Portofino, Italy

Today we are in the center of the Italian Riviera and one of the most exclusive little towns in the Mediteranean! Here is the home to the famous Splendido Hotel and seasonal anchorage to many of the worlds Mega-Yachts.

As we pull into the harbor to anchor, we can see no less than 30 Yachts over 120 feet long and we are all in awe! The town is very small with less that 1000 year-round residents, and stores like Prada, Escada, Gucci and scores more - right alongside waterfront restarants, artists and craftsmen. We decided to take a break from our days of museums, monuments and histrical sites - and take a nice three hour cruise along the coast to see some of the Riviera.

From our boat we take a tour from the town of Portofino to two other communities on the area that are complete contrasts to Portofino. One is the local business center with hotels, banks, services and they typical resort district you would expect. The other little town was absolutely fantastic and was a remote, rustic fishing village of just a few hundred people. We wandered the town here, had some local foccacia bread and ice cream - yes a strange combo - but very good! We also walked along the beach and realized that we had yet to go swimming in the Med! Tom and I decided tomorrow in Monte Carlo we would seek out a beach for a swim! But now we must head back to our boat.

We spent the rest of the day wandering the galleries and shops of Portofino, before heading back to the ship. Tomorrow and Monday we are in Monaco!

Livorno and Florence

This morning we arrive in the port of Livorno - gateway to Florence. Considered the art and cultural center of Italy and by many the World! Her Michaelangelo, under the De Medici family created many of the masterpieces we have all heard about.

Today we booked a private tour of 13 of us to see all the important sites and get a little better explanation and history that you can in a group of 100 on a bus. We start out today at 8:00 AM alongside the Crystal Serenity. We are met by our coach and local tour manager for the 90 minute trip to Florence. Once in Florence we meet Ann - we are all surprised - and in the end extremely happy - with the petite woman who met us who looked and spoke like she just got of the plane from New England! Ann introduced herself and we learned that she was originally from Conn., but had been living in Florence for 42 years with her Italian husband! She was an excellent guide, personable leader and very well connected as we learned.

NOTE: Record heat was recorded today of 110 degrees!

We started off with a short walk through some of the plazas on our way to the Uffizi Galley, home to many of Michaelangelo's works, as well as Leonardo di Vinci and many others. We spent well over two hours with Ann learning about the history, politics and commerce of the area and the artists - it was all very interesting. We then headed to lunch in a local Florentine restaurant, well off the beaten path. We enjoyed local specialties and some local white wine. A few of the group are very disappointed the the statue of David is not on our tour! Ann gives us a wink and askes us to follow her! OK - We are GREAT followers! We simply walk up to the backdoor - Ann gives the guard a few Euros and we are in! Other on the ship later told us they waited in the heat for HOURS to spend a few minutes admiring the statue! :) And with Ann giving us the history and story behind the statue - it was truly magnificent!

The heat was starting to get the group as we got close to 6 hours touring and walking! We started to loose two at a time to local pubs, hotel lobbys and department stores. We decided we had all had enought and thanked Ann, said our goodbys and went out to take some pictures, do some shopping and cool down!

We met up with our coach at about 6:00 PM and returned to the ship by 7:15 PM - an 11 hour day! Boy were we glad to get back to the ship and get a shower! Tonight was also my birthday - so we had a private cocktail party and dinner with about 20 friends we had made - on deck at 7:30 PM! - No rest for the weary!

Taormina - Sicilian Treasure!

Today we anchored in the tranquil harbor of Taormina, along with Windstar Cruises, Wind Surf and Clipper Cruises Royal Clipper! On the other side of town was also the brand new Carnival Liberty on her Maiden Voyage. To say the least the town was HOPPING!

I actually had the opportunity while walking through town to see two couple who obviously knew each other from home go running up to each other both exclaiming "What a small world!". It turns out that one couple was on the Wind Surf and the other on the Crystal Serenity with me! Wow - the world sure is getting smaller!

Taormina is on the East Coast of the Island of Sicily and only three miles from the "toe" in the "Boot of Italy". when we sailed away we actually sailed between the Island and Italy through the Straights of Messina. It was breathtaking to have land on both side of the ship while we watched the sunset from the Palm Court Lounge, with the band playing, families dancing and the land so close. Speaking of families, there are over 120 children on board - it was sure a shock on such a long cruise, but I also know family cruising is on the rise! It was fun to see multiple generations of families all traveling, sightseeing and sharing memories that will last a lifetime!

In port today I ventured off with some new friends from the cruise, did some shopping - lots of shopping again! I did buy a few things to bring back - but I'm not a big shopper. We also toured the ancient Greek Amphitheater and had a few snacks as we wandered. I always try to take in the local tastes while traveling. Taormina is built high above the Sea and just spectacular! I wish I could post more pictures - but it takes so long from the ship. I will add a while section to the website upon my return!

Ciao for now!

Visit to the SeaDream II

This afternoon we were lucky enough to be docked next the SeaDream I and SeaDream II!

I recently had dinner with Larry Pimentel, CEO and co-owner and he graciously offered us an opportunity to visit these magnificent Yachts. I was actualy so excited about his presentation that Adele and her husband Steve, and myself have already booked a little get-away to the Virigin Islands to sail on the Sea Dream II in February for Adele's Birthday. After seeing the yachts - I cannot wait!

Sailing on SeaDream is a Yachting Experience - NOT a cruise! You spend you time unhurried, eating on deck, enjoying the pool and the ports on your own schedule. The ship is small, casually elegant like a 5 star resort on the ocean - no Tuxedos, no Formal Nights and no Broadway shows - but lots of quiet time with friends, exotic and exciting ports and suberb cuisine!

SeaDream carries the new Segway personal transportation devices for pasengers to play with in port - and they looked like a blast! The Yacht also has a drop down marina from the aft part of the ship allowing passengers the use of all equipment and toys! JetSkis, water skiing, boats, kayaks - again a very personal experience.

One the favorite features I saw were the beautiful Sun Beds passengers used on the top deck during the day for sunning - and can now reserve for an evening under the stars! Imagine the ships crew making them with beautiful duvets, egyption sheets, candlelight and a bottle of Champage and spending the night under the stars! WOW - looking forward to my Feb. Cruise!

Well tomorrow its off to Sicily and the city of Taormina! Ciao!

Corfu, Greece!

Here we go again! Today we decided to skip a structured tour and head into town ourselves. One of the nice "extras" Crystal Cruises offers is complimentary shuttles into town from each of the ports we dock in, if needed.

So today we jumped on the shuttle and headed to town. First we headed off in the wrong direction and got to the end of the road - literally! We went back and started over! Once we got to the main part of town it was another beautiful, narrow street filled city - much bigger than the past few stops. The picture above is one of the pathways - shared by Hotels, Restaurant, Street Vendors and all types of commerce. The buildings here where about 8 stories high - they made nice cool oasis' of activity in the streets below.

Here we bought Olive Oil and Ouzo to bring home! We seperated again and I headed off to walk back to thw ship along the harbor and found a great little seaside resataurant for a Greek Salad and yes - Mythos! The local beer! :) We board the SeaDream Yacht later for a tour - I'll post a picture when we return!

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Well, we have made it to the famed "Walled City" of Dubrovnik! This morning we awoke to the sounds of the Cathedral Bells off in the distance and the beautiful Walled City of Dubrovnik!

The picture is taken from the center of town looking back at the draw-bridge we had to cross the enter the city. Again it was an amazing town with long narrow streets filled with shops, restaurants, and tourists!

Today I went solo on a walking tour of the city walls, since most of the group was ready for a break from the long hot walks, but I could not pass the chance to walk along these walls that had protected the city for Centuries and had as recent as 1991 been bombed by Yugoslavia under the direction of President Slobodan Milosevic - who many may know was charged at the Hague with War Crimes. You can see the recent destruction very clearly int eh contrast of the bright new red roofs as compared to the ancient coverings! There are also a few holes blasted in the walls of the Cathedral that have been left as a reminder of that recent war.

After the tour I stopped for a Mozzarella and Tomatoe Salad - one of the Med. favorites of mine! And of course a local beer - Pazo! Well I am off to meet the gang and maybe the beaches - they look incredible!

On to Sorrento! And Positano! And...

After leaving Pompeii - and MORE SHOPPING! Jeez - Italy is MADE for Shopping!

We headed to Positano, a very exclusive, popular and expensive resort on the Amalfi Coast and it was beautiful! We had lunch in a spectacular cliffside restaurant where I too the above picture. Actually the entire region, made up of many small towns, are built on the cliffs over looking the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea.

This entire area is beautiful and I cannot do it justice here in a few minutes! (I'm being asked to get ready for dinner - ok, not asked!). This whole region is filled with history and facinating architecture. I have taken to wandering for hours the small towns, backroads and markets after the rest of the gang has headed back to the ship. I have really gotten smitten with the are and already working on next summers trip from Venice to Athens in July! (Tom, Kim?)

Be back later to add some more!

The Ruins of Pompeii

OK! Today we are off for a full day tour to the ruins of Pompeii and the along the Amalfi Coast around Sorrento - and I'll put that in a separate post with a picture of the coastline.

First its off to POMPEII and the ruins I have heard so much about. We boarded our motorcoach at approx. 8:15 AM, after a night of Karaoke, Dancing, Casino and other Crystal Serenity offerings - so I will tell you first the group was a little quiet and some even a little GRUMPY! :)

We arrived in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvias by 10:00 AM and were immediately awe-struck at the ruins and the sight of the volcano. Maybe it was not all that huge - but it was just something we had been talking about before and in preparing for the trip. The one thing that struck me as odd was the whole "Info Center", "Ticket Booth" aspect - it felt a little like an amusement park. I do understand that it is needed to manage the tourists - but it felt a little weird. We had a wonderful guide who took us through the main streets of Pompeii, showed us the Gladiator Training Facility and event the "Red Light" district and an unusual signpost to the area!

We spent about two hours and then headed to Lunch in Positano, and a tour of the Amalfi Coast - see next post!

The Vatican!

I actually had no interest in seeing the Vatican on this trip, but mom and others said it was a “must see” – so we saw. And it was AWESOME! A definite “must see” if you are planning a trip to Rome. We had a private guide pick us up at the hotel and personally toured us through the Museum, the grounds, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Square and Basilica. Again the immenseness of the buildings and the structures were just awe-inspiring, and having a private guide made it very educational. Our guide, Paulo, was a local guide used by the hotel and he wisked us through the lines, got our tickets and knew what to show us and what to skip based upon our time restraints. He spoke to us about the history of Vatican City, its status as a separate country, how it was formed, etc. all the way back to the time of Christ.

On a separate note, I would HIGHLY recommend getting a private driver and guide in foreign cities if your desire is to learn and see the sites rather than just “view” the sites. We gained so much more and saved so much time it was well worth the cost. It is not cheap, but it is worth it.

We were back at the hotel by 2:00 PM for our trip to the Port. More tomorrow – we are off to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast!

Rome - Part Two

Well, I got a little sidetracked yesterday, but I am back to complete the day as I toured Rome and then boarded the ship! Anyway, after leaving the Fountain I headed directly to the Colusium – something many of us think of as quintessential Rome! One of the things that struck me was the cleanliness of the city – I am used to large cities being very dirty, smoggy and congested. Rome was very busy, bustling with life – but very meticulous, very clean. As I raced from corner to corner, enjoying the architecture and the people I suddenly turned a corner and there it was – magnificent! The Colusium and the Roman Forum were spectacular – both in daylight and again that night when I visited!

From there I hiked back to the hotel to meet up with my mother as she was the next to arrive in our group. We decided a rest was in order, but had the hotel arrange a driver and tour after the break. We also arranged a private guide for the Vatican the following morning and transport to the ship – approx. one our away.

We were picked up by our driver and whisked away to the great sites of Rome! Sidenote: The Drivers in Rome are Crazy!! There are no lanes pained on the wide lanes – just lots of cars, scooters, trucks and buses working to get to where they need to go! It was actually lots of fun once you got over the initial terror!  I also found during my hike that there are crosswalks painted on the street at the corners – but they are more of a SUGGESTION, not a rule! You simply ease yourself out into traffic until they stop or you do – its kinda like playing Chicken at 100 kph!

Anyway – we saw all the major sites and had a great dinner in the Piazza Novana that our concierge had arranged. I dropped mom off and headed to the local neighborhood bar for a nightcap and to chat with the locals – had a blast! More on that in another post!.

When in Rome!

Due to the modern wonders of technology, I have decided to post thoughts, sights and pictures throughout my 14 day Mediterranean Adventure on the Crystal Serenity! Please feel free to post any additional information or experiences you have had in Europe for the benefit of those that are reviewing this blog! Please also feel free to e-mail a link to anyone you think would enjoy participating and following along on this adventure!


Day One – Rome or Roma as the locals prefer!

I arrived fresh this morning after a great overnight flight from JFK, sleeping all the way, enjoying the great airline food, comfort and service. RIGHT! Actually it was not too bad, but I arrived in Rome at 7:00 AM local time or 10:00 PM Pacific Time. I promised myself I would stay up until evening to get my “body clock” on schedule! We will see…

We stayed at the famous Hotel Majestic, right on the Via Veneto one of Rome’s most well know boulevards, just down the from the Excelsior Hotel, the American Embassy and an unfortunate icon in modern times – the Hard Rock Café! Yes – I did go in and buy a pin for my friend Lori Carstens – and had to have a beer or two to toast my friends – but I digress…

I arrived at my hotel at approx. 10:00 AM and immediately set out to see the sights for a few hours before other members of my group started to arrive. I first got Euros at the local change house – and received my first shock of the day! We all hear Europe is expensive, but until they take your $200.00 in Dollars and return to you only $156.00 in Euros does it hit home! Oh well…

The concierge gave me a map, a few ideas and I hit the road – First stop – the Fontana di Trevi or Trevi Fountains as we are used to calling them here. As I walk I am struck again, like in most European Cities is sense of history and timelessness we do not have in the US due to the fact that the “new” buildings in Rome are older than our entire country! To see ancient ruins, surrounded by homes, businesses and modern roadways is quite a shock for me. Rome is a very easy city to get around in and the streets well marked for a walker like me. Within minutes I was wandering down a street barely wide enough for a golf cart – and I came upon the fountains!



In an area no larger than basketball court where HUNDREDS of tourists snapping pictures, tossing coins and making wishes into this beautiful fountain that had survived hundred and hundreds of years of wars, rebuilding and destroying and it was magnificent – I’ve included a few pictures as we go along and this was an amazing square. I can back the next morning so I could see it without the crowds and it was truly amazing. One of the things I found so interesting was the IMMENSNESS of the monuments. You literely had to start taking pictures blocks before you got close because they were too big to get a decent picture once you arrived!

I'm Back....

WOW! What a few months we have had here! I was so into this whole Blogging thing - and then life got in the way - oh well - I'm back now!

We have lots going on at The Cruise Place! First of all we had a fire in the restaurant adjacent to our office in San Marcos, Ca. that has displaced our staff there temporarily. Luckily no one was injured and we were able to retrieve our backed-up data in a few hours and get our systems up and running within a day. Calls were transferred to our Tucson office for two weeks - but all is now back to normal. We expect to be back in our office in 45-90 days.

We have also moved forward on our expansion plans and have committed to opening an office in Kansas City in the next month or so! That has been very exciting!

I closed escrow on a new home in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday - its a very cool - older Adobe home in an established neighborhood on the East side of Tucson, very near our office.

Starting Monday we will be taking calls from customers interested in sailing on the "Apprentice Legends Cruise" in September!

As you can see we have been REALLY busy - but we all love it! Stay tuned - I'll try to get back in here more often and keep everyone informed.

Thanks!

Scott

"To Book or Not To Book" - On the Internet that is.

This is always an interesting topic around my office. My thoughts and feelings on this are not always welcome or agreed with, but I guess that is one of the benefits of being the boss! :)

I am a big believer in the power of the internet, for providing information, access to research, opinions, reviews and so much more! The internet also allows for simple, low cost transaction-based business, as well as for all of us to deliver information to each other through e-mail.

It started to become clear to me when I was finding myself booking my own airfare at www.Southwest.com and hotels room at www.Priceline.com. I was not the most popular person around my office! At that time these companies, as well as Expedia, Travelocity and the others were considered "Public Enemy #1" and a threat to our livelihood. What I saw was a much easier way to book an airline ticket and a hotel room that the antiquated technology and systems that we in the travel industry had at the time.

What I started to see was that we were not very valuable to our clients as "Button Pushers" as anyone could do that now, but we had incredible value to our clients through our experiences, through our professionalism, through our knowledge of destinations, and through the business relationships we have developed with travel suppliers over many, many years of business. What I was hearing throughout the industry was advice not to book on the internet, using scare tactics, false information and horror stories. I was determined to work with our agents to become the experts we are today in using the internet to help our clients, not to fight against something that was inherently better for our clients. I mean get real - I was using the internet to book flights - how could we tell clients not to do the same!

The internet has been proven out to be the best place to buy a book, buy or download a song, buy an airplane ticket and other simple, commodity type items. We made a choice to start focusing on peoples vacations, on their time together with family and friends, on specialty trips like cooking, or fitness trips where we can use our skills and experience to assure all of our clients a great vacation, everytime. That you cannot get on the internet.

So in closing, I say Yes - book your airline ticket, get that book for the cruise, and even download a song for your Ipod on the internet - but for your vacation, business incentive program, fundraising cruise - I say call a professional Travel Agent that can help you take care of all the details - and if they are good, I guarantee they are doing much of the research on the internet too!

Thanks, and happy surfing! Please feel free to let us know some of your favorite travel websites - and check out www.TheCruisePlace.com - and let us know what you think!

Scott

What is "The Cruise Dude"?

For this Blog I decided to use a "handle" that was given to me by my good friend Leslie Bailey in Montgomery, Alabama! Leslie is an Entertainer, Radio and TV Personality, Restaurant Owner, Author - and an all around Great Gal!

We did a cruise together last year called "Hey Leslie What Cruising?" as she was launching her cookbook - and what a time we had! It was here that I became known as "The Cruise Dude". I'm not sure how it started - it could have been after a few Margaritas in Cozumel at Senor Frogs, or it could have been in New Orleans as we were sailing away for 4 days of sun and fun - either way it stuck!

Click photo to order!

The cruise turned out to be a great way to "launch" (no pun intended) the cookbook, do some fun cooking demos and just spend time with fans and supporters of Leslie! The cookbook has become one of my all-time favorites and I have included a link above if you are interested in purchasing! And if it is a favorite of mine - it must be easy! Enjoy!

First Blog!

Welcome to my Blog!

Everyone is talking Blogs these days and as I realized how much I enjoyed reading the specific Blogs produced by people I do business with - it hit me that my clients and friends might enjoy this as well.

The purpose for my Blog will be to discuss issues in the Travel Industry today, Destinations and whatever strikes my fancy! The Blog will allow customers and web-surfers to post comments on the topic to enance the overall value of the on-going web-logue or "Blog".

I hope you enjoy this! If you do - tell your friends, if you don't - tell me!