Red Sea Cruise - 2019

Background:

We had planned to circumnavigate in our sailboat CanKata. However, when we arrived in Thailand in 2009 to prepare for our journey up the Red Sea, piracy was creating havoc for sailors, so we decided to wait it out in Thailand. As it happens, we fell in love with Thailand and decided to stay … maybe forever.

As a result, we decided to go through the Red Sea on a big, fast ship – the NCL Jade, with a few thousand others (safety in size, numbers, and speed). The area is much safer these days, but there were still parts of the Red Sea that were considered “high risk”. The Captain constantly assured us that we were fine, so we never had any moments of anxiety. We did have many moments that were awesome. Following are the highlights of our adventure.

(Note: There seems to be a fair bit of drinking and eating in the highlights. Please remember we were on vacation.)

Itinerary:

Thursday, November 7 – Rome (Civitavecchia)

Friday, November 8 – At Sea

Saturday, November 9 – Athens (Piraeus), Greece

Sunday, November 10 – Kusadasi, Turkey

Monday, November 11 – Rhodes, Greece

Tuesday, November 12 – Limassol, Cyprus

Wednesday, November 13 – Haifa, Israel

Thursday, November 14 – Haifa, Israel

Friday, November 15 – Haifa, Israel and Port Said, Egypt

Saturday, November 16 – Suez Canal, Egypt

Sunday, November 17 – Suez Canal and Safaga, Egypt

Monday, November 18 – Safaga, Egypt

Tuesday, November 19 – Aqaba, Jordan

Wednesday, November 20 – At Sea

Thursday, November 21 – At Sea

Friday, November 22 – At Sea

Saturday, November 23 – At Sea

Sunday, November 24 – Salalah, Oman

Monday, November 25 – At Sea

Tuesday, November 26 – Fujairah, UAE

Wednesday, November 27 – Abu Dhabi, UAE

Thursday, November 28 – Dubai, UAE (departure)

Thursday Night: Home to Nai Yang, Phuket, Thailand

Would we recommend this cruise?

While we thoroughly enjoyed this cruise, we wouldn’t recommend it for most travellers. There are six full days at sea, which is probably a little much for most of the people we know. We love being at sea on a boat, so it suited us just fine. Plus, we were keen on going through the Suez Canal and Red Sea since we were not able to do that on CanKata when we were hoping to circumnavigate (damn pirates).

Many of the excursions on this cruise were grueling. We had long drives and while the vehicles were comfortable and air-conditioned and the roads were usually in good condition, we found that we were completely worn out by the time we got back to the ship. And, truthfully, some of the ports weren’t that exciting. Our recommendation would be to pick the spots that excite you the most and fly there. For instance, we chose to not do an excursion to Cairo (it was an option), and we will fly there instead.

Darrel’s Details:

Nov. 6

From out hotel window in Civitavecchia.

Comparing this trip to our two last trips, i.e., South America and China/Canada, it is a lot shorter for flight(s). We left our condo at 0700 and caught our first flight from Phuket to Dubai at 0930. This first flight was 6 h 45 m with a 1 h 50 m layover. The layover was actually closer to 1 h 30 m due to a 15 m delay out of Phuket. Dubai airport is huge and, without fail, every time we have flown through there we have had to walk a very long way from our arrival gate to the connecting departure gate. We do not mind this walk to help us get the blood circulating in our lower extremities again.

Our next flight from Dubai to Rome was to be 6 h 40 m but we had a late departure and a long wait on the tarmac due to the large number of planes waiting taking off. This caused us a bit of concern because we had already booked our train tickets from Rome (FCO airport) to Civitavecchia which is where the NCL Jade cruise ship departs from. We were originally scheduled to arrive in Rome at 1845 so I booked the 1942 train. Our previous experience at FCO demonstrated how fast and efficient the arrival process can be so we thought that 57 minutes would give us enough time to: disembark the 380 (which carries close to 500 passengers (because we were near the back on the lower level we were easily within the last 50 to disembark)); pick up our checked luggage (which was a 15 minute walk from our arrival gate); clear through immigration (which is all electronic and self-serve); clear customs (a breeze if you don't have anything to declare); and lastly a long and brisk walk with luggage in tow up elevators and down long corridors to the train station. We made it with 4 minutes to spare.

Our first train was a 36 minute ride to the Roma Trastevere Station where we transferred to our last train for a 58 minute ride to Civitavecchia. 

Our hotel, Hotel San Giorgio, was a short walk, especially as compared to our two airport walks. It was dark, cool (18 C) and seriously considering starting to rain so we did not dawdle. The entry to the hotel had a rotating door but was quite small. I pushed my suitcase in and tucked in immediately after it but forgot I was wearing a backpack. As the next door swung in behind me it forced the backpack outside with me and my suitcase inside. I was too tired to really appreciate this predicament but imagined an Italian newsline which read "Foreigner eaten by revolving door". The door came to a halt and I was able to force it in reverse to save my backpack and hear the laughter coming from Loretta who was waiting for her turn to get accosted by this same door. A hotel staff came running to our aid but by this time all was well and the door was spinning and waiting for its next snack. We arrived in our hotel room at 0940 Italy time (0339 Phuket time) and were both asleep within 20 minutes.

Nov. 7

I woke up at 0200 Italian time (0800 Phuket time) so I read in bed and tried not to disturb Loretta.  She woke up at 0400 so we both got up to start our day. After showering and eating breakfast we went for a walk to enjoy the Civitavecchia area near our hotel. Around 1100 we walked to the cruise ship shuttle stop to catch a bus to take us to our ship.

It was a perfect morning for this 15 minute walk; the temperature was about 20 C and the sky was a deep blue. Shortly after beginning our walk we met an Asian couple with suitcases in tow. They asked us if we knew where the shuttle stop was and once we affirmed they asked if we minded if they followed us. Loretta warned them that we had already decided to stop for a gelato if we saw a place enroute. We asked where they were from and they replied Vancouver. So much for being able to ask them for a cold beer in Mandarin. 

Darrel and Google Maps -
heading in the right direction.

Our timing to arrive at the shuttle stop was perfect; we were directed onto a waiting bus which almost immediately closed the doors and left for the ride into the Civitavecchia Port where our ship, amongst many others, was waiting. We were then directed into the NFL terminal where there were a lot of people seated waiting for the arrival counters to open. Loretta and I noticed two empty chairs close to the entrance that we had to step over a small table to get to. We sat down and started yapping about how well the trip has gone so far (forgetting about almost being consumed by a set of revolving doors). About 20 minutes later a staff member came over to us and asked us for our boarding card number. We replied by giving her a puzzled look so she showed us what the card looked like. We told her we just came in and sat down on the two empty chairs. That was when she began to accuse us of having jumped the queue and we would never be called to check in without getting into line and getting a boarding card.

Now that we understood the process, we went and stood in a line which undoubtedly had grown considerably since we arrived some time ago. But we were not in a hurry to board so we just did what we had to.

Once on board we went into one of the numerous restaurants and sat down to a quiet, leisurely lunch. We opted for this over the buffet since we knew that was where most people went and it would be a bit chaotic. 

After lunch we went to our state room to drop our backpacks and clean our teeth. Our luggage had not yet arrived so we decided to go exploring to acquaint ourselves with the Jade. Having been on two other NCL ships, we had some idea of the layout but each ship is slightly different. To our dismay one of the features that this ship does not have is an ice cream bar. WTF! As we continued our exploration of the ship and took in some of the onboard entertainment, the ship left the dock.

We went back to our room and had a nap and then unpacked when our luggage arrived. We headed up to the buffet and had a small dinner and then attended the early stage show. As with other NCL stage productions, we both enjoyed it a lot. From there we went back to our stateroom and crashed for the night.

One of the main dining rooms.

Our comfy bed.

Room for a wee desk
with a hair dryer.

One of many beautiful sunsets on the NCL Jade.

The Jade was in tip-top shape.

Nov. 8

Sea day cruising from Civitavecchia, Italy to Piraeus (Athens), Greece.

Another early morning but managed to stay in bed until 0600. We went up to the buffet restaurant around 0700 for a yummy breakfast. We ended up talking to two Americans and sat there until 0930. Today was a "sea day" so we could relax, or so I thought.

At 1000 we attended a talk on the various ports we would be stopping at. It was a very informative talk but had to leave before it was over to attend a Cruise Critic meeting which started at 1100. I mentioned this organization during our last cruising blog and since that time we have participated in it by joining and organizing most of our shore excursions through them. Because this is our 4th Cruise with NCL we were invited to a "meet the captain and his officers" party at 1200. That concluded our first busy morning.

When we explored the ship yesterday we came across a new restaurant called O'Sheehans which offered an interesting menu which appealed to us. So today we decided to give it a go. I had Sheppard's pie and Loretta had nachos and Caesar's salad. We then shared a big piece of warm apple pie with a big blob of ice cream. 

Our afternoon was mostly relaxing, playing games and wandering around the ship. We had our dinner at the buffet and then took in the evening stage show called "The Palace of Lights". The setting was the golden age of Cuba with music of love, dance of desire and the fever of passion all in one. An excellent show.

The Spinnaker Lounge at the front of the ship.

The Stardust Theater just one floor below us.

Waiting for lunch at O'Sheehans.

Nov. 9

Athens (Piraeus), Greece 09:00 AM to 07:00 PM

Our magnet.

Today is our first port stop at Piraeus which is the sea port for Athens, Greece. Athens is named after Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world -- built around its namesake deity's temple, the Parthenon, which still stands today. We visited Athens two years ago and hit most of the highlights, e.g., the Parthenon and restored neighborhoods like Plaka and Thissio. So this visit we decided to take the metro on our own to Filopappou Hill at the base of the Acropolis and spend the day wandering around the park.

Immediately after exiting the metro at the Monastriaki Station we walked 30 meters to a gelato shop. After a scrumptious ice cream cone we walked to Filopappou Hill and walked around looking at the sites such as The Prison of Socrates and the Monument of Philopappos. But to me the real highlight was to view the Acropolis and especially the Parthenon from the park. Even though we had a close up view of it during our last visit to Athens, it is still breathtakingly beautiful to see from a distance.

By this time we were getting a bit peckish and thirsty so we headed to the Athens Market which is full of interesting shops and bustling with people. We found a quaint outdoor restaurant where we had a local beer, and ouzo, and a snack to hold us over until we returned to the ship.

I just can't seem to appreciate graffiti even if it photographs well.

What a view!

Back aboard the Jade we dropped off our backpacks and then went to O'Sheehans for Caesar Salad (how appropriate is that), chicken wings and dessert.

With full tummies we waddled back to our room to relax and to re-energize for the evening activities.

The main stage performance was Shane Hampster, a swing singer who likes to imitate Michael Bublé and who added humour throughout his act.

From there we rushed to Magnum (it's the name of a bar that you sit in, not eat) where D'Soul Duo were performing a Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson tribute. Excellent! For a night cap we went up to the Garden Cafe for a slice of pizza, fries, cookies and tea. Then off to bed for a continuous six and a half hour snooze.

Nov. 10

Kusadasi, Turkey 08:00 AM to 06:00 PM

Kusadasi, once an ancient Greek city, is known for the famed Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 

Here we booked a tour along with 8 other cruise critters. The tour took us to the House of the Virgin Mary, located atop Nightingale Mountain (Bulbul). It's supposed to be the place where she spent her last years. The house has been visited by countless folks on pilgrimages, including two popes.

There were a number of photo opportunities stops but the highlight of the tour was a visit to Ephesus. Ephesus was originally constructed in the 1st century, and the ruins detail life in the once-powerful Greek and later Roman city. The site is smaller than the excavations of Pompeii but just as spectacular, especially the Roman Library of Celsus and the amphitheatre which held 25000 spectators. More excavations are currently underway so in the future this site will be even better.

On the way back to the ship we stopped for a local Turkish lunch and beer.

Entering Mary's house.

No photos allowed.

We bought none.

Photos allowed.

The country-side.

At Ephesus.

There were cats everywhere.
Someone is taking good care of them.

Ancient toilets.

The theater.

The grounds were lovely.

Our tour group.

And of course, food and drink.
(This time in an outdoor garden).

At a lookout point before going back to the ship.

Later, we ate dinner up in the buffet as the ship left port. In the evening we went to the stage performance which featured a violinist, Isabella Zebrowska, who we think is just as accomplished as Vanessa May. What a performance.

Some scenes from the Garden Restaurant Buffet:

(Not your typical passengers).

Nov 11

Rhodes, Greece 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM

Our magnet.

Rhodes, with an average of 300 sunny days per year and mild temperatures in the winter, has been a popular tourist attraction for centuries. Located 12 miles off the coast of Turkey, it's the largest of Greece's 12 Dodecanese islands. Rhodes sits in the Aegean Sea, and its beautiful blue green waters reflect a tropical paradise. The island features 35 beaches and many cultural and historical attractions

Today was mostly a day of leisure for us. The last time we were in Rhodes (2018) we took the HoHo bus and toured the surrounding countryside and the "new" city of Rhodes. We did not have a lot of time to explore the old town itself. So this trip was spent mostly inside the walls of the old town which is full of interesting shops, restaurants, boutiques and places to eat ice cream and have a local beer.

Photos from our trip is 2018:

We couldn't find this place again.

The ship docked directly across from the gate leading into the old town. We spent the day walking along the maze of cobblestone streets, flanked by historic buildings dating from the 14th century. The old town also includes magnificent palaces, fascinating museums and ornate mosques lining the narrow passageways and carefully planned squares.

The main attraction is the Palace of the Grand Masters, built in the 14th century by the Knights of St. John. The structure survived an earthquake but was destroyed by an explosion in 1856; it was later restored by the Italians in the 1930's. Now a museum, the palace contains priceless mosaics, sculptures and exhibitions of medieval and ancient Rhodes civilizations.

Darrel and Google maps -
we always know where we are.

The ATM came in handy.

Shopping was good. Very good.

The incline would have been easier
without all the shopping in my backpack.

I can't help but wonder
what's behind closed gates.

Checking the map.

We think this is where a lovely restaurant once was.
(See earlier photo from 2018).

Once we saw and ate and drank everything we wanted to we went back to the ship. Today we have Israeli Immigration officials onboard to give us clearance prior to our arrival in Israel two days from now so we spent some time accomplishing that.

After dinner we attended the main theater production which was a Circus Variety with Yury and Nato. We followed that with watching some local entertainment and having a chocolate martini and a chocolate chip cookie.

Nov. 12

Limassol,  Cyprus 09:00 AM to 07:00 PM

The port office.

We booked an excursion through the Cruise Critic network which would take us on an 8-hour tour of Limassol and area.

Limassol, the largest coastal town in Cyprus, sprawls around Akrotiri Bay, midway between Larnaca and Paphos and close to the southern foothills of the Troodos Mountains. It only rains an average of 30 days a year so water is precious here.

Cyprus is the kind of destination where you have to venture off the beaten track to uncover the true nature of the place. Immediately outside of Limassol, we saw rolling hills, olive and citrus groves and tiny villages, where locals still use donkeys for transport. Limassol is at the heart of the island's wine-growing region.

Our tour took us to the important archaeological sites of Kourion, Kolossi Castle and Limassol Castle and Paphos, an attractive UNESCO World Heritage site.

Kourion is the island's most important archaeological site. It features a beautiful amphitheater, which overlooks the coast, and extensive excavations of a Roman city-kingdom that dates to 200 B.C.

The Kolossi Castle, a fortified 13th-century tower, is essentially an empty shell but you can see old coats of arms engraved on the walls and the remains of an ancient sugar mill on the grounds.

Paphos is about an hour from Limassol. Here we saw a recently discovered archeological site with the mosaic floors still in very good condition.

Protection for the archaeological dig.

A strange-looking boat.

A busy marina.

Walking along the promenade.

The port office at night.

We were invited to join a group of fellow Canadians for dinner so we broke routine and ate dinner in one of the sit-down restaurants. 

After a long and late dinner we went to listen to the main stage performer, a Dutch vocalist named Isabel Commandeur. Unfortunately we both started falling asleep so we left early after her third song.

Nov. 13

Haifa (Tel Aviv), Israel - Arrive at 06:00 AM

Our magnet.

This is the first port where our ship is staying docked overnight (two nights actually). We have two one-day tours booked here so we have two full days ahead.

The first day was an 11-hour tour which took us to Jerusalem with most of our time being spent visiting the Holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. We both found the sites very interesting even though ours was a non-religious perspective. We could see that people who were religious enjoyed the sites even more so due to the spiritual aspect. We visited the room where the last dinner was held, the location where Jesus Christ was hung on the cross, and the cave where he was resurrected. Plus many other sites.

After lunch, our tour took us to the Dead Sea.  The Dead Sea is the world's lowest point of land. It is 1,388 feet (423 meters) below sea level. The Dead Sea is incredibly saline (33.7%) and mostly devoid of life - other than those souls who wanted to see what it was like to float in it. We have already experienced Lake Manitou at Watrous, Saskatchewan (about half as dense as the Dead Sea) so we opted to have a local beer instead of swimming.

Things we didn't buy.

Nobody we know.

There was a sandy-coloured haze over the Dead Sea.

The landscape was often pretty desolate.

And of course,
food and drink (and Wifi!).

Night lights as seen from the jade.

Our driver took us home through the West Bank and dropped us back at the ship at 1930. We ate, showered and hit the sack.

Nov. 14

Today we were with the same tour operator and guide but with a new Mercedes van. We were not only more comfortable but also had Wifi all day. 

The morning was spent in Nazareth, the original home of the Holy Family, visiting the many Holy sites. The most important church, the Basilica of the Annunciation, marks the spot where the Angel Gabriel visited the Virgin Mary. It's the largest church in the Middle East. 

We then went to the Sea of Galilee, home to many Biblical landmarks -- from the Yardenit baptismal site, where Jesus was reputed to have been baptized, to the coastal area of this now-inland lake, where he is said to have preached his sermons to the Mount of Beatitudes (setting of the Sermon on the Mount). 

When we got back to Haifa it was still light so our guide and driver took us to the top of the valley to a great lookout spot.

Things we didn't buy.

At the Sea of Galilee.

Some of our tour group.

  

Time for a falafel wrap.

Baptisms in the Jordan River.

A beautiful view.

After a 9-hour tour we were dropped off at the ship. 

Our evening was spent socializing with friends, eating, watching the main show production (Izabella Zebrowska) and then hopping into bed at 2300.

Nov. 15

Our ship left the dock at noon on its way to the Suez Canal. It was nice to have a "sea day" to relax after having a few long and hectic days. Besides eating, we had time to attend a presentation on Egyptian archeological sites, play games, and book our next cruise. Our next cruise is a 15-day cruise through the Baltics with an overnight stop in St. Petersburg, Russia. 

We had an early night so Loretta could get a lot of rest to fight a cold she picked up along the way.

This is the route from Haifa to Port Said if you drive. We went via ship through the sea instead.

Nov. 16

We entered the Suez Canal around 0330 and will be transiting it for about 12 hours.

Although the Suez Canal is not nearly as impressive as the Panama Canal, it is still pretty amazing to transit. The canal, which was constructed from 1859 to 1869, is about 72 km long and reduces the journey of a ship approximately 6000 km to go from the South Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. Unlike the Panama Canal there are no locks so it was not as much of an engineering challenge.

It was interesting sitting on the upper deck (15) and seeing the geographical differences from one side of the Canal to the other - the East side being green and the West being desert. Much of this is likely due to the East side having been inhabited and irrigated. 

No one we know.

A bridge that no one is using yet.

Going under the bridge.

A selfie under a bridge in the Suez Canal.

We got distracted by ship stuff.

We found other distractions too.

In O'Sheehans.

Besides observing the transit we followed our usual "at sea" routine, i.e., eating, playing games, swimming, socializing and taking in the entertainment.  The main stage production was Blazing Boots filled with energetic dancing and singing by the Jade's production cast. Excellent show.

We were in bed by 2100 in preparation for a 0400 wake up alarm tomorrow morning.

Nov. 17

Safaga, Egypt. Arrives at 06:00 AM

Our magnet.

Today was a very full and absolutely amazing day. Loretta and I woke up at 0400 to provide us with sufficient time to shower, eat and pick up our backpacks in our stateroom, and then meet 9 other passengers in the Bliss Lounge at 0640.

Loretta arranged a private one-day tour for the eleven of us through the Cruise Critics website to take us from Safaga to Luxor. Before we left the port we were stopped at a number of check points. At one of the check points our driver and guide got into a serious conversation with a number of official looking men. Following their discussion a "man in black", i.e., wearing a black suit, white shirt, black tie, dark sunglasses, and oh yes a very mean looking automatic gun tucked under his jacket at the back of his waist, climbed into our tour vehicle and sat in the front passenger seat. 

Luxor was a 3-hour drive from the port.  We stopped for a quick pit stop about half way. Our guide gave us information about Egypt and the sites we would be stopping at today. He did not mention why our man in black joined us. We passed through another 5 check points along the way.

Our guide told us that without the Nile River running through the land, Egypt would probably never had existed. 

Our first stop was the Karnak Temple. Construction started in 1850 BC and took 2000 years. Wow, wow, Wow! What a spectacular site. We think it was the most impressive archeological site we have ever seen. The Parthenon may have been more emotional to visit because of us knowing about it beforehand. 

After strolling around Karnak and viewing the awesome sites, we were taken to a restaurant which served an Egyptian buffet where we enjoyed a local beer. The food and the brew were delicious. 

We were then escorted directly from the restaurant onto a boat to take us to the East side of the Nile where we were picked up by our bus.

We noticed the "man in black" was always lurking nearby. As a matter of fact, somewhere along the way Loretta was being accosted by two very aggressive shop venders. As I stood by to make sure she could hold her own, I noticed the "man in black" was also keeping a close eye on Loretta from not too far away.

Our next stop was the Valley of the Kings where we entered 3 tombs. The details and the original coloring on the walls and ceilings were incredible. 

During our tour of the tombs I had a chance to quietly ask our guide if the "man in black" was here for our benefit, or to protect Egypt, i.e., to stop any Indiana Jones wannabes from trying to smuggle some artifacts out of the country. Our guide told me that the security guard was for our protection. Now we know how Whitney Houston felt with Kevin Costner watching over her.

Then we went to the Hatshepsut Temple at El Deir El Bahary. Oh my god, another overwhelmingly beautiful site.

Our last stop was the 3,400-year-old Colossi of Memnon statues.

Enjoying a very early breakfast at O'Sheehans.
It was open 24 hours a day.

The sun just rising in Safaga, Egypt.

The moon still shining over the ship.

A pit-stop on our long drive to Luxor.

Things we didn't buy.

Road scenes on our way to Luxor:

A model of Luxor Temple.

The real thing.

Food and drink alongside the Nile River.

A short boat ride across the Nile.

A mini train to the tombs.

Rameses IV's tomb.

Merenptah's tomb.

Rameses IX's tomb.

Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple.

Colossi of Memnon.

We arrived back to the port at 2130, after a 14-hour tour. Yes we were bushed.  We ate a quick dinner and then showered and went to bed.

We found out the next day the Melania Trump and Egypt's First Lady were in the area which may explain why the high level of security.

Nov. 18

Safaga, Egypt. Departs at 08:00 PM

One of the activities that Loretta and I missed by not completing our circumnavigation was to snorkel in the Red Sea. Well, today we got our chance.

We booked a private snorkeling/diving tour with Safaga Diving Ducks. We were picked up at 0800 by a very not-new minivan and taken down some small roads and lanes to a dock with a large boat that was rocking madly. Once we were geared up we walked to the end of the dock where the waves were crashing over the dock and the ramp onto the boat was rising and falling between waves. Some of our group questioned whether we should give the snorkeling tour a miss. I told them that once we got away from the dock it would be much better. All of our group made it across the narrow, bouncing gangway with staff helping from the dock side and boat side.

We travelled about 40 minutes to a shoal out in the Red Sea and were soon all in the water, diving or snorkelling.  The water temperature was only 26 C so Loretta and I found it quite cool. Actually I found it cold. Unfortunately the rough seas had caused the water visibility to be quite reduced so it was not one of our best snorkels to put it mildly. 

Once back on the boat we were fed a delicious local lunch. Loretta had decided to pass on the next snorkeling site due to the water clarity and because she could not seem to warm up. One of the other ladies in our group said she was not doing the second snorkel and asked Loretta if she wanted to try using her full face snorkelling mask. This offering plus being able to bask in the sun for almost two hours convinced Loretta to reconsider her decision to not snorkel again today.

Our second dive was a huge success.  The water clarity was perfect, the fish were abundant,  the corals were vibrant, and Loretta loved the full snorkel mask. I guess we are going shopping when we get back home.

Port gate.

If we were the worrying sort,
we might have been worried about the roads.

A pleasant dive shop.

We wondered about the weather.

Lots of room on the boat.

Well, Loretta, should we do it?

There were a few boats that went out,
but the water wasn't crowded.

Telling sea tales.

It didn't rain on us.

We rafted up to another boat.

Me and a friend ready to snorkel.

There's the full snorkel mask. Loretta wants one.

Side view.

The Red Sea was delightful.

We definitely need an underwater camera.

NCL Jade provided the towels.

It was a crowded bus on the way home.

Not much leg room.

We were dropped off at the dock and ushered into another very used van for our trip back to the ship.

We showered, ate dinner and then met up with some friends for drinks on the aft deck as the ship left the dock.

We lounged and listened to one of our favourite musical groups before retiring to our stateroom and bed.

Nov. 19

Aqaba, Jordan 06:30 AM 08:00 PM

Today we were booked on a private one-day tour to Petra. Petra is an ancient city carved out of stone, and one of the World's Seven New Wonders.

Our magnet.

Actually, Petra was the impetus for Loretta and me, as well as many other fellow cruisers, to choosing this cruise. Loretta had learned about Petra a number of years ago and placed it on her bucket list.

The two hour drive from the port to Petra took us through some amazing parts of Jordan. Our guide passed on information about Jordan along the way. He told us that because they are surrounded by Egypt, Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, they have to be very diplomatic. 

Our visit to Petra was amazing. Before we even arrived to the ancient (2000 years ago) city we had to walk for approximately 40 minutes (1.2 km) through the Siq, which is not a canyon (a gorge carved out by water), but a single block that has been ripped apart by tectonic forces. The Siq is some 270 feet in height and 10 feet at the narrowest point. The man-made and natural rock formation along the Siq was breathtaking to say the least. But even having seen photos and read a book about Petra, we were still not prepared for the reaction we got when seeing the Treasury as we exited The Siq and entered the ancient city. It was spectacular. The facade of The Treasury contains intricately detailed Corinthian columns, friezes and figures, and it was hard to look away.

After taking numerous photos and sitting to drink a Jordanian coffee while taking in the beauty of the 40-meter high Treasury, we walked through as much of the ancient city as time allowed. We saw The Theater, The Royal Tombs, Ad Deir and the Colonnaded Street. We then made our way back through the stunningly scenic Siq and met up with other members of our group before heading to a prearranged restaurant - My Mom's Recipe - for a scrumptious Jordanian local lunch.

Our tour guide.

We drove through some desolate countryside.

We made a pit-stop here but it was crowded and expensive.
And cold outside!! About 7 degrees Celsius.

Yup, an entry fee.

Things we didn't buy.

The entry-way to the Siq.

There were alternate forms of transportation.

Our guide provided lots of good information.

Look at that sky!

From times long gone.

The walk was magical.

We had to squeeze against the
walls when someone
yelled "HORSE!"

Our first peak of the Treasury.

Wow wow wow.

A little further along.

The theatre.

We had read this interesting book.

A stranger took our photo.

Newly-weds were having their photo shoot up there.

We stopped for strong strong coffee.
Cats - alive and otherwise - kept us company.

A policeman asked if
he could sit with us.

The Treasury from a different angle.

Heading back.

I'm not sure who photo-bombed whom.

A look-out point on the way back to the ship.

A cat enjoying the view.

Petra from on high.

Our tired guide.

The sun setting over Aqaba.

We were dropped off at the ship around 1700 after a wonderful tour.

Even though we had a full day, we had sufficient energy to take in a number of the evening entertainment activities after showering and eating dinner. D'Soul Dual, one of our favourite bands sung the song Shallow from the movie “A Star is Born” and nailed it. The stage main production was a juggler who was quite good. We hit the sack shortly after 2300.

Nov. 20

Today is the first of four "at sea" days. It seems most of the passengers are quite happy to have these four sea days to recuperate and relax after the past fairly grueling days.

We slept in until 0700 and after a long leisurely breakfast we got right into the onboard activities such as: trivia, listing to various bands around the ship, chatting with friends, watching a karaoke contest, playing games, and attending the main stage production. 

One special activity we attended was a rehearsal for the ad hoc Jade Choir. When I say we attended, I mean I listened but Loretta participated. The rehearsal was being led by the Jade main-stage show-band leader and was accompanied by the band pianist. There were some 20 attendees who learnt about ten songs which they sang for the other passengers at the end of the cruise.

Rehearsal in a lounge.

Rehearsal in the Atrium.

They even made a program.

Show time.

The audience was on two floors.

The choir finished with "Hallelujah" and "We are the Champions".

The main production tonight was an Italian Illusionist, Lord Nil. A very good and mysterious performance. 

Following the illusionist we went to the Bliss Lounge to watch some Karaoke singers. I hope they don't quit their day job. Some were so not good that I was hoping the Illusionist would make them disappear.  He didn't, so we did instead.

Nov. 21

Today was our second "at sea" day. Our activities were similar to yesterdays. The weather was a bit warmer (we must be getting closer to home) and the seas even flatter.  So far, this has been the most comfortable cruise we have ever been on. I think the biggest seas were 8-feet waves.

Today while we were eating lunch, the Captain announced that we would soon be entering piracy country. As we get closer to Somalia we are reminded why we were not able to complete our circumnavigation on CanKata. There was a stretch of about 600 nautical miles where the piracy was at its peak. Captain Philips can attest to that as well as hundreds of other victims from smaller boats and yachts. As far as I know, the area has been incident free for a couple of years now, so we really do not expect any problems. The Captain did advise that they would be very vigilant while transiting this area. If they announce Orange three times over the speakers everyone outside, or in a stateroom with a balcony are to head inside the ship where staff will direct them to a safe spot. Loretta and I are in an inside stateroom so we are okay to stay put.

After playing games and listening to the various entertainers, including Loretta and her choir at rehearsal, we caught some rays and had a swim.

At 1700 we went to the Spinnaker Lounge which is located on deck 13 at the bow (pointed end) of the ship. We had intended on playing trivia but just before the game was to start I noticed that we were heading directly towards a large boat/small ship which was sitting stationary in front of us. We could feel our ship slowing down so Loretta and I decided to give the game a miss and instead go up to deck 14 and see what was going on. We could see that there was another Cruise Ship about 5 miles behind us which was also heading towards this stationary boat. I postulated that perhaps we were responding to a distress call which was why both cruise ships were heading towards the boat. But as we got closer and almost stopped about half a mile from this boat we could see a large dinghy leaving the other boat at a fast pace and heading towards us. By this time the entertainment by the pool had stopped and a number of passengers were watching what was happening.  There was much speculation going on about piracy but I pulled up Google Maps to show them we were still about 500 miles away from the problem area. When the dinghy arrived at our ship no one got on or off the dinghy but a large box was hoisted up onto our ship. Then the dinghy returned to its ship and we started moving again. Before we were too far away, we could see the Cruise Ship behind us slow down close to the stationary boat and again the dinghy headed off to the cruise ship for a short while and then again return to its ship.

The Captain came over the announcement system to advise all us curious passengers that they picked up some “merchandise” and that all was well. 

We ate dinner at the buffet but are getting a bit of pressure from friends to join them at the sit down restaurants. As we were eating dinner Loretta noticed a table of four very buff men sitting there and we could see that some of them were carrying two-way radios. They were not in uniform so we knew they were not cruise ship staff. We could only assume that they were mercenaries and that the crate we just picked up contained their tools of the trade. Nice to know we are in safe hands and also travelling with another cruise ship nearby.

The main stage entertainment was Elaine Gray, a Scottish Songbird who featured music from Outlander and popular artists including Abba. Can that lady sing!

We then listened to a couple of other entertainers before heading to bed.

On the lookout.

A ship in our way.

A visitor from the other ship.

Enjoying a show in the Stardust, feeling safe.

Atrium entertainment. Not the choir, but maybe more polished.

Much more polished.

  

Nov. 22

Today is our third consecutive sea day. At 0600 we were about 100 miles from the bottom of the Red Sea.

We had no special plans today so again we repeated the two previous sea day routines. We did swim again today but it was quite windy and cloudy so we did not catch too many rays.

One change we did make was that we met up with Karen and Kent and ate dinner in the Grand Pacific sit-down restaurant. The dinner went into overtime due to all the chatting, and eating of appetizers, entrees and desserts, so we missed the 1930 stage performance. We did not want to attend the 2130 performance so we gave the show a pass.

The main stage performance was a Hypnotist: Grant Saunders. The write-up describing him stated that he is an award-winning hypnotist who was recently awarded the North of England Entertainer of the Year award. Whoa!!! I am not sure how much prestige that award would carry, especially for the hypnotism category.  Are there many hypnotists north of England? 

Nov. 23

This is the last sea day before we reach Oman. Last night and today were when we were in the piracy zone so any passenger who was not breathing can now relax.

Once again we repeated the same sea day activities as the previous three days.

However, another alteration to our regular routine took us again to the Grand Pacific for dinner. This time we joined up with Brenda and Mike.

The main performance tonight was Gloria and Romain, an acrobatic couple from Argentina and France.

Nov. 24

Salalah, Oman 07:00 AM to 04:00 PM

Our magnet.

Although our ship was not to arrive until 0700, we actually arrived earlier (around 0300) due to a medical emergency.  We had a Code Alpha call yesterday but we can only guess that it meant someone had a medical emergency. Besides that emergency, we do know that a group of 30 passengers from California have had some really bad luck on this trip. Of the 30, three have spent time in the ship's hospital, some in the ICU overnight. 

Today, instead of doing a group tour, we opted to do our own tour of Salalah (Arabia's Perfume Capital). There was not a lot to see here so we decided to catch the local bus #20 and went to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque,  Al Husin Sultan's Palace and the Al-Husn Souk. 

We met a couple (Amy and Lowell) at breakfast who wanted to follow us since they did not have Google Maps downloaded for this area nor did they know about the bus. 

We tried to find a place to sit and do WiFi but no luck. I knew it would be impossible to find a cold local beer, but we were surprised to find it also impossible to get WiFi. The local bus had WiFi but you needed a local phone number. 

Looks like this will eventually be an impressive port.

Decent roads.

The main mosque.

Beautiful colours.

Near the palace.

Near the beach.

Checking the map.

The "souk" (market) where we found affordable souvenirs.

This area reminded us of Thailand. Just flatter.

Things we didn't buy.

Back on the ship, we are a late lunch, cleaned up and then did ship activities until dinner time.

We joined Bruce, Ruth, Dave and Brenda for dinner at the Grand Pacific sit down restaurant for the third consecutive day. I believe this is the last group who we committed to join for dinner. 

Dave and Brenda gave us a bottle of Champagne since they have a drink package and were planning on having wine for dinner. After we all finished our dinner and dessert, the waitress came over to top up Loretta and my glass with our remaining champagne. As she filled my glass she quietly asked me if it was our anniversary.  I told her no but she asked again with a smile on her face. I smiled back and thinking she was hoping it was our anniversary I said "Well it could be." The waitress started to leave and I told her, "No it is not our anniversary."  Luckily everyone at our table heard me say this. A few minutes later a group of staff came with a large cake and sang us a song. After they left our waitress took the cake and cut it into 6 large pieces, one for each of us. Yes we were all very full after dinner.

The waiter insisted on an anniversary photo.

We shared the cake.

The main stage performance was “4 Stations” which is a group of four vocalists. This was the second time they performed and the second time we had to give them a miss due to going to the sit down restaurant and having an extended dinner.

Nov. 25

Today is our last sea day on this cruise which takes us from the Gulf of Aden up into the Gulf of Oman. We knew our cruise was soon to come to an end so we started to prepare by taking photos of our favourite cruise staff, friends and places. We also wanted to complete complement cards for NCL of the staff who we thought deserved it.

We participated in the ship activities which included; trivia games, Q&A with the Captain and his senior officers, the Jade's ad-hoc choir's dress rehearsal, listening to entertainment at the various venues, and attending the main stage performance. 

The Senior Officers in the Spinnaker Lounge.

Darrel getting participation points for Trivia.

Tonight's theater production was Elaine Gray back again but this time she sang songs from movies such as The Greatest Showman, Guys and Dolls and The Bodyguard. Unfortunately, when she sang Brian Adams and Whitney Houston's songs she sang an Italian version and it did not do them justice (at least in my mind).

Nov. 26

Fujairah, UAE 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM

Fujairah is the only emirate with frontage on the Gulf of Oman, rather than the Persian Gulf.

Today we were on a privately booked tour of Fujairah and area.  We did not have high expectations for this tour and we were glad we didn't. There were supposed to have been 4 separate tour busses with 10 in each minibus, but the tour operator decided on their own to squish the 40 passengers into 2 mini-busses. The tour took us to:  Fujairah museum,  Zayed Mosque (photo op),  through the Hagar mountain range, Khor Fakkan beach, Fujairah Fort, Bidya Mosque  and Friday market souk. 

When it came to our lunch stop we were herded into a mall where we were supposed to eat on our own at the food fair. As the 40 some passengers arrived at the food fair area we could see that there was only one small food shop open. We only had 40 minutes to eat so Loretta figured that it was not possible for this one vender to meet the demand. We headed to a small grocery store to buy a snack to go. Just as we collected our snack items we were called by other members in our herd, and we were told we were leaving the mall to go elsewhere to eat. However, there was no place else and we were sorry we left our snacks behind. Our guide explained that the mall and food fair was under renovations which explained why many shops were closed. Needless to say that there were many upset people on this tour. We would suggest to future travelers to take a taxi, or bus if possible, and visit the local sites close to the ship. The souk and beach were almost an hour away and not worth the time.

A beautiful sunrise in Fujairah.

Sun in the Garden Restaurant.

Fujairah port.

A comfy bus and a competent tour guide.

Evidence of oil.

One of many mosques.

At the fort.

View from the fort.

Another mosque.

At the museum.

As always ... a lineup for the women's toilet.

The main mosque.

A drive through the mountains.

At the market.

The centre of traffic circle.

At a very old mosque.

At the beach. 

Stretching after a long drive.

A Google image. NOT the food mall we went to.

The rest of our day and evening was as usual - except for the Jade Choir performance which was held in the Atrium area and was filled with spectators. Loretta made me proud.

The main stage performance was the Norwegian Cruise Line signature production called Elements. It included mesmerizing magic and aerial acrobatics along with exciting music and dance.

Nov. 27

Abu Dhabi, UAE 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM

Our magnet.

We have reached the end of this cruise. Today is our last full day aboard the NCL Jade and all its wonderful staff.

We are in Abu Dhabi, which is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the wealthiest city in the world. To give you an example of their extreme wealth you can buy an ice cream cone with 24K gold sprinkles as a topping. No, we did not buy one. Abu Dhabi is the largest of the nation's seven emirates, covering 80 percent of the land mass of the UAE.

Abu Dhabi's extreme wealth stems from oil, discovered in 1958. The UAE was formed in 1971 when the head of Abu Dhabi's ruling family, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, persuaded his fellow emirs to form the union and became its first president. Abu Dhabi's transformation into a modern, Westernized civilization from a society of fishing villages and Bedouins living a nomadic life evolved very quickly.

We did a private one day tour with the same company that we used yesterday in Fujairah and had the same bus and guide.

Our tour took us to all the main sites; Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi, Heritage Village, Emirates Palace hotel,  Yas Island, Ferrari Abu Dhabi, and the Dates Market. 

The highlight of the tour was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: One of the most recognizable landmarks in the entire city is the snowy-white mass of domes and minarets that make up the breathtakingly beautiful Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The mosque, which was built in 2007, features 82 domes, more than 1,000 columns, 24-carat gold gilded chandeliers and the world's largest hand-knotted carpets. Loretta and I think this mosque is right up there with the Taj Mahal.

Sunrise over Abu Dhabi.

A welcoming team.

The sun shining on the skyline.

Pulling up to the Grand Mosque.

Women had to be well-covered.

Sites around the town.

We stopped at a mall. We didn't shop for a Ferrari.

This mall had food and drink.

Things we did buy.

Driving back to the ship.

Once back to the ship, we cleaned up and then met up with Toni and Becky (and two of their friends, Joanne and Wayne) for dinner in the Grand Pacific sit down restaurant. They served prime rib, yum. We met Toni and Becky during one of our first tours.  They are younger than us but have already done 47 NCL cruises, plus others on other cruise lines. We do not plan to match them.

After dinner we went to the main stage production which was the Juggler. He kept the audience well entertained with his humour and juggling.  In the Atrium, we listened to Azalea for a short while but packed it in around 2130 due to tomorrow morning being a 0500 wake up.

Memories of the Stardust Theater Entertainment:

Nov. 28

Dubai, UAE Arrives at 07:00 AM

Pulling into the port at Dubai.

A welcoming committee.

Dubai is a fascinating city, one which we plan to revisit even though we were only there a couple of years ago. 

But for this trip we disembarked at 0730 and headed directly to the airport for our 1130 flight home.

We arrived safe and sound, but a little heavier, around 2130. The end to another wonderful trip.

Summary

This 15-day cruise was excellent in all aspects. We enjoyed all of our stops (with the exception of Fujairah which was only “okay”), but we expect that "believers" would have enjoyed the two tours of Israel more than we did. We were absolutely amazed and thrilled by the archaeological sites we saw at Ephesus, Luxor and Petra. We would recommend those sites to everyone. We were also very pleased with the NCL Jade and the wonderful staff throughout the ship. The on-board entertainment was good but we missed a few shows due to fatigue and fighting a cold. We were happy with all of our private tours that we booked through the Cruise Critics network and would recommend anyone who is going on a cruise to join. The tours go on the same itinerary as the ship's excursions but at a fraction of the price.


Other Stuff

If you are interested in reading about our other adventures, you can click on the links in this blog. Also, we have a few e-books published with Amazon (no hard copies available).  You can find them by going into your Amazon account and by searching for "cankata". 

Also, we have a number of YouTubes and these can be found by searching for "cankata thaismiths".

Bye for now, Loretta and Darrel.

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