| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
|---|---|---|---|
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16th Nov. 2025 |
Civita- vecchia Italy |
Etruscan Tombs of Tarquinia |
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17th Nov. 2025 |
Livorno Tuscany Italy |
Florence On Your Own (OYO) |
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18th Nov. 2025 |
Livorno Tuscany Italy |
Leghorn On My Own (OMO) |
 |
19th Nov. 2025 |
Villefranche- sur-Mer France |
Nice, Eze & Monaco all day tour |
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20th Nov. 2025 |
Marseille Provence France |
Footsteps of Van Gogh tour |
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21st Dec. 2025 |
Barcelona Catalonia Spain |
Barcelona On My Own (OMO) |
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22nd Nov. 2025 |
Barcelona Catalonia Spain |
Barcelona On My Own (OMO) |
|
23rd Nov. 2025 |
Barcelona Catalonia Spain |
Home by four o'clock |
| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
I awoke to my alarm at six o'clock, having slept for eight hours, ready for FOUR pieces of smoked salmon on a toasted muffin for breakfast, sat inside the double height Aquavit bar, as it was windy outside. I had just one glass of orange juice fortified with one glass of sparkling water. I gave the diuretic coffee a miss.
At 8:20 I met guide Annalisa and young driver Philipo on bus number thirty seven. We had just eighteen guests to look after on the Etruscan Necropolises of Tarquinia tour. We began at the famous archaeological museum in Tarquinia, which has many magnificent Etruscan sarcophagi. During the free time, I photographed the outside of the cathedral. I paid €2 to climb on the battlements and tower of the castle. This had fabulous views of the twelve tall towers of Tarquinia on one side and the rolling Lazio countryside on the other. At the necropolis we descended into eight different frescoed Etruscan tombs.
Back at the ship, I had the vegetable soup followed by the mixed grill consisting of a small piece of escalope of chicken and a single beef skewer. I then slept for an hour and a half. At 4:30 the Livorno/Pisa/Florence port talk began with Cruise Director (CD) Philip's thirteen minute introduction. This was followed by a long thirty seven minutes on the tours by Shorex Manageress Dora the Explorer from Albania. CD Philip then gave the five minute conclusion which also trailed my evening lecture.
At 5:20 I did six lengths of the top pool, with the roof closed in the dark. I then spent five minutes in the large hot tub, getting out as the underwater lights were finally switched on. Whilst wallowing, CD Philip did his SOLAS spiel, again trailing my evening lecture. At six o'clock I sat with Richard & Jo from Memphis, Tennessee. He had personally visited Elvis at Graceland several times! I had the leek soup, the poached Norwegian salmon and the cherry streusel to eat. I had several glasses of sparkling water to drink.
At eight o'clock Resty set me up ready for me to give my forty minute talk on Leonardo, cutting out just a couple of slides at the end. I went to sleep at 10:40 having done eight and a half thousand steps, equal to over three miles of walking.
I awoke at 5:40 having slept for seven hours. At 6:30 I had two slices of pumpernickel bread with smoked salmon and hard boiled egg to eat al fresco a la terrazza, but it was getting windy outside. Inside the double height Aquavit bar, I nabbed two soft stuffed milk rolls to take as my packed lunch on the all day Florence On You Own (OYO) tour. When Ketut came at 7:35 to service the stateroom, I adjourned to the observation lounge, where we were already berthed in Livorno / Leghorn.
At 9:15 I met guide Francesca Mac and driver Cristiano on bus number five. We had forty guests to look after on the all day Florence On Your Own (OYO) tour. En route we had a comfort stop at a service station near the Florentine ring road. We had to park way out at Piazza Vittori Veneto which then involved a thirty five minute walk into the city.
At Piazza della Repubblica most guests dispersed, but some stayed with us to go to Piazza Santa Croce for the leather shop retail opportunity. I sat outside by the Christmas market to eat my self-packed lunch of two milk rolls stuffed with scrambled egg. I then began my four mile walk around the city centre, ending at the Cathedral:
After the motorway comfort stop on the way back, I slept for most of the journey. Back at the ship at seven o'clock, I dined on the Tuscan bean soup and the lamb chops sat with Katerina from the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. I hadn't realised she was married to the ship's doctor Goran from Serbia and that they were in the stateroom right next to mine! At 8:30 I sat with her in the Star Theatre for the Night at the Opera showtime. A local tenor and a soprano sang lots of famous songs including: La Donna e Mobile, Mio Babino Caro, Volare, O Sole Mio & Nessun Dorma. Lighter fare included the Neapolitan Funicular song and the Habanera from Carmen sung in French. I went to sleep at 10:30, having done twenty one thousand steps, equal to over eight miles of walking, during the day in Florence.
I awoke to the dawn at 6:45, having slept for eight hours. I had my usual smoked salmon on a toasted muffin inside the Aquavit bar, as it was too cold to sit outside on the aft terrace. At 7:45 Ketut came to service the stateroom, so I sat in the Explorers observation lounge, as the sun came out over Livorno. Back in my stateroom, I worked on my Catania slides.
I then caught the nine o'clock shuttle bus into Livorno. The tourist information office was just opening up as we arrived, so I was able to grab a map and some more leaflets. I walked to the New Fortress (Fortezza Nuova) which was brightly illuminated by the sunshine, but suffering from a cold wind. I circled around the Little Venice Quarter (Quartiere Venezia), before going in the huge Public Library (Biblioteca), where I had to open my Royal London account with their wi-fi. The drawbridge was open so I couldn't cross to the Old Fortress (Fortezza Vecchio). Back at the drop off point, I caught the 11:15 shuttle bus back to the ship.
At 11:30 when the Pool Grill opened, I had a Viking burger with fries to eat. I had just two glasses of sparkling water to drink. I then slept for eighty minutes, before working on my laptop as usual, finally finishing my Catania slides.
At 4:30 I went to the port talk which had an 11 + 20 + 5 = 36 minute structure. At 5:20 I did six lengths of the dark pool, with the roof firmly closed. This was followed by ten minutes in the hot tub, alongside a couple of guests for a change. At six o'clock Pedro set me up, ready for me to give my forty minute lecture on Vincent van Gogh. I missed off the last two videos.
At 7:45 I joined Viking Resident Historian (VRH) Dr Ted and his wife Eileen in the Aquavit bar part of the World Cafe buffet. I had the langoustine bisque, the delicious lamb shank and the no sugar added blueberry bavarois to eat. At nine o'clock I enjoyed the Duets production show, which I was seeing for the seventh time on various Viking ocean cruise ships. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done nearly ten thousand steps, equal to nearly four miles of walking, during the day.
I got up at six o'clock, half an hour before my alarm. At seven o'clock I had two pots of eggs & bacon al fresco a la terrazza, as we anchored in the bay. At 7:30 Ketut arrived to say goodbye and introduce me to his replacement, Angelica. I gave him a tip of €15. While they were servicing the stateroom, I went up to the top deck to photograph the views of Villefranche-sur-Mer. I then watched my Vincent van Gogh talk on the telly.
At nine o'clock, I checked into the Star theatre to await my tender ashore. At 9:45 I met guide Patrice and driver Laurent at bus number 17 for the all day tour to Nice, Eze and Monte Carlo. We parked on the quayside in Nice to walk around castle hill to the old town.
After going through parts I hadn't been to before, we were given free time for our own lunches. I had an apple, nuts and chocolate that I had brought from the ship. I paid €0.50 for the public toilets in the old market. I then continued walking around the old town and the linear park. At Massena Place I turned on tracking and walked back to the coach via the English Promenade (Promenade des Anglais).
Our second stop was at the pretty hilltop village of Eze, where I climbed to the top of the cemetery to get the famous view of Cap Ferrat. I again paid €0.50 for the toilets here too. Our final visit was to Monte Carlo, not Monaco old town as it was the Prince Albert's annual bank holiday. We circled around the famous Casino, before having some free time. The toilets in the shopping mall and the tourist information office were all closed, but the foyer of the Casino was open. However the toilets by the elevator were open and were free for a change. I dozed for half an hour on the run back to Villefranche-sur-Mer. There was a long line and a bit of a wait for the next tender back to the ship. I don't know that I had done anything differently on this tour, but I garnered €29 and $5 in tips from the grateful guests!
Back at seven o'clock, I didn't have time to bathe or change, but rushed to the Main Dining Room (MDR). Here I was sat with Jerry a consultant geriatric doctor from the Wirral and his wife. We talked about Liverpool and various medical conditions as one does. I had the chickpea soup, the asparagus salad, the roasted salmon and the no sugar added raspberry mousse to eat.
I then had to rush up to the pool deck for the Dancing Under the Stars. At the first song, I led off the Electric Slide when I was joined by singers Kieran & Dan plus ten guests. I sat out the rest of the songs, until Achy, Breaky Heart led to another Electric Slide. At 9:15 I slipped away to get my next escorting assignment from the back office. I went to bed at 10:30 having done eighteen thousand steps, equal to over seven miles of walking during the day.
I got up at six o'clock ready for TWO egg royales in the double height Aquavit bar. At seven o'clock Angelica was servicing the stateroom, so I sat in the Explorers observation lounge as we approached Marseille. Just after eight o'clock I met guide Brigitte and driver Thomas on bus number six for the Footsteps of Van Gogh tour. We had just twenty five guests to look after on the all day tour.
After a short delay on the autoroute, we headed to St Remy, where we had a short guided visit and some free time. I spent €8.00 on a hot chocolate for Brigitte and a cafe au lait for myself. At the St Paul asylum on the outskirts of the town, we started out at the two impressive Roman monuments (Glanum). Inside the mental ayslum where Vincent van Gogh spent one year convalescing, we toured the converted abbey, including the gardens.
At Les Baux we had a fine meal in a local restaurant. I was sat with three ladies from Texas. We had the vegetable pate, the chicken in white sauce and the chocolate mousse to eat. I had glasses of both the red and white wine, moderated with Italian Pellegrino sparkling water.
At the end of the meal, I had FOUR small cups of expresso coffee, so I was hyper all afternoon and evening. I had sugar in all of them, so I had toothache in the afternoon, until I was able to brush my teeth. We then had a guided tour of the hilltop town. During the free time, I encircled the large plateau, with extensive views over the Camargue delta of the Rhone river.
Of course I was unable to sleep on the return journey to the ship or to sleep when I got back. Instead I filled in my report form and updated this blog. At 5:20 I did six lengths of the warm pool with the roof closed to the night sky. I then spent ten minutes in the large hot tub, the entire pool deck being empty of guests. At six o'clock Resty set me up, ready for me to give my forty five minute talk on Architecture complete with final video at 6:30.
I then went to the MDR, but was too late for a sharing table, so I dined alone in the naughty corner. I had the cream of mushroom soup, the baby spinach salad, the spiny lobster and the cherries jubilee to eat. I felt stuffed at the end of the meal for the first time this cruise. I had just two glasses of sparkling water to drink.
At nine o'clock I went to CD Philip's tour de force cabaret of musical theatre songs. He had items from Fiddler on the Roof, Mame, Phantom of the Opera and the Sound of Music amongst others. After his show, I went to bed, but had trouble sleeping after my FOUR lunchtime coffees. During the day, I had done twelve thousand steps, nearly equal to five miles of walking.
I awoke at six o'clock as usual and got up at 6:30. At seven o'clock I had smoked salmon on a toasted muffin in the Aquavit bar area of the World Cafe. At 7:45 I exited the ship and walked into the city. Unfortunately my favourite funicular railway at Paral-lel underground station was closed.
I turned off my tracking when I got to the huge public library to use their loo. I reached Catalonia Place, where I went in the underground Tourist Information Office (TIO). I went in the cathedral museum without paying, but didn't stay long. I then photographed the main sights of the Gothic Quarter including Saint Agatha's royal chapel.
At the World Trade Centre (WTC), I had to wait five minutes for the shuttle bus to arrive and disgorge many guests. The local girl who was supposed to be on duty wasn't present, so I had to field all the requests for Las Ramblas and the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) buses. After another five minutes the bus left with just four guests and me.
Back at the ship, there was a long line of guests waiting for the shuttle bus going back into the city. I whizzed through Terminal B and dropped my things off in my stateroom. Unfortunately Angelica hadn't yet been. During the morning I had done nearly fifteen thousand steps, nearly equal to six miles of walking.
I lunched on the lovely pea soup and the delicious roast lamb al fresco a la terrazza in the warm sunshine, but cool wind. Back in my stateroom, Angelica was just finishing. I then slept for an hour and a half, making up for my caffeine filled evening. I caught the three o'clock shuttle bus to the World Trade Centre (WTC), before walking via La Rambla de la Mar to the beach. I came back along the old quayside, getting to the WTC at 4:20 as the 4:30 bus was leaving already full of guests. I wasn't prepared to wait seventy minutes for the next shuttle bus, so I led four other guests back to ship along the sidewalks.
At 5:25 I gave the cool pool a miss and instead spent ten minutes in the large, rectangular hot tub under the closed roof, as the sun set over the container port cranes. At 6:15 I moved up to the MDR, where I sat with Susan and Tanya from North Carolina. I had the cauliflower cheese soup, the Caprese salad, the sirloin steak and the no sugar added praline dessert to eat. I had several glasses of sparkling water to drink.
At nine o'clock I went to the crew parade and the Beatles Songbook production show in the Star theatre. I had TWO glasses of champagne to drink and so had trouble staying awake. I went to sleep at 10:15 having done twenty seven thousand steps, equal to eleven miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 6:10 having slept for nearly eight hours. At seven o'clock, I had two croissants stuffed with scrambled egg and smoked salmon for breakfast in the Aquavit bar. At eight o'clock I walked into the city in the bright sunshine but cold wind. I stopped off in the GNV Transmed Ferry Terminal to use their loo and warm up again. I got as far as the famous Gaudi House (Casa Batllo), before resting in Casa Amatller next door.
I backtracked to the English Cut (El Corte Ingles) department store, to take pictures from the top floor cafeteria and to use their loo. I photographed the huge city walls on the east side of the Gothic Quarter, before catching the 11:30 shuttle bus back to the ship.
Here I had the cream of artichoke soup and a mixed grill of chicken & prawns to eat al fresco a la terrazza in the bright, warm sunshine. I then slept for an hour and a half, before packing. During the afternoon, I watched VRH Dr Ted's interesting talk on the History of Spain. My shins finally started itching from the chlorine in the hot tub, so I decided against bathing and having a wet cozzie to pack. When Angelica came for the turn down service, I went up to the top deck for some final photography.
At six o'clock, Pedro set me up ready to give my forty five minute talk entitled "Welcome to Spain!". The video was just a bit too long at the end. Afterwards I chatted to Katerina who was flying home to Queensland the next day.
Up in the MDR, it was too quiet for a sharing table, so I dined alone for the second time this cruise. I had the Norwegian labskaus beef broth, the Caesar salad, the Norwegian poached salmon and the no sugar added coconut dessert to eat. I had just sparkling water to drink, not wanting to risk a hangover on my travelling day.
At 8:30 I went to La Rumba Catalana folkloric show with three male singers/musicians with two female singers/dancers. I only lasted fifteen minutes as it was all flamenco with no rumba! I went to sleep just after nine o'clock having done seventeen and a half thousand steps, equal to seven miles of walking during the day.
I awoke twenty minutes before my alarms at five o'clock, ready for breakfast opening at 5:30. I had smoked salmon and cheese on a toasted muffin to eat and glasses of orange juice and sparkling water to drink. I also nabbed two scrambled egg milk rolls to take away. Back in my state room, I updated this blog, but didn't have time to back it up.
Just after six o'clock I moved along to the Atrium on deck one and waited just ten minutes for tag Tan One to be called. During this time, I chatted to a couple from Connecticut. I walked up to deck two for the exit, but there was no one to say goodbye to at that early hour. I was first on to the coach, so I took the middle seat.
It was an easy run to El Prat airport on a Sunday morning. We had to wait ten minutes for the BA check-in desks to open. I was quickly through, depositing my carry on case as well as my main suitcase. We were side tracked into the VIP security channel, but there were two long queues around the corner. Then one of the lines stopped processing, so it took fifteen minutes to get through. There were no queues at passport control.
I guessed that we would depart from wing D, not wing E, so I found a charging station to update this blog. As I had checked-in my carry on case, I was able to be one of the last to board the plane. I was sat next to a couple from Raleigh in North Carolina, who had been on both my cruises. I slept for one hour, but missed the complimentary biscuits and water. When I awoke I opened up my laptop to update this blog. I went to use the rear loo and claim my packet of two biscuits.
We berthed at Terminal 5A, so I was immediately through passport control, but my bags took a while to arrive. I took the tube to the central coach station, eating my two scrambled egg milk rolls I had brought from the ship. I then bought a Flixbus ticket for £27, which was cheaper and faster than National Express. I had to wait one hour in the central waiting room, before taking the two hour journey. I had another Algerian taxi driver to get me home by four o'clock.
Another excellent cruise including:
* A full day on the Cote d'Azur visiting Nice, Eze & Monte Carlo
* A second visit to Les Baux & Saint Remy in Provence
* A second visit to the Etruscan tombs of Tarquinia
* A full day to explore Florence, Tuscany
* Two full days in Barcelona
Maddy from New Jersey wrote:
"I just read your blogs and, as always, found them informative and insightful."
"I see your next cruise begins December 4th."
"Happy & smooth travels."
1) "Leonardo da Vinci: Greatest Artist of the Italian Renaissance?" Look back on the life and works of this great polymath. (16th November - Needed to be before Rome & Florence) 2) "Vincent van Gogh: Painter of Provence" Tune your ears and focus your eyes on the works of Vincent van Gogh in the South of France. (18th November - Needed to be before Marseille) 3) "The Story of Western Architecture" Discover the story from Ancient Greece & Ancient Rome via Art Nouveau to Post-Modernist Architecture. (20th November) 4) "Welcome to Spain!" Come and hear this introduction to the geography, geology, history & culture of this interesting country. (22nd November)
5) "Pablo Picasso: Greatest Artist of the Twentieth Century?" Discover the colorful life and colorful art of Pablo Picasso, who spent most of his life in the South of France. 6) "Welcome to France!" Come and hear this introduction to the geography, geology, history & culture of this interesting country.
215 Cruises 57 Cruise ships (see below) 16 Cruise lines (see below) 7 Night cruise 5 Restaurants (MDR, CT, WC, PG, Manfredi's) 5 Continental breakfasts 4 Tours escorted 4 Singers (Dan, Kieran, Frankie & Katie) 4 Band members (Keys, Bass, Guitar & Drums) 4 Enrichment Lectures given 4 Continental breakfasts 3 Storey atrium 3 Hot tubs 3 Lunches ashore 2 Mixed grill lunches 2 Salmon dinners 2 Lamb dinners 2 Production shows 2 Nightclub singers 2 Panoramic elevators 2 Cinemas 1 Double state room with picture window 1 Theatre (Star) 1 Nightclub (Torshavn) 1 Viking heritage museum 1 Classical guitarist 1 Classical duo 1 Cocktail pianist
Captain Atle Knutsen Cruise Director Philip Morgaman Ass. Cruise Director Amy Hayes Shorex Manager Dora the Explorer Stage Managers Hugo, Resty & Pedro Historian (VRH) Dr Ted Karamanski Cultural Lecturer Martin P. Lee
* Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines * Saga Shipping Company * Voyages of Discovery * Seabourn (Carnival) * Princess (Carnival) * Cunard (Carnival) * P&O (Carnival) * Celebrity (RCCL) * Silversea (RCCL) * Regent SS (NCL) * Oceania (NCL) * Marella (TUI) * Ambassador * Azamara * Crystal * Viking
Black Prince Black Watch Borealis Boudicca Balmoral Braemar Bolette Silver Whisper Silver Spirit Silver Wind Silver Muse Silver Moon Silver Dawn Viking Sea Viking Sky Viking Star Viking Saturn Viking Neptune Celebrity Silhouette Celebrity Solstice Celebrity Eclipse Celebrity Edge Celebrity Apex Oceania Sirena Oceania Marina Oceania Riviera Oceania Vista Saga Rose Saga Ruby Saga Sapphire Saga Pearl II Quest for Adventure Spirit of Adventure (Old SofA) Spirit of Adventure (New SofA) Spirit of Discovery Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) Queen Elizabeth (QE) Queen Victoria (QV) Queen Mary 2 (QM2) P&O Arcadia P&O Aurora P&O Oriana P&O Iona Azamara Quest Azamara Journey Crystal Symphony Crystal Serenity Seabourn Odyssey Seabourn Sojourn Ambassador Ambience Ambassador Ambition Regent Seven Seas Mariner Regent Seven Seas Splendor Sapphire Princess Caribbean Princess Marella Explorer VoD Discovery