NCL JADE - Feb 2013 Mediterranean & the Holy Land * Photo review *

[pyrrhus]

 

a) Precruise: 2 nights in Naples having foods like pizza + sfogliatelle

 

b) NCL Cruise: stop in the Turkish riviera in a town called Alanya, about 2 hours from Antalya and after a stop in Cyprus to see some ruins. Then the trump card of the cruise, 2 days in Israel. This turned out to be an overnight stop since they called a port visit closer to the West Bank. Our plan for the two days was one day on our own to see a bit of nature and to see the old city and market of Akko + to eat hummus! Next was the Greek island of Crete for seafood and finally an Almafi coast tour (was a bit cold to try but avoiding the tourist hordes of summer) during our Naples port visit.

 

There is no love sincerer than the love of food. - George Bernard Shaw. We love food, and whenever possible try to plan where and what to eat in the port stops so you'll see a lot of food photos. Hopefully this thread will convey a sense of the Jade with Mediterranean life & Israeli sights.

 

 

We ventured out by local train (Circumvesuviana) to Ercolano (the modern name), or Herculaneum from the main Naples Garibaldi rail station.

 

 

Herculaneum was as an ancient town destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. The site is a 15-20 minute walk straight down from the station.

 

 

We chose Herculaneum over Pompeii since we only wanted to see one site, and read that Herculaneum had better buildings intact, more lavish marble and was closer to the original than Pompeii. Although, we still want to visit Pompeii and see for ourselves one day.

 

 

The coach buses don't go here and it isn't on the tourist radar as much as Pompeii so we had the place almost to ourselves.

 

 

 

Fresco from the college, depicting the myth of Hercules.

 

Do you have a way to look at the pictures in a row? I really want to go to Herculneum since I have been to Pompeii twice. I just need to find an excuse for wife to take another Western med that stops in Naples.

[NCLFreestyler]

:DWow you guys are really seasoned travelers.

Thx so much for the wonderful pics.

We'll be on the Jade in a few days, April 17th-27th, for the Eastern Mediterrean cruise after we spend 2 days in Rome.

I hope one day my list of cruises will be as impressive as yours.

This will be our 3rd cruise with NCL. We did Alaska on the Pearl in 2010 and the Bahamas on the Epic in 2011. Then we saved up all year long for this trip. I hope to have some great pics like yours.

Regards.

[fireflies]

I am going online to find that camera as soon as I finish typing this. Your pictures are outstanding.. You have really captured the feel of the area you are in, (if that is possible). You have a natural talent..

 

Amazing job and thanks for the review!!:)

 

Thanks for both of the comments, it is always nice to get feedback from people, double feedback is twice as nice :) Are you thinking of getting a new camera? Moving to a new camera system is a big step, I can share my thought process with the EM-5.

 

I follow camera news and technology in general so first heard about the EM-5 last spring. There was a buzz about the camera from early reviews, a lot of curiosity about the camera sensor (olympus and panasonic had been using basically the same sensor since fall 2008 when the system launched). It was hard to get in north america due to high pre order demand and a lack of supply. Through the summer the reviews trickled in and most reviewers were really impressed with the image quality, rivalling what you get from much bigger cameras. At the end of the year it got several Camera of the year Awards from major camera websites.

 

All this pushed me to heavily consider the EM-5 to replace our ageing Pentax DSLR for this cruise. The article that finalized the decision to go all in with olympus was this one, from a photographer website I read.

 

http://www.sansmirror.com/newsviews/2012-newsviews/december-2012/sansmirror-serious-camera.html

 

Later, wrote a full review:

 

http://www.sansmirror.com/cameras/a-note-about-camera-reviews/olympus-camera-reviews/olympus-om-d-e-m5-review.html

 

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions about the camera or alternatives.

[fireflies]

OK. I'm in love with that Olympus. Maybe I'll make it my Christmas present to myself. What lens do you have for it? You said you didn't have the kit lens, so I'm curious what you used.

 

hi. a Christmas gift would be an awesome idea, prices might fall by quite a bit by then especially as new camera models are released.

 

yeah, there are not many choices for compact cameras with a viewfinder. it is considered a premium feature and all smallish entry cameras do not seem to include one. a camera i came across that has a built in viewfinder was the Nikon 1 V1 (and V2). The V1 is discontinued so if you can find one it could be affordable. There is also a new Fuji camera, the X20 which includes one but it is expensive and the camera is a point and shoot (has pros and cons). the only other option i see is something like a panasonic GX1 (some deals on this camea recently) and a separate electronic viewfinder from panasonic.

 

just need a bit of time to do a write up about the 4 lenses we use.

[fireflies]

Hi fireflies, thanks for the information, it's much appreciated. I'm soaking up everything I can about the ship before we leave......unlike my DH I like to know all I can.....he prefers to be surprised! :)

I hope to take some great photos too, but my camera skills are nowhere near as good as yours......but they WILL be my memories! :)

 

sure, no prob ;) sounds like you guys strike a perfect balance of planning research and the element of surprise. taking good photos just takes a bit of practice and getting to know what your camera is capable of. sure you will have some perfect memories.

[fireflies]

I have looked through many reviews and photos on this website and can honestly say that I have never seen any photographs as good as yours, they are truly amazing, atmospheric and inspirational. I am joining the Jade with my family in August for the Med cruise and after looking at your wonderful photos, cannot wait! My daughter looks longingly at the chocolate buffet photos and I have already put on several pounds just thinking about it! Thank you for sharing them with us - wonderful.

 

thanxs for your kind comments, made me smile. :) I sometimes try to capture the mood of a scene so it is nice to hear it is somewhat successful. it`s fun taking photos on vacation, we take a ton of photos (something like 3,000) many which are terrible but of course that is way too many to share with family.

 

P.S. The choco buffet was @ 9 pm which i liked since it wasnt too late and though it was packed all the people generate a of ooohhh and aaahhh buzz which is fun. the desserts in the MDR were pretty good too (will post more food pics later) so hopefully you and your daughter can get a sweet preview.

[slidergirl]

hi. a Christmas gift would be an awesome idea, prices might fall by quite a bit by then especially as new camera models are released.

 

yeah, there are not many choices for compact cameras with a viewfinder. it is considered a premium feature and all smallish entry cameras do not seem to include one. a camera i came across that has a built in viewfinder was the Nikon 1 V1 (and V2). The V1 is discontinued so if you can find one it could be affordable. There is also a new Fuji camera, the X20 which includes one but it is expensive and the camera is a point and shoot (has pros and cons). the only other option i see is something like a panasonic GX1 (some deals on this camea recently) and a separate electronic viewfinder from panasonic.

 

just need a bit of time to do a write up about the 4 lenses we use.

 

I did read that Olympus ditched the Panasonic and went with the Sony sensor. I've read a bunch of the articles on line and it seems that the 4/3 is the camera of choice for those wanting a quality alternative to lugging the DSLR. I am a pretty decent "travel" photographer. I've had some photos entered in contests. My living room walls are graced with large canvas photos that I've taken. I got a good education the other year when I went to Kenya - I had a couple of semi-pro photographers in my group and they taught me alot. My D40 does everything I want still. Some of my lenses (especially what I bought for Kenya) cost more than what I paid for the body.

 

On the Olympus, if you could only afford one lens and you did travel photography, which one would you choose? Other lenses can come later.

[fireflies]

back with some Jade and Jasmine sets this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the lounge an evening show of "Who wants to be a Millionaire". Some laughs to go with learning a couple of things.

 

 

 

 

[fireflies]

We aren't really into song and dance so we aren't big production show fans so the only time we were in the main theater was so the "Deal or no Deal" game. Fun to cheer people on and see what they win and how much money your imaginary case had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[fireflies]

We had dinner one night at Jasmine since we enjoyed lunch there. It was good, nice to have a choice of plates with small appetizers to share.

 

 

 

 

Egg Drop and Corn Soup

 

Crispy Crab Wontons

 

Chicken salad, different look but tasted great.

 

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

[fireflies]

Our entrees with shrimp and pork fried rice.

 

 

Szechwan beef - nice with a touch of heat

 

 

Cantonese Scallops

 

 

Our desserts. 2 out of 3 were good, Coconut Tapioca pudding (on the left) was a miss.

 

 

Five Spice Chocolate cake. Matcha ice cream was good to go with the lightly spiced cake.

 

 

Oriental Crème Brulee - Ginger, Matcha Tea (powder green tea) and Azuki (red bean). We liked the Azuki one best.

[fireflies]

:DWow you guys are really seasoned travelers.

Thx so much for the wonderful pics.

We'll be on the Jade in a few days, April 17th-27th, for the Eastern Mediterrean cruise after we spend 2 days in Rome.

I hope one day my list of cruises will be as impressive as yours.

This will be our 3rd cruise with NCL. We did Alaska on the Pearl in 2010 and the Bahamas on the Epic in 2011. Then we saved up all year long for this trip. I hope to have some great pics like yours.

Regards.

 

Thanks. Can still remember our first cruise, Carnival Freedom in the Caribbean. I wasn't really wanting to go but the ease + lifestyle can be crazy addictive and with all the new ships you get hooked. Hoping to do a Baltic or South America cruise soon. Have an awesome time on your Med cruise, sure you'll have a bunch of great photos.

[fireflies]

I did read that Olympus ditched the Panasonic and went with the Sony sensor. I've read a bunch of the articles on line and it seems that the 4/3 is the camera of choice for those wanting a quality alternative to lugging the DSLR. I am a pretty decent "travel" photographer. I've had some photos entered in contests. My living room walls are graced with large canvas photos that I've taken. I got a good education the other year when I went to Kenya - I had a couple of semi-pro photographers in my group and they taught me alot. My D40 does everything I want still. Some of my lenses (especially what I bought for Kenya) cost more than what I paid for the body.

 

On the Olympus, if you could only afford one lens and you did travel photography, which one would you choose? Other lenses can come later.

 

Wow, a Kenyan safari :) Would love to do a safari one day and see Namibia in the future.

 

The strength of micro 4/3 are the lenses, esp compared to Sony or Fuji. They have a great selection of first and third parties (hear Sigma makes good budget ones) lenses and are in general incredibly small and light. The prime lenses are jaw dropping small compared to other systems. Our 4 lens together weighed the same as our old 17-50mm zoom lens.

 

We have 2 Panasonic lenses.

-14mm f/2.5 - it is a pancake lens so it is ridiculously small. still bright enough in the evening for some night shots.

- 20mm f/1.7. - a touch bigger but still small and super sharp.

 

2 Olympus lenses

- 45mm f/1.8. - great portrait lens.

- 60mm f/2.8 - very sharp, bokeh is nice. it is a macro lens but still good for general use.

 

my choice for one lens would be the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 then the 45mm f/1.8. the pany is the most versatile of the bunch. the biggest complaint in reviews is slow auto focus, it's not blazing fast like some new ones but it didn't bother me much. good for street and food shots, you can get away with interior ones at times and 1.7 @ night can't be beat. it's the most popular m4/3 lens so you can get it used at a lower price.

[meltingmoments]

Ok fireflies......enough is enough!! You're really getting my tastebuds going with all these food pics!! ;)

 

Seriously, your review is super and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is appreciating it.......thank-you so much! :)

[fireflies]

Do you have a way to look at the pictures in a row? I really want to go to Herculneum since I have been to Pompeii twice. I just need to find an excuse for wife to take another Western med that stops in Naples.

 

Not quite sure what you mean "in a row" but we don't use a photo stream site like flickr.

[fireflies]

thanxs meltingmoments. been dragging my feet a bit on the cruise review so I'll try to speed up the posts to wrap things up in the next few days.

 

For Crete we did a quick taxi tour with friends that went around the perimeter of the city and hit a couple of places in town. It was a Sunday so the major shops in town were closed and things felt a little subdued. It rained a bit too which turned into sunshine and rainbows later.

 

 

Morning look at the island of Crete. After two days at sea, we were ready to visit another port.

 

 

From inside our driver's car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agia irini aqueduct

 

 

[fireflies]

Saint Minas Cathedral, Saint Minas was declared the patron saint of the port city Heraklion.

 

 

 

 

Of the many churches we saw, this was one of our favorites. Not too big, not too small.

 

 

 

 

[fireflies]

Chania gate, one of the 4 entrances to the old town.

 

 

Bembo Fountain was built by the Venetians in the 16th century.

 

 

Morozini Fountain known as Lions Square.

 

 

There is a cluster of cafes around Lions Square. We researched one online called Kip Kop which serves a Greek pastry called bougatsa.

 

 

Bougatsa has custard between layers of phyllo with cinnamon sugar sprinkled over top. Strong but good Greek coffee.

 

 

Good spot for people watching.

[fireflies]

Chasing pigeons is popular with kids everywhere.

 

 

Scene on the main street for locals and tourists. Some street musicians sprinkled around town combined with some aggressive pan handling.

 

 

Normal shops were closed, but the market was open for business with lots of sponges for sale.

 

 

Time for a lunch with more Greek salad to start.

 

 

Medium sized sardines with chippes.

 

 

Grilled octopus

[fireflies]

Funny seeing some sneakers up there.

 

 

 

 

We walked down to the nearby marina to take a look at the fishing boats.

 

 

 

 

A double rainbow

 

 

[fireflies]

 

 

 

Nice stroll along the city fort wall.

 

 

 

 

[Norwegianlatvian]

Thank you for really great photos and review. You got a fantastic eye for details, and you are technical good as well. Thank you again!

 

I got a thing for black and white, so I love your black and white photos!

[jdvmd]

Incredible comments and those photos! Wow! Thank you so much for sharing! I hope to do this trip very soon and your information is wonderful!

[Norwegianlatvian]

 

 

I guess I met the cousin in Tel Aviv:

 

[fireflies]

thanks jdvmd. most of the mediterranean is incredible and the jade (really any cruise) is a great way to see a lot in a little amount of time.

 

thanxs Norwegianlatvian, awesome photo add. :) there's defintely a resemblance. ;) think my photos can get a bit boring after a while so it's good to mix things up. yeah, been having some fun messing with b&w a little more lately