Day #2: At Sea

We awoke to an overcast sky, rain, and cool temperatures this morning. We had a buffet breakfast in the Windjammer Cafe this morning. Actually, we ate out of doors under the canopy at the stern of this ship. Despite the weather, this was preferable as the Windjammer (which seems to lack adequate seating normally) was chock-a-block due to the weather. In fact, the crew kept making announcements to the effect of “Did you enjoy your breakfast? Good. Now please leave to allow others to do the same.” I've never seen this before on a cruise, and I'm of two minds with respect to what I think of it.

Today was also “lecture and demonstration” day for us. We attended sessions on port excursions and shopping – both mildly amusing and semi-informative. The “port lecturer” (I think I missed my calling... though I'm about 50-60 years too young based on our experiences with these folks) talked about the Norman history of Sicily for an hour. Sadly, some of his audience fell asleep (a few of which I was concerned might have passed away, but thankfully following a nudge from travel companions they manged shuffle out after it was over). Anyway, it was interesting but not especially memorable. It had something to do with a couple of guys named Roger, a few popes, and a tooth. I don't know. Look up the details for yourself.

In other news, we sailed past Sardinia this afternoon. That's one of the torments of cruising. Sometimes you just sail past interesting places without stopping. Had this been a highway and had I been driving, I would have definitely taken the “Sardinia” exit for a minor detour. Alas, that was not to be.

But, I was able to get a few pictures of the island as the sky had cleared:


Tonight is “formal night” for dinner and the Captain's Cocktail Reception, both of which we're going to skip. We will, however, see the production show at 9pm.

Then it's Palermo, Sicily tomorrow!

Sea Day Q&A: Answers

I pulled this list of question around 10am (ship's time) this morning. So, if you posted your question later, I'll address it on the next sea day (Thursday).

Here are the answers:

Most anticipated port and why?

This one's easy: Cairo. Why? It gets us onto another continent. And, we get to see the only remaining wonder of the ancient world. I should, however, note that I also think this could end up being the most disappointing port as well. I'm concerned about the “Mona Lisa phenomenon” in which standing in front the actual thing is less impressive / inspiring than what one might have anticipated. More on this concern later.

How much money have a lost in the casino?

$10 on about an hour's worth of video poker. If I play roulette, I'm sure I will lose more.

How long before our luggage showed up?

Our bags were in front of our stateroom by 2:30 in the afternoon. So, that's about two and a half hours from when we dropped them off at the pier. I wouldn't say this is typical (I know that bags were still being delivered when we left for dinner around 6pm. But, our experience has usually been very good.

How quickly do the spa treatment reservations fill up?

This one is tricky. I called the spa today, and I could get an appointment for most services at some time. That said, I couldn't get any service at any time. So, if you're looking for a special treatment at a particular time, I think you're wise to book ahead. Indeed, you're traveling with a couple thousand other people – it's always good to plan ahead and book early. For example, we switched our dining room table and made our specialty restaurant reservations upon embarkation. Required? Probably not. Stress free? Absolutely. If you know what/when you want something, arrange it early and then go party!

How are the healthy dining menu options?

It seems that each evening the main dining room offers “Vitality” options. These consist of a healthy starter, main, and dessert course. Yesterday's options included a fruit salad, salmon entrée, and (I believe) the low-fat blueberry/peach cobbler that I ate. The main menu also has a few of what I would call “healthy-ish” options. The one's we've had (on this cruise and others) have generally been good. That said, if you're looking for organic, all-natural, free-range whatever... just keep looking (and likely not on a mass market cruise line). Finally, the portion sizes on most of the dishes are generally pretty “modest” (my polite way of saying small)... in fact, some of the individual tapas items in Barcelona were actually larger portions. Thus, overeating is really an option., not a requirement.

Have I been to the “quarterdeck” or done other nautical things?

Sadly, Jack, the quarterdeck (bridge) is off limits for steerage-class swabs, like me. Modern safety and security regulations. But, I'm not sure you'd be impressed by the seamanship – no masts, no rigging, and “the wheel” is not a joystick. I have, though, participated when they ran out the guns... firing the food cannons at us. Now, that's my kind of broadside. Or is that broadening my backside?

Any musicals on the ship?

Jack, you musical aficionado, yes... as it happens tonight we'll be seeing a “Broadway / West End” style production entitled “Now and Forever.” It features selections from popular, contemporary musicals such as Mamma Mia, The Producers, Contact, The Fully Monty, etc. It's actually the second time we'll have seen this show, having been on Navigator of the Seas out of Florida with the entire family over Thanksgiving last November. We'll also have an evening of opera later in the cruise. More details to follow.

Did I notice a naughty room?

Sadly, I did not see the naughty room. But, I didn't carry any liquid contraband onto this cruise (though I did last summer without incident on NCL). I do, however, know the naughty room was in effect as I overheard another passenger whining about having lost his travel iron (and all of his clothing was wrinkled – the horror!). Experience tells me that they take safety hazards (such as irons) more seriously than revenue hazards (such as liquor). Indeed, in Barcelona, it's super simple to bring booze onto the boat. RCI doesn't scan the carry-on luggage and and the Spanish police/military/port authority hardly seem to be looking for booze. If you don't turn yourself in or look guilty, you shouldn't have a problem. Just keep the candles, irons, missile launchers, or other dangerous items at home.

Sea Day Q&A's -- Open for Questions

I'm thinking the best time to answer questions is during days at sea.

So, in advance of each sea day, I'm going to post an entry (like this one) inviting you to ask me questions. Last year, I got questions after I got off of the ship that I couldn't easily answer. But, they're pretty easy to find out here.

Want to know about the spa menu (just how many kinds of massage do they offer)? Care to know which beers are available (sadly, no wheat beers)? Curious about the cost of miniature golf (free) or the golf simulator ($25 for one hour, up to four people)?

Tell me what you want to know.

Go ahead. Make my day. Ask away.

Report on the Dept. of Annoyance and Inconvenience

Brilliance doesn't seem to offer Internet access in its cabins (unless, I suppose, your cabin is close enough to a WiFi hot spot). The “data” port on the desk exists only to taunt you. That sucks! So, I'll have to carry myself off to a public space to post to the blog. That pretty much means I'll be working in nightclubs for the next 11 days!

I'm typing this to a samba right now!

#$@%! me!!!

Day 1: Departing Barcelona

After lunch in the Windjammer Cafe, we headed to our cabin (#8504). It's an oceanview stateroom on Deck 8 toward the very front of the ship. The cabin is unusual for us in two ways.

First, it isn't the cabin we booked. It was an upgrade. Since we thought we might do two “big” vacations this year, we opted to “keep some of our powder dry” (sorry, I always start talking in semi-nautical metaphors at sea) and went with the inside (no window / no balcony stateroom) cabin. The price was right at the time we booked: about $1000/pp. for the 11-night journey. However, we were surprised by this upgrade a couple of weeks before sailing. It has a retail value (at the time of the upgrade) of nearly $2,000/pp. That makes this immediately a pretty good deal.



Second, the cabin is HUGE (as standard ship's cabins go anyway). It's basically the same size as a balcony cabin, if the balcony were air conditioned and inside the stateroom. So, while we lack the veranda, we have nearly 3-4 extra feet of length in the cabin. This makes for a lot of extra floor space, as such we're able to move around without having to dance around each other (if you've been on a cruise ship, you know exactly the “hey I'm getting dressed, while you're headed to the bathroom” jig I'm talking about).

Having basked in the luxury of our commodious accommodation, we proceeded to embark on our “time to check-out the ship ritual.” It has all of the usual amenities that one expects aboard a Royal Caribbean ship (e.g., multi-deck Centrum, Windjammer Cafe, rock climbing wall, spa/fitness center, specialty restaurants, vista-filled Viking Crown lounge, and the nautical Schooner Bar). Some items unique to this class of ship include self-leveling billiard tables, a bank of glass-enclosed and ocean-facing elevators, a really nice (if not politically-correct named) “Colony Club” lounge, and a pretty spectacular solarium (complete with glass-canopied pool and whirlpools). All in all, this is a very attractive ship.
That said, I haven't made up my mind up yet as to whether or not I prefer it to its larger siblings in the fleet, such as Navigator of the Seas. Before boarding, I assumed I'd prefer the small, less “populated” ship. At the moment, I'm not certain. More on this topic later.
We had dinner in the two-story main dining room tonight, named the Minstrel. Libby started with the prosciutto-wrapped melon and a spinach salad with thousand island dressing. I began with the onion tart and Caesar salad. Libby's main entrée was a shrimp ravioli in a vaguely southeast-Asian sauce (with coconut milk and lemon grass). I opted for the prime rib (ordered medium, but cooked well beyond) and a baked potato. Libby ended with chocolate ice cream; I finished with a “low-fat blueberry and peach cobbler” at our waiter's recommendation. Overall, the food was good. And, our waiters were very friendly and efficient.

Tonight we also attended the “Welcome Aboard” show. It consisted mostly of some introductory remarks by the Cruise Director, Gordon Whatman (who seemed promising), and the “comedy acrobatics” (yeah, that's what they called it) of a duo called Flash and Fever. It was amusing.

Libby's now off at the gym... likely getting in touch with her “inner hamster” on the treadmill. And, I'm here: typing and “resting my leg” (an effective excuse to avoid the aforementioned gym).

On the ship...

We left the hotel at 11:45. After a short taxi ride (15 euros), we
arrived at the port. Embarkation took maybe 10 minutes from leaving
the luggage to boarding the ship. It was perhaps the quickest
embarkation we've ever had... and most have been pretty seamless.

We quickly went to the dining room to check out our table. We were
assigned a table for 10. Rats! After a quick chat with the head
waiter, we were reassigned to a table for two. Score!

By 12:15, we were happily having lunch in the Windjammer Cafe. Good as
always, especially the salad croutons (no detail to small for this
intrepid correspondent).

Tapas & The City

Much like our last visit to Barcelona, we started out with a visit to the La Sagrada Familia this morning. This time we were able to have a proper visit, which allowed us to go inside and pay closer attention to the details of the facade. My original sense—that this is a striking example of Gaudi’s architectural and artistic prowess—still holds true. Of course, it's also been under construction since 1882... that's about the same pace as my building projects around the house.

Here's a photo of the construction inside La Sagrada Familia:

And, in case you're hungry (or thirsty) during church service:

After visiting the cathedral, we returned to the hotel and took a nap for a couple of hours.

In the later afternoon, we strolled around our neighborhood, the Eixample, for a couple of hours enjoying the Modernista architecture. We're really lucky because Gaudi's La Pedrera (below) is basically at the end of our street and many of the other important Modernista buildings (including the famed “Block of Discord”) are within a few blocks.

For dinner, we ate tapas at a popular local placed called Cerveceria Catalana. We arrived around 6:00 (very early for Barcelona) and the place was busy. By the time we left a little after 7:00, the place was absolutely packed. So, if you visit... go early. The food was fantastic. We ate fried baby calamari (a little expensive, but the best calamari we've ever eaten), patates braves (potatoes smothered in a spicy red sauce and alioli), ham and chicken croquetes, a baked eggplant/red pepper/goat cheese “terrine,”and a bacon/cheese/date “flauta” (think: sandwich, not enchilada).

And, finally, here's a snapshot of the tapas (calamari & patates):

Today was all about getting settled in, recovered from the travel, and reconnecting with Barcelona.

Tomorrow, we embark on the cruise...

Back in Barcelona...

We landed in Spain about 20 minutes early. This was despite a 30+ minute delay in NY-JFK. It seems that a passenger's father died (somewhere else) during the boarding process. So, they got the phone call shortly after boarding the plane. And, they opted to rush off. The delay was due to finding and removing their luggage -- an unfortunate situation but certainly one of the most justifiable delays I've ever experienced.

Otherwise, the flight was uneventful. The first class (BusinessElite) cabin was more empty than full. The plane was loaded... loaded... with leisure travelers heading for cruises in Barcelona (looked like mostly NCL Jade passengers today, as our cruise doesn't leave until tomorrow).

Anyway, sure, that's also technically what we are as well in this context. Leisure travelers. Mere tourists. Whatever. But, I have the added advantage of being a Delta Platinum frequent flier. So, it's "champagne, orange juice, mimosa?" for us. Libby, of course, thinks this is how I always travel. I wish. Domestic "first class" upgrades are little better than coach with more leg room these days. But, I digress.

After a short taxi ride, we made it to our hotel by 8:30. We were able to check-in immediately. That's always a bonus.

The Gallery Hotel is in a great location (knew it would be). The room is very smartly designed, relatively spacious (by Euro hotel standards), and uber-clean. It also has free WiFi Internet access (bonus #2). All in all, that's pretty great for about $130 per night. Here's a photo of the room:

Ok... we're off to have fun in Barcelona (despite slightly cool and wet weather).

I will, of course, write more later. It's a blog after all.

"You Are A Golden God"

Those were Libby's exact words after my talking our way into the
Mythical Operational Upgrade! Eight hours of BusinessElite bliss!

Living the dream, baby!

It really is good to be Delta Boy.

In NY

Libby's enjoying a late lunch prior to our flight to Spain. BTW, did I mention that Delta's terminals at JFK are a dump? I always expect improvement, and I'm always disappointed.

At Tampa's Airport

We're chillin' in the Delta Crown Room awaiting our flight to NY-JFK.

My next update will be from either NY-JFK or Barcelona!

Departure Day... To The Airport

Here's a pic of the luggage.

You'll note we're down one piece from last year. And, they're much lighter.

Next stop: Tampa International Airport

One Day To Go...

Well, we’re basically fully packed and ready to go. It’s actually gone rather smoothly.

The little dogs, Harley (top) and Annie (bottom), have been sent off to stay with their "grandmother" and "great-grandfather." So, they'll be spoiled and doted on for the next two weeks.

By the by, the leg is doing well. But, it continues to swell a bit. As a result, I’m still wearing my “mantyhose” per doctor’s orders. It’s not all bad though. It does have the benefit of discouraging strangers from talking to me.

Speaking of my leg, here is some advice from Dad (Libby’s father) today on what to do and not to do with it:

Do not prop a heavy door with it while getting luggage through it.

Do not prop a light door with it while getting luggage through it.

When at the dance floor do not favor Libby with a polka.

The rock climbing wall is O… U… T… out.

At night, clear a path to the bathroom.

Come to think of it, clear a path to the bathroom during the daytime too.

It is tempting to "shake a leg" when someone deems it necessary to hurry. Don't.

Cabs, trolly cars, subways, trains, bicycles and mopeds are to be preferred in this order.

Do not attempt ladders during high seas.

Do not attempt ladders during dead, mirror smooth seas.

Finally, I realized that I should be thankful that Brilliance of the Seas doesn’t have an ice rink.

Two Days To Go...

Tonight we completed most of our packing. Wow! We have a lot of extra room in our suitcases. You probably already know how I feel about packing light. On last year’s 23-day odyssey, we managed to go with a fairly modest amount of luggage despite some initial misgivings about our ability to pull it off. This year, we’ll probably leave one of the smaller bags empty at home.

The secret of our success:

Two words. Careful planning.

We know what we need. We make lists. We select items for “mixing and matching.” And, we stick to “the plan” as if life and soul depended upon it. No exceptions.

We’re also going to skip participating in the formal nights on this trip, an issue we didn’t have to worry about last year on NCL’s “Freestyle” cruise. Why? Because, frankly, we really don’t give a $!@%& about them. We’re cruising to travel, baby. We can go to cocktail dress and black-tie social events at home.

Three Days to Go...

Tonight, I’d planned to pack for the trip. That didn’t happen. I did manage to fertilize the lawn and shrubs. This was a “major accomplishment” given both the state of my leg and the state of the irrigation system at the house. Ironically, both were damaged due to ice in January this year! That’s right. The backflow regulator on my irrigation system (at our house in central Florida) actually froze and ruptured.

Fortunately, both the leg and the sprinklers are now repaired.

Speaking of the leg, I had my last physical therapy appointment before the trip today. I now have an exercise routine to do aboard ship. I report back to the Florida Orthopedic Institute on April 15 to see how I’m doing and hopefully be released from further therapy. The leg swells a bit by the end of the day and is actually ever-so-slightly sore.

But, all in all, I’m good to go!

Four Days to Go...

I'm still fighting off the pseudo-cold.

Not a lot of travel-related preparations this evening. I fussed around with trying to rip (that is to say, “backup”) some DVDs to load onto my Samsung NC-10 netbook for the trip. By the way, the Samsung netbook—which I bought specifically for travel—rocks! Here's why: size/weight (or lack thereof) and battery life (7-8 hours on a single charge).

Anyway, I've actually been engaged in this project since this past weekend. Most DVDs converted without a problem. Unfortunately, I've struggled with a handful of DVDs that yield movies with out-of-sync video and audio tracks. It's rather annoying / distracting. But, after much fiddling, I seem to have finally cracked the code, thereby underscoring with my superior technical prowess. :-)

Five Days to Go...

Today, I placed a shoe on my left foot for the first time in over two months and walked without the assistance of a cast, crutches, or my “Darth boot.” The doctor was pleased with my progress. My only remaining restrictions were on (not) running or jumping.

The doctor then asked if I’d be back to Minnesota soon.

Me: Oh, I’ve already been back.

Doctor: Is it still snowy and icy?

Me: Uh, yeah, it’s Minnesota.

Doctor: Well, wear the boot up there.

Me: Shouldn’t be a problem -- we leave for our Mediterranean cruise on Saturday.

Doctor (turning to Resident Doctor): Man, he’s got a tough life.

Me: Yeah, that’s why I ended up getting a Ph.D. and not an M.D.

Doctor: Well, you won’t need the boot on the cruise.

Me: Right. I thought not.

Six Days to Go...

I’m feeling better today. So, I think I’m fighting off the cold. Come on, Vitamin C!

We’ll finish the “pre-packing” today. This should mostly involve finishing the laundry and purchasing any items we still need for the trip. I’ll also need to spend some time creating my official “list of things to get done before we go.” I’m hoping to get everything that isn’t work-related done on or before Wednesday. That will give me two days to wrap things up at the (remote) office.

And, I’m going to get a jumpstart on this week’s work later today.

One Week to Go…

I’ve commented in the past about how much I dislike the preparation in advance of travel. This year seems to be no exception. I haven’t started my official “things to get done before I go list,” but I’m already working on the unofficial one. And, on balance, it’s winning.

We started pre-packing today. That’s going well.

Libby’s car suffered some sort of failure yesterday resulting in an illuminated, orange “check engine light.” Like with Homeland Security, color codes matter even though you’re unable to actually do something to help yourself. Red indicates a catastrophic failure to your car. Orange—more cheerfully—means the carnage is generally isolated to your wallet.

Oh well, at least I’m helping out the automotive industry.

I’m also trying to battle off some sort of illness. It started yesterday. I think I’ve made it past the “sore throat” stage with little more than a mild irritation. I’m now on to the “tired and achy” phase, which doesn’t seem too bad either. Maybe (fingers crossed) this will be a non-event?

I shouldn’t be surprised about getting sick.

You see, we’ve traveled to Europe four times during Libby’s previous Spring Breaks. Of those, I’ve managed to be sick at some point during three of those trips. For the mathematically challenged, that’s 75% of the time. Have I learned anything about traveling in March? No, not so much.

In an effort to combat the illness, I have been popping vitamins like they were Pez.

I’m still hopeful (irrationally optimistic?) for the best this year.

Right now, it's time for a nap.

A Visit From The "Upgrade Fairy"

Today, I received an e-mail from Royal Caribbean indicating that the “documents” I had “requested” were now available. Interesting. Maybe even questionable, especially as I hadn't requested any documents.

The "documents" turned out to be a copy of our invoice. The price was unchanged (a little more than $1,000 per person for the 11-night cruise), but I noticed we'd been given a new cabin number. We were upgraded from our standard inside stateroom to what appears to be a larger than average oceanview stateroom.

We're really pleased! We opted for the inside cabin to save a little money (our overall theory is more, cheaper travel is better than less, expensive travel). But, this was a “sacrifice” compared to last year's aft balcony cabin. Now, we'll be able to enjoy daylight and views... and we didn't have to pay the extra $800/pp. (at current rates as of this post) to get it!

So, the mythical stories posted on travel forums are true: the “Upgrade Fairy” really does exist.

Can unicorns be far behind?

The Grand Tour Goes Global

Recently I read Lawrence Osborne's The Naked Tourist. In it, the author travels the “Asian Highway” to Papua New Guinea in an effort to escape what he called the “wherever”-ness associated with travel in our “age of the airport mall.” The book was moderately entertaining. But, I thought the first chapter on the history of travel was most enjoyable... and enlightening.

In particular, Osbourne recounted the history of the “Grand Tour,” a journey by young British aristocrats through continental Europe in search of culture refinement, aesthetic beauty, and connoisseurship. As self-proclaimed Anglophiles and frequent European travelers, Libby and I are well acquainted with “The Tour.” Indeed, one of my favorite artists, Canaletto, made much of his income selling “souvenir” paintings of Venetian scenes to British patrons. (True story: having seen numerous Canaletto's in England, I was shocked to discover on my first visit to Venice that almost none of his paintings remain in that slowly sinking city of elegant decay.)

Anyway, I digress.

What I'd never bothered to consider was that the first stop on the Grand Tour once it went global was Egypt. How appropriate! How Victorian! (How touristy!) In any case, I can't think of a better place than Egypt to launch our global “Grand Tour” outside of Europe, which we intend to eventually take us to all seven continents.

On “Final Approach,” Already “Landed Shortly”

I'm writing this entry while cruising along somewhere around 35,000 feet above the Earth. I'm en route from my office in Minneapolis to my home in Tampa, Florida. This is my last business trip—and only my second since mid-January—before embarking on our vacation. Yup, I finally feel like we're now on final approach to returning to Europe.

If you know me, you know that I travel fairly often for business. However, in 2009 my travels were suddenly and definitively curtailed. George Carlin used to tell jokes about the language used by airlines. One example was “landing shortly,” which understood a certain way implies landing (crashing!) before reaching the runway. Why is this relevant? Well, in mid-January I “landed shortly...” on ice in front of a Burger King. I was walking to my office... in -15 degree weather.

Yes, I'm a Floridian. Yes, walking was stupid. In the fall, I broke my fibula and bruised my pride.

I also exercised my more colorful vocabulary. Indeed, at one point I believe that I used the same four letter word (with and without modifiers) as a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb in a single sentence. With the assistance of my friendly co-workers, I managed to get patched up in the emergency room and packed onto a plane back to Tampa.

I spent six weeks in a non-weight bearing cast.

On February 28, I received my “Darth Boot.”



And, I started physical therapy to rehab my “girlie leg.”

If all continues to go well, I should get the boot off on the 23rd. That's five days before our departure. After a long day, the ankle swells a decent amount. But, I've been relatively pain free. My strength and range of motion are improving. And, most importantly, I've been walking without difficulty. So, I think I'm on final approach to being healed.

I'm hoping the accident (or implications thereof) don't hamper our travels. It's a real concern. We usually spend hours gallivanting around cities. Even under normal conditions, I've been known to suffer leg pain from the effects of our non-stop, go-go pace.

We talked about canceling the trip. But, I figured “what the %&!@ – even if I can't do !&$%, at least I'm not doing !&$% on a ship in the middle of the Mediterranean.” I mean, really, that's not a bad place to not do !&#$, right?

Yup, having already landed shortly, I've got two final approaches to go before we depart.

Then it's bon voyage.

The Journey Before Travel

I love to travel.

I’m happy just contemplating “where to go next.” I’ve written, refined, and reconsidered enough itineraries to carry us well into our dotage and beyond. I have lists—actually, lists of lists—of places to visit, things to do, experiences to have. I’ve defined goals: traveling to all seven continents, all fifty of the United States, and at least one hundred independent countries. I’ve built “roadmaps” and devised “contingency plans” to accomplish these objectives. Hell, I even have spreadsheets to keep track of our progress!

Yet after a trip is booked, I’m peculiar in that I tend to become somewhat indifferent—even unenthusiastic—until the journey begins. Once we’re off, my zeal immediately returns. But, until then I’m prone to a profound sense of “whatever-ness.” Last year was a notable exception. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it was due to the romantic and (for us) novel notion of being at sea cruising around Europe? Maybe it was the prospect of three weeks of utterly extravagant, blissful idleness?

This year, I’ve been resolutely back in the doldrums.

But, I’m slowly starting to feel the trade winds picking up.