Wonderful Spirit Med Cruise

[Chairsin]

Well I could understand the host leaving if he/she was part of the entertainment crew and had a show to perform. And of course it would also depend on whether dessert and coffee had been served. As noted by all the comments on different experiences with hosted table they can be loads of fun, a bore or a minefield.

 

 

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[Capri73]

O.K. we were asked to a hosted table. Not our thing but this was the second for our BtB cruise. Showed up to find 2 couples had not showed. It made the dinner very difficult. We all laughed and made the best of it.At the end the Host said this is why do not like to invite 2 couples traveling together.

Live and learn.

[Chairsin]

Oh dear --- that must have been awkward. Actually our worst experience with a hosted table " no show" was when the host, the captain, was the no show.And no, from what we later found out there were no ship related or personal issues that led to his cancellation. So there were 6 of us at the table and who shows up I his place? None other than the brand new, not just to Seabourn, but brand new to working on a cruise ship, security officer. The poor guy had been informed 15 minutes before dinner that he would be hosting the table. He was a charming guy and we all felt so sorry for him because he had no clue what he was supposed to do. It actually turned out to be a fun evening.

 

 

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[wripro]

Chairsin,

 

I wasn't commenting on hosted tables but on the captains themselves who were boring, with notable exceptions, of course. Hosted tables are a crapshoot imo. Where they work beautifully is for solo travelers.

[Chairsin]

next port --

 

Triluke Bay--This is a sleepy little place and since we arrived on a Sunday it was especially quiet. After tendering ashore we took a long walk on a pleasant level, wide paved path above the shoreline that continued all the way to an adjacent little cove a few miles away. The planned marina day was scratched because the water was a bit choppy. Too bad! In the afternoon I took a hike in the other direction above town toward a large nature preserve walking through the hill covered with the ruins of terraced stone walls and olive trees. It was the last night for most of the passengers who were getting off the next day in Venice so many spent the day packing and the evening saying farewell to new friends.

 

Venice -- Early morning sail in under very cloudy skies.Lovely scenery. After most passengers disembarked we headed off to explore. Docking at San Basilio is very convenient. Do the big sisters dock there as well? Anyway, we eventually found our way to Piazza San Marco and met up with a couple of fellow shipmates who took us under their wing to help us get oriented. We made a brief stop at the Gritti Palace for espresso on the terrace and then headed to the unbelievably crowded Rialto Bridge. We wandered by the market and stopped in a little wine shop to pick up a couple of bottles of rose. Now I am often disappointed by the roses on Seabourn, especially the JP Chenet, which I refuse to drink. This time there was a B&G Rose and a toscana whose name I cannot recall. They were fine but I thought it would be fun to pick up a couple of bottles while we were there.

 

My initial reaction to Venice is that it is a city who makes you work hard to love her. There are crowds of tourists in many cities but here they are all funneled through such tight spaces that you have a hard time appreciating the beauty of the place.Knowing we would return in 10 days for an overnight I was in no rush to see the sights.We returned to the ship in the early afternoon for the boat drill with the new passengers and at 4PM off we went back down the Adriatic. At least this first night was causal instead of black tie. And no more hosted tables for us! That evening Seabourn held a very nice cocktail reception for the 22 of us in transit in the Horizon Lounge attended by all of the senior crew al well.It was a very nice intimate affair.

 

Sea Day -- The usually activities -- cooking demo, Trivia, and a lecture.Now given it was a sea day and the weather was not conducive to sunning on deck the show lounge where the lecture was held was packed. Likely it was also well attended because the lecturer was supposed to talk about Gallipoli Italy -- a new port of call for Seabourn .(Many of us were confused when the itinerary said "Gallipoli Italy -- thinking it was a typo and should have read "Gallipoli Turkey". Then we wondered how the ship could travel so far.) Anyway, to put it succinctly, at the end of the lecture there was a stunned silence. And not in a good way! This gentleman had not only never been there, but he knew less about the place than any one of us would have known after 5 minutes on the internet. He then spoke briefly about the next port of call in Cefalonia. The only problem is he spoke about Fiskardo and we were going to Sami (we had all been notified of the itinerary change months before the cruise).Everyone was mumbling as they left the room -- incredulous at such an amateur presentation. Clearly many people complained.( He gave a second lecture a couple of days later -- I don't think anyone went to hear it. When we got to Dubrovnik he left the ship even though he was originally scheduled to stay until the cruise ended in Venice. And to Seabourn's credit they quickly flew in one of our favorite lecturers -- Martin Green--who boarded in Dubrovnik.They clearly made a big mistake in booking this guy to begin with but I have to give them kudos for quickly fixing the situation.) That evening was the Captain's reception and the formal night for this leg of our cruise.

 

Gallipoli --We docked just next to the old fort of this very picturesque town. While it was not a large place there were numerous lovely churches, an uncrowded pedestrian shopping street, a harbor with colorful working fishing boats, and a nice sandy beach. The new town across the causeway was less interesting. Many tours from here went to Lecce a short distance away. Perhaps were I to come back here I might arrange for a private tour to go there. That evening was the block party -- and at least in our area of the ship it was very well attended.

 

Sami, Cefalonia -- Many people know this little picturesque town from the movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin which was supposedly filmed in the area.We tendered into this little town and after a stroll along the beach saw there was a hiking path up the hill to an ancient acropolis and a monastery. This was a very rough dirt and loose rock trail but at least it was mostly in the shade. After an hour and a half we were rewarded with extraordinary views down to the water. It was nice to get some intensive hiking in to burn off some of those Seabourn calories. That evening was the Club Party -- as usual over half the passengers were former Seaborn cruisers.

 

Katakolon -- The main reason for this port is nearby Olympia, birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games( not to be confused with Mt. Olympus in northeast Greece, mythical home of the gods.)We had been to Olympia on a previous trip and briefly toyed with the idea a taking a taxi to the nearby Mercouri Winery, but when we saw the gorgeous hard packed beach the lined the curved bay we opted for a walk 4 miles up and back. One of the nicest things was not only were there no other ships in port but there was hardly a soul on the beach. Since it had rained earlier that morning the surf kicked a large assortment of shells onto the beach which, while it slowed us down, added to the interest of this stroll.

 

Corfu -- We docked a short distance out of town and Seabourn ran shuttle buses every half hour for the 10 minute ride into town( by the old fort entrance across the esplanade). We took a special bus in that morning with the Chef and some of our fellow passengers for Shopping With The Chef -- one of my favorite Seabourn activities. (I had been disappointed that on the first leg of this cruise, due to a lack of viable options, this event was not offered.) Seabourn has changed the sign up protocol for this event.I t used to be when you boarded the ship you asked at the reception desk when it was going to take place and signed up then. Now you have to wait until two days before when it is listed in the Herald.This is perhaps a fairer approach as in the past those new to Seabourn did not usually find out about it until it was already booked up -- but the down side is it is hard to make plans if you don't know when it will be held. Anyway, it was a nice, if not huge market, and we tasted olives, honey and cherries. The chef made a number of purchases -- including something i begged him to buy -- squash blossoms. ( These would be dipped in a light tempura batter and deep fried -- Yum!) After that we wandered around on our own for a few hours -- had a terrific lunch at a nice little cafe with a view of the new fort. Then as we wandered back toward the esplanade to pick up the bus we found a fabulous little artisan gelato shop called Muka Muka. It was some of the best gelato ever!

 

to be continued...

[Spree75]

Thanks for the recaps of all the ports. We will be going on the Venice -> Venice portion of your itinerary in August so it's great to hear tips from someone who has already done it.

 

A couple of questions. You mentioned that you docked in San Basillio. I looked at the map and this seems to be the furthest dock from the train station. I'm guessing this would not be an advisable walk (with luggage) and that a water taxi/public vaperreto would be a better choice?

 

In Gallipoli, how long did you spend in the old town? I think I've done more research than your speaker on both this port and Sami... From what I've read the things to see in the old town are the Castle and the Cathedral. I also hear there is extremely old apothecary shop that is charming. That said, how quickly can the old city be navigated? Is there time to grab a car and drive to Lecce or Otranto?

 

In Sami, did you hear of anyone on the ship go out to Lake Melissani and the Drogarati Caves?

 

Thanks for your help in advance

[Chairsin]

Yes, while I did not take the train when our cruise ended in Venice ( we hired a car service to take us to the airport) I know that our location is a bit further than the mega ship cruise terminal. I don't think I would advise walking it if you have luggage.

 

I am sure that you could easily walk around the old part of Gallipoli and still have time to drive to Lecce. You get off the ship and in 5 minutes you are at the edge of the old fortress. Take the steps up from the car park and turn right onto the walkway along the water. The beach will be below you on your right and the churches will be on your left. If you walk all the way around without stopping it would take about 1/2 an hour. Then you can wander the maze of little streets in the middle.Being docked in a central spot makes this easier.I did not know about the apothecary ( see, that lecturer really did let us down), where is it?

 

I know the ship had a tour in Sami to the lake and the caves but I did not speak with anyone who went on it. I don't recall seeing any taxis lined up offering to take people around the island -- but they may have been there and I just did not notice them.

 

If I can answer any other questions about the ports I will be happy to try. We loved both legs of this itinerary and we would happily do this trip again. Unlike so much of the rest of the Med we found the Adriatic had far fewer tourists and tacky tourist offerings. As you may have gathered, we look for itineraries where we can enjoy nature and do a lot of walking/hiking on our own. Thus these ports suited us perfectly.

[wripro]

Chairsin,

 

First, the big sisters do not dock at San Basilio, but at the main cruise terminal.

 

And second, you really should visit Venice at a different time of year to appreciate what she has to offer mY favorite time of year is winter. I spent a magical Christmas there one year.

 

Enjoy!

[Chairsin]

WriPro,

Thanks for the info -- disappointing to know that the next time I visit Venice on Seabourn we will not dock at San Basillio. Yes, I know Venice in June was not the way to get a good introduction to this beautiful city.

[Spree75]

I did not know about the apothecary ( see, that lecturer really did let us down), where is it?

 

It's called Antica Farmacia Provenzano and it's located in the center of the old town across from the Church of Saint Agatha. Built in 1814 and is still in operation today as a modern pharmacy it still has trappings of history. Actually... I just did a quick google search and it's mentioned on the Seabourn site on the port overview. Not where I found out about it but shows that those overviews can contain good information!

[Chairsin]

It's pretty sad when Seabourn's overviews provide more information than the guest lecturer. I actually did feel sorry for the guy. His last night on the ship he had dinner in the Restaurant by himself. Anyway, I don't think any future Seabourn passengers have to worry about running into him again.Thanks for the info -- if I am ever in Gallipoli (Italy!) again I will check it out. Unfortunately I had to spend part of my day there fixing another airline SNAFU with regards to my return flight. When you return please post your impressions of this and the other ports on the itinerary.