Windjammer Marketplace, deck 16, is one of the included restaurants, set up kind of buffet style. Even though it is buffet style, there are waiters and waitresses to make sure that you have everything that you need or want. There is something for almost everyone. Even if you are a vegetarian, there is something good to eat. There is even a fried egg station and a meat carving station. There are donuts, croissants, rolls, eggs, meats, pancakes, waffles, fruits including strawberries, pineapple, bananas, apples, melons, cereals both the good kind and the healthy types. There are juices, coffees and teas. There is a wall of windows so that you can sit and see the ocean or activities down on the pool deck. I decided that this would be my breakfast place. I was in a hurry after only a twenty minute walk, so I took a pile of bacon, some croissants and a couple of boiled eggs. I ate quickly, got back to my cabin to shower and dress for the day.
After getting dressed, I hurried down to the meeting point for everyone going on the Sorrento & The Amalfi Drive shore excursion. We had arrived at the port of Naples in the early morning hours. It was a bright, sunny day. There were several other excursion tours but I was told that the Amalfi coast was the place to see by a friend that was born in Italy but grew up in the U.S. We got onto the bus and headed out.
NAPLES
Naples, or Napoli, means new city and was established as a Greek settlement during the second millennium B.C. (that means over 3000 years ago). The first thing that one notices leaving the port of Naples is the Castel Nuovo.
It was initially started in 1279. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to stop but headed to the highway, heading to Sorrento. Quickly one notices a very large mountain that turns out to be Mt. Vesuvius (Monte Vesuvio in Italian). Yes the same Mt. Vesuvius the buried Pompeii in 79 A.D. Pompeii was close but also not on our journey that day.
After only a short ride, we stopped at a small shop that produced hand-made cameos. This was very interesting. I actually had no idea how they were made but I should have guessed since they have been made for over a thousand years. There was one older gentleman actually working at the time that we were there. We were able to watch while a woman from the shop narrated what he was doing as well as the process in general. Apparently, they are frequently made of different types of sea shells. The intricate work is astonishing, done by hand, a lot of it not with any power tools.
SORRENTO AND AMALFI
The road to Sorrento is a winding road along the cliffs, high above the sea. The road curls and curves about horizontally about half way up the mountain. As you ride along, there houses and other structures below before the waters of the Mediterranean. 
Above the road are other homes and structures leading to the mountain tops. In other words, the villages and towns and main road are set into the hillside. As the bus drove south, on the right side of the bus at the edge of road are stone walls along the length of the road in most spots. On the left, sometimes houses, sometimes businesses,
sometimes the uphill part of the mountain. It is amazing and beautiful. This is not like the driving through the Palos Verdes area of Los Angeles with homes built in mid- to late 1900’s. This area was first settled by the Greeks, 500+ years before Christ. Some homes, business buildings and churches are hundreds of years old, maybe 1000 years old.
Arriving in Sorrento, a town of about 16,000 people, at the Piazza Tasso, we visited A. Gargiulo & Jannuzzi. It is a family business that specializes in inlaid wood furniture and inlaid wood boxes for jewelry and silverware. The craftsmanship was unbelievable. It almost looked like computer-controlled painting on wood but upon touching the pieces, one could feel that this was not paint. This hand-made inlay was so intricate. The items were not inexpensive but I believe artistry and craftsmanship made them worth it.
Out front was the Fauno Bar, a very neat restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating, the perfect place to people watch or be seen, right on the Piazza Tasso. A short walk from Piazza Tasso was a beautiful church Basilica Pontificia Santa Maria del Lauro.
A walk down a few of the very narrow back streets were small shops with leather goods, fresh regional fruits and vegetables including huge lemons the size of grapefruits, and gelato.
Lunch was at a small restaurant Villa Rubinacci. The whole group on this excursion, sat at this small family-owned restaurant for real Italian food—a course of pasta, followed by salad, an entrée of roasted chicken and vegetables. A red house wine nicely accented the meal. The meal was topped off with lovely light dessert and coffee or cappuccino. The service was very good and the staff was very helpful and patient. After lunch, back onto the bus and back on the road to Amalfi.
Amalfi is charming. It is a town of just over 5000 people that lies at the mouth of a ravine, at the bottom of Monte Cerreto. It dates back to the 6th century. The town rises up from the harbor, into the ravine. Below the main road into town is the harbor with a marina full of boats. Several little shops, galleries and small cafés line the waterfront. Above is a maze of narrow streets with little shops selling clothing, leather goods,
local hand-made ceramics and lemon products including soaps and limoncello. (Limoncello is an Italian digestif, traditionally made from the peel of Femminello St. Teresa lemons with an alcohol content of ~40% (80 proof).) There are several small inns and hotels, as well as several small cafés and restaurants, situated near and around the Piazza del Duomo. I was tempted to buy some of the hand-made ceramics dishes with a lemon motif and the shop owner was willing to ship it back to the U.S. (a friend purchased items from Amalfi that were shipped back to the states, arriving totally pristine) but I really did not have enough time to make my selections. I spent my time seeing the church and purchasing Italian made leather bags for gifts.
The other major site of the Piazza del Duomo is Cattedrale di Sant’Andrea. Sixty-two very steep steps lead up to the church that has amazingly beautiful architecture, a bell tower and a courtyard.
It dates back to the 9th century and is dedicated to the Apostle Saint Andrew. (Yes, Andrew, brother of Simon Peter, disciples of Jesus during his final year of his ministry before being crucified.) The church reportedly houses some of Saint Andrew’s remains, brought to Amalfi by Cardinal Peter of Capua in 1206.
On a lower level of the cathedral is a bronze sculpture of St. Andrew. The alter area of the church is decorated with frescos as well as a painting of the crucifixion of Andrew on an “x”-shaped cross.
Though this church dates back to the 9th century, it is still an active church with regular services.
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BACK ON THE SHIP
After a full day ashore, we arrived back at the ship. It was time for some rest and dinner. I decided to get dinner at the Windjammer Marketplace. Again, there was a wide selection of things to eat, buffet-style. I grabbed a burger and went back to my cabin for a little rest before my evening activities.
The Aqua Theater had Zootopia in Spanish for its evening activity. I did watch for about 30 minutes but decided to check out the jazz group at Jazz on 4. This was a great little night club setting for the quartet (same as I had seen on the previous night). There were comfy chairs and sofas to relax in. I sat for about an hour, relaxing, having a glass of wine. The performance was great. They did NOT repeat any songs from the previous night. It was a perfect way to end a great day.
I was looking forward to Saturday as it would be a day at sea.
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Although this is supposed to be about the cruise and the ship, it is also about the stops along the way. Southern Italy is a beautiful place with a history that dates back hundreds to two thousand years ago. People built lives and cultures without modern machinery in places that have exquisite splendor. The views of the mountains and the Mediterranean are memorable for visitors, and for those lucky enough to live there, make life more charming and wonderful. For those that live along the Amalfi coast, every sunset must be just magnificent as it dips into the sea. I definitely recommend seeing the western coast of southern Italy. I am already planning my next trip to the region.
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the restaurants Park Café, Jamie’s Italian, Chops Grille and 150 Central Park. There is Trellis Bar and Vintages, a wine bar. If one needs some shopping therapy, Bulgari is there too. One day it rained part of the day during the cruise. Just like a real park, there was rain because Central Park is open to the sky.
two and tables for up to eight people. The lighting was good and background music was not overwhelming. All wait staff seemed very friendly and helpful. At times, there were waiters assisting me that were NOT assigned to my table. The menu had items that were available every day on the right and the daily ‘specials’ on the left. The wine list had significant choices from reasonably priced to somewhat expensive. Some could be bought by the glass, others only by the bottle. Most importantly, you were not rushed to eat. In fact, you were informed that you should allow two hours for dinner. This is NOT because of long waits. Even without a reservation, my longest wait was 15 minutes. Once seated, your waiter/waitress or their assistant were usually at your service in two minutes or less.
about later. There was a jazz quartet, Swing Time Quartet, consisting of keyboard player, drummer, bass guitar and female singer. I am somewhat of a jazz enthusiast. It was a large part of the music heard in our house when I was a small child. I have had the opportunity to hear Dizzy Gillespie in person and meet him twice (first time, November 1979 in a small nightclub in Montreal; second time in about 1984 on the Cook College Campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey). The singer was no Ella Fitzgerald and seemed to try to emulate the style of Astrud Gilberto, but she was good. The three musicians were also pretty good. I expected that I would get a chance to see them again later during the cruise.