147 more days....

148 more days...

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



Happy Holidays All!

Momma mia Florence
We will be arriving in Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy on Thursday May 27, 2010 the third of five ports of call.

Fun Facts

• In 1339 Florence became the first city in Europe with paved streets.
• Florence Nightingale, famous for revolutionizing the field of nursing, was named for the city of her birth.
• The identity of the architect of the legendary Tower (Leaning Tower of Pisa) is still unknown. [cb says I just read an interesting article on the web about the Leaning Tower of Pisa but for the life of me I can't remember where or else I'd pass the link on.]

Web Bites

• Florence is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and its artistic, historic and cultural heritage and impact in the world remains vast up to this day.
• The best time to visit Florence is in May, early June, late September and October.
• Proclaimed as the "art capital of Italy"...
• Michelangelo's David, one of the most frequently reproduced statues in the world, is located in Florence

In the News

The Green Initiative is important to the poeple of Florence. Read all about it...I'm dreaming of a green Christmas

Just * The * Facts

Elevation: 3 feet Latitude: 43 41N Longitude: 010 23E
Avg Temp: 61
Avg High: 71
Avg Low: 52
Avg Precipitation: 2.4
With a population of 367,569 Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany.

See you next week on Deck 14 where the cool kids hang.

149 more days...

Mo's Travel Tips

Shopping:
Duty-free Shopping. You are allowed a personal exemption of $800 worth of duty-free purchases intended for your personal or household use. This means you won't pay a tax - or duty - on these items when you return to the US.

Value-Added Tax (VAT). 20% in Italy and France!! (4% & 10% on basic products) 16% in Spain. On select itineraries we are required by the local law to collect value added tax (VAT) on select onboard purchases. The tax will be added at the time of purchase onboard. The VAT requirement is applicable to itineraries that sail only to European Union* ports of call. (Spain, Italy, and France are part of the European Union.)

Travelers from countries outside of the European Union are eligible for a VAT refund on select purchases they make within the European Union. Such travelers will be eligible for VAT refunds on qualifying purchases made onboard or shoreside through Global Refund, the world's largest VAT refunding company. VAT refunds are available whether you shop in shoreside luxury-brand stores, high-end street stores, department stores, souvenir shops, or the shops onboard our ships. Keep in mind that not all stores show the Tax Free Shopping sign, so remember to ask for your Global Refund check when shopping. Once the check is stamped, your refund can be obtained in a number of ways: cash at the airport or in some cases, close to the cruise terminal; direct crediting of your credit card; or a bank check sent to your home address. For some countries, you can even receive a cash refund when you get back to your home country. Check onboard for more detail about the VAT and VAT refund process or go to http://www.globalrefund.com/

When you arrive at the airport you must present your tax refund cheques at customs BEFORE you check your bags in. Immigration won’t let you go back to the place to claim your VAT refund once your passport has been stamped that you are departing the country. Customs may request to check the items before they stamp your cheques. Once your cheques have been stamped by customs you can cash your cheques at any Bureau de Change in your chosen currency. (Hint, the claim area at the airport is a little window located to the left of the baggage claim carousel in the international terminal).

150 more days...

Five Months to the Day...

Five months, to the day, we will be in Barcelona, Spain!!!...still hard to believe! My passport is on the way, and I am beginning the "list process" of planning what to bring and wear on the anticipated cruise. I'm glad I have a late January birthday - cruise wear will be on my list...hint-hint..... (Ken & Cindy are, of course exempt.)

This week has been a hectic one with Christmas preparations and working full time. The loss of a weekend shopping day due to the biggest ever snow storm in December put me behind on checking off everyone on my list, but I'm working on it and hope to be done by Christmas Eve morning...*yikes!*


...so much to do, so little time....and so I leave you with this until next week...





Cruise along and enjoy....^_~

Karen

151 more days...

Photo-taking for Tourists - 101 concluded
The Leaning Tower of Pisa - Solutions

So what does work? 
A closely cropped picure helps.  Plus placing the hand on the "face" of the building instead of trying to line up with the edge makes for a nice effect.

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/windancer/?xjMsgID=68269

The best one that I have see is this one.  It's different!  It's original!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1fdXpZ/www.hongkiat.com/blog/100-funny-photos-taken-at-unusual-angle-humor/

And what are my plans?  Expect something like this:

...and that's a wrap on Photo Taking for Tourists 101
And the blogs, they are a changing...
The quality of the blog has come a long way in the 45 posts that got us here. Originally I just saw this as a outlet to post a few one liners, have fun with some quick Photoshop creations, and countdown the days until the big event. But now that there is real content coming in from Karen, Mo, and Cindy, it has become much more that just a few of my own disjointed thoughts.

With that I have decided to change to a 5-day format. The Finance report will move to Mondays, my main post will be on Tuesdays, Karen on Wednesday, Mo on Thursday, and Cindy on Friday. My posts will return to the more frivolous one liners and pictures that I originally envisioned.  I'll leave the heavy-lifting to the ladies, who are doing a smashing job.

Time to get back up to deck 13 to see what's shakin'!
Mike

152 more days...

Photo-taking for Tourists - 101 cont'd
The Leaning Tower of Pisa - What not to do


While we like to figure out most of our shots on our own, one cannot help but to be influneced by the work of people around us.  Some of it is quite good, and inventive.  And some, not so much...

In fact, the web is filled with examples of Pisa shots gone wrong.  Here are a few examples to learn from.

1) Realize, that you are not alone...  Any shot that you take of the leaning tower is bound to be filled with many others doing the same thing.

http://dailyfailblog.com/2009/11/21/originality-fail/

2) Unless of course, you opt to take your picture from one of the less dramatic points of view.  Then again, you get what you pay for...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94971185@N00/3829933647

Now, this isn't too bad.  I like that it is unique!  But something just isn't right...

http://jeannemadsen.blogspot.com/2008/06/pisa.html

For more Pisa Photo Fails, go to:
http://cabinet-of-wonders.blogspot.com/2008/06/art-of-gesture-in-tourist-italy.html

TOMORROW'S INSTALLMENT:
The Leaning Tower of Pisa - Solutions: We will look at some of the better Pisa shots out there and come up with a few ideas of our own.


Not quite ready to go back to deck 13 yet...
Mike

153 more days...

Photo-taking for Tourists - 101

One of the things that I enjoy to do when I go out, be it a day trip, a visit with family and friends, or a major vacation such as O:PR, is take and share pictures.  Lots of them...  My personal photo album contains just under 40,000 images at this time.

The pictures that I most enjoy are the unique ones.  People letting loose, strange scenes, or something seen from a different perspective.  What photo opportunity fits this bill better than...  (wait for it)


The Leaning Tower of Pisa

First, a little background on the subject:

Original architect:  Unknown (do you blame him?)
Location:                Pisa, Italy
Building Type:       Church complex

The Tower of Pisa was a work of art, performed in three stages over a period of about 177 years.

• Construction of the first floor of the white marble campanile began on August 9, 1173.
• The tower began to sink after construction had progressed to the third floor in 1178. This was due to a mere three-meter foundation, set in weak, unstable subsoil, a design that was flawed from the beginning. Construction was subsequently halted for almost a century.
• In 1272, construction resumed under Giovanni di Simone, architect of the Camposanto. In an effort to compensate for the tilt, the engineers built upper floors with one side taller than the other. This made the tower begin to lean in the other direction. Because of this, the tower is actually curved. Construction was halted again in 1284.
• The seventh floor was completed in 1319, and the bell-chamber was finally added in 1372.  There are seven bells, one for each note of the musical major scale. The largest one was installed in 1655.

That is all well and good, however, the real reason that the tower of Pisa leans can be traced back to Andre' Jandini who is reported to have told the original architect...

"You might have to tilt it." *

TOMORROW'S INSTALLMENT:
Photo Taking at Pisa - What not to do

I wonder if I will have to tilt it to get onto deck 13!
Mike


(*) - Ahhh, the footnotes.  If you ever are asked to carry something with Andy Lang, he will invariably want to discuss the fact that "we are probably going to have to tilt it" before any actual work begins.  You can tell him that at this point in your life (46 for me) that you are aware of that fact.  You can explain that you are sure that "the need to tilt it" was sure to become apparent before the object being carried would come crashing into any doorways, but that will not keep him from explaining, "I'm telling you, we might have to tilt it!"

He also likes to read the directions to things...  Out loud...  Loudly...  With EMPH-asis, AND WITH subtle inflections...  But he's a good guy, so we let him slide.

154 more days...

The Saturday Finance Report

This is good news for us, since we did not invest any money into euros as of yet.  And as the $US continues to strengthen will be able to buy even more euros per $US. 

This graph shows you the strength of the US$ as a function of time. We want to see this line continue to climb.  Current forecasts are quite varied regarding expected performance in 2010.


 
How many euros would it take to get you up on deck 13?
Mike

155 more days...

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

Whoa Rome

We will be arriving in Rome Baby Rome on Wednesday May 26, 2010 the second of five ports of call. Rome Baby Rome!

Fun Facts

According to legend the brothers Romulus and Remus (the founders of Rome) were raised by a she-wolf in a cave on Palatine Hill.

Rome's emblem is the she-wolf suckling the two brothers Romulus and Remus.

A park in Rome is named the "Park of the Monsters." Not because it is a haunted place [cb says Sorry Mike -- it's not r-e-a-l-l-y haunted.]
but because it is full of grotesque figures like a crude Hercules slaying an Amazon and an ogre's face with a mouth so big that people can even walk through it!

Rome has a museum which is entirely dedicated to pasta. The Pasta Museum is a one of its kind around the world and showcases different pasta-making machines, as well as paintings related to pasta by contemporary artist

The Baths of Caracalla although in a bad state now, were once in their prime days spread across 27 acres and could handle 1,600 bathers at any given time. Built in the 3rd century, they are the largest survivors of Rome's imperial era.

Web Bites

Rome is widely regarded as one of the world's most beautiful ancient cities.

It is at its most comfortable from April through June, and from mid-September to October; in particular.

First known picture of a fork comes from Rome. [cb says Wow, now that is good to know.]

Every morning I get up and eagealy await the latest edition of the OPERATION: Poisson Rouge blog. Whether it is Karen's Travel Tips, Mo's wonderful art work or Ken's Saturday Financial Report I love having my morning coffee with you. Another enjoyable experience is reading local newspapers from Europe. Last week I brought attention to how Italy has some of the most expensive condoms - this weeks article is about how police found art work by Van Gogh, Monet, Kandinsky and others - read about it below.
POLICE UNCOVER MORE ART HIDDEN BY EX-PARMALAT CHIEF

Just * The * Facts

Elevation: 10 feet Latitude: 41 48N Longitude: 012 14E
Avg Temp: 63
Avg High: 71
Avg Low: 54
Avg Precipitation: 2
Rome is the capital of Italy, with a population of over 3.5 million.

See you next week on Deck 14 where the cool kids hang.

156 more days...

Mo's Travel Tips

Packing Tips:

TSA regulations state that liquid/gel/cream/paste/aerosol toiletries in carry-on bags must be in containers of 3 ounces or less to get through security checkpoints. And all of those containers must fit comfortably in a one quart size, clear plastic, zip-top bag.

Scan your passport, passport photos and paper tickets (if not the e type). Store this (in an email for e.g.) in your web based email account. You can also store the details of your emergency 'lost card' telephone numbers in your web based email account so you know who to contact if your credit card or ATM card is lost or stolen.

Keep any medication and important papers in your carry-on bag. packing a fresh change of clothes is a good idea as bags tend to get delayed or lost on long haul, multiple stop flights. You don't want to end up stuck without medication, clothes or your important papers even if it is just for a few days.

As an extra precaution, be sure to include identification inside each piece of luggage in case the external tag is lost during your travels. If you know where you will be staying during a longer trip, add your cruise ship information to your identification tags. This will allow the airlines to contact you there if your luggage is lost, rather than trying to contact you back at your home address.

When you are flying somewhere, divide the clothes between different suitcases/backpacks/bags etc. If one persons luggage doesn't arrive at the destination, they'll still have clean clothes available. Airlines generally don't compensate lost luggage for the first 24-48 hours.

It is always handy to have a few plastic bags around certain items, especially toiletries. Remember not to pack bottles of shampoo or other liquids that are completely full. Leave some air space in the bottle. Changes in air pressure/altitude can sometimes cause the contents to leak. Ziplock or other airtight plastic bags are the best.

Pack your undergarments (and anything else that you do not want handled) in plastic bags. If your checked bag is hand searched, inspectors can usually "crush and feel" the bag for security purposes without having to actually handle all of its contents. Pack any shoes/footwear last so that they will be on top of other items. This will make it easier for security screeners if the bag is hand searched.

Don't over-pack your bags. This will prevent the bag's contents from spilling out if they are opened for hand searching. It will also make it easier for security screeners to properly re-close your bag.

Do not lock your checked bags. If a checked bag must be hand searched and it is locked, it may be forcibly opened and the bag or lock could be damaged. TSA-approved locks (that can be unlocked by TSA agents) are available for locking up your luggage.

If you are packing several books inside a single bag, spread them around inside the bag. Stacked books are very dense and will probably cause the bomb-detection machines to flag the bag for hand-searching. (It is best to distribute your books among all your checked and carry-on bags.)

And my personal favorite packing tip:
Do not pack any food or beverages in checked luggage. Food items such as cheese, fruitcake and chocolate are dense enough that they can sometimes be mistaken for explosives by bomb-detection machines and set off an alarm.

157 more days...

Work up a sweat in the state-of-the-art

ShipShape Fitness Center

If you are concerned about those extra pounds you may put on while indulging in the endless array of cruise cuisine, head to the ShipShape Fitness center. There you will find the the best equipment, saunas and whirlpools, and all the latest classes, like yoga and pilates. Voyager has everything the most sophisticated fitness clubs have - weight machines, treadmills, stair-steppers, spinning bikes - plus an amazing view!

Or maybe...

Treat your mind and your body at the incredible ShipShape Day Spa and salon, offering a variety of massage, skin, and beauty treatments. Whether you are interested in a simple manicure or pedicure, a stimulating yoga class, or an ultra-relaxing full body aroma therapy stone massage, this is one experience you will not soon forget! The ShipShape Day Spa offers an array of cultural therapies designed to entice even the most unlikely of customers. An experienced team of professionals will treat you like you have never been treated before, leaving you refreshed and feeling like an entirely new person in no time at all!

Royal Caribbean's ShipShape Day Spa features only the most luxurious products exclusively from Elemis, La Therapie, Ionithermie, and Steiner Hair Care and Cosmetics.

All spa services on Royal Caribbean cruise ships are available by appointment only and can only be made once your board for your cruise. Check prices as these can add up quickly...

The whirlpool is enticingly appealing...you just might find me there...after all, you never know who you might meet...

Cruise along and enjoy...^_~

Karen

158 more days...

The mini-series continues:
"Would Nana do it, for a buck?"

What else is there to bet on?

Well, there are the obvious choices...  Deck 13 (although I think that we'd use the honor system on that one).  We've already seen the rock wall, and spoke of miniature golf (both of these will make for some great bets.  I can't wait!). 

Hmmmmm...

There are numerous local "delicacies" in Italy, France, and Spain that will make for good memories, but that has evolved into it's own mini-series, as we shall see in a couple of weeks...  So what's left?

Here is where I turn it over to you.  What suggestions do you have for "Would Nana do it for a buck?"  Or, better yet, pick your victim, or the whole group!  What kind of things would you like this crazy family do to  pursue even more lasting memoies in the mediterranean? 

To start us off, how about Ken and Cindy touring France wearing berets!  I'd pay a buck to each to see that!

As Toot would say,
"Ow-wwwwwwwwwwwwwwlllllll!"



Taking a break from 13.
Mike

NEXT WEEK: The do's and don'ts of taking those classic tourist photos!

159 more days...

The mini-series continues:
"Would Nana do it, for a buck?"

STAGE PERFORMANCES:

Apparently, there will be several opportunities for Nana to make money on this one.  From the Royal Carribean website "Take Center Stage Yourself":


Karaoke: Step into the spotlight and sing your favorite songs. It's a chance for our most gifted guest singers to battle it out for the title of Karaoke Superstar!

Boogie Bodies: Sing along or lip sync to pop hits with friends and family while your heads are superimposed onto animated bodies. It's fun to participate in and even more fun to watch. You'll even get a DVD of the experience to take home with you! Check it out at http://www.boogie-bodies.com/.

Gotta Dance: Wow your cruise mates with your new moves learned in this Hip Hop dance adventure. Like the award-winning documentary that inspired it, Gotta Dance incorporates unforgettable choreography - in an easy-to-follow format open to all ages, languages and skill levels. Exclusive to Royal Caribbean International.

So here's the bet: If Nana performs on stage (invited or otherwise), or actively gains the attention of and performs for a group of 10 or more people aboard the ship, I will give her a buck.  Others are welcome to sweeten the pot.  The dear old woman and I will sort out the "fine print" of what consistutes a performance when presented with the opportunity.  Heck, that's half of the fun!

I wonder if I left my sunglasses on deck 13.
Mike

160 more days...

A few posts back (183 more days...) we saw Nana enjoying the rock climbing wall on VOTS.  Nana commented, "At least I can still climb the rock wall.  I'll never be old....."

While I might challenge Nana on both of those claims, it got me thinking.  What fun things might we get the old woman to do, especially if we tempted her with a buck (*).

And so, we begin the mini-series, "Would Nana do it, for a buck?"

WATER SPORTS:

So here's the bet:  If Nana performs any of the following water sports during Operation: Poisson Rouge, I will give her a buck.  Others are welcome to sweeten the pot.

o Water Skiing

o Banana Boating

o Parasailing

o Jet Skiing

Looking forward to enjoying the view from deck 13!
Mike

(*) It has come to my attention that those not in the inner circle may not appreciate some of the more subtle points of this blog, such as howling, deux bacon, and in this case the power of a single dollar.  My dear old mother and I love to bet against each other whenever we can.  It is not so much about the money, as it is about TAKING the money.  That much said, you might be surprsised what you can get that old woman to do, for a buck.  Try it sometime...  It's a lot of fun.

161 more days...

The Saturday Finance Report

Or, if your dear, sweet, old mother gave you EUR5.76 as payment for the New York Yankees beating the Philadelphia Sillies in the World Series, today it would be worth $8.52 ($0.06 less...)

EURO TRACKER / FORECAST:

 

The forecast for the USD vs EUR looks favorable over the coming months.  This would equate to a $3 to $4 ROI on a $100 investment! (source: /forecasts.org)

As some of you may have noticed, The Sunday Finance Report has moved to Saturdays.  This has been done in order to provide me with three contiguous days for other content. 

Looking forward to hanging out on deck 13!
Mike

162 more days ...

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




O Sole Mio! Naples

We will be arriving in Naples, Capri ITALY! on Tuesday May 25, 2010 the first of five ports of call.

Fun Facts

Naples currently has a higher birth rate than other parts of Italy with 10.46 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.[cb says More about this later.]

‘Santa Lucia’, ‘O Sole Mio’ and ‘Funiculi Funicla’ have their roots in a festival hosted in the Festival of Piedigrotta, which began in 1830, in Naples, Italy.

Pizza was invented in Naples and is v-e-r-y serious business.

Web Bites

Naples is ranked fourth in Italy, for economic strength, after Rome, Milan and Turin.

Naples has over 440 churches.

Underneath Naples there is a series of caves and structures created by centuries of mining, which is in part of an underground geothermal zone.

ITALY HAS WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE CONDOMS - read about it here [cb says This may be contributing to the baby boom?!]

Just * The * Facts

Elevation: 289 feet
Latitude: 40 53N Longitude: 014 18E
Avg Temp: 64
Avg High: 72
Avg Low: 55
Avg Precipitation: 2
Naples is the third largest city in Italy, with a population of over 1.5 million.

See you next week on Deck 13 when we travel to the highly anticipated capital of Italy - Rome Baby Rome!

163 more days...

Mo's Travel Tips

Checked Baggage:
Continental Airlines will accept up to two pieces of checked baggage with a maximum weight of 50 pounds and a maximum outside dimension of 62 inches in exchange for the applicable service fees set forth below. Outside dimension of a bag is equal to the width + height + depth of the bag added together. The fees are discounted for bags that are checked and pre-paid at continental.com. You may continue to check your bags at the airport or curbside for a higher fee.
Baggage Fees:
Travel from US to Europe
1st bag $0 Online or Airport
2nd bag $45/$50 Online/airport

(Looks like one checked bag and one carry-on for me -- Ooh! That's 90lbs of stuff!)

Tips for checking Your Baggage in for a Flight
Continental recommends that you carry valuable items such as electronic equipment, cameras, film, cash, jewelry, medication, prescriptions and keys with you on board the aircraft.

Place your name and address on the outside of your baggage. Nametags are available at all airport baggage check-in locations. We also recommend that you place your name and address on the inside of the bag.

For domestic and international flights (excluding certain flights departing for Guam), baggage will not be accepted for check-in more than 4 hours prior to scheduled flight departure. (Darn! I wanted to pretend to be Tom Hanks for a few hours.)

Allow enough time for your checked baggage to be accepted. International Flights to and from the U.S., customers must complete baggage check-in at least 60 minutes prior to scheduled departure.

Claim your baggage immediately upon arrival at your destination. (I think the airport should know about that one.)

Be aware of what items are restricted to be in checked baggage. If you are not sure, review the list of items permitted and prohibited shown on the Transportation Security Administration Web site.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

Which item will you miss bringing?

Tah!

164 more days...

~A Divine Dining Experience~

The dining room on Voyager of the Seas will amaze you when you walk in at dinner. It's three levels, all centered around the grand staircase and brilliant chandelier. All staff are quite friendly, you can't walk by someone that doesn't greet you. Every night there is a different menu to choose from...unique salads, entrees, desserts, anything you can imagine. And if you're thinking of a stiff, formal dining room every night of the cruise, well, you're wrong.....

On the two formal nights, the Captain dines in the dining room at a table of special guests. Men can choose from tuxedos or suits and ties, while woman usually wear cocktail dresses. A dark suit is just as appropriate.

Don't be surprised if I bring a date to dinner; you never know who you might meet...^_~

Cruise along and enjoy~

Karen

165 more days...

The exploration of Deck 13 continues...

Gee, Nana and Pop-pop...  It looks as if those torsos haven't seen the light of day in quite a while.  You might want to use some sunblock, at least until you get used to this.

Maybe we're seeing too much of each other on Deck 13...

M&M

166 more days...

The truth comes out...

Looking forward to "seeing all of you" on Deck 13!
M&M

167 more days...

The Sunday Finance Report:

Or, if your dear, sweet, old mother gave you EUR5.76 as payment for the New York Yankees beating the Philadelphia Sillies in the World Series, today it would be worth this much more:

$0.12

Then again, it isn't really about the money... 

It's really about taking the money from the old woman.

Deck 13 - The Reveal - Coming soon!

168 more days...

Wow!  It feels strange to be back at the keyboard.  But the blog has taken a great new direction with the addition of Wednesdays with Karen, Cruzing with Cyn, and Mo's Travel Tips.  Great job ladies!!! 

So, we were talking about the safety of ships, etc.  Let's hope that our cruise ends up a little different than this one...  Right??  At least Ken is keeping an eye out.  

ICEBERG, RIGHT AHEAD!!!

See you on deck 13 (details to follow next week!),

M&M

169 more days...

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

Ah Barcelona

While not officially our first port, we will be able to proudly claim that WE have been to Barcelona Spain as it will serve as our arrival and departure point. We will be arriving in Barcelona on Sunday May 23, 2010. [cb says Wow 2010!]

Fun Facts

Barcelona and Spanish drivers in general are one of the worst, according to recent statistics an accident occurs on average every nineteen seconds weekdays Monday to Thursday but this rises to one every sixteen on Fridays.

FC Barcelona is the biggest privately owned stadium in the world (seating 100,000 people) and is also one of Barcelona's most visited tourist attractions.

Barcelona Wax Museum, officially known as Museu de Cera, is the Spain's answer to the Madame Tussaud's in London.

Web Bites

Today it's a year-round destination, although the most pleasant weather is in May [cb says Yeah Baby] and June, when outdoor festivals herald the arrival of summer.

Barcelona is a perfect walking city...

Public transport is likewise excellent...

Just * The * Facts

Elevation: 20 feet
Latitude: 41 17N Longitude: 002 04E
Avg Temp: 61
Avg High: 68
Avg Low: 53
Avg Precipitation: 1.3
Population ~ 3 million Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and largest on the Mediterranean coast.

See you next week on Deck 13 when we travel to Naples and have pizza?!

170 more days...

Mo's Travel Tips

Carry-on Bags:

Continental will permit one bag plus one personal item (see below), per customer to be carried on the aircraft.

The maximum combined linear measurement (L + W + H) of the carry-on bag is 45 inches (115 cm)up to 14 in x 9 in x 22 in. The maximum weight of the carry-on bag is 40 pounds (18 kg).

Personal items
In addition to the one carry-on item, you may bring free-of-charge the below items:

one small personal article such as a briefcase, purse, day planner, small laptop computer, camera case, compact disk player or similar sized personal entertainment item

Effective Aug. 16, 2008, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will allow passengers to leave their laptop computers in bags that meet new “checkpoint friendly” standards. For a bag to be considered checkpoint friendly, it should meet the following standards:

-A designated laptop-only section
-The laptop-only section completely unfolds to lay flat on the X-ray belt
-No metal snaps, zippers or buckles inside, underneath or on top of the laptop-only section
-No pockets on the inside or outside of the laptop-only section
-Nothing packed in the laptop-only section other than the computer itself.

CPAP breathing machines (must be removed from carrying case and submitted separately for x-ray screening)

Small and portable electronic items do not need to be removed from their carrying cases.

Note: Most knives are not allowed past the security checkpoint (including, but not limited to, pocket knives, folding or retractable blades regardless of blade length or composition, box cutters, X-Acto knives, scissors with a pointed tip, straight razors, Leatherman or Swiss Army Knives). Plastic and round-bladed butter knives are permitted in carry-on baggage. (Oh good, toast for everyone!!)

Wow! This is fun to do. Now I know why Mike has enjoyed making this blog. See you all next week!

Tah!

171 more days...

While you can no longer go inside the bridge, you can go up to the "Peek-a-Boo Bridge" on Deck 11 and look down on this massive ship's version of a cockpit-at once bigger in space you would imagine, and smaller, more compact than you would expect, considering the 142,000 tons under the helm, and its size, 1,021 feet (imagine the Empire State Building floating on the ocean, that is how big Voyager is), and 15 decks.

Looks like Ken bribed the Captain for a private tour...

HEY...Watch where you're going!!!

I will now be contributing to the blog every Wednesday. (...how did that happen?)
Looking forward to injecting some humor and facts leading up to the VOTS vacation extraordinaire at the end of May 2010...

Cruise along and enjoy!

Karen

172 more days...

Safety First!

While problems at sea are a rarity, please keep your wits about you onboard VOTS. 

However, if something does go wrong, remember your safety training, and stay calm knowing that there are plenty of capable lifeboats and willing passengers available to help out out in times of trouble.  (Funny how it always comes back to Nana, eh?)

DON'T FORGET!  Tomorrow starts, "Wednesdays with Karen" on the O:PR Blog.  Who knows what she has in store for us!  Then Mo's Travel Tips, and Cruisin with Cyn!


See you on deck 13!
M&M

173 more days...

FRENCH 101:

Here are some common phrases translated into French that you may find useful during your trip.

ENG: Where is the bathroom?
FR: Oui, oui?

ENG: Howwwwlllllll
FR: Ow-oooooooollllll!

ENG: I would like some breakfast.
FR: deux bacon, s'il vous plait (accompanied by a guesture with three fingers)

See you on deck 13!
M&M

Reminder: "Wednesdays with Karen" , "Crusing with Cindy", and "Mo's Travel Tips" all begin this week!

174 more days...

The Sunday Finance Report:

ANOTHER NEWS FLASH!

Yesterday we announced that Karen has signed up to host the blog each Wednesday with her own brand of humor.  Well, now Cynthia Beck (THE Cynthia Beck) has opted to take on Fridays, starting December 4th.

Cindy was kind enough to give me a sneak peek at a few of her ideas, and all I will say is that you will be wowed.  Really wild stuff, and different than anything that you have seen here so far.  In fact, this is the content that might take us from family and friends to national exposure!  WE'RE GONNA GO VIRAL!!!

YET ANOTHER NEWS FLASH!!!

And since Cindy's announcement, Mo has also announced that she too would like to host a day per week here on the blog.  The topic will be 'Travel Tips', and it will appear every Thursday! 

There are still more days of the week available for anyone with the interest and desire to contribute.  Stake your claim on the blog, and lets countdown together!   (Wow!  I might have to start a spinoff blog soon!)

175 more days...

What post could be more appropriate for Nana's birthday?  (HBD Nana!)

Among the largest gaming areas at sea, Voyager’s casino are slots, roulette, dice, blackjack and poker, plus frequent bingo and trivia games.

Gaming Machines - 325 total
Table and Poker Games - 17 total
American Roulette, 3 tables
Blackjack, 9 tables
Caribbean Stud Poker, 4 tables
Craps, 1 table


 

Karen sent the following picture for inclusion in the blog.  I guess we think alike! 

NEWS FLASH: As a result, we now have a new feature on the Blog: "Wednesdays with Karen".  Karen will be posting her own material every Wednesday here on the blog. Her first entry will be "171 more days..." on Decemeber 2nd.  Look forward to it! 

If you would also like to get in on the fun and host a day each week, just let me know!  (I know that Ken says he has some ideas...  Let's all cheer him on, too!)




See you on deck 13!
M&M

176 more days...

And about all of that food...  If you eat to much, not to worry.  They have you covered.

See you on deck 13!
M&M

177 more days...

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Which reminds me, the food on VOTS is reported to be exceptional! 

Even if you want nothing for dessert, it is something to be remembered.

See you on deck 13!

M&M

178 more days...

There is plenty to do on VOTS, including mini-golf!

The wager is $0.25 per hole, $1 per hole-in-one, and $5 for the game.  Who's in?

See you on deck 13!
M&M