Travelogue for A Ten Day Cruise on the Silver Spirit

Reid Travel, as a member of the Signature Travel Network, provides hosts as needed to accompany groups of guests whose travel consultant also belongs to Signature Travel Network.  In this way all the Signature travel consultants become knowledgeable about a world (pardon the pun) of travel destinations.  As I have just returned from such a trip, I thought it would be a good idea to use my Travel Log for this post to give our readers a feel for my cruising experience.  

Oct. 15 - Not wanting to chance “missing the boat” we arrived in Athens the day before sailing and spent a glorious night at the Hotel Grand Bretagne.  Situated right in the heart of the city, since 1874, this landmark hotel is within walking distance of exclusive shopping areas, museums and the business district.  A magnificently-decorated room, gifts of wine and other exotic snacks, gave us the feeling that we could stay here forever.  Making it even more difficult to leave was a complimentary breakfast at the outdoor, rooftop dining room featuring breathtaking views of the Acropolis. Then, time to go to the ship…

OCT. 16 – At check-in I learned that we wouldn’t be going to Ashdod due to the recent events in Israel.  Rhodes, Greece has been added to the itinerary.  After unpacking and  the mandatory lifeboat drill we sailed away at 6:00 P.M. Enjoyed our first dinner and toured the ship before saying good-night to our butler. Already I know that I’d like to take him home with me.  

OCT. 17 – Aghios Nikolaos, Crete 

Sponge Shop in Crete

A Charming Small Town clustered on a peninsula alongside the Gulf of Mirabello.  Boarded a trolley train for a half hour ride around the port.  Hilly, with narrow, steep streets that provide magnificent sea views, this is a welcoming place to walk and shop, especially for olive oil soap and sponges, and what was to be the first of many gelatos.  Invaders and occupiers--Roman colonists, the Byzantines, Arab invaders, Venetian colonists, and Ottoman pashas—have all left their mark on towns and villages throughout the island.  Tonight, we are warmly welcomed at the Captain’s reception to meet the Senior Officers of our home for ten days, the Silver Spirit, and be entertained by the Silver Spirit Trio.

OCT. 18 – A day At Sea, Silversea Style

A day orchestrated to ensure that every passenger aboard has many activities to enjoy; certainly more than one can take advantage of.  Beginning at 7:00 A.M. a “morning walk” with Personal Trainer Donna; a cooking demonstration with Executive Chef Anne-Mari Cornelius; Port talk with Destination Consultant Jon Fleming; Expedition chat with Cruise Consultant Isabel; Blackjack tournament; Afternoon tea; Team trivia with Cruise Director Moss for fun and prizes; Yoga class; Introduction to Silversea art collection with Art Curator Rami Ron; Golf putting competition; and many more.  Then it’s time for cocktails and dinner in your choice of restaurants followed by Showtime featuring the Voices of Silversea.  Tonight was our Signature Travel Network “welcome” cocktail party for those in our group. The Senior Officers surprised us with their presence and shared their individual responsibilities. 

 

OCT. 19 & 20– Haifa, Israel

Spilling down from the pine-covered heights of Mt. Carmel, Haifa is a city with a vertiginous setting that has led to comparisons with San Francisco.  The most striking landmark on the mountainside is the gleaming golden dome of the Baha’i Shrine, set amid beautiful garden terraces.  The city is the world center for the Baha’i faith, and the 100-acre spot is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Israel’s largest port and third-largest city, Haifa (city on the hill) is a cosmopolitan city divided into three main levels, each crisscrossed by parks and gardens: the port down below; Hadar, a commercial area in the middle; and Merkaz Carmel  (known as “the Merkaz”), with the posher hotels and many restaurants on the crest of Mt. Carmel. 

River of Jordan

Surrounded by history, deciding what to see was not easy.  We explored the synagogue quarter of Safed in the mountains above the Sea of Galilee.  The Sea of Galilee is, in fact, a freshwater lake measuring 13 miles long from north to south and 7 miles wide from east to west.  A bar mitzvah was in progress in a synagogue we visited and we were included in the ceremony of candy-throwing at the Bar Mitzvah boy—always such fun.  Then on to a kibbutz where we learned about life on a kibbutz and enjoyed an Israeli lunch.  Next, the Yardenit baptismal site in the River Jordan at the southern tip of the Galilee.

Tel Aviv is a modern city with high-tech presence.  Jaffa is very artistic and historical.  After an excellent lunch at a waterfront restaurant we did a lengthy walking tour of Jaffa and then back up to Tel Aviv for another walking tour which included a visit to the memorial site where Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated while leaving the nation’s largest peace rally.  Our guide’s description brought back to life a horror that happened November 4, 1995.   

Stay tuned for the rest of my Ten Day Cruise on the Silver Spirit. 

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