I have spent much of my time over the past weeks discussing cuisine and what it means and can add or subtract from your cruise experience.
Today I was advised of a San Diego food critic's blog "Matters of Taste" wherein she noted her first cruise ever was this past year on the Seabourn Spirit and it garnered mention in her "Memorable Morsels....My Favorite Foods of 2009" post. Maureen Clancy wrote:
Three months after my first-ever CRUISE experience -- on the Seabourn Spirit -- I’m still in awe of chef Bjoern Wassmuth’s (left) performance. Crispy corn-crusted prawns with fennel slaw and romesco sauce; red carrot and curry potage with shrimp dumplings; warm ricotta and potato ravioli in truffle butter; chilled corn and lemon grass soup with lobster salad and spicy shrimp oil; swordfish Sicilian style with chili, capers, olives and basil...and much more. Each dish was picture-perfect and served by an attractive and amiable staff.
Many of you may recall that Chef Bjoern was "our" chef for the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise. He made a number of special treats for us including that wonderful grilled fresh Slovenian Sea Bass (served on deck) from the aquaculture farm we visited early in the day where we enjoyed sea bass both smoked and sashimi with fresh pressed oil oil and naturally harvested sea salt. Another Goldring Travel exclusive!
If you have been following the writings of those on the Seabourn Odyssey World Cruise on The Gold Standard Luxury Travel Forum you know that that cuisine offered by Seabourn is "memorable" across the fleet!
Interested in the 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise? Email me at eric@goldringtravel.com or call me at (877) 2GO-LUXURY.
Showing posts with label Goldring Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goldring Travel. Show all posts
Monday, February 1, 2010
Monday, September 21, 2009
Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Some Pre-Cruise Thoughts and My Plan
Organizing this year's Food & Wine Cruise has been a bit "interesting" and a bit frustrating. But, in the end, it will be a great time and a wonderful experience.
The economy took a toll with not only some cancellations immediately after the stock market meltdown, but with an unfortunate last minute cancellation. Making matters worse (at least for me), contrary to what you have heard, this particular cruise has been oversold for many months! So people that were interested in joining the cruise after the cancellatoins were unable to...even if they were willing to pay for an upper suite! That, obviously, left me with a smaller group than normal, but some great opportunities to do things a bit differently.
The first thing I did was create a more intimate special event. Rather than a more formal wine tasting onboard the Seabourn Spirit, I arranged a walking wine and food tour in Venice with a a certified Italian Sommelier (AIS) and Master Cheese Taster (ONAF) where we will sample no less than 6 wines and quite a number of cicchetti (Italian tapas, if you will) after an early morning (at least for Venice) wander through the Rialto Market.
Then I decided that with a more intimate group I had the ability to take a really hard look at Seabourn's new Epicurean Collection of shore excursions. While, for example, Regent Seven Seas is focusing on no additional cost and more crowded tours, Seabourn eliminated its somewhat underutilized complimentary Seabourn Experiences on most cruises, and has upscaled its offerings and truly limited the number of people who can participate in certain of them. (Remember, I don't believe in the "a group is joined by the hip" approach, but rather there are limited - but worthwhile - group experiences...like the Venice walking tour.)
For example, in Montenegro I am going to try out the "Montenegro's Resplendent Cuisine and Wines" Epicurean Tour , where we will start the day with a guided 1½ hour walking tour of Kotor's old town with its narrow streets and medieval plaza and then walk to Galion Restaurant and sit on its enclosed terrace cantilevered over the water where we will enjoy an introduction to Montenegrin wines while absorbing the breathtaking views of the Bay of Kotor. Your tasting will be lead by either a local winemaker or sommelier and will include wines made from local grape varietals like Vranac and Krsta, along with wines made from more familiar Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Our expert will talk about the different grape growing regions of Montenegro and reveal a few of the unique winemaking traditions. After the lesson, you'll enjoy more Montenegrin wines paired with a 3-course meal prepared by Galion's executive chef.
In Split, Croatia we will have a walking tour of the Old Town followed by trip to TERRA wine cellars, apparently in very unique old house, where we will have with a tasting of some of the region's various cold game cuts, traditionally prepared salamis, domestic deserts, and a great selection of Dalmatian wines.
In Triese, Italy we will travel to Duino Castle (about 30 minutes away) to explore its gardens and history and then it will be off to Castello di Spessa, the hospitality facility of the Pali Wines Group, to visit the prestigious cellar and taste some superb wines. Since the 16th century, Castello di Spessa has been producing top quality wines, but its present cellar is a fitted out old military bunker that built at the end of the '30s and used during the Second World War. We will then sample award-winning red and white wines in a charming 18th century atmosphere with exceptional scenery; again part of Seabourn's Epicurean Collection.
Uncharacteristically, I will be partaking of yet more organized shore opportunities. While I will most definitely have time to explore the port independently, I am using this cruise to sort of test out the extensive use of Seabourn's shore experiences so that I can let you know how they measure up. Sometimes challenging your comfort level can be doing the "ordinary", I guess. (I am not sure Seabourn offers "ordinary" and these experiences are nothing like those offered on larger ships, but it is probably as close as I am ever going to get!)
I will also be hosting the Ensemble Travel Group's complimentary shore experience in Kopor, Slovenia...where we will be visiting Šmarje near Capodistria, in the heart of Slovenian Istria, where there are the vineyards and olive orchards of Ludvik Nazarij Glavina. During the visit to the wine cellars there will be a tasting of five wines and grappa accompanied by a snack of local specialties such as homemade breads, olives, cheese and olive oil.
So, for me, if gout doesn't set in...or some other malady from excessively enjoying ones self...I am sure to have a great experience learning about some places I have never been...and one I love. Heck, isn't food and wine the key to an area's culture and history?
The economy took a toll with not only some cancellations immediately after the stock market meltdown, but with an unfortunate last minute cancellation. Making matters worse (at least for me), contrary to what you have heard, this particular cruise has been oversold for many months! So people that were interested in joining the cruise after the cancellatoins were unable to...even if they were willing to pay for an upper suite! That, obviously, left me with a smaller group than normal, but some great opportunities to do things a bit differently.
The first thing I did was create a more intimate special event. Rather than a more formal wine tasting onboard the Seabourn Spirit, I arranged a walking wine and food tour in Venice with a a certified Italian Sommelier (AIS) and Master Cheese Taster (ONAF) where we will sample no less than 6 wines and quite a number of cicchetti (Italian tapas, if you will) after an early morning (at least for Venice) wander through the Rialto Market.
Then I decided that with a more intimate group I had the ability to take a really hard look at Seabourn's new Epicurean Collection of shore excursions. While, for example, Regent Seven Seas is focusing on no additional cost and more crowded tours, Seabourn eliminated its somewhat underutilized complimentary Seabourn Experiences on most cruises, and has upscaled its offerings and truly limited the number of people who can participate in certain of them. (Remember, I don't believe in the "a group is joined by the hip" approach, but rather there are limited - but worthwhile - group experiences...like the Venice walking tour.)
For example, in Montenegro I am going to try out the "Montenegro's Resplendent Cuisine and Wines" Epicurean Tour , where we will start the day with a guided 1½ hour walking tour of Kotor's old town with its narrow streets and medieval plaza and then walk to Galion Restaurant and sit on its enclosed terrace cantilevered over the water where we will enjoy an introduction to Montenegrin wines while absorbing the breathtaking views of the Bay of Kotor. Your tasting will be lead by either a local winemaker or sommelier and will include wines made from local grape varietals like Vranac and Krsta, along with wines made from more familiar Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Our expert will talk about the different grape growing regions of Montenegro and reveal a few of the unique winemaking traditions. After the lesson, you'll enjoy more Montenegrin wines paired with a 3-course meal prepared by Galion's executive chef.
In Split, Croatia we will have a walking tour of the Old Town followed by trip to TERRA wine cellars, apparently in very unique old house, where we will have with a tasting of some of the region's various cold game cuts, traditionally prepared salamis, domestic deserts, and a great selection of Dalmatian wines.
In Triese, Italy we will travel to Duino Castle (about 30 minutes away) to explore its gardens and history and then it will be off to Castello di Spessa, the hospitality facility of the Pali Wines Group, to visit the prestigious cellar and taste some superb wines. Since the 16th century, Castello di Spessa has been producing top quality wines, but its present cellar is a fitted out old military bunker that built at the end of the '30s and used during the Second World War. We will then sample award-winning red and white wines in a charming 18th century atmosphere with exceptional scenery; again part of Seabourn's Epicurean Collection.
Uncharacteristically, I will be partaking of yet more organized shore opportunities. While I will most definitely have time to explore the port independently, I am using this cruise to sort of test out the extensive use of Seabourn's shore experiences so that I can let you know how they measure up. Sometimes challenging your comfort level can be doing the "ordinary", I guess. (I am not sure Seabourn offers "ordinary" and these experiences are nothing like those offered on larger ships, but it is probably as close as I am ever going to get!)
I will also be hosting the Ensemble Travel Group's complimentary shore experience in Kopor, Slovenia...where we will be visiting Šmarje near Capodistria, in the heart of Slovenian Istria, where there are the vineyards and olive orchards of Ludvik Nazarij Glavina. During the visit to the wine cellars there will be a tasting of five wines and grappa accompanied by a snack of local specialties such as homemade breads, olives, cheese and olive oil.
So, for me, if gout doesn't set in...or some other malady from excessively enjoying ones self...I am sure to have a great experience learning about some places I have never been...and one I love. Heck, isn't food and wine the key to an area's culture and history?
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Seabourn Spirit Update
As I mentioned the other day, I had an unfortunate last minute cancellation for the Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise aboard the Seabourn Spirit, departing on September 26, 2009, round trip Venice, so there may still be an opportunity to join us.
For those going, thinking about going, wishing they could go...or just curious, I have finalized our Walking Wine Tour of Venice. Here are the details:
On Saturday, September 26, 2009, at about 10:30 a.m. we will meet in the lobby of the Ca’ Segredo Hotel and take a one minute ride in a traghetti (a simple gondola) across the Grand Canal to the Rialto Market. (If you watch Anthony Bourdain’s show, No Reservations – Venice on the Travel Channel you can see the market…which, because it is Italy, is in no rush to open, so we don’t need to start too early! Here is list of restaurants Tony has visited: Tony's Venice Restaurants )
After a casual wander we will take the traghetti back to Ca’ Segredo Hotel and meet up with our guide for the walking tour, which will start at 11:30 a.m. and last about 3 hours…stopping, of course, to eat and drink. (Don’t worry about starting at 11:30 a.m., the Venetians will have started drinking before us!)
WINES OF VENICE AND THE VENETO - Explore the hidden corners of Venice with your expert wine guide, who is a professional sommelier. Enjoy a glimpse of local life while learning about traditional local wines and their place in the local culture. You will visit 2 wine bars (enoteche) in an authentic area of Venice, off the beaten path. In each wine bar, your personal sommelier will select two typical quality wines for you to taste, each paired with small Venetian appetizers, called cicchetti. We will start with white wines, and finish with red wines.
During your time together, you will learn about the most important aspects of Italian wine production and its role in Italian culture. Regardless of your level of wine knowledge, you will find this walk both informative and fun. Your guide will be happy to focus on any particular wine topic that interests you most, including history, tasting guidelines or quality standards.
Our guide: MARIO PICCININ - Mario is a certified Italian Sommelier (AIS) and Master Cheese Taster (ONAF). His background also includes a degree in the Science of Food Production from the University of Bologna. Mario, a native of Milan, has lived in the Veneto for 35 years, and his grandmother was from the Cannaregio sestiere of Venice. He is an experienced wine educator, and particularly enjoys the wine tasting seminars he regularly organizes for the U.S. diplomatic corps in Italy. In the past Mario led a seminar on Italian wine and food for the undergraduate students of Boston University studying in Padova. He also works as a travel consultant, specializing the wine and food of the Veneto, Friuli and Trentino Alto-Adige. Mario lives in Padova with his wife, Rachel, a native of Ohio, and their two children. He can often be heard to say "A glass of wine is not merely something to drink, but a true reminder of our history, traditions and culture."
We will end the tour back at Ca’ Segredo where we can take a water taxi to the Seabourn Spirit.
As you read from my often, it is more about seeking out and understanding the local life that brings a traveler memories. I think this is an excellent start to a week celebrating food and wine and, of course, discovering the local life, as we cruise the Adriatic Sea.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Goldring Travel is a Top Selling Seabourn Travel Agent - Not Just a Resource for Travel Agents That Want to Sell Seabourn
Over the past days I have posted a huge amount of information concerning the Seabourn Odyssey. In fact, I think I have posted more information than any other source; not only photos, but useful commentary and opinion.
While I have voluntarily provided this information for my clients and forum members and others who are looking for information about the Seabourn Odyssey, I am shocked by the number of travel agencies who have been visiting this blog. It is a very nice nod that the cruising world has identified Goldring Travel as one of the definitive sources, but it raises a very interesting question.
The question is: Do you want your cruise to be handled by someone who knows the answers and has the philosophy of "treating you as you will be treated onboard" the Yachts of Seabourn or someone who is relying on that person's knowledge to answer your questions?
Oh, and by the way, you need to ask that "other" travel agent what extra services and amenities and discounts they are providing. Goldring Travel actually doesn't consider the added values "extra" because, honestly, it is how we always do things.
However, if there is something "extra" that is needed, it is our pleasure; not an obligation. We love to exceed your expectations!
While I have voluntarily provided this information for my clients and forum members and others who are looking for information about the Seabourn Odyssey, I am shocked by the number of travel agencies who have been visiting this blog. It is a very nice nod that the cruising world has identified Goldring Travel as one of the definitive sources, but it raises a very interesting question.
The question is: Do you want your cruise to be handled by someone who knows the answers and has the philosophy of "treating you as you will be treated onboard" the Yachts of Seabourn or someone who is relying on that person's knowledge to answer your questions?
Oh, and by the way, you need to ask that "other" travel agent what extra services and amenities and discounts they are providing. Goldring Travel actually doesn't consider the added values "extra" because, honestly, it is how we always do things.
However, if there is something "extra" that is needed, it is our pleasure; not an obligation. We love to exceed your expectations!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Head to Head Challenge: Seabourn Odyssey vs. Regent Seven Seas Navigator
Here is a great opportunity for those Regent loyalists to experience Seabourn in what is about as close to a head-to-head opportunity as possible. And Goldring Travel is going to guarantee you are going to find Seabourn to be a superior overall cruise experience.
The terms of the challenge are simple: If you have sailed on Regent Seven Seas, but have never sailed on Seabourn (and you verify same) you are eligible. All you need to do is purchase and sail on the Seabourn Odyssey on its November 28, 2009 sailing and if you do not agree that the Seabourn Odyssey provides an overall better cruise experience than the Regent Seven Seas Navigator, Mariner or Voyager, Goldring Travel will refund to you $1,000 in cash. (That's right, no gimmicks like a future cruise credit so you are obligated to take another cruise through Goldring Travel to get the benefit. You will get a check sent to your mailbox.)
The only thing to be excluded in your evaluation is that your shore experiences are not to be included. Why? Because the cruise lines do not guarantee ports or the experiences at the ports. You may pay for an extraordinary Seabourn event or choose a complimentary beach day on Regent. You may select the Ensemble Experience (which is not run by Seabourn). You may just not like a particular port (ex. for me, St. Thomas is a sea day...I don't get off the ship).
Why the November 28, 2009 sailing? Because the Regent Navigator has a similar cruise for a similar length of time at a similar price. Also, for most people there will be no issue with air logistics or differences in pre-cruise accommodations, so that would not a factor. So here are the cruises:
Seabourn Odyssey (12 Days with base Cruise Fares starting at $358.25 per day excluding Goldring Travel special amenity and Ensemble Experience or $300OBC):
Nov 28 Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Nov 29 Cruising The Atlantic Ocean
Nov 30 Grand Turk, Turks And Caicos
Dec 1 Cruising The Atlantic Ocean
Dec 2 Deshaies, Guadeloupe
Dec 3 Bridgetown, Barbados (Complimentary Ensemble Experience or $150 pp obc)
Dec 5 St. John's, Antigua
Dec 6 Marigot, St. Martin
Dec 7 Cruz Bay, St John, USVI
Dec 8 Cruising The Atlantic Ocean
Dec 9 Cruising The Atlantic Ocean
Dec 10 Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Regent Navigator (11 Days with base Cruise Fares starting at $345.00 per day excluding $500 OBC if booked by March 31st or $200 OBC if booked thereafter)
Nov 30 Ft. Lauderdale, United States
Dec 01 Princess Cays, Bahamas
Dec02 Cruise the Atlantic Ocean
Dec 03 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Dec 04 St. Thomas, USVI
Dec 05 St. John's, Antigua
Dec 06 Philipsburg, Saint Maarten
Dec 07 Gustavia, St. Barts 08:00 23:00
Dec 08 Tortola - Roadtown, BVI
Dec 09 Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos
Dec 10 Cruise the Atlantic Ocean
Dec 11 Ft. Lauderdale
So, I am sure you are still asking, "What is the catch?" There is none. It is your opinion, your decision, your choice. All I ask is that you be honest with yourself about your experience: Service, Amenities, Cuisine, Consistency, Spa Facilities, Alternative Dining Experiences, Caviar, etc.
Put another way: You are going to trust me about my recommendations when booking this cruise. I am going to trust you when you tell me how it measures up. And, even if you tell me you didn't find Seabourn an overall superior cruise experience, I will still give you a great deal on your next Seabourn cruise...or any other cruise. (That mean: You can book your next Seabourn cruise onboard - even if just an open booking - take the additional 5% onboard booking discount, and you won't disqualify yourself from the promotion!)
Fine Print: This offer is subject to being withdrawn at any time. Prices are not guaranteed and are subject to change. Suite categories are subject to prior sale.
The terms of the challenge are simple: If you have sailed on Regent Seven Seas, but have never sailed on Seabourn (and you verify same) you are eligible. All you need to do is purchase and sail on the Seabourn Odyssey on its November 28, 2009 sailing and if you do not agree that the Seabourn Odyssey provides an overall better cruise experience than the Regent Seven Seas Navigator, Mariner or Voyager, Goldring Travel will refund to you $1,000 in cash. (That's right, no gimmicks like a future cruise credit so you are obligated to take another cruise through Goldring Travel to get the benefit. You will get a check sent to your mailbox.)
The only thing to be excluded in your evaluation is that your shore experiences are not to be included. Why? Because the cruise lines do not guarantee ports or the experiences at the ports. You may pay for an extraordinary Seabourn event or choose a complimentary beach day on Regent. You may select the Ensemble Experience (which is not run by Seabourn). You may just not like a particular port (ex. for me, St. Thomas is a sea day...I don't get off the ship).
Why the November 28, 2009 sailing? Because the Regent Navigator has a similar cruise for a similar length of time at a similar price. Also, for most people there will be no issue with air logistics or differences in pre-cruise accommodations, so that would not a factor. So here are the cruises:
Seabourn Odyssey (12 Days with base Cruise Fares starting at $358.25 per day excluding Goldring Travel special amenity and Ensemble Experience or $300OBC):
Nov 28 Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Nov 29 Cruising The Atlantic Ocean
Nov 30 Grand Turk, Turks And Caicos
Dec 1 Cruising The Atlantic Ocean
Dec 2 Deshaies, Guadeloupe
Dec 3 Bridgetown, Barbados (Complimentary Ensemble Experience or $150 pp obc)
Dec 5 St. John's, Antigua
Dec 6 Marigot, St. Martin
Dec 7 Cruz Bay, St John, USVI
Dec 8 Cruising The Atlantic Ocean
Dec 9 Cruising The Atlantic Ocean
Dec 10 Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Regent Navigator (11 Days with base Cruise Fares starting at $345.00 per day excluding $500 OBC if booked by March 31st or $200 OBC if booked thereafter)
Nov 30 Ft. Lauderdale, United States
Dec 01 Princess Cays, Bahamas
Dec02 Cruise the Atlantic Ocean
Dec 03 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Dec 04 St. Thomas, USVI
Dec 05 St. John's, Antigua
Dec 06 Philipsburg, Saint Maarten
Dec 07 Gustavia, St. Barts 08:00 23:00
Dec 08 Tortola - Roadtown, BVI
Dec 09 Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos
Dec 10 Cruise the Atlantic Ocean
Dec 11 Ft. Lauderdale
So, I am sure you are still asking, "What is the catch?" There is none. It is your opinion, your decision, your choice. All I ask is that you be honest with yourself about your experience: Service, Amenities, Cuisine, Consistency, Spa Facilities, Alternative Dining Experiences, Caviar, etc.
Put another way: You are going to trust me about my recommendations when booking this cruise. I am going to trust you when you tell me how it measures up. And, even if you tell me you didn't find Seabourn an overall superior cruise experience, I will still give you a great deal on your next Seabourn cruise...or any other cruise. (That mean: You can book your next Seabourn cruise onboard - even if just an open booking - take the additional 5% onboard booking discount, and you won't disqualify yourself from the promotion!)
Fine Print: This offer is subject to being withdrawn at any time. Prices are not guaranteed and are subject to change. Suite categories are subject to prior sale.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Goldring Travel Is Setting Up a New Message Board
The response to my blog from so many people has been just fantastic. I, as well as so many readers and posters, are very appreciative.
I know the Comment section of the blog is a bit cumbersome, so I am working on something new. As many of you know I just re-launched the Goldring Travel website. I am now working on adding the optional Message Board to the site!
With it we we can have some real discussions that are easy to access rather than being buried in a particular blog posts where they are hard to find and hard to read. (I will keep the blog going as many of the things I post might be of interest, but not a great topic for discussion.)
It is a new Message Board module that hasn't been used yet as far as I know. I understand it will not be as robust as say Cruise Critic, but then again I don't think it needs to be. While I do not yet know its options or limitations, I am hoping it can:
- Allow for Anonymous posting.
- Allow me to edit postings that have valuable information, but really cross the line vis-a-vis personal attacks; and,
- Allows for Cruise Reviews to be posted without the option for responses (those being left to the Discussion area).
What I would like from you, if you don't mind, is either here or via email if this is of interest to you and, if so, what you would like to see it include and exclude.
Remember, I see this to be more about luxury travel and discussion, but I am open to pretty much anything within reason.
Also any suggested names would be appreciated. If I chose the name you suggest, I will have some sort of Thank You gift. I don't know what it will be, but it will be more than just "Thank You"!
I know the Comment section of the blog is a bit cumbersome, so I am working on something new. As many of you know I just re-launched the Goldring Travel website. I am now working on adding the optional Message Board to the site!
With it we we can have some real discussions that are easy to access rather than being buried in a particular blog posts where they are hard to find and hard to read. (I will keep the blog going as many of the things I post might be of interest, but not a great topic for discussion.)
It is a new Message Board module that hasn't been used yet as far as I know. I understand it will not be as robust as say Cruise Critic, but then again I don't think it needs to be. While I do not yet know its options or limitations, I am hoping it can:
- Allow for Anonymous posting.
- Allow me to edit postings that have valuable information, but really cross the line vis-a-vis personal attacks; and,
- Allows for Cruise Reviews to be posted without the option for responses (those being left to the Discussion area).
What I would like from you, if you don't mind, is either here or via email if this is of interest to you and, if so, what you would like to see it include and exclude.
Remember, I see this to be more about luxury travel and discussion, but I am open to pretty much anything within reason.
Also any suggested names would be appreciated. If I chose the name you suggest, I will have some sort of Thank You gift. I don't know what it will be, but it will be more than just "Thank You"!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Legend
Even though it is still months from the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise (http://goldringtravel.blogspot.com/2008/10/2009-golding-travel-food-wine-cruise-on.html with limited space still available), I am already working on the 2010 Food & Wine Cruise. (Hint: You won't believe the price!)
With Seabourn expanding into the Middle East, I have chosen a seven day roundtrip Dubai, U.A.E. cruise departing on November 28, 2010. It will visit Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas, and Oman.
Late November is a great time to visit this area as the daytime temperatures are comfortable and the evenings can even be a bit cool. I am planning on arranging for a pre-cruise Desert Safari outside of Dubai, including an exotic dinner under the stars (extra cost). As always there will be the complimentary Goldring Travel Food & Wine Tasting and a suprise or two along the way.
While there are some restrictions on the consumption of wine in some of the ports, the fact is that the Middle East is not exactly a hot bed of wine production. However, the paring of wines with a rather diverse and very interesting palate of Middle Eastern cuisines will be a lot of fun. And if you are a vegetarian (or would like to focus on vegetarian dishes) this is actually the ideal cruise experience.
I am sure many of you are saying, "OK. I have heard of most of these places, but where the heck is Sir Bani Yas?!" It is an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi which has many unique features. This is a new venture on a very old island. Opened only recently to tourists, it holds itself out as a "nature tourism" spot; not an eco-tourism one. What does this mean? It means that this island is largely "reclaimed" from the sea and has been involved in creating a lush environment with mangroves, trees and grasses where only sand once existed. It is said that one mangrove tree will be planted for every visitor (but they started by planting over 3,000,000 of them!) Virtually everything has/is being brought to the island, including 40 giraffe, 400 Arabian oryx (extinct in the wild), stripped hyena, various deer and blackbucks (and, possibly soon, cheetah) among other wildlife. All of the irrigation is run by the largest wind turbine in the Middle East. So whether you want to trek, bicycle, drive or kayak the focus here is on nature and wildlife in a man-made ecology.
So with so many wanting to experience the "Glitz and Glamour" of Dubai, wondering what Oman, Bahrain and Qatar are really like (I will write more on this later!), and now pondering "What's up with Sir Bani Yas?) now is a great opportunity to book this cruise at an incredible starting price of less than $3,500 per person.
With Seabourn expanding into the Middle East, I have chosen a seven day roundtrip Dubai, U.A.E. cruise departing on November 28, 2010. It will visit Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas, and Oman.
Late November is a great time to visit this area as the daytime temperatures are comfortable and the evenings can even be a bit cool. I am planning on arranging for a pre-cruise Desert Safari outside of Dubai, including an exotic dinner under the stars (extra cost). As always there will be the complimentary Goldring Travel Food & Wine Tasting and a suprise or two along the way.
While there are some restrictions on the consumption of wine in some of the ports, the fact is that the Middle East is not exactly a hot bed of wine production. However, the paring of wines with a rather diverse and very interesting palate of Middle Eastern cuisines will be a lot of fun. And if you are a vegetarian (or would like to focus on vegetarian dishes) this is actually the ideal cruise experience.
I am sure many of you are saying, "OK. I have heard of most of these places, but where the heck is Sir Bani Yas?!" It is an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi which has many unique features. This is a new venture on a very old island. Opened only recently to tourists, it holds itself out as a "nature tourism" spot; not an eco-tourism one. What does this mean? It means that this island is largely "reclaimed" from the sea and has been involved in creating a lush environment with mangroves, trees and grasses where only sand once existed. It is said that one mangrove tree will be planted for every visitor (but they started by planting over 3,000,000 of them!) Virtually everything has/is being brought to the island, including 40 giraffe, 400 Arabian oryx (extinct in the wild), stripped hyena, various deer and blackbucks (and, possibly soon, cheetah) among other wildlife. All of the irrigation is run by the largest wind turbine in the Middle East. So whether you want to trek, bicycle, drive or kayak the focus here is on nature and wildlife in a man-made ecology.
So with so many wanting to experience the "Glitz and Glamour" of Dubai, wondering what Oman, Bahrain and Qatar are really like (I will write more on this later!), and now pondering "What's up with Sir Bani Yas?) now is a great opportunity to book this cruise at an incredible starting price of less than $3,500 per person.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Cruise Value Center Shuts Its Doors! What Next?
On Tuesday I reported a major discount cruise travel agency had gone out of business. (http://goldringtravel.blogspot.com/2008/11/use-caution-and-common-sense-when.html ). Yesterday the word was out: Cruise Value Center shut its doors.
Cruise Value Center, it is reported from a number of sources, failed to transfer $3,000,000+ in cruise passenger payments to the cruise lines and another $1,500,000 in travel insurance payments to Prime Travel Protection. Obviously, this leaves quite a number of passengers without their cruises and/or without insurance.
What Should You Do First?
The first thing you should do is contact the cruise lines directly to be sure your booking is in place and paid for. (If you paid only a deposit, make sure that is in place.)
Then contact the insurance company, if you used Prime Travel or some other third party insurer, and confirm your insurance is in place.
If you paid with a credit card and find either your cruise or insurance is not in place, but the charge has been made, have the credit card company work with you to either get the cruise/insurance or, more likely, obtain a credit for those amounts to your credit card. (If you paid with cash, you may well have problem. Contacting CVC isn't going to happen, so you may need to wait to be contacted...but more on that below.)
If the insurance is in place, but not the cruise, you may well have a claim against the insurance policy for the amounts you paid, but were not paid over to the cruise line. (Word of caution: If you were issued the insurance policy...not just billed for it...but CVC did not forward the money to Prime Travel, you may still have coverage! Check with Prime Travel, your state consumer affairs department or your attorney.)
Where Do You Go From There?
From what I understand, the bookings with CVC are being handled by Best Price Cruises; a Florida cruise discounter and one of the largest presences on the internet. You will probably have to speak with Best Price Cruises to get any information on your cruises. In this transition period, this may be harder than you think because of the logistics involved and the number of passengers affected. But BPC is a big outfit and with new booking volumes down, they may have the staff on hand available sooner than later.
That said, while I have no knowledge as to BPC's financial situation, I am aware that a number of companies that have a large internet business are under huge financial pressures, so you may want to be sure, if you have a CVC booking that you are not "going from the frying pan into the fire". (Maybe CVC's failure is BPC's saving grace? Maybe BPC is solid as a rock? I have not a clue!)
Also, you may now feel there is a benefit to knowing your travel agent a someone who actually cares about you and your booking. The concept of "All I care about is the lowest price" may no longer give you sufficient comfort. Limited communication by way of an occasional form email or disinterested phone call of 30 seconds may not be enough. You have questions. You have concerns. You need answers. You might even need a little bit of hand-holding.
While CVC technically controls your booking, you may ask to have your booking transferred to another agency. You may have the ability to simply cancel your cruise and then rebook with a new travel agent.
I know there are a number of "big box" agencies that are in trouble. Their model, as I briefly explained before, is to have a huge volume of lower priced cruises. When that huge volume drops significantly there is a huge hole that simply cannot be filled. While it is hoped that people will start booking more cruises soon, as the travel agents and cruise lines feel the pinch, not all travel agencies working with this "high volume/low profit" business model will survive.
Does that mean you should book directly with the cruise lines? In most instances: No. There are strong travel agencies out there and they still provided many added values (such as complimentary Ensemble Experiences and cocktail parties, travel books with new bookings, etc.), information and discounts. I believe now is the time to search out those agencies for they will work hard to earn your business.
Goldring Travel does that every single day. That is why our motto is, "Be Treated By Your Travel Agent As You Will Be Onboard!" That said, I work with individuals and never hope to be a mega-travel agency. I love doing what I do. Alas, This Is My Yacht!
Cruise Value Center, it is reported from a number of sources, failed to transfer $3,000,000+ in cruise passenger payments to the cruise lines and another $1,500,000 in travel insurance payments to Prime Travel Protection. Obviously, this leaves quite a number of passengers without their cruises and/or without insurance.
What Should You Do First?
The first thing you should do is contact the cruise lines directly to be sure your booking is in place and paid for. (If you paid only a deposit, make sure that is in place.)
Then contact the insurance company, if you used Prime Travel or some other third party insurer, and confirm your insurance is in place.
If you paid with a credit card and find either your cruise or insurance is not in place, but the charge has been made, have the credit card company work with you to either get the cruise/insurance or, more likely, obtain a credit for those amounts to your credit card. (If you paid with cash, you may well have problem. Contacting CVC isn't going to happen, so you may need to wait to be contacted...but more on that below.)
If the insurance is in place, but not the cruise, you may well have a claim against the insurance policy for the amounts you paid, but were not paid over to the cruise line. (Word of caution: If you were issued the insurance policy...not just billed for it...but CVC did not forward the money to Prime Travel, you may still have coverage! Check with Prime Travel, your state consumer affairs department or your attorney.)
Where Do You Go From There?
From what I understand, the bookings with CVC are being handled by Best Price Cruises; a Florida cruise discounter and one of the largest presences on the internet. You will probably have to speak with Best Price Cruises to get any information on your cruises. In this transition period, this may be harder than you think because of the logistics involved and the number of passengers affected. But BPC is a big outfit and with new booking volumes down, they may have the staff on hand available sooner than later.
That said, while I have no knowledge as to BPC's financial situation, I am aware that a number of companies that have a large internet business are under huge financial pressures, so you may want to be sure, if you have a CVC booking that you are not "going from the frying pan into the fire". (Maybe CVC's failure is BPC's saving grace? Maybe BPC is solid as a rock? I have not a clue!)
Also, you may now feel there is a benefit to knowing your travel agent a someone who actually cares about you and your booking. The concept of "All I care about is the lowest price" may no longer give you sufficient comfort. Limited communication by way of an occasional form email or disinterested phone call of 30 seconds may not be enough. You have questions. You have concerns. You need answers. You might even need a little bit of hand-holding.
While CVC technically controls your booking, you may ask to have your booking transferred to another agency. You may have the ability to simply cancel your cruise and then rebook with a new travel agent.
I know there are a number of "big box" agencies that are in trouble. Their model, as I briefly explained before, is to have a huge volume of lower priced cruises. When that huge volume drops significantly there is a huge hole that simply cannot be filled. While it is hoped that people will start booking more cruises soon, as the travel agents and cruise lines feel the pinch, not all travel agencies working with this "high volume/low profit" business model will survive.
Does that mean you should book directly with the cruise lines? In most instances: No. There are strong travel agencies out there and they still provided many added values (such as complimentary Ensemble Experiences and cocktail parties, travel books with new bookings, etc.), information and discounts. I believe now is the time to search out those agencies for they will work hard to earn your business.
Goldring Travel does that every single day. That is why our motto is, "Be Treated By Your Travel Agent As You Will Be Onboard!" That said, I work with individuals and never hope to be a mega-travel agency. I love doing what I do. Alas, This Is My Yacht!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Science Responds to Needs of Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruises on Seabourn!
I was reading my daily email from The American Scientist and, when I saw the two articles one right after the other, I thought of our recent Food & Wine Cruise:
Scientists to Measure Effects of Earthquakes on Acropolis
from the Chicago Tribune (Registration Required)
ATHENS, Greece (Associated Press)—For thousands of years the Acropolis has withstood earthquakes, weathered storms and endured temperature extremes, from scorching summers to winter snow. Now scientists are drawing on the latest technology to install a system that will record just how much nature is affecting the 2,500-year-old site. They hope their findings will help identify areas that could be vulnerable, allowing them to target restoration and maintenance. Scientists are installing a network of fiber optic sensors and accelerographs—instruments that measure how much movement is generated during a quake.
http://snipurl.com/4wh1s
Persistence Pays Off With New Drug for Gout
from the (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer
The line of work Dr. Mike Hershfield has pursued for most of his 32-year research career at Duke University is basically scientific social service. He adopts orphans. Specifically, he takes on so-called orphan diseases—afflictions so rare that the big pharmaceutical companies have no financial incentive to develop treatments. Hershfield and his team at Duke are among more than a dozen research groups at Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and private biotech companies in the Research Triangle Park area that have contributed to a wave of new treatments for people suffering from diseases such as immune disorders, rare cancers and cystic fibrosis. Each disease afflicts fewer than 200,000 Americans, but all the orphan diseases added together strike an estimated 25 million. http://snipurl.com/4xo11
Yes, during the 2008 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on Seabourn we marveled at the Acropolis and truly overindulged ourselves with Seabourn’s incredible food…not to mention our little Food & Wine tasting.
So we now know that science is working to preserve the antiquies...and our big toes!
I am working on special plans for our 2009 Seabourn cruise, including a complimentary Ensemble Experience in Kotor, Montenegro (a UNESCO World Heritage site), but I just found the order of above articles too funny not to pass on right away.
Scientists to Measure Effects of Earthquakes on Acropolis
from the Chicago Tribune (Registration Required)
ATHENS, Greece (Associated Press)—For thousands of years the Acropolis has withstood earthquakes, weathered storms and endured temperature extremes, from scorching summers to winter snow. Now scientists are drawing on the latest technology to install a system that will record just how much nature is affecting the 2,500-year-old site. They hope their findings will help identify areas that could be vulnerable, allowing them to target restoration and maintenance. Scientists are installing a network of fiber optic sensors and accelerographs—instruments that measure how much movement is generated during a quake.
http://snipurl.com/4wh1s
Persistence Pays Off With New Drug for Gout
from the (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer
The line of work Dr. Mike Hershfield has pursued for most of his 32-year research career at Duke University is basically scientific social service. He adopts orphans. Specifically, he takes on so-called orphan diseases—afflictions so rare that the big pharmaceutical companies have no financial incentive to develop treatments. Hershfield and his team at Duke are among more than a dozen research groups at Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and private biotech companies in the Research Triangle Park area that have contributed to a wave of new treatments for people suffering from diseases such as immune disorders, rare cancers and cystic fibrosis. Each disease afflicts fewer than 200,000 Americans, but all the orphan diseases added together strike an estimated 25 million. http://snipurl.com/4xo11
Yes, during the 2008 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on Seabourn we marveled at the Acropolis and truly overindulged ourselves with Seabourn’s incredible food…not to mention our little Food & Wine tasting.
So we now know that science is working to preserve the antiquies...and our big toes!
I am working on special plans for our 2009 Seabourn cruise, including a complimentary Ensemble Experience in Kotor, Montenegro (a UNESCO World Heritage site), but I just found the order of above articles too funny not to pass on right away.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Goldring Travel's New and Exclusive Seabourn Referral Program
I regularly get questions about Seabourn's Referral Program. Whether it be something as simple as, "How do I get it?", to "Does it apply to the cruise fare or an onboard credit?" to "What do you mean I cannot combine it with an American Express cruise benefit?" or simple nervousness as to if it has been applied, it seems to me that it can be more hassle than it can be worth. Add to that all those people that simply forgot to submit the coupon or accidentally threw out their one coupon per year allotment and it all becomes a bit much. Therefore...
Goldring Travel is announcing its own Goldring Travel Seabourn Referral Program. It's terms are simple: Register a new client with me and when that person books their Seabourn cruise with me - and actually sails on that Seabourn cruise - you will receive a $400 check per suite booked and sailed. The only other condition is that the person must not have ever sailed on Seabourn. And there is no annual limit to the number of referrals this applies to. Hint: If you have never sailed with Seabourn, you can register yourself! (One bit of fine print: If it is a double occupancy or more suite, all booked guests must be new to Seabourn.)
Please be aware that this is not the Seabourn referral program, so your referred friend will not receive an onboard credit; rather your referral will receive a direct discounted cruise fare! The amount of the discount depends - as it always has - on the cost of the cruise. In many instances the discount will be greater than the $400 credit given by Seabourn.
Now for the best part: Since this is independent of Seabourn, you can still use any Seabourn annual referral coupon you may have. So, if you have a referral coupon you can actually receive $800 in value: $400 from Goldring Travel and $400 from Seabourn! And your friend will receive Goldring Travel's discount and the $400 onboard credit from Seabourn.
For those of my clients who have referred new clients to me, you are going to ask, "Does this program apply retroactively?" The answer is, "Yes and No". Will I be sending out $400 checks? No. Have I have always included an additional discount in your cruise fare if you have referred someone to me? Yes. What I am trying to do is improve upon my way of showing my appreciation; not signaling that I have not reflected my appreciation for your loyalty in the past! With this new program, you will possibly see an immediate benefit ($400 in cash) rather than a deferred benefit (a further discount on next year's cruise). And you also know that you will still be receiving a discounted fare on your cruise.
This offer may be withdrawn at anytime.
Goldring Travel is announcing its own Goldring Travel Seabourn Referral Program. It's terms are simple: Register a new client with me and when that person books their Seabourn cruise with me - and actually sails on that Seabourn cruise - you will receive a $400 check per suite booked and sailed. The only other condition is that the person must not have ever sailed on Seabourn. And there is no annual limit to the number of referrals this applies to. Hint: If you have never sailed with Seabourn, you can register yourself! (One bit of fine print: If it is a double occupancy or more suite, all booked guests must be new to Seabourn.)
Please be aware that this is not the Seabourn referral program, so your referred friend will not receive an onboard credit; rather your referral will receive a direct discounted cruise fare! The amount of the discount depends - as it always has - on the cost of the cruise. In many instances the discount will be greater than the $400 credit given by Seabourn.
Now for the best part: Since this is independent of Seabourn, you can still use any Seabourn annual referral coupon you may have. So, if you have a referral coupon you can actually receive $800 in value: $400 from Goldring Travel and $400 from Seabourn! And your friend will receive Goldring Travel's discount and the $400 onboard credit from Seabourn.
For those of my clients who have referred new clients to me, you are going to ask, "Does this program apply retroactively?" The answer is, "Yes and No". Will I be sending out $400 checks? No. Have I have always included an additional discount in your cruise fare if you have referred someone to me? Yes. What I am trying to do is improve upon my way of showing my appreciation; not signaling that I have not reflected my appreciation for your loyalty in the past! With this new program, you will possibly see an immediate benefit ($400 in cash) rather than a deferred benefit (a further discount on next year's cruise). And you also know that you will still be receiving a discounted fare on your cruise.
This offer may be withdrawn at anytime.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Goldring Travel's 2008 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit: Travelogue Part I
Our trip on the Seabourn Spirit started uneventfully with an on time flight, a quick pickup by our driver and a traffic free trip from the airport.
We checked into the St. George Lycabettus Hotel, located in the Kolonaki section (Athens's "Beverly Hills area"). The staff at the hotel were friendly and very accommodating...even allowing us to rest in one room while our Deluxe Acropolis View room was still being prepared. This standard room was clean, well laid-out, but very small and with no view. After only a few moments our room was ready and what a difference! While not the most spacious room, it was clean, had a comfortable bed and nice amenities. But that is not what makes the St. George Lycabettus the best hotel in Athens for me. It is the view. We sat out on our balcony sipping our complimentary champagne with a fantastic, unobstructed, view of the Acropolis with the port of Piraeus in the distance. It is, alas, a true $1,000,000 view.
The hotel recommended a truly local restaurant for lunch just a short stroll down the hill. After a very nice lunch of a Greek salad, some hummus and fried anchovies...and a carafe of local white wine, we strolled back to the hotel for a nap. As we lay in bed there was that view...the Acropolis. Very cool. After our nap, we sat out on our balcony, listening to the local sounds of children playing on a Friday evening rather than the cars and trucks of downtown Athens...and we watched a beautiful sunset unfold. It was then off to another local restaurant with some friends, sitting outside under a canopy enjoying the evening. Then, lying in bed looking out at the Acropolis lit up and looking, frankly, spectacular, it was time for a good night's sleep.
After a wonderful breakfast buffet at the rooftop restaurant's balcony...with that view...it was time for our group to gather and our tour of Athens before heading to the ship. Paul, a driver-guide I have used for years, not only for myself but my clients, did a great job. However, the highlight was when we were returning from our walk up to the top of Mt. Lycabettus we, well, ummm, sort of...got a bit lost. In the end it was a good laugh.
We arrived at the port at 2:30 pm and were quickly on the ship. A quick muster and a wonderful champagne sail away. Then it was time to get ready for dinner. One problem, though: The bag with most of my clothes and all of my wife's dresses was missing. The short version is it was gone. Seabourn tracked back to the hotel, the guide and even every one of the 12 ships in port that day and...nothing.
As always we had a wonderful sail away with the champagne flowing, though I did notice an absence of the usually ubiquitous caviar. The staff was a good as ever making our first evening as if we had never left...and this was my first evening ever on the Seabourn Spirit (though I have sailed on the Seabourn Pride and Seabourn Legend previously). After a dinner that included the best veal chop I have ever eaten, and even though it was a bit chilly (and we wound up looking like a bunch of homeless people huddled under blankets, we had a wonderful time at the Sky Bar and really enjoyed the new layout and upgrades.
The next day brought us to Mykonos (which is not one of my favorite islands) along with some intermittent rain, a cold breeze, and a need to do some serious shopping as there was no good news for our luggage. First, though, was a meeting with Oliver (the bar manager) and Jochem (the chef de cuisine) to begin arranging my group's Food and Wine tasting on the last day of the cruise. In typical Seabourn fashion, they took my relatively straight-forward event and immediately put it over-the-top adding, for example, a tasting of 20 different olive oils and insisting they do a bit of wine and food shopping for me! I immediately went from the organizer to the guest. (The same occurred when I tried to organize the Ensemble Travel complimentary cocktail party!)
Meanwhile, though Seabourn quickly provided me with a blue suit and shirt (and later in the cruise a tuxedo) my wife needed dresses...and fast. Luckily, after working through all the expensive shops with their (yeah I believe THAT one) end of seasons sales we stumbled upon a small shop with great clothes at truly reasonable prices...on Mykonos! With the mission accomplished my friend and I took up position at one of the local tavernas overlooking the water and watched the world go by. A short nap...OK not so short a nap...and it was time to eat again. Another great dinner and the waiters figured out we like a good laugh and are having great fun with our little group. Matt Brown, the cruise director, put on a truly enjoyable show in the Club...and I am usually not a big fan of such things. One of my guests, though, really stole the show for some good fun. Then a nightcap at the Sky Bar fortunately sans blankets.
In typical Seabourn fashion our arrival in Santorini - to beautiful blue skies - was delayed until 10 AM...so that we would not have to wait in long lines for the cable car or donkeys since there were a few other ships arriving earlier...and then we stayed later after the other ships had departed. This provided us with a far less rushed and crowded time; making Santorini more enjoyable. Deciding that we "needed" to take the donkeys for a good laugh, four of us headed off...only to have one donkey act up, knocking my friend over and sending his wife - like a rocket - walking up the 586 (?) stairs. Oh, we still took the donkeys and we did have a laugh. Having been to Santorini twice before we opted to hang out in Fira and just enjoy looking in the shops (picking up some interesting local wines for our tasting, of course!) and then a nice, simple, lunch in a local taverna with a bottle of local wine and that awesome view. It is one of my favorite things in the world to do. This was followed by a very enjoyable soak in the whirlpool on the bow of the ship where, as advertised, a bar waiter appeared announcing, "You look like you need a bottle of champagne and three glasses". We then realized we did.
Today was a visit to Patmos. There really is not much in Patmos other than visiting the monastery where St. John the Devine was said to have written the Book of Revelations. Our local guide for the Ensemble Experience (complimentary for all guests who utilize a member travel agency) was quite interesting and was able to blend the local history and architecture into an interesting semi-walking tour. After visiting a local house owned by an elderly woman...the 8th generation of the family owning same, we were taken to a local restaurant for some meze (small tastings) and ouzo with a small show. I did spot a local wine shop and make a couple of purchases for our tasting. It was a nice day, though I am not sure that I will return to Patmos anytime soon. Then it was another wonderful gourmet dinner followed by Dancing Under the Stars
Next: We wake up in Turkey.
We checked into the St. George Lycabettus Hotel, located in the Kolonaki section (Athens's "Beverly Hills area"). The staff at the hotel were friendly and very accommodating...even allowing us to rest in one room while our Deluxe Acropolis View room was still being prepared. This standard room was clean, well laid-out, but very small and with no view. After only a few moments our room was ready and what a difference! While not the most spacious room, it was clean, had a comfortable bed and nice amenities. But that is not what makes the St. George Lycabettus the best hotel in Athens for me. It is the view. We sat out on our balcony sipping our complimentary champagne with a fantastic, unobstructed, view of the Acropolis with the port of Piraeus in the distance. It is, alas, a true $1,000,000 view.
The hotel recommended a truly local restaurant for lunch just a short stroll down the hill. After a very nice lunch of a Greek salad, some hummus and fried anchovies...and a carafe of local white wine, we strolled back to the hotel for a nap. As we lay in bed there was that view...the Acropolis. Very cool. After our nap, we sat out on our balcony, listening to the local sounds of children playing on a Friday evening rather than the cars and trucks of downtown Athens...and we watched a beautiful sunset unfold. It was then off to another local restaurant with some friends, sitting outside under a canopy enjoying the evening. Then, lying in bed looking out at the Acropolis lit up and looking, frankly, spectacular, it was time for a good night's sleep.
After a wonderful breakfast buffet at the rooftop restaurant's balcony...with that view...it was time for our group to gather and our tour of Athens before heading to the ship. Paul, a driver-guide I have used for years, not only for myself but my clients, did a great job. However, the highlight was when we were returning from our walk up to the top of Mt. Lycabettus we, well, ummm, sort of...got a bit lost. In the end it was a good laugh.
We arrived at the port at 2:30 pm and were quickly on the ship. A quick muster and a wonderful champagne sail away. Then it was time to get ready for dinner. One problem, though: The bag with most of my clothes and all of my wife's dresses was missing. The short version is it was gone. Seabourn tracked back to the hotel, the guide and even every one of the 12 ships in port that day and...nothing.
As always we had a wonderful sail away with the champagne flowing, though I did notice an absence of the usually ubiquitous caviar. The staff was a good as ever making our first evening as if we had never left...and this was my first evening ever on the Seabourn Spirit (though I have sailed on the Seabourn Pride and Seabourn Legend previously). After a dinner that included the best veal chop I have ever eaten, and even though it was a bit chilly (and we wound up looking like a bunch of homeless people huddled under blankets, we had a wonderful time at the Sky Bar and really enjoyed the new layout and upgrades.
The next day brought us to Mykonos (which is not one of my favorite islands) along with some intermittent rain, a cold breeze, and a need to do some serious shopping as there was no good news for our luggage. First, though, was a meeting with Oliver (the bar manager) and Jochem (the chef de cuisine) to begin arranging my group's Food and Wine tasting on the last day of the cruise. In typical Seabourn fashion, they took my relatively straight-forward event and immediately put it over-the-top adding, for example, a tasting of 20 different olive oils and insisting they do a bit of wine and food shopping for me! I immediately went from the organizer to the guest. (The same occurred when I tried to organize the Ensemble Travel complimentary cocktail party!)
Meanwhile, though Seabourn quickly provided me with a blue suit and shirt (and later in the cruise a tuxedo) my wife needed dresses...and fast. Luckily, after working through all the expensive shops with their (yeah I believe THAT one) end of seasons sales we stumbled upon a small shop with great clothes at truly reasonable prices...on Mykonos! With the mission accomplished my friend and I took up position at one of the local tavernas overlooking the water and watched the world go by. A short nap...OK not so short a nap...and it was time to eat again. Another great dinner and the waiters figured out we like a good laugh and are having great fun with our little group. Matt Brown, the cruise director, put on a truly enjoyable show in the Club...and I am usually not a big fan of such things. One of my guests, though, really stole the show for some good fun. Then a nightcap at the Sky Bar fortunately sans blankets.
In typical Seabourn fashion our arrival in Santorini - to beautiful blue skies - was delayed until 10 AM...so that we would not have to wait in long lines for the cable car or donkeys since there were a few other ships arriving earlier...and then we stayed later after the other ships had departed. This provided us with a far less rushed and crowded time; making Santorini more enjoyable. Deciding that we "needed" to take the donkeys for a good laugh, four of us headed off...only to have one donkey act up, knocking my friend over and sending his wife - like a rocket - walking up the 586 (?) stairs. Oh, we still took the donkeys and we did have a laugh. Having been to Santorini twice before we opted to hang out in Fira and just enjoy looking in the shops (picking up some interesting local wines for our tasting, of course!) and then a nice, simple, lunch in a local taverna with a bottle of local wine and that awesome view. It is one of my favorite things in the world to do. This was followed by a very enjoyable soak in the whirlpool on the bow of the ship where, as advertised, a bar waiter appeared announcing, "You look like you need a bottle of champagne and three glasses". We then realized we did.
Today was a visit to Patmos. There really is not much in Patmos other than visiting the monastery where St. John the Devine was said to have written the Book of Revelations. Our local guide for the Ensemble Experience (complimentary for all guests who utilize a member travel agency) was quite interesting and was able to blend the local history and architecture into an interesting semi-walking tour. After visiting a local house owned by an elderly woman...the 8th generation of the family owning same, we were taken to a local restaurant for some meze (small tastings) and ouzo with a small show. I did spot a local wine shop and make a couple of purchases for our tasting. It was a nice day, though I am not sure that I will return to Patmos anytime soon. Then it was another wonderful gourmet dinner followed by Dancing Under the Stars
Next: We wake up in Turkey.
Monday, September 8, 2008
2009 Thanksgiving Weekend Caribbean Cruise on Seabourn - Great Pricing!
I know we are all just starting to get out of "summer" mode, but football has started and Thanksgiving will soon be upon us.
As you think about the joys of family...and whether the weekend be filled with rain or snow... consider spending the 2009 weekend on a Seabourn cruise. Enjoy Thanksgiving, hop a a short flight and then be pampered.
I am putting together a group to enjoy a five (5) day cruise on the Seabourn Spirit (fresh out of a two week dry dock - so there will be some brand new improvements and changes to see!) on November 27, 2009 conveniently sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale and ending in St. Thomas, with port calls in Grand Turk and Jost Van Dyke, B.V.I. for a Marina Day and two relaxing days at sea in between.
The best part is that I can offer this to you for under $2,000 per person including all taxes, fees and fuel supplements! (Of course, with it being a Goldring Travel group, you can expect a few little extras as well.)
Some of you may remember the fun we had on the short three night cruises around New York. Those are gone forever, but this is the next best thing...and it will be warm, the views outstanding and a Marina Day in the British Virgin Islands sounds so much better than taking a swim in the Hudson River!
So if you have every thought you could not afford to try Seabourn, or didn't want to make an investment in a Seabourn cruise in Europe or Asia without knowing what Seabourn is all about...or if you just want to spoil yourself for a few days...this is an outstanding opportunity!
And let's not forget it is a wonderful opportunity for the entire family to enjoy the luxury of Seabourn.
As you think about the joys of family...and whether the weekend be filled with rain or snow... consider spending the 2009 weekend on a Seabourn cruise. Enjoy Thanksgiving, hop a a short flight and then be pampered.
I am putting together a group to enjoy a five (5) day cruise on the Seabourn Spirit (fresh out of a two week dry dock - so there will be some brand new improvements and changes to see!) on November 27, 2009 conveniently sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale and ending in St. Thomas, with port calls in Grand Turk and Jost Van Dyke, B.V.I. for a Marina Day and two relaxing days at sea in between.
The best part is that I can offer this to you for under $2,000 per person including all taxes, fees and fuel supplements! (Of course, with it being a Goldring Travel group, you can expect a few little extras as well.)
Some of you may remember the fun we had on the short three night cruises around New York. Those are gone forever, but this is the next best thing...and it will be warm, the views outstanding and a Marina Day in the British Virgin Islands sounds so much better than taking a swim in the Hudson River!
So if you have every thought you could not afford to try Seabourn, or didn't want to make an investment in a Seabourn cruise in Europe or Asia without knowing what Seabourn is all about...or if you just want to spoil yourself for a few days...this is an outstanding opportunity!
And let's not forget it is a wonderful opportunity for the entire family to enjoy the luxury of Seabourn.
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