Bit of a blog - Spirit of Adventure - Treasures of the Adriatic - Oct 2023

[NorbertsNiece]

Good morning and ahoy there!

 

Setting this up for my long day tomorrow travelling to embark Spirit of Adventure.

 

We booked this cruise by default back in July last year. We'd been booked to go to South America earlier this year with Saga but due to concerns about the strict Covid protocols at that time that cruise was cancelled. This cruise fit our criteria of visiting places we'd not been to before and we decided to move over with some compensation rather than cancel with full refund.

 

Here is our itinerary :

 

 

09/10 Embark

13/10 Gibraltar

16/10 Syracuse, Sicily

18/10 Dubrovnik, Croatia

19/10 Split,  Croatia

20/10 Rovinj, Croatia

21/10 Marghera for Venice

22/10 Zadar, Croatia

25/10 Cagliari, Sardinia

28/10 Lisbon

31/10 Disembark

 

We've booked a cross section of Saga's included and paid for excursions and independent ones.

 

I'm being picked up in Teesside tomorrow morning around 7am. This time it's a shared car and another passenger is being picked up about 15 minutes away. My friend Geoff is in Surrey and will be picked up around 1pm. This facility is so much appreciated by me as getting to Portsmouth, even the day before, with luggage, is not something I'd envisage lightly!

 

Would really appreciate your support and follow!! Very happy to answer questions, take specific pics for you and will post videos when I can. I'm  so looking forward to being back on SoA again. For those who followed my last adventure on Adventure there will be crafts involved!! Apparently felting isn't being offered this time!! Phew!!

 

[Harry Peterson]

Thanks. I’ll be following with interest, particularly as we’re considering moving to Saga from many years of P&O.

[lincslady]

Looking forward to your reviews - if possible  while you are onboard, but if time and the internet do not permit, then when you get back.  It is a super  itinerary, and with luck you will have warm but not unbearably hot weather.  We don't get many Saga reviews, so I am sure there will be a lot of interest.

 

Have a great trip.

[Kohima]

Thank you, in advance, for making so much effort.

[Whiteduck1]

I'm looking forward to hearing all about your cruise. As the weather is so amazing I'm going to go down to Portsmouth tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully I'll get a picture as you leave( if I do I'll put it on here). Have a great and most importantly safe holiday... Nick 

[Harry Peterson]

You'll be being picked up very soon and must be very excited!  Enjoy the journey - and have a really wonderful cruise.  Look forward to hearing all about it!

[NorbertsNiece]

Day 1

 

Car arrived on the dot. En route to pick someone else up.

 

 

 

Now on A1

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by NorbertsNiece

[Lofty77]

Have a great trip, look forward to reading your reports.

[JMMKUK]

I think we are ready for our driver. Hope to see you on board.

[NorbertsNiece]

First stop. Tibshelf Services M1 South. Travelling with Kath who also used to be a teacher! She's part of a 45 strong Bridge players group! I don't play.

 

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by NorbertsNiece

[NorbertsNiece]

Chieveley Services

 

2nd stop. Fab weather. Clear roads.

[NorbertsNiece]

Competition time. How long will it take for me to lose my key card? 15 minutes away from Portsmouth.

[NorbertsNiece]

Arrived Portsmouth. Baggage taken from car. We stay in car. Lovely driver Paul deals with porters. Drive 30 yards where we get out. Currently waiting for Geoff. Ship is quite a way away. We are to be bussed there apparently.

 

 

 

Little shop in lobby

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by NorbertsNiece

[NorbertsNiece]

We're under way! Pics from the bus until now. Barely queued in the terminal! Very efficient check in process. Ins certs not required. Geoff's cases just arrived post muster. I'm fully unpacked!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by NorbertsNiece

[NorbertsNiece]

Link to my 1st live feed here

[NorbertsNiece]

More sailaway pics. HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar; HMS Warrior, a quantum leap in warship technology, she rendered all other warships redundant; the dome encloses the Mary Rose museum.... Henry VIII's vessel that capsized and drowned 4/500 crew; Spinnaker Tower; Martello Tower in the distance, Napoleonic era.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by NorbertsNiece

[Whiteduck1]

[Whiteduck1]

Bon voyage!!

[Kohima]

Brilliant detail. Portsmouth is such a historic sail away, especially on such a lovely evening.

Bon voyage!

[NorbertsNiece]

4 hours ago, Whiteduck1 said:

We were on our balcony waving/taking pics/video!!

[NorbertsNiece]

My day. My evening. Pimm's!! Dinner tonight. I get to choose my GF menu for tomorrow from the regular menu; I cannot describe my joy at having a pre-order dessert menu! I will work my way down that extensive list!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by NorbertsNiece

[NorbertsNiece]

This is Fordy. We became friends on our previous outing on Adventure. His identity remains a secret. He got a well deserved promotion!! 👏👏

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

The Library. Had to hunt for it. At least the books are real this trip! There's no signage as to the categories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by NorbertsNiece

[NorbertsNiece]

Pillow chocs! Today's Today. Watched the show which was streamed live into the room.

 

 

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

Happy to answer questions, ask questions, take pics etc.

Linda