TheSharingPage: September 2025

I failed to mention a few things in my last post.

First, the dark chocolate gelato was out-of-this-world. I had never experienced this delicious treat. I have noticed the older I get the more I want chocolate! Every opportunity on the ship I would order the yummy dessert.

Secondly, the city of Dubrovnik, Croatia was absolutely stunning. The streets were made of limestone and because of their age and use, they were worn and consequently “polished” to look as if they were marble. The streets were also very clean and the people in the markets and stores very accommodating.

Thirdly, Norwegian Cruise Line was so attentive to their military guests. One of the evenings, those veterans and families of veterans were honored at a special reception where they served champagne and hors d’oeuvres. We all sang together the Star-Spangled Banner and it was quite a moving affair. I just wish that my husband would have been with me to participate in the event. They also bestowed various pins and badges to acknowledge his service. I also noticed a wall on the ship with various military memorabilia honoring those from other countries in the world. NCL obviously holds dear the veterans.

Last, but not least, I was tickled pink that my dear sister was able to be on this journey together with me. We will always remember our days spent on the Mediterranean Sea.❤️ ❤️

This is what my sister and I referred our 11-day Mediterranean cruise as…”a trip of a lifetime.” We had decided it would be best if we begun our journey together and so she flew to Nashville from Pittsburgh instead of us meeting in Philadelphia. It ended up being a wise decision. We arrived at BNA in plenty of time, but unfortunately we were notified that our flight was two hours late and consequently we would miss our flight to Barcelona out of Philadelphia. Long story short, our transatlantic flight took us to England instead of Spain. Although Heathrow Airport is a shopper’s paradise filled with many high-end shops, we would have preferred spending our eight hours on the streets of Barcelona.

Eventually at day’s end we were able to have a nice supper at the Le Méridien hotel and then experienced some Spanish street nightlife. It was Saturday night and everyone was out celebrating the week’s end! Sunday morning, our driver came to take us to the port to board the Norwegian Breakaway. I had so looked forward to seeing the famous SaGrada Familia and knew that I should speak up or forever hold my peace. Our very pleasant and accommodating Argentinian driver submitted to my request and the image of the Cathedral was transforming. What an unforgettable sight.

Boarding the ship was smooth sailing considering the fact the passenger capacity is approximately 6000. The staff of 1400 were extremely accommodating and managed to have everything set so that the Breakaway sailed at 5:00pm. Our trip was magnificent and very memorable. The itinerary allowed us to see a different port every day beginning with Palma Majorca, Spain, then Cannes/Nice, France, down the western side of Italy, south to Malta, crossing the Ionian Sea to Corfu, Greece and north along the Adriatic Sea to Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia. Our disembarkation port was Venice. Due to an early flight home we were unable to view the city. Maybe next time…

There were 18 decks on the Norwegian Breakaway and our stateroom was on Deck 13. The ship was truly amazing providing every kind of cuisine imaginable. We had dinner at the French restaurant called Le Bistro and the escargot was delicious, the filet mignon cooked perfectly and the chocolate dessert out-of-this-world. Our final dinner was at Cagney’s Steakhouse. Very American and very good!

The 6th, 7th and 8th floors were where all the entertainment took place whether it be cabaret shows, gambling, origami folding, trivia, karaoke, etc. One could always find something to do. Most mornings my sister and I would go to either the Savor or the Taste restaurants to dine formally. Our napkins were always placed on our laps by the wait staff. What pampering!

We disembarked at every port but two. The excursions were very nice and gave us a real feel of the area. We especially enjoyed the double decker buses which allowed us a bird’s-eye view of the countryside. Nice, Rome and Naples were extremely hot with much sun, but we persevered. Knowing a relaxing meal and a glass of vino was just around the corner helped immensely!

As I had mentioned earlier, this was truly a “trip of a lifetime.” A part of the world we had never seen before and the experience of meeting new people. My sister and I had a marvelous time.