8.4 Billion dollars expanding the Suez a few years ago is having positive effect. Oceana adds Arabian Adventures to its 2019 itinerary, so it won't just be the Arcadia World or Fred Olsen who takes you there. Who else will go through the canal?

SUEZ CANAL to SALALAH, MUSCAT, DUBAI

When Doris Visits went to the World Travel Market at the end of last year, one of the things that was being pushed very hard was the work between governments and tourist agencies to open up some areas of the world that were being avoided. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi who has now held power in Egypt since 2014 is said by some to be building Egyptian stability through achievements. His 8 billion dollar expansion of the Suez Canal is having a positive effect. Egypt means business! It also opens the Middle East for bigger business and cruise ships adding the over 100 mile transit through the canal may be a sign of its success. The Middle East is changing fast; over 80% of Dubai's population are non native and have gone there to live, work and play hard and have better life styles than they could achieve at home. The expansion of the Suez Canal can be a historic sea change in people getting to know each other, integrate and mix more, that always achieves something! This connection is so important that Pharaohs as far back as the 2nd millennium BC were trying to achieve this. This video takes you through at motorway speed in under two minutes.

The Suez Canal makes the Middle East closer and quicker to get to. However, even with the canal Dubai is still a long way away to be in a short cruise unless you fly cruise, and the Oceana offers that in 2019. We have never travelled on this ship, but before it goes there we will have joined the ship at least twice and will be able to show you round and its many special destinations. The Oceana is probably a ship for those who like history for it often explores Greece and the Roman empire. Valletta in Malta with it’s 16th century bastion walls and spectacular views of the Grand Harbour are in the outward journey. This port may get much busier if cruise traffic increases.
The Suez passage is then an unforgettable route from Port Said, Suez in the Mediterranean to the Port Tewfik in the Red Sea. Originally a one way passage for a considerable length when built in 1869, it contains no locks system. Seawater flows freely north of the Bitter Lakes flows north in winter and south in summer. The expansion of the Ballah Bypass, some 35 km of waterway, cost 8.4 billion. Suez extends from the northern terminus of Port Said to the southern terminus of Port Tewfik at the city of Suez.
Salalah originally the capital of Dhofar it is the largest city in the Province and the second largest city in the Sultanate of Oman. It became famous for its incense trade in the 13th century and is said to be fragrant with frankincense, littered with ancient ruins and home to the Queen of Sheba’s palace. Much history has been told and retold here and a fantastic day awaits you. The sultan traditionally lives in Salalah rather than the capital Muscat your likely next stop. Muscat has been known as an important trading port since the first century and is a fast growing multi ethnic city rapid advances to infrastructural development that has led to a vibrant economy heading towards a population of 2 million. The influences of  the Persians, the Portuguese the Ottoman Empire and its own influence extending as far as East Africa and Zanzibar are all still evident.
Dubai is likely to be next, often called the ‘Pearl of the Arabian Gulf’ it is a heady mix of hot sun, parties, alcohol, high-rise architecture, the cleanest metro ever, youth, polo playing, the tallest building in the world and boutique shopping. We have ten films on Dubai and our son and his wife lived there for years. The Oceana then goes on but it is your choice whether to disembark in Dubai or further explore. The ship cruises the area for some time after this and takes in the ports listed below. Please share and use our links into P&O to book. Thank you. Hey, if you film a port let us know.
visit us at www.DorisVisits.com

• Oceana 902 10th to 30th January 2019, Southampton to via Suez Canal. ends Dubai. Click here for more details, availability and to book.  You can join 902 and 903 together.
• Oceana 903 30th Jan to 9th Feb 2019, Dubai to Dubai. Click here for more details, availability and to book. PORT STOPS - Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Manama, Khor al Fakkan, Khasab
• Oceana 904 9th Feb to 19th Feb 2019, Dubai to Dubai. Click here for more details, availability and to book. PORT STOPS - Manama, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, Muscat, Khasab
• Oceana 905 9th Feb to 1st March 2019, PORT STOPS - Dubai to Dubai. Click here for more details, availability and to book. PORT STOPS - Manama, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Khasab, Sir Bani Yas Island
• Oceana 906 1st March to 11th March 2019, Dubai to Dubai. Click here for more details, availability and to book. PORT STOPS - Manama, Abu Dhabi, Khor al Fakkan, Khasab, Sir Bani Yas Island
• Oceana 907 11th March to 21st March 2019, Dubai to Dubai. Click here for more details, availability and to book. PORT STOPS - Manama, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Khasab, Sir Bani Yas Island
• Oceana 908 21st March to 9th April 2019, Dubai to Malta via Suez Canal. Click here for more details, availability and to book.

Take advantage of Early Saver Deals when available for these cruises. We have videos of many of the cruise stops you might make from Miami to Tahiti, from Bruges to St Maarten. With your help we will build more and be a better resource for cruisers. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and share and book via links on our site. Thank you.

• Fred Olsen  - Click here   Often combine the Canaries with Casablanca or Agadir.
• Saga Cruises  - Click here
• P&O Cruises  - Click here
• The Royal Caribbean - Click here
• Azamara Club Cruises - Click here
• Celebrity Cruises - Click here
• Norwegian Cruise Line - Click here
• Regent Seven Seas - Click here
• Cruise and Maritime Voyages - Click here

SOLO CRUISER BOOK SERIES. Violet Becket has never cruised. infant she has been no where for a long time. Too long. And she has never had romance, never ever. As an older woman time is running out and she needs to make a change. This romantic read is based around cruises because once she cruises she loves it. That is her romance, well, there is a little more. Sally Katz used the films on Doris Visits to peg her books on! With permission. Each good read shows off a typical good cruise. But it is not about the places or the ships, you will know them back to front, if not you will get to know them. It is about Violet's journey. Warning, there are two versions; HER VIRGIN VOYAGE is the lighter version, but VIRGIN VOYAGE is the full fat with full raunchy version like 50 Shades. Her Virgin Voyage has all the story just about 2500 words shorter. It is about a woman discovering life late in life, Violet's story ranges three books. The second is a Baltic Cruise, again there are two versions, the third in the USA / Caribbean and there is only the lighter romance version as her story concludes for a while. Book four follows another character you have met and liked.

Cruise the Norwegian Fjords, this is what a typical cruise looks like

A fjord is a deep, narrow and elongated freshwater lake drain into the sea, so the waters mix. Basically sea water with fresh water means it is crystal clear water with steep land on three sides. I guess you can explain everything in print, but the fjords are something to see, possibly with classical music playing. At one end of the ship it probably will be playing on the address system, because they know it works too. This is a cruise where people from all nations travel to join British ships because of the spectacle. Sailing between huge mountains that nearly touch the side of the ship has a majesty and reminds me of old Hercules movies. I ski a couple of times a year or more and have done for twenty years, I have seen some of the worlds biggest waterfalls like the Zambezi and worked filming a commercial on the one on the Thai / Burmese border about forty minutes out of Chiang Mia so I don't trek up to glaziers on this cruise, it has a different appeal. There is something majestic and peaceful, huge yet serene, there, I said you could perhaps tempt a few words but take a look at the video then I will give you a run down of the cruise, the route, the week.

After leaving the UK there will be a day sailing across the North Sea. This is very likely to be a Black Tie night, the entertainment will be good and the fine dining restaurants busy. Day two you will arrive at a gateway, one of two, either Stavanger, Haugesund or Bergen, before heading further north. It is normally Stavanger and as long as it is not a Sunday it will be open. Sunday is a quiet day. Stavanger's old town is the best place to start, it is on the hill up from what used to be the fishing quay and will now undoubtedly have a cruise ship parked against. It has a canning museum, an old worker's cottage and next to it a glass artist. The tourist office has been moved down out of the town into the quay. There are normally two ships in at least every day. Other things we show on the film are the cathedral, the lake and the street of coffee shops in the market.
Day two is often Flam, which is maybe the adventure centre of the Fjords. Much to do, buzzy and busy, organised and friendly, this is the place to hire an electric talking tourist car for two (small people with driving license) and much more. In the car you can easily travel to Aurland or into the Stegastein Valley. For the mountain train book in advance or on the ship it has limited ability and will and does sell out. Walking in the mountains is fun and we have covered was 3 to Brekkefossen Waterfall on film. In contrast day two might be Skjolden where you can hire a bike and cycle to the glacier or just stroll around the tiny town.
Olden is often on Day three and it is a small village. Olden has a population of only 500 people, which is about 40% of the size of the cruise ship Azura's crew and as many children as were in the passenger section on board. It is a time to walk and relax.
There are normally four stops so the last is on the way back south, and normally Bergen. My funny story is that we had Jon Fisher on board entertaining us, he is the foremost Gary Barlow tribute act, and the Princess ship that was also in had Tony Fisher on board who is the foremost Robbie Williams tribute act on board and they met in a bar for the first time! Our week's entertainment was full and also included comedian Manuel Martinez who guest appeared in the Bergen film. We should have filmed that rather than the city, maybe next time. Bergen has a steep mountain train or vehicular to the top where there are incredible views and gardens. The town has a fish market where you can taste whale meat, and an old village within the town of wooden houses, shops and coffee houses. Bryggen is a must for all visitors.
It can rain at all of these stops. The ones onside the fjords have been mostly sunny for us and the gateway towns always rain at some point. Be prepared for hot and cold. So the trip is the same, the glory of the Fjords, cut by nature during the ice age.
See all the other videos we made during this and other cruises. The Fjords are very filmatic and the our video of a typical Norwegian Fjord Cruise shows that to Mark Blackledge's wonderful music. The guides of the towns like this one is just of the town. We also have guides on Olden, Fläm, Stavanger, Skjolden and Bergen. Please share this page. The Fjords can take in other stops and head further north to Iceland, so choose your route.
Check out our travel web series on www.DorisVisits.com

• Fred Olsen  - Click here
• Fred Olsen Norwegian Fjords - Click and book here
• Saga Cruises  - Click here
• Saga Norway - Click and book here
• P&O Cruises  - Click here
• P&O Norway and Iceland - Click and book here
• The Royal Caribbean - Click here
• Azamara Club Cruises - Click here
• Celebrity Cruises - Click here
• Norwegian Cruise Line - Click here
• Regent Seven Seas - Click here
• Cruise and Maritime Voyages - Click here

TREVI FOUNTAIN, ROME - the best place to take a picture

Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain

The best time to take a picture is early, but that might not be possible due to your travel arrangements. Cruise passengers will not get into Rome early not matter how hard they try. But there is a spot that misses the crowd and gives you the great shot.
Take a look at our video. Click here to link.

Luckily we have a camera man and director and when awake !!  They look for the spots that maybe others miss. That is not to say they always get it right but for the Trevi Fountain they did. In the bottom of the frame you can see the tourists fighting to get the great shot. Let us show you where we went to get this.

This film, the first out of the edit on Rome, starts to the Spanish Steps and shows a little of the short walk to the Trevi Fountain.

After the fountain we found a Pimp Your Magnum ice cream shop, why not re dip it in chocolate and choose your toppings. We are sure that was not there last time we visited.

This series of blogs and videos are from a cruise on the Britannia, so we have covered the ship, we covered glass blowing in Gibraltar and shot our first travel film in Barcelona.

There will be a few films from Rome and we hope to clear the edit before our next assignment in the Fjords. Others this your include back from Venice, Boston to Bermuda and a few others, so the videos of cruise destinations should grow.

We also plan to rebuild the web site but time as well as final design are the enemy there. Finally as always we rely on you enjoying the Doris Visits films and telling others. We would like some social media marketeers to join the team but that is another thing on the to do list, Alexa!

Stockholm is famous for 3 things, Abba, Ikea and Nobel. The Mamma Mia / Abba Museum is a hoot.

Stockholm is famous for 3 things, Abba, Ikea and Nobel. The Mamma Mia / Abba Museum is a hoot.

The Nobel Peace prize is still presented in Stockholm each year, there is a Nobel Museum. There is also an Abba Museum which is fantastic. Ikea do not have a museum, to our knowledge, not yet.

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden made up of 14 islands joined by bridges at the mouth of Lake Mälaren which makes the sail in very peaceful. The whole Baltic Cruise was a smooth ride.

The total number of islands making Sweden is in the thousands and every blog seems to offer a different number depending on what it classes as an island, but, there is a lot of water.

The first thing is to try and get your bearings, but that might not happen until a second visit because whatever you do, whether boat or bus, it is not until you have done both all and walked that you see how it all joins up.

There is no doubt that some forms of transport can be quicker for some journeys and the answer is not automatic. However, this medieval town, that has had people migrating to it since the stone age is a must because in the middle of a street you can find ancient palaces as you will see from this main film of the city tour. Click here for the film on Stockholm old town. The end of the film takes you across on the ferry to the Tivoli Park and Abba museum, then Doris walks back across the bridge.

The Abba museum is fun, and is a must whatever your music tastes for it is a piece of real history.  A band that had huge success and still do as their music is used in film and on stage. The Mamma Mia sensation has brought a whole new generation to the music who never saw them win Eurovision. Despite the popularity few realise that much of their music is about being unhappy, breaking up, and divorce.
The museum offers an inter-active commentary device and Doris Visits highly recommends you give yourself a couple of hours there. Click here for a small sample of what the museum has to offer.

There lies the problem with the stop in Stockholm, you cannot do everything and the Changing Of The Guards is quite a spectacle but it happens mid day. Add to that - if you wish to be able to see on the flat parade ground you need to be there for about 1130 to get a place at the front. Around 12 noon it starts and plays for some time, so you will be leaving around 1300 hours. Here is the film of the changing of the guard, click here.

So, planning the time and the movement between the places is key.

Tips...
1. It is a full day start early.
2. Abba Museum first by ferry from the shuttle coach drop off.
3. Back for the midday Changing Of The Guards, then the Old Town.
4. Walking Shoes.
5. Share your pictures with us and share these films with other cruisers.

Don't forget we have films from all over the world......  DORIS VISITS, please follow us on Daily Motion, our main channel. Click here and click follow

follow us on Twitter click this line
Thank you and please share and enjoy



like us on Facebook click this line.
Thank you and please share and enjoy

ST LUCIA is a live volcano surrounded by rainforest and beach

DORIS VISITS ST LUCIA

St Lucia is a Caribbean dream! The rain forests are a a beautiful green backcloth. The gardens a blaze of colour. When we arrived at the cruise terminal there was no shortage of people offering bus tours, water tours etc. There is a big difference in the pricing. We went to the tourist information for a map and some guidance as to what was a fair price. There were all the usual arts and crafts on sale in the terminal as well as some hand painted silk dresses, which were pricey but gorgeous!

 We wanted to visit the volcano. We palled up with another couple of tourists who were looking for the same thing and managed to negotiate a very reasonable price. 30 dollars with stops along the way. Our driver was very friendly and informative. We got out of the coach to get stunning views of the white sandy beaches and the sparkling blue sea.

We also stopped to get a view of the Pitons and take some photos. The Pitons are the most famous landmark in St Lucia. Called Gros Piton and Petit Piton, they are said to be spines of lava that were thrust up from the craters of two volcanoes. They are magnificent. They have come to symbolise the wild beauty of St Lucia. Apparently the smaller one The Petit Piton is supposed to be the hardest to climb, but I wouldn't fancy my chances on either of them! Our next stop was the Diamond Botanical gardens. Because of the amount of rainfall, the plants and vegetation are lush. There is a small, pretty waterfall and some hot baths which are meant to have healing properties if you suffer from back pain, rheumatism or arthiritus. Next, I was very excited to arrive at the live Volcano, behind Soufriere.  The stench of rotten eggs was overpowering but that is apparently good because if you can't smell anything it means that the volcano is about to erupt! You must be careful. Apparently a few years ago one of the guides fell in to the hot lava and lost his legs. They are very strict now about where you can and cannot walk. Understandably so! At the bottom of the volcano you can bathe in the mud baths supposedly the fountain of youth. If you want to do this it would be a good idea to take a costume that is old and that you don't mind getting ruined. The mud is very thick and smelly. I was tempted but I didn't go in. Then afterwards I wished I had as the two ladies that came with us said that their skin felt wonderful, and actually they didn't smell. There are showers that you can use after you have finished.The day in St Lucia went so quickly. It was so interesting, so much to see. I would have loved to stop at some of the pretty fishing villages and we had planned to get off the bus at the centre of the city in Derek Walcott Square, where there is a beautiful Roman Catholic Cathedral but we ran out of time as we were enjoying ourselves too much at the volcano and we didn't want to miss the ship!!

I would appreciate you finding and following me on Facebook DORIS SHADES and on Twitter as DorisVisits.

Your numbers, clicks and likes are very important to me. I hope to see you on board a cruise ship very soon, but similarly (try) to stop me and say hi !!

Don't forget we have films from all over the world......  DORIS VISITS, please
follow us on Daily Motion, our main channel. Click here and click follow

follow us on Twitter click this line
Thank you and please share and enjoy



like us on Facebook click this line.
Thank you and please share and enjoy

ST MAARTEN, a cruise stop looking at both the French and Dutch side

DORIS VISITS ST MAARTEN

The main thing that strikes you when you arrive in St Maarten is the Caribbean feel mixed with the Dutch flavour, as we arrived on the Dutch side of the island in Philipsburg. Philipsburg is the capital of Dutch St Maarten.  Everything is very well signposted and organised. Everywhere is spotlessly clean and all the signs are in English. There is a ferry from the harbour to the beach but the distance is easily walkable. The beach is white sand, the sea is clear blue. There are many different restaurants to choose from, and a variety of cuisines. I sampled the coconut shrimp washed down with rum punch. Very enjoyable! There is a colonial atmosphere. The buildings are colourful, mainly two stories high and many have a shop below and living quarters above. One of the things St Maarten is most famous for is the duty free shopping. There are a wide variety of duty free shops selling everything from diamonds to technology to designer clothing.  The main area of Front Street resembles an open air mall. There are also the touristy market stalls with sarongs, necklaces, fridge magnets etc.  We stopped for a coffee and asked the waitress how to get to the French Quarter.  There a many ways to travel, including taking a Segway up and down the boardwalk. You can hire a car or a bike.  The cheapest way is by bus.  We were told the main French town was Marigot, the capital of St. Martin. The bus stops are easy to find and the name of the destination is written clearly at the front of the bus. Also the bus drivers are friendly and helpful.
As we drove towards the French part of the island it was interesting to see how the scenery changed. When we got off the bus we may as well have been in a different country. The sun was still shining and the sea was still blue but the French flavour was obvious everywhere. Gone were the well organised, well laid out streets. There were patisseries and designer stores scattered haphazardly about, as well as a very classy harbour full of designer yachts. The people are very chic.  French is spoken everywhere, and the coffee is divine. There is a yacht club overlooking the bay. I felt like I was in the South of France.
At the top of the hill overlooking the harbour stands Fort Louis. It is quite a climb to get up to the Fort but the view is breathtaking across the bay to Anguilla. The Fort was built to protect the port warehouses, which stored produce including salt, coffee and sugar cane.
The Waterfront area is alive with open air market stalls selling local art, fabrics and crafts and there are many open air cafes. There is also an upmarket shopping mall and a wonderful ice cream parlour.
I would be hard pushed to choose between the french side and the dutch side of the island. They both have wonderful qualities and are definitely well worth seeing. In fact the lovely thing is that you don't have to decide. You can easily enjoy both!

To see the full playlist search DORIS VISITS on YouTube, or click here.

To watch the TV web series click here YouTube.

Doris Vists the Royal Yacht Britannia on the Queens 90th birthday.

Doris Vists the Royal Yacht Britannia on the Queens 90th birthday.

The Shades Of Bad team planned a well tweeted visit to Edinburgh on the 21^st April 2016. It was to shoot a film for the spin off show Doris Visits. Here at the production company we had been contacted by two local lads, Sam and Findlay, who wanted Doris to Visit Edinburgh. They produced a list of top visitor attractions and we noted that cruise ships stopped there so it fitted our remit. We decided to drive given the kit.

What we did not put together until we were in the car travelling and listening to the radio, was the ‘two plus two equals huge prize’ scenario. It was the the 21^st April and it was Queen Elizabeth II’s 90^th birthday and her decommissioned yacht The Royal Yacht Britannia is Edinburgh’s number one attraction. We went straight there before meeting our local team and found bands playing and the whole place felt heavy in music copyright issues. Doris would not be able to commentate in her normal way. However, after the band left we found a wonderful sign that encouraged us to make a complete film on Britannia not just add it as part of a general Edinburgh film.

 

One of the reasons it is the number one attraction in Edinburgh might just be because it totally allows you to support it in social media. Maybe they know that only positive will come of it as they have such a great product. Whether you are a royalist or not, this is history at its best. It is fantastic. The Royal Yacht is detailed right down to the bone china, attaché case and the personal pictures. You see everything from the Queen’s bedroom to the state room, from the officer's quarters to the medical surgery and laundry. It is an incredible visit which was an effort to edit down to under ten minutes. It will take you a couple of hours as there is more to see and much to study. We learnt a lot and were grateful for this unplanned birthday treat. 

I would suggest you get there early, as soon as it opens and before it is busy, or late as we did. Then attempt the rest of Edinburgh as per our other films. Another tip is to take earphones or headphones and ask for an audio guide with a neck strap.

You might just want to use your camera a few times.

Our second prize was finding that Edinburgh was the origin of Harry Potter. None of us were fans of the books or films, so the Potter era had escaped us all apart from my visit to have lunch with a colleague at Leavesden when he was on themovie. And it was just another film set and I have grown up on film sets.

But then,when you think and remember, yes, Edinburgh was where it started. Then, walking the streets it all makes sense. Every building inspires such wizardry. We had even seen a close friend’s production of Potted Potter at the festival more than once and never focussed on it coming from there. We have a separate ‘HarryPotter’s origins film’, which you can get to by clicking here.

The main Edinburgh film covers a good few of the other attractions, Arthurs Seat to the Castle, the Royal Mile to Restaurants and buildings. You need more than a day and good walking shoes. 

The £4 all day bus pass is worth considering too if you wish to get to places in and out of town. 

Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel. And find us on www.shadesofbad.com