FUN-photos: Buenos Aires to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise 2013
April 19, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-photos: Buenos Aires to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise 2013
The third part of our trip had us flying from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina on March 2nd to board the Silversea Expedition for a 22 day cruise. We had three expeditions in the Falkland Islands and six in South Georgia. We were a bit disappointed when we unable to land on Tristan Da Cunha do to rough seas. It is the most remote inhabited island in the world, with Easter Island a close second.
We never planned the trip around seeing some of the most remote islands in the world, it just turned out that way. We loved Antarctica and wanted to see South Georgia without going back to the continent. The Seabourn cruise just happened to include several islands as well.
We arrived in Cape Town on March 22nd for two nights and three days. After eleven straight sea days we were all ready to get off and enjoy land!
If you click on the first picture it will allow you to create a slide show. And it turns out they are in ascending order (in other words, the first is actually the last) Enjoy!
FUN-photos: South America – Mendoza & Easter Island – 2013
April 19, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-photos: South America – Mendoza & Easter Island – 2013
We started the second part of our trip with two days at the beach in Viña del Mar, Chile. We then flew to Mendoza, Argentina for four days to drink some wine and chill out. From there we flew to Easter Island, Chile for another four days before heading back to Buenos Aires for the start of our Silversea cruise.
If you click on the first picture it will allow you to create a slide show. And it turns out they are in ascending order (in other words, the first is actually the last) Enjoy!
FUN-photos: South America – Seabourn Cruise 2013
April 19, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-photos: South America – Seabourn Cruise 2013
We started the first part of our trip in Buenos Aires on January 30th. Our cruise departed from there on February 3rd and ended in Valparaiso on February 18th. Highlights included the Falkand Islands, the Scenic Beagle Channel and Glacier Alley, the Cockburn Channel and Strait of Magellan, the Amalia Glacier, and the Chilean Fjords. But the BEST was my surprise birthday party on the 12th (I didn’t know any of them before I got on the ship, so it was a real surprise) and I will see all of them again in our travels!
If you click on the first picture it will allow you to create a slide show. And it turns out they are in ascending order (in other words, the first is actually the last) Enjoy!
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #454: Competent
April 17, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #454: Competent
Competent – having sufficient skill, knowledge, etc.; capable.
Do you think being competent is all you need to do a good job? Have you ever had bad service from a person who was capable and had the skill and knowledge? Have you ever thought about all of the qualities that create a great service experience?
When we were on this last vacation we had superb service more than once. We took our first Silversea Cruise and had heard rave
s about the service staff. After the first week they wanted feedback from us. I immediately listed four people who I felt had given me “extra special” service.
After the second week Chris said to me, “You know Anthony is really a good waiter.” He didn’t stand out like Evan (my favorite waiter) so I started to pay more attention to him. Then I took it upon myself to try to determine all of the qualities that contribute to the “total customer experience” that I was feeling.
I am not sure of the exact order of importance but I know that you have to have the skill and the knowledge to start with. And what you need in addition to that is the confidence that you are competent to handle your responsibilities. And with confidence you then become more comfortable.
Those are the qualities needed to do a good job and the stuff that “blows your customers socks off” are when you create a connection with them. That’s next week’s WOW.
This week’s focus is on being competent. Do you have the skills and knowledge to do your job? If you have staff have you trained them so they are competent to do their job? Do they have confidence and are they comfortable doing their job?
FUN-travel: Holy Land – Jerusalem, Israel – Day 11
April 17, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Holy Land – Jerusalem, Israel – Day 11
The ABC’s of The Holy Land
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Trip Day 65 – Thursday, April 4 – Jerusalem, Israel – cloudy, breezy, cooler – low 70’s
Jewish Quarter
- 7:00 – get up
- A – good cappuccino
- 8:45 – pick up for tour
- 1st stop – 9:00 – Temple Mount – Dome of the Rock and El Akza Mosques – holiest place for both Jews & Muslims
- 2nd stop – 10:15 – Western Wall – also known as Wailing Wall – holiest place in Jewish tradition today – men pray on left side & women on right – lots of bar mitzvahs in plaza
- C – sidewalks are streaming w/groups of festive family & friends carrying big balloon bouquets proceeding to plaza w/singing & musicians drumming & playing horns
- 10:30 – Jerusalem bagel break – large, oblong, seeded bread w/herbs for dipping – VG
- 3rd stop –10:45 – City of David – oldest part of Jerusalem – archeological finds include underground acropolis & palace – walk through tunnels dug to carry spring water
- 11:30 – walk through Jewish Quarter – go to Cardo – original Roman thoroughfare now exclusive shopping arcade
- 4th stop – 12:30 – Church of the Dormition – said to be where the Last Supper took place – also Tomb of David
Wailing Wall
Grotto of the Nativity
- 1:00 – new guide – Palestinian, Isa, drives us to Bethlehem (Yuval can’t go there)
- 1st stop – Church @ the Shepherd’s Fields – shepherds from here saw the Star of Nativity
- 2nd stop – Schawarma lunch break – pita sandwich filled w/meat, sauces & various vegetable salads
- 3rd stop – Church of the Nativity – one of most holiest Christian sites – Grotto of the Nativity is focal point w/silver star over site believed to be birth place of Jesus
- 4th stop – 4:00 – Aroma coffee – cappuccino break
- 5:00 – happy hour @ hotel
- 7:30 – dinner Darna – Moroccan restaurant – dipping sauce/vegetable appetizer – lamb entrée – just so-so & $$$
FF – (FUN-fact) – Church of the Nativity was built over the cave where Jesus was supposedly born. In 1852 shared custody of the church was granted to the Roman Catholic, Armenian and Greek Orthodox churches, the Greeks caring the Grotto of the Nativity.
More FF – Fresh fruit and vegetables are abundant.
Bar Mitzvah Celebration