Tag: Cruising

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, International, Memory Keeping, Restaurants & Bars, Shore Excursions, TRAVEL

Winter Tourists Traipsing Through a Sleepy Rhodes Town

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: STROLLING UP & DOWN LANES OF HISTORY

Welcome to our mid-winter cruise in the Aegean Sea. The weather kept us from lolling around on sun swept beaches, but it also gave us the opportunity to enjoy a very relaxed day in Rhodes Town. I can only imagine what it’s like when the harbor is full of cruise boats. Tourists would be spilling out in every direction, clogging the streets and trudging in all directions. Instead, our group of perhaps 30 passengers leisurely strolled the empty streets enjoying an idyllic day in an iconic port. Come join us. You’ll love it!

A Perfect Beginning for a Perfect Cruise Day

Since our tour didn’t start until 11:30, Bill and I dressed for the gym and headed to The Restaurant for a sit down breakfast. From there we spent some time in the gym and then rewarded ourselves with a visit to the spa.

I have to tell you the free spa access on Viking ocean-going cruises has to be one of the best things about the experience. Earlier in the year we’d been on Royal Caribbean, where you had to pay for the privilege of hanging out in the spa and the facilities weren’t all that inviting. The Viking spa was spacious, pristine and well-appointed, yet it was free. Of course, you had to pay for specific services like facials, massages and such, but all passengers are invited to relax in Viking’s hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas. For the brave there are cold plunges and I’ve already mentioned the heated chaise lounges which were my favorites.

There were three hot tubs in the main room of the spa. Two were small round spas, much like you’re used to seeing at a hotel or perhaps in someone’s backyard, but the third was the size of a swimming pool. Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia had something similar, but it didn’t have the seating bars we loved there on Viking. At the end of the spa pool, near the large fireplace, the spa was equipped with a generous set of bars designed to be a sort of couch to sit on in the water. I’m probably not making it sound as wonderful as it was, but we loved it!

Rhodes Town Walk

It was glorious weather! My pullover sweater and jeans were perfect for a day of walking through a beautiful town. We met our guide steps away from the ship and she led us into town through a small gate. One of the first things we saw were the ruins of a splendid church. Then we reached the town center which was quaint and uncrowded. The most predominant population on the streets were cats!

Many shops don’t even bother opening for winter tourists. There were two ships in the harbor, but I think most people had opted for a bus tour to the other side of the island which had Roman ruins. With few exceptions, we were the only ones visiting on this sunny Tuesday.

Our guide was perfect – maybe not on par with Maria in Athens. She set the bar very high. But this lady was pleasant and informative, without wearing us out with the sound of her voice – a situation we would face the next two days. We didn’t realize how good we had it in Rhodes!

Wandering through the nearly empty streets our guide summarized the history of the town, from the days it was a mighty port guarded by one of the Eight Wonders of the Ancient World. As the great Greek and Roman Empires faded away, the Crusades became the primary activity of the Mediterranean and a great Crusader Castle was built on its heights.

We went to what was now called the Crusader Castle, but it wasn’t a relic of the Knights Templar or any other Crusader Army. It had been built in modern times to look like what Mussolini and his gang thought a Crusader Castle should look like. That was a little disappointing, but I can tell you they did a much better job than the Soviets in Bratislava, Slovakia. We went to that “castle” and it was laughable – a concrete shell on a hill for long distant filming. While not authentic, Rhodes Crusader Castle did have the look and feel of an ancient castle. They’d even incorporated relics from those days in the castle’s rooms, so it was probably worth the visit. And what else were we going to do on a lovely day in a lovely town. I’m so glad we strolling through this little town, rather than hustling across the island in tour buses.

Back to the Boat

Once we’d toured the castle, our guide bid us farewell and suggested what streets to visit on our way back to the boat. We were enchanted by the whole thing, but most especially those cats. So far the cruise had not offered many shopping opportunities and even though many of the merchants chose not to open on this particular day, there were a few who did.

I adored this huge sunhat and had I been on my own, it would have probably come home with me, but Bill was appalled at both its size and its price. Further down the street, I was pulled to aside by the look of some very unique necklaces. Chatting with the proprietor of the jewelry store I discovered the necklaces were the work of a designer they’d been working with for 40 years, but she thought it was his best designs, yet.

The price seemed very fair to me, compared to what I’d pay for comparable merchandise in Dallas, so I saw no need to haggle, but the the proprietor haggled for me. As soon as I began to pick up the necklaces and compare them, each one was unique, she named a different price than was on the tag. I told her I was shopping for three of my very good friends and the price went down again. If I’d paid with cash, I could have gotten even more off, but I hadn’t gotten any Greek money and I’d left my dollars on the boat, so she gave me another discount, somewhere between the 3 necklace price and the cash price. I wonder if she ever figured out I would have gladly paid what was on the tag!

This reminded me of a shopping trip in the Caribbean. My bestie and I made a morning of claiming those free trinkets they offer up in port cities to lure you in to jewelry shops. When they asked what I wanted, I would say aquamarine earrings set in yellow gold, because no one ever has those – and then someone did. The original price was very fair, but above the amount I will pay without Bill’s blessing. The salesperson bargained themselves down to almost a third of the original price and Deb insisted I was getting them. She’d pay half and I’d pay half to stay below Bill’s limit. Had I actually been prepared to get the earrings that day, instead of just tossing off a combination I thought they wouldn’t have, I would have paid full price – gladly!

Shopping done, we headed through the gate above to stroll along the shore as we made our way back to the ship. It was time for the Port Talk, so we went to see what Ephesus would be like. I stayed for a future cruise talk and after dressing for dinner, we took in the history lecture. The same guy who made the Greeks boring, also managed to make the Ottoman Empire boring.

For dinner, we went to Manifredi’s the ships Italian specialty restaurant. It was delicious, but too much wine put me right to sleep. Come back tomorrow and let’s go to Ephesus.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, International, Memory Keeping, Museums, Shore Excursions, TRAVEL

A Crazy Day in Crete

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: WHEN YOUR GUIDE IS LESS THAN THE BEST

Our visit to Athens had been perfect and the fun continued into the evening, though our kitty cat did give a little long distance scare. Our day in Crete was designed to be a little more laid back, because our tour was not until that afternoon. Unfortunately, our guide did not meet the high standards Maria had set in Athens. Come find out why!

A Lazy Morning Aboard the Vela

At home in Heath, I wake up around 5 AM. That practice has been with me for decades, long before our cat, Rascal decided he was my alarm clock and perhaps if he wakes me up before 5, I’ll go ahead and feed him – NOT! On the Vela, I woke up at 8. I knew I should probably go to the gym, but instead I picked up my book and read until Bill woke up hungry.

I wasn’t really in a breakfast mood, so I went with Bill to the World Cafe and ate one of the breakfast bars I had brought along, while he browsed the buffet. From there we went to the spa area and Bill did a quick workout, while I enjoyed one of the amazing heated chaise lounges in the spa.

We got ready for the tour and I was hungry for lunch, but Bill wasn’t after his big breakfast, so I went on my own and had some delicious beef bourguignon. There was even a delicious gf dessert with chocolate and cherries.

Tour Time

Bill has an uncanny ability to read people from just a glance. I was excited about our tour to the Heraklion Archeological Museum, but Bill sensed immediately trouble was ahead. We soon discovered he was right. Along with the museum, this shore excursion included a walking tour of the city, so we were a little concerned when a wheel-chairbound passenger was brought aboard. So was our guide.

In the most polite terms possible, our guide explained the ancient city of Heraklion was not handicap accessible. The husband and son asked a few questions and then announced they’d handle it. The guide tried again to explain the difficulties, but they were having none of it.

So, our guide started the tour and did a short spiel about his island, which he proceeded to repeat over and over again in various iterations throughout the rest of the tour. The whole wheelchair thing was not really his doing, but before the day was over we were totally done with him!

The Heraklion Archeological Museum

I loved this museum. Before we got out of the lobby of it, I figured out we had already heard everything the guide had to say about his island. So, while I stayed within earshot of him to avoid getting lost, I took in the displays at my own pace and depended on my own knowledge of the Mycenean civilization, which was apparently more comprehensive than his. I didn’t find it necessary to display my total disdain for him.

Bill on the other hand found this an impossible endeavor. For one thing he was incredibly irritated by everything about this guy, from the timbre of his voice to his monotonous dialog to his attitude towards the participants of the shore excursion. For another he knew absolutely nothing about the Mycenean civilization. In protest, Bill turned off his headset and sat in the chairs provided against the wall in whatever gallery I was enjoying.

My favorite moment in the museum was when I saw the two statuettes in the center of the left page above. I have been looking at these ladies in photos for over five decades now. I am fascinate by the place and the time they lived in. Seeing them was a best among bests experience on this cruise.

When our time in the museum was over the trouble began. Our guide abandoned the rest of us on the patio of the museum to take the lady in the wheelchair and her family to a restaurant many blocks away, where a bus would pick them up and take them back to the boat. Now we knew this guy was more than a disappointment. He was an idiot.

When he finally got back, one woman was frantic, because her husband had disappeared some time while she was in the museum. Several other people had wandered off to do some exploring on their own while the guide escorted the family to the bus stop.

He should never have abandoned all of us for a group he’d warned not to come. He should have called either the boat or his tour company, gotten some help with the family and taken the rest of us on our walking tour. I know he could have made that call, because later he had to, because he lost another one of his charges later on.

He abandoned us again, to go look for the missing husband and thankfully found him. About the time the husband showed up, the other people who had wandered off reappeared and we headed off on our walking tour.

The Walking Tour

Gathering up his charges, our guide took us to one of those “You-Are-Here” signs on the edge of a shopping area. He explained several times where we were in relation to the bus (parked catty corner to the museum), and the sign we were looking at. Then he trotted off, telling us to hurry up, because we didn’t have much time.

At the end of a passageway, he came to a famous fountain on a square. This is where he should have stopped and released us to have some free time. He also should have stayed RIGHT THERE to lead us back to the bus.

Instead, after giving us a few moments at the fountain, he headed off to the right and started giving options about beaches, walking back to the boat, sites to visit and the shopping area. He walked us back to the fountain and headed back to the bus, telling us when we had to show up there, which was only about 15 minutes from that moment.

One lady in particular was totally freaked out about finding her way to the bus. Instead of saying, then come with me now, he spent another five minutes giving her direction before he disappeared.

I was ready to follow him back to the bus, but Mr. Bill wanted to do a little exploring. We actually did see a great little shop and bought a gift for our traumatized pet sitter, but then we had to head back. I have a pretty good sense of direction, but even I got a little lost on the way back to the bus. I only missed the parking lot by about a block and when I got back to the street with the museum, knew exactly where to go. We were on time.

Remember the frantic lady? Well, she never showed up. He went out searching for her and returned alone. He finally called his tour agency and let them know he’d lost a patron. He rode the bus back with us to the ship, but few, if any, were stopping to give him a tip. Most of us were livid. I marked it up to the adventures of traveling. Bill was among the livid.

Thankfully, as we walked away, another bus showed up and the missing lady was on it. I guess all’s well that ends well, but with a different guide, it might have been one of the most awesome tours on the cruise. With him it wasn’t.

The next day the ship pulled into Rhodes and we had a much more pleasant day. I hope you’ll come back next week and enjoy it with me.

Accommodations, ART, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Memory Keeping, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, TRAVEL

Our Luxurious Life Aboard Viking Vela

Jane Sadek

Making Memories: Afternoon Delights on the Vela

After a long morning of touring, it was time to enjoy the luxuries afforded us aboard Viking’s Vela, one of their ocean-going ships. We’ve got a lot to enjoy by bedtime, so come along!

A Smorgasbord of Delight

Our first stop after the Athenian shore excursion was the World Cafe. We were already getting a little tired of the buffet, but at that time of the day, it was pretty much the only choice we knew about. Before our time aboard was over, we’d find lots of places to eat, but we were just hours into our cruise.

While I’d had no trouble being gluten free at dinner the night before or during our breakfast that morning, lunch was more sandwichy and therefore not as gf-friendly as the other meals had been. I got by, but my choices were more limited.

Next up, we enjoyed a tour of the ship, led by one of the crew. We were shown lots of nooks and crannies we would not have found on our own. We learned a lot about Viking, even though we were already big fans. The gym was very nice and the spa – oh my! That we loved!!

Upsetting News from Home

After the tour, we went back to our cabin to relax a little and get ready for an evening of fun. I posted a few photos from our day in Athens and one of the comments was a request by our next door neighbor to give her a call when we could.

Now Sherry is just about the best neighbor anyone could hope for. As a bonus she loves all cats and especially our Rascal, so she actually thought is was a treat to be his caretaker while we were gone. We were enjoying our Sunday afternoon, but in Dallas, it was time for Sherry to head to church. Instead she was in our house, distraught, because Rascal was missing.

He hadn’t shown up for his Saturday evening feeding, but she saw he’d scarfed up his lunch and he is a cat, so while Sherry was sorry she didn’t get the opportunity to play with the little fellow, she assumed he was fine. When she came to feed him breakfast, he hadn’t touched his food all night long. So something was wrong.

Now we love our cat, but Sherry was inconsolable. We kept assuring her that he was most likely somewhere in the house and whatever had happened good or bad, we knew it wasn’t her fault. Rascal is named Rascal for a reason. Another cat loving friend was going to join her after church and they were going to go through the house we a fine tooth comb. I kept assuring her we were concerned, but not upset and that whatever it was, we trusted her to handle it.

What do you do when you’re on the other side of the world and your cat is missing. I prayed and Bill took a look at all the security footage to be sure Rascal had not slipped out behind Sherry. I texted a few friends to get a little more prayer support. Bill and I acknowledged that there was nothing else we could do and we weren’t going to let this ruin our evening. Since we had proof Rascal had not slipped out of the house, he was somewhere and they’d find him.

Putting on a Brave Front

After resolving to enjoy our evening the best we could, we went to the historical lecture offered by Viking covering Scientific and Technological innovations by the Greeks. Somehow the lecturer managed to make this otherwise interesting subject a real bore. Bill enjoyed it though, while I snoozed.

Next up was dinner. Somehow Bill managed to get into The Restaurant, even though he had on jeans, probably his dinner jacket saved him. The meal was fun and delicious. At the next table was a couple from Tulsa and we chatted with them a bit about our recent visit to their fair city. We also shared some vacation conversation. They obviously travel a whole lot more than we do and on a much grander scale, but they were perfectly delightful dinner companions.

From dinner we made our way back to the Theater, and this time the show was much more entertaining. The ship’s troupe performed the ABBA songbook with marvelous costumes and choreography. Their voices were great and we sang along with every word. What a great way to kick off the cruise!

Even better, as we stood for the final ovation, my silenced phone buzzed in my hand and Rascal had been found. He’d somehow managed to get into the upstairs guestroom and while he was there, the door closed behind him. Our doors have handles instead of knobs, so we’re not surprised he figured out how to get in. We’d wondered how long it would take for him to discover he could do this. The experience was a tough lesson for him though and we have had no repeat incidents.

That night, the Vela made its way to Crete while we slept the sleep of very relieved cat parents. Crete came with its own set of problems. Join us next week as we navigate them.

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

On Our Way to Greece & Turkey Part Duex

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: THE FRUSTRATIONS OF GETTING THERE!

Welcome to our cruise vacation. Unfortunately, we had three planes to catch before we could get to our port of Embarkation. A member of the United Airlines Ground Crew made our time at DFW a little difficult, but soon we were winging our way to Newark’s Liberty Airport. Come along with us!

Modern Inconveniences

So, we land at Newark, I turn on my phone and start getting notifications. The friendly skies were sending us love notes about our upcoming flights. I was happy to use my data to read all my notifications, instead of trusting the airport wi-fi, but I wanted to juice up my phone, so there’d still be power when I got to Frankfurt. We found a charging station and I filtered through my love notes. Primarily, Lufthansa wanted me to know that I’d be flying with them out of Frankfurt, even though the flight had been booked through United and United was letting me know I should check the departure boards in Newark, because sometimes there were gate changes. Those messages resolved, I checked up on the rest of my digital life and then sat there, very near our gate and let the phone charge.

When they called us to board, we got to participate in the new airport game – Gate Bus Plane. We filed through the turnstile to have our boarding passes read and then marched down the stairs to the tarmac. There we boarded a bus which played chicken with all the jumbo jets to take us to our pond jumper. I’m thinking this new game is a way for airlines to save money. It must be cheaper to drive your customers across the airport and have them climb stairs rather than just walk down a jetway or we wouldn’t have been doing so much of it on this trip. Whoever dreamed up this game should be punished severely.

Friendly Seatmate

For this leg of the journey, we’d opted for the last row of the plane. It gave Bill a window seat, we could sit together and it was close to the bathroom. Worked for us.

Then a guy sat next to me. Very friendly and helpful. Confessed to being military and knew a lot about the plane. We chatted a bit and I felt as if he were a little evasive about some innocent questions concerning his assignment and location. I was a little surprised by how often he seemed to travel, but it wasn’t my business.

Then I as the flight proceeded, it seems he was rarely in his seat and often could be found chatting up the flight crew. Later I decided he was some kind of air marshall, but I didn’t put it all together until long after the flight was over.

Honestly, I wasn’t very impressed with the Friendly Skies of United. The entertainment center was almost useless and the food was awful, but I slept through most of the flight, so it wasn’t a big loss – just disappointing.

And Then There Was Frankfurt!

I had fond memories of the Frankfurt Airport! I’d been through German airports a few times before Mr. Bill, but it seems as if those trips had been through Munich. The first time I remember going through Frankfurt had been in 1994 and I had been impressed with it. The shopping area was out of this world and I recalled a great little English pub.

We were back in 2016 for a layover, but it had been a rough Transatlantic flight and I spent most of the layover asleep in Bill’s lap. None of my fond memories played out in 2025.

The first frustration I will lay at the feet of Viking. They had a guy there to point us towards our next flight, but he pointed us in the wrong direction. We must have spent at least an hour wandering helplessly through the airport.

We finally found the right gate and chatted with an older couple who was supposed to be on our cruise. Some one showed up to take them in wheelchairs to another gate and I asked if we should move, too, but we were told they were being moved to better accommodate their wheelchair status and assured we could stay where we were.

Bill made a bed for himself across several chairs and I read the one of the books I’d brought along. The time of the flight was getting closer, but I wasn’t seeing much activity that looked as if that were true. I had been expecting to see more Viking passengers and that wasn’t happening either.

I’d turned off the wireless network to save money, but something told me I should get on wi-fi and see what was up. Good thing!! Everything had changed. Our flight number had been changed and our flight was delayed AND now the flight was leaving from a completely different terminal

I woke up a sleepy Mr. Bill to catch him up on things, none of which he was very happy about. We gathered up our belongings and began the trek to the next terminal. That was interesting and it was a trek. By now I was hungry and there hadn’t been any cute English Pub. The beautiful displays of German pastries, which were all over the airport didn’t do much for my gluten-free state. When we finally found the gate, I did a little exploration and there was nowhere decent to eat. I found a sandwich store for Bill, but I had to make do with a meat and cheese snack from a convenience store, which I topped off with potato chips. Gluten free is not necessarily healthy.

This gate was a lot more promising. There was more activity that resembled a flight and yes, there were other people with Viking paraphernalia. This looked good. I kept my phone on and watched for more activity, but none occurred.

Finally, they started boarding the plane, but like Newark, we went down the stairs to a bus first and that bus wandered around forever. I thought they were driving to Athens! Then they parked and herded us off the bus. It was cold and rainy outside as we waited to climb the stairs to the plane. I lamented the days when Lufthansa was the gold standard for international travel. Now it was the armpit!

On to Athens

Once we were on the flight it was unremarkable. In a few hours we landed in Athens and Viking personnel were all over the place. At baggage claim we were happy to discover our bags had made it, but before I realized it, they’d already been whisked away by Viking. We kept getting pointed in another direction and finding Viking personnel who wanted to know our name, which they would then check off a list. I don’t even recall how many times we went through this ritual, before and after baggage claim. Eventually, we were pointed in the direction of a bus, which after a while, had a chirpy Viking employee welcoming us to Athens and letting us know why we would be on the bus for at least another 45 minutes.

I was beyond tired, so I leaned back and tried to relax. It had been a very long travel day – two travel days, in fact. The calendar had turned a page since I left DFW, but after awhile I noticed a familiar glow in the distance. There, rising above the dark city of Athens was the Acropolis, with floodlights causing the Parthenon to glow in the night.

I felt like I did at Butchart Gardens and on the porch at The Grand Hotel. Mom was with me. She never made it to Athens herself, but she was thrilled I had. I couldn’t hold back the tears. And to think, the very next day I would be walking up there, where Aristotle, Pluto and other Athenian luminaries strolled.

Embarking on the Viking Vela

The bus pulled into the port and we were ushered off. The check-in process was ridiculously easy. We barely had time to set everything down before they were pointing us towards the gangway! As soon as we stepped on the boat, we were offered champagne and sent to life boat drill, which was actually just a quick lesson on wearing the life vest. We found our cabin and made our way to the buffet for some real food. Something we hadn’t seen in a while.

When we returned to the room, our bags had been delivered. I unpacked and put everything away in the generous storage of our cabin. Afterwards we went to what they called The Living Room and listened to some great music – a pair of string musicians playing popular music in a classical style. We had an early shore excursion the next morning, so we went to bed fairly early.

We’d made it. The journey had been frustrating and exhausting, but I was in Athens, Greece! Exciting, but hard to believe. Join me next week to visit the Acropolis. It was a great shore excursion!

Accommodations, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Memory Keeping, TRAVEL, Travel Planning

On Our Way to Greece & Turkey Part One

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: BIG TIME BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS

While some people have their vacation dreams all planned out and can tell you when they intend to see each item on their bucket list, I have a hard time getting Bill to plan the next vacation, much less something years down the road. I do know people who have cruises booked years in advance. I spend a lot of my time trying to interest Bill in our next adventure and showing him various deals to sweeten the pot, but I sincerely think he hears none of it.

We came home from a Newcomers Event last year and Bill tells me about this great cruise someone took to Greece and Turkey. The next day we got a postcard for Viking with an “airfare included” deal on the same cruise. Within days our cruise was booked. I guess I’m going to have to start planting folks along Bill’s path to tempt him into trips, because I’m not having luck otherwise. Come along and let’s head to an idyll on the Aegean!

AIRFARE INCLUDED!

Airfare is a big hurdle in our travel planning. It costs so much money, it takes so much time and there’s nothing fun about it. You juggle suitcases for weeks, hoping to find a combination of bags to fit the various requirements of each carrier. Then you have all the airport headaches the airlines throw at you.

When you’re paying for your own airfare you have a little more control over things, but when you turn your fate over to the cruise line, there’s no telling what can happen. In this particular case, Viking thought a layover in Newark was the right way to kick off our trip to Athens. The next leg took us to Frankfurt and finally we would fly on to Athens. I get leg cramps just thinking about it.

FIRST LEG – DFW TO NEWARK LIBERTY

Things went pretty smoothly on the first leg of our trip, until we tried to get luggage tags. We left the house on time and then realized neither of us had thought to get cash. Thankfully a branch of our bank was right on the way. The Parking Spot makes dropping off your car and getting to the terminal easy. The first real hurdle was checking in our luggage. I’d checked us in online, even got them to check our carry-ons for free, but somehow one of our bags was missing from our luggage list and it wasn’t clear to me which buttons I needed to push to correct the error.

This is what I hate about this DIY internet world. There was a time when my travel agent delivered my airline tickets and all I’d have to do is show up for my flight. I’d drop my bag off at the curb and be done with it. Now even when someone else arranges your ticket, you have to play the online check-in game, which in my eyes is useless, because then you have to go do battle with the kiosk at the airport AND then you still have to deal with a person to hand over your luggage.

So, I’m standing there frustrated and frantic, imagining my luggage taking a different vacation than I do and up walks this self-consumed airline employee. Now then let me start by saying, in situations like this I should remain calm, so I am at fault for being so wound up, but this lady walked up and threw the chip on her shoulder at me before I even knew she was standing there! She certainly had no empathy at all for my panic. I was still in full freak out, trying to sort through it all, when this lady butts in and lets me know I am not being very respectful of her.

Respectful?!? I didn’t even know she was there and she was schooling me about respect. That’s today’s world – safe spaces and ribbons for participation, but zero empathy. Hello – I don’t care if you are green, blue or purple. I don’t care about your gender, religion or sexual preferences. It doesn’t matter whether you’re wearing tattoos, a hajib or a bone in your hair. I just want tags for all my bags. (We didn’t have this conversation. I immediately went into apology mode, but I was thinking this!)

You know what’s next. As soon as she finishes scolding me for my behavior, she throws herself in reverse. She is moving at the speed of a sloth. She piddles around looking at each bag, each tag and the computer screen as if she’s made the next important archeological discovery and doesn’t want to disturb a grain of sand until she’s documented it all. She doesn’t listen to what I’m asking for, at all, but is very careful to point out a mistake we’ve made attaching the tags. The world was probably going to end because Bill’s bags had one of my tags. When she talks to me, it’s in the tone you’d use with a preschooler. If they are teaching this method of dealing with panic to our airline customer service people, no wonder the flights these days are full of crazed people.

I am convinced this woman follows me around. I know she was there as we waited for the flight to our anniversary cruise, She strolled over to me and insisted the carryon with my wedding gown was oversized. I knew it wasn’t, because I had measured it a thousand times, but she took delight in terrifying me. She’s there on the phone when I’ve been frustrated beyond all sanity with phone trees and call transfers. She waits on me in stores to pounce when what I’m having trouble finding what I need. Do you get her in situations like this, too?

I spent my life in customer service, back when you treated people like customers and provided service, You gauged their level of frustration and put your personal feelings on hold. You listened to their words. You didn’t shush them up before you had time to figure out the problem! And you made sure they understood you cared about them and you certainly didn’t threaten to keep them from getting on the plane! I want so much to go back to those days. Where can I get a ticket to go there?

Eventually this woman, who’d stretched a 45 second operation on the kiosk to a five minute confrontation decided to release me from her punishment – until next time. We go to another human to turn in our bags and I guess I behaved, because I got no more lectures. There was actually a time when I looked forward to flying, but that was a long time ago.

Our time at DFW was otherwise uneventful. We waited the requisite three hours for international travel, claimed our seats and went on to Newark.

Cruising, Gardens, International, Shopping, Shore Excursions, TRAVEL

RC, That’s More Like It

Jane Sadek

MEMORY MAKING: THE BETTER SHORE EXCURSIONS

Having Fun in Spite of the Challenges

After the Shore Excursion FAIL in Tulum, we didn’t have much in the way of expectations when it came to Roatan, but it turned into a pretty wonderful day. The same with Costa Maya. We’d had the awful Jaguar Paw Debacle, but our bike ride and kayaking in Costa Maya, though not wonderful, was fine. Come along and enjoy these days with us.

Happy in Honduras

From the moment our ship pulled into port at Roatan, it looked as if we might be having a better day than we did in Tulum. The area around the port was very inviting and fresh, as if they’d had their gala grand opening the day before. Not at all the gloomy ferry docks of Cozumel.

We hurried through the inviting port area and found our shore excursion bus. A very short, scenic, tropical drive took us to Carambola Gardens and we were greeted by festively dressed employees who heartily welcomed us. They led us to a covered pavilion where in the shade of towering trees we participated in a very informative demonstration. Cacao beans were turned into chocolate the old fashioned way and we even got to try it out ourselves and make some dessert.

As the chocolate hardened, we were taken on a tour of the gardens. It was surprising to me, because there were no flowers. That’s what I think of when someone tells me we’re going to take a garden tour. Instead we were introduced to a wide variety of tropical trees and plants. A very sweet guide told us the fruit produced by each plant or tree and how the fruit and other various parts were used. I wished for some flowers, but was pleased by what was presented.

We returned to the collection of buildings and pavilions for a delicious lunch, topped off by the chocolate we had made ourselves. On the way out there was a shopping opportunity and I found this really cute bag I couldn’t live without!

Back in the port area, we had even more shopping opportunities and if we’d wanted to, we could have spent the afternoon hanging out at their pool. It was really a very nice place. Were I to go back today, I’d plan to spend my day there perhaps and not even take a shore excursion – it was that good.

Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico

When it comes to shore excursions, I try to mix it up. We’d done a historical/archeological tour to Tulum, chocolate making in Roatan and cave floating in Belize. A nice coastal bike ride and kayaking sounded like a great way to round out our activities – especially since for some reason Royal Caribbean thought anyone over 65 was too old for four wheeling. I hold that against them, too. I’m sure I’m more fit and able to drive an ATV that some of the 20 and 30 something passengers who were cruising with us. Not to worry though, I will not ever cruise Royal Caribbean again – even if it were free!

Though it was not as awful as the Jaguar Paw Experience, our Bike & Clear Kayak Adventure didn’t turn out exactly as I had imagined. We found our shore excursion group in the meeting area and followed our guide to our bikes. They’d seen better days, but they worked, so we jumped on and rode away in a line behind the guide.

I’d imagined biking through gorgeous tropical and/or beach scenes. For the first half of the ride we rode through what looked like one abandoned construction site after another. It was disheartening and disappointing. Eventually, we did come to a sort of beach boardwalk, but there were no boards, only bricks. It was early enough in the morning that vendors were setting up their wares and few people were enjoying the beach. Our guide led us to a fenced-in cafe where we were told to park our bikes and go to the patio.

We were given bottles of water and told to get ready for kayaking. We put on our water shoes eagerly, claimed our craft and headed out into the water. These were clear bottomed kayaks, but there was nothing to see except water, sand and some grasses growing in the water. It was great to be out on the water, but I’d hoped to see something exciting as I paddled along. Entirely too soon, they were rounding us up for the ride back to the port.

While I’d hoped for more, they’d delivered everything they promised. So, while it will not go down as my favorite shore excursion ever, it was a grand event compared to some of the other excursions I’d suffered through on this cruise.

The next day was a day at sea and talk about suffering, we were SO tired of the disappointing routine on Vision of the Seas. The food is perhaps the thing that discouraged us the most. On most cruises, the food is an important part of the entertainment, but there was nothing entertaining about this cruises’ food.

We loved our dinner mates and our server really did try to show us a good time, but the food was subpar. In fact, no matter which dining venue we went to for a meal, Bill ended up at the snack bar getting another piece of pizza or a sandwich. I would have joined him were it not for my gluten free issues. At least there WAS a snack bar, but that’s a sad way to nourish yourself for a week!

On Day 8 we disembarked, flew back to Dallas and were never so happy to be home. I’d been toying with the idea of using a vacation club deal to go to Florida, but this experience was so bad I decided if I want to go on vacation, by golly, I was just going to pay for it! Of course, that didn’t keep us from accepting a $1200 voucher for getting bumped from a flight. And we did decide to go to Florida, but not to the vacation club. Come back next week and travel with us to Pensacola and Navarre Beach.

Architecture, ART, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Shore Excursions, TRAVEL

Shore Excursion Hell

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: MAKING THE BEST OF BAD SITUATIONS

On this cruise we took four shore excursions and two of them featured the worst tour guides we ever had, one was pleasant and the fourth was merely disappointing. But look at those happy faces we have. We truly made the best of it wherever we were.

I Don’t CARE About Modern Day Mayans, What is this Building?

Our first shore excursion was to Tulum, a place I’d longed to see for a long, long time. The day started on a ferry ride so rough, I got seasick for one of the few times in my life. I didn’t need the barf bag, but almost.

We meet up with a chubby, jovial fellow who took us on a quick trot through Playa del Carmen. I usually enjoy walking, but the day was miserably hot and I was still a little woozy from the churning sea.

We climbed onto a bus for the hour long drive to Tulum. The tour guide almost immediately jumped into a lecture about Modern Day Mayans, of which he was one, and that remained his subject for the rest of the day. I was having deja vu all over again. I thought I was on St. Martin with Josay.

At Tulum, he guided us through a marketplace, warning us only to shop at his recommended shops and then drug us at top speed through the Archeological Park. If you hesitated to take a photo, good luck catching up to him. His commentary still focused on Modern Day Mayas and if you dared to ask him a question about the ruins, then he’d just be quiet while you asked and then go on talking about Modern Day Mayans. Then he abandoned us to find our way back to the bus at the given hour.

Tulum is beautiful. Bill and I strolled around taking photos, but without a guide, we were a little lost, especially since there were no signs bearing any explanation in any language. We had no idea what we were looking at and we gave up guessing. We strolled back to the bar our guide had recommended for cheap margaritas.

Eventually the guide showed up and allowed us back on the bus. He was blissfully silent for the return trip. In Playa del Carmen he dumped us in shopping district and disappeared again. We fought off aggressive vendors and found the beach, but mostly we just hung around until we could catch the ferry back to the boat. That’s how sad the tour was. We preferred being on the boat. This guide got to hold the title of worst guide ever for two whole days and then we had a worse one.

Un-Belize-Able

I’ll skip right to the worst guide EVER!! I’d heard from many people that Belize is heaven on earth. For us it was hell. The whole day was so bad, I didn’t take a single photo. You tell me! Doesn’t Jaguar Paw Cave Tubing & Jungle Trek with Lunch sound amazing? NOT!! It was like Eternal Ride on a Bad Bus with the Worst Guide EVER!

The tour began in a jewelry store and we were there forever. At least it was air conditioned. I think they kept us there until someone finally broke down and bought something. As we climbed on the bus, we realized it wasn’t exactly state of the art. If we’d realized how far away Jaguar Paw Cave was, I might have balked.

Trying to warm up his patrons, within the first mile the guide made a joke. He pointed out some site and said, “Can you Belize it? Un-Belize-Able! You better Belize it!” That was just the first time he made the quip, which was repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and…well I think you get the picture.

The road to the interior was a yawn. Nothing to see on the dusty backroads than what I see on the dusty backroads of Texas. I was so done with buses by the time we arrived at Jaguar Paw. Once we pulled into their entrance we were given our orders: pay for a locker, put your stuff there, wait to be called, go into the jungle.

I get they need to make money, but $12 for a tiny locker which you only need during the very brief cave tour. Now that was Un-Belize-Able, but we were a captive audience with no other options.

When our number was called we were excited to be going on a jungle trek. NOT! The “trek” was about as long as half a city block with a well worn trail. Entering the cave and climbing aboard the innertube was the most excitement we experienced that day. The water was chilly but not miserable.

As I climbed aboard I looked around and wondered where this float was going to go. I could see the end of the cave just ahead. We floated pleasantly for a few minutes and then were instructed to get out and walk about on the shore. Not sure why. Nothing to see.

Back in the tube and back to the entrance. There was a deeper section near the entrance and we were invited to swim, but it was such a short distance you could have almost hopped from your tube to the exit area, so everyone just enjoyed the last few moments of the float.

Then we were sent back on the “jungle trek” and our free meal. I’ll say this. It was better than what they were feeding us on the cruise, but not by much. We killed time until everyone had their float and feed, then climbed back on the awful bus. Thankfully the guide didn’t have much to say, which was good, one more UN-Belize-Able and I would have been contemplating murder.

As we neared the port, the guide did hit us with a few more repetitions of his signature line, but I was numb by then, so his life was never actually in danger. We filed off the bus and through the shopping opportunity, anxious for some reason to get back on the boat.

One thing that made this cruise tolerable was marvelous dinner companions. We were lucky enough to be a part of the cool kids table and they made our evenings very pleasant. From there we’d always head to the auditorium for whatever was being offered for entertainment that evening – always a disappointment. Used to be cruise ship entertainers were among the best of the best, but something has happened since used to be. They’re tired, the costumes are cheap and the scenery is minimal. Yawn.

This was the worst of it. Our other two shore excursions weren’t bad. In fact one of them was downright pleasant. Come back next week for a better time!

Accommodations, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Restaurants & Bars, TRAVEL, Travel Planning

Never Again Royal Caribbean

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: ENJOYING OURSELVES IN SPITE OF THE CRUISE

Yes, It Was Free, But They Should Have Paid Us for the Mediocracy of Everthing

So, I attended a travel presentation and scored a free cruise – we’re talking flight & cruise. I thought any day cruising was better than staying home. I was wrong! Come along and find out why!

Navigating My Way to a Free Cruise

I adore cruising. My first cruise was my honeymoon and we cruised Hawaii in a cabin on a boat I probably wouldn’t even consider today, but still it was magical. We had a blast and loved every moment of it – in spite of all the lack of amenities I would have noticed these days.

Since then I’ve cruised the Nile, the Danube, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean (the Caribbean several times.) I’ve been on Celebrity, Norwegian, Carnival, Viking and few other smaller companies. Until I took a Viking river cruise, my all time favorite cruise had been one I took on Royal Caribbean. It was everything I ever dreamed a cruise would be and more. Then after the river cruise, I began to have my favorite small ship experience and my favorite big ship experience, but Royal Caribbean still reigned supreme for ocean going experiences. It had been a magnificent.

Then we took a quick cruise out of Galveston on Royal Caribbean and I wondered how it could have been the same cruise company. The food was mediocre, the ship needed some TLC, the entertainment was a joke and even the staff needed a little refresher course. My travel agent assured me it was Galveston’s fault. Galveston was where old cruise ships went to die. So in the future, we stayed away from Galveston departures.

When we got our free cruise, I had a choice of five cruises, but most of them were out of Galveston to ports we’d already visited. So it boiled down to 3 cruises. The one I preferred would have required a flight to San Juan and because it was out of the US, we’d have had to pay for it, which would have been more expensive than the (potentially) free flight to Florida. Just so you know, the whole free flight thing turned out to be smoke and mirrors. I should have lobbied harder for the cruise I wanted, but when traveling, I’ve learned to do things Bill’s way. It might not be optimal, but then when he complains, I can point out it’s his choice, not mine. This keeps my marriage afloat, which is more important that any number of given days on a trip.

So, we booked the Royal Caribbean cruise out of Tampa to Cozumel, Roatan, Belize and Costa Maya. I remember the day Royal Caribbean sent us our confirmation. I thought I really scored something big. I worked on scheduling shore excursions and redeeming my free flights (which never manifested).

Embarking on Our Adventure

In spite of the dirty tricks the agency played to avoid providing the free airfare the promised, I was still excited about going. Remember, I love cruising and even though Royal Caribbean had already had one strike, I blamed it on Galveston and looked forward to an experience more like my favorite cruise.

We’d had a very early flight, so we were among the very first to get on board. We made our way to the Embarkation Buffet and realized we were about to relive everything we hated about the cruise out of Galveston. I took the photo above of what I was able to glean from the nasty things offered on the buffet. I know being gluten free I miss out on all the lovely bread, desserts and fried things, but still, this was sub-par.

New Empathy for Non-Cruisers

I’m one of those odd people who isn’t crazy about beach vacations, but I’ve never understood anyone who didn’t like cruises. Something for everyone – am I right? On this cruise I imagined someone like me being stuck on that boat for seven nights without other, more pleasant, experiences and I could see why they’d think cruising was torture.

To give Royal Caribbean its due, we did talk to several people who were having the time of their lives. One set of retired Floridian ladies cruise with Royal Caribbean constantly – at least once a month. They gamble and they claim their cruising is a source of income! During one breakfast they schooled us on retiring to cruise boats. If we hadn’t been living through what we considered the worst cruise ever, it would have sounded pretty good.

I used to think that a bad day on a cruise was better than a good day anywhere else. I now know that is not true. There’s a lot of bad days at home I’d prefer to relive than the days we spent aboard the Vision of the Seas. But we’re Bill and Jane! We live to have a good time. So, come back next week and I’ll touch on a few highlights, but let me assure you, I will never, ever cruise Royal Caribbean again – even if its FREE!

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

The Long Stretch Home

Jane Sadek

a luggage conveyor inside airport
Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels.com

TRAVEL THERE:  BACK TO DFW EVENTUALLY

So after a very long wait in Montreal, we took off for Toronto.  We were almost home.  Just one easy overnight layover and we’d be there.  Only it didn’t turn out exactly like that.

Late Night Luggage Woes

We arrived in Toronto much later than our original 9:32 PM ETA.    I can’t remember ever being so zombie-like from travel.  We disembarked and made our way to baggage claim, but there was no baggage to claim.  The carousel went around and around and occasionally an odd bag would show up, but no one from our flight got any luggage.  Since it was just a commuter flight from Montreal, most of the passengers trotted away with their carry-ons.  We were all so tired it took us awhile to comprehend what was was going on.  We were at the right carousel, because the sign on it listed our flight, but nothing from our flight was showing up.

Bill got in the lost luggage line and as we waited, I made an inventory of the entire baggage claim area, just to be sure we were in the right place and weren’t missing anything.  How does an airplane even fly without having anything in the cargo hold.  There was only one Air Canada employee in sight.  They were behind the lost luggage counter and the counter was besieged by customers, so there was no chance to pop in and ask a question.  I also noticed there seemed to be a lot of luggage just sitting around, some looking as if it had been lined up and organized, but other piles looking as if it had merely been tossed there and forgotten – decades ago.

The line took forever.  The employee said nothing was arriving from Montreal that evening and our luggage would be delivered to our home.  Bill explained that Montreal was not home and we would be traveling to DFW in the morning.  The guy said, “Great, just come back here in the morning.”  Had we had our brains screwed in properly we would have recognized a problem with that, but our brains were as lost as our luggage.

Best Laid Plans Go Awry

So our plan for saving money had been to spend our layover at a bargain suite hotel.  The room for the three of us would still leave us with a significant savings on the airfare, but that savings was getting less valuable as the troubles added up.  If things had gone our way, we’d have caught a little of the hotel’s happy hour and gotten a great breakfast buffet.  As it was, we got perhaps four hours of sleep, but we all needed at least twelve.

Back at the airport, it was one headache after another.  We stood in a lot of lines that morning and none of them helped at all.  We would stand in one line and they would send us to another.  Finally, after hearing our luggage woes, someone sent us back down to baggage claim to get some document we should have received the night before.  Have you ever tried to reach the arrivals baggage claim area from the departure area of the Toronto airport?  Just give it up.  It ain’t happening.  It took most of the airport to get us back there and when we did it was a total fail.  The morning staffer was overwhelmed by the mess he’d been left with by the night crew and our problem was the last one he wanted to handle.  We did however end up with the requisite piece of paper and a lot of free time.

Needless to say, we did not connect with our luggage in Toronto and actually wouldn’t see it for days.  We could have gotten a few more hours of sleep if we’d known that in the wee hours of the morning, not so long ago, but we weren’t given any good breaks along the way.  We actually had to wait quite awhile to even check into our flight.  Since there weren’t any other bags to worry about, we checked our carry-ons so we wouldn’t have to mess with them.  We didn’t care about anything we owned at that point.  We just wanted to be home.

Home

The flight itself was uneventful and our checked carry-ons arrived without any trouble. The Park & Fly Shuttle took us to our car, which was intact, right where we left it.  We dropped Deb off on our way back to Heath.  And then we were home.

Bill got right on the luggage thing once we were home and the next week would have been funny, if it were happening to someone one else.  I’m not even going to bother you with it all, because I don’t even want to think about it.  The only good thing to come out of it for me was that while we were shopping for some replacement items we had to buy, to get the maximum reimbursement, I found a great after-5 dress that Air Canada ended up buying for me.  It’s the least they could do after what they put us through.

After it was all over – the year of planning dominated by a remodel gone wrong, the highly active and not at all relaxing travel, the beautiful vow renewal ceremony, all the amazing times we had, all the incredible things we saw,  the hassle over the photos and the hellacious trip home – for about 10 minutes, I thought, “This is just too much damned trouble.  I never want to travel again.”  Then I came to my senses.  That’s when we got a letter from the Westin offering us a bargain vacation to come check out their property in Scottsdale AZ.

So, come back next week and we’ll head to the Westin’s Kierland Villas!  See you, then!

Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

Flaming Fingers, Fantastic Footwork and Farewell

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: FLAMENCO ONBOARD THE CELEBRITY EDGE

As we planned our shore excursions, we were disappointed when a Flamenco tour on Mallorca was cancelled.  My bestie, Deborah, adores all dance and Flamenco is a particular favorite of mine.  If we’d known Celebrity had something Flamenco-flavored planned for us, we’d have been a whole lot happier, but the Flamenco show was nice addition to our final day.  We discovered that along with other perks, like the wine tasting at the Monaco Yacht Club and a private tour of the Prince’s Palace, cruising with the Celebrity’s CEO offered some nice treats. 

A Return to the Ship

After the Tapas tour all of us tired tourists returned to the boat.  Jim and Melanie went to the buffet and then on to their cabin.  The rest of us hurried to our cabins to get ready for dinner and the Flamenco show which was held on the pool deck.

I have mixed reviews.  It was nice to get both the Tapas Tour and a Flamenco Show, but in truth, I think I would have been happier to have had the original Flamenco Show we had planned.  I think it would have been more dramatic to be in a darkened room, with a formal stage and better acoustics.  As it was, the music was over-amplified and the Flamenco dancers had to contend with dancing among tourists clumped about taking pictures.  It sort of compromised the mood.  No fault to the dancers or the musicians, though.  They did a spectacular job in a challenging atmosphere.

Since I failed to journal my final day, I’m not sure where we had dinner.  I keep turning it over in my mind.  I am pretty sure Bill and I ate alone.  Perhaps it was in the Cosmopolitan or the Cyprus.  Perhaps we just went to the buffet.  Obviously, it was unremarkable since I can’t even remember which it was.  I was just about over eating anything by that point.  Way too much food on this trip.

If you are a cruiser, then you know this was the evening I had to place most of our belongings out into the hall to be picked up and select the few items we’d keep for our carry-on bag.  This is always a challenge for me.  You have to balance what you might need with what you can actually have inside a carry-on.  I’m always a little stressed out about it, which in turn stresses out Mr. Bill.  Not enough that I want to quit cruising, but enough that I wish there was another way to end a cruise.

woman walking on pathway while strolling luggage
Photo by VisionPic .net on Pexels.com

Embarkation in Barcelona

The next morning we woke up in Barcelona.  Just as with Rome, I wasn’t going to get to see anything.  Jim and Melanie would be spending several days there, but the rest of us were going back to the real world.  Deb, Bill and I were among the first to head out.  Viktoriya’s flight was a little later.

For we three amigos it was one travel mishap after another, from the moment the bus dropped us off at the Barcelona airport.  Somehow, we got separated from Deb in the security lines – the eternal security lines, I might add.  We kept looking at the line ahead of us and looking at our watches, wondering if we were actually going to make it and wondering if Deb was having the same concerns.  When we got to the plane, Deb had already taken the seat I had intended for Bill.  The Air Canada website did not exactly make seat selection a user-friendly experience and Bill was officially assigned a seat in the middle of the row, but I knew that wasn’t going to work.  Before the plane took off, he was on the aisle, but there were a few tense minutes as his claustrophobic mind contemplated a transatlantic flight mid-row.

Our return flight was actually on Qatar Airways, not that it really mattered to us, but they ran into some delays in leaving.  That worried us a little, because we had a pretty tight layover in Montreal, but the delay was small, so we weren’t too worried.  We should have been very worried.  It was a smooth flight, the food was fine and we made it to Montreal fine.  We were a little tired by then, but ready for the next leg.

So, the small delay in Barcelona and a head wind did slow us down a bit.  Add to that a busy Saturday at a busy airport and you have a long layover.  See, I’d worked hard to get us the cheapest possible flights and in doing so, created a mess.  From Montreal, we had to fly to Toronto, spend the night and then fly to Dallas.  The savings seemed so great when I booked the flight.

There was no happy chattering among travelers.  We all stared at our phones, tried to stay hydrated and ate junk food.  We told ourselves that the delay meant our luggage would have time to catch up with us.  We really just wanted to go home and I was sort of wishing that I actually lived alone, because I was thoroughly tired of the entire human race.

Come back next week and I’ll tell you what happened next.