Liberty Med Review 5/31/06

Our family of 4 sailed May 31st on the Carnival Liberty 12 night trip in the Mediterranean. We consider ourselves “frugal cruisers” and enjoy finding ways to make the trip more economical, preferring to do things on our own rather than purchase shore excursions. We traveled lightly so we could easily haul our own luggage, with each of us taking a “pull” suitcase and an individual backpack (since the children are now 14 and 11, they were able to help tremendously).

The journey began with a drive to Chicago, as the least expensive flights we could find were on Aer Lingus from Chicago to Dublin, then Dublin to Rome. Flight times resulted in our needing to stay a day in Dublin, so we booked the Holiday Inn City Center for about $100 (one of the few hotels that allowed children in the room). Bus transportation from airport to City Center was 8Euro for the entire family (they offered a family pass for that price). By the luggage area in the airport there was an information desk where the pass could be purchased. This was a great introduction to Europe since we spoke the same language. We spent the day “walking” about Dublin to stay awake, so we’d adjust to the correct time more quickly. We took a cab to the airport for our early morning flight to Rome.

After arriving in Rome, we took the Leonardo Da Vinchi train from the airport (there are signs directing you to the trains) to the Termini station which is approx 20 minutes. Cost was 9 Euro per person, and we purchased the tickets from a vending machine at the station. Trains run every 30 minutes, so there is no need to worry about the “schedule”. Signs marking each station were easily seen from the windows on the train, so there was no confusion about which station we should exit. Arranging lodging was somewhat of a challenge, as many hotels in our price range required us to book two rooms to accommodate 4 people (they only allowed a max of 3 per room). To save money we contacted the Hostel Des Artistes and arranged for a family room in the hostel for 108E credit card or 105E cash. I was a little nervous about this but it turned out to be a great part of our adventure. The hotel itself is approximately 3 blocks north from the Termini station. (Tip – make sure you exit the north end of the station. We exited the south side which resulted in our needing to walk the entire way around the station, mostly uphill. In hindsight I’d have done this walk inside the station where there are escalators. Just don’t take any steps “down” when exiting the train and head to the main part of the station. The train from the airport comes in on the South side.) The directions provided by the hostel were easy to follow and we went to the 5th floor for check-in. The lift was very small and only accommodated two people with luggage. The room we booked was a “family room” which had 4 single beds and a color TV with basic cable. We did not pay for a/c, since we were traveling in late May and the windows provided a lovely breeze. Our room had a sink but the toilet/shower was down the hall. One floor up was a beautiful “garden”

with plants, tables, and chairs. It was nice retreating there to write post-cards, read, or enjoy beverages which they sold at the hostel. We were pleased with our decision to stay here two nights, and it allowed us to get over any jet lag before starting our cruise. Within walking distance were local restaurants and pizza places. Our original plan was to walk to the Coliseum, ruins, and Trevi Fountain and take a bus back, but the walk wasn’t that taxing so we did the entire day on foot (with frequent stops for gelato.)

Rome to Civ: we took the train from Termini station. There are kiosks in the main terminal that accept credit cards and English is one of the selections under languages. There is no need to book a reserve ticket as trains run approx. every 30 minutes. Just purchase your ticket, read the board to determine which “line” the train is using, and validate it in the yellow machine where you get on the train. The ticket for the four of us to Civ was 14E. I’d estimate the ride was 40 minutes. After exiting the train we decided to walk to the shuttle bus at port rather than splurging on a taxi. This took approx 10 minutes. If you are able and don’t have excessive luggage, it is no problem to simply follow the water until you reach the port entrance. Everywhere in Europe there are stairs and uneven pavement (or cobblestones), so make sure your luggage can be pulled and is fairly stable. A free shuttle bus takes you to the ship. Embarkation was easy and by noon we were on board heading to the buffet. We spent the rest of the day exploring the ship and preparing for our first port in the morning.

Liberty Ship Info: this ship was our “favorite” ship to date. Layout was good (ignoring the central dining rooms which block traffic flow front to back on two levels). Décor was nice and remained interesting throughout the voyage. Pools we didn’t use, but there were plenty of deck chairs and “quiet spots” could be found. My only complaint was the library which had limited hours. (I much prefer the “open” libraries on Celebrity, where books are available throughout the day.) Food ranged from good to exceptional, and an emphasis has been placed on presentation. Service in the dining room was nice, and the 24hour room service, pizza, and ice-cream were welcome when we returned from port after a long day. Most days we found ourselves eating breakfast, heading ashore, and then returning for our early seating dinner at either 5:45 or 6pm. Most evenings the kids ordered room service so they had a snack before bed (I wouldn’t guess Caesar Salad would be their preferred bedtime snack, but it became a tradition.) The cabin TV’s received the European news channel, a music video channel, a kid’s movie channel, cartoon network, and showed a daily movie. There were additional stations, depending on which port one was near. Charges to the sign and sail card could be checked on the TV each day, along with the dining room dinner menu. There were two broadway type shows, several shows using guest talent, a singer who performed twice, and a comedian. The comedian Percy Cruise was rated PG 17 which I didn’t quite understand (I think they meant PG 13, as it was fine for my 14 year old). Entertainment did not seem “up to” what we experienced on Caribbean voyages, but most people were too tired to participate and preferred resting up for the next day’s adventure. The cruise director Brent I enjoyed more than most, though the daily program was somewhat confusing. (As this was the second Med voyage for the season, some of the programs referred to our “seven day trip” and the typos were amusing.) The seaside big screen was enjoyable, and several evenings we viewed a late night movie snuggled under blankets on deck.

Naples: Our plan was to visit Herculaneum, as we wanted to avoid the crowds at Pompeii. We printed the photos from portreviews.com so we could locate the train station based on the church steeple nearby and referenced them from the top deck before disembarking the ship. This gave us the direction to head for our 15-20 minute walk. Naples is a zoo of traffic, and I don’t recommend anyone even consider renting a car at this port. It was almost comical to see drivers honking at one another when there was no place to “move”. Train tickets cost 3.50E each and the ticket seller instructed us to get off at Erculanum. The train journey was fun as there was a variety of ages traveling on this “local train” so it was a great opportunity to “people watch”. When we exited the train it was an easy walk through town to the ruins. Don’t remember the exact price (maybe 40 E for the 4 of us) to enter Herculaneum. We didn’t go on a tour, but walked about referencing information we read prior to our visit. Talking with people who visited Pompeii on the ship excursions, we were glad we opted for this journey, as they were in crowds the entire time. I’ve read it is easy to take the bus to Herculaneum which would avoid the walk to/from the train station, but didn’t have details so we didn’t pursue this option.

Venice: Instead of taking the Carnival shuttle for a charge ($6 per person) we decided to walk to the vaparrato station. This took about 20 minutes (look for signs for Roma Station). We purchased a 24 hour vaparrato pass for the water busses, which allowed us to go all over the city without worry. They had an outside area to sit so we considered this our “cheap” gondola ride. The vaparrato pass cost 12E per person. One-way tickets were 5E so if you plan to use transportation to/from both days you are visiting Venice; the 24 hour pass was a better deal. Water taxis were available for a cost of about 70E but one must telephone for this service (the number was listed on a sign at the dock). We spent the evening strolling St. Mark’s square, feeding the pigeons, and enjoying the music at the outside café’s. Streets were truly magical and simply following the meandering alleys and viewing the store windows provided our entertainment for the evening. The following morning we planned to visit the Doges Secret Itineraries tour, but took the wrong water bus and ended up missing our tour time. (Some busses have a 45 minute travel time while others are direct and are 20 minutes. There are signs noting this, but we must have been too sleepy to notice.) We strolled the water-front and enjoyed local scenery before heading back to the ship.

Dubrovnik: We took a taxi to the walled city for 10 Euro (pre-negotiated at the pier.) The driver kept trying to “sell” us on a local tour about the area, but we were firm in wanting to just visit the city. Make sure you have change in Euro, as the driver claimed he was unable to change a larger bill (luckily we had enough coin to cover the fare). Walking the walled city was delightful though the climb up the stairs reminded me I’d eaten too many meals with not enough exercise. We used an ATM machine to obtain Kuna (most places took both Euro and Kuna, but the price was better if one used the local currency). Overall prices seemed to be the least expensive here, so plan to purchase souvenirs if there is something you are seeking. We chose to walk back to the ship which was mostly downhill, about 20-30 minutes. Before entering the dock we walked through a local co-op grocery store and stocked up on sodas and other misc. items that were cheaper than on the ship. A bus station is located beside the area where the ship docks, so future travelers may want to investigate this service to the walled city.

Messina: After researching the train/bus options to visit Taormina, we decided to rent a car through argusrentals.com. The rental location was about two blocks heading right from the port exit along the water-front, directly across from the coast guard facility. Having seen drivers in Naples and Rome, we were nervous, but island driving is very laid-back and easy. The rental agent provided an excellent map and wrote directions of how we should go. He even listed the two parking streets in Taormina where one deposits Euro into a machine for a parking ticket. The drive took about 30 minutes on an interstate type road. After walking the town we took the funivia cable-way down to the beach for 3.5E each. The beach itself wasn’t “sandy” like in the Caribbean, and we chose due to the chilly water to rent a pedal boat for 12E to enjoy an hour on the water. There were caves and coves along the shore and this was a delightful way to spend the afternoon. For anyone renting a car, there are gas stations when returning to Messina, so don’t forget to fill the tank. Also, rental agencies tend to close for the long lunch period so make sure you arrange drop-off details (they will have someone to meet you or instruct you to leave the vehicle and drop the key). We took the insurance to cover the deductible and given the tight turns and parking situation in Taormina, were glad we didn’t have to worry about “kissing” guard rails.

Barcelona: Instead of taking the cruise shuttles for $5 each, we took a local shuttle for $2.5. The local bus is at the other end of the parking lot from the cruise shuttle (easy to find). After walking Las Ramblas and enjoying the street performers, artists, and musicians, we headed to the Sangria Familia. It was quite a hike and at this point we were getting tired. Instead of waiting for the shuttle to return to the ship, we chose to walk back and were glad to get on board to rest our weary legs. Make sure you check out the food market on the left side of Las Ramblas (when heading north from the water). We enjoyed seeing an amazing array of fruits, meats, and vegetables new to us.

Cannes: This was the only port where tenders were used, and the operation was very efficient. The trip via tender took approx 5 minutes, and they used nice city boats rather than the smaller enclosed lifeboats we’ve encountered on other ships. After walking the streets to do some shopping, we hit the sandy beach just left of where the tender docked (left when one is exiting the tender, just follow the water). The beach was free and was a mix of cruise passengers and local tourists (some which were topless). It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Snacks and drinks were available just across the street from vendor carts.

Livorno: Our original plan was to visit Pisa and Lucca, but at this point in the journey we were exhausted. After taking the Carnival shuttle into town (don’t remember the price), it dropped you by an information booth. They had signs posted for the #1 bus to the train station directing us a block toward a church. There one purchases a 1E ticket for the bus either via kiosk or at the Tobacco stands. The kiosk was somewhat confusing and everyone was tired. We saw a frustrated family head back returning to the ship for a day of relaxation, but decided to persevere. After taking the #1 bus, we purchased our train ticket for Pisa. I believe the roundtrip train ticket was about 12E for the four of us. From there it was a 15 minute walk to the leaning tower. We took the usual photos of us holding up the tower, used the restroom (.30E, the cleanest we had found), then shopped the many souvenir vendors around the perimeter, haggling with the vendors selling fake Rolexes and other high-end watch and sunglass knock-offs. There were many places to eat with menus posted along with snack stands near the tower itself. We returned to the ship pleased with how we chose to spend the day, and packed for the return voyage home.

Disembarkation: Rather than leaving our suitcases outside the door, we chose to self-disembark as soon as the first group was called. This meant carrying our luggage, which wasn’t a big deal since we had packed light for easy handling. There was a long line for cabs and since we hadn’t prearranged a pick-up, we walked to the train station. There appeared to be no busses to shuttle one back through the port (or at least the rep was unaware when we asked.) My advice is to ask about this before leaving the ship, as the language skills of the agents on shore were not great. The walk was long, it was hot, and by the time we reached the train station we were ready for a restful trip. The train was crowded as we were traveling during rush-hour, so we ended up standing with our luggage. Anyone choosing this option should check when purchasing their return train ticket about a “transfer” as some people exited the train to take another to the airport before reaching Termini station. We stayed on until reaching Termini station, where we got on the Leonardo Da Vinchi express train back to the airport, retracing many of our stops.

Tips: Relax and go with the flow. Italians have a slower pace, which is hard for type-A personalities. Validate train or bus tickets in the yellow machines after purchase. Use luggage you can handle easily. Pack light and don’t worry about looking like a foreigner, just dress respectfully for the places you are visiting. Even if we purchased clothes in Italy, blonde hair and fair skin made us stand out in the crowd. (Shorts were rarely seen anywhere, skirts and capris were popular for ladies, slacks for men.) Keep Euro handy for the street performers as some of the music and human statues we experienced were highlights of our trip. Wear shoes that are comfortable that won’t get “stuck” in cobblestone streets or uneven pavement. Look out for drivers and stay in cross-walks (in cities they won’t look out for you, so be wary and alert.) If you are connecting in a European airport, allow plenty of time for connections. We missed our return flight from Dublin due to a delay coming out of Rome. Airports work differently than in the US where one can switch from one plane to another within the security area. Dublin required us to clear customs and return to check-in again which the US agent who booked our flight apparently did not understand. Lastly, don’t overdo scheduling “to do’s” so the trip becomes a burden. Early on we realized there is much to see and limited time. Pick some highlights and slow down to enjoy the trip. When I think of the plethora of cultures, history, and people we experienced, it truly was the trip of a lifetime. Enjoy your journey.

Thanks for a wonderful review.......:)

Italy is such a wonderful place

Wonderful review. Thanks!

Thank you so much for your review. We leave in a few days. We too want to enjoy the trip and not overdue seeing everything talked about on the boards. You seemed to have survived without all the "have to" stuff and truly enjoyed the vacation.

Thanks again,

Linda

Thanks for the detailed review. I have travelled outside the US a few times, but always with someone who has been there, or in 'controlled' situations - so our cruise coming up is a bit scary and exciting - your information will help us in our planning.

Glad you have a great time!

Great review - thanks! I especially liked your tips on using the public transportation since that is sometimes tricky in foreign countries.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post such a great review. I loved all the tips about transfers at the piers, etc. I'm curious as to how your kids liked Europe. What were their likes/dislikes, favorite things to do?

Thanks again.

Missyal

can you tell me what time you got off the ship and how long it took to get to the airport?

My kids were great the entire trip and never complained (which is somewhat unusual). However upon returning they asked if next year we could go somewhere in the US, Canada, or Mexico. I think this is a trip they will appreciate more as time passes and they reflect on all their experiences.

Overall recommendations for traveling with kids -- go at a slower pace and don't overdo the "history must see's". We realized early in the trip they were getting more from the experience than visiting museums to "learn". My son became the "gelato tester" and compared the ice cream throughout the various regions.

One of our favorite meals was stopping in a local pizza place in Rome where we followed two police officers in for lunch. We sat at bar stools that looked out the window (there were 4 chairs in the entire place) and watched the local workers come and go while picking up their pizza and beer lunch. It was cheap and provided a glimpse of "real Rome" vs. the tourist places.

We disembarked at 6:30 am and easily made our 11:45 am flight (even with our train mishap taking it all the way to Termini).

do you think a 10:10 flight is too early, its the only one they offer. We'll be doing self assist and taking a private car to the airport.

With a private car it should work. Just be ready to go at 6am when they start disembarking the first passengers.

Thanks for the report. I like your style and suspect you had more adventure than many on shore excursions. It pays to do the homework.

Thanks for such a terrific review!

While we're on a different itinerary in 2007, we will have some of the same ports. We're planning to do our thing in many of these places, and your review was very helpful!

I love the way you detailed everything out with prices - it is great to find another fruggle cruise person. You often hear "you are on vacation, don't worry about what you spent......" We do and we will on our upcoming cruise.

Do you mind telling us how much the cruise cost for the 4 of you (what kind of cabin did you have) and how much the airfare was from Chicago (we live there). I am always looking for new trip options.

vesw01: If you are interested in this year's Liberty itinerary, you might look at the new Carnival Freedom for 2007. It will start doing the exact same itinerary as this year's Liberty in May.

It will have it's maiden voyage in March, and will do an eastern Med. itinerary until May. (The eastern includes Naples, Rhodes Greece, Izmir and Istanbul in Turkey, Athens and Katakalon (Olympia) in Greece, Livorno and an overnight in Civitavecchia.)

Throughout the summer and fall, it will sail a combination of eastern and western Med. itineraries. There seems to be pretty good pricing, especially on some of the early sailings. There are also two Cruise Critic group cruises; both are the eastern itinerary. Ours, which is in April, and another on Sept. 22. Group pricing is usually very good, and there are amenities associated with both groups!

vesw01

12 night cruise for 4 was $4339 including taxes and ports. This came with a $200 shipboard credit (making it actually $4139) in a category 4b inside. AerLingus flight from Chicago to Dublin was $2107.48 for the 4 of us. (Three adults totaled $1614.36 and the one child was $493.12). The flights may be cheaper now as we booked a year ago when gas prices first skyrocketed.

Dublin to Rome for the 4 of us totaled 718 Euro. You can probably do better checking other airlines for routes within Europe, as I have seen some great deals.

Hope this helps. I'd watch the Aer Lingus website for specials.

Your review should be the one on the CC home page. You didn't use it as a sounding board to complain about how you were treated by Carnival. It was very constructive and informative. We did many of the same things.

Thanks for the review.