 |
 |
 |
To add to The Muster Station,
join MeetMeOnBoard.com today.
Members, please sign in.
The public is welcome to add replies.
 | MarkDale on Anyone else going on the Brand… |
 | Richard on Am sailing on the Carnival Bre… |
| MarkDale on Barcelona to Venice Cruise on … |
 | Bruce on Barcelona to Venice Cruise on … |
| MarkDale on Barcelona to Venice Cruise on … |
Cruises have long been promoted as all-inclusive vacations with accommodations, meals, entertainment and transportation all rolled into one price. But the number of extra amenities passengers must pay for has been proliferating as cruise lines go beyond the usual extras (like shore excursions, cocktails and Internet access) and add increasingly elaborate offerings.
Read the NYTimes article here >>>
Do you have any other tips? We’d love for you to share.
This is a video of the 7-day repositioning cruise we took on the Norwegian Jade from Barcelona to Venice in April of 2012. We spent a few days prior exploring Barcelona and a few days in Milan, Italy at the end of the voyage. We met several other LGBT people on this cruise and made many new friends. Bon Voyage and Happy Cruising!
See our cruise photos:
 |
| Mediterranean Cruise | April 2012 |
For me, the last day on a cruise can be very depressing. I know that I will once again have to return to my 9 – 5 workday, plan the meals for the week and say ‘goodbye’ to new friends. For Dale and I, this trip was full of positive experiences that can only be felt on a cruise. We had our last meal with our new friend Gilles and his partner Gord where we shared our many memories over a few bottles of wine. We both agreed that cruising is about the community we build on board and the new friendships that we make. Since our experiences were so similar, I asked Gilles if he would share his thoughts. I will soon be writing about our trip and posting it in ‘News & Expert Advice’.
—————————————
by Gilles Marchildon*
To paraphrase Maya Angelou, people will forget what you say and what you do but never how you made them feel. Norwegian Cruise Line seems to have payed particular attention to Angelou’s words.
Travel provides opportunities to see incredible, breath-taking sights but there are only so many mountain ranges, ocean sunsets, church spires and castle dungeons one can absorb within a short period of time. These are often best revisited through pictures to prompt our recall.
It’s funny, though, that we don’t need pictures to recall the people or stories of a particular trip. For the vast majority of travelers, the bedrock foundation of a truly enjoyable and memorable trip are the people we encounter and the experiences we share. Humans are social animals and nowhere is this more obvious than on a cruise.
Cruises are often used to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. They’re also opportunities for people to cut loose during the many zany on-board game-shows as well as trivia and dance contests, not to mention make friends at the bars.
Our Barcelona to Venice cruise (with stops in Sicily, Croatia and Slovenia) was our “in-between-birthdays” trip. My spouse and I celebrate our respective birthdays in mid-April and early May so travel between these dates is our annual gift to each other. We find a trip so much more meaningful and fun instead of splurging on extravagant gifts for each other. No gift-wrapping required!
Prior to our trip, we had put in a special request for birthday cake at one of our dinners. Except we got caught up in their “free-style” approach, forgetting to book a specific night. So it was that on our second-last evening, we finally remembered our request. We were at a table of fellow gay men whom we’d met (thanks to Norwegian’s promotion of a nightly “Friends of Dorothy” LGBT meeting). Near the end of the meal, a tentative enquiry was made with our cute Indian waiter. We weren’t really expecting that a cake could be produced on such short notice and at this late hour. Indeed, our chatty group, aided by 3 different bottles of wine on the table, was practically the last one in the grand dining room.
Well, about as fast as Dorothy could click her heels together and be swept back to Kansas, our table was surrounded by close to a dozen staff singing “Happy Birthdays” (yes – plural) and a jumbo cake landed among the wine bottles and first round of desserts. We had foolishly ordered desserts from the menu, not thinking that a birthday cake was realistic. Round two of desserts. Such is the hardship. We did our best, particularly aided by the ferocious appetite of one of our sweet-toothed fairies. Complementary digestifs helped us wash it down.
See? Norwegian’s efforts ended up being just as memorable as the splendours of the Adriatic cities through which we’d walked during the previous two days. Maya Angelou would just smile knowingly.
* Gilles Marchildon is the former Executive Director of Egale Canada, the country’s main LGBT advocacy group. He was also director of Winnipeg’s Reel Pride gay and lesbian film festival and editor of the city’s monthly queer publication, Swerve
Guest Blog by Gilles Marchildon*
The narrow walls seem full of secrets and unfulfilled yearnings. The hairs on my arms note the coolness of the air but my pulse is racing. Every corner rounded, every new passage discovered reward my eyes with fantastic sights. Curiosity and excitement propel me forward with my
companions.
Lest you wonder if I’m exploring a dungeon of depravity, let me state that it’s instead a fabulous fortress, the Diocletian palace. At the heart of the Croatian city of Split lies the former digs of a Roman emperor with delusions of grandeur – a trait likely inherent to all emperors. Diocletian might be barfing in his mausoleum, though, if he saw the veritable flea market that’s taken up residence in his once-regal dwelling.
Fortunately, the palace retains its majesty thanks to the abundant and impressive stone walls, towering columns and notable bell tower. Sprawling around the original palace, there is a maze of smaller structures all crammed delightfully into an old city where narrow passages connect to each other and offer fascinating explorations. As one companion remarked, it’s like Venice without the water (and far fewer tourists).
English seems to be understood by most restaurateurs and shopkeepers but it’s best to convert your Euros and US Dollars into the local currency, the Kuna.
Wandering in this picturesque town, it’s easy to forget that Split is the second-largest city of Croatia with a metropolitan area of about 468,000 people. As we park ourselves in an unassuming pizzeria just outside the tourist-trodden streets of the old city, we are rewarded with oven-baked pizza and pasta dishes that rival the best that Italy could offer. Obviously, the culinary culture straddles both sides of the Adriatic. Unfortunately, the success in our plates is not reflected in our wine glasses but you can’t have it all, I suppose. Still, it’s a gorgeous day and with full bellies, we enjoy the delicious people-watching. Who needs dessert with dark and swarthy Croatians?
En route back to our cruise ship’s tender boats, we follow our intuition and make a detour up a hill in a residential area. At the top, a splendid view of the city and harbour greats us. Fortunately, we discover steps that lead us back downtown more directly.
During our jaunt along the waterfront, we make friends with a small posse of adventure-seeking French cyclists joined by a Venezuelan acrobat. The locals seemed wary but once we break the ice, a couple young girls are only too happy to make their acquaintance. Glad to have been of service, guys.
Views, food and friends: we savour Split three ways.
——————————————————–
* Gilles Marchildon is the former Executive Director of Egale Canada, the country’s main LGBT advocacy group. He was also director of Winnipeg’s Reel Pride gay and lesbian film festival and editor of the city’s monthly queer publication, Swerve.
After enduring the awful red-eye from Phoenix to JFK, I wasn’t looking forward to the 12 hour layover before boarding the plane to Barcelona. I was only minimally pleased with the JFK Delta Sky Club. The good news is that there were decent snacks and the complimentary wine was excellent. The bad news is that I needed a nap more than Brad Pitt needs a decent haircut. And i mean a get-naked, under-the-sheets, multi-hour nap!
I suggested to Mark that it might be a good idea to find a hotel nearby so we could sleep. He would describe my reasoned request more like a hysterical demand wrapped in a tantrum.
A few minutes on his iPad resulted in Mark reporting a $100 “day rate” at nearby place called the JFK Inn.
I’m pretty naive, but the term “day rate” seemed perilously close to “hourly”. The google earth view made the place seem even worse.
The place was dated, unattractive, and looked as if Roseanne Barr would appear on the porch of the house directly across the freeway wearing only her bra and panties.
When I asked for a room on the quiet side of the building the very polite and in fact quite beautiful front desk clerk could barely suppress a chuckle.
The room was old and the bathroom tiles were mostly missing around the sink. Complaining bitterly as I rolled my eyes, Mark muttered something about Lady Astor.
Everything was clean, the shower was blissfully hot, and I’ve never had a better 5 hours of sleep. I would have paid much more and would seriously recommend the place. Encountering a disgusting layover there is no need to torture yourself. Inquire about a day rate so that you can enjoy the next leg of your trip while inventing new ways to annoy your partner.
I’m not even going into the 40 minute taxi ride on the way made necessary by Mark forgetting an item or two.
The worst part about our upcoming cruise is the red-eye flight to NewYork and then the 13 hour layover.
My (literally) sleepless night – courtesy of Delta Airlines – was such a joy. I want to share the lovely details.
Mark and I spent seconds savoring those 17 peanuts they provided for the two of us What a model of Christian Charity Delta has become.
My private time consisted of a few seconds in the bathroom where I earnestly prayed for God to take me the few remaining steps into hell.
Back in my hideously uncomfotabe and costly seat designed for a late-booming 4th grader, spasms of the spine and continuous leg cramps were relieved by the odor of Mr. Onion and Miss Garlic…between whom I was seated.
Wish you were here. Now it’s on to Barcelona.
USA TODAY’s Gene Sloan just returned from a preview cruise aboard Disney’s newest ship, the Disney Fantasy. Read what he says are the 5 things you’ll love best about this new ship
Cruise lines are using two-for-one deals, onboard ship credits, discounted airfares, “free” gratuities, even chocolate-dipped strawberries to jump-start business as they cope with a tsunami of bad news this year.
Carnival Destiny | Photo: CCL
Carnival Cruise Lines announced on Tuesday morning that Carnival Destiny will undergo a 49-day $155-million dollar refit in April 2013, a refit so dramatic that it’ll change the ships name from Carnival Destiny to Carnival Sunshine.
Along with adding the lines current Fun Ship 2.0 enhancements, the line will also add even more food, entertainment, staterooms, and shopping venues.
“This is our most ambitious ship conversion project to date and it will radically transform the Carnival Destiny into essentially an entirely new ship offering a variety of exciting dining and beverage choices, spectacular outdoor spaces and entertainment options, and on-board innovations not available anywhere else,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO.
So what’s being added?
Dining
Outside and Entertainment
Carnival will also add the popular Ocean Plaza on Carnival Sunshine along with adding 182 new staterooms.
Carnival Sunshine will launch its year-round seven-day cruise schedule from New Orleans on Nov. 24, 2013, offering three-different week-long Caribbean itineraries. Carnival Sunshine will replace Carnival Conquest in New Orleans, whose new home hasn’t been announced yet.
Source: CCL
On March 1, 2012, Disney Cruise Line held the christening ceremony for the new Disney Fantasy cruise ship docked in New York Harbor. The two-party ceremony began with a musical show inside the ship’s Walt Disney Theatre hosted by actor Neil Patrick Harris (that also featured comedian Jerry Seinfeld) and concluded in the ship’s atrium with Disney CEO Bob Iger, Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs, actor/musician Nick Cannon, and his wife and godmother of the ship, Mariah Carey. Mickey and Minnie Mouse were also on hand to help christen the ship.
|
© 2009-12 Meet Me On Board, LLC. All rights reserved. |
|
About Us | Latest News | FAQ | Terms Of Service | Privacy Policy | Bugs | Abuse | Comments | Contact Us | Shop Our Store | Advertise With Us |
MarkDale, 
Bruce, and 
rogerbeto are discussing.
rogerbeto 11:58 am on May 8, 2012 Permalink |
Great video guys and the music was perfect.. Sure makes you want to go back. What camera were you using?
Roger
MarkDale 3:23 pm on May 8, 2012 Permalink |
Thanks for the compliment Roger. I shot it in HD but usually don’t upload it in HD since the files get way to large. The video camera I have is the Canon HD Vixia HEM300.
Bruce 9:22 am on May 9, 2012 Permalink |
Great photos and video. It was nice to meet you and the rest of the others on the cruise. We had a fun time.
MarkDale 10:25 am on May 10, 2012 Permalink |
Great meeting you guys too. When are we doing it again?