Negligent actions have consequences…

This post is also appearing on my regular blog. I’m cross posting it here, because it’s about travel, and my travel blog can always use extra content during a pandemic and “lite lockdown”.

Yesterday on my travel blog, I posted an article about SeaDream Yacht Club’s unfortunate COVID-19 situation. SeaDream, for those who don’t know, is a fantastic all inclusive luxury cruise line. It has two identical “super yachts” and it’s known for being an awesome cruise experience for couples. Bill and I have sailed with them three times. Our last voyage with them was in May 2013, when we sailed from Rome to Athens with a trip through the Corinth Canal.

Bill and I love SeaDream, but circumstances have not lined up for us to sail with them again since Bill left the Army. I still follow their message board on Cruise Critic. Ever since the COVID-19 crisis hit, I’ve been anxiously wondering if this line will survive the pandemic. Things were looking hopeful over the summer, when SeaDream managed to complete several Norway centric cruises without anyone getting sick from the virus.

After their success in Europe, SeaDream came back across the Atlantic and, last Saturday, attempted their first round trip Barbados cruise. In order to pull this off, SeaDream had to change a lot of its standard operating procedures. Prospective passengers had to get a negative COVID-19 PCR test at their own expense 72 hours before flying to Barbados. They had to take another COVID-19 test before getting on the ship, as well as have an interview with the ship’s doctor. Their luggage and shoes were cleaned with ultrasonic technology. Halfway through the voyage, they would have had to have another routine COVID-19 test to satisfy the rules for returning to Barbados. And, while they were cruising, they visited empty beaches, took catamaran cruises, and engaged in activities that did not allow them to be in contact with any host country nationals.

Having been on a SeaDream cruise, I can tell you that I’m sure it was just fine even without the freedom to engage with locals, shop on the economy, or go exploring. I’m not sure if the piano bar was open, but that was my favorite part of a SeaDream cruise anyway, besides the many cocktails and endless champagne.

Unfortunately, someone DID get sick with COVID-19. As of Wednesday morning, the 53 passengers have been stuck in their staterooms, which I can attest to being really nice, but not very large. The windows don’t open and there are no balconies. It’s a nice cage, but it’s still a cage.

A video done by a couple of Geordie lads who have been blogging about SeaDream’s voyages. They are on the ship as I write this.

The person who got sent to a Bajan hospital with COVID-19 was part of a group of six who evidently decided to overnight in Miami on the way to Barbados. From what I’ve read, other passengers heard the afflicted one talking about partying in the south Florida city for a night. Four others in that group also had positive COVID-19 tests, but evidently aren’t showing symptoms. The fifth person’s test was inconclusive.

Now… in thinking about this, it occurs to me just how many people have been affected by this group’s decision to overnight in Miami…

47 people have had a very expensive and luxurious vacation ruined.
66 crew members have had their livelihoods directly threatened.
113 people have had their health threatened.
The entire cruising industry has had another blot on it regarding health and safety standards.
Hundreds of future passengers will be affected because SeaDream will be cancelling upcoming cruises.
All of the businesspeople depending on support revenue for the cancelled cruises will lose money– ie; pet boarding, taxi services, airlines, etc.
People watching SeaDream to see if cruising during a pandemic could be done safely will be affected.
A whole lot of people have been affected by this… I hope that night out in Miami was worth it.

It really is a shame that this happened. As I wrote in my travel blog, I won’t consider cruising again until there’s an effective vaccine against COVID-19. I don’t think cruising while fretting about a virus on a luxury ship is a lot of fun. Hopefully, we’ll get this virus under control before too long. On the other hand… I’m not holding my breath.

Hopefully, those who got sick won’t get too sick… and the passengers will be able to get off the ship and go home without too much trouble. We’ll see what happens. Actions have consequences. But, on the bright side, by undertaking this experiment, SeaDream has provided some valuable data for others. Perhaps that will help some smart people figure out the best way to get back to a life approaching normal at some point.

ETA: the count is now up to seven COVID positive.

Hebridean Island Cruises

Whisky at Torabhaig Distillery… then church and dolphins!

Sunday morning found us in lovely Armadale on the Isle of Skye. This was a very attractive area, not quite as remote as some of the previous stops we made on this cruise. Because Isle of Skye is a bit more populated, Princess guests had a couple of options on shore. We were offered a chance to visit the brand new Torabhaig Distillery or Armadale Castle. Or, as always, we could take walks. Naturally, Bill and I opted to visit Torabhaig Distillery. This distillery, like the two before it, is new. Investors bought a beautiful old farmstead called Torabhaig and spent four years restoring it to its present glory.

I think this distillery might have been my favorite. The architecture of the building is so beautiful. Also, I enjoyed hearing the story of how this new distillery came to fruition. Torabhaig is the second licensed distillery on the Isle of Skye. Owned by Mossburn Distillers, which previously had no official distillery of its own and had to use other facilities to make its whiskys, Torabhaig is not quite ready to roll out its own label yet. But visitors can try Mossburn whiskys, which are available in a variety of types.

Our tour guide, Hans, was a very charming Dutch man who speaks French, German, English, and, of course, Dutch. He presided over our tour like a college professor might. Of all of the tour guides, he was my favorite because he was genuinely interested in the product. I wore my new blue Isle of Raasay Distillery sweatshirt to the distillery, mainly because it was cold and rainy. I also wore my Isle of Aran sweater, which I hung up on a coathook because it was warm in the distillery.

After we walked through the distillery and learned its story, we sat down to taste a couple of drams of Mossburn’s whiskys. We had a Speyside and an Islay whisky. They came from different parts of Scotland because they were no doubt made at different distilleries. Now that Torbhaig exists, Mossburn can be made on its own site. The Danish guy, once again, was amused by my expression when I tasted the Speyside whisky. It kind of blew my brains out.

In fact, I was so distracted by the whisky and the new Harris Tweed purse and keyring I bought in the gift shop, I forgot to retrieve my sweater. We got all the way back to the pier before I remembered it. Fortunately, the minivan driver was a kindly sort of man and he willingly drove me back to get my sweater. His name was Kenny, and he was really nice to talk to. We ended up talking about Mormonism, of all things. I was explaining that Bill was a teetotaler when I met him, because he and his ex wife had converted to the LDS church. But when we started dating, Bill was happy to lose the Mormon church.

Kenny told me he had a friend who had been recruited into the church via the “baseball baptism” program the church used to run in the 70s. The church formed baseball teams and, oftentimes, people on the teams would wind up joining the church. Sadly, Kenny told me that his friend, the LDS convert, ended up committing suicide. I’m not sure the church had anything to do with the man’s suicide… but it sounds like it wasn’t much of a help, either. I ran into the distillery and got my sweater. On the way back to the pier, we commiserated about the strange state of U.S. and British politics these days.

Here are some photos of our trip to Torbhaig Distillery. It’s well worth a visit!

My ever faithful husband was waiting at the pier for me to return. He really looks after me, which is kind of a strange thing. I grew up with “underprotective” parents who pretty much let me do whatever I wanted and didn’t dote on me at all. Bill is, by contrast, living up to the meaning of his name, which is “determined protector”. That, he is.

After our distillery tour, it was time for the weekly church service offered by Hebridean Princess. Bill and I usually skip them because we’re not particularly religious as much as we are spiritual. However, this time we decided to attend, because one of the guests was a British Navy Chaplain and he struck up several conversations with Bill, whom he immediately recognized as a fellow Brother in Arms.

The chaplain also had his twin brother with him. They were clearly fraternal twins, though you could easily see a resemblance. The chaplain’s brother was decidedly un-military, but a nice enough fellow, just the same. The service only lasted about ten minutes, but it was pleasant and kind of interesting. I gave thought to taking communion afterwards, but decided not to when I saw that everyone was drinking out of the same cup. I might have been braver had I not gotten sick with norovirus after our first whisky cruise in 2016. That’s an experience I never want to repeat!

After lunch, guests were allowed to go for walks on the beach and/or visit the Old Forge, which is said to be Scotland’s most remote pub. I had every intention of at least visiting the pub, but it was raining and, you guessed it, a nap was calling. I started reading my latest trashy celebrity tell all and, before I knew it, was fast asleep. I don’t usually sleep this much on Hebridean Cruises, but it was rather wet and rainy and that kind of weather does make me want to hibernate. Bill did visit the pub. He said it wasn’t really “special” in terms of anything more than being in a remote area. It sounded like missing it wasn’t such a bad thing. If it had been sunny, I would have been up for a walk there.

All week, we looked for dolphins, puffins, orcas, and other wildlife. I did manage to catch a glimpse of several orcas playing in the mist early in the cruise. I didn’t have a camera ready at the time. Even if I had, it was foggy and I was sitting by a window that wasn’t very conducive to picture taking. However, on Sunday night, I got lucky. I was sitting near the front windows of the Princess when two dolphins suddenly started leaping right next to the ship. I had my iPad ready and managed to score these pictures!

It was a little sad to realize, Sunday night, that Monday would be our last full day on the Princess. On one hand, I was a bit ready to come home, do laundry, and see my dogs again. As much as I need breaks from the beagles, I do miss them after a couple of days. A week is almost torturous, especially as they get older and I read tragic stories about people who lose their dogs unexpectedly, such as those whose dogs were exposed to blue-green algae and died hours later. On the other hand, this time, our cruise was full of a great group of folks and a mostly fantastic staff. I mean, Hebridean’s staff is almost always perfect anyway, but some people mesh better with me than others do. We really had a good time on our trip.

Read about the last full day onboard in the next post.

cruises, Luxury

SeaDream Yacht Club drops a bombshell…

Recently, SeaDream Yacht Club has been teasing its prior passengers with promises of “big news”. Even though our last SeaDream cruise was in May 2013, I still really like this cruise line and would love to sail them again… soon, if possible. Although I haven’t signed up for an upcoming cruise yet, I did sign up to get the big news. Just a little while ago, I got the email with the latest scoop.

Ever since its inception, SeaDream has had two ships– SeaDream I and SeaDream II. They are identical, except SeaDream I was built in 1984 and SeaDream II was built in 1985. They used to be called Sea Goddess I and Sea Goddess II. For years, there have been rumors swirling about a new vessel. In fact, in 2013, during our last cruise, the cruise director had dinner with Bill and me and told us about plans for a new ship. But then, that guy ended up quitting his job just a few weeks later.

Well, as of today, we know SeaDream will have a new vessel called Innovation which will allow SeaDream to add over 200 ports around the world, to include polar regions. The new ship will have three marinas, a seaplane, and its own helicopter. The staterooms will also all have balconies. At this point, they’re saying the ship will be ready by September 2021. I hope to do another SeaDream cruise before then, if time and finances allow.

Since Bill left the Army and has been establishing his new career as a contractor, the opportunity to take a SeaDream cruise has eluded us. We have been fortunate enough to take Hebridean cruises in Scotland and, in fact, I actually prefer Hebridean in some ways. However, SeaDream was our introduction to small ship cruising and they go to places Hebridean can’t. SeaDream has things Hebridean Princess doesn’t have, like a piano bar and a marina… and a pool and Thai spa. Plus, the clientele is a bit different, although not necessarily better or worse. I’ve met a few celebrities on SeaDream, while on Hebridean, it’s more likely to meet very wealthy British people.

*Computerized screenshot of the new vessel.*

So this is exciting news, although I highly doubt any voyages on the Innovation will be in our price range. SeaDream cruises are very expensive and they annoyingly add port taxes after the already high fare. I like the way Hebridean does things. You pay a huge fare, but it’s truly all inclusive. Once you pay, you don’t have to worry about anything else, except whatever you might buy in their tiny gift shop.

So far, we’ve done three SeaDream cruises. Our first, in April 2010, was San Juan, Puerto Rico to St. Thomas, USVI. It was just five nights and cheap, especially for SeaDream. I think I booked a guaranty fare for $1599 a person. The second was in November 2011, St. John, Antigua to Bridgetown, Barbados. And the third was in May 2013, Rome, Italy to Athens, Greece, with a passage through the Corinth Canal.

I had my eye on a voyage happening this summer, but Bill didn’t want me to book it. Now I realize I probably should have gone ahead and booked it. Especially now… because I really, REALLY need a real vacation.

I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for Innovation’s fares. I might just laugh at them for awhile as I dream.

Hebridean Island Cruises

Scotland and Northern Ireland 2017, Part six…

The big clock, where everybody meets up in Glasgow…

And another British nanny sign!

In March 2016, when we took our Hebridean Scotch Whisky tour, The Spirit of Scotland, the train station had a couple of bars that were about to close. They were open for our visit, but they had little stock. We sat up in that bar for a couple of hours and drank beer until it was time to meet the ship. Although the train station still has a place for beer drinking, we wisely opted to go to a restaurant outside of the station. I think maybe next time, instead of meeting the coach, maybe it might be better to simply go to where the boat is. A three hour ride on a coach isn’t all that much fun, even when it’s Hebridean Island Cruises offering it.

I think we were the first ones from our cruise to get to the train station. Our guide, Bryan Hogg, was next. He was easy to spot because he was wearing a kilt and had the telltale Hebridean luggage tags on his bags. Hebridean Island Cruises employs qualified guides for each of its cruises. Bryan lives in Edinburgh and is a freelance guide (and a marvelous one at that). He guided our cruise and is also guiding this week’s cruise. Here’s a link to his blog, which is probably more interesting than mine is. It looks like his isn’t as updated as often, though. He’s also on Facebook, though I don’t see a link to a business page. We really enjoyed having Bryan as our guide this week. He’s very friendly, funny, and relaxed… and he also knows a lot about Scotland and Ireland.

Just so you know, it’s not free to pee in the train station. It costs 40p to pee…

The view from our seat on the coach.

Bill is excited because the Brits have lap and shoulder belts on their buses. You’re supposed to wear them because the Brits are pretty strict about safety. However, I will go on record as being naughty all week because the damned things were too uncomfortable. Bill was a good boy, though. I’ll be sure to give him a cookie later.

After all of the folks who had arranged to be met at the train station were accounted for, we collected our lanyards, which basically served as our identification all week. Wearing them around the neck identified us as members of the Hebridean Princess cruise, which allowed us admission to activities and coffee and tea breaks pre-arranged by the ship. Yes, that’s right, the ship pays for your coffee breaks when you’re aboard Hebridean Princess. You don’t pay admission fees to the activities arranged by the cruise line, either. In fact, you don’t have to pay for anything once you get aboard, unless you want something from the tiny gift shop. It’s probably the only cruise ship on the planet that does not require passengers to hand over a credit card immediately upon boarding.

We stopped at the airport to pick up a few other people, including a couple of perfumed ladies who acted as if they were long lost sisters. They sat in front of us and immediately started chattering quite loudly, which quickly became annoying because I was also trying to listen to Bryan talk about points of interest on the way north. I’ll also admit that Auntie Flow was putting me in a foul mood.

I noticed a spunky looking lady sitting across from us who had a can of gin and tonic. I immediately thought she was cool as she sipped it. I wish I had had the same foresight. I ended up moving to another seat just before the rest stop and the lady with the gin and tonic congratulated me! Below are a few pictures I got of our rest stop…

Looks like a nice town to stop in for a visit. Maybe another time. One of the passengers, a guy who is still aboard this week, purchased an ice cream cone during our stop. He made everyone laugh when someone asked him if the ice cream was good and he said it was “Dee—light–ful!” in a very comical British accent. All week, he was cracking us up because he was very comfortable in his own skin and not afraid to use a bib (a man after my own heart, for sure!).

The two pictures above are of Inveraray Castle, as we passed it on the way to Oban. I wish I had gotten a shot of it on the way back to Glasgow, since the weather was a lot nicer that day. Unfortunately, I was on the wrong side of the bus!

We arrived in Oban at around 6:00pm or so. It was raining and rather grim outside, but there was still a piper out there waiting to welcome us properly. It was at this point that I learned our purser was to be the legendary David Indge, who was our purser on our second Hebridean cruise in 2012. He truly is fabulous! Queen Elizabeth II has been on Hebridean Princess twice and she liked Dave so much that she reportedly specifically requested his services during her cruises. I can see why she liked him so much!

Here’s a brief clip of the piper. He piped each party aboard, though some had already arrived at the ship before the coach got there. Bear in mind that the Hebridean Princess carries, at most, 49 passengers at a time. I think there were 45 on our cruise.

Here’s a shot of Oban that I took as we waited for the obligatory muster drill…

And here is an obligatory shot of Bill in his life jacket. I do this every time we cruise. I think this may be one of the better shots of him in his life jacket.

Most nights on Hebridean Princess, passengers dress up a bit for dinner. On the first night, it’s permissible to dress casually. That’s because there’s a lot to do once you get on the ship. Before the muster drill, you have to unpack your stuff and leave your bags to be stowed during the cruise. Depending on how light you travel, unpacking may or may not be a chore. It usually is for me, because I am incapable of traveling light under any circumstances.

Another thing to know about Hebridean Princess is, again, almost everything is included, including booze. That means you can drink all you want and no one will be making you sign any chits and you can try all sorts of stuff.

After the muster drill, it was time for dinner. You can see below that we tried both the red and white wines with dinner… and had a little bubbly, too.

I had duck, which was lovely with potatoes and green beans…

Bill had salmon on top of potatoes and garnished with broccolini.

There was more to this meal, but it was one of the rare ones that I didn’t photograph completely. I guess I was just overwhelmed by the abundance of excellence. Our waiter last week was a friendly young Polish lad named Mariusz. He took very good care of us… almost as good care as the bar staff!

Hebridean Island Cruises

Scotland and Northern Ireland 2017, Part two…

We left Stuttgart for our trip to Scotland and Northern Ireland on Saturday, September 9, 2017. I was in a pretty edgy state, thanks to a full summer of worrying. Although we probably take more trips than most Americans, I have gotten used to traveling a lot since we moved back to Germany in 2014. Travel is one of the main reasons I like living over here, and we hadn’t had a trip since my birthday in June, when we drove to Belgium. I was itching to get out of Deutschland, which only sounds crazy if you aren’t living here as an American.

As I mentioned previously, I booked a cruise on Hebridean Princess about a year ago. It’s necessary for us to book well in advance when we cruise on the Princess because it’s very expensive. We chose the Call of the Emerald Isle cruise, which would take us from Oban, an adorable city in Scotland, to ports in Northern Ireland. We also had a couple of stops in the Republic of Ireland.

This was technically our fourth trip on Hebridean Princess. Our very first trip on Hebridean Princess was in November 2012, when we took two five night cruises back to back to celebrate our tenth anniversary. We took our third cruise with them in March 2016, a scotch whisky themed trip, which you can read about in this blog. Fair warning. That series was divided into fourteen parts and I imagine this series will be similarly lengthy! If you like whisky and are interested in distilleries in Scotland, it might be worth reading. I did write about our first trip, but it was before I had a travel blog, so it’s not a very detailed description.

Since Bill and I are in better financial straits than we’ve ever been, I decided to make this trip as upper class as possible. I booked business class tickets on British Airways and got us a Club Executive room at the Carlton George Hotel in Glasgow, which is our hotel of choice when we’re in Glasgow because they offer a nice executive lounge and a free minibar ;-). I did not upgrade our stateroom on Hebridean Princess, though, since doing so requires quite a lot more money. We stayed in Loch Harport, a category H stateroom which is their cheapest “room”, all the way at the bottom of the ship. The cabins in H have no windows or portholes, but they are otherwise pretty nice. More on the stateroom in a later post. We have now stayed in all of the “cheap” rooms with twin/king sized beds, so I can later offer a comparison of the three.

Because Bill changed companies in July, we weren’t sure if he was going to be able to accompany me on this cruise. Had he not come with me, I probably would have either gone alone or Bill’s mom might have come with me. Fortunately, Bill’s mom is a good friend and we get along great! However, she did recently have hip surgery and I was a little concerned about the prospect of her staying in an “H” room, since getting to and from there involves climbing and descending a lot of steps. Hebridean Princess doesn’t have any elevators. As it turned out, Bill’s new boss was very accommodating, so we were able to take this unforgettable trip together. If he is reading this post, I want to thank him from the bottom of my heart.

So Saturday, September 9th was the big day. We dropped off our dogs, Zane and Arran, at Dog Holiday bright and early in the morning, then headed for the airport. We checked in on British Airways, enjoying a brief wait since we were using their Club Europe (business class) service. After we checked in, we were whisked through security. One thing I noticed on this trip, our first using the airport since we visited Ireland last November, was that Stuttgart has invested in a new security method that only takes a couple of seconds and doesn’t involve any intimate scans or pat downs. I liked it very much and hope to see its use become more common.

After we passed through security, went up to the very pleasant but small lounge in Stuttgart’s airport. A delightfully cheerful German lady was running things that day. I remember her well, since her extreme cheerfulness is kind of an anomaly in these parts.

For those who are curious about British Airways’ lounge in Stuttgart, here it is… You get free WiFi, drinks, and snacks. It was the smallest and least impressive of the lounges we used on this trip, but it was still pretty nice.

We were in Club Europe, which is British Airways’ business class in Europe. Basically, the seats are the same as they are in coach, except you don’t have anyone sitting in the middle. Instead, you get this cute little table thing in the center seat. Business class also entitles you to a meal and free drinks.

A couple of aerial shots of Stuttgart as we took off.

This was the food they served us. The first photo is chicken with some sort of potato salad, that I didn’t touch. There was also bread, salad, and key lime pie (which was pretty good).

I also enjoyed champagne.

Bill had the “beef panini” with red wine. This was the same food they served us yesterday on our return flight from Glasgow to London, although the red wine was a cabernet.

And here’s an aerial shot of London as we were about to land at Heathrow.

A word about Heathrow Airport… This was probably my first experience there since the late 1970s, when my dad retired from the Air Force after his last job as base engineer at Mildenhall Air Force Base. I seem to remember we flew Pan Am, which is a long defunct airline. Because I was a small child in the late 70s, I have no memories of Heathrow during that time and only the vaguest memories of Dulles Airport, which was where we landed when we arrived stateside. Consequently, I had no idea of what a zoo Heathrow is. Sure, I had heard stories about it, but I wasn’t quite prepared for the madness of the place. I thought Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris was bad. Heathrow gives it a good run for its money. I think I will try to avoid using it in the future, if I can.

This is actually not as chaotic looking as the airport was at the time.

We landed at Heathrow at about noon and had to go through border control. The guy who stamped us into the country had one of those mustaches that curls up on either side. He was very charming and we had no problems getting through. Next, I’m pretty sure we went through customs, then another very obnoxious turn through security, which was complete bedlam. After that, we found our way to British Airways’ enormous south lounge. I say “south lounge”, because there is also a smaller north lounge, which apparently gets very busy. There is a sign out front that says if you have a long layover, you should use the south lounge, so that’s what we did. It, too, was a total madhouse, though slightly less obnoxious than the airport’s facilities for the masses. Imagine being a captive audience at a large mall which is completely overrun with people, most of whom are walking slowly and not watching where they’re going. It reminded me of Breuningerland in Sindelfingen during the Christmas season.

We spent our four hour layover trying the many drinks and snacks offered in the lounge. There wasn’t a lot of seating available, since apparently a lot of people are either frequent flyers or booked business class on British Airways. We sat near a man who spent over an hour on the phone speaking what must have been some sort of East Indian language. He was pleasant enough, but it was like eavesdropping on tech support, since he was clearly talking business and seemed to be instructing someone.

There are a couple of other lounges for first class passengers. They are closely guarded by staffers who shoo away any lowly business class passengers trying to sneak in. The British Airways lounge also has a spa, which I was tempted to try. I never got around to it.

At about four o’clock, it was time for our flight to Glasgow. We had to go through yet another annoying security feature. When we first arrived at the airport after our Stuttgart flight, we had to go through a scanner which involved showing our tickets and having a photo taken. When it was time to board our flight to Glasgow, we had to go through the same type of scanner and another photo was taken. Of course, the second photo came after I had spent four hours in a packed lounge drinking wine. And, naturally, it didn’t work properly when it was my turn. I had to have an agent help me through, which was irritating. I probably looked pissed off in my second photo.

Once we were settled into our seats, it was time to lift off. We enjoyed an uneventful flight to Glasgow after a short weather related delay. I enjoyed British Airways’ new safety film.

They showed this on three of our four flights… It’s pretty clever. Sadly, at first, I only recognized Thandie Newton. After the third viewing, I also recognized Gillian Anderson, even though I never watched the X Files.

Upon landing in Glasgow, we collected our bags and took a cab into the big city.

Uncategorized

Italy vs. Germany…

Well, folks, the time has come to decide what to do next. Bill’s job ends in 56 days. A few days ago, he got a tentative job offer to move to Vicenza, Italy as a GS employee. That would mean he would no longer be a contractor. Instead, he’d be working in the government service, something that I think would make him happier in the long run.

It’s a good job. We love Italy. I hate moving, but I’ve done it plenty of times… If we moved there, it would be my fifth overseas experience and my fourth country. But…

I think it will take a long time to arrange moving to Italy. We may or may not get an overseas living quarters allowance. And while we could live on what the government would pay, it would be hard to move to Italy without help from the feds. And… did I mention that I HATE moving? I have done it many times and don’t enjoy it. And I am perfectly happy staying here in Germany, even though Italy is lovely.

Compounding matters is that we have a Scottish/Northern Irish cruise planned for September. I will be going on this cruise regardless, even if Bill can’t come. I can’t buy plane tickets or plan for a hotel room, because we don’t know where we’ll be. And we also have our dogs booked with Max at Dog On Holiday. Although this trip is after Labor Day, I worry that we won’t find care for them in Italy. From what I’ve read, it can take time to get approval to live in Italy, which is a big problem.

A week ago, we were worried about whether we could stay in Germany. But now, we have a choice between two appealing places. Both have their plusses and minuses. I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but it does appear that we won’t be leaving Europe. That suits me fine.

books

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a doctor who travels?

For about eleven years, I wrote reviews on a Web site called Epinions. It was a great place to write. I made a lot of friends who are still friends today, some of whom I actually met at Epinions hosted parties. I also made some money. Unfortunately, Epinions croaked a few years ago. Every once in awhile, when I look on Facebook’s On This Day feature, I run across links to some of my old reviews. Although I saved my old reviews, they are on my old computer which has a broken hard drive.

Anyway, I try to preserve the book reviews on my blogs if I am able to access them. Sometimes I click the link and don’t find the review. Sometimes, I get lucky and it’s still there. I put most of my old reviews on my main blog, but I put my reviews about travel subjects on this one. So, if you need a break from politics and want to do some light reading, have a look at the reviews I am reposting today. British physician Ben MacFarlane was a doctor on a cruise ship and has also worked for insurance companies, traveling to people who have gotten sick or injured while on vacation. He arranges for their care as they transit back home (to England).

I found both of MacFarlane’s books very entertaining. In fact, I may need to re-read them. They may be just what the doctor ordered to chase away the winter blues.

Being a doctor on a cruise ship…

Review by knotheadusc
in Books, Music, Hotels & Travel

January, 16 2012
Pros: Very entertaining book. Makes being a cruise doctor seem glamourous and fun.

Cons: Perhaps a little too upbeat? Doesn’t tackle issues like burnout.

Over the past couple of years, I have become a fan of cruising. My husband Bill and I have so far cruised three times, once on a large Royal Caribbean ship and twice on the comparatively tiny SeaDream I. We had a great time on all three of our cruises and every time we’ve cruised, we’ve met some amazing people. Many of those friendly people were working on the ships. Knowing so many fine folks work for cruise lines has made me want to learn more about the cruising business. I have been doing a lot of Amazon searches, looking for tell-all books from former cruiseline employees. I have found several titles, all written by people who once worked for Carnival Cruise Lines. My most recent find is Ben MacFarlane’s (a pseudonym) 2010 book, Cruise Ship SOS: The Life-Saving Adventures of a Doctor at Sea. I just spent a very entertaining few days reading Dr. MacFarlane’s story of being a cruise ship doctor on a world cruise.

It’s interesting that I picked this past week to read Dr. MacFarlane’s story. If you’ve been watching the news over this holiday weekend, you probably know that the Costa Concordia, a mega cruise ship, ran aground off the coast of Italy, resulting in at least six deaths and twenty injuries. The Costa Concordia was carrying thousands of people when it hit the rocky coast of Italy’s tiny island of Giglio. I was shocked when I saw the dramatic photos on Saturday morning. I wondered if the ship’s doctors had sprung into action to help people. By the media’s account, it doesn’t seem so. However, having read Ben MacFarlane’s book, I know that huge cruise ships are typically staffed with medical personnel who must always be ready to tend to the vast array of medical ailments and injuries that can strike cruise passengers, crew, and officers at any given time.

Ben MacFarlane hails from the United Kingdom and his writing definitely reflects that origin. In conversational prose peppered with lots of dialogue, Dr. MacFarlane describes how he came to land a job tending to people on cruise ships. It was a natural fit for the author. Before he sailed the high seas, Ben MacFarlane was an emergency doctor whose job it was to escort Britons who had medical emergencies abroad back to the U.K. His job had required him to jet off to exotic locations around the world at a moment’s notice. He loved the work, though he also longed for a job in London, where his girlfriend, Cassie, was living. It seems Dr. MacFarlane took the cruise ship gig as a means of filling a brief amount of time between two major career defining jobs. Like all cruise ship employees, he worked on a contract that only lasted several months. But those months were filled with drama, adventure, friendship, and amazing travel opportunities. By the time I had finished his book, I was almost wishing I could be a cruise ship doctor or nurse. Too bad I hate the sight of blood!

Dr. MacFarlane is careful to mention that he must protect the privacy of his patients; consequently, has has obscured the identifying details of the people who inspired his stories. He has also fictionalized some accounts. This book is offered in both electronic and print formats.

My thoughts

Cruise Ship SOS is a very entertaining and educational read. Dr. MacFarlane is a gifted storyteller who has a knack for giving life to his characters. He makes the medical center on his cruise ship sound like a good place to be, even if you happen to be a patient. Not all of his stories have happy endings, but they are all uniformly touching and memorable in some way. He really makes the medical staff on his ship sound wonderful, even as they deal with challenging medical issues and occasionally difficult or eccentric patients.

It is important to remember that these stories are somewhat fabricated for privacy reasons. Moreover, Dr. MacFarlane keeps his stories overwhelmingly upbeat, even the ones involving death. By his account, everyone in his job got along beautifully and never once suffered burnout. Maybe that’s how it really was on his ship, but somehow I doubt it. Also, Dr. MacFarlane really sticks to medical and human stories. He doesn’t dish too much about some of the places he got to see, except to mention them a bit in passing. You also won’t read about how much those onboard medical treatments cost, which is one area that I know some readers would find interesting.

Despite those minor criticisms, I really did enjoy Cruise Ship SOS and even found myself wanting to meet the good doctor in person. His writing made him seem very personable and charming. He comes off as a great doctor and gives his co-workers equally flattering descriptions. Again, I’m not sure Dr. MacFarlane’s somewhat rosy account is entirely accurate, but it was fun to read in a Love Boat kind of way.

Overall

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a cruise ship doctor, Ben MacFarlane’s Cruise Ship SOS is worth reading. I’m not a big fan of mega cruise ships, but this book makes me appreciate all medical staffers do on those floating hotels.

The second book is about MacFarlane’s experiences traveling to people who have become sick while on vacation. He accompanies them back to their home and arranges for their care.

Ben MacFarlane’s adventures of a traveling doctor…

Review by knotheadusc
in Books, Music, Hotels & Travel

January, 19 2012
Pros: Fascinating stories about a traveling doctor.

Cons: Sometimes incongruously chipper.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you were on vacation and suddenly had a serious accident? How about if, while visiting an exotic location somewhere, you suddenly became deathly ill. If you’re smart, you have travel insurance. If you’re lucky, there is someone who knows to call someone at home on your behalf. And if you’re even more fortunate, you’ll have a medical professional like Dr. Ben MacFarlane (a pseudonym) travel to your location to bring you home, safe and sound.

A couple of days ago, I read and reviewed Dr. Ben MacFarlane’s book, Cruise Ship SOS: The Life-Saving Adventures of a Doctor at Sea. I liked Dr. MacFarlane’s writing style and traveling medical stories so much that I decided to read and review his earlier book, Holiday SOS: The Life-Saving Adventures of a Travelling Doctor. This book, offered in print and e-book forms, was published in 2009. This earlier book consists of Ben MacFarlane’s fascinating and entertaining stories about his adventures as a traveling doctor who repatriates people who have gotten hurt or sick on vacation.

Dr. MacFarlane is British and his company, which mostly does a lot of work with insurance companies, is based in London. It’s MacFarlane’s job to travel the world in search of Britons who have had mishaps while on holiday. MacFarlane explains that most of the jobs are relatively easy and involve “hand-holding”. Sometimes, however, Dr. MacFarlane runs into challenging medical situations that test his abilities as a physician. Occasionally, MacFarlane and his colleagues become ensnared in the typical red tape that can develop in the course of traveling abroad. And from what I read in his book, Dr. MacFarlane often gets to know his patients, whose stories touch and enrich him.

This is not a job for the faint of heart or the committed homebody. Dr. MacFarlane and his colleagues often have to travel at a moment’s notice, jetting off to any of the corners of the world. But the rewards can be amazing, especially for those who love travel and adventure. And if you’re not qualified to be a medical professional, Holiday SOS might give you just a glimpse of what it’s like to rescue people abroad.

My thoughts

This book excited me on several levels. First of all, I love to travel and I love reading about other peoples’ travels. Secondly, I have a professional background in public health and social work. I’m not qualified to do what MacFarlane does, but I am interested in the medical aspects of his stories. And finally, I am very intrigued by the concept of medical care abroad. Dr. MacFarlane’s adventures put in contact with plenty of medical facilities abroad.

Interspersed withing MacFarlane’s travel tales are anecdotes about his personal life. For instance, he explains how he met his girlfriend, Cassie, who is herself working in an occupation that requires her to travel a lot. He also writes about his colleagues, whom he makes sound absolutely wonderful to work with. We should all enjoy work environments as positive and rewarding as the one described in this book. Of course, MacFarlane also had to deal with doubts. As a doctor, he has been trained to want to have a “proper” job in a hospital, where he can build prestige and a pension fund. And, as it turns out, MacFarlane did eventually quit working as a traveling doctor full-time, though as of 2009, he was still doing freelance gigs.

Naturally, the job isn’t always rosy. Sometimes he has to deal with very difficult cases under challenging conditions. Occasionally, his patients are unpleasant people who are demanding or ungrateful. He’s dealt with his share of dirty airports, inedible airline food, and bad airport coffee. He’s experienced chronic jetlag. But consider this. MacFarlane’s travel expenses are all paid. He usually flies in business class or better, so he can properly attend to his patients. He usually stays in decent hotels. He gets plenty of time off to see the sights, too. In exchange, he deals with sick or injured patients, the vast majority of whom are happy to see him.

I really enjoyed reading this book, though I did notice that just as he did in his other book, MacFarlane keeps his tone very chipper. He writes of one time flying in a private Lear jet to pick up a patient who had broken his neck. MacFarlane and a colleague snacked on scones and champagne and very much enjoyed themselves. Though I could hardly blame them for doing so, I also wondered about the poor chap with the broken neck. I think MacFarlane is mostly very empathetic, though sometimes his stories about catastrophic injuries and illnesses don’t mesh with his upbeat attitude.

Overall

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to travel the world for a living, this is a good book to read. If you’re a medical professional with wanderlust in need of ideas for places to visit, Holiday SOS is right up your alley. If you are inclined to read both of Dr. MacFarlane’s books, I recommend reading Holiday SOS first.

Hebridean Island Cruises, whisky distilleries

Part 11… Oban Distillery, the captain’s farewell, and disembarkation…

After our visit to Jura Distillery, it was time to venture to Oban, the town where most Hebridean cruises begin once the season gets going. The early spring and late fall cruises usually start in Greenock, probably because the weather is milder down that way. Bill and I had never been to Oban before this cruise and, I must admit, it’s an awfully cute town. I think I’d like to go there and just spend a few days shopping and eating.

Tenders ready for our last day.

Before we went to Oban, we stopped to tour some pretty gardens in Ardfern. It was a bit overcast during the morning, but we managed to enjoy about an hour of walking around. Afterwards, we had tea and shortbread in the cafe attached to Loch Melfort Hotel, where the gardens were located. I also managed to get a picture of a Highland cow, though I probably should have gotten closer than I did.

Highland cows.

Pretty flowers!

After the garden tour, we had lunch. It was a ham buffet, kind of like the fresh seafood buffet of a few days earlier, only with ham. I enjoyed the ham buffet, but I am more of a seafood fan.

The ham is ready for carving…

A close up of the 2012 version…

Oban does, of course, have a distillery. It’s right in the middle of town. According to our very cool guide, Catriona, the town of Oban was pretty much built around the distillery, which dates from 1794. Of all of the distilleries we visited during our weeklong cruise, I think Oban has some of the most interesting history. Catriona told us that the distillery can’t expand too much because of its location, as well as the fact that there are caves in the cliff behind the distillery. Some excavations were done during the distillery’s early years and some very old– prehistoric maybe?– bones were found back there. Also, there is a Roman style amphitheater on the cliff over the distillery and people had started to live up there, so more room could not be carved out of the cliff.

Oban Distillery.

Bill checks out the visitor’s center.

Because of Oban Distillery’s location, it’s one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland. It’s known for producing a 14 year old malt. In 2014, Oban introduced “Little Bay”, which is a non-age statement whisky. Oban actually means “little bay” in Gaelic.

I thought Catriona did a great job telling us about the Oban Distillery, though I was pretty much distilleried out by the time we got to her. She also showed us a part of the process that no one at the other distilleries did. It was basically a three layered box used to separate the grist of the malt… I think, anyway. Although all of the distilleries supposedly use this rather unsophisticated tool, no one else told us about it. So, as Catriona said, “Score one for Oban!”

During this particular tour, the whisky expert expounded on the wonders of whisky making in such a way that Catriona had to stop him. There was another tour coming behind us that needed use of the room.

After the distillery, we walked around Oban and I did my best to try to talk Bill into getting a kilt. But he demurred, as usual… One of these days, I’ll have him wearing a skirt.

Oban sunset.

We went back to the ship and put on our finery for one last gala dinner. Bill squeezed into his uniform and I squeezed into pantyhose. I also put on a blue wraparound dress I ordered from Amazon on a whim two years ago. I have another one that is identical, except it’s in red. I brought it with me, but bright red makes me feel too loud.

Haggis!

The second gala on Hebridean Princess always involves eating haggis. I tried haggis the last time we cruised and didn’t remember hating it much. I am pleased to say that it was actually pretty delicious this last time, although it’s not something I would choose to eat outside of Scotland, especially when no one is reciting Robert Burns. I had turbot for dinner and Bill had venison. It was actually a very nice meal. Little did I know that later, I’d be tasting it again.

Hilarious original poetry by a passenger…

A rare photo of both Bill and me…

Haggis… it was surprisingly good!

Gin and tonic sorbet!

Bill looking smashing.

After dinner, we all had the chance to see the galley and chat with the kitchen staff. Much to my delight, one of the guys in the kitchen claims to have remembered me from 2012. I guess that’s possible, since I doubt too many Americans cruise on Hebridean Princess and I do have a distinctive laugh. Anyway, it was nice to be able to thank them for a job well done.

Someone had an accident on the steps, so we were asked to take a detour to the Tiree Lounge for cocktails. Bill and I went there and Philip, one of the bar staff members who had also worked on The Royal Scotsman, made me another Brandy Alexander, some of which I ended up spilling on my shoes. I have to admit, my mood was beginning to sour due to a personality clash I had with someone else on the cruise. I just wanted to go to bed. But we were met with a road block on the way there, as the person who had had the accident was being evacuated.

I assured the assistant purser that I just wanted to go to bed and wasn’t interested in rubber necking. So she let us go; we went to bed; and I promptly fell asleep until 3:00am. I woke up, felt queasy, and began the first of about twelve hours of vomiting. As I mentioned in the very first Scotland post, I wrote a rather detailed account on my main, more R rated blog.

In the interest of keeping my travel blog somewhat benign, I will dispense with going into great detail here… except to say that germs are no joke on cruise ships! Wash your hands! Don’t share eating utensils or towels with strangers. Use the alcohol hand sanitizers, but realize that they are no substitute for thorough and properly done hand washing. Also realize that sometimes no matter what you do and what precautions you take, you will sometimes get sick. Rather than beat yourself up over it, just simmer down and let the sickness take its course. If you’re lucky, your illness will be rather short lived. I was mostly back to normal within 48 hours, though those 48 hours were definitely not much fun.

In any case, by about 6:00am, I really looked like death warmed over. I was sitting there wondering what we were going to do, since our plans had us going back to Glasgow, picking up a rental car, and driving to the Stoke on Trent area, where we had reserved a room at the Shawgate Farm House for two nights. Had I been completely healthy, that plan would have been doable, if not making for a long day of travel. But I was repeatedly vomiting, had diarrhea, and really bad stomach cramps.

Bill called the bridge to tell them that I was not feeling well. The first officer came down to our cabin, took my temperature, and gave me water with electrolytes. I later threw it up. Bill explained to the purser that we were afraid what I had was contagious (and later it proved to be when Bill also got it). I feared riding the coach and exposing others, even though they had probably already been exposed. Also, I wondered if I would be able to make the ride to Glasgow without getting sick (I didn’t, but that’s explained in my other post about this). I think had it been entirely up to me, I would have just found a hotel room in Oban. But Bill and the purser determined we’d take a cab to Glasgow, which the ship kindly paid for.

Several very kind staff members expressed concern for me, which I appreciated. I would have loved to have said goodbye properly to a few of my more favorite staffers. Iain, the hottie hotel manager from Islay, said goodbye to me before we left the ship. I hope he didn’t catch my sickness in those brief few moments. I also really hope our poor stewardess, Katarzyna, did not get sick… or the people who had the stateroom after us. And the poor cabbie who drove us to Oban and the lady who ran the B&B where we stayed Wednesday night. Despite feeling really miserable, I also felt pretty guilty about having a contagious illness.

whisky distilleries

Part 7… Springbank Distillery in Campbeltown…

Bill and I visited the Springbank Distillery in 2012 on our second Hebridean cruise. Naturally, we visited again in March 2016 on our third scotch whisky themed Hebridean cruise. Springbank Distillery is kind of a special place because it represents one of the last of a dying breed. In the early 1900s, Campbeltown was a bustling place where many Campbeltown whiskies were made. Thanks to Prohibition in the United States and advancing technology, the vast majority of Campbeltown whiskies died out. Springbank remains and is one of only two distilleries in Scotland to perform every step in the whisky making process on its premises. Springbank grows and malts its own barley and does its own bottling. It’s also one of a very few family owned distilleries and very little whisky produced at Springbank finds its way into blended whiskies.

Bill stands outside the distillery, shivering. It was cold the day of our visit!

I have genuinely liked most of the Springbank whiskies I’ve managed to try. But I also think the distillery is one of the more interesting ones we’ve encountered. With help from the assistant manager of the distillery, Cameron, we were shown what makes Springbank such a unique distillery. I especially enjoyed Cameron’s accent, which was very thick and charming. Like the two guides before him, he displayed a keen wit as he described all the steps of whisky making.

Malting barley.

A pile of peat.

The kiln where peat is fired.

It was interesting to see the Springbank Distillery again because this time, they had barley malting on the floor. The first time we visited, we had to imagine that step of the process of whisky making. Cameron explained how labor intensive it is to malt barley. He showed us the primitive tool used to turn the barley so it’s properly prepared for whisky making. He also showed us the very impressive and OLD equipment used at Springbank. Most of their machinery is still working great after many decades of use. I think Springbank is one of the more charming distilleries I’ve been to, as well.

Cameron explains the kiln.

An old fashioned record keeping system… Don’t look now, but I think that’s our captain standing to the left of the pole.

These photos are from 2012. On that trip, we were allowed to visit the room where the casks are stored. We didn’t see it on our most recent trip, but I’m including the photo for interested parties.

After the tour, we walked to the whisky shop, which is off site. We all tried some Springbank and took home a small sample bottle given to tour participants. Then we went shopping. Bill bought a 24 year old cask end that was slightly discounted. He poured himself a dram last night and pronounced it good.

On our first visit to this particular whisky shop, there was a very old bottle of scotch being offered for 50,000 GBP. I took a photo of the bottle. It has since been sold to someone in China. Go figure!

The 50,000 GBP whisky… It’s gone now! A “sold” sign now sits in its place.

The very cool front step of the whisky shop.

I took a photo of this cool van as we were walking back to the ship.

I came back with an unusual souvenir from the Springbank Distillery. I ended up needing to use the ladies room while I was there, but they happened to have just painted it. Though I was warned about the wet paint, I still managed to get some on my jacket!

advice, anecdotes, cruises, Germany

Sailing with Sea Cloud cruises…

Last week, I was hanging out on SeaDream Yacht Club’s messageboards on Cruise Critic and someone mentioned the Sea Cloud cruise line. I think I had heard of Sea Cloud before, but never really explored it. Since I have loads of time on my hands and enjoy luxury cruising on small ships, I thought I’d take a look.

When you sail with Sea Cloud, you’re actually sailing. Both of these vessels have masts and actual sails on them, making them very unique in the cruising world. The original Sea Cloud has a long and celebrated history dating from 1931, while Sea Cloud II is a much younger and more modern ship built in 2001.

I requested information from Sea Cloud cruises, which is based in Hamburg. I just received a package special delivery. I was expecting an envelope with a brochure that maybe included a DVD or something. What I received what a box of stuff. And it’s all in German!

My German skills are still evolving, so it may be hard to understand all of this… I may have to use Google Translate. Fortunately, I can look at their Web site, which does offer English translation.

From what I can see, it looks like a lovely, albeit expensive, vacation possibility. It’s also not all inclusive, though beer and wine is included at lunch and dinner. Of course, if I’m going to be spending four or five figures on a cruise, I prefer not to have to worry about signing chits. On the other hand, it looks like this line would offer a very unique and exciting experience. I have heard that onboard, both German and English are spoken.

Sea Cloud also gets very good reviews, both from the professional reviewer and regular folks who have sailed with them. I may have to get Bill to check this out with me and see what he thinks…

For now, I think I will just be tickled by the box of information they sent me and the opportunity to practice my German as I plow through it. I see on Cruise Critic, Sea Cloud is sometimes chartered by Lindblad cruises, too.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: cruises

Negligent actions have consequences…

Whisky at Torabhaig Distillery… then church and dolphins!

SeaDream Yacht Club drops a bombshell…

Scotland and Northern Ireland 2017, Part six…

Scotland and Northern Ireland 2017, Part two…

Italy vs. Germany…

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a doctor who travels?

Being a doctor on a cruise ship…

Ben MacFarlane’s adventures of a traveling doctor…

Part 11… Oban Distillery, the captain’s farewell, and disembarkation…

Part 7… Springbank Distillery in Campbeltown…

Sailing with Sea Cloud cruises…