Piraeus, Greece

06-30: Today we visited the Ancient City of Corinth and the Corinth Canal. This tour started at 8:30a so it was up early for us! After breakfast in the Market Place, we met in the Starlight Lounge for the tour. Our number was quickly called and we headed to the bus. It was a 1.5+ hour drive to Corinth. The first stop was for the restroom and a 5-minute walk to view the Corinth Canal from above. Quite an amazing feat. The Corinth Canal is a canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Completed in 1893, it cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese peninsula from the Greek mainland. It is 4 miles in length and 80.7 feet wide at sea level is impassable for many modern ships. It is currently of little economic importance and is mainly a tourist attraction. You can find much more information online. Back on the bus heading to the Ancient City.

There have been dramatic changes since John and I were here in 2017. For Christians, Corinth is well known from the two letters from Paul the Apostle in the New Testament, the First Epistle to the Corinthians and the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Corinth is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as part of Paul the Apostle's missionary travels.

Ancient Corinth was one of the largest and most important cities of Greece, with a population of 90,000 in 400 BC. The Romans demolished Corinth in 146 BC, built a new city in its place in 44 BC, and later made it the provincial capital of Greece.

After the tour of the city, we stopped for a cold drink and tzatziki with fresh, hot pita bread. It was delicious. Back on the bus for the 1.5-hour trip back to the ship.

We dropped our things in the cabin and went upstairs for a cold drink and to play cards. It was much too hot outside but there are plenty of places to play inside. We came back to the cabin for about an hour before Stuart had an important phone call with the attorney and his real estate lady. He is still working to get that resolved.

Then it was off to Crystal Cove for some violin music before dinner. The best thing we had tonight was Jerusalem Artichoke soup. After dinner we went to the show, followed by Jade. We had a nice talk with Vickie and then it was off to bed.  This is the last day of the 1st cruise! We are overnight here in Piraeus. The next cruise begins tomorrow.

Monemvasia and Spetses, Greece

06-28: We are in the tiny port of Monemvasia, Greece. We opted to stay onboard after sleeping in late. We did get up in time for the late riser’s breakfast in the Trident Grill, followed by a walk around the upper deck and taking photos. It is a quaint looking place with a long history. The large rock mountain in Monemvasia, Greece, is simply called Monemvasia. It's also known as the "Gibraltar of the East" due to its dramatic location and fortifications. The town itself is built on this rock, which is connected to the mainland by a small causeway. This remarkable place, off the easternmost finger of Greece’s Peloponnese region, is only about a quarter of the size of the Rock of Gibraltar (to which it is always compared). But Monemvasia’s vertical bulk, towering about 330 feet over the Aegean Sea, is every bit as dramatic. I even found a drone view that I posted to Facebook.

We had some drinks and played cards by the pool. For dinner we went to Waterside, the main dining room. Following that, it was the show, and Jade Night Club.

06-29: After breakfast in the Market Place (breakfast buffet), we headed ashore. Today we went to Spetses. Another small, lovely place that only smaller cruise ships enter. We read there were carriage rides around the city so that is what we opted to do. I will say the tender into port was pretty grueling. I took Dramamine and did okay, Stuart was not feeling so well when we arrived. We sat on a bench in the shade for a little bit and then took the carriage ride.

It was a nice ride showing us narrow city streets with no cars. Other streets had a few cars, just very little cars. Beautiful flowers, lemon, oranges, and beautiful homes. Most of the older homes have been refurbished and really looked lovely. Some have been turned into hotels for visitors. Some have been restored and it is clear they take pride in their city. Beautiful flowers, lemon and orange trees abound. The ride took 30-45 minutes and brought us right back to the port. We walked around a little bit and found a nice place to sit watching the sea. A glass of wine and a small salad to share was very enjoyable. It's sunny, but cloudy and very breezy. It feels perfect sitting here in the cafe overlooking water.

There's are many ferries here. You can get a ferry to and from Athens, I think it's to say 3 hours to Athens. Then, of course from there, you could get other ferries to other islands. That would be a fun way to travel with just a carry on no dressy clothes, just flat out travel clothes and comfortable shoes. Just pop island to island seems really nice.

The water is still rough, but not as bad as it was this morning. Back to the ship and a nap helped “cure” all the ill feelings we had.

Stuart spoke today in the Hollywood Theater again. This time it was about Athens. It was well attended. We will not venture there tomorrow as we have both been there. It will be very hot and strenuous.

We had dinner in Waterside again. We made it to the show just in time and then spent a short time in Jade. We decided to go to the casino. It was a waitlist to play. Stuart stayed but I went back to the cabin. We rise early in the morning.

Katakolon, Greece

06-27: Today we are in Katakolon, Greece. We got up early and made it to our first breakfast in the main dining room. There were only 3 couples eating there when we arrived. After breakfast it was laundry time. They have a Guest Laundry on each deck. We didn't have a lot to was but we want to keep current on it. Stuart went up to the pool deck but I stayed behind to soak my sore toe. Big fun! When everything was done we headed out for the town.  

There is another ship in port, MSC Fantasia. It is large, holding 4K+ passengers. Oh my, it is blistering hot. MSC was docked nearer to the port but we had a bit of a trek to get to the port. Not sorry we went but it was grueling in the heat. We readily stopped at a café and had a cold beer and dolmas for a snack. We called that lunch as we don’t want to fill up for dinner tonight. We are going to Umi Uma tonight. We checked the menu and it looks fantastic! After we got back, we rested. Well, I rested, Stuart was busy on his laptop. The heat really zaps me.

Umi Uma, did not disappoint! Set in an elegantly modern setting and created by legendary Master Chef Nobuyuki (Nobu) Matsuhisa, dishes are inspired by the exotic array and traditions of the Orient. Crab spring rolls, lobster tempura, sashimi, lobster stir fry… so much could be said, but the photos speak for themselves.

Following dinner, it was a Broadway show with the ship’s singers and dancers. They have very elaborate costumes, an enjoyable show. Brief stop at the casino. I think I said what a small casino it is. Maybe 30 slot machines, 1 roulette table, and 2 black jack/poker tables. The 2 tables can flip the tops to be one or the other. Black jack has become very popular and they keep a running wait list of who may sit next when someone leaves. I wonder if they will add more tables in the future.

Good-bye Croatia and Welcome to Greece!

06-25: Here we are in Dubrovnik! I am excited to be here. It is beautiful. Often, I see photos of places I want to go to but then when you get there is a disappointment, certainly not the case with Dubrovnik! We took the tender to meet our excursion at the pier. We were on time but ended up waiting in the hot sun for everyone to arrive. We booked Dubrovnik by Tuk-Tuk. I mainly wanted this so we could see a lot and not just walk around in the hot sun. As it turned out we had to walk about 20 minutes to get to the beginning of the Tuk-Tuk ride. At least as we were driven along, we had refreshing breezes. There is certainly a lot of history here. We saw Napolean era ruins, new town and old town, an amazing bridge, beautiful sites from the mountain top, and we could even see Bosnia from one view point. Our driver Moro was very knowledgeable. On our walk back we stopped at a café for a cold drink. A lovely little spot overlooking the harbor. Back on the tender and to the ship swiftly. Time for a shower and refresh for dinner. 

Dinner was enjoyed in the dining room followed by the show. It was a comedian and he wasn’t bad. A quick stop at the casino, to make a donation… Tonight we lose and hour of sleep time as we are turning the clocks forward.  

06-26: Today we are in Igoumenitza, Greece. Breakfast for late risers was our choice in Trident Grill. There is a tender into town but we opted for a pool day. It was pretty hot at the pool but the shade, playing a game, and a dip in the cool water, made it pleasant. Temps were already 97˚F at 9:30a! 

Stuart had a speaking engagement at 4:30p. That was great and we all learned more about Olympia. We listened to music in Crystal Cove until it was time for dinner. Tonight, we chose the main dining room, Waterside. Off to the show after that, which was a Neil Diamond Tribute, he was good. After that it was a quick stop in the casino. Stuart stayed a while but I was tired from the day and went back to bed.

Croatia! Zadar and Dubrovnik

06-24: We slept in and had a nice lunch out by the pool. We enjoy the food in Trident Grill, which has a nice and simple menu. We hoped to go off the ship today but this is a port intensive cruise and we do have a plan to tomorrow. We walked around and admired the coastline and lovely, rustic homes. The sun beat us after several games of Rummikub and it was a nap before bed.

We chose Beefbar for dinner. It was good. It was somewhat similar to most steak houses on cruises. Everything is brought to the table separately and you then have a plate to choose what you want. Having the steak come in a hot skillet-type of dish is a nice touch to keep the steak hot. They have a special sauce there, one of four to choose from. We chose the one from Paris called, “Sauce Originale Realis de Paris”. It was good but I will try a different one next time.

We didn’t go to the show tonight as it already started when we finished dinner. Instead, we went to the casino and had some fun there. We chatted a lot with a couple from Florida. They have their adult son with them. A very nice family. We      

06-25: Here we are in Dubrovnik! I am excited to be here. It is beautiful. Often, I see photos of places I want to go to but then when you get there is a disappointment, certainly not the case with Dubrovnik! We took the tender to meet our excursion at the pier. We were on time but ended up waiting in the hot sun for everyone to arrive. We booked Dubrovnik by Tuk-Tuk. I mainly wanted this so we could see a lot and not just walk around in the hot sun. As it turned out we had to walk about 20 minutes to get to the beginning of the Tuk-Tuk ride. At least as we were driven along, we had refreshing breezes. There is certainly a lot of history here. We saw Napolean era ruins, new town and old town, an amazing bridge, beautiful sites from the mountain top, and we could even see Bosnia from one view point. Our driver Moro was very knowledgeable. On our walk back we stopped at a café for a cold drink. A lovely little spot overlooking the harbor. Back on the tender and to the ship swiftly. Time for a shower and refresh for dinner.

Dinner was enjoyed in the dining room followed by the show. It was a comedian and he wasn’t bad. A quick stop at the casino, to make a donation… Tonight we lose and hour of sleep time as we are turning the clocks forward.

Welcome Aboard, and more...

06-22: We both had a great sleep and woke up rested. Later in the day we felt drowsy but did not take a nap! We ate a piece of fruit we had for our breakfast and there was coffee in the room. Packed back up and headed to the ship about noon. We thought we knew where we were going but they are in a different location this time. Thankfully our Uber driver could adjust our trip and get us to the right location. Like last year, there was some mix up on our cabin number. It did get straightened out but it is strange that this happens. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, we went to Trident Grill for lunch as the cabins were not ready. Then we spent a little time walking around the ship. It is a smaller ship, holds just 620 persons, I like it. However, this voyage has just 450 onboard! 2:30p our cabin was ready and I unpacked my suitcase. Stuart went to a meeting for speakers and unpacked when he returned. 

We walked around observing the changes to the ship since last year. There are a lot, for the better. There is now Beefbar where we ate lunch.  It was delicious. There was a very different and delicious. Later in the afternoon we went by the Crystal Cove bar and enjoyed some piano music before dinner. They walk around serving these lovely little lobster appetizers that a fabulous of course!

After dinner the show was great, called Crystal in Motion. Great dancers and singers, and a lot of them! Following that it was the Jade Lounge where we saw Viv and reconnected from last year. He is a delight. He used to work at Studio 54 and has all sorts of original photos and videos from that era. Exhausted and ready for bed!!

06-23: We had an overnight in Venice. We had a nice breakfast in the dining room. Today we spent most of the morning on a canal tour in Venice. It was okay, we saw several of the islands that make up Venice, but we did not go on the Grand Canal. Since we have both been here before, that didn’t matter too much. It was a nice tour with a different perspective and very little walking. For lunch we tried the Beefbar for lunch on the Crystal Symphony. It is a new restaurant choice this year. The appetizer Caesar salad was delightful and different and the Wagyu pepperoni pizza was...well, it was Wagyu! They only serve Wagyu, beef here at the Beefbar during lunch!

Stuart had his first speaking engagement today. We were hopeful that at least 6-7 people would attend. What a surprise to have 50-60 in the Hollywood theater! Cruise director Vicki van Tassel (yes, that is her name!) introduced him. She is a delight and such a comedian! She is a friend already. The presentation went great with several coming up afterwards. It was a rewarding time for Stuart.

We leave port at 7p tonight. After the show, very good Elton John tribute, we found the casino. This is new from last year. There is one Black Jack table, one Poker table, one Roulette table, and about 25-30 slots. We played Black Jack, but didn’t win… off to bed!

It's Time!

06-20: We're off for back-to-back to back cruises, on Crystal Symphony. Stuart will be speaking on both cruises. Our flight from FAT to SFO was uneventful. We went to the United Club and had a nice meal and cocktail before heading to our gate. 

06-21: SFO to ZRH was also uneventful. We went to the Star Alliance Club and relaxed there with a glass of wine while we awaited our final short flight to Venice. This flight was also uneventful and it was just a 1 hour flight to Venice. There was a lot of snow as we went over high mountains, we also saw a lot of lovely landscape. 

After arrival it was a taxi from the airport to the Four Seasons Hotel. We didn't unpack much as we will only be here one night. However, we want to stay up as late as possible to get back to the "right" time so we went down to the bar and played Phase 10 for a while. We were slightly hungry and ordered a pepperoni flat bread to split. Back to the room and Stuart had some computer work to do. I decided to play solitaire on my Kindle but soon fell asleep. I think that was around 7:30p.