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Travel Dynamics International has it all together. This is small-ship cruising designed for a full intellectual barrage. No casino and night club fru-fru....just a great immersion into the world of ancient artifacts and thought.
We heard about this trip via an opera association. It had all the places we wanted to see, a full lecture format, and we wanted to try a smaller vessel....we were amply rewarded.
Embarkation was a snap. We were met at the Rome airport, taken for a nice repast at a nearby hotel, then on to the ship.
The ship is nice....clean, comfortable. The spa was small,but we were not expecting Golds Gym. The common areas were nice and well maintained. Fellow passengers were fascinating. Some were experts in Greco-Roman history, others ran the gamut from financial tycoons to physicists.
It should be noted that there is a lot of uphill walking on slick marble steps. This particular cruise would not be appropriate for the infirmed.
When high seas struck, the cruise directors and guides switched gears and ports, and still managed to pull off a great shore excursion.
Cabins are comfy and sized nicely. Bathrooms were clean. There was turn down service nightly. TV reception was one problem....it only offered Fox News....We understand that this will be corrected in the future. Computer access was slow but adequate for a daily check of email.
Wines and most drinks were included, served by cheerful staff.
Breakfast and lunch were tasty buffets. Dinner was excellent...the food at dinner, with wine pairings included, was the equal of any luxury cruise liner. The staff was helpful, fully competent, and the friendliest anywhere.
Local excursions were terrific, with local guides at each port, commodious buses, with two lunches at local places included, with one in Sicily being exceptional, and another in Santorini being adequate.
The staff put together a dinner by candlelight in Ephesus, with local cuisine equal to the ships great dinning room, together with a string ensemble providing music...This was a night to remember.
Disembarkation and transfers were handled with aplomb. We opted for a two night extension in Istanbul. The Hotel was luxurious, and again the tour buses and guide were outstanding.
I would not hesitate to book a cruise with this company in the future.
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