Almost Live - Viking Sky - Mediterranean Odyssey - April 2023

[HDS]

Enjoying your posts and insights into these ports.   We are booked on a similar itinerary next year.  Thank you for the information,

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 4 - Lickety Split?

 

Woke up to rough seas and high winds. During our breakfast in the World Cafe, the wind was whistling though the door seals. I told DW this doesn’t look good. About an hour later the Captain announced there were gusts of 60 knots and the tugs couldn’t bring us in but the winds were suppose to die down in a few hours and we were holding our position until then. It was also announced there were over 100 passengers that needed to board in Split that had missed boarding in Venice. I’m assuming the Italian air traffic controllers strike on Sunday delayed flights and our early departure stranded pax. Not sure how they got to Croatian. Most likely they were bussed in. The new arrival time was now noon which caused the new excursion schedule to overlap. A new Viking Daily was published with the updated times.

 

After the winds died down we were able to dock and watch from the Explorers Lounge.

 

It was a cold day with temperatures in the 40s and a northerly wind blowing at 15-20 knots. Our excursion today is the Meštrovic Gallery and Diocletian Place tour.
 

Ivan Meštrovic was a sculptor, architect, politician and one of the early proponents of a Slavic nation not run by a foreign power. His sculptures are world renowned and at the end of his life he taught sculpture at Norte Dame University in Indiana. He has large bronze statues of Native Americans in Chicago’s Grant Park, The Bowman & The Spearman. The statues in Chicago are nudes and our tour guide was at a loss to understand why Americans were upset about nude statues. 

Meštrovic‘s Pieta is displayed at Norte Dame, The Vatican, and in his museum in Split. Meštrovic was imprisoned by the *** during WWII and was released after the pope wrote a personal letter to his captors. He then fled to the US where he lived out his life and died in 1963.

 

The museum was designed by Meštrovic. One wing was a residence, the central area was exhibition space, and the other wing a working studio. Today it houses his collection and has a spectacular view of the Adriatic.

 

 

 

Cyclops

 

View from the central balcony.

 

Interiors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a 90 minute tour it was off the the Diocletian Palace where two more works by   Meštrovic are found, “St John the Baptist” in the Temple of Jupiter and “Bishop Gregory of Nin”  whose toe is rubbed by visitors to grant a wish.

 

 

The Diocletian Palace was built by and for the emperor as a retirement home overlooking the sea. It’s a maze of apartments, stalls, shops, ancient monuments, and housing. It’s a pretty unique place. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. The emperor’s tomb is now a church and because it’s Easter Week, it was closed for preparations. Opposite that is the Temple of Jupiter which was converted Into a baptistery. The ceiling dates to around 300 AD and contains whimsical faces.

 

In the central courtyard, the red granite columns are original and were quarried in Egypt. Operas are sung in this courtyard during the summer,

 

 

 

Scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed here so there is an obligatory gift shop.

 

The palace is an incredible place to wander around and photograph.

 

If you have any interest in art, you should take this excursion.

 

Back on board we needed to warm so we headed to afternoon tea. On the way we finally met @springtravel It’s always great to meet another cc poster on board.

 

Tomorrow we’re in Dubrovnik to walk the walls.

[cadburysmom]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us.  The photos are wonderful.

 

How do you like the ship, the food and your cabin?

I will be on Viking Sky in June.  It will be my first time on a Viking Ocean ship and I am very excited.

[OneSixtyToOne]

On 4/6/2023 at 2:20 PM, cadburysmom said:

How do you like the ship, the food and your cabin?

I will be on Viking Sky in June.  It will be my first time on a Viking Ocean ship and I am very excited.

I’m a couple of days behind my daily write ups so I’ll take opportunity for a quick answer to your questions.

 

The service everywhere is fabulous. We were also on the Sky last January and have one of the same room stewards. He is fabulous. We have an aft DV1 and love this location, the wake is mesmerizing and the sail aways are great photo and video opportunities. The aft DV1 veranda has more legroom than a regular DV because the glass angles away.

Let me state I am not a foodie. Tastes are subjective. For me the food has been hit and miss. The restaurant has been excellent. Here is a raspberry tiramisu from the destination menu.

 

The Pool Grill burgers are delicious.

 

The World Cafe suffers from overexposure to heat lamps for the side dishes. The carving station has been good. I don’t eat seafood but DW had the crab legs and said they were watery and had no flavor. She also found a piece of ice in one leg.

 

Others have raved about the gelato, I found it lacking. The key to great ice cream is buffer fat content. This tastes more like ice milk. You find pieces of ice in it, which means the butter fat is too low. They are scrimping on the cream.

 

We ate in Manfredi’s last night and were disappointed. As others and I have mentioned in previous posts, the Beefsteak Florentine is half of the thickness it use to be and covered in some sort of greens. While flavorful, you are not going to get the proper searing effect with a thin piece of meat. The NY Steak available in the restaurant and cafe is far better.

 

And then there is the lasagna. 😟 When the manger asked how everything was, I told him the lasagna was bad. Later, of course, the chef came to our table and we had a long discussion to the embarrassment of DW.
 

I explained that after our last cruise on the Sky in January we were on the post cruise extension in Tuscany. In Florence we had the best lasagna that we have ever tasted. It literally melted in my mouth. It was rich, creamy, and delicious. the lasagna in Manfredi’s was none of that. The pasta was crunchy, there was no ricotta, it was overpacked with some kind of ground beef, and the sauce looked dry. I suggested what was needed was a new recipe. The chef apologized and said it was reheated too much and to my surprise he said there was no ricotta on board. Since there was ricotta cheesecake on the dessert menu, it must be frozen. IMO if it doesn’t contain ricotta, it’s not lasagna. I suggest you avoid it.

 

Lasagna in the upper left:

Edited April 7, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[PGI GUY]

We were on the Sky two weeks ago and found the food to be below what we have come to expect from Viking after completing 7 Viking Ocena cruises. I did several written reports to the food and beverage people and some improvement was noted, however I agree with all of your comments. This ships food is below what we have come to expect from Viking.

[cadburysmom]

54 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

I’m a couple of days behind my daily write ups so I’ll take opportunity for a quick answer to your questions.

 

The service everywhere is fabulous. We were also on the Sky last January and have one of the same room stewards. He is fabulous. We have an aft DV1 and love this location, the wake is mesmerizing and the sail aways are great photo and video opportunities. The aft DV1 veranda has more legroom than a regular DV because the glass angles away.

Let me state I am not a foodie. Tastes are subjective. For me the food has been hit and miss. The restaurant has been excellent. Here is a raspberry tiramisu from the destination menu.

 

The Pool Grill burgers are delicious.

 

The World Cafe suffers from overexposure to heat lamps for the side dishes. The carving station has been good. I don’t eat seafood but DW had the crab legs and said they were watery and had no flavor. She also found a piece of ice in one leg.

 

Others have raved about the gelato, I found it lacking. The key to great ice cream is buffer fat content. This tastes more like ice milk. You find pieces of ice in it, which means the butter fat is too low. They are scrimping on the cream.

 

We ate in Manfredi’s last night and were disappointed. As others and I have mentioned in previous posts, the Beefsteak Florentine is half of the thickness it use to be and covered in some sort of greens. While flavorful, you are not going to get the proper searing effect with a thin piece of meat. The NY Steak available in the restaurant and cafe is far better.

 

And then there is the lasagna. 😟 When the manger asked how everything was, I told him the lasagna was bad. Later, of course, the chef came to our table and we had a long discussion to the embarrassment of DW.
 

I explained that after our last cruise on the Sky in January we were on the post cruise extension in Tuscany. In Florence we had the best lasagna that we have ever tasted. It literally melted in my mouth. It was rich, creamy, and delicious. the lasagna in Manfredi’s was none of that. The pasta was crunchy, there was no ricotta, it was overpacked with some kind of ground beef, and the sauce looked dry. I suggested what was needed was a new recipe. The chef apologized and said it was reheated too much and to my surprise he said there was no ricotta on board. Since there was ricotta cheesecake on the dessert menu, it must be frozen. IMO if it doesn’t contain ricotta, it’s not lasagna. I suggest you avoid it.

 

Lasagna in the upper left:

Thanks for letting me know...and great photos. Glad to hear about the good but sorry you've been disappointed in others.

Btw, you and I definitely see eye to eye on butter fat.  I'm very particular about ice cream and would notice that in a heartbeat.  And no ricotta in the lasagna...what were they thinking???

 

Viking needs to up their game in dairy products for sure....

[SantaFe1]

1 hour ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Let me state I am not a foodie. Tastes are subjective. For me the food has been hit and miss.

I would have to agree.  Although for us, from the very first Viking cruise we took years ago, the food has been Viking’s Achilles heel!  We considered not doing the WC in 2019 because of if (glad we went, though,)  We have had the chef come to our table more times than I can count.  Over the years what we have been told again and again is that Viking provides the recipes and the chefs just follow along, unless they are doing a special meal.  On our Mediterranean Antiquities cruise last month, we had terrible Osso Buco in Manfredis.  We talked to the chef, came back a week later and he made it to our satisfaction.  We had terrible Peking duck for our favorite Asian Panorama menu at Chefs Table.  We talked to the chef, who said he really DID know how to make Peking Duck, and this wasn’t it.  When we came back a week later, he made us wonderful Peking Duck.  The worst was the Bouillabaisse in the restaurant.  It was salty yellow water with one shrimp in it.  French people throughout the country would have been tearing their hair out.  It was so bad, we told them not to send the chef, and we went up and ate in the world Cafe.

 

As to the gelato, I am not a desert person, but I do like the salty caramel gelato.  But gelato is not, as I understand it, ice cream.  It is, by definition, quite a bit lower in butter fat, using more milk than cream, although it does use cream.  
 

Anyway, just my two cents worth…

[springtravel]

We are currently on the Sky as well and 1st time Viking. We have to agree, the service has been excellent, pampered at every turn. They are trying very hard to please, so I don't complain about the food to them. When we are trying to decide what to order, we keep in mind that it won't be what we are expecting, no matter the explanation. Manfredie doesn't have the chocolate dessert we had heard so much about. Sometimes it's good, other times not. We ate at the Chef's table the first night, and will do so again this evening. The first night did not disappoint (Route to the Indies) and hope this evening is as good. I can't remember what the menu will be.  World Cafe is only good when it is first out, otherwise it is dried out. My favorite is the assorted cheeses on the buffet. That and fruit can get me through lunch. 

[millybess]

2 hours ago, springtravel said:

We are currently on the Sky as well and 1st time Viking. We have to agree, the service has been excellent, pampered at every turn. They are trying very hard to please, so I don't complain about the food to them. When we are trying to decide what to order, we keep in mind that it won't be what we are expecting, no matter the explanation. Manfredie doesn't have the chocolate dessert we had heard so much about. Sometimes it's good, other times not. We ate at the Chef's table the first night, and will do so again this evening. The first night did not disappoint (Route to the Indies) and hope this evening is as good. I can't remember what the menu will be.  World Cafe is only good when it is first out, otherwise it is dried out. My favorite is the assorted cheeses on the buffet. That and fruit can get me through lunch. 

When we were recently on the Sea, the food was very good to excellent except for one room service order.  Steak was very good in World Cafe, Manfredi’s, and the restaurant.  Chef’s Table was good every time we ate there and in the past, we have often canceled Chef's Table.  Seafood night in the WC was beyond our expectations -- much better that previous cruises:  lobster tail, chateaubriand, escargot, shrimp.

 

Overall, we were surprised by the consistency of very good food on Sea.

 

[Sleep7]

👋Hello OneSixtyToOne!

Thank you for posting all about your trip!  I'm really enjoying your commentary and your beautiful photos.

Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!!

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 5 - Kings Landing 

Awoke to another cool day in Croatia with a pretty interesting view of a bridge from our aft cabin.

The winds subsided a bit, the skies are clearer, and 50 degrees is perfect for our scheduled walk of the walls of Dubrovnik. Our guide for the walk is Dora, who turned out to be one of the best guides we have had on any Viking tour. Anyone who has every studied Balkan history knows how complicated it is. Dora was able recall some 1000 years of history and how it related to Dubrovnik/Ragusa, giving context to what we were viewing. In addition she pointed out several landmarks that were used in one of my favorite TV shows, Game of Thrones. 
 

I had previously read that Dubrovnik had manage to keep their autonomy through the centuries using diplomacy. Dora pointed out that diplomacy really meant spying. They maintained a network of spies in all the ports and cities they did business with, selling information for security and playing one rival against another. This strategy worked up until Napoleon conquered the region.

 

The wall walk is rated demanding and it turned out to be true. The initial steps had my thighs burning, after that it was manageable. 
 

Walk to the top

 

View from the wall

 

I highly recommend this tour to anyone fit enough to make the climb and the almost 2 mile walk along a narrow path with many steps. The views are spectacular. I would do it again given the chance.

 

Back on board the presentations improved with the addition of a guest lecturer, Col. Bart Howard Ret. He gave a wonderful presentation on Eisenhower and will be giving one on Patton as well as the Allied invasion of Sicily and mainland Italy. His story telling style is very entertaining. I’m looking forward to more.

 

Tonight we lose an hour as we head to Greece and the Isle of Corfu.

More pictures from Dubrovnik.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[OneSixtyToOne]

Returned from our Etruscan Necropolis tour to find an Easter Bunny in our room. The World Cafe is full of Easter decorations.

 

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[OneSixtyToOne]

Chef’s Table had a special Easter egg shaped dessert tonight. 

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 6 - Corfu You

 

The weather continued to improve with temperatures in the mid 50s, sunny, and the wind subsided. There wasn’t much that interested us with the optional tours so we took the included tour.

Corfu is a sickle shaped island in the extreme northwestern part of Greece.You can see Romania across from the straight. It gets the most rainfall of any Greek island so it’s a popular destination the summer for outdoor activities. Unfortunately it’s not conducive to a bus tour. We all piled into a large coach and spent 20 minutes meandering on narrow roads heading for a lookout point in the hills. Problem was every other tour group on the island did the same thing simultaneously. The result was hundreds of people crowded into a snack bar trying to take the same iconic shot of Mouse Island. 
This appears to be the only thing to do on the bus tour. Next we headed for the old town area for what amounted to a nothing burger. We bailed on the tour and caught the first shuttle back to the ship.

 

Back onboard we had the ship pretty much to ourselves. I used the opportunity to go to the spa and relax in the steam room and thermal pool. After walking the walls of Dubrovnik the day before my body needed some therapy. It was also a good day to do laundry. The machines on our floor have been down the entire trip, so finding empty washers/dryers was a bonus. 

As far as dinner is concerned, I wrote up the Manfredi’s review previously in this thread. I am not revisiting it. I’m trying to get that whole incident out of my mind.

We had another excellent lecture by Col Bart Howard about the life of General Patton.

 

Strong winds are forecast for tonight so we are again leaving port early.

Tomorrow is a sea day so it’s a chance to sleep in.

Edited April 11, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[LATTELOVE]

WOW!!

Very beautiful photos.

Great reviews too!

Thank you for taking us along.

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 7 - Trivial Mimosas 

Sea day. A time for rest, recreation, and a noon time trivia contest! We cobbled together a team in the Explorers’ Lounge and won! Our prize was a tray of Mimosas.

 

At sunset we passed through the Strait of Messina and by the Stromboli volcano.

 

 

 

 

 
Tonight’s lecture was about the theft of art during WWII. It was very informative. Many works have not been returned and several cases are still under litigation.
 

Also mentioned was the role of the Monuments Men in the recovery of artwork. When we did the Grand European river cruise our pre-cruise extension was in Ghent where the famous altarpiece Adoration of the Mystic Lamb was one of the stolen pieces. Ghent hosted the premiere of the movie. 

https://visit.gent.be/en/see-do/ghent-altarpiece-supreme-divine-art
 

Tomorrow morning we dock in Naples. 

 

 

[CHammond]

Thanks so much for your posts! I am greatly enjoying your trip report. We just got off the Star and I totally agree with you on the lasagna at Manfredi’s, it was really bad, I couldn’t take more than a few bites, but I had a delicious lasagna the next day for lunch at the world cafe. Most of the food was quite good but there was  some bad dishes also-room service eggs in particular were bad, the gelato was very dry and crumbly without a lot of flavor, on the other hand we really loved the lobster Thermidor at the restaurant, the lamb,  and chocolate amarone at manfredi’s, and the Xiang menu at the chef’s table. Usually at the buffet we found some food we really liked and some we didn’t. 

[Ironman01]

Love your posts!!! We will be on the Saturn in late September from Barcelona to Venice. Really enjoying all your comments and pictures. Will keep checking in with you ☺️

[OneSixtyToOne]

Just a quick update. We are currently in Barcelona awaiting our flight home. Due to a flight cancellation it’s going to take about 26 hours. I will complete the posting upon returning home. On the bright side, Barcelona Day Tours and our guide Javier was excellent. Finally saw the inside of La Sagrada Familia. Amazing!!! 
 

 

 

[GonzoWCS]

Great!  Thanks for this

 

Cheers

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 8 - Napoli 

 

On our cruise last January we stopped in Naples and were greeted with snow on Mt Vesuvius. This time the weather was much better as we docked with the sun rising over Mt. Vesuvius. 
 

Last time we docked with a great view of the volcano from the Explorers’ Lounge. This time we were behind another ship but the view from our aft cabin was very close to the fortress just outside of the docks.

 

On our previous visit we took the excursion to Pompeii. This time we opted for Herculean. As I mention in the Journey to Antiquity post, Pompeii was a vast working class city than was crushed by ash when the upper half of the volcano exploded and fell directly on the city. Herculean’s fate was to be buried in a pyroclastic flow of mud from the side of Vesuvius. The result was that skeletons, burnt wood beams, boats, and furniture was found there. At Vesuvius, all that remained were the hollow spaces in the ash that were once bodies. The depth of the flow can be seen in these pictures. This was once the dock area at sea level. 

 

 

 

Over the centuries housing was constructed over the area so much of the ancient city has not been excavated. 

 

 

Herculean was a seaside resort for the wealthy Romans. Most of the wealthy fled when the eruptions began, leaving behind their slaves to tend to their properties. Their skeletons were found near the docks, waiting for the rescue ships that never arrived. The bath, pool, and villas contain impressive frescoes and tile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the changing room of the bath, the ceiling has groves to channel away the condensation so it doesn’t fall on your head.

 

Blacksmith shop

 

Wine menu at a shop.

 

View of Mt Vesuvius from Herculean.

 

If you have only one choice between visiting Pompeii or Herculean, you should probably chose Pompeii. It’s a much larger site with more areas to visit. You could spend days there. All of Herculean can be seen in a few hours. Both are worth a visit.

 

Back on board we departed Naples with a rainbow in the sky. 

 

 
After dinner we won another Trivia contest. This time we were rewarded with a round of champagne. 
 

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday in Rome.

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 9 - Find where the bodies are buried 

We arrived in Civitavecchia on Easter morning and it looks like the Pope turned on the Bat Signal.

Since it’s Easter and we’ve been to Rome before we decided to take an excursion to the Etruscan Necropolis at Tarquinia. Instead of a 2 hour ride into Rome, it was a short 30 minute ride up the coast to the burial sites and the quaint town or Tarquinia. It was a gorgeous day with blue skies and temperatures in the 60s.

 

 

 

We had an excellent guide for this excursion. He had a depth of knowledge of not only the Etruscans but also about other civilizations and their burial practices. Most of the dead were cremated and remains placed in containers resembling mushrooms. These objects are found all around the countryside and were placed here for exhibition purposes.

 

The more prominent members of society had elaborate tombs constructed and mounds placed on top. There are literally 1000s of them all over the area. Only the most interesting ones have been excavated with entrances constructed for you to view the interiors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After viewing about a half dozen tombs we went to the museum in Tarquinia to view the artifacts found within.

 

If you’ve visited Rome before I highly recommend this excursion. It’s close to the port and when we returned we had the ship to ourselves. All the other tours didn’t return until much later so it was an excellent time to use the spa or find and empty washing machine.
 

As I previously posted we returned to our state room to find an Easter bunny and the cafe with special treats available.

 

After dinner we were back in the Explorers’ Lounge for another Trivia contest and a round of victory champagne (That’s three wins in a row!) Trivia was interrupted by a fantastic sunset as people took out their phones to capture the moment.

 

Tomorrow we’ll be Under the Tuscan Sun, one of my favorite destinations.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 10 - Under the Tuscan Sun

 

Our arrival in Livorno featured a great view from our aft veranda of the mega yacht owned by the “King of High Street” Sir Phillip Green.

 

 

This is our third visit to Tuscany so we decided to take the excursion to two cities we failed to visit on previous trips, Luca and Pisa. During the ride through the Tuscan countryside our tour guide pointed out the white on the distant mountains wasn’t snow but the famous Carrara marble.

 

Lucca is a fantastic place to visit. The medieval walls form a star fort with arrowhead like bastions where cannon were able to protect the city walls from all directions. Today the top of the walls have been turned into a wide bike path and pedestrian walkway. From there you can walk around the entire old town, offering views of the city below and the surrounding countryside.

 

 

 

 

Lucca is the birthplace of Puccini. Here is his home.

 

Lucca is know as the city of 100 churches. They are everywhere. One hallmark is the columns are all made of different material and designs. Legend has it that the cathedral had a contest and asked artisans to submit a sample column. When enough samples were submitted they used them all without paying anyone.

 

 

 

 

 

The area of the old Roman arena was converted over the centuries into a central piazza with the circular shape incorporated into the building design.

 

 

We fell in love with Lucca. It is now one of our favorite destinations in Tuscany. Hopefully we will return someday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After free time in Lucca it was off to Pisa. It turns out the day after Easter is a public holiday in Italy. It’s a tradition for locals to get out of their homes for the day and visit somewhere nearby. Pisa was very crowded and the ticket lines were so long it prohibited us from entering any of buildings. After running an unbelievable gauntlet of vendor kiosks selling cheap trinkets outside the city walls we finally entered for what was basically a photo op. Knowing how these excursions work I really wasn’t expecting much more, so we took the obligatory shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was also a big soccer match scheduled in Pisa so the traffic was a nightmare, especially for the return to the ship. The highway was gridlocked and just about every tour returned late.

 

 

Tomorrow we dock at Monaco 🇲🇨 

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 11 - All for F1 and F1 for All

 

Monaco was listed on our documents as a tender port so it was much to our surprise to wake up to find ourselves docked right across from Monte Carlo, the elite district of Monaco (think Beverly Hills in relation to Los Angeles). The famous casino is the building in the background with the scaffolding.

 

 

 

 

 

The annual Formula 1 race is at the end of the month and the temporary stands were being erected for the event. It seems the whole principality was preparing for the event. Buildings were being cleaned, new asphalt was laid for the race, trees were being trimmed, flowers were being planted, everything looked immaculate. It's the cleanest city I've ever seen.

F1 finish line.

 

Today we took one of the best included walking tours we ever had with Viking. The guide gave us the history of the principality as we walked to the top of "The Rock" where the royal palace sits. We walked along the base of the Rock and navigated a series of escalators, elevators, and stairs until we emerged at the Oceanographic Institute (more on that later). 

 

 

 

 

From there we traversed Saint-Martin Botanical Gardens, gaining altitude and we made our way through the beautiful flora overlooking the Mediterranean Sea far below. The view and the gardens are awe inspiring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the gardens we emerged at the Cathedral which we entered to view the tombs of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier. Since it was right after Easter, the tombs were still adorned with crosses made from palm leaves from Palm Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

From the Cathedral we made our way through narrow streets and emerged at the Royal Palace about 45 minutes before the Changing of the Guard. This gave us time for a photo op from the two overlooks, a rest stop, and some souvenir shopping before we took a front row view for the change. Interestingly, when security sees children in the crowd, they invite them to sit on the ground in front of the barrier and the adults, giving them an unobstructed view of the ceremony.

 

 

 

 

The view from The Rock is spectacular

 

 

 

 

 

We inquired about visiting the palace and were directed to the gift shop where we found that you can buy a combination ticket to both the Palace tour and the Oceanographic Institute for 25€. Since the Institute was open until 7:00 PM, we decided to buy the tickets, return to the ship for lunch, and make our way back to the Palace for the tour, then end our day at the Oceanographic Institute. It worked out better than I could have imagined.

 

Lunch view from World Cafe

 

The palace was amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Oceanographic Institute was really impressive. As you may or may not know, Jacques Cousteau was its former director. He invented the SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) and pioneered the use of small research submersibles, one of which is displayed outside.

 

I'm a former museum president and IMO this is one of the best uses of exhibit space I've ever seen. The bottom levels are aquarium tanks with an outside cliffside tank for sea turtles. All pretty amazing. The upstairs exhibit area had several permanent exhibits but the temporary space has a multimedia presentation on the Arctic and Antarctic that need to be seen to be believed. Do watch the video to see the effects. As you touch areas of the projection on the walls and walk around the floor you'll see the ice cracking below your feet, swarms of krill form around you, and wildlife appearing to peer at you. It's an incredible experience. I really loved this museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

After a long day we walked back to the ship and from our cabin we viewed a night sail away from a fantastic port of call.

 

 

Tomorrow we dock in Marseilles.

Edited April 21, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[aungrl]

This was a great write-up.  I've never had much interest in visiting Monaco, but reading your summary and seeing your pictures has totally changed my mind!