cavaaller

Of course we had to end this fantastic day with dinner at Luminae. Amuse Bouche (Watermelon- Cheese) Salmon Poke (sooo tender, so spicy and soooooooo good!) Corn Soup (My son's favorite soup in the world, he desperately wants to know the recipe) Trout Pork Tender Loin (was not the best part of the meal) (it was a little dry) and the Chocolate Sphere

Soon it was time for sail away. We enjoyed it sitting at the mast bar with a cocktail in hand: The service at all the bars is exceptionally good - not once have I waited longer than 1 minute for a drink.

Thank you @jimbri and @Norwaylady 😄

We saw an old wine distillery: What I really liked about the village was that there were small tasting stands everywhere. But the sellers weren't pushy, they offered the goods (which they were obviously very proud of) to try (homemade honey, candied nuts, wine, etc.) but it wasn't a problem at all if you went on without eating anything buy.

The weather forecast had us hoping for our day in Limassol: it was supposed to be the first beautiful, sunny day. And when I opened the curtains in the morning, I was delighted to see that we were actually lucky. The sun was shining and the sea was a mirror. As always, we reached the port on time and the authorities gave us clearance before the time stated in the program. We had booked an excursion with the company SanCy-Tours, which we can really recommend with all our hearts: link to the tour here: LINK (languages spoken: English, German, Greek) The owner (Jürgen) was very easy to reach by phone (Whatsapp) and tailored the tour exactly so that it fit our wishes and needs (e.g. it had to be accessible). On time (20 minutes ahead of time, in fact) I received a text message that his pick-up truck was in front of the terminal and we could start immediately. We drove to the Trodoos Mountains and made various stops at waterfalls, viewpoints and in a magical mountain village.

I guess it is rather a good sign when you get stuck in your travel report: you're usually having too much fun to concentrate on what's “important”. Same here: I owe you a day at sea, a day in Limassol and another half day at sea. The first day at sea simply passed us by: we started with a wonderful breakfast on the balcony. The delivery wasn't exactly what we ordered, but when you're sitting on the balcony with the sea wind blowing around your nose and the waves hissing very gently, it doesn't really matter what you eat. I love this breakfast on the balcony. (due to lack of room on the little table this does not look all that appealing but it really was terrific) The room service offering for retreat guests has been expanded a bit (egg dishes and other warm dishes are possible). We spent the rest of the day reading, lazing around, playing cards and watching a show at the theater: The band Flyrights played there. It's really convenient that you can order a delicious drink if you arrive on time. The band was very good and we were entertained

Now we are sitting on our little balcony enjoying a glass of wine and looking at this light show. Isn't this beautiful?

Dinner at Luminae was fabulous as usual: we had: Duck Consommé Burrata Liver paté Duck (Daniel Boulud) Ricotta Caratelli (with duck Bolognese) Ricotta Cheesecake Bittersweet Chocolate Tart Cherry Jubilée (from MDR) Everything was delicious.

There are 3 Peloton bikes that you can use with your own account: plenty of treadmills and steppers, some rowing-machines and so on...

Kusadasi No change in weather: cloudy sky and gloomy mood. Nevertheless, right after breakfast in OV, we set off to explore the city a bit. The project is aggravated by the fact that we travel with my disabled father and can therefore really only use wheelchair accessible paths. As a pedestrian, you don't really realize how difficult that is. Only very few paths are designed in such a way that you can easily roll over them in a wheelchair. This is no exception. We find our way to Pigean Island without any problems: it is very easy to find (just turn right and follow the road) – but the fortress itself is of course not accessible. We therefore have to leave my father in the wheelchair downstairs as we quickly scurry through the beautiful complex. We then continue into the city and even there it is rather difficult with the wheelchair. In addition, there are the rather aggressive salespeople who want to sell us Chanel N°5 (20 E) and/or "real" Prada handbags etc... but we have little interest in the originals, let alone buy plagiarism. There is a small Promenade by the sea. But even there you are harassed by beggars trying to sell you Handkerchiefs eg. We did not last very long - I don't like the atmosphere here because I don't feel safe. Back on the ship we enjoy a good lunch (OVC) and visit the gym for the first time.

This was followed by another fantastic evening at the Luminae: we have a brilliant team of waiters (Richmon is our head-waiter) – they don't let a glass get empty, are attentive, friendly and charming. If, for once, we don't find anything we like on the Luminae card, they are also happy to bring us the Blu card or the MDR card to expand the choice. Today the food was particularly excellent. We had: Amuse-Bouche as appetizers Slow-Poached-Lobster: Roasted Squab and Jerusalen Artichoke Soup: as main courses Pan-Seared Red Snapper: Fennel-Crusted Grilled Lamb Loin and Roasted Ribeye Steak as a dessert Crème Brulée (MDR) and Mascarpone Cheese-Cake after walking back to the stateroom... we found two little presents: a rose and a little box with pralines: delicious.

Tonight was Evening Chic night (in my head it still reads "formal night"). We had a glass of champagne in Michael's Club to start. The concierges at Michael's Club are sensational: In the three days that we have been on board, we have already managed to conjure up three major crises: On the day of arrival, we noticed that the wheelchair I had ordered and paid for expensively for my disabled dad (via special needs at sea) was not in the room as promised. A call to the company revealed that he should already be on the ship. The front desk couldn't help us but advised us to contact "our" concierges. So I went to Patricia, quite panicked and distraught. The enchanting woman radiates a remarkable sovereign calm at her young age and was immediately able to bring me down to earth a little bit. She listened to me calmly and just said "don't worry, I'll take care of it" – one phone call later I had my wheelchair in the room – and a few tears of joy in my eyes. My second problem - the dreaded forgotten safe combination - was solved within seconds by the equally enchanting Milca. Again, you don't expect such kindness, patience and professionalism from such a young person. But these two are really top notch. MC has been completely renovated at the last DryDock. I think the premises have turned out absolutely fabulous. It is bright, inviting and yet incredibly cozy. It's always pleasantly quiet here. Lots of free seats but don't leave spooky. The food is very fine, the service very attentive.

Back on board we had a quick lunch in the Aqua Spa Café (serving salads, wraps and healthy snacks). The closed design and the noises from the Thalasso-Pool leads to rather unpleasant acoustics – it's quite noisy. It is therefore rather unpleasant to eat. That's why we carried our plates on deck, where even a few rays of sunshine lit up the atmosphere. The dishes are really delicious, fresh and healthy. A great option if you want to leave a little room for the formal night dinner. The concierge team had invited all German guests to the helipad for the sailaway (presumably there were also a few upper-suite guests and elite/Zenith guests present). Cocktails were served and the horn blared vigorously. It was my first time on the helipad - that alone was an experience. The sail away from Thessaloniki, on the other hand, was rather unspectacular – I personally didn't like the port very much.

Our second day in Thessaloniki unfortunately began with a similarly gloomy sky as the day before. Nonetheless, we dragged ourselves out of bed relatively early and visited the Ocean View Café (buffet) for the first time. The selection was a bit sparse - but that was also because we were at the buffet before 7:30 am. What can definitely be said: No matter when you arrive at the restaurants, they always seem rather empty - you always get a table with a desired view (at the window front or back or wherever) and there is practically no crowding at the buffet. Soon after breakfast, we set out to explore the city once again. In Saloniki, you dock right in the city. You need neither shuttle nor taxi if you want to explore on your own. Following a tip from a forum member, we had purchased a treasure hunt in advance, which was practically a DIY walking tour combined with a history lesson and puzzles. It was really fun and led us to corners of Thessaloniki that we otherwise wouldn't have seen for sure. Today, I didn't take many photos either because the light just didn't want to support beautiful photos. I apologize for my lacking photographic skills.

Please let me know, if you are interested in food-pictures from luminae

We are already on the second day on board, have already visited Thessaloniki today, a city that doesn't really come into its own in the rather modest weather. (I didn't take a lot of pictures - so the choice is really poor... what you do see is the cloudy weather though)

The Aqua-Suite is beautiful.(I will post pictures later) The ship is an old lady, but the carpet and upholstery in the suite have been completely renewed (DryDock in February 2024). The large mirrored wall creates an incredibly comfortable spatial feeling. The walk-in closet is particularly well done. I would call the bathroom in need of renewal – personally, I prefer a proper shower to a bathtub – but that is certainly a matter of taste. In addition, the tiles or at least the grouting need to be replaced. Apart from that, it's a dream: lots of space, many storage options. Even enough power outlets are available (no USB though). There are 2 Euro and 2 US/GB power outlets at the dressing table, another US outlet behind the TV, and 2 Euro outlets at the bed (though occupied by the bedside lamps). Our balcony is not deep but beautifully wide. There are two chairs and a table (although the appearance doesn't really scream "suite"). Our stateroom attendant is charming, and the head butler Al also occasionally checks if we need anything. Everything fits wonderfully.

Our flight was on an Airbus 320 – a rather old aircraft that was deafeningly loud. I'm not really interested in airplanes, and I could never understand why other travel reports always mentioned how pleasant it is to fly with an XXXneo... now I know that there is indeed a comfort difference – especially on a longer flight. The service in the cabin was excellent – also because the variable business class had only 12 occupied seats. Upon arrival in Athens, our luggage also arrived at record speed, and we were greeted directly at the exit by Celebrity staff who showed us the way to the transfer bus. The airport in Athens is about an hour away from Piraeus – the drive not particularly picturesque. Arriving at the port, we then experienced absolutely first-class Celebrity service: We identified our luggage and rolled it to the baggage carousel. There, discreetly and inconspicuously, employees checked which cabin number was on the label. We actually wanted to move towards the check-in hall but were stopped by an employee who showed us the check-in area for suites. We "only" had a junior suite but still felt like we were receiving "expedited service". Really impressive. Not even 3 minutes after arriving by bus, we were already on our way to the gangway. Another 2 minutes later, we had completed the safety drill, and if we hadn't been so disoriented, we would have surely been in our suite 2 minutes later.

Our home country overwhelms us with dreary, gloomy weather – it's cold, it's dark – there are days when we have to turn on the lights from morning till evening, it's so dim... We long for a bit of warmth and a bit of light. We quickly researched and found out that due to the route change (Israel), the Infinity is offering a very affordable tour of Greece. We haven't visited Greece by ship before – the weather there should also be pleasant – so we quickly decided that we wanted to book. I would love for you to join us on our cruise going to: Piräus Salonika (overnight) Kusadasi Limassol Rhodes Heraklion Nafplion Piräus Our flight departed from Frankfurt at a very humane time (9:40). This time, we treated ourselves to the "VIP service" for the flight but saved on the hotel: we chose an inexpensive hotel near Frankfurt. For the excursions, we pre-booked taxi tours in Limassol and Piraeus. We will explore the other ports on foot. Our arrival day fell on a Sunday. Since we have a relatively long drive to Frankfurt by car, this suited us well because the traffic was manageable, and we arrived at our hotel early. We probably wouldn't choose the Platzhirsch living in Kelsterbach again for an overnight stay in FRA: The check-in took forever even though we were the only guests at the reception, and the agent who checked us in was in a bad mood. (A bad start to the vacation). While the almost sterile atmosphere didn't bother us, the lack of a hairdryer and safe felt inappropriate to me. There is a restaurant in the hotel, but it only serves convenience (frozen) food. The only restaurant nearby is closed for renovation. However, there is a large supermarket right next to the hotel (open on weekdays), which would surely provide a good alternative. Breakfast at the hotel is only available after 6 (too late for an airport hotel) – an early-bird breakfast is offered, but it was outrageously expensive for what was offered: two reheated but cardboard-like rolls with cheese, plus a bottle of water for almost 15 euros. To cut it short: The start was suboptimal. But after that everything got better: At 6:30, we drove to the VIP terminal where the car was taken over by the Valet service and parked in the garage. We were then escorted to the lounge by a terminal employee, where we could have breakfast in peace while our attendant checked in our luggage for us. The facilities are elegant, wonderfully quiet, and yet totally relaxed and laid back. Just before boarding, we were escorted through security and then chauffeured to the aircraft stairs by a car. I'm really ready to work plenty of overtime for this service and this fantastic start to the vacation.

Hey @Ferry_Watcher - the GY is supposed to stand for Germany but we do need ESTA and eTA. Thanks for being thoughtful!

I guess I will need more than a few days pre-cruise. I cannot thank you enough for your input everybody. I will work through every suggestion and cannot wait to explore the region.

wow thank you so much everybody, those are incredibly helpful and great suggestions. I will be flying in from Germany and Mount Rainier NP is on our bucket list. I have never rented a car in the US but we will probably have to if we want to see it. I like your idea @jeromep of staying at the Ceaderbrook Lodge - then we could return the rental right there at SEA and take a shuttle to the cruise port.

Hello, we are flying in 3-4 days early for our cruise (out of Seattle) and would like to stay outside of the city in a quiet area - if possible somewhere with the option to go hiking - (hotel/holiday accomodation). Any tipps / infos ? Thank you!

Yes, I do think so too, but tbh: I believe it, when I see it 🙂

So I talked to a very nice agent at Azamara. She said that the luggage-free programm (return) can only be booked on board and SHOULD be payable with OBC. I will definitely try this in July.