Mediterranean Cruise

2016 was the year of my first cruise. Me, my husband, and our then two year old sailed through the Baltic Sea with Royal Caribbean and my once negative perceptions of cruising were erased by the positive experience on that trip. We didn't get suckered into booking a follow-on cruise while still onboard, although tempting, but we did walk away with chatter of a possible Mediterranean cruise for the summer of 2017. 

The year of 30. Yep, it was my biggest birthday to date. I could write a whole blog post with a lengthy run down of my thoughts leading up to this milestone but, I'll leave it short and avoid that tangent. If you are wondering, 30 has been my favorite number yet. I find beauty in aging and love the wisdom, maturity, and self-love that comes with this time in my life. So for any of you reading this who are still in your 20's and may be dreading the shift of that 2 to a 3.. don't. Be excited. Be grateful. Be content. Be adventurous. Be positive. Be YOURSELF.

Alex and I found a Mediterranean cruise that would be sailing during my birthday, which conveniently always falls over Memorial Day weekend. My Mom and Mark were interested in joining in on the celebration and didn't think twice about booking a cabin right beside ours. Having them along to ring in my 30th was super special. There's nothing quite like family! I chose our cruise based on dates and ports of call, Santorini sealing the deal. A month or so after confirming our trip, I received an email stating that our itinerary had changed. I remember glancing over the update and immediately noticing Santorni was no longer on the itinerary but exchanged for Split, Croatia. Yeah, I was a bit bummed since Santorini was a huge deal breaker for why we purchased the cruise but this updated itinerary was a SMALL let down in the scheme of life. We embraced the change and knew that time together anywhere in the Mediterranean would be wonderful. It really was such a wonderful trip together with so many memories made. Poor Mark was sick for a portion of the trip + we did lose Brecken onboard for about 10 minutes.. which was so scary. Long story short, Mom thought we had him and we thought she had him. Basically he wandered off and got separated from us on the pool deck. Norwegian Cruise staff was absolutely amazing and had him sitting on a chair waiting for us while they located his parents. It was a fast and scary ordeal but thankfully nothing happened and we got hi back safe and sound! 

4 countries in 7 days.
(Click on the links below to preview a short write up and photos from each city.)


Venice, Italy // Dubrovnik, Croatia // Kotor, Montenegro // Olympia, Greece // Athens Grece // Split, Croatia

Travel Notes 

Ports of Call
As stated in the past, PLAN AHEAD! The time in each port goes by so quickly and if no plan is in place for what to see or do, much of the time will be wasted. Guided tours are not necessary but are always a nice option if you want to get a good dose of information and history on the specific city!

Food
The food choices were as bountiful as our first cruise. Everything from poolside bbq to sushi to Italian was being served at some point during the day. Buffets were always an option if time was limited and we were in need of fixing a quick bout of hunger.. more or less for our three year old! A majority of the specialty restaurants on the ship were part of the original food package and did not leave us signing for any additional charges at the end of our meal. 

Beverages
At the time of booking, a beverage package was added to our invoice for a nominal amount. None of us are heavy drinkers but it was nice to sip on a mixed drink by the pool or order a glass of wine with dinner and know that I hadn't just paid 15 dollars for that beverage. If you think you might drink at least three drinks a day, opt for one of the beverage packages. It will pay for itself by the time you disembark! 

Norwegian Cruise Line vs. Royal Caribbean
We loved our first cruise with Royal Caribbean for the excellent childcare, great food, and hospitable staff members that went above and beyond. The second time around, we chose Norwegian only because they had the dates and specific ports of call that we were looking for. We liked the flex dining option that allowed us choose when and where we wanted to dine but found all other services and amenities were on par with RC. The main difference we noticed between the two was the hospitality from the staff members. Norwegian's employees seemed to lack the spark of love for their jobs and the ability to provide timely and high quality service. After pondering why this could be, we felt that tips could be the reason. With NCL, tips are included in the package price and therefore the employees aren't working as hard to receive a tip at the end of the cruise. 

Booking Agency
I will search for hours online to scour every site imaginable for the lowest prices. The agency that had the lowest price and best package deal for cruising was through militarycruisedeals.com. This family owned company supports military and gives great discounts! We had the pleasure of working directly with the owner on this booking via a quick Skype phone call. If you are a veteran or active duty military family- check them out! 


Itinerary- 10 days and 9 nights

• Day 1
• Drive to Venice, Italy
• Check-in at Ibis Padova, Italy 
• Dinner at hotel
• Day 2
• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive to Fly and Park
• Shuttle to cruise terminal 
• Set sail!
• Day 3
• Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Day 4 
• Kotor, Montenegro 
• Day 5 
• Katakolo, Grece (Olympia, Greece)
• Day 6
• Athens, Greece 
• Day 7 
• Day at Sea 
• Day 8
• Split, Croatia 
• Day 9
• Arrive back to Venice, Italy
• Disembark cruise ship 
• Shuttle back to Fly and Park
• Drive back towards Venice
• Park at the Tronchetto parking garage
• Take "People Mover" train into city
• Sightseeing through the city
• Boat Ride
• Eat Lunch
• Return to car and depart for Matarello, Italy

Katakolo, Greece (Olympia) + Athens, Greece

We all had high hopes for the cruise stops in Greece but they weren't as we had hoped or expected. It was full swing tourist season and the lines + heat were intense! We didn't have a lot of time in Athens so our best bet was to jump on the red city hop on hop off bus and get a quick drive by glance of the city. Alex and I hate seeing cities this way because it feels like so much is left uncovered and unexplored. However, this may be the less desirable part of a cruise. Just enough to get a taste for a location but definitely not enough time to really get a good understanding of the location. This was a quick stop on our Mediterranean Cruise. Once our ship docked, we decided to take a bus for a 45 minute drive to see the ancient sites! Olympia is an unmissable place to visit if you're into history, mythology, and of course sports. The museums are full of fascinating exhibits and relics, and the archaeological ruins tell the stories of the guts, glory, and spirit of the Olympic Games. There's not much to write about for this location because it was a quick stop with most time spent in Olympia just walking around. Brecken rode on Alex's back in the carrier and when he wasn't in the carrier, he was busy playing with sticks or racing me, Gaga, and Moe! 

Almafi Coast (Positano) + Pompeii

 Thanksgiving 2017.. Why sit at at home and celebrate without family when we could take advantage of traveling! We entertained our international friends with a traditional American Thanksgiving feast a week in advance and decided that this year we would be alone, just the three of us, on a trip to the Almafi Coast in Italy. We flew into Naples and had a private-driver pick us up and escort us to Positano with a short stop at Pompeii to see the ruins. I'm always intrigued by history; it's an odd feeling to be standing in the same place where people's lives ended in a tragic way. To see glimpses of their lives through pieces that were recovered and restored. The volcano, Mount Vesuvius, which caused the town of Pompeii to be covered beneath meters of ash and pumice, still stands as a glorious part of this Italian region. We gazed at it through the windows of our taxi van as we left Pompeii and headed towards the coastal town of Positano. This town is typically buzzing with tourist in high season soaking in the sunshine under the iconic orange umbrellas dotted along the beach and dining or gazing through the shops and restaurants that thrive off of tourism. However, November is not peak season and unbeknownst to us, this little Italian town that cascades down the side of a cliff would be quiet. Shops and restaurants boarded up for the season, the beach area under construction in some parts and obviously not dotted with those iconic orange umbrellas. Nevertheless, we made the best of it as we always do! With a town that sits on a cliff, one must note that if you weave your way down to the beach, it's a trek to get back up! Our wonderful AirBnB (Casa Malu) apartment sat at the top of the town and was right across the street from a lovely little grocery store and cafe with the best espresso and pastries. We made most meals in our apartment but did find the ultimate Italian restaurant, Chez Black, down by the beach with ravioli that was to die for. This was one of our slower trips with less hustle and bustle and more quiet time. Our evenings were spent in the apartment making arrangements for our next military assignment back to America. We were rank ordering locations where we would like to move to next and speaking of the pros and cons of each place. There's always change that comes with life but for sure comes a little more often with a military lifestyle. If it weren't for Alex's job, we wouldn't have the opportunity to live abroad and see more of the world. These travels have been a huge highlight in our lives! 

Lake Bled, Slovenia / Ljubljana, Slovenia

A blurb from my instagram post closer to the date of travel pretty much sums up this trip: " Easter in Slovenia. The sour of the trip was dropping my cell phone in the toilet and zapping it for good. Omg who has done this??! Please take my advice and do not place a cell phone in your back pocket, it's probably the worst place for it. The sweets of the trip were riding bicycles through the farmlands and getting caught in the rain, reading scriptures about the resurrection with Alex, hiding easter eggs for Brecken, watching him totally crush easter candy, annnnd listening to hours of awesome podcasts on our road trip home." 

I am just now revisiting Easter weekend past, when spring was starting to peek out and we were finally thawing from a long European winter. Chatting with a few local friends about our holiday weekend plans, they were surprisingly curious as to why we would even be slightly interested in traveling to Slovenia. Our good friends are German natives who have traveled many parts of the world. They turned up their noses when we said our destination country for Easter would be Slovenia. "Why on earth would you waste your time going there?" one exclaimed. I responded, "Have you traveled there and had a bad experience, please tell!" Ya'll.. She had never been there. Just assumed it was a poor Eastern European country not worth visiting. 

Here's the first hand scoop from our personal experience in this country. We spent six hours in the car from Germany to Slovenia. Anyone who has driven through Austria knows that the jaw dropping scenic views will keep boredom at bay. If that doesn't keep you entertained, get your learn on by listening to podcasts. Slovenia's scenery seemed like an extension of Austria to tell you the truth. It had emerald green lakes, caves, mountains, castles, and beautiful green forests. Slovenia was much more inexpensive and less crowded with tourists. I rented us a modern studio apartment in a rural setting directly in-between Lake Bled and Ljublijana. To give you an idea of how inexpensive Slovenia was, our apartment for the weekend only cost 50 dollars per night. Activities for the weekend included row boating on Lake Bled, walking around Lake Bohinj, hiking through the Skocjan caves, touring the city of Ljublijana, setting up an Easter egg hunt for our little dude, and riding bikes through farm fields to have Sunday lunch at the BRDO estate. While we had a nice vacation, I remember us feeling a bit bored on this one. A heavy rainstorm came into the valley and was forecasted to stay for a few days. With all items on our itinerary crossed off, we decided to forgo one more night in our apartment and head back home to Germany a day early.

Travel Notes

Accommodations
Visoko Apartment
Situated between Lake Bled and Ljublijana, this apartment was perfect for the three of us and made for easy access to many sights. A large grassy area and a river can be found behind the apartment; any child would love this outdoor space. The owners have a small management office within walking distance from the apartment and are available for questions, concerns, and concierge services. They couldn't have been nicer and even allowed us to use their bikes for a few hours!

Restaurants
Pop's Place
I love to search Tripadvisor for top restaurant reviews in the given city we are touring. Pop's Place had a high ranking and I loved the industrial hipster interior style + the thought of a good craft beer and a deluxe burger sounded like the taste of America we were craving. It was a nice lunch but sorry Pop's.. I can't write on here and say that it was the best burger we've ever had. 

Attractions
Skocjan Caves
Read all about the caves prior to walking through them + find a map to help you reach them!

BRDO Estate
Home to a congress center, hotel, castle, and a park area that also has a horse stable, ponds, and walking paths. 

Transportation
We drove from Germany as mentioned above but if this is not an option for you, the best option would be to fly into Ljublijana and rent a car to drive around the region. 

Itinerary- 3 days and 2 nights

• Day 1
• Depart Stuttgart in the am and arrive in Lake Bled early afternoon
• Lunch at Lake Bled
• Boat rental
• Walk around the town
• Drive to Lake Bohinj / walk around the lake
• Apartment check-in 
• Grocery shop
• Dinner at apartment
• Day 2
• Breakfast at apartment
• Drive to Skocjan Caves and tour 
• Drive to capital city
• Lunch and walking around Ljubljana 
• Dinner at apartment 
• Day 3 
• Breakfast at apartment
• Family time near apartment 
• Bike ride to BRDO estate
• Lunch at BRDO estate 
• Check-out and return to Germany