A 7 day Pursuit of Happiness! Monte Carlo to Barcelona.. October 12 - October 19 2019

[RW75]

I took this cruise with my cousin, was her first cruise. We had the best time and made great friends onboard with some amazing people.  Would say this was probably the best cruise I’ve ever taken. 
My cruising nemesis also came from this cruise. A Gucci loafer clad British couple whom barged in front of us while boarding. Several times they were seen pushing their way into lines or being rude to staff.

Last year I waiting in line at Piraeus at the allotted time and who arrives by taxi and walked straight to the front of the line.  Same behaviour onboard. At the airport they pushed into the Club check in and I felt very satisfied when they were eventually sent to join the economy line which was very long by that point. 
Again in Miami.  
Now I am prepared for our next meeting.
 

[OnTheJourney]

Being in NY, I'd think you're within reasonable driving distance of both also?  Depends on where you are in the state. 

[Sleep7]

5 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Being in NY, I'd think you're within reasonable driving distance of both also?  Depends on where you are in the state. 

Baltimore would be kinda far for us but Bayonne is a pretty easy drive on the weekends.  We have cruised from there a few times.

Now most of the cruises we take are in Europe and I'm ALWAYS thankful that our home airport is JFK. That westbound flight home is L O N G and I always feel so bad for those people connecting beyond New York.  Especially the west coasters.  I guess they feel sorry for us when a flight lands from Hawaii to California and they are home but we still have a day of travel to go.😄

[OnTheJourney]

20 hours ago, Sleep7 said:

most of the cruises we take are in Europe

I don't anticipate doing that (embarkation in Europe) too often going forward. We also like land tours and have done more of that in Europe than cruising over there. Only time we've ever used JFK is to get to Buenos Aires. I have JFK booked again though for the "Cities if Antiquities and the Holy Land" cruise to Rome. SO glad I got all that taken care of. My TA got so frustrated with dealing with Viking's air department that she finally advised me to just book my own flights. I was leaning in that direction anyway. I preferred to keep it all under Viking in case things go sideways, but I got refundable tickets directly with the airline so really that's just as good. I can adjust my air schedule, if needed, as easily as Viking can. One thing I DON'T like about Viking is how they tack on their insurance right away when you book a cruise. I think you have 10 days to take it off but I never think about it. I'm not big on buying anything thru the cruiseline except the cruise (and. of course, things like extensions / excursions).  DW and I are leaning more towards domestic travel in the future - easier and less complicated.

 

Speaking of cruising in Europe, though, we're so glad we did a Baltic cruise before things got crazy over in Russia. St. Petersburg was surely one of the highlights among all our international journeys. That said, one of my all-time favorite trips was a few years ago visiting the National Parks in Utah. I absolutely love the western scenery. Another is driving the full Blue Ridge Parkway in fall. Hoping to see more National Parks starting in Tucson this fall - it'll be the third attempt at it. 

Edited August 22, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[Sleep7]

👋Hi again OnTheJourney!

So funny you mention your Baltic cruise as being one of the best.  We actually were booked on a Baltic cruise at the end of June and when that got cancelled we moved our trip to the Viking Ancient Treasures of the Mediterranean cruise that I had blogged about.

Maybe someday we shall get to Russia.. 🤷‍♀️

Also a coincidence that you mentioned that Utah is one of your fave trips too.  We just came back from a week in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming and it was wonderful.😊

[OnTheJourney]

5 hours ago, Sleep7 said:

Idaho

Now that's one state I don't recall ever being in. When we were in Utah we also did Monument Vally in AZ (amazing - especially with a private Navajo guide!) - such iconic western scenery - like being in an old Western movie set - and also did Mesa Verde NP in CO. 

 

Where did you fly into in Utah (assuming you didn't drive all the way out from NY). We flew into Grand Junction and rented a car then did a huge loop and ended back at Grand Junction to fly home. Did you see all the parks in Utah?  Salt Lake area is nice too. Did that MANY years ago. Wyoming - assuming Yellowstone?  So much out there....loved Devils Tower (of "Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind" fame). One area we haven't hit yet is the northwest - Oregon, Washington, and up into the Canadian Rockies (high on my list - but keep pushing it off cause it cuts into my swimming season - can't do that one as a fall trip). So, yeah, I think 'land cruising' is still our favorite.  Definitely try to get to St. Petersburg sometime. I like the one Viking river trip..."Waterways of the Czars" - looks most interesting. 

[Sleep7]

The American West is a true treasure.. I agree.

We flew into Salt Lake City and then drove north into Idaho for a night and then east onto Jackson, Wyoming and the Grand Tetons and then back down to Salt Lake City.

So many wonderful destinations to see at home and abroad.. it's hard to narrow down where to go next.😊

 

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, Sleep7 said:

it's hard to narrow down where to go next.😊

Agreed! Remember the old spiral-bound AAA triptiks? Those were the best for road tripping!  Used to love all the detail. There'd be these fold-out papers that had interesting info about the area you're driving through and so forth. Then, of course, it all became digital so I don't bother with it much anymore. Hard to believe that before the days of the internet I used to plan all our trips with just the AAA tour books, maps, and using the phone to inquire about and make all reservations. 

Edited August 23, 2022 by OnTheJourney