DAY 10 - Delos & Mykonos, Greece (Oceania Cruise)

Windmills on the Greek isle of Mykonos

This is the only day on the cruise in which we had two stops: a morning stop (Delos) and an afternoon one (Mykonos).

Al tendered to Delos, a small island of archeological significance for its ancient pagan temples. Though I hate to miss any ports of call, with 11 destinations in 10 days, I decided to stay back, sleep in a little bit, and have room service bring me breakfast to our veranda.

How sweet it was! I had three cappuccinos (they’re small), a bowl of mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, and plump blackberries), a chocolate-chip Danish, and eggs. I ordered one egg, but they must have brought three! (They never skimp, we’ve found.) I think I’ll remember this morning as being so delightful, one that fed me in more ways than one.

Room service on our veranda onboard Marina (Oceania cruises)

Last morning in which to enjoy the veranda. (This is also a lesson as to where you aim the camera when shooting a woman of a certain age in her bathing suit!)

Al also enjoyed his morning in Delos, and I heard a number of positive comments about the island.

Ruins on the Greek island of Delos

Some of the ruins of Delos, Greece, in the Aegean Sea

Al stands on some ruins in Delos, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea.

It only took an hour or so to cruise from Delos to Mykonos, and it seemed to take almost as long to get a tender to go ashore. Mykonos is the only place where we had significant non-weather-related delays in tendering. We hadn’t anticipated the demand or would have gone to the Marina Lounge much earlier than we did, in order to get a ticket sooner.

Some say Mykonos is like a small Santorini. To their point, it’s full of whitewashed buildings with blue trim, and it has some windmills. But few locations could match the topographical magnificence of Santorini, perched as it is, on terraced cliffs overlooking the caldera. Rather than describe Mykonos in a way that positions it as a “Santorini wannabe,” I think it’s better to appreciate it for its own charm.

Fishing boats in the harbor at Mykonos, Greece

Boats in the harbor at Mykonos, Greece

Boat at Mykonos, Greece

Fishing boats on the clear waters of Mykonos

Boats, boats, and more boats.  Oceania's ship, Marina, is seen in the background.

Man decides to cool his feet in the clear waters of Mykonos

Windmills on the Greek island of Mykonos

 

Windmills on Mykonos

Little Venice in Mykonos

A café in Little Venice, Mykonos

Front-row seats in a cafe in Little Venice, Mykonos

A window in Mykonos

Hello, Kitty

Quintessential Mykonos

Mother and young children in Mykonos

When only the very best will do…Sleeping cat next to empty Häagen-Dazs container

Mother and child in need in Mykonos

Locked door in Mykonos

We had plenty of time to see what we wanted to see on the island – except for Petros. Mykonos has some almost human-sized pelicans named Petros I, II, III and IV. They’ve even been known to walk into shops, not see anything they want to buy, and walk out again!  Since we didn't see Petros, I've included this photo from Grecotour.

Petros goes out on the town in Mykonos.

In the “Know Before You Go” department, it’s important to point out that Mykonos is also known for its wild partying, especially after dark – and maybe during the day at the clothing-optional Super Paradise Beach (not to be confused with Paradise Beach). We didn’t stay on shore past dark, though. After all, there was packing to do! It would be our last night on beautiful Marina.

Sunset near Mykonos, as seen from the cruise ship

View from the cruise ship as dusk falls over Mykonos

A final stroll around Marina’s decks

PRE- and DAY 1 – Travel to / Arrive in Venice for Oceania Cruise (Thurs & Fri)

We were up at 5:00 a.m. for the long trip, made longer because we (in an effort to save some money) took three planes to get to Venice, having two- to three-hour layovers in both Dallas and Madrid. Oddly enough, it was kind of nice to have the stop in Dallas, which allowed for a real lunch and some light-duty shopping. And in Madrid, it gave us more than enough time to go through another (required) security check and enjoy the architecture.

Interesting architecture at the Madrid-Barajas Airport

While we were in an airport shop, all of a sudden music and dancing broke out! The people of Madrid really know how to perk up the souls of weary travelers!

Flamenco dancing at the Madrid-Barajas Airport

We had a pleasantly uneventful taxi ride from the Venice airport to the dock. The driver quoted €40 inclusive of tip. Even though the meter was slightly higher than that, he only asked for the 40 -- very refreshing! (For price comparison, a water taxi would have been €100 [about $150] for the two of us from the airport to the pier, and the cruise line’s transfer would have cost $139 per person.)

So after one limo ride, 3 planes, 2 inter-airport busses, 1 taxi and a short walk, we were on Oceania’s newest ship, the beautiful Marina. Embarkation was quick and simple, and we were in our veranda cabin in no time, with a chilled bottle of champagne waiting for us to pop the cork. There is just something about coming to an end of all that travel and finally being on the ship…surrounded by water…in Venice…and sipping champagne. It’s almost a definition of perfection.

Our concierge-level veranda cabin, #10112, aboard Oceania’s ship, Marina

The granite bathroom had a separate tub and shower, both with hand-held wands (as well as a rainhead in the shower). The tub was nice and deep for soaking after a day of walking cobblestone streets!

Bathroom in veranda cabin of Oceania’s ship, Marina

Bathroom of veranda cabin of Oceania’s Marina

Sometimes people who are used to 4- and 5-star hotel properties (and the space they provide) are surprised when it isn’t the same on a cruise. It’s important to remember that this is a ship. And for a ship, this is a fairly large bathroom.  (Admittedly, it looks smaller in this photo than the one above it.)

For more space, however, one can upgrade to a suite.  At the pinnacle is the 2,000 square foot Owner's Suite (photographed on an earlier ship tour in San Diego).

Master bathroom in Marina's 2,000 sq ft Owner's Suite

(For more of our photos from that ship tour, click here.)
 

Wonderful Bvlgari toiletries in Oceania’s concierge-level cabins and suites

Figuring we’d be tired from the trip, we’d planned to call room service for dinner and eat on the veranda – there’s no charge for room service on Oceania – but once we were onboard, we felt invigorated and wanted to explore the ship. We decided to eat in the Terrace Café, which was much like an upscale cafeteria. That allowed us to pick and choose and eat odd combinations of things, the way one likes to pick and choose and eat odd combinations after flying for so many hours and across so many time zones. (And they were quite happy for us to bring along our glasses of champagne from our room. Things are wonderfully different that way on a cruise!)

The service was exceptional everywhere on the ship, and I like that the servers all wear name tags that also include their nationality. It’s a very international group!

Our cabin attendant, Alexandra, from Serbia. She was great!

We wondered what it would feel like to be on a ship and imagined more of an up-and-down sensation. What it felt like instead was more of a jiggling. If you remember those massage beds that some motels had in the 1960’s, where you put a quarter into a box on the headboard to start the motion, that’s sort of what the ship felt like, especially when lying down. But we didn’t have to put in our quarters.  (We didn't hear of anyone getting seasick on the entire 10-day cruise.)

It really felt good to hit the sack for an early bedtime. Marina’s mattresses are the perfect combination of firm underneath with a cushy top, and I’m not kidding, those 1000-thread-count linens are fabulous!

I'm cheating a bit: this was taken in 2009.  However, in that the ship was in port for

an overnight, it would have been possible to see Venice by night during the cruise.

Tomorrow: Venice by day!

TSA TIP #1: I wore a long skirt for the flight, which meant an automatic TSA pat down in Los Angeles. And because I was wearing a money belt under the skirt, it required a private pat down. Turned out it was no big deal. Two female TSA agents took me into a private room and had me remove the money belt. Then one of them patted my legs through the skirt. It never felt inappropriate at all, and I got the impression the agents dislike the process as much as travelers do. I told them, “My husband will be really happy I didn’t talk him into wearing a money belt!” and they laughed. Good to know TSA agents can have a sense of humor.

TSA TIP #2: Something we learned at a travel agent meeting recently was to make sure to keep your small electronic equipment (phone, etc.) and watches/jewelry inside something larger, such as your carry-on bag. That way, if you’re delayed in going through the screening yourself, it’s harder for a would-be thief to pick it up, pocket it and be on their way. The TSA does have cameras, but they’re only responsible for reimbursement if it was one of their agents who took something. Better to avoid problems by making it as hard as possible to be victimized.

CRUISE INFO: The taxi driver dropped off our luggage in one spot and pointed the direction in which we should walk for embarkation onto the ship. We heard of some who wondered if they’d ever see their things again, but this is standard procedure. It’s important to have the cruise-line-issued tags for your luggage, as you will not see your bags again until they’re placed outside your cabin on the ship.

At embarkation, they take your picture and issue you what looks like a credit card. This is used for any purchases onboard, but more importantly, to check you on and off the ship for shore excursions, so it’s important to carry it with you at all times. When you reenter the ship, they check the photo, so if you did lose your card ashore, the finder couldn’t get a free cruise at your expense.

Oceania Cruise: Kotor, Montenegro

This is the third in a series covering Oceania’s “Grecian Glory” cruise of their new ship, Marina. We’ve so far visited Venice, Italy and Dubrovnik, Croatia.

(Photo from Oceania Cruises)
Oceania's Marina

After Marina’s stop in Dubrovnik (the actual cruise will take place in May 2011) it will cruise about 30 miles south to Montenegro.

We rarely ever hear mention of Montenegro (it means “black mountain”). Other than that it was one of six republics that made up the former Yugoslavia, I knew very little about this pearl on the Adriatic Sea.


I was surprised to learn that Montenegro was included in Yahoo’s "10 Top Hot Spots of 2009." The article referred to it as “this gem of a country,” spoke of its “medieval cities and ancient monasteries, over 200 miles of coastline, a plethora of beaches, soaring Dinaric Alps, four national parks, and two UNESCO World Heritage Sites,” and added that it “ranked as the second fastest growing tourism market in the world (falling just behind China),” (http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-24784785).

 This sounds like a place we should know about!

Marina’s stop will be in the coastal town of Kotor, which several sources said is one of the best preserved and most beautiful medieval fortified towns in the Mediterranean region. Built largely between the 12th to 14th centuries—but with some earlier architecture, including a 9th century city gate—the town is included on UNESCO's “The World Natural and Cultural Inheritance” list.

We can walk through Kotor’s charming narrow streets, or atop its imposing city wall. The latter is more than 2.5 miles in length, 66 feet tall, and 49 feet wide! The Fortress of Saint Ivan can be reached by walking the walls to the top of the ramparts for the best vantage point of Kotor—from the top.

(Photo from www.worldisround.com/articles220816/photo62.html)

Ancient Romanesque architecture,
Cathedral of Saint Tryphon

The most representative monument of Roman architecture in the Adriatic, according to Discover-Montenegro.com, is the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon. It was constructed in 1166 on the ruins of a 9th century temple, then restored in the 17th century, after an earthquake. When seen from the front, the right tower is more ornate than the left. The suspected reason is that the builders ran out of money.

Kotor Bay is often referred to as Europe’s southernmost fjord, though it’s really a 17-mile long, submerged river canyon. From photos on Flickr.com, it looks gorgeous!

(Photo from Kotor-Bay.com)

Kotor is located at most secluded part of Kotor Bay (the bottom of that dip on the upper right), so it should prove to be a cruise of exceptional beauty, navigating between mountains and limestone cliffs of over 6200 feet.

(Photo courtesy of Sandra Djurbuzovic, Studiodizajn.com)

ACCOMMODATIONS:

Though this series is following the itinerary of a specific cruise, the stated purpose of the blog is to pick my favorite hotel or vacation rental for each location. So for any who will be visiting Kotor by land, this section may be of interest.

It wasn’t surprising that I didn’t find hundreds of accommodations options in Kotor, but what was surprising—pleasantly so—was the percentage of findings that were updated, and fairly upscale. There was a definite ScheckTrek favorite, however!



The ScheckTrek pick for Kotor is Palazzo Radomiri. Though currently closed for renovations and due to reopen in the spring of 2011, I’m taking it on faith that the renovations will be in keeping with what we already see. If not, we’ll just enjoy the photos for now and search again when the time comes!

(http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/)

Palazzo Radomiri is an late 17th to early 18th century palace that’s been converted into a 4-star boutique hotel. (They call it a Baroque palace, but I'm not seeing that.)  Located on the coast, with a private dock, it has 2 apartments, 5 suites, and 5 rooms. The villa can be rented as a whole, subject to availability.

 

(Photo from maplandia.com)
I can agree that some of the decor is Baroque.

(Photo from www.travelintelligence.com)

The feeling of this photo is quite different from the more ornate style above. I wonder if the remodel is moving more toward this, a fresher look.

(This and bathroom photo from http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/)
The Honeymoon (Junior) Suite

 
 
 

 (Photo from www.holiday-rentals.co.uk)

(Above two photos from www.holiday-rentals.co.uk

 and http://www.travelintelligence.com/)

In honor of our cruising series, however, here’s another look at Oceania’s ship, Marina, with some photos of the Owner’s Suite.  Very, very nice.

Now that’s a head!

And looking ahead to next week: Corfu, Greece!

(Photos above from http://www.choosingcruising.co.uk/blog/index.php/category/cruise/oceania/)