Another Great Cruise

I have a confession to make. For the first time in more than 120 cruises, I didn't want to go on the recent Ancient Wonders 12-day European/Balkan cruise and seriously contemplated cancelling my trip. I didn't want to miss the filming of the first World Poker Tour event of season five, didn't want to be out of the country for two weeks, and didn't relish the thought of a 12-hour flight. The phone rang and it was my mother, who along with my aunt, would be traveling with me on the cruise. She was so excited about the trip that I decided I couldn't possibly burst her bubble by telling her I wasn't going. Thank goodness, since it turned out to be one of the best cruises to date.

I met up with my mother and aunt and six other friends at the airport in Venice and we took a taxi to the Best Western Bologna Hotel. It was a pleasant surprise since I am not used to big bathrooms and air conditioning in European budget hotels. For about 100 Euros a night ($135), we had a nice double room including a delicious breakfast. After a short nap to recover from the international flight, we took a train into Venice and had dinner along the Grand Canal. The gondolas passing by and the Italian gelato made the evening very special.

We boarded the ship about 1 p.m. the next day. On our international cruises, we rely on the cruise line to supply chips, tables, and so on since we don't have the luxury of trucking our own equipment. We were pleased to see that Holland America had made us six poker tables and had set up the poker room in the spacious Explorer's Lounge on the ms Rotterdam. After a meet-and-greet cocktail party for Card Player Cruises passengers, we went to dinner and then the poker room opened for play.

Throughout the cruise, our game selection included hold'em at $2-$4, $3-$6, $4-$8, and $10-$20, Omaha eight-or-better at $4-$8 and $20-$40, and no-limit hold'em at $1-$2 and $2-$5. On the international cruises, we spend a lot of time in port sightseeing. I'll briefly give you an overview of some of the port activities we enjoyed.

The first stop was Dubrovnik, Croatia, where I hired a private driver to show the highlights to my mother, aunt, Peter Fisher, and me. We started with a driver around the walls of the 13th-century Old Town and then enjoyed a panoramic view from the top of a hill. Next we enjoyed some spectacular scenery as we drove along the Adriatic coast to the seaside resort of Cavtats. We ventured even farther from port to enjoy lunch at an old water mill next to the Ljuta River, then back to the ship for a nap before dinner.

The next day was spent in port at Corfu, Greece, where seven of us rented a minivan and drove all over the island gazing at the beautiful blue ocean. We passed the Achillion Palace en route to the Paleokastritsa beach area. Near panic broke out when we realized that we were lost and were supposed to be back on the boat in 30 minutes. This is one of the dangers of going on private excursions, rather than excursions organized by the ship. Between the seven of us, we finally figured out the route back and made it with five minutes to spare before the ship pulled out of port. Whew!

The next day was a sea day so we got to play poker all day. Our passengers were a jovial lot and there was lots of laughter in the poker room day and night. While some played poker, others enjoyed the pool and other ship activities such as the spa, trivia, movies, and lectures. Each evening, my mom and aunt attended the Las Vegas-style show then went dancing in the Crow's Nest while I played poker.

Probably the highlight of the trip for most of us took place on day five, which started in Alexandria, Egypt. We hired a private van and guide to escort us to the Giza pyramids and the Sphinx in Cairo, which was a three-hour drive from Alexandria. It was amazing to actually get to see the giant pyramids and we were treated to a history lesson by our very knowledgeable guide. Most of those in our group chose to ride camels and to explore the inside of one of the pyramids. After a stop at the Sphinx, we had a five-star meal at the Hyatt overlooking the Nile River. A quick shopping stop at the pier yielded us lots of little treasures upon our return to the ship.

After the busy day in Egypt, we needed a day at sea to rest. I played a little bridge, went to trivia and ballroom dance class, and of course played poker.

The next morning, we docked in Kusadasi, Turkey. Card Player Cruises had organized a private excursion to the ancient city of Ephesus for our passengers and most opted to take the trip to see the ruins there. I decided to go to a Turkish bath and ended up at the oldest one in Turkey. Built in 1495, it still had the original marble throughout. The bath was definitely an experience … after spending some time in the sauna, a Turkish man scrubbed me all over with a loofah sponge, then rinsed me off and sent me for a massage, followed by a shower. This is definitely not for the modest! In the afternoon, I opted for a trip to Sirence, a beautiful serene city up in the mountains. The shopping there was great and so was the ambiance.

Istanbul was our next port of call. This bustling city is very modern, yet still has mosques and churches that are hundreds of years old. Some friends and I took a leisurely boat trip to one of the nearby islands and toured the island via horse and buggy since cars were not allowed. Most of our passengers went on a private excursion that we arranged consisting of the visiting many of the city's most famous attractions. Unfortunately, we were in Istanbul on a Sunday so the Grand Bazaar was closed, though there was still plenty of great shopping and bargains to be found.

Constanta, Romania, was the next stop. I ventured into the town and took a cab ride to Mamaia, a nearby seaside resort. It was warm so a stop at the famous Irish Pub was warranted before returning to the ship.

Odessa, Ukraine, turned out to be a beautiful city once we left the port area. It had terrific parks, monuments, and a nice beach area. Our guide was very proud of her city and managed to talk for the four hours we were with her. Many of the people in our group went to the ballet in the afternoon and raved about it.

The penultimate port was Varna, Bulgaria … what a delightful surprise it turned out to be. We were there on a national holiday so got to see a Bulgarian parade and lots of children playing in the streets. The shopping was great here as well and I enjoyed walking through the town to the cathedral and then back to the ship.

There was one more port day full of poker action before we arrived in our final destination: Piraeus, Greece. I hated for the cruise to be over. Everyday was a treat with great weather, wonderful sights, and very gracious people. The poker room action was good and our passengers were wonderful.

After leaving the ship, we took a cab to nearby Athens and went to the Acropolis, Parthenon, Temple of Zeus, and the first Olympic Stadium. A traditional Greek lunch was enjoyed before returning to our hotel for some rest, followed by a stroll around the Piraeus marina. Since my flight was at 6:50 a.m., I went to bed early and had pleasant dreams of a very momentous cruise.

The next international cruise will be to Australia and New Zealand on November 4, 2007. Complete details can be found at www.cardplayercruises.com. Plan to join us!

Now, let's play poker.

Linda is available to host poker events, seminars, corporate nights, charity fundraisers, and other events. You can contact her through her websites as www.cardplayercruises.com and www.lindapoker.com.