Cruisin' the Waves

Earlier this summer, because I called off my wedding, my Honeymoon became my "Sistamoon." My sister Snappy-L and I vacationed for two weeks on a Mediterranean cruise, and I can honestly say it was the best trip of my life. We had a great time of relaxing, sightseeing, learning, bonding, and eating... a whole lot! It was just the medicine I needed. I know some of you are planning cruise honeymoons, as well as varying trips to Europe/Asia. SO...

If you're in Barcelona, make sure to vist the Mercat de Sant Josep for fresh fruit...

If you're in Rome, have fun with your cameriere...

When you port in Sicily, get up early to watch the sun rise over the coastline...

If you're in Athens, locomote via Metro...

...and take a shot after your INCREDIBLE lunch (yes, those are blocks of fried cheese... BLOCKS!)

Should you happen to be in Ephesus, stand where St. Paul preached to the Ephesians and St. Mary spent her last days (allegedly)...

Window shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar... (operative word: "window")

If you're in Santorini, fall asleep on the black sands of Perissa Beach...

Once in Valletta, prepare for adventure... How much do you want it!? Trust me, I was channeling me some Jillian Michaels on this cliff climb.

And on ship, always, always eat lots of sushi...

...and visit the French restaurant at least twice.

(sigh) I want to go back! Someday, someday. :)

Cruising presents its own set of peculiar vacation challenges that the average vacationer might not expect (I surely didn't!) Here are some tips that Snappy-L and I found most useful:

• Bring a watch and an alarm clock. Cruise ships have extremely strict departure times from port! Don't be late, or you may be staying in Greece (or wherever you are) indefinitely! You'll need that watch to stay on top of the time. We made it onboard with ten minutes to spare in Athens... I about had a heart attack!
  
• Do a mix of tours and "on your own." My sister and I mixed it up. Tours can get uber expensive, BUT they do afford you the luxury of being able to "turn your brain off" just a bit. The advantage of being on your own is that you can schedule your day exactly the way you want and save some moolah.
• Sometimes the cruise ship will not be able to dock right in the port, and passengers have to take small "tender boats" into the dock. Make sure you find out ahead of time which ports may utilize tender boats, because you will need a ticket to get on the tender! Snappy-L and I did NOT check ahead and had to pick up our tickets into Santorini at the last minute... putting us on the last tender... greatly delaying our entrance into port. (SIDENOTE: Santorini is difficult to get into between tender, cable car, and bus. I recommend starting your trip into port as soon as the ship allows to maximize your port time.)
• Bring extra batteries, the salt water causes batteries to corrode more quickly.
• Bring a power strip for your room. Most cruise rooms have only 1-2 electrical outlets.
  
• Don't automatically discount the "dorky" on-board events - they can be pretty fun! We took a napkin folding class, and I am proud to say I can now whip out an opera house, banana, mouse, queen, diamond, and a rubber chicken. Aren't you jealous?
  
• Take one day to wake up early and watch the sun rise over the coastline. Suck it up and do it (see the Sicily photo above) TOTALLY worth it!
  
• Bring a travel journal! More on this next time.... I have a great DIY travel journal that is great for special vacations... like your honeymoon. ;)

I hope this was helpful! What are YOUR best travel and cruise tips??