Sail-Away from Strasbourg

Strasbourg Reflections

Lights from a nearby ship and a bridge, which we will soon pass under, reflect in the waters as the captain and crew prepare for our departure from Strasbourg.   Our ship arrived here at 3 AM last night and now, shortly after 10 PM, we bid good-bye.

Our next stop will be Mannheim, Germany (technical stop only) at 7:30 AM.

click on images to enlarge

Captain at the Controls 

Since we didn't sail until after dinner, it was possible to be on the Sky Deck for the actual sail-away and see all the action first hand. The previous nights we had sailed sometime during dinner.

 Sailing Under the Bridge

Shortly after departing we were sailing under the bridge that could be seen while we were docked.  As you can see, there's plenty of clearance in this case.  Everything on the Sky Deck is designed to collapse if necessary for any bridges that have low clearance.  Even the ship's bridge can retract if necessary.

 Approaching the Locks

During our cruise, we would go through 35 locks, some of them multiple times.  After passing some river ships docked along our path, we saw a bridge in the distance.  Once beyond that bridge, we could see the locks straight ahead of our ship.

It was now almost 11 PM, so we decided to head to the cabin to get some sleep, as tomorrow was another day of exploring with an early start.

We hope you are enjoying this virtual tour of the Rhine & Moselle Rivers.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Strasbourg - Sail-Away

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Exploring Venice at Night

St. Mark's Square - Venice

Our ship overnighted in Venice, Italy which gave us the opportunity to explore the city of canals at night.  Taking a water taxi from the ship, we made our way to St. Mark's Square where we began our self-guided walking tour.

Here are just a few of the sights we saw that night.  Click on images to enlarge them.

Rialto Bridge

The Piazza San Marco may be more famous, but the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) is the true heart of Venice. As we approached the Rialto Bridge, there were many people checking out the local shops.  It was just starting to get dark.

Be Prepared to Climb Stairs

If you plan to walk through Venice, be sure you have good walking shoes and are able to climb stairs.  This is especially challenging if you have luggage and are heading to the train station (which was our main objective for the evening).  We wanted to figure out where we'd be going in the morning to catch the train back to Rome.

With its gondolas, canals, amazing restaurants, and unforgettable romantic ambiance, Venice is definitely a city for one's bucket list.  

Many Perspectives of Venice

Our first glimpse of this amazing city was from the ship's deck as we sailed past the canals to our dock.   Next we saw the city from a water taxi and then explored during the day by foot and finally gondola before returning to our ship for dinner.  The most amazing view was walking through the narrow streets and over canals at night.   The lights cast a glow that really changed the mood of the city.

 

Gondola's 

Along the Grand Canal, the restaurants were filled with visitors and local patrons enjoying an evening meal with a view.   The moon was almost full and shone brightly on the city below.

Returning to Our Ship

What a beautiful sight as we concluded our nighttime exploration of Venice via water taxi back to our ship.  

Time for You to Explore

We hope that you enjoyed this brief visit to Venice at night. Check out our Diary of our 12-Night Mediterranean & Greek Isles Cruise for more stories about Venice and our other ports as well as links to our photo albums.

  Photo Albums:

Venice - Evening 64 photos

 

Venice at Dusk  38 photos

 

Venice at Night  50 photos 

 

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Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




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5 Ingredients for Tropical Island Night

#1 - Event Announcements

 What better way to publicize a party than to put it in bright lights on the big screen?

 #2 - Location, Location, Location

The location for this Tropical Island Night was non other than Caribbean Princess cruise ship's main pool.  There is plenty of room on the outdoor decks for all to partake comfortably.

#3 - Participants

This party was hosted by our Cruise Director along with his staff.   All guests were welcome.

 #4 - Food & Entertainment

Take the first 3 ingredients, add in some food and entertainment, stir it all up and you have the makings of a fun-filled evening at sea.   

Missing Ingredient:

YOU

 

This should be you enjoying a gorgeous night at sea under the stars with some new friends, great food, and entertainment.

We got a tip that your beach ball is lost somewhere on the ship - contact us to arrange a trip to retrieve it.

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Did anyone ever tell you that a CRUISE IS BORING?  

What do YOU think NOW?

National Cruise Vacation Week October 20-27, 2013

We're joining with member travel agencies from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) across the US and Canada to host the Virtual National Cruise Vacation Week (NCVW) which is an opportunity for travelers like you to learn more about one of the most popular vacations: cruising!

Cruising is all about you. 

You can find adventure, culture and education or, relax the day away. Dine on fine cuisine. Indulge at the spa. Reconnect with family. Share romantic moments. All this, in the destination of your choice, for a few days, a week or more, on a cruise that's right for you.

 
CLIA member cruise lines have put together some special offers in honor of NCVW.  Here is a sampling from many of the major cruise lines.  Take advantage of these additional savings.

Cruise Line	Offer Details
AMA Waterways	Up to $500 OBC on select 2013 & 2014 Voyages
Avalon	Save up to $1300 Per Couple on Select 2014 sailings
Azamara Club Cruises	Up to $500 OBC on Select 2014 Europe Voyages
Carnival Cruise Lines	Up to $300 OBC on Select Sailings
Celebrity Cruises	Up to $200 OBC on Alaska, Bermuda, Caribbean or Europe Sailings
Costa Cruises	Rates from $50* per day/50% Reduced Deposit
Cunard	Up to $300 OBC Plus Complimentary Balcony Upgrade on Select Sailings
Holland America Lines	Up to $200 OBC combinable with Explore 4 on Select Sailings
MSC Cruises	Up to $200 OBC on Select Divina Sailings
Norwegian Cruise Lines	Up to $500 OBC Plus Reduced Deposit on Select Sailings
Oceania	Up to $850 OBC On Select Sailings
Paul Gaugin	Up to $200 OBC on 2014 Sailings
Regent Seven Seas Cruises	$200 OBC per suite for 2013 and 2014 New Bookings
Princess Cruises	Save up to $2000 per stateroom on select sailings
Royal Caribbean International	Up to $100 OBC per booking on Caribbean Sailings
Windstar Cruises	$100 OBC on Select Sailings

October 2013 is National Cruise Vacation Month

October is National Cruise Vacation Month

Explore the World of Cruise Vacationing
October 1 - 31, 2013
 

If you've ever thought about going on your first cruise, October is the time to begin that journey.

We're joining with member travel agencies from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) across the US and Canada to host the Virtual National Cruise Vacation Week (NCVW) which is an opportunity for travelers like you to learn more about one of the most popular vacations: cruising!

Cruising is all about you. You can find adventure, culture and education or, relax the day away. Dine on fine cuisine. Indulge at the spa. Reconnect with family. Share romantic moments. All this, in the destination of your choice, for a few days, a week or more, on a cruise that's right for you.

We have a special page with Cruise Line Videos for you to explore.   Just click the cruise line logo of your choice and watch their video.  We'll also be featuring articles about cruising all month long in addition to our normal blog posts, so be sure to come back often to explore.

There are special offers throughout the month. The highlight will be October 20-27, 2013 which is designated the National Cruise Vacation Week (NCVW). We have a special page which lists the offers and other information.

October 2012 - National Cruise Vacation Month

October is National Cruise Vacation Month

Explore the World of Cruise Vacationing
October 1 - 31, 2012 
 

If you've ever thought about going on your first cruise, October is the time to begin that journey.

We're joining with member travel agencies from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) across the US and Canada to host the Virtual National Cruise Vacation Week (NCVW) which is an opportunity for travelers like you to learn more about one of the most popular vacations: cruising!

Cruising is all about you. You can find adventure, culture and education or, relax the day away. Dine on fine cuisine. Indulge at the spa. Reconnect with family. Share romantic moments. All this, in the destination of your choice, for a few days, a week or more, on a cruise that's right for you.

We have a special page with Cruise Line Videos for you to explore.   Just click the cruise line logo of your choice and watch their video.  Each day we will add another link to our Virtual National Cruise Vacation Week Calendar 2012 featuring articles of interest about cruising.

There are special offers throughout the month. The highlight will be October 21-27, 2012 which is designated the National Cruise Vacation Week (NCVW). We have a special page (click here) which lists the offers and other information.

Simply click on the cruise line of your choice 

and see what special deals they have to offer! 

Checkout our Facebook Page

for more Cruising Tips and Offers

As Night Falls in Rome

Also see Rome at Night Photo Album

Light Transforms Buildings and Fountains

We stayed at Trevi Fountain  until the sun started to set and the fountain's lights began to glow softly, casting shadows into the flowing waters.  It was a very peaceful way to end a long day of exploring the ancient city of Rome.

A short walk away, we climbed the dimly lit stairs up to Quirinal Palace, the residence of the President of the Republic of Italy.  On the piazza stands the imposing Monte Cavallo Fountain with the two giants, Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri.  The fountain seemed to glow as the light was cast onto its form.

In the distance, the dimly-lit dome of St. Peter's Basilica could be seen, with the background painted by nature as the sun continued to set.  St. Peter's dome had formed the bookends of our day.

Leaving Quirinal Hill, we walked past Hotel Giardino which would be our post-cruise hotel, and continued for about 15 minutes along  a wide main street of Rome lined with shops.   Doing some window shopping along the way, we finally concluded our day, by checking train schedules for our morning trip to the pier in Civitavecchia, in the lobby of Hotel Sonya.

 

Several photo albums from our pre-cruise stay in Rome are posted on our Facebook Fan Page.  Become a fan to be notified about updates.

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




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Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

 

World's Largest Cruise Night - TODAY

World's Largest Cruise Night 2009 Is Finally Here!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEOS / OFFERS

Be a part of this historic event ... View cruise line videos, learn about cruising, take advantage of special offers ... Some offers are only VALID TODAY.... Other offers are VALID for several days or ALL MONTH

Virtual Cruise Night Starts October 1st

October is National Cruise Vacation Month

Join our Virtual Cruise Night Starting October 1st. While October 14th is the annual Worlds Largest Cruise Night major event, as a reader of my blog you have the opportunity to participate at your leisure throughout the entire month of October.

Cruising is all about choice and we have assembled videos and special offers from 21 different CLIA member Cruise Lines. Throughout the month, I'll also feature several of the cruise lines in blog posts, so be sure to come back often to read my articles.

There is no need to get dressed up and go to some location for this cruise night. Simply sit back in your easy chair and check out the videos and featured offers.

CLICK HERE FOR VIRTUAL CRUISE NIGHT VIDEOS & OFFERS

Call or Email Me for Additional Details about the Cruise Line / Offers that interest You.

Mention that you read about the Virtual Cruise Night on my Blog for a special gift.

World's Largest Cruise Night - Save the Date

October is National Cruise Vacation Month

October is National Cruise Vacation Month, and October 14, 2009 is the fifth-annual World’s Largest Cruise Night (WLCN) – an event that focuses on the pleasures of cruising.

Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) has organized this event with it's member cruise lines and member agencies. This is your opportunity to learn more about cruising and the individual cruise lines as well as take advantage of several special offers that are valid for either one day or the entire month.

Continue to watch this column for more information about my participation in this annual event. We will have a web page devoted to WLCN which will point you to video links and provide information about the various cruise line offers.

There is no need to get dressed up to go to a meeting hall. Simply turn on your computer and participate in a virtual cruise night. You can participate any time during the month of October, but the early bird will get the worm so to speak.

Become a fan on Facebook and I'll provide you with the link September 30th or come back to this site on October 1st for all the details.