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cavaaller

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Everything posted by cavaaller

  1. First we passed the gate of Agios Athanasios We passed the Church of the Virgin de Burgh (14th century) and marveled at the very well-preserved arches We then walked through the magical old town with many small cafés and shops from which friendly people wished us good morning without trying to talk us into anything or persuade us to do anything. We continued through the small streets to the city wall: Here we could also see the famous clock tower (from 1852):
  2. Rhodes When the ship moored at the harbor, we could immediately see: Ideal docking position in the middle of the beautiful old town. We didn't spend too much time eating breakfast either. French Toast and Pastry but we set off very soon to do this walkingtour: A is the docking position
  3. Afterwards there was a meet and mingle event with the officers in the grand foyer, which was accompanied by live music from Southern Groove - fabulous aswell. There's always something going on here on the ship. Lots of very good live acts, really good musicians and artists - celebrity doesn't miss a beat here!
  4. In the afternoon we ordered room service and then we watched the show that was absolutely amazing. We particularly liked the artists. There are quite a few children on our trip due to the school holidays. Many of these children are also taken to the shows and even though the vast majority of these children behave well, there are unfortunately exceptions. Screaming, whining, crying children should not stay in the theater, they are clearly not having fun - it would be nice if the parents could be considerate of these children and the other guests (and the artists)
  5. Rhodes was by far my favourite port so far. I will continue my review later today.
  6. Thanks everybody for your comments, @ZESTER michael‘s. Lub can only be accessesed of you have booked a suite or are zenith. @travellerin1984 for us personally, the retreat is worth the money. We like the extra space in the suite and the intimate atmosphere and wonderful service in Luminae. But: Service is great anywhere on the ship so it is really a matter of personal taste.
  7. Speaking of great service: Michael's Club - top notch . I already raved about the concierges but the bartender (?) is equally great! I especially love the little nibs they serve during tea-time
  8. Since an Easter buffet had been announced for lunch, our expectations were of course correspondingly high. In fact, many other guests probably had similar expectations, because the buffet was packed for the first time. However, I personally think that the buffet did not live up to these expectations. Overall, I think there is a weak point on this trip: the buffet is not particularly good. However, I would like to exclude the desserts, which are always high quality and very tasty. I also think it's great that gluten-free foods (and desserts) are clearly signposted. But again: Service is great: Staff are constantly bustling through the restaurant removing plates and taking drink orders:
  9. We slept in a little today because it is Easter Sunday - went for breakfast in Luminae and then to the gym. I already said that there were three Pelotons - the problem is that two of them need to be activated and can not be used at the moment. They said that they already emailed Peloton and are hoping to receive a renewal code very soon. Until then you can only use them for trial runs. But there is so much other equipment to use so it is not a problem.
  10. Let's continue with yesterday evening. After dinner we went to see the cellist Andrei Cavassi. He was excellent - so much so that we went to see him perform again today in his matinée show
  11. I had not been on the Infinity before but I was told that they renewed almost all carpets. The ship looks brand new if you ask me. That however does not apply to the technical equiment/devices: The AC in our room eg. is ridiculously loud (50 db - I measured the noise lying in the bed level with my watch because noise perception is very subjective) and can not be turned off. It is much less noisy in my parents room but this just goes to show that it is an old ship. The toilet gets clogged from time to time - there are funny smells from time to time. But still: If I had to choose between the Apex and the Infinity I would probably choose the Infinity. This ship has soul, beauty and grace, it is sophisticated and feels intimate.
  12. 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
  13. 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.
  14. Thank you @jimbri and @Norwaylady 😄
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. Now we are sitting on our little balcony enjoying a glass of wine and looking at this light show. Isn't this beautiful?
  19. 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.
  20. There are 3 Peloton bikes that you can use with your own account: plenty of treadmills and steppers, some rowing-machines and so on...
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. 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.
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