Cruising the Med — Family Edition
What’s
better than spending a week on a luxury cruise liner in the Mediterranean?
Spending it with family! That’s what my husband Dave and I did this past week,
and while it was hot and at times a little too busy, we had a wonderful time. Dave’s late parents had taken their
kids and grandkids on two family cruises back in the 2000s, and they were
surely looking down on us last week as a dozen family members gathered in
Barcelona, Spain, to board the Ascent, one of the newest ships in the
Celebrity fleet. We set sail on August 2 and headed east.
Day 1 – Celebrity’s boarding
procedure is almost entirely online, thanks to its app, and went very smoothly.
We had cabins in the concierge class, with virtual balconies in each and easy
access by elevator or stairs to the rest of the ship. Our service throughout
the cruise was first-rate.
Day 2 – At sea, we explored
the ship and had the first of many excellent meals. The Ascent has four
main dining rooms and some smaller, specialty restaurants that are an extra
charge, but worth it, from what we were told—we typically dined as a family, so
it was more convenient to stick to the larger rooms. And the food…well, as any
veteran cruiser will tell you, good food is an absolute must, and the Ascent
came through. Its Oceanside Café provided a well-stocked buffet that didn’t
feel like one. We had breakfast there every day and one or two evening meals as
well.
The large outdoor pool was crowded
but lively, so we preferred the smaller, indoor solarium pool with its gentler
ambience. Our 7-year-old grandson, Pax, was a big-pool guy, though, and also
made use of the special kids’ room with video games and foosball. Dave and his
brother Alan made sure to visit the ping-pong tables.
Day 3 – Our first shore
excursion was on the central Mediterranean island of Malta. The island has been
an important place for centuries, thanks to its strategic location in the
middle of the Med, only about 90 miles south of Sicily and almost as close to
North Africa. We went ashore and boarded small boats for a tour of the renowned
coastal blue grottos, and then explored the capital city of Valletta, with its
fortresses, museums and churches.
Day 4 – Another day at sea as
we sailed east. Dave and I visited the spa on Monday, and on this day, I took
our daughter Kim for a treatment as a birthday gift. Indulging yourself in the
ship’s spa can be a little pricey, but it’s well worth it. Our attendants were
highly skilled, and we left feeling refreshed and invigorated.
There’s plenty to do on a ship
during sea days. The casino is open and always busy, and the shops offer items
ranging from jewelry and wristwatches to clothing and souvenirs. There’s an art
gallery, and photographers are everywhere, providing plenty of opportunities
for family photos.
The entertainment on board was
first-rate, too. We caught the comedy show by English comic Tom Deacon and a
dazzling hour-plus of music from another Brit, singer-pianist Claire Maidin.
Shipboard shows have come a long way in the time since we started cruising in
the mid-90s, with lavish productions, often involving visual effects and Cirque
du Soleil-style acrobatics. We didn’t make the magic show on our last night
aboard, but Pax said he really enjoyed it.
Day 5 – We came ashore on the
Greek island of Mykonos and took a smaller boat over to the nearby island of
Delos, once home to a thriving commercial town in ancient times. The ruins and
museum were fascinating, and when we returned to Mykonos, we spent time wandering
through its charming alleyways, enjoying a near-overdose of window shopping.
Greek shops will take euros for cash but credit cards are always welcome.
Day 6 – Today we arrived in
Turkey, boarding our tour bus in the port city of Kusadasi and heading to
ancient Ephesus. We visited the Basilica of St. John, where the Apostle John is
entombed, followed by a journey up into the nearby hills for an emotional visit
to the final home of Mary, mother of Jesus. Then we explored the ancient city
of Ephesus, which housed over 100,000 people during its peak years some 2,000
years ago. This is where the Apostle Paul lived and preached, and the ruins are
spectacular. It was hot, about 100 degrees, but we made liberal use of
sunscreen, kept our hats on and water bottles handy, and we were fine.
Day 7 – Back to the Greek
islands, this time to Santorini, one of the most charming of the 270 or so that
are inhabited. Our daughter had invited us to join her family in a photo shoot,
which produced some great results with the stunning vistas of the village of
Oia and the Aegean as a backdrop. We had a nice lunch and then a wine-tasting
at a charming tavern before heading back to the ship, stopping in the village
of Fira and then walking the twisting, turning Karavolades Stairs (all 588 of
them) down to the Old Port, where we boarded the tender for a welcome return to
the ship for our final night aboard.
Day 8 – Disembarkation was
just as smooth as boarding the ship had been. We’d arranged a small tour bus
for our group to pick us up at the port of Piraeus and take us into the
sprawling Greek capital of Athens for our tour of the ancient Acropolis. Our
guide there did a fine job telling us about the history, art and architecture
of the place that was the center of the ancient Greek world. We were a little
bit weary when we finally checked into our hotel, not too far from the Hellenic
Parliament, but we had a great view that night of the moon over the Parthenon.
Day 9 – We’d decided to
extend our stay in Greece to include a day trip to two famous sites of
antiquity, the Oracle at Dephi and the Thermopylae battlefield. We engaged a
luxury tour bus and enjoyed the drive out of the city and into the countryside.
Mountains cover about 80% of Greece, providing some truly spectacular scenery.
The Oracle site is easy to access with a self-guided tour, and we learned a lot
about this place that was such an important part of ancient Greece. Then, we
stopped at Thermopylae, visiting the monument to Leonidas and his 300 Spartans,
who confronted invading Persians at this then-narrow pass in 480BC and fought
to the last man, helping to save Greece from conquest.
Day 10 – Our visit had
finally ended, and after a long day of travel, starting with a 6am flight from
Athens to Amsterdam, we finally arrived home some 23 hours after a groggy
middle-of-the-night wakeup call. We had a wonderful time with our family and
saw some of the most spectacular sights of two worlds, the ancient and the
modern. Our kids are already talking about our next family cruise!
Vacationing with the family, no
matter where you might want to go, can produce memories that will last for
generations. How about getting one organized for yours? Give us a call!
Sue Tindell
What’s better than spending a week on a luxury cruise liner in the Mediterranean? Spending it with family! That’s what my husband Dave and I did this past week, and while it was hot and at times a little too busy, we had a wonderful time.
Dave’s late parents had taken their
kids and grandkids on two family cruises back in the 2000s, and they were
surely looking down on us last week as a dozen family members gathered in
Barcelona, Spain, to board the Ascent, one of the newest ships in the
Celebrity fleet. We set sail on August 2 and headed east.
Day 1 – Celebrity’s boarding
procedure is almost entirely online, thanks to its app, and went very smoothly.
We had cabins in the concierge class, with virtual balconies in each and easy
access by elevator or stairs to the rest of the ship. Our service throughout
the cruise was first-rate.
Day 2 – At sea, we explored
the ship and had the first of many excellent meals. The Ascent has four
main dining rooms and some smaller, specialty restaurants that are an extra
charge, but worth it, from what we were told—we typically dined as a family, so
it was more convenient to stick to the larger rooms. And the food…well, as any
veteran cruiser will tell you, good food is an absolute must, and the Ascent
came through. Its Oceanside Café provided a well-stocked buffet that didn’t
feel like one. We had breakfast there every day and one or two evening meals as
well.
The large outdoor pool was crowded
but lively, so we preferred the smaller, indoor solarium pool with its gentler
ambience. Our 7-year-old grandson, Pax, was a big-pool guy, though, and also
made use of the special kids’ room with video games and foosball. Dave and his
brother Alan made sure to visit the ping-pong tables.
Day 3 – Our first shore
excursion was on the central Mediterranean island of Malta. The island has been
an important place for centuries, thanks to its strategic location in the
middle of the Med, only about 90 miles south of Sicily and almost as close to
North Africa. We went ashore and boarded small boats for a tour of the renowned
coastal blue grottos, and then explored the capital city of Valletta, with its
fortresses, museums and churches.
Day 4 – Another day at sea as
we sailed east. Dave and I visited the spa on Monday, and on this day, I took
our daughter Kim for a treatment as a birthday gift. Indulging yourself in the
ship’s spa can be a little pricey, but it’s well worth it. Our attendants were
highly skilled, and we left feeling refreshed and invigorated.
There’s plenty to do on a ship
during sea days. The casino is open and always busy, and the shops offer items
ranging from jewelry and wristwatches to clothing and souvenirs. There’s an art
gallery, and photographers are everywhere, providing plenty of opportunities
for family photos.
The entertainment on board was
first-rate, too. We caught the comedy show by English comic Tom Deacon and a
dazzling hour-plus of music from another Brit, singer-pianist Claire Maidin.
Shipboard shows have come a long way in the time since we started cruising in
the mid-90s, with lavish productions, often involving visual effects and Cirque
du Soleil-style acrobatics. We didn’t make the magic show on our last night
aboard, but Pax said he really enjoyed it.
Day 5 – We came ashore on the
Greek island of Mykonos and took a smaller boat over to the nearby island of
Delos, once home to a thriving commercial town in ancient times. The ruins and
museum were fascinating, and when we returned to Mykonos, we spent time wandering
through its charming alleyways, enjoying a near-overdose of window shopping.
Greek shops will take euros for cash but credit cards are always welcome.
Day 6 – Today we arrived in
Turkey, boarding our tour bus in the port city of Kusadasi and heading to
ancient Ephesus. We visited the Basilica of St. John, where the Apostle John is
entombed, followed by a journey up into the nearby hills for an emotional visit
to the final home of Mary, mother of Jesus. Then we explored the ancient city
of Ephesus, which housed over 100,000 people during its peak years some 2,000
years ago. This is where the Apostle Paul lived and preached, and the ruins are
spectacular. It was hot, about 100 degrees, but we made liberal use of
sunscreen, kept our hats on and water bottles handy, and we were fine.
Day 7 – Back to the Greek
islands, this time to Santorini, one of the most charming of the 270 or so that
are inhabited. Our daughter had invited us to join her family in a photo shoot,
which produced some great results with the stunning vistas of the village of
Oia and the Aegean as a backdrop. We had a nice lunch and then a wine-tasting
at a charming tavern before heading back to the ship, stopping in the village
of Fira and then walking the twisting, turning Karavolades Stairs (all 588 of
them) down to the Old Port, where we boarded the tender for a welcome return to
the ship for our final night aboard.
Day 8 – Disembarkation was
just as smooth as boarding the ship had been. We’d arranged a small tour bus
for our group to pick us up at the port of Piraeus and take us into the
sprawling Greek capital of Athens for our tour of the ancient Acropolis. Our
guide there did a fine job telling us about the history, art and architecture
of the place that was the center of the ancient Greek world. We were a little
bit weary when we finally checked into our hotel, not too far from the Hellenic
Parliament, but we had a great view that night of the moon over the Parthenon.
Day 9 – We’d decided to
extend our stay in Greece to include a day trip to two famous sites of
antiquity, the Oracle at Dephi and the Thermopylae battlefield. We engaged a
luxury tour bus and enjoyed the drive out of the city and into the countryside.
Mountains cover about 80% of Greece, providing some truly spectacular scenery.
The Oracle site is easy to access with a self-guided tour, and we learned a lot
about this place that was such an important part of ancient Greece. Then, we
stopped at Thermopylae, visiting the monument to Leonidas and his 300 Spartans,
who confronted invading Persians at this then-narrow pass in 480BC and fought
to the last man, helping to save Greece from conquest.
Day 10 – Our visit had
finally ended, and after a long day of travel, starting with a 6am flight from
Athens to Amsterdam, we finally arrived home some 23 hours after a groggy
middle-of-the-night wakeup call. We had a wonderful time with our family and
saw some of the most spectacular sights of two worlds, the ancient and the
modern. Our kids are already talking about our next family cruise!
Vacationing with the family, no matter where you might want to go, can produce memories that will last for generations. How about getting one organized for yours? Give us a call!
Sue Tindell
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