THE CRUISE
APRIL 2018
DISCOVERY 2
I am sure if I bring up my Little Blog from 2017
(discovery 1) I will find I have repeated myself a lot!!
Never could I have imagined I would enjoy the same
wonderful experience.
Having returned from our annual Travel Fair in Mexico
just two days before. Very tired and looking forward to a break. We arrived as
foot passengers to Palma Port. A little
bit of hassle due to bad
signage but check in was smooth and professional…. We were
unable to secure a cabin with balcony
I was therefore apprehensive about our “Outside Cabin” You have to remember at this point that this
was only the second cruise of my life! I found a crisp , clean and actually cosy
room! We took lunch on board and then looked forward to Siesta!!!
Dinner, excellent a la carte cuisine, beautifully served in
the Italian Restaurant . We were delighted to find Antonio and Nicola (who we
met last year) attending in the
restaurant, both having transferred from Discovery 1
At sea next day,
sublime relaxation and what did we do? Sleep
and read in the quiet
Veranda “adults
only” section with waiter drinks service!!
CIVITAVECCHIA……. Little
Seaport Town.. I asked Peter if he wanted to travel the one and half
hours by train to Rome. .I thought we could throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain…..we
decided we wanted to - guess what? go back on board lunch and yet another
siesta!
MESSINA: An
absolute blast…. I personally caught up
with family…Gisela met us at the Town Hall
Messina is a joy in that you can just leave the ship and
walk into town. Off we went for a typical Sicilian breakfast of Granita and
Brioche ,loads of cream and chocolate
all fabulous from the local café –CIOCCOLATO PURA, Via Consolare Pompea, Villa St.Agata.
(remember you can just catch the bus at the port to St.Agata.)
Off then to a gorgeous fish lunch up in the hills through
“Corleone country”. The dishes went on and on …, a whole octopus, mussels cooked in marsala ,
salmon, fresh tuna, crispy whitebait et al.
I never wanted to
leave, the restaurant is called La
Trattoria del Marinaio – Via Nazionale, 109 – Galati Marina - Messina - “The
Sailor”
Very sadly returned to the ship..(I could have stayed for
ever !!
However what a surprise awaited us… There are six
restaurants on board , all good, simple fresh foods. One of the premium
restaurants SURF AND TURF is always booked but suddenly a table had
appeared!! Nothing was to prepare us for this amazing experience . I swear I could have closed my eyes and I
could have been in the Dorchester!! Perfect ambience, wines, lobster and Steak…desserts
to die for.!!
Me the great “snob” of Travel was speechless for once!!
NAPLES. We immediately caught the bus to the Station
Plaza Garibaldi and caught the train to Sorrento, only 6 euros per person….We
went last year so we had our favourite places!
Back into the City… on the inevitable search for the best
Pizza! The delightful place recommended by James Martin was impossible since
this was the 1st of May a National holiday. With the queue across
the street we decided not to stand in line and we found our own tiny place down
a side street we would go there again and again in a heartbeat . Scrumptious
pizza, ice cold beer and a real jolly guy.
Pizzeria
Friggitoria Napoli Centro – Via Miroballo, 29/30 – Napoli – Tel: 081 - 18374528
Return to the ship and yet another surprise; an invitation to the Captain's Table…..This charismatic man was a
delight, Captain Jason Ikiadis… Thank you
so much for our invitation .We then
danced the night away….…
I was over the moon to find a Barman who was from
ACAPULCO, not only that but he remembered the weddings I used to arrange in
Acapulco at fabulous Las Brisas…All those weddings were for Thomson in their heyday.
THE ELEMIS SPA!!!
I spent a lot of time here with my fab masseuse Teresa. For an incurable insomniac …….”Siestas and
Spa’s” are paradise!! .
So there you have it…a perfect 6 days…….at an incredible
price……..PERFECT…
The whole point of me writing these words is to impress what
a great product this is…..To get me on the first Tui (now called Marella)
cruise was a miracle so imagine here I was again on the second one!!!
Well done Tui and well done everyone we encountered on this
beautiful trip……..
I have recommended our experience to everyone including
many of my data base clients, some dating back
many years….I have never made a “Package Tour” ! but would have absolutely no hesitation In recommending
Tui Cruises to all these “Non Package Tour “ type client…
My biggest thanks have
to go to the girls in the my Tui
High Street Shop…They did such an excellent job in putting this together…To say
I am a “difficult” client would be an understatement.
I am never in one
place for very long and so hard to pin down on dates…..Known in the Travel
Industry as “Only Mexico”!!!
I now have to add to my Bio…Mexico and TUI!
..
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