TLCOhio

From the London/UK Sunday Times this morning, they had this headline: “The world’s best new museums" with this sub-headline: "It’s boom time for galleries and education centres, many of them designed by the world’s leading architects.” Here are highlights for one location spotlighted: “Istanbul Modern, Turkey: Since it opened in 2004 as Turkey’s first museum of modern and contemporary art, Istanbul Modern has been an important focus for the country’s art scene and a key venue for the Istanbul Biennial. In 2018, its collections of modern and contemporary art, photography, design, architecture and new media were moved to temporary premises, while the converted warehouse in Karakoy, at the confluence of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, made way for a 15,000 sq m building by Renzo Piano. The new museum, projected to open this spring, will have a transparent ground-floor level linking Tophane Park in the north to the Bosphorus in the south and a metal façade above to reflect the light on the water and foliage in the park. Part of the Galataport revitalisation of a mile-long stretch of waterfront that also includes a cruise ship terminal, it has been conceived as a social destination as well as a cultural one, with a bookshop, outdoor café, sculpture garden and waterfront restaurant." This museum's website is: istanbulmodern.org Full story at: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-new-museums-new-york-istanbul-sydney-hotels-gxmpmmcc8 Not sure that modern and contemporary art would be my highest priority with limited time in Istanbul, but thought I would share this background here as an options to consider. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 245,913 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

Agree strongly with Dr. Ron and all of the other excellent comments and follow-ups. You will BOTH meet an interesting variety of experienced people, plus many, many of us "regular folks". It all works well and comes together nicely. Most "important" people also nice and approachable. Right? As a key tip, the biggest advantage with Silversea is being on a smaller ship where you are able to get to know personally more fellow passengers and helpful staff. For food, do not forget that with a day-ahead notice, they are happy to prepare a special meal or taste treat that would not normally be on the menu for that evening. Don't be shy!! The staff, assuming they have it in stock, likes "challenges" that allows them to show off their skills, etc. ASK!!! One evening for our table of six, we had a variety, family-style, of different Thai tastes and special items prepared and served from that country. On our 2019 Alaska cruise on the Silver Muse, we invited the author/speaker to dine with us and we all had a special order of Beef Wellington. Wonderful!! Need proof? See the visual evidence below. Also on that Silver Muse sailing in the Asian dining venue for our group of five, we had a hard time deciding as to what to order. Solution suggested by our waiter? Order all of the options and share/enjoy family-style. Super excellent!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 245,913 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/ Here was our special order of Beef Wellington when it was not on the regular menu that evening.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

Super appreciate the wise "wit and wisdom" as cited above by R&T. Love the Yogi Berra quote. Fun!! And, true!! Agree that for most, the major "investment" risk with cruise companies is your advance payments and hoping that it all works out OK in the coming months leading up to your sailing. Guessing as to how the future economic trends will "flow" and move for the world can be challenging and "Mission Impossible!". From this web financial reporting site connected below, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean May Have Swung Back to Loss in Fourth Quarter" with this sub-headline: "Cruise industry demand is picking up, but inflation and other headwinds remain.” Here are some of their reporting/analysis highlights: “Royal Caribbean, the second-largest cruise company by 2021 revenue, is expected to return to a loss in the final quarter of 2022 after posting its first profit in several years in the third quarter, even as revenues almost triple amid rebounding cruise demand. The cruise line likely will say that net losses reached $355.8 million, for adjusted losses of $1.37 per share, according to estimates compiled by Visible Alpha. Both are narrower than the prior-year quarter. Revenue could increase 165% to $2.6 billion. Royal Caribbean reports results for the fourth quarter before markets open on Feb. 7.” Have Feb. 7 marked on my calendar and will try to monitor or follow what is announced and revealed by RCL. Full story at: https://www.investopedia.com/royal-caribbean-q4-2022-earnings-preview-7104754 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Athens & Greece: Visuals, details from two visits in a city and nearby with great history, culture and architecture. Now at 50,110 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

Appreciate these great above comments and follow-ups from Randy and our Philadelphia-area suburban friend. As I had summarized earlier, there are "marketing trade-offs" and various "pro/con factors" that can be cited on both side of this pricing/value "debate". As usually happens, we as consumer look at the price tag, evaluate what we will get, consider value yield and our budgets, etc. Like a three-level, multiple-staged chess game, we pick which options best fits our needs for cruises and travel. Fortunately, there are a decent variety of different cruise companies, offerings and styles. From the Wall Street Journal late this Friday afternoon, below are the charts for the three major cruise companies. Generally, things went up, UP, especially starting Wednesday afternoon. These movements were somewhat similar to what happened with the larger stock market trends. Overall, it seems that Carnival is dragging behind the most when comparing their value versus the previous highs during the past twelve months for their other two main competitors. Other insights and guesses for where the stock market is headed, including for these three cruise companies?? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 53,583 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337 From the Wall Street Journal, here are the stock value charts for the three major cruise line companies during the past five trading days. At the end of this week, three companies tracked in similar patterns and somewhat matched the overall market trend.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) For this past week, here is the WSJ S&P 500 chart reflecting the broader stock market during this past week.:

Appreciate this great wisdom and follow-up from savvy and experienced Randy. WOW, you did not get your "money's worth" from all of those "free" and included excursions. With 12 scheduled ports and to only get one excursion done is rather surprising. I understand the marketing take-offs as to including excursions or not. Various pro/con factors involved for both the corporation and consumer. As the economy moves forward, we will see how Silversea reacts or adjusts as their customers spend . . . or not?? From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they had this headline: “Travel Stocks Soar After Pandemic Struggles" with this sub-headline: "High customer demand and strong industry pricing power are fueling big gains for shares of airlines, hotels and cruise lines.” Here are a few of their reporting highlights: “The travel industry is making a comeback from Covid-19. Stock prices are going along for the ride. Consumers have flocked to the skies, after the worst of the pandemic essentially shuttered the travel industry. Shares of companies focused on travel are among the early winners of 2023. United Airlines Holdings Inc. and American Airlines Group Inc. have advanced 39% and 34%, respectively. Cruise operators Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Group are up 49% and 40%. The stock and bond markets have rallied to start the year, and speculative assets have run up even faster as investors bet the Federal Reserve’s campaign to raise interest rates is nearing an end. Travel companies, though, are seeing a strong business outlook to match that stock performance, industry executives and strategists say. Behind the good times is a surge in travel demand from customers eager to put the pandemic behind them.” Here is another specific cited in the article: "Travel spending is holding up. American Express Co. said last month that fourth-quarter spending on travel and entertainment-related expenses on the company’s credit cards rose 34% from a year earlier. 'That premium customer base, while not immune to economic downturn certainly, right now, is spending on through,' CEO Stephen Squeri said on a conference call with analysts." Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/travel-stocks-soar-after-pandemic-struggles-11675399454 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 70,873 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

Appreciate the follow-up and pictures from Dr. Ron, etc. It is good that Fletcher asked the right questions and carefully weighed the options, priorities. As mentioned earlier, we found our Silver Cloud sailing up and back for the 1000 miles of Amazon to be very interesting and unique. But, I have shared that it is not for everyone as their highest and best option. Depends on your personal interests!! Much of it is about the "people" and sampling something very different than normal in architecture, history, culture, etc. You cannot experience much of that just from a ship sailing on a very, very wide and big river. You need explore in and around the port stops, etc. As a fun, trivia question, I ask people interested in the Amazon River as to how many bridges cross this waterway. They are puzzled and make various guesses!! But, the correct answer is zero. No bridges across the Amazon itself. Too wide and big. Plus, If you built a bridge across this river, then where do you go??? What roads exist in most of the Amazon area? It is hard to imagine how massive and isolated are many of these areas. From Manaus, there are only a very limited number of ways back out. Fly out or sail back up the river. Or, the one main road out is to drive north to Caracas, Venezuela. That requires a drive of about 34 hours to cover the 2,234.5 km distance. When in Manaus, you will see the interesting and big Rio Negro Bridge. But, that does not cross the Amazon, nor take you in a road path to reach Rio, São Paulo, etc., by car, truck or bus. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

We are getting serious cold in Ohio today, but not as challenged as in Canada and what is coming to the NE USA. Yesterday was very sunny in our area. Below is a picture I captured of a super nice deer buck with an amazing rack in our backyard ravine area. This wildlife creature was very relaxed and enjoying the sunshine day. Did not do this pix with my cell phone. Used my Nikon camera with a longer lens in order to be close enough without scaring him away. Like? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Sorry to interrupt the great funnies, wonderful videos from India, etc. WOW that is cold in Canada!! We are getting serious cold in Ohio today, but not as challenged as in Canada and what is coming to the NE USA. Yesterday was very sunny in our area. Below is a picture I captured of a super nice deer buck with an amazing rack in our backyard ravine area. This wildlife creature was very relaxed and enjoying the sunshine day. Did not do this pix with my cell phone. Used my Nikon camera with a longer lens in order to be close enough without scaring him away. Like? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

According to the Yahoo News report two days ago, on Feb. 7 (next Tuesday), Royal Caribbean will be releasing their quarterly financial details. They had this headline: “Royal Caribbean (RCL) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates” with these highlights: “The market expects Royal Caribbean (RCL) to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended December 2022. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates. The earnings report, which is expected to be released on February 7, 2023, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.” Will be on the look-out for this financial update next week. Maybe that explains this big RCL stock jump up, UP?? Full story at: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/royal-caribbean-rcl-expected-beat-150003989.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 100,554 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

As a mid-week update, something significant was happening yesterday with Royal Caribbean's stock. Up, UP, big-time!! See below the Wall Street Journal chart from late yesterday. This was as the Dow Jones and S&P500 stocks were down. The major "jump" for RCL Wednesday was much, much higher than what happened with the other two major cruise lines. Why? Sorry, cannot answer that puzzling question. From the Washington Post this morning, they had this headline: “Fed hikes rates by 0.25 percentage points, with inflation easing" with this sub-headline: "The central bank plans to slow the pace of its fight while keeping pressure on the economy — in an attempt to avert a bad recession.” Here are a couple of their story highlights: “The Federal Reserve is not letting up on its inflation fight, hiking interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday, while signaling that it will continue to increase borrowing costs even at the risk of lost jobs. The central bank’s move was the eighth consecutive hike, but the smallest since last March, as Fed officials spent the past year scrambling to get control of inflation that soared to 40-year highs. The bleak reality, though, is that finishing that job requires pain. The country has avoided a recession so far, but no one knows whether the job market or consumer spending — critical engines of the U.S. economy — could worsen.” Is inflation really "easing" and the headline claimsand will the economy move into some type of recession? Deep or shallow economic slow-down? How do ALL of these economic news and questions affect the cruise industry? Lots of interesting questions? Full story at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/02/01/fed-rate-hike-inflation/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 241,427 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

Super appreciate the great detective work by J.P. and his skilled follow-up. Our Albany, NY, friend has won today's Agatha Christie/Hercule Poirot Award!! Congrats!! I also got a similar "warning" and ignore it. Will do more double-checking of my listed links to insure all are working correctly up to the 2023 standards. Who would think about "naming conventions for its web pages". Complicated and confusing? For Fletcher, hopefully "What an epic!" is a good sign. Don't be shy. Let me know any added questions and info needs THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Have not been to either Aquila or Tala. Not familiar with them. Yes, have been to Addo Elephant Park and loved it. Had two days and stayed overnight at Hluhluwe. That timing made all of the difference!! Safari experiences depend so much on the quality/skill of your guide, size of your group (smaller better and more personal), net amount of time spent there (versus the transit times getting there and back), weather luck, etc. Below are just a few visual samples from Addo. Tell me more about your net amounts of time availablefor Addo and Hluhluwe, etc. Happy to share more as is beneficial to you. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 241,143 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139 From Addo, does this give a sampling give more backgroundfor what we saw and experienced at this park?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Given its name, yes, Addo has elephants. Super love the baby elephants!!: Seeing the animal faces and eyes really connects to enhance the experience.:

Super wonderful video by Davey. Sorry about your aunt. Love the visuals, historic info supered on the screen, music, etc. Wonderful. Hope there are more videos to come from you exciting adventure in India. Keep up the great sharing!! Yes, things are "happening" in China that will keep people's attention for the coming years. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

As noted earlier and outlined in my 2018 live/blog, we super enjoyed that small portion of Egypt that we visited in and around Luxor. Below are a few visuals to have a sampling for what is there from this amazing Egypt historic past. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 255,883 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474 Near Luxor, here are just three visuals from visiting there and going into three different underground tomb areas.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Sailing on the Nile was wonderful, including having lunch on our boat with all of the sights to experience on both side of this river.: In Luxor, we visited the Karnak Temple, both for an evening music program, plus during the daytime. Also nearby with the many historic remains Below are just visual samples.: Here is an example of a sunset view in Luxor that we enjoyed.:

Appreciate above this kind follow-up from our cruise friend in Germany. Yes, will keep trying to sharing interesting items and tips about Venice. Welcome others to post here and reveal your great experiences in Venice. From MSN News earlier this month, they had this headline: “15 things you must do in Venice” with these highlights: “The mere mention of Venice conjures a whirlpool of images. So why not dive in? Visit the historic city and you can amble around sun-speckled canals, mysterious alleyways, unmissable museums, and romantic restaurants. There are a million things to do in Venice, but there are only 15 things you can't go without.” In addition to the "usual suspects" such as the Grand Canal, St. Marks Square, Rialto Bridge, etc., here are four of their lesser-known options you might want to considered: "Teatro La Fenice: A landmark opera house, means "The Phoenix"--a nod to the fact that it's risen from the ashes not once, but three times, most recently after two arsonists burned it down in 1996. But it's been renovated and restored back to its former glory." "Murano Glass Museum: Make time for a trip to Murano and admire the glass-making artistry. The products are held on display at the Murano glass museum. These dreamy works of art are going to inspire you to stop by the gift shop on your way out, or at a glass factory nearby." "Osteria Alla Frasca: For a true Venetian dinner, Osteria Alla Frasca is one of the most authentic spots in town. You come here for the delightful seafood pasta, but you're really here to eat like the locals, with the locals. It's an adventure just trying to find this small, family-owned gem." "Church of San Giorgio Maggiore: Everyone needs a picture of themselves in Venice. Whether it's for Instagram, Twitter, or Tinder, you can't go wrong with the tower of San Giorgio, which boasts panoramic views of Venice from 350-feet up." Finally, they note a key suggestion that I have shared earlier. This profile summarizes: "Get Lost: Venice is a crazy, decadent maze of streets--and each one leads to a new, exciting place. You're going to get lost. Your map is going to be off. The best thing to do is walk around, lose the schedule, and discover a new restaurant, cafe, canal, or church. Once you've seen the tourist spots, wander into the heart of Venice." Agree strongly!!?? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/travelnews/15-things-you-must-do-in-venice-italy/ss-AAR2Nl7#image=5 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 53,573 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Great additional background from kaisatsu as to how this new, main museum in Oslo is set-up and organized. Might work well, depending on your interests and needs. For me, in doing port stops, our time is generally fairly limited and we need to figure out how best to "sample", see what is of most interest and then "move on" to the next attraction in the city, etc. For ontheweb, agree that Stockholm and the Vasa Museum can both be wonderful and challenging. We really enjoyed the Vasa and that recovered ship found there. In Stockholm, we were luck to have two days for that historic city as it was the end of our cruise and we stayed on there in this charming city an extra day before flying back home at the end of our Baltics/Russia adventure in 2008. More Oslo visuals to come later. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 21,553 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

From this financial website last week, they had the headline: “Should You Buy the Dip on Royal Caribbean Stock?” with these highlights: “Like many beaten-down companies, Royal Caribbean has been off to a strong start in 2023, jumping almost 30% year to date. That said, the company is still down about 22% over the last 12 months. Should investors buy the dip or wait? The cruise industry has been somewhat slow to recover. That might soon change in 2023. According to Truist Securities analyst Patrick Scholes, the sector is set to finally bounce back to previous levels. His research suggests that industrywide sales will jump by an impressive 50% over 2019 (the period before the crisis).” Sound encouraging? Here is more from their analysis: "Royal Caribbean's booking data supports Scholes' conclusions. The company has seen an acceleration in demand for 2023 sailings, with booking volumes exceeding 2019 records. Royal Caribbean needs a big recovery because its current performance leaves much to be desired. In the third quarter, operating income flipped from a loss of $1 billion to a gain of $298.4 million. While the return to profitability is great news, it's still far below the $890.8 million generated in the corresponding period of 2019. Further, with $19.4 billion in long-term debt, the company will need all the cash it can get." Full story at: https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/01/25/should-you-buy-the-dip-on-royal-caribbean-stock/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 245,896 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Appreciate these follow-ups from Fletcher and Stumblefoot. I just checked by copying: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696 and then pasting in that copied link. It worked for me!! Maybe it did not work as a "click on". Try as copy and paste. For Fletcher, let me know the ports you are scheduled to visit on this cruise and any additional questions, etc. Happy to share more. Much depends as to what you seek and enjoy as to whether the Amazon works for your personal pleasure/interests. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate this nice additional follow-up from cruisemom42 for ATM's in Istanbul, etc. Wonderful sharing! In doing a cruise involving Istanbul, one key sailing experience involves the Dardanelles. Also known as the Strait of Gallipoli, this is a is a narrow, natural and significant waterway forming the continental boundary between Asia and Europe. Highly used for for international navigation and shipping, the Dardanelles connects the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas with the Black Sea, Russia, Ukraine, etc. Huge strategic and military importance along this routing. Per Wikipedia, the strait is 38 miles long and only three-quarters to 3.75 miles wide, averaging 180 feet deep. Its control has been an objective of a hostilities in modern history. The most notably contest involved the attack of the Allies on the Dardanelles during the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli during World War I. Be alert and observing in sailing up and/down the Dardanelles!! Much interesting along this route. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 255,883 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474 For sailing along the Dardanelles, there will be a variety of interesting sights, ships, history, etc.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here is more from Topkapi Palace, the official and primary residence in Istanbul of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years. At the height of its existence as a royal residence, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people. After moving to the new Dolmbahce Palace in 1856, the imperial treasury, the library, mosque and mint remained at this historic location. Below are visitors exiting a horse-drawn carriage in order to get ready to enter the main arch for these sprawling Palace grounds. Second is a closer look at the design derails for this gate. Third is a view of main city from this location inside the walls where the Sultans lived.:

Appreciate these great questions and follow-up by the experienced and super-skilled Fletcher. As detailed below on my 2015 live/blog on the Silver Cloud for the Amazon River, sailing both a 1000-miles going up and then returning that distance, there are legitimate "trade-offs" to consider. The Amazon is super, totally wide and what you see while sailing on the river is kind of interesting, but somewhat limited. Cannot remember any significant wildlife sights while sailing the amazing Amazon. What we loved were the various port stops and doing some very good private tours that got us closer to the "action", people, nature, sights, wildlife, etc. Below are a few quick visual "samples" as evidence and examples for the potentials, depending on where your sailing would stop. No insect problems or issues as we sailed along the Amazon. We sailed along fully and normally through the evenings and nights. We did have one brief night period when they had to "re-boot" the electrical system and our power was shut-down during that one evening. But, that was a rare exception. Fresh water being taken from the Amazon is limited legally when sailing up and down so that they encourage being careful with long showers, laundry, etc., to preserve the fresh water supply on the ship. Added questions and info needs? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 70,807 views: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696 Example of exploring during a private boat excursion from Santarem along the Amazon in the back-water areas. Plus, one of the wild creatures observed. We had a small boat with a skilled guide. By contrast with the ship's tour, they were on a large boat and did not go back into the more scenic, interesting "primitive" areas that we explored and enjoyed.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) On our wild walk, Indiana Jones-style, private tour in the Amazon Rainforest 60 miles north of Manus.: Inside Manus’ famed and historic Opera House: One sample from the very charming, local music/dance shows at a stop along the Amazon at the Parintinas.: In the small Amazon village of Boca da Valaria, we stopped, brought some gifts to give, connected with locals, sampled life there, etc.:

Good luck with your research! We have found that some guides are happy and/or flexible to take U.S. currency. Ask the guide in advance as to their preferences, including, also, for potentially taking credit cards. Below are some additional Istanbul visuals. This includes for a sailing up the Bosphorus and going under the famed bridge known officially as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge. It is now one of the three suspension bridges spanning the Bosphorus Straits connecting Europe and Asia. This suspension bridge is 5,118 feet. Upon its completion in 1973, the Bosphorus Bridge had the fourth-longest suspension bridge span in the world, and the longest outside the United States. Along this sailing route, we saw old military ruins, new and old homes, etc. Very interesting and refreshing on a nice, sunny day!! See visuals below. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020, many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia. This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc: Live/blog; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/ In sailing up the Bosphorus, this bridge dominates as it connects Europe and Asia. Here are a variety of views we experienced.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here is a sample for a busy Istanbul shopping street.:

Super great added details and background from Oslo/Norway expert kaisatsu. Very enlightening and helpful. "Larger" can be better, maybe, if and if. Do you want to get get a quick "sample" and/or dig in deeper to the Ph.D level? Much depends on your personal interests and travel style. Personally, I am most interested in the "Impressionist" period and artist "stars" that are most famous from that country or region. Research ahead and plan accordingly to navigate more efficiently. Time is limited during a cruise stop day. Also, weather can change!!! Have a back-up plan if the weather is rainy, cold, etc. That can be nice as a reason for visiting museums if you get bad weather, things being too hot outside, etc. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate this nice follow-up from ontheweb. YES, with your wife being an art teacher, I can understand that it would be much more challenging to just do the "quick" highlights in a museum. Some of us husbands understand that "waiting for your wife" challenges. But, my wife gets frustrated with me when I am slow in taking pictures, doing my thing, etc. That makes the point for doing the advanced research and planning to figure out your top, priorities to see, prepare by getting the maps to figure out your best "logistics" inside these large buildings, etc. For us when doing the Hermitage in St. Petersburg in 2008, we had a very good private guide, had advance, early admission, etc., to allow us to get in, see the "best of the best", not get lost, etc. The challenge with cruises doing limited, one-day stops in key cities is that your time windows are very narrow and the options in each port are so very many, many. Choices?? Trade-offs?? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit. Now at 32,985 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Great additional follow-ups from Lois, lynncarol, GreenFamily and latebloomer56. YES, local currency is always an interesting and challenging question. For Turkey, they are a part of NATO and have other Europe connections. But, they use their own lira as the currency, not the euro as done by Greece and most Europe countries. From our many different countries visited, it many cases, we have found that our credit card can help us avoid the need to buy different local currencies, especially if you are only doing one-day cruise visits. But, if you seek to make little street food, local transit, small gift items, etc., purchases, the credit card will not work. Choices?? There are trade-offs!! Personally, figuring out the right amount of local currency to get and dealing with extra, left-over bills and coins can be a "pain"!! In Istanbul, we had a great guide for two days, it was easier for her to pick-up and do a few of the "small items" to lessen the hassles for us. Agree that if we are going to be in an area for a longer period that the bank ATM's tend to give the best rates and are very accessible, etc. Those airport exchange desks/booth tend to rip you off with bad exchange rates. Your local banks can in many cases get you in advance some foreign currency, but the rates/charges/fees have always been fairly high and not worth it. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals and details from our first in these scenic areas! Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

As noted at the bottom of my original post, we have not yet visited Namib Desert, but it is on our future to-do list. For our 2016 exploring of Cape Town, sailing/stopping along South Africa’s coastal locations, visiting Mozambique, traveling to Victoria Falls/Zambia and doing three different safari visits/sites in Botswana's famed Okavango Delta, I provided a connection to my live/blog at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337 Check out that site for many pictures, details, etc. Let me know any questions, etc. THANKS for your interest! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio