Voyage 7

2011 WORLD CRUISE    Voyage 7

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (April 19)  to  Athens, Greece (May 3)

15 days, 6 days at sea, 8 ports, 3811 nautical miles

Temperature Range:  92º - 63º

We were happy to continue our cruise through this part of the Middle East.  Back in January, violence and riots erupted in Egypt bringing fear that we may not be able to visit.  Would Silversea change our itinerary?  Will we go around Africa? But that was three months ago; lots of changes have occurred in Egypt - many good, many bad.  Yet, we were able to continue with our original itinerary.  When the first issues erupted in Egypt in January, passengers could cancel their booking without penalty and many did.  As a result of cancellations, we only have 262 passengers (70 of us are World Cruisers) aboard for this segment. However, it impacted the crew; many of the crew were leaving the ship in Dubai as 'they weren't needed'.  A few of our favorite crew were going to leave but we 'went to bat' and did a campaign to keep these favorite people.  As we said before, management appreciates hearing from the passengers about the crew (favorable and unfavorable).  We saw changes around the ship when complaints were made and we saw the 'thanks' from crew when compliments were made; the crew becomes 'your family' when we are all aboard for 120 days.

Welcome back Captain Angelo Corsaro!  Captain Corsaro was our Master when we boarded in Los Angeles.  He is the Senior Master for Silversea; he left Silver Spirit in Auckland for a holiday; now he is back.  We like him; he is very congenial and gets along with everyone; he seemed to like our navigation questions about 'crossing the Equator', 'crossing the International Date Line', GPS positions, weather, etc.

Another topic to mention about our cruise: Pillow Butler who gives you a choice of bed pillows:

• Popular - 25% down, 75% feather to provide tranquil sleep and subtle neck support
• Prominent - 30% down, 70% feather for luxurious support of neck or under knees
• Pronounced  - firm sleeping pillow for extra neck or back support
• Memory Foam - foam that molds to unique sleeping shape for maximum comfort and relaxation
• Buckwheat  - relieves body aches or pains, sleeplessness and snoring
• Body - full body hug from head to toe with 100% silk charmeuse pillow case
• Aqua Plush - super soft plush polyester down alternative
• Fairfax Polyester - polyester firm down alternative for excellent support of neck and back
• Tiara Cottons & Silks - pillow with hidden pockets for scent sachets to enhance your ability to sleep

How do you choose?

Well, let's continue with Voyage 7.  And, don't forget the videos.

April 19 was our second day in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  Dubai (pronunced doo-BYE) is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  It is located in the southern part of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi.  Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature.

Today, Dubai has emerged as a global city and a business hub.  Although Dubai's economy was built on the oil industry, currently the emirate's model of business, similar to that of Western countries, drives its economy with the effect that its main revenues are now from tourism, real estate, and financial services.  Dubai has recently attracted world attention through many innovative large construction projects and sports events.  This increased attention has highlighted labor rights and human rights issues concerning its largely South Asian workforce.  Dubai's property market experienced a major deterioration in 2008 and 2009 as a result of the worldwide economic downturn following the financial crisis of 2007–2010.

We mentioned the Burj Khalifa Tower in our last Voyage 6.  But, we forgot to add some of the statistics for 'the tallest building in the world':   2717 feet high; 160 floors; 57 elevators; 30,000 condos; 9 hotels; 30 acre lake; 24,348 windows; world's highest observation deck on 124th floor; mosque on 158th floor; and nightclub on 144th floor.  A busy building.

Our second day in Dubai was very relaxing.  So few people around, it's almost like having the entire ship to ourselves.  Lourae had still not recovered from whatever was ailing her (seemed to be bronchial infection).  Luckily, Randy never caught any of the bugs going around.  Both Phil and Colleen have had colds, each with different symptoms; and Geoff and Sharon also had various illnesses (Geoff was on IV antibiotics for a few days).  Our ship took delivery of new patio furniture; piles of the old stuff (less than a year old) grew on the dock, behind a building.  Then we watched locals arrive to take possession of chairs or lounges.  Hopefully, that was all under warranty.

SUMMARY --  Dubai is a very modern city built in desert sand.  It continues to grow but what will happen when the oil runs out?  Will the desert reclaim the city?

We departed Dubai at 1pm; we couldn't see much as the visibility was reduced because of sand storms to the west but it kept the weather in the mid 70s. Captain Corsaro had scheduled a special discussion in the afternoon on the Pool Deck to explain the ship's procedures while we were sailing in the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, Straits of Bab-el-mendeb, and the Red Sea -- the area that has been designated by the International Maritime Organization as a High Risk Piracy Zone resulting from the reported occurrences of acts of piracy in this region by Somali Nationals.  We were told that naval forces from several countries have deployed ships and helicopters 24/7 to patrol the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor which is considered to be the safest route through the Gulf of Aden.  We were told that the risk of a pirate attack to passenger ships is extremely low as cruise ships are difficult to approach due to the high freeboard and fast speed.  So, that said, if our crew confirms a suspicious approach, an announcement of "STAND BY - STAND BY -  STAND BY" would be a warning for passengers to move to corridors, away from windows or open deck areas.  And, if an attack is confirmed, the ship would sound the emergency signal - 5 short blasts - to warn the passengers to prepare for zig-zag maneuvers (the ship will heel sharply with zig-zag movements at high speeds), etc. -- that means sit on the floor in the corridor, away from potential flying objects.  These procedures would be in place until we arrive in Safaga, Egypt on April 26th.  Our friend, Geoff, dressed like a 'pirate' with eye patch, black teeth, head scarf peered around a corner behind Captain Corsaro.  A little humor helped relieve the anxiety of some passengers.

April 20  It was 89º by 9am when we docked in Muscat, Oman.  Oman is the second-largest country in the Persian Gulf after Saudi Arabia (roughly the size of the state of Kansas).  The country was enigmatic and isolated until the present ruler of the country, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, assumed the throne in 1970 (after deposing his father in a palace coup) and changed the country's name to "the Sultanate of Oman" in order to better reflect its political unity. Since then, Sultan Qaboos has been busy transforming this once-feudal nation into a modern state with the aim of ending the country's isolation and using its oil revenue for modernization and development.  Unlike its more cosmopolitan neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, this progress has been slow but steady.  Intent on preserving the languages, customs, and architecture of its ancestors, Oman has taken a cautious approach to development and growth, making the country still something of a mystery, to be seen only by the most curious and adventurous of travelers.

Sultan Qaboos owns several ships, including his luxury yacht, Al Said, which at 508 feet in length, is No. 2 on the list of the world's largest yachts.  This beautiful yacht was docked nearby.  And, the support vessel (military support) was also docked.  The Sultan's Dhow, a luxury sailing yacht, was anchored in the harbor. He also owns a specialized tug boat and several other yachts.  We saw these vessels from shore after we took the shuttle bus (lots of security in the port) to the local souq (market).  We found a few items including a hat for Randy to wear to the 'Arabian Night' party later in the voyage.

Our friends visited the Grand Mosque that was inaugurated by Sultan of Oman in 2001.  The Mosque is built from 300,000 tons of Indian sandstone. The main musalla (prayer hall) is 238 feet square with a central dome rising to a height of 160 feet above the floor.  The dome and the main minaret (288 feet) and four flanking minarets (145 feet) are the mosque’s chief visual features.  The main musalla can hold over 6,500 worshipers, while the women’s musalla can accommodate 750 worshipers; the outer paved ground can hold 8,000 worshipers and there is additional space available in the interior courtyard and the passageways, making a total capacity of up to 20,000 worshipers.  A major feature of the design of the interior is the prayer carpet in the prayer hall.  It contains 1.7 million knots, weighs 21 tons and took four years to make, and brings together the classical Tabriz, Kashan, and Isfahan design traditions; 28 colors in varying shades were used, the majority obtained from traditional vegetable dyes.  It is the second largest single piece carpet in the world.  The carpet measures over 224 feet × 192 feet and covers the 43,000 square feet area of the prayer hall, all in a single piece.  The chandelier above the prayer hall is 45 feet tall.  An amazing structure.

As the ship departed at 6pm, we met our friends (Phil & Colleen, Geoff & Sharon, Don & Kaye) for our evening sundowners in the Observation Lounge, where Kathy (our favorite bartender) served us.  Everyday at 5:30pm, our butler brings us a cheese platter with fruit and crackers which we share with our friends.  Everyone seemed to have different plans for dinner tonight.  The Bar had lots of people around at 7:45pm but everybody was gone by 8pm.  We walked around the upper decks til 9pm then went the Stars Supper Club.  It was empty!  Where is everyone?  We guess we were the only ones with late dinner plans.  Even the performers were just 'sitting around'.  We hadn't made reservations as it usually is not a problem; but since no passengers made reservations, the chef hadn't prepared anything.  However, Alice (one of our favorite servers) convinced the chef to prepare something for us.  We had  Stars all to ourselves until a few guests arrived at 9:30pm for their after dinner drinks and jazz.  Very strange.

SUMMARY --  Oman?  Should we go back?  Probably not.

April 21 - 25  were five days 'at sea' as we sailed in the High Risk Piracy Area. Captain Corsaro talked more about our transit procedures:  more crew 'on watch' on all decks every day and night; some outside decks (4 and 5) would be 'closed'; our ship was shooting high pressure water off the stern; Silver Spirit was scheduled for the 'group transit' in the special shipping corridor in the Gulf of Aden; the ship would sail 'in the dark' (all exterior lights except the necessary navigation lights); passengers were asked to close their drapes; Silversea was very serious about these procedures.  We heard later that there was a pirate attack on the April 21, about 100 miles behind us, along the coast of Oman; the pirates boarded the Italian bulk carrier ROSALIA D'AMATO shipping soy beans from Brazil to Iran.  The Captain heard the conversations on the VHF radio - "we are under attack" and "pirates on aboard, stay away".  When we last checked, this vessel and its 21 crew members are still being held hostage in Somali.  We just read that there were 266 vessel attacks in the first six months of 2011 and there are more than 500 people being held hostage in Somalia.  We were lucky!  (See our pictures which are part of the Voyage 7, Part 1 video.)

We gathered a few more passengers for our Team Trivia; we sure had fun with this daily challenge, as well as the Daily Quiz.  The weather has been good; mostly calm and in the mid 80s.  We enjoy fun times with our friends.  A few time zone changes as we headed west.  More cooking competitions and interesting lectures; horse auction was announced so individuals or teams could 'buy' a horse for the Silver Spirit Derby on April 29 (we'll explain more later); guest jeweler presented a 'trunk show' and 'fashion show'; we had a new Cruise Consultant, Iwona Goodman, to discuss Silversea future cruises (Randy thought her name was funny, I Want A Good Man?); and special dinner parties.  There were special religious services for Easter Sunday, as well as an Easter Egg Hunt and we received an Easter basket with chocolate eggs and bunnies.  In addition, there was a special Easter Galley Lunch buffet.

April 25 - Lourae's 60th Birthday Party   She had worked with the Executive Chef, Ricardo Dotti, to create a special dinner menu.

We had invitations printed to invite our special friends to share this event.  We requested a special table on the Pool Deck and asked for our favorite servers.  It was a fun evening.

As we digress slightly, for ease of organization of pictures, we are going to skip a few days ahead to 

April 28   when we arrived at 7 am in Aqaba, Jordan.  Attractive Aqaba, Jordan's only seaport and largely known as a major diving center, has alluring white-sand beaches and a compact yet engaging town center.  Aqaba sits on the border with Eilat, Israel (one of the few Israel developments on the Gulf of Aqaba.  The region around Aqaba is home to Jordan's two most famous sights:

    1) Wadi Rum, 30 miles from Aqaba and just 10 miles off the Desert Highway, is famous as the setting for the film Lawrence of Arabia.

   2)  Petra, just under 60 miles away, is the ancient home to the mysterious Nabatean people; the Nabateans controlled the famed spice route, which stretched from Arabia to the Mediterranean and became both their financial center and their royal necropolis.  Hidden from Western eyes from the 16th through to the early 19th century, Petra's tombs, carved out of the rust-hued sandstone cliffs of the Biblical region of Edom, have colossal proportions and intricately carved facades;  Petra's Roman remains provide a window to the culture that ruled the region 2,000 years ago; in a land studded with antiquities, it's still a crown jewel for students of ancient history.

We decided on the tour to Petra - Jordan's Treasure, Jordan's most famous attraction.  We travelled north along the Desert Highway, then on a country road seeing large bedouin tent communities with their goats and camels, and through several small villages.  Upon arrival at Petra, we walked through the half-mile-long chasm. The long, narrow gorge with steeply rising sides all but obliterates the sun.  There were horseman offering horseback rides but we walked through the gorge while our guide pointed out several features, including the water channels.   Exiting the gorge, it suddenly opened into a natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, the Treasury.  The intricately carved façade presents a magnificent sight in the dazzling sun.  If you have seen the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, you will no doubt recognize the façade.  Our guide lead us farther into the site to discover other impressive structures carved out of the rose-colored stone: temples, royal tombs, and an amphitheatre that could seat 3,000 spectators.  The Petra basin boasts over 800 individual monuments; to explore it all would take several days but we only had 3 hours.

We had great weather, in the mid 80s, considering that we were in the desert and the hot season was just starting.  Lots of people around but the place is so big you don't notice the crowds.  Altogether, we had three hours to wander through the gorge, the canyons, take pictures, then walk back via the same way.  We could've hired a horse-drawn buggy through the narrow pathway but it looked to be a very bumpy ride on the rough cobblestones.   We then went to the Movenpick Resort Hotel (5-star) for an excellent buffet lunch - lots of new items to taste - with wine, beer, soda.  And, we had a short time to wander the local streets for souvenirs.  The weather changed in the late afternoon; we got a few sprinkles (very rare for Petra); and, as we got closer to Aqaba, the visibility was reduced significantly because of a big sand storm in the Wadi Rum.  When our ship departed at 9pm, our Captain had the fog horn blowing, the sand storm has reduced visibility that much.

SUMMARY --  Petra was great; it was fascinating to see the structures carved in the rock; we had a wonderful guide.  If we are ever in this region again, we might visit again.

OK, let us explain the Silver Spirit Derby which was held in the late afternoon of April 29.   Back on the 21st, six horses were 'auctioned' to individuals or teams with the auction proceeds to be paid to the winner of the Derby. Apparently, this kind of event is standard on cruise ships (of course, not having been on a cruise ship for 30 years, we had never heard of this event).  Anyway, it was rumored that in the past, horses have been kidnapped for ransom.  Well, one owner kept his horse outside his suite, a suite that we walked by each evening on our way to the Observation Lounge for sunset cocktails.  After two days, our group decided that it was time to 'kidnap' that horse.  We wrote ransom notes - using poor English as it was the So Smiley Pirates who kidnapped the horse - posted notes in the elevators (which someone removed during the night but we complained to the cruise director and the notes were posted again - some people are just too uptight to have fun).  No responses.  We even offered to 'trade' the horse for 'points' (those points that you can use to get a book mark, alarm clock, t-shirt).  Still no takers.  So, when the afternoon of the Derby came around, Lourae dressed with her best "hat" (the towel folded into a dog shape)

and took her horse (half horse, half camel who is hump-free), Humphrey, horse No. 2,  to the Derby.  How do the horses race the track?  It's a game of throwing the dice; three die are thrown, the numbers are called, the horses with those numbers progress along the track until one horse crosses the finish line.  Before each of the three races, passengers can wager bets and based upon the monies wagered, the odds are calculated - this is how passengers win some money. Horse No. 3 won all three races - the owners of No. 3 won $263 (the amount collected at the auction).   Lots of laughter, lots of champagne, fun!

OK, time for our summary of the first half of this voyage.  These are getting to be fun to put together.

VIDEO   ----    Voyage 7, Part 1

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/111994370383291023211/album/AF1QipM-_I6srxF2CGg7QKlHT9L1V7qt-UnOqsvqM3zH/AF1QipO1a_Mo_GvvFjTpK3YZoq8tWvYYHFHpPcNgE0Zh?authKey=CMSUtoDH07a2fw

Now, the rest of the voyage, Egypt!

April 26   we arrived at 7am to dock in Safaga, Egypt which is a small resort town on the Red Sea best known for windsurfing; but it's also 125 miles east of Luxor, one of Egypt's, in fact one of the world's, most popular destinations. During Egypt's first 1,000 years of history (way back in 3000 BC), Thebes (the name in ancient times) was little more than a provincial capital; however, during the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC), the city became the empire's capital.  After Alexander the Great expelled the Persians from Egypt in 323 BC, he established the rule of the Ptolemies, who embellished the city with monuments.  The city was destroyed in subsequent centuries by the annual flooding of the Nile River and then buried by the desert sands. It wasn't until the early 18th century that a Jesuit priest, rediscovered Luxor, correctly identifying a mass of sand-covered ruins as the site of the ancient capital.

Silversea Cruises offered all guests a complimentary one-day visit to Luxor - Splendours of Luxor -  to discover the Temple of Dandara; to enjoy a buffet lunch; to visit the famous temples of Luxor and Karnak; then to partake Afternoon Tea before starting the return journey to Safaga.  The weather was perfect, in the 70s, and with the recent riots and disturbances throughout Egypt, the normal tourist crowds were non-existent.  It was a long day of two lengthy bus rides on good roads but with lots of baracades (to slow traffic); fascinating sites to see; good food; and a great guide.

Departing from Safaga port at 8am, we began our journey with a 2.5-hour drive through the Eastern Desert in a new, clean tour bus with a very good guide describing some history of Egypt and, of course, the recent political issues in the country.  Our first stop was at the Temple of Dandara - a well-preserved temple complex that provides a glimpse into Egypt's ancient past.  Begun by Ptolemy XII, the temple was dedicated to the goddess Hathor, who was worshiped as one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of ancient Egypt.  Hathor was commonly depicted as a cow goddess featuring a headdress with horns and a sun disk.  The temple is unique in Egypt for having a complete and accessible roof, as well as being the most elaborately decorated temple of its time; a grand hypostyle courtyard with towering columns topped with the cow-faced Hathor and underground passages made our visit to this temple a rare experience.

Leaving Dandara, we continued our drive (over an hour) to the town of Luxor to the Sheraton On The Nile Hotel for a buffet lunch.  Known as Thebes in ancient times when it was the capital of Egypt, Luxor today is famous for its remains of antiquity, mainly the temples of Karnak and Luxor, which are among Egypt's greatest tourist attractions.  After lunch, we rode to the outskirts of Luxor to the Temple of Karnak (this is not Johnny Carson's Magnificent Carnac).  This grand temple was built, enlarged, and decorated over a period of nearly 1,500 years.  It was the most important sanctuary of the cult that worshipped the sun god Ra-Amun.  The main axis leading to the first Pylon is lined by ram-headed sphinxes, ending at the Great Court.  This is the largest single area of the Karnak complex, highlighted by 134 huge columns.  We had a 1.5-hour visit with our guide showing us the most important parts of this majestic temple.

From Karnak, we headed back toward the center of Luxor to the imposing temple ruins of the Temple of Luxor.  We were amazed at the grandeur of this temple and the excellent state of preservation.  The first temple was erected on the site of an older sanctuary, with additions made by various rulers.  Ramses II added a statue of himself and two obelisks; one of which stands now in St. Peter's Square in Rome.  Again, our guide provided excellent historical background about this wonderful site.

After our visit, we returned to the Sheraton Hotel for afternoon tea before we started the 3.5-hour (longer than the beginning as it was dark and the bus didn't drive as fast) journey back to Safaga.  We got back to the ship at 9pm; time for a quick shower before a late BBQ dinner and folkloric show.

April 27 was a day of rest.  Rather than stay on the ship, which was doing the dock-anchor-dock (dock for a few hours, anchor for a few hours, then back to the dock again) shuffle with another cruise ship, we decided to go to the Soma Bay Resort, which is located between Safaga and Hrghada.  The resort boasts pristine white beaches, turquoise waters, and stunning desert scenery; palm trees lining the bay and beautiful landscaping create an island of lush greenery.  We grabbed a towel, found some lounge chairs, walked the beach looking to rent a small boat (none available), left the beach for the pool when the beach DJ changed the music (from relaxing guitar to disco/rap) and turned the volume to the max; sipped a 7-up (which had the old-style pull tab) before returning to the ship for lunch.  We didn't know until after we returned that there was a shuttle bus to town to a different resort that was close to Soma Bay.  This was our "$59 7-up, Day At The Beach" adventure.

SUMMARY --  There is so much to see and do in Luxor; too much for just one day.  We will have to return another time and see all of the other temples and tombs.

April 29 we were on the dock by 7am at Sharm-El-Shiekh, Egypt.  At the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, overlooking the Straits of Tiran at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba, Sharm el-Sheikh (affectionately known simply as "Sharm") is the capital of the Red Sea Riviera, Egypt's holiday coast.  With year-round warm temperatures, fine beaches, languid waters, and exceptional offshore reefs, it attracts vacationers from across Europe looking for a little rest and relaxation.  But the town is more than just a beach destination.  It's also the gateway to the Sinai, a fascinating corner of the Middle East with incredible mountainous landscapes as well as the homeland of the nomadic Bedouin peoples.  Sharm is also the nearest portal to one of the most revered places in Judaism and Christianity, Mount Sinai, from where God is believed to have given Moses the Ten Commandments.

The shuttle bus took us to Na'ama Bay, an excellent location for snorkeling, with warm, calm, shallow waters and an excellent range of sea life; most hotels allow non-guests to use their beaches and facilities.  We were hoping for a scuba dive as the offshore reefs are acknowledged as some of the best in the world; with clear, warm water (never below 70º), knowledgeable guides, and a large variety of fish.  Unfortunately, the most popular dive sites are boat rides away from Na'ama Bay and would not return until after 4pm and our ship was scheduled to depart at 3pm.  The temperature is in the low 80s; just perfect to rent a beach cat for 2 hours of fun sailing.  As we returned to our ship, we passed Sharm's hospital which was surrounded by guards and tanks and trucks; President Mubarak was residing in the hospital since he had a heart attack just before they arrested him in February.

April 29 was the day of The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate which was broadcast on the big screen in Silver Spirit's Theatre; with a special English Gala Tea Time in the afternoon;

then a Royal Wedding Gala Dinner that evening in The Restaurant.  We missed the wedding, but it was continuously repeated.  We were scheduled to depart at 3pm, but the afternoon off-shore winds had increased to over 40 knots and they were blowing on our beam (side) and pinning our ship to the dock.  The Captain decided to wait another hour or so hoping the winds would lighten.  By 5pm, the winds were 30 knots so we tried to depart.  However, the winds were still too strong; our ship crunched several dock fenders (big tires) and the ship was damaged (scrapes and gouges) as we were pushed back into the cement dock. Sharm does not have any tug boats to assist ships.  The ship's agent and the dock authorities had several heated discussions about damage to the dock while we all watched.  Finally, about 7:30pm, the winds had lightened to 20-25 knots and the Captain tried again.  With some maneuvering, we escaped from Sharm's harbor with some scratches and hurt pride.  We were soon on our way, speeding along at 19 knots, trying to catch up for the lost time.

SUMMARY --  Sharm El Shiekh was a nice resort town.  We may go back some day for the scuba diving.

April 30 was our day to transit the Suez Canal.   The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 (yes, 142 years ago), it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa.  The northern terminus is Port Said and the southern terminus is Port Tawfik at the city of Suez; Ismailia lies on its west bank, near the half-way point.  When first built, the canal was 102 miles long and 26 ft deep.  After multiple enlargements, the canal is 120 miles long, 79 ft deep, and 673 ft wide as of 2010.  It consists of the northern access channel of 14 miles, the canal itself of 102 miles, and of the southern access channel of 6 miles.  It is single-lane canal with passing places in Ballah By-Pass and in the Great Bitter Lake.  It contains no locks; seawater flows freely through the canal.  In general, the Canal north of the Bitter Lakes flows north in winter and south in summer. The current south of the lakes changes with the tide at Suez.  The canal is owned and maintained by the Suez Canal Authority of the Arab Republic of Egypt.  Under international treaty, it may be used "in time of war as in time of peace, by every vessel of commerce or of war, without distinction of flag."

The canal has no locks due to the flat terrain, and the minor sea level difference between each end is inconsequential for shipping.   On a typical day, three convoys transit the canal, two southbound and one northbound.  The first southbound convoy enters the canal in the early morning hours and proceeds to the Great Bitter Lake, where the ships anchor out of the fairway, awaiting passage of the northbound convoy.  The northbound convoy passes the second southbound convoy, which moors in Ballah-Bypass.  The passage takes between 11 and 16 hours at a speed of around 8 knots (9 mph).  The low speed helps prevent erosion of the canal banks by ships' wakes.  About 8% of world sea trade is carried via the canal today.  In 2008, a total of 21,415 vessels passed through the canal and the receipts from the canal totaled $5.4 billion; average cost per-ship is roughly $251,000.  The vast canal can handle more ship traffic and larger ships than the Panama Canal.

Due to the heavy winds which delayed our departure from Sharm, Captain Corsaro had the 'peddle to the floor' for maximum speed to get to the Suez entrance for our scheduled transit.  We arrived in the 'holding pond' just after sunrise; anchored for a short while; then with a ship pilot aboard, away we went. We just made it!  (If we would've missed 'our appointment', we would've had to wait 24 hours, would've missed Alexandria with the visit to the Pyramids, and the 15 guests who were already in Cairo would've had to fly to Athens.)   We transited the Panama Canal twice in our own sailboat and six times helping other sailboats transit; the locks always provided terror and thrills.  With no locks for the Suez Canal, there was nothing to do but watch the shores - desert sand on the east, several towns and cities on the west, and lots of agricultural lands on the west (the land in the Nile Delta).

We completed our transit about 7pm; Welcome to the Med!  It's cold!  Too far north for our tropical blood.  We dressed in our best Arabian attire (Lourae in her Thai pants/shirt and Randy wearing his Omanian fez hat) covered with our Silversea heavy coats for the Arabian Night BBQ.  One passenger commented on Randy's hat - "Are you so cheap that that is all you could find to wear for this special event?"  Randy was so shocked, he didn't know what to say which could've been "At least I don't look stupid like you do in that ridiculous outfit." These special-attire gatherings are cute, a change from the normal, but sometimes absurb.  If you had an outfit for each of these special events, you would have three more pieces of luggage.  Anyway, not everyone dresses up; us included.

May 1 was a cool (63º) when we arrived at 8am in Alexandria, Egypt. Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and became capital of Egypt under the Ptolemaic pharaohs, who ruled the country from 323 BC until the arrival of the Romans in 30 BC.  Egypt's gateway to the Mediterranean, its major trading port, and home to the country's most famous queen, Cleopatra. Alexandria also had the world's best library, containing thousands of texts collected from every known continent.  Sadly, the library was destroyed in a fire. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Alexandria was one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the Middle East, a true gateway between East and West. Today, the city is a lively, vibrant place that has only recently begun to explore its ancient past.  Advances in modern underwater archaeology now allow scientists to chart the vast bulk of ancient Alexandria that lies just a few feet under the waters of the sweeping bay, now home to a busy fishing fleet.

Alexandria provided access for a full-day excursion to the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, the most important and celebrated Egyptian landmarks. We boarded one of the twenty-five buses for our 2.5-hour drive towards Cairo via the desert road.  (We think just about every passenger was heading to Giza; there were several buses just for the crew to enjoy the tours.)   En route, our guide told us many interesting facts about the sites we were to visit.  Upon arrival at Giza, just west of Cairo (which has spread into the desert and now surrounds Giza), we went up to the desert plateau for the panoramic view of the Great Pyramids and Sphinx.  Considered the most famous of Egypt's attractions, the three main Pyramids at Giza were built as tombs by Cheops, his son Chephren, and Chephren's son Mykiernus to preserve each of their mummified bodies for eternity.  For centuries, these unique structures have intrigued the world while surviving the rise and fall of great dynasties.  Southeast of the Great Pyramids stands the Sphinx, carved out of solid rock around 2650 B.C.  Steeped in legend and superstition, the Sphinx was a monument either to the sun god Ra or to Pharaoh Chephren.  It has the head of a man and the body of a lion. The monument faces east, presumably to greet the rising sun each new day.  We then traveled to the Mena House (originally built in 1869) which lies at the foot of the pyramids; we had a grand buffet lunch; then there was a brief stop for shopping before beginning our 2.5-hour return drive to the pier.  At the pier, we had a short time to wander through the shops.

SUMMARY --  We are sure glad that we got to see the Great Pyramids; the long drive to-and-from was worth it.  It was fascinating to see these structures and try to image how they were built and the labor involved.  With all of the turmoil in Egypt since January, we heard comments from our guide (who has a PhD in Egyptology) -- >50% unemployment, a baby is born every 23 seconds, "it's not fair to everyone that officials make money, develop resorts, get better medical care, etc".  Somehow, too many people and not enough of  whatever for everyone.  We were glad to get out of Egypt before it explodes.  Luckily we made it, as this was the day the USA killed Osama bin Laden.  And there were more riots and church burnings three days after we left.  We cheated death again!

VIDEO --  Voyage 7, Part 2  - Egypt.

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/111994370383291023211/album/AF1QipM-_I6srxF2CGg7QKlHT9L1V7qt-UnOqsvqM3zH/AF1QipPrGht7wkBVLsfxRwmP4_UrtDwyDF5IFFQOWvrV?authKey=CMSUtoDH07a2fw

May 3 we arrived in Piraeus, the port city near Athens, Greece to dock at 7am. Our Captain had warned us that the harbormaster gives
priority to ferry boats so we might experience a delay. But we arrived on time. If you come to Athens in search of gleaming white temples, you may be aghast to find that much of the city has melded into what appears to be a viscous concrete mass.  Amid the sprawl and squalor, though, the ancient city gives up its treasures.  The Parthenon sits 200 feet above the city and you see architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years.  Today this shrine of classical form, this symbol of Western civilization and political thought, dominates a 21st-century boom town.

Athens was the last port for Voyage 7 - many passengers disembarking and some new passengers coming aboard for Voyage 8.  We didn't see much of that action, as we left the ship as soon as we could to get to Athens for a Segway Tour.  We will describe that tour in our next Voyage 8.

SPECIAL EVENTS   Dress Attire:  6 casual, 6 informal, 3 formal

Lourae's Birthday - April 25

World Cruiser Dinner - April 27

Venetian Society Cocktails - April 25

Pool Deck BBQ - April 26

Arabian Nights BBQ - April 30

Galley Lunch - April 24

Here is a list of activities for "Days at Sea" -  jewelry truck show, name that cocktail, martini tasting, ice cream social, cooking competition, wine tasting, Passover Dinner, Easter egg hunt, Easter Service, Venetian Society discussion with Iwona Goodman, bartender competition, fashion show, No More Pirate party, towel folding,

SPEAKERS

Nigel West, Intelligence Historian

"Anticipating the Unexpected:  Intelligence and Regime Change in North Africa and the Middle East"

"World War II in the Middle East: Espionage and Deception"

"James Bond: The Fact and Fiction of Ian Fleming's 007"

"Libya: the CIA, MI6, WM, and Colonel Gadhafi's 2003 Conversion"

"World War II in North Africa: The Bletchley Park Code Breakers and the Battle of El Alamein"

Colonel Gerry McCormack, Australian Army (retired)

"The Pirates of Bandar Shahpur"

"Oman, A New Old Country"

"Lawrence, Once of Arabia but Always of England"

"Were the Crusades Just an Extension of Internal European Quests for Domestic Power?"

"Cleopatra and Her Romans: Queen and Goddess Cleopatra VII Married Julius Cesar and then Marc Antony"

"The Italian Underwater Raid on the British Royal Navy of Alexandria"

"Lawrence After Arabia"

Dr. Zahi Hawass, World-Renowned Egyptologist

He wasn't able to sail with us as he had other issues to attend to - he was in jail, or appealing his jail sentence.  In early April, Egyptian Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, Zahi Hawass, had been sentenced to one year of hard labor. Named minister of antiquities under ousted president Hosni Mubarak,  Hawass resigned in March in protest at the lack of proper action on looting and vandalism taking place at various sites in Egypt.  The well known Egyptologist had to face  widespread criticism for alternating between reassuring announcements of the safety of Egyptian antiquities and dramatic reports since the break-in at the Egyptian museum on Jan. 28, 2011.

ENTERTAINERS

Silver Spirit Singers and Dancers

Rocketman

Jazz a la Carte

Aquarius

Spirito Della Celebrazione

John Bowles, Singer

"Music Theatre"

"Musical Voyage"

Pete Neighbour, Jazz Musician

"King of Swing"

"Musical Night"

Paul Harry Harris, Pianist

"Let the Piano Play"

"Harry the Piano" with a touch of comedy

Jacqui Scott, Singer and Pianist

"Leading Lady from London's Musicals"

"A Musical Aura"

Jacqueline Roche, Violin

"A Musical Souvenir"

"My Predilect Melodies"

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Our visit to the Middle East countries on the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea were very interesting.  The ancient historical sights were amazing.  We feel lucky that we were able to see Egypt (with all of the riots and political changes since January).  We are glad that we 'escaped' without problems.  We enjoyed the ship with fewer passengers on board.  However, since the passenger number was low, Silversea offerred many specials to travel agents and travel writers to spend a few days aboard here and there which, with the constant coming and going, impacted some of the excursions.  All-in-all, it was a very nice voyage.

We hope that you are enjoying our tour and our videos.  The videos take lots of time to put together, but it's fun re-living our adventures and getting creative. Hang in there, we are almost finished.

Hugs,  Randy and Lourae