Live(ish) report: First real cruise this year - Greece with TUI Cruises Mein Schiff 6 - 9/27

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, Carnevale said:

What a wonderful blog!  Thanks so much for all of the terrific info and photos!

 

While everything you have shared has been very interesting, I particularly appreciated the info you posted about daily activities as I wondered how COVID might impact what is offered.  We love ballroom dancing but sadly it’s becoming less common on cruises.  I don’t know if MS typically has dancing but if they do, is it something that is being done during COVID?

unfortunately no dancing. The night club is also closed. IMHO a small price to pay.

[steamboats]

10 hours ago, hcat said:

Thinking out loud!

 Just found this itin..obviously not doable right now but very nice itin on Mein Schiff 1..   Is everything in German??  Or would they have some  English based on the itn?

 

Sep	Departing from New York, Cape Liberty Bayonne NJ-NYC hotels
04 Oct 07:30 - 18:30	Norfolk, Virginia
06 Oct 07:00 - 16:00	Charleston, South Carolina
07 Oct 10:00 - 20:00	Port Canaveral, Orlando, Florida
08 Oct 08:30 - 18:30	Miami, Florida
09 Oct 08:00 - 18:00	Nassau, Bahamas, New Providence Island
12 Oct 08:00	Arriving in New York, Cape Liberty Bayonne NJ-NYC hotels

 

 

Actually all activities and entertainment (theater) is in German as well as all tours or announcements (except for safety announcements which are both in German and English). The crew does speak English as well. But the cruises are focused on German speaking guests only. The above itinerary also caters to German speaking guests only. Some tours might be in English as there is no German speaking tour guide. But usually - if it´s allowed - there will be a crew member accompanying the tour and translating. My DH has been on a New England / Canada cruise out of Bayonne and in some places only a certified tour guide was allowed to guide the tour and no translation was available (which didn´t care him but others).

 

steamboats

[Miaminice]

Covid Policy Cruise - Mein Schiff 6 - Corfu Excursion 

 

For Corfu we had also chosen an excursion which would allow us to spend all the time outdoors with fresh air. Instead of e-scooters like in Athens, this time we did the e-bike tour.

 

The procedure was the same as the last time. We met at the excursion desk, checked in, received our helmets and rucksacks and, punctually at 9 o’clock, our group of twelve went down to the gangway where our temperature was checked and registered. Our bikes were parked in front of the ship already. Before we started the tour, our guide explained the procedures and guidelines and the dos and don’ts once more.

 

 

 

 

 

We started our tour by cycling through town for a while and then took a road up into the hillside.

 

Supported by the electrical motors of our bikes we effortlessly cycled up some curvy roads past a mix of neglected houses of olive farmers and perfectly manicured gardens of beautiful mansions. 

 

Depending on the weight of guilt on your shoulders or food on your hips, the level of support by the motor could be set from Eco to Turbo mode on a little dial on the handle bar. I leave it up to your imagination which mode we chose. 

 

 

We stopped at a few scenic photo stops and then cycled on to a whitewashed church on small island. Once there, our guide used the time to give us some interesting background information about Corfu and Greece in general before giving us 15 minutes time to roam around the little island and church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we went on to a bar at a small deserted pebble beach where we had one hour time for ourselves.

 

 

 

After soaking up some sun and resting for a bit we continued our tour by heading back to Corfu town. We were surprised to see the town full of tourists. It was hard to believe that there would be even more hustle and bustle during normal times.

 

We stopped at a small park by the shoreline with a beautiful view on the old castle of Corfu. We first listened to the information given by our guide Philip and then again had some time for photos or just to take in the views. Oh, I forgot to mention the constant hand sanitising after every stop. We got so used to it, that I didn’t even think of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ride went on across a park like square and along the shoreline before we reached the port again. After 40 km on the bike we decided we deserved a snack for lunch.

 

 

 

 

TUI Cruises’ version of the sunset bar serves Tapas from 2 o’clock on. We had resisted the days before… not so today.

 

 

 

At 4 o’clock I had treated myself to a 60 minute massage. And here’s another difference to an American cruise line: the price was €60.

 

 

The weather and light couldn’t have been better for sail away. On this cruise line they have a song which is played all over the ship during sail away. It’s a German song called “Grosse Freiheit” which is a place in Hamburg. It’s actually a nice song. And I guess regulars on this cruise line can’t imagine doing a sail away without it. Despite not really caring for it in the beginning, I caught myself turning up the volume of the TV a bit to hear it on the balcony.

 

 

 

 

Later in the evening we decided to go to the Osteria once more to have some pasta. During dinner we talked about how we felt about the excursion. We both agreed that again we had not felt limited at all. And despite not favouring tours organised by the cruise line we had really enjoyed the day.

 

 

 

 

Again a bike tour is not really a regular excursion. However, the day before I had asked some people who went on a regular sightseeing tour in Athens how they felt. They said it was a group of 16 which was split up into two groups of eight people later. They also mentioned that they didn’t feel limited in any way and had come back with a happy feeling.

 

Being creatures of habit, we went to the bar which we just called the Sunset Bar again for a cocktail before we went to bed with a feeling of happiness just like on any other cruise before. The only hit on our mood was finding the luggage tags on our beds... 😢

 

[cluso]

Great pictures.  Looks like the little sailboats are "socially distancing" themselves.  So happy this cruise is working out for you!

Tschuss

Edited October 3, 2020 by cluso

[Spif Barwunkel]

Unfortunately, luggage tags means pack the bags. Even from afar this has been an enjoyable cruise. Your efforts are very much appreciated and reflect the desire to show others how, when done right, good times can be had by all despite unusual circumstances.

 

Very well done, some of the best I've seen. 

 

Thank you.  

[prish]

Thank you Miaminice, reading about your cruise and seeing those gorgeous pictures has been such a thrill! We have a 12 nighter booked on the Apex for next May, but am not sure we’ll do it. Watching and waiting for now...😉

[Miaminice]

16 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Unfortunately, luggage tags means pack the bags. Even from afar this has been an enjoyable cruise. Your efforts are very much appreciated and reflect the desire to show others how, when done right, good times can be had by all despite unusual circumstances.

 

Very well done, some of the best I've seen. 

 

Thank you.  

Fortunately we have another day at sea today - so some more time to relax.

 

On the previous cruises TUI Cruises have made it a habit to treat passengers to a little extra. And even though we have to cover the distance to Heraklion in one day instead of the two days originally planned (due to the extended stay in Athens) TUI do not disappoint.

 

Our new Captain Todd Burgman (an American) told us this morning that we would also take a little detour on the way back to Heraklion which would take us into  the caldera of Santorini just in time for the famous sunset 😍

 

 

[Spif Barwunkel]

18 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

Fortunately we have another day at sea today - so some more time to relax.

 

On the previous cruises TUI Cruises have made it a habit to treat passengers to a little extra. And even though we have to cover the distance to Heraklion in one day instead of the two days originally planned (due to the extended stay in Athens) TUI do not disappoint.

 

Our new Captain Todd Burgman (an American) told us this morning that we would also take a little detour on the way back to Heraklion which would take us into  the caldera of Santorini just in time for the famous sunset 😍

 

 

Very Cool!

[riredsox]

I have enjoyed this ‘cruise’ with you so much. Thank you MiamiNice!  I actually felt that sad feeling when you said the luggage tags have arrived!  I can’t wait to cruise again no matter the protocols in place.  

[Tipsy252]

@Miaminice Really happy that your cruise is going well and that you feel able to enjoy the cruise and excursions. I hope that the protocols in place are adopted by Marella Cruises (UK arm of TUI) for the cruises they have scheduled.

I loved the reports on your shore excursions and hope that similar excursions are available on the Marella Explorer. Did I read that you were only allowed to book 2 shore excursions on this cruise? Were the bikes carried on the ship as they appeared to carry the Mein Schif logos?

[hcat]

4 hours ago, Miaminice said:

Fortunately we have another day at sea today - so some more time to relax.

 

On the previous cruises TUI Cruises have made it a habit to treat passengers to a little extra. And even though we have to cover the distance to Heraklion in one day instead of the two days originally planned (due to the extended stay in Athens) TUI do not disappoint.

 

Our new Captain Todd Burgman (an American) told us this morning that we would also take a little detour on the way back to Heraklion which would take us into  the caldera of Santorini just in time for the famous sunset 😍

 

 

What a treat! Such a beautiful area..hope the sunset did not disappoint.

[hcat]

11 hours ago, steamboats said:

 

Actually all activities and entertainment (theater) is in German as well as all tours or announcements (except for safety announcements which are both in German and English). The crew does speak English as well. But the cruises are focused on German speaking guests only. The above itinerary also caters to German speaking guests only. Some tours might be in English as there is no German speaking tour guide. But usually - if it´s allowed - there will be a crew member accompanying the tour and translating. My DH has been on a New England / Canada cruise out of Bayonne and in some places only a certified tour guide was allowed to guide the tour and no translation was available (which didn´t care him but others).

 

steamboats

Thanks for the info

It's a great itin..even nicer than the May Cruise on Summit that we did not get to take.   Not sure the language issues would work out for us..too bad. Some folks will have a great time.

[bama4cruisin]

4 hours ago, Miaminice said:

Fortunately we have another day at sea today - so some more time to relax.

 

On the previous cruises TUI Cruises have made it a habit to treat passengers to a little extra. And even though we have to cover the distance to Heraklion in one day instead of the two days originally planned (due to the extended stay in Athens) TUI do not disappoint.

 

Our new Captain Todd Burgman (an American) told us this morning that we would also take a little detour on the way back to Heraklion which would take us into  the caldera of Santorini just in time for the famous sunset 😍

 

 

What a wonderful extra treat!  That sunset seen from a ship in the caldera is so spectacular.  Enjoy!

 

thank you taking us along!

[Von & John]

Thanks Miaminice for treating us all to a fantastic cruise!

Sad the end is near, but nice too know cruising has successfully returned in part of the world.

You've done a fantastic job w/ your narrative & pictures to allow us to join, it's been wonderful "cruising" with you 😎

Wishing you an amazing final day at sea & smooth disembarkation & safe travels home.

Cheers  --  Von & John

[Luckynana]

 

I so enjoyed following you along on your cruise, Mianinice!  My DH and I have a cruise out of Venice to the Greek Islands next Oct. '21, which we would love to go on, but my husband and I would not be able to wear a mask for such a long flight.😢   I have no problem wearing a mask for 2 hours or so at a time, but 7 hours, not so much.   We'll just have to wait and see what the situation is like next year.🤞

  We are booked on Oasis out of Bayonne next July, where I'm sure we'll be wearing masks, and that's fine with us.  We will be driving to the Port in Bayonne, so no flying involved.

 

Thank you again!

[Miaminice]

3 hours ago, Tipsy252 said:

 Did I read that you were only allowed to book 2 shore excursions on this cruise? Were the bikes carried on the ship as they appeared to carry the Mein Schif logos?

In each of the two ports of call morning and afternoon tours were offered. So I guess we could have booked more than 2 tours. 
 

Yes, the e-bikes and e-scooters are carried on the ship. Plus regular bikes for other tours. They have quite a lot of them.

[Issyalex]

Oh how I hate returning to my cabin after a lovely evening to find those dreaded luggage tags on the bed. 
 

thanks for letting us gate crash your cruise. I’m having a fab time. Love your photos and especially looking forward to seeing your Santorini sunset ones. 
 

 

[momof3cruisers]

This has been a delightful read! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I don’t want it to end! I love your attitudes and feel the same way about restrictions. IMO they are not unreasonable and if it means I can cruise, I’m all for it.

[Miaminice]

39 minutes ago, momof3cruisers said:

This has been a delightful read! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I don’t want it to end! I love your attitudes and feel the same way about restrictions. IMO they are not unreasonable and if it means I can cruise, I’m all for it.

😁 bear with us... it‘s not over yet.

 

we still have to tell the story about our day yesterday.

At the moment we are on a transfer/tour to the airport taking us to the palace of Knossos and the town of Heraklion.

More photos and a report about a regular tour are to follow 👍

[H2OH!]

Bravo!  Excellent, fact based, updates about the new reality.  I can feel your happiness as I read about your experience. Safe travels home.

 

Amy

 

 

[Miaminice]

Covid Policy Cruise - Mein Schiff 6 - At Sea (with a bonus)

 

I don’t have to tell you how the last day on a ship feels. As always, the ship has become a home to us and of course we got used to all the pampering and amenities 😉

 

 

Knowing it would be a long time before we could have breakfast outside again, we enjoyed the mild temperatures on the open deck of the buffet restaurant once more. Finding a table wasn’t a problem on this cruise. Oh, I think I haven’t mentioned another measure of the Covid protection guidelines: Once you find a seat, a waiter will come see you with a tablet computer asking for your stateroom number. They note the time and table number in their system. Information relevant for contact tracing.

 

 

 

As usual, I spent some time taking photos of the ship. She sure is a beauty - and very S class or Edge like. Last year we had done a fantastic cruise on HAL’s Westerdam (Japan). Although that was an unforgettable cruise, the ship itself didn’t really talk to us. Here it was different. 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking up and down the stairs justified having a snack. So we went to the small outdoor area of the Tag & Nacht Bistro and had a Burger. We had to laugh because they also served food which could not be more German: Currywurst, Bratwurst and Rinderroulade.

 

 

 

On the previous of these Covid policy cruises, TUI Cruises had made it a habit to treat passengers to a little bonus. And even though we had to cover the distance to Heraklion in one day instead of two (due to the extended stay in Piraeus), TUI did not disappoint. Our new Captain, Todd Burgman (American), had told us that we’d still take a little detour which would take us to the caldera of Santorini just in time for the famous sunset. We enjoyed the show at the Aussenalster Bar which had become “Sunset Bar” for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the unpopular but necessary burden of packing we had decided to have our last dinner at Hanami Restaurant located in the nice “Diamond” area. It was delicious and the service the best we had received so far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Issyalex]

Once again great photos. Loving Santorini sunset. Looking at your sunset photos remind me of having to walk down all those 588 steps as the cable car had broken down. It was a very, very hot August day (remember I live in Scotland so anything above 20 is hot to us!) and we had to share the stairs with the poor donkey’s! It took us about 45 very long mins but it’s a great holiday memory. 

[jtwind]

Miaminice, you stated earlier in the thread that it seemed like everyone was complying with the rules.  Did it remain that way through the end of the trip, or did people seem to not be as careful near the end?

 

Well thought out rules are made and stated clearly, but they need to be enforced.  I can't tell you how disappointing that would be if folks were allowed to break those rules.  (We're watching a football game on tv.  For the first time, they've allowed a limited number of fans in the stands under the condition of wearing masks.  Clearly, many aren't.)

[hcat]

Enjoyed this immensely..ship is stunning and fresh!  Celebrity will have its work cut out for it in the future to compete with ships like this.  It is EDGE like yet seems a bit more trad in layout, which appeals to us.

 

Many thanks again for this blog!

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, jtwind said:

Miaminice, you stated earlier in the thread that it seemed like everyone was complying with the rules.  Did it remain that way through the end of the trip, or did people seem to not be as careful near the end?

Yes, it remained that way. People wore masks, period! Whenever someone forgot the mask, he or she was kindly reminded.

 

Happened to me, too. I am very consequent in wearing masks, distancing etc. - out of conviction. One time I forgot sugar for my coffee. So I got up and absent minded walked back inside the buffet restaurant - without a mask. A few seconds later I was kindly made aware of it. And felt really bad...

Edited October 4, 2020 by Miaminice