Meet Elliott, Our Mascot

Elliott has been cruising with us since 2006, so this is his 7th year of cruising! He was born in the jungles/rain forests of Panama and adopted by me. He loves shipboard activities... you may see him at the disco, horse races, or even in the dining room (he is partial to bananas)...

Cattail Adriatic Cruise 2012

We are going on this one! It's 13 days starting in Venice and ending in Rome on Celebrity Silhouette. I am excited by the itinerary and the ship!  Our cruise will embark and overnight in Venice. I can't wait to get back to Venice! Spritz con aperol, gelato, pizza, pasta, seafood, gondolas, murano glass, burano lace, handsome gondoliers flexing their muscles, water water everywhere!

Adriatic Cruise Itinerary

13 Day Cruise May 30 - June 12, 2012 on Celebrity Silhouette

Wed. May 30 Venice, Italy – embark and overnight on the ship
Thur. May 31 Venice, Italy – depart 5 pm
Fri. June 1 Ravenna, Italy 7 am – 6 pm
Sat. June 2 Koper, Slovenia 8 am – 6 pm
Sun. June 3 Split, Croatia 8 am – 6 pm
Mon. June 4 Dubrovnik, Croatia 8 am – 6 pm
Tues. June 5 Kotor, Montenegro 8 am – 6 pm
Wed. June 6 Bari, Italy 8 am - 6 pm
Thur. June 7 Corfu, Greece 8 am – 6 pm
Fri. June 8 At Sea
Sat. June 9 Valletta, Malta 8 am – 6 pm
Sun. June 10 Sicily (Messina), Italy 8 am – 6 pm
Mon. June 11 Naples/Capri, Italy 7 am – 6:30 pm
Tues. June 12 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy arrive 4:30 am Disembark ship

Adriatic Cruise Itinerary Map

European Travel Tips: Money Matters

All of the countries that we will visit use the Euro as currency, with the exception of Croatia. Croatia uses the Kuna. Now for a bit of trivia..."kuna" means marten, a weasel like animal, whose fur Croats used for payment many centuries ago!

Ken & I plan to get some US dollars exchanged for Euros before our departure. Note that credit cards (Visa and MasterCard much more than American Express) are accepted in most shops & restaurants worldwide. Just a note regarding credit cards: note that credit cards with chips rather than magnetic strips are more common in Europe; so you may not be able to get cash from an ATM unless your card has a chip. Not all US credit card companies issue cards with chips but we were able to get one from a credit union last year prior to our overseas trip. It is very easy to use ATMs in Europe to withdraw local currency and the charge is minimal; just be sure that you have a 4-digit PIN. As far as "spending money", cash is needed for some street vendors' touristy items, private tours and for taxis, etc. Remember that tour guides are usually given a tip... it can be in US dollars or Euros for ship's tours; for private tours, it should be in local currency.

Please be sure to let your credit card company know that you will be abroad. Also, have a way to secure your money and credit cards (i.e., inside shirt, belt, etc.) I usually take a small backpack with handwipes, lipgloss, camera, sunscreen, water, etc., but have my money, credit card, etc. close to my body.

Countdown to our Adriatic cruise!

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European Travel Tips - Restrooms

I will be posting a few travel tips throughout this blog. Here is an important one to note! Bathrooms: In Europe the bathrooms (or WCs aka water closets) are always a challenge. Always have a few coins of local currency with you, as you may be charged for the privilege of using the WC. Of course, my favorite option is to locate a cafe, pub, trattoria, or bistro and stop for a glass of local wine, beer, or caffe.... then there is no charge for the WC! You may find a toilet seat or you may find a trough type toilet that you are supposed to squat over. If you are lucky you will find toilet paper, but often as not, you must provide your own. I always carry a small pouch of Kleenex with me for this purpose. Once you complete your business, it can be a challenge figuring out how to flush the toilet. You may have to push, pull or wiggle any type of handle you can find within arm’s (or leg’s) reach. OK, that all being said, I don't expect to find many primitive type WCs on our cruise!