Tag: Vacation

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Sail to Europe in Style: Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossing Review

May 5 to May 12, 2024

I have always wanted to go on a Transatlantic crossing since the Queen Mary did them in my childhood. She was the epitome of class, awesomeness and wealth. We finally decided now was the time!! We had several considerations – #1 I had wanted to do it for most of my life, #2 We were going to Europe this summer, #3 What an awesome way to avoid jet lag (which gets worse as I age) and #4 The cost wasn’t much more than the one way plane fare. (And we could relax, eat and sleep for 8 days to get used to the time change, just enjoy the ship and no TSA or airline hassle.). Of course we chose an inside cabin as the only thing to see for nine days was water. The cabin was very comfortable with a reasonable amount of space. Lots more than even the best first class seat on an airplane.

Before we get into the details, I wanted to point out that in all the cruises we have done, we were never really sad and disappointed to leave the ship. In this case we both were. There was just something about the ambiance, class, and the “Britishness” of the experience that was special. If you have the time to do this, do it. It is by far the best way to get to Europe.

The Queen Mary 2 docked in Southampton, England and on the date we choose, also went 2 more days to Hamberg, Germany. We decided to go all the way to Hamburg since it fit with other things we were planning. 

Boarding in New York was easy. We let Cunard arrange our air travel which was one less worry for us. We flew into La Guardia which used to be a horrible airport. They have redone the entire terminal and what a nice airport now!! Clean, nice art, nice shops, nice people, etc. Our Cunard representative was waiting in the baggage area for all of us who arrived on that flight. Unfortunately, Mike and I had barely made the flight in Charlotte but our luggage didn’t. It was still in Charlotte and would be put on the next flight. Not to worry, the Cunard rep took those who arrived with us to the ship and we waited at the terminal until the next flight arrived. Our luggage was there and the Cunard rep was there with us.

We boarded a Sprinter van with the others who had arrived when our luggage did. Straight to the ship and breezed through check in at Cunard and to our well appointed cabin. The Queen is one of the ships now using Starlink for Internet and it worked well.

Our dining time and cabin class put us in the main restaurant – the Britannia Restaurant for meals. It is very nicely decorated with subtle colors, which I prefer. Cunard assigns you a table for the duration of the voyage but you do have the option to change tables or sit with others when and if you prefer.

We met lots of people doing the entire voyage – New York, Hamburg and back to New York. When we got to Southampton, same thing, people doing the voyage across the Atlantic and back. Of course, not all, but lots of them were.

The ship gains one hour most days. She doesn’t gain it during the night like most cruise ships, she gains it at noon. The captain came on then and told us lots of ship facts – speed, depth below us, approximate location, temperature, weather, etc. He always ended by saying some quote. The last day it was, “There are good ships, there are wood ships, there are ships that sail the sea. But the best ships are friendships, and may they always be.” An Irish toast.

The buffet is good and they have various stations – bread, salad, grill (for eggs cooked to order, hamburgers, etc.), desserts, drinks, etc. Like on most ships but not quite a extensive.

We had room service twice a day and chocolates every night. There must have been a fair number of German’s onboard. They made announcements in English then in German.

We had cloudy, cool weather for the first few days. But, that was OK. We had lots to explore and do without going outside. Other people did walk. They had a deck where you could walk around the ship, 3 laps were 1.3 miles. At the prow of the ship, the had what looked like sculptures. They were called “The Captain’s Cufflinks” and were actually spare propellers for the ship. I would hate to be the one replacing them mid ocean, but they did have people who could do that if needed!

The Queen has one of the largest libraries at sea, about 10,000 books. It works like a library too since they have two staff for the library and you have to check the books out. The library is at the front of the ship with seating and ocean views. The shelves are gorgeous wood with glass fronts. There is also a Planetarium.

Queen Mary 2 is an ocean liner. It is not a cruise ship. An ocean liner is built with speed, agility and hull strength to transport passengers across oceans. They have a deep, streamlined v-hull that can withstand tough conditions. Cruise ships can certainly cross the ocean but they are mainly built as floating hotels and for entertaining guests. The Queen Mary 2 has a normal cruising speed of about 30 knots. Most cruise ships have an average speed of 21-23 knots and you can feel high seas easier on cruise ships. On Queen Mary 2, we had about 30 feet seas occasionally and we only felt a slight rocking motion. 


There are lots of activities during the day. We went to most of the dance classes. They were taught by a male and a female professional dancer. The first day was the Cha Cha Cha. Just a little much for us, non dancers. Next day was a slow waltz. It didn’t seem too slow to us! Next was the Fox Trot, then another Latin dance, Rumba, then line dancing, and we gave up. They had a different class every day of the voyage.

They also have Zumba, putting competitions, bridge lessons and games, aerobics, art classes, trivia games, enrichment lectures from guest lecturers from well known historians and artist, Quoits tournaments, croquet, darts competitions, movies, shuffleboard, table tennis, paddle tennis and more. They also had movies as well as music shows in the Queen’s Room. There are several pools and hot tubs – all heated. One pool has a retractable cover they can open when the weather is nice. There is a kid’s program and pools for kids. There is a spa and a casino.

Entertainment was offered most of the afternoon and all evening. There were several very good pianist, each with different song themes – blues, country, classical etc., a harpist, a Folk Duo,  Harmony String Trio who were excellent, a Jazz Trio, a Dixieland Jazz group, an excellent Queen Mary 2 Orchestra, a Queens Room Quartet, etc. Lots of music whenever and wherever. The Royal Shakespeare Company was onboard with an enhanced program of theater productions and workshops. Evenings they had music in many venues and shows in the Royal Court Theater. – musical and comedians mostly, but they were good. One night there was a tribute to the big bands, which of course meant lots of dancing.

And the BEST activity – the British know how to do Afternoon Tea!! They set it up in the Queen’s Room with live music. The tables are in groups of 2-6, set with white linen, place  settings of a small plate, tea cups and saucers (all white Wedgwood), silver spoon for the tea saucer, fork and knife on the plate and real flowers. Strawberry jam was set out (individual jars, probably a hold over from COVID), sweeteners and cream for your tea. At 3:30, a line of servers with white coats, black pants or skirts and white gloves came out with silver tea pots and started serving.  Everyone clapped a cadence for them to enter. There were so many servers, it didn’t take long (there were several hundred people there). Then they all came out with little sandwiches on a tray. Everyone got sandwiches. Then they brought out the sweets platters. Then circulated with trays of more sweets and sandwiches. Then they brought out the scones!! Wonderful scones!!! With little dishes of clotted cream that was soooo good. And they keep bringing tea and all the other stuff until most people left. It was very coordinated and great!! It was awesome and they have it down pat!!

We always find our favorite place to sit and our favorite bar. This was no exception. We mostly sat in the Chart Room which has comfortable chairs and seating and is also a bar. We also checked out several other bars – the Golden Lion, the Champagne Bar, the G32 in the evenings for dancing, and Corinthia Lounge with a large area and comfortable seating where they did trivia games, etc. But we always ended up back in the Chart Room.

We ate at almost all of their venues. We ate in the Golden Lion, a British Pub. Excellent fish and chips and Sticky Toffee pudding. All the food was great!

The Britannia Restaurant was the main restaurant. The buffet was called Kings Court. It had a regular buffet, grill area with hot dogs, hamburgers, etc, a sushi area, an area for light meals such as salads and sandwiches, and another area for pizza. There is also a speciality restaurant called the Steakhouse at the Verandah. There is an area called Sir Samuel’s which had “light bites”. There are also separate restaurants for suite guests. The service was good and the food was good. Not the best we ever had on a cruise ship, but certainly very good.

Our first formal night was our second night on board. We will have 2 on our 9 day cruise. You don’t have to participate but most people who sail on the Queen enjoy dressing up and dancing in the Queen Room to a live orchestra. There are several themes for the formal nights. The fist night was “Black and Gold”. We had gold accessories and wore some black. Some people really went to a lot of trouble to go with that theme, but most of us just accessorized. Our second formal night was a “Masquerade Night”. We had fancy masks. Most people wore masks. Again, only some people went all out. Both nights were lots of fun. You got to see everyone dressed up and enjoy the dancing and music. 

Supper on formal nights was a step up. The first night we had Lobster Bisque, Chateaubriand and Cheesecake. The second one, we had onion soup and surf and turf – large shrimp and filet. It was good. Mike also had a lemon thing with a lemon cello topping.

The British Immigration representative came on board a few days out from Southampton. Everyone took their ship ID and passport to him. Everyone on board ship has to do this, even if they aren’t getting off in Southampton. Nice that we could do it on ship and not have to go through Immigration when we got to England.

The Queen also has Kennels. We couldn’t go in but we could see in and there was a walkway the dogs could go on with their owners. Cunard ships have always carried animals on board. Some worked for their passage, such as Britannia’s three cats finding the ship’s vermin. More exotic travelers have included an elephant, a hippo, a raccoon and a monkey. Some have even hitched a lift across the Atlantic, including one sparrow who forgot to disembark at Southampton and landed in New York. Dogs and cats continue to travel in style across the Atlantic on board Queen Mary 2. There are 24 kennels, lots of space to play and a dedicated owner’s lounge. So as not to cause any homesickness, British dogs find familiarity with a lamppost taken from the Cunard building in Liverpool and dogs from the USA naturally enjoy a New York City fire hydrant!

The 14th deck has a “Look Out”. You can see far out to the front of the ship. Cunard also has free laundry machines on every other deck; free soap, free washing machines and dryers. They even had irons and ironing boards for those who still do that (not me!).That was nice!!

When we arrived in Southampton, we had scheduled an excursion to Stonehenge. The other option was an excursion to Windsor Castle. Interesting note: We docked at the Mayflower terminal – one of five in Southampton. White Star (now Cunard) has always docked here. This is where the Titanic sailed from.

We left the ship on a bus and had a ride of an hour and 15 minutes. The guide said it was the best weekend in a long time. It was beautiful, sunny and mild. There were some interesting things on the way there – New Forest which is a protected area where animals have free reign – roaming horses, ponies, sheep, cows pigs, donkeys and deer. It was set up a long time ago with rules – no cutting trees, no fences and no hunting. The only one who has cut trees here was Admiral Cornwall. He had 2,000 trees cut to make one warship in the 18th century. Since 2015 it has been a National Park.

We passed Salisbury Cathedral which has the highest spire in England (in Salisbury). It is 404 feet. It is early English Gothic and took 38 years to build. Of note, the Salisbury Cathedral has the best copy of the Magna Carter in it. (Only 4 copies remain.) We also went through Hampshire, England where Florence Nightingale was buried in St Margaret of Antioch Churchyard.

Stonehenge is interesting!! Stonehenge dates to 3,000 BC so 5,000 years. Same age as the Egyptian Pyramids. It is surrounded by burial grounds.

I had been to Stonehenge about twenty years ago, and really wanted Deedee to see it. When I came there was no visitors center, just a fence around the site. Walk in, go anywhere you wanted. and next to no people. Now it’s overrun with tourists. Still very much worth the visit.

In 1918, the property was sold for 6,600 pounds. Today it is worth 51 million.

From the bus parking, it is a 5 minute shuttle ride to the stones or you can walk – about an hour for 2.6 miles. Summer and Winter solstice days are free admission and you can walk among the stones.

We took the shuttle bus to the rocks at Stonehenge. There were lots of people but the area around the stones that you could go in was large enough, people dispersed around fairly well. It was easy to get to the edge of the ropes and get good pictures. Then back to the Welcome Center which has only been there for 10 years. The buildings themselves were OK but the “decorative” stuff with the pipes on the outside were awful. They were supposed to represent the stones and help the building blend in to the landscape. I think it failed miserably and would have been better off without the decorations.

Back to the bus. There are 130 burial mounds around the stones. The people were buried in a crouching position. They can tell if a man or woman was buried there. Men had objects such as tools and weapons. Women had household objects and jewelry.

We returned to the port, we visited with an old friend of ours and Stony Truitt’s. Mike is a retired corporate pilot that flew Global’s and many other aircraft types all over the world. For a time he was Elton John’s pilot. He is also a precision watch maker, and is doing that in retirement. Mike took us to a delightful pub tucked away in a corner that would be difficult for any tourist to find, so was a local house. Wonderful food and great company

Southampton has 2 high tides and 2 low tides – called double peak high and low tides. It is a good shipping port because of that – there are 17 hours of rising tides. It is the largest container port in England.

Lots of people must have boarded in Southampton. The ship was definitely more crowded.

In Hamburg, Cunard arranged for a bus to take a us to the train station. We went from there to our hotel for the night. 

Overall, this was a fabulous way to cross the pond. We were never without something to do if we wanted, but most of the time, relaxing, reading and just unwinding were our preferred choice. We are both looking forward to finding an excuse to do this again.

Next up – Hamburg and Zurich.

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The Inaugural Cruise of the Celebrity Ascent

We were fortunate to get to sail on Celebrity Ascent on her Inaugural cruise from Fort Lauderdale in November, 2023. What an awesome ship!! This was the first time we have been on one of their Edge Class ships. Everyone whom we have booked on an Edge class ship told us how wonderful it was, and we can now confirm all of the positive reviews.

Boarding was the best we have ever experienced. A quick picture, scan the QR code, walk onto the ship. As fast and easy as our boarding was, I think it would go very smoothly on a regular voyage. Our cabin cards were waiting for us in a little package outside of our cabin. Very easy boarding! Getting off was just as easy. We carried our bags, so it was just a facial scan at customs, and we were done.

This is a 3,260 guest, double occupancy ship. There are lots and lots of very nice public spaces. The infinite balcony in our stateroom is awesome. More about that later. There are 8 speciality restaurants – Le Voyage Steakhouse, La Grand Bistro which serves French cuisine, Le Petite Chef which has the 3D table animation art form to add to your experience, Raw on 5, a seafood restaurant, The Magic Carpet for nibbles and drinks and dinner in the evenings, The Rooftop Garden Grill, and the Eden Restaurant which is an open kitchen restaurant. There are 4 main dining rooms, all serving the same menu for each meal. The ship also has several other complimentary dining – The  Eden Cafe which offers morning beverages and bites, the Spa Cafe and Juice Bar for healthy cuisine, the Oceanview Cafe which offers made to order breakfast and lunch with an international menu for dinner, Mast Grill for burgers on the top deck with an amazing view. The Retreat (an exclusive area) has 2 restaurants. Ascent has 9 bars, some on the top decks with gorgeous ocean views – a Martini Bar on Deck 3 and the bar on the Magic Carpet.

The Magic Carpet is a great place to sit and gaze at the ocean with a drink. It is a cantilevered, floating platform, surrounded by glass or open areas (except obviously against the ship). It juts out over the ship. It stops at 3 different levels during the day. It stops on the deck in front of the cabanas and becomes a pool deck extension, and it stops at one of the ships main dining rooms to serve as alfresco dining. In the evenings it stops on deck 16 to offer “Dinner on the Edge” dining.

Our cabin was very nice. We entered with bathroom to the right – good size room with a decent shower. Backed up to the bathroom is a large closet with shelves and hanging up space. Then a 3 person couch with desk and shelves across from this. Refrigerator with water on the top. Some shelving and a safe. Then the king size bed with small built in tables on either side with usb ports and drawers.

Our stateroom, as do most of the veranda staterooms, had an infinite balcony. We were interested to see what this was. It was pretty impressive – with the push of a button, the top of the window slides down until you have an area very much like a normal balcony on a ship. But, it is protected so no wind, it’s shady, and you have opened your room up to the outside! It gives more space in the cabin and is useful even when the water isn’t conducive to sitting on the balcony. 

The balcony area can be closed off with panels that can be opened or closed at the touch of a button. A plus on this ship, as far as I am concerned, slightly in front of the window is a black out curtain that rolls up into the ceiling and lowers to the floor, with a switch.

We stopped by our muster station and got that done in about 5 minutes. Our first lunch was at the  Oceanview Cafe, the buffet. There are about 10 huge stations there not counting the dessert and bread stations. Anything you could want almost, even grilled steaks, Mexican station, etc. It was a huge spread!!

We started  our exploration on deck 16 and worked our way down. (Deck 17 is for The Retreat guests.) Deck 16 has part of the jogging track and a hot tub. Deck 15 is the “Resort Deck”. It has the rest of the jogging track, the Rooftop Garden Grill, the Rooftop Garden area, the Sunset Bar, and the Fitness Center. The Fitness Center had lots of equipment.  We stopped at the Sunset Bar, what a fabulous area – several levels, mostly outside areas with a few covered areas, lots of little nooks for privacy or joining a few other couples. Part of it is a Rooftop Garden with lots of greenery. There are several float pools that are cantilevered over the ocean.There are some really neat pluses on this ship – infinity hot tubs look out on the ocean, most with glass panels, there are lifts to get handicapped people into the pools, lots of green spaces with chairs to have some quiet time, lots of lounge chairs under a cover, etc.  

Deck 14 has the Mast Grill, ll Secondo Bacio (a coffee bar and fresh squeezed juices), the Oceanview Cafe (the awesome buffet), the Spa, the Solarium which is an adult only pool and lounge area, SEA Thermal Suite, Spa Cafe and Juice Bar, and where the Magic Carpet was at the time. There is also the Main pool with a terraced deck. It has a huge silver octopus on one end of the deck, very nice.

Decks 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 were all cabins. Deck 6 was mostly cabins but also the Eden Restaurant which is multilevel. Deck 5 is the Theater (multilevel), The Club (a hub of activities and social interaction, morning, noon, and night), the Steakhouse, The Club, Shops, more of the Eden Restaurant, The Eden Bar, Raw on 5 Restaurant and the Grand Plaza which is multilevel.

Deck 4 had more of the Grand Plaza (this is really a nice space, multilevel and great places to sit), the rest of the Theater and the Eden Restaurant, Le Grand Bistro Restaurant, Cypress Restaurant and the Cosmopolitan Restaurant, where we ate our dinners. The Casino is also on this deck.  Deck 3 had some staterooms, the rest of the Theater and the Grand Plaza, the Martini Bar, Tuscan Restaurant, Normandie Restaurant and Camp at Sea for the kids. Deck 2 was where the Magic Carpet goes for passengers getting to the tender boats and the medical facility.

There are no water slides, etc. for the kids. There is a Camp at Sea group for 13-17 year olds, one for 10-12, one for 6-9 and 3-5 if they are potty trained. The programs look like most cruise ship programs but they do use Stem Programs (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The are also autism friendly. They base their programs on the interest of the children participating on the cruise, so it changes a little with each cruise.

The shows in the Theater were done twice a night – 7:30 and 9:30. The first night, the show was “Bridges”. The daily happenings paper said it was “a celebration of human connection set against the backdrop of some of the world’s most iconic bridges from London to Venice, New York, San Francisco and Sydney, featuring a scenic bridge as the centerpiece that transports the audience to breathtaking locations.” It was a well done musical.

The second night was “Awakening” which is “a captivating, sensory experience taking you on an eye opening journey through a showcase of surreal dreams, awakening your sensed to explore a world where anything is possible”. Not something we enjoyed but lots of people really liked it. I think our biggest issue was with how dangerously loud the sound was. I measured over 117db at one point. They have another show – Residency which is a Las Vegas style music show. We didn’t get to see that one.

We didn’t use the Casino but it was large. It is non-smoking which I thought was unusual but great. They have over 200 slot machines and 150 game tables.

I was amazed at the choices at the Oceanview Cafe. Breakfast was everything you could think of plus stations for cook to order food. They even had my favorite – sausage gravy and biscuits and grits. One lunch buffet had one station (out of the 10 or so) with only seafood – lobster, shrimp (boiled, fried, grilled, etc.), crab legs and more!! It was awesome!! We ate suppers in one of the main dining room, the Cosmopolitan. The food and choices were great! Each main dining room has the same menu.

Everyone was friendly, nice and very service oriented. We couldn’t have had better service in the restaurants, bars, shops, or anywhere. It was an awesome, great experience!!

Celebrity has a party on board called “Shine the Night”. You were to wear a metallic outfit if you had one for a party on the Resort Deck. Lots of music and some surprise music performances. It was fun!  There were also several places that had music and  dance floor. There was a piano bar, game show of trivia, lots bar tastings, lots of music options, art shows, shop options, spa options, pickleball, dance, yoga and other fitness option classes, live music, wine and liquor tastings, dance parties, comedy shows, All the activities you find on most cruise ships with their own spin. 

The ship was very pretty. The colors were subdued with tan, white and black with red and blue accents. No in your face purple, orange, etc. Very subdued and nice. They were just starting to decorate for Christmas too, which I loved. The “elves” came during the night and did gorgeous greenery with white lights and red decorations on railings, beautiful trees, etc. It was starting to look a lot like Christmas!

This ship has brothers as co-captains. One of the things the ship did for us was to take us out in the life boats and go around the ship for pictures, I’m sure they don’t usually do that, but they did for us. It was wonderful! The life boats have individual seats for passengers, which was nice. One of the captains was piloting one of the life boats, He was driving around in figure 8’s, racing the other boat, and just generally having a good time, as did all of the passengers.

We really enjoyed the trip and seeing the ship. We will be going on more Celebrity cruises, especially the Edge Class.

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Passau, Germany – December 13th & 14th, 2022

Passau is known as “the city of the three rivers” and founded more than 2,000 years ago, Passau is one of the oldest cities in Bavaria. 

We had about a 10 minute bus ride to the downtown area from our docking area. Our tour this morning was a walking tour which was fine but there was a pretty steep hill in town and we went up and down it twice.  We first walked to a church  where we had a talk about making gingerbread, tasted the 3 kinds of gingerbread and watched how to make an evergreen wreath with candles. It was cold outside but it was slightly warmer in the church. 

In Germany, the head “master” gingerbread person used to be able to do it with a 4 year level but now it was that plus 4 more years of training, plus 3 years apprenticeship plus another 4 months to learn about opening a business, etc. Until then, you can’t open your own business for gingerbread in Germany. You have to pass several different tests and if you can’t pass them in 3 tries, you can never open your own business unless you partner with a master who had passed it all.

They used to always be partnered with a candlemaker because they used the same wooden molds. Today, they don’t do that because the gingerbread isn’t made in the same molds. He told us there are three kinds of gingerbread, First kind they sweetened with honey, second with molasses, and now they sweeten with sugar and lots of spices. Each has its points and is softer depending on the sweeter – honey, molasses, or sugar. We got to sample each kind.

Being right on three river, there are occasional floods. There is a building near the river that they mark where the floods come up to and the years they had the floods. The last flood they had was in 2013 and it was their deepest – 10.04 feet! That flooded the bottom floor of any building near the rivers.

Saint Stephen’s Cathedral in Passau has the largest Catholic church organ in the world and the largest organ in Europe. It has 17,974 pipes and 233 registers. It is beautiful to listen to. The last time we were in Passau, they had a concert there every afternoon at 4 PM. We were really looking forward to hearing it again. Unfortunately, the city is having problems finding people who know how to play this beautiful organ and they have discontinued the daily concerts. They only have 7 people who know how to play it. We did get to hear a lady practicing several pieces as we were in the cathedral. The city is offering scholarships, etc. trying to entice more people to learn how to play that organ.

Their Christmas Market was at the top of the hill so we only had to walk down one more time to get to the bus. When we got back to the ship, they were gave us a warm wine punch which was very good.

The next day it was back to the real world! Bags put by 5 AM and our bus to the airport left the ship at 7 AM. They did have the dining room open very early for breakfast so at least we started with a good meal.

The flight home would have challenged a saint but that is for another time. Suffice it to say, we will have second thoughts about airline trips in winter.

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Viking Danube Christmas Markets Cruise 2022

Prior to COVID, we had scheduled this cruise on the Danube from Budapest to Passau in December of 2020 with four other couples, Of course that got side lined, and over the next two years we lost two couples, so it was just the six of us going. Shot and Pam Shuler, Beth and Dennis Trammel, and us.

This was our second Christmas Markets river cruise. The first one we did in 2017 from Amsterdam to Basel Switzerland on the Rhine River. That was a fabulous experience, and we wanted to do the same thing on the Danube.

The river cruising experience is so laid back, with just 80 or so couples on the boat. It’s very easy to meet people and make new friends. Then there is gliding along the most iconic rivers of Europe with fine dining, superb service, on a beautiful boat. The Christmas Markets just make it that much more special.

As a starter, click to view a short video of the journey, then look at the details of each city along the Danube

So journey with us as we depart Budapest and sail upriver on the Danube towards Passau Germany on an eight day voyage of exploration and discovery.

Budapest, Hungary
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Vienna, Austria – December 10th, 2022

Up for a great breakfast. We ate most of our breakfasts in the main dining room. They have a buffet breakfast that you can go to or an area with sweet rolls, croissants, etc. but we liked to sit, pick from the menu and have it brought to us.

The tour this morning was again, a tour of the city and Christmas Markets. Most of the tours we had time during the tour to visit the Markets for plenty long enough. Some of the markets were close enough to the ship, we could go there again if we wanted. 

Vienna is a beautiful city with lots of elegant buildings and streets. We drove along the Ringstasse (the Ring Road), a road that was laid out during the 19th century along the old city walls. Lots of elegant public buildings, grand residences and imposing palaces. We did some walking around the Schonbrunn Palace which the best claim to fame in my opinion was it was one of the places where the Lipizzaner stallions live. It was also home to many centuries of Habsburg or Hapsburg family. They were an imperial family who were one of the principal sovereign dynasties of Europe from the 15th to the 20th century.

We stopped at St Stephen’s Cathedral which is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the  Archbishop of Vienna.The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral, seen today in the Stephansplatz, was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV (1339–1365) and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first a parish church consecrated in 1147. The most important religious building in Vienna, St. Stephen’s Cathedral has had many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history and has, with its multi-colored tile roof, become one of the city’s most recognizable symbols.

There was to be a protest in the city in the afternoon – protesting any and all things according to our guide. It started out being a protest for the COVID restrictions but has morphed into protesting everything in general and nothing in particular since there are no more COVID restrictions. The city closes part of the palace and the ring road for the protest. Our guide didn’t think much of the protest because they couldn’t even be specific and were protesting higher taxes and food prices, which nothing could be done about.

We went to the Christkindlmarkt at and around St. Charles Church and to the Magic Christmas Market. They had their market laid out in with four branches. They had the most unique, beautiful, handmade ornaments I had seen. We spent a fair amount of money there! They also had some really good Gluhwein.

We also walked to the Pasqualati House where Beethoven lived in Vienna and on several occasions between 1804 and 1815. The composer worked here on his opera “Fidelio” and on piano pieces such as the well-known “Fur Elise”.

Interestingly, The lights on all the streets with the Christmas Markets are all different – some like huge chandeliers, some just strung across in layers, some all over the buildings, etc. The reason for this is that the merchants on the streets decide what they want to put up and pay for. Makes for lots of variety.

In the afternoon, we did a “Behind the Scenes at the Lipizzaner Stallions” tour at the Stallburg Imperial Stables at the Hofburg Palace. That was pretty awesome! We had a guide for the ten of us who took the tour. She told us lots about the stallions, how they are trained and the history of them. The facility was built in 1729 by the Emperor and is one of the oldest of its kind in the world. It is built as part of the Schonbrunn Palace and the horses have very palatial facilities. We got to see the outdoor courtyard, the tack room, the stables, the performance arena and the outdoor training facility. Most of what we got to see was behind locked doors or gates where the general public wasn’t allowed. It was very cool seeing the stallions in their stable. We were just outside their individual stalls where you saw their names, what they ate for each meal and got to have a personal experience with them just on the other side of slats of wood.

We got to see several of the horses in outside stables. The horses are not totally white until they are about 7 years old. They have brown or gray in addition to the white. That is one of the things they look for when the pick horses to train. They also look at temperament, if they think they will train, their personality, etc. Lots of horses don’t make the cut and when they don’t, they sell them off, usually. They stay in Vienna 6 months of the year and have a summer vacation for 2 months and also get to go to the summer farm so they can get outside. It takes about 7 years to train a horse to make a show horses. Each horse does one of the tricks, not all of them. There is a school for the trainers too – one groomsman and one rider/trainer/horse.

Only 6 horses originally started the entire line of the horses so the first name of each horse is the lineage, the second name is the mother’s name. There are 70 horses at various stages of trainings, etc. The horses start doing shows about 8 years old and perform until they are about 25. Then they are retired and live the life of leisure until they die.

Then we went to the Gerstner K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäcker Coffee shop where Mike and I each had a huge piece of apple strudel with clotted cream. You could have one of those, a cheese strudel or any of about 15 awesome cakes and coffee. One of the great things about this place, beside the awesome food, everyone enjoyed their job!! They were all friendly, engaging and just really seemed to enjoy what they did.

The coffee shop was about a 2 minute walk to the Vienna State Opera. Gustav Mahler was, at one time, the director of the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna state orchestra. During his time there, he decided to change the rules. He wanted people to pay attention to what they were watching and the people were using it as time to socialize – see and be seen – talking during concerts, leaving the lights on, etc. He said people needed to pay attention so no lights during performances, no talking and no eating and drinking. The people didn’t like that because they were used to using it as time to socialize so they said if they couldn’t socialize, they weren’t going to go and they stopped. Mahler knew he had to do something so he instituted the intermission, which was OK with the people. Today there are usually 3 intermissions with any thing going on in the Opera House.


There is a different opera, play, etc. every day at the Opera House. They were doing Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” the day we were there which would have been great to see but unfortunately, we didn’t have time. You could stand for the performance for about 15 Euros. If you wanted to sit in the best place, it was 301 Euros.

Then back to the ship for a relaxing supper and evening. Course, we did make time for a couple of scotches before turning in for the night.

Krems, Austria
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US Christmas Traditions

I love Christmas!! It is my favorite holiday! Not just the religious aspect, I love the decorations, family time, food, and fellowship of this time of the year.

Today, most Americans blend religious and secular customs with their own family traditions, often incorporating food, decorations and rituals from places they or their ancestors once called home. Roast turkey and ham are popular for Christmas dinner throughout the country, but depending on the region, so are tamales, roast goose with red cabbage, crawfish jambalaya, roast pork or “seven fishes” seafood salad.

Using mistletoe inside began because of the healing properties of the herb. Since it blossoms even in the coldest winter, the Celtic Druids began to look at it as a symbol of vivacity. The association between mistletoe and fertility/vitality strengthened through the Middle Ages and became part of Christmas. Kissing under the mistletoe began in England where men could sneak a kiss from any woman standing under the mistletoe. Any refusal was considered bad luck

The nativity scene of Jesus’ birth was begun by St. Francis of Assisi who created an original living nativity around 1223 in a cave in Grecio, Italy. He created it to help his followers better understand the birth of Jesus. At the time, plays were a common way for the church to help people learn scriptures. The nativity scene typically has at least Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Shepherds, sheep, angels, donkey, ox, and the Magi (Three Wisemen) and their camels

Advent is a religious event that has been celebrated since the 4th century. It is a four-week period that starts on the Sunday closest to the November 30 feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle to prepare for Christmas. It is a celebration of the coming of Christ.

Advent is 4 weeks and represented in the church with a wreath made of a circle of evergreen branches to symbolize eternal life. There are 4 candles in a circle on the wreath. Each week a new candle is lit. The candles all represents something different. The first candle is The Candle of Hope representing God’s people shining in a dark place and the hope we have in Jesus. The second candle is the Candle of Peace, representing the old testament prophets and the peace we find in Jesus. Third is the Candle of Love, representing John the Baptist and the love we have for Christ. the last candle is the Candle of Joy, representing Mary, the mother of Jesus and the joy we find in Jesus. In the center if the circle is the Christ Candle, lit on Christmas Day. It represents the birth of Christ and reminds us Jesus is the light of the world and if we follow Him, we will never walk in darkness, but have the true light of life.

The Advent calendar was possibly created in the 19th century by a housewife who was tired of being asked when Christmas would come. The 24 openings have a picture or small gift for each day beginning December 1. Some towns have entire buildings and celebrations around opening of each window.

Yule logs are a tradition that is said to predate Christianity. As part of the winter solstice celebrations, Gaels and Celts burned logs decorated with holly, ivy and pinecones to cleanse themselves of the past year and welcome the new one. Europe had much ado about the Yule log for many years with different ways of ensuring the burning of the log for the 12 Days of Christmas. Today the yule log is usually a log shaped dessert, very tasty.

The tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus is a tradition which dates back to ancient Norse mythology. Odin, the Norse god, had an eight legged horse named Sleipnir. Kids would leave treats for Sleipnir hoping to get treats in return. This tradition became popular in the US during the Great Depression when parents tried to impress upon kids the importance of being grateful for anything they were lucky enough to receive for Christmas.

Evergreen fir trees are universal winter decorations. They were used as a reminder that spring would come again; the Romans placed them around temples to honor Saturn, the god of agriculture. In the 16th century, German Christians brought the trees inside their homes as a symbol of everlasting life.

Germany started the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Decorations for these trees were made by hand. Trees were decorated with berries, popcorn and nuts to feed the birds and the custom continued with indoor trees.

Martin Luther is said to be the first person to put lights on a Christmas tree. Legend has it that he was walking through a forest one night and was moved by the beautiful stars shining through the trees. When he got went home, he recreated what he saw for his family by putting a tree in their living room and placing lighted candles on its branches.

The first president to set up a Christmas tree in the White House was Franklin Pierce, and the first president to establish the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn was Calvin Coolidge.

Christmas Caroling was begun in Europe thousands of years ago before the establishment of Christmas when it was a celebration of the Winter Solstice. The word carol means dance or song of praise and joy. Christmas carols were possible first written in Latin in the 4th and 5th centuries.

Carol singing has come and gone but was revived to include singing at home, church and on the street as well as in plays since the 1800s The first printed publication of Christmas music helped widen interest in carols. It was published in 1833 and included “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen “, “The First Noel”, “I Saw Three Ships”, and “Hark! The Herald Angles Sing”. Almost all Christmas carols have some part of the Christmas theme, whether the birth of Jesus or the celebrations of the season (snow, sleigh rides, etc.).

Each carol has an interesting history. “Silent Night” was thought to have been written n Christmas Eve for the midnight mass in Orberndorf, Austria in 1818. Two priests adapted a poem and introduced it at their service despite their church organ being broken.

“Joy to the World” contains Christian imagery/. Its lyrics originate in the Old Testament in a 1719 translation of the Psalms of David, melody crafted in the 19th century.

The first version of”O Tannenbaum”, “O Christmas Tree”, originated in Germany, maybe as early as the 16th century. This carol pays homage to a universal symbol of Christmas, an evergreen tree.

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” was written by Haven Gillespie in 1934 just after he learned his brother had died. On the subway ride home, remembering his childhood with his brother and his mother’s warning that Santa was watching, he composed the song and had a composer wrote the music.

“Deck the Halls” dates back to the 16th century Wales where its melody and many of the lyrics were from a New Year Eve song. Undergoing several changes such as “fill the meadcup, drain the barrel” to “don we now our gay apparel”, the current version became popular in 1887.

“Jingle Bells” was originally written in the 1850s in Savannah, Georgia. Called “The One Horse Open Sleigh” was a celebration of Thanksgiving. The song was renamed in 1857 and is as we know it today. The song made history in 1965 when it became the first song broadcast in space. The crew of Gemini 6, following reports of seeing Santa Claus, did an improvised version using bells and a harmonica they had snuck on board.

Christmas Pickle – If there’s a pickle among your snowman, angel and reindeer ornaments, you’re likely taking part in the American tradition of hiding the green ornament on the tree, so that the first child to find it gets an extra gift, or has good luck for the following year. The practice’s origins are a bit murky (or should that be briny?), but, it’s likely it grew from a Woolworths marketing gimmick from the late 1800s, when the retailer received imported German ornaments shaped like a pickle and needed a sales pitch.

Candy Canes – Candy canes can be devoured as a treat or hung on the tree as decoration. They date back to 1670 in Cologne, Germany. The most popular account is that a choirmaster wished to quiet the children in his church, Cologne Cathedral, during their yearly Living Creche tradition each Christmas Eve. He reportedly commissioned a local candy maker to create what he referred to as sweet sticks for the children. He specified that they should have a crook at the top of each stick, to remind the children of the shepherds who visited the baby Jesus. He also specified that he should use the color white to teach the children about Christianity and remind them of Jesus’ sinless life. This trend caught on quickly and spread throughout Europe where other congregations began to hand out the candy canes during nativity plays.

The red and white peppermint sticks arrived in the US in 1847, when a German-Swedish immigrant in Wooster, Ohio placed them on a tree. By the 1950s, an automated candy cane making machine was invented. Candy canes are the number 1 selling non chocolate candy during December.

We have so many great Christmas traditions! Many families develop their own traditions to become part of the family story. It’s a great way to connect our family together and to the world. Wouldn’t it be fun to try a different tradition from somewhere in the world and see if that fits your celebration? It’s an easy internet search.

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Lucky Places

Looking for a little luck this year? While you could wish on a star or hunt for a four-leaf clover, there are certain locations around the world that are famous for bringing people good fortune in love, work, family, finances and more. Some even bring better health.

Close to home is Friendship Oak in Long Beach, MS. On the front lawn of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Park campus stands a sprawling oak tree more than 500 years old and nearly six stories tall. It is said that those who enter its shade together will remain friends for the rest of their lives.

At Jade Cove in Big Sur, CA you might find a jade stone. People typically find the dark green jades here. In many cultures around the world, jade is thought to bring good luck.

Hoover Dam, on the Nevada side, there are two 30 foot tall bronze statues known as the Winged Figures of the Republic. Touching the feet is said to bring you good luck.

Abraham Lincoln’s Tomb in Springfield, Illinois has a large bronze bust of Lincoln in front of the memorial. Millions of people have rubbed the nose of the statue for good luck.


The two best known locations around the world are the Trevi Fountain in Rome and the Blarney Stone in Blarney, Ireland.

The Trevi Fountain dates back to the 1700s but the tradition of throwing coins into it became even more popular in the 1950s thanks to the American film “Three Coins in the Fountain”. Visitors fling a coin with their right hand backward over their left shoulder into the fountain. Some say tossing one coin over your back into the fountain assures you will return to Rome. Two coins brings love and three means you’ll get married. Over $1 million in coins is collected every year and donated to a local charity.

If you kiss the Blarney Stone in the Blarney Castle built over 600 years ago, you will have the gift of “blarney” or the gift of eloquence and good fortune in matters of persuasion. By the way, the only way kiss it is to climb to the top of the battlements, lean over backward holding on to a metal bar, scoot yourself over to the edge and kiss the stone.

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, is a 6th century place of worship turned into a museum. It is considered one of the world’s great monuments and it is also a major tourist attraction. The Weeping Column or the Column of St. Gregory is said to “weep” with healing holy water. Visitors can put their thumb into a hole in the side of the column and if it comes out damp, legend says their Illness will be cured. Another legend says that when you put your thumb in the hole and rotate your hand, you will be granted a wish.

Il Porcellino is a bronze boar statue in Florence, Italy, sculpted in 1634, which draws hundreds of visitors a day hoping for good luck. Visitors rub the boar’s snout while dropping a coin in his mouth. If the coin slides back out and falls through the grating beneath the statue, that guarantees good luck and that you will return to Italy one day.


Madron Well in Cornwall, England is purported to have healing waters. Traditionally, visitors would take pieces of rag or ribbon, known as clouties, that were torn from a part of the body where they had an injury or illness. They would tie the clouties in a nearby tree, and as the piece disintegrated, their affliction would also disappear. Today, the tree is still filled with colorful pieces of cloth for blessings and luck.

The Wishing Trees (Banyan trees), Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, Hong Kong are famous for their wish granting abilities. Write your wish on a piece of paper, tie it to a mandarin orange and toss it as high as possible into the tree branches. If the orange gets caught n the branches, the wish will come true.

Nuremberg, Germany has a 14th century fountain, Schoner Brunnen, with tiers of stone religious figures. This is surrounded by a protective railing with two rings embedded in the grate. People believe if you turn the rings, it will bring good fortune to you.


The last one I am going to tell you about is the Laughing Buddha in the Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou, China. There are many replicas of this statue. He is said to the the origin of the tradition of rubbing the Buddha’s belly for good luck.

I don’t know about you, but everything I can do, silly or not, to have good luck or better health, I’m in.

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Palate and Honanki Heritage Sites

 Red Rock Canyon. The park is only hiking so we drove to where we could see the red rocks forming mountains from the car. We were looking for something else to do and I stumbled upon the Palate Heritage Site and it’s sister site, Honanki Heritage Site.

Palate Heritage Site

Palate Heritage Site is located in the heart of Red Rock Country, just a few miles from the town of Sedona. The site is a well-preserved cliff dwelling that was once home to the Sinagua people, who lived in the area from about 500 AD to 1425 AD. The Sinagua were skilled farmers and traders, and they built their homes in the cliffs to protect themselves from the harsh desert climate and potential invaders.

The Palate site features several rooms and structures that were built into the cliff face, including living quarters, storage rooms, and a communal plaza. The buildings are made of local sandstone and are remarkably well-preserved, with some of the original plaster still visible on the walls.

One of the most striking features of Palate is the rock art that adorns many of the walls. The Sinagua used a variety of pigments to create intricate designs and symbols, many of which have been interpreted as representing astronomical events or religious beliefs. The rock art at Palate is considered some of the best-preserved in the region and offers a unique window into the culture and beliefs of the ancient Pueblo people.

Honanki Heritage Site

Honanki Heritage Site is another impressive cliff dwelling located just a few miles from Palate. Like Palate, Honanki was once home to the Sinagua people and features a series of structures built into the cliff face. However, Honanki is much larger than Palate and features more complex architecture and a wider variety of rock art.

The Honanki site is thought to have been occupied from about 1100 AD to 1300 AD and is believed to have been a center of trade and religious activity. The site features several rooms and structures that are thought to have been used for ceremonial purposes, as well as living quarters and storage rooms.

One of the most impressive features of Honanki is the rock art, which covers many of the walls and ceilings of the buildings. The rock art at Honanki is particularly diverse, featuring a wide range of designs and symbols that are thought to represent everything from astronomical events to religious beliefs to daily life. Some of the most famous rock art at Honanki depicts a figure known as the “Sinagua Shaman,” who is thought to have played an important role in the religious beliefs of the ancient Pueblo people.

Exploring the Heritage Sites

Both Palate and Honanki are open to the public and offer visitors a chance to explore the rich history of the ancient Pueblo people. Guided tours are available at both sites and offer a wealth of information about the architecture, rock art, and daily life of the Sinagua people.

Visiting Palate and Honanki is a great way to connect with the past and gain a deeper understanding of the people who once called this area home. The sites are a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of the ancient Pueblo people and offer a glimpse into a culture that has long since passed into history.

These sites are currently managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Reservations are required for the Palatki Site. We didn’t get to go see either site. They close at 3:00 which was about 15 minutes after we would have gotten to the Honanki Site. We were almost to it and the road (which hadn’t been great the whole time – dirt and gravel and potholes) took a downward slope with large rocks, not gravel and we didn’t want to take the car down it. So, we just looked at them from a distance. They were beautiful! We were disappointed not to see them up close but seeing them, even from a distance, are pretty awesome!

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National Museum of Nuclear Science and History

Then off to Albuquerque. This was one of our family stops but we made good use of our time there. We visited the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. It is a great museum with lots of history and information about people from the atomic age, nuclear medicine, the history leading up to the creation and use of the atomic bomb in WWII. They have bomb casing of the Fat Man and Little Boy bombs, airplanes used, information about the Cold War, nuclear waste transportation and all things nuclear. It was very well done and had lots of great information.

There is a Critical Assembly room which is an exhibit based on the laboratory environment for the assembly of the atomic bomb during the Manhattan Project. A room exploring the Cold War and the political conflict existing after WWII along with lots of military weapons. Exhibits about sources of radiation that are around, there uranium comes from and how it affects us and the process of changing uranium into a usable form for nuclear power or weapons and how to dispose or recycle it.

There are displays of the Manhattan Project and the people involved, especially at Los Alamos and the journey that led them to the first explosion in 1945. The devastation at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the after effects are covered. There are even displays about the history of nuclear medicine and how it contributed to the advancement of medical technology as well as green energy options. There are classrooms where children were learning science and a lab where you could play and learn the concepts of physics.

Painted Desert and Petrified Forest
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Port Fees and Taxes

What are Port Fees and Taxes on a cruise? Port Fees and Taxes are something you pay every time you cruise. It isn’t normally included in the quoted price of the cruise. Like gratuities, it is an additional cost of the cruise. This fee may include any and all fees, charges, tolls and taxes imposed on the cruise line, by governmental authorities, as well as third party fees and charges arising from a vessel’s presence in a harbor or port. 

Each time a ship visits a port, the local authorities charge the cruise line a fee in exchange for the right to dock there and the various services associated with the ship’s visit. These fees include inspection fees, environmental fees, security services as well as docking fees and  a fee for each person on the ship whether or not they visit the port. Those costs also vary from one port of call to another. A per passenger fee is generally called a head tax. The cost covers the passengers using the local port and typically goes toward maintaining facilities that tourist use – dock improvements, police, etc.
Then there is the pilot fee. Every time a ship docks at a port, even if it is just to change berths, they are required to have a local pilot on the bridge to guide the ship. The boat that approaches the ship as it is coming in has the pilot onboard.
Port Fees and Taxes include U.S. Customs fees which covers the cost of paying the people who are at the custom desks and all the people guiding you around in the port.
Every time the Center for Disease Control does an inspection, they assess a fee based on the ship’s weight for the cost of the inspection. And the United States Public Health does unannounced inspections twice a year. The cruise line is charged for this inspection also.
In short, there are a myriad of things the cruise line has to pay for that gets passed along to the passengers. Each port has a different fee. You are assessed the fee based on the inspections done on a regular basis, security and custom people as well as what each port charges for docking.
Remember the cruise line pricing for a cruise does not include the Port Fees and Taxes. Just figure that cost into the price of your cruise when you are working out your budget.