39 Day Cruise

Cruise from Abu Dhabi to Genoa,Italy Read more

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Trip start
February 28, 2025
39 Day Cruise
Abu Dhabi
February 27, 2025 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Arriving at our hotel at 4 am local time (2 Egypt), We were exhausted but also excited. We tried to get a little sleep before heading out to see some sights. This place is way different than Egypt. It is clean and quieter, and all the Uber cars have seat belts.
After our late breakfast, we knew we weren't going to be able to see everything on the list, so we started with the Grand Mosque.
It is Grand! It has the largest carpet in the world, weighing 34 tons. The columns, the chandeliers, the doors, and the walls were beautiful and immaculate.
We walked across the freeway to the ...wasn... A memorial to fallen soldiers, but it also has great views of the mosque.
From there we found a restaurant closer to our room and had dinner, and then we walked back to the room.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Dubai
March 1, 2025 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
The first stop on our 39-day cruise was Dubai. We woke up in port and went on deck to see all the sky scrappers reaching to the heavens.
We only had a few hours before our prebooked trip into the desert, so we didn't leave the port.
We drove about an hour before we got to the tour location. We changed vehicles and went for about a 10 minute race around the sand dunes. It was nothing like the videos, but we had fun. Then we were dropped off at the dinner spot. We got a 2 minute camel ride. And Anna got a henna tattoo. Next was dinner and a show. Dinner was fine, and there were three dance shows. Including a fire dancer finale. All the dances were performed by the same dancer. The first two consisted of this guy spinning continuesly for 5-10 minutes. And after he could still walk straight.
We got dropped off at the Dubai mall so we could see the dancing fountain show and the Burj Khalif.
After we took the metro back to the port.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Sea Days
March 2, 2025 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ 🌬 72 °F
What do you do when you're at sea for nine days on a cruise ship other than eat and sleep?
I know.... lots, but sometimes you still get creative.
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39 Day Cruise
Muscat, Oman
March 3, 2025 in Oman ⋅ 🌬 75 °F
You have to take a shuttle from the ship to the port entry, where once you walk out the gates, you are immediately bombarded with taxi drivers offering to be your tour guide for the day. The price for an hour is normally 25 euros, but today only 20. "Good price for you." In hindsight sight, it probably was a good price compared to the price of everything else. Oman is expensive. We opted not to hire a driver. Choosing instead to walk for a bit. We went to the fort, and then to the souk (market). At the fort, we met a couple, John and Felicity, from Australia (not from the ship) and really hit it off. We decided to meet up later, and so we did. We walked along the waterfront towards a "palace." It was during Ramadan, so no restaurants were open. Luckily there was a grocery store, and I bought a bunch of bananas to tide us over.
We walked back to the port and said goodbye to our new friends. We tried to negotiate a ride to the Sultans mosque, but couldn't get an affordable price. It turns out it was closed anyway.
We exchanged our riyadh for dollars and euros with the taxi drivers and caught the shuttle back to the ship.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Crossing the Equator +++
March 7, 2025, Indian Ocean ⋅ 🌙 82 °F
We sailed (motored) across the equator. It was the first time for us, but it was unceremonious for most on the ship. I, however, celebrated with a beer. 🍺
People thought I was a little weird when I ran across the restaurant to look out the window and see the equator as we crossed. 😲
Quickly after dinner, we went out to the stern where we could just barely still see it fading on the horizon.
Life is good!

We crossed it twice, along with a couple of other latitudes lines. We were given certificates for each crossing. Each certificate was almost worth framing. Instead, I just took a picture.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Mauritius Island
March 11, 2025 in Mauritius ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
We got off the ship and started negotiating with drivers for a tour of the island. The price was for up to four people, so we thought we would look for another couple to join us. Before we could even ask, we were asked by two guys from Portugal if we would join them. Perfect, off we went. The first stop was a tea farm. Next was the Holy Lake. A sacred spot for the hindu religion, with the tallest statue of one of the gods in the southern hemisphere. Anna got a blessing.
We stopped at a waterfall and Gorges National Park. We saw some monkeys before arriving at The Valley of Colors.
There are supposed to be 23 colors in the earth, but by the time we got to the small patch of earth with all the color, it had clouded over and started to rain. By the time we walked by it, the skies had opened up, and we were getting drenched. We found some cover and hung out for a bit, while some of the worst of it passed over.
We saw some tortise and then left for the beach.
The beach was pretty. Not fantastic, but the water was warm and nice for a quick swim in the Indian ocean.
Then it was back to the boat.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
March 16, 2025 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F
All we wanted to do here was make it to an animal reserve. What we didn't know was how many there were to choose from. It depends on what kind of animal you want to see and the environment you want to see them in.
We chose Addo Elephant Park. After a mix-up of who was going with who and where at the port, Anna and I ended up with Jerry, our driver, for the day.
We saw hundreds of elephants and many other cool animals, but no lions or rhinos.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Cape Town, South Africa
March 18, 2025 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
The thing to see in Cape Town is the views from the top of Table Mountain. We opted for the Hop-on, Hop-off bus so we could see some other sites too. Jorge and Paulo, our friends from Portugal, wanted to join us, so off we all went.
After two hours in line for the mountain, there wasn't much time for anything else. We did meet a nice couple from Botswana while standing in line.
After the mountain, we did a brief stop at a beach so we could dip our feet in the southern ocean. Yes, the water was cold. Then, a stop for a bite and a beer. We walked back to the boat from the main bus stop where we saw some sea lions playing in the water.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Sandwich Harbor, Namibia
March 21, 2025 in Namibia ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F
In our usual fashion, we got off the ship to find an excursion. We were first met with some local young women who were doing some traditional dancing. Then came the tour hawkers. Only some could take us to Sandwich Harbor, which was our first choice. We found a guide and agreed on a price, but we had to wait for another vehicle to fill up. During the wait, along came Andy. Indian by birth, but an American citizen and hard core negotiator. In the end, he saved us about $100. Thank you, Andy.
We finally left, and the first stop was to see flamingos. Then we saw the famous pink lake. It's a bit of a disappointment. Then off to Sandwich Harbor.
We drove through the sand along the ocean front, stopping a couple of times for photos. We saw two jackals, a couple of dead seals, and some seals in the water.
Then we headed up to the top of the massive dunes for a fun ride and some incredible views.
We took a different way back by a waterhole, spotting an impala.
Then it was back to town to start the second tour of the day, which Andy negotiated a super deal on.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Walvis Bay, Namibia area tour
March 21, 2025 in Namibia ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F
After our Sandwich Harbor tour, we headed the opposite direction of Walvis Bay to see another area called moon landscape. It's about an hour drive north of town. We stopped at Dune 7. I'm not sure why. Then, to a viewpoint overlooking the scape where all the rest of the tours stopped. Afterward, we headed down into the rough and barren looking area. At the bottom of the canyon, there is a bar/restaurant and small petting zoo. We stopped there only to be greeted by the frantic owners warning us of the impending rain and potential flooding. We were not able to continue the way we had planned because the road was now the river.
We enjoyed the animals for a bit before heading back the way we came.
We went from there to the town of Swapkomund. The fog was back in, so we just sort of drove through looking at the town before heading along the coast to Walvis Bay and back to the ship.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Walvis Bay, Namibia
March 22, 2025 in Namibia ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
Since our cell plan wasn't working in Namibia, we took the shuttle to the mall to enjoy some wifi and reconnect with our lives.
We ran into our Portuguese friends, and they joined us for the trip.
Nothing exciting today other than being in a country in Africa 🌍 😕
After the mall, it was back to the ship for a time in the spa and dinner and a show 😋Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Dakar, Senegal
March 29, 2025 in Senegal ⋅ 🌬 70 °F
We didn't actually step foot on the ground here. Due to a medical emergency, the ship came into port to drop off the patient, who was picked up by another boat and whisked off. Whilst we spun around and headed back to sea.
We snapped a couple pics and connected to the local cell tower for some data.
Our friends, John and Linda, invited us to their cabin patio for a view of shore and some group photos while we could still see land.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Teneriffe, Canary Islands, Spain
April 1, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
Day 33 of our cruise included a stop at Teneriffe. No specific plans we joined with our Portuguese friends and headed to a nearby town called La Laguna de San Cristobal. Yes, big name. It's the oldest town on the island and the former capital. We walked around a bit, took some pictures, and then stopped for a beer.
We then bussed back to Teneriffe and walked through some interesting areas to a restaurant with vegan options. Had some lunch and a few more beers before walking back to the boat.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Tangier, Morocco 🇲🇦
April 3, 2025 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
We joined forces with our Portuguese friends and set off on a walking tour of Tangier. We walked up from the port past a fort built on the hill.
We wandered through narrow streets admiring the architecture.
We saw parts of the old city and the souk (market).
It was then time for lunch. We walked to a restaurant from Happy Cow only to find it closed. Some guy saw us and convinced us to go to a restaurant around the corner, claiming it had vegan food. It didn't. We left and continued down the street where we found another restaurant that fit the bill.
After lunch, we continued around the area and down toward the waterfront.
We walked past the marina and down to a beach. There were camels and horses available to ride on the beach. Ater, we found a spot to have a beer. It is a rare find in this Muslim country.
Then, at the appropriate time, we walked back to the ship.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Barcelona, Spain
April 5, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
Unfortunately, Anna was not feeling well, so I had to venture into Barcelona on my own. I caught the shuttle to the start of the rambla and old city. The area is pretty amazing with its narrow alleyways and streets. All lined with shops, cafes, and bars. Then, every so often, they open up to a square or courtyard
After enjoying this area for a bit, I felt I needed to see some actual historical sites, so I charted a course for the arc d triumph. Along the way, i passed some interesting architecture and a statue or two. I snapped a few photos here and there. It wasn't near as fun taking actual selfies and not usies.
Now thirsty for a cappucino, I headed back toward an all vegan cafe in had passed earlier.
Refreshed, I started on a new route back to the shuttle stop. I got to see a few more things along the way, including boats ranging from tiny sailboats to mega yachts, before the ride back to the ship and my beloved wife.Read more
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39 Day Cruise
Ajaccio, Corsica
April 6, 2025 in France ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
Anna was feeling a bit better today, so I convinced her to join me as we explored this quaint seaside town. Birthplace and family home to Napoleon Bonaparte. There are many places dedicated to him. We walked along the waterfront before turning uphill to visit his grotto. Then, we walked back into the main parts of the tourist area. We visited the Castillo, but Anna was getting tired, so we looked for a cute cafe to have a cappucino. After getting laughed at and mocked, when asking about soy milk twice, we found a spot and different drinks. After that, we went around the corner to Napoleon's home. From there, it was back to the ship for some lunch, and nap and some slow internet.Read more
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Trip end
April 7, 2025