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International Jaunts 2020
  • Two to Travel
  • Ahmet Erkun
  • Two to Travel
  • Ahmet Erkun

International Jaunts 2020

From the US to Turkey and back ... trips that were realized ... trips that had to be shortened ... trips that were canceled. All during a year that saw the world dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic. Läs mer
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  • International Jaunts 2020
    View from the veranda of cabin 7316 — Onboard Allure of the Seas in Port Everglades, FL.
    HAL's Statendam ... brought us back to the US in Nov 2019 ... departs Port Everglades ahead of us.View looking aft from our veranda — Onboard Allure of the Seas in Port Everglades, FL.Doing donuts in Port Everglades, FL.

    Fleshing Out Our Sailaway!

    1 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    I quickly posted a couple of videos as the ship was making its way through the channel that connects Port Everglades to the Atlantic (previous footprint). No time to write more at the time as we were already running late and had to date to keep. Now for a bit more detail!

    The muster drill was at 4:00p. Something that was different from all the drills we’ve done during our 19 years of cruising ... NO LIFE VESTS!

    I don’t mean that we didn’t have to take our vests to the drill. Nowadays, many of the cruise lines do their drills without guests having to lug the vests to the muster drill ... though there are exceptions. What I mean is that there are NO LIFE VESTS IN THE CABIN!!! Turns out that all of the vests on this vessel are kept in lockers at the muster station.

    I guess it makes sense and is more efficient to have all the vests in one place. After all, in the event the emergency alarm is sounded, passengers are supposed to go to their muster stations from wherever they happen to be ... without detouring to their cabins. Still, it feels odd not to have those bulky orange vests taking up space either in the closet or under the bed.

    The 4:30p sailaway came and went with no movement on the part of Allure. Not unexpected on a TransAtlantic crossing. Provisioning and bunkering usually takes longer when you have no ports to call on for nine days. No gas stations in the middle of the Atlantic ... nor any grocery stores. You’d better have all that you need before the lines are let go.

    No problem with the delay from our perspective ... Mom and I used the time to unpack our bags and get settled in to our respective cabins. Mui postponed unpacking until later in the evening. As for the tugboats waiting to assist Allure out of her berth — they did donuts and entertained us to ease their boredom.

    Finally, at 6:00p, the ship slipped its lines, backing out nearly the length of the ship basin before pointing the bow towards the Atlantic. As is often the case when departing Port Everlglades, klaxons blared from the high rise buildings lining the ship’s channel. Allure responded with its own salute. People came out on their balconies — both in the buildings and aboard the ship — to wave goodbye.

    As the sun set on the stern of the ship, we began the journey north ... with an easterly heading designed to take us around the Bahamas to get us out into the open sea.    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020

    Mamma Mia!

    1 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    One of the interesting things on Allure of the Seas is that some shows require reservations even though there is no charge for them. I’m sure this applies on all the Oasis Class behemoths ... not sure if it’s also the case on the smaller ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet.

    Reservations make sense ... after all Oasis class ships carry nearly 5,500 passengers (more at full capacity) and there is no way all passengers can be accommodated at once. No worries though. Not only are the shows repeated multiple times, open seating commences about five minutes before showtime. There are also non-reservation shows and music venues sprinkled around the ship to keep everyone entertained.

    We skipped the dining room tonight. My Time dining starts at 6:30p and we knew we’d never make it to the Amber Theater in time if we opted for table service dinner. Instead, we headed up to the Windjammer Marketplace on deck 16 ... this is the ship’s main buffet. A quick bite or two left us with time for a stroll around the Royal Promenade before we needed to head to the theater.

    Tonight’s feature show was Mamma Mia! Yes, the same one that has played on the silver screen and has also graced (and may still be gracing) Broadway and other stages. Just think of the set as a miniature ... everything else is the same. The cast did a masterful job with the acting and the singing ... and the live band was great. I tend not to expect much of the production shows on ships. This one surprised me. Though maybe it shouldn’t have. After all Abba’s foot-tapping tunes are always a delight to sing along to and it’s hard to mess up a romantic comedy.

    (Sorry ... photography and videography not allowed during the show, so I have only the one screenshot from the Royal Caribbean website to share. I’m sure if you go to one of the streaming sites on the internet, however, you’ll be able to find some videos or at least listen to the music.)    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    The pool is on deck 15 — Onboard Allure of the Seas ... Atlantic Ocean.
    Solarium on deck 15 forward — Onboard Allure of the Seas ... Atlantic OceanLooking down on the Boardwalk from midship deck 16 — Onboard Allure of the Sea ... Atlantic Ocean.Flowrider on deck 16 aft — Onboard Allure of the Seas ... Atlantic Ocean.2Mui on the zipline — Onboard Allure of the Seas ... Atlantic Ocean.Central Park with live trees and plants — Onboard Allure of the Seas ... Atlantic Ocean.Full size carousel at the Boardwalk — Onboard Allure of the Seas ... Atlantic Ocean.One of the two climbing walls on the Boardwalk — Onboard Allure of the Seas ... Atlantic OceanRoyal Promenade from between the elevator stacks — Onboard Allure of the Seas ... Atlantic Ocean.On the deck 5 Royal Promenade — Onboard Allure of the Seas ... Atlantic Ocean.

    Exploring Allure

    2 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    A good night’s rest ... the ship’s motion barely noticeable. We all slept in ... and didn’t feel one bit guilty about doing so.

    Delightful weather ... mostly sunny ... comfortable temperatures ... calm seas. Windy, though. Nonetheless, I did manage to sit on the veranda for a bit in the afternoon. I’m not expecting the temperatures to remain as warm as they were today — 75F for a high. We probably have one or two more days that we can count on warm temperatures before the numbers start to drop as we continue north.

    This is our first Oasis Class sailing ... and also our first time on any ship of this size. There was a lot of “getting acquainted” to do. After breakfast, we wandered around the ship to find out what this “city at sea” has to offer. Too bad I don’t have my fitbit with me. It would have been interesting to see just how many steps went into our exploration ... a lot, I assure you.

    We started on deck 16 and moved down to deck 4 ... skipping those decks that have only passenger cabins. Turns out there aren’t many cabin-only decks as public spaces are sprinkled all around the ship.

    This is a ship that gives you two choices ... be as active as you want to be ... or chill. There are plenty of places for people to kick back and relax — the solarium on deck 15 forward being one of the most popular because it is enclosed with tall glass walls that help to keep the wind at bay.

    As for all the things one can do ... let me just mention a few of the more unusual ones one might not expect to find on a ship: the zipline — which Mui tried out; the flowrider (think surfing) — which Mui skipped; a PADI dive center; a rock-climbing wall ... actually, make that two walls; a full-size carousel.

    No cruise ship worth its salt would be missing dining venues, bars, pubs, entertainment lounges ... and a casino. I lost track of the number of venues. Some with cover charges ... many included in the base fare for the cruise. Some are in quiet “neighborhoods” — like Central Park on deck 8 ... where trees sway in the breeze. Some are in busier neighborhoods — like the Boardwalk on deck 6, which has an AquaTheater. And then there is the Royal Promenade on deck 5, which is home to shops and dining venues and more ... including a Mercedes Roadster that is a popular photo op locale. And let’s not forget Rising Tide, a bar that sits over a multi-deck fountain and travels up and down between decks, giving people a ride as they indulge in adult beverages.

    Whew! What a morning of exploration. The sea days ahead of us will allow us to get better acquainted with the ship. In the meantime, we’ve worked up an appetite with all that walking up and down and around the decks. Time to get a bite to eat. I’m sure we’ll find a venue that suits 😉    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    A one way promenade — Onboard Allure of the Seas ...Atlantic Ocean.
    Signs urging on promenaders — Onboard Allure of the Seas.Almost there! — Onboard Allure of the Seas ...Atlantic Ocean.Mile markers help keep track of distances walked — Onboard Allure of the Seas.These "rescue vessels" can each accommodate 370 people — Onboard Allure of the Seas.2I've yet to figure out how the seating works on these rescue vessels (lifeboats) — Allure OTS.These capsules contain additional rafts ... in case of emergency — Allure of the Seas.

    A Promenade with Rules!

    2 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Along the outside perimeter of deck 5 is a two lane wrap-around promenade — one lane for walkers and the other for runners ... 2.4 laps = 1 mile ... 12 laps = 5 miles.

    One of the nicest things about this promenade? There are traffic signs. Or more accurately, promenade walking signs indicating that it’s one way! Even nicer? People seem to be taking the signs to heart and obeying them. That’s a first in my experience! Signs encouraging people to keep walking are overhead ... verbal cheerleaders!

    We skipped the promenade while we were exploring the ship. But I checked it out after lunch. Unfortunately, I didn’t get far — too windy. But I intend to try again tomorrow ... and the next day ... and the next day, etc. etc. etc.    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    This is what the view is like from our "ordinary" veranda — Allure of the Seas.
    Pool Deck with Central Park in between and seven decks below — Allure of the Seas.Central Park "apartments" — Allure of the Seas.Central Park ... entrance to one of the restaurants — Allure of the Seas.Birds of a feather! Central Park — Allure of the Seas.Comfy seating in Central Park — Allure of the Seas.View of the Boardwalk "apartments" from deck 16 with AquaTheater on the aft — Allure of the Seas.Closer look at the AquaTheater at the far end of the Boardwalk — Allure of the Seas.Carousel for the young and the young at heart — Boardwalk ... Allure of the Seas.

    Ocean View or Neighborhood?

    2 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    On this cruise, our cabin selection was driven by the need to have two cabins side by side. Since we booked the cruise inside the final payment deadline, there weren’t that many cabins left that fit our requirement.

    7316 and 7314 — or cabins 316 and 314 on deck 7 — are ordinary veranda cabins. Meaning that they face out to the ocean. Huh! Are there any other kind of verandas? On the Oasis class ships, the answer is ... yes. In addition to the “ordinary” verandas, there are ones that face the ship’s interior. Or more accurately, the ship’s neighborhoods — Central Park and the Boardwalk.

    Central Park has trees and greenery and definitely has a park ambiance. The area is open to the sky, so a light breeze at times causes the trees and shrubs to sway gently, adding to the feeling of being in a park. I’m told there are birds chirping in the trees ... piped in, of course. Even though there are restaurants here, it’s a quiet neighborhood.

    Broadway is a busier place with a carousel, several dining venues, a couple of rock climbing walls, and the AquaTheater. Since this neighborhood is situated on the aft half of deck 6, the cabins do get a peek-view of the ocean. They also get free entertainment when there is a show being performed at the theater.

    I debated booking one of these “inside verandas.” But I was concerned with the apartment-building ambiance, with verandas facing each other across the way ... and any noise that might filter up from activities. Admittedly, they probably do make for a better option on cold-weather cruises. Should we ever find ourselves on another Oasis class ship — I’ve learned not to say never — we just might give them a shot.    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    Happy Hour @ Bow & Stern — Onboard Allure at Seas.
    Rising Tide returning from deck 8 to deck 5 — Onboard Allure at Seas.OceanAria @ AquaTheater — Onboard Allure at Seas.OceanAria @ AquaTheater — Onboard Allure at Seas.OceanAria @ AquaTheater — Onboard Allure at Seas.

    Atlantic Crossing — Day 2

    3 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    We were so busy getting acquainted with Allure of the Seas yesterday — the first day of our Atlantic Crossing — that we didn’t get to do much else. Today we made up for it by focusing on some R&R and settling into a sea day routine.

    Breakfast was at the American Icon Grill — we chose the buffet option in the dining room versus a la carte, but will probably do a mix as the days go by. Our tummies sated, mom and I found comfy seats on the second floor of the solarium ... out of the wind and out of the sun. We worked on our handcrafts while Mui opted to do some bike riding in the fitness center. He joined us later ... to hold our seats while we went for a walk on the promenade on deck 5.

    A nice, quiet morning was followed by lunch in the dining room ... this time we opted for the table service, but will likely mix it up with the dining room buffet as the days go by. Afterwards, those who wanted to take a nap returned to the cabin ... that was Mom and Mui.

    I, on the other hand, headed for the Diamond Lounge, a card-access space designated for members who are Diamond in Royal Caribbean’s loyalty club. It’s really nothing special IMHO. There are comfy chairs for people to relax, chat with new and old friends, play cards. There is a coffee machine and a small buffet set up with fruit and cookies ... there might be more, but I was full from lunch so I didn’t pay attention. What is nice about the lounge is that it overlooks the boardwalk with a peek at the ocean beyond. I spent some time knitting here before returning to the cabin to get ready for our evening out.

    Tonight we took advantage of another Diamond perk — free drinks. Three drinks are pre-loaded daily on Mui and my ship’s cards and we can use them anywhere around the ship, except for one fancy lounge. We found a table at the English pub on the Royal Promenade — the Bow and Stern. We sipped our drinks, nibbled on a snack mix, and people-watched until it was time to go to another reservations-required show — the Ocean Aria.

    This water-themed show is performed under the stars at the AquaTheater at the the far end of the Boardwalk. We didn’t get off to a good start.

    First the seats were wet. Someone said it had rained, but none of us bought that story. Luckily, someone was wiping things down even as guests arrived to find seats. Next, some idiot sat down next to mom and promptly dumped his glass of red wine all over her. To make matters worse, not a word of apology. Rather than make a scene, we found other seats ... too bad we didn’t get up and do so when the guy first showed up so we could have avoided the mishap.

    Once the show got going, though, it was OK ... even if the performance was a tad bit disappointing after having seen the fantastic job the cast did with Mamma Mia. The show is billed as a “...mystical adventure as an ancient underwater civilization is revealed.” Straight acrobatics without the gimmicky storyline would have better IMHO.

    The performers are acrobats with formal training ... some with world competition credentials ... others with a Cirque d’Soleil background. They performed aerial and water stunts, using trampolines and jumping platforms at varying levels. Some of their feats were quite crazy, making us wonder just how deep the pool really was.

    We wrapped up our evening with dinner in the dining room. I was against My Time dining when cruise lines first introduced the concept, but it has grown on me. It’s certainly nice not having mealtimes dictating our activities on the ship.

    If the captain is to be believed, we have another decent day in store for us tomorrow. Looking forward to it and to the continuation of the calm seas we’ve been enjoying since our departure from Ft Lauderdale.    Läs mer

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    Atlantic Crossing ... Day 3

    4 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Hmmm! What shall I write about? I really have nothing to report because today was our “internet” day.

    As Diamond members of the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society, Mui and I each received a free 24-hour internet pass for this cruise. We activated Mui’s account this morning and have been sharing the connection all day ... one device at a time. It’s worked out quite well. The speed has been amazing all day ... unexpectedly so out here in the middle of the Atlantic ... some 1,196 nautical miles away from Ft Lauderdale. I had no problems uploading my trip footprints with photos and videos attached. The quality of the What’sApp call with Aylin was smooth as could be. Needless to say, emails and texts were accessed easily as well. And even with VPN activated to check bank accounts, there was no drop in speed. Really amazing!

    The passes are good for 24-consecutive hours, so we should have a few hours still available tomorrow morning. And then we’ll be going ‘radio silent’ again for a couple of days. I figure, we’ll activate my pass sometime over the weekend, and that will take us through to Malaga where we’ll have data available to us through T-Mobile ... and again when we reach our disembarkation point in Barcelona. Not a bad schedule for staying in touch with friends and family.

    And to think that we used to go on cruises to get away from “being connected.” Those days are long gone!    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    "Knitting al fresco" in a sheltered corner — Allure of the Seas.

    Atlantic Crossing ... Day 4

    5 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    A quiet day at sea. The weather and sea conditions continue to cooperate. In his noon announcement, the captain advised us that the high temp for the day would be 68F, with the sun mitigating the chill from winds blowing at 30 knots.

    We’ve well and truly settled into our sea day routine. Breakfast in the dining room ... knitting and reading in the solarium ... lunch at the Boardwalk Dog House, the 🌭 place ... napping, movie watching, reading, journaling, and a multi-mile walk on the promenade to while away the afternoon ... dinner at the Windjammer Marketplace ... evening headliner show featuring Adam Kario, juggler and comedian.

    Yup ... an uneventful day at sea for sure. These are the best kinds of days to have.    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    Lunch at Johnny Rocket's for a change of pace — Allure of the Seas.
    Our lunch choices @ Johnny Rocket's — Allure of the Seas.

    Atlantic Crossing ... Day 5

    6 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Another routine day at sea. Except that we lost our third hour since departing Ft Lauderdale on 1 March. We have three more 23-hour days ahead of us to put us on the same footing with Spain by 11 March. We’re all agreed that springing ahead at noon instead of after midnight is much easier on the body.

    Allure seems to be moving along at the same steady sea-day pace. The captain hasn’t advised of a change in our heading to make landfall for a med-evac, so I am assuming the critical emergency that required a ship-wide announcement last night for blood donors has stabilized for the better 🤞🏻

    Though it was warmer today, that was likely because of lighter winds. The swells were maybe a tad bit more noticeable to the eye ... but the motion went largely unnoticed on the ship. We went through a rain squall mid-morning that stretched all around us ... wide enough that we could not alter course to avoid it. The result ... a couple of minutes of light ☔️.

    I’ll skip writing about our routine activities and just mention some things we did that were different from our previous days at sea on this cruise.

    For lunch, Mui and I went to Johnny Rocket’s on the Boardwalk. This is one of several specialty restaurants on Allure that has a cover charge — $9.95pp. You certainly get your money’s worth as the price includes a soft drink; a side — a variety of fries ... potato as well as onion; a main — burger or hot dog ... with a variety of toppings; and dessert — apple 🥧 a la mode or vanilla sundae. Really, way too much food. Mui and I shared a sundae and got a pie to go so that mom could nibble on it since she skipped lunch.

    After lunch, we collected mom from her cabin and went to a matinee show at the Amber Theater. Though there will be a series of matinees in the coming days at sea, today’s show was a special one featuring the cast of Mamma Mia. From what I understand, it was a one-of-a-kind show the cast put together just for this sailing. They performed a sampling of songs through the decades, with live music provided by the Allure Orchestra. A fun show that we all agreed was worth going to see.

    Our entertainment continued tonight ... this time with a show headlining Stephani Parker. Apparently Stephani began her career as a production show lead singer on cruise ships before launching her solo career. Tonight’s performance was an homage to “Whitney Houston, the Greatest Voice of All.” It was a terrific show. Stephani has quite a “set of pipes” as they say. Eyes closed, one would be excused for thinking that it was Whitney performing.

    Our day might have been a routine one, but we sure enjoyed every minute of it.    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    Lunch today @ Giovanni's Table — Onboard Allure of the Seas.
    Instead of sitting in the theater, we found seats for the Fountain Show on the rock climbing deck.Fountain show synchronized to the Star Wars theme — Onboard Allure of the Seas.

    Atlantic Crossing ... Day 6

    7 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Yet another routine day at sea with a few things that differed from yesterday ... mainly dining venue and entertainment Yes, it was that kind of a day once again ... with the weather allowing more time on the veranda ... my favorite place to spend time when we are on a ship.

    In his noon announcement, the captain described the sea conditions as “disorganized” with swells coming at us from three different directions. It was like this yesterday as well, so I am not sure if this is how it always is when one is crossing the Atlantic due east, heading directly towards the Strait of Gibraltar. In any event, the swells were in the 3-meter range in one direction and only in the 1-meter range in the other two directions. Not that it seemed to be noticeable much as we went about our routine on the ship.

    So, what did we do today that was different from yesterday? Well, for one thing we had lunch at Giovanni’s Table, the specialty restaurant in Central Park that features Italian cuisine. At $19pp for lunch (more expensive for dinner), we didn’t think Giovanni’s was worth it. Not that the food was bad ... just no better than what we get in the dining room. I will say, however, that the desserts were particularly good — tiramisu for me and cannoli for Mui ... mom abstained.

    Since we lost another hour at noon today — putting us now four hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time — our lunch reservation was actually at 1:30p not at 12:30p. No biggie, except that we missed the beginning of the crew talent show in the Amber Theater. What we managed to catch, though, was good ... especially two of the crew members who belted out some great songs ... great voices.

    The matinee wasn’t our only entertainment today. At 7:15p, we went to the AquaTheater for the “Fountain Show” ... a water show synchronized to music. Methinks whoever was responsible forgot all about the show, so it got off to a late start ... after the majority of the audience gave up and left. Or maybe the producer was waiting for it to get dark to give us the full effect. I’m glad we persevered. What made the show particularly interesting was that it was presented on a ship in the middle of the ocean.

    Dinner in the dining room wrapped up our 6th day at sea. Three more days like this before we arrive in Malaga on the 11th.    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    What has mom so intrigued? — Onboard Allure of the Seas.
    The beautiful color of the water as it churns below us — Onboard Allure of the Seas.I like the pattern the ship is making as we steam north — Onboard Allure of the Seas.

    Course Change on Day 7

    8 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    At 1:30p this afternoon, Allure of the Seas made a course change. From our easterly heading, we turned north. After steaming north — or motoring as the case might be on a modern cruise ship — for about two hours, we came to practically a standstill with Allure’s bow facing mostly west. We’re closer to the Azores than we intended to be on this voyage. The reason? A med-evac. We are awaiting a helicopter now to take a critically ill passenger off for medical care. More later.Läs mer

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    MedEvac Away!

    8 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    It’s a little after 7:00p. Captain Grimstad came on the P/A system to advise the ship’s complement that the critically ill patient was safely away on the helicopter ... a successful med-evac. We hope that all goes well and the patient makes a full recovery. More later.Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    Knitting and reading in the Diamond Lounge overlooking the Boardwalk and the ocean beyond.
    The med-evac chopper arrives as the sun begins to set — Onboard Allure of the Seas.Sunset on our course change towards the Azores — Onboard Allure of the Seas.A terrific headliner show featuring The Barricade Boys — Onboard Allure of the Seas.

    Atlantic Crossing & Med-Evac ... Day 7

    8 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    We really have no cause for complaint ... especially where the weather is concerned. The seas calmed down considerably today ... not that the swells of the previous days were particularly noticeable anyway. The forecast of a high of 64F today was accompanied by plenty of sunshine and blue skies. A perfect day ... even if it was a tad chilly to sit outside in the morning. That was going to change later in the day ... especially on the port side of the ship where our cabin is located.

    This was far from a routine day at sea. But then you already know that because I posted a couple of snippets about the med-evac that caused Allure to change its course this afternoon.

    When the captain comes on the P/A around noon for his daily announcement, no one gives it a second thought. It’s par for the course and we all listen to the day-at-sea stats he imparts.

    When the captain comes on the P/A at any other time during the day, we all sit up and take notice as it is usually not-so-good news. Today was no exception.

    I have to admit that when the P/A went bing-bong and I heard Captain Grimstad’s voice, two thoughts popped into my mind.

    First was that the azipods — part of the ship’s propulsion system — were acting up. It made sense since Allure had slowed down considerably.

    The second thought was that he was about to announce that we were being quarantined due to a case (or two or three or more) of COVID-19 ... or that we were returning to the US to be quarantined. Not that I have reason to suspect the virus is on Allure. In fact, the ship seems far healthier than most cruises we’ve been on ... with far less upper respiratory issues in evidence. But with news of the worldwide epidemic on every news channel every time we turn on the TV, I should be forgiven for having this thought ... especially since there have been two ships recently quarantined because of the Corona virus.

    Even as those two thoughts popped into my mind, however, they were replaced by a more logical reason for the impending announcement. I remembered the critically ill patient for whom a blood transfusion was required at the end of our fourth day at sea. Seconds later, Captain Grimstad confirmed my third thought and explained that we were changing course to meet up with a helicopter being dispatched from the Azores — some 300 NM and about 2.5 hours away — to med-evac a patient.

    Anyway, long story short, the passenger has been evacuated ... as noted in the previous post ... with video evidence of the hovering chopper. We are now back on course towards the Strait of Gibraltar and Malaga beyond.

    There was an unintended benefit to our course change. We had the sun on our side of the ship and were able to sit out on the veranda for a good chunk of the afternoon ... as long as we were heading north. When Allure turned west a bit, however, our veranda became a sauna. Amazing just how hot it was under the blazing sun ... it is winter after all, and we’re in northerly latitudes where one expects cool — even cold — temps.

    We wrapped up our day with another terrific headliner show in the Amber Theater tonight. Featured this time was a quartet of guys from the UK — The Barricade Boys. They apparently met when they were performing in “Les Miserables” and decided to venture out on their own. They have amazing voices that harmonized well as they performed songs not just from Les Miz, but also Motown ... Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons ... and more. They definitely deserved the standing ovation they got from the audience.

    Lunch, by the way, was at another new-to-us venue. Sorrento’s is one of the included-in-the-base-fare eateries on the ship. It’s on the Royal Promenade ... sort of a café ambiance with “sidewalk” seating. The menu features a couple of different pizzas ... all thin crust. We agreed that it wasn’t half bad for pizza-at-sea and might go again before we disembark Allure.

    No time change today ... we’ve been springing ahead on a daily schedule of lose-an-hour, lose-an-hour, stand-steady schedule. So we will lose time again tomorrow and the next day ... our last two time zone changes. No matter really since the noon time change really is making the effects of having 23-hour days negligible.

    Hoping for a routine day at sea tomorrow ... Ciao!    Läs mer

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    Atlantic Crossing ... Day 8

    9 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    A routine day at sea. A lazy one, too, It was a cooler day ... the high temp 64F, with enough of a breeze to add a chill factor. The seas were once again disorganized ... the motion on the ship a tad bit more noticeable.

    The only thing we did that was different was to go to the matinee show featuring Stephani Parker, who performed an homage to Whitney Houston a few nights ago. We loved that performance. Today’s performance was her one-woman show ... “Acoustically Said.” It was designed to showcase her songwriting and guitar-strumming skills. Alas, it did not ring our bell and we cut out early.

    As it was formal night, we got all gussied up and started our evening with a glass of wine at one of the lounges on the Royal Promenade ... people watching and listening to the band that was providing entertainment. Contrary to what I’ve read before the cruise, not all get dressed up in formal attire. In fact, a good number of the passengers — including us — were dressed nicely in outfits that one might wear to a high-end restaurant land-side ... chic but not formal.

    We’re now on GMT — Greenwich Mean Time ... at least until noon tomorrow when we lose the final hour before our arrival in Spain.    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020

    Atlantic Crossing ... Last Day

    10 mars 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    There was definitely more of a wiggle and a jiggle to Allure’s movement on our last day at sea. The seas looked quite angry when we woke up, but calmed down as the day wore on and the ship continued it’s heading due east ... the bull’s eye target being the Strait of Gibraltar.

    Captain Grimstad probably said in his noon announcement when he expects to pass The Rock, but I didn’t catch it. From looking at the map, it’s quite obvious that it won’t be during daylight hours ... probably late, late tonight. No matter ... we’ve been to Gibraltar before, and have crossed the Strait many times, so we won’t be missing a momentous moment.

    Although we still have a day in port tomorrow, followed by another day at sea, we began packing our bags today. It was after all, quite cool outdoors with a strong breeze, so getting organized for our disembarkation on the 13th was a good indoor activity. Most everything has been put away ... the rest will go in the bags on our last sea day.

    Our afternoon was filled with entertainment.

    First we returned to the Amber Theater for the matinee show of The Barricade Boys. Another fantastic performance featuring quite a bit of rock ‘n roll and an encore performance of Bohemian Rhapsody. They very much deserved the standing ovation in the full house.

    Next up was another show requiring reservations. Ice Games, performed on an ice rink in Studio B, is described as “taking the audience on an adventure with the spin of the dice.” A cast of elaborately costumed ice skaters from around the world performed an extravaganza ... on a moving ship no less.

    None of us were really hungry enough for a full dinner. So, we picked up a few snacks from the buffet, and a couple of glasses of wine, and had movie night in our cabin ... the new version of the classic movie, “Midway.”

    By the way, according to the Cruise Compass delivered to our cabin tonight, our arrival in Malaga is delayed by an hour. Not a biggie as we were scheduled to arrive at 7:00a and we had no intention of getting off the ship until around 9:00a anyway. Our time in port has been extended by two hours to make up for it, with an all aboard at 6:30p.

    Are these changes due to our detour for the med-evac? Likely that is the case. I’m sure this was mentioned in the captain’s noon briefing, but as I noted above I didn’t catch it today. At present, Allure lacks the capability to broadcast non-emergency announcements in the cabin via a channel on the TV. That will likely change when the ship goes through its two-month amplification (read extended dry dock refurbishment) in Cadiz, Spain after we disembark the ship in Barcelona on the 13th. When she goes back into service, Allure is going to be a brand new ship.    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020

    Arrived in Malaga

    11 mars 2020, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Quickie footprint to say we’ve made landfall. Allure is in the process of docking ... I think. We are on the port side of the ship with a view of the city but not of our berth. Off to breakfast and then off the ship to do some sightseeing .Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    Centre Pompidou, an art center, is housed in this glass cube near the port of Malaga.
    1Strolling the streets of Malaga, Spain.Tomato and tuna belly ... our first course at El Marisquero in Malaga, Spain.Cheers ... Mui says this is one of the best sangrias he's ever tasted — El Marisquero, Malaga.At Helado Territory ... yummy creamy ice cream — Malaga, Spain.Streetscape on the way back to El Palmeral — Malaga, Spain.

    Lovely Day in Malaga

    11 mars 2020, Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    We visited Malaga for the first time just over 4 months ago. We were on another TransAtlantic crossing — westbound to return us to the US ... accompanied by mom and Aylin. We went to the cathedral then ... and also to the Picasso Museum. Did a lot of walking and had a great tapas lunch at a restaurant with sidewalk seating. The weather was delightful and we really enjoyed our day then.

    Some people don’t like returning to the same port when they are cruising. We don’t mind actually ... as long as there is plenty to still explore ... definitely the case for Malaga. We had another lovely day, with sunshine, blue skies, and a comfy high temp of 75F.

    Disembarking Allure of the Seas around 10:00a, we bought our shuttle bus tickets — €5pp R/T — for a short 10 minute ride to El Palmeral, a promenade park near the heart of the city. We started off with a detour in our plans when I noticed an advertisement for a special exhibit. It was amazing.

    Then we strolled into downtown, following a meandering path to El Marisquero ... where we had lunch in October ... it did not disappoint ... the tapas were as good as we remembered they were.

    From here, we wandered into the Mercado Central and then continued our meandering walk to a small museum I had read about ... well worth going out of our way to visit it.

    We wrapped up our day with “helado” ...🍦... creamy and delicious. The sweet treat gave us the extra energy we needed to return to El Palmeral to catch the shuttle back to the ship.

    In summary, a lovely day! We still have a lot to see and do — both in and outside the city. Would definitely not mind another port call in Malaga ... or maybe we’ll make our plan for a self-drive tour around Spain a reality in a year or two and spend extra time here.

    I’ll write separately about the exhibit and the museum, so just sharing a few general photos with this footprint.    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    Checking out the Klimt exhibit poster in Malaga, Spain.

    El Oro de Klimt in Malaga

    11 mars 2020, Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    “When I paint, one of my greatest feelings of pleasure is the awareness that I am creating gold.” — Gustav Klimt.

    The shuttle bus that was taking us from the ship into the heart of the city was passing the Centre Pompidou Cube when a poster caught my eye. It was promoting an exhibit featuring Gustav Klimt ... one of my favorite artists. He is probably best known for his “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer” (featured in the wonderful Helen Mirren movie, The Woman in Gold) and another work simply known as “The Kiss” ... both painted during his “gold phase."

    Entitled El Oro de Klimt (The Gold of Klimt), the exhibit promised an immersive experience. I had no idea what that meant, but we’re talking Klimt here ... how bad can it be?

    In fact, it was terrific and well worth the detour that required walking back to the Cube ... and the admission of €9pp (senior rate). Turns out this is not an art exhibition in the sense that you look at paintings on a wall. Instead, you walk into a dark room, find a seat — either a bench or a comfy bean bag — and watch Klimt’s paintings come alive on the walls and floors all around the room ... with accompanying music. It was fantastic. I felt like I was inside the artist’s palette. I was so enthralled that I didn’t do a very good job with the videos ... I’ve included one of them anyway.

    We were especially lucky with our timing as we had maybe 10-15 people in the entire salon ... unlike the next session that was filled with a couple of busloads of kids ... elementary school and younger!!!    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020

    Museo del Vidrio y Cristal

    11 mars 2020, Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    When my pre-trip research unearthed a boutique museum in Malaga, I added the Glass and Crystal Museum to our plans for today. We were to have gone there before lunch, but then we jiggled our plans to go to the Klimt exhibition (previous footprint). So we headed to the museum after lunch instead.

    The museum is housed in an Italianate style home from the 1800s ... designed around a small courtyard. Admission for the guided tour — the only way to see the private collection — is €5pp (senior rate). Lucky with our timing, we caught the last tour before the museum closed for siesta.

    The young man who took us around was quite knowledgeable about the pieces displayed all around the house — from the courtyard to the rooms on the second floor. He gave us copious amounts of information, much of which is now a jumble in my mind.

    In addition to the lovely glass pieces, there were a number of portraits and interesting period furnishings. The surprise that delighted me was the collection of stained glass windows interspersed throughout the museum.

    TripAdvisor reviews for the Glass and Crystal Museum are mixed. Not sure why, but perhaps those visitors were expecting more elaborate pieces. We really enjoyed our visit. The minute details that made many of the glass pieces so special were a delight. I’m glad we did not skip this museum when we jiggled our plans at the outset of our day.    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020

    At Sea ... En Route to Barcelona

    12 mars 2020, Western Mediterranean ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    The Med has been near flat all day. What little motion we felt during the Atlantic crossing is non existent. Sunshine and comfy temps ... high of 68F with just a light breeze. With our heading pointing slightly north along the coast of Spain, we got some sun on the veranda in the afternoon. Of course we made the most of it, enjoying being outside for some well earned rest ... and some wine and snacks

    Why rest? Because we worked hard this morning. Just kidding, though we were busy packing the last bits into our bags.

    It’s now 10:30p. All but the clothes we set out for tomorrow and toiletries that can fit in 3-1-1 bags are packed away. The luggage for both cabins is sitting outside the cabin, waiting to be picked up by the crew and taken down into the belly of the ship.

    I had reservations for us to go see the Blue Planet matinee this afternoon. What an amazing production show it turned out to be, with the casts of Mamma Mia mingling with the Allure dancers and singers, and some of the acrobats features at the AquaTheater. The set was beautifully designed ... at times representing the oceans with aerial acrobats “swimming” behind a filmy pale blue curtain or a volcano with billowing lava, or the rainforest with camouflage-attired cast members blending in so well with the set that they were impossible to spot until they started moving. A really spectacular show.

    The 7:45p headliner show in the Amber Theater meant going to the Windjammer for a light dinner. The food up there has been good, so we didn’t mind. The show featured Frankie and the Dreamers. The lead soloist, Ryan Molloy, played the original Frankie Valli in the “Jersey Boys” on Broadway. Tonight’s show played homage to the music of Valli. It was a good show ... but something was off with the acoustics, detracting from our enjoyment.

    And thus our cruise is coming to an end. Overall, we’re happy with the experience we had on this ship. That said, we likely would not return to Royal Caribbean unless we’re looking for transportation ... at the right place.    Läs mer

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  • International Jaunts 2020
    Mom all set ... playing solitaire ... aboard TK1854.
    Can't complain about the leg room ... aboard TK1854.

    Aboard TK1854 ... Catching Up

    13 mars 2020, Nordmakedonien ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Lunch has been served on TK1854 ... our “air chariot” to İstanbul. We’ve got a little more than an hour left on the flight ... time enough to catch up on the story of our travel day thus far.

    For a ship that carries nearly 6,000 people, disembarkation this morning was easy-peasy. We left the cabin minutes before 8:00a ... just as our group number was being called. The elevator doors opened seconds after we pushed the down arrow ... with only a couple people inside. That was a miracle on a disembarkation morning as usually several elevators go by before one arrives with enough space to accommodate three people with carry-on bags. Our good luck continued at the gangway. Not a single person in line!!! Not sure where the crowds were, but we weren’t about to complain as we swiped our ship’s cards to let the crew know we had disembarked.

    Allure of the Seas is a long ship, so she was assigned to a berth with two terminals — B and C. The aft gangway directed us to Terminal C, where we whizzed through immigration, collected our checked bags, and walked outside to the transportation area. Our only dilemma? Where was the taxi we pre-ordered waiting for us? The driver had no way of knowing that we were at Terminal C. A quick phone call to the booking company — using the WePhone app — alerted the driver. Problem solved. I’ve said it before ... I’ll repeat it again ... we love our T-Mobile plan, which includes unlimited overseas data at no extra cost.

    By 9:30a we were at the airport. Inside the terminal the crowds had queued up at various airline counters ... only a small number of people wearing masks. At the THY counter, Mui asked the business class agent if she could check us in so mom would not have to stand for long. She graciously agreed. In fact, once the agent matched mom’s face to her passport, she directed the two of us to a seating area at the far end of the counter, leaving Mui to complete the check-in formalities.

    Once we cleared the security checkpoint and immigration for the departure passport control, we made our way to the gate. By this time we arrived, we had barely ½ hour to board ... a process that went smoothly once it was underway. By 11:15a Mui and I were in our exit row seats in row 21 ... mom in her aisle seat in row 24.

    The aircraft pushed back 30 minutes later and was 🛫 by our scheduled departure time of 11:15a. We set our watches two hours ahead and settled back for the 3½-hour flight to İstanbul. The meal service has been completed ... choice of chicken or pasta ... chicken was the better option and all’s quiet on the plane ... no evidence of any coughs or other respiratory issues ... which is a good thing. All in all an uneventful flight ... the best kind.

    Time to put the iPad away in preparation for landing. More later.    Läs mer

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