Our managing director Damian Murphy is just back from a cruise onboard Royal Caribbeans Vision of the Seas and shares his thoughts on the trip.
I flew from Dublin to Venice this year to board Vision of the Seas (a Royal Caribbean Vision class ship) for a 7 night Eastern med cruise. For the first time ever I had an inside cabin which proved to be compact to say the least but well up to the intended job. The departure from Venice lived up to my expectations and proved to be a highlight of not only this holiday but of any holiday I have ever taken. Sipping my cocktail as we slowly sailed through the canals of Venice is something that will live with me for a long time. I chose this itinerary as I have never really visited the Eastern Med before and it would at least give me a flavour of Greece. Our first stop was Kotor in Montenegro which proved to be almost as good as Venice.
Our 90 minute voyage down the Fjord into Kotor in Montenegro with its spectacular scenery was every bit as amazing as the city of Kotor itself. Known as the walled city (most of the city is enclosed behind a large and centuries old stone wall) Kotor is a beautiful -busy and a vibrant place to be, full of street cafes, old shops and restaurants, with the people as friendly as you could hope to meet anywhere. In Athens we made the trip to the Acropolos (a 60 minute queue for tickets and a 15 minute uphill walk to get there) to the ancient Greek ruins – all worth the effort!
Mykonos was another highlight with streets so narrow 2 people could hardly pass each other. Shops upon shops – water front bars and cafes made this stop another unforgettable one. Our other stops of Corfu town and Argostoli proved also to be fantastic and a return visit to at least one is on the cards.
Life on board Vision of the Seas was lively with plenty of daily activities should you choose to stay on board. At night the inside bars and lounges came alive with music- dancing- karaoke quizzes and a good sized casino for anyone who fancied a flutter. The bars were busy and full of atmosphere- and an appearance by the captain midweek caused the usual flurry of excitement. Food was 24 hours and of a high standard. The main restaurant served a variety of dishes each evening and for a small surcharge chops grille served up the best fillet steak I have had in years.
Getting on and off the ship was painless and well organised as one would expect from this company- with no long waits at anytime.
Some people say “cruising is not for me” — I would say give it a try. I thought it was a fantastic holiday with great food, entertainment and a great opportunity to see some new places.
Heres to my next cruise.
Damian