A celebration of ten years of marriage deserves a very special travel hotels in cocoa florida adventure. Exotic and far away destinations that involve great food, wine, history and romance were the criteria for this trip. Years ago I would have arranged for us to travel by planes, trains and automobiles, however, this year, we went by ship to explore Mediterranean Empires. This itinerary took us to the Aegean Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Sea of Marmara to visit beautiful locations and fabulous ancient cities while enjoying the comfort of traveling on board Holland America hotels in cocoa florida s newest cruise ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam hotels in cocoa florida .
This adventure allowed us to spend several days in northern Italy prior to our twelve day cruise. We also spent two days in Venice at the end of the cruise. We sailed as far South as Santorini, Greece and East through the Dardanelles to Istanbul and points in Asia and then back to Venice.
We chose this particular voyage hotels in cocoa florida for the ports of call and the opportunity to see so many places rich in history and culture. As with all of our travel, we were very interested in learning more about the local foods and cuisines in each of these destinations.
Traveling hotels in cocoa florida by cruise ship has become one of our preferred methods of travel outside of the United States. It offers hotels in cocoa florida the simplicity and ease of moving between destinations without packing and unpacking between points along the way. It eliminates much of the coordination and planning and makes your vacation less stressful hotels in cocoa florida while offering an ever changing view and agenda to new and exotic places. Most newer cruise ships offer luxury accommodations and specialty restaurants hotels in cocoa florida that make the onboard experience a memorable one. Admittedly, this is not deep immersion in to the people, places or culture of any specific place. hotels in cocoa florida However, it offers an opportunity to experience the essence of a region or country which may stimulate your interest for future travel destinations.
No matter how many times you board a ship, there is a real sense of excitement as you prepare to embark on a new journey. As you pull away from the dock, the deck of the ship is lined with passengers waving goodbye. The ship's hotels in cocoa florida horn blows, the band plays and champagne flows while everyone hotels in cocoa florida stands at the rails as the embarkation hotels in cocoa florida port fades into the distance. We are all filled with anticipation of exciting destinations and new experiences that lie ahead.
The Nieuw Amsterdam was first launched from Venice on July 4, 2010. This ship, named after New York City (formerly called Nieuw Amsterdam), pays tribute to its namesake with its interior design and art collection. Walking down the wood paneled halls surrounded by art and artifacts, hotels in cocoa florida you are transported back to a more elegant time.
Beyond the ports of call of this cruise, we were also interested in the onboard culinary events. Holland hotels in cocoa florida America Line has partnered hotels in cocoa florida with Food Wine Magazine to bring their guests The Culinary Arts Center . This state-of-the-art hotels in cocoa florida demonstration kitchen is host to cooking classes, chef demonstrations and wine seminars. Many of their cruises have guest chefs. There are also cocktail making classes and beer and wine tastings offered during the cruise.
The Mediterranean Empires itinerary included eight ports of call including: Venice , Italy (our embarkation and debarkation port); Kotor, hotels in cocoa florida Montenegro (once part of Yugoslavia); Piraeus, Greece (Athens); Istanbul, Turkey; Mykonos, Greece; hotels in cocoa florida Kusadasi, Turkey (for the ruins in Ephesus); Santorini, Greece; and Split, Crotia.
A trip of this nature offers great opportunities for beautiful photographs as well as learning more about the food cultures in these countries. While seafood prominently appears on all menus, the spices and techniques of preparation and presentation were quite different. With each destination, hotels in cocoa florida our senses were heightened by the sights, smells and sounds on the streets and in the markets.
Walking through Split, Croatia to the fish market was invigorating as local fishmongers called out to customers to sell their daily catches. We marveled at the "sea creatures", many of which we have never seen before. The beauty of the pedestrian hotels in cocoa florida walk with its cafés and outdoor diners enjoying their fare while overlooking the shimmering blue sea was a moment to remember.
Each day brought opportunities to explore new and exciting hotels in cocoa florida places. We visited historical sites, markets, enjoyed a local lunch and of course, spent time meeting hotels in cocoa florida and speaking with the people. We would arrive back at the ship exhausted, but energized from a full day of sightseeing and our fill of the local food and spirits.
The sail away from each port provided an opportunity for the Executive Chef and his culinary team to showcase stunning buffets with foods representative of the port we had just visited. This was often accompanied by local wines and music.
June is a very hot month in the Mediterranean. We had incredibly sunny and dry days with soaring temperatures throughout our journey. The sun tends to sap your energy, so we ate dinner and found our way back to our cabin most evenings. We were too tired for many late night activities.
The Nieuw Amsterdam offers four restaurants hotels in cocoa florida in addition to the Lido Restaurant , which is the casual dining option. Two of the specialty restaurants were standouts: Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind . For an elegant evening surrounded by crystal chandeliers and fine cuisine, Pinnacle Grill offers a more formal and intimate dining experience. Pinnacle Grill was also host to the Le Cirque Dinner that takes place on each Holland America cruise. Partnering with the famed maitre d'hotel turned restauranteur Sirio Maccioni, founder of Le Cirque Restaurant of New York, these evenings are a diversion from the Pinnacle's Grill's regular fare and offer a creative menu such as Lobster Salad "Le Cirque" and Sweet Corn Bisque.
Tamarind Restaurant, with its Asian flavors of spice and heat and colorful setting, piqued our interest many evenings. This Pan-Asian specialty restaurant and its accompanying bar, the Silk Den, are located on the uppermost hotels in cocoa florida deck and offer stunning panoramic views perfect hotels in cocoa florida for watching hotels in cocoa florida the sunset. The menu choices were plentiful, including sushi and sashimi. We became regulars and quickly developed a friendship with our servers.
As with all adventures, they must come to an end. This itinerary gave us the opportunity to visit far away places and experience the foods and cultures of several very different countries. While we were not completely immersed in the culture of these places, it was the perfect way to awaken our interest for future travel. We are already planning the next trip.
Over the next few months, hotels in cocoa florida I will be sharing much more with you on the ports of call, the people and the food as well as some of our experiences in Italy. If you have specific questions regarding this itinerary, please do not hesitate to leave me a comment or send me an email at gwen@bunkycooks.com.
* Disclaimer Holland America hotels in cocoa florida Line provided one media ticket and three dinners during the cruise. We paid for the additional cruise hotels in cocoa florida ticket, all port taxes and fees, transportation, additional dinners, port excursions hotels in cocoa florida and alcoholic beverages while on board the ship. I was not compensated in any way for this post and as always, the opinions hotels in cocoa florida expressed here are my own.
My paternal grandparents used to take cruises every few months when I was a kid. Even though we weren t going with them, the excitement of being on the ship, then all the hoopla (like you described) as the ship started to pull away, was so much fun!
Gwen, I don t even know where to start. I don t think anyone could have written about and photographed such a luxurious and exciting anniversary cruise as well as you did. You know I m jonesing hotels in cocoa florida over Santorini! I could just stare at these photos all day. I m so glad you and Roger had such an amazing time barring the killer heat in a few countries!
Incredible photos and such a wonderful way to commemorate your special anniversary. hotels in cocoa florida You both deserve this special trip. Croatia and Turkey look amazing. All that fabulous food!! I would gain 20 lbs in a week. And Venice magical Venezia. Love it all!
Amazing! Amazing! hotels in cocoa florida Amazing! The one complaint I often hear about on cruises is the quality of the food. Holland America s cruise is so food focused I could easily see how some patrons could spend all of their time on the boat. What a luxurious experience!
Wow, wow, wow! What a fantastic travel experience. great writing and photos, too. it makes me want to go on a cruise NOW! i ve never thought it would interest hotels in cocoa florida me, but you made it so. Can t wait for more excerpts. R
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