Mary Engram
mengram@worldviewtravel.com
Itinerary: Western
Mediterranean
Sailing Date: September 26th, 2008
Age: 57
Occupation: ACC/MCC Travel Consultant
Number of Cruises: 40+
This review is going to be long, but I hope not boring.
There are no photos, but hopefully that will come later. We
are a group of 8 who had never sailed the Med before and
this cruise did not disappoint. Six of the 8 live in
California and the other two live in Alabama. I spent over
a year researching the various ports of call and arranging
for private drivers for our excursions etc, and the planning
really paid off.
Flight Arrangements- Six of the 8 booked airfare through RCL.
Although a bit higher, the price was comparable to
independent air once you added roundtrip transfers to/from
airport/pier. Although the group was at the mercy of RCCL,
we were not disappointed with the flight schedules provided.
We flew from LAX to Barcelona via Atlanta on Delta and
returned them on either Delta via Atlanta or Air Frances via
Charles de Gualle.
Pre-Cruise- My husband and I booked a 2 night stay at the
Atrium Palace Hotel through RCCL. While booking with RCCL
cost a bit more, the benefits outweighed the cost when you
factor in that the transfers to/from airport/hotel/ship. In
addition, the rate included a full breakfast buffet each day
(a value of approx. 18 Euro per person per day). The
breakfast buffet selection was quite good and included hot
and cold items, cooked to order eggs, champagne, juices,
pastry, meats and cheeses. RCCL had a manned Hospitality
Desk in the hotel lobby where you could get information on
the city and purchase optional tours.
Our room was not ready when we arrived, but the hotel staff
secured our luggage and we went off in search of lunch. We
asked the hotel for a local restaurant in the area and they
told us if we wanted authentic and not microwave food, to
head to the small alley off Las Ramblas so off we went.
Don’t ask me the name of the place. All I know is that
there was a bunch of people speaking Spanish standing at the
counter, eating food I’d never seen before, with menus I
could not read. Yippee I hit the jackpot. This was the
spot for me.
The restaurant did have a sit down section so we waited 15
minutes for a table and placed our order with a waiter that
did not speak English, My Spanish is limited to hello and
goodbye with a smile and the menu was in Spanish. So when
in Spain, just point to something and see what arrives at
your table. I had no idea what we ate but the food was
great and I left with a full stomach for about $25 euro for
the two of us.
After lunch we went back to our hotel to see if our room was
ready. We initially had a room on the 7th floor with a
balcony and view of the school yard (not a great view, but
loved the balcony). The only problem was the TV did not
work and Hubby was not happy about that. My thought was, we
are in Barcelona, who needs a TV, but Hubby insisted that
the hotel either get it fixed or we move to another room.
Long story short, we moved to a smaller room on a lower
floor, but Hubby had his TV and was a happy camper. The
room was still large by European standards and the in room
bottled water was free.
The hotel had quite a few amenities such as a spa, Indoor
pool, full bar and restaurant and free wireless internet
access in your room and all the public areas. They also had
a small business center with 2 computers with free internet
access for guests to use if you didn’t have a laptop. This
worked great for us as Hubby could check emails using the
laptop and I could use the hotel business center.
Since it was our first night in Barcelona, I was chomping at
the bit to get out and see the city. Forget about jet lag
and all that other nonsense, I wanted to get out, explore,
and feel the vibe of the city. Luckily I have a husband who
is more settled than I, so while he took a short nap after
lunch, I went to the business center to take advantage of
the free internet to check emails.
The first night we basically walked around the city, Las
Ramblas area, and ended up at the harbor where a statue of
Christopher Columbus looms high and large. This was just
the first of many monuments we were to see.
The next morning, we purchased tickets for the HOHO Bus
directly from our hotel's front desk and spent the entire
day riding around the city exploring various sites. Gaudi is
all over the place and you have to see his work to believe
it. We especially like Park Guell as it overlooks the city
with magnificent views and well as comfortable benches
decorated with colorful tiles. That night we all walked
down to Happy Hands and enjoyed a wonderful meal together.
This was my first time trying Sangria and I really liked it.
Barcelona is a huge city full of active people and tons of
things to do and I it well worth staying an extra night or
two either before and/or after your cruise. Barcelona is
architecturally stimulating and the entire experience of
Barcelona's bustling streets, various barrios and diversity
is reason enough to spend several days enjoying its beauty,
dining, shopping and sights.
One thing that stands out about Barcelona is its abundant
art, unique architectural flavor, rich history, stylish and
beautiful residents and the enormity of its opulent culture.
Walking the shopping streets is an adventure in high
fashion, spectacular architecture, ornate artwork and a
flavor all its own.
Embarkation- The RCCL Rep at the hotel had informed us to
have our checked luggage packed and ready for pick up at
9am. After another nice breakfast at the hotel, we waited
and waited for the RCL bus that was supposed to pick us up
at 10:30. Come to find out, the bus driver got a parking
ticket and was delayed. We made a brief stop at another
hotel to pick up other cruise guests and were at the pier
around 12 pm. Upon arriving at the pier, the line was not
too long and the process was painless.
Ship: The Radiance class ships are my favorites and the
Brilliance did not disappoint. No signs of rust, most of
the carpet and upholstery had been recently replaced and
there was little sign of wear and tear. But what can you
expect when all around you staff is cleaning, polishing, and
wiping different areas of the ship. They do work hard to
keep the ship in good condition.
Service: Service was excellent on this cruise. Katherine,
the Concierge was wonderful and could not do enough to
ensure her guests were well taken care of. To give you an
example, I personally don’t use the Concierge service except
for an occasional late night cappuccino. Half way through
the cruise I was in the Windjammer getting my customary
after dinner soft serve ice cream and I hear this voice
behind be say “so this is where you spend your time instead
of coming to my lounge”. You guessed it. It was
Katherine. I didn’t think she knew me from a hole in the
wall, but this if the kind of one-on-one relationships RCL
works hard to have with their customers. Needless to say,
from that night forward I went to the concierge’s lounge
each night if for nothing more than to have a few words with
Katherine.
Food/Dining: My husband loves the Seaview Café, but they
changed the menu. No more onion rings, hot dogs, or
sandwiches. They only had pasta, pizza, and salads, which
was a big disappointment for My husband. Traditional dining
times were 600pm and 900pm and My Time Dining was from 7:30
pm - 1030pm. We did not dine in Portofino or Chops on this
trip.
Dress - The dress code onboard was a bit more casual. Even
on formal nights, it appeared that folk changed into more
casual, comfortable clothing after dinner.
CANNES:
We dropped anchor in the Cannes harbor around 9:30am. My
group did not want to do private shore excursions in this
port so some of them went on RCL shore excursions and other
went ashore to venture on their own. We elected to obtain
the services of private driver so I found 14 other people
who were interested and reserved 2 vans for full day
excursions with Revelation Tours.
Cannes is the home to the famous Cannes Film Festival and is
one of the most chic resorts on the French Riviera.
Although we did not stop, we saw the famous red carpet.
Monaco is a separate country and is one of the richest in
the world. While only less than a square mile in size, Monte
Carlo is simply bulging with yachts, Ferraris, jewelry
stores and everything else one can spend money on. Taking a
walk through downtown Monte Carlo's shopping area and then
by the marina on the way to the casino is like taking a walk
in an adult fantasyland. The square in front oft the casino
is breathtaking and the gardens up the hill afford on a
fabulous view of the best of Monaco
Our first stop was Old Nice. Exploring the historic
district is fascinating and offers a glimpse into the past.
The open air markets and shops seem to be everywhere. We
spent time exploring its wonderful shopping streets and
visiting the Old Section of town. The streets are filled
with many French sidewalk cafes (where I got my first taste
of French pastry) and the local produce, fish and open air
markets are not to be missed.
Next we were on our way to Eze, a walled medieval village
dating back to the 12th century that resides on the very top
of a mountain looking over the Mediterranean. It is totally
enclosed by rock walls and it has been resurrected and
turned into a quaint village offering tourists a look into
its history. Eze has narrow cobbled pathways that meander
throughout the villages. There are some excellent
restaurants near the top part of Exe and more just below its
entrance near the road. There are also a couple of
perfumeries located close to Eze.
Our last stop was Saint-Paul de-Venice, a typical medieval
village made famous by the actors and artists living there.
Certainly one of the most appreciated places on the French
Riviera for its atmosphere, you cannot travel to this part
of France without a stop in this delightful village.
After a fun filled first day, we arrived back to the port of
Cannes at 6:30pm with plenty of time to make the last tender
back to the ship at 7:30pm. Revelations Tours did a great
job and everyone was pleased with their service. I would
highly recommend them and will use them again.
LIVORNO (FLORENCE/PISA):
Livorno is a port city about 15 miles from Pisa and about 45
miles from Florence. I arranged all our tours in Italy with
Giovanni, a tour company I met at the Luxury Travel Expo in
2007. We were we met by Walter promptly at 7:30 am and off
we went in a private mini van which would that would take us
up close and personal to the various destinations. We left
the pier well ahead of the RCI busses and Walter stayed true
to his promise that we would have Pisa all of ourselves.
After our stop in Pisa (the city is not very large so didn’t
take long to explore), we were off to Florence.
At this point I must pause and mention one of many examples
of the excellent customer service we received from
Giovanni’s company and our guide Walter. I mentioned that
Tuscany was a place we always wanted to see but knew we
would not have time during this trip. Not a problem, says
Walter. “I will take you into the Florence from the back
way so you can see Tuscany”. He then proceeded to get off
the main highway (Trivia note: if you are ever on a
straight road in Italy, it was built by the Romans) and we
were on our way to see the Tuscany countryside. Walter
explained the harvest times, why olive trees are hollow in
the middle, showed us olives that were not good for oil,
explained that brand name does not matter as long as it is
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and why there was government control
over crop rotations.
When we arrived in Florence, Walter was going to show us the
“Beverly Hills” villas but we had to detour because a bike
marathon was going on. Not a problem for Walter because he
grew up and lived in Florence so he knew all the back roads
and short cuts and no time was wasted. When we got into
town we found ourselves in the middle of a local parade,
complete with marching bands, representatives from all the
local villages, and an added treat, a procession of retired
alpine police with their little sage-green felt hats, each
topped with a black feather (“capello Alpino”) that is at
least 2 feet long.
We spent the day at the Accedemia, Baptistry, Bell Tower,
Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and the leather market and outdoor
shopping stalls. Giovanni made our reservations at the
Accademia and we bypassed all the lines. Not only that but
Walter literally drove us to the front door of most places,
parked the van in the city center and squares and waited so
we could safely leave our bags in the van. He also made us
reservations at a local Trattoria where we had a private air
conditioned dining room and excellent food. I highly
recommend using private drivers if you want a stress free
way to see as much as possible without having to walk miles.
Civitavecchia (Rome):
Civitavecchia is a port city about 90 minutes north of Rome.
Again we used the services of Giovanni and this time we had
Manny as our driver and he was also excellent. We did have
an issue with the size of the van and comfort level for some
of the ladies, but this was quickly rectified by Giovanni.
When we returned from lunch, he had another van all ready
for us so that those with longer legs could proceed on our
tour in comfort.
WOW is all that I can say about Ancient Rome. We were awed
by the Vatican and the ruins, to the point where, we did NOT
want to go back to the ship. What an overwhelming feeling it
was to be standing in the midst of such history and biblical
references. We felt so blessed to have the very short time
in Rome, and WILL go back (we threw coins in the fountain).
Giovanni was kind enough to also arrange a private guide and
reservations for the group to tour of the Vatican, St.
Peters, and the Sistine Chapel so we were able to skip the
line. And believe me that line was LONG! But we went
right to the Vatican Museum where we met our guide Stefanie
who had our tickets in hand and walked us right to the front
of the line and into the museum. We were able to walk
through the museum and Sistine Chapel all the while
receiving plenty of history and background from our guide.
After our tour, Manny made reservations at a local
restaurant and the food was very good. Afterwards Manny was
waiting for us to begin the whirlwind tour of Rome. Our
stops included, Trevi Fountain (remember Hubby and I tossed
our coins in), Capital Hill, Piazza Venezia, Roman Forum,
Mouth of Truth, a part overlooking the city of Rome, and the
Coliseum.
By the time we got to the Colliseum, there was a huge line
that we bypassed with pre-purchased tickets and so Manny
could take us through a special entrance. Although Manny
was not able to join on us on the tour, he gave us plenty of
information and insight before going in. It was all
incredible.
We did not see the Spanish Steps and Pantheon, or Circus
Maximus as planned, as we had an unfortunate mishap during
our trip to the Colliseum. A member of our group fell and
had to be rushed back to the ship. Praise God she was not
seriously injured and only required a few stitches on her
lip. She was ready to go on our excursion to Naples the
next day. At this point, I should mention that RCL’s
medical staff was quick, responsive, and professional in
treating her medical needs. For those of you to feel you
don’t need insurance, all I can say is You Don’t Need It -
Until You Need It. So don’t take the chance and risk it.
Naples (Amalfi Coast):
I again booked a private driver for the day with Giovanni
and as promised Gieussipi was at the pier waiting for us at
7:30am for our full day on the Amalfi Coast. After leaving
the pier, we drove past Mount Vesuvius and continued along
the coast to Sorrento where we had some time to explore this
seaside town. From Sorrento we continued to Positano and
again had time to wander up and down this hillside town.
If you haven't taken the drive through the Amalfi Coast, I
highly recommend it. However, the drive is not for the
faint of heart or those who don’t like heights.
Giuseppe took us to a family run restaurant in the hills
above Positano overlooking Positano. Oh my goodness. I
can't even begin to describe how awesome the food and the
view from the ladies bathroom were. There are no menus. You
eat what "mama" cooks. It was 20E per person and the food
just kept on coming. It also included homemade wine and
lemoncello after dessert. Yum! Highlight of the day.
We continued the drive to Pompeii where we met up with our
private guide, Michael who was a professor of history and
wrote historical articles for a local newspaper and radio
station. He was very knowledgeable and gave us a 3 hr
guided tour which allowed us to learn and see so much. If
you have never visited Pompeii, I would highly recommend
it.
At Sea: Finally a day of rest! We slept and watched movies
all day.
VENICE OVERNIGHT:
Ahhhh, Venice. If you haven't been there, you need to go. If
you have, then you know what I am talking about.. Venice is
truly one of the world's most wonderful cities. We entered
the Grand Canal at 12 noon just in time to hear the city's
chimes ring. The ship docked at the Cruise Terminal which
is about a 15 min. water shuttle ride away from St. Mark's.
Most of the group purchased the 2-day water shuttle pass
through RCL, but we decided to use the local Vaporetto and
purchased tickets at the nearby station.
Grand Canal
We took the #1 Vaporetto down the Grand Canal to St. Marks
Square. We managed to get seats in front and enjoy the
spectacular view of the old buildings sitting right in the
water. Small docks or steps with platforms lead right to the
front doors of some of the hotels along the canal. It would
have been fun to spend a night in one of them. Gardens and
window boxes and balconies full of flowers caught our
attention as we slowly made our way to St. Mark's Square.
ST. MARKS SQUARE
St. Mark's Square is a huge area bordered by St. Mark's
basilica and the old and new Procuraties. The Doge Palace
sits next to St. Mark's Basilica and the famous Bell Tower
rises above it all. At street level, Procuraties are filled
with cafes, restaurants, and shops. There are four or five
cafes with huge areas of little tables set up in the square
where you can sit and listen to live music being played.
It was 9 a.m. when we reached the square and there were few
tourists around. We paid our 6 Euros each and took the
elevator to the top of the Bell Tower. The view of the
square was wonderful.
We walked directly out of the bell tower and got in the line
for the basilica which was already stretching across the
square. It is a beautiful church with numerous scenes
depicted with mosaics shimmering in golden highlights in the
large domes looming overhead. The floor is a geometric
pattern of tiles.
The Pigeons of Venice
For a euro you could buy a small bag of corn and instantly
make friends with hundreds of pigeons. Actually they are
very gentle and there was only one "accident" which was
quickly cleaned up.
Venice Evening Gondola Ride
This was the only ship excursion we took. We boarded our
gondola being careful not to move too much. It's almost like
getting into a canoe. With amazing skill, the gondoliers
used their long tongued poles to manipulate the vessels out
of their dock and into the canal. It was an armada of 4
gondolas that slowly made its way down the Grand Canal. In
the center of the armada, was a gondola with a tenor and an
accordion player who serenaded us as we floated between
buildings illuminated with the colors of the evening sun. As
we entered a narrow canal to navigate the maze of small
waterways that lace the island, the sound of Ole Sole Mio
resonated from the exteriors of the buildings. Each time you
go under a bridge you are to share a kiss. Yes it was
romantic!
The following day, we again took the Vaporetto, but this
time decided to find out where going to the last stop on the
line would take us. What a great decision this was because
we ended up on Lido Island. We enjoyed the day exploring
the little nooks and crannies of this beautiful city. No
one spoke a word of English, and frankly my Italian is more
like Spanish with an Italian sound.. We wandered its narrow
pedestrian streets and noticed that there were an abundance
of artist galleries and also stone and clay shops. We
passed several flower shops all selling spectacular
arrangements, a local fish market in a small square where
the fish were being sold open air on ice, local pharmacies
and dry good stores and of course, local restaurants
From the first moment we stepped into Lido, we could see
that it is completely different. First, the buildings are
modern and there are vehicles, bikes, and public buses on
the streets. Trees and rosebushes line the streets and is a
big change from all the cobble streets, bridges and close
alleyways. Trendier and more residential than traditional
Venice, it still offers small canals, a variety of dining
and impressive views of the city from across the Lagoon.
We met a butcher who spoke partial English and he directed
us to walk down Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta until we
got to the beach. Little did we know that the Lido is the
beach of Venice. This island shelters the lagoon from the
Adriatic Sea, and is famous for its Movie Festival which is
held every year between the end of August and the first week
of September.
It was interested to see Venetians fully clothed laying on
cement benches and wooden slabs sunning themselves. As we
walked the length of the island, we found that many of the
local bars and eateries had that "where everybody knows your
name" family feel, lending an insider's view to life on
Lido.
