Today we had our first day at sea and we had a tour booked. It was an Inside Access Tour- what happens behind the secret doors.
First we visited the dining room and learnt how to fold three different kinds of serviettes. The dining room staff fold hundreds each day. We’d need a lot of practice for the fancy ones.
Next we went to the kitchen which was amazing. They had escalators to make it quicker down to the kitchen and up to the dining room.
The chefs cooked everything from scratch.
They had a bakery where so many different types of bread were made. They had the breadsticks lined up on trays ready for dinner that night.
They had different sections for each specialty restaurant and type of food they were preparing. The chefs would have a recipe up in front of them and a photo of how it looked for serving. I can’t remember how many worked in the kitchen but it was a lot because there were many shifts throughout the day and night.
The deserts they were making for the day were incredible!
After that we visited the waste area and the Environmental Officer explained what they do with all the waste and how they process the water. They sort all the rubbish and recycle everything, and generate all fresh water from seawater.
Then we went to visit the Engineer Officer and learnt all about the operation of the engine and propellers. The control room had many monitors. A bit above my head!! They have three different types of engine, the main ones the same as a jet engine that can turn in 360 degrees.
After that we went below the sea level to the staff quarters. They have a few areas to eat with different types of food and a lounge to relax, watch tv and have a drink.
Then we went lower to the laundry. They had some amazing equipment down there. One machine could dry, iron and fold a sheet and another could dry and fold a towel.
Finally we went to the bridge. It had a great view! The 1st Officer spoke about the driving of the ship. It was driven with a tiny little toggle just like an X-box joystick. The officer made a joke about it being like a game joystick. If the toggle was moved too far the ship would tip.
The tour finished here. It was 3 hours and very interesting.
The rest of the day we relaxed around the pool.
The next day we arrived in Naples. We met our tour guide Michele (pronounced Micel) and took a ferry to the Isle of Capri. It was very busy!
We wanted to go to the famous Blue Grotto but he told us it involved waiting 2 hours in a boat and then 3 minutes in the grotto. He suggested a boat trip- so we opted for the boat trip. We wondered if he’d told us about the wait for the Blue Grotto so we could do the boat trip with his friend. We heard from someone who did do the Blue Grotto that it was exactly as he said. However, the photos were beautiful!!
The boat trip was very good. It was around an hour and half way around the island.
We saw many little grottos and the water was so blue and the cliffs so high and sheer.
After the boat trip we rode the Furnicular to the top.
We decided to catch a taxi to Ana Capri the other side of the island. The taxis were so cute. They were convertibles and all had different coloured canopies and seats.
Over at Ana Capri we took the chairlift to the top of Mt Solaro.
Up the top we had a magnificent view of the island. We could see the other side of the island where we had gone in the boat.
Then we found a nice and quiet restaurant for lunch. Beautiful pasta!! Homemade gnocchi!!
And of course we had to check out the shops.
After that we took a taxi back to Capri and wandered the many shops. All very exclusive, high end designers! We had to take the Furnicular back down to shop at our level!
We had to meet Michelle at 4pm and had to be back on the ship by 5.30. There were very long lines for the ferry. Our guide told us “Not to worry we would make it to the ship on time!” We got back at 5.45. But of course they wouldn’t sail without us because we were on a shore tour we’d booked through the ship. If we’d gone on our own to the island they might have left us behind!
The Isle of Capri has been ticked off but I was expecting to see George Clooney having a Nescafé there. 😜
As it was our last night aboard the chefs always come out and to a dance around the dining room. This time they did it Gangnam Style. It was fantastic!! A true representation of the enthusiasm crew on board. They work very long shifts and are always smiling.
One of our favourites was Robin in the Martini Bar. Shelly called him Batman. 🤣
Many of the bar staff and our tables Sommelier (Hilario) would know before we asked that we wanted a glass of Villa Maria.
It was such a great cruise. We ate too much and drank too much but had a fantastic time with Shelly and Ed and loved all the places we visited. It was just a taste. Santorini, Mykonos and Dubrovnik we will be back someday.