WC57

So I've been putting off writing about our day in Kusadasi, in part because the day wasn't what we were hoping it would be and in part because I'm not sure if anyone is still reading along!

 

The port area of Kusadasi is actually quite nice, with free wifi in the port area, lots of shops and even a Starbucks! And there are dozens of local cafes, restaurants and shops within walking distance. Unfortunately, our tour wasn't what we were hoping it would be. We booked the tour to Ephesus and Sirence (the tour we wanted had sold out) and while it started out well, our guide was long-winded and our tour went over an hour and a half over, which made us lose our free time in the port. We got back to the ship right before back onboard. Our guide told us where the "best" place to buy souvenirs was (the Ephesus theme park we stopped at for lunch) and warned us other places would have higher prices and counterfeit items, only to discover that the theme park had the highest souvenir prices and some of the lowest quality. Our guide went on a long lecture about the Muslim religion and politics on our way back to the ship, and beyond all of this, there was *that* carpet presentation that was supposed to be optional and wasn't optional at all. Needless to say, the next time we visit Kusadasi, we're exploring on our own.

 

Today was supposed to be a port day in Santorini but due to forecasts of gale force winds, Captain Lis had to make the call to cancel the port. I can't blame her -- the winds were already high and the seas were very rough, so tendering couldn't have been safe -- but I wish the call came earlier than when hundreds of us were lined up in the Masquerade waiting to tender off to our excursions.

 

So we had a day at sea instead. Mercedes and her team rushed to create new Compasses with activities but it included activities like breathing exercises at the rock wall (totally serious) and between the colder air and the wind, it was kind of a long day of...nothing. We don't have movie channels in the room (let alone many channels in English aside from news ones), so we just kind of mosied around the ship. All bars (including Latitudes and Ben and Jerry's) were 25% off from 12-3 so we hit a few of those. We laid out for a bit. We went to a few activities. Mostly a lay-low kind of day.

 

The high point was our dinner at Chops, where wine was BOGO and service was above and beyond. The staff on this ship are truly extraordinary.

 

We have another day at sea tomorrow and then we'll (hopefully!) be docking in Naples on Tuesday :)

Still following along Nicole, Sorry to hear about Santorini, Thanks

Hi,

We are a party of 2, my wife & I. It sounds interesting. We have not booked any tours yet, but open to options. Our main Rome trust is to tour the Coliseum,Spanish Steps & Trevi. How are the tour stops managed?

We are first time cruisers, sailing on VOTS June 9, looking forward to your posts. Thnks