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.
