Cruising along...

Sorry that we have been out of touch for so long, but very very very big Cruise ships don't have very reliable internet services and at 10 Euro per hour, whose gonna use it anyway! Not me!

But very very very big Cruise ships have everything else that ONE could imagine (at a cost of course) and more! Sooooooo.....

Day 1:
Arrive at the Venice port terminal and line up to have our baggage labelled with our cabin number, sooooo it can be taken to our room by the porters. Own up to broken suitcase...they put a label on the sorry thing...but they still take it to our cabin. I'm already in heaven...I could see that this was going to be a beautiful friendship.

We sit in the terminal for nigh on two hours, but we didn't care...this was going to be an experience...we could tell looking out the window and up at the very very very big Cruise ship...a floating city! Finally our number gets called and we wander toward the baggage checking lines. (Now, do we own up to the contraband that we have in our bags, eg bottle of Italian wine, 2 cans of beer, various bits and pieces of food including half a packet of chips, and our decaffeinated Green Tea bags - brought from Australia. We had been warned in the Cruise information that no food or drink can be brought aboard the very very very big Cruise ship!!) I walked ahead of David, who had his speech ready regarding said contraband items...I did not know him just then...but all bags went through the checking machines...nothing...I can't believe...I was ready to throw myself on the mercy of the baggage checkers and beg for mercy...David just walked through...go figure!

We were on the very very very big Cruise ship...now what? I guess we look for cabin no 12040...we find the lift and pop in with our contraband bags and push the button for Level 12 (we were on Level 6). Up we go in a very very very shiny lift...then at Level 12 the lift stops and the doors slide open to reveal...oh my, I have never seen so much gold and shiny things and fancy carpet (did I mention that the ship is only 10 months old - very shiny and new! David will give you all the tech details - he went to the lecture!)

Corridors leading this way and that...numbers that go from 12001 - 12260 on one sign...12260??? You go that way I said to David and I'll go the other...but keep in touch by mobile phone okay??? Finally found 12040 on the even side of the very very very big Cruise ship...called David and we opened the door of our new home! Very nice and sparkling clean room with a real double bed (this was a novelty to us as we have not had many double beds during our travels, but rather two singles pushed together with separate bedding for each - getting cosy was dangerous, as falling through the two beds was a problem. Enough about that!!) and a bathroom with a snappy lock (for high seas I guess!??) It felt like you were in a caravan, but I loved it!

Our compact bathroom with "snappy" lock!

You know what very best bit was? Being able to unpack our suitcases into the cupboards and drawers putting the suitcases under the bed. It was wonderful.(Contraband items carefully hidden!)

Then we plucked up the courage to walk out onto the balcony...twelve stories is very very very high and we both felt a little woozy for a minute or two looking down at the wharf below us...then looking along the very very very big Cruise ship to the other end which was a very very very long way away. We couldn't work out if we were at the front of the ship or the back of the ship. As for port and starboard...forget it!!!





Very shiny things on the vvvbCs.

 Now what...bags unpacked...TV checked...it had our names on the screen...Welcome David and Christine Paech...oh my, they know who we are (no secrets here...did they see me hiding our contraband???) Lunch??? Can we get lunch?? Off we go exploring the very very very big Cruise ship (vvvbCs), using the very shiny stairs and lifts...Level 12...where's the food?  Level 13...easy bubs...up the stairs one level...out into the sunlight and the swimming pool area...not one pool....no, two pools and a number of spas and that's just the open area...we keep walking (kilometres - I think!) past the outdoor pools in doors to the indoor pools...past the indoor pools to the cafeteria No 1, (along with 53 million other people...this could be a problem.) Just keep walking I say to David and check it all out first...we keep walking past the first cafeteria into the second cafeteria around to third cafe and finally into the fourth cafe, each with exactly the same range of food...miles of food...our eyes are popping out of our heads...food everywhere.

We find a seat (not easy with 53 million people!) as close to the window as possible, but David's not looking ...it's very high, and off he goes to choose food from the miles of food available. He comes back...eventually and I take off to partake. I pick up a plate (the size of my serving plates at home) and wander past the vast array...of course I fill up the said large plate with some of everything (vegetarian) and come back to my seat, plate piled and immediately regret getting some of everything. Oh well, mustn't waste food...eat up!

After lunch we wandered around the vvvbCs trying to take it all in...not possible, so gave up! Went back to our cabin to read the information sheet provided to assimilate all new passengers...oh and went to the information session for English speaking passengers...we were late, couldn't find the room where it was being held. (Have I mentioned that it's a vvvbCs?) Oh, by the way we haven't left the port yet.

See the vvvbCs's outdoor pools? This is just before take
off. Very cool!

Just before 5 pm we find a possie on the upper deck (floor 16 - it's the highest level)! and look out over the swimming pools at the the vvvbCs's dance floor where the leaving Venice party is happening...the horn (do ship's have horns?) sounds and number of times and then the vvvvCs start to back out of the port. Who on earth can back a 93,000 ton cruise ship out of a port...out we go straight as a die and then we take a left turn out into the canal of Venice...what a sight this must be all 16 stories of Cruise ship sliding past the buildings and people of Venice...stunning sight, the ship all alight and glowing in the dusk of Venice. We are agog at the master of the ship (who we meet a few night later, Guiseppe!) and his crew who manouveur this floating city around canals. We are Cruise ship debutantes and we are not ashamed to say that we were taken but the glitz and glammour of Las Vegas on water...it was great!

Now the shows over we are in the open sea (and it's cold on deck), we have to fill in time before dinner...we were on the second sitting at 8.45pm (yes, I know that's very late for dinner! We thought so too!) So, what are the options? Walk around through the Casino, or the 10 - 20 different bars, or cruise past the shops, or go to reception for the umpteenth time to ask a question, or try and find our cabin again, or ??????

We had read in our information sheet that there would be a SHOW (of highest calibre!) on at 7.15 pm for those on 2nd sitting dinner, so off we went (anything to kill some time!) and found some seats in the theatre. I was skeptical re "C'est Magnifique", but David was hopeful. Out came the dancing girls...7 in all and a couple of blokes (what for, I wasn't sure!)  They pranced around a bit (dancing????) and I had my skepticism realised...David has happy, they were scantily clad. Then the hoop twirling girl was next...hmmmm...then the juggler, who had people from the audience participate (yep, David was roped in to throw a plastic ring from his seat so the juggler could catch it over his head...hmmmm...that didn't go well)...then some acrobats, who were very good on a rocking ship...followed by the dancing girls again! It was okay in some respects, but quite twee in others. C'est Magnifique?? Non pas sur votre vie!!

Off for dinner (at last!). We have our own table no. 720 in the "fancy schmancy" French named Restaurant (which I can't remember) and were promptly greeted by our head waiter. He pulled out the chair for me and then handed me my "Gluten Free" menu (see, they know everything about me - how well did I hide the contraband stuff!) There were five courses listed on the menu and I felt that it was necessary to order something from each course, of course...so that I didn't disappoint my three waiters (two more turned up and were very attentive to our every need). Appertiser, nice...Salad, a bit ho hum...Entree, delicious (feeling decidedly full)...Mains, wonderful (can't actually move now)...Dessert, fabulous (help me Lord)...all accompanied by a "whole" bottle of wine between us. I push my chair away from the table but I can't actually make my legs work, they refuse to carry me out of the restaurant (it's now after 10 pm) and I think the vvvbCs has hit rough water...this could be a very very very long week.

Day 2:
Ditto...everything after finding our room...except, still fill my serving platter for both breakfast and lunch, but humbly choose four out of five courses for dinner (different menu each night!)...wonder why I still can't move. Must hit the gym tomorrow!

Day 3:
Ditto...except, lighter breakfast and slightly lighter lunch, hit the gym...forget the TV monitor on the walking machine...watch the Greek coast go by...and choose three out of five courses...getting smarter now.

Day 4:
Excursion to Ephesus. (David's blog to come!) Ditto the rest.

Day 5:
Excursion to Istanbul. (David's blog to come!) Ditto the rest.

Day 6:
Ditto. Gym, but not much wandering around these days the vvvbCS has hit some bad weather. Watched a movie.

Day 7:
Excursion to Dubrovnik. I think the glitz and glammour has worn off and we have dinner under control at last. Hugged our three waiters (all from Bali - that's another story!) and were sorry to leave the restaurant for the last time.

Day 8:
Disembarking day...interesting how they get 2000 passengers off the vvvnCS in a pretty orderly fashion.

All in all cruising is pretty cruisey!!!