24-25 September--Rijeka and Split, Croatia

eylarson

Sep 25

3 min read

24 September—Rijeka is a small town that is kind of off the beaten path for cruise ships. We heard that this was the first time Holland America had ever stopped there. We kind of suspected cruise ship arrivals were an unusual occurrence. The pier was divided by temporary fencing and many more locals than at other ports were walking on their side of the fence snapping pictures of us and our ship. Another sign was the absence of guides offering their services outside the port entrance. Even the port talk (The briefing you get the day before arrival) exclaimed how easy it was to walk to all the sites. We did and pictures of each follow below.

In the afternoon there was a Military Meetup, mostly Viet Nam era veterans and one Kiwi submariner. These are always occasions to share “There-I-Was” stories and play the did you ever run across a gut named XXX whole you were at base YYY.

We ended the night with dinner at an Italian, upcharge restaurant on board. The ossobuco was as good as any we’ve ever had. The stage show later was a Bob Fosse Gwen Verdon tribute. Dances and singers giving a little history, singing hits and dancing Fosse like choreography. It was one of best shipboard performances I’ve ever seen.

25 September—Split. Although we really just drove through the city to Sibenik with is St Jacob’s Cathedral made entirely of stone and its baptistry. After a trip Krka National Park and its many waterfalls. It was a cool day, but warm in the sun. We had lunch at a riverfront town. It was just OK.

Some observations about the ship. It’s old world. Dark wood, heavy furniture with carved lion’s heads, lots of brown and beige. Our room stewards are excellent. Dining and bar staff seem undermanned and inattentive, even in the upcharge restaurant. While Dolly was “working” in the casino, I sat with a couple from Boston after I had stood in line and finally received a drink at the bar. They on the other hand had placed an order and waited while the very talented musical quartet played at least three songs before their drinks arrived. After no one ever came around and asked if we were interested in another round. It might be a cost saving strategy since most people have a drink package, but it’s really kind of bush-league if that’s the case. It’s the same in the dining room, with no follow-up after food is presented. They use runners to deliver the food, and they have no idea who ordered what and frankly the food is kind of bland. The ossobuco is the one exception so far. These ae not meant to be complaints, just observations. Dolly and I are having a wonderful time, continuing to meet some interesting and charming people, and are thoroughly enjoying every minute of this trip.