27th March 2016 Yesterday, we noticed snow on the mountain tops in the distance, yet we had a lovely warm day. Today, we expected Kalamata to be cold and cloudy, as forecasted, but once again we woke to clear blue skies, and it was warm (20°C by lunchtime). We would spend a full day in… Continue Reading

26th March 2016 Another slow start to the day. Looking out of the window, we didn’t have the stunning view of a medieval castle to admire; instead, we faced acres of uninspiring tarmac, covered with stacks of containers in all colours. The ship’s excursions had long since departed by the time we emerged onto the… Continue Reading

25th March 2016 What a wonderful day! It began when we opened our blinds to reveal the castle of Rhodes, resplendent in the sunshine, with the Greek flag flying proudly. I had visited Rhodes before, with Nan, Sarah, and Jamie. Sue and Charlotte had stayed at home due to the scheduling of the British examination… Continue Reading

24th March 2016 We entered the port of Limassol on a lovely, warm spring day. Watching from our little window on the world, we saw the town gradually come into view before heading up for breakfast. From the restaurant windows, we could see that our ship had berthed alongside another cruise liner, the ‘Spirit of… Continue Reading

23rd March 2016 This morning, through our window on the world, we gazed out at a flat, calm sea. A few hundred metres away, a misty desert landscape slowly passed by, along with lane markers drifting aft. A variety of commercial ships lay at anchor, sliding into view as we readied ourselves for breakfast. We… Continue Reading

22nd March 2016 During the night, we headed south, leaving the Gulf of Aqaba before re-entering the Red Sea and continuing our journey north towards the Suez Canal. We slept soundly throughout. At 7:30 a.m., we were awakened by the sound of clattering and banging outside our cabin door. Later, when we left for breakfast,… Continue Reading

21st March 2016 Last night, we shifted to a new berth, just a mile or so across the gulf, trading Jordan for Israel. The day began with a 5:30 am wake-up call, followed by a quick shower and an even quicker breakfast. Armed with our passports and embarkation cards, we were at Israeli immigration control… Continue Reading

20th March 2016 I have been looking forward to this part of our holiday ever since it was booked, and it was principally the reason for cruising back from Mauritius rather than flying. It’s supposed to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World, well… we shall see. Another early wake-up meant a port… Continue Reading

19th March 2016 We woke to choppy seas this morning, but the stabilisers are still doing their job. Up on deck, the sun is no longer fierce, and a stiff breeze makes it much more pleasant to sit and admire the view of other ships passing in the far distance, going one way or the… Continue Reading

18th March 2016                                    This morning, we felt the ship’s movement for the first time in quite a few days. The placid sea of yesterday had been replaced by a swell, with little white horses undulating past our window,… Continue Reading