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Wine and Wienerschnitzel

November 26, 2017 by Ann Petronio Leave a Comment

I turned fifty this month, and had done a LOT of advance thinking about what I wanted to do to celebrate this milestone. The fact that it would involve travel was a given, but I just couldn’t decide where to go. Until I received an invitation from AmaWaterways for a wine-themed cruise on the Danube, departing a few days after my birthday! That was a no-brainer, because I’ve always wanted to try a river cruise; it visited three countries that were new to me; and…well….WINE 😊

Misconceptions About River Cruises

If you’ve not yet done a river cruise, you’ve probably got some of the same pre-conceptions that I did. I figured I’d be the youngest person on the ship, and that it would be a fairly quiet/relaxing experience. I downloaded a half-dozen books to bring with me, because I assumed there’d be nothing to do at night. All of which was fine. And all of which turned out to be incorrect!

This “old person’s” cruise kicked my fairly-active butt. We were seeing/doing things from dawn to dusk. With opportunities to hike, bike, and explore (independently and with a group). We ate fabulous multi-course meals, we drank lots of great wine and beer. And at the end of the very full days, all I wanted to do was fall into bed at 9:30/10:00 pm. They offered nightly entertainment, but I only made it to the lounge once to check it out! It also bears mentioning that I was NOT the youngest person on this sailing. There were definitely some couples in their 30s and 40s, and the majority were in their 50s and 60s. True “seniors” were probably the minority.

AmaWaterways blew me away. And what I now know is that their cruises are aimed at a more active demographic. They do attract more 40- and 50-somethings, with their easy 7-night itineraries, included wine/beer/internet, and onboard gyms, and bikes. The food and the service were far better than anything I’ve experienced on an ocean cruise. Plus,the more intimate size (approx. 160 people) makes it really easy to meet interesting people. I am a total convert, and am already planning my next river cruise!

If you want the details of this trip, scroll down. And if you want to skip ahead to the photos, here’s a link to the entire gallery, taken by my very talented husband.

Our cruise on the AmaSerena was a 7-day “Romantic Danube” itinerary. Sailing from Vilshofen to Budapest, with the added bonus of an onboard wine expert and a handful of special wine tasting experiences along the way. The dates (November 13 – 20) were just before the official beginning of Christmas Market season in Europe (this usually starts around the 20^th). But, because of the weather, a couple of cities/towns started their markets a week early and we were able to experience that as well. A totally unexpected bonus!

Munich

We flew into Munich a day early, arriving on Sunday morning. So that we could see a little bit of that city, and adjust to the time difference. Arrival in Munich was super easy. It’s a big, modern airport, and we had a private driver waiting for us in the arrivals hall. The ride into the city was about 45 minutes, and it would also be easy to take the train if you prefer.

Our hotel – the Sofitel Munich Bayerpost — was right next door to the main train station (the Hauptbahnhof). A very central location, walkable to just about everything you’d want to see/do. Service was very friendly, our room was ready and we were able to check in at 10 am! The rooms are modern, spacious and light, and the bed was fantastic. We crashed for a quick one-hour power nap, and then headed out in the rain to explore.

Munich overall was a very easy city to walk around, and we felt very safe. Because it was Sunday, a lot of things weren’t open, but we walked all through the Marienplatz and the Viktualenmarket. They were setting up for Christmas markets, but the stalls were not yet open. We stopped by the famous Hofbrauhaus beer hall. But we were overwhelmed, jet-lagged, and didn’t really want to squeeze into a table with strangers, so we ate across the plaza at an Augustiner restaurant instead. The beers were delicious (our first Hefeweizens!) and we shared a very German snack plate of sausages, cheese, brown bread, shredded horseradish and more. We had an early bed time that night, and twelve very necessary hours of sleep!

We got up bright and early on Monday, and had breakfast at one of the little coffee shops in the train station next door. Then we checked out, stored our bags with the front desk, and wandered back through the Marienplatz for a little more sightseeing. We rode up the tower at the town hall for the views, and explored the Munich Residence museum (an unexpected gem – like a smaller and less-crowded Versailles!)

When it was time, we collected our bags and strolled back into the train station. It was very easy to find the correct platform and our train car (they are marked on the outside to indicate 1st and 2nd class). The seats were comfy, the ride was about two hours, and it was very easy to navigate. They announce each upcoming station, and show it on a scrolling monitor as you approach. We hopped off in Vilshofen, consulted our Google maps, and walked to the river bank where the ship was docked.

Boarding the Ship

Boarding the ship was very casual and easy. There’s no real check-in; you just walk onboard, give the front desk your name, and then relax and have a snack in the lounge until they escort you to your cabin. We were in one of the least expensive cabin categories, which was below the waterline on deck one. It’s worth noting that this deck is down a spiral staircase, with no elevator access, and it would be tough for anyone with mobility issues. The cabin was very “cozy”, but had more than enough storage space. The bathroom was modern, and the shower was bigger than on an ocean cruise. There were two small windows high on wall, right at water level, and we jokingly called it “duck view”. The cabin was stocked with bottled water, and had free wifi, and a nice Apple TV with Internet and movies. Higher level cabins have French balconies, or twin balconies (part French balcony and part full sit-down balcony), but in the cool/wet fall weather that we experienced all week, we really didn’t miss having the outdoor space.

There was time to stroll around town that afternoon, and then we were officially welcomed with a dockside Oktoberfest celebration hosted by the village of Vilshofen. We enjoyed local beer and pretzels, live music, and even some polka lessons! It could have been hokey, but was actually quite fun and festive, and was a great way to kick off the cruise. Dinner followed, in the main restaurant, with free-flowing local wine and beer. They really did a nice job of tailoring each night’s menu to the surrounding area, and we enjoyed some very nice German and Austrian wines along the way. Meals were all open-seating, which was good for meeting people, and the food and the service were top notch.

We did not sleep all that well that night, partially due to the time difference and partially due to the noise we could hear. Our location (next to the kitchen and more or less underneath the gangway) was not ideal, and I would choose something further down the hallway next time. Because this was a turnaround night (they were clearly offloading some things from the previous cruise and taking on new provisions, etc. ) there was a lot of foot traffic overhead.

Tuesday morning we were again up bright and early, and enjoyed a lovely breakfast in the main restaurant. Breakfast and lunch onboard was always buffet, with a few additional a la carte items you could order from the waiter. Every morning, outside of the main breakfast hours, they also offered “early” and “late” continental breakfast options in the lounge. It would be impossible to go hungry!

That first morning they had an information session in the lounge to explain the shore excursion options. The cruise director walked us through all the available (included) sightseeing options in each port, and provided details about the variations (i.e. “active walkers”, “slow walkers”, etc.) He also filled us in on a couple of optional ticketed excursions (such as a night at the Vienna concert hall) that were available – at added cost – for anyone who was interested. It was very helpful, and was a great overview of the days to come.

Passau

After that, we enjoyed a scenic sail down the river to Passau, arriving just after lunch. Although it was cold/breezy, we ventured up to the “sun deck” to see the scenery and take some photos. Unlike some river cruise lines, all AmaWaterways ships have a small pool and lounge chairs up on that deck, and it would be very inviting in the warmer months.

In Passau, we chose to do a hiking tour up to the castle that overlooks the city. The hike was really not difficult, just lots of steps, and we had some interesting commentary/history along the way. NOTE: For all the guided tours, we had “quiet vox” ear pieces to wear, so that we could hear our guide without having to be right next to him/her. The view from the castle was fabulous, and it would be even better on a sunny day. Afterwards, we had some free time to wander around Passau on our own, and we visited their beautiful cathedral.

We ate dinner that evening at the Chefs Table, which is a lovely room at the stern of the ship, with wraparound windows. It seats about 28 people, and everyone can make reservations at least once during a one-week cruise. The meal includes a special tasting menu, with wine pairings, great service, and some very interesting and unique dishes. They also brought me a cake and sang Happy Birthday 😊

The entertainment in the lounge that evening was a singer from the UK (she had spent several years in the West End playing Fantine, Evita, etc) and she was great. Unlike on ocean cruises, where an entertainer stays on board for the duration, the river cruises have local talent that get on and off each evening. Once she was done with her set, off she went, and we set sail down the river again.

Linz & Salzburg

Wednesday morning, we were docked in Linz, Austria. We enjoyed a morning walking tour of the city, which is a UNESCO city of “culture and music”, with lots of interesting museums, sculptures, public art installations, etc. After returning to the ship for a quick lunch, we headed off to Salzburg (the other option would have been the medieval village of Cesky Krumlov, in the Czech Republic, which I also would have loved to have seen)

The bus ride to Salzburg from Linz was about two hours, and we made a pitstop at Lake Mondsee for bathrooms and photos. (NOTE: those who chose the full-day Salzburg tour spent more time here to see the Sound of Music wedding chapel, which overlooks the lake). At Salzburg, the bus let us off on the edge of the city center, and we did about a 90-minute guided walking tour of Mirabell Gardens, the “Love Locks” bridge, the pedestrian-only city center, and the Cathedral, and then had about 90 minutes on our own, which was perfect. We did some Christmas shopping, and then sat and had coffee and strudel in a cute little café. I would definitely go back to Salzburg if I had the opportunity, as we did not even scratch the surface. There are museums, churches, a fortress overlooking the city, and more.

Durnstein

Thursday was a nice respite from the busy days prior. We were able to sleep in, as the morning schedule was just “scenic cruising in the Wachau Valley”, and we would not be in port until 2 pm. I appreciated that change in pace, and had my first restful night’s sleep of this trip. We had a nice breakfast and then spent some time up on the sun deck in the cold. We were the only ones up there, because it was chilly and windy, but we got to watch as we went through one of many locks, and take pictures of cute little villages, churches and castles along the river banks. The hot chocolate/latte machine in the lounge was much appreciated after that. We did later hear that some fellow passengers had braved the (heated) pool!!

Later that morning, while we cruised down the river, we enjoyed an interesting wine tasting taught by our onboard wine host, and learned about some different California blends. When we eventually docked in Weissenkirchen, we enjoyed an afternoon tour to Durnstein (a short bus ride away). This was a charming Medieval town, surrounded by vineyards, with castle ruins looming above them. Because it was so late in the season, a lot of the shops weren’t open, but we did manage to pick up some locally-made apricot liqueur!

That evening, we did a really nice winetasting tour in Weissenkirchen. We were sorted into small groups, with guides, for a scenic stroll through this wine-making village. Our group ended up at a really cool old wine cellar, where we tasted several different Austrian white wines. For me, the Gruner Veltliner was the clear winner (I didn’t really care for the Austrian Reisling or Chardonnay).

Melk

Friday morning, we were up bright and early (again) for breakfast and a 9 am departure (by bus) for Melk. This is a gorgeous baroque abbey/fortress/church overlooking the river, which has been continuously occupied by monks for 900 years. Monks still live there now, and run a small and prestigious private school (which our guide had attended!) We learned a lot about the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, and the Hapsburgs.

After lunch, we enjoyed a scenic sail down past Durnstein, to leave the Wachau Valley. When we tied up in Krems, Austria we actually decided to skip the afternoon winetasting excursion (shocking, I know!) in favor of wandering around town on our own. It turned out to be one of my favorite stops. We walked into the pedestrian-only city center, where everything was decorated for Christmas, and we window-shopped our way down every block. There were outdoor kiosks selling mulled wine, and families enjoying a late-afternoon stroll, and the whole thing was picture-postcard-perfect.

Vienna

On Saturday, we arrived in Vienna. With so much to see and do in such a big city, the cruise line had given us a lot of options, and we packed our day very full. We started with a morning walking tour, to get an overview of the city and its history. We saw the famous Lipizzaner Stallions outside the Spanish Riding School, we marveled at St Stephen’s Cathedral, and we learned about Vienna’s café culture. When the tour was over, we stayed in town (rather than riding back to the ship for lunch) and explored a bit on our own. We ate bratwursts at an open-air kiosk, wandered down cobblestone streets, and soaked up the atmosphere. That afternoon, we met back up with the guide for a tour of Schonbrunn Palace, the grand summer residence of the Hapsburg Emperors. The Christmas Market outside the palace had already opened for the season, so we were able to sneak in some souvenir shopping (and some gluhwein sampling 😊 )

Because the Christmas Markets were open, we opted to forego the usual evening tours — a Mozart and Strauss Concert or an evening at a traditional Austrian Heuriger (tavern) — and instead took advantage of a shuttle ride back into the city to spend a few hours at the Christmas Market at the Rathausplatz. There was music, twinkling lights, an open-air skating rink, and lots and lots of stalls selling all sorts of holiday treasures. We picked up some souvenirs for the kids, and thoroughly enjoyed the festive atmosphere.

Budapest

Sunday was our last full day, and unfortunately it was not only cold but rainy. Because of the distance we needed to cover from Vienna to Budapest, the ship actually dropped us all off in Esztergom (about an hour’s drive from the city) so we could board buses and start our tour while the ship continued along the meandering river to eventually catch up with us in the late afternoon. We did a “panoramic” tour of the city. From the bus, and then a drizzly walk through Buda to the Fisherman’s Bastion and the Matthias Church. We had some free time to shop and explore nearby, and then we continued our panoramic tour into the Pest side of the city. We ended up at Heroes Square, where we learned more about the 1956 Uprising, the Cold War, and the modern history of this fascinating city.

That night, the final evening of the cruise, was a definite highlight. We enjoyed the Captain’s cocktail party, and a special farewell dinner, and then the ship left the dock to do a leisurely cruise through the heart of Budapest. With amazing illuminated buildings/palaces/castles/monuments on each side. Everyone was up on the top deck, marveling at the sights. I actually had tears in my eyes, and it was only partially due to all the wine 😊

Final Thoughts

Disembarkation on Monday was handled exceptionally well. We had all been assigned to specific shuttle times, based on our onward plans. So, we were able to sleep in, have some breakfast, and relax in the lounge until called. They loaded us (and our luggage) onto a shuttle and drove us to the airport. There we were met by someone from Amawaterways to hold our hands for the airport check-in, and make sure we were safely on our way. The whole thing, from beginning to end, was top notch.

A summer adventure to Alaska

August 25, 2013 by Ann Petronio Leave a Comment

This trip report, from a client who just did an Alaska cruise with her family of four, provides a great opportunity to compare two different viewpoints of the exact same cruise itinerary. Clare (see below) was on the 8/4/13 sailing of the Norwegian Pearl from Seattle and another client, Terry (see her review here), was on the sailing right before that — on 7/28/13. Between the two, there are LOTS of great tips and advice for anyone considering an Alaska cruise. Enjoy!

Hi Ann,

Okay, here you go…. I am sure I will write far more detail than you ever wanted! All excursions were booked via the cruise line.

Seattle:

The hotel (Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza) was great – staff was friendly, and the kids felt like they were in someplace really “fancy” – ha ha. Not like the cheap hotels we usually get for soccer tournaments and swim meets!

Food suggestions – My brother swears by Etta’s – we missed our dinner reservations on Friday b/c of flight delays, so we never got there. Serious Pie – best pizza and Top Pot Donuts for breakfast! 🙂

We did the Experience Music Project and both kids LOVED it. Highly recommend

My brother suggested we take the ferry to Bainbridge Island, just to get a good view of the city. We did that, walked around town, got some ice cream and came back.

Juneau:

We did one of the whale watching tours. Allen Marine – Whale Watching & Wildlife Quest. Apparently, we got a really good trip – we saw bubble feeding – which the naturalist was so excited for. She said she had not seen that all summer. We did see a ton of whales, and some sea lions.

Overall, we thought that it was a good trip. Very crowded – and we had a lot of people on the boat who did not want to “share” the sights – give people turns to take photos.

Mark has been on a lot of whale watches – and he thought this was among the best. The staff was excellent.

Town – we did some shopping (no purchases) – and ate at the Red Dog Saloon. Very “local” – fun place – food was fine, beer was great, prices were very high for the amount of food received. They have live music (guitar/singer) for the cruise ships – he was very fun. A little off color, but was fine for the kids.

Skagway:

Grizzly Falls Zip line – The kid’s favorite excursion. It was a lot of fun. The staff was outstanding – from the person who drove us from the dock to the location to the two women who led our zip lines. We laughed, saw some scenery, and enjoyed our morning. On the way back to town, the driver even stopped for us to take some photos.

White Pass Railway – Unbelievable scenery – lots of good information and photos. It was 3 hours, which was a bit long, but the train can’t go too fast. I would have been disappointed if this was our only excursion, but we were happy with it since we zip lined in the morning.

Town – we did some shopping – same stores for the most part as Juneau – this time we purchased. Brett was disappointed he did not speak up in Juneau that he saw something he liked, b/c they did not have the item in Skagway. We ate at the Sweet Tooth Café (kids choice this time). Basic Diner food – it was good – but the prices were high (but more food than the saloon). We were just a little tired of the ship food, but in hind sight, would not have done this – just gotten a treat and then eaten a meal on the boat.

Ketchikan:

Zodiac Coastline Excursion – Mark’s & my favorite excursion – and the kids loved it ALMOST as much as the zip lines. The staff was the best. We drove over 30 miles in our own small zodiac boat, led by one of their staff. He fed two eagles – so we were super close. Also went to a sea lion sanctuary and got within 20 feet of them. It was amazing. And, even though it was against the rules – he did let the younger kids drive the boats once we were out in open water. 🙂 They loved that. I HIGHLY recommend this one!

That was all we had time for – just made it back to the ship in time. We actually would have liked a little more time in this port. It seemed rushed.

We walked from the ship along the water into town. Fun to see the modern construction then turn to more old style. Enjoyed seeing the castles.

We ate at Earl’s – by far the best food we had all week. Thirst quenching beer also! 🙂 They were one of the few places we found that we could have a beer and feed the kids –the pubs we walked by were 19 and older.

$9 cab back to the ship

We all agreed we would rather have had a longer stay in Ketchikan and skipped Victoria – though the food was really good! 🙂

Norwegian Pearl:

Staff was outstanding – pretty much everyone we ran into had a smile on their face and seemed focused on making our trip enjoyable.

Mini-Suite – SO GLAD you suggested this size room – it was fine for the 4 of us. Mark and I said we would never go smaller, even if it is just the 2 of us. Room was clean, well-kept, and the bathroom size was not bad at all either.

Pools – the kids would have liked a larger pool to swim in. There was an “Adult only” pool that was the same size as the kids and rarely had anyone in it, and if anyone was in it, there were only 2 or 3. They were disappointed that even though the pool was 6 feet deep, they could not jump in. They did love the slide.

Hot tubs were fine – kids thought they were too hot. 🙂

Food – you read a lot of mixed reviews about the food on this ship and Norwegian in general. We would classify it as “fine.” The poolside bbqs by far had the best on-ship food all week. I think partially b/c they were cooking it fresh right in front of you. We primarily ate in the buffet with maybe 6 meals in the dining rooms. We ate there more for the peace and quiet, as the food was not too different from the buffet. I would say a true “foodie” would probably think poorly of the food, but the average person/family would think it was okay. The kids thought the fries were the best fries they had ever eaten (so they ate them all the time) and they also had delicious bread. The fresh fruit was plentiful and ripe. The crepes were delicious, but overall, the desserts just fair. We ate twice at a place that was open all the time with more bar-like food, and this was pretty good. The Chocolate Buffet – They had a ton of beautiful sculptures and displays. A couple of things that tasted good, but nothing that I thought was outstanding. Truthfully, I just find the people outrageous at this buffet! (Brett was so disgusted by how “piggy” people were, he only tried one thing…) Royal Caribbean did this much better as I recall.

Entertainment – great acts (Second City, a juggler, a comedian – all were kid appropriate or had kid-appropriate shows)

Kids Club – Dillon (10) – LOVED this – the staff members were terrific. He tried to squeeze in a visit every day. This was a life saver on days we were at sea all day and it was chilly or rainy out.

Other Activities – Brett was disappointed that a lot of the scheduled activities on the sports courts, ping pong tables, and golf area ended up getting cancelled b/c of weather or low turn-out. One activity he was about 2 minutes late for had already started and they would not let him join in. Also – he is an exercise fanatic, and it was very disappointing he could not visit the fitness center even if he was with Mark or I. He did run on the deck/track almost every day. (He needed to burn some energy!)

Rock Climbing Wall – the kids finally got to do this our last full day. It was closed for most of our trip b/c of weather. They were disappointed to not have done it earlier in the trip.

Glacier Bay – We LOVED this day – and primarily enjoyed it from our balcony. We had hot chocolate delivered (it was gross… lol) and liked that we could turn on our TV to hear the Park Ranger narration.

Weather – not that you control this – but we did have great weather. Days in port were 70 or higher. Brett actually did not have enough shorts and t-shirts.

On-Board Spending – Mark and I are not big drinkers – I think we each had 6 beers the whole week and I had 2 or 3 mixed drinks – so I imagine our final bill was less than many. We did go to Bingo a few times, and Deal or No Deal once. We bowled and the kids did a few arcade games. Mark and I did the soda deal – which for us is a steal. So, our final bill was under $500 (we pre-paid our service charges, so this does not include those). We were happily surprised with this – b/c we really did not go in trying to curtail our spending.

Kids did have ship envy when we were docked with one of the Princess ships and one of the Holland America ships. 🙂 But I think it is natural to see things you wished you had.

Embarkation and Disembarkation – VERY easy and quick. Probably 20-25 minutes from arrival at the dock to walking on the boat. No wait at disembarkation – we chose to walk off with our bags at 7:30 am to avoid the rush.

Ann – you provided excellent guidance for us. We were hesitant to try Norwegian again b/c of our prior experience and just overall reviews are so mixed. While we know it was not a top of the line ship or cruise line – it definitely met our needs. I appreciated that you really had us think about what was important to us when we were selecting the right cruise – and not to totally focus on what other people had to say. Also – when I asked about excursions – you guided us well in terms of the amount of activity and who else may select to go on certain activities. THANK YOU for helping to make this a memorable trip for our family! It really was a trip of a lifetime!

Thanks again,

~ Clare

Alaska never disappoints!

August 17, 2013 by Ann Petronio Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year when clients are enjoying Alaska cruises and I’m wishing I were right there with them. Alaska is one of my all-time favorite places, and a “bucket list” destination that everyone needs to see and experience at least once in their lifetime. Check out what Terry had to say about her recent Alaska cruise, and let me know if you want to start planning your own!

Hi Ann

The trip was fantastic, we absolutely loved the cruise and Alaska. It is so beautiful there.

The ship [Norwegian Pearl] was very nice, things are very organized and ran very smoothly including boarding and disembarking. We never felt like we were on a ship with thousands of other people. For the Alaskan cruise I would highly recommend a balcony room – we spent a lot of time out on the balcony. We really lucked out with the weather not a drop of rain the entire time we were gone, and it was in the 80s a few days in Alaska, which we heard is not normal.

We really enjoyed our time in Seattle, and the Sheraton was very nice especially at the discount price I was able to get through my employer. We went to Pikes Place Market, very fun, then we did the Emerald Trolley tour which was very nice. We stopped at the Space Needle, I went up while Bob waited on the ground :), then we went the Blown Glass Garden display which is right next door to the Space Needle, it was great, so beautiful, worth the price of admission which was only around $20, you get a discount if you by the Needle and Glass ticket combo.

In Juneau we took the helicopter ride out over the glaciers and landed on the Ice Field where there is a summer dog sled camp. We went on the dog sleds, where everyone is able to drive the sled as well as ride. They actually tow a sled behind the main sled that you drive, while the musher is driving the main sled. That was amazing, we loved it. The dogs are so excited when you get there just barking and jumping they can’t wait to pull the sled. After the ride you get to go up and meet and pet the dogs. This excursion was expensive but we are dog lovers and we felt it was totally worth it. Bob even said the helicopter ride was worth it and he doesn’t like heights. On the helicopter they brought us in one way and explained everything we were seeing, lots of glaciers, and they took a different way out, and again explained what we were seeing so it was a great tour along with the dog sled ride

In Skagway we did the Eagle Preserve float. This was a very leisurely ride down a river that is fed from the glaciers. A very beautiful and peaceful ride. We did see some eagles but they were at a distance, as the salmon were not running in that area at the time. We enjoyed this, but people should know what this entails. It’s a 6 hour excursion, but only an hour and a half float. You take about a 10 min bus ride from the boat over to a Ferry. Then you take a 40 min Ferry ride which was very pretty, to another bus. Then you take about a 40 min bus ride up to where you get in the rafts. Of course they don’t tell you this in the description of the excursion, so we had assumed it as a 6 hour float. They do provide lunch at the end of the float before you board the bus to go back to the Ferry. Lunch could be better it was cold cut sandwiches, and chips. We enjoyed it, but I probably would not do it again.

If people want to see eagles, they should wait and do the Totems, Lighthouse and Eagle Tour in Ketchikan. We did this one and it was great. We saw a lot of eagles and were pretty close to them. They provide binoculars for you to use, and we could see a mother eagle feeding her babies in the nest, it was amazing. We also stopped near the Totem Village that is there and saw the Totems, and went up to an island and saw the lighthouse (we love lighthouses). We saw some Harbor Seals out sunning themselves, and a few deer on one of the islands. The boat crew, who were very nice, said they often see whales but we didn’t get that lucky that day. The boat crew served us drinks – very yummy hot chocolate and they had snacks on board, including salmon dip. There were only around 20 people on our trip so it was nice the boat was not crowded at all.

Our favorite town was Ketchikan it had many small shops besides the jewelry stores. Unfortunately this was the town we had the least amount of time at. We would have really liked to have had more time there. Others that we talked to on the ship said the same thing.

We didn’t book anything for Victoria, we just went and walked around the town. It is very pretty there, but it was also very busy, as 3 cruise ships all pulled in at the same time.

We LOVED Glacier Bay – that is an amazing place. They took us right up to the Glaciers and would turn the boat so people on both sides could view them, so we were able to enjoy them right from our balcony.

Also we took advantage of the service that is offered to check your luggage from the boat all the way home, so we didn’t have to deal with that at all, which was great. The service is 19.95 per person, and we felt it was totally worth it. We were very happy to see that our luggage arrived in RI on time right along with us.

Thanks for your help in planning this trip, we totally loved it. An experience we will never forgot. I’m already starting to think about our next trip and will reach out to you again, after we save up some money for it.

Thanks again

Terry

Bermuda Blast 2011

October 20, 2011 by Ann Petronio Leave a Comment

We just returned from the second annual Annie’s Escapes Group Cruise and it was a blast! Plans are already in place for next year’s group trip (a food/wine tour to Tuscany in October 2012) but you’ll have to wait a couple of weeks for details and pricing.

For now, I can tell you all about our Bermuda Blast 2011! We sailed with 40 people on a 5-day Royal Caribbean cruise on the Explorer of the Seas, from Bayonne, NJ to Kings Wharf in Bermuda. The group included a core of Annie’s Escapes clients/friends as well as a destination wedding party for a client who was getting married on the island while we were there. The full photo album (about 75 pictures) can be found here. And my trip review is below.

Embarkation and Sailaway:

We drove from Rhode Island to Bayonne on Saturday morning (10/8) to board the ship, and it was a quick and easy trip marred only by some confusion over exactly where the entrance to the port should be (and we weren’t the only ones with a “confused” GPS – I think everyone in our group had an issue with finding their way into the port) It was SO nice to leave from a local port, rather than dealing with flights!

We were onboard by about 1:00 pm, with time to check out our cabin, enjoy a buffet lunch, and explore the ship before the lifeboat drill and the sailaway party. What an experience it is to sail out of New York harbor, with the skyline, the bridges, the Statue of Liberty and all the other sights! We were able to watch a handful of other ships sail out with us as well – from the NYC port on the west side of Manhattan and from Princess’s port in Brooklyn.

The ship:

Explorer of the Seas, at just over 1,000 feet in length and accommodating about 3,100 passengers, is smaller than the last two Royal Caribbean ships that I’ve sailed on (the Freedom of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas), but I have to say that the size felt just right. Big enough to have all the “bells and whistles”, like an interior promenade, rock climbing wall, skating rink, etc., but small enough that we knew our way around by the end of the first day (VERY unusual for me!) Two of our favorite spots on the ship were the adults-only solarium pool and the Viking Crown Lounge, where we spent several cozy hours with our books and cocktails enjoying the view (we even saw a school of flying fish from up there!) Our cabin, a category E1 balcony, midship on deck 8, was plenty big for the two of us, although the balcony felt a little more compact than others we’ve enjoyed in the past, and the location was fantastic – convenient to everything.

The food:

We ate in the main dining room every night (8:30 pm seating, tables for ten, in the Magellan dining room) and the food was very good. Some of us thought the portions were small, but once everyone realized that they could order multiple appetizers or main courses if they wanted to sample different things, it was all good! The late seating works well for us, because it leaves plenty of time for an afternoon nap, cocktails, and even a show before dinner on some evenings. The Windjammer buffet had typical buffet food for breakfast and lunch; not the best I’ve ever had, but perfectly acceptable. We had one lunch at Johnny Rockets, which had a small surcharge but was totally worth it for the onion rings! All in all, the dining experience was exactly what I expected, and I have no complaints.

The entertainment:

We saw several production shows, including music, dancing, a comedian and more, and all were very good. We did not make it to the ice show, although I heard it was fantastic. The “Love and Marriage” show was quite funny, and the cruise director did a great job. The only entertainment that disappointed us was the piano bar, which normally would be our regular late night hang out. We went the first night and the music was so disappointing (and the crowd so old and tame) that we never went back. We did, however, participate in a couple of the trivia contests later in the cruise, and we even won a Royal Caribbean hat!

The ports:

This itinerary includes two full days at sea and two (almost) full days in port in Bermuda. Like most modern ships, the Explorer is too large to dock in Hamilton, so it ties up out at the tip of the island, in the Dockyard area. We bought two-day transportation passes (good for unlimited travel on the island’s ferries and buses) and spent the first day exploring St. George (Fort St Catherine, swimming at Tobacco Bay, shopping in town, etc.) On the second day we went shopping in Hamilton and then took a snorkeling excursion in the afternoon. Everyone agreed that one more day on the island would have been perfect, and I know that I would have loved to have time to show my husband the beaches along the south coast. This was the first time that I’ve docked out at King’s Wharf (Dockyard) and I was pleasantly surprised to see that you could just spend the day there if you wanted to — there are shops, restaurants, an historic fort, and even a lovely little snorkeling park.

Disembarkation:

When we returned to port on Thursday (10/13) some of the group elected to try self-disembarkation, where you hold onto your own bags and walk off the ship early in the morning in one of the first disembarkation groups. Those that did it, loved it. Since we did not have anywhere to rush off to, we decided to sleep in a little bit and have a sit-down breakfast in the main dining room before we disembarked. Very civilized!

Post-cruise visit to NYC:

Wanting to extend the vacation a little bit, we had planned to spend one post-cruise night in New York City. We were off the ship by about 9:45 am, hopped in the car, and drove a couple of miles down the road to Liberty State Park in Jersey City. There we boarded the ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The ferries run continuously, and you can explore both sites at your own pace. We enjoyed an audio tour of Ellis Island, and found the ship’s records for my husband’s great grandparents who emigrated from Italy! Afterwards, we climbed to the pedestal at the Statue of Liberty (tickets to go all the way up to the crown are severely limited, and must be reserved months and months in advance) and took in the view.

We drove ourselves into Manhattan and checked in at the Marriott Marquis, where we were lucky enough to get a 40^th floor room with a direct view down into Times Square. The room was spacious and modern, and the hotel is absolutely huge! We enjoyed a delicious dinner down in Chelsea with my brother and sister and their spouses (they live in New York) and spent the next day sightseeing and shopping before driving back home to Rhode Island and the kids. It was a great way to extend the vacation and wind down after the cruise, and I enjoyed being able to catch up with my family too.

My overall thoughts and impressions about the trip? This was one of the most relaxing vacations I’ve ever taken, and we loved travelling with a group of friends. The only thing I’d do differently next time is to take a 7-day Bermuda cruise instead!