Netherlands 2019
A week long coach trip with our local operator, Barnes, including a visit to the floral display at Keukenhof Gardens
Netherlands 2025
Another coach trip with Barnes, including a visit to the refreshed Keukenhof floral display
Baltic 2001
Joining the ship independently, we were seated at the same table for dinner and found a common interest in the cruise we'd both been on in 2000 without meeting. As the cruise progressed, we spent more time together and found we both wanted to visit Alaska. Within days, we had agreed to go there together for a future holiday.
Prague 2005
A week staying at the Intercontinental Hotel in Prague which has a top floor restaurant with good views over the city. Most of what we saw was within walking distance, but we bought a Prague Card at the airport which allowed us travel on the excellent tram service - old but reliable. The network is extensive so they can divert trams around roadworks rather than cancel as is the case in the UK.
Canada, Greenland & Iceland 2024
Sailing from Liverpool on Fred Olsen's Bolette, we spent 5 days at sea before arriving in St Johns, Newfoundland.
We called next at Halifax, Nova Scotia before travelling up the west coast of Newfoundland stopping in Corner Brook, Red Bay and L'Anse Aux Meadows.
Three sea days took us to Greenland, where we called at Nuuk, Narsarsuaq and Nanortalik, leaving via Prins Christian Sund en route to our final port of Reykjavik in Iceland.
Two further sea days saw us back in Liverpool, 27 nights after departure.
Scotland
Stuart's home country, we both enjoy visiting and have had several breaks there, ranging from a long weekend to a full fortnight's holiday.
Svalbard 2025
Our last visit to Svalbard was in June 2005 for our honeymoon.
For our 20th anniversary we went back, this time in September on Hurtigruten's MS Trollfjord operating the Svalbard Line Signature voyage.
Caribbean 2026
In a change to our usual habit of heading to colder countries in the summer, we took a flight to Barbados in March and joined Ambassador Group's MS Renaissance for a brief Caribbean cruise as she finished her season and returned to Europe for the summer.
After stops in St Lucia, Antigua and St Kitts, we headed into the Atlantic with the intention of stopping off in the Azores after six sea days. However, the forecast weather there was for low pressure and high winds, and within two days the captain had advised that the call was cancelled and that we would be taking a longer route to avoid the area.
We had nine days at sea before arriving in Leixoes (for Porto). Final call before arrival in Tilbury was IJmuiden in the Netherlands where we had our third trip to Keukenhof. Only a week since the site had opened, the floral displays were mainly daffodils and hyacinths as the tulips were only beginning to flower.
