Cruise Specialists Voyage Hosts Steve and Wendy Bodenheimer hosted 75 guests aboard Volendam roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale to iconic Mediterranean ports. Hear all about their adventures in this detailed report.
Hello from the blustery Atlantic! We are the very first guests on Volendam since it has received extensive renovations. We’re still discovering some of the things that are different. Behind the scenes, there is new plumbing and wiring. New carpeting and furniture appeared in some public spaces and cabins and many new features have been added to make the ship more ADA compliant. Counter tops have been lowered or raised, new automatic doors installed, even the elevators are new and have buttons more easily reachable from a wheelchair. A library with all new books has been created, the gym and Shore Excursion offices got facelifts, and we’re happy to see the second dance floor in the Crow’s Nest is still there.
We know about one third of our 75 Cruise Specialists guests and have already seen many of them at our daily Chat and Hospitality hours. We have numerous friends among the crew - some still here since we left them in August. There were lots of hugs going around on embarkation day.
What does our Cruise Specialists group look like? We are 27 couples and 22 solo travelers; 42 women and 34 men; we represent 18 states plus Canada, with nearly half the Guests calling Florida home; we are 95% retired and range in age from 60s to 90s. A broad range of professions are represented: nurses and doctors; teachers; corporate executives; lawyers; engineers; and computer experts, to mention a few. We are very well travelled with many hard-core cruise enthusiasts. We have fun exchanging travel experiences and “passengers behaving badly” stories as well as sharing information about upcoming ports and not to be missed experiences.
Crossing the Atlantic
Our six days at sea have been busy with Chat Time each morning and our first Cocktail party on day three. Most everyone attended. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet new guests and reconnect with old friends.
There is no shortage of activities day and night throughout the ship. There are three different guest lecturers, with programs each day and informative port talks by our Cruise and Travel Director. Trivia is especially popular, with three different sessions daily and an extraordinary assortment of arts and crafts classes, wine tastings, cooking demos, casino events, and deck games. Tai chi classes, bridge and pickleball classes and tournaments, movies, two pools, hot tubs, salon, spa, fitness center, and more are available every day. There is a classical trio playing nightly, as well as a cocktail pianist for the early evenings, a lively piano bar entertainer, and the Ocean Band for the late-night crowd. So much to do, so little time. Or do nothing. Take your book and your coffee or cocktail to the nearest lounge or your veranda and just relax.
Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island in the Azores
The day was cloudy with occasional downpours that sent us scurrying for shelter. We ventured into the city for what turned into a 10-mile walkaround. Stores close at noon on Saturday, so it was very quiet. We wandered the narrow cobblestone streets with even narrower sidewalks or no sidewalks at all in places. There are some beautiful ornate buildings to admire and well-manicured green spaces like Parque Urbano for peaceful walks. One unique feature of the city is the mosaic tile patterns in the sidewalks. It’s hard to imagine the labor required to construct these works of art!
On our second day in Ponta Delgada we had a long tour day scheduled with our Cruise Specialists guests out into the countryside to the stunning Furnas Valley. What a gorgeous place. We visited scenic viewpoints; toured a tea factory with time for sampling their pineapple cake and two of their teas - green and black; visited the boiling hot springs coming straight from the volcanic interior; had a chance to take a dip in the refreshing thermal pools.
We also enjoyed a very unusual lunch. What they called stew was large platters of chicken, beef, pork, carrots, potatoes, taro root, cabbage, kale, "blood" and another kind of sausage and a big dish of flavored rice with a light gravy on the side. This had been cooked underground in a large pot, using the volcanic heat of the cement-reinforced sulfur holes. It felt really authentic, and we thought it was great. Also served were rolls and butter with an excellent potato soup and fresh local pineapple for dessert as well as espresso.
Morocco, Casablanca & Marrakech
We arrived in Morocco to sunshine and warm weather reaching the mid 80’s. Casablanca is our port and the gateway to other special destinations. A two-ship length walk gets you to the terminal where you will either find your tour bus or a shuttle to the United Nations Square.
The big attraction in town is the Hassan II Mosque, a magnificent structure with its massive minaret that towers over everything around. An interior tour is well worth the admission charge. You might also get a view of the Royal Palace, wander the Place Mohammed V, the main square, do some shopping in the square, or experience a demonstration of Moroccan cooking. If you want to venture out of town, there is the Imperial city of Rabat, Morocco’s capital. You might have some pastries and tea at the Oudaya Kasbah and wander the huge souks or markets there.
You could brave the 160-mile one way ride to Marrakech at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. Having been to Casablanca before, Wendy decided to make that long trip to Marrakech. Steve stayed in the city for a little geocaching and some down time.
It was a comfortable bus ride with an informative guide. The countryside was flat desert, with the occasional village. We arrived in three hours and left on foot to the scheduled stops. Often referred to as the red city, many of the buildings have been constructed using red sandstone, giving the city a unique red glow.
The Koutoubia Minaret, a 12th century Moorish monument that is not open for visits, is our first stop, followed by time at the Dar El Bacha, a former palace turned museum. Beautifully and ornately carved wood ceilings, sculpted stucco wall trim, and mosaic wall and floor tiles, along with lush open-air gardens, are the unique features of this and the larger Bahia Palace that we also visited.
Lunch at a traditional restaurant was great fun. Chicken cooked in a tagine pot, heaping portions of couscous with beef and vegetables and a nice red wine were accompanied by belly dancers in full costume. With a little coaxing, a few guests joined the dancing. Our final stop was the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa Square where you find snake charmers, acrobats, monkey trainers, street vendors, and international tourists galore, as well as cafés and traditional shops. It looked like a scene from a movie - just the way you might imagine the legendary Marrakech to look and feel. We had some free time to wander here before making the trip back. It was a 12-hour day and even though so much of it was getting there and back, we got a good overview of the city and can check mark this bucket list location.
Fondly,
Wendy and Steve
See all blog posts:
Exploring Italy | Acropolis & Egyptian Pyramids | Malta & Tunisia | Gibraltar, Tangier, and Seville | Conclusion
See Cruises in the Mediterranean >>