I try not to focus on a specific product when I put together my ezine, but rather on the experience
of travel itself, regardless of how or where you travel. But I feel
the need to make an exception this week, because the experience aboard
Crystal's Serenity, sailing the Mediterranean, was exceptional. Crystal's ships repeatedly earn top honors from both the travel press and 
travelers
themselves. It's easy to see why they have a higher number of repeat
travelers than any other cruise line. Once you've cruised with Crystal,
nothing else really comes up to snuff.
We started out with two days in one of my favorite
cities, Barcelona. It was about three years since I'd been there, so
it was great to get back and see that the terrible economic situation in
Spain hasn't gotten the spirit of the city down. The Barcelonés are
still just as warm and welcoming as I remembered.
After that, full sail ahead to Monaco, where they were busy preparing for the Grand Prix de Monaco. Wish I could stick around for that!
But what I really wanted to see was about an hour's drive west along the Cote d'Azure -- Nice!
The last time I was in Nice -- aww man, I'm seriously dating myself here -- was
in 1977. I
was with the guy who to this day is my best friend, and with the woman
who to this day is my wife. So yeah, basically we were living a
Truffaut movie lol.
What a wonderful day! I collected rocks from the beach to bring home to both, and just sat and reminisced. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend an afternoon.
From There it was on to the Italian coast and the port city of Livorno. Most
cruisers
took an excursion into Florence or Pisa, but I stayed behind, content
to simply sit in a cafe and watch the people walk by. I found a
wonderful Catholic church where mass was being performed, and even
though I'm probably the only Italian in the world who is not Catholic, I thoroughly enjoyed the pageantry.
From there it was on to Rome, and home. A wonderful week for me.
So.... how does this fit in with my position that "Vacation should be more than just a blanket on the beach"? Or in this case, a blanket on deck by the pool? Let me tell you about some of the excursions Crystal offers...
Crystal has more than 1,500 Crystal Adventures ashore. Searching by Activity Types, if you're a foodie, you can find tours that take you to Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte for a four-course dinner and wine tasting, or a tapas cooking lesson in Barcelona. History buffs like me can search the “Cultural/Historical” options and find hundreds of choices suiting our interests, while water and nature lovers have categories specifically for them. In all, there are 12 Activity Types, including Culinary, Cultural/Historical, Eco-Adventure/Wildlife/National Park, Entertainment, Flightseeing, Sightseeing, Outdoor, Sports, Water, Overland, the line’s Signature Collection and NEW Adventures.
It's pretty amazing. And anyone who thinks cruising is just about sitting around and stuffing yourself at the all-you-can-eat buffet... just hasn't cruised Crystal.
Until next week!
travelers
themselves. It's easy to see why they have a higher number of repeat
travelers than any other cruise line. Once you've cruised with Crystal,
nothing else really comes up to snuff.We started out with two days in one of my favorite
cities, Barcelona. It was about three years since I'd been there, so
it was great to get back and see that the terrible economic situation in
Spain hasn't gotten the spirit of the city down. The Barcelonés are
still just as warm and welcoming as I remembered. After that, full sail ahead to Monaco, where they were busy preparing for the Grand Prix de Monaco. Wish I could stick around for that!But what I really wanted to see was about an hour's drive west along the Cote d'Azure -- Nice!
The last time I was in Nice -- aww man, I'm seriously dating myself here -- was
in 1977. I
was with the guy who to this day is my best friend, and with the woman
who to this day is my wife. So yeah, basically we were living a
Truffaut movie lol.What a wonderful day! I collected rocks from the beach to bring home to both, and just sat and reminisced. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend an afternoon.
From There it was on to the Italian coast and the port city of Livorno. Most
cruisers
took an excursion into Florence or Pisa, but I stayed behind, content
to simply sit in a cafe and watch the people walk by. I found a
wonderful Catholic church where mass was being performed, and even
though I'm probably the only Italian in the world who is not Catholic, I thoroughly enjoyed the pageantry.From there it was on to Rome, and home. A wonderful week for me.
So.... how does this fit in with my position that "Vacation should be more than just a blanket on the beach"? Or in this case, a blanket on deck by the pool? Let me tell you about some of the excursions Crystal offers...
Crystal has more than 1,500 Crystal Adventures ashore. Searching by Activity Types, if you're a foodie, you can find tours that take you to Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte for a four-course dinner and wine tasting, or a tapas cooking lesson in Barcelona. History buffs like me can search the “Cultural/Historical” options and find hundreds of choices suiting our interests, while water and nature lovers have categories specifically for them. In all, there are 12 Activity Types, including Culinary, Cultural/Historical, Eco-Adventure/Wildlife/National Park, Entertainment, Flightseeing, Sightseeing, Outdoor, Sports, Water, Overland, the line’s Signature Collection and NEW Adventures.
It's pretty amazing. And anyone who thinks cruising is just about sitting around and stuffing yourself at the all-you-can-eat buffet... just hasn't cruised Crystal.
Until next week!
