Schwab Family Cruise 2026 - Rhodes

Rhodes in Greece was a pleasant surprise. For so many of the ports we get off and the immediately have to find transit to get some place interesting. With Rhodes we were immediately at our destination as soon as we got off the ship. I think we were through the security check point within about 100 meters of our ship and on the main road that runs around the bay. At first all you can see is a stone wall with a road in front of it. I'm assuming at one point the wall was right on the water. There were several entrances that would take you in to an area with 100's of shops and restaurants. 

We admittedly have a habit of being drawn to the first shops we see but in this case there was likely something else drawing us here. The shopkeeper was named Kalli and one of the drinks was named Melissa. The family spent about 20 minutes tasting the various options and ended up taking several home. It was nice that they came in various sizes. We're pretty sure the limit is 1.5 liters per person and there is no limit on the number of bottles. If there is a bottle limit we are definitely way over our limit. We did not buy any of the penis shaped bottles which seems to be a theme wherever we go in Europe. 

As we were making our way through town we came on another kitten factory. There was one mom, a number of teenagers, and several kittens. The mom was quite protective and swiped at Callie when she went to pet her. She swiped at me as well but I knew it was coming so I was farther away and it was more of a warming swipe. The kittens look like they are living their best lives, playing under the watchful eye of mom. We've noticed many cats have clipped ears which is a way of marking the cats as having been neutered. The Mediterranean likes the cats, just not too many of the cats. 

We made our way to the top of the city where the Place of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes was located. It's a slow climb up many terraces and along the way they have various statues along with descriptive plaques. It's a different world when your history includes something that was built in 300BC and you just have it hanging outside on a gravel path. The castle had a $20 Euro fee to get in but we'd already seen plenty and decided it would be better to spend the money in the market.

We made our way back down and at one point entered a square that had a central fountain and numerous shops and restaurants surrounding it. It had a significant Disney feel in how it was laid out where every shop was unique and there were multiple layers with restaurants on the second level and in some cases living space above that. We will have many 'favorite' components of this trip and Rhodes was definitely our favorite for ease of access, quality of the shops and our ability to totally relax.

Schwab Family Cruise 2026 - Kusadasi

I really had no idea what to expect in Turkey. I knew it was a primarily Muslim country and it's considered in the Middle East so I was expecting a lot of religious influence but Kusadasi feels more western European. The port was right in the middle of town and there was a giant Hollywood like sign on the hill. The town is a mix of modern and ancient and was quite clean. We arrived in port early and met up with our guide at 8:00a as today we had an actual tour planned. The cruise ship had something for $900 but we were able to find it for $300. We were part of a group of 12 and it included a van, a driver, a tour guide as well as site passes.

Our first stop was Ephesus which was about 8 km from the ocean. It was once a sea side town but 100's of years of silt had eventually closed the port and the resulting swamp bred mosquitoes which drove people from the town due to malaria. It is considered the home of Mary and once had one of the biggest libraries in the ancient world. It also had a 25,000 seat amphitheater which was under restoration while we were there. We met the Garfield of Ephesus which is a cat with an Instagram following of 14,000.

Our second stop was the Temple at Artemis which was very underwhelming at first except for the stork on top of the single pillar. It was only when our guide indicated that it was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world did I start to pay closer attention. When you consider how big the foot print was and how tall it was, it would have been very impressive. Our guide explained that at the time ruins wouldn't have been 'historic' and were quickly plundered after major events like earthquakes. Not much is left but they do figure that there has been a stork ion that column for 200+ years. 

Our final destination was a Turkish rug warehouse. The rugs themselves can take up to 6 months for a 5'x7' and start around $7,000. This particular location is supported by the government and is where the makers go to get certified. Much of the actual work is done at home by women so they can do it while running the house. They showed us the silk cocoons that is used to make some of the thread as well as how to tie the individual knots. I'm glad the government is supporting the industry because it is an artform that deserves to survive.

We got dropped off back at our port and wandered around the local Bazaar. I had assumed the 'Great' bazaar was going to be in Istanbul, but the one in Kusadasi was no slouch. Hundreds of stalls and unlike some places you visit, it had a lot more local creations versus cheap tourist fare. We had some Turkish delight which is when I realized why a Big Turk is called a Big Turk. We bought a few more souvenirs but saved our cash for when we visit Istanbul. I'll explain why you shouldn't bother getting any Turkish Lira when you visit and can stick to Euro when I do that blog. 

 

Schwab Family Cruise 2026 - Athens

Monday was a day at sea where we spent time exploring the ship including minigolf, darts and watching one of the chefs make fruit animals. Darts was fun because the board tracked your score and offered interactive games such as trying to topple a castle like in Angry Birds. It would tell you where to aim to hit the blocks or explosives. Both were extra money but the screens for minigolf weren't working so they were offering it for free. We haven't done the go-karting yet but maybe Carter will try it out on our next at sea day. 

We arrived early and were able to disembark around 7:30 as we had to meet our ride to the Acropolis. I think this is the first time we've ever had a driver pick us up and have one of those signs with your name on it. The cost was quite cheap at $39 Euro's and our guide was very informative. He told us all the tips and tricks of how to explore the Acropolis and even gave us free water. The trip was close to an hour as it was rush hour. For most of our ports we're never quite sure what it's going to be like getting around and after our issue getting to the ship in the first place we're looking to secure our transportation in advance where we can.

We arrived at the Acropolis at 9:00a and I've never been to a tourist spot that was so busy so early. This is partly to do with the popularity of the spot but it's also on the top of a hill with very little shade so I think people try to come early if they can. We were dropped off right at the spot where you walk to the ticket booth. We passed several roman soldiers available for pictures though I don't think they were part of the site. Our driver had recommended we immediately climb to the top and explore things on our way down which was good advice.

I think I first learned about the Acropolis in grade 5 where myself and a classmate had to build a diorama out of popsicle sticks and homemade clay. I remember being very frustrated with the process because none of the adults available to us had any recommendations on how to do it. Looking back, I think I would have become a maker much earlier in life if I had access to YouTube like Callie has had. The site itself is under constant restoration and was as big as I was expecting but wasn't as complete as I was expecting. Still amazing.

The view of Athens from above was great too. Athens as we were driving in was diverse in it's cleanliness. Interspersed with new buildings were hollowed out apartments with graffiti. The city extended out in all directions and most buildings were under 10 stories tall. Greece ran into some economic troubles after the hosted the Olympics and it shows. The fun part for me was that you'd have a relatively new looking set of buildings and then on the corner would be some wall or arch that could be thousands of years old.

The Acropolis didn't take us very long to see as it's really just a short hike up some stairs, around the main feature and then you head down past an amphitheater, so we decided we'd check out the Acropolis Museum. Callie and Carter got in for cheap as they are students. The museum itself has bits and pieces found on the site that have been taken down and replaced by replicas so the originals can be better preserved. It's also built right on top of an open excavation of the foundations of the town. It would have been a nerve wracking construction site with all the history to be avoided.

The area also had a local market and Callie was drawn in to an eclectic bead store which included dream catchers covering the ceiling. The timing of our visit was good because as we were leaving Callie's new sandals broke. It was just a clip that connected two pieces of leather so we bought a piece of string from the store for 40 cents and tied her shoes back together. I found another spoon for my poor choice of a travel collection. I think I might max out my display with this trip and then maybe I'll switch to coins or pins. Spoons are becoming hard to find.

As soon as we had arrived at the Acropolis I asked the local taxi how much to get us back to the ship and they had indicated $45 Euros but we found a much cheaper option. There is a train station just down the hill in the market and for $1.50 a person we could get a 90 minute ticket that was good the train and the short bus ride to get us from one end of the port to the other. Both the train and the bus left frequently so I was glad we accidentally found the station though Kerry had a friend tell her about it so she knew to look for it. 

Schwab Family Cruise 2026 - Bar

We were up early again as we attempt to get acclimated to the time change. The family insisted I attend breakfast at Hudson's with them. I don't mind the company but I prefer the options in the buffet. I kept things simple and ordered the yogurt parfait and a side of sausage which for some reason came on a big plate. Bar was not our original port of call though we did have fun finding different ways to use the word bar. Kerry eventually barred us for coming up with new ones. Bar is our only port in Montenegro and was not a very lively place on a Sunday.

The port itself is definitely not set up to accept cruise ship passengers and although it might have been a bustling port at one time there was virtually no economic activity. There were rows upon rows of aluminum billets stacked up as well as a parking lot of Peugeot cars but most of the port sat empty. We had to take a shuttle from the dock to a promenade just outside of the shipping area. My complaint here is that if this wasn't our original port of call it would have been nice for them to bus us a bit further to something interesting. Callie indicated they have their own 'old town' but it wasn't really worth paying to get to considering our other ports.

The one thing Callie did find was a church that looked interesting. The only trouble we ran into was that it was Sunday so mass was underway and it's not nice to wander around taking pictures while the priest is chanting so we had to wait a bit.  The church had beautiful murals but it was primarily just plaster domes and arches with the paintings. I'm not sure the denomination but the service involved mostly chanting. The highlight of the day was that Carter saw another famous basketball player. They are easy to spot and he looked him up to confirm he did come from this area.

We wandered about a bit but since it was Sunday not much was open and the town isn't really set up as a tourist destination. The area we were in had a few people asking for change and some derelict buildings. We stopped by the beach to dip our feet into the Adriatic sea before heading back to the ship. Callie and Kerry attended a Salsa class and we went out to dinner as a family. Our next destination is Athens which will take us two days to get there so we'll be at sea all day tomorrow. I don't mind the break but I'm sure I will be going a bit squirrely by the afternoon. 

Schwab Family Cruise 2026 - Dubrovnik

Our day started early when all of us up except perhaps Callie was up around 3:00a. I don't think Carter and I were truly conscious but we were alert enough to know that Kerry asked if we wanted to go outside to see the stars. We woke again around 5:00a and watched the coastline as our ship approached our next port of call. I had a starter breakfast around 7:00a and then the family had a sit down breakfast around 8:00a. Personally I prefer just grabbing stuff from the buffet. The crew is much too friendly for 8:00a. We had a slight delay as we were docking due to high winds but the pilot boarded and expertly parallel parked the ship.

After our last adventure trying to find transport, the family made a good call of getting tickets for the shuttle into Old Town. The bus picks you up right from the dock and leaves every 30 minutes or so. Dubrovnik is a beautiful city and one of the shooting locations of Game of Thrones. Our destination was a fort that sits right on the ocean. All you have to do is remove the people and cell phones and you'd be instantly transported back 500+ years. The inside of the fort is a mix of shopping and what appear to be private residents. 

We were dropped off in a courtyard very near the fort and after dodging people try to sell us tours, we entered over a literal draw bridge. The walls are many feet thick and are in incredibly good condition. The whole area appears to be solid rock so there was not settling of buildings like in other places I've been. As we entered there was a church and past that a wide street lined with smooth marble. I'm assuming it gets very slippery when its wet but the weather is in the 30's so not a problem today.

Along each side of the main street were door ways into individual stores. Each was beautifully constructed with a small doorway with an area to the right where the merchant could have a display. I'm going to assume it was designed to be a market from the beginning. There were holes in the wall where they can install an awning for shade. I'm sure there wasn't a gelato place in 1300 nor did they sell Game of Thrones merchandise but there were probably a few bakeries. You had to pay to walk the fort walls but there were still plenty of areas to explore.

Callie has done a ton of research on each of our ports of call and took us to a beach on the other side of the fort. Dress code was 'European' and the beach was packed. You could rent a couple of beach chairs and an umbrella for $70 Euro which was a bit rich for us but we were able to find a spot to place our towel and the family went for a swim. The water was a nice temperature and I only stuck around for a short while before escaping up the stairs to some shade where I could take in a few of the whole bay.

We made it back to the ship in time for a late lunch and a nap. I went to the buffet for dinner while the family went to the sit down restaurant again. I've been told I need to plan to have dinner with the family going forward. I stayed on the ship while the rest of the family went back to Old Town to watch the sunset. I wasn't necessarily against such a thing but it was a last minute decision and I wanted to stick around and watch the Canada game. Sunset was amazing again. If you want a sunny vacation, Dubrovnik would be a great destination. Plenty of things to explore, boats to rent and places to relax. 

 

Schwab Family Cruise 2026 - Travel to Ravenna

Other than the benefit of seeing Venice for a day, the other reason we got to Italy early was to ensure we had a buffer in case anything went wrong with our flight. Turns out getting to the country of departure a day early isn't quite good enough. Our day started like any travel transition day. We woke up early and clickety clacked our suit cases to the train station. It wasn't obvious based on everything we saw the day before but there is a full train station in Venice and we saw just how many people who work there commute to work. We saw hundreds of people walking the opposite direction of us and realized it was likely workers coming for the day.

The plan for the day was to take a local train to the main train station and then it was two trains to our departure city of Ravenna. The first step went very smoothly. Only $1.50 Euro per person and it looked like a brand new train. We had booked tickets and seats for the next leg and got on with no issues. Things started to go a bit haywire when we were delayed by 20 minutes, which was just enough to miss our next train. We were literally about 30 seconds from getting on with several other travelers. Italy trains might not get there on time but they certainly did insist on leaving on time. Luckily the tickets were good still since it wasn't reserved seats.

Our original check in time for the ship was 1:00p and we weren't supposed to show up early but we could show up late. Not too late of course but we figure we had until about 4:00p based on the options for our check in. We arrived in Ravenna around 1:00p and we had another 13km to get to the dock. Our first incorrect assumption was that we could take a local bus. Seemed like a good idea but it was only every 30 minutes and when it finally showed up, it was full. This is when the panic started to creep in. We waited for a few more minutes and spoke with some fellow travelers about a 6 person Uber but we ultimately decided going back to the station for a taxi would work best.

There was no time for pictures at this point so here is a picture of the quaint town we were in while we waited for the bus. We got back to the taxi line and it was about the same length as when we last saw it which I initially thought was good but it turns out there are only 20 taxis in town and we were only getting about 1 every 5 minutes. Carter attempted our own Uber but it never got a driver. We negotiated a shared cab with another traveler, more for her benefit since she was on her own but we needed the karma. The family checked out a hotel shuttle and we even independently considered strapping our suitcases to our backs and biking.

By this time we had about 90 minutes to get to the ship. Fortunately it was at this time that the taxi frequency picked up. We only had a 4 person option so we had to abandon our travel friend. Probably for her own good from a safety perspective. Our driver got us there quick but Kerry says we almost died about a half dozen times. I noticed the bus that almost hit us and the curb we jumped. The check in process was not very enjoyable. There was a bit of air conditioning but it was a very long line up and I'm not sure it was because of the timing but we had to bring our bags through the process though they did take our big suitcase for us.

Our ship is the Norwegian Cruise Lines Viva and our room is built for two but still okay for four. We have a balcony and a king sized bed but the second bed is just a pull out. The bathroom is bigger than I expected. My first complaint about NCL was the lack of warning about getting to the port. My second is the safety check in. We went on a Disney Cruise 14 years ago and the safety check was with a group by the lifeboats and we had to listen. Here we literally just had to tap our cards on a guys phone. We do have access to a safety video on the TV and when we first checked in online.

We were fully onboard by about 4:00p and after we did our 'safety check in' we went for dinner at the buffet. It's a hectic space but I like that I can just quickly pick what I want, though I think the family wants us to do a sit down dinner each evening. We explored the ship a bit more including the other dining options, the gym, the pool and made our way to the back of the ship where the sun set behind us. Looking forward to our first destination in Croatia. 

Schwab Family Cruise 2026 - Venice

Carter graduates from Grade 12 so he got to pick our trip destination this year and he wanted to go to Greece. We liked the idea but there are a lot of islands so we decided a cruise was our best bet for seeing as much as possible. Our plane left Vancouver on time but we ran into a bit of trouble in Toronto. We had conflicting reports of over heated baggage handlers, local storms and waiting for refueling that resulted in a 2 1/2 hour delay. The worst part was that they put us on an hour before we took off turning an 8 hour flight into a 9 hour flight. When we got to Venice we used stairs to get off. I don't think I've done that on such a big plane.

We weren't quite sure what to expect when we got to Italy, as there is a new Entry Exit System (EES) rolling out for the European Union. Turns out it was very easy. Regular line up, picture and finger prints and we were in. We didn't even have to speak to a customs agent. Once we were through, the easiest way to get to Venice of course was by water taxi. We opted for the one that acted like a local bus but Carter was curious if we could take one of the private boats. I suspect it's like getting a limo where after so many people it's cheaper. Something to consider if we come back.

The water taxi stops in Venice tend to be permanently parked barges in the canals and the water was a bit choppy so I had terrible images of ending up in the water with my suitcase but we managed to get off okay. It was about a 15 minute walk to our hotel where someone immediately helped us with our bags and helped us to check in. The staff helped us get checked into the Venice tourism system so we didn't have to pay the tourist fee. Our room wasn't quite ready so they let us sit in the lobby eating free biscuits and they made cappuccinos for anyone that wanted one. 

While we waited, I went and found my brother in a local cafe. He happens to be here to see La Biennale di Venezia which is apparently a big art show. After we were able to formally checked in we wandered around until we found the important things like a candy shop for me and a McDonald's for Carter. It was around this time that I finally realized that there are effectively no wheels in Venice. No cars, no scooters, no bikes, no motorbikes. They don't even do very many deliveries by cart during the day. it's no wonder the one thing that I had heard irritates them is the clickety clack of tourist suitcases.

Unlike other places I've been to Europe that are old, much of Venice appears to have remained virtually unchanged for centuries. As we were looking out over the tourists from the main bridge over the main canal I couldn't help but think that other than the clothing, cell phones, and a few motor boats many places we looked at probably looked the same 100's of years ago.  We had met up with Jordan again and had dinner by the canal though in hindsight perhaps if we had gone for dinner at a restaurant on one of the smaller canals maybe it would have been a bit cheaper. Still a fun experience.