Posted by David Porter on August 3, 2017 · Leave a Comment
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Visiting Nafplio, Greece with Azamara Club Cruises
After leaving Athens, Greece, the first stop on our Azamara Club Cruises sailing was the beautiful seaport town of Nafplio.
Nafplio throughout the centuries was a very important seaport that was constantly under siege and was ruled at one time or another by the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and the Turks.
During the Greek War of Independence in the 19th-century, the Ottomans were ousted, and Nafplio became the capital of the young nation until 1834 when the nation’s capital was moved to Athens.
View of Nafplio from the Palamidi Fortress
Note: click all photographs for larger views. ©2017, David A. Porter
I shot this photograph from the Venetian-built Palamidi Fortress nestled on the crest of a 600-foot hill overlooking the bay. In the background is the Azamara Club Cruises Quest with a smaller commercial yacht in front and a private yacht in front of that.
When I moved to the other side of the fortress, this is the view that greets the eye.
If you look in the middle of the harbor, you will notice the Bourtzi Castle.
The Venetians completed its fortification in 1473 to protect the city from pirates and invaders from the sea. The Greeks regained it from the Turks on June 18, 1822, from where they assisted in the siege of Nafplio. Until 1865 it served as a fortress. It was then transformed into the residence of the executioners of convicts from the castle of Palamidi. From 1930 to 1970, it served as a hotel. Since then, it is mainly a tourist attraction occasionally hosting parts of the Summer Music Festival (via Wikipedia).
Here is a close-up…
“The Palamidi Fortress is nestled on the crest of a 216-metre high hill. The fortress was built by the Venetians during their second occupation of the area (1686–1715).
The fortress was a very large and ambitious project but was finished within a relatively short period from 1711 until 1714. It is a typical baroque fortress based on the plans of the engineers Giaxich and Lasalle. In 1715 it was captured by the Turks and remained under their control until 1822 when it was captured by the Greeks.
The eight bastions of the fortress were originally named after the Venetian provveditori. However, when it fell to the Ottoman Empire, the bastions were given Turkish names. Lastly, when the Greeks overthrew the Turks, the bastions were renamed after ancient Greek leaders and heroes (Epaminondas, Miltiades, Leonidas, Phocion, Achilles, Themistocles. The two remaining bastions were named after St. Andrew (Agios Andreas) and the French Philhellene Robert who died in battle on the Acropolis of Athens. The “Miltiades,” was used as a prison and among its walls was also held Theodoros Kolokotronis, the hero of the Greek Revolution.
The fortress commands an impressive view of the Argolic Gulf, the city of Náfplio and the surrounding country. There are 913 steps in the winding stair from the town to the fortress. However, to reach the top of the fortress, there are over one thousand. Locals in the town of Nafplion will say there are 999 steps to the top of the castle, and specials can be found on menus that incorporate this number to catch a tourist’s eye (via Wikipedia).”
Here are a few more photographs from our visit to the Palamidi Fortress.
Lastly, when visiting the town of Nafplio, be certain to explore the Old Town.
The area is full of boutique shops, restaurants, and is a delightful place for lunch and a stroll.
And, if you’re a lover of Greek salads, then make certain to get one in one of the many restaurants in Nafplio. Ours was the best Greek salad we’ve ever had.
If you want to sample this Greek salad, HERE is a link to their Facebook Page.
Oh, the fresh tomatoes, the olives, the capers, and of course, the fresh olive oil dripping over the huge block of feta cheese. Holy Greek Salad Batman! That was good!
Just look. And be sure to click for the large view!
Well, that’s it for now. Stay tuned for more of our adventures sailing with Azamara Club Cruises in coming episodes.
How about you? Are you ready to head to Greece?
For more information about Greece, or to book a fun cruise with Azamara Club Cruises, call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (CLICK HERE), and we’ll reach out to you.
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Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40
Posted by David Porter on August 3, 2017 · 1 Comment
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The World’s Top Cruise Destinations in 2016 + The World’s Busiest Cruise Ports
In May, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced the cruise industry had surpassed 2016 ocean cruise passenger projections, reaching 24.7 million cruise passengers globally up from a projection of 24.2 million.
For 2017, based on current new vessel launch schedule and expected regional deployment, CLIA is projecting another positive year of growth for the industry with a passenger forecast of 25.8 million.
So, inquiring minds want to know, where are these 25 million cruise passengers primarily going? Well, according to CLIA, these are the top ocean cruise destinations for 2016.
World’s Top Ocean Cruise Destinations in 2016
- Caribbean (35 percent)
- Mediterranean (18.3 percent)
- Europe w/o Med (11.1 percent)
- Asia (9.2 percent)
- Australia/New Zealand/Pacific (6.1 percent)
- Alaska (4.2 percent)
- South America (2.5 percent)
Further, Cruise Industry News gives us a glimpse of the world’s busiest cruise ports.
Photo courtesy of the Port of Miami. Click for larger view.
World’s Busiest Cruise Ports for 2016
- Miami: 4,898,000 passengers
- Canaveral: 3,951,127 passengers
- Everglades: 3,680,549 passengers
- Cozumel: 3,637,321 passengers
- Shanghai: 2,847,000 passengers
- Barcelona: 2,683,594 passengers
- Civitavecchia: 2,339,676 passengers
- Nassau: 2,034,685 passengers
- Canary Islands: 1,981,489 passengers
- Balearic Islands: 1,957,429 passengers
- U.S.V.I: 1,776,685 passengers
- Galveston: 1,730,289 passengers
- Grand Cayman: 1,711,565 passengers
- Southampton: 1,700,000 passengers
- St. Maarten: 1,668,863 passengers
- Jamaica: 1,655,565 passengers
- Venice: 1,605,660 passengers
- Marseille: 1,597,213 passengers
- Sydney (Australia): 1,309,000 passengers
- Naples: 1,306,151 passengers
- New Orleans: 1,070,323 passengers
Virtuoso Voyages w/ Azamara Club Cruises in Dubrovnik. Click for larger view.
Carol and I prefer to avoid the crowds. In fact, if you’ve been a reader of our website for any period of time, you’ll know that I prefer smaller cruise ships and prefer to stay far, far away from the maddening crowd. Therefore, let me share a few tips that I glean from looking at these two lists:
- The Caribbean has dominated ocean cruises for decades. The Caribbean ocean cruise season is in the winter months from December through April, and most of the millions and millions who will cruise the Caribbean are leaving from Florida. When you sail from Florida, it is going to take you two days of sailing to get down into most of the islands. So, unless you enjoy sitting on a cruise ship for four days out of your cruise, we advise that you consider the small-ship cruise lines that sail out of Puerto Rico. CLICK HERE to find 41 small-ship cruises that embark out of San Juan, Puerto Rico. And don’t forget, when you book any of these cruises, we’ve got complimentary perks to share on top of the cruise line’s best offers!
- Europe and the Mediterranean follow closely behind the Caribbean as a popular cruise destination controlling 29.4% of the world’s cruise travelers. Here, if you desire to avoid the crowds, concentrate on the shoulder seasons and avoid the busy summer travel months. We were just in Dubrovnik in early July. And while we loved the town, it was hot, hot, hot, and there were 10s of thousands of people jam-packed into the Old Town. NOT FUN! CLICK HERE to find over 1,000 small-ship cruise experience in Europe. After you click the link, you can further sort the list by the number of days you prefer, dates, and more. And don’t forget, when you book any of these cruises, we’ve got complimentary perks to share on top of the cruise line’s best offers!
These two regions cover 64% of all of the world’s cruise traffic. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider Asia, Australia/New Zealand/Pacific, Alaska, or South America. In fact, one might argue that you go where the crowds are not.
Search 6580 Cruises Around the World
Come, try out our cruise search tool: CLICK HERE.
Once there, you will be able to search 6,580 different cruise itineraries from the world’s very best cruise lines. And, with our handy search criteria tools, you will be able to zero in on the destination, dates, and cruise line of your choice. And don’t forget, when you book any of these cruises, we’ve got complimentary perks to share on top of the cruise line’s best offers! Notice a recurring theme? 🙂
Carol and I are ocean and river cruise experts, and beyond our fabulous search tools, we’d be honored to bring you our personal advice and bring you access to our industry back-channels when it comes time to book your cruise.
For more information, or to book your next ocean or river cruise, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (CLICK HERE) and we’ll reach out to you.
If you enjoyed this article, sign up for our travel newsletter to keep abreast of our best travel tips, on-location reviews, exclusive travel offers, group travel events, and much more.
Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40
Posted by David Porter on August 2, 2017 · Leave a Comment
NEW! In Search of the Northern Lights: Viking Ocean Cruises
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Norway has become a hot destination over the last few years. And believe it or not, a lot of the surge began from Disney’s “Frozen” movie as folks were exposed to this magical country and its ethereal Aurora Borealis. The animated movie premiered in 2013 and in 2014 Norway hoteliers saw a 36% jump in bookings. Further,
As Viking Ocean Cruises hails from Norway, and with so many folks calling and inquiring about seeing the Northern Lights, we were excited to see this new itinerary offered by our friends at Viking.
Click on the map above and you can see that this cruise begins in London, works its way to the northernmost reaches of Norway and then circles back to end in the fabulous town of Bergen, Viking’s hometown.
As you can see in my chart below, the sailing dates are in the winter months of 2019 for this 13-day cruise.
To learn more about these fabulous sailings, CLICK HERE.
Want Perks?
On the March 2nd sailing, we’ve got a special $125/person discount, on top of Viking’s best offers, when you book this sailing through Roaming Boomers Travel Services.
To learn more, or to book this exciting cruise to see the Northern Lights, call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
Don’t want to wait until 2019 to see Norway and perhaps the Northern Lights? Then check out all of the options we have for you at our Virtuoso website: CLICK HERE.
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Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40
Posted by David Porter on July 30, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Porch of the Caryatids – Erechtheion
This is one of my favorite photographs from our visit to the top of the Acropolis. The Erechtheion or Erechtheum is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis which was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon.
In my photograph, you can see the famous Porch of the Caryatids. One of those original six figures, removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, is now in the British Museum in London. The Acropolis Museum holds the other five figures, which are replaced on site by replicas.
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Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40
Posted by David Porter on July 29, 2017 · 3 Comments
Visiting The Parthenon in Athens, Greece with Azamara Club Cruises
Note: click all photographs for larger views. ©2017, David A. Porter
The Parthenon, sitting atop the world-renowned Acropolis of Athens, is quite certainly the most famous structure in all of Greece.
Carol and I were visiting Athens, Greece as the embarkation point for a 10-day cruise with Azamara Club Cruises that would take us from Athens, down into the Greek Isles, back up through Croatia and ending in Venice, Italy. To read the article about our sailing with Azamara Club Cruises click here, and to read our article about the Acropolis of Athens, click here.
The Parthenon is dedicated to the goddess Athena whom the people of Athens considered to be their patron. Remarkably, this structure, completed in 432 BC, has survived the years even while becoming a Christian church in the 6th century AD, an Ottoman mosque in the 1400s, and then was extensively damaged by an explosion during the Great Turkish War in 1687.
In 1832, Greece became an independent country. However, just 30 years earlier, the British obtained a “questionable” edict from the ruling Ottoman Sultan to study the structure and its antiquities. Subsequently, a great many of the original objects we removed and now reside in the British Museum in London. As our guide demonstrated to us, even today, this is a great matter of dispute between the Greeks and the Brits. The Greeks want their antiquities back. The Brits say, “nope.”
To learn more about the history of The Parthenon, check out this Wikipedia article.
Expect Large Crowds in the Summer Months
We visited The Parthenon on July 5th in the mid-morning. The sun was hot and the temperatures were working their way to the mid-90s with strong gusting winds.
If you can, visit in the spring or fall. The temperatures will be more welcoming, and the crowds will be significantly smaller.
Travel Tip: Some travel publications make a big deal out of the number of steps that one must climb to get up to the top. It wasn’t as bad as they made it sound. The journey up consists of a few steps followed by paved incline. I was expecting to have to climb 200 stairs with my arthritic knees. It wasn’t the case at all.
If you enjoyed this article, sign up for our travel newsletter to keep abreast of our best travel tips, on-location reviews, exclusive travel offers, group travel events, and much more.
Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40
The Roaming Boomers
Lastly, when visiting the town of Nafplio, be certain to explore the Old Town.
