MSC Divina: Opera At Sea

Even though the ship is the most beautiful one I have sailed on thus far, I must say there are not a lot of activities that interest me. Don't get me wrong, there are activities from morning till late evening. And there are some interesting activities, but not things that I particularly am interested in. To be fair, there is at least one dance class every day. If my feet didn't ache I would definitely participate in that. Some of the dance classes were: line dancing, cha cha cha, Jive, bachata, rock and roll and salsa. They also had Italian lessons (it is an Italian based ship), table soccer tournaments, scattegories challenge, adult basketball tournament, fashion shows, jenga challenges, napkin folding demonstrations, bingo and more. So there are things to do while on the ship.  There is not much to watch on TV, especially in English. Some of the TV shows were in English but had a different language for the voice-over. So, if you are not good at reading lips or know a language other than English, bring your own DVD's and player or have some movies on your laptop or tablet for when you are in the room. If you are looking to relax, sleep, eat and see some interesting places, this cruise might just be what you are looking for. We have certainly had enough time to relax while on the ship.  

Tonight in the Pantheon Theatre, I enjoyed an opera. Yes, an opera! (Well, don't knock it until you have tried it!) The name of the opera is Love Me (as Much as I Love You). T have always had a fascination with opera singers. They have such rich and amazing voices. I admire anyone who can sing like they do. This is the first time I have seen an opera performed on a ship. It is only my second opera attendance. The first one was Phantom of the Opera when I was in Las Vegas. Although Love Me was in Italian, I appreciated it because the actions of the ballet dancers and the singers allowed you to understand the story without knowing the language. If you have yet to experience an opera, I highly recommend you attend one just to see what it is like. Who knows, you might just enjoy it! 

Photos taken with Samsung Note 4.

MSC Divina Port of Call; Cartagena, Columbia

Forget all the negative things you have heard about this place. Cartagena is interesting and the city is full of hardworking and friendly people. We had a taxi driver named Luis. He was very knowledgeable and showed us all around the city. We went up to the old monastery at the top of the highest hill overlooking the city. The view from there was beautiful. There were people there selling their wares. Any type of souvenir you wanted, they probably had represented there. From tablecloths to leather purses to shot glasses (which I collect) to sliver jewelry. There were many buses and vans along the winding road leading to the monastery. The drivers are very skilled and able to negotiate those huge buses in the smallest of spaces. I was able to get a pair of souvenir shot glasses partly covered in leather. I also got a key chain (another collectible for me) at a location down the hill. We toured a jewelry factory/store where the harvest and sell emeralds. We received a behind-the-scenes look at how they actually cut and polish the stones in the upstairs area before they are made into jewelry and taken downstairs for sale. I also didn't realize North Carolina produced emeralds. They had a display there with the areas around the world that they bought emeralds from. The tour was informative and they even had mock scenes of people mining for the gemstones. There was also a video playing of people in mines working and actually finding the stones. We went to the fort, the old city and a couple of shopping areas. We even went on some walking excursions to see the sites and important landmarks.
All in all, the trip was a really enjoyable experience. We spent about 3-4 hours touring and learning many things about Cartagena. There are over one million people who live there. There was a very noticable police presence everywhere we went. I did not go a couple of blocks without seeing a policeman. Of course, it made me feel very safe to know there was such a strong presence of law enforcement. The sunsets there are breathtaking (so much so I had to insert myself in on of them). I was able to take all of my photos with my camera phone! This Samsung Note 4 is amazing! The photos are clear and the color seems to jump our at you. I even learned there is an all-inclusive resort there across the street from the beach. I will have to look that up when I get back to my office.
One note of caution in Columbia. People there will try to convince you to buy wheat they are selling. They will get into your personal space and saying no does not seem to dissuade them from continuing to try. We even had people come to our van and stand in the doorway to sell us things. To me, it was rude but to them, it is how thy make their living so they ten to be aggressive. So make sure you take some extra manners, patience and empathy when you are touring.
Don't just read about it. See it for yourself. Book your cruise to visit Central America today with McMillian Travel. Your adventure awaits....