Embarkation for my “Northern Cities” cruise was in Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon is a fairly easy city to fly to from the east coast, only about 6 hours form Philadelphia.

I was in Lisbon this past September (2021) so did not fly in a night or two early, but highly recommend other travelers to do so. “Lisboa” has a lot of history, is fairly walkable and offers a lot of near-by coastal villages to explore.

A quick stop prior to embarkation (boarding) was at a typical side walk cafe across from the port. The attraction for me was the fresh octopus on the menu. Offered prepared in two ways, it was hard to decide, grilled or marinated…hmm.. why not try a serving of each!

I’ve sailed on the Pursuit several years ago and was curious to see if there were any major changes (after the company changed ownership and post-covid). For those of you who haven’t sailed on Azamara’s ships, they are relatively small, about 700 guest passengers, but still offer enough on the ship to keep everyone happy, especially on the sea days!

Getting onto the ship was more time consuming than usual due to the inspection of covid test results and vaccine cards. Once on board everyone was required to attend a safety “muster” drill, prior to being escorted to one’s stateroom. The luggage was waiting, ready to be unpacked and then time to reacquaint myself with the ship.

I love the “sail away” from the port. In this case live music and free flowing champagne enhanced the experience for many guests! Dinner in the main dining room, Discoveries, was delicious, followed by some fun entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge.

Porto

Our first port of call was the city of Porto at the mouth of the Douro River. One of Europe’s oldest cities, it is mostly know for its port wine trade. The city is dotted with UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is maze of Gothic architecture, historic wonders and has 6 bridges offering stunning views of this foodie city. Savoring a taste of tawny port and fresh seafood is highly recommended.