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 The placid sea of yesterday had been replaced by a swell, with little white horses undulating past our window,… Continue Reading

17th March 2016 We’re not ones for sunbathing, though many of our fellow passengers are. By now, you can probably guess that their bodies are taking on the colour and texture of freshly polished shoe leather. This got me thinking about the rare occasions when, as a couple, we’d lie on a sunbed and soak… Continue Reading

16th March 2016 The clocks went forward by one hour last night, so we woke at 6 am. Deciding to follow our body clocks, we were in the restaurant for breakfast before 7 am. It seemed that most of our fellow passengers had the same idea, as the restaurant we chose was full. After a… Continue Reading

15th March 2016 We had an early breakfast, though we were surprised the restaurant wasn’t as packed as on previous port days. We guessed that many people were likely avoiding the heat or perhaps concerned about local sensitivities (terrorism) and decided to stay on board instead and benefit from a lie-in. We received our tour… Continue Reading