Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A Second Sailing on the Mediterranean

In January of 2011, Ray and Traci made a grand voyage in quest of visiting the Egyptian Pyramids. Unfortunately, the Egyptian revolution resulted in last minute cancellation of the Cairo stop. Despite missing the headline attraction, both Ray and Traci had an excellent voyage on the Norwegian Jade and they decided to make another attempt at visiting the Pyramids. Cruise ships ported at Egypt during much of 2012, but Norwegian Cruise Lines made a marketing decision to cancel Egyptian stops starting with Ray and Traci’s December 1st cruise, disappointing the travelers who already booked passage. The prospect of adventures at other ancient lands kept the travelers excited at another cruise even without the Pyramids. Ray and Traci’s second Mediterranean adventure started at the Seattle airport on Wednesday afternoon in late November. They flew Lufthansa to Frankfurt, and changed planes to end up at Rome 15 hours later. The flight was quite pleasant and other than slow baggage service in Rome, the travelers encountered no problems. A pre-arranged car service took a tired Ray and Traci into Rome, near the main train station where their hotel, the iQ Roma was found. Both were quite pleased with their room – it was surprisingly spacious, modern and neat with a generous sized bath. Italian electrical plugs were needed in the main room although American plugs were found in the bath. A flat screen TV showed mostly Italian shows, and an empty compact refrigerator was under the desk. Reasonably priced vending machines, a coin operated laundry facility and a breakfast buffet area were found throughout the hotel. While the fitness facility was quite small, the moderately priced hotel’s location was great and should be considered by visitors to Rome. After settling, Ray and Traci walked to Bergitello, a family restaurant recommended by the hotel staff. Ray enjoyed a pizza with ham and Traci had ravioli with boar meat, while both shared a salad. On the way home, they stopped for some strawberry gelato before retiring for their first evening in the Eternal City.

Friday was the most exhausting day of the journey. Ray and Traci boarded an express train to Florence. A “scheduled” labor strike (which Italy is famous for) cancelled many of the trains that day, but the Florence routes remained operational. Italian trains were quite speedy and comfortable, reaching speeds of 150 mph, and made the nonstop journey from Rome to Florence in 90 minutes. Upon arrival, a steady rain was falling taking some of the enthusiasm for the day trip away. First stop was at the Accademia, which is home to perhaps the world’s most famous sculpture, Michelangelo’s David. Because of the strike, the rain, or off season date (probably all three) the usual long wait was non-existent even for those without reservations (which Ray made at travel guru Rick Steves’ advice). Unfortunately, the non-existent crowds and rain led to Ray and Traci getting lost and having difficulty locating the celebrated exhibit. Finally Ray and Traci found the Accademia and gazed upon Michelangelo’s much copied original complete with the crack behind the right thigh.
Next, the travelers had a much easier time locating the Duomo church & museum. In addition to touring the church, Ray bought a candle as an offering in hopes of finally bringing a World Series to Seattle. Lunch followed, and the travelers stopped at Restorante Self-Service Leonardo which Americans would refer to as a cafeteria. Ray had salad and spaghetti with clams, while Traci had baked chicken. With new energy, Ray and Traci next climbed the 463 steps to the top of the Duomo Cupola – the first dome in the modern world. Fortunately it had stopped raining and Ray and Traci could really enjoy a view of Florence from the top.
Ray could not fathom how miserable it would be to climb the 463 steps in 90+ degree summer heat with huge crowds waiting hours to make the climb. Ray and Traci’s whole roundtrip took less than 30 minutes! After the obligatory photos, Ray and Traci continued their trek down Florence’s “Renaissance Walk” to tour the Uffizi gallery, another very popular Florence destination. First, they stopped at Palazzo Vecchio which until 1873 was where the original David statue was found. After the original was moved to the indoor Accademia, a replica of David (without the right leg crack) was placed. Tourists are not allowed to photograph the original, but can pose with and photograph the replica as much as they want. From Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery is found nearby. Again, Ray secured timed reservations ahead of time, which were unnecessary with the sparse crowds. In the Uffizi, Botticelli’s famous Birth of Venus painting is found along with great works from Michelangelo, Leonardo de Vinci, and Caravaggio. Ray and Traci stopped at the Galileo Science museum housing old telescopes, chemistry experiments, physics equipment and surgical instruments. Ray and Traci also walked across Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) with its collection of gold and silversmiths operating shops (as well as other tourist oriented enterprises) on both sides of the bridge which crosses the Arno River. On their way back to the train station, Ray and Traci stopped at Piazza Santa Croce with its colorful marble church and found an open air bazaar selling everything from German sausages to gummy worms.
A refreshment stop at Vivoli Gelato was made nearby. Traci was underwhelmed with her orange chocolate & coffee gelato, but Ray loved his stracciatella gelato. Ray and Traci’s final stop was at the Church of Santa Maria Novella which housed religious artifacts, crypts, and great works of art. Exhausted from a full day of Florence, Ray and Traci boarded their train back to Rome and picked up food at McDonald’s as a bedtime snack.

On Saturday morning, Ray and Traci made a quick visit to a few nearby sites in Rome before traveling to Civitavecchia to board the Norwegian Jade. Their first destination was a holy haunted house – The Church of Santa Maria Della Immacolata Concezione containing the Cappuccin Crypt. Bones of 4,000 friars are arranged in crypts – Crypt of the Skulls, Crypt of the Hips, Crypt of the Tibia and Fibia...The artistic arrangement of human remains forms a disturbing but unique attraction. American haunted houses have nothing on the Cappuccin crypt!
Nearby, Ray and Traci visited the Spanish Steps complete with the Trinita dei Monti Church at its top. Navigating Italian streets is quite difficult as few are straight and many change names with every turn. Also, crosswalks are rare so pedestrians have to take their lives in their hands to cross busy streets. A final stop, at the Trevi Fountain, afforded both Ray and Traci the opportunity to toss a coin inside and insure another return to Rome. The morning sunshine gave way to steady rain as the travelers returned to the iQ Roma, checked out, and boarded their past and future home, the NCL Jade ship. In their 2011 voyage, Ray and Traci loved their accommodations and they booked the same cabin again. Cosmetic changes in some of the wall coverings, carpets, and a change in restaurants with the addition of a meat on the skewer specialty food establishment (churrascaria) were noted. Otherwise, the Jade was pretty much the same. Their welcome aboard lunch was salad, a turkey burger (for Traci) and a New York steak for Ray – all very enjoyable. After an afternoon of unpacking and roaming around, the travelers enjoyed a late dinner in the Pacific Dining room - still full from lunch, Ray had a plate of pasta followed by ice cream, and Traci had a more enjoyable barbecue chicken followed by apple pie. The tired travelers skipped the welcome aboard show, although it was broadcast on TV the next day.

Sunday started with a beautiful run around the Jade’s 13th deck running track with the backdrop of the Italian Messina Strait seen – this narrow area has a rich history of epic battles. Ray had a French dip for lunch while Traci had a delicious lentil soup and salad. Most of the afternoon was spent lounging around (Ray actually got some medical work done) before they both attended a cocktail party with the ship’s officers. After taking a picture with the Captain, Ray and Traci chatted with Gary Glading, the cruise director. Gary was also the cruise director for their January 2011 sailing, and he does a fabulous job! Having sailed on 3 other ships on other cruise lines, Ray and Traci can conclude that Gary’s knowledge, talent, enthusiasm and multi language skills are unmatched. Quite frankly, Gary sets such a high standard that no other director could compare – he is fluent in at least 6 languages, has performed with casts at the Lido in France as well as Las Vegas, and knows how to entertain a very multicultural audience. Plus he just plain works harder than any other cruise director Ray and Traci have encountered. Oh, and in his time off he runs an orphanage for abused and neglected animals in Italy. Ray and Traci then enjoyed a great performance by Roberto and Dorota performing Cirque du Soleil style acrobatics as they had on the travelers’ prior sailing. While not quite “O” or “Mystere”, neither of these Las Vegas shows were done on a moving ship! Dinner ended the day with Traci having a good Atlantic Cod and Ray enjoying salmon.

The second day at sea, was quite mellow. Other than a morning run, a juggling lesson, and origami instruction on making a small box, Ray and Traci relaxed in preparation for 4 straight days of tours. Ray and Traci had lunch in the buffet for a change, the entertainment for the evening was a performance of the 14 talented Jade production cast members doing enjoyable Motown hits in an American Idol like competition, and main dining room dinner consisted of a so-so Rib Eye steak for Ray and a much better grilled salmon for Traci. Fortunately, dessert made the meal as a special Tiramasu made with Kahlua was a NCL highlight. It was becoming clear that the ship was significantly less crowded compared to their last voyage with less people in the theater, buffet and restaurant. Later, Ray and Traci learned that there were 1888 passengers on the cruise that usually has 2400-3000 guests.

On Tuesday, the Norwegian Jade was diverted from their scheduled port in Alanya, Turkey to Antayla, Turkey due to port closure from high surf conditions. Ray and Traci had no excursions planned, so they didn’t really mind the diversion. After Traci had pancakes, and Ray had a ham omelet they boarded a complementary shuttle bus provided by NCL which took them 25 minutes into the “historic” district.
Other than some partially preserved artifacts from ancient times, the historic district was basically full of tourist shops and McDonalds. Ray and Traci spent about an hour before returning on the bus back to the ship for a lunch in the buffet and an early dinner (Spaghetti for Ray, Pork Loin for Traci). After dinner, Ray and Traci watched an incredible performance by 4 European singers in a group called 4Ever. The four singers performed a wide range of songs from Italian Opera to Michael Buble to Elvis to Queen. Listening to an Italian version of Unchained Melody followed by a kick-ass version of Bohemian Rhapsody was unbelievable. Ray felt they were the best “cover” artists he had ever seen (on land or on sea), and the entertained Jade crowd seemed to agree giving the group a great ovation. The NCL Jade has a long tradition of exceptional entertainment in the cruise industry which must start with the director Gary Glading, but the Jade really out did itself with this production.

Wednesday morning started out beautiful as the Jade reached Limassol, Cyprus. Ray and Traci grabbed some buffet fruit and joined their NCL organized excursion to Paphos, a United Nations cultural site. Ray could have done without the 75 minute “scenic” bus ride through fruit orchards and British Military bases before the bus arrived at the Tomb of the Kings in Paphos. The bus did make one brief stop at Petra Tou Romious where a rock rising from the sea was said to be the birthplace of Aphrodite.
If there actually were Kings or Pharoahs buried in the underground cemetery at Paphos, the site would have been a bit more captivating but the inhabitants of this site were mostly citizens wanting to enter the afterlife with their valued possessions (most of which were eventually taken by grave robbers or museums.) The coastal cemetery site was pretty and Ray was amused by the large elevated KFC sign seen in the distance for hungry grave explorers. As McDonald’s seemed ubiquitous in Antalya, KFC seems to capture the fancy of Cyprus residents. After touring the tomb areas, the bus took the cruisers to another UN Cultural Heritage site where the House of Dionysus was found along with a seaside tourist trap. The Dionysus complex contained more underground tombs as well as a seaside castle and a large historic residence containing many floor coverings of mosaics – small colored stones making pictures. One time wealthy residents changed mosaics when they wanted a different floor covering - just put another layer of tiles on top of the previous one. The Paphos site would have been more interesting if Ray and Traci had not seen Ephesus in Turkey on their previous Jade voyage – a lesson that not all UNESCO cultural heritage sites are the same. After buying a Cyprus magnet, Ray and Traci reboarded the bus for a much faster highway journey back to the Jade. Quite hungry, Ray enjoyed his favorite New York strip steak at Cagney’s followed by a great chocolate brownie with macadamia nut ice cream. Traci stuck to a salad and then went to the buffet for an Indian curry dish. Half way through their voyage, Ray and Traci both agreed that the food was noticeably better than their Jan 2011 NCL Jade sailing. Whether the introduction of new comment cards or badgering on the internet contributed to the improvement, it was certainly welcome. The suite guest’s breakfast and lunches were always quite good at Cagney’s steakhouse but improvement was especially noted in the main dining rooms. Ray continues to believe the Cagney’s New York steak and chocolate brownie/macadamia nut ice cream is the best meal he has enjoyed on any cruise ship. In addition, the fruits were much fresher. Unfortunately, Wednesday’s dinner was not quite as good as Traci returned her overcooked mahi mahi only to be disappointed again with teriyaki chicken skewers while Ray nibbled on a much better Prime Rib. The entertainment of the evening was provided by Steve Rawlings, a juggler/comedian from the UK who brought new meaning to the word multitasking.

Thursday was the planned stop in Israel although recent skirmishes and rocket launches from Gaza brought that into question. The good news was the Jade docked without incident in Haifa, a busy port in North Israel. The bad news it was raining hard for most of the day. Ray and Traci got absolutely soaked as they wandered through Haifa only to find the major attraction, the gorgeous Baha’i Shrine and Gardens, closed due to the weather. Upon emerging from the ship, visitors go thru security (Israel is the only port that tourists are checked LEAVING the ship!) and enter the gauntlet of taxi drivers whose obnoxiousness matched the drivers in Jamaica! A helpful driver gave two pieces of sage advice – don’t take a taxi to the gardens thinking you would get in because they would be closed all day (he was right) and the gardens are really the only thing worth seeing in downtown Haifa. So all Ray and Traci could do is go to the gates and take some exterior pictures.
The half kilometer tiered gardens descending from the hilltop golden domed shrine looked quite beautiful in the pictures in tourist books and on the website! Soaked, Ray and Traci returned to the ship and had lunch in the buffet. Later in the evening they both enjoyed a turkey dinner with all the fixings which was quite good, making up for Traci’s poor food the night before. Traci enjoyed a tasty Mexican tortilla soup as an appetizer while Ray really liked his spicy crabcake. Traci turned in early for the long day ahead in Jerusalem while Ray attended the magic show performed by a skilled illusionists Evan and Rostica before calling it a night.

In contrast to Thursday’s rainy debacle, Friday’s visit to Jerusalem was made in perfect weather. After an early 7AM start, Ray and Traci’s Jerusalem adventure began with a 2 hour bus ride to Jerusalem for a stop on Mount Scopus giving a nice view of the “Old City.” The ship was scheduled to have moved overnight to Ashdod which is much closer to Jerusalem, but the rocket attacks from Gaza forced the ship and its tours to operate out of Haifa. Jerusalem has become quite a large metropolitan area with 700,000 inhabitants, but most of the focus is on the walled off area with rich history from biblical times. The current “Old City” rests on 12 feet or so of ruins from the time of Jesus, and most of the historical locations were memorialized by structures that date to the middle ages. Christianity, Islam and Judaism all have sacred sites located within. After entering the Zion Gate, the Old City tour started with a visit to King David’s Museum (The Citadel) and tomb. The next stop was at a chamber that marked the location of The Last Supper. Walking the narrow cobblestone paths of Jerusalem was not unlike negotiating an ancient theme park. Merchants line many of the narrow corridors offering everything from travel magnets to elegant jewelry. While guidebooks warn about pickpockets roaming the streets, merchants have no problem leaving their open air stores unattended while they attend prayer. The tour stopped at the Western or “Wailing” Wall which represents the most important existing Jewish Shrine – while not part of the original House of God, it was built by King Herod as a giant retaining wall signed to create a vast plaza and now serves as a sacred monument for prayer and pilgrimage.
Afterwards, Ray and Traci toured the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which marks the final 5 of the 14 stations of the Via Dolorosa – the route Jesus walked from the place of his trial by the Roman Pontius Pilate to his crucifixion and burial. At station 12, an image of Jesus dying of the cross is found.
The current Church of the Holy Sepulcher actually was rebuilt after an 1808 fire destroyed much of it. While other travelers may be much more familiar with religious history, the large crowds, narrow passages, and confusing signs make having a good tour guide invaluable. A tomb is located in the Church which is thought to represent Jesus’ burial (station 14) although this location is disputed by different religious groups. Nonetheless, long lines to enter the tomb challenge those wishing to pay their respects.
The tour continued with a lunch break at a large buffet style cafeteria serving several tour groups (mostly from the Norwegian Jade). The highlight of the afternoon was visiting the Church of Agony which marks Gethsemane, the location of Jesus’ arrest after betrayal by Judas. The intense spiritual tour ended with a long bus ride back to Haifa leaving much time for contemplation by the tour group and distribution of a souvenir Pilgrim Certificate signed by Jerusalem’s mayor. Tired from their excursion, Ray enjoyed a salmon dinner while Traci ate a mediocre pork chop and skipped the Jade crew talent show which was entertainment for the evening.

The ship continued its journey back to Italy Saturday. After morning treadmill runs, Ray and Traci arranged to take the Jade’s Behind the Scenes Tour which was a very extensive (and $55) version of experiences offered by other cruise lines. Over 2 ½ hours, visits to the Bridge, Theater Backstage, Galley, Food Storage, “Environmental” and Laundry Facilities were made. The crew was very good about providing extremely detailed information on everything about a modern cruise ship. Afterwards, Ray enjoyed his favorite Jade meal for lunch: Caesar Salad, New York Steak and chocolate brownie ala mode, while Traci had a Turkey Burger. After a mellow afternoon which included listening to multitalented Cruise Director Gary give a great lecture about Italy, they had a dinner in the buffet and skipped the Jade Production show “Shout” which they saw on their 2011 sailing.

On Sunday, the Jade stopped at one of the substitute ports for Cairo – the largest Greek Island of Crete, first settled ~ 7000 BC. The Minoans first built a palace at Knossos ~ 2000 BC although extensive renovations were required due to earthquakes and fires. The Minoan civilization was remarkable for technological advancement including clay pipes and indoor plumbing. Most of the palace was built from gypsum, not hard stone like marble as metal tools for shaping were non-existent. Over time, rain and wind wore down the elevated areas. Sir Arthur Evans rediscovered and led excavation of the 20,000 square foot building. Turning a 4000 year old site into a tourist attraction led to a big dilemma – without “reconstruction” the site looked like a pile of rubble.
Using modern construction to enhance the site appearance makes it difficult to appreciate the authenticity of ancient ruins. Obviously the Egyptian Pyramids are the exception – they are ancient (4500 years old!) and untouched which contributes to their uniqueness. Ray and Traci’s tour guide gave them insight into the Minoan technological advancements which were millennia ahead of Europe. Following the Knossos adventure, the tour continued into Iraklion, the port city where the Jade was docked. Being an offseason Sunday, many of the businesses were closed but a plethora of tourist traps opened up for the Jade passengers. Ray and Traci visited a few merchants, then walked to the port and boarded the ship in time for a buffet lunch. Traci found the roast chicken in the buffet especially tasty while Ray enjoyed the Jade’s pizza offerings.

Monday was the final sea day as the Jade travelled from Crete to Naples (Italy). The captain warned passengers about wind and waves, and he was proven correct – the seas rocked and made both Ray and Traci seasick. They had a very light buffet lunch of soup but felt better by dinner – Ray had a combination ribs and shrimp platter which he liked a lot, while Traci had a penne pasta dish. The entertainment for the evening was some sort of variety show which Ray and Traci skipped. The Jade reached Naples on Tuesday morning, which turned out to be in brilliant sunshine. Ray and Traci took the NCL tour to the magical village of Pompeii – a Roman trading post which became frozen in time at year 79 when Mount Vesuvius erupted, spewing heat and ash that buried Pompeii.
The site was amazingly protected by the ash – mosaic floor coverings, art work on walls, lead pipes, cobblestone streets were all immortalized. Daily life in the village could be imagined – restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores and even brothels had artwork and advertisements displayed. The narrow and rough cobblestone roads had elevated stepping stones like crosswalks for pedestrians to avoid the rushing water flows in the street during rain. Detailed looks at houses show provisions for central heating using steam. Pompeii had several spas complete with saunas and pools for residents and visitors. The whole village was frozen like a giant time capsule – human plaster casts were created from the ash “molds” to document how life was proceeding normally at the time of the eruption.
Ray enjoyed visiting the fabulous Ephesus (Turkey) on a previous cruise, but found Pompeii even more intriguing due to the frozen in time nature and ash protection of the structures and artwork. After returning to the ship and grabbing lunch (Ray had his beloved Caesar salad, New York steak, and chocolate brownie with ice cream while Traci went to the buffet), the travelers wandered around downtown Naples and enjoyed a gelato at Casa Infante. They also visited the Umberto II Gallery, supposedly the first covered shopping mall. After returning to the ship, Ray and Traci packed for their departure, grabbed a quick bite at the buffet and attended the NCL’s fabulous signature entertainment show, “Elements.” NCL’s production was quite amazing and should not be missed. Elements mixes performances by the Jade cast along with the magician and Cirque do Soleil artists to form a grand finale unlike anything else Ray and Traci have ever seen on a cruise ship.

The NCL Jade reached Rome early in the morning on Wednesday. Brilliant sunshine but cool temperatures in the 30s greeted cruisers to the Eternal City. After claiming their bags, Ray and Traci boarded an NCL organized bus for a ride to the Fiumicino Airport where they planned on spending the night at the Hilton Rome Airport Hotel (as their next morning flight left at 5:55 AM!) Fortunately, their room was ready when they arrived and after leaving their luggage in the room, Ray and Traci boarded the Hilton shuttle bus to downtown Rome. The 45 minute ride left them at the Victor Emmanuel II monument (also known as the wedding cake.)
The giant structure was built in 1911 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Italy’s unification and now also includes the country’s tomb of the unknown soldier. Ray and Traci then proceeded to wander around landmarks they had visited on previous Rome visits – the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona. The Piazza Navona now had a whole assortment of stands selling all sorts of holiday themed items. With shadows growing longer and stomachs getting hungrier, Ray and Traci decided to take the shuttle back to the airport Hilton where they ended up having an early dinner at the Hilton restaurant. Ray enjoyed a salami pizza for his final meal in Rome while Traci had sea bass stuffed pasta with a tomato seafood sauce. Both travelers were ready to return home after their second cruise around the Mediterranean. While the voyage went very well and some incredible locations such as Jerusalem and Pompeii were visited, Ray’s desire to visit the pyramids had only increased with this latest successful great adventure.

Miami Medicine

Thanks to a medical conference, Ray and Traci escaped the rainy Pacific Northwest for a first time visit to Miami. The meeting was being held at the Fontainebleau, an oceanfront resort with a rich history located in Miami Beach. Ray and Traci left Seattle late in the evening on the Alaska Airlines overnight flight, which was the only non-stop flight to the South Florida area. The Alaska flight landed at the Fort Lauderdale airport rather than Miami. Fortunately, Ray found a very reliable and reasonably priced car service that took the tired travelers to the Fontainebleau. Despite their 7 AM arrival, the resort had their room available. Ray and Traci’s good fortune continued, as they found they were upgraded to a fabulous 1000 square foot suite for no particular reason. Their 34th floor home included two full baths, a fully equipped kitchen, and a gorgeous view of both the ocean and downtown Miami.

Their suite was located in the Tresor tower which was built to be condo-hotel rooms complete with amenities such as a washer/dryer. The Tresor tower also has its own swimming pool and lounge area on a 7th floor terrace.

After unpacking, Ray and Traci boarded a bus that took them on a pre-arranged adventure to the world famous Everglades. After the bus picked up additional tourists at nearby hotels, it made the 30 mile journey and traveled to an Everglades tour operator for a combination airboat ride / crocodile show. Neither Ray nor Traci had any idea what to expect on their Everglades tour. The airboats, while noisy, easily navigated the water as well as grass fields that comprise the Everglades.

The thick blades of saw grass are aptly named, as close inspection showed one side of the grass had sharp serrated edges which could easily cut human skin. Every so often, they would see a crocodile lying in the sun. Ray thought they were fake as most just sat motionless in the sunlight despite having tourists watching them. Fortunately, the airboats were quite speedy in case they encountered a hungry crocodile. Other wildlife including colorful birds were also seen during their 45 minute ride. Afterwards, tourists were treated to a crocodile demonstration showing the intelligence of these massive creatures. Contrary to popular media, crocodiles eat quite infrequently and tend to sunbathe a lot as their thick skin still allows sunlight to heat the cold blooded creatures. The Everglades experience was quite amazing – a must see attraction for South Florida.

While much of the week was devoted to a very informative medical conference, Ray and Traci spent some time at South Beach’s famous Lincoln Road – a pedestrian mall located 1½ miles south of the Fontainebleau. Ray and Traci went back and forth using the many busses (Lines 120, L and S) that travel quite frequently along Collins Avenue between 44th (where the Fontainebleau lived) and 17th where Lincoln Road was found. Block after block of shops and restaurants greeted both residents and tourists alike. Lincoln Road seemed frozen in time as many 80s tunes blasted from speakers – as if the television show Miami Vice was being filmed today. Ray and Traci did get a chance to take a “Duck Tour” of Miami – these amphibious vehicles are found in many cities including Seattle and give tourists both a ground and sea view. Duck riders were treated to many Miami highlights – private islands where celebrities reside, the famous mansion home used by Al Pachino’s unforgettable character in the movie Scarface, and the multicolored art deco styled buildings that Miami is well known for.

The beauty of Miami Beach was well highlighted on this tour led by a most entertaining guide.

The Fontainebleau was a great locale for a large meeting (over 1000 people attended Ray’s meeting). The facilities, staff and catering were top notch. When not in the meetings, the beachfront resort offered many diversions – The Atlantic ocean surf was calm after Hurricane Sandy had moved north. The beach was very nice, although the beach dropped off quickly in the surf to become quite deep. The resort had a huge complex of multiple pools which were perhaps too warm – Ray thought all of the pools were close to the temperature of the Jacuzzi pools which discouraged long swims. A modern well equipped gym provided exercise opportunities but Ray and Traci stuck to beachfront runs. An impressive elevated wooden pedestrian walk extended about 1 ½ miles from the Fountainebleau along the waterfront south. After the beachwalk ended, paved paths extended south to the tip of South Beach. The entire path is lighted, allowing Ray to run in the early mornings before the meetings.

Ray and Traci enjoyed their dining experiences in Miami. Most of their food came from hotel take out cafes as well as the nearby Walgreens and Lincoln Road CVS, but Ray and Traci did have a chance to enjoy a few restaurants. They ate at the Maiko Japanese Restaurant (near Lincoln Road) where Traci had a vegetable udon and a caterpillar roll while Ray had a shrimp & steak teriyaki combination. Neither was amazing but certainly respectable. Ray wanted to try the Gotham Steak House in the Fountainebleau one night where he did have a very good rib eye steak and macaroni & cheese dinner. Traci also enjoyed the miso black cod. Ray felt the pricing was quite comparable to Seattle’s steakhouses and both felt their dishes were of very high quality. Another Lincoln Road establishment, the Icebox Café, was referenced by Oprah for one of her favorite all time desserts. Ray and Traci had a brunch consisting of oatmeal, an omelette and a slice of strawberry shortcake. While crowded at times, Ray and Traci echo Oprah’s endorsement of the Icebox Café. In Miami, most restaurants add an 18% service charge to the bill so you have to be careful to check to see if gratuity was included.

Unfortunately, Ray and Traci’s time at the fabulous resort came to an end and they traded the sunny beachfront of Miami for the rain and cold of Seattle. Although Miami has had its share of turmoil, it remains a wonderful destination for visitors looking for an escape from winter weather.

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Disney Cruise to Alaska

Ray and Traci embarked on their second Alaskan cruise, joining the families of Ray’s siblings. With 5 young children in the party, the Disney Wonder was a natural choice especially since 2012 is the first and last year that Seattle will be the Disney home port. 2,400 passengers boarded the 10 story cruise ship at Pier 91 on the Seattle waterfront. 1,000 “cast members” greeted the excited travelers. Ray and Traci decided to avoid the crowds and board the ship late in the day – 2pm for a 4pm departure, and were rewarded with a ready stateroom and no lines at boarding. Ray found the Wonder a bit plain, without some of the spectacular lobbies or well decorated public areas found on other ships. The entertainment venues such as the theatre, music clubs, and lounge areas were well decorated and maintained. The stateroom doors were plain white – travelers in the know bring magnetic name plates and characters for decoration. Ray and Traci’s balcony room was fine except for a bit of dust in the drawers. For two people, the 300 square foot cabin was spacious with ample storage space. Ray was disappointed that their suitcases didn’t fit under the bed as is customary in most cruise ships. The cabin was well designed for families having a sofa bed that folds out, a bunk bed hidden in the ceiling, and a wall pull-down bed creating a 4 bed stateroom. The bathroom is small and divided into two separate rooms – one with a tub and sink, the other with a toilet and sink. Each room has two cell phones which Disney dubs “Wave Phones” so you can keep in touch around the ship (for free). Ray filled their room’s cooler (not really a refrigerator) with drinks brought from home even though the 24 hour beverage station on the floor above them had a selection of Coca Cola products (but no Coke zero) available for no charge.

Ray and Traci had their first lunch at the Beach Blanket Buffet. The buffet was cramped despite having both an indoor and outdoor seating area, but four food lines were available for customers. Compared with other cruises, the Disney buffet was quite limited – typical salads, carved meat and pasta were available along with a dessert bar. The travelers didn’t find anything especially notable about the food, although Ray loved the chocolate cake that the ship called a brownie. After lunch, Ray and Traci began their obligatory exploration of the ship. The pool deck was pretty much a zoo with families crowding the deck as part of the bon voyage party. Forward on the pool deck sat the sanctuary for adults, the Quiet Cove pool where a few souls sought refuge from the chaos in back. In front, the spa with a well equipped fitness center (also restricted to 18 years +) was found. As advertised in many of the cruise blogs, the adult only areas were pretty much vacant during the cruise. Ray and Traci joined the rest of their party for the initial “Welcome” production show which featured a talented cast performing selections from Disney movies. This entertainment theme was repeated during most of the cruise. The party next enjoyed a dinner in Tritons – one of the three main dining rooms on the Wonder. An interesting feature of Disney Cruises is the rotation of dining where patrons are assigned a different room (three dining rooms – Tritons, Animator’s Palette and Parrot Cay feed the guests) each night and their servers follow them in rotation. Ray found the staff extremely friendly and entertaining – he ordered a Caesar salad (off menu) and two entrees: steak and lobster macaroni & cheese. Traci started her meal with escargot followed by sea bass. While neither meal would make a cruise ship hall of fame, the food was satisfying.

Tuesday brought continued calm seas and good but cool weather. The entire cruise was exceptional for the calm seas which was very unusual especially during the “outside” passage heading toward Alaska. Ray and Traci started the day by running on deck 4 where a 1/3 mile track served walkers and runners. Other than two narrow choke points at the back of the ship, the Wonder was a nice place to run. Ray joined his sister and played Bingo in the morning, buying an electronic device that held 24 bingo cards for each game played. Everything was automatic – the device simply shows you the card closest to winning and tells you when you’ve won. Bingo was quite popular as every seat was full. Unfortunately, all Ray won was a door prize with a Disney shopping bag, a key chain, and a notebook. Lunch included stops at the Pinocchio’s Pizza stand, Goofy’s Sandwich Shop and the Beach Blanket Buffet. The highlight of the afternoon was a family effort resulting in a third place sports trivia finish mostly thanks to brother in law Dave. The production show for the night was the Golden Mickey’s – a takeoff of the Oscars, again featuring live performances based on Disney movies. Ray’s family enjoyed a formal dining experience in Animator’s Palette – attire recommendations are made by the cruise line but judging by the wide range of dress, not enforced during this cruise. Traci and Ray started with an interesting appetizer of cold asparagus combined with grapefruit and orange slices, with Traci having a bit dry but tasty traditional turkey meal and Ray enjoyed the special New York grilled steak which was considerably better than the previous night’s sirloin. Before retiring, Ray and Traci went to the Cadillac lounge where the piano performer was doing Elton John songs. It became very obvious that Disney’s main contribution to the cruise industry is their attention to families. Meticulous care is taken for children – glass panels block spaces between deck railings and prevent children from climbing over. Wrist bands with embedded sensors keep track of kids left in the clubs by their parents. At dinner time, kids are served their menu quickly and cast members from the kids clubs take children away like the Pied Piper. It was a bit mind boggling how kids of all ages eagerly left their parents to have fun with their peers. Presumably, the comparably high rates Disney charges for their cruises is not just to pay for the 24 hour free beverage station so passengers without kids are subsidizing some amazing child care.

Wednesday was glacier day as the Disney Wonder planned to visit the Sawyer Glacier near Tracy Arm. Overeating guilt must have hit the ship as the gym was pretty much packed in the morning. Unfortunately, light rain fell most of the day but many cruisers who travelled from all over the world to see the glaciers were not deterred. The crew set up a barbecue serving steaks, chicken and salmon with widely varying quality from inedible to fairly good. Ray didn’t like the quality of meat in the steaks and Traci found her salmon to be way overdone and pretty much inedible but others liked their lunch. The captain expertly navigated the ship thru the icebergs and very narrow passages at Tracy Arm to within a few hundred yards of the South Sawyer Glacier despite visions of Titanic and the more recent Costa Concordia playing in more than a few passengers’ minds. Glacial ice was created over thousands of years with heavy precipitation falling repeatedly thereby crushing ice below. The ice has a characteristic blue color due to trapping of much of the light spectrum except for blue and periodically pieces break off in a process called calving. Harbor seals take refuge on the detached floating ice.

After watching nature’s show, Ray joined his brother, sister and brother in law to form a team competing in a 1980’s music name that tune. The finely oiled music machine ended up with 57 out of 60 points, but lost the championship due to mixing up Vanilla Ice with Queen’s “Under Pressure.” The winning team turned out to be neighbors of Ray’s sister meaning the big mistake will live on forever. The theme of missed opportunity continued with the nightly Bingo game, with Ray not only getting a machine that won a Bingo, it actually had two Bingos during the same game (on different cards). Unfortunately, 10 other people had Bingo at the same time so Ray’s whopping payday came to $28 (it cost $50 to play!). Dinner was at Animator’s Palette – still full from the steak barbecue, Ray just had a pasta dish and Traci had black bean chipotle cakes. Both dishes were fine, and Ray and Traci enjoyed the desserts including chocolate cake and apple crumble. Before retiring, the travelers went to the Cadillac Lounge to hear the piano man play the Piano Man – Ray thought the Billy Joel set was better than the Elton John set the previous night, even though the performer considered himself more of an Elton guy. On Thursday, the cruise finally docked on land. After morning workouts, Ray joined his brother in law and nephew for an excursion while Traci relaxed on the ship. Skagway, Alaska is a town of less than 1,000 people that is a regular stop for many Alaska cruises. Ray took the White Pass railway train for a mountainous 27 mile ride to Fraiser, British Columbia. The ride was scenic, but frankly, Ray didn’t see any difference between the terrain in Alaska and the Cascades east of Seattle.

At Fraiser, a bus took the cruisers back to Skagway where they stopped at the Klondike Gold Dredge. Although the business was clearly a tourist trap created out of an old mining dredging machine, the explanation of mining mechanics intrigued Ray. All three travelers loved getting to pan for gold and ended up with about $30 in gold combined (weighing your gold was part of the experience.) After joining Traci in downtown Skagway, Ray and Traci wandered the 4 blocks which make up the town before returning to the ship.

Mostly due to Ray’s brother in law Dave, the group succeeded at actually winning the trivia contest focusing on sport stars’ nicknames. Ray was really happy to win a limited edition Disney Cruise Line hat! For dinner, the group experienced the third dining venue Parrot Cay which seemed smaller, louder, and more casual then the other two dining rooms. Ray’s dinner consisted of a Caesar salad, Alaskan crab legs and an Asian flavored steak – Ray also sampled a bit of the Elk (special of the night). Traci was disappointed with a tough pork tenderloin over pureed cauliflower. Ray thought his meal was the best of the cruise. After dinner, Ray & Traci along with a few other family members went to the music club to compete in a “One Hit Wonders” name that tune, but the wider range of included years proved to be a major disadvantage to their primary 1980s music team specialty.

The Disney Wonder traveled to Juneau on Friday where it was cold and cloudy but not raining. Ray was quite happy to find the 4th floor track empty and enjoyed a nice long run. After a quick breakfast, Ray and Traci ventured into Juneau and found it nearly identical to their previous visit two years ago. Passing on the tram ride up the mountain, Ray and Traci wandered into a few shops before leaving without any purchases. Back on the ship, the travelers had a quick lunch at the buffet before going to the Disney theatre to watch Avengers in 3D. Disney is the only cruise line to show newly released films on their ships (from their studios). The Avengers was quite a computer generated image (CGI) bonanza! Afterwards, Ray and Traci joined brother in law Dave for round two of the generic sports trivia with another 2nd place finish. The headline show of the evening was a live show based on Pixar’s Toy Story series. Traci has seen the movies so she passed on the show. Ray had not, and attended an extremely well produced and executed show. The production, which runs on all of the Disney cruise ships, certainly demonstrates the pride the company takes in their Toy Story franchise. Friday represented another big Disney Cruise event – Pirate Night! Voyagers of all ages dressed up with pirate themed attire for dinner and an after party. Ray brought hats, swords, and glow sticks for his family to wear. His niece had a whole pirate costume purchased at Costco which was a fashion highlight of the restaurant. The family was assigned to eat back at the more formal Triton’s where Traci had a satisfying chicken dish and Ray enjoyed some very tasty short ribs and crab cakes. While most of the party was quite exhausted and retired after dinner, Ray and Traci watched a little of the Pirate Party which turned to be mostly older kids and adults crowding around the lobby watching a few characters in pirate garb dance to recorded music. The “Pirate Party” wasn’t as bad as the late night “Pirate Dessert Buffet” which looked like rewarmed lunch and a small area of very unimpressive desserts. Having travelled on Holland, Princess and NCL who had chefs making unbelievably extravagant dishes on dessert specialty night (such as a Chocolate Sphinx), the Disney effort was very weak.

Saturday found the ship arriving in sunny Ketchikan, which was remarkable since the town is located in a rain forest that has yearly rain totals exceeding 160 inches. Having seen the town on their previous Alaskan cruise, Traci opted to spend the morning in the empty gym while Ray hunted for a sweatshirt. After a short visit to Ketchikan, Ray and Traci had lunch at the buffet and spent a quiet afternoon in the Outlook bar, an adults only observation lounge before joining family members in a victorious 70’s music name that tune contest. Entertainment of the evening was the Disney Dreams show, an amazing musical production based on many classics including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Cinderella. The show was given an Emerald award, the Cruise Industry’s version of a Tony award and it was well deserved. Ray considers the Dreams Show a must see on all of the Disney ships. Dinner was back at Animator’s Palate for the Captain’s Gala (commonly known in the cruise industry as lobster night). Ray enjoyed a bit dry but good sized lobster, fettuccine, and chocolate lava cake, while Traci had a so-so experience with overcooked yellow fin tuna.

On the final day, Sunday, both Ray and Traci started the day running on the promenade. Ray joined his siblings for the chaotic experience called the character breakfast where 6 Disney icons spent 25 seconds at each table which really wasn’t fair since their table had 10 people while others had 2. In any case, Ray primarily served as photographer and managed to navigate the crowded Parrot Cay dining area. Afterwards, the adult group formed a team to play famous movie quote trivia resulting in a second place finish. Afterwards, Ray and Traci experienced the culinary pinnacle of the trip – a visit to the champagne brunch at the adults only restaurant Palo. The experience was amazing, with a wide range of foods from veal to caviar, pizza to salmon mousse, trout to tiramisu – Palo saved the whole dining experience. Ray thought the tiramisu was the best he ever had, and actually had seconds. Palo is a great place for foodies and non-foodies alike!
On the day of last events, Ray won a third Bingo game, the family team came in third overall in the sports trivia championship, and the last port stop was a brief visit to Victoria, B.C. Unfortunately, the ship arrived at 6pm on Sunday night and many of the attractions in Victoria were closed. Ray and Traci briefly toured downtown before returning to the ship in time for their 8:15 pm late dinner. Ray enjoyed a Seafood fettuccine dish followed by baked Alaska, while Traci had the Cornish game hen followed by deep dish cranberry apple pie a la mode. With the conclusion of the final dinner, the travelers returned to their stateroom to pack their belongings for the morning debarkation. The Disney Wonder combined the natural beauty of Alaska with entertainment that the Mouse House is famous for. Certainly, the focus on entertaining children enhanced the vacation experience for parents. As with all travel experiences, one has to weigh the strengths with weaknesses but it was clear that Disney offers families an experience no other cruise line can duplicate.

Sunday, September 02, 2012

More Baseball and Broadway


More Baseball and Broadway

Ray and Traci’s latest adventure brought them back to the Big Apple, for some baseball and other experiences. They took the nonstop American Airlines flight from Seattle to JFK, and enjoyed an uneventful Saturday afternoon arrival. Ray booked a low budget (but highly Yelped) car service called Quick-Ride who charged the same as the NYC taxis. Unfortunately, the car service was late (in fairness, the flight was early – something very unusual at JFK) so Ray and Traci took a cab instead. NYC has a flat $45 rate from the airport to Manhattan which doesn’t seem fair for the drivers since the trip can take 2 hours with congestion. Saturday afternoon traffic wasn’t too bad, and the taxi dropped Ray and Traci off at the New York Hilton (the one in Midtown, not Times Square where they stayed during a previous trip). Ray and Traci were quite impressed with their 31th floor room which was quite spacious even by non-New York standards. The bathroom was small but functional. The room was well equipped with an empty refrigerator, desk, sitting area and flat screen TV.

On their first evening in NYC, Ray and Traci rode the subway to a place they learned about on the Food Network – “Eataly.” This large building included several food markets and restaurants all with an Italian theme. Ray ordered a meat wrapped square pasta dish called Agnolotti al Plin, while Traci ordered a more classic pasta dish Vesuvio di Salciccia. Ray preferred Traci’s tomato sauce based pasta and Traci liked Ray’s so they ended up switching meals. On the way back, they stopped at New York’s Walgreens owned chain store Duane Reed for drinks to stock the refrigerator with.

Sunday was a beautiful high 70s degree day in New York. Ray started his day with a run thru nearby Central Park – he arrived to find a Japan Day benefit race going on, and joined the runners until they reached the reservoir where he again experienced a New York tradition of “running the reservoir.” After returning, the baseball fans spent the afternoon at the New Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Ray and Traci enjoyed their previous trip to “The New Bronx Zoo” and again, their favorite team was facing the Yankees. After ‘stalking’ Mariner catcher Jesus Montero, Traci got to take a picture with him in the hotel lobby before he headed to the stadium for the game. Ray and Traci, unfortunately, were not invited to ride the team bus, so they took the express subway right to the park. The Mariners, in the midst of a bad season, managed to win the matinee game. Ray and Traci watched the game from the 4th deck behind home plate which fortunately enjoyed the limited shade available at the stadium. Afterwards, Ray and Traci traveled to “The High Line,” a wonderful park created from an old 1 ½ mile section of elevated railroad trestles extending south of 34th street. Rather than tearing down the structure, New York turned it into a park with greenery and entertainment features.
 
From the park, the travelers had dinner at the highly rated John’s Pizza (278 Bleecker Street). Wanting to further expand their pizza experience from previous trip’s visits to Grimaldi’s and Lombardi’s, both enjoyed their pepperoni pizza. NYC is considered pizza capital of the world (by New Yorkers) and John’s was no disappointment!

Clouds greeted the travelers on Monday. Ray and Traci traveled downtown to Grand Central Terminal where the new Apple Store nests high above. They visited the amazing architecture of the New York Public Library. Much to their surprise, the main library rooms have few books – mainly long rows of tables with lots of users enjoying free wi-fi access. In one area, the library actually loans people laptops to use. More museum than library, the building is a great contrast between the past and the future.
 
 In addition to the library, Ray and Traci visited the United Nations. After getting thru security, they decided to not take the $16 tour and instead looked around at the visitor center exhibits. They also studied the many flags outside and concluded they would do very poorly on an international flag quiz. After a rest stop at the Hilton, Ray and Traci boarded the subway to Queens and made their way to the Mets new home, Citi Field. Ray and Traci last saw the Mets play during their very first visit to New York when they hosted an interleague game against the Mariners in decrepit Shea stadium. Many years later, Citi Field is certainly an upgrade to Shea, yet lacks a unique character. Other than the giant apple which rises after a Mets home run, the stadium seems unremarkable and unfortunately overlooks a junk yard positioned just outside centerfield. Using Stubhub.com, Ray obtained great tickets in the 4th deck above Home Plate – even with service fees, both the Yankees and Mets tickets were about the same as the equivalent ticket at Safeco Field. Ray enjoyed a hot dog while Traci helped him eat his “Box Fries.” Surprisingly, the crowd was very small – certainly a lot less than the “official” paid attendance of 20,000. The Brewers on Monday with the threat of showers may not be a great draw, but Ray had never been to a major league game with so few people.  Despite the sparse crowd, the biggest line was at the Citi Field Shake Shack – a famous New York Burger Joint that branched with this Queens location. The Mets ended up winning the game, but Ray and Traci left after the 7th inning stretch having crossing Citi Field off of their grand MLB stadium tour.
 

Ray and Traci’s good luck with New York weather ended Tuesday with rain which became heavy at times. First stop was near Wall Street to visit the New York Fed Museum. Unable to get free tour tickets to the world’s largest gold vault, Ray and Traci had to settle for the exhibits which were quite interesting, covering money and monetary policy. Surprisingly, in this era of global money printing, was the attention paid to the evils of inflation in many of the exhibits. The New York Fed also had comic books explaining various aspects of the economy available free to visitors. Ray couldn’t fine the comic book discussing the virtues of quantitative easing. From the New York Fed, Ray and Traci visited the very emotional memorial at the World Trade Center site. The large twin downward waterfalls provided a contrast to city noises giving an opportunity for personal reflection on the tragedy. A museum is under construction, as are the giant towers rising from the site.
 
 Soaking wet, Ray and Traci next traveled to a culinary highlight of a New York trip – lunch at Peter Luger’s. Suggested by a very knowledgeable ex-New York resident, Ray wanted to make a trip to Brooklyn just to experience a meal at this very busy establishment. Fortunately, the restaurant is located quite close to the Marcy subway stop. Peter Luger’s actually has a signed photo of Johnny Carson supposedly claiming he had “the best meal of his life” here. Peter Luger’s is difficult to get a dinner reservation at, and they only take cash. Ray had their “small steak” for lunch, and Traci had their salmon. Ray thought his steak was great, and agreed with all of the accolades heaped on the restaurant (maybe not Johnny Carson’s). Traci found their salmon surprisingly good. One warning, if go to Peter Lugar’s don’t expect fancy décor with conversational waiters – the butcher block tables and used plates barren of any remaining meat tell you this is a great steakhouse. Also, if you want well done steaks, don’t go to Luger’s – they will tell you they don’t make well done steaks at their establishment. Following the culinary highlight of the trip, the entertainment highlight was seeing Spiderman – Turn Off The Dark. Both travelers enjoyed the show – good music, entertaining story, and great stunts abound! While Traci leans more toward classic Broadway musicals, Ray thought Spiderman was one of the best shows he had seen. Since the aerial stunts could never be performed on a national tour, Broadway will always be Spiderman’s home.

On Wednesday, the travelers packed for their return to Seattle. The skies cleared but the 80 degree temperature felt quite muggy. Traci wanted to bring some macarons home from the famous Parisian maker Laduree so an Upper East Side trip started the day. Afterwards, Ray and Traci decided to repeat a previous experience – one of the great free tourist stops in America, the Staten Island Ferry. One of the best (and certainly the cheapest) way to see the Statue of Liberty, the 25 minute voyage brings gorgeous views of the city to all of the passengers. First time visitors (or repeat visitors with 2 ½ hours to kill) will find the Ferry a great destination!

To return to JFK, Ray and Traci decided to take the subway as their taxi driver warned them an average rush hour trip would take more than 1 ½ hours. After claiming their stored bags from the Hilton, they got on the E train which brought them to the JFK AirTrain stop in Queens. The whole trip from Manhattan took about 45 minutes which was much faster than any car. Ray and Traci had an on time departure from JFK and actually arrived 45 minutes early in Seattle, a perfect ending to another great New York visit.