Mediterranean Cruise - part 1

While living in the UK we have been taking advantage of the easy travel options. In the beginning we tried to go somewhere at least once a month; thankfully we have cut back our travel time (I can't keep up with the laundry & we girls enjoy our riding too much). However, one tradition that we haven't given up on is a cruise during the October mid-term break week. It allows us all a chance to see the sunshine, enjoy the smell of the ocean, and see a bit of the world.
This year Kevin had researched and thought he had found the deal of the century... The MSC Magnifica was a new boat commissioned in the beginning of 2010. It is a huge boat with a good number of swimming pools. The big deal with MSC cruises is that kids go free so we thought that was a good deal for the pocket book. The family room we stayed in was huge with plenty of storage for all of our clothes, so it definitely looked like we were off to a good start.

Our boat is bigger than yours!

Our cruise started and ended in Venice, and our ports of call were Bari, Katakolon Olympia, Izmir, Istanbul, Dubrovnik. We had been to a few of these places before so the girls & I were planning to stay on the boat, let dad do the excursions, and we would enjoy the pools, the sunshine, and the relaxation. For the most part things went according to our plan except the food on the cruise was not very good and the weather was awful. We saw more rain than sunshine, but it did not deter the girls from swimming. Most of the time I would sit by the pool, under the canopy, wrapped up in towels ~ but at least I was getting fresh air and catching up on my reading.
Also, most of the people on the cruise were not English speaking so when announcements were made it would take forever to go through the 5 different languages (with English being the last one) ~ Russian, German, Italian, French, English, and something else.... And as you probably guessed, with all these different languages came quite a few different cultures and people skills. Let's just say we found ourselves biting our tongues a lot and holding the girls close to us at times.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Sophie. I love her smile while she's running!

This cruise had two nights of dress up. Unfortunately since we travelled with Ryan Air we didn't have the luggage or space to bring variety per say... but the girls looked excellent none the less.

Brittney all dressed up!

Sophie dressed up with one of the many towel creations...

another fabulous towel creation - rabbit

We had a really good time on the cruise; the main objective was met ~ good family time coupled with relaxation. We played lots of cards in the game room. Kevin had an excellent time in the casino. Both, Kevin & I enjoyed the spa, and I got my usual pedicure treatment. The girls and I were regulars in the ship library checking out books and reading one a day. I think it is safe to say, the Duffy family nows how to relaxe in style!

(I'll add some posts for the ports of call that we went to...)