TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Afloat Transatlantic 2021 - Trip Report

Sadly, due to the UK leaving the European Union, I'm now limited to a maximum stay in the Schengen Area of 90 days out of 180. So had to head back to the UK just after you reached Cadiz and can't go back until the middle of February. The head of the Valencia region is trying to have a new class of visa created for homeowners and other people who want to take long-term rentals, but I'm not holding my breath.

Mike,

Is the 90/180 just for citizens of the UK?
I had always thought you 180 days as a tourist before having to exit.

With the 90/180 rule, planning must become extremely important on where are you going to be when.

Are you eligible for a D Visa. Just googled and from a 10,000 foot view is would appear you would be eligible.

Tom... There are a number of visas I could apply for but they all mean I'd become resident in Spain, which I don't want, because of tax and inheritance implications. Hopefully Spain will come up with a new class of visa that gets around the issues. It is in their interest as there are loads of Brits like me who are spending less money in Spain because we can't be there as long as in the past. For now I'll just have to work within the limitations.

got you!
But here is why you winter there!
8 inches still falling - no power
welcome to Virginia

Tom--we were just reading about the snow on the net! You can have that snow!!!

Tom--I finally made the time to sit down to read this installment. What amazing photos!! ...and what can one say about people that refuse to read the description of the shore excursions?

Mike,
My wife and I were in Valencia a few years ago for Las Fallas. What an experience. Have you ever been ?

Not yet Roger. We stayed in Valencia in the magnificent Palacio Vallier Hotel just before covid and planned to go back for Las Fallas the following year. That was postponed so is still on the to-do list.

just finished making spaghetti on camp stove, great salad, and of course wine 🍷

No power but life is good on the farm. Still have about 500 more bottles before I will get concerned 😉

I'd be more worried about some heat!! Take care!

And I thought we had it bad here in the UK. Least hours of sunshine in a month since 1956, 26.6, during December. Mind you, New Year's Eve was also the warmest ever recorded in the UK at 60.4F.

Hope you get your power back soon. Do you have a generator?

6 am EST
No power but have water
Coffee made and sitting by gas logs
the simple life....

Crazy thing when we went to bed Sunday night it was 61F
Woke Monday to snow and more snow.

Looking forward to sunrise 🌅
Forgot to add it is 19F this morning

Yikes!! Good luck Tom!! I guess I'd rather be stuck where you are than on I 95!!!

Link

Power restored 1430 EST
back to blog writing ✍

spoke too soon
power 1435 EST

Sorry, power back OFF? Best wishes!!

95 is still a dead stop from Fredericksburg to Quantico, but we have power! House warming up.

Glad you have power. That I 95 situation is crazy.

Sorry for hijacking your thread. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip, once your teeth stop chattering!!!!

No problem Carol! What a mess the last 48 hours have been, but now it is time to head back to sea.

Today's blog entry is our first full day a sea, which was what what this trip was all about for me - Crossing the Atlantic.

Enjoy! More snow here tonight - fingers crossed it does not repeat itself.

Link: A Day at Sea!

Holy crap! More snow??

Thanks for the next installment!

You can't beat just spending the day looking at the ocean and listening to good music

off ramp... if you have not seen the David Gilmour DVD Live at Albert Hall or heard the concert it is a must! David Crosby and Graham Nash background vocals. David Bowie guest performance and one of Richard Wright's last live performances. Amazon it - it will be there in 48 hours.

Back on the highway... the open ocean is amazing!

Tom--Something tells me this will not be your last transatlantic voyage!! So enjoying reading along!!

Just catching up Tom, great reports! We fortunately did not experience a power outage, but instead had our flight to Nashville cancelled Monday...decided to drive at 0500...at the start of the storm!, route 81 closed near Lexington, so we drove side roads until we could access 81 again ...12 hours later arrived in Nashville! My sister's family also drove a little further from Maryland. Great 3 nights in Nashville with family then departed Thursday in a historic snow event for Nashville. Took 7 hours to simply reach Knoxville where we found a hotel. It was the craziest mess I've ever driven in, 3 tractor trailers and one car overturned on route 40 which shut it down until 8pm. Probably drove 4 out of 7 hours in 4 wheel drive! Our house is fine, but a lot of trees down in our neck of the woods, heading to check the cabin in the morning.

Carol - Not sure if I will or will not do another transatlantic, but before the trip I would have said this is a one in done. So maybe.

Beerman - hope the cabin is in ok shape. I am afraid, I would have cx'd the Nashville trip. Glad you made it safely and were able to spend time with family. There is a funny thing going around. It is a short video of somebody's GPS on I95 and you hear the computer voice say something to the effect - In 1 mile turn right at the first exit to reach your destination in 2 days" What a mess you must have been in.

Stay safe and update us on the cabin.

Today, the blog will take us to Magical Madeira!
What a special place and we wish we could have had much more time on island.
It definitely deserves the Douglas MacArthur quote - I shall.....

Link: Magical Madeira

Beautiful pictures. I'm not afraid of heights, but I don't really have any desire to hang over that railing.
Scott

The crazy thing is I use to fly for living and had no problem standing in helicopter door, but there is something about tall buildings and sheer cliffs that rattle me.
Thanks for following along

Tom, cabin furnace was not working, but had a new igniter installed this morning. Luckily no liquids froze, caught it in time! A frozen toilet would have been a real “head” ache !! Awesome reports!!

Glad you are enjoying them.
I am surprised that your pond is not frozen over.
Looks great for ice skating.
Stay warm.

The stream is flowing in to the left of the dock, dropping to 10 tonight, and next 3 nights… should freeze nicely! But we went out onto it a few years ago thinking it was good, heard a large craaack!! and ran off, NEVER AGAIN HA!

I thought the same thing at Mass in Italy, just say the everything in English and keep up. Great stop.. how far from the port were the Madeira production facilities. Was it doable from the port? Not disappointed but I was looking for something similar to your Port report but the cliff view was great..

TravelHat,

We chose the excursion we did based on that I really do not care for Madeira. It has a black walnut flavor that I do not like. In your question, you said Port, but I am thinking you meant Sherry in Jerez. Here again, not one of my favorite libations, but it is growing on me. Maybe Madeira will one day . Sherry, Madeira, and for that matter Port are all an acquired taste.

From the port to Blandy's and other Madeira wineries is walkable. The vineyards are another story.
The island is so beautiful that it is truly worth getting out of Funchal, albeit I am ready to explore Funchal - Just not on a Sunday.

Still a great day with or without the Madeira I’m sure. I am trying to convince my daughter to return from Italy this summer by this method.

There is an easy solution to that problem!
Dad is paying! Meet me in Civitavecchia on this date!

I would have loved for my children to have been with us.

What do they say.... Follow the money

You got that right. That was the balloon i floated. Not sure but I think the Army might give a lump sum and how they use it is up to them. This would be a great option and great way to extend there European travels.

The big advantage is there are no real luggage restrictions.
There was a young couple in the USAF coming back from Germany on our trip.

Ok, I know it was a long interlude, but the next installment of the blog has been published.
It covers the 5 days at sea during the crossing.
Really it is more of the Trip Report covering the Ship and the Services.
Lots of Pictures

Link: 5 Days at Sea

Thanks for the continuation of the report. Cruising surely has changed since our first cruise on the NCL Seaward, back in 1987! Back then, there was the main restaurant and the buffet, and I think that was it! I would be interested to know what percentage the cruise lines make off of food these days. We haven't cruised a lot lately, but the food in the main dining room isn't that attractive to us anymore. And I have zero desire to eat at a buffet, even here at home. So we have been eating in the specialty restaurants a lot, but I consider them to be somewhat pricy, running perhaps $50 per person? Not sure what they run now. It was good that you did get free specialty meals included. Of course back when we started cruising, I think you could carry on liquor also, and definitely could carry on wine, I think as much as you wanted! But, there was no such thing as a drinks package back then. You said that you didn't go past the $15 package? Sorry, you got a package that only covered $15 a day worth of drinks? That is only like two drinks, maybe.

Carol,

Do not remember the upcharge for each restaurant. I did find this on the web, but not sure if it is 2022 pricing but it is in the ball park.

Cagney’s Steakhouse: $30 per person
French Bistro: $20 per person
Brazilian Moderno Churrascaria: $20 per person
La Cucina: $15 per person
Teppanyaki: $25 per person


They also have specialty dinner packages where you can buy by the night. For example if you are on a 7 day cruise and want to eat 4 nights in specialty restaurants there is a package for you... I think it gives you a slight break also the more nights you get. I think...

As for the drink package, it was unlimited beer, wine, spirits, and soda drinks... Not water... Not bottles of wine.
The $15 limit was per drink. So if you wanted a Martini it was like $12 so it was free. If you wanted a Chocolate Martini it may have been $17, so you would be charged $2. The drink package took care of the first $15. 99% of the drinks we consumed were less than $15. As for the wine, If it was on the wine list for $75 a bottle and a glass was $18, we bought the bottle by the glass. In that example... it was $3 a glass.

The premium drink package covered a bunch of the high end scotches, cognacs, and other digestifs. It also covered water and most bottles of wine. If you only drink 30 year old scotch I would suggest the premium package.

Best wine buy on the ship was 2015 Opus One. It was only $350 a bottle. Total wine near me carries it for $365. Cheaper to drink underway

NCL policy allows you to bring wine/champagne onboard also, but only at your port of embarkation. No limit, but they charge a $15 corkage fee per bottle. It does not allow for spirits to be brought onboard. If you buy wine at a port, when you board they will take it and store it and give it back the night before you disembark. Our group had cases. But that is tomorrow's blog

Tom--When we were on Princess last, which was maybe 5 years ago, I'm pretty sure their prices were more than that for the specialty restaurants. Oh, $15 per drink?? I thought you meant $15 per day.