Well this cruise is almost over and we will be in Barcelona tomorrow ready to get on the Liberty of the Seas for another 7 day cruise.  On Friday we visited Cannes, France and on Saturday Palma, Spain.

We had never been to Cannes and had made no plans on what we were going to do.  When we got off the tender (this was the first port where the ship could not dock and the lifeboats are used to “tender” passengers onto shore), we found a visitors center and as we considered our options we decided to take a bus ride to the country side to visit a perfume factory.  This southern region of France is famous for developing some of the most well-known and popular perfumes in the world such as Chanel #5.  As opposed to spending $100 a person for a ship excursion to a perfume
factory we paid our $4 for a round trip bus ride to the city, Grasse that had three of the better known perfume factories in the area.

We found Grasse to be a quaint, old city in the hilly countryside of France.  The streets were narrow and adorned with flowers although the season for most flowers was over and we could only imagine how nice the town looked during the summer when it was the prime season for the areas flowers.  After taking a short walk through some of the shops and restaurants, we arrived at an old perfume factory (Parfumerie Fragonard) that had been converted into a perfume museum and provided free tours of the perfume factory to explain how perfume is made.  The building still did some production of products but most of their perfumes were manufactured at other nearby
facilities.

It was fascinating to learn about how perfume was made and how the manufacturing process has changed over the years.  In one of the pictures you will see one of the original vats that were used to heat up water and one type of perfume ingredient (flower, vanilla, oranges, etc.) to create the oil used in making perfume.  This concentrated oil is mixed with other oils to create the exact scent
desired.  The person that creates these formulas for the perfume are called the “Nose”.  There are less the 50 “Noses” in the world that are capable of identifying the 3000 distinct smells needed when creating perfume.  The “Nose” is not allowed to smoke, drink coffee or eat spicy food which
would impact their smell ability.  Thousands of students actually study to become a “Nose” but only a rare few ever are able to develop the unique smell sense required for the job.  

You will also see one picture on how they previously created perfume oil by placing flower pedals in animal fat.  Every day fresh pedals are placed in the animal fat for at least one month until the fat has absorbed enough of the flower scent and can be used for oil. This method was outlawed years ago because of animal right protests.  After our perfume factory tour we took another walk through town and headed back to Cannes on the bus.

In Cannes we walked the beach which was filled with sun bathers on a really nice day.  We walked to the building that holds the Cannes International Film Festival each year and saw all the stars hand prints that are kept in bronze all around the building. We then strolled through the Old City where there was (of course) a fort and a church.  We had some great panoramic views from up in the fort tower.  The city of Cannes was really very impressive and we look forward to coming back again sometime.

Saturday we visited Palma Mallorca which is an island of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea.  This was
the first time we had been to the island and once again had no specific plans.  We walked to the beautiful Cathedral de Mallorca which was a pleasant two mile stroll along the port.  This port was nothing more than a very large marina 2 miles long filled with yachts, sailboats, catamarans and other boats.  It is hard to imagine how much money is tied up in the boats on this small island. 
The Cathedral de Mallorca was really amazing to see from the outside and you could see it anywhere in the city because of its massive size.  We would have liked to have gone in but there was a wedding just starting when we arrived and you can see a picture of the bride who had just walked in the front door to go down the aisle with her father.  If our daughter, Amber, had gotten married like that we would both be working again and in debt for the rest of our lives, as she had more than 3 wedding planners with her and enough money to close the entire cathedral for
their special wedding!  We have no idea who got married but it must have been someone of great importance to the city or island.

We decided to take a Hop On Hop Off bus to see what else was around the city and it was a nice way as a first time visitor to get a good look around the entire city in a short period of time.  The bus also took us up to the Castle (Castell de Beliver) which provided a great panoramic view of the whole city.  The castle itself was very well preserved and some of the rooms contained marble statues and other relics from the past.  We were told the island of Mallorca has more Roman ruins available to see than the entire city of Rome.  Evidently the ruins were kept in better shape on the island and were not destroyed by invaders as were many of Rome’s buildings and other
structures.  Our visit to Palma was enjoyable and we look forward to someday going back and visiting the island again.

Greg & Sharon

We are now over half way through our 7-day cruise on the Norwegian Epic.  It is a great
ship that we have thoroughly enjoyed.  In a coming blog we will provide some photos of the ship, shows offered and the many eateries onboard.

We have made stops at Naples, Rome and Livorno.  We will be stopping at all of these ports again and have elected to provide updates at this time on Sorrento and Florence.  We visited Sorrento by ferry from Naples and went to Florence from Livorno by train.  We have found on previous cruises there is just not much to do in either of the ports and prefer to explore some of the areas outside the port.

The 45 minute ferry ride to Sorrento was quite enjoyable.  The view from the ferry and the port to Sorrento is really fascinating and picturesque. The city is built up above the cliffs and only a few buildings are down at the port level.  You will see in one of the pictures a zigzag in the cliff that is
actually a ramped staircase and steps to the city center.  In the city of Sorrento there are many nice shops, restaurants, cafes and bakeries.  We stopped at Ristorante S Antonino for a great calzone and wine.  We always enjoy our small meals of the local food wherever we go.  The city itself is very small but it has many winding little “roads” that are not much more than alley ways with shops on each side of them.  These “roads” and shops are kept up very nicely and have a lot of interesting items to look at.  We especially enjoyed all the Limóncello tasting and the candy & cookies made from the Limóncello.  We learned and saw in one of the shops two guys peeling the lemons in preparation to make the Limóncello, quite interesting and very tasty.   Last time we came to Sorrento we did not spend much time shopping, so this trip we just took our time looking around all the tiny little roads and shops around the city. Next time we visit Naples we plan to
take a trip down the Amalfi Coast and Pastiano to see the beautiful views of the cliffs and shoreline.

Our visit to Florence was fun as always.  We found a free 2-hour city walking tour that was offered from the Information Center across from the train station.  It was very educational to learn so much about the city.  We learned from our guide that in the old city people from Florence were
very heavy wine drinkers and even drank wine for breakfast.  In one of the pictures you will see a “window” where the customer would get a bottle of wine through a small opening on the house’s outside wall (this was the original take out window!).  The sign above the opening told the store hours.  Most families in Florence had land where they had cultivated wine vineyards.  

Our guide shared with us where the 1st original Gucci store opened by Gucci over 100 years ago. We also were shown one of the Palazzos (palace of a rich family) in Florence that housed one of the richer families – the Palazzo Stozzi.  The Palazzo housed over 150 people who included the family members, the servants, the body guards and artists.  In this Renaissance Era each Palazzo needed their own army of bodyguards as protection because it was common for street fighting outside of their Palazzo.  We found it very interesting that artists such as Michangelo were housed in the Palazzos and considered part of the family.  These rich families supported the Renaissance artists and actually showed off their works in their homes like a museums of today.  Some Palazzos might house 5 or 6 different artists or sculptors to help them development their talents. 

There are so many beautiful churches in this city including the Basilica di Santa Cruce (note the photo with the Star of David).  Quite interesting as the architect who designed the church was Jewish and not until it was completed did the Catholics realize that the design on paper included the Star of David.  This created frustration but within time it became a bridge with the Jewish and Catholic communities. Other sights we visited were the cathedral and Duomo.  We saw Michangelo’s Statue of David in front of Palazzo Vechio (although the original is really in a Rome museum).  

After our tour, our guide told us where the best pizza was in Florence.  Of course we decided to go find the place and try it out.  You will see one of the pictures with them making our pizza at il Pizzaiuolo.  We managed to see some other sights like the Vecchio Bridge which always reminds us of the Rialto Bridge in Venice.  You can never see everything in one day in Florence but fortunately we will be going back there again next week.  We have so other things to see while we are there!

Greg & Sharon

A few days ago we boarded the Costa Luminosa for a short 4 day cruise to three ports we had never visited. Internet availability has been limited but we have found some occasional free Wi-Fi spots in a few coffee shops along the way.  This is the first cruise we have ever taken on a Costa Cruise Lines ship.  It has been very different from what we are used to. The ship itself is very nice and does not appear to be very old.  The cabins are very nice and have much more storage area than most ships we have been on. The entertainment (production shows) were excellent.  It is nice that there have been so many production shows by the ship’s singers and dancers.  We have been
impressed on their ability to sing songs in different languages to accommodate the diversity of the passengers.  

The dining on the ship is much different than the other ships we have been on.  The first day at dinner we found out that no drink is free, not even water!  Fortunately we had a special drink package that allowed for free water for US citizens.  Coffee is free on the ship at the buffet up to 10 AM and then you have to pay for any coffee anywhere on the ship.  There are only two choices for breakfast and lunch.  You either eat in the formal dining room or you eat in the buffet area.  At dinner the only choice is the main dining room unless you want to pay for their specialty restaurant or their low cost pizzeria.  The buffet is not open for dinner and there are no other eating options.  After coming off of the Oasis of the Seas that have so many different eating options, it is quite different!  It seems like this ship charges for so many little things and we had a good laugh when we saw they charged for ping pong balls, if you wanted to play.  There are probably less than 10% Americans on this ship and English is the 4th language spoken during any announcement.  Although it has been a different experience, we have enjoyed it but probably not for a longer cruise.  
 
Our first stop was Ibiza which is a small Spanish island Southwest of Barcelona.  It is primarily an island for tourism with nice beaches and a very active night club life.  We didn’t get a chance to
see any beaches but the city was really quite interesting.  We walked from the ship to the city and it was amazing how many marinas and boats were everywhere that you could look. Ferries continuously came into and out of the harbor.  We were also amazed at the airplanes that continuously seemed to land at the airport.  It seemed like there was a plane landing every 15 minutes and we could not imagine that the island could hold all of the people that kept flying in on these planes.  Like many Mediterranean cities there was an Old City which contained a church and
fort.  The views from up in the fort were great and throughout the city there were bougainvilleas
everywhere.  We enjoyed our first visit to this island and if we return on a future visit we will definitely visit other parts of the island.

The second stop on this cruise was Marseille which is a large city on the south coast of France. 
It was one of the first cities built in France and is now a major Mediterranean port.  Like most
cities on the coast there was a fort guarding the port (Lefort Saint-Jean).  When we went to Lefort Saint-Jean to look around we were able to see a sailing regatta heading out of the port.  There must have been over 100 sail boats of all sizes.  This city though had a large cathedral that was really beautiful on the outside and very well maintained.  Inside the cathedral though was very dark and not as well decorated as most cathedrals you see in Europe.  We then headed out
to look for the famous French soap (LaSavonnerie Marsellaise).  Along the way we stopped at LaCure Gourmande (local bakery) for some navettes (French biscuits) that were delicious.  We always enjoy trying the local delicacies.  Our last stop in the city was to check out Notre Dame De La Garde in Marseille.  This beautiful church sits on top of the hill overlooking the port and
supposedly providing good luck to all citizens of the city and harbor.  Marseille was another nice place to visit that we had never previously seen.

Our last stop on this cruise was at Savona, a medium sized city on the northwest coast of Italy.   It is about an hour east of Genoa.  The city was easy to walk around and visit.  Once again this city had a large fort (Priamar Fortress) but it was not as easy to walk up to the top and take pictures. Much of the fort was blocked off to tourists and you could only see certain areas.  We walked over to the beach area but it was not too busy because the weather was a little overcast.  The city area itself had several nice churches, statues, fountains and a clock tower.  When we were heading back we noticed a crafts fair at the port and spent a little time looking at it and trying a few local treats, we tried a little lemon and crème gelato that was really good.  We then said good bye to Savona but once again enjoyed our visit to a new city we had never seen.

Greg & Sharon

We decided to venture out from Barcelona and make a day trip to a small resort town, Sitges, to the south about a half hour by train.  This turned out to be a great trip to see something a little different.

The city is made up of the old town, the beaches, and the commercial area.  The old town is absolutely beautiful with so many different styles of architecture.  This area is capped off by a church (17th century Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla Church) that overlooks the ocean and can be seen all along the beach area.  The detailed carvings in the doorways and window sills are amazing and the metal work seen throughout the old town is incredible.  The streets are narrow and winding with much character.  There are shops, bars and restaurants everywhere you walk.

 There are nine separate beaches in the town separated by break waters.  Many of these beaches
look like they are in small coves and well separated from the other beaches.  It was amazing how many people were at these beaches in mid-September but the weather was certainly very nice.  One of these cove beaches was a nude beach with primarily gay men.  It turns out that Sitges is very popular with the gay community but that shouldn’t stop you from looking at this really charming town.  You can certainly avoid this one area if that bothers you.

We spent several hours walking the old city and beaches taking many pictures.  We stopped and enjoyed a small lunch at one of the bakeries in addition to a little ice cream along the way for our train ride home.  The train ride itself was also very enjoyable and ran along the coastline for about half the trip showing us some nice scenes along the way back to Barcelona.

We leave today for a 4-day Costa cruise to Ibiza, Spain; Marseille, France; and Savona, Italy and onto the Norwegian Cruise Line Epic for a 7-day cruise.  Our next blog will be in about 7 days.

Greg& Sharon

Barcelona offers a unique night-time bus ride around the city (double-decker with sitting on top for views), which reveals the light and color of its landmark buildings only offered certain times of the year and on particular days.  We were fortunate to be there on Sunday as this was the last day of the year that the bus offers the tour.  One of the highlights of the trip was to enjoy the music and light show of the Montjuic Magic Fountain.

Prior to heading out on the bus we watched street sales people selling “knock off purses” on the sidewalks.  It was interesting because all the purses were on a blanket or sheet that had each of the four corners tied to a rope so they could quickly scoop up their sale items and run off down the road (or subway station) in case the police came. You will see a few pictures of these people selling handbags and running off with their items when the police came by.  It is funny to watch them.

This is an interesting tour for anyone that stays over night to get captivated by the warm Mediterranean night and experience the magic of summer nights in Barcelona.  It was a 2 ½ hour tour with 40 minutes to walk up to the Montjuic Magic Fountain and take photos.  If you wanted to
save a little money and focus on really the best parts of the tour, take a metro to the Sagrada Familia and the Magic Fountain. You can take as many pictures of those two places as you like and not have to spend as much time in looking at many of the other secondary viewings they take you.

Check out all the photos and view the comments for a description of the location.  This is only available on our website under “Our Blog” tab – Mediterranean Cruise 6 – Barcelona at Night.

http://www.hookedoncruisin.net/our-blog.html

 
Greg & Sharon


 

We arrived on Saturday, 9/13 in Barcelona and had chosen a Bed & Breakfast called "The Patio" to stay at for 4 nights.  It's a great bed & breakfast centrally located for us to see all the sights via train, metro or walking.  Tony and Liz, the owners, have been wonderful as they have suggested places and sites that we were unaware and most tourists don't know to visit.  They also provided numerous restaurant suggestions which we have tried and enjoyed.

When we first got off the cruise and checked in to our "flat" we walked over to the Montjuic area.  This is an area we have never explored in Barcelona in the many times we had previously come here.  In the Placa d'Espanya we were amazed to see the plaza with the massive monument in the center.  Surrounding this plaza was an old bull ring which was converted into a mall with an observation deck and restaurants on the top deck.  We took many pictures at the top of this "bull ring" and had an enjoyable glass of Sangria while trying one of the many tapas available.  We then went on to the Catalan Art Museum where we saw so many beautiful water fountains as we walked the many steps to the museum.  We made plans to come back to the main (magic) fountain where a water show was held on certain nights that were told was quite impressive.  At the museum we were able to take an elevator to the roof and once again had a spectacular view of the city.  After leaving the museum we took a long walk up Montjuic to see many of the Olympic buildings and eventually Montjuic Castle.  Barcelona held the 1992 Olympics and had built many new facilities for the Olympics that resided in this area.  Montjuic is the highest point that overlooks the city and the port.  We were able to take some great pictures of our cruise ship that was still at dock when we were up there.  It was nice to know that we were staying in the city for a few days before taking our next cruise.

After leaving Montjuic we walked down to Las Ramblas which is the main street through the heart of the city.  It was nice to revisit this street where we had always visited during our past cruises.  You never get tired of watching the street performers (human statues) dressed to please the crowds and win their tips.  The street was packed after a major soccer tournament had just finished where Barcelona had been victorious.  After walking through Las Ramblas for a while we headed back to our flat after having walked around 10 miles for the day.  We were tired but had made reservations at a very nice restaurant around where we were staying.  We had a 3 course meal that was very enjoyable along with some really authentic Sangria that was made with whiskey and cognac.  

On our second day we went back to the Las Ramblas area and the Gothic quarters.  We took many pictures of Casa Batllo and then headed to Palau Guell.   Pictures do not do justice to the amazing architectural detail of this home built by Gaudi (the most famous Barcelonian architect) for Eusebi Guell (the very wealthy textile manufacturer who hired Gaudi for many projects).  After seeing so many unique features of the "house" (palace), we were amazed to actually be able to walk up to the roof and see the 20 chimneys that all looked like works of art.  It is truly an amazing place that you should visit if you go to Barcelona.  We also spent some time walking around the Gothic area taking some pictures and having lunch.  We took a quick metro ride over to Sagrada Familia to see what progress they had made in the 2 years since we last saw this amazing project.  It is truly an iconic image of Barcelona and is hoped to be completed in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death (he was the primary architect of the project when it began over 100 years ago).

We have so much more to share from our trip here in Barcelona but we think this is enough to talk about now.  We will send out some subsequent blogs on our night time adventures in the city and our day trip to Sitges.  Stay tuned!

Sharon and Greg

Thursday, 9/11, we arrived in Malaga, Spain our 1st Mediterranean port stop on the Transatlantic voyage.  Departing from the pier we took in a beautiful panoramic view of the city as we decided to take our own walking tour of the city as we have visited this city on a previous cruise trip.

We strolled on Alameda Principal which is a busy thoroughfare located along the sea, its gardens contain rare, exotic and tropical plants.  It is a main gathering area for the locals to troll and enjoy the beautiful scenery.  Our first stop was The Gibralfaro Castle which was built in the 14th century to house the troops and to protect the Alcazaba.  It consists of a series of towers and walls covered with bougainvilleas.  The castle, which was used for the last time in 1936 during the Civil War, offers beautiful panoramic views of the city.  From the castle we walked down and viewed two police on horses coming up the path to the castle.  

A short walk from the castle was the historic Alcazaba Palace built in the 11th century.  The
castle also had beautiful architecture and gardens to view as well as panoramic views of the city.  Alcazaba is the Muslim palace fortress that dominates most of the city center.  Started in 1057, it was the official residence to the Arab Emirs of Malaga who ruled the kingdom.  Seen on the
hilltop from anywhere throughout the city, the fortress offers excellent views of the downtown area and now houses an archaeological museum that display stucco work as well as 12th and 13th century pottery.

Beautiful panoramic views of the city, beach, ocean and the Malaga Bullring (one of the largest in Spain built in 1874).  Today, traditional bullfights are still held frequently.  Too bad as we missed the one scheduled for September 14.   We continued our walk to view the Cathedral of Malaga and visit the Atarazanas Central Market which is the central shopping area for the locals, with fresh fish and produce for sale daily.  Near the market there are many cafes and bars serving locally produced wine and tapas.  After hiking up to the castle, palace and many other stops we were looking forward to our next stop – lunch to enjoy one of our favorite Spanish delicacies - paella con pollo and sangria – it was so good! 

After lunch, we needed to continue walking to walk off lunch :)!  We walked through the main
shopping district (outdoor high-end shops) that included cafes and bars and continued our walk on Malaga Beach before returning back to the ship.  On our return to the ship it was amazing to see so many families come to take photos of the Oasis of the Seas and most stayed to cheer and see us as we leaved. It was an unexpected highlight of our trip to view the town come out to
view the Oasis and wave to us as it departed from the port.  Even the tug boat had fun putting on a water display for the spectators and passengers of the Oasis of the Seas.  Next year the Allure of the Seas will take a similar transatlantic cruise as the Oasis is doing this year but it will stay in the
Mediterranean all summer cruising on 7 day cruises from Barcelona to Rome.  If you have any interest in sailing on the Allure of the Seas next year, let us know!

Today we are sailing very close to Spain and arrive in Barcelona on Saturday.  We will stay 4 nights
in Barcelona before we head out on a 4 night cruise on Costa to visit Ibiza, Spain; Marseille, France and Savona, Italy.
 
Check out our blog – Mediterranean Cruise 4 – Malaga, Spain – on our website.
 
http://www.hookedoncruisin.net/our-blog.html
 
Greg & Sharon

We have been cruising now for 10 days and have had a lot of fun.  Each morning we play
volleyball for 2 hours with a group we have met onboard.  They are a fun loving crowd of people who we see throughout the ship.  The seas and weather have been fantastic so far.  We have been on 4 previous transatlantic crossings and none of them have been as smooth as this crossing so far.  You don’t even feel the ship rock.  It almost feels like we are still at port if you didn’t look out to see the endless miles of ocean all around us.  The temperature has been warm but not hot and over the last couple of days it has gotten a little cooler with some breeze in the air.  On past transatlantic cruises you could hardly go outside because the temperatures were so cold and the wind was blowing hard.  

In the first few days we went to the concierge lounge every night for some drinks and appetizers but it became so crowded with the large number of “elite” Crown & Anchor members (loyalty club – Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle).  The Crown & Anchor members have reached an all-time high for Royal Caribbean with over 3,700 onboard including 34 that are Pinnacle (those that have traveled over 700 cruises).  Royal Caribbean just started a program for the Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor members where you can have up to 3 free drinks per person at any bar on board. This is great that you don’t have to go to the concierge lounge and take advantage of visiting any bar onboard.  We have only been to the main dining room 3 times so far due to us having small appetizers set up in the concierge lounge.  We have also visited Chops Steakhouse, one of the Specialty Restaurants, on the first evening and also the Seafood Shack a few days ago.  One evening we went to Park Café for dinner which has some great salads, Panini sandwiches, soups and roast beef sandwiches.  It is nice just doing what we feel like and not being obligated to go to the main dining room every night.  Tomorrow we will be arriving at our only port stop in Malaga, Spain before our final destination into Barcelona.

Oasis of the Seas is a huge ship (largest on the seas along with its sister ship the Allure of the Seas).  Although the ship holds over 5600 passengers it is amazing how you don’t run into large crowds or waiting in long lines for dinner or shows.  The design of the ship consists of Seven Neighborhoods which allow people to go to different areas to enjoy what they want to do.  Here is a brief description of these neighborhoods for those who have never been on this class of ship.

Boardwalk – This breathtaking neighborhood was inspired by both the seaside piers that dot
the coast of England and the nostalgic boardwalks such as Coney Island.  The Boardwalk provides an interactive experience for the whole family, offering fun food and engaging
entertainment.
 
Royal Promenade – The Royal Promenade continues to be the heart of the ship, an exciting central area for guests to gather, dine, shop and be entertained.
 
Vitality at Sea Spa & Fitness – The Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness neighborhood supports your healthy lifestyle, combining the latest in skin treatments, traditional spa services and workout programs.
 
Youth Zone – The Youth Zone is where kids and teens can have fun, learn something new and make plenty of friends.
 
Central Park – The innovative Central Park opens to the sky and features lush tropical grounds.  Spanning more than the length of a football field you’ll find this neighborhood right at the center of the ship.
 
Pool & Sports Zone – Set high above the family fun and excitement of the Boardwalk and Central Park.  The Pool & Sports Zone offers everyone a place to play a sense of adventure or simply relax
and bask in the sun.
 
Entertainment Place - With more choices than ever before Entertainment Place is for casino thrills, show-stopping theater, laugh-it-up comedy and much more.
 
Ship Entertainment Highlights

Aqua Theater – Aqua Theater is an amazing amphitheater-style space at the stern of the ship featuring a back drop of the ocean across the horizon.  You can enjoy a full-spectrum of day and night entertainment including professional diving and theatrical performances.  The first of its kind and the most technologically advanced areas of the ship.
 
FlowRider – Two very popular FlowRider surf simulators, one on either side of the elevated
back deck with plenty of spectator seating.  Private and group lessons are available.
 
Beach Pool – The first beach pool at sea has a sloped entry where you can wade into the water
or relax in a colorful beach chairs under an umbrella as the water rolls gently beneath.  Two whirlpools located on both either sides of the beach for guests who prefer warmer waters.
 
H2O Zone – You’ll find family fun in the sun, just look for the giant octopus with water-spraying tentacles and surrounded by fellow water-spouting ocean creatures.  You’ll also find separate wading and current pools plus a dedicated infant and toddler pool.
 
Rock Climbing Wall – Bring a sense of adventure for some fun up and down the Rock Climbing Walls.  One-on-one instruction is available.

Ice Skating Rink – You will be awed with spectacular and vibrant ice show and serves as the locale for a variety of themed events.  Don’t miss Frozen In Time, a brand-new ice show that’s a magical fairy tale on ice.
 
Solarium – The adults-only solarium gives the sensation of floating on air from the two-deck high, glass-paneled enclave designed with seating on various “islands” surrounded by water.  The Solarium features fresh water pool and 6 whirlpools.           
 
Sports Court – Head to the Sports Court to catch a friendly game of basketball or volleyball.
 
Carousel – The centerpiece of the Boardwalk – the only one at sea.  Hand-crafted from poplar wood especially for Royal Caribbean.
 
Oasis Dunes Mini Course – Pick up a quick golf game right on the ship.  Doesn’t allow for long drives, but it’s a great place to perfect the short game.


If you have any interest in joining our "Group Cruise" on the Oasis of the Seas on November 14, 2015 (next year) for 7 days to the Caribbean, the starting fare is only $689 for an inside cabin and $819 for a balcony cabin.  Contact us by December 26 to get this special pricing.

Greg & Sharon Conrad 

If you are looking for a great getaway, consider New Smyrna Beach!  It truly has a lot to offer.  Just an hour’s drive from Orlando, New Smyrna Beach offers a lovely drive-on Atlantic coast beach – much like that of Daytona Beach, but quieter and with a feeling of an historic hometown.  New Smyrna Beach has loads of little shops and cafes, and a thriving arts community, and its beaches are wide and flat with golden sands.

Our daughter's wedding party stayed at the Night Swan Bed and Breakfast owned by Matt & Betsy Baker.  The B&B welcomes families celebrating their anniversary, special occasion, wedding, family reunion, birthday or just a getaway!  We highly recommend the Night Swan. The B&B is located across the street from the intracoastal where they have a double-deck dock where you can sit & relax while watching out for dolphin and manatees; bring your pole for some good fishing and bring your boat as you can park it at their private dock.  The main house/cottage rooms are beautifully decorated with many having the view of the intracoastal or of the nice courtyard where the B&B is located.  The B&B includes homemade breakfast each day (we had pancakes, breakfast enchiladas, and quiche along with fresh fruit, yogurt and pastries) followed by fresh baked cookies for the afternoon.  If you stay in the main house, you will awake to the aroma of breakfast from the kitchen!  Matt & Betsy were incredible hosts and know that we will return in the very near future!

Planning a Beach Wedding? We highly recommend “Affordable Beach Weddings” – Eva and Mike were awesome to work with and helped us plan every detail to make Amber & Carlos’ wedding a truly elegant “Princess” wedding.  

We participated in several activities around the area and recommend you try them if you go to New Smyrna Beach.  Fun Cat Sailing out of Ponce Inlet provided us private cruises on the
intracoastal and fishing in addition to a private catamaran sunset cruise.  The wedding party participated in a 1.5 hour river paddle tour by Paddle Board New Smyrna Beach that included Stand-Up Paddleboarding, Hydro Biking and Kayaking along the intracoastal areas.

The Reception in New Smyrna Beach was held at “The Garlic” – an excellent Italian food restaurant known for their roasted garlic and French bread as a complimentary appetizer that comes with the meal.  The atmosphere and ambiance of the outdoor dining is quite interesting and a great experience.

Outriggers Tiki Bar and Restaurant – an upscale-casual waterfront dining experience - was very laid back, casual and a fun eatery.  Menu items include Southern classics, hamburgers, salads and a number of seafood/fish menu items.  Reasonably priced and very accommodating with large parties.

Mon Delice French Bakery – ordered Amber & Carlos’ wedding cake here and it was delicious! 
Must stop in if you are in the area to try their breads, pastries, and sandwiches which are unbelievable!   Arrive early in the AM as you may expect a line to be waited on, but worth the wait!

We also wanted to provide a special thank you to Pink Flamingo for the beautiful flower arrangements for the wedding and Kelly Layshock for spending the day to do hair and make-up for Amber and her bridesmaids.  

Thanks to all, for making Amber and Carlos’ wedding a very memorable day!

When viewing the photos there are hyperlinks in addition to the comments that will allow you to go to the various websites of the businesses shown.

Greg & Sharon



 

Hi all,

Well it has been a while since we have written a blog on our  website but we are off cruising again!  We departed on the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas on September 1st from Ft Lauderdale on a 13 day transatlantic cruise to Barcelona.  The seas have been smooth and the weather has been spectacular so far.  We will write more about our cruise in a later blog.

It’s hard to believe that it has been over a week since our daughter’s wedding (Amber & Carlos) on August 30.  The wedding (beach wedding) took place in New Smyrna Beach (about 30 minutes south of Daytona Beach).  New Smyrna Beach is a great getaway with plenty to do in town with many beaches, water activities (fishing, boating kayaking, paddle boarding, etc.), museums, festivals and a large artist community with plenty of galleries, shopping and great restaurants. 

Our next Blog will highlight New Smyrna Beach with The Night  Swan Bed and Breakfast, the Wedding Venue, restaurants and water activities during Amber’s/Carlos’ wedding weekend festivities with family and friends.