Vision-12 day Mediterranean

Vision of the Seas Mediterranean Cruise May 16-28, 2015

This cruise and the itinerary was perfect for me and my friend and traveling partner, Jan. We had discussed which ports were a must-see for this trip. Naples with Pompeii for me and Rome for her plus something in Greece. In July, 2014, I received an email from RCI about their BOGO-half-off-second-person promotion. Looking at the itinerary and the low cost I knew this was the one for us.

We booked it through my trusty travel agent, Donna who also found an air option that would not involve 24 hours of travel. For some reason, there is no direct flight to Spain from Chicago. Donna got us on British Air which flew us to London with a connecting flight to Barcelona. The cost equaled the cruise fare! Jan suggested we upgrade to Economy Plus for an additional $300 for bigger, better seating, extra luggage allowance, better meal and entertainment options. I agreed with her that for this long flight that it would be a wise investment.

Joining our Roll Call on Cruise Critic, I met Harry from Florida who had booked tours in Italy through Rome Cabs. After reading their web page, we agreed that this was a good option and jumped onboard, as it were. I did some research for Athens and Ephesus and booked private tours through privategreecetours.com and ephesusdeluxe. com. As our Roll Call became more active, these tours were soon filled. I met Hailey from Australia and several other people who all sounded perfectly delightful as we whiled away the days waiting for our wonderful trip. As it happened, Harry had to cancel his trip and Hailey took over organizing the Italy tours as well as one in Cannes which Jan & I joined.

At this point I want to say that I had created a trip binder with all the information we needed, in chronological order. Got this idea also from Cruise Critic and to give credit where credit is due, from Middle Aged Drama Queen. Thank you so much for this great idea. Hailey had sent out emails for each of our Italy and Cannes tours and I had them printed out and in plastic sleeves. Also our previously purchased tickets for the Coliseum and the Vatican as well as my emails regarding our Athens and Ephesus tours. Our boarding passes and luggage tags were also in there. I had gotten plastic sleeves for the luggage tags online so those were ready when we needed them.

Jan and I had agreed to leave Chicago a few days earlier to allow for any possible travel delays and to give us an extra day in Barcelona. She booked us on an all day tour through Barcelona Day Tours but was getting nervous as no one else had yet had signed on which would have made the tour 200 euros instead of 99 euros/pp. Lynn joined the Roll Call and also booked the same tour so we joined her group. It helped that she and her family were staying at the same hotel, Universal Barcelona.

Departing O'Hare on 5/13 and traveled overnight to land in London @ 1:30 AM our time. We had snoozed some on the plane so it wasn't too bad. By the end of our 3 hour layover, we were starting to get drowsy but it was time to board the next flight and the adrenaline kicked in. Landing on time 2:30 PM Barcelona time, collected our luggage and using a tip I found on the Spain thread of the Ports of Call Forum, we got a taxi without any problem to take us to our hotel. The RCI transfer was $31.50/pp and the cab with a tip was about 30 euros. I had the name and address of the hotel printed out to show the driver and we arrived without incident.

The hotel was modern and clean. Our room was functional but the window only opened to an air shaft. Thanks to my son, David who had traveled to Spain the previous December, I knew to look for the black device next to the door to insert our room key to turn on the power to the room! This is the only way to get the lights and air conditioning to work. So as not to forget our room key, I had gotten another good idea from CC where someone said you could use any type of card to activate this device. Bringing along a used up WalMart gift card, I stuck that in the slot. No worries about using a credit card or the room key and leaving it behind.

Naturally we were tired so we laid down for "just a few minutes" and awoke a few hours later. It was still early by Spanish standards, about 6:30 PM so we freshened up and decided to head out to explore Las Ramblas. This was about a 1/2 mile walk but the area was bustling with people and it was still daylight. We had heard so much about the "dangers" of pick pockets we were very wary and kept a good hand on our cross body bags. Jan loves to shop so she was in hog heaven on Las Ramblas. Lots of restaurants all trying to get you inside but we found a modest place where we had some tapas and Sangria for 12 euros/pp. Running out of energy by this point, we meandered back to the hotel to crash for the night. Since we had to meet Lynn at 8:45 AM in the lobby, we set a wake up call for 7 AM.

The next morning I realized that I had forgotten to bring along an electrical adapter for my curling iron. But they had one at the desk that I could keep for the duration of our visit for a deposit of 10 euros. We didn't want to pay 15 euros for the hotel breakfast and asked for directions to a cafe. Again Cruise Critic came to the rescue as someone mentioned a great place around the corner. This was where the concierge directed us. The waiter, a young man, spoke pretty good English and told us that they served breakfast sandwiches. Jan went with the ham and cheese and I elected for the "sausage". Imagine my surprise when my "sausage" turned out to be very good salami. Since this is something I eat regularly at home, I was quite comfortable in consuming this delicious sandwich.

There was a ATM across the street and since it was still early in the day there were no people around. I felt very safe in using it and was glad for the English option. Headed back to the hotel to straighten up our room and luggage and then to sit in the lobby waiting for our tour. Lynn and her family met us in the lobby. The van driver and our guide showed up right on time and we were off to pick up the rest of our group from the various hotels. We met some people from our CC roll call and we were all excited to see Park Guell.

Arriving amidst many tour buses and school groups we exited the bus to visit this unusual attraction. I, however, did not exit as well as everyone else. Wearing sandals, my foot slipped on the threshold, turning down and sideways while landing on the next step. Maintaining my balance, I came flying out of the bus landing flat on my left foot but the damage was done. Instant pain and swelling occurred and I cursed myself for not wearing better shoes. I could still bear weight so not wanting to miss anything I hobbled along for the tour, which in hindsight was not a smart thing to do.

Park Guell was originally supposed to be a housing development started at the turn of the 20th century. Barcelona Day Tours requested that we purchase our tickets prior to arriving which we did through them. From a virtual wasteland, Antoni Gaudi transformed it into a series of gardens with the intention of it being a wealthy community of homes. According to our guide, this was not to be as it was before the automobile was in common use and the aristocrats did not want to be so far from the town center. Only 2 houses were actually built and they are now used as administrative offices. It's hard to describe this place except it is like nothing I've ever seen before. Beautiful, imaginative, creative are just a few adjectives you could use. Do not miss this if you are in Barcelona.

Back on the bus which was a welcome respite for my sore foot, we headed back into the town center to visit the famous cathedral-under-construction, Sagrada Familia. It was a mob scene and we did not even attempt to go inside. You have to pre-purchase tickets to do this. Our guide pointed out the salient details of the outside and talked about the construction schedule which is supposed to be completed in 2026, one hundred and forty years after it was started. With modern day techniques and the use of computers, it is moving quickly to completion.

At this point, I seriously considered asking the guide to drop me back at the hotel so I could ice and elevate my foot. But I didn't want to miss anything and she assured me that there wasn't much walking at Montserrat. Like an idiot, I believed her. It took about 40 minutes to arrive at the old monastery and at this time we were ready for lunch. As I dragged my aching limb on the uphill walk the thought of some sangria at the end kept me going. Jan and I stopped for some sandwiches and sangria while some of the group continued with the guide.

Jan wanted to go into the basilica and see the Black Madonna and also check out the museum. At this point, I gave up and found some stairs to sit on to elevate my foot and relax. The only thing that made it tolerable was that it didn't hurt when I was off of it. I should also mention that during this ordeal the men of the group took turns lagging back and making sure I didn't get separated from the rest. This was such a kind gesture on their part and I appreciated it. There was so much more to see including an elevated ride to the actual top of the mountain to see the chapel that we just couldn't do.

Our tour was ended and we were dropped off back at our respective hotels. Jan and I took a short rest but not before I soaked my foot in cold water.

For dinner, we went back to the same little restaurant around the corner and had a delicious meal for about 17 euros. I had the arroz con pollo and while different from the Mexican version I get back home, it was still delicious. Jan wanted to go back to Las Ramblas but there was no way I could walk that distance. We grabbed a cab to the nearest Starbucks because she was to find a mug for a friend. We ended back on Las Ramblas and got lost coming back. By this time, I was at my limit, so we found a cab to take us to the hotel for a good night's sleep

so sorry you hurt your foot at the beginning of your trip...

good review so far - keep it coming!

Since we slept in somewhat, we weren't as early to leave for the ship as we had originally planned. Also, I wanted to find a pharmacy where I could buy an elastic ankle brace to support my foot. I had compression hose that I had worn on the plane but they weren't as supportive as I needed. Asking a few locals, they directed us to a small pharmacy. One of the clerks spoke English and had what I wanted. She even measured my ankle to ensure a proper fit. Hobbling back to the hotel, I got it on and with my lace-up Reeboks was able to create a firm support to my injury. It was a worthy 4 euro investment.

We ate a late breakfast at the same place feeling quite like the regulars! Back to the room to pack up our stuff and place our luggage tags on our bags. Gave the room a good going over so we didn't leave anything behind. This became quite a bit of hilarity on our part as we couldn't find things when we got on the ship and were sure we had left them in the hotel. Eventually, we discovered that we had everything that had been packed at home and just chalked it up to "Senior Moments".

The doorman got us a cab and told the driver where we were going. It seems that everyone understands "cruise ship". The taxi fare was a bit more than we expected, about 35 euros. Arriving at the terminal, porters took our big stuff and we headed inside where I received a pleasant surprise when we were directed to the Platinum line. This was only my second cruise on RCI but I had 7 cruises on Celebrity which is owned by RCI so they gave me credit for them. Jan thought it was pretty great since she gets to tag along for all the "benefits" of traveling with me.

Check in was pretty quick but we were surprised when informed that all passports were being held until we exited Turkey. I was not sure what the reasoning was behind this unless they were running all our names through Interpol. We were just told it was a precaution due to unrest in Greece and Turkey. Skipping the embarkation photo, it was easy to board and find our room which was on Deck 2. I had been a little nervous about the size as previous trips had all been in veranda cabins. But our ocean view stateroom had 2 large windows and plenty of storage and closet space for 2 women. Having read on CC that the ship had been in dry dock for complete refurbishment in 2013, including the cabins, I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it looked. Same size bathroom with the infamous shower curtain but we managed very well.

The ship looked beautiful and well maintained. Any fears about it being an "old" ship were not realized. There was a Centrum which was the focus of activities every night as well as movies poolside. As I document each day, I will mention the activities for that evening. I remembered to save my copies of the Cruise Compass to refresh my memory.

Since we had had a late breakfast there was no need to search out food. First stop was the dining room to get a reservation for My Time Dining. All slots between 6-7:15 were taken already by people who had reserved on the internet. We agreed to 7:30 and this actually worked out very well for us. Wandered around the ship trying to get our bearings and then it was time to head to the Schooner Lounge to meet our CC friends. It was great to put faces to the people we were going to be taking tours with starting the next day. Jan and I got our first drinks of the trip and socialized happily until it was time for the Life Boat Drill.

Going back to the room to determine our life boat station, we saw that our luggage had arrived. The drill was painless and quick and rather than go up on deck for Sail away, we decided to unpack and get our little home in order for the next 12 days. Before we knew it, we realized that we were underway and leaving the harbor. I don't remember what we did until dinner but I'm sure it involved a little nap. We always try to get assigned to a large table so we can meet people but in this first day we had a table for 2. The menu items looked good but we both opted for the steak which was very tender and cooked to order. I was pleased to see a nice vegetable assortment of broccoli, carrots and asparagus. On Princess, it was always corn and zucchini which are the cheapest veggies to buy.

It was open seating for dinner the first day so we made the only show @ 7:45. There were a large number of Spaniards on board as well as South Americans and I was concerned that the entertainment was going to be more oriented to their taste. The "Balancing Act of Luis Dalton" as the first night's show did little to allay my concern. Not to belittle the man's talent, but it was more of a circus act than anything I would label entertainment. When he took a short break to set up his next act, I escaped to the casino while Jan sat out the rest of it.

We did hit the casino every night, her on the slots and me on Three Card Poker at first, then Blackjack. When the cruise was finished, we broke even and that is about as well as you can expect.

Having an early meeting time for our Cannes tour the next day, we ordered breakfast room service and a wake up call. Around 3 AM, Jan and I were awakened by a loud sound outside our deck 2 window. It sounded like a loud vacuum cleaner! We looked out the window to see very rough seas, although I thought the motion wasn't bad, Jan luckily had her patch on and said that she could really feel the motion. The noise was most likely the ship deploying the stabilizers. Must be something in that stretch of ocean because we hit it on the way back.

Enjoying your great review... feel so bad about you foot injury! :(

Sunday, May 17~Cannes

Hailey had arranged a tour through Provence tours for Cannes, Nice and Monaco. Unfortunately for us, many other people also ordered room service for 6:30-7:00 (the earliest time). Breakfast came late and we were to meet as arranged in the Schooner Bar @ 7:30. There were eight of us, Hailey and Mick, Laura and Mike, JoJo and Rod, Jan and me. Our driver was Justin an ex-pat Brit living in France. He was witty, informative and kept us entertained with celebrity stories. First stop the Cote d'Azur, then Nice where we stopped for some photo ops.

Then on to Monaco for a tour of the pocket kingdom. Justin took us for a drive on the Grand Prix racecourse which was going to happen that weekend. A spiral driveway into an underground parking lot made some of us dizzy as we went to level 7. Elevator up to ground level and we took our own self guided tour. A stop in the cathedral to see Princess Grace's tomb and then the plaza to see the palace. Monaco is like a Disney stage set, so clean and lovely. Unfortunately, you have to be a billionaire to live there.

There was no lunch stop so by the time we got back to the ship around 4 o'clock we were famished. Jan & I headed to the Windjammer to find it closed so the Park Cafe was our option. I did get several great salads there topped by roast beef during the cruise. If we had one complaint, it was that the buffet was not open longer or had odd times. Often the Park Cafe was very busy and ran out of items, especially on port days.

This was our first formal night and the Captain's reception. With our dinner time at 7:30, we missed this but saw later on the cabin TV that Captain Liz posed with many guests for photos. We did make the show although with a title of "Lost Locos Ole" we were not expecting much and was reinforcing my belief that the entertainment was geared to the many Spaniards onboard. Well, we were pleasantly surprised by this combo music and comedy show trio. And by the standing ovation they received so was everyone else. Later in the cruise we heard that some people had walked out early and so had missed a terrific show.

There was an aerial show in the Centrum that night that we also missed. Movies by the pool every night for those who wanted them. That night was a Sweetheart's Ball in the Some Enchanted Evening Lounge with the ship's terrific orchestra. There were activities until 1 AM every night for those hardy enough to participate. Starting the cruise with 3 port days was tough on everyone.

We had ordered room service breakfast again and it didn't arrive until 7:20 AM. Not too convenient when we were meeting the group @ 7:30. I made an executive decision to set the wake up time for 5:30 the next morning so we could eat in the buffet. Another beautiful day with temps in the lower 80's. Our driver, Vito was waiting for us on the pier. Joining us on this tour were Dolores and Pierre from Ft. Lauderdale. Our charge for this mini bus and driver was 400 euros divided by 8 people.

First stop was Pisa where we found an ATM and a McDonald's outside the old city walls along with several souvenir kiosks. Diet Coke tasted different in Europe and Mc D's in Italy had a pastry case which looked pretty decadent. At this time I have to say how surprised I was by how clean we found the surrounding area. The Leaning Tower, Basilica and church were in prime condition and looked like they were just built. The piazza was spacious with surrounding grassy area so the crowds could spread out. It was very peaceful and relaxing. None of us had bought tickets to climb the tower and with my damaged foot, it was all I could do to keep up with the group.

Back on the bus we headed for Florence about 40 minutes away. Vito dropped us right at the start of the Ponte Vecchio and steered us to a restaurant for lunch. Two couples opted for this place and had a lovely meal right on the river. Dolores and Pierre cited dietary issues and went to find appropriate food. Jan and I found a little cafe right around the corner with outside seating which suited us just fine. We shared a half a pizza w/drinks and topped it off with yummy gelato. I had copied a list from CC with translations of the flavor names and did not need it as each one was in Italian and English. Almost everyone we dealt with spoke some English.

For my previous birthday, my son had given me Rick Steve's guide to Mediterranean ports. I found it extremely helpful but unfortunately, I forgot to bring it with me! So we were at odds and ends over what to see. Vito had pointed out that the Duomo was just a few minutes walk. Well, it would have been had I had two good feet. We did find the plaza with the copy of David and Neptune statues. Being a Monday, the Uffizzi was closed but another museum was open but I was in no shape to enjoy it. We walked through the lobby and continued on our quest for the Duomo.

I was surprised at how crowded the streets were. We thought we were missing the crowds by traveling in May but we were wrong. I would hate to see it in July/August. Finally stumbling into the plaza where the Duomo is located brought us another surprise. We had no idea how huge it is! An enormous line snaked around the side waiting for a tour. There were multiple vendors selling everything. For all the crowds, the area was pretty clean. I overheard a fellow American commenting "How come when Rick Steves is here there is no one around?" Probably because Rick Steves is there in February! (just a guess, I don't really know).

On the way back to the bus, I was in real need of a bathroom and didn't see any signs. We entered a rather posh department store and a very miffed store clerk showed me the location of the WC. By now, we were pretty sweaty and bedraggled but the air conditioning felt so good. Shopping around, I found a very cute blouse for my granddaughter and used my credit card. The clerk asked me if I had any ID so I produced my driver's license. That was the only time in any country I was asked for it. In the meantime, Jan had found a huge market with leather purses and bags where she bought a few.

By now, I was so tired and hurting, it was all I could do to get back to our meeting place. It was going to take us almost two hours to get back to La Spezia and the ship. Didn't realize how tired I was as I fell asleep and didn't wake up until we were in a traffic jam near the port. Needless to say, we got back on board in plenty of time. Dolores had noticed how I was struggling and offered to lend me her collapsible cane which she had brought along as a precaution. I still can't thank her enough as that cane saved my trip.

Jan and I turned the air conditioning down to get the room more comfortable and I took a shower. Both of us laid down and that was it until someone was persistently knocking on the cabin door. It was our cabin steward wanting to make up the room for night. He apologized for waking us but it was just enough time for us to get dressed for dinner. We had a good laugh over this as it had happened to us twice on our last cruise!

That night we did score a large table and had a great time with everyone we met. We hated for dinner to end. Jan ordered the beef stroganoff and was very disappointed in the preparation which was tomato based and served with rice instead of noodles. She did get some sour cream on it but did not enjoy it. I have to mention here that she is a very picky eater and will not eat any fish except shrimp. The food in the dining room was very bland.

The show that night was a production show: "Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme" which was ok. The featured singers were quite good, especially the tiny girl from Chicago. She was a little girl with a big voice and lots of stage presence. After our nap, we were still not ready for bed so back to Casino Royale for more games of chance. Jan won a few bucks and quit while she was ahead. I stuck it out until I broke even before heading for bed and Rome in the morning.

Thank you for taking the time to review!!! Much appreciated!:) we are on this cruise soon! :D

Enjoying your review! We're going in October!!

Going to bed at midnight and getting up at 5:30 was taking a toll. We were ready pretty quick for a couple of old ladies and had a decent breakfast in the buffet. Back to the room to put the finished touches on ourselves before we met the tour group. Our driver was Constantino, who was Romanian but spoke excellent English. He was an improvement on Vito from the day before as he pointed out landmarks and gave us information during our 45 minute ride into Rome.

When Harry had booked this tour, he had arranged for us to have a guide for the Coliseum and the Vatican. Hailey had kept us on schedule when to purchase our tour tickets online. Our driver was in contact with our guide Rafaela regarding the strike going on by the Coliseum ticket takers. They decided to start with general tour of the ancient sites of which my favorite was the Pantheon mainly because it is still in one piece. Still can't believe these buildings were 2000 years old.

Daniela really earned every penny that day. When we got to the Coliseum, there was a mob of people in line waiting to get in to purchase tickets. Since we had already bought ours, as soon as the gate was opened, Daniela pushed and shoved with us behind her to get in the door. (I should mention at this point I was using Dolores' cane and resisted the urge to swat my way in.) A cursory security check and we were one of the first people in the place. Daniela showed us a book with pictures of how the building used to look as we toured around the perimeter. She explained about the brutal "circus" and the poor souls who died for the crowd's amusement. The Flavian Amphitheater (the correct name) is a marvel of engineering and it is interesting that even modern stadiums follow the same model. Without the wild animals and multiple deaths, thank goodness.

As we exited the Coliseum, our driver was waiting to take us to a place for lunch. Pulling up at a small "stand to eat" deli, we eschewed his recommendation and went next door where there was al fresco sit down dining. This was a place that had a lunch special of pasta, sandwich or pizza and a drink for 7 euros. I was delighted to eat pasta in Rome and it was delicious. Remembering my "sausage" in Barcelona, Jan ordered a sandwich and asked for sausage. She received a very spicy cappicola and cheese sandwich. Unfortunately, it was not to her taste and she gave it to me and it made a good addition to my spaghetti pomodoro. Another funny moment to add to our tour experience.

Next up was the Vatican. It was now around 1:30 and the Vatican was very busy. Again we had purchased our tickets online so we could skip the long line. Rafaela got us ear buds and receivers while she got a transmitter so we could hear her among the crowd even at a small distance. Taking us to the side, she used a book to describe the different frescos we were going to see in the Sistine Chapel. It was a very long line to get inside but once we were there Rafaela directed us to the far end so we were looking at the scenes right side up. The problem was that you were supposed to walk in, pause to look and keep going. There was a large group who were just sitting and generating body heat and humidity making the whole place very uncomfortable. It is amazing to see these images in person but sure would have been nice without the crowds of humanity.

Leaving the Sistine Chapel, we entered one of the Vatican museums (there are six!) and went into sculpture overload. Each piece was amazing by itself and there was so much to see. Pretty sad to see so many of these priceless statues with oak leaves in place of genitalia. Can't believe how stupid previous generations could be. Rafaela explained so much of the history of these pieces along with beautiful tapestries. Words can't describe the beauty and I am so glad we have photos.

St. Peter's was our final stop and it was odd to me, a Catholic, to be in this holy place among hordes of tourists. We saw the Pieta behind glass and were able to get some good pictures of it. There was the golden door which is only opened during Holy Year. There were the above ground tombs of three sainted popes. John Paul II did not want his body displayed so only his sarcophagus with his name is seen. Amazing to me, I did not know that John XXIII was also canonized with JP II and his body was displayed, albeit with a clay mask over his face and hands as his had turned black although they claimed his body was uncorrupted when they opened his tomb. Also shown in corpus, as it were, is Leo X, but no one of my generation could tell you anything about him.

We saw the Bernini altar, the Pope's seat, a variety of side altars and numerous statues and of course that magnificent dome. There were people up there but none of us was going to make that climb. Going out to the Square, we watched the changing of the Swiss Guard and then worked our way out of Vatican City to a drug store outside where we made use of the facilities.

By now, we were all done in. All I kept thinking was thank goodness I had that cane as I would never have been able to complete the tour. I think we did 3 days of touring in one day. It was a lot of area to cover and we did it in the most efficient way possible thanks to Rafaela. Again, our cost for the car and driver was 400 euros and the private guide for the Coliseum and Vatican was 300 euros divided by 8. We gave the driver 50 euros each and each added a tip. Daniela we all gave 40 euros each rather than try to break it down to 37.50 which was the exact cost.

I was never so glad to get back on the ship. Even though we had lunch, we headed to the Park Cafe for something to drink and eat. The younger members of our group were at the pool bar getting a more liquid form of refreshment. When we entered the room, I remembered to put the Do Not Disturb sign our door while we laid down "for a little while". When I opened my eyes, I thought the room looked a little dark and sure enough, the sun was starting to go down and it was almost 8 PM. Since we had missed our dinner time and were pretty ragged looking, we said to heck with it and headed up to the buffet. We weren't alone as we ran into 2 other couples from our tour group who had also just gotten up from their naps! The buffet food was hit and miss. It seemed that they had the same pastries every breakfast. We only ate there for dinner 3 times and the steak was always good. That night they were carving turkey breast that looked pretty good. I took a couple of slices with some gravy (congratulating myself on my health eating) and it was so dry I could barely choke down the first bite. There wasn't enough gravy on the ship to save that bird.

The show that night was a repeat of the twirling plates guy and an Elton John tribute show. There was only one show time and we had slept through it. There was a toga party that night by the pool that I heard was a resounding success. Wandering around, we listened to some Big Band music by the ship's band in the Centrum and then wandered back into the Casino. Knowing that tomorrow was a sea day, I didn't care what time I went to bed. No wake up time and our plan was to sleep till 10 AM.

Looking forward to the rest of your trip report! Thanks for sharing!

This was the day for our Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle. It was at 10:30 in the Viking Crown Lounge and we walked around saying hello to the people we already knew. RCCL had refreshments of coffee, tea and small pastries. They were also giving out raffle tickets for several great gifts. A nice welcome speech by the one of the entertainment staff and then the raffle. Started with RCCL backpacks filled with umbrellas, travel cups, luggage tags, and notebooks and pens. Moving on to gift certificates for the spa, bottles of wine and champagne finishing with several dinners for two in the specialty restaurants. We didn't win anything but it certainly generated a large amount of goodwill for RCI. Passing around the microphone, we all introduced ourselves by our real name and our CC "handle". I was able to identify the rest of of our tour companions and get room numbers. This way I was able to go back to the room, check my tour info binder for Athens and Ephesus and call everyone with meeting place and time.

With the meeting breaking up at 11:30, Jan and I headed to the dining room to try it for Lunch since we had skipped breakfast. We did this at least 3 times and the menu did change every day. One of our tour group had mentioned the "huge" prawns on the salad bar that day but I opted for something else and was sorry because those never made another appearance. We met several interesting people during those lunches including a couple who were celebrating their 50th anniversary. They happened to be on the same deck as us and we had seen their room door decorated with some of their wedding photos. We ran into them several times during the cruise.

Now sated and rested, we finally decided to check out the ship since we hadn't done much since boarding. We started in the spa and each of made appointments for massages. It was warm and sunny but windy on the pool deck but we decided that this was how we wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon. My massage appointment wasn't until 5:30 but this was ok since dinner wasn't until later. My massage was ok but I have had better at home and for less money. There were many, many activities all over the ship with Trivia, Bingo, a Sushi Demo in the Centrum, a Spanish class with Mercedes the CD, poker tournament in the Casino, movies, etc.

The Captain came on the intercom to inform us of our passage through the Strait of Messina and the view of Sicily off our starboard side which was stunning.

We made it to dinner on time and Jan did not like anything on the menu and ordered the Angus Beef Sliders. I don't remember what I had. The show that night was at 7 and 9 PM so we had plenty of time to hit the late show. The headliner was Elio Pace whom I had never heard of and was again reinforcing my belief that the entertainment was geared to all the Spaniards on board. Was I pleasantly surprised! This UK native born of Italian parents was a dynamite performer. A big fan of Billy Joel, he also channeled Jerry Lee Lewis and had the audience on their feet with a well deserved standing ovation. He said he was getting off in Athens which was too bad since we would have liked to see him again.

There was always a great activity in the Centrum on Sea Days. That night was a 50's-60's Rock and Roll party which had everyone moving either on the dance floor or on the different decks overlooking the area. Jan watched that while I frustrated myself in the Casino. Since the next day was another well-deserved (we all felt we did deserve it) sea day, there was lots of participation in the late night activity. I think we didn't go to bed until around 1 AM.

We slept in again although Jan had a 10 AM appointment for acupuncture. Deciding that lunch in the dining room was pretty good the day before, we decided to repeat it this day. I took my time getting ready and waited for her in the Solarium putting my feet up and relaxing. It was another lovely day with calm seas. After lunch, Jan and I decided to sit by the pool before she went back to the spa. There were pool games going on and the band played every day from 2-4. A lazy day resting up for 3 more days of ports. There were many activities going on like Bingo, Trivia, Pool games, Poker Texas Hold'em tournament, art auction, a movie and a lecture about Eva Peron by our cruise director, Mercedes who was from Argentina. That was just a few things going on all day. We spent some time by the pool, the weather sunny and not as windy as the day before. Jan was getting a series of acupuncture treatments in the spa. When she left for that, I went back to the room to get dressed and played Blackjack for a bit, winning some.

It was the second formal night and I noticed that people seemed to "dress down" a little bit. Nothing sloppy, just jackets without ties and more casual dresses. There were no informal nights aboard, it was either the 3 formal nights or casual. Considering that almost everyone was off the ship for several hours at each stop it was a practical decision on the part of the cruise line. The waiters were pushing the Coq au Vin entree so I ordered it. Another piece of chicken that was as dry as a chip. I was done after two bites. The waiter was beside himself and would bring me anything else. Since I was having something for dessert, I figured that would be enough calories for that meal. We went to the late show and saw Andrea Dickinson, a wonderful vocalist. We tried to get to bed before midnight as the next day was Athens and another busy day.

We had booked a private tour through privategreecetours.com for a group of 12. Getting off the ship we found our way out of the terminal and looked for someone holding up a sign with my name on it. As we were a few minutes early, we only had to wait 5 minutes for Dominick, our driver for the day. He was very engaging and was a wealth of information about the sights that we passed on the way into Athens. First stop was the Acropolis. Dominick gave me (as tour "leader") a phone to call him if we needed him at any time. We headed uphill (why was everything uphill?) to visit the ruins. Thank goodness for the cane or I could never have maneuvered the uneven surfaces.

A big surprise was how much reconstruction was ongoing with scaffolding present. There were piles of stones and broken columns numbered and stacked up everywhere. Dominick had told us that UNESCO would allow them to reconstruct up to 80% of the ruins. It was so amazing to see these ancient buildings. We had decided too late to get a guide but in the end we didn't need one as everything was labeled. The Acropolis was amazing to see and we had to just sit and look at it. The temple of Venus was in pretty good shape, considering the age. Jan and I kept mentally pinching ourselves to remind us that we were really there and doing this fabulous trip.

Back on the bus Dominick took us to the Temple of Zeus which had a great view of the Acropolis and vice-versa. Looking at the remaining columns, one could get an idea of the vast size this must have been. On to the Prime Minister's residence where he thought we could go and pose with the guards. As it happened, the authorities would not let us cross the street as they were expecting some dignitary. The whole driveway was lined with the guards in their ceremonial uniforms. Dominick explained the significance of each item of clothing. Next we stopped at the tomb of the unknown soldier and we watched the changing of the guard. Somewhere in the day we also stopped at the Olympic Stadium. We saw so much, I have forgotten the timeline of our visit.

Lunch was a restaurant at the Agora. This was very good as was every other meal we had off the ship. The Agora contained the ruins of ancient Athens. It was in a park area and quite peaceful. Several areas were marked with signs denoting what had once stood there. Leaving here were the usual souvenir kiosks available. We met Dominick at specified time and we decided to visit the new Acropolis museum for our final hour.

Excavating for this museum which is only 7 years old, they found more ruins of ancient Athens. A large portion of this is covered in plexiglass and forms the basis of the plaza outside the entrance to museum. A fascinating collection of statues and other artifacts unearthed in the excavation of the Acropolis is the basis of the collection. It is visual overload to try and appreciate each item. You could spend several hours here easily.

Leaving the museum to meet Dominick for our trip back to the ship, Jan spotted a souvenir place and naturally did a bit of shopping. I kept asking her how she was going to get all this stuff home but she was confident in the size of her suitcase. As usual, we were back to the ship in plenty of time. There were several shops inside the terminal and I finally found a Christmas ornament for Greece. Good thing we stopped for a spot of commerce as here came Dominick in search of the phone he had lent me at the beginning of the day. I didn't hear it ringing inside my purse.

We headed back to the room to take a refreshing nap. Learning from our previous port days, I set a wake up call so we would be up in time for dinner.

That night's entertainment was "Hector is Magic" and again I was skeptical as to how much entertainment this was going to provide. Jan likes magic acts and I can take them or leave them. Well it helped that Hector was very easy on the eyes but he was also very engaging and did an excellent show of card tricks and illusions. The audience loved him. (At least the women did.) That night was casual or white night. There was a Greek party by the pool from 10-12 that night. We didn't really participate in any of these, leaving it to the younger and more energetic passengers. This night, I won playing blackjack so I went to bed a happy girl.

This was our day to visit the ruins of Ephesus. I had booked a tour through ephesusdeluxe.com which had garnered 16 participants on the Cruise Critic roll call. My contact, Deniz had quoted me a price of $50/pp and a guaranteed tour if at least 2 people showed up. Not a problem for us as we had already met everyone. Mostly everyone on this tour had been on the Athens one as well with very positive feedback. It was a load off my mind as I had been the one to organize both of them. Extra incentive was provided with a guide and lunch included.

We met our lovely guide Gizem Eti, a PhD candidate who guided us to our bus outside the terminal. She explained that when we returned, we would have time to shop in the Grand Bazaar. Gizem was so informative, giving us a concise history of Turkey, explaining the topography and geography of what we were seeing and would see. She was spot on in getting us to each destination ahead of the crowds. Our first stop was to be the House of the Virgin Mary where legend and tradition state that St. John brought her there to live out her life in peace.

The house is a reconstruction from a vision a German nun had in a dream. She directed archeologists to look for certain landmarks and they found the foundation of a house where she said it would be. No pictures allowed inside but John Paul II had said Mass in there 20 years ago. There were candles available for you to light one outside. They also had a "wish wall" where you could put a note with a petition. There was also a spring that was deemed to be holy. I drank from it hoping for my foot to heal. (didn't help)

As we headed to Ephesus for the main attraction, Gizem told us how Ephesus had been built at least 3 times in different spots. It had also been a major sea port before it had silted in. Hard to imagine when we saw how far we were from the port. She was very excited about showing us the Terrace Homes which were in the process of being excavated. Gizem warned us that the next 2-1/2 to 3 hours we would have no access to toilets or any refreshments. We all had water with us and thus started our education on Ephesus.

Starting at the Upper City where the aristocrats lived and all the city business took place, we followed Gizem's white umbrella as she gave us quite an education. Quite a bit of the marble street was still there although broken in many places, the result of an earthquake. Again, as in Athens, much reconstruction was evident. The temple of Hadrian, a relief of the goddess Nike, the library of Celsus spoke of the multicultural influences that built this city. The ruins of the Temple of Artemis (one of the Wonders of the Ancient World) was also available for inspection.

The Terrace Houses are undergoing extensive reconstruction and if you are able to navigate the 400+ steps, you can view ancient living conditions. There was no way I could do this so I happily turned the camera over to Jan and sat in the shade chatting with assorted strangers. Being a Saturday, there were several school tours so it was quite busy. Our last stop was the amazing amphitheater where St. Paul once preached. The last paved street extended out to the "wharf" where ships once docked.

Climbing up the path once more we worked our way out and toward bathrooms and refreshments. Still using the cane, I had caught the eye of the man in charge of the washrooms and he insisted I use the handicapped men's room instead of waiting for the occupied ladies. The door didn't lock and it caused me some anxiety, but not to worry as the overseer had stood guard to protect my privacy. I found this kindness frequently during the trip and not just on the ship. People went out of their way to assist me, whether I needed it or not.

Last of all were the dozens of shops and kiosks we had to navigate in order to get back to the bus. I followed Jan into a purse store and once the guy had me in his clutches, he wasn't going to let me leave. The more I said no, the more the price dropped on a Louis Vuitton bag that had caught my eye. No cash, no problem. We take credit cards. I had let my credit card company know I was leaving the country but it was declined at one place in Monaco but accepted at another store. It was declined at the purse place. I used another card without problem. Jan was enthralled with the bargains. She would have been quite content to shop for another hour. I would have enjoyed it also had my foot agreed.

Our last stop was our lunch at a private facility where they also wove and sold rugs. I took a quick poll among the group if anyone was against the rug demo as I had been assured by Mr. Deniz Koze that we could skip it. Everyone was agreeable and the al fresco setting was lovely. All the starters and entrees was home made and tasted great.

We noticed several foreign flags flying including Great Britain and Australia and asked about this. It was the centenary of the Battle of Gallipoli from WW I and Turkey was acknowledging this.

The rug demonstration was very interesting, the rugs absolutely out of this world and so were the prices. They would gladly ship it home for you but it was definitely a pre-planned purchase item. They served us refreshments and showed many lovely rugs but there was no high pressure sales tactics. Back on the bus for our short trip back to the port, Gizem collected her fee from everyone except me. I was the "honored guest" as I had organized the tour and gotten 15 other people to come along. A nice surprise for me.

We were dropped off outside the cruise terminal and everyone but me headed off to the Grand Bazaar for more great bargains. There was a tent set up outside the gangway where passports were being returned. As it happened, I had the receipt for mine and Jan's so I took them back to our cabin. Jan came back from her shopping excursion very excited about the great leather coat she had bargained down to half price.

After another mediocre dinner we caught the aerial show in the Centrum. It was just ok. That night the headliner was Bruce Parker, "Revival of Soul, Motown & More. He was very dynamic and it was a fast and enjoyable 45 minutes. The late activity in the Centrum was a Latin Fiesta which was very high energy. It was more energy than Jan and I could muster together. We had another early morning with a ship's tour of Santorini so we actually got to bed before midnight.

After a 5:30 wake up call and early buffet breakfast, we headed to the theater for our 7 AM tour meeting. Santorini was a tender port so it would be a process to get us all off the ship. While we waited, Captain Liz came on the intercom with the sad news that the seas were too choppy to allow for safe tendering and the port was cancelled. There was a loud moaning and groaning from the passengers but safety is paramount. Since we had already eaten, I suggested we go back to the cabin and grab a nap. It worked for us and we slept till 10.

Once we were up for the second time, we went exploring to see what was happening around the ship. It seems that the crew had their monthly party the evening before which resulted in late bed times as they expected everyone to be off the ship. A lot of the poor servers got pulled out of their beds to serve lunch and tend bar for this unexpected sea day. There were some activities already scheduled like Trivia and Jewelry making. Mercedes had to scramble with her staff to set up things to do. I did notice more officers making their way around the ship talking to passengers and placating those who were really upset over missing this port.

It was too cold and windy to sit by the pool so we opted to sit in the Solarium and try out the hot tubs. I did not swim in either pool the whole cruise. My broken foot made me unsteady so I decided not to risk falling again. After parboiling ourselves for a while, we dipped into the offerings at the Park Cafe for a light lunch since breakfast had been at least 6 hours ago. IMHO, I have to say that the Cafe offerings were meager and not as good as what Princess offers in their similar venue. We did indulge in the soft serve ice cream at least once a day.

After changing we decided to try Trivia and joined some ladies as part of their team. Actually, we sat down just to observe and I started feeding them answers so we joined their team by default. Either way, we won and got pretty decent official RCCL pens.

The casino was open so we wandered in there for a bit and I sat with a very nice gentleman and doubled my money using his Blackjack acumen. Jan had won a few dollars too so it was time to wander off and look at the ship. We decided to walk out on the Promenade Deck and didn't last too long in the wind and chill. I think at this point Jan had another acupuncture appointment so I found a protected area out of the wind by the pool and relaxed with a book.

It was a lazy day and while unexpected, quite enjoyable. By this stage of the cruise, Jan and I were glad we had done this trip before we got any older. It is quite strenuous if you are trying to see everything. Some people we met aboard had visited Europe before so they could be more particular about what they wanted to see and not have to cram every attraction into 8 hours.

We decided to eat an early dinner in the buffet so wandered in there around 5 PM thinking it was open for dinner and got a plate of food. Speaking to one of the managers, we were informed that dinner in the buffet didn't open until 6:30 PM. The hours of the buffet and the Park Cafe were a source of irritation as they were inconsistent. You never knew which was open and although they were on the same deck, it was a chore for me to keep walking back and forth.

The orchestra was the featured performers for the evening show. It was quite enjoyable as they were very talented. Back into the casino for the rest of our evening anticipating another sea day in the morning. Looking at our Cruise Compass for the next day, Jan would highlight activities she was interested in trying. Noting a large notice to move our clocks back an hour, we changed our watches. We also left a wake up call planning to go to the dining room for breakfast.

Up with our wake up call, we thought it seemed early so I called the front desk and sure enough, the time change wasn't until that night. We were reading the next day's Compass before bed! Forget breakfast, we went back to sleep. Good thing Jan and I are on the same wave length, activity and sleep-wise.

Breakfast was in the Windjammer and not bad. It was quite crowded so we weren't the only ones who slept in that day. They had this wonderful soft, barely raisin bread which I hate to admit I overate. Seeing as the little pastries were so blah, I got my sweet taste anyway.

There were no available deck chairs and it was kind of windy on the pool deck. We found a couple of seats in the Solarium to dump our stuff and climbed into the hot tub to parboil ourselves. It sure was relaxing in there. After awhile, we decided to try Trivia and Bingo so after a quick change of clothes, we headed to the Schooner Bar. Never able to win another contest, we moved onto Bingo with the same results.

That evening there was a Variety show, "Boogie Wonderland" in the theater followed by the Love and Marriage game show. We definitely didn't want to miss the latter. Hailey and Mick and said they were going to try to get involved but changed their minds. Mercedes addressed some parents who had their children in the audience (at 10:30) by saying it was restricted to 18 and above. They didn't budge and you could see she was bothered by it mentioning there might be conversation that was inappropriate.

Looking for newlyweds, 10-20 years and over 50 years married, there was a lot of rather raunchy activity before the three couples were even chosen by audience applause. Following the usual formula of asking each male/female partners questions and seeing if they matched answers. Of course it was hilarious. It was pretty late when this ended and we headed right to bed since we had another long port day in the morning.

This was our last tour with Rome Cabs. Our last tour with our group of Hailey, Mick, Laura, Mike, Dolores, Pierre, Jan and me. Our driver was Daniel and he offered to take us to an olive oil factory after our tour of Pompei which everyone agreed. We arrived at Pompei early and met our lady guide. Unfortunately I don't remember her name. Getting there before it opened was great and our guide collected our money and went to a special line to purchase our tickets which were 13 euros each. We were the first ones inside and weredone with the tour just when it was getting crowded and hot.

Pompei was definitely on my Bucket List and I have always wanted to see this ancient city. Booking a guide cost us 150 euros divided by 8 and so worth it. She was full of fun facts and kept us engaged as we walked around the town center. There was much more to see and I think you could spend a whole day there with an audio guide but we hit all the highlights. We were able to enter some of the buildings (including the bordello!) and see ancient frescos with the colors still vibrant.

Our driver Daniel asked if we would like to see an olive oil factory and we all agreed. What dopes we were for falling for this! It was a factory which of course was not running because it wasn't harvest season. An obvious method for getting us to the store to purchase their products. Our Aussie couple bought a case to have sent home. I got some for personal use and let Jan load up her suitcase with gifts.

Time for lunch and our drive down the Amalfi coast. I think Daniel was a frustrated Grand Prix driver in a 9 passenger van. He whipped around corners on streets that would have to be widened to be considered one way in the States. At least he was upset when he knocked off the passenger side mirror and scraped the same side door.

Jan was glad she had her seasickness patch on as she was starting to get queasy when we stopped at a place for lunch. A lovely combo restaurant/farm built on the side of the mountain with terraces. As we walked (uphill, again! Why was everything uphill?) to the entrance and then downstairs (!) to the open air facility. A table for 8 was quickly arranged for us and we sat down without any idea of was on the menu.

Several small plates of salads and appetizers came out with enough for each of us in addition to a bottle of water and 2 bottles of wine for each 2 couples. (I would like to mention that the ordinary table wine was quite good.) We ate our fill and thought the food was pretty good for a light lunch. Our plates were cleared and new plates set while we all looked confused. Next was the pasta course. Four bowls of different kinds of pasta were served. That definitely topped off our tummies. Lastly was the bill; 200 euros/25 per person. A real bargain.

Feeling all content, we climbed back into the van for our trip back to the ship. I never really looked at the itinerary of this tour besides Pompei when we booked it so the "tour of the Amalfi coast" part never set in my memory. The patch that Jan wore was due to be changed that day. I'm not sure that even if it was fresh if it would have helped her during this drive. Narrow, very winding mountain roads at breakneck speed, playing chicken at every intersection made me glad I was in the rear with some chance for survival of a head on collision. For Jan however, the trip was horrifying for a different reason. She was was hanging on for dear life trying very hard not to be sick all over the back seat. She was white as a sheet and there was no way out of there.

Daniel made a stop in the town of Amalfi for us to stretch our legs, get something to drink, find a toilet, etc. Jan got as far as the cathedral steps where she gratefully sat on an immobile surface. I was desperate for a bathroom and hated to walk into a restaurant but nature's call was relentless. In my "best" Italian, I asked a young lady, "Scusi, toilette?" She responded, "Downstairs, madam." I must have USA written on my forehead. Even with the stairs, I was very happy to make use of the facilities.

That night was Formal night and I was invited to a Signature Event for Platinum members and above. It was during our dinner time but we figured we could still get a meal in the MDR later. It was held in the Some Enchanted Evening Lounge @ 7:45. All the officers were lined up to greet you and welcome you back. Jan and I ordered a drink (she couldn't believe it was free) and listened to Captain Liz tell us about her career.

The band was wonderful and several people danced. No one was as great on the dance floor as a little girl who was about 2 years old who was grooving to the music. She sure brought a lot of smiles to everyone's face. One of the pastry chefs sang for us and I see a different career in his future.

Heading off to the MDR we ran into Laura and Mike from Pittsburgh, one of the couples from our tour group, so we ate with them and had fun conversation about our activities past and future. Dinner ran so late we missed the show that night which was FourEver, a vocal group from Spain. Working on keeping my money, I went back to the casino. Jan hit a jackpot for $144 and took her money back to the cabin. I think I actually stayed in there till about 1 AM but with a sea day coming for our last day we looked forward to relaxing by the pool.

Our last day! Looking at the day's Cruise Compass, I see where we highlighted several activities but I honestly can't remember much about that day. We played some Bingo and I went one more time to try and break even in the Casino, which I finally did. I had my stash of black chips in the safe. We packed up most of our stuff and tried to guess how much Jan's suitcase weighed. She was prepared to pay for overweight if necessary. Then we walked all over the ship taking pictures. This was our night for dinner in Chops Grille. Both of us had the giant shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, asparagus, baked potato and the 10-oz filet with Bernaise sauce. I'm ashamed to admit I ate every bite. I think I had soufflé for dessert but not sure since I was in a food coma by then. They did give us the 25% discount I had finagled out of the reservation clerk back on the first day.

After we rolled out of Chops, I headed back to the Casino with my purse full of black chips and cashed them in for real green US MONEY. The final show was a different experience called "Circle of Two". Two mimes with an imaginative show about a doll coming to life. They got a standing ovation. Aside from the first night, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the entertainment. Knowing we had an early wakeup call due to our early flight, we actually got to bed at 11 PM.

We were up before we docked and it was a subdued crowd in the Windjammer. Jan had given up on finding her favorite pastry, chocolate croissants which were on Princess. Our meeting place was, where else, the Schooner Lounge from which we had launched our many excursions. Very orderly disembarkation to the outside of the terminal where we waited in the taxi line. It was like a well-oiled machine, load and go. They got us a small van due to our luggage. The price was set @ 39 euros. Checking in at British Airways, we held our breath literally as it took 2 of us to lift Jan's suitcase on the scale. 49.1 pounds! Whew! I hated to think what her carry on weighed since she had rearranged her packing several times.

The flight home was miserable only because we couldn't really sleep. They dimmed the cabin for a few hours but we were too keyed up thinking about going home. Jan and I had Global Entry cards and we were able to use the kiosks at O'Hare to "sign-in". Once we had our passes, we were able to bypass the long lines and get out of there. Her daughter picked us up at the Departures area which was empty and we were home.

Several people have asked me if I would do this trip again and I have said "in a heartbeat". I would even do all the same tours just to be able to walk without pain. Yes, the Xray the next day did show a displaced fracture of the fifth metatarsal. The doc couldn't believe I had walked all over Europe with that foot. Despite the mediocre food in the MDR and the 6+ miles we walked every day, I still managed to gain weight.

Europe was better than I expected. Better cities, better ruins, better food, clean streets, friendly people; I felt comfortable everywhere we went. Barcleona, Cannes, Florence, Rome, Athens, Kusadasi and Salerno were all amazing. I suppose we would have to go back to see Santorini. Jan has even said she would do a Greek Isles cruise. If you are hesitating, don't. Book it now and you will never regret it.

Thanks shofer for the updates - glad you enjoyed!

Awesome review Sue. I miss being on board & the new friends we all made xxx

Would you give the name of the hotel you stayed at in Barcelona? Thanks.

Awesome review Sue. I miss being on board & the new friends we all made xxx

Thanks, Hailey. I would have loved to add pictures but they were so big and this review was so long. LOL.

Sue

Would you give the name of the hotel you stayed at in Barcelona? Thanks.

Can't believe I didn't mention it. Hotel Universal Barcelona on Parallel street. It was about 1/2 mile from Las Ramblas.

Sue

Thank you for the detailed review including tour operators!