ON THE ROAD TO SANTA CRUIZ DEL PALMA, SPAIN - DAY 1 OF 2 SEA DAYS Mary...Thank you for your very nice comments. Although the World Cruise ends in a week, we remain on-board for three more voyages. So more to come. Today marks our 100th day on-board Crystal Serenity. Time goes fast when you are having fun. Before dinner we watched the talk given earlier in the day by Ambassador Marc Ginsberg. He had originally planned to discuss Israel and Iran and the Golan Heights. This lecture was more meaningful given the recent events about the Golan Heights. Marc has spent a good deal of time at the Golan Heights and his family Kibbutz faces the Golan Heights. He spoke about the strategic value of the Golan Heights. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 six-day war. In the 1973 war Syria attempted to take the Golan Heights. 20,000 Israeli settlers live on the Golan Heights It is only 45 miles from Damascus and 47 miles North to South. He does support the recognition of the sovereignty of the Golan Heights by Israel. He also covered and expressed grave concerns about Iran and the havoc they are causing in the region and the adverse impact on Israel. Major water supplies for Israel originate from the Golan Heights. We appreciate that we can watch the lectures that are given on the ship at the actual lecture, live from our room or at a later date on the television in our room. We returned to the Crystal Plaza for a pre-dinner drink. Last evening was the third of four Black Tie Optional (BTO) evenings on this voyage.m We sat with friend Ileen. These are the dinner menus from Waterside. We returned to Waterside for dinner where we enjoyed three courses. We began with appetizers; Keith had Caviar and Anne Marie had Soup. We both had a mixed Green salad which was accompanied by tomato, pine nuts, artichoke and focaccia crouton. Anne Marie had the entree of Filet of Beef Wellington accompanied with vegetables and Keith had Dover Sole. We were taken excellent care of by Head Waiter Augusto and Senior Waiter Claudia. The featured entertainment was a concert production show called Icon in Concert. This is a lively performance featuring a tribute to legends and their music. Later in the evening Ana & Humberto took part in the Latin Dance Hour which was a mixer at the Crystal Plaza which included dance. TheAmbassador Rotes were on hand to dance. There was live music in the major lounges; Crystal Cove, Palm Court and Avenue Saloon. For those wishing to sing there was Karaoke from 10:00 PM until Midnight and a late night Dance Party starting at Midnight. The movies Green Book was shown twice at the Hollywood Theatre. We slept very well as we were tired given the forwarding of the clock the night before. Keith began the day with a workout at the Fitness Center before we had coffee and breakfast in our room. Anne Marie had personal training with Fitness Director Charlotte. While Anne Marie was working out Keith walked inside the ship. When Anne Marie finished she met Keith and we both walked for another hour. There was lots on today's program. It included three lectures. Ken Rees spoke about the Canary Islands and Malaga. This included its history, along with current day life and things to do at each port. Eugene Robinson spoke about Real News, Fake News and No News. He addressed several areas of the media, some of the labeling occurring today and the challenges of the loss of newspapers around the country particularly as it relates to the local communities. In the afternoon Tim Severin spoke about The Sinbad Voyage. The morning included a Jazz Buffet Brunch prepared and served by the outstanding Food and Beverage team. The Brunch began at 11:30 AM featuring an array of breakfast, and luncheon items along with delicious desserts. First photo is our Senior Waiter Claudia with one of the Head Waiters Igor. While it is tempting to enjoy these fabulous buffets we kept to our regular routine of having lunch at Marketplace. We joked with the team at Marketplace that to us this is the gala lunch or should we say the Marketplace Gala Buffet. LOL.
After lunch Anne Marie walked while Keith played Paddle Tennis. We are enjoying the rest of the afternoon on Serenity as we post today's Blog. Below is today's daily Reflections Program. Cheers, Keith
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ON THE ROAD TO SANTA CRUIZ DEL PALMA, SPAIN - DAY 1 OF 2 SEA DAYS Thank you Emily. We do enjoy the Ocean Views Panel Discussion. Last evening we enjoyed a pre-dinner drink at the Crystal Plaza. These are the dinner menus from Waterside. We dined at the Prego Italian Specialty Restaurant with our travel specialist Gerri and her colleague Jill. Gerri and Jill have been on-board since Cape Town and will continue till the end of the World Cruise. We enjoyed non-stop conversation and it made for a wonderful dinner. It has been very nice having Gerri on this voyage and getting to know her colleague Jill. Dining at Prego is always a delight. We enjoy the total package. This includes delicious Italian Cuisine, the overall ambience of the dining venue and the professional and friendly service of the waitstaff. We think of the dining experience at Prego as one would experience in a small town/village restaurant in their own community. It also has that old world flavor. Petar was our waiter and took great care of us as did Head Waiter Mario and Specialty Restaurant Maitre d' Paolo. It is always a great team effort dining at Prego. When Petar welcomed us to Prego as the waiters always does he mentioned the additional item and the Signature Prego Dishes. For those of you who remember the Limoncello Soufflé it was the additional item. Keith used to have a running joke with foamier waiter Costa when the Soufflé was on the menu. While taking the order Costa would mention if you wanted this dessert to please let them know when ordering the meal. Each time Keith would say “next time”. Since the additional item is not a dessert and when it is explained they always say the entrée can be ordered as an entrée or a small appetizer. With the Soufflé being a dessert Keith asked if that was an option for an appetizer or entree. LOL. From L-R: Anne Marie, Keith , Gerri & Jill. The evening entertainment featured Ventriloquist and Comedian Mark Merchant. Mark performed two shows at 7:45 PM and 9:30 PM. The only down-side to the evening was forwarding the cock by one hour as we sail into a new time zone. We will forward the clock two additional times before reaching Monte Carlo where the World Cruise ends. We received information in our room from the Shore Excursions Team about docking information at Monte Carlo where this cruise will end and the next cruise begins. They also provided a preliminary tour form for excursions should we want to book any. We do have a couple of excursions already booked. We also learned that we will be docked at the Quai Rainier III - Port de Monaco where we have been docked on some of our previous cruises on-board Serenity. The port is conveniently located to the downtown area. There will be a complimentary shuttle offered in the evening to take guests to and from the Monte Carlo Casino square. They noted that should one wish to visit the casino appropriate dress is required and a passport is required to play any of the Casino's games. We slept well as we sail to our next port of call. Keith was up first and worked out at the Fitness Center. This was one of the more challenging days for Keith to get up. since we had forwarded the clock by one hour. Afterwards we enjoyed coffee and breakfast in our room. Keith had another personal training class with Melanie. After Keith finished his workout we both walked inside the ship for one hour. There was lots on the program. The program included three interesting lectures. Ambassador Ton Leon spoke about a very current issue. The issue is the challenges in a post-Brexit Continent. Later in the morning Ambassador Marc Ginsberg spoke about The Looming War of Northern Resistance: Iran vs. Israel in the Golden Heights. In the afternoon, Professor David Drewry spoke about Tsunami. Keith played Paddle Tennis in the morning. It was a little cooler and breezy as we are heading to Europe but overall the weather is still great. We enjoyed lunch at Marketplace. Afterwards, Keith played Paddle Tennis and Anne Marie walked. As we post this we are enjoying another magnificent sea day on board Crystal Serenity. Following is the daily Reflections Program. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith WELCOME TO PORTO NOVE, CAPE VERDE We enjoyed a pre-dinner drink at the Crystal Plaza. When we arrived there was a Jewelry Fashion Show hosted by Jeweler Hubert and Manager Karen. These shows are well attended. The guests in the show were dressed very nicely and wore beautiful exquisite pieces of jewelry designed by Hubert and his team. These are the dinner menus from Waterside. We returned to Waterside for Dinner and enjoyed three courses. We began dinner with the Andre Soltener’s Baked Onion Tart for me and Chicken Noodle Soup for Anne Marie. We each had salads. Anne Marie had Grilled Chicken Breast and I had the Grouper Fillet. We thought the food was delicious and enjoyed another wonderful dinner. The featured entertainment was The MacDonald Brothers who are from Scotland. They performed two shows. We have seen them perform other times starting on one of the World Cruises we sailed. They always electrify the audience. We slept well as Serenity sailed to our next port of call and began our day as we often do. Keith enjoyed a workout at the Fitness Center followed by coffee and breakfast in our room. We anchored off Porto Novo, Cape Verde by 6:30 AM. This is our first visit to this port of call. When he spoke from the bridge yesterday at noon Captain Birger noted that this is his first visit to this port. Most people we know have not been here before. This is our last African port of the World Cruise. Porto Novo, Cape Verde is situated in the southern part of the island of Santo Antao. The overall population is 9,100 residents. The island of Santo Antao was colonized by the Portuguese. This is one of ten islands that are part of Cape Verde. Similar to some islands we have visited on this adventure and in the past, this island is divided by a mountain region running East to West. The northern side of the island is lush with vegetation while the southern side of the island has far less vegetation and typically dry. Porto Novo is the second largest town of the island. It is a simple town with a harbor, old mansions, a small charge and markets which sells a variety of dairy and seafood products. Highlights include: Ribeira Grande which is the first European Colonial Town. Ponta do Sol which is the northernmost city on the island. Fontainhas which is a settlement in the northern part of the island. Cova which is a volcanic caldera in the east-central part of the island. Ribeira de Paul which is a seasonal stream flowing southwest to northeast. Keith took the tender over to the Island while Anne Marie stayed on-board the ship. The tender dock included a small Landing which had quite a bit of movement along with a bridge that also swayed depending on the tide. The best way to see the Island is by a tour. There were several tours offered including ones by 4x4 and some by small buses which included seeing nature, highlights of the island and/or a lunch. Keith walked towards the town. The town consists of a few stores including a market. He took a side walk part of the way. When the sidewalk ended he walked carefully along the cobblestone road. He also walked in the other direction. Some people were selling food items and water. A number of people were pulling suitcases having spent time on the Island on Holiday and they were making their way to the high speed ferry. The island is clearly dependent on tourism. Photos and video follow. In one of the videos we are trying to give you a sense of the tender bridge/tender dock and its movement. Once Keith returned from the town we enjoyed the rest of the day on-board Serenity. This included lunch at Marketplace. Anne Marie walked inside the ship while Keith played Paddle Tennis. Keith played non-stop with fellow guest Cindy, Hubert and Lieve enjoying fun games with lots of laughs. This is the daily reflections program. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith ON THE ROAD AGAIN - PORTO NOVO We enjoyed a pre-dinner drink at the Crystal Plaza. We were dressed in white since it was the White Night Extravaganza. These are the menus from dinner at Waterside. We dined at the Prego Italian Specialty Restaurant. Waiter Azem took great care of us and we enjoyed a wonderful meal. We began with appetizers of Warm Sage - Butter Poached Lobster for Anne Marie and Seared Tuna Crudo for Keith. We both had Caesar Salad. Entrees were; Veal Scaloppine and Pistachio Crusted Grilled Kingklip for Keith. Rather than having the Kingiklip in a bowl with soup they made it for Keith and served it plated without soup with Spinach on the side. The food and service were amazing. For most of the dinner very few people were dining there which added to the overall ambiance of the dinner. Waiter Azem is from Turkey and we mentioned how nice it is Serenity returns to Istanbul as part of World Cruise 2022. We first visited Istanbul on-board the Grand Princess in 1998. Since that time we have visited Istanbul four or five times on-board Serenity and also have visited Kusadasi, Turkey several times. Azem said he looks forward to April 16, 2022. He already had the date memorized. The good news is before going to sleep we enjoyed the benefit of turning the clocks back one hour. Payback time is coming as we will be forwarding the clocks by one hour on three separate occasions. Can't wait. NOT!! LOL. Crystal Serenity left port shortly after 10:30 PM. We slept well as we sail to our next port of call. The seas continued to be relatively calm. Keith was up early and enjoyed a workout at the Fitness Center. We enjoyed Coffee and Breakfast. Keith returned to the Fitness Center for an indoor cycling class while Anne Marie walked. Keith was surprised we had just six people in class given we turned back the clock by one hour. Maybe some of the guests were exhausted from touring yesterday. Today is a sea day and the program featured lots of lectures and other programs. In fact, yesterday while we were docked in Dakar several entertainers and lecturers arrived. The lecturers already on-board remain so we truly have a seasoned and highly regarded lecture team for the remainder of the World Cruise. Two of the lecturers who came on-board give talks today. They are: Ambassador Adam Ereli who retired from the United States State Department after 24 as a Foreign Service Officer. He served as Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain from 2007 – 2011. Ambassador Marc Ginsberg who was United States Ambassador to Morocco from 1994 – 1998. He is a regular on several United States television and radio networks. Three lectures included: A talk by Ambassador Adam Ereli about Real-Live tails from the front line. Ambassador Marc Ginsberg talked about the end of ISIS 1.0 and the Start of ISIS 2.0. The afternoon featured a talk by Tim Servenin about The Jason Voyage. We are watching the lectures using the on-demand capability on the television in our room. Before lunch Keith played Paddle Tennis. One of his games was played with dear friend Lieve who along with her wonderful husband Hector just boarded yesterday. It was great to see her. We look forward to getting together with them both and also seeing Hector perform and playing Paddle Tennis with Lieve We were back in Marketplace for lunch. The buffet featured Filipino specialties. After lunch Keith returned to the Paddle Tennis Court while Anne Marie walked. Although it was windy it was still a beautiful day to play Paddle Tennis. It's all about having fun even at times as the ball is traveling at your head at warp speed. LOL. As we post we are enjoying the rest of the afternoon on-board Crystal Serenity. This is today's daily Reflections Program. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith WELCOME TO DAKAR, SENEGAL We wanted to begin with a summary from Ocean Views which was held yesterday morning. The panel consisted of Tony Leon, (Former Ambassador from South Africa to Argentina) Tom DeFrank (Presidential Writer) and Eugene Robinson (Pulitzer Prize Writer) with Moderator Ken Rees Questions Posed to the Audience and they answer via hand held devices. Where is the audience from? 193 from North America, 28 from Europe, 3 from Asia and 18 from Australia. What station do you prefer to watch? 81 Fox, 30 CNN, 73 MSNBC and 74 BBC. What are you Political Views? 51 Left, 63 Right, 147 Center Has President Trump’s Presidency Improved or Lowered America’s Standing in the World? America’s Standing in the World Reduced - 172 America’s Standing in the World Remained The same - 54 America’s Standing in the World appears stronger and more resolute these days. – 32 After the discussion. America’s Standing in the World Reduced - 185 America’s Standing in the World Remained The same - 47 America’s Standing in the World appears stronger and more resolute these days. – 20 What should the West do about Africa? Background is that China is funding a great deal of African countries. The West should move swiftly to engage more in Africa. – 173 The West should keep its distance from Africa. - 41 As Bolton from the USA says, it is Africa’s Call to make and to choose the West over China/Russia. – 47 The West should move swiftly to engage more in Africa. – 210 The West should keep its distance from Africa. - 16 As Bolton from the USA says, it is Africa’s Call to make and to choose the West over China/Russia. – 29 Will Democracy Survive Across The World The Far Right is posting a risk against Democracy. – 56 This is just a phase that Countries go Through.- 22 Government must act firmly against Hate & Extremism. – 175 The Far Right is posting a risk against Democracy. – 15 This is just a phase that Countries go Through. - 18 Governments must act firmly against Hate & Extremism. – 184 Gun Control. I support the Constitutional Right to bear Arms exactly as it stands now. – 22 No something must be done and stronger Gun Control is Essential as New Zealand has Recognized - 207 Mental Heath is the issue- not the easy availability of Gun. – 28 I support the Constitutional Right to bear Arms exactly as it stands now. – 18 No something must be done and stronger Gun Control is Essential as New Zealand has Recognized - 214 Mental Heath is the issue- not the easy availability of Gun. – 20 Ken Rees concluded the talk on a light topic asking the panel what their advice for themselves back when they were 20. Eugene Robinson said to pay more attention in class and to read more poetry. Tony DeFrank said know your parents are not so stupid. Tony Leon said that at 20 you know all the answers but when you are over 40 or 50 you need to know the questions better than the answers. Finally he asked the panelists for reasons to be more cheerful in a world that is sometimes more challenging. Eugene Robinson said that in the past couple of decades that many have been lifted out of poverty so the long Ark is bending in the right direction. Tony DeFrank said that in his 50 years in Washington he has covered War, Assassination of a President, two attempted Presidential Assassinations and other challenges but that we are still here as a country and he thinks America is a country of survivors. Tony Leon said that his job as an opposition leader was to be pessimistic but he has found a book called Fact Fullness and ten things are better than you think. His point is that we tend to focus on negativity and while the world is bad it is getting better. Regardless of what one thinks about each item discussed we really enjoy the format of Ocean Views. It allows for a discussion of each item in a calm manner and also an opportunity to see what our fellow guests think before and after the discussion. We began last evening with a pre-dinner drink at the Avenue Saloon These are the dinner menus from Waterside We dined with fellow Cindy who is on this full World Cruise. Cindy has been on two other World Cruises that we have sailed and on Northwest Passage. Like Keith she plays Paddle Tennis and Keith often plays on the same court with her either as partners or as opponents. Each of us sees her at the Fitness Center while we are taking personal training or Keith is taking an indoor cycle class. This was the first time we have dined with her. We dined later than we often do. Upon our arrival we were the only guests needed to be seated so Restaurant Manager Leo escorted us to the table we were seated at. We enjoyed a delicious meal. We began with appetizers; Soup for Anne Marie and Olive Oil Poached Corvina for Keith. We both had salads and all three of us had the Yellow Tail Fillet. We often have Yellow Tail at Umi Uma which is thinly cut. This was the first time we remember having it at Waterside. Food was outstanding as well as the service. Special thanks to Senior Waiter Claudia for her recommendations including Yellow Tail and to Head Waiter Augusto for his advice. We appreciate Sommelier Donovan's recommendations for wine and all that Waiter Yvraj does including many things behind the scenes. It is a true team effort. We slept well as we made our way to this port of call. Keith was up first and worked out a the Fitness Center. We enjoyed coffee and breakfast in our room. This is our second time to Dakar. The city has a population of 2.5 million resdidents Highlights include: Place d'e' I'independence which is the Independence Square in the heart of Dakar. Mache Sandaga which is 60 years old and is a historical heritage site. Musee Theodore-Monrod which is museum devote to the arts and traditions of West Africa. Grand Mosque which was built in 1964. Palais Présidentiel winch was building in 1907 and serves as the residence of the current sitting President. In 2014 we visited Dakar for the first time and we took a private tour that we booked with Crystal Cruises. We decided not to do a tour this time around but thought we would share highlights and photos from the 2014 tour. As part of the tour we drove around the city of Mamoune and saw several historic sites. We then went to the Ferry Building to take the ferry over to Goree Island. The island was used for Salve Trade. While on the island we learned about the history of Slave Trade. During the course of the tour we visited Saint Charles Boromeo Church, Governor’s Palace and the Historical Museum. As we walked what really hits home is that in the context of history and in the scheme of things that slave trade was not too long ago and a reminder about how bad and hard life can be for so many people. We have seen slave cells on this Island as we did on another World Cruise visiting a different country. It was truly a sad time for the world. The first photo is where we waited for the ferry. Second photo of the slave cell. Third photo is outside the House Of Slaves built in 1776. Photo four shows the architecture of many of the buildings that we saw. Fifth photo is a monument given by the United States when Bill Clinton was President. Last photos are of military equipment from the World War. Keith had a haircut appointment at the salon this morning. Gloria who cut our hair since we boarded is on Holiday and Danielle is now our hair stylist. This is her first time working on Crystal Cruises after several contracts with NCL. She is from Liverpool so Keith and Danielle spoke extensively about my favorite all-time group, The Beatles, and how much we enjoyed visiting Liverpool. After Keith's appointment he went ashore and walked around the immediate area. The locals were very friendly only asking that I visit their stores. He asked if I could take photos and in some cases they said he could photograph them. He made some donations at the stores without purchasing anything. After returning to Serenity we enjoyed lunch at Marketplace and this was followed by Paddle Tennis for Keith and a long walk for Anne Marie. We are enjoying the rest of the afternoon on-board Serenity. The daily Reflections Program follows. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith ON THE ROAD TO DAKAR, SENEGAL - DAY THREE OF THREE SEA DAYS Last evening we both enjoyed a pre-dinner drink at the Crystal Cove. These are the dinner menus from Waterside. We dined at Waterside. We began our meal with appetizers. Keith had the Home Smoked Trout. It was very tasty and clearly smoked. Anne Marie had the Crispy Shrimp Roll. For our second course we had salads. Anne Marie had the Red & Green Caesar salad and Keith had a salad starter fo the Salad Entree. Anne Marie had the Seared Sea Scallops as an appetizer and Keith had the Cod Fillet. Everything was great but we have to say that Keith didn't have the Red Beet Root Risotto. It looked a bit too red. LOL. This does not happen very often but we each had different items for each of the three courses. LOL. The featured entertainment was a special Crystal Dance Stars which showed the talented Curtis and Every. Vocalists Carl Draper, Lauren Heavner and World Cruise Hostess Stacey Huston were also part of the show. We continued to enjoy calm seas as we sail to our next port of call. You barely knew we were at sea. We began today as we normally do with an early workout for Keith followed by coffee and breakfast in our room. We spoke with our daughter Jennifer and granddaughter Emma by telephone using WhatsApp. Thank goodness for technology. It was morning here and almost dinnertime in Australia where they live. Emma asked grandad why were were still on the cruise ship and when we were going home. She told Nana that she misses her. She has developed a bit of an Aussie accent as she began talking since the family moved to Sydney. Anne Marie had personal training with Fitness Director Charlotte. While Anne Marie was working out with Charlotte, Keith did stretching. Personal Director Melanie walked over to where Keith was and showed him some additional stretching exercises which was very kind of her. We both walked inside the ship. It was overcast outside and windy but the sea swells remained relatively calm. There was lots of activities on today's program. The highlight for us was Ocean Views which was moderated by Ken Rees and included Only Leon, Tom DeFrank and Eugene Robinson as the Panelists. We enjoy Ocean Views as a number of topics are covered starting with a question. The audience answers each question using a hand held device and before the panel begins the results are shown on the screens for all to see. The panelists proceed to discuss the topic with additional followup questions raised by Ken. After the discussion a followup vote is taken. Sometimes the discussion results in very little change of opinion while other times there is a big swing in opinion. We like the format and with the right panel it provides a great opportunity to get a range of viewpoints heard and discussed on very key issues. It also gives provides us with a sense what other guests think. The afternoon lecture was given by Joshua Young who spoke about his adventure with a best selling author. Keith played Paddle Tennis in the morning while Anne Marie started a new book. Unlike the past few days the temperature was moderate with wind gusts. We enjoyed lunch at Marketplace. Following lunch Keith played Paddle Tennis while Anne Marie walked. The weather was a delight and this was the first time where after each time Keith played he didn't have to change out of his Under Armor shirt and change caps because all were soaked. It was a nice change although we have appreciated the warm weather over cold weather. We are enjoying the rest of the afternoon on-board Serenity. Following is the daily Reflections Program. Cheers, Anne Maire & Keith |
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