Tropical Storm Eugene off Mexican Coast

800 AM PDT SAT AUG 06 2011

...EUGENE NOW A POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE...THIS IS THE LAST ADVISORY...

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

 NHC ACTIVE STORMS (CLICK HERE)

A tropical depression formed well south of Acapulco, Mexico early Sunday morning. Tropical Depression Five-E became a named Tropical Storm by 8 AM PDT as it reached 45 MPH about 400 miles south of Acapulco.  Additional strengthening is expected over the next couple days.  The storm, which will likely become a hurricane appears that it will stay well offshore and as it gets into less favorable waters become sub-tropical towards the end of the week.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 85 MPH...140
KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  EUGENE IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE.  EUGENE IS EXPECTED TO
BECOME A TROPICAL STORM ON FRIDAY...AND WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION OVER THE WEEKEND. 

THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT. 

SUMMARY OF 800 PM PDT...0300 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...17.4N 121.2W
ABOUT 825 MI...1330 KM WSW OF THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA CALIFORNIA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...85 MPH...140 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 285 DEGREES AT 13 MPH...20 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...981 MB...28.97 INCHES

EUGENE - Historical Data           Storm Archive        Graphics Archive

800 PM PDT TUE AUG 02 2011
...EUGENE REACHES MAJOR HURRICANE STATUS OVER THE OPEN PACIFIC... 

200 AM PDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMS WELL SOUTH OF ACAPULCO MEXICO... 

800 AM PDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...DEPRESSION REACHES TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH...  

There are no cruise ships in the immediate vicinity, but we will continue to monitor this storm.

Panagia Tourliani Monastery

Leaving the splashing waters of the Aegean Sea behind we boarded  our motor-coach for the ride between Kalafati Beach and the charming village of Ano Mera at the center of the island, home to the lovely ...

Panagia Tourliani Monastery

Originally built in 1542 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, this monastery was our next stop. It has impressive architecture, whitewashed exterior and colored dome which have long charmed visitors from around the world. As we walked from our motor-coach, we could only see the bell tower rising to the sky.   Even when we got closer, the bell tower and arches above the entrance still dominated the scene.

Inside the Monastery

Making our way inside the monastery church, we light a small candle, getting the flame from one that was already burning.   This gesture is a way of presenting your petitions to God.

The church is only large enough for one or two small groups to enter at a time.   The cruise line  made special arrangements for us to be able to visit.   It is obvious that some restoration is in progress as evidenced  by areas that were covered in plastic sheets and blocked by wooden barriers.   Consequently it was more difficult to navigate through the small church, necessitating a horseshoe shaped traffic flow in one direction.  Perhaps that was actually a blessing as it controlled our movements, making sure that the exquisite artwork was not overlooked.

In the interior of the church, we can see an impressive wooden iconostasis (altar screen) made in 1775 by Florentine artists.  The screen is decorated with green, red and golden flowers.

There are icons of apostles and saints on the iconostasis as well as scenes from the New Testament.  The hanging incense holders are decorated with silver dragons having red eggs in their mouth, which show the Eastern influence.

Once again, words cannot adequately describe the beauty before us in this tiny little church within the monastery.   We have shared several of our images on our Facebook Fan Page in the Panagia Tourliani Monastery Album.

Following our visit to the church, we continued our tour of the exterior grounds of the monastery, ending up in the town square where shops and busy cafes were found.  

We walked through the farmer's market en route to the motor-coach.   The small parking area was completely filled this Sunday morning with cars and motor-coaches.   In fact, several motor-coaches were lined up in a row.  Traffic was coming from all directions and the drivers of the cars didn't want to wait for us to get out of their way and tried to figure out how to get around us.   Our driver certainly earned his wages navigating through this very crowded parking area.  We all cheered for the driver when he was out of the snarled traffic.

We will continue our virtual Mykonos journey in another post.   Until then, visit our Facebook page to look at some of the pictures of our Mediterranean adventure thus far.

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




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Kalafati Beach in Mykonos

Early Morning on 

Kalafati Beach

Casting their shadows on the freshly groomed sandy beach, these thatched umbrellas stood guard over the Aegean Sea and the twin peaks of Cape Tarsanas that were hidden from our view.

The beach was still pretty deserted as we approached the imposing wall of umbrellas.  They would not stop us from the turquoise waters that splashed upon the sand just beyond the last row.

In the still of the morning, the splashing of the Aegean Sea's waters could be heard as waves rolled onto the beach.  The sea beckoned us to continue our advance.  We obliged, and were rewarded with a splendid view of crystal blue waters of the Aegean Sea.   On the horizon, the clear blue sky met the sea with an array of shades of blue.

Click HERE for more images of Kalfati Beach

Cape Tarsanas

In the distance we could see the twin peaks of a  peninsula that jutted into the sea.  We would later learn its name, Cape Tarsanas, where traces of a prehistoric citadel can be found above the small twin capes. 

Now that we were on the beach, we captured several images of Kalafati Beach and the surrounding area. Some of our group used the restroom facilities of Taverna Thalassa or purchased refreshments from the bar which was just beyond the beach.

While we just enjoyed the beauty of the beach during our brief photo stop, Kalafati Beach has become famous to wind surfers who enjoy a good offshore breeze.  It is only 12km from the Port of Mykonos, where our shipped was docked, so this could easily be a day trip for those that wanted to relax on the beach or enjoy other water sports.

Leaving the blue waters behind us, we boarded our motorcoach for our next stop, Panagia Tourliani Monastery.   We hope you are enjoying your virtual journey to Mykonos thus far.    

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




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Tropical Storm Don Forms in Gulf

Tropical Storm Don

Forms in Southern Gulf of Mexico

NHC issuing advisories on TS DON
System 90L (Caribbean Sea)

 TS Don Impacts Cruise Itineraries

Carnival Elation  (5 NT R/T Mobile)

departed Cozumel an hour early Wed

Carnival Imagination (4 NT R/T Miami)

Wed: Sea Day (was Cozumel); Thurs: Freeport (was Sea Day)

Elation, which is currently in the middle of a five-night voyage from Mobile, departed Cozumel an hour earlier than scheduled Wednesday. Imagination, which is sailing a four-night itinerary from Miami, traded a call on Cozumel for a sea day Wednesday, and today it will trade a scheduled sea day for a stop at Freeport.

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

400 AM CDT SAT JUL 30 2011

...DON RAPIDLY WEAKENS TO A REMNANT LOW...THIS IS THE LAST
ADVISORY...

Early Wednesday morning on July 27, we began monitoring a thunderstorm area 50 miles northeast of Cancun.  Conditions appeared to be favorable for it to become a tropical depression within 24 hours.  At 4 PM CDT, NHC issued its first advisory for Tropical Storm Don after a hurricane hunter aircraft flew through the storm and measured winds at around 40 MPH.  This becomes the fourth named storm of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

On the forecast track, the center of TS Don should move through the southern and central Gulf of Mexico tonight and Thursday, approaching the coast of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico on Friday.  Some strengthening is predicted before it makes landfall.  After making landfall, the storm should lose strength and become a remnant by Sunday.

SAT JUL 30 2011

SUMMARY OF 400 AM CDT...0900 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...27.9N 98.8W
ABOUT 85 MI...140 KM W OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...30 MPH...45 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 295 DEGREES AT 14 MPH...22 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1009 MB...29.80 INCHES

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 30 MPH...45
KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  THE CIRCULATION OF DON IS EXPECTED TO
DISSIPATE LATER TODAY. 

LAST PUBLIC ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER ON THIS SYSTEM

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS.

Historical data for Tropical Storm Don:    Archive     Graphics Archive           

400 PM CDT WED JUL 27 2011

 ...TROPICAL STORM DON FORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF OF MEXICO... 

Tropical Storm Resources (click links below)
TROPICAL STORM DON	National Hurricane Center
Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook	National Weather Service
Atlantic Tropical Weather Discussion	Hurricane Preparedness
Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook (ATL)	Real-Time Hurricane Information
Active Storms	NOAA Satellites & Information
NASA: Latest Storm Images	WMO Severe Weather Information Centre
Real-time Monitoring (Atlantic)	The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
Real-time Weather Sites	Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking

Images of Mykonos

A Day in Mykonos

Thanks to its proximity to the mainland, Mykonos was one of the first Greek islands to become an international travel destination. During the late '60s and early '70s, it was famed as a haunt for the rich. The island's nightlife is a glittering whirl of colored lights, music, and parties.  But what is Mykonos like when the sun is out?

Come explore with us as we visit this beautiful island in the Greek Isles.

Driving Through the Countryside       (Mykonos Countryside)

Our motorcoach departs the Port of Mykonos where our ship, Star Princess, is anchored.  We begin a scenic drive through the rocky countryside en route to a photo stop along the coast in the town of Agios Ioannis.   Here we explore a quaint little countryside church before continuing our journey to Kalafatis Beach, one of the most beautiful sandy beaches in Greece.

Arriving at Kalafati Beach    (Kalafati Beach)


One of the earliest established beaches, this beautiful bay and long sweeping Kalafati beach has become famous to wind surfers who enjoy a good offshore breeze.  Rows of thatched umbrellas stand guard between us and the turquoise Aegean Sea, but we cannot be denied our romp in the sea.   Kalafati Beach is home to soft sand, crystalline blue waters, and an amazing view of Cape Tarsanas where traces of a prehistoric citadel are preserved.

Panagia Tourliani Monastery    (Panagia Tourliani Monastery)

Panagia Tourliani Monastery, originally built in 1542 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was our next stop. It has impressive architecture, whitewashed exterior and a colored dome which has long charmed visitors from around the world. In the interior of the church, we see an impressive wooden iconostasis (altar screen) made in 1775 by Florentine artists.

Mykonos Town    (Mykonos Walking Tour)

Mykonos town features hip boutiques, restaurants, jewelry stores, souvenirs, taverns and cafés. The island's famed windmills are found just south of the waterfront.  Mykonos is a picturesque town with a labyrinth-like maze of tiny streets, white houses and red-roofed churches.  Our guide led us on a walking tour through the narrow, winding streets introducing us to some of the area's most treasured landmarks before giving us time to explore on our own before returning to the ship.

Making Memories in Mykonos    (Returning to Port of Mykonos)


Words cannot do justice to this picturesque town and surrounding area.  So  we have captured our memories on digital media cards and copied some of those images to our Facebook Fan page.   We invite you to visit our page and "like" us so that you will be notified as we post more photos and continue our story of this 12-Night Greek Isles & Mediterranean Cruise adventure.  The links above will take you to our photo albums.

Come back to visit our blog as we continue our cruise stories ... we will look at each of the above in detail.

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




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Blog Improvements for Hurricane Season

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

Following Tropical Weather As it Develops

Those of you who follow our blog on a regular basis already know that when bad weather strikes, we are here to bring you updates.   This is a service to our readers to assist them in staying safe and also to rearrange their plans in the event a hurricane or other severe weather impacts their cruise plans.

Unlike the tornado hunters and hurricane hunters who put themselves in harms way, we "hunt" the storms from the comfort of our computer chair in our office.  Several government agencies, such as the NHC of NOAA, make this possible by providing detailed information which we then share with you.

Searches May Not Get The Info you Want

We realized that since we have been reporting on these tropical storms since 2009, it is quite possible that if you did a search on our blog (or in your favorite search engine such as google.com)  you might come across an older blog post and get discouraged.

Therefore, we have added a static tab, Hurricane Zone, which will be visible on every page in our blog.   All you need to do to find what you want is to bookmark our blog and then click on the new tab.    If you happen to search, we have also updated the past blog posts with a link to Hurricane Zone.

What's in Store on Hurricane Zone

The top portion of the page has a table of this year's Atlantic and East Pacific tropical storms to date.  The name of the storm, a link to the blog post,  and other links (such as to the storm archives) are included in this table.    Below the current storms, is a link to the hurricane section on our static Weather tab and a double combo box which allows you to very easily navigate to past storms and other useful information such as Hurricane Season Predictions, and Hurricane Preparedness.

We hope that this helps make finding tropical storm / hurricane information much easier on our blog.   We try to keep the information as current as our busy schedule allows.   Even when we don't post updates, the links will take you to NHC's latest updates.   We also have RSS feeds on our page so that you can click on those links if you want the information directly from that source.

Let us know if these changes are useful and we welcome any other ideas you might have for additional improvements.   Between this blog, our Facebook Fan Page, and our website, we want to be your one source for information about the cruise industry and anything that might impact your cruise vacation.

Introducing Celebrity Silhouette

Celebrity Silhouette courtesy Meyer Werft & Celebrity Cruises

Meyer Werft 

Does it Again

Celebrity Silhouette

Delivered

Fourth in a Series

Celebrity Silhouette^SM joins her sisters, Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox, and Celebrity Eclipse as another success story for shipbuilder MEYER WERFT.

The new122,000 gross ton Celebrity Silhouette^SM was delivered on schedule to Celebrity Cruises (Miami, USA) in the Dutch port of Eemshaven.  The shipyard in Papenburg, should be quite proud of this accomplishment.

Celebrity Silhouette^SM is the fourth ship out of a series of five cruise ships the shipyard in Papenburg is building for Celebrity Cruises. The series began with the delivery of Celebrity Solstice in October, 2008.  The second ship, Celebrity Equinox, was delivered in July, 2009 followed by the Celebrity Eclipse in April, 2010.  Meyer Werft has been building ships for Celebrity Cruises since 1995.

The Solstice® Class ships have a total length of 315 meters, which is almost three times as long as a soccer ground, making them the biggest ships built to date for Celebrity Cruises. 

MEYER WERFT and Celebrity Cruises have developed and built another extremely eco-friendly ship. Highly energy-efficient  systems, a solar power system, optimised hydrodynamics, a very efficient underwater hull coating and an energy-saving lighting system using LEDs cut back the ship's energy demand considerably.

The Celebrity Silhouette can accommodate 2,886 passengers, who are taken care of by a crew of 1,271. Following her naming ceremony in Hamburg on 21 July 2011, she began her maiden voyage to Barcelona via Civitavecchia/Rome on 23 July 2011.

  Ship Profile | Itineraries & Pricing | Deck Plans   Dining Menus | Wine Lists | Ship Reviews | Photos   

Now that Celebrity Silhouette^SM has joined the Celebrity Cruises fleet, you have another outstanding option for cruising Europe and the Caribbean. She's impressive, with all the best-loved Solstice® Class features - and some new ones.  We will take a closer look at some of the new features in future posts.

Sunset on Santorini

Sunset - Santorini, Greece

We had a wonderful day in Santorini, Greece.  Our day began with a visit to a winery, SantoWines Santorini Greece, which provided breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea and our ship, Star Princess, anchored below.

From there, we went to the Village of Oia, Santorini Greece for a partially guided walking tour.  Pronounced "Eee-ah," the village of Oia is perched high atop the cliffs of Santorini's northern terminus. Known for its quiet beauty and spectacular sunsets, this spot boasts superlative views of neighboring volcanoes.

Continuing Santorini Exploration in Fira we strolled through the narrow lanes of Fira, passing white-washed buildings with splashes of color all around us, doorways that opened to the sea and framed our ship anchored below in the Aegean Sea, and finally returning to our ship after descending from the cliff in the cable car.

Not to be Missed 

We've been fortunate to see many sunsets at sea over the 30 years we have been cruising.  When conditions are right, Mother Nature saves something special for this grand finale.   Photographers will tell you that sunset and sunrise are the best times to take photographs due to the magical light conditions.

Still anchored in Santorini when the sun began to set, our vantage point to observe was in the middle of the Aegean Sea.  On Oia, many of the locals gravitate to the castle to view the setting sun while others take to the water for a front row seat.  All we needed to do was go out on deck for our front row seats to this spectacular light show.

The Santorini sky was painted with shades of yellow and orange which changed to deep red as the sun sank lower on the horizon.  Just before dipping into the sea, the sun was divided into layers of yellows, orange, and red taking on a surreal look.   This was by far one of the best sunsets we'd ever observed.

Click on the Sunset Photos or on the following link to see more of our Santorini Sunset

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




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