to turn white. Some will know I am not good with equines and geese so I am starting to worry. Apart from treating the climb like the Hamilton400 my donkey also starts ducking for shade on the steep side of the path. Just as I was contemplating a dismount we get to the top. What a ride! Of course I am now invincible but my loving family do not buy this bravado.

Further to my journey, I discover that there is a local brewery making Donkey Beer, so I hunt down a shop and have a Yellow Donkey to celebrate. Yammas!

Chef’s Table by Mike

In a moment of love and drunkenness I had agreed to buy a place at the Chefs Table on the Cruise going out of Santorini.

Michelle and I leave Jake to his own devices and go to the Ocean Liners Restaurant where we and four other couples meet the senior management of the boat and the Executive Chef and Sommelier. We are taken into the Cellar Room for some champagne and canapés. Over 1600 wines there. I am getting thirsty and hungry. We are then walked through the restaurant and into the galley. We are right in the middle of service for the 2000 guests. It is chaos! The waiters march through the bakery assembling their bread baskets while all sorts of food come out of the kitchen at various times. Slick, ultra hygienic and hectic (121 chefs on board alone!). We sit at the table and get wine matches while the Exec Chef cooks for us (he made a seafood soup tableside and the peppercorn sauce for those of us who had the surf and turf – fillet mignon and lobster tail). The crepes were also cooked tableside.

We sat with two Mexican couples who were hilarious. The wives taught Michelle how to clip me across the head while Alex and Edgar lamented the fortunes of their national football team, told me to restrict Michelle to one credit card and then challenged all the males to toast their Mother In Law – the English and American men did get in trouble here. Adrienne I did you proud and avoided a clip from Michelle.

A brilliant night for our Anniversary Dinner – one we’ll never forget and we also got to take home a photo with Chef and a cookbook so I can attempt these dishes in the future. Frickin awesome.

The cruise by Jacob

The cruise was absolutely outrageous. It was an amazing experience and I really enjoyed all the activities and crew aboard the ship. At our first day I met the bartender on floor 10 named Iputu from Indonesia. His name is Iputu because he was first born and in Indonesia they call each other by their middle names since there are too many people with the same name. He could do all those classic bartending tricks like throwing stuff behind the back and catching it. One night while dining at the San Marco Restaurant we met the ONLY kiwi staff member on board an assistant Maître D.

Some of the activities that I participated in consisted of mainly 2 games of 4v4 and 3v3 football with other guests average ages were 21-25 were mainly Brazilian. I also played in a guest vs staff volleyball game and a guest vs staff water-volleyball game. During the volleyball game I met the
Zumba instructor on the ship who was a Mexican called Belen. From then on she kept calling me superstar.

The food was amazing, the service was perfect and the atmosphere was stunning. It was an overall amazing cruise.

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