Exploring Canada's East Coast on Canada's 150th year!

2017 is Canada's 150th birthday (or 150 years since confederation) and what better way to celebrate than to explore a part of Canada I've never been to but have always wanted to see.

We booked a bus tour which took us from Toronto all the way east to the Atlantic provinces and back to Toronto again. This trip was packed with lots of sight-seeing and tourist-friendly attractions which I have recapped below.

Day 1:
Arrived in Toronto, Ontario and met up with a ship friend from Toronto to catch up and enjoy some pizza in the hotel room.

Day 2:
Walked around the old town of Quebec City, Quebec

We ate dinner at the French restaurant 1640.

Day 3:
Went on a whale watching boat tour along the St. Lawrence river in Riviere Du Loup, Quebec. We were able to spot beluga whales, Minke whales and seals.
Went  to the Covered Bridge Potato Chip factory in Hartland, News Brunswick to see how they make their potato chips and also to sample some of their chips with the lobster-flavoured spice on top.
Took pictures at the World's Longest Covered Bridge in the World which is located in Hartland, New Brunswick as well.

Finished our day with dinner in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Day 4:
Had a lobster lunch at Murphy's Restaurant in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Went on the CSS Acadia boat for a quick look around (it was the only ship to survive World War I, World War II and the Halifax Explosion).
Went on a Harbour Hopper tour (a land and sea tour of Halifax).
Went to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Explored the Halifax waterfront.
Went to Peggy's Cove.

Day 5:
Explored downtown Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and had ice-cream at Cows.
Went to the Anne of Green Gables Historic Site.

Went to Cavendish Beach (a National Park of Canada).

Had a delicious lobster dinner at the hotel.

Day 6:
Took pictures of Confederation Bridge (the longest bridge over ice covered water in the world) in Prince Edward Island.
Went to Shediac, New Brunswick to see the Big Lobster attraction.
Went to Moncton, New Brunswick to see Magnetic Hill.
Went to see Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy (a National Park of Canada and one of the 7 natural wonders of North America).

Went to Saint John, New Brunswick to see the Reversing Falls.

Day 7:
Went to the viewing platform on Montreal's Olympic Stadium Tower (the tallest man-made tower in the world) in Montreal, Quebec.

View from Montreal's Olympic Stadium Tower

Explored the old town of Montreal.

The church Celine Dion got married in

Day 8:
Went to Ottawa, Ontario to see Parliament Hill.

Went inside the Canadian Museum of History.
Took a scenic boat cruise at 1000 islands.

One of the properties on 1 of the thousands of islands in the St. Lawrence River

Day 9:
Went to Niagara Falls in Ontario.

Watched the IMAX movie NIAGARA: Miracles, Myths & Magic.
Went up to the Skylon Tower for 360 degree views of the Niagara region.

View of Niagara Falls from the Skylon Tower

Went on the Hornblower Niagara Cruise which took us up close to both the Canadian and American Niagara Falls.

View of the American Niagara Falls from the Hornblower Cruise

View of the Canadian Niagara Falls from the Hornblower Cruise

We were so close to the Falls we could feel the mist of the waterfalls as it thundered into the water below. It was amazing to experience it up close. This was the highlight of my trip!

Day 10:
Explored downtown Toronto near the CN Tower.

Explored the waterfront area.
Went to the castle called Casa Loma which many films have used to shoot scenes.

The backyard and garden of Casa Loma

View of Casa Loma from the backyard

View of Casa Loma from the front

It was a busy, action-packed itinerary for 10 days but this bus tour gave me the opportunity to see Eastern Canada in all its glory and I don't regret doing it (even with all the early wake up calls!).

Island Hopping around Japan's Ryukuu Islands

At the end of August I was on the Sapphire Princess to work on a Chinese Chartered Cruise like I did last summer. Although I have been to Japan a few times already I have never been to the tropical islands of Japan's Ryukuu Islands which the Sapphire Princess was visiting. The ship's itinerary also afforded me the chance to experience Taiwan for the first time too.

Cruise 1
Okinawa:
The most famous street in Okinawa for buying souvenirs is Kokusai-dori which we got to by walking 20 minutes from the cruise terminal (Wakasa berth number 8). Alternatively, a 10 minute taxi ride (for approximately 620 yen) will take you to Kokusai-dori.
Note: To get to Kokusai-dori turn right upon leaving the cruise terminal and walk towards the two large dragon statues. Continue along this street until you see Kokusai-dori (on the left).

View from the entrance of Kokusai-dori

This street was full of all kinds of souvenirs ranging from shirts to key chains to food and everything in between. The shops selling food items often had samples you could try which came in useful when deciding between all the different snacks they were selling.
Since the Ryukuu Islands are regarded as the Hawaii of Japan we saw a lot of beach wear and beach themed souvenirs being sold in the shops in Okinawa.

Miyakojima (Port of Hirara):
(This is a tendered port and requires a 15 minute tender ride to get to shore.)
We went on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour which made 3 stops.
The first stop was a photo stop by a long bridge built along the sea.

The second stop was a beach.
The third stop was at the shopping complex Aeon which included electronic stores, clothing stores, supermarkets, a Daiso, and a few restaurants. The supermarket was a great place for me to buy snacks to take home.

Ishigaki:
(This is a tendered port and requires a 25 minute tender ride to get to shore.)
Tip: There is free Wi-Fi available at the cruise terminal when you get to shore.
We bought tickets to take the ferry (1150 yen roundtrip) to Taketomi Island. The ferry leaves from shore and takes about 15 minutes to get there.
The highlight of my one week contract on the Sapphire Princess was the water buffalo cart ride (tickets are 1200 yen). We were given a tiny bag of star-shaped sand to take home as a souvenir for purchasing tickets. The water buffalo pulled us along in the cart for a scenic tour around the island. We were also treated to a musical performance by the "driver" of the water buffalo cart ride who sang and played on his ukulele-like instrument while we took in the sights of this small island.

After the ride we walked to the beach famous for having star-shaped sand. We saw people looking through the sand to find the star-shaped ones and we were able to see it for ourselves as well. From the beach we took the bus back to the ferry terminal (310 yen).
We caught the ferry from Taketomi Island back to Ishigaki where we went to eat pork bone noodle soup at a Japanese restaurant before calling it a day and taking the tender back to the ship.


Cruise 2
Keelung, Taiwan:

This was the turnaround port for the Sapphire Princess. We went for a bubble tea and sampled some chicken at a local market. There was also time for us to check out the cute items they sold at the shops before we went for lunch.
Not too far from the cruise terminal is an all-you-can-eat hot pot restaurant for a very reasonable price. They also had eight different ice cream flavours and waffle cones available for dessert (included in the price of the meal). I had the mango and green tea flavoured ice cream after finishing my hot pot and it was the perfect dessert for my meal.

Okinawa:
The last cruise when we were in Okinawa we didn't get a chance to finish exploring the entire length of Kokusai-dori so this time we went inside the shops we missed out on the first time around.
Believe it or not I have never had sushi in Japan even though I have been to Japan at least 3 times in the last 3 years. You would think sushi would be everywhere but sushi restaurants are harder to come by then you may think. I finally decided to just get sushi from the supermarket just to be able to say I have had sushi in Japan. I was blown away by how good this supermarket sushi was! It is easily in my top 3 list of the best sushi I have ever eaten.

Ishigaki:
We went to try the famous Ishigaki beef (not as infamous as Kobe beef but still tasty!). There is a do-it-yourself barbecue place called Outlet not too far from the cruise terminal which we went to. We ordered their lunch set combo which comes with different cuts of raw Ishigaki beef to barbecue as well as miso soup, salad and a bowl of rice. It was a very nice meal for my last day in Japan.


This contract was full of good food and good memories. Japan never disappoints me and I loved every minute of my time here!

Making Memories in the Mediterranean (Part 3)

Part 3: Mediterranean cruise

Barcelona, Spain
This was our turnaround port so our time here was short but it was also very productive! From the cruise terminal we had to take a bus (4 Euros roundtrip) to get from the port area to town (Colom). The bus drops off and picks up passengers near the giant statue of Christopher Columbus.
Note: The bus ride takes about 5 to 20 minutes depending on which cruise terminal the ship docks at.
A few steps from the Christopher Columbus statue is Las Ramblas (the famous Barcelona street lined with streets vendors and all kinds of buskers). We walked along Las Ramblas but since it was still early many of the vendors were not set up yet.
We saw the Barri Gotic (the Gothic Church) from a distance and walked towards it to take a few photos and admire its architecture up close.
Ultimately, our main goal was to see La Sagrada Familia. On our way to the train station to get there we saw the Arc de Triomf. From there we continued walking to Tetuan Station where we took the train (2,15 Euros; 2 stops) to get to the Sagrada Familia Station. Right as we exited the train station, we were greeted by the tallest (externally) church in the world: La Sagrada Familia!

This iconic church was so beautifully detailed; we had to remind ourselves to stop taking photos so we could appreciate the amount of meticulous work that was put into creating such a magnificent masterpiece.
Tip: It is really easy to take the train from the cruise terminal to La Sagrada Familia. The closest station to where the bus drops you off at the Christopher Columbus statue is Drassanes Station (located right at the start of Las Ramblas). It takes only about 15 minutes and only 1 transfer is needed. 


Cartegena, Spain
Sadly there was no way I was able to get off the ship in this port because the ship didn't dock until 12pm and my shift for work started at 12pm.


Gibraltar, UK
It takes about 30 minutes to walk from the cruise terminal to Casemates Square (the square populated with restaurants and shops located at the entrance of the main shopping area).  
Note: A bus shuttle for 6 Euros (roundtrip) is also available to take you from the cruise terminal to Casemates Square. 
I spent some time walking around the main shopping area and had a delicious hazelnut ice-cream on a cone from an award-winning chocolate shop. I don't know if I was just hungry or if it was the hot temperature in Gibraltar but that ice-cream was probably the best I ever had.
I also had a Princess Cruises shore excursion: Scenic Drive & Europa Point in the afternoon so I had to walk back from Casemates Square to the ship to meet up with the tour group.

Rock of Gibraltar

From Europa Point I was able to see Africa (more specifically a silhouette of Morocco in the distance). We also had high tea at the Rock Hotel which is routinely frequented by celebrities. I have to admit I have had better pastries on ships which is more of a testament to how great the pastries are onboard than a complaint against the Rock Hotel.
I had a good time on my tour but would have liked to see the monkeys which Gibraltar is known for.


Marseille, France
Unfortunately the gale force winds were too strong for the ship to safely dock in Marseille. I was looking forward to my one and only France port but mother nature had different plans.



Genoa, Italy

Upon exiting the cruise terminal we turned right and walked toward the harbour where the giant pirate ship is located. From there we made our way around the streets to see some neat buildings and many shops. I always thought shopping would be expensive in Italy but Genoa has a huge selection of shops selling cheap shoes, bags and souvenirs. The highlight of Genoa was when we went inside a church to escape the crowded streets and heat outside. Upon setting foot inside the church, a wave of air-conditioning along with the high ceilings and beautiful artwork enveloped me with a sense of peace and serenity.


Livorno, Italy
I did a crew tour to Pisa to see the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa on my last day on the Royal Princess. The bus ride took close to 45 minutes to get to Pisa from the cruise terminal in Livorno.
Note: Livorno is an industrial port and a shuttle ticket will need to be bought to get out of the cruise terminal. However, free WiFi is available in the terminal.
It was a blessing to see the infamous Leaning Tower of Pisa in person and a great way to finish off my contract.

For 5 Euros we bought a ticket to go inside the baptistery and the cathedral. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time in Pisa before we had to head back to the ship. So after a quick look inside the baptistery and cathedral and a few more photos of the Leaning Tower we hurriedly went back to meet our fellow crew members on the bus for the ride back to Livorno.


Part 1: Greek Isles cruise
Part 2: Mediterranean and Adriatic cruise

Making Memories in the Mediterranean (Part 2)

Part 2: Mediterranean and Adriatic cruise

Athens (Port of Piraeus), Greece
This was the first day of my 2nd cruise on the Royal Princess also known as turnaround day for crew. Since we didn't have much time in port before we were scheduled to work we decided to stay in the city of Piraeus instead of taking a bus into Athens.
It took us about 40 minutes to walk from the cruise terminal to downtown Piraeus. Since most tourists go into Athens we were among the locals going about their daily routine in Piraeus. We saw fish markets catering to the locals as well as supermarkets that had good bargains you wouldn't find in a more tourist-populated destination.
Interestingly, we passed by several coffee shops but did not see a single Starbucks. If local coffee shops are your thing Piraeus is the city for you.
On the way back to the ship I bought a spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) from a pastry shop. It was legitimately one of the most delicious pastries I have ever had! The warm flaky phyllo dough and the savoury spinach and cheese filling were delectable.


Santorini, Greece
(The ship anchors and you will need to take a 5 minute tender to the dock.)
My love and interest for Greece stemmed from the pictures I have seen of Santorini. I knew this was the reason I needed to go to Greece and it did not disappoint.  
A cable car located a few steps away from where the tender docks takes you up to the cliff-side town of Fira. Alternatively, you could also ride a donkey or if feeling particularly active you could walk up a thousand steps alongside the donkeys' pathway to get up to the town of Fira.
Note: It costs 6 Euros for a one-way ticket on the cable car and round-trip tickets are not available. A discount for crew applies.
The ride on the cable car was only a few minutes long and upon reaching the top I was immediately wow-ed by the buildings dotting the cliff-side. 

After spending some time taking photos in Fira we went to the local bus station to catch the 30 minute bus ride to the town of Oia.
Note: It costs 1,80 Euros for a one-way ticket which you will have to purchase on the bus. Someone will walk by and collect your money for the bus ticket as soon as the bus starts moving so don't worry about having exact change for the bus.
Almost every postcard of Santorini will have a picture of Oia on it and being there in person exceeded my expectations of how beautiful this town truly is. I took so many photos and as happy as I was with my photos I won't forget how much better it was to see it in person.

After an hour or so in Oia we took the bus back to Fira where we walked around and browsed the shops. I'm not a big souvenir collector but I did buy a bracelet (made in Athens) to remind me of the time I went to Santorini. For lunch I ate a pork gyro at a restaurant and took advantage of their free WiFi to catch up with friends and family back home.
While waiting in line to take the cable car back down to the dock I was reminded of how amazing the scenery is from this village located on a cliff. The views were breathtaking!

I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to be in Santorini.


Kotor, Montenegro
I only had a couple hours in Kotor before my afternoon shift at work started so I spent the day walking around Old Town and New Town.

Old Town of Kotor

I also checked out the beach located near the dock. It's a 10 to 15 minute walk from the dock but this beach has pebbles instead of sand.

However, it is still worth checking out as the sea walk provided gorgeous views of the fjords in the distance.
Tip: As you exit the cruise terminal where the tender drops you off, turn left and follow the harbour to get to the beach.


Messina (Sicily), Italy
I took the Princess Cruises shore excursion to Taorimina.
The bus ride from the port of Messina to the resort town of Taorimina took about 45 minutes.

Upon arrival at Taorimina the guide walked us through the busy streets toward the Greek Theatre.
Note: Entrance fee to the Greek Theatre is 10 Euros but admission was included in this tour.
Taorimina is located 700 feet above the sea and the Greek Theatre provided lovely views of the bay below.

We had about 50 minutes of free time to explore the town after the tour guide dropped us off at the Greek Theatre. After snapping a few photos of the view from the Greek Theatre I made my way through the streets again. I bought a ferrero rocher-flavoured gelato on a cone and the vendor was extremely generous with giving me a giant scoop of gelato onto my cone (for only 2 Euros!)
Quickly eating my gelato as the heat was melting it faster than I could consume it I strolled through the distinctly Italian streets.


Naples, Italy
I had to work at 10am so I got off the ship at 7:30am to make sure I didn't miss the chance to set foot in Naples. The architecture of Castel Nuovo, the Grand Palace and the St. Francis of Badua church was a marvelous sight to behold. I stumbled onto the narrow alleys where a few local shops and residential neighbourhoods were located and admired the quaint Italian-style streets. Eventually I found my way back to the main shopping street but many stores were still closed this early in the morning. Nevertheless, I was still happy to get the chance to see Naples.


Part 1: Greek Isles cruise
Part 3: Mediterranean cruise

Making Memories in the Mediterranean (Part 1)

My contract this summer doing a Mediterranean itinerary was the best first Europe experience I could have asked for. I was on the Royal Princess for three weeks and there was a different itinerary every week which meant visiting new ports every cruise.

Part 1: Greek Isles cruise

My first port of call on this cruise was Kotor, Montenegro. The ship wasn't scheduled to arrive until the afternoon so I was able to watch the scenic views of Kotor from the crew deck as the ship navigated through the fjords into the city.
(The ship anchors and you will need to take a 5 minute tender ride to the dock.)
I had one mission in Kotor and it was to climb to the top of the fortress. Ever since I saw photos my friends posted of Kotor taken from the fortress I knew it was something I needed to experience for myself. A short walk through Old Kotor led us to the entrance of the fortress.
Note: The entrance fee to the fortress is 3 Euros. 
There are over 1300 steps to get to the top where the fortress is located. The halfway point has a church and the views from there are very nice too.

View from just past the halfway point

It took me about 2.5 hours to get from the entrance to the top of the fortress and back down again. Most people can probably do it quicker than this but I stopped many times to take photos and also to catch my breath. I'm not going to lie it was one of the most challenging things I have ever done especially with the sun beating down on me and the temperature in the high 30's. However, I did see people of all ages (both young and old) who were climbing the steps to reach the fortress.
The views from the top were spectacular! It definitely made it into my top three most scenic views from an elevation.

To finish off the day my friends and I went to an outdoor cafe located in Old Kotor to enjoy a delicious iced coffee (topped with ice-cream!) and use the free WiFi. This was a great day to start my Europe trip and one of the highlights of my 3 week contract.


Chios, Greece  
(The ship anchors and you will need to take a 5 minute tender ride to the dock.)
Upon arrival on the dock we were greeted by locals who volunteered their time to provide information to the cruise ship passengers/crew. We found out about a beach in Karfas which was a bus ride away and decided to make this a beach day.
We walked into town to find the bus station where we could buy a one-way ticket for 1,60 Euros (alternatively, a day pass is available for 5 Euros). The bus we boarded took us on a scenic ride through the city and took about 40 minutes to get to the beach in Karfas.

This beach wasn't anything amazing compared to other beaches I have been to but I was still happy I could enjoy the sunshine and water at the beach. After spending about 2 hours at the beach we took the express bus back to town (20 minute ride).
Tip: Pick up a bus schedule from the bus station to know when the bus leaves Karfas.
Once we got back to town we walked around to check out the shops, bakeries and cafes located around the city.



Rhodes, Greece
We explored Rhodes Old Town (the part of town located inside the medieval walled city where many shops and restaurants are located).

Fun fact: Rhodes Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest inhabited medieval town in Europe.
While walking around we discovered the "Street of Knights" which is a medieval road featuring the lodgings of the Knights of St. John.

Rhodes is relatively easy to navigate by walking and we walked along Mandraki Harbor to see the three windmills as well as the male and female deer statues that stand on columns over Mandraki Harbor.
Another fun fact: these columns used to have a bronzed statue of the Greek god Helios before an earthquake destroyed it.
There were many medieval structures to take photos of and the Palace of Castellania was an interesting one we had the chance to check out.


Mykonos, Greece
(The ship anchors and you will need to take a 5 minute tender ride to the dock.)
When I think of Greece I always think of Santorini and Mykonos.
As soon as I stepped foot on land I could already see the iconic blue and white buildings and white cobbled-stone streets of Mykonos that I have seen in so many pictures of Greece.

I made my way around the maze of streets lined with shops and restaurants. The buildings and houses were adorably painted white with accents of colours on the window shutters and doors.
A sense of awe washed over me as I meandered through the narrow streets and realized that I was actually in the iconic city of Mykonos!

I walked to the windmills to take some photos and it was extremely windy there! The sand kept being blown up by the wind and hitting me but the views there was worth the pain.

I only wish I had more time to spend in this charming town but I had to be back on the ship for work.


Part 2: Mediterranean and Adriatic cruise
Part 3: Mediterranean cruise