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Oceans and Seas » Mediterranean May 3rd 2009

Well, I lied about my next blog being about St. Peter's cuz I haven't written that one yet. I also lied about the 29th being our "last day at sea" because this morning the Mediterranean was too rough to go into Monte Carlo. The port isn't big enough for the big cruise ships so we were supposed anchor and to take the tenders (lifeboats) into port, but when it was time, the wind was too strong and the swells were too big to be safe to go. I know that my sister, Kathy, remembers what I mean as that happened to us in the Caribbean years ago. So we skipped Monaco and set sail - or engines - to Barcelona. Really the sea was pretty calm by mid day. So we had a free day and ... read more

Oceans and Seas » Mediterranean April 30th 2009

Day 24 This was our last day at sea. The last three days had been quite hectic, so it was nice to have a rest day. Today would see the ending of some of the competitions that had been running throughout the voyage. At 10:30 there was Show on Disembarkation presented by Dru Pavlov (our Cruise Director) in the Solstice Theatre. Dru gave us all the information about leaving the ship on Monday 4th May. He also related to us his top tep of the silly things people say or do on a cruise. After Dru's speeches, came the parade by crew from the Solstice & a emotional speech from Capatain Dimitrios Kafetzis, praising his staff & thanking all the passengers. At the conclusion of the show, we had a walk around the ship. Went... read more

Oceans and Seas » Mediterranean » Balearic Sea April 29th 2009

Today is our last “sea day” so it’s pretty laid back. We are sailing from Gibraltar to Calgiari, Sardinia. It is now 2:30 PM our time and we have about 320 miles to go to Sardinia. We are about 5015 miles from Ft. Lauderdale, and have about 1500 to go to the end. Several Europeans joined us in Madeira and again in Cadiz. We have discovered that this cruise could have been done in several configurations. Some passengers who got on in Ft. Lauderdale are not getting off in Barcelona but continuing around the Mediterranean to Greece, Turkey, etc., and ending up in Venice. The Mediterranean is almost like a lake compared to the Atlantic. We are going with the waves and with the wind so it is really lovely sailing. The wind isn’t too strong ... read more
From yesterday
On deck yeterday

Oceans and Seas » Mediterranean » Black Sea February 9th 2009

We visited several countries and even had warships cross our path! Check out the individual entries at http://www.fmschmitt.com/travels.htm or cut and paste below: LICruise on the Black Sea (A href="http://www.fmschmitt.com/travels/black-sea/overview/bosporus.html"Bosporus/A, A href="http://www.fmschmitt.com/travels/black-sea/overview/amasra.html"Amasra/A, A href="http://www.fmschmitt.com/travels/black-sea/overview/amasya.html"Amasya/A, A href="http://www.fmschmitt.com/travels/black-sea/overview/trabzon.html"Trabzon/A, A href="http://www.fmschmitt.com/travels/black-sea/overview/yalta.html"Yalta/A, A href="http://www.fmschmitt.com/travels/black-sea/overview/sevastopol.html"Sevastopol/A, A href="http://www.fmschmitt.com/travels/black-sea/overview/odessa.html"Odessa/A, A href="http://www.fmschmitt.com/travels/black-sea/overview/varna.html"Varna/A... read more

Oceans and Seas » Mediterranean February 3rd 2009

I returned from Spain with the strange peace that only wild, free-spirited emotion can bring. Amidst people excitedly recounting the tales of their adventures, I walked around that night in quiet reflection. Sometime late at night, miles from land, I glanced out my porthole and saw a flock of seagulls flapping furiously alongside our ship. They were riding our wind, soaring wildly beside us, dodging waves and performing reckless aerial acrobatic maneuvers. The next morning, it rained. After lunch the skies began to clear, and rays of sun broke through the clouds, casting light down into the choppy sea. Spray leapt into the air and caught the sun, becoming misty rainbows. I feel I will remain a nomad for some time. * * * The passage to Morocco was WILD! To begin with, we were ... read more

Oceans and Seas » Mediterranean January 4th 2009

I love to travel and so did my late mother. When I was 21, my mom took my two brothers and I on a Carnival Festivale cruise to San Juan and St. Thomas for Christmas. This was our first travel adventure outside of summer driving trips to Ft. Walton Beach, FL from New Orleans. My mom was quite thrifty, being born during the Depression, so this was a trip of a lifetime for our family. She bought the cruise with a small inheritance from her mother saying "Maman (she spelled it this way but we said Maw Maw) would want us to see the world with this money". I was hooked on travel and ocean travel from that point on. When my mother passed away in May 2007, I knew how I would honor her - ... read more

Oceans and Seas » Mediterranean » Aegean Sea November 13th 2008

After three hectic days in Egypt and Israel, a day cruising the Mediterranean was a welcome respite. Unfortunately about a third of our group seems to be experiencing the 24 hour gastroenteritis bug which seems to be going around the ship. If reported to the clinic on board everyone with these symptoms is quarantined in their staterooms for 24 hours, so most choose not to report their symptoms. The weather is cooling down some and a chilly wind arose in the afternoon because we are now heading in a northerly direction. Those who were stuck in their staterooms could watch BBC news, Bloomberg News, CNN, old repeats of the Love Boat—featuring the 1970s version of the Pacific Princess. They do run movies like An Affair to Remember, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and more recent movies. ... read more

Oceans and Seas » Mediterranean » Sea of Crete November 7th 2008

Today was the second of two sea days onboard the Pacific Princess. Our entire group is adapting to the rhythm of the ship. Naps are being taken, more reasonable meals are being eaten, and folks are taking advantage of various shipboard programs. A little discussion about the Pacific Princess. This ship was originally one of the Renaissance Cruises “R” series built in the mid-1990’s.(Renaissance went bankrupt by trying to sell directly to the public and bypassing travel agents—good riddance) It’s relatively small at 30,000 tons with about 660 passengers—but only about 600 on our cruise. Princess kept the “clubby” feel to the vessel. Several faux fireplaces can be found in various public rooms. Furniture tends to be overstuffed chairs and sofas with kind of a Country Club feel. Carpets are colorful oriental designs. What is nice ... read more

Oceans and Seas » Mediterranean » Ionian Sea November 6th 2008

Our group in on its way to Alexandria, Egypt. The Pacific Princess set sail from Naples under cloudy skies and headed south and east so we can reach Egypt in two days. The weather is about 70 degrees, but we had showers all day long. Folks got into the rhythm of a day at sea. Everyone had the opportunity of taking advantage of this very nice floating resort. Linda gathered most of the group in Sabatini’s restaurant at 10:00 AM for a class on various aspects of the bible and our next stops in Egypt and Israel. Dr Ray Vath explained how the early Egyptians used advanced geometry and other techniques to create the amazing great pyramids. The food and the service on the Pacific Princess have been excellent. And several of the ladies took advantage ... read more

Oceans and Seas » Mediterranean November 4th 2008

Slept in; we are sea today, heading towards the island of Madeira, Portugal. Ken had a massage at 8 am, so I got to sleep a little later. Met him afterwards and had breakfast. Went down to play 'corn hole' or bean bag; corn hole sounds so weird to me. Ken played but did not win. It is a fun game and I will play sometime on the ship. If you don't know what it is, check it out on Google. Henna and I went to the hot tub on the back deck for awhile; then I showered and headed for another massage; so, so nice. Went back to the room, got ready for happy hour and then dinner. Ken and I don't go to many of the shows; it's not our type of thing so ... read more
Bean Bag Game




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