A lot of Boardingarea is gushing about the Star MegaDO 4 right now. I don’t blame anyone for gushing about it because it sounds like a fantastic time. I really want to go, but other demands are preventing me from participating. Don’t get me wrong, a charter flight hanging out with my fellow frequent flier junkies sounds like a grand time…seriously. Flying across the pond, and back again….. getting behind the scenes VIP tours of airline operations and who knows what else really is my idea of a good time.
That said, I’m burning the majority of my time off on another trip to Europe, an inaugural cruise aboard Celebrity Reflection, from Venice to Barcelona. Check this out:
Day 1 Venice, Italy
Embark on November 4, 2012 (Set sail the next evening at 5pm)
Day 2, November 5, 2012, Venice, Italy Set sail at 5:00 PM
Day 3, November 6, 2012, Dubrovnik, Croatia
12:00 PM 8:00 PM
Day 4 , November 7, 2012, At Sea
Day 5, November 8, 2012, Rhodes, Greece
10:00 AM 7:00 PM
Day 6, November 9, 2012, Kusadasi, Turkey
7:00 AM 6:00 PM
Day 7, November 10, 2012, Piraeus, Greece
7:00 AM 6:00 PM
Day 8, November 11, 2012, At Sea
Day 9, November 12, 2012, Malta (Valetta), Malta
8:00 AM 6:00 PM
Day 10, November 13, 2012, Catania, Italy
8:00 AM 5:00 PM
Day 11, November 14, 2012, Naples, Italy
7:00 AM 7:00 PM
Day 12, November 15, 2012, Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
7:00 AM 7:00 PM
Day 13, November 16, 2012, Livorno, Italy
7:00 AM 7:00 PM
Day 14, November 17, 2012, Toulon, France
7:00 AM 5:00 PM
Day 15, November 18, 2012, Barcelona, Spain
6:00 AM -Disembark
I’ve got a really awesome cruise aboard a brand new ship to look forward to, and I’m very excited about it. That said, I really admire those of you that get to play on the Star MegaoDO 4. I’m really hoping I can join you for # 5!!! I’ll be passing through Frankfurt on my way home from Barcelona on November 21, 2012, aboard Lufthansa. I hope my fellow flying enthusiasts will clear a path for me through Frankfurt! And I’ll look forward to joining you for the next MegaDO! Here’s to you, and another Oneworld MegaDO too!
@Reeder,
I have not used ChoicAir so far. For the 2 Euro cruises I’ve done, I’ve used miles to fly across the pond in Business or First. That said….$670 dollars is a semi-attractive fare even if it is one way as long as there’s something else you have in mind for those miles.
I just used my open passages booking purchased on Allure last Halloween to book a Spring TA on Reflection 🙂 And am using my time off elsewhere, too. Did want to get your take on ChoiceAir via Celebrity vs Mileage redemption. I figure in order to make any sort of reasonable comparison, I should call ChoiceAir and ask for fare codes and classes, cancellation fees, etc. As tempting as it is to spend 60k + miles on a one way saver first redemption and hope Lufthansa 1st opens up near my return date, the return fare is about $670 in… Read more »
Heh, I´m readıng thıs ın Bodrum, Turkey, havıng just vısıted Ephesus yesterday aboad Grandeur of the Seas. Wooooo cruısıng!
@James How does the revitalized Grandeur look?
Hello Ephesus was a great tour operator, particularly Suzan our tour guide. I would highly recommend them. If you are int he market for a Turkish rug buy it at the Carpeterium in Kusadasi where Suzan will take you. It is a state owned cooperative where they bring women in from the villages and teach them some of the old patterns from carpet making as well as teaching them how to make carpets. They can then go home to their villages and make carpets to sell here. The prices are so much better than buying in Istanbul since you cut… Read more »
Jane,
Thanks very much for your comment. I do believe that Carpeterium is where MrsMJonTravel purchased our rugs when we were in Kusadasi. Thankfully, I had enjoyed a few cocktails when she broke the news to me on how much she spent. 🙂
This will be my first cruise on a new ship. This is actually her 3rd revenue cruise…. part of a multi-segment itinerary delivering the ship to Miami for the winter season.
Fingers crossed for neat swag.
Just curious how many inaugural cruises have you been on and have you gotten any great inaugural gifts in the past? I have heard some of the gifts can be really awesome.