Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[Saga Ruby]

Very confusing, to say the least. It may well be time to come up with a new, standardized system, applied across the board!

 

Thanks for taking the time to explain this intricate subject. I had no idea the definitions were so muddy. I'll just sit back and wait for a standardized system of measurement. And wait and wait and . . . .

 

 

Ruby

[CGTNORMANDIE]

HI RUBY!!!

 

Just wanted to drop by and wish you a BON VOYAGE!!! Have a great time in the Med and be sure to tell us all about it when you get back!!!

 

Ross

[Saga Ruby]

I was checking out the PortTT website. In Civitavecchia, there will be four ships including Prinsendam. One of these ships will beVoyager of the Seas. Now I'm all excited!!! I've never seen one of those megabarges and now I finally get to see one!

 

Is the best view of these monsters from the sea as we leave the port, should I rent a bicycle to ride the length of the ship in order to understand the vast size, will I be trampled by the crowds pushing onto the ship?

 

Azamara's Journey will be there along with an MSC ship. But those will be snack sizes compared to VoS, right?

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

Riding a bike that distance might be tiring, Ruby. (Actually, she is only 1020 feet in length, according to an entry on Google).

 

Are there any motor scooters for rent dockside?

 

Have a good trip!

Edited May 14, 2009 by Druke I

[Kapricorn]

Ruby, when will you be back from your cruise? I can't remember how many days you will be on Prinsendam. Have a super-great time!

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

I will be back late on Saturday June 6th flying from Rome to Atlanta to Dallas. I'm taking 2 suitcases and will be paying the piper for same. It's amazing how much the airline industry has changed since I sailed to Greenland almost two years ago. Boy, have I got the itchy feet! Lemme outta here!

 

Ships cat - I'll be standing on the deck as we pass First Bridge in Istanbul, trying to spot that red-and-white lighthouse on the lawn of "my" hotel. I hold out faint hope that I'll be able to find it.

 

Y'all behave while I'm gone and, if you don't, be sure to tell us all about it.

 

Ruby

[MMDown Under]

I will be back late on Saturday June 6th flying from Rome to Atlanta to Dallas. I'm taking 2 suitcases and will be paying the piper for same. It's amazing how much the airline industry has changed since I sailed to Greenland almost two years ago. Boy, have I got the itchy feet! Lemme outta here!

 

Ships cat - I'll be standing on the deck as we pass First Bridge in Istanbul, trying to spot that red-and-white lighthouse on the lawn of "my" hotel. I hold out faint hope that I'll be able to find it.

 

Y'all behave while I'm gone and, if you don't, be sure to tell us all about it.

 

Ruby

 

Can someone please remind me the ship and itinerary, so I can follow Ruby's path?

 

One thing we already know, she'll be having a good time.

 

Thanks.

[franu]

Ruby will be cruising on her old favourite from days gone by or as she had stated "I'm going on this ship to remember my days and weeks on Royal Viking." It is the Prinsendam, a HAL ship that she will be sailing from Civitavecchia after a few days in Rome.

 

The ship will be going to the Black Sea but I do not remember anything else except that she is due back on the 6 June. I can't wait to hear her thoughts about the ship and the trip.

Fran

[Kapricorn]

I checked the Holland America site but they've already removed Prinsendam's itinerary on which our dear Ruby is enjoying. :(

 

Donald.

Edited May 21, 2009 by Kapricorn

[MMDown Under]

I checked the Holland America site but they've already removed Prinsendam's itinerary on which our dear Ruby is enjoying. :(

 

Donald.

 

Thanks Donald.

 

Looks like they want us to concentrate on future cruises, not current cruises. :)

[MMDown Under]

Ruby will be cruising on her old favourite from days gone by or as she had stated "I'm going on this ship to remember my days and weeks on Royal Viking." It is the Prinsendam, a HAL ship that she will be sailing from Civitavecchia after a few days in Rome.

 

The ship will be going to the Black Sea but I do not remember anything else except that she is due back on the 6 June. I can't wait to hear her thoughts about the ship and the trip.

Fran

 

Thanks Fran,

 

Yes, I remembered she was going on a Black Sea Cruise, and she'll "be standing on the deck as we pass First Bridge in Istanbul, trying to spot that red-and-white lighthouse on the lawn of "my" hotel".

 

I look forward to hearing of her latest adventure after 6th June, as she has a lovely unique way of sharing her stories.

 

(My younger daughter has been an unwilling participant in her own version of Border Security in Laos. Seems Immigration officials thought the Thai baht, which I'd given her from a previous trip to Thailand, was counterfeit. They weren't, just old notes, but it was a very unpleasant few days until the matter was resolved. She'll no doubt live out on that travel tale and the plane trip from Vietnam to Laos, for years.

 

Moral don't use old Thai currency in Laos, not at the airport for visas anyway. :) )

[Conte Di Savoia]

Here is Ruby's itinerary for her Black Sea Adventure.

Between port webcams and GPS tracking sites, Ruby won't be able to escape us! We've got to keep track of our girl.

 

Wed, May 20 Civitavecchia Rome, Italy --- 5:00 p.m.

Thu, May 21 At Sea --- ---

Fri, May 22 Katakolon Olympia, Greece 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Sat, May 23 Nafplion Navplion, Greece 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Sun, May 24 Santorini, Greece 8:00 a.m. 10:00 p.m.

Mon, May 25 Kusadasi Ephesus, Turkey 7:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

Tue, May 26 Istanbul, Turkey 3:00 p.m. ---

Wed, May 27 Istanbul, Turkey --- 11:00 p.m.

Thu, May 28 At Sea --- ---

Fri, May 29 Trabzon, Turkey 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Sat, May 30 Sinop, Turkey 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Sun, May 31 Sevastopol, Ukraine 7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

Mon, Jun 01 At Sea --- ---

Tue, Jun 02 Piraeus Athens, Greece 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Wed, Jun 03 At Sea --- ---

Thu, Jun 04 Naples, Italy 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Fri, Jun 05 Civitavecchia Rome, Italy 7:00 a.m. ---

[Druke I]

Thanks for posting Ruby's itinerary - I was too lazy to look it up, although I did seen a post on the HAL board that indicated Prinsendam is in the Messina Straits today.

 

I do hope she is having a grand time - she was really looking forward to both the itinerary and the ship.

[MMDown Under]

Here is Ruby's itinerary for her Black Sea Adventure.

Between port webcams and GPS tracking sites, Ruby won't be able to escape us! We've got to keep track of our girl.

 

Wed, May 20 Civitavecchia Rome, Italy --- 5:00 p.m.

Thu, May 21 At Sea --- ---

Fri, May 22 Katakolon Olympia, Greece 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Sat, May 23 Nafplion Navplion, Greece 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Sun, May 24 Santorini, Greece 8:00 a.m. 10:00 p.m.

Mon, May 25 Kusadasi Ephesus, Turkey 7:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

Tue, May 26 Istanbul, Turkey 3:00 p.m. ---

Wed, May 27 Istanbul, Turkey --- 11:00 p.m.

Thu, May 28 At Sea --- ---

Fri, May 29 Trabzon, Turkey 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Sat, May 30 Sinop, Turkey 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Sun, May 31 Sevastopol, Ukraine 7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

Mon, Jun 01 At Sea --- ---

Tue, Jun 02 Piraeus Athens, Greece 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Wed, Jun 03 At Sea --- ---

Thu, Jun 04 Naples, Italy 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Fri, Jun 05 Civitavecchia Rome, Italy 7:00 a.m. ---

 

Thanks so much for providing Ruby's itinerary. There are lots of interesting ports of call, in particular the highlighted ones of which I'm not familiar.

 

Following someone you "know" on a ship makes it even more enjoyable following a cruise. Guess Ruby is enjoying a valuable sea day today.

[franu]

Thank you Conte. Although I will be interested to hear about the entire cruise, I am most interested in Trabzon, Sinop and Sevastopol as I have not been to those ports.

 

On my Black Sea cruise we went to Odessa, Yalta and Varna, Bulgaria. Having cruised to many areas, I think that the Eastern Mediterranean is the one that continually warms my heart.

Fran

[MMDown Under]

Thank you Conte. Although I will be interested to hear about the entire cruise, I am most interested in Trabzon, Sinop and Sevastopol as I have not been to those ports.

 

On my Black Sea cruise we went to Odessa, Yalta and Varna, Bulgaria. Having cruised to many areas, I think that the Eastern Mediterranean is the one that continually warms my heart.

 

 

Fran

 

What is it that attracts you to the Eastern Mediterranean, Fran? Is it the scenery, the history, the people, or something else altogether?

[franu]

What is it that attracts you to the Eastern Mediterranean, Fran? Is it the scenery, the history, the people, or something else altogether?

The main reason that I love the Eastern Med. is that it makes my heart sing. The architecture, the art, the people, the history and the ambiance.It was instant love of Italy during my port stop in Italy in 1975. I had to return "some day". It was a dream that I never thought would be fulfilled but in 1979 I went there for 6 weeks with an Italian friend and my mother. It was a place that I have been fortunate to return to so many times. Visiting friends there and enjoying the Italy that most tourists do not ever see.

 

I found that very unlike North America, Italy had something special around every corner. Then I went to Greece and Turkey. In Greece there is more ancient history preserved than I could imagine. Suddenly, I started to understand my most hated subject of my school years. History was not dates in a book to learn by rote. It was places and peoples, conflicts and natural disaster.

 

I could go on forever but I need to be primed by a frutti di bosco gelato.

Fran

[MMDown Under]

The main reason that I love the Eastern Med. is that it makes my heart sing. The architecture, the art, the people, the history and the ambiance.It was instant love of Italy during my port stop in Italy in 1975. I had to return "some day". It was a dream that I never thought would be fulfilled but in 1979 I went there for 6 weeks with an Italian friend and my mother. It was a place that I have been fortunate to return to so many times. Visiting friends there and enjoying the Italy that most tourists do not ever see.

 

I found that very unlike North America, Italy had something special around every corner. Then I went to Greece and Turkey. In Greece there is more ancient history preserved than I could imagine. Suddenly, I started to understand my most hated subject of my school years. History was not dates in a book to learn by rote. It was places and peoples, conflicts and natural disaster.

 

I could go on forever but I need to be primed by a frutti di bosco gelato.

Fran

 

Thank so much for your insight, Fran.

 

I was aware of your love affair with Italy from reading your past emails.

 

Although I was an A student in history, I wasn't interested in the subject at all. Once I started travelling, I wished I had learnt to love it, as I've seen the passion in peoples' eyes, who have a love of history.

[Host Sharon]

I must admit that I too love the Eastern Med - much more than I thought I would. I am back again next April, at least as far as Istanbul, and back to Rome and Naples among other places. It is a lovely part of the world and completely unlike any other. I hope Ruby is enjoying her Black Sea trip and if it is half as good as mine last year, it will be wonderful. I hope she finds that red and white lighthouse, 'cos I never did!!

Edited May 22, 2009 by ships cat

[Kapricorn]

All this talk about history is interesting because I graduated from university with a Bachelor in History!

 

Donald.

[MMDown Under]

All this talk about history is interesting because I graduated from university with a Bachelor in History!

 

Donald.

 

Do you find your qualifications enhance your travels? Do you love history?

[MMDown Under]

I must admit that I too love the Eastern Med - much more than I thought I would. I am back again next April, at least as far as Istanbul, and back to Rome and Naples among other places. It is a lovely part of the world and completely unlike any other. I hope Ruby is enjoying her Black Sea trip and if it is half as good as mine last year, it will be wonderful. I hope she finds that red and white lighthouse, 'cos I never did!!

 

I agree it is a unique place of the world.

 

Whilst I also love Italy, it is for the people, their culture, and their way of life, rather than their history. Of course, I visit all the historic sights, but they don't move me as they do those that love history.

 

Of course, I love their art, art galleries and glorious churches.

 

I also hope Ruby finds her lighthouse.

Edited May 22, 2009 by MMDown Under

[Kapricorn]

Do you find your qualifications enhance your travels? Do you love history?

 

I do like history, as it helps me to understand why the world is the way it is. If I go someplace new, I like to learn a bit about it first.

 

If I ever cruise on the itinerary that Ruby is currently doing, I would enjoy doing some historical research first. By the time I step ashore in these ports, I would have known a bit of each and understand how these places came into being, as well as their importance or unimportance in the history of their respective countries.

 

Donald.

[franu]

If I go someplace new, I like to learn a bit about it first.

That is what I do for months before each cruise I do a lot of research as to the history and what if any places it represents. I do so much research that I did it as part of a wedding gift. My favorite young lady did an Eastern European cruise for her honeymoon. I was able to give them a booklet full of information about what they could do in each port.

 

The research that I do for myself whips up the excitement for me. The hype revs up my enjoyment. As I stated, I didn't like history in school. The Tower of London was my eye-opener. History was not Grimm's Fairy Tales any longer.

 

When I went to Florence and saw the magnificent buildings from the Renaissance and realised that they were already there when Columbus discovered America. Suddenly I started to be interested and it has enhanced my travel enjoyment.

Fran

[Kapricorn]

When I went to Florence and saw the magnificent buildings from the Renaissance and realised that they were already there when Columbus discovered America. Suddenly I started to be interested and it has enhanced my travel enjoyment.

Fran

 

Also, Venice, the Egyptian, Greek, Mayan and Chinese civilizations, and many others existed for centuries before Columbus "discovered" America. That certainly puts a lot of perspective to our comparatively short history in North America (as well as Australia and other places!). That is really quite impressive, as well as humbling.

 

Donald.