Azamara White Nights

Well, while it isn't exactly "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues - although I seriously never understood what that song meant anyway, every Azamara cruise features an evening they call The White Night when passengers are encouraged to dress in white and party with crew and staff on the pool deck.  Of course, this is weather permitting.  I didn't attend this event on the last cruise I was on but last night I put on my white capris, t-shirt and jacket and headed up to the deck meeting the British couple I have connected with.  The evening involves a massive buffet with every kind of food you could imagine, drinks (of course), live music and dancing.  Unfortunately, last evening was windy and cold so most people were accessorizing their white outfits with the blue blankets handed out by the crew.  Also, it was so windy that some tables were cleared of their wine and water glasses with one gust of the wind.  We managed to sit there long enough to drink some champagne, eat food (cold by the time you got it to your table) and watch the entertainment.  The crew paraded along the upper deck with the flags of their nations.  It was super to see two of them carrying a Canadian flag.  Martin, the cruise director, has a super voice as does the lead singer of the band.  We stayed long enough to get the flavour of it all - and to have several Crepes Suzettes that the chef was preparing.  Then, we scampered inside to the warmth of The Den, the cocktail bar, and the drinks offered there.  It had been very chilly, especially after the sun went down.



Fidelma, Colin and Dennis (a guy we'd met from NYC







Captain Michael

Martin, the cruise director



It was my last hurrah on the cruise because Saturday I need to rest, pack up, and get ready to disembark for the long journey home Sunday.  I'm a bit envious of the passengers who are doing back-to-back cruises as now The Pursuit heads toward Barcelona.  It has been a great adventure, albeit much too short.  Of course, in my typical fashion, I will return home and start finalizing plans for the next one in late September.  Thanks for following along with me.  I hope you found it interesting.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Syros - Not Mykonos but . . .

Image
Several days ago, Captain Michael announced our ship would not be visiting Mykonos as the strong winds there would make it impossible for tenders to ferry passengers from the ship to the shore.  So, that port was replaced with the island of Syros with its port of Ermoupoli (so named for the goddess, Hermes).  My initial reaction to the news was one of disappointment; however, as we docked there yesterday morning, I could see it was a very pretty place.   The view from my veranda Syros, also known as Siros or Syra, is a Greek island in the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea. It is 78 nautical miles south-east of Athens. The area of the island is 83.6 km² and it has 21,507 inhabitants. The capital is Ermoupoli and other town are Ano Syros, and Vari.  It turned out Ermoupoli was an architectural gem with colourful mansions, neoclassical buildings, imposing churches (two of which were situated on the two hills in the town), pretty squares and a lovely seafront crowded with...
Read more

Volos and Mount Pelion

Image
After Thessaloniki, our next port of call was Volos.   This is a coastal port city at the foot of Mount Pelion in Thessaly.  It is situated midway on the Greek mainland, about 330 kilometres north of Athens and 220 kilometres south of Thessaloniki.  It is the sixth most populous city of Greece, and the capital of the Magnesia regional unit of the Thessaly Region. Knowing nothing about this area - I'd never actually heard of it before - I decided to book a shore excursion.  It was titled  Mountain Villages of Portaria and Makrynitsa.  Both villages are located on Mount Pelion.  The bus climbed up and up a typical mountain road with innumerable hairpin turns until the buildings in Volos looked like small dots.  Unfortunately, the weather was very cloudy so the views weren't clear.  Also, the cloud ceiling was quite lot so it was damp and cool.  The village of Makrynitsa turned out to be quite charming.  it is nicknamed "the balco...
Read more

My Affliction

A friend of mine recently told me of a newly identified condition called "destination addiction".  This need or drive some people have to always have plans to travel somewhere apparently really does have a name; my guess it was probably spawned from all the frustration of travel limitations during the pandemic!  I am more than willing to admit that it is definitely my affliction.  Having had a bit of a depressing start to 2023, it was amazing how, once I'd chatted to another friend about making travel plans for the fall, I started to feel so much better.  It was like a gray cloud had lifted off my psyche.  Apparently, my mental health really is dependent on having airline reservations and destinations planned!   However, it was clear to me that October was too far away so I started casting about for something to do in the spring.  And, while it is known I am not a big fan of cruises, I also am aware there are times when that form of travel is real...
Read more