October 21 - A Day at Sea and the Meet & Greet

This morning we arose to a lovely day. Seas were moderate; temperatures were comfortable. After breakfast at Sabatinis we got ready for the Meet & Greet. We had been corresponding for 19 months with a large group of people on the Cruise Critic forum and today was the day we would finally meet old friends and new ones. With 422 people on the “Roll Call,” we had to change venues to accommodate so many. The turnout was excellent (approximately 290 people) and the Captain made an appearance to speak briefly and field questions. It was very nice seeing old friends and meeting new ones that we had previously only met online.

We spent the afternoon just chilling out. Al sat on the balcony and watched the Italian coastline while I took a nap. This evening we traversed the Straits of Messina. We ate in our favorite dining venue Sabatinis where we could see both the shoreline of Sicily and Italy through windows on opposite sides of the ship. At times it seemed we were close enough to touch the shore!

Tomorrow morning early we will dock in Naples for our tour to Herculaneum and the Amalfi Coast. Each day for the next several we’ll be ashore so posting may be difficult.

October 20 - Sailaway from Venice

The Moses Project - These are a series of huge floodgates being built to protect Venice from the sea. Over the years we have seen the progress being made and it looks like they may soon be completed.
From our vantage point on Deck 12 we towered over everything in Venice as we sailed past.

This morning we awoke to very overcast skies and rain. The wind was blowing above 30 knots which made leaving impossible. The Ruby is a very large ship and the channel out past Piazza San Marco is small so with wind it is difficult. We had friends up to our cabin for sailaway which was scheduled for 1:00 PM. The captain came over the PA system to announce that until the wind dropped below 30 knots we would not be leaving. We didn’t mind since we were having a good time with our friends.


At 3:00 PM we had the obligatory muster drill and as we were making our way back to our cabin, the captain announced that the wind had dropped sufficiently to sail. Shortly thereafter a tug came to manage our stern and we were off. We transited the Giudecca Channel and turned just past San Marco and the Doge’s Palace to head to the Adriatic. This was our 4th sailaway from Venice and I must say it was not as memorable because the views were not as good. But, the company was great and even a small glimpse of Venice is wonderful!

October 19 - Boarding the Ruby Princess

Octopi at the Rialto Market. I don't know why but they always fascinate me!
This is a Traghetto - a gondola-like boat on which you can cross the Grand Canal for a small fee while standing (although there is someone sitting in this photo - probably another crazy tourist!). Anyway, we are of the opinion that if we ever tried this we would probably wind up swimming in the Canal.

After two glorious days today we awoke to cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. Nonetheless we ate breakfast on the terrace and then made our requisite trip to the Rialto Market. It was interesting to see because we were there a little later in the season and the selection of some things (like mushrooms) was not as large. We still love markets and took lots of photos of seafood and other luscious looking things. On our way back to the hotel we made a trek to a post office to buy stamps for our postcards from Venice and the rest of Italy. Sometimes on the ship when you mail a postcard from Naples, it actually gets sent from Lisbon or even Ft. Lauderdale.

Around noon our water taxi arrived to take us to the ship. After saying our farewells to Armando and Bruno after another delightful stay at the Al Ponte Antico, we were on our way to the Ruby Princess. Check-in was quick and easy and before we knew it we were on our way to a light lunch at the buffet.

Our bags came quickly and we spent the afternoon getting unpacked, settled in and meeting friends. We dined with friends from Tidewater and after dinner went to a performance of the Venice Chamber Orchestra. All in all a nice day!

October 18 - Venezia again

This morning we awoke to another beautiful day with clear blue skies. The temperature was a little cool but we ate breakfast on the terrace nonetheless. Matteo made us omelets with eggs from his grandmother’s farm and they were scrumptious.

After breakfast we decided to a little shopping nearby. We found a couple of mementoes from Venice, which shall always remind us of the 2011 adventure. On our way back to the hotel to drop some things off we made a stop at the wine store where we’ve made some good buys in the past. It’s Mille Vini near the Rialto Bridge.

Then we decided to ride over to Murano, the glass-blowing island. We walked to the Fundament Nova on the other (north) side of the island. Along the way we saw a number of shops selling beautiful flowers. Others sold handmade pots and still others were marble carvers. When we boarded the vaporetto for the ride across the laguna our first stop was Cimitero, the cemetery island, and then it clicked why those businesses were along the way to the stop to board the boat that takes you to the cemetery.

Next stop was Murano where we returned to a restaurant we’d had lunch at last time we were there. Once again the food was as good as we remembered it. We also were pleased to note that house wines can be quite wonderful here in the Mediterranean area. As we got up from lunch I heard someone calling my name and saw Laura, one of my fellow cruise critic members whom I’d never met. She and her husband Sylvain were sitting almost behind us. What a pleasure to finally meet someone you’ve been talking to for near 18 months!

We made a stop at the glass factory at which we’d bought something a couple of years ago and then we headed back to the hotel in Venice. Next on our agenda was our obligatory ride on the vaporetto out to Lido and then back the length of the Grand Canal. In the past we’ve had some of our best views doing this. Today was not as good because the boats were so crowded! It was difficult to get near a window. We decided to get off at the Rialto station. Two stops before there Al looked to the front of the cabin and who was sitting there but our friends Bill and Irene who had come in after spending a week in Bologna for the cruise. After hugs all around we agreed we’d see each other tomorrow when we board.

Our evening was spent first on the terrace having drinks with Joe and Mollye and then we proceeded to dinner at another of our favorite restaurants, the Alla Borsa. After some good food and wine (and a little grappa after dinner) and even better conversation with lots of laughter interspersed, we walked back to the hotel for the night.

Tomorrow is the big day many of us have been waiting for since March or April, 2010. Let the cruise begin!

October 17 - Venice

The night view of the Rialto Bridge from our room


A Venetian traffic jam near the Accademia

Today was a beautiful flying day. Our flight left a little late from Heathrow because the plane was delayed coming in from northern England. Once we got in the air the flight was smooth and we had beautiful views of the Dolomites and of Venice as we landed. This was the latest, both in day of the year and time of day , that we’ve come to Venice. The weather was picture perfect in my opinion. We had brilliant blue skies and temperature in the high 60’s. During the day with the sun out we had no need of a jacket. This evening it cooled down but was still comfortable with a windbreaker.

We shared a water taxi from the airport with our friends Joe and Mollye from near Lynchburg, VA. We’re all staying at the same hotel, the Al Ponte Antico. This is a small place with just nine rooms. Our room has a glorious view of the Rialto Bridge. We’ve stayed here before and the staff and proprietor remember and greet you by name. Matteo, Oliver, Armando and Bruno could not be more gracious hosts.They have a lovely terrace on the first floor (what we would consider the 2^nd floor) where breakfast is served if the weather is fitting and where you can have a drink any time of day and watch the boats on the Grand Canal. It is so incredible to watch the traffic. In the morning all manner of small boats from UPS and FedEx to hearses and ambulances are delivering the goods and services needed to keep this water city alive. Boats deliver everything consumed here and as they unload on various canals, the items are delivered to their destinations by people with handcarts since there are no cars.

After checking in we began our wander around Venice. The place is packed with tourists! An interesting statistic we learned is that the city has 60,000 residents and receives an average of 60,000 visitors each day! It is truly a city within a city. Despite the crowds around the popular tourist sights, the place is as charming as we remembered. For the first time in a couple of visits we got lost and found ourselves on streets we hadn’t seen before. The variegated colors of the buildings, the sometimes exposed brickwork, the laundry hanging and the flower boxes in the windows combine to make beautiful vistas around every turn. There is something so appealing about the magnificent decay. As you walk along you see a palazzo that has been beautifully restored next to one that is ramshackle and moldering.

Tonight we ate at one of our favorites, the Osteria de Santa Marina. We’ve been there each time we’ve visited and the food and service have never disappointed us.

Tomorrow is another full day here and we shall decide in the morning what to do. We ‘ll just take the day as it comes.

October 16 - London

After a smooth flight across the Atlantic we approached Heathrow just as dawn was beginning to lighten the eastern sky. We were ahead of schedule and I thought perhaps we could have made a connection to Venice after all. The pilot came over the PA system and told us that weather conditions had deteriorated and there was heavy fog around the airport so we would be circling for awhile. He also said that if it was too long, we wouldn’t have enough fuel so we would have to land at another airport, gas up and then proceed to Heathrow. I was glad we had decided to be cautious. As it turned out we managed to land at roughly the scheduled time but the UK customs lines were long and we would have never made it.

We had booked a room at the Sofitel London Heathrow which is connected to Terminal 5 (we’ll be flying out of there tomorrow). It’s a very nice and quiet hotel despite the fact that it sits in the midst of this busy airport. We were able to check in, have breakfast, get cleaned up and take a little nap.

After resting up we proceeded to the Underground station in the Terminal and headed to downtown London. The fog had dissipated and it turned out to be a pretty nice afternoon. The concierge gave us directions from the tube to Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. The train took nearly 25 minutes longer than the Heathrow Express would have, but it cost one quarter of the price plus we were able to get close to the places we wanted to see as opposed to ending up at Paddington Station which was not close to anything.

We got off at Leicester Square and walked to Westminster. Along the way we passed through Trafalgar Square which was packed with people watching a free concert to raise money for some charitable cause. Along the edges of the crowd were people demonstrating for a variety of different things. The cacophony of sounds and the variety of dress we saw was truly amazing and entertaining! Westminster Abbey was closed unfortunately because it is Sunday. We could only look at it and the other iconic buildings around it. Down the street we could hear people protesting something and periodically police cars raced by in that direction with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Across the street from the Abbey was a small tent city with a different group of protesters. The area was packed with tourists like us taking in the sights and sounds. After walking across the Bridge and seeing the London Eye we decided we were pooped and it was time to head back to the hotel. We saw so little that we have a wonderful excuse to come back again and spend more time in this truly interesting place.

The 2011 journey begins

We're on our way for this year's cruise. We're going back to our favorite - Venice to Ft. Lauderdale on the Ruby Princess. We had a limo drive us to Dulles and we're sitting in the Virgin Atlantic lounge until we can board at 17:50. It was lovely not having to drive ourselves up I-95.

It looks like a perfect flying day with clear skies. Our first stop is London Heathrow where we will spend the night. The connection time was too close for my comfort so we opted to spend the day and night in London. If we're not too tired we'll hop on the Heathrow Express and see a little of London.

Monday morning we'll be off to the next stop - Venice!! We'll be spending two nights at the Al Ponte Antico on the Grand Canal overlooking the Rialto Bridge. Then Wednesday the 19th we'll be boarding the ship. The first several days of the cruise are very port intensive so we may not be able to post everyday but we'll try.