celebritycruises – Scribbles and Snapshots

Pompeii and Pizza – Naples, Italy

September 14, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, Celebrity Cruises, celebritycruises, cruise, Europe, italy, Mediterranean, Mediterranean Cruise, Mosaic, Pompeii, Roman Ruins, Romans, travel, travel blog, Walking TourLeave a comment

September 7, 2025

When most people think of Pompeii, they picture the ash-covered ruins frozen in time. But walking through the ancient streets, it feels less like a tragedy and more like stepping straight into a bustling Roman city. It was complete with bakeries, fast food joints, grand villas, and even mosaics that served as cheeky “welcome mats.” (We even saw one warning visitors to beware of dog because clearly some things never change.)

Pompeii’s fate was sealed in 79 AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the city under 21 feet of ash and pumice. The eruption happened so quickly (and lasted for so long – over two days!) that thousands were trapped, their homes and daily lives preserved beneath the volcanic blanket. What’s remarkable is how advanced this city was for its time: courtyards decorated with colorful mosaics, plumbing systems, and even what we’d recognize today as fast food restaurants. It’s wild to think of ancient Romans ordering food much like we do now.

One of the most haunting things about Pompeii is the casts of the victims. Archaeologists discovered that the ash left behind hollow spaces where bodies once lay. By carefully filling those spaces with plaster, they were able to recreate the final moments of those who perished. We only saw three casts of the victims in the market square, but nearly 100 casts have been made over the years out of an estimated 1,300 victims. Seeing even a few was enough to bring the tragedy to life in a way that history books never could. (If you’re interested in reading more about how they make the casts you can read here).

One of the most well preserved buildings was a bathhouse – the roof was still well intact. It was incredible to see inside – shocking that this was over 2,000 years old!

Only two thirds of Pompeii have been excavated 44 hectares so far – 22 hectares – are still covered in debris from the eruption almost 2,000 years ago. Our tour guide said that they are on track to finish it in the next 100 years, she said she wasn’t joking! They can only do their digging during the winter months because of how many tourists visit the site during the summer months. In fact, she is an archeologist herself and is a tour guide during the summer months.

We only had a few hours to explore, but Pompeii has a way of making time stand still. It’s a city frozen in its final day. I know I’ll be thinking about it long after this trip and doing more research into the history.

We could have spent all day there and still not had enough time. Before we knew it we were on our way back to the bus.

The only original part is the white marble at the bottom – I guess Madonna had an event here last year!

Thankfully, we still had time in Naples before the ship left. Naples is the birth place of pizza, so of course we had to eat it there. We had heard that one restaurant was superior, so of course we hightailed it over there.

Naturally, we weren’t the only ones who had that idea. There was over an hour wait. So we started wandering around and finally settled on this other place who had a rather a very charismatic owner who got us seated right away. He was incredible. The food, drinks, and service were all amazing too.

The owner is the gentlemen in the window

We got to talking with a Norwegian couple next to us who were visiting Naples for a concert. It was a really fun conversation and just a nice change of pace and a good reminder why we love traveling so much. They were meeting up with a group of friends to celebrate a 50th birthday and asked us to help record a video to surprise him with, I’m sure we will be part of the blooper reel.

This was our last day on the ship, so once we got back on board we packed up our suitcases and got ready for an early morning.

Up Next:
-Travel day
-Florence
-Tuscany wine tasting

A Postcard from Santorini

September 6, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, celebrity ascent, Celebrity Cruises, celebritycruises, cruise, Europe, greece, Islands, Mediterranean, Mediterranean Cruise, Santorini, travel, travel blog, Wine, Wine Tasting1 Comment

September 5, 2025

I have dreamed about Santorini since I first had seen a picture of the whitewashed buildings, the blue-domes, and the blue water in the background. I bought a calendar once and I think I kept that picture for years after because I loved that image so much. When Andy and I got engaged – this was where I originally wanted to get married.

One thing led to another and the universe had other plans and we got married in the Dominican Republic instead. This was the port stop that I was most excited to visit because of how long I had dreamed about Santorini for – and honestly, it didn’t let me down.

Santorini is one of Greece’s most iconic islands, but what makes it truly unique, is that it sits on the rim of an active volcanic caldera. The result of a massive eruption thousands of years ago that shaped its dramatic cliffs and crescent shape.

One of things to note about Santorini is that all of the villages are on the cliffs, and tourists have limited options to get to the top. You can climb up 588 stairs to the top of Fira, ride a donkey, ride a cable car and pay 10 euro per person (one way), or book an excursion with the cruise ship who will arrange travel for you.

We opted for the last option, which took the guess work out of it for us. It did mean we had an early wake up call for us, but we got on tender who brought us over to the new port where our bus was waiting for us. These roads were teeny tiny and would have had anyone who was afraid of heights pinching their eyes closed and praying for it to be over as quickly as possible.

Our first stop was Oia, with its winding alleys and the famous blue domes. We were one of the first busses to pull into the parking lot, and our tour guide was so excited that she hustled us to the meeting point and told us to get to the “Instagram” point as quickly as possible because the crowds would be getting there soon and the lines would get long for the picture.

This is where things got funny. Andy and I ended up splitting up on accident because she told us that the there were two different vantage points for the domes, and both of us were in too deep with our respective lines. Andy’s line moved faster. He then came over to my line to be the ever-dutiful Instagram husband and take my pictures. Another bucket list item secured!

Since he waited, he got his line’s vantage point

Our next stop was a winery – Artemis Karamolegos. We sampled three wines: a crisp white Assyrtiko, a dry rosé Assyrtiko, and a sweet wine that they were famous for, the Vinsanto. Santorini has some of the oldest grapes in Europe because they were resistant to phylloxera, which had devastated the rest of Europe’s vines. We enjoyed our time there before getting back on the bus for our last stop.

They had some local cheese, tomatoes, and olives as a pairing

They have a unique way of weaving a “basket” with the vines underground.

We made our way to the capital, Fira. This is where most tourists make the pilgrimage from the old port (the 588 steps or the donkey route). Thankfully, we were already at the top. We had an hour here, so we made our way to the edge and snuck a peek of the caldera and the donkeys before doing a little shopping.

The height of the coach bus really highlighted the crazy switchbacks headed down to the new port- sorry to the moms out there following along…

We made our way back to the cruise ship after our stop in Fira. Andy and I discussed, and we realized that everything had worked out the way it was supposed to. We were supposed to get married in the Dominican Republic. Santorini was stunning, and beautiful. But it was small – and I think we would have been bored after a day or two. It’s funny how things work out and you just don’t know it at the time!

Up Next:
Naples

Turkey, that’s my second favorite kind of poultry!

September 5, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, Celebrity Cruises, celebritycruises, cruise, Ephesus, Europe, Kusadasi, Mediterranean, Mosaic, Roman Ruins, Romans, travel, travel blog, turkey, wonders of the world, Zeus1 Comment

September 4, 2025

Our third stop was Kusadasi, Turkey, which was a new country for me – but a revisit for Andy (due to his time in the Air Force). We had booked the “Ancient Ephesus” tour with the cruise line, which would take us a little bit inland to the ancient city. It was an earlier wake up for us, but well worth it!

Strolling through Ephesus feels like walking straight into a history book, only way sunnier and with a lot more cats (and a few dogs!). Once a major city of the Roman Empire, it was famous for its great theater, shiny marble streets, and the incredible Library of Celsus. Back in its day, Ephesus was buzzing with trade, politics, and worship at the Temple of Artemis which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

What makes Ephesus even more fascinating is its connection to the Bible. The apostle Paul spent years here, preaching and later writing the Letter to the Ephesians. It’s believed that the Virgin Mary lived out her final years nearby, cared for by the apostle John, who continued his ministry in this region. You can still visit Mary’s home, and the ruins of Temple of Artemis. Unfortunately our tour didn’t include these two as options, but if you are going – I’d recommend looking for these as add ons!

It was eventually abandoned as the river silted up and malaria spread through the area, leaving the once-great city to crumble. Today, archaeologists are still uncovering its secrets. They think only about 10% of the site has been excavated so far, making it a bit like Turkey’s own version of Pompeii, with more treasures waiting to be revealed. It was recognized as a UNCESO World Heritage Site in 2015.

Now for the fun part! We had an early start – and glad that we did because each port has been HOT. It hasn’t mattered if we start at 8 or at 12pm, it’s hot. But we were hoping that it would be less busy if we went early.

We were dropped off at one end of the valley and started working our way downhill. This city was incredibly advanced: wide marble streets, aqueduct system with fresh water, and an advanced sewage system.

A few of the major stunners in the valley though are the theaters (one of them could hold over 25,000!) and the Celsus Library, which is one of the third largest library in the ancient world. (Not to be confused with the second or fourth largest).

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves – and let Andy take over. Because I think the captions might add more value at this point.

This is The Great Theater (almost 24k seating), they are restoring it for modern shows!

After we left Ephesus we went back into Kusadasi. Our tour brought us to a rug factory where they demonstrated how they gather silk from silk worms, and then they showed us how they make rugs. Of course, it’s a sales pitch. The couple next to us asked how much the smallest rug was – $1,300! Our guide had told us that we would get a group discount of 30%, so I tried to help them out and asked, “Is that with the 30%?” And the guy nodded, “Yes – that’s with the discount. Are you interested. Can I help you?!”

We said no and head downstairs to the other part of the store. Not that the rugs weren’t beautiful, just a bit out of our price range. I did buy some jewelry and a few other souvenirs at their shop.

We wandered around Kusadasi a bit more before returning to the cruise ship. It was a lovely town, it definitely had a resort feel. We were even surprised to see pine trees!

Up Next:
Santorini

Our first taste of Greece: Mykonos

September 3, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, celebrity ascent, Celebrity Cruises, celebritycruises, cruise, Europe, foodie, greece, Mediterranean, Mediterranean Cruise, travel, travel blog, Zeus1 Comment

September 3, 2025

We arrived in Mykonos early today and were awoken by a ton of shaking. Not sure what the shaking was because we weren’t actually docked, (this is a tender port for us – which means they shuttle us back and forth to shore by smaller boats) but it was really windy. I guess Mykonos is notorious for being windy, but without the wind the heat would be unbearable. Honestly, it feels a bit like a hair dryer because it’s hot!

One of my favorite types of cuisines is Mediterranean, so we had booked a walking food tour while we were in Mykonos with Celebrity. It didn’t start until lunchtime so we took it easy in the morning and got ready at a leisurely pace.

We got there a little early, and walked around waiting for our guide to show up. Once Claudio did, we immediately knew that we were in good hands. We could tell that he carried himself with professionalism, was incredibly knowledgeable, and that he was well known with others in the industry.

And honestly, without him we would have gotten lost within the labyrinth that is the Mykonos maze. The maze was set up intentionally to confuse pirates that may have tried to invade to loot the town in the past. Now it just confuses tourists (including us) and makes for a fun adventure when you’re trying to find a shop that you spotted a cute sun dress in the window at earlier!

We had five different stops that included a variety of traditional Greek food and drink. The first stop was a bakery that had a Tiropitakia (cheese pie), which was something that the average Greek would grab when they were “on the go.”

Claudio also wanted to make sure he mixed in cultural stops too – so we stopped to see some windmills and “Little Venice.” It was a really picturesque area!

From there we had kebabs – some people in the group opted for gyros, which were the size of your head. Once we left that restaurant we reentered the maze. As we wove through the streets, we saw the interesting mix of high end stores (Louis Vuitton) with Mykonos branded mugs and keychains shops. And there were so many cats everywhere! Claudio taught us that cats are loved on the island because they help keep both the rodent and viper population under control, plus they’re cute!

The next couple of stops were a little quicker – the next was a sweet. It was called the “Ypovrichio.” The submarine – a rich white chewy sweet that is served on a spoon dipped in a long glass of crystal cold water. So that’s exactly what we did, we all stood outside a candy shop with our glass of water with these!

My 10-year old self would have killed for one of these. But it was a little too sweet for me now, but it was so fun to try!

From there, it was a quick walk over to our next stop where we had a shot of Ouzo and an appetizer plate with traditional Greek items that were all super tasty. The Ouzo was definitely an acquired taste – has a very strong licorice flavor (not my favorite). But, when in “Rome” in this case, Mykonos… bottoms up!

We rounded out the day at The Milky Way, our final stop for Greece’s spin at Turkish Delight and a sample of Mastiha (another one of their liqueurs). The restaurant was hopping so the server actually brought the glasses and the loukoumi out to us on the beach. Both were actually very good, and the liqueur was far tastier than the ouzo we had at the previous place.

After we finished those, we parted ways from Claudio and the rest of the group and made our way into the maze and started shopping. It was fun to drop into different shops, and window shop. But we didn’t leave with too many different things.

We made our way back to the ship with plenty of time because we wanted to make sure we didn’t get lost and left behind in the maze. (Although it might not have been the worst place to get stuck!)

Up Next:
Ephesus, Turkey

Pastizzi and Panoramas: A Day in Valletta, Malta

September 2, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, celebrity ascent, Celebrity Cruises, celebritycruises, cruise, Europe, malta, Mediterranean, Mediterranean Cruise, travel, Valletta1 Comment

September 1, 2025

Our first stop on the cruise was in a micro-nation, Malta. We had most of the day to spend there, but as per usual, my jet lag kicked in. I woke up in the middle of the night and was up for about 3 hours, so we got ready a little slower in the morning.

We hadn’t booked a tour with the cruise line, so we decided to make the most of it with a self-guided walking tour of Valletta. The city might be small, but it packs in centuries of history, stunning views, and more uphill climbs than our legs were ready for.

Once we got off the ship, it was a quick 20 minute walk over to the Barrakka Lift, which would save us quite a few steps for 2 euros total to bring us up to street-level.

One of our first stops was Jean de Valette Square, named after the founder of the city. Just around the corner is the open-air Royal Opera House, which was bombed during WWII and now serves as a striking mix of ruins and modern architecture. It’s a reminder of Malta’s resilience, standing right in the middle of daily life. There are still discussions if it will be rebuilt to its pre-WWII prominence.

Once inside Valletta, everything feels like a living museum, with every corner showing off its limestone buildings and colorful balconies. We then made our way to the Triton Fountain, which is right outside the city gate.

We wandered down Republic Street, which is lined with shops and cafés.

I asked one of the restaurants for a look at their menu. I was looking for the classic pastizzi (flaky pastry filled with ricotta or peas typically) and only saw overpriced food. I asked him if they had the pastizzi and he pointed to Spar (basically a 7/11) and said they would have them.

You could tell he was annoyed that I wasted his time and I mean I was annoyed he wasted mine with his overpriced food! We walked into Spar and tried the chicken and mushroom pastizzi. It was simple, cheap, and delicious. Exactly what I thought it would be!

We saw down to enjoy an Aperol Spritz and cool off in front of a fan. It was in the upper 80s and super sunny, so it was nice to relax in the shade with the fan blowing on us. I noticed a street food stand that had a qassatat, which was another Maltese food. This one is rounder and stuffed with ricotta – and it’s flaky and delicious and as good as it sounds. Except it was in the upper 80s and we weren’t already having a hard time staying cool. But both food dishes we tried were 10/10 – no notes. Malta knows what they are doing with their food!

Of course, no walk through Valletta is complete without a stop at the Upper Barrakka Gardens. The views over the Grand Harbour are some of the best in the city. It’s the kind of view that makes you stop talking for a minute just to take it all in.

It might be a view you recognize, because it’s actually been in a lot of different movies and TV shows!

Valletta is one of Europe’s smallest capitals and is a UNESCO world heritage site – it really is a gem.

We made our way back to the ship in time for one of our favorite games – will anyone accidentally miss the cruise ship? No one did yesterday! At least no one that we witnessed!

We had dinner in the Mediterranean restaurant on board and actually reconnected with one of the staff members from our first cruise, Jayson. It was fun – naturally he didn’t recognize us, but I put the pieces together right away. What a small world!

Up Next:
At Sea
Mykonos on Wednesday

Bon Voyage Barcelona!

September 1, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, Barcelona Cathedral, Casa Batlló, celebrity ascent, Celebrity Cruises, celebritycruises, cruise, España, Europe, Gaudi, Park Güell, Sagrada Familia, travel, Travel Day5 Comments

August 30, 2025

Saturday morning we woke up and got ready for the day and finished packing up our luggage before walking over to Sagrada Familia. This is Barcelona’s most iconic landmark and we wanted to see it one more time before heading to the cruise ship.

Sagrada Família has been under construction since 1882 and was dreamed up by Antoni Gaudí. Gaudí was Barcelona’s resident genius of all things whimsical. It’s still not finished, so every time you go, you are getting a front-row seat to the world’s longest home renovation project.

They say the main structure will finally be finished by 2026… just in time for the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death, but knowing this place, you might still be able to catch scaffolding selfies well into the 2030s. That might be part of the allure, maybe it’ll never be truly be finished. Time will tell!

From our hotel, it was a nice 30 minute walk over to Sagrada Familia. As we walked over we saw Casa Batlló from last year and got a better exterior picture of that as well.

Comparing pictures of Sagrada Familia from last year, it looks like the center tower is a bit taller. But honestly, it’s just incredible to look at – it’s so worth the walk to stare at.

You really need to walk around the whole thing- each side is SO unique

Afer we walked around to get a view of all the angles, we caught a cab over to the Gothic Quarter, which was another stop similar to last year. But there was a famous bridge we didn’t know about last year, called the Ponte del Bisbe.

It’s a cool looking bridge tucked away in the neighborhood, it looks like it’s original – but was actually built in 1928. Either way, it was a super cool stop. The Gothic Quarter has such a nice mix of old medieval feel with winding streets – and modern retailers. The centerpiece is definitely the Barcelona Cathedral, which after we walked past that we made our way back to our hotel.

We checked out and got into a taxi and our way to the ship. This was the newest ship in Celebrity’s fleet – the Ascent. (Their next enters the fleet in November). The line was flowing pretty smoothly as we boarded and we didn’t have any issues getting on board or to our room. After dropping our carry ons, we headed to the cafe and got lunch.

Our tradition is a celebratory cheers on the sundeck!

Once we wrapped up lunch we decided to do a quick tour of the ship to get more familiar with the space and amenities. One of our favorite parts of cruising is the ability to unpack and get settled in while being able to see a bunch of new cities/countries. Once our suitcases arrived we got settled in to the room and then had dinner.

Fully taking advantage of our infinite veranda, enjoying the moon’s reflection

We’re quite pleased so far with our room and the cruise! Our first day is a sea day, so I think we’ll skip writing about that – so you’ll hear from us next when we recap our first port: Malta!

Up Next:
Malta

A taste of Barcelona

August 31, 2025Posted in Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, celebritycruises, cruise, España, Europe, Gaudi, La Boqueria, Sagrada Familia, Spain, travel, Travel DayLeave a comment

August 29, 2025

If there is one place in Barcelona that feels like the city’s heartbeat, it is La Boqueria Market. Tucked right off La Rambla, this colorful maze of stalls is where locals and travelers collide over fresh fruit juices, sizzling tapas, and seafood that looks like it came straight off the boat that morning. But what makes La Boqueria so special is not just the food, it is the history. This market has been feeding Barcelona for over 800 years, and stepping inside feels like joining a tradition that has been alive since the Middle Ages. (It opened in 1217, the indoor structure you see today was opened in 1840, and then later in the 20th century the metal roof was added).

Last year when we visited Barcelona, we did not get the chance to go. As much as I wanted to, there just was not enough time to squeeze everything in. This year though, I made sure to set aside plenty of time to wander the aisles, sample the stalls, and soak in the energy of the market. And I am so glad we did, because La Boqueria ended up being a fun stop in the city!

We took our time getting ready in the morning and walked over to the market. I had read about a restaurant that was “in the market” but as looked at Google maps it was actually taking us just outside of it. We didn’t mind, it took us through a very cute area of Barcelona.

The restaurant was called Bar Pintxo – and because I’m a picky eater… I should have known better than walk in without reviewing the menu. But I really wanted to try some Spanish food. You can’t blame a girl for trying. I was so excited that they had chicken paella on the menu, but Andy swerved and ordered two tapas instead of an entree (which threw me off, because he isn’t a tapas kind of guy). So I swerved and ordered two tapas myself.

This is where I went wrong. The shrimp had heads and legs. And my rule, well, it isn’t actually a rule, but if it looks like it was alive at one point, my head can’t seem to get past it… But I have a hard time eating it.

I struggled to choke any of it down. I was dry heaving at the table. I knew I should have stuck with the chicken paella. The restaurant was adorable, the service was incredible, the sangria was exceptional. You should go to this restaurant if you are in Barcelona. Don’t let me deter you. I just ordered poorly for my taste!

Our server brought over little shots to close things out – Andy had Vermouth and I had the Cuarenta Y Tres (very similar to limoncello, the Italian, more sweet drink) so it was a wonderful experience.

We made our way back to the market and it was actually less busy than when we first got there. I don’t want you to worry, I didn’t go hungry. I was able to secure plenty of food at the market. Lots of watermelon and ice cream to get me through until dinner.

This market was so bright and colorful. There were so many different booths selling food, wine, and souvenirs. You could even take cooking classes there. (Probably other topics as well). We spent a few hours in this area wandering up and down the stalls taking it all in and looking for the best prices.

We made our way back to the hotel so Andy could log on to work for the day. We had miscalculated his PTO for the year and this was his remote week for the quarter, whoops. Grateful that his company allows him the flexibility to be able to work from anywhere though.

I had just started a new job at the end of June and had a few things I needed to wrap up before I felt like I could properly log off for vacation, so I worked for a few hours before shutting my laptop for the rest of the trip. After that, I started sorting my carryon and suitcase to get things ready for the cruise ship.

We ate dinner late at a restaurant near the hotel, El Racó. My dinner order was a much safer option compared to lunch. We felt like my croquettes looked like our corgis at home, what do you think?

We checked out our hotel rooftop before Andy logged back on to finish up his work day, we got to see Sagrada Familia from a distance. What a beauty!

Once work was done we enjoyed watching the nightlife from our terrace, which included comparing the Barcelona police vs. the police in the US. It was fun to watch – we do feel bad for the poor guy who likely ended up getting a ticket for what we can only assume was drunk-biking. (And walked home by a police officer).

Up Next:
Stop by Sagrada Familia
Gothic Quarter
Board cruise ship

Oh my god, we’re back again… (Barcelona 2025!)

August 30, 2025August 31, 2025Posted in Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, british airways, celebrity ascent, celebritycruises, cruise, Europe, greece, italy, malta, Spain, travel, Travel Day, turkey2 Comments

August 27/28, 2025

Flights to Europe from San Diego are pretty limited, but there are a few options to London, Munich, and another new one to Amsterdam a few days a week. We were pretty excited because this was our first time that we had converted our AMEX points into AVIOS with British Airways and got Business Class aka… lie flat seats. Yippee!

One of Andy’s coworkers (shout out to Courtney!) had taught me the secret last year – and I’m forever in her debt. Let me know if you want to learn more and I can write more about it!

We are pretty excited for this trip because we are visiting a handful of new countries, but most excited because we are finally getting to Greece. I’ve dreamed of visiting Greece since I was young – I guess probably right after I learned about Greek mythology about Mount Olympus and Zeus. (Not to mention I’ve loved tzatziki as long as I’ve known about it).

We finished out the work day at the airport and then hopped on the plane. I’m not going to get used to flying this way… because on the second leg of the trip we were already back in economy, but it was pretty comfortable when we were able to lay flat!

We didn’t end up landing in Barcelona until around 8ish on Thursday evening – we were so excited that once we got to the hotel that they had upgraded our terrace room that was two chairs to a full terrace with like, six chairs and a full patio! It was stunning!

Andy had to work that evening (Thursday back in California) so we ordered room service. I was dead on my feet – and slipped on my eye mask and was asleep before he even wrapped up his calls.

Accommodation:
NH Collection Barcelona Gran Hotel Calderon

Up Next:
Barcelona
Mediterranean Cruise

Australia / New Zealand Cruise 12 / 13

March 4, 2024March 3, 2024Posted in Australia/New Zealand, UncategorizedTagged Australia, celebritycruises, New Zealand, Sydney, Sydney Harbor Bridge, Sydney Opera HouseLeave a comment

It had been a late night New Year’s Eve – so we took the next day at a more leisurely pace. We also knew that we were coming to the end of our cruise so just wanted to relax and soak in our vacation.

On New Year’s Day – there was a hypnotist show. Andy volunteered to be a part of it. It was fun to watch – but I won’t embarrass him here with the videos. Let’s just say his impression of a T-Rex left a mark on the hypnotist.

You can see Andy in the first row on the left!

That evening also had a special encore show with Mr. Stephen Barry. The winner of Ireland’s Got Talent. He was super talented and always engaged with the crowd, which made things fun and interesting!

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The next day – our last full day on the ship we went to a special session they were hosting with Giuseppe and Captain Matt. It was meant to be more an informal ask me anything session. We learned a lot about both of them – and a lot of silly facts as well.

It was another nice day at sea – so that afternoon we spent some time on the pool deck in the sun. It was a great way to end our cruise!

The outdoor pool was packed – so we made our way inside. As you can see we almost had the pool to ourselves!

Our last dinner on the ship, we went to the Mediterranean restaurant and had one of our favorite waitresses and sommelier again. We had hoped we would get them – and without asking, we did! They went above and beyond to make our experience special.

The production team had one last show for us – it was a play on Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night Dream. It was called a Hot Summer’s Night Dream. The show started a little earlier – and the squad was interacting with the crowd.

If we could always sail with Captain Matt, we would!

Our friend new friend Viktar (who we had met wine tasting) did an incredible job in this performance. The sheer upper body strength and talent was incredible to watch!

We would pull into Sydney around 5 AM and dock by 6 AM the next morning. We knew we needed to go to bed early, because we had to catch our flight by 11:30 AM. We finished packing that night and headed off to sleep.

The view out of our room as we pulled into Sydney

I woke up and could tell something was really wrong. I felt awful – like I had been hit by a truck. Sore throat, full body aches (actually felt like someone was twisting my spine in their hands), and a fever. Not something you want to happen when you’re about to embark on a 14 hour flight home!

Up Next:

Jordan – March 2024

Australia / New Zealand Cruise Day 11

January 24, 2024January 25, 2024Posted in Australia/New ZealandTagged Auckland, celebritycruises, New Zealand, Waiheke Island, Wine TastingLeave a comment

We docked in Auckland on December 30th – but didn’t stay there long! We got off the ship and made our way over to a high speed ferry that was taking us to Waiheke Island.

We were set to wine taste again that day. On the ferry ride over, we unfortunately ended up sitting in front of quite possibly the world’s grumpiest woman. She complained about the ship – then the spa – the fact that the ship had installed new handrails but hadn’t been varnished. You might call her… Karen.

I sent a silent prayer up that she didn’t end up on our bus. But as luck would have it, she was in our group. These tours can get kind of big, so sometimes you can avoid annoying people. That wasn’t the case.

When we had booked the tour, the first thing that I had noticed was that at our first stop we were supposed to get tea. It stood out to me, because why would I want tea if I was scheduled for wine tasting?!

Well Karen, she wanted that tea. She made a big stink when the winery didn’t have it. They tried to make it right by giving her a glass of her favorite varietal in addition to her tasting flight. Some people just can’t be reasoned with.

Once Karen quieted down – we began our tasting. The wine was good, but unfortunately the set up wasn’t great. Most of us were standing (even though there was a perfectly good restaurant and patio behind us) – but I don’t think anyone wanted to complain after we all witnessed Karen’s outburst. It was a beautiful area – and it was one of the more tropical stops so far on our trip!

We even got to see not one, but TWO helicopters take off and land to drop off some of the more wealthy folks who wanted to wine taste.

We made our way to our next winery that was on the highest point of the island. Andy and I really didn’t like the varietals they tasted for us – but we got a glass of their Shiraz which was nice and the view was great.

The charcuterie board at the second winery – Batch

Beautiful view – look at the water in the distance!

Before we knew it we were already on our way back to Auckland. It had been pretty humid, so we made our way back to the ship to take advantage of the ships amenities. (Pool, proper AC, etc!)

We ended the night with another show in the ship’s theater. The entertainment on the ship was truly top notch!

Up Next:

Bay of Islands (Glow worm caves)
New Year’s Eve

Australia / New Zealand Cruise Day 10

January 21, 2024January 21, 2024Posted in Australia/New ZealandTagged celebritycruises, Hobbiton, lord of the rings, middle earth, New Zealand, taurangaLeave a comment

One of the activities that we were most looking forward to on our cruise was Tauranga, because we had a tour booked to Hobbiton. I’ve spent most of my life reading a variety of books, but I had a soft spot for J.R.R. Tolkien’s books. Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit were some of the books that secured the fantasy genre for me. (Not to mention, once the movies came out I thought Legolas was soooo attractive!)

We got off the ship and hightailed it to our meeting point. There was a group of us from the cruise ship that met up and starting our journey to Middle Earth. The forecast called for rain. Rain. And more rain. We weren’t looking forward to that, but there wasn’t too much that could put a damper on our adventure.

The history of Hobbiton was really cool. “In 1998, Sir Peter Jackson’s team discovered the picturesque Alexander farm in Waikato, New Zealand, resembling JRR Tolkien’s vision of The Shire. Recognizing its suitability for Hobbiton, they transformed the 1,250-acre sheep farm, preserving its natural beauty. Bag End, perched atop a hill near a magnificent pine tree by a lake, became a focal point. With the New Zealand Army’s assistance, they constructed 39 temporary Hobbit Holes in secrecy, implementing strict security during the nine-month project that began in March 1999. Filming commenced in December 1999, and within three months, The Shire scenes were successfully wrapped.”

After Lord of the Rings, the entire place was dismantled. However, a few years later the filming for the Hobbit brought them back. This time they reconstructed Hobbiton to be a more permanent feature – that way fans could come to visit.

Enough about the history… it was MAGICAL. I ONLY took 77 pictures and videos of the place. We got to walk around with a guide for a few hours – the group was large, but it never felt crowded. People were respectful about space – and making sure everyone got a chance to look at the different Hobbit holes and get pictures.

We lucked out, early in December, Hobbiton had opened two separate Hobbit holes that were fully furnished. And they staged them to look like two different families had lived there. The details were so intricate. Down to the newspapers – the food in the pantry – the children’s toys! I’m so glad we got there AFTER they had opened so we could spend more time looking around!

As the tour wrapped up, we ended at the Green Dragon. You could get a pint of beer, cider, or a non-alcoholic beverage. It was a great way to end the tour.

The sun came out – and it got really humid!

Pardon the sweat, it was really humid at this point!

We made our way back to the ship. We got cleaned up and had dinner – before heading to the magic show.

If you don’t already know, you’re about to find out. I love magic shows. If the magician ever asks for a volunteer, I always raise my hand. Random fact: I once was part of a magic show in Las Vegas.

What made this show extra fun, was that the magician was a woman. Jessica Jane from Las Vegas! She went through a few tricks and then asked for volunteers. She picked me and another guy from the audience.

The goal was to show that even though we didn’t know each other that we could quickly form a mental connection. I won’t spoil it if you want to watch the video. It was really fun to be a part of a trick! Although, he got to stick around and help her get into her straitjacket.

Ending the night at a silent disco (always a crowd favorite on a cruise ship).

Up Next:

Waiheke Island wine tasting tour

Australia / New Zealand Cruise Day 9

January 11, 2024Posted in Australia/New ZealandTagged celebritycruises, Napier, New Zealand, Wine TastingLeave a comment

The next day, we had a quick stop in Napier. We were only there for a few hours and due to rough waters we only had one gangway. This meant that up to 3,000 people were trying to get off at the same time. The line snaked from the gangway all the way back through the casino, just trust me when I say that it was a LONG line.

I had done some research on the Hawkes Bay wineries – and knew that there would likely only be time for one. We landed on Church Road Winery – they’ve been around for over 125 years. The Hawkes Bay region is New Zealand’s oldest – and voted 12th best in the world.

We had called ahead and secured a tasting reservation. The prices were about the same to wine tasting in the USA. One thing that we noticed is that most of the wine tasting in NZ was about 30 minute appointments, which varies dramatically to what we are used to with California wine tasting! (You could easily spend 2 hours at one spot).

We definitely liked these wines the best out of the other places that we had been to. And the venue was stunning! Since the wine tasting was 30 minutes, we realized that we could sneak in another winery. But… it would have to be in town closer to the cruise ship.

Our server had recommended Urban Winery, which is where we were headed. It was a cute spot in town, although you could tell they did some of their production there on site. The girl working was incredibly overwhelmed that “so many people just want to do tasting flights.” I was a little baffled, considering… they are a winery? Anyway, she wouldn’t serve us tastings. She almost let us walk out the door, but I decided to ask if we could get a glass.

At this point, I think she might have realized that she was about to lose money. (Mind you – important to note, I think there were only 6-8 other people inside). So she decided she could serve us glasses. So that’s what we did!

The interior was really cute, and I loved their branding. I’ll just say that if you are planning on going there – lower your service expectations.

We didn’t get to see much of downtown Napier, but it is known for having Art Deco architecture. We wished we would have more time there!

We made our way back to the ship, and this time we tried the Italian themed restaurant. We had wonderful service, which was a great way to end the night!

Up Next:

Hobbiton