Valencia, Spain

NOTE:

Pictures

Picture 1: Restaurant Submarino. This is part of the L'OCeanograpfic (separate building) which includes a restaurant on the lower level which provides views of an aquarium.

Picture 2 from the Dolphin Show.

Picture 3 of the old town area.

Picture 4 from last evening of our headwaiter Peter.

Picture 5 from last evenings Captains Welcome Reception of Jennifer and Gui dancing.

This last segment of the World Cruise has fewer passengers than the other segments. At the Captain’s Welcome Reception last evening, Captain Glenn noted that there are 598 passengers on boards with a crew of 645. While we think this is a perfect time of the year to visit the Mediterranean, sometimes passengers want to wait until either later in May or for the summer to arrive before traveling here. We remember that during last years World Cruise when we essentially had two segments in the Mediterranean that at least for one of the segments that the ship was not very full.

When the Captain introduced his senior officers last evening he noted the importance of team work and in terms of team noted that on the Crystal ship that team stands for “Together Everyone Achieves More”. For us, when Keith worked fulltime he used to say that the results of a team was far greater than the results that were achieved when the same people worked as individuals.

Today we arrived to Valencia, Spain. This was a maiden port of call for Crystal Cruises and also our first time visiting this city. Valencia is Spain’s third largest city. It is located in a major farming region as the land is very fertile Valencia also benefits from very nice weather and is well known for its outdoor living and for its nightlife. Sports enthusiasts enjoy the outdoors for golf, tennis, cycling and diving.

The Romans founded Valencia in 138 BC. Eventually it was conquered by the Moors, taken over by El Cid and overtime retaken by the Moors.

We awoke early this morning and began our day with our daily workout as we normally do. Keith was the first to arrive to the Fitness Center and worked out on the Elliptical Machine. Anne Marie slept in this morning since we had an early shore excursion. John and Mary worked out as well and Keith spoke with Mary for a portion of his workout.

We had an early breakfast in our room and then we got ready for our shore excursion.

During Captain Glenn’s morning announcement from the bridge he noted that the weather forecast called for a beautiful day in Velencia. The Captain’s thought for the day was “Sometimes silence is golden when you can’t think about a good answer.”

In the morning, all four of us took the complimentary shore excursion offered to all passengers. Crystal offered this excursion at two different times today. This excursion was called Panoramic Valencia & L’Oceanographic Aquarium. We traveled from the pier to the downtown city center where we viewed many of the buildings in this historic section of town.

Afterwards, we drove to the City of Arts and Sciences This facility contains an opera house and performing arts center, a science museum, an IMAX cinema/planetarium, several restaurants and an oceanographic park.

We then visited the L’Oceanografic. The aquarium is the largest in Europe and is actually the third largest in the entire world. The aquarium is divided into two major sections. One section is comprised of fish and invertebrates and the second section is comprised of marine mammals.

The L’Oceanografic contains more than 45,000 examples of 500 different marine species. It has extensive underwater areas featuring sharks, beluga whales, walruses, sea lions, penguins and manta rays.

We saw a dolphin show and we walked several areas of the aquarium where we saw many species of fish, penguins, turtles, beluga whale and other sea creatures.

The areas of the city that we saw were amazing. We were very impressed with both the old town area and the new areas of the center. The newer areas had a feel of other areas we visited during the World Cruise such as Sydney with the opera house in this city having a look similar to that of Sydney.

This is a city that we highly recommend visiting. Our only regret is that we didn’t have more time in this wonderful city and we would encourage Crystal to not only return here but to consider an overnight in this city.

Since many of the tours were scheduled to arrive back at the ship in the afternoon, the dining hours were extended in the Main Dining Room. We pre-ordered nice salad entrees to the dining room so that when we got back to the ship for lunch that they were ready for us. We enjoyed a very nice lunch.

This evening the four of us dined in the Prego Italian Specialty Restaurant with the Rabbi and his lovely wife. We enjoyed a lovely meal and a wonderful conversation and had a great time.

Keith & Anne Marie

En Route To Valencia, Spain

NOTE:

Picture 1 from our visit to the Bridge Yesterday. The four of us with Cruise Director Rick Spath.

Picture 2 from our visit to the Bridge yesterday with a picture of Captain Glenn.

Picture 3 from last nights dinner at Silk Road.

We did enjoy another wonderful sleep as we sail to Valencia, Spain. The seas did become moderately rough which we realized when we woke up this morning. Once again, Keith was the first guest to arrive at the Fitness Center. Keith worked out on the Elliptical Machine. Anne Marie arrived a little while later and worked out on the Treadmill. Other regulars such as John and Mary also worked out. While we were working out, the winds were around 40 miles per hour so we could feel the ship rocking a bit.

After our workout we stopped by the Lido Café for a cup of coffee. We spoke with a few of the passengers and we were all saying what a great comedian Mike Goddard is. He has a great sense of humor, and his humor is extremely funny without the need to go over the top. We really look forward to his other shows and just like last year enjoy talking with him.

We also spoke with a few of the Lido Deck Stewards, including Clark. Clark has a wonderful sense of humor. We always kids with him about his ability to fly all around the ship just like Superman. He is pictured in Crystal’s World Atlas which is the nicely done brochure published annually by Crystal listing the pricing and itinerary for each of the voyages and providing a wealth of information about the experience of cruising with Crystal.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in our stateroom.

Today is a sea day with a full day and evening of activities.

During Captain Glenn’s morning talk from the bridge, he noted that we were in an area of the sea that typically had high winds. The good news is that these winds would calm down in a couple of hours, which was the case. We are traveling at around 13 knots per hour and using two of six engines. The Captain’s thought of the day we “We can try many ways to get away from darkness but none is more effective than turning on the light.”

We attended the Rap with the Rabbi to start off the morning activities. This session was well attended and we thoroughly enjoyed today’s discussion. There should be another one or possibly two sessions before the World Cruise ends.

After the Rap we attended a lecture given by Destination Lecturer Dr. Jay Wolff. The topic of today’s presentation was “The Crusades: Faith and Blood”. Once again, Dr. Wolff gave a wonderful lecture that was both informative and very insightful. We continue to be amazed at Dr. Wolff’s ability to cover a diverse set of subjects. He is wonderful to listen to.

Following Dr. Wolff’s presentation we attended another lecture given by political journalist and author Ken Walsh. The topic of this presentation was “Air Force One: a History of the Presidents and their Planes.” Ken Walsh is the Chief White House Correspondent for U.S News & World Report. He appears regularly on a variety of television networks including NBC, MSNBC, FOX, CNN, ABC, the History Channel and C-Span. We enjoyed this presentation and look forward to the additional presentations that Mr. Walsh will give including one on this years Presidential Election. Our daughter and son-in-law joined us for this lecture and enjoyed it as well.

We then enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the Main Dining Room. We ate with Jim and Judy a wonderful World Cruise couple whom we first met last year. We enjoyed a great conversation with them as we always do.

This afternoon we spent some time with our daughter and son-in-law.

We also received a copy of the invitation that is going out to all of the members of the crew for a crew party that we are jointly sponsoring with eighteen other passengers on the cruise. We were one of the sponsors last year (there were about sixteen of us last year) and were happy to be a sponsor this year. The part will begin at 11:00 PM on the evening of May 2nd and will last until 2:00 AM. We will also attend the party and probably stay for about an hour. The party will include lots of food, drink and also music and dancing and the room will be nicely decorated and there should be some party favors. We are happy to be a part of this as it is another way for us to thank the crew for all they have done to make this a wonderful World Cruise. The crew has been amazing and we appreciate all that they have done to make this an amazing journey, which will last a lifetime. Our thanks to each and every member of Crystal for all that they do.

Before dinner we attended Captain Glenn’s Welcome Reception. We had a wonderful time at the reception. This evening is one of two formals on the ship and it was nice to see everyone dressed up in their formal attire.

After the reception we enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the Main Dining Room. We are enjoying our four-person table in the Main Dining Room. The food, service, conversation and overall ambience in the dining room is a delight.

After dinner we attended the production show of Million Dollar Musicals which is a salute to the silver screen.

Keith & Anne Marie

Monte Carlo Day 2

NOTE: Pictures

Picture 1 from last nights evening dinner in Main Dining Room.

Picture 2, 3 & 4 from visit to Oceanographic Museum & Aquarium.

Picture 5 from our walk around Monte Carlo.

Pciture 6 of the Grand Casino.

Picture 7 from car located near route of the upcoming Grand Prix.

As we mentioned, this is our third visit to this port of call and each visit involved an overnight stay. While it’s nice to visit areas of the world for the very first time it’s also nice to go back to places that we have previously visited. The advantage of the latter is that we know exactly what we want to see and it was also nice. This was certainly the case for Monte Carlo and since we are very familiar with this city we could take our daughter and son-in-law to those places that we thought they would enjoy.

Weather can also be another factor contributing to ones enjoyment of a particular port of call. For example, cloudy, damp or rainy weather can certainly diminish ones enjoyment of a port of call. The first time we visited Monte Carlo it was on a very hot, and humid day in the middle of the summer when this port of call was literally filled with tourists. We found it tiring to walk for long periods of time and the streets were full of tourists so we had only an average opinion of this port. A few years later we had the opportunity to visit this port in the fall when the weather was picture perfect, with moderate temperatures, and we had the added benefit of far fewer tourists. Saying that we had a wonderful time was an understatement as we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Just like on our last visit, we have had a glorious time this past day and one half. The weather was perfect, there were far fewer tourists than in the summer, and all of this added to our enjoyment of this port of call.

Our original plan was to spend a portion of our time in Monte Carlo and then we thought that we might visit Nice or Eze since the original itinerary had us arriving here by 10:AM. However, the time was pushed back a couple of hours to accommodate our midnight departure from Rome given the World Cruise Event, so in the end we decided to spend all of our time here. (More on this in a moment) Yesterday, we focused on walking around to the major sites in the city from the beautiful gardens, to the Place, to the Cathedral, to the Casino, while taking in the beautiful views of the city and the ocean that surrounds this beautiful port of call. The streets near the Palace have the look of Disneyworld. All one needs is Disney music playing in the background, and one would think that they have been transported to either Disney World or Disney Land.

We enjoyed another nice sleep last evening. The view of the city at night is always spectacular. We have a beautiful view of an enormous yacht and it looked even more impressive all lit up. We have been told that close to 75-crew work on this ship for a private owner. To us, it is close in size to one of the Seabourn triplets.

Several passengers went off the ship last evening, either to the casino, or for dinner or for drinks. We prefer the ships food too much to consider eating off the ship. For us, this is five star food and the quality of the food, the wonderful service and the excellent ambience of the dining room is preferable over eating on land while in port. As we had mentioned we had ordered a special entrée and it was outstanding. Wow might be a better word to describe it.

We awoke early this morning and began our day with a workout in the Fitness Center. Once again Keith was the first in the Center and enjoyed a great workout on the Elliptical Machine. Anne Marie arrived a little while later and worked out on the Treadmill. John and Mary also worked out. As we were finishing our workout there were only two other passengers still there besides Mary.

After our workout we stopped by the Lido Café to get some coffee to take back to the room. We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in our room. Our new butler has been wonderful and we appreciate all that he has done for us.

We met our daughter and son-in-law at 9:15 AM to continue seeing this wonderful port of call. One of the major reasons we decided not to venture out of this city is because we wanted to visit the Oceanographic Museum & Aquarium. This museum was founded in 1910 by Prince Albert I. It is located right adjacent to the sea. The interior of the building is beautiful, particularly the area of the museum. We saw a very impressive assortment of fish; many of which we have not seen before. We enjoyed a glorious morning in Monte Carlo.

We went back to the ship and had lunch in the Main Dining Room. Lunch was wonderful. We had our Salad Entrees and the kids enjoyed a variety of items. After lunch, we went back on shore and continued to walk around this lovely town. We walked to an area that we had not walked to in our previous stays which was adjacent to the shoreline.

Our ship left Monte Carlo at 6:00 PM. A major highlight for all four of us is that we had the opportunity to go to the bridge for the sail-away. This is certainly one of the nicest ports to observe from the bridge. We had a wonderful time and greatly appreciate the opportunity to be on the bridge for this sailaway.

Afterwards, we all went to the Silk Road Japanese Specialty Restaurant. This was the first opportunity for our daughter and son-in-law to dine there. Being lovers of sushi, they greatly enjoyed this restaurant, as do Mom and Dad. We all enjoyed the fabulous sushi served in this restaurant. Dad has been much more adventurous with the sushi/sashimi, Mom stays with the sushi. Like Keith, Jennifer and Gui also enjoy the sashimi along with the sushi. We plan to go back to Silk Road a couple of more times before we disembark the ship in Southampton.

After dinner, we went to a World Cruise Event which was called Shaken 007 Stirred wich was a show in honor of of his 88th birthday and 57th year in Her Majesty’s Secret Service. We greatly enjoyed the show.

After the show, we saw comedian Mike Goddard who we first saw on last years World Cruise. We enjoyed his show and he had us in stitches.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

Keith & Anne

Monte Carlo, Monaco

NOTE: Pictures are from las evenings World Cruise Shore Side Event

Picture 1 of of our table minus Keith who took the picture and one other guest who was not seated at the time Keith took the picture.

Picture 2 of the four of us.

Picture 3 and 4 of some of the entertainers at last nights event.

We had a wonderful time, last evening at the World Cruise Shore Side event, which was held in Rome. We left the ship at around 5:00 PM for the drive into Rome. We arrived at the Complesso Monumentale di Santo Spirto in Saxia which is a monumental complex of the Holy Spirit in Saxia. It is located within walking distance of St. Peter’s Square and the Vatican. As we mentioned yesterday, Santo Spirito in Saxia is indeed one of Rome’s oldest historical monuments. It dates back to AD 747. The complex was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in 1198. It was expanded between 1471 and 1478.

After we arrived, we were welcomed at the entrance to the building by some of the officers and staff from the ship including the Captain, the Hotel Director, the Cruise Director, and the World Cruise Hostess.

A children’s choir entertained us during the cocktail hour. The building was just beautiful and words cannot describe the magnificent interior of this historical site. At around 7:00 PM we entered another area where we were seated for dinner. During the dinner music was played by a white harp’s quartet and after dinner we were entertained by two tenors and one soprano, along with a pianist. The tables accommodated ten people. We sat with John and Linda, Jim and Judy, our daughter and son-in law and two World Cruise passengers who are traveling solo. We were so glad to share this experience with such wonderful people and were also fortunate to have a table right near the stage where the entertainers performed.

The dinner included artichoke flan in a mini puff pastry, cavatelli short pasta with a vegetable caponata and grated ricotta cheese, beef tenderloin with aromatic herbs and seasonal vegetables, and a grand marnier semifreddo with orange sauce.

This was a wonderful evening. The venue was spectacular and it amazes us how Crystal is able to locate such unique venues such as this one. We spoke with the Crystal person from the Los Angeles Office who is responsible for Crystal’s land programs which includes the shore excursions, the pre and post hotels, along with items such as these events. He was telling us how he selected this venue. We know that we will remember this event for the rest of our lives.

When we arrived back to the ship there was live music and various wines and champagnes and moist towels for all of us. It was a nice close to a very classic evening and we appreciate these extra touches.

We left the port at 12:00 Midnight. Our ship arrived to Monte Carlo, Monaco at approximately 1:00 PM today. This is our third visit to Monte Carlo and this will also be our third overnight in this port of call. We have enjoyed our stays in this city as we find there is much to do and it is an easy city to get around by foot.

Monaco is an ancient principality, which today is headed by Prince Albert II. Monaco is not very large and is a nice place to walk around. It is well known for its famous grand Casino.

Despite the fact that we went to sleep later than usual, Keith woke up relatively early and enjoyed a nice workout in the Fitness Center. Other regulars such as John and Mary also worked out. Keith ended up working out on the Elliptical Machine for two hours. He continues to rack up those miles. Anne Marie slept a little later and Keith brought back coffee for her. After the workout we had a very nice breakfast in our room.

We then took a nice long walk on the promenade deck. While we were walking, we listened to Captain Glenn’s morning talk from the bridge. The captain noted that the outside temperature was 61 degrees Fahrenheit and that we were cruising at 19 knots per hour. Captain Glenn’s thought of the day was “More people could learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying them.”

We met our daughter and son-in-law for lunch a little before Noon and we ate in the Main Dining Room. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch.

The ship arrived in Monte Carlo at 1:00 PM. The ship provided a complimentary shuttle that ran from the pier over to the Monte Carlo Grand Casino. We disembarked the ship as soon as the local authorities cleared the ship.

We walked for almost three hours. We visited the area outside the Palace, then we went into the Cathedral, and then over to the gardens, and then we walked all the way over the Casino. They have a Grand Prix race on May 10 an and May 11 and many of the grandstands are already set up and there is temporary fencing in place along many of the sidewalks in preparation of this race. The weather was quite nice and there were lots of people out and about. Outside the Casino we saw many beautiful cars.

This evening we enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the Main Dining Room. We have moved over to the table next to the two person window table that we have sat at for the first seven segments of the World Cruise and now have a table for four. We have our same headwaiter, Peter, senior waiter Pablo and waiter Layla. We had ordered a special entrée for the table for this evening and it was wonderful.

Our daughter and son-in-law are taking the complimentary shuttle over to the casino this evening so that they can see this area of town at night when everything is all lit up. We did this when we were last here in the fall of 2005.

Keith & Anne Marie

Rome/Civitavecchia, Italy

This morning we arrived to the Port of Civitavecchia, Italy, which is the gateway port for Rome. We have visited this port many times over the years most recently on last years World Cruise. It is located about ninety minutes from Rome via motor vehicle. Trains are also available from this port city into downtown Rome.

While most people who begin or end a trip at this port think of Rome and area to see near this port of call is where the Etruscan people lived. A few years ago when we stayed in Rome as part of a pre-cruise hotel program with Crystal on the way to the ship we took a tour which included a visit to an Etruscan underground grave site. As we understand, the Etruscan’s believed in life after death and it is through this grave site that historians learned about the Etruscan’s and of their way of life.

Today marks the end of the seventh segment of the World Cruise so a number of passengers disembarked the ship this morning. During the course of this segment we have sailed from Mumbai, India to Rome/Civitavecchia, Italy and have traveled a total distance of 4,640 nautical miles or the equivalent of 5,336 land miles.

At the same time, today also begins the eighth and final leg of the 2008 World Cruise. During this final segment of the World Cruise the ship will begin in Civitavecchia, Italy and will stop in Monte Carlo, Monaco (overnight); Valencia, Spain; Gibraltar, United Kingdom; Lisbon, Portugal; La Coruna, Spain, and end in Southampton, United Kingdom. The stops in Valencia and La Coruna, Spain are maiden calls for Crystal Cruises.

Our daughter and son-in-law join us for this final segment of the World Cruise. They arrived in Rome two days ago and stayed in the Crystal Cruise pre-cruise hotel in Rome.

Our son is still attending college, otherwise we would have had him join us on this cruise as well. We look forward to seeing our son in just a few weeks as we miss him a great deal and we look forward to having him join us on a future cruise. Each of our children has been on fourteen cruises and the last time we all sailed together was in 2003.

We awoke early this morning as we normally do. We enjoyed another very nice sleep on board the ship and we believe we arrived in port by around 3:00 AM. Keith was the first to arrive to the Fitness Center and enjoyed a wonderful workout on the Elliptical Machine, Anne Marie did our laundry and then Keith assisted her after he finished his workout. Keith spoke with fellow passenger John and talked about this evenings World Cruise Event and then spoke with Mary for a portion of the workout.

For the first time this cruise, we decided to enjoy a nice breakfast in the Main Dining Room. Anne Marie enjoyed eggs benedict while Keith enjoyed matzah brie which is a nice breakfast dish which can be enjoyed anytime during the year but is one that many people have during Passover. We sat at the same area that we sit in during the evening (one table from our table in the evening) so that we could have our same Senior Waiter Pablo and Waiter Layla. We spoke with them for awhile and also spoke with our Head Waiter, Peter.

After breakfast we took a nice long walk on the Promenade Deck. The weather was gorgeous. It was sunny and we wore light jackets so it was a delight to walk. From the ship we could see buses and cars arriving for those passengers disembarking the ship this morning. There are several other passenger cruise ships in port today so the port was certainly busy.

Since our daughter and son-in-law were joining us today and because this evening is a World Cruise Shore Side event, we stayed on the ship to wait for them. Our daughter Jennifer and son-in-law Gui arrived to the ship a little after 12:00 Noon. Jennifer has sailed once each on the Crystal Harmony and the Crystal Symphony and Gui has sailed once on the Crystal Harmony. This is their first time on the Crystal Serenity. We had lunch with them in the Main Dining Room and spent time with them walking around the ship until their room was ready.

This evening we are all going to the World Cruise Shore Side Event. We will post details about this event tomorrow. The event is being held at the Complesso Monumentale di Santo Spirto in Saxia which is a monumental complex of the Holy Spirit in Saxia. It is located within walking distance of St. Peter’s Square and the Vatican. Santo Spirito in Saxia is indeed one of Rome’s oldest historical monuments. It dates back to AD 747. The complex was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in 1198. It was expanded between 1471 and 1478.

Crystal Cruises is the first cruise line to host an event at this highly acclaimed historical site. We are looking forward to this wonderful event and look forward to sharing what we experience with all of you.

This is the second time in as many years that we have sailed in the Mediterranean in April and just want to note that it is a perfect time to visit this area of the world. We have also sailed here in late September/early October, which is another great time to sail. We prefer both of these time frames relative to the summer when we have also visited the Mediterranean. We find the weather to me much nicer as you don’t encounter the humidity and the high temperatures of the summer, while at the same time there are less tourists visiting this port of call in April. For many we realize that sometimes the summer is the only option for getting away, but for those whose schedule is flexible we prefer Fall or Spring over the Summer.

Keith & Anne Marie

Naples, Italy

NOTE:

Pictures 1,2, and 3 are from our tour of Pompeii.

Picture 4. "Whatta" Lemon. One of the largest lemons we have seen.

Picture 5. A view of Naples.

Last evening, before we went to sleep we enjoyed the breathtaking views of the coast of Italy as we sailed to Naples, Italy. The views from the ship were spectacular as we saw beautiful mountains and coastline, many of which were all lit up. This is another beautiful part of the world with beautiful views in both the daytime and evening hours.

Today we arrived in Naples, Italy. We have visited this port of call several times; most recently on last years World Cruise. Naples is a large city and is one of Italy’s gateway ports to several different tourist sites. This includes Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Isle of Capri and the Amalfi Coastal Drive.

The pier is located about ten minutes walking distance to the center of the city. Today is Liberation Day, which is a national holiday in Italy. Naples has many distinctions and we learned that a famous recipe was developed in this city. In the year 1889, Naples Chef Raffaele Esposito is credited as being the inventor of Pizza Margherita. He was asked to prepare a special meal for the Italian Queen Margherita and he made a pizza with tomato and mozzarella and his wife is came up with the idea to add basil in honor of Italy’s red, white and green flag. Sounds yummy!

We awoke early this morning and enjoyed a nice workout in the Fitness Center. Keith was the first passenger to arrive at the center and he enjoyed a wonderful workout on the Elliptical Machine. Anne Marie also enjoyed a great workout on the Treadmill. Fellow guests Mary and John also worked out while we were there and during our workout all four of us were the only ones working out. This is a committed group of four who always are there each day.

After our workout we stopped by the Lido Café to get a cup of coffee and spoke with John’s lovely wife Linda. A little while later we After enjoyed a nice breakfast in our room as we watched the ship arrive in Naples. We arrived in port a few minutes ahead of schedule.

When we finished breakfast we got ready for our early morning shore excursion. We took the complimentary shore excursion of Pompeii, which was provided, to all passengers on this segment of the World Cruise by Crystal. We first visited Pompeii in the late 1990’s and most recently we visited Pompeii last year as one of the World Cruise evening events was held there.

Pompeii is an amazing place to visit and in 76AD Pompeii suffered a catastrophic event caused by the eruption of Mount Veseuvius. Pompeii used to be a major port and a central location for this area of the world. However, all of this changed when a huge portion of the bay was filled with debris following the volcanic explosion.

We boarded buses and we were taken on a twenty-minute drive over to Pompeii. During our drive, the tour guide pointed out various sites along the way to this historical site and told us about the history of Pompeii. Once inside the site, we walked with our tour guide and visited several locations within Pompeii. The excavations that have taken place in Pompeii are amazing and allows the visitors to walk along streets that are still intact and to view a variety of buildings that included temples, law courts, mansions, private homes and other buildings that were a part of this magnificent area.

Pompeii once was home to as many as 20,000 people and historians have various estimates as to how many people perished as soon as the volcanic ash poured down on this city.

On our way back from Pompeii to the ship the tour guide shared lots of other information concerning Naples and Italy and also talked about various other items including food from cheeses to pizza. Again, yummy!

Our tour and our tour guide were wonderful. There is so much to see that one could spend days at Pompeii.

We want to share an interesting observation about Pompeii. This city is over 2,000 years old but what we saw today shows how advanced these people were in the design and construction of the city. In many ways, this city was much more advanced than other places of the world of today in places such as Africa and portions of the Middle East and Asia that we have visited on our two World Cruises.

Once we arrived back on the ship, we enjoyed a very nice lunch in the Main Dining Room. We had pre-ordered Salad Entrees for lunch.

We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon on the ship and finalized plans for the upcoming eight and final segment of the World Cruise. Today is the final full day of this segment of the World Cruise.

Before dinner we attended the Friday evening Sabbath Services.

This evening we dined in the Main Dining Room. We each enjoyed a wonderful meal. Keith enjoyed Broiled Fresh Atlantic Salmon Fillet and Anne Marie enjoyed the Kosher Chicken as the main entrees. We also enjoyed plenty of vegetables with these entrees along with a wonderfully prepared salad and fresh fruit following dinner.

Tomorrow morning we arrive in Civitavecchia which is the gateway port that serves Rome, Italy. The downtown city of Rome is about a ninety minute drive from this port of call.


Keith & Anne Marie

Catania/Sicily Italy

Today we arrived in Catania/Sicily, Italy. Last year we docked in another area of Sicily which is the beautiful town of Taormina.

Catania is the commercial and industrial center of Sicily. Eorope’s largest volcano, Mt. Etna can be easily scene from this city. Mt. Etna is one of the largest active volcanoes of the world.

Catania has a long history starting in 8th century BC. Overtime this city came under the control over the Romans. In time the Saracens and the Normans controlled this city. The Borbons ruled this area from 1734 to 1860 and ten years later Sicily became part of Italy.

We woke early this morning and started our day with a workout in the Fitness Center. Keith was the first passenger to arrive at the Center and Anne Marie arrived about thirty minutes later. Keith worked out on the Elliptical Machine, while Anne Marie worked out on the Treadmill. Other regulars such as Mary and John were working out.

After our workout we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast.

Keith had his last haircut of the World Cruise on the ship. The hairstylist who has cut his hair each time during the course of the World Cruise is from South Africa and Keith once again had a nice conversation with her about different places we have seen during this adventure.

Our ship docked at the Sporgente Centrale Pier in Catania a few minutes after 7:00 AM this morning. Crystal provided a complimentary shuttle, which ran between the pier to the downtown area of Catania. The shuttles ran every twenty minutes and the distance was around 1.25 miles.

Several different shore excursions were offered today. Since we had visited this city last year when we docked near the city center of Taormina we did not sign up for a shore excursion.

We took the first shuttle to the city center and enjoyed a very nice walk around the downtown area.

This is a fairly large city and there were lots of people walking the major streets. There are lots of Catholic Churches throughout this city and we went inside eight of them. Some were located in small residential neighborhoods that we visited while others were significantly larger in size. We also visited a University. The architecture of many of the buildings was very impressive, and the ages varied but some were quite old. There were many locations where stores were located on the street level while on the floor(s) above there were numerous apartments. One of the churches that we went into was, Benedictine Convent that was quite old.

We visited two markets. One was located fairly close to the location where the shuttle bus dropped us off. That market mainly sold fruit and vegetables, some cheeses, some meat and fish and also had lots of stands set up primarily of clothing items.

The other market was located several blocks from the shuttle stop. This market sold an extensive array of fish, cheese, fruits, and vegetables. The quality of the fruit and vegetables was superb. The colors of these items were just magnificent and each items looked impeccable.

The cheeses were equally impressive. Some of the cheese was larger than anything than we have seen before. And, the smell and aroma of the cheese was unbelievable.

Then there was the fish and other seafood. We have been to other large markets where the amount of seafood is extensive and where it is not only sold to individuals but to businesses. However, what we have seen in the past does not compare to this market. There were many stands selling all kinds of fish but all of a sudden we walked to one area of the market that had all kinds of seafood but also had a large open area where men were shouting back and forth and were bidding on seafood for their businesses; likely restaurants.

There was another area that featured meat and we saw entire animals as well as meat that was in small portions.

We also went into many stores that sold a variety of baked goods from breakfast goods, to pizza, to all sorts of delectable desserts from cookies to pastries to beautiful Italian cakes, to other sweets. The aroma made one ready to sit down and eat. In a age when many of these types of places have been replaced in the states by companies that mass produce these items or where they are primarily sold in grocery stores, it is wonderful to see the quality of these desserts which reminded each of us what desserts looked, smelled and tasted like when we were growing up.

We had a wonderful time walking around this city. The weather was picture perfect. We love the Mediterranean in the spring and in the fall. The weather is much more comfortable this time of year and there are fewer tourists compared to the summer when it is not only hot and humid but the towns are swarmed with tourists.

Once back on the ship, we each enjoyed salad entrees in the main dining room. We sat at our dinner table and chatted with our regular senior waiter, Pablo, and our waiter Layla (pronounced Leila)

The ship departed port at around 5:00 PM and a sail away party was held for all passengers. The party included complimentary Bellinis as we sailed from Sicily to our next port of call which is Naples, Italy.

This evening we dined in the Main Dining Room for dinner. We each had an item that we had pre-ordered earlier in the day with our headwaiter.

This evenings entertainment included a performance by the Italian Tenor who has been on-board the vessel, Corrado Amici. The Acappella Quartet also performed in the open area nearby the reception area.

We had a wonderful day in Italy and look forward to the next couple of days as we stop in other Italian Ports of Call.

Keith & Anne Marie

En Route To Catania/Sicily, Italy

We had a wonderful time at last night World Cruise Event. As we had mentioned, the theme for the event was Roman Holiday. The event began with pre-dinner cocktails in the Palm Court, which is the same room, which is used for the various receptions that we attend. The reception provided a nice opportunity to socialize with several of our World Cruise passengers who we have come to know so very well since we began our journey in January starting in Los Angeles. Various drinks were available including a couple of Italian drinks and guests could order any type of drink that they wanted.

Each of us received a card earlier in the day, noting the number of the table we were assigned to. When it was time to be seated for dinner, one by one, each table number was called. At that point our host escorted us to our table for the evening.

We sat with two other couples who we first met on last years World Cruise. One of the couples we had dined with just the night before and we greatly enjoy their company. The other couple is our next-door neighbor on the ship and we have a tradition of sitting with this couple along with a few other fellow passengers at just about each and every Captain’s Welcome, Captains Farewell, and Crystal Society Reception. We also sat with this couple and met them for the very first time at last years World Cruise Gala that kicked off the 2007 World Cruise. We also greatly enjoy seeing them at all of these events.

Our host for the evening was the person in charge of IT on the ship.

We were escorted to an area that was set up around the indoor pool. The pool was covered with a wooden platform, which was used as a stage for this evening’s entertainment. Before the meal began, and then between courses we were treated to a magical evening of world class entertainment by a variety of performers including entertainers from Crystal along with entertainers who are on the ship for a portion of this segment of the World Cruise. The Crystal musicians played live music.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal.

We started off with an antipasti of beef, stuffed with prosciutto and sweet melon, followed b a delicious roasted vegetable soup with olive crostini, which was followed by a delicious entrée consisting of a reosemary baked veal chop, tartufo risotto, fresh with asparagus, with cherry tomatoes. For dessert we were served white peach tiramisu, limoncella pana cotta and hazelnut-ricotta semifreddo.

Wine was served throughout the meal along with water and coffee and in keeping with the theme for the event Limoncello was served.

Lots of thought and effort go into the planning of this event and we applaud Crystal for making this a special evening that we will cherish for years to come.

Afterwards, we attended the evening show, which included a juggler and a comedian. We stayed for most of this show. For those who are not on the World Cruise, complimentary pre-dinner cocktails were available in many of the lounges and complimentary selected wines were served in the Main Dining Room during dinner.

This morning Keith woke up very early this morning as he had an item that he was dealing with at home for us. As a result, Keith was easily the first passenger to arrive at the center. In fact, he was there so early we won’t mention the precise time ☺. He worked out on the Elliptical Machine for a little over two hours. As he was alone in the center for most of the time, he watched the Pennsylvania Primary results. He spoke with John and Mary for a few minutes.

Afterwards, he went to the Lido Café to bring coffee back to the room for both Anne Marie and himself. Anne Marie worked out later in the morning. Keith spoke with several of the Lido Stewards this morning. They had been up very late having cleaned up after the event. We can’t say enough how wonderful and hardworking these folks are. We greatly appreciate all that they do to make our journey such a pleasant adventure.

Today is a sea day so there are lots of activities throughout the day, afternoon and evening. Since today is the last sea day for this segment of the World Cruise there was a tremendous number of lectures given by several wonderful speakers.


We then enjoyed a very nice breakfast served in our room. After breakfast we got ready for today’s activities.

We attended a wonderful lecture given by destination lecturer Dr. Jay Wolff. The topic of his presentation was “Caesar’s Rome – Corruption and Grandeur”. Once again Dr. Wolff hit a home run with his presentation. He is an amazing speaker as he provides lots of interesting information that is presented in a manner that is very easy to follow. We applaud Dr. Wolff for the effort that goes into preparing and delivering these wonderful presentations and we have learned so very much from him during the entire World Cruise.

We attended two other presentations in the morning. We listed to diplomat Tex Harris and the topic of his presentation was “Terrorism, Pakistan and Statecraft: The Future Challenge.” He gave a very interesting presentation and we greatly appreciate the thoughts that he has shared during each of these presentations.

We then listened to Ambassador Marc Ginsberg who gave a wonderful presentation on a topic called “Atomic Ayatollahs: Iran, the U.S., Israel and the Bomb”. Again, this was also a terrific presentation. Ambassador Ginsberg is a very charismatic speaker and we have learned so very much from him regarding many of the key issues in the Middle East; particularly those involving Israel, Iraq and Iran. The focus of today’s presentation was Iran and the challenges that Iran presents to the Middle East.

Following these presentations we enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the Main Dining Room. Today, was the Grand Gala Buffet which is always a very popular event and one that is very well attended.

In the afternoon, we attended a panel discussion, which included Ambassador Marc Ginsberg, Retired Brigadier General Nick Halley, and American Diplomat Tex Harris. For us, this was the highlight of the day. This panel took questions from the audience and for most questions each of the three speakers shared their views. There were occasions where there was agreement on a particular item but as expected there were times when the speakers expressed different opinions on a particular subject. These are very challenging and complex issues and for some issues there is no right or wrong or precise approach to a particular item. Many times solid discussion, with opposing views, can lead to an optimal solution. We applaud Crystal for being able to feature all three of these speakers on one segment of the cruise. We have certainly learned a great deal from each of them, during their respective individual talks and during today’s panel discussion.

Later in the afternoon, there was yet another speaker when Sports Psychology Expert Stanley Teitelbaum, Ph.D. gave a presentation titled :The Psyche of the Athelete and the Need for Hero’s.”

This evening was the final formal night on this segment of the World Cruise and as part of this evening there was a Captain’s Formal Reception.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner this evening. The food on the ship continues to be outstanding.

Tomorrow, we will arrive to our next port of call in Catania/Sicily, Italy.

This evening we set our clocks back one hour as we sail into a new time zone. This means an extra hour of sleep. ☺


Keith & Anne Marie

Aghios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece

We posted last evening before we went to dinner at the Prego Italian Specialty Restaurant. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner with four other people. This included a wonderful couple who we first met on last years Full World Cruise who we sit with from time to time at various World Cruise Events. The other two people included a charming woman who we dined with about a month ago who spent here entire career as an actor including performing on Broadway and around the country and she has also performed on television and has appeared in movies. We first met her last year on the World Cruise and she is a fascinating woman to talk with. She invited the lead Crystal male vocalist to join us for dinner and it was so wonderful to talk with him. The food, service, ambience of the restaurant and the food was wonderful. I had a seafood special which was on the menu, which was fresh turbo fish that had just been flown in, and my wife enjoyed the black cod. We arrived a few minutes before everyone else so we spoke with the Maitre D’ of the Specialty Restaurant and the Head Waiter for Prego who we have come to know quite well.

This morning we arrived in Crete/Aghios Nikolaos, Greece. This was a maiden call for Crystal Cruises. This city is located on the Greek Island of Crete. It is considered a gateway to many small towns and villages of this region. It has become a favorite destination for visitors to this area of the world. It has a very attractive harbor and has many nice beaches.

Over the years this Island was under the rule of the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Venetians, Ottoman Turks, British, Italians and the German Nazis.

We woke up early this morning and enjoyed another nice workout in the Fitness Center. I worked out on the Elliptical Machine, while my wife worked out on the Treadmill. The workout was great and as we were finishing up the workout we could see the lights from the port.

After our workout we stopped by the Lido Café to get a cup of coffee and later in the morning we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in our room.

Our ship docked at the Aghios Nikolaos in Crete, Greece on schedule by 7:00 AM this morning. No shuttle was needed as the town is located within a very short walk of the pier. From our verandah we had a picture perfect view of this port of call and it is stunning. There was no question that we have arrived to Europe. This city has the look of Greece (it should this is Greece ☺) and of course it has the European flair as well. The only downside is that the USA dollar is worth even less than it was last year. We are glad that we have Euros with us from last year. We don’t think too many people will be out shopping today.

We did not take a shore excursion. Four excursions were offered and the highlights included the Minnoan Palace of Knossos, the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, and the Lassithi Plateau.

During Captain Glenn's daily talk from the bridge his thought for today was "You have succeeded wen all you really want is all you really need." Another very nice thought from the captain. During todays talk the Captain said the weather forecast called for very nice weather and as usual the Captain was correct. We had a beautiful day in port.

We walked off the ship at around 8:15 AM and spent three full hours walking around the town. This is a beautiful town and hopefully one that Crystal will return to in the future. We visited three different churches, and walk up countless roads and side streets. There are many nice restaurants and cafes around the town offering both inside and outside dining. We walked into a few bakeries with wonderful smells of just made breads and cookies and other delectable desserts. We walked inside one supermarket and also looked at a seafood store and also a butcher shop.

We retuned to the ship late morning and in the early afternoon we enjoyed a nice Salad Entrée for Lunch in the Main Dining Room. Afterwards, we decided to taken another walk around town for about an hour. During our afternoon walk we ran into lots of our fellow passengers and crew. Everyone we ran into thought the town was a delight. We also ran into Actor and Playwright Jim Brochu and Steve and chatted for a few minutes. They are both very nice.

This evening is a special World Cruise Event, which will be held at the area around the Indoor Pool. A stage for the entertainment was built and placed over the pool. The event is called Roman Holiday. The event is et to begin with pre-dinner cocktails at 5:30 PM and at 6:00 PM we were escorted to our assigned table. We sat with two other couples who we first met on last years World Cruise and each table was hosted by someone from Crystal’s Staff.

For all of those guests not on the full World Cruise they have been invited for complimentary pre-diner cocktails in several of the Crystal Bars and they are also being offered a selection of complimentary wines with dinner in the Crystal Main Dining Room.

We will post more about the event tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Keith

En Route To Agios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece

We slept very well last evening and today we have a full day at sea as we sail from Alexandria, Egypt to our next port of call in Agios Nikolaos, Greece.

We awoke early in the morning to begin another glorious day at sea. A day at sea on a Crystal ship provides numerous activities to choose from and also many opportunities to socialize with our fellow passengers and with the crew. It also provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the places we have seen and to plan what we will see in the next several ports of call.

As we think through our journey, we again are reminded about the diversity and beauty of our glorious planet. It is amazing to see so much diversity in cultures and in traditions that the people in each country follow and the pride that most people have in their respective homelands. Thank goodness for diversity and we are reminded that we can learn so much from one another. In our minds almost every area of the world has natural beauty. At the same time, some areas of the world add to the attractiveness of their respective lands through irrigation and the planting of forests, while others make their areas more beautiful through the construction of buildings and cities that have lasted such a long time. Like a fine wine, many of these areas get better as they age. We have seen desert turned into lush greenery (this was the case when we visited Israel last year) and is also true in other parts of the Middle East that we visited this year and last year. We have seen beautiful buildings some, of which date back a very long time while others, have been newly built. We have also seen the beauty of each area through the locals who we have met during the course of this adventure who have taken the time to share with us the history and customs of their respective homelands. We have also learned about other areas of the world by sharing thoughts and stories with many of our fellow passengers and crew who come from all over the world. This is an amazing world and we are humbled that we have had the opportunity to visit so many different cities and countries and regions of the world on these two World Cruises. We truly have and continue to make memories during this adventure that surely will last a lifetime.

As we had mentioned yesterday, last evening we set the clocks forward by one hour as we sail into yet another new time zone. We began our day with a nice workout in the Fitness Center. Keith was the first one to arrive at the center and enjoyed another nice workout on the Elliptical Machine. Anne Marie arrived a little while later and enjoyed a nice workout on the Treadmill. A couple of the other regulars were there; John and Mary. Keith spoke with Mary for a good part of his workout and then he caught up with some of the news on the television. There were very few other passengers working out. This was because many of the passengers had taken the one day excursion to Cairo, Egypt to see the Pyramids yesterday and that involves a six hour round trip drive by motor vehicle and they got back to the ship last evening. Add to this that we moved the clocks forward for one hour and this morning was a very good day for them to sleep-in.

After our workout, we stopped by the Lido Café to get some coffee to go. A little while later we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in our room. The seas continue to be very calm.

There are lots of activities on the ship today since today is a sea day.

We went to the Passover Morning Service and greatly enjoyed the service.

Anne Marie spent the last couple of hours of the morning doing some additional packing of items that we won’t need for the remainder of the World Cruise.

Keith attended the second of the lectures given by Ambassador Marc Ginsberg. The topics of his presentation was “Clinton/Obama and McCain: The ’08 Campaign and a Post-Bush Middle East.” Ambassador Ginsberg discussed several key items that he thought would be major international issues for the next United States President to deal with. He discussed the pluses of each of the three candidates and also areas of concern. Keith thought that he gave a very fair and balanced assessment of each candidate and also did a nice job in describing the challenges for the next president and the complexity of the issues. One of the items that Ambassador Ginsberg talked about is how many of these issues and their solutions need to transcend politics. To translate this into our own words, in other words the solutions to many of these items need to go beyond red vs. blue rhetoric. Rather, it will take a country that is united in its approach to address these major issues.

Before lunch there was an event for all of those on this cruise. This is one of many events that have been held throughout the World Cruise for all guests. This one was called Mediterranean Mid-day Mixer and included complimentary beverages along with live music by the ships orchestra and dancing and included entertainment from several of the outside entertainers who are on board the ship for this segment of the World Cruise.

Afterwards, it was time to enjoy lunch in the Main Dining Room. We each enjoyed another wonderfully prepared Salad Entrée.

During the afternoon we enjoyed the amenities of the ship. There were lots of activities to keep us busy.

While we didn’t attend it, this afternoon there was complimentary wine tasting by the head sommelier, which featured four different white wines.

This evening we will go to the Prego Italian Restaurant with a very nice woman who organized the dinner along with a guest that she has invited and one other couple who we know so very well, starting with last years World Cruise. We had dinner with the woman who invited us this time around just about a month ago and we first met her during last years World Cruise. She was an entertainer for many years on and off Broadway and has also appeared on television. She is always so wonderful to talk with and has a terrific outlook on life.

At the same time, there is a special dinner menu in the Main Dining Room since our next set of ports will be in the Mediterranean. Yes, this evening the feature menu was Mediterranean Dinner. The menu featured items representing the Mediterranean.

There were four appetizers including Golden Baked Seafood Spanakopita, Mezze Plate Roasted Venison Carpaccio, Chilled Fruit Cup with Fresh Figs and Metaxa.

Soup and Salad featured five items including a Tomato Bisque with Lobster Salad, Chicken Broth “Mille Fanti”, Cappuccino of Green Garden Peas with Mint Mousseline, Assorted Garden Greens with Crisp Spliced Eggplant Chips and Piquant New Potatoes, Red Endive with Water Melon, Grapes, and Goat Cheese Truffles with Lemon-Olive Vinaigreette.

There was a Pasta Special of Linguine Pasta “Al Vongole”.

Also there was a Salad Entrée of Grilled Sirloin Steak and Greek Farmer’s Salad with lots of other items that are found in the Mediterranean.

The Main Fares included Broiled Fresh Swordfish Steak, Braised Chicken Cacciatore, Grilled Lamb Chops, Pan-Fried Veal Scaloppine “Sorrentino” with Artichokes, Tomatoes and Capers, served with Angel Hair Pasta.

As usual there were lots of side orders to choose from and several traditional main fares items such as Herb Marinated Free- Range Chicken Breast as well as Grilled Back Angus Sirloin Steak.

Are you ready for some Dessert? In addition to the seven Classic Desserts there were two featured items Degustazione di Ricotta which is Ricotta Profiteroles, Ricotta Chocolate Canolliani, and Ricotta Orange Custard (no calories ☺)

There was also a dessert called Strawberry Garden which included Chocolate Cup filled with Marinated Strawberries, Whipped Cream and Vanilla Ice Cream.

And, if you prefer cheese from the Cheese Trolley the cheeses featured this evening were Mont d’Or, Manchega, Chablis, St. Augur, Rabiola, and Sainte Maure


Starting with this afternoon there was lots of entertainment. At 4:30 PM the production show called Gotta Dance was shown. This is the newest production show on this ship and from time to time the production shows are being shown in the afternoon so that additional entertainers can be featured at night.

This evening features a Spanish Folkloric Show featuring Flamenco Mulero with Ricardo Sanchez Lopez, Raquel Vincente Porcel and Maria Del Rocio.

Later in the evening the entertainment continues with a Cabaret Shwotime featuring the Acappella Quartet called Full Sail.

For those who enjoy star gazing (and we’re talking about stars not actors/actresses) from 10:30 PM to 12 Midnight astronomer Dr. Norman Caisse is on hand for the night viewing of the stars.

Tomorrow morning we arrive to our next port of call in Greece.

Keith & Anne Marie

Alexandria, Egypt

NOTE:

Picture 1 of Mosque

Picture 2 is from Roman Theatre. It is believed that this theatre was just for the wealthy citizens of Alexandria given its size. Could hold about 800 people. It was in excellent condition and they are still digging in an adjacent area looking for more of the old city.

Picture 3 is from Pompey's Pillar.

Last night we mentioned that we had attended the Passover Seder on board the ship and we wanted to mention how much we enjoyed the Seder. While there were about 130+ passengers in attendance, the setting was excellent and it had a nice family and friend feeling to this wonderful celebration. Passengers from various faiths were in attendance. The Catholic Clergy joined us at our table. It is certainly extra special to celebrate this holiday in the Middle East and to share it with so many of our fellow passengers.

Our wonderful Rabbi conducted the service and the meal was terrific. In addition the traditional food items that are part of the actual Seder we also enjoyed a wonderful Seder Meal. The menu included Gefilte Fish, Chicken Broth with Matzo Balls, Roasted Kosher Chicken accompanied by Carrot Tzimmes, Steamed Asparagus, Over-Roasted Potatoes and Natural Gravy, Raspberry Sherbet with Fresh Strawberries, Served with Coconut and Hazelnut Macaroons. There were various Passover Wines to accompany the Seder and the Dinner along with coffee, tea and soft drinks. The wait staff from the Prego Italian Specialty Restaurant, some waiters from the Main Dining Room, several Sommeliers, and many of the bar crew and Lido Stewards were on hand to serve this delicious meal and their service was five star+ as it always is.

We truly appreciate all of the efforts that went into planning this Passover Seder by the Rabbi, his lovely wife and all of those involved from Crystal.

This morning we arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, which is our second visit to this port of call in as many years. Alexandria is Egypt’s second largest city and it is its number one port. This port of call was named after none other than Alexander the Great and during Cleopatra’s time served as the capital of Egypt. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was located in Alexandria; the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Alexandria is also known for having been a major center of early Christianity and for academia. It also was home to the largest library of the ancient world.

We were docked by 7:00 AM and after the ship was cleared, passengers could go ashore. The area in which the ship docks is very secure and clear with several nice looking buildings in the surrounding area. There were various open market stores that are set up in the adjoining area as was the case last year. Those selling merchandise here are far less pushy and aggressive than the ones who push items in the downtown area. They are easy to talk with and while they want to show you all of their items and make a sale they have a very pleasant demeanor and a nice sense of humor

The City of Alexandria has a good deal of charm and beauty with its nice beaches, historical sites, newly constructed sites, its beautiful harbor, and it is also the gateway port to the city of Cairo. Cairo is located approximately three hours from this city by motor vehicle.

There are many nice areas of this city to visit along with some areas that are let us say not so nice. For the tourist, there are certain areas that can be challenging at times when walking around certain parts of the city as the locals very often can be very aggressive, and do not easily back-off when one says they are not interested by saying no thank you. So, sometimes one has to be firm if they are not interested in looking at items that the locals are trying to sell. When we say locals, we are not referring to those who work in the stores but those who come up to you with merchandise to sell.

We woke up early once again and began our day with our daily workout. Keith got up to the Fitness Center before 4:30 AM (ouch) and he continued to rack up the miles on the Elliptical Machine. Anne Marie arrived at her normal time and got in part of her daily time on the Treadmill. Other regulars such as Mary and John were working out and Keith talked with Mary for quite awhile.

After our workout we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in our room as we got ready for our shore excursion for this port of call.

During the Captain’s morning announcement he noted that the outside temperature was 68 degrees Fahrenheit and that the weather forecast called for a nice sunny day. His forecast was correct. Captain Glenn’s thought for the day was “It is the empty can that makes the most noise.”

The name of our shore excursion was Roman Alexandria.
It was a wonderful tour. We had a terrific tour guide who shared lots of excellent information with us. As part of our tour we stopped at the 84-foot tall Pompey’s Pillar, which was originally part of the Temple of Serapis. Our tour also included with a visit to Catacombs of Kom el Shugafa, which was the most important of the Roman burial grounds dating from the 2nd century AD. We also had a chance to visit the Roman Theatre. This theatre was only discovered in the mid-1990’s when work was being done in preparation for the construction of a new building. It is amazing to think of what has not yet been discovered from this ancient city. We also saw other sites during our time on the bus including the new library, the citadel, and a mosque.

After we arrived back from the ship we enjoyed a nice lunch in our room that we pre-ordered.

Crystal provided a complimentary shuttle that ran between the per to the Sofitel Cecil Hotel in downtown Alexandria. The shuttle ran frequently and the drive was about twenty minutes each way. Since we had gone into the downtown area twice last year we decided to pass on going back this time around. Instead, we walked around the port area, which we found to be very pleasant. It is a beautiful port which also includes a small park like area.

The locals that we came into contact with at the various places that we stopped were very nice. There was a lot of security at each stop and we had a security person with us on the bus. Tourism continues to be a major drivers of the Egyptian Economy and they do not want to incur any issues that could jeopardize tourism.

Later in the afternoon we walked around several of the shops on the pier that were selling a wide range of items. While walking around, we saw lots of familiar faces from the ship including crew and guests alike

This evening we enjoyed a very nice dinner in the Main Dining Room. We had looked at the menu for this evening last night and decided to order a special dinner for this evening, which was wonderfully prepared.

We sail at 11:00 PM this evening and for one of the few times during the course of this cruise we will set the clocks forward one hour. ☹ We really can’t complain as we have had many night where we set the clock back one hour and we know that this will be the case of the last couple of weeks of our World Cruise adventure.

We had an enjoyable day in Alexandria. There is so much to see in this city that one could spend a long time here. For example, there is the Alexandria Library, which is a beautiful library containing lots of historical information, the Greco-Roman Museum, and let us not forget the Pyramids just a three hour drive from Alexander or about a ninety minute ride by Train. We suspect that in time there will be more historical sites to see as additional sites that have been hidden for thousands of years are discovered beneath the current city level.

Keith & Anne Marie

Transiting The Suez Canal

Today we transited the Suez Canal. This is our second time having the opportunity to transit this canal in as many years. On one side of the canal, much of what one sees is desert whereas, on the other side there is town after town with many nice homes, hotels and other resorts, along with the beauty of luscious grass and other vegetation to view. There are also times when most of what you see on both sides is desert. Yes, it is different than the Panama Canal but nevertheless when you think about all of the labor that went into construction of this canal or the fact that someone had the foresight to identify the benefits of the canal it is truly amazing.

We awoke early this morning after getting another good nights sleep. The ship was very calm last evening as we made our way towards the entry point of the canal. Keith was the first passenger to arrive at the Fitness Center and when he began his workout our ship was not moving as we and other ships were waiting our turn to enter the canal. As we learned later during the Captain’s morning announcement, we had dropped anchor at around 3:00 AM this morning.

Eventually, fellow passengers John, and Mary and of course Anne Marie joined Keith in the center. Keith enjoyed another wonderful workout on the Elliptical Machine while Anne Marie worked out on the Treadmill. Keith spoke with Mary for a little while. We could see the Pilot come onto the ship at around 5:45 AM.

After our workout we enjoyed a cup of coffee and began to enjoy the Suez Canal. We enjoyed a nice breakfast in our room. After breakfast, we spent time outside to view the Suez Canal and the land that surrounds the canal on both sides of the ship. As was the case last year, entry points to the Suez Canal are watched closely by Egyptian Military. A special narrator was brought on board the ship and provided commentary throughout our time in the canal. She gave a talk every hour for about ten minutes. The commentator is from Egypt, spoke wonderful English, and was one of the tour guides during one of the tours the other day.

Many passengers chose to view the canal from various vantage points from the ship including their verandahs, the Promenade Deck where passengers could either stand or walk around the deck, and the Palm Court, which provides a nice panoramic view from inside the ship of the canal. There are also many other venues in which to get a nice view of the canal and the surrounding land. Our transit through the canal was about twelve hours from approximately 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

During the Captain’s morning announcement, Captain Glenn noted that the first pilot who came on board the ship early in the morning would depart the ship when a second pilot came on board later in the morning. We were the first ship to enter the canal going Northbound this morning. Captain Glenn had another nice thought for the day which is “Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.:

There were some activities scheduled while we transited the Suez Canal but less than normal sea day. This was done so that passengers could take advantage of seeing the canal and also so as not to tie up certain rooms such as the Palm Court that could be used for viewing the Suez Canal.

We continued to view the canal from different positions on the ship. The weather was delightful and actually was on the cooler side in the morning but even so was perfect for enjoying lots of time on the open decks of the ship.

Later in the morning, we took time away from viewing the canal to attend a lecture featuring Middle East Expert, Ambassador Marc Ginsberg, who presented “Israel at 60: A Middle East Milestone.” Mr. Ginsberg has served in a variety of positions and played a large role in shaping United States Policy in the Middle East in the 1970’s. Mr. Ginsberg is an eloquent speaker who does a wonderful job holding the attention of his audience. We look forward to his other two presentations along with the panel discussion that he will appear on with General Haley and Tex.

After Mr. Ginsberg’s lecture we enjoyed a nice lunch in the Main Dining Room. Before going to lunch we picked up our passports, once again, as we will need to carry these when we arrive in Alexandria, Egypt tomorrow morning.

This afternoon we continued to enjoy the views from the ship. Keith stood out for quite a while as we were making our way towards the highest suspension bridge in the world. Even so, it didn’t seem as though we had too much room to clear the ship, but we did and both the bridge and the ship are in good shape. ☺

This evening we attended the Passover Celebration along with about 130 other guests. Our wonderful Rabbi conducted the Passover Seder and afterwards we enjoyed a sensational meal prepared by the excellent chefs on board this ship. The Prego Specialty Restaurant was closed this evening so that the wait staff could be utilized along with some of the other staff to serve this meal. We had a wonderful time at the Seder and appreciate all of the preparation that went into this evening by the Rabbi, his lovely wife, and the Crystal staff.

For a good portion of the day tomorrow we will not have Internet Service so we are not sure whether or not we will post tomorrow.

Keith & Anne Marie

Safaga, Egypt Part 2

NOTE:

Picture 1 of Rick Spath, our Cruise Director


The ship was very quiet last evening as many guests and some crew were off the ship.

We woke early this morning and enjoyed a nice workout in the Fitness Center. Keith arrived first followed about thirty minutes later by John and Anne Marie arrived a little while after that. While we were working out there were very few passengers in the Fitness Center. As usual, Keith worked out on the Elliptical Machine. During his workout, Keith caught up on the news and later watched a good portion of a movie that he has seen before but enjoys quite a bit. Anne Marie worked out on the Treadmill and continued to read a book during most of her workout.

Afterwards, we stopped by the Lido Café to get a cup of coffee and we spoke with one of our favorite Lido Deck Stewards, Ross.

We enjoyed a nice breakfast in our room. Keith had the opportunity to meet our new butler Daniel who is from Vancouver, Canada. Anne Marie first met Daniel yesterday afternoon when Alexander introduced him to Anne Marie and to our room. Alexander had prepared a nice one-page information sheet for Daniel so that he was aware of our preferences and our routine. The challenge for Daniel is to find enough blueberries and strawberries to keep Keith happy. ☺ Alexander departed the ship last evening to begin his journey back home. We will miss him dearly and we have tremendous respect and admiration for all that he does.

After breakfast we decided to take a nice long walk on the Promenade Deck of the ship. The weather was great so we thought it would be nice to walk outside to get some fresh air. Several other passengers had the same idea, so we ran into several of our fellow guests who we have come to know quite well.

Later in the morning we also took care of some errands and we also turned our passports over to the front reception desk.

We enjoyed a nice lunch in the Main Dining Room before the ship departed Safaga.

Early in the afternoon, Keith attended the third lecture given by Retired Brigadier General Nick Halley. The title of his presentation was “Terrorism, Part 2 – our World Since the 9/11 Attacks. He shared his views on the current situation in Iraq and then took several questions from the audience.

Later in the afternoon, Keith chatted with some of our fellow passengers that he has become friendly with while Anne Marie worked on one of her needlepoint patterns. Keith also had the opportunity to chat for awhile with the Finkel Brothers, Elliot and Ian, who are guest entertainers on board the ship.

This evening we enjoyed a very nice dinner in the Main Dining Room.

Later this evening we will be attended Zero Hour. This play is a one-man show that was performed by actor and playwright Jim Brochu. This is a preview of the official Broadway debut this Fall. The performance was outstanding and we know this will be a hit.

After the show, the Crystal Galaxy Orchestra performed Dixieland in the Crystal Cove and the Finkel Brothers also accompanied them for a couple of the songs.

Tomorrow we sail in the Suez Canal.

Keith & Anne Marie

Safaga, Egypt

NOTE: Four Pictures

Picture 1 of building near Safaga Port. While building along the route to where we were dropped off were mainly of smaller sizes relative to this building, most had the same coloring to the exteriors of the buildings.

Picture 2 is typical of the open land (desert) that we saw on our way to where we were dropped off. The opposite side of the road was more beach-like.

Picture 3 is the front of the Holiday Inn where the complimentary shuttle dropped us off.

Picture 4 is an open court area that was behind some of the nearby stores. It looked like it was used for an open air restaurant.

We might not have mentioned this before but just about every evening of a sea day we receive a nice letter in our room from the World Cruise Hostess. The letter shares information about upcoming events and sometimes highlights places that we have just visited or will be arriving to shortly. Last nights letter noted various events that are coming up over the next several days.

On April 22nd we will be attending a World Cruise Dinner. This is one of two special dinners hosted on the ship in an area by the indoor swimming pool. For that evening, a stage is normally erected to cover the pool area and is used for the entertainment for the evening. A special dinner is served and we are assigned to reserved seats. All of the details are a surprise except for the theme of the dinner, which is called Roman Holiday.

A few days later on April 26 we will be taken from the ship at approximately 5:00 PM to a World Cruise Shore side Event (again one of two) that is hosted for us in Rome. Our first event was hosted in Sydney. Lots of effort and planning go into these events. In fact, usually the venue for the World Cruise special shore side events is reserved a year or more in advance at which time the planning commences. The letter also noted that many more activities are planned before our World Cruise ends in Southampton, London.

We really appreciate the thought and care that goes into these letters by the World Cruise Hostess.

This morning we arrived to Safaga, Egypt. Safaga is located on the western area of the Red Sea and is the gateway to the Nile Valley. The Valley of the Kings is located about three hours by motor vehicle from this port of call.

We woke up early this morning after enjoying another good nights sleep. We set our clocks back last evening by one hour as we arrived in another new time zone. The seas were a little rougher this morning relative to the past several weeks but not in the least bothersome to us. A few passengers said they were awoken from the seas, but this did not affect our sleep at all.

Keith worked out in the Fitness Center early this morning and enjoyed a very nice workout on the Elliptical Machine. He spoke with Mary most of the time and the Fitness Center was not very busy. Keith stayed on the Elliptical Machine for a personal best of two hours. Yes, the miles are adding up and thank goodness these are wonderful Elliptical machines.

Anne Marie took care of our laundry and then when Keith finished his workout he assisted Anne Marie with the laundry. Afterwards, we enjoyed a very nice breakfast in our room while we waited for the ship to dock in Safaga. This morning our butler, Alexander, who we have thoroughly enjoyed, is leaving the ship to go on Holiday. We will miss his wonderful service and the nice talks we have had with him along the way. How he remembers so many things amazes us each and every day.

The ship was cleared for disembarkation a little before 8:00 AM this morning. During the Captains Morning announcement, Captain Glenn noted that the outside temperature was 75 degrees Fahrenheit and that the forecast was for sunny skies throughout the day. Captain Glenn’s thought of the day was “The person who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.” Another great thought for the day and we always enjoy them. The Captain reminded all passengers to take their passports with them while in port today and tomorrow morning.

This is our second time in Safaga as we cruised to this port of call on last years World Cruise. The ship will spend an overnight in this port of call and will depart this port tomorrow at 1:00 PM for our journey to Alexandria, Egypt.

Many guests visiting this port of call for the very first time traveled to Luxor. Luxor consists of three areas. It includes the City Of Luxor, the town of Karnak and Thebes. Most passengers visiting Luxor either took the one day tour (approximately three hours each way), or the one night overland tour, while some booked private transportation via Crystal. These passengers traveled via convoy from the port to Luxor. The Egyptian Government is very safety conscious with respect to foreign visitors traveling within the country and added security measures are taken to prevent an incident that could jeopardize the safety of its visitors. The Egyptian Government recognizes that tourism is a major staple of its economy and therefore does not want an incident to occur whose publicity would impact tourists from visiting their country.

Between Safaga and the city located just thirty miles north of it, Hurghada, there are a large number of beach resorts. The beaches are well known for their cleanliness and some of them have black sand. People visit these areas for the various activities including snorkeling or scuba and of course to also visit historical sites in Luxor and in other areas with a few hours from the town.

Guests were informed about taking photographs in Egypt. If one wants to take photographs of Egyptians, particularly women or religious people, we wee advised that we should ask first or at least politely inform them that we would like to include them in our picture. Our recommendation would be to ask first. On tours, there are various rules and regulations that must be followed. There are some areas where it is forbidden to take pictures there are times that if someone is caught taking a picture in a prohibited area their camera can be confiscated. The key is to follow the rules and regulations.

As we walked off the ship, we had to show our passport to someone from the local authority who verified that our passport had been stamped and that the picture matched us.

We took the complimentary shuttle that Crystal provided from the port over to an area within Safaga. The city is located a little over six miles from the port. On our drive over to the town, the water and beach were on the right hand side and on the left hand side were a variety of buildings; many of which were in the process of being constructed. This is clearly a resort area. We were dropped off right outside the Holiday Inn and just a minute walk from the bus there were several stores on each side of the road. We walked into most of the shops. There were a handful of jewelry shops, several other shops selling beachwear items from cover-ups to other related items, other shops selling Egyptian crafted items from little boxes to other statues, a couple of stores selling glassware such as beautifully looking perfume bottles, one store selling a variety of spices, and a few sundry type of shops. We spoke to many of the shopkeepers who were quite friendly and were not pushy. One storekeeper told us everything was on sales and the store was closing tomorrow. We then expected him to ask us if we wanted to purchase the Brooklyn Bridge, or was that the Suez Canal. ☺

We took the shuttle back to the ship and we took a very nice walk on the Promenade Deck of the ship for a little over an hour. About fifteen minutes into our walk we ran into a fellow passenger on the full World Cruise and we enjoyed a very nice conversation with her.

In a couple of days we will arrive in Alexandria, Egypt, which we also visited last year. During our stay in Alexandria, we will take a tour called Roman Alexandria. This excursion will include visits to a number of historical Roman locations.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the Main Dining Room.

This evening we dined at the Prego Italian Specialty Restaurant. We chatted with Bruno who is filling in as Maitre D’ while the other Specialty Restaurant Maitre D’ is on Holiday. Bruno was our head waiter for the first couple of segments of last years World Cruise. While the regular Specialty Restaurant Maitre D’ is on the ship, Bruno is the headwaiter in Prego. The Maitre D’ of the Specialty Restaurants, overseas both Prego and Silk Road and some of the other venues such as Tastes and the Lido Café. We really enjoy Bruno and his passion for food and outstanding service. He always give us great recommendations on various food items including seafood specials.

This evening we dined with another World Cruise couple who we first met on last years World Cruise. We had a wonderful dinner including a great conversation with wonderfully prepared food in a restaurant with a great deal of ambience.

Keith & Anne Marie