133 more days...

...in case you were wondering.

134 more days...

Cruising with Cyn
Collection of useless information circuitous to the OPERATION: Poisson Rouge Adventure.









Wowsers Provence

We will be arriving in Provence (Toulon), France on Friday May 28, 2010 the last of five ports of call. Breaking News! The itinerary has been changed ~ no stop at Marseilles but rather Toulon.

Fun Facts

• Toulon is the city with the most sunshine annually in France; an average of 2,899 hours per year
• 1820: The statue Venus de Milo is discovered at Milo and seen by a French naval officer, Emile Voutier, who admires it, persuades the French Ambassador to Turkey to buy it, and brings it Toulon on his ship, the Estafette. It is then taken to the Louvre.
• Toulon figures prominently in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. It is the location of the infamous prison, the bagne of Toulon, in which the protagonist Jean Valjean spends nineteen years in hard labour. Toulon is also the birthplace of the novel's antagonist, Javert.
• Marseille is also well known in France for its hip hop music. Bands like IAM originated from Marseille and initiated the rap music phenomena in France. Other known groups include Fonky Family, 3ème Oeil, and Psy4 de la rime. [cb says Apparently no hip hop music for us.]

Web Bites

• When it comes to public transportation, Toulon is a traveler's dream come true! Toulon is a major transportation center of the region and offers the best in getting tourists from place to place.
• Place Puget lies in the heart of Toulon's vieille ville. Victor Hugo lived at #5 while he researched Les Miserables.
• Marseille has been designated as European Capital of Culture in 2013. The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and cultural development. [cb says I know this is not a port but thought it was too interesting to pass up.]

In the News

Sorry but it was a slow week in news...Eurostar nearly back to normal following severe disruption

Just * The * Facts

Elevation: 89 feet Latitude: 43 06N Longitude: 005 56E
Avg Temp: 63
Avg High: 69
Avg Low: 56
Avg Precipitation: 1.6
Many people live here

See you next week on Deck 14 where the cool kids hang and periodically visit Deck 13.

135 more days...

Happy Birthday

Cruisemaster Ken!

Euro is the official currency of Spain, Italy, and France.

There are 7 euro notes. In different colours and sizes, they are denominated in 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euros. There are 8 euro coins denominated in 2 and 1 euros, then 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Two weeks ahead of our flight out, contact your credit card company (and ATM / bank) to notify them that you will using your cards in Europe so they don’t put your card on hold.

Whenever you exchange money, you may be asked to show your passport.

Currency Exchange:


DO's:
Get cash through ATM machines, sometimes referred to as a "cash machine" or a "cashpoint." (ATMs in Italy are called Bancomats.) You will get the most generous exchange rate. Do, however, check with your bank first to know what the fees are for foreign withdrawals. (Our bank charges $5). Also check to find out what your daily ATM withdrawal limit is before going.

The Cirrus (tel. 800/424-7787; www.mastercard.com) and PLUS (tel. 800/843-7587; www.visa.com) networks span the globe; look at the back of your bank card to see which network you're on, then call or check online for ATM locations at your destination.

It is best to carry a small amount of local currency when in foreign ports for tais and for purchases at small shops and street vendors. However, keep in mind that major credit cards are accepted in numerous places worldwide. The Barcelona airport has ATM's.

Use an ATM or debit card for what local currency you need and put major expenses on a credit card.


Pay with credit cards. This is another area in which exchange rates are much more favorable. Again, check with your bank about their policies. Many Visa card and MasterCard holders pay a 3% currency-conversion commission on their charges made abroad. A 3% currency-conversion commission is often competitive with an ATM's fees and better than the commission charged for traveler's checks or to exchange money at a bank or other facility. If an ATM is not convenient, foreign banks are often the next best choice for obtaining local currency.

Most credit card companies charge an exchange fee for foreign purchases, some quite high--check before you leave. Italians don't really like credit cards, and although most hotels, car rental offices, larger restaurants, city shops, and gas stations accept them, smaller establishments and places off the beaten track often don't. Always check the little stickers in the window.

DON'Ts:
Go to your bank and exchange all your money before your European trip. You will probably pay a higher rate than necessary, and you don't want to be running around with all that cash in your wallet. (Our bank charges $15 to exchange currency.)


Exchange money at the bureau de change or such at the airport or in tourist areas. They usually charge an exhorbitant fee.

Go over there with an ATM PIN of more than four digits or it might not work. Also, be sure you have the PIN memorized as a number even if you usually remember it as a word. Most ATM machines do NOT have letters corresponding to the numbers on the keypad.


Depend on traveler's checks. I know they make some people feel warm and fuzzy, but many shops will not (and are not obligated to accept them). In addition, you are at the mercy of the shop owner to give you a good exchange rate if the traveler's checks are in your home currency. Ouch! If you are worried about losing money, take out enough for a day's spending each day.

136 more days...

An Affair to Remember...

The excitement is building as we tick off the days to the
grand Mediterranean cruise on Voyager of the Seas...




CLICK HERE to see a teaser and tell me
if you don't get goose-bumps!!!

(I know I did!)

*Note: New Sister Ship "Oasis of the Seas" is currently the largest cruise ship in the world.

Cruise along and enjoy!...^_~

Karen

137 more days...

The eye in the sky sees all

The men in the cabin keep a watchful eye over everyone, even those on deck 13.

Looking out for you on Deck 13!

Mike

138 more days...

The Monday Finance Report

The dollar held steady this week, meaning that early investment in Euros would still have be a losing proposition.

However, because the dollar has strengthened since we began tracking it, that still means more buying power for us!  (FREE ADVICE:  If your old mother tries to pay off her gambling debts to you in euros, hold off...  The dollar is strengthening.  Demand greenbacks!)

We are global!

I recently began taking statistics on the visitors to the O:PR blog.  This week we went global!  We have now have had visitors from Viersen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, and from Laprairie, Quebec, Canada.  These may make good vacation spots for 2011.

There are no excursion fees on deck 13.
Mike

139 more days...

Join me on Sundays for basic lessons on

Learning to Speak Italiano!


Click on the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-tumpVPhRQ

...stay tuned for Lesson 2 next Sunday

Cruise along and enjoy....^_~

Karen