Live/Nautica: Greece, Holy Lands, Egypt, Dubai; Terry/Pix’s

[PaulMCO]

Terry -- as usual stunning visuals.  Thank you for posting..  

[TLCOhio]

On 12/21/2018 at 7:48 AM, jimbri said:

Your photos are wonderful!!

 

1 hour ago, PaulMCO said:

Terry -- as usual stunning visuals.  Thank you for posting..  

 

Appreciate these great comments from Paul and jimbri.  Glad to know both of you are persons of such high class, great taste and wonderful judgment to make these generous comments.  People will ask my secrets for such nice visuals.  Here are two quick insights.  First, go to excellent locations that are so interesting and attractive.  Second, only show people the "good pictures".  Don't bore people with only the average and bland.  These tips help impress others as to your photo skills.

 

Have many more visuals to share, especially from the earlier parts of our adventure.  Below are some more from Athens.  We had visited there in June 2006 and this was our first trip back.  This includes for seeing the new Acropolis Museum.  This museum has different winter versus summer hours.  Check in advance.  Their website is shown below.   The museum was built to house artifacts found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies over the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens.  The museum opened to the public on June 20, 2009.  Nearly 4,000 objects are exhibited over an area of 150,000 square feet.

 

We also did see here a special exhibit titled "From the Forbidden City: Imperial Apartments of Qianlong".  It runs until February 14, 2019.  Not too large but worth the time to see and experience their culture and style.  This exhibit highlights China's Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799).  These artifacts represent over 100 years of Chinese culture of the 18th century.

 

For more information, check at: 

https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acropolis_Museum

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 243,250 views.

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

 

From this new Acropolis Museum, there is the look of the modern entrance areas.  BUT, as they were digging and building this structure, they encountered old, historic ruins.  They unearthed these findings and allow an ability to see these as you enter this new museum.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

 

From this museum with its great location, here are a couple of views of the top of the nearby Acropolis.  We had breakfast here and enjoyed the super views from this museum of the Acropolis.:

 

 

Below are three interior views from this museum.  It is very open and roomy!!  Lots of glass and views of the nearby city and it's attractions.  They don't want you taking pictures of the interior items, but sometimes my camera would go off, accidentally, kind of, right?.  In the old museum, there were no limits in taking pictures of the collection.:

 

 

 

In the museum lobby, here is one of the classic examples from their wide-ranging collection.:

[TLCOhio]

From the exhibit titled "From the Forbidden City: Imperial Apartments of Qianlong", below are some visual samples and highlights.  Interesting!!

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Wonderful scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 232,949 views.

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

 

For this "Forbidden City" exhibit, here is their poster promoting this program..:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

Here are some samples from this collection and display that was offered at the Acropolis Museum.  Third is the Emperor's writing desk.:

 

 

 

Here is another view of the underground "digs" found as they were building this new museum.:

 

As we were exiting the Acropolis Museum, here is the Greek flag flying high with the strong winds that day.  Second is one of the street musicians playing nearby.  All part of the Greek experience!!:

 

[TLCOhio]

Here are some more samples from what we saw and did in Athens.  More to share, but off now to brunch in Kansas City's Country Club Plaza.  Great area in a charming city with much to offer with excellent food, sights, shopping, etc.

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling for "down under” wonders. Exciting visuals with key highlights.  On page 15, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings, ports, etc.  Now at 216,712 views.

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

 

We give super high marks to our hotel, the AVA.  Excellent location handy to the charming and fun Plaka.  Plus, quiet with super excellent staff, etc. Below is the front view of this hotel.  Second is a view from this location to the nearby Arch of Hadrian.  It is also most commonly known in Greek as Hadrian's Gate.  This is a Roman triumphal arch that spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens.  Our hotel location is also near the Temple of Olympian Zeus, etc., etc.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

Close to our hotel was this statute in honor of Melina Mercouri (1920-1994).  She was a Greek actress, singer and politician.  The 1960 film “Never on Sunday” was one of her most famous. In 1981, Mercouri became the first female Minister of Culture and Sports for Greece and started the battle seeking to gain the return of many artifacts that were “borrowed” (or stolen??!!) from her country.:

 

Yes, in Athens, there are some areas needing "attention" and cleaning up.  Here is one example in the Plaka area.  It seems that Greece is recovering from its recent economic challenges, but they are not fully "back".  In some areas of Athens and nearby, there is still much work to do.  But, progress has been happening and we enjoyed our time in and around Athens, plus in the two Greek islands that we visited during this trip.:

 

 

As we were getting ready to depart to board our Oceania Nautica ship, here was how van loaded up with ALL of the luggage for this 20-day voyage.  Lots of stuff??!!  Shown are Milt and Amy with our excellent driver from George's Taxi.  We also used Goerge's Taxi for our one-day trip to Delphi and it worked out super well.:

[TLCOhio]

From our two evenings in Athens, YES, we had very enjoyable dining.  Below is some "proof" and visual documentation from one of those fun evenings in Greece.

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!  Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture.  This posting is now at 79,745 views.

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

 

First, here is the sign and name for where we dined in the Plaka area.  Second is the great local Greek beer enjoyed.  Third is the staff finalizing my main dining item.  Finally, here is that taste treat that was enjoyed this evening in Athens.  It was a nice lamb dish!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

 

 

In the Plaka, here are a few sample visuals.  At this time of the year, things were not too crowded and the weather was a little cooler, requiring jackets.  Lots of to see and soak up in the always-active Plaka!!  Lots of food places here, plus shopping!!:

 

 

 

When we return from our private tour to Delphi with George's Taxi, here is my wife with our excellent driver in front of our AVA Hotel with the famed Roman arch in the background.:

 

[TLCOhio]

As I catch up from some other sights and experiences in Greece, below have some additional visuals.  As mentioned earlier, our day-trip to Delphi worked out very well and we are sure glad that we made this trip a priority.  And having private guides enhanced the experience and helped us understand more about Greece, its history, recent economic impacts, etc.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 62,454 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

 

As we headed to Delphi, here are a couple of sights we experienced in Athens.  First is their Hellenic Parliament.  It is located in the Old Royal Palace, overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens. Second.  This building was completed in 1843. It has housed the Hellenic Parliament since 1934.  Nearby is their local public library done in a classic Greek design/style.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

As we drove to Delphi, here is one fo the scenic mountain views on this wonderfully sunny Greek day.  Great sights!!:

 

Inside the Delphi Archaeological Museum, here is a closer view of one of the key items from the "old days" at this historic site.  This is the Sphinx of Naxos.  It is a seven-foot plus tall marble statue of a sphinx.  This representation of a mythical creature with the head of a woman, the chest and wings composed of the impressive feathers of a prey bird turned upward and the body of a lioness. The Sphinx stood on a nearly 33-foot column that culminated in one of the first Ionic capitals and was erected next to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi.:

 

 

Here are some more views from being on the grounds at Delphi, including my wife with our excellent guide in front of their large amphitheater. This theater could accommodate about 4,500 spectators.  These are the ruins of the ancient temple of Apollo, overlooking the valley of Phocis.  The remains of the Temple of Delphi visible today date from the 4th century BC.  Pictured third is the reconstructed "Treasury of Athens", built to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Marathon.:

 

 

 

At the nearby and newer town of Delphi, we had a wonderful lunch after our historic site exploring.  Below is the view from our table as we enjoyed our meal.  See how close Delphi was to the water?  And second is my delightful lunch plate/meal that was done in the Greek style.  Look good and tasty?  Yes, it was wonderful!!:

 

[TLCOhio]

All was smooth and easy in boarding the Oceania Nautica in Athens' nearby port city of Piraeus.  Below are some visuals of the ship and our first port stop at Patmos. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.!  Live/blog from early 2018, first adventure through SE Asia, stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before exploring all over Vietnam and Cambodia, seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Now at 41,057 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

 

In Patmos, our first port stop, it was rainy with strong winds.  Not a fun stop wit this weather.  The good news?  Weather was near perfect after this initial ship stop.  We had visited Patmos during our first cruise in June 2006 so we had already seen the key attractions at this location. Will post later what we had previously done and seen on this Greek island of Patmos.  Third is one of the typical buildings in the Patmos main area near where the ship docked.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

 

 

From being on the Nautica, here is a sampling of ship areas and experiences.  First is the main staircase and its decorations/style.  Second is an example from the Terrace Cafe that we used frequently for breakfast and lunch.  Nice, helpful staff here.  Pictured third is the tenth floor library that I liked to visit often.  Nice, comfortable seating here!!  Fourth is the "seal" for the Nautica on the front of the ship.:

 

 

 

 

Here was a nice breakfast treat with Eggs Benedict, corned beef hash, etc., in the main dining room.  Only did breakfast here once as it can be a little too slow and long for our interests/style.:

 

 

Here are a couple of entertainment options offered, including this string quartet that also played each afternoon at 4 pm for the tea offerings in the Horizon Lounge.  Second is the Cruise Director introducing an evening program.:

 

[TLCOhio]

From our stop on the Greek island of Rhodes, below are a few visuals of a craft/sales shop where we stopped.  Interesting replicates and other items representing the great history and creativity/designs of the Greeks from past centuries. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Dubrovnik!  Nice visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic location. Over 44,447 views.    

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

 

Here was one of the skilled craft artists demonstrating how they start with clay and create these clay vases.  Next are a couple of examples for the finished and painted items that  available for purchase.  Love these Greek-style items, but we did not purchase any of these pieces during our visit here.  No room in our luggage.  BUT, they will ship any purchases back home to the USA.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)were

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Below are a few more dining samples from what we enjoyed on the Oceania Nautica.  As noted earlier, we were very happy with most all of the dining offerings, their speciality dining locations, etc.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Kotor/Montenegro:  Exciting visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 44,306 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

 

Here was one evening's dining treats enjoyed.  Look good??:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

 

 

On the fourth floor main reception area of the Nautica, here is a view for a portion of this area with its comfortable seating areas.:

[TLCOhio]

Am continuing the "catch-up of visuals from the ship, the early part of our travels in and around Greece and its island.  Don't be shy with any questions and/or info needs.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 43,913 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

 

From our Nautica ship, here is an interior view to reflect, both, that there is art around on the ship and that not all of it is just "older" or more traditional styles/types.  We enjoyed that varied variety on this ship.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

From the museum at Delphi, here are a couple more examples of the wide range of artifacts from the historic and early days at this important site.:

 

 

From the outdoor areas at Delphi, here are some more samples of what we saw and experienced.:

 

 

 

In the nearby town of Delphi, here was one of their churches there.  Second is one of the berries on a common bush observed as we drove in this part of Greece in going to and back from Delphi.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Continuing the "clean up" from a sampling in Athens and on the Greek island of Rhodes. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Athens & Greece: Many visuals, details for a city with great history, culture and architecture.  Now at 28,434 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

 

From the Acropolis Museum, here is the a view of Mount Lycabettus.  This limestone hill in Athens is 908 feet above sea level. At one of its peaks is the 19th century Chapel of St. George.  This hill can be ascended by the Lycabettus Funicular.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

While on the Greek island of Rhodes, here are a few more visual samples from our visit to the ancient Doric town of Lindos.  It is dominated by its acropolis.  Second is our guide showing us a visual for how this setting looked with the temple at the top when it was fully built out.  Third is the view from at the top that required climbing up 300 steps.  In those days, it was very large and extremely impressive.:

 

 

 

In the main town of Rhodes, here are some more visual samples, including its walls, looking out towards our docked ship, etc.  .:

 

 

 

Finally in Rhodes, here is a cute cats in front of one of the historic structures in this walled town.:

[TLCOhio]

Sorry.  Duplicate.  Terry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2018 by TLCOhio

[StanandJim]

As magnificent as these photo's are (and the ARE), this thread has ceased to have anything to do with Oceania.

It might be best to post them in one of the Port of Call Forums.

 

 

[TLCOhio]

From the London/UK Telegraph, July 2017, they had these details about the Greek island of Patmos:  Tradition (and Friedrich Hölderlin’s famous 1802 poem “Patmos”) asserts that St John the Divine (O Theologos in Greek) penned the New Testament’s Book of Revelations on Pátmos just after 95AD - though lately scholars reckon he was a completely different individual than the evangelist author of one of the four Gospels. A millennium later, the monk Khristodoulos founded the imposing fortified monastery of the saint on the island’s summit.   Pátmos’s volcanic geology, with basalt formations pointing evocatively skyward and quirky islets floating just offshore, adds to the palpably spiritual atmosphere. But the corporeal certainly gets a look-in, with excellent beaches and arguably the most varied clientele of any Greek island, ranging from backpackers or yachties to current and deposed European royalty. 

 

To see more on Patmos from this UK publication and detailed guide for this island, go to: 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/greece/patmos/articles/patmos-travel-guide/

 

As mentioned earlier, we had visited and enjoyed Patmos during our June 2006 cruise with Seabourn.  Below are my visuals from 2006 when we visited the key sites on this island.  This island does not have an airport and therefore it is not as busy and "over-run" during peak tourism times. If we had to have a "bad weather day', this island was the place as we had previously enjoyed the key sites and sights here.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast.  Now at 26,654 views.  Many interesting pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

 

On this super sunny day in 2006, here was an overview of the port area where our Nautica ship docked in November 2018.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

This is the mosaic as we entered the historic and religiously significant cave on Patmos.  Second is a few of the floral life on this island.:

 

 

At the top on this island, here are some visual samples from the monastery and museum there.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a longer shot of Patmos' main port town and the surrounding areas.:

[dani negreanu]

Hi Terry,

 

Just back from a Singapore to HK cruise, and catching up with your riveting review.

 

Re: "like those Dreamliners..." -- I was very much looking forward to our business class trip from Tel-Aviv to HK on 787. Booked it more than an year ago, since we're travelling with a very reduced fare, our son being a FA. It was a huge disappointment -- the seats are not comfortable, very narrow (and I'm quite petite). It felt like doing a CT scan... So much so, that DH asked at the end of 1st leg -- "are we flying back with the same plane???" We were traveling with friends, some of them in coach, and a few in "Economy premium". They came to "visit" and we went to see their seats. It seems that the "Economy premium" configuration is a winner in those planes. 

 

Galapagos - go for it... I've done it with Celebrity's Xpedition -- it was a top notch experience. They were very well organized.

 

Wishing you and all your dearest a very Happy New Year,

[smj]

Hello Terry,

I have enjoyed your post. Could you let me know who your guide or tour operator was in Dubai? We will be disembarking Nautica in Dubai this April. We would like to possible line up a tour with a drop off at our hotel.

[TLCOhio]

13 hours ago, smj said:

Hello Terry,  I have enjoyed your post. Could you let me know who your guide or tour operator was in Dubai? We will be disembarking Nautica in Dubai this April. We would like to possible line up a tour with a drop off at our hotel.

 

Appreciate this good above question and the follow-up comments from Dani on plane seating, Galapagos, etc.  Our private guide for our touring in and around both Dubai and Abu Dhabi was Ute Kostle.  Here e-mail contact address is: ute@konzept-arabia.com.   Her website is: www.konzept-arabia.com/en.   

 

She is originally from Germany.  Her English is excellent and she was very flexible and creative in putting together our schedule and during our two days of tours with her.  We loved her great depth of knowledge about this area, its history, culture, etc.  We really enjoy having "conversations" with her and our other guides during our travels.  You learn so much more that way than just listening to "canned" scripts being feed back to us during our touring.   Keep up the good questions.  Happy to share more.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal.  Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 25,605 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

 

Here is an added visual not posted previously of our guide, Ute, in the middle with my wife, Penny on the left, as we were in a "smell shop" learning more about the various items offered for sale here in Dubai.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

[Mary2018]

Hi Terry, 

Absolutely loved reading about your trip and your pictures are amazing.  We are going on the Constellation in April leaving from Abu Dhabi, with stops in Dubai, Muskat, Jordan, Athens, Katakolon and finishing in Rome.  The information on the private tours you took has me emailing off to see if we are able to book those same tours.  This is our first cruise so at first we were unsure about private tours and being back on the ship on time.  Could you share with me the contact information for your tour in Muskat?

 

Had a good giggle about your temporary citizenship of Canada, as one of your northern neighbors I enjoyed that.  We live within 5 hours of Jasper and have visited often as well as trips to Banff, I've heard the train trips through there are stunning, have a fantastic trip.

 

Mary

 

[TLCOhio]

On 1/6/2019 at 12:31 AM, Mary2018 said:

Hi Terry, Absolutely loved reading about your trip and your pictures are amazing.  We are going on the Constellation in April leaving from Abu Dhabi, with stops in Dubai, Muskat, Jordan, Athens, Katakolon and finishing in Rome.  The information on the private tours you took has me emailing off to see if we are able to book those same tours.  This is our first cruise so at first we were unsure about private tours and being back on the ship on time.  Could you share with me the contact information for your tour in Muskat?   Had a good giggle about your temporary citizenship of Canada, as one of your northern neighbors I enjoyed that.  We live within 5 hours of Jasper and have visited often as well as trips to Banff, I've heard the train trips through there are stunning, have a fantastic trip.   Mary

 

Super appreciate Mary's nice comments and follow-ups, including this good question about our Muscat private guide.   Sorry for my delay in responding.  Got busy with some work and other projects.  Plus, getting ready this weekend for a major snow/ice storm hitting many parts of our country.  Yes, can share more background and details.  Good luck for your upcoming adventure in this unique part of the world.  Keep it coming with any and all good questions, comments, etc.  

 

Our guide in Muscat was Valentina Zagyavozdina.  She's originally from Russia and had lived for a number of years in Dubai.  Her range of experiences including being the Middle East for the past seventeen years.   She operates her tour business under the title of VS Private Tours.  You can see more on her at: 

https://www.toursbylocals.com/MuscatOmanTourGuide

Or, here is her website with a link to contact her directly:

http://www.vs-tours.com

 

Yes, Mary, looking forward to visiting western Canada in July.  Am very excited about visiting these scenic areas in a few months. Everyone who has been there has totally loved these areas. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 243,589 views.

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

 

Below are a couple more pictures regarding Valentina and our visit to Oman.  First is when she got out of our vehicle and was pointing out some of the old, old drawings on the rocks when we tour in some of the backcountry areas.  Second shows her as we were touring the fish market area in Muscat.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

From our Muscat market visits, below are a couple pictures not previously shared on this thread.  Always interesting when visiting local markets in seeing the people, products, sampling the local "flavor"!!:

 

 

 

Here are a couple other visuals from Muscat, including the second visual showing that much of their growth has been recent with modern infrastructure, etc.  Very impressed and surprised by all that we experienced in and around Muscat.:

 

 

[floridatravelersforlife]

Thx for the great review.

 

Got a question , the audience at the La Perle show in Dubai seemed thin as your pictures depict.  Was that the case at most other venues in Dubai?  We will terminate there on a future cruise and I was thinking of waiting until we arrive to book our land excursions.

[TLCOhio]

22 hours ago, floridatravelersforlife said:

Thx for the great review.   Got a question , the audience at the La Perle show in Dubai seemed thin as your pictures depict.  Was that the case at most other venues in Dubai?  We will terminate there on a future cruise and I was thinking of waiting until we arrive to book our land excursions.

 

Nice, positive comment and great follow-up question.  YES, when we were there at the La Perle show, things in this 1,300-seat theater were not that crowded and/or jammed.  

 

WHY??  Several reasons.  On our evening, a Friday night, when visiting, there were both 7 pm and 9:30 pm shows.  Looking in February, many of nights, even weekdays, have two different time options.  That's lots of seats to sell each week.  Second, the price is not cheap for this program.  Fortunately through our hotel, we had a 40% discount code.  There are several levels of tickets here with prices for the VIP, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze levels.  The cheaper seats sell quickest.  We had Silver-level seats.  The most costly tickets do not sell as quickly and that is why so many were seen as empty in my pictures.  To be honest given the size and design of this theater, you do not need to spend the "big bucks" to get a good seat.  Visibility and angles are very good from most all of the seats.  

 

As this was the only "show" we attended in the U.A.E., it is hard to compare attendance and demand for other venues.  Much is going to depend on the time of year when visiting.  In early December, that is starting their busiest time of the year.  We bought our tickets at the theater that evening.  We tried on-line, but their website had technical challenges.  

 

Their peak tourism time tends to be in the holidays through winter period.  Clearly summers are the less desirable time period for visiting there as temperatures get super hot.  Maybe, per our guide, around 110-125F hot.  Clearly, you don't want to be outside much during those summer periods.  For us in early December, we had perfect and totally comfortable weather and conditions during our visit.  That sunny warmth is especially appreciated as not in Central Ohio we have 4-5" of snow on the ground and temperatures now of 7F and a wind-chill level of minus 14F.   

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Wonderful scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 233,453 views.

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

 

Here is another visual from inside this La Perle show that I had not previously shared.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

[disneykins]

Just finished reading your previous thread about Greece and linked to this one. Looking forward to your updated ideas. We are on NCL Spirit in April doing Athens, Rhodes, Mykonos and Santorini. We did a day in Athens on a previous cruise but first time to the other islands.

Thanks for all your detailed reviews and the great eye candy.

Tony and Debbie

[cruzers j&n]

Terry,

 

I have enjoyed following along on your journeys.  Many thanks for taking the time to do such comprehensive reviews, they are chock full of good info and photos too!  Appreciate you sharing all your insights.  I just booked a cruise (with Celebrity) to Asia and will have to dig up your reviews to that region as part of my research and planning.

 

I'm curious though....you've been to so many destinations, what would be your top 3 and why?  There are so many gorgeous places that I know this will be a tough task to narrow down to just 3 so if you want, you can include more. :)

 

 

[TLCOhio]

On 1/23/2019 at 4:53 PM, cruzers j&n said:

Terry,  I have enjoyed following along on your journeys.  Many thanks for taking the time to do such comprehensive reviews, they are chock full of good info and photos too!  Appreciate you sharing all your insights.  I just booked a cruise (with Celebrity) to Asia and will have to dig up your reviews to that region as part of my research and planning.    I'm curious though....you've been to so many destinations, what would be your top 3 and why?  There are so many gorgeous places that I know this will be a tough task to narrow down to just 3 so if you want, you can include more. 🙂

 

Appreciate these great comments and follow-ups from cruzers j&n and disneykins.  Nice!!  Good luck for Tony and Debbie with your upcoming cruise on NCL Spirit in April.  We loved Mykonos so much from our first cruise in 2006 when we visited Athens, three Greek islands, the Turkish Coast, Istanbul, etc.  

 

Name our top three favorites???  That's extremely tough and very challenging.  For my wife it would be definitely our South Africa/Botswana adventures from three years ago as detailed in the live/blog below.  Lots of super fun experiences over the years.  Part of "it" is the question of "best" comparing the overall trips as to where they rank.  Then there are various special "days" where we had unique experiences during a trip and/or cruise.  So many great and exciting times.  But, always looking for more and different in the future.

 

Will try to post more specifics (including some pictures) for this good question later.  Now down in the Florida Keys to get a little sunshine and warmth.  Below shows the weather coming for the Midwest and Northeast during this coming week. 

 

Also, will have more later as to our analysis from our first cruise with Oceania.  Overall, our rating was very high with Oceania and especially for their great staff.  The crew seemed very genuine in being happy and enjoying be helpful for the passengers.

 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 44,172 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

 

From AccuWeather, here is part of the winter storm we are escaping while now down in the Florida Keys.  It was a good time to "get out of town"!!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see this picture larger/better!)

[irisbax3]

7 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

Also, will have more later as to our analysis from our first cruise with Oceania.  Overall, our rating was very high with Oceania and especially for their great staff.  The crew seemed very genuine in being happy and enjoying be helpful for the passengers.

 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

 

 

Terry, thanks so very much for this wonderful review and superb visuals.  I am going on a land tour to Egypt in March and feel very lucky that I ran across your review with the photos of that area.  Also, we will be on O's Nautica in Dec. for a 30 day cruise from Dubai to Cape Town so I'm going to follow along on your review of your South Africa/Botswana-Africa trip.   I do have one question.  I understand that Nautica is scheduled for dry dock after my Dec. 7, 2019 to Jan. 6, 2020 cruise.  What was the condition of the ship?  Was it ship shape or in need of some TLC? Thanks, again for taking so much of your time in posting these wonderful reviews.

 

An avid follower,

Iris