the sense of travelling: eliotropica cruising on a luxury ship!

June 30th-July 2nd 2008

First time ever joining a cruise. A special cruising for a new big ship.

Day 1

The technical facts.

Pick up at Pisa Airport, meet with other partecipants and then transfer to Genova harbour.

Comments on the bus driver by other women travellers "se comincia così" meaning "if this guy is so good looking then there are good chances for the rest of the trip" I do not comment!

We arrived in Genova as the scheduled at 4.30 p.m. Check in and boarding operations required about 1 hour, then we could enter our staterooms (as they call rooms), mine is really nice, bigger than many 4 stars hotels room I visited.

Very good impression. And I also have a balcony, which is the real special thing. I like the quality of fabrics and tissues used in the room.

The crew is international, the official language is English.

Then I go to eat something and to rest at the pool. I hadn't got anything to read, I was sure it was possible to buy a magazine or a book on the ship but instead there is no bookshop! What a shame! You can have tons of food and drinks but nothing to read!!!??????!!!!

I decided to go to the spa centre, and had a nice pedicure with ocean view.

The sky was grey, melting with a grey sea, but still there was a lightening by pixel of silver on the water...unique!

After that I had a nice dinner with seafood, the quality was quite good.

The combination of vegetables and spices very nice...the only thing I was not sure was seafood freshness!

the personal facts

After that I went back to my room. Even though I almost switched off air conditioning, the room was still cold (as everywhere on the boat) then I opened the balcony door and sit outside for a while. I kept the door open all night by fixing a chair in the middle of the door alley.

I was on the 8th level at prua, in front of captain cabin.

The sky was black.

The sea was black, except for a star and sea foam enlighted by ship lights.

The ship is very silent, I could only hear the sound of waves crushing into the ship hull. Almost the same sound they do when cruising on a sailing boat, as if the metres (at least 12) separating me from sea waters didn't exist.

I want to sleep keeping real air coming into my room. I want to fall asleep listening to the sound of sea

day 2

the need for a book

thousands of people whish to do cruising as their most beautiful dream. The dream of a lifetime.

now books and newspapers are probably not available because this is the first ship trip and most of the shops are still closed. Bust still, people dream about cruises, and I am already tired of doing nothing.

It's maybe just my problem. I have already been twice to the spa&wellness centre, let's call it wellness centre because spa is something different, salus per aquam. here it has been fantastic, something I never find the time to do. I just took my time.

We had just passed in front of beautiful Cinque Terre and Portofino, could you wish more?

Just be on a sailing boat and then dive into the ocean!!!