So my last voyage on the Scenic Eclipse was supposed to end after one month, but the shipping company asked me after three weeks if I could extend and also change to the Emerald Azzurra at the end of May, which cruises in the Adriatic and the Aegean. As my sea service certificate expired at the end of July and I also wanted to brush up on my Basic Safety Training for Seafarers in the last days of July, I was only available until 23 July. No sooner said than done, I disembarked from the Scenic Eclipse on 26 May, spent a lovely evening on the island of Kos and flew to Venice via Athens and Frankfurt the following day to stay in a hotel again before boarding the Emerald Azzurra there the next morning.
Unlike the Scenic Eclipse, the Emerald Azzurra can accommodate a maximum of 100 guests and is not designed for polar waters. She cruises mainly in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Caribbean and often calls at small, authentic ports that are inaccessible to larger ships.
The first night was moved by a stiff breeze as we sailed the Adriatic from Venice to Croatia. There were a few cases of seasickness, otherwise everything remained calm.
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Rovinj belonged to Italy before the First World War. The town is bilingual Croatian/Italian and has quite an Italian vibe to it.
Today in Zadar, Croatia. The handover is completed. My colleague disembarks at 16:00. The solar panel “Greetings to the Sun” embedded in the floor had fascinated my colleague and me.
Next stop: Šibenik. We now rattle off small harbours on the Dalmatian coast. Through the Šibenski Canal, also called St. Anthony’s Canal. This is a strait that connects the Bay of Šibenik with the Adriatic Sea.
Water pipe burst in the ship’s hospital. The workmen are here.
Split, Croatia, 1 June 2022, 23:00, 25°C.
We continue to Korčula, where the alleged birthplace of Marco Polo can be visited. Even without Marco Polo, the island is worth a visit.
Evening entry into Dubrovnik
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The landscape around the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro fascinated me.
I found the port of Saranda in Albania less impressive.
We are in Κέρκυρα (Corfu Town) on 6 June and have to set the clock forward by one hour. The Greeks get up earlier!
Tonight all the guests are at a party ashore – a change from the otherwise 24/7 job. The crew is guarding the ship.
On Santorini, I accompany a crew member to the hospital because of pneumonia. I want to see an X-ray and also need additional medication for him.
In the evening, a little chat with the nautical officer on duty on the bridge.
The farewell fireworks were probably not for us.
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On the way back to Croatia, I make a shore excursion in Kotor, Montenegro.
Things also got interesting in Trogir, as repair work was being carried out in the dry dock while the guests were on shore excursions.
After that, everything was perfect again and I was able to use the time in Zadar for a shore excursion.
Back in Venice, I had more time this time to take pictures of the beautiful harbour exit.
The second time in Šibenik with completely new perspectives.
Unfortunately, I ended up catching a COVID-19 infection after regularly treating COVID-19 patients since mid-April. Fortunately, it was only like a mild cold, especially since I have been vaccinated four times. However, I had to isolate myself on the ship for as long as I could test antigen-negative again. So I missed the spectacular view from the sundeck during the night passage through the Corinth Canal. The successful photo was taken by our captain. The following morning we reached the port of Piraeus again, where the journey ended for me. From Athens I flew via Vienna to Hamburg for my next adventure…
