| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
|---|---|---|---|
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8th Nov 2025 |
BoMoH to Hatton Cross |
£50 room |
 |
9th Nov 2025 |
LHRow to ATHens |
On board by 15:45 |
|
10th Nov 2025 |
Piraeus Greece |
Athens On My Own (OMO) |
 |
11th Nov 2025 |
Kusadasi Turkey |
Kusadasi On My Own (OMO) |
|
12th Nov 2025 |
Souda Crete Greece |
Arcadi Monastery & Rethymnon |
 |
14th Nov 2025 |
Catania Sicily Italy |
Murgo Winery tour |
|
15th Nov 2025 |
Naples Italy |
Sorrento & Pompeii tour |
|
16th Nov 2025 |
Civita- vecchia Italy |
Etruscan Necropolises of Tarquinia |
| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
I awoke naturally at 6:50 and spent the morning getting packed up. I popped into Winton to do some last minute shopping. Just after noon I phoned for a Silverline taxi to take me to the coach station, where I had my Boots chicken wraps to eat. I caught the 13:10 FlixBus, which cost just ten quid, sleeping for an hour en route.
We got to LHR T5 at three o'clock, where I used the facilities. I then caught the Piccadilly Line tube train just two stops to Hatton Cross, which cost nothing with my Oyster card. I walked past my fifty pound digs without realising it, so had to double back. I had a double bed AND a single bed with an en euite shower room, but no telly to watch or beverages to drink. I had some snacks that I had brought with me, plus the rest of my milk from home.
I started work on this blog, before watching television. I thought that the Celebrity Traitors show was tedious, but did enjoy Strictly Come Dancing. I went to sleep at 8:30, having done seven and a half thousand steps, equal to three miles of walking, during the day.
I awoke at 4:30, half an hour before my alarms, having slept for eight hours. I couldn't get the shower to supply any hot water, so I was out of the place just after five o'clock. There was a ten minute walk through the cold fog to Hatton Cross tube station, so I was in LHR T5 by 5:30. The two stops on the tube again being free of charge. Check-in opened at 5:55 and I was soon through to security and the main waiting area, where I found a working power socket at the third attempt.
The plane was loaded early and wasn't full, so I had an empty seat beside me. As it was foggy, our departure was delayed by half an hour, but we took off in sunshine. The damp air led to a stream of fog flowing over the wings. Early on we got given two oat biscuits to eat and a small bottle of water to drink. I then dozed for an hour.
I spent most of the flight playing FreeCell and Hearts on my mobile phones, whilst they charged up. Towards the end, I got out my new Open University laptop to update this blog. We arrived bang on time, but passport control took thirty five minutes. Inside baggage reclaim, my large suitcase was labelled and loaded on to a trolley. Outside baggage reclaim, I met the Viking rep who led five us to the waiting people carrier. I chatted to Canadian Brian sat just in front of me. This journey took forty minutes to get to the ship in Piraeus harbour.
I was on board by 3:45, which was only 1:45 on GMT. Check-in was swift and I found out that I had stateroom 10028 again. Just after four o'clock, I had one smoked salmon and one shrimp open sandwich as a late lunch in the Living Room. I had one cup of decaff cappuccino to drink.
At six o'clock I met Cruise Director (CD) Philip, Assistant Cruise Director (ACD) Amy, Viking Resident Historian (VRH) Dr Ted and Stage Manager (SM) Hugo in the theatre. Thankfully, the latter got my new laptop working.
At 6:30 I went to the Main Dining Room (MDR) and asked for a sharing table. After ten minutes, I was joined by Joe & Janice from Philadelphia, who also have a holiday home south of Atlantic City on the New Jersey shore. I had the Tuscan bean soup, the Greek lamb kleftiko and the baklava to eat. I gave the calorific wine a miss and stuck to sparkling water instead.
Afterwards I signed up for some tour escorting in the back office. At 8:30 I listened to the Greek Odyssey concert with five male musicians and one female singer. The drone shot backdrops were stunning, but I had trouble keeping awake, so I slipped out after just twenty minutes. I went to bed at nine o'clock (seven o'clock GMT) having done nearly nine thousand steps, equal to over three miles of walking around the two airports during the day.
I awoke at 6:20 having slept for over NINE hours, after my long day travelling the day before. I made a full strength coffee with my new portable coffee machine, whilst abluting. Just after seven o'clock, I had two multi-grain croissants with smoked salmon al fresco a la terrazza as the sun rose over Piraeus.
At 7:45 I walked around the port to the overground metro station, where I paid €2.30 (about £2) for a return ticket. I caught the 8:15 departure, which took twenty minutes to reach Monastiraki (also known as Monastirion) station. I walked towards the Acropolis, past the Tower of the (Eight) Winds:
I cricled around the Plaka old town to get to the Metropolitan cathedral. I visited the Central Market, with its huge Meat & Fish halls, for the first time, before returning to Monastiraki station. I then caught the 10:45 train back to Piraeus, but as I emerged from the station an enormous cloud burst erupted. I sheltered under the footbridge for ten minutes, until it started to die down. The thunder was the loudest I have ever heard and led to flash floods along the roadsides. I struggled back to the ship with my new green umbrella, but with no macintosh, as the morning had earlier been so fine. Having changed into dry clothes, I had a bowl of bean soup and the escalope of chicken for lunch al fresco a la terrazza. One of the waiters recognised me from the Viking Star.
I then slept for three quarters of an hour, before working on my new OU laptop. At four o'clock I went to the Kusadasi port talk. CD Philip began with a twelve minute introduction, followed by seventeen minutes on the ship's tours by Shorex Manageress Dora the Explorer, who I have worked with before. CD Philip finished with a five minute conclusion. At the end Canadian Brian asked for my advice on which tour to do, so I recommended the Biblical tour as I knew they were believers.
Just after five o'clock, I spent five minutes in the Spa pool and five minutes in the Spa hot tub, as the main swimming pool was still empty. At 5:50 Resty set me up early so I could attend the solo travellers meetup at six o'clock. Here I met singers Frankie (Francesca) from Leicester and Kieran from Norwich. I had one glass of Buck's Fizz, but no guests arrived in the first five minutes, when I had to return to door duty at the Star theatre. At 6:30 CD Philip introduced me and I gave my forty five minute talk on Ephesus to a good sized audience, given that the Greek buffet was already starting.
At 7:30 I asked for a sharing table in the MDR, where I sat with Sprigg and Kathy from Nashville, Tennessee. They had lived in Windsor, Berkshire for six years when Kathy was working in England. I had the lentil soup, the steak Diane and the no sugar added panna cotta to eat. I again declined to have any calorific wine to drink.
At nine o'clock, I enjoyed the ABBA Songbook production show as usual. It also included Katie from Dublin and Dan from south east London, as well as the two vocalists I had already met. In the crew area, room steward Ryan recognised me from my days as a dance host on SAGA over six years ago! I went to bed at 10:15, having done over sixteen thousand steps, equal to over six miles of walking during the day.
I awoke to my alarms at six o'clock on Turkish time, but I couldn't get my new coffee machine to work. At 6:45 I had one egg Benedict AND one egg Royale to eat inside the World Cafe. I had one mug of regular coffee, one glass of orange juice and one of sparkling water to drink. At 7:20 I met CD Philip in the Star theatre. He asked me to read the "In Flanders Fields" poem, but I said I might have trouble getting through it. Instead I read the Ode:
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.
When I got back to my cabin Ketut had already been in and out. I then put some laundry on to dry in the launderette. At nine o'clock, I left the ship and walked up the main shopping street. At the old stone gatehouse, I turned right up the hill past the mineral & fossil museum, the cultural centre and the population exchange museum. At the fitness park at the top of the col, I turned right again and continued to climb.
After two miles of walking, I came to the famous statue of Kemal Ataturk on the hillside. This had great views of the three cruise ships in the harbour and the Byzantine castle on Bird Island. When I heard thunder, I beat a hasty retreat down through the shanty town.
Back at the port, I couldn't get the Starbucks wi-fi to work and, fearing the rain, headed back to the ship. I then watched my Ephesus presentation on the telly.
At 11:30 I had an early lunch of butternut squash soup, followed by fish & chips sat in the double height Aquavit cafe. I then slept for one hour, making up for my early start.
I spent the afternoon working on my laptop. At 4:30 I went to the Souda Bay port talk, which had a 7/12/5 minute breakdown as usual. Afterwards I walked around the promenade deck, as we sailed away from Kusadasi. At 5:15 I spent five minutes in the Spa hot tub, five minutes in the Spa pool and five minutes drying off on one of the Spa heated stone beds. Just before going to dinner, I had an email from Amy asking me to run a dance class!
In the MDR I was joined by Mrs Gibson and her lawyer son Colin from North Haven, Connecticut. I had the lentil soup, the Caesar salad, the lamb chops and the no sugar added lemon tartlet to eat. I had just sparkling water to drink. At nine o'clock I enjoyed the Stage Door production show of musical theatre songs. I always like the four Cockney musicals: Mary Poppins, Oliver, My Fair Lady and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The finale, a selection from Les Mis, always goes down well with the audience. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done twelve thousand steps, nearly equal to five miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at six o'clock to my alarm, but again couldn't get my new portable coffee machine to work. I ended up breaking open the aluminium pod and pouring the hot water on the loose coffee grains. At seven o'clock I had two open sandwiches of hard boiled eggs with smoked salmon on black pumpernickel-type bread to eat. There was a beautiful sunrise from the Aquavit terrace at the rear of the ship.
Just after eight o'clock I was at bus number six with guide Katarina and driver Dionysos. We had twenty eight guests to look after on the Arcadi Monastery and Rethymnon Old Town tour. On the next bus was guide Poppy, who remembered me from the previous December, when we had taken coffee together in a gay bar in town. The honey yellow monastery was bathed in sunshine for our forty five minute visit.
Once in town, two little old ladies struggled with the walking, so I dropped them off at a harbourside cafe and rushed to catch up with the main party. We saw the Venetian Loggia and the Turkish Mosque as usual. At an artisanal bakery guests were snapping up the baklava. Katarina was given three pieces, one of which she gave to me to eat.
During our free time, I rushed up to the Fortress, but declined to pay the four euros to go in. Instead I did some more photography in the old town and down by the lovely Venetian harbour. Rethymnon is so much quieter and nicer than Chania or Heraklion.
Back at the cruise terminal, a lady had dropped a ring on the coach and her husband failed to find it. Back at the ship, I had the vegetable soup and the mixed grill including crispy pork belly to eat. I then slept for an hour and a half, dreaming about my father. I didn't bother going into Chania in the afternoon:
At 5:30 I spent five minutes in the Spa pool, but only two minutes in the Spa hot tub and only two minutes on one of the warm stone beds. At six o'clock Resty set me up ready for me to give my forty five minute talk on the Story of the Mediterranean Sea. Afterwards I dined with VRH Dr Ted and his wife Eileen. When CD Philip arrived and sat at a nearby table, I invited him to join us. I had the lentil soup, three king crab legs and a small steak with various vegetables to eat.
At 8:30 I enjoyed the Dancing under the Stars by the pool, but with the roof firmly closed. During the first song I led off the Electric Slide with three lady guests joining me. Towards the end of the eighty five minute session they played "Achy, Breaky Heart" so we did the Electric Slide again. We ended with the usual, popular YMCA.
Back in my stateroom, I watched my Med talk on the telly, before updating this blog. I went to sleep at 11:30, but it was now only 10:30 on Italian time. During the day, I had done ten thousand steps, equal to four miles of walking.
I awoke to the dawn at 6:50, but it was now only 5:50 on Italian time. I had to break open another coffee pod to get my morning kick. Just after seven o'clock, I had the full English breakfast with TWO croissants filled with scrambled egg and smoked salmon al fresco a la terrazza in the bright, warm sunshine. I had one glass of strong orange juice moderated with a glass of sparkling water to drink.
I spent most of the morning working on my laptop, including backing up my photographs taken so far. When Ketut came to service the stateroom at nine o'clock, I did four circuits of the top deck, equal to half a mile of walking. At 9:30 I went to VRH Dr Ted's interesting talk on the Roman Empire. At 11:30 I had my first Viking burger of the cruise in the Pool Grill, before sleeping for an hour and a half.
At 1:30 Hugo set me up in the Torshavn nightclub, ready for me to give my forty minute ballroom waltz workshop at two o'clock. I had over thirty participants on a rather small, square floor with four columns at the corners. I began with them walking around the room to the music. I then taught the box step with the help of Gail. Next we did the box turn, so they could progress around the sides of the floor and do a quarter turn at each corner. With so many beginners to look after, I didn't teach anything else and didn't cover rise & fall with heel leads. I rewarded myself with a cup of decaff coffee from the counter.
Back in my stateroom, I worked on my laptop adding the hike to the statue of Kemal Ataturk in Kusadasi. At 4:30 the Catania port talk had an 11+19+5 = 35 minute breakdown. At 5:20 I did six lengths of the warm, main swimming pool which had been filled, but the roof was partly open and it was getting dark. I moved down to the Spa to spend five minutes in their pool, but only two minutes in the hot tub and two minutes on a warm, stone bed.
At six o'clock Resty set me up ready for me to give my new forty minute talk on Shakespeare & Italy. At the end, guests told me about Stratford in Ontario with William Shatner, the importance of revenge as a motive and the "Tis pity she's a whore" play. It was very quiet in the MDR as the Surf & Turf buffet was ongoing in the World Cafe, so I had to dine alone for the first time this cruise. I had the tomato soup, the Caesar salad, the lobster and the no sugar added Eton mess to eat. I forewent the calorific wine, as usual this cruise.
At nine o'clock I went to ACD Amy's cabaret in the Star theatre. She began with Alannah Myles's Black Velvet and ended with Dolly Parton's Jolene. In between it was a mix of musical songs with some jazz tracks too. There was a fair few 6/8 time (Viennese waltz) numbers. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done only five thousand steps, equal to just two miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 5:30, half an hour before my alarms. Breakfast started at six o'clock, when I had ham and cheese on a toasted muffin al fresco a la terrazza as the sun came up. I was off the ship at seven o'clock, berthed in Catania for the first time. I walked into the city centre and photographed the cathedral, the castle and some other sights. I turned on tracking to walk back to the ship.
At nine o'clock I met guide Lara and driver Alessandro at bus number 22. We had thirty nine guests to look after on the Murgo Winery & Scenic Countryside tour. We sampled five wines: sparkling white, sparkling rose, still white and two red wines. We had ham, salami, cheese, olives, tapenade and sun dried tomatoes to eat with rustic bread chunks. Next came the winery tour with the bottling plant in full production. Our next stop was at a honey and jam establishment, with some more wines to sample. Our final stop was at the 1992 lava flow on the side of Mount Etna. I dozed on the drive back to the ship and again for half an hour in my stateroom.
At 4:30 I went to the Naples Port talk which had a 10 + 23 + 5 = 38 minute structure. I didn't have time for my usual swim or wallow. At six o'clock Pedro set me up ready for me to give my forty minute talk on Vesuvius.
Afterwards I adjourned to the MDR where I sat with an Hawaiian man from Honolulu and his daughter. They both now live in San Francisco, so I was able to talk about my vacation there last year. I had my favourite bean soup, the Caesar salad, a large pork chop and the no sugar added cherry streusel to eat. I had TWO glasses of French pinot noir red wine to drink to celebrate completing my first Viking Neptune contract.
At eight o'clock I handed in my escort report and collected my next assignment: Sorrento AND Pompeii. At the entrance to the Star theatre I was given a glass of bubbly to drink. We had the usual crew parade followed by the new MoTown production show. This needs to be rolled out across the entire fleet! At 10:20 I saw a red glow from the top of Stromboli, the always active volcano in the Aeolian Islands. I went to sleep at 10:30, having done over fifteen thousand steps, equal to over six miles of walking during the day.
I awoke to my alarm at six o'clock, ready for smoked salmon on a toasted muffin, as the sun came up behind Mount Vesuvius. I got off at eight o'clock to meet guide Fabio and driver Salvatore at bus number one. We had a nearly full coach of forty five guests on the Sorrento AND Pompeii tour.
I dozed on the drive out to the former, where we had one hour of free time, after the inlaid wood demonstration. The bastion closed for the winter on the 30th of October, so I had to make do with the cathedral and some cloisters. At the Tasso restaurant just after eleven o'clock, we had two huge cannelloni to start, followed by pork or veal scallopini with vegetables. The meal ended with a nice piece of cake. I had one glass of white wine and one of still water to drink.
We then drove to Pompeii for the usual tour of the theatre, the brothel, the baths and the forum. However the first house we went in was the newly renovated House of the Lovers, which was new for me. We had a quick trot through the museum with the famous plaster casts. I had two little old ladies with sticks, who struggled with the huge cobble stones, and one partially sighted younger lady to worry about.
Back at the ship, I spent ten minutes in the large hot tub by the main swimming pool, with the roof fully open to the dark sky. At six o'clock I went to the MDR where I joined Don & Ann from Houston in Texas. We talked mainly about huntin', shootin' and fishin'. I had the minestrone soup, the Caprese salad, the sirloin steak with chips and the no sugar added mango dessert to eat. I forewent the calorific wine and stuck to sparkling water instead.
At eight o'clock I went to the Star theatre to watch the Wicked movie, but after forty minutes I was nodding off, so I returned to my stateroom. Here I finished off my Kusadasi hike slides, before updating this blog. I went to sleep at ten o'clock having done thirteen thousand steps, equal to over five miles of walking during the day.
I awoke to my alarm at six o'clock, having slept for eight hours, ready for FOUR pieces of smoked salmon on a toasted muffin for breakfast, sat inside the double height Aquavit bar, as it was windy outside. I had just one glass of orange juice fortified with one glass of sparkling water. I gave the diuretic coffee a miss.
At 8:20 I met guide Annalisa and young driver Philipo on bus number thirty seven. We had just eighteen guests to look after on the Etruscan Necropolises of Tarquinia tour. We began at the famous archaeological museum in Tarquinia, which has many magnificent Etruscan sarcophagi. During the free time, I photographed the outside of the cathedral. I paid €2 to climb on the battlements and tower of the castle. This had fabulous views of the twelve tall towers of Tarquinia on one side and the rolling Lazio countryside on the other. At the necropolis we descended into eight different frescoed Etruscan tombs.
Back at the ship, I had the vegetable soup followed by the mixed grill consisting of a small piece of escalope of chicken and a single beef skewer. I then slept for an hour and a half. At 4:30 the Livorno/Pisa/Florence port talk began with Cruise Director (CD) Philip's thirteen minute introduction. This was followed by a long thirty seven minutes on the tours by Shorex Manageress Dora the Explorer from Albania. CD Philip then gave the five minute conclusion which also trailed my evening lecture.
At 5:20 I did six lengths of the top pool, with the roof closed in the dark. I then spent five minutes in the large hot tub, getting out as the underwater lights were finally switched on. Whilst wallowing, CD Philip did his SOLAS spiel, again trailing my evening lecture. At six o'clock I sat with Richard & Jo from Memphis, Tennessee. He had personally visited Elvis at Graceland several times! I had the leek soup, the poached Norwegian salmon and the cherry streusel to eat. I had several glasses of sparkling water to drink.
At eight o'clock Resty set me up ready for me to give my forty minute talk on Leonardo, cutting out just a couple of slides at the end. I went to sleep at 10:40 having done eight and a half thousand steps, equal to over three miles of walking.
Another excellent cruise including:
* Hiking to the Kemal Ataturk statue in Kusadasi
* A second visit to lovely Rethymnon on Crete
* Teaching a ballroom waltz dance workshop
* Berthing in Catania for the first time
* Visiting both Sorrento AND Pompeii from Naples
* A second visit to the Etruscan tombs of Tarquinia in Lazio
Maddy from New Jersey wrote:
"I just read your blogs and, as always, found them informative and insightful."
"I see your next cruise begins December 4th."
"Happy & smooth travels."
1) "Ephesus: Ancient Metropolis" Discover the fabulous ruins of this great city. (10th November - Needed to be before Kusadasi) 2) "The Story of the Mediterranean Sea" Come & hear this introduction to the natural history and human history of this great sea. (12th November - Needed to be before the sea day) 3) "Shakespeare and Italy" Come and find out why Shakespeare set so many of his plays in Italy. (13th November - Needed to be before Rome & Florence) 4) "Eruptions of Vesuvius" Dig into the story of the buried cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. (14th November - Needed to be before Naples) 5) "Leonardo da Vinci: Greatest Artist of the Italian Renaissance?" Look back on the life and works of this great polymath. (15th November - Needed to be before Florence)
6) "Michelangelo: Greatest Artist of the Italian Renaissance?" Marvel with Martin at his sculptures and paintings. (15th November - Needs to be before Rome & Florence)
214 Cruises 57 Cruise ships (see below) 16 Cruise lines (see below) 7 Night cruise 5 Restaurants (MDR, CT, WC, PG, Manfredi's) 5 Continental breakfasts 4 Enrichment Lectures given 4 Tours escorted 4 Singers (Kieran, Dan, Katie and Frankie) 3 Band members (Keys, Guitar & Drums) 3 Storey atrium 3 Hot tubs 3 Steak dinners 2 Lamb dinners 2 Lunches on tour 2 Nightclub singers 2 Panoramic elevators 2 Cinemas 1 Pork dinner 1 Lobster dinner 1 New port (Catania) 1 Double state room with picture window 1 Theatre (Star) 1 Nightclub (Torshavn) 1 Viking heritage museum 1 Classical guitarist 1 Classical duo 1 Cocktail pianist
Captain Atle Knutsen Cruise Director Philip Morgaman Ass. Cruise Director Amy Hayes Shorex Manager Dora the Explorer Stage Managers Hugo, Resty & Pedro Resident Historian Dr Ted Karamanski Cultural Lecturer Martin P. Lee
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