Live from the Maasdam's ATLANTIC ADVENTURE

[sansterre]

Hi Jean.. nicely done... you joined our Pub Trivia Team a couple of evenings--we were with FrankieD and Linda in the right corner booth in the Mix.. we're Ray & Pat

 

BTW I did My Daily Blog http://stakeouttoo.blogspot.com mainly for family and friends to follow our travels.. haven't yet finished it--have to go back and do a bit of editing --mainly adding a lot more pics that I couldn't include due to internet being slow.. have a lot of pics to choose from-- over 8200 pics taken --unfortunately can't get to it until after Christmas as we drive up to NY leaving tomorrow for a week to visit relatives--I might need another cruise after getting back :)

 

BTW we just booked this Transatlantic cruise once again for next year on the Rotterdam-- our 6th year sailing it--started in 2011 and every year since

Hi Ray and Pat! I remember you well. It was always fun to play Pub Trivia with you and your friends. I enjoyed your daily blog; thank you for mentioning the URL as anyone reading this will no doubt be interested in knowing what you did at each port.

Ralph and I came down with bad colds as we returned home. I am still coughing. But so glad I didn't catch anything while we were cruising. I intend to finish my posts on this thread today:) I know it is no longer live, but it is something I need to do ASAP.

[sansterre]

Today we are meeting our guide, Mario to see the sites in Palermo and nearby city of Monreale. Mario was our guide along the Amalfi Coast. He and brother Ignacio also took us on the Mount Etna Wine Tour our of Messina. Last year when we were in Palermo we did the Godfather Tour and Taorminia with Mario's brother Ignacio. For a wonderful driver/guide from Naples and throughout Sicily, contact "Sicily with Mario" and ask for Ignacio or Mario.

The mosaics (64,000 square feet) in the Monreale Cathedral is definitely worth seeing (see photo). Lunch was at a great local eatery. At the end of a fantastic day I bought a Poinsettia for our cabin. (It stayed alive throughout our return and I gave it to Daisy, the spa girl who did my pedicure when we got to Fort Lauderdale.)

Edited January 2, 2016 by sansterre

[sansterre]

Last year we took a tour to the ancient site of Barimini and saw much of the island. This time we decided to explore the city of Cagliari by way of the city tour bus. It was 10 Euro for the one hour guided (via ear phones) tour. We opted to get off at the last stop before returning to the port. Here we looked for an ATM and our trouble started. The transaction took place, but the money did not appear. No one at the bank spoke English nor did they have any interest in helping us. We continued to walk past eateries and many men selling wares along the sidewalk. Finally we found another bank and this one had someone who spoke some English and actually helped us with the transaction. A few more blocks took us to the main street near the dock. DH and I stopped here for drinks and WIFI use. The WIFI was incredibly slow, and we were constantly bombarded with flies, beggars, and men selling what appeared to be African handicrafts.

The bus tour was interesting and worth the 10 Euro. Unless you are adventurous, you may want to stay on for the entire round trip.

[sansterre]

Cartegena is a nice city to explore on the HOHO bus and/or on foot. Last year we walked down the magnificent main walking street and a few side streets. This time we decided to see a bit more by taking the HOHO bus to the elevator up to the castle. Wow - what views! (see photos!). I love this city. It is beautiful and has so much history - a roman amphitheater, right there under your feet - amazing!

Before returning to the ship, we stopped for a drink, WIFI, and purchased some chocolate covered orange peel to enjoy back on board.

As we left port, the bullfight and party (mentioned earlier in this thread) took place on the aft pool deck.

Edited January 2, 2016 by sansterre

[sansterre]

Cadiz is a nice city to explore on foot or by HOHO bus. Both are easily available near the dock. Since we did both last year and rain was in the forecast, I opted to use the WIFI at this port which was quite good. Finally, I made some posts which you read earlier on this thread:)

[sansterre]

Our captain said "this is my favorite port…….to leave!". It is rather noisy and dirty, and the view from our balcony is not the best (see first photo). Still, our HAL excursion to Rabat was interesting. We had an informative guide and saw the Royal Residence and King's Tomb. Then we returned in time to do some Christmas shopping at the government store on the United Nations Square. We bought several nice wooden boxes, and lots of bracelets, and a fez for our son.

[sansterre]

Actually this port was before Cadiz and Casablanca. Last year we enjoyed an 8 hour tour and saw just abut everything (thank you VictoriaAnn!) Our visit this year was on a Sunday and their was a rain cloud over the island the entire day. Many of the shops were closed so we opted to rest and only ventured a short way from the dock area.

[sansterre]

Absolutely loved Funchal. From the city market, toboggan ride to the island's highest mountain peaks to the glass bottom overlook, it was all fantastic. Ricardo, a taxi driver I had heard about through a previous guide in the Azores took 4 of us all over the island for 120 Euro. The views are magnificent so if you are there on a clear day, be sure to see the highest peaks. I will look for Ricardo's contact information.

This completes the port information as our next top was Fort Lauderdale.