Solstice Live/First-Timer Reports/Pix’s: Italy/Croatian June 7-19

[TLCOhio]

Wow! Can't believe I just found this review that's over two years old. This is one of the best reviews I've ever read! Your pictures are incredible! We did a similar itinerary in 2010 so these pictures bring back wonderful memories. We overnight end in Venice and I just fell in love with it -I want to return so bad! We also did a mix of private tours, on our own tours and one ships tour. We used Rome in Limo in Rome and Florence/Pisa and I could not be more pleased with them. We used All Around Italy with Fabrizio for Positano/Pompeii. He is absolutely hysterical! What a fun time. We also ate high up overlooking Positano. And another private tour I highly recommend is Tour Designer in Provence with Catherine. She is a wonderful person and so knowledgeable. I see you are doing an Australia trip in 2014 - really looking forward to reading about it and seeing your beautiful pictures!

 

Appreciate so much these nice and kind comments from EMED2010. Good added comments, background on your Italy tours, etc. It’s exactly 50 days or seven weeks till we will be boarding the Solstice in spectacular Sydney harbor with our neighbors of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. For our Jan. 9 flight out, it's only 39 days away. Getting closer!!

 

Just finalizing today ordering a number of added SD memory cards/items for the new Nikon D7100 camera with a Nikkor 18-140mm lens that I will be picking up tomorrow. Plus, a Nikon underwater camera (AW 110) for the Great Barrier Reef, Hawaii and other locations on this trip. Yes, am planning on doing a live/blog with lots of visuals, etc., from Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii.

 

This posting just went over 150,000 views today. Glad that so many have tuned, made nice comments, etc. Keep it coming!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorite, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture. This posting has now had 32,073 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Edited December 1, 2013 by TLCOhio

[YOW]

Just finalizing today ordering a number of added SD memory cards/items for the new Nikon D7100 camera with a Nikkor 18-140mm lens that I will be picking up tomorrow. Plus, a Nikon underwater camera (AW 110) for the Great Barrier Reef, Hawaii and other locations on this trip. Yes, am planning on doing a live/blog with lots of visuals, etc., from Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii.

 

Hi Terry. Enjoy the D7100! A few of my students have one... Great camera, and I know you'll do great things with it. :) Looking forward to seeing your upcoming photos. :D

[lilghallinsf]

What a wonderful review. We are doing a transatlantic in April on the Reflection from Miami to Rome. I am hitting a couple of your ports, but your overall review gave me some great resources and I really appreciate.

 

I was a little unclear on your insurance comments but I just think I need to re-read them. I want to buy insurance, not because we are unhealthy or of a certain age, but to be careful that we cover everything. I have debated celebrity's but it seems very pricey. I did learn that primary is the most important. I am just not sure if I need to buy more than what the actual cruise and our return flights cost. We will also be spending 7 days in Rome and I don't know if I need to buy enough insurance to cover that portion or not. My final payment is due at the end of the month and I think I have to purchase within ten days of that.

[junetraveler2014]

Thank you for these beautiful pictures.:D:D:D:D:D

[cruiseclues]

Thanks for the Great Celebrity Solstice Photo Review. :):):):)

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for the Great Celebrity Solstice Photo Review. :):):):)

 

junetraveler2014: Thank you for these beautiful pictures

 

Appreciate these nice comments. Will follow-up more later on the insurance question.

 

BUT' date=' right now we are doing a [b']14-day Solstice, Sydney to Auckland adventure[/b] on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under". Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more information and lots of more pictures on this ship and these amazing sights in this part of the world.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now over 132,552 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Blondebomb]

OMG, not sure how I started reading some of your threads. I think I was reading about your current cruise on Soltice( love that ship) and then thought, I need to take trip with this guy!!

He hits all the places I like to visit.

 

I am in Indiana( not too far away)!!! I also did the trip around Italy last April. Was wondering if you got to go INSIDE the Cathedral"Famillia"? in Barcelona?? We were lucky enough to be able to do that since a Italian group had two extra tickets. Soooo beautiful.

I care-give for my 88 yr old dad and try plan my trip at wee hours of the night so I am half brain dead. So felt a little unprepared when were hit Barcelona.

 

Your pictures are amazing. Thanks for sharing.

 

Susan from MUncie, Indiana

[TLCOhio]

OMG, not sure how I started reading some of your threads. I think I was reading about your current cruise on Soltice( love that ship) and then thought, I need to take trip with this guy!! He hits all the places I like to visit. I am in Indiana( not too far away)!!! I also did the trip around Italy last April. Was wondering if you got to go INSIDE the Cathedral"Famillia"? in Barcelona?? We were lucky enough to be able to do that since a Italian group had two extra tickets. Soooo beautiful. I care-give for my 88 yr old dad and try plan my trip at wee hours of the night so I am half brain dead. So felt a little unprepared when were hit Barcelona. Your pictures are amazing. Thanks for sharing. Susan from MUncie, Indiana

 

Appreciate, Susan, your kind comments and thoughts. YES, it sounds like BOTH of us have excellent taste and judgement for places to visit and ships to sail. Glad you're a "neighbor" next door in Indiana. Much prefer being in Hawaii and/or down under than suffering with this current cold and snow. But, it was nice and sunny today.

 

With ALL of that snow on the ground in Central Ohio and much of the United states, there has been no wasted time doing silly things such as mowing the lawn, planting flowers, painting the house, etc. How's that for "spin" on having good reasons/excuses to deal with the cold and snow??

 

Sorry, we didn't get a chance to visit the inside of Cathedral Famillia for this 2011 trip to Barcelona. That gives us a good reason to go back there and spend more time. Love that town with its great character, charm, architecture and history.

 

Let me know any questions on our adventure to Australia and New Zealand. Am today and tomorrow adding a bunch more pictures and info from our various stops/ports there.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from doing a 14-day Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under". Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of more pictures on this ship and these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now over 28,5300 views for this posting.

[TLCOhio]

Hi Terry. Enjoy the D7100! A few of my students have one... Great camera, and I know you'll do great things with it. Looking forward to seeing your upcoming photos.

 

Appreciate this earlier post from our friend, the super photo expert from Canada. YES, the new Nikon D7100 worked super well during our wonderful early 2014 excitement down under. I took over 8,000 pictures during this month-long trip, including all of the pre-cruise and post-cruise adventures in Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand.

 

BUT, it was much more than just this new camera body. I had also gotten the 18-140mm Nikkor lens with this camera and that worked very, very well, TOO!! Very smart to have this better "base" lens in place of my previous Nikkor 18-55mm lens that I had been using. I still had my longer 55-300mm Nikkor lens that I used at certain times, especially with the cute gannets at Cape Kidnappers near Napier along the NZ coast. With this workhorse 18-140mm lens, combined with the 24mp RAW shooting, gave me great, amazing results when cropping and blowing up certain bird, whale, koala, etc., visuals captured in the wild. AND, for evening show/entertainment and food pictures, the new, fixed Nikkor 35mm f1.8 lens, also yielded great, improved results.

 

The challenge, of course, is still to be smart in the "post" process for picking the "best of the best" pictures, doing a some cropping and fine-tuning. It's nice to have the time after your shooting to consider, thoughtfully, these best picture "picks", then the fun of uploading, writing background about these travel experiences, sharing on these boards, etc.

 

Since most people like "eye candy", below are just a few quick samples to back up AND PROVE my happy success from this new camera and lens. Many, many more on the full live/blog posting.

 

THANKS for all of the help, comments, suggestions, etc.! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at over 39,675 views for this fun posting.

 

 

Here is a picture from our NZ South Island JetBoat ride that my wife loved. Notice her hands and those of others in our row super tightly gripping the safety bar? That says so much about the speed and thrills while roaring up and down this amazing stretch of scenic river. I showed my wife this picture (and several others like this but where the wind was blowing her hair in the opposite direction). She liked this picture so much, that she said to put this one in her obituary (not that this need is upcoming anytime soon). It showed her having fun and she said this ride was the most fun of the whole cruise/trip. We've had lots of great moments on this trip, but one was a unique and special ride in a location that is spectacularly world-class near the Southern Alps. And, perfect weather with good friends adds to the great joy!!:

 

 

 

Here is one of the famed gannets from Cape Kidnappers near Napier along the eastern NZ coast. This is just one small sampling of many large groups of these super cute birds that we saw here as they were nesting.:

 

 

 

While at Cape Kidnappers, we arranged a private, three-course, gourmet lunch at the exclusive resort here that overlooked both the Pacific Ocean and the famed golf course ranked as the 23rd best in the world. Here are members of our 14-person, Central Ohio group enjoying this scenic and dramatic setting and the beautiful weather this day. I used my 10-20mm lens to capture this shot.:

 

 

 

From our group's Bay of Islands water fun, we got to do real sailing, including going out into the nearby Pacific Ocean! See the proof and success below. It was both a perfect weather day and such fun sampling this great region of northern NZ. One of the options for those in our Central Ohio group on this custom, private sailing was to help to do as much (or as little as desired) in helping make this sail experience happen. Here you can see Captain Murray guiding the ship from this great vantage point on the back of the Zindabar. Was this exciting and scenic for our group?:

 

 

 

This is Old St. Paul's church in Wellington. It is the former cathedral in the Diocese of Wellington for the Anglican Church. As an example of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture, they adapted to colonial conditions and materials. It is at 34 Mulgrave Street, close to the New Zealand Parliament. Its construction was completed in June 1866. After a significant battle to prevent its demolition, Old St. Paul's was purchased by the New Zealand Government in 1967 and restored. Although not a parish church, it remains consecrated and is a popular for weddings, funerals and other services. It is constructed from native NZ timbers. The interior has been likened to the upturned hull of an Elizabethan galleon with its exposed curving trusses and roof sacking. The flags displayed in the nave include the Royal Navy, NZ Merchant Navy and US Marine Corps. Many of our Marines were stationed in Wellington during World War II. My wife is in yellow walking down the center aisle as she absorb the building details. This was a very important and "moving" site to experience. :

 

 

 

With Craig Wickham, the operator of Exceptional Kangaroo Island on this famed Australian island near Adelaide, he took us on a "hunt", successfully, to find more Koalas out in the wild. Here is just one example of these Koala finds that we enjoyed so much. Aren't they cute? So lovable?:

 

[Zqueeze1]

As we prepare for our upcoming cruise, The Boss is demanding to see pics leading me to finding this incredible thread. Your pics are beautiful and bring back many memories of our prior cruises and overseas travel. I hope my little old Nikon 520 gives me such nice pics. The Boss is happy and now ready for our upcoming Carib cruise on Regent Navigator.

 

Please keep posting!

 

Z and TB

[TLCOhio]

As we prepare for our upcoming cruise, The Boss is demanding to see pics leading me to finding this incredible thread. Your pics are beautiful and bring back many memories of our prior cruises and overseas travel. I hope my little old Nikon 520 gives me such nice pics. The Boss is happy and now ready for our upcoming Carib cruise on Regent Navigator. Please keep posting! Z and TB

 

Appreciate so much your kind and good comments. Glad to know you're a person of such high class, great taste and wonderful judgment to make these generous comments.

 

On cameras, things have improved so much, you do not need the big, fancy, high-priced instrument with all of the "bells and whistles" to achieve good pictures. Do you have a Nikon 520 or a Nikon D5200? Not familiar with a Nikon 520. Below are my quick, key photo tips. Glad you wife is smart in giving good encouragement. Let me know anything else where I can share or help.

 

Here are a few of my basic, key photography secrets:

 

1. Shooting lots of pictures. That's easier with digital to do, learning as you are taking pictures. Show people only the "good ones!" and do not boring them with the average and/or poor ones. The more you shoot, that improves your "odds" to get better pictures, varied framings, magic moments, etc.

2. Move closer! Zoom in, fill up the frame, try different, more interesting angles.

3. Involve people. Make it interesting. Get that human element/connection when possible.

4. Hold things steady. Gently squeeze. Use door frames, walls to lessen the blurs in lower-light situations.

5. Editing: Fine-tune your pictures on your lap-top, brighten when needed, level it out, improve the croppings, etc. Narrow down to only your "best of the best" pictures before sharing. I have done that on my MacBook Pro computer using their iPhoto software tools. Fairly quick and easy!!

 

See more details and ideas were previously posted at: Baltics/Picture Secrets! Key Tips, Ideas, etc.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=977864

 

THANKS! Enjoy your upcoming cruise! Regent is first-class. Have not sailed with them yet. Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at over 40,798 views for this fun posting.

[lilghallinsf]

WOW.....

I have been reading your review for two or three days now. I had "saved" it in an email to read at a later date. We are leaving next week for 16 days on a transatlantic on the reflection and then seven days in Rome. Your tips are amazing!!!! Great information even though I am not taking the same cruise. I really appreciate all your time and effort. You should be a travel agent. LOL

 

I just bought a new camera this evening, though not as nice as yours but super excited to try your tips.

[TLCOhio]

WOW.....I have been reading your review for two or three days now. I had "saved" it in an email to read at a later date. We are leaving next week for 16 days on a transatlantic on the reflection and then seven days in Rome. Your tips are amazing!!!! Great information even though I am not taking the same cruise. I really appreciate all your time and effort. You should be a travel agent. LOL I just bought a new camera this evening, though not as nice as yours but super excited to try your tips.

 

Don't know if our San Francisco friend has started your trans-Atlantic adventure. Good luck on that crossing. Enjoy Rome and those other great Europe locations. Appreciate your nice and kind comments. Let us know how your new camera works out.

 

This posting has gone over 170,000 views. Glad so many have dropped by, asked questions, made comments. Keep it coming!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 142,138 views. Nice to be hitting this high of a level for viewership. Appreciate the interest!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[TLCOhio]

You might also enjoy Donna Leon's series of novels set in Venice. Guido Brunetti, Venetian Police Force, is the main character. The little books are all about Venice, food, wine and scenery; his family; and usually the crime is a supporting player. He has now become responsible for some tourism, just like what the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy did for Stockholm.

 

Excellent above suggestions on the Italy board from the always helpful and smart duct tape. Many key cities in the world do have interesting histories that can be connected nicely via established literature about them, their culture, characters, etc.

 

This posting is now approaching 174,000 views. Appreciate all who have dropped by, posted, made comments, etc. Keep up the good work and interest.

 

Coming Sunday morning in the New York Times travel section, they have this headline: "36 Hours in Venice" with these highlights: "As frustrating as it is fascinating, Venice is not an easy city to get to know. Getting lost is a given. The crowds can be beastly. And yes, the whole place is sinking — literally under rising sea levels, and figuratively beneath the weight of day-tripping tourists. But these obstacles have not hindered this beguiling city from establishing itself over the past decade as the pre-eminent place in Italy for contemporary art. More recently, a wave of high-end hotels has opened along the Grand Canal, and back alleys have been set abuzz with new nightspots and a revived restaurant scene. So leave the famous sights to the crowds and instead drink up the less overt charms of this watery wonderland."

 

Yes, this great, wonderfully historic treasure can be confusing, but my view is that seeking to get lost there is part of the fun. Exploring and discovering!!

 

Lots of nice tips, ideas, suggestions for places to explore and enjoy in Venice. Hopefully, you can enjoy overnight in this city when the day-tripper crowds exit.

 

Full story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/travel/36-hours-in-venice.html?ref=travel

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 61,431 views for this fun posting.

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture. This posting is now at 38,289 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[TLCOhio]

Appreciate those who continue to tune in and check out this live/blog post. This morning, it went over 180,000 views. WOW!! That's lots. Hope these postings have been helpful and/or interesting. Don't be shy in asking any follow-up questions. Happy to share more.

 

Coming in the New York Times travel section tomorrow morning, they will have this headline: "36 Hours: Lake Como, Italy" with these highlights: "In the foothills of the Alps in northern Italy, Lake Como deserves its reputation as a playground for the wealthy. Virtually deserted during the winter, the wishbone-shaped lake awakens from its slumber in mid-March when glamorous crowds begin flocking to the pretty towns clustered around its midsection: Bellagio, Menaggio, Tremezzo, Varenna. But in recent years, the city of Como, on the lake’s southwestern tip, has quietly blossomed into the most interesting spot for visitors of all bank account sizes. A raft of openings has infused new life there, transforming the oft-overlooked transit hub into the lake’s new place to be seen."

 

Either before or after a cruise in the Med (or a land trip there), the Lake Como area is a wonderful option to consider. Nice for R&R after long flights, a busy trip, etc., etc. This NY Times story offers many options and potentials to consider. This includes this one option example: "Many of Lake Como’s lovely waterfront villas remain the private domain of privileged residents, but a few are open to the visiting public. One of the most magnificent is the stately Villa Carlotta, a former marquis’s mansion dating from the late 17th century that today functions as a museum."

 

Below are a few of my visual examples from when we stayed in Bellagio and visited a number of near-by sites, rode the sea ferries, etc. Great, relaxing, very enjoyable area with super scenery, etc. We stayed at the Hotel du Lac. Not too fancy or super high priced. Great location in Bellagio overlooking the water, offered very nice breakfast, etc.

 

Full story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/travel/36-hours-lake-como-italy.html?ref=travel

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a “Solstice: Visuals, Highlights Shared!” summary with many pictures and other details on this ship and its many options. Check it out at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

Now at 20,658 views for this posting.

 

 

Here is a sampling of four of my visuals from visiting nearby to lovely and charming Bellagio. First, is a scene from a royal estate just south of Bellagio. Second are two views from the nearby, across the lake town of Varenna. You can see how the "drama" of the mountains and the lake make things so beautiful. This is a very relaxing and interesting setting for starting or finishing a tour of Italy where you will experience certain of its busy and intense cities.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a couple more of my visuals from visiting the Bellagio area. First, is in Bellagio with one of its narrow “streets” on a rainy evening, This is a very relaxing and interesting setting for starting or finishing a tour of Italy. Another picture shows one of the typical shuttle ferries that cross and connection villages on this lake and carry cars. The Lake Como areas will give you a good “contrast” to what you experience in certain of Italy’s busy and hyper-intense cities with so much traffic, noise and congestion.:

 

 

 

[PinotBlanc]

It's a 2011 thread but the photos show as if posted today.

The next Med. cruise won't be soon enough.

 

Is there a photo of the beach area in Barcelona?

 

Thank you for sharing.

 

Penny

[TLCOhio]

It's a 2011 thread but the photos show as if posted today. The next Med. cruise won't be soon enough. Is there a photo of the beach area in Barcelona? Thank you for sharing. Penny

 

Appreciate your posting and kind comments. Glad to know you're a person of such high class, great taste and wonderful judgment to make these generous comments.

 

Plus, your first name is wonderful. Penny is my wife's first name, too.

 

YES, bellow are some Barcelona beach visuals. Some of these might have been posted earlier in this thread. Will post more later. Having trouble with PhotoBucket now in giving me the link to some added pictures that I just uploaded. We were there on a Sunday and it is a busy, popular location. BUT, lots of room to hang out and explore! Places to eat, ability to see interesting architecture, etc.

 

Enjoy your upcoming Med cruise. Let me know any added questions, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 71,568 views for this fun posting.

 

 

Here are a couple of beach views in Barcelona. First, is the view looking towards the Arts Hotel, etc. Then, in the direction towards the fairly new and dramatic W Hotel.:

 

 

 

 

 

From our table having lunch near the beach in Barcelona, this was the view. Lots of dining options along this area with fun views and people activities.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Is there a photo of the beach area in Barcelona? Penny

 

Just for Penny, here are some additional beach views in Barcelona that I did not have a chance to post earlier. These all new posts.

 

Barcelona's beaches were listed as number one in a list of the top ten city beaches in the world according to National Geographic and Discovery Channel. This town of 1.6 million people has seven beaches that total 2.8 miles of coastline. Sant Sebastià, Barceloneta and Somorrostro are the largest, oldest and the most-frequented beaches in Barcelona. Most of these pictures below were taken around the Barceloneta area. The W Hotel is nearest to the Sant Sebastià beach.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture. This posting is now at 40,598 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

 

 

Here are some additional beach views in Barcelona that I have not posted previously. First is a view out from the beach to the water with some boat action. Second is looking towards the famous whale-like figure that towers over these beach areas. Barcelona's fish sculpture, known as Peix in Catalan, sits in Port Olímpic at the base of a large skyscraper Hotel Arts (44-story, 483-room luxury hotel). Famed architect Frank Gehry designed it for the 1992 Summer Olympics. It faces the sea and measures 114' by 177'. Made of stone, steel and glass, it has copper-colored shiny metal plates that sparkle in the sunshine. Gehry is best know for his Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, plus other eye-catching structures/designs. Third is a closer look at this Gehry sculpture from its other side/angle. Fourth is a closer view of the unique shape of the W Hotel with some beach action in the foreground.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PinotBlanc]

TLCOhio,

 

Picking excursions is difficult for port calls in Barcelona.

Your photographs are incentive to book a week before cruising and see places again.

The Ramblas is a magnet for leisure time. Meaning we don't allow for a walk along the beach.

The next time we go to big-beautiful Barcelona, the beach is a top priority.

 

Thank you for the kind words and photographs.

Say "hello, Happy Cruising" to your DW Penny.

 

CC Penny

Edited August 11, 2014 by PinotBlanc

[TLCOhio]

TLCOhio, Picking excursions is difficult for port calls in Barcelona.

Your photographs are incentive to book a week before cruising and see places again.

The Ramblas is a magnet for leisure time. Meaning we don't allow for a walk along the beach.

The next time we go to big-beautiful Barcelona, the beach is a top priority.

Thank you for the kind words and photographs.

Say "hello, Happy Cruising" to your DW Penny. CC Penny

 

Thanks Terry for those lovely pictures - how lovely it would have been to be a guest at the wedding!

 

Appreciate these nice, added follow-ups and comments from PinotBlanc. Loved Barcelona from our two visits there. Great city with so much to see and do.

 

Did a posting on another board about the George Clooney wedding over this weekend in wonderful Venice and got this above response. Yes, it would have been wonderful to have been there in Venice. Great weather and fun. Below are a couple of pictures from the Daily Mail in London from over this weekend. Loved seeing the sights, buildings, architecture, history, character, etc., of this unique Italian town in such a world-class setting.

 

Bring back nice memories about Venice. Good site for a wedding, plus bringing in the stars!!

 

We are busy now planning a Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days with Silversea on their Silver Cloud. Fun doing that future research and planning!! This will be one our longest cruise. Have done five previous cruise, with the two longest being 14 and 15 days.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 79,422 views for this fun posting.

 

 

From the Daily Mail in London, here are two of the many pictures they have on their website. First shows George and his new bride on the day after the ceremony enroute to a Sunday brunch. Great Venice background, right? Second was George in his tux on the way to the ceremony. Lots of other boats are all around them on the Grand Canal, including photographers working to get lots of pictures of the stars. Fun!!:

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Nice to see that this posting is now over 190,000 views. Appreciate those who have dropped by, made comments, asked questions, etc.

 

From CNN in late November, they have this headline: "Venice officials deny ban on wheeled suitcases" with these highlights: "Officials in the Italian city of Venice are denying a reported ban on wheeled luggage, saying they won't impose large fines on tourists using them. Last week they were widely quoted saying they hoped draft laws to be introduced in May 2015 would curb damage and disturbance from noisy bags. The prospect of fines of up to 500 euros ($620) generated uproar and concerns about how many of the 22 million tourists who annually visit Venice would cart their luggage into a destination with restricted access to vehicles."

 

Good news!! Common sense prevails!!

 

Full story at:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/25/travel/venice-wheeled-suitcases/

 

We are getting ready for a Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days on the Silversea Silver Cloud. More fun, adventure and interesting pictures. Still have more to be doing with the future research and planning on this trip!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 89,212 views for this posting.

[TLCOhio]

Recently, the Smithsonian Channel had an hour-long program on the Solstice, including a focus on this ship doing part of a northern loop around the west, north and eastern parts of Australia.

 

Last week, I did have an opportunity to view the full program that I had recorded on our home cable DVR system. Very interesting program with some great video and insights. Parts of it were, as often happens, a little "hyped up" to provide some "drama" as the ship staff members were dealing with the outside water temperature affecting air conditioning performance, food/dining options, etc. That's TV, especially in today's world of "reality television"!! The video/production crew spent a lot of time and effort to capture all of the "details" from this sailing, showing the top staff in action, etc.

 

This video is not, yet, on their

http://www.smithsonianchannel.com

website. BUT, here are some upcoming airdates for this Solstice program:

Saturday, April 18, 3:00 pm; Sunday, May 17, 10 pm.; Monday, May 18, 1 am.

My educated guess is that this program will be available from their website at a future date after it has "played out" enough on their cable channel.

 

Much was featured on this program about the Captain (Zisis Taramas), Hotel Director (Thomas Brady) and Executive Chef (Geoffrey Haviland). All three of these officials were on our early 2014 cruise. Mr. Brady was also on our June 2011 Solstice cruise as the Assistant Hotel Director. During our Australia-NZ cruising last year, I had the opportunity to talk several times with the Hotel Director and was impressed with his savvy, smarts and responsiveness. Very nice and solid guy. We also got to meet and talk with the Captain when we were departing for our port stop in Napier along the NZ coast. Very friendly and open Captain who posed for a nice picture with my wife and two other ladies in our group.

 

One of the excellent "learning experience" from this show was about the Azipod. That is the marine propulsion unit consisting of a fixed pitch propeller mounted on a steerable gondola or "pod". It contains the electric motor that drives the propeller. It's a big, BIG item and they showed a crew member going down into it for a close-up checking of its systems.

 

There were many other details shown and background provided for the kitchen, maintaining the lawn, fixing a tender boat, providing more variety with the buffet/Oceanview Cafe, working with a local pilot to the Great Barrier Reef, a croc tour in Darwin, etc. Especially since we had been on this same ship with many of the same staff, this program really worked well for my personal interests. As a guy who likes to know "how things work", this program was fascinating!!

 

If you go to this specific part of their website, you can check-out some of their past "Great Ships" programs that they have done. Plus, many other interesting programs. This includes a short preview on this Solstice program. See more at:

http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/mighty-cruise-ships/celebrity-solstice/1003687/3417367

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 196,935 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Here are a few visual highlights that I captured off of the Smithsonian Channel program about the Celebrity Solstice. Pictures two, three and four show the Captain (Zisis Taramas), Hotel Director (Thomas Brady) and Executive Chef (Geoffrey Haviland). The fifth picture shows the route around the northern part of Australia that the Solstice did during the production of this program. Finally is a cut-away shot of the Azipod that powers this ship.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[guidance lady]

Terry,

As always thank you for letting us know about this very interesting program. I will be sure to look for it and watch it.

regards,

Nel

[WAGER4me]

the episode is also available on YouTube - go to to Mighty Cruise Ships Celebrity Solstice. As Terry says it is a little hyped up but very well done. There are a number of other cruise ship videos - full length - including the Queen Mary 2.

[TLCOhio]

Terry, As always thank you for letting us know about this very interesting program. I will be sure to look for it and watch it.

regards, Nel

 

Appreciate these nice posts and follow-ups from our fellow Cruise Critic posters from the wonderful areas of North Carolina and Canada.

 

From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they have this headline: "An Insider’s Guide to Venice, Italy".

 

Among the highlights, they have in the subhead about the: "best places to eat, stay, shop and explore—both on and off the Italian city’s canals—with expert advice from museum director Philip Rylands, tastemaker Princess Bianca di Savoia Aosta, film director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and fashion house owner Cristiano Ceccato"

 

Here is one of their key opening summaries: "On first view, iconic places can disappoint. After all of the hype, for example, the Champs-Élysées might not quite measure up. Venice is an exception: No photo, no painting, not even the reams of poems written by its centuries of admirers can prepare you for the jolt you get when stepping into this surreal land of water and stone. But even a city this beautiful has its challenges: Venice attracts a lot of visitors. Consequently, it can sometimes seem as overrun as a Renaissance amusement park—'half fairy tale and half tourist trap' as Thomas Mann described it."

 

As a secret from the Director of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, here is one of his key tips: "Doge’s Palace. Book in advance for the guided secret tour that takes you out of the gilded reception rooms and into the old offices, meeting rooms and even torture chambers where the real business of government was conducted."

 

From designer Princess Bianca di Savoia Aosta: "Spend a day in the lesser-known part of Venice, and enter every church you happen to bump in to. One of the best places to pick up gifts and unique mementos from your time in Venice is I Vetri A Lume di Amadi, near Campo San Polo. "

 

From film director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck: "Take the short water-taxi ride to Burano to admire its colorful houses and have a meal at the Trattoria al Gatto Nero, one of the best seafood restaurants in the region."

 

From fashionista Cristiano Ceccato: "Basilica dei Frari, formally Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, houses what’s probably the most amazing concentration of art and history in Venice that’s not in a museum, including works by Titian, Bellini and Donatello."

 

Plus this profile highlights the Taverna La Fenice restaurant, adjacent to Venice’s opera house, that we enjoyed for outdoor dining in 1999. They note it is a place "where one can relax in a deep armchair and dine superbly with excellent wines at non-touristic prices. San Marco 1939; ristorantelafenice.com"

 

Not sure that all can access the full story as part of the Wall Street Journal is behind a paywall. I am a regular subscriber and thought it was worth sharing here.

 

Full story at:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/an-insiders-guide-to-venice-italy-1429298357

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 50,924 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Edited April 18, 2015 by TLCOhio