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Footprints for the Oceania TransAtlantic Crossing ... from Miami to Athens … with three weeks added in Turkey to visit family. Læs mere

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  • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022

    Our At-Sea PCR Testing Clinic

    7. april 2022, Eastern Mediterranean ⋅ 🌙 59 °F

    With some 814 NM to go before we reach Ashdod, Israel, we’ve completed the pre-arrival PCR testing hurdle that was announced this afternoon. It was painless … the Insignia crew have the process down to a science.

    The Insignia Lounge — our primary entertainment venue — took on the cloak of an at-sea-PCR-testing clinic and passengers were called down by deck number … deck 8 even numbered cabins … then odd numbered cabins … followed by deck 7 even numbered cabins … and so on. Each call was preceded by the now infamous ding-dong!

    When we went down to take our turn, the line was short … with social-distancing markers placed on the floor along the hallway. First, our Israel Green Pass QR code was scanned. Then a lab tube with a barcode was scanned into each of our records. Sealed in a little baggie, the tube was then handed to us and we were directed down to the dance floor where three “kiosks” were set up with privacy panels. Medical personnel then swabbed us, disinfecting hands and putting on fresh gloves before repeating the process for the next passenger.

    All in all, it took us maybe five minutes to get through the entire process … with the majority of time taken up by the administrative minutia that preceded the swabbing.

    Since the ding-dongs were going to continue regardless of whether we abstained from food or not (see previous footprint for how every meal today seemed to be interrupted by a ding-dong), we rewarded ourselves with dinner and a show tonight … the latter headlining Stephanie Webber, a Welsh vocalist who has a lovely voice … but needs to work on her stage presence.    Læs mere

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  • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022

    Quiet Day @ Sea

    8. april 2022, Eastern Mediterranean ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    (This post is really just so I can get a footprint into our route … nothing exciting to report.)

    The only ding-dong that was broadcast into the cabin today was the bi-weekly safety briefing … in lieu of the in-person muster drill. All good then.

    Tonight we attended the Oceania Club Party that was held in the Insignia Lounge for past passengers. The event was hosted by GM Claudio and Oceania Club Ambassador, Cella. We didn’t stay through to the end as we had dinner reservations at the Polo Grill. But we were there long enough to learn that the official passenger count for this segment is 286. That is 20 less than I had originally heard.

    Off to wrap up our quiet day at sea with a show in the Insignia Lounge.    Læs mere

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  • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022

    We’re Negative!

    8. april 2022, Eastern Mediterranean ⋅ 🌙 61 °F

    Cruise Director Leslie announced during tonight’s show that the results of yesterday’s PCR test are in. And we’re all negative!

    That is something worth celebrating with a footprint 😷😃

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  • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022

    We Have Our Ashdod Entry Instructions

    9. april 2022, Eastern Mediterranean ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Another quiet day at sea … lunch with friends Pam & Ray in the Grand Dining Room was the only interesting portion of the day. Oh, and we also broke with our Terrace Café breakfast routine to eat our morning meal in the Grand Dining Room today.

    Since there is nothing noteworthy about our day, I’ll just write a bit about the instructions delivered to the cabin last night for tomorrow’s entry process into Israel.

    The plan is for testing to commence at 6:30a ... ½-hour after we're scheduled to arrive. There will be no announcements into the cabin so as not to bother those who want to sleep in because they are further down the testing list … as we are ... at 8:50a.

    Once the testing is completed, it is expected that immigration procedures will begin around 10:00a. That time, however, might change, so we are to wait for the announcement and then proceed into the terminal building with our passports … which will be returned to us at the time we go to the Insignia Lounge for our PCR test. Then, back to the ship to await clearance of Insignia by the Israeli Authorities.

    On another topic with regards to our arrival. Apparently, we are not allowed to walk through the port tomorrow. So, O will be operating a shuttle to the Sea Mall in the city center. I looked it up and it’s not far from the Marina. That’s the good news.

    The bad news is that although we are in port until 10:00p, the last shuttle is @ 5:30p. Assuming we can get on the first shuttle @ 1:00p, that will give us just about 4.5 hours in the city. Is it even worth going? We’ll try to figure out tomorrow if we can make our way back to the port on our own at a later hour. Private vehicles are prohibited from entering the port and only a few taxi companies are allowed to enter the port … or so I read. Thus transportation is the hurdle that we need to figure out. Research is pending.    Læs mere

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  • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022

    Welcome to Ashdod Port

    10. april 2022, Israel ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    I say port, because that’s where we are … and where we will remain until the results for the Israeli-administered PCR tests come back. Last announcement I heard, there were 9 or so passengers who had not yet been to the Insignia Lounge PCR Clinic. Hopefully, they have since made their way to complete the testing requirement.

    The process went very smoothly this morning. Our side of the deck 7 cabins were slated for 8:50a. But at 8:30a, an announcement was made for anyone who had not been tested to make their way down to the lounge. By 8:45a, Mui and I had taken our turn and were back in the cabin to finish preparing for our day in Ashdod.

    Next, we await the announcement to complete immigration formalities in the terminal. We’ve got a little twist in the process, however. Apparently there is a crane near the terminal so we were not allowed to dock there as scheduled. Instead, we will have to be shuttled to the terminal.

    Will that mean that we’ll get shuttled, go through the formalities, and then return to the ship to await PCR results before being shuttled to the Sea Mall when said results are ready?

    Or will that mean that they will wait for the test results to come back first so that we can then proceed to the Sea Mall once the immigration formalities in the terminal are completed?

    That question has not been answered by the authorities as yet.

    In the meantime, we did get some good news on the shuttle front. The last shuttle back from the Sea Mall to the port is now at 8:00p. That’s more like it since Insignia is in port until 10:00p. We won’t need to seek alternative means to get back to the ship and can enjoy our time in the city.    Læs mere

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  • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022

    Ashdod: We Waited and We Waited

    10. april 2022, Israel ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Do I even want to write about what turned out to be a “bust” for us? Not really, but I will. So here goes the “short” story of today.

    We knew the COVID-19 formalities were going to delay us. We were prepared for that. After all, we’d been told that the process could take up to six hours. The first part — the PCR testing — went smoothly and the testing was completed ahead of schedule. Then, we waited … and we waited … and we waited … and we waited. No announcement for us to proceed to immigration. That answered the question from this morning. Since we were not berthed at the terminal, we’d be going through the formalities on our way to the Sea Mall.

    At 11:30a, we went up to the Waves Grill for lunch. Then, we waited … and we waited. CD Leslie came on the P/A to say we were still waiting for the test results and immigration … and promised to be back in an hour with an update. So, we waited … and we waited. Leslie made another announcement. The same news … waiting on test results and immigration. One cabin number was then called with the request to contact the front desk. Later, I heard that there was one inconclusive test. Was that someone in the cabin that was called? Probably.

    Anyway, it was just about 3:00p when Leslie finally came on the P/A system to say Insignia was cleared. He proceeded to call the tours to the gangway. No calls for us independents until 3:30p.

    By that time, Mui and I had decided to throw in the towel. You see, immigration was still ahead of us. We’d have to take the shuttle to the terminal, go through the formalities, then get back on a bus to go to the Sea Mall. The museum we were planning to visit would be closed by the time we got there. We didn’t feel like it was worth the hassle to go through all that just to walk around the marina area. Instead, we figured we’d have afternoon tea on a quiet ship. Yeah, right!

    Apparently, the “clearance” given earlier was just for PCR testing. We were just sitting down to tea when the announcement came that “everyone” had to go through immigration, whether they planned to leave the port or not.

    So, we trudged down the gangway only to see the bus we’re required to to ride through the port pulling away as it was at capacity. It was another 20 minutes before another bus pulled up to collect us and a few others. Five minutes after that we were pulling up by the terminal. The only good news in all this? Those on the buses ahead of us were already finished so we just walked up, showed our passports, went through the security checkpoint, walked back out, and got back on the bus back to the ship.

    By this time, it was 4:30p. The Panache Quartet was still playing in Horizons, but afternoon tea was already being dismantled. The wait staff were kind enough to accommodate us … and we were joined by Cella, who was also late to the “tea game.”

    Now, at 6:00p we are not only back in our cabin, but I am ready to put this whole debacle behind me. It takes a lot to frustrate us. But the Israelis managed to do so in a big way today. I sure hope our next couple of days in Haifa will make up for today.

    On the bright side … I had mentioned in my cruise satisfaction survey that I wished there was a full length mirror in the cabin. What seemed like minutes after we dropped off the survey at the front desk this morning, there was a knock on the door. Yup … a new door for the double closet … with a full-length mirror on the inside panel. Now that’s what I call service!    Læs mere

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  • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022

    Welcome to Haifa, Israel

    11. april 2022, Israel ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    What a nice change from yesterday in Ashdod!

    Though Insignia missed her 6:00a arrival at the Port of Haifa, we were maneuvering into our berth behind NCL Jade by 7:00a. Within the next ½-hour, We were cleared to go ashore. No waiting around today … even if we did have to show our passports at three different checkpoints as we made our way out of the port area on foot.

    On our previous overnight visit to Haifa, we explored farther afield … Jerusalem & Bethlehem one day … and Acre (Akko) another day. This time, we are staying close.

    Today’s story will be coming up in the next footprint as we have to pick up our rental car to get to our destination.    Læs mere

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  • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022

    Haifa: Caesarea National Park

    11. april 2022, Israel ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    From our previous visit to Haifa, I knew the train station was walking distance to where Insignia would be docked today. Not that we were taking a train. Rather, I knew the path to get us out of the port on foot was in that direction. Instructions from port security — and an escort by Javier, Insignia’s Chief Purser, when we ran into him along the way — made getting to the port entrance easy peasy.

    Short of taking a tour, renting a car was the easiest way to get ourselves to Caesarea National Park, about 40 km from the port. Luckily, Suncar (on Jaffa Street) was just a 15-minute walk from the port. Soon, we were breezing down Hwy 4 to Hwy 2 to Rte 6511.

    The park has a beautiful setting on the Mediterranean coast, between the Crocodile and Hadera rivers. I’m not going to go through the entire history of the area … anyone interested can look that up. Suffice to say that Phoenicians were living here as far back as 586-332 BCE. Other empires and kingdoms took over in the years that followed … and then the Romans came in 30 BCE. They awarded the land to King Herod, who built a large port city and named it Caesarea in honor of Octavian Augustus Caesar … Herod’s way of saving his neck from the chopping block.

    We entered the ruins of Caesarea through the perimeter fortifications and slowly made our way to the harbor area and the Visitor Center, which was open today. The museum inside is small, but the short film gave us a brief glimpse of how Herod built the city. Then, we wandered out towards the harbor, following a meandering course that took us through the ruins of the palace, vaults, public latrines and baths; along the length of the hippodrome where chariot races were held; and on to the Herodian Amphitheater.

    We enjoyed our visit to Caesarea National Park … except for being disappointed in the amphitheater, which has been restored with modern materials and now sports a performance stage that doesn’t fit the ambiance one bit. The Mediterranean served as a beautiful background for the ruins, the brilliant sun and blue sky adding to our pleasure in the day.

    All in all, an enjoyable day that more than made up for yesterday’s frustrations in Ashdod.    Læs mere

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  • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022

    Haifa: Celebrating My Birthday

    11. april 2022, Israel ⋅ 🌙 63 °F

    For years now, as our travels have picked up, I’ve had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday in different countries. This year I’m in Israel on this special day.

    I won’t tell you how “young” I am, but there is a 6 and a 4 involved … you can put the numbers in whatever order you deem appropriate 😄

    I love the Italian specialty restaurant on the ship — Toscana. So that’s where we went tonight. A cake and serenade by the staff were part of the occasion. Thank you all for making my day one to remember.    Læs mere

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  • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022

    Haifa On Foot

    12. april 2022, Israel ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    And when I say on foot, I mean this was a 17,787-step day of meandering around Haifa … from the waterfront … to the crest of Mount Carmel … back down to the waterfront … and all the way in between.

    The Carmelit is Haifa’s funicular/underground metro. With only six stops, the system runs between the city’s most important centers. We walked out of the port and headed to the station at Paris Square, in the city’s downtown center … a 15-minute walk in all. After purchasing single-ride tickets from the vending machine, we were on our way up to the last stop … the Gan-Ha’em Station.

    First, a walk along the Louis Promenade, which took us to the top of the Baha’i Gardens, which are sculpted into the mountainside. Along with the Shrine of the Báb (aka the Golden Dome), they are a symbol of the city. I had looked into booking the guided tour that allows visitors access to the entirety of the grounds and the shrine, but the gardens are closed today. So, we had to be satisfied with a glimpse from the promenade that overlooks the property.

    We had no specific plans on where to go or what to do today, so we just wandered and ended up wherever our feet took us … the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art … the Haifa Zoo (it was obvious that the animals were well taken care of from the way the caretakers talked about them, but the facility itself is in need of a facelift).

    More meandering eventually brought us to a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of place — Falafel President — that was doing brisk business. We joined the locals and ordered two falafel sandwiches, which we ate at one of the tables on the sidewalk. Excellent. Then, onto Golda, the gelateria we had spotted earlier for a delicious, creamy Belgian chocolate treat. Excellent.

    Thus fortified, we began the 45-minute trek down to the port.

    Haifa is situated on hilly terrain. The roads, instead of going straight down, follow a zigzag pattern along the mountainside. Pedestrians in the know take the “step routes” which make for short cuts that go through quiet neighborhoods and narrow alleys. Luckily, Google Maps routed us down via these steps because I had not been able to get my hands on a map of the color-coded routes. Along the way, we enjoyed murals and other bits of art.

    Thus, we wrapped up our visit to Israel. Tomorrow we have a sea day before our first port of call in Turkey on the 14th. I know our feet are going to appreciate the chance to rest up.    Læs mere

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