Day Two: At Sea

My ever-active wife laughs at me, but I do enjoy the days at sea probably as much as the days on the various ports of call.

What's not to like? Strolling on the ship's elegant brass and teak decks, laying on a lounge chair reading a good book, gourmet meals punctuated by double espressos at the Java Bar.

We sailed across the Aegean and through the Dardanelles, alongside the ancient city of Troy, in what is now the Turkish province of Canakkale. That afternoon, we attended an informative lecture on "The Byzantine Empire, Viking Russia, and the Renaissance" by Holland America's guest lecturer Olga Stavrakis. Olga was born in Kiev, Ukraine, holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and an MA in Archeology.

This was one of three lectures in the cruise's Explorations Speaker Series. The other two were "The Golden Age of Ancient Greece and its Enduring Legacy," and "Ephesus: The Magnificent Roman-Byzantine and Early Christian Religious Center." Her lectures provided great background to set the stage for the shore excursions. Nice touch.

The best thing about cruising is that everything is so meticulously planned. The way the ship docks while you are having breakfast, affording you a glorious view of the day's port-of-call just as the sun rises. Similarly, first full cruise day is usually a day at sea, to allow you to rest from your flight if you just came directly for the cruise, adjust to the timezone, unpack and explore the ship. At the end of it all is the cruise's first formal night. It starts with champagne and hors d'oeurves at the Captains Gala Reception, and is followed by a formal dinner. Not too much wine... got to get ready for tomorrow's port of call: Istanbul !!