JackieOlympia

One of the things I enjoy most on a cruise is getting to try various foods.  Sometimes the choices are very difficult. But I had no problem deciding what to order aboard the Celestyal Olympia. I just went with the “Chef’s Specialty” option on each lunch and dinner menu. I had no idea what some of those specialties were but they were always delicious. At lunch today, for example, the Chef’s Specialty was Kotopoulo Pastitsato. The description …

Read moreCelestyal Olympia cruise: Greek cuisine a cruise delight

The dreaded Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The terrifying Beast with Seven Heads. The scary opening of the Seven Seals. The Final Judgement with its brimstone vision of hell. How could all these horrific things detailed in the Book of Revelation have been written in such a beautiful place? Although our Celestyal Olympia cruise ship stopped for less than six hours on the island of Patmos, I was eager to visit the cave where St. John the …

Read moreCelestyal Olympia Cruise: Visiting Patmos cave where St. John wrote Book of Revelation

The statue of a large ball with a foot atop it might not seem unusual. But it certainly is. Touring ancient Ephesus, we came across remnants of a statue honoring Emperior Trajan who ruled the Roman Empire in the 2nd century. “You see that his right foot is on the ball, the globe. That means he ruled the world,” said tour guide Nevin. It also means that those ancient Ephesus folks knew the world was round long …

Read moreCelestyal Olympia Cruise: Ruins of ancient Ephesus filled with historic treasures

Very busy day. Checked out of InterContinental Hotel in Athens. Took shuttle ride to Piraeus. Boarded Celestyal Olympia. Met ship captain Stathis Romeos. Did mandatory safety drill aboard ship. Ate lunch at ship’s Aegean Restaurant (yummy!). Arrived at Mykonos Island about 6 p.m. Whew! No way was I going to miss Mykonos. Mesmerizing Mykonos is definitely one of the most popular and most-visited Greek isles. The first cruise ship docked here in the 1920s.  But jet setters …

Read moreCelestyal Olympia Cruise: Mesmerizing Mykonos a major mecca for travelers

If I could give one piece of advice to fellow cruisers, it would be to arrive in your cruise departure city at least a day ahead of the cruise. As Geoffrey Chaucer said, “Time and tide wait for no man.” Or woman. Flights can be delayed or cancelled so it is best not to plan to arrive the day of a cruise, especially when it is an international flight to board a cruise ship. I’ve been on …

Read moreCelestyal Olympia Cruise: Arriving in Athens for night before cruise

When I was in grade school, my favorite class was Greek & Roman mythology. I eagerly awaited hearing the teacher share stories about those ancient gods and goddesses. Athena – the goddess of wisdom – was my favorite. Her tale was enthralling. The daughter of Zeus, Athena didn’t have a mother. Instead, she sprang full grown and clad in armor from the forehand of Zeus. Naturally, the Greek city named after Athena was a place I always …

Read moreCelestyal Olympia Cruise: Heading to Greece for ‘Iconic Aegean’ cruise