Going Ashore

There are many good things to be said about a cruise, but the difficulties of moving people off and back on the ship when you come to a port are somewhat overwhelming.

We spent the day in Dubrovnik -- that would be more like we spent 2 hours in Dubrovnik after we took a tender (lifeboat) to a bus to the old walled city, where we walked the wall, and then reversed the process. Each leg of this journey required waiting in a line, which some people respected more than others. We figure about 2,000 people from our ship went ashore. This was all complicated further by the fact that there were something like 4 cruiseships doing the same thing.

There were spectacular views of the sea from the 11th century wall around the city. The red tile roofs, the blue-green water, and the rocky shoreline all provided excellent photo ops. Brave souls were diving into the sparkling water from the rocks above us, while others were loading the cannons in our defense.




(Note the bodies in mid-air!)

But without a doubt, those who stayed on the ship poolside or enjoyed spa services found the relaxation we were missing as we made our first trip ashore.

Tomorrow is a full day at sea as we travel on to Turkey. My treat for the day will be a Swedish massage mid-afternoon. Much needed after hauling my suitcase around for a week!