Spinelli1107

Yes, so far all of our tours have been through NCL direct

This tour and much of the ones we did were direct through NCL, but I’m not sure exactly which tour company ran it.

Yes, this was a wonderful adventure and likewise felt as though we could have spent hours down there The time limitation was structured to our tour, however, on looking into the Catacombs website it seems as though generally their tours are kept to 30 minutes with a guide but unsure if you could do a self tour We also felt that we could have spent hours down there getting ourselves lost!

I will post menu’s of the specialty restaurants later today or tomorrow. But they can also be found online. If you express to your server any dietary restrictions they will provide guidance. From my memory, there is AT LEAST one vegetarian and one pescatarian option available at each of the Specialties.

Broadway unplugged was very good as the cast from million dollar quartet put their own spin on many classic broadway hits with a bit of broadway history. Aside from the fact that hubs knows little to nothing of broadway, we all throughly enjoyed ourselves and there was only one song I didn’t know. After the show we made our way to La Cucina for dinner. Tonight it would just be hubs and I. Shortly after sitting though I hit a wall and exhaustion crept up on me. So much so that I left the majority of my dinner untouched. I did however devour my mozzarella and tomato’s and Gorgonzola and pear salad. It was time to crash. Tomorrow (today) our meeting time is 7:20 so every day it’s getting just a little bit earlier!

Today, we’re in Naples! And our plans today will have us in Pompeii but first, Limoncello! Our first of a few stops today was a limoncello factory. We had the opportunity to tour through the factory and learn how limoncello is made. They only use the lemon peel, water, sugar and alcohol. And we had the pleasure of watching the peelers make work of these lemons for production. After the tour we had a chance to try 3 different samples, traditional limoncello, melon-cello and and a lemon liquor of sorts. We also got to sample some chocolates and lemon candy. Everything was very tasty. After limoncello, we had an opportunity to visit a woodworks factory and spend some free time in Sorrento. Naturally Gelato was a part of our free time and shortly after it was time for lunch. We visited a very interesting restaurant equipped with some unique donkey artwork. Again our tables were dressed with bottles of water and wine. Shortly after sitting we were presented with ricotta and spinach stuffed cannelloni which was absolutely delicious! After our pasta course, we had a chicken entree with tomato, spinach and cheese in a brown sauce paired with potatoes and some greens. Everything was very yummy. For dessert, we had a sliver of lemon cake but sadly no cafe! Oh well. Our last stop of the day would be Pompeii. Pompeii was quite busy and we congregated at the cammeo shop before entering the archeological site. Once we entered the site, our guide pointed out many of the old shops, homes and bakeries. Currently excavations are still occurring in various site trying to determine what type of shops were in production at that time. We also learned the importance of the many fountains and how the “cross walks” were giant slabs with separations to allow for the carriages to proceed through. We visited the baths and the theater and learned a little about the gladiators of that time. It was extremely interesting to learn the history and see the site of Pompeii. After about an hour we made our way back to the bus to head towards the ship. As we started at the furthest point and worked our way back slowly, we were already close to the ship and only had about 30 minutes drive back. This time pool won the nap/pool debate but as we discover broadway unplugged would be playing in the illusionaroum at 7pm we only had about 45 minutes before we had to start getting ready for the show.

Oh my gosh yall, I’m so sorry I’ve been completely MIA! It’s been virtually non stop go go go go go and I needed to take a little bit of a phone break but I’m back! Where were we? Oh yea, lunch! Ok so this lunch was really nice. We entered Monte Due Torri which was absolutely beautiful! One room with stunning stone walls looked like it was being prepped for a wedding reception. We on the other hand entered a more simple room but stunning nonetheless. Perhaps where the cocktail hour would be held. The room was set up with large round tables set for 8 with bottles of water and wine stationed around and a pasta making station on wheels. The first part of our lunch was a pasta making lesson. Very simple with flour, extra virgin olive oil and water (no eggs) we watched them knead and roll out the mixture by hand. Hand made, hand rolled and hand cut they made gnochetti right before our eyes. Next up a delicious fresh corn and tomato salad simply dressed with a touch of EVOO and a sprinkling of salt. We also received some grilled bread and guanciale. Finally our main course was presented a homemade pasta lasagne with a delectable meat sauce and gnochetti in a light tomato sauce. You could taste the simplicity of the few ingredients used as well as the deliciousness and freshness. All 4 of us all but licked our plates cleaned. Next up we were offered a fresh tiramisu and cafe. One thing after the next everything was incredible! Finally we boarded our bus and made our way back to the ship. Because of the very high temperatures and poor air quality there was a heavy thickness in the air and we debated whether we would pool or nap. Nap won that debate and shortly after reboarding the Getaway, I was tucked into bed and napping away! Tonight’s dinner would be at ocean blue with our friends for 8:30 so I had a solid hour, hour and a half to relax before having to get ready for dinner. We met our friends at sugarcanes for a pre dinner mojito before waking over to the restaurant. Dinner at OB was very good! We started with the Pan Seared Scallops and clam chowder before having the surf and turf for our main. I finished my lobster but 3/4 of the way through my steak, I had to throw in the towel as lunch had me stuffed. I even had to pass on dessert but the rest of the table shared the 4 options. After dinner we decided to check out the ice bar as I’ve never done it before. It was a cool experience but probably not one I’d do again as I personally was not a fan of the 3 drink offerings. However the bartender was phenomenal and as we were the only ones in there was a little loose with the rules and allowed all of us to try each of the 3 drinks as well as a shot of Vodka. We hung out in there for about 30-40 minutes before we decided we were too cold to last much longer. After the ice bar, we decided to check out the decades party up at spice for a little while. But no one was dressed up, not even the crew so we didn’t last long before we agreed to call it a night. We had to meet up at 7:30 tomorrow morning so going to bed at 11:30 was a good idea!

We reboarded our bus and took off to the beautiful village of Nemi. Classified as one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, Nemi is most well known for their wild strawberries and they use it every way they can. We enjoyed some lovely strawberry tarts and pastries and sampled some strawberry crème and liquors. While I particularly thought this stop would have been better after lunch, it was absolutely divine. The views most certainly didn’t hurt either. Nemi sits on a volcanic crater lake of the same name with restaurants along the rim boasting exterior terraces overlooking the lake. I can understand why it received its designation for one of the most beautiful areas. Finally we got back on our bus to head off to lunch.

Likewise, I am sorry you live this life too! And yes, it is absolutely worse on cruises compared to other vacations for sure but has seemingly, for me, gotten significantly worse and borderline debilitating over the last 2 years. Naturally I attribute this to age but I’ve yet to uncover any magic tricks around this either. I am planning a trip to my endo as soon as I get home because while I do my best to power through it, the level of discomfort this time around has been severely impacting.

As soon as we boarded the bus the first thing we noticed was there were A LOT of knees. Having spent time in Rome prior as well as visiting some religious spots in Spain, I advised the guys how strict they are with these coverings and will not permit access speaking from past and personal experiences. So when we saw all these knees the boys were mad at me. Whoops! Apparently, they have relaxed on some of their restrictions and knees and shoulders could be exposed in the catacombs now. I felt horrible as it was 90+ today and these poor guys wore pants. Luckily the AC on the bus was in full working order and the chill in the catacombs made it a little bit more comfortable. Speaking of, we visited the Catacombs of Santa Domatilla, believed to be the world’s oldest Christian cemetery. Ranging 5 levels of underground area and spanning 8 miles the labyrinth is quite extensive. Unfortunately we only spent about 25-30 minutes here and saw a small piece of it but it was quite interesting to learn the differences between the terracotta and marble grave markers as well as the grave robbers that raided the catacombs in search of valuables. The section of catacombs we explored were all open and empty graves. We also had an opportunity to see the “underground” church before renovating our coach and heading to Castel Gandolfo. Castel Gandolfo is the Pope’s summer residence however in 2014, Pope Francis moved to have it transformed into the museum it is today where visitors come from all over the globe to see. We had a short 30 minutes of free time to explore the village and overlook Lake Albano. We enjoyed the quaintness of this town and stopped for some gelato before meeting back up with our tour guide.

Today, yet another early morning. With a tour meeting time of 7:45 we were up and at ‘em by 6:15. As our tour today is to the catacombs and the pope’s summer home the “need to know” advises knees and shoulders must be covered so hubs and friends begrudgingly don their pants. This will be important. We make our way to buffet for a quick bite before heading to Starbucks. The staff is quickly beginning to recognize me….this might be a problem lol. Our meeting spot is at the illusionarium and upon arriving we received our stickers and off the ship we went! Our bus was ready and waiting for us so we climbed aboard and off towards Rome we head.

San Gimignano was such a beautiful area. It is a small medieval village fitted with dozens of small shops, cafes and gelatteria’s. We had about 2.5 hours to stroll around this lovely town stopping for gelato, some Vernaccia and Chianti wines and popping into endless shops. The scenery was picturesque and words can not even begin to describe it. Wrought iron balconies overlooking winding alleys dotted with an abundance of flora. It was absolutely stunning. After picking up a few souvenirs we made our way out but not before being beckoned into a chocolate shop. They provided samplings of hazelnut, pistachio and other types of chocolate along with chocolate and cappuccino cookies. They were absolutely delicious and it didn’t take much convincing to walk out with a box of chocolates. Luckily we know exactly what we’re going to get with this one! After leaving San Gimignano, we took about 10 minutes to arrive at San Donato Farm and Winery. A small family operated business producing 18 types of wines. We had the pleasure of sampling 2 different types of wine. Another Vernaccia and Chianti with our lunch along with Vin Santo a dessert type wine. Lunch was a splendid farm to table spread with breads, vegetables, olives and cheeses and everything was delicious. The farm house was set up with tables of 6 and as we were only 4, 2 lovely young ladies from Florida joined and we had a fun time chatting and sipping our wines with them. We even had the opportunity to meet the farm dog Merlot a gorgeous tracker (I think he was coonhound mixed with setter) and he was such a sweetheart. Sadly as all good things must come to an end, so too must this tour. But not before a 2 hour drive back to Livorno. It was a long busy day in the sun and we all took naps. But upon returning to the ship we felt restored and refreshed so we hopped into our swimsuits and hung out in Spice until dinner. With no specific dinner plans made, the 4 of us decided to give O’Sheehans a go. We ordered some wings, pretzel bites and spinach artichoke dip to start. In the past I remember the wings being much crispier but these were soggy. While the flavor was good the texture was off for me. And with the pretzel bites I miss the “logs”. While the roll bites were good they just didn’t hit the same way. For dinner I got the burger which was actually very good. Huns and T got the Reuben and K got the Cobb Salad. I think everyone’s main was better than the apps. But overall no complaints. After dinner we caught the Million Dollar Quartet. This was such a fun show! The cast did a phenomenal job with their portrayal and I thoroughly enjoyed it despite not particularly being an Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis or Carl Perkins fan. But I do like Johnny Cash. None the less I have an appreciation for the music and the history. I would throughly recommend it to anyone however parents keep in mind there are some inappropriate gestures, innuendos and humor. As we have another long and early day tomorrow (technically today!) we decided to call it a night as it was already 11:30pm so good night and well now, good morning!

Today is an absolutely beautiful day so Bongiorno from Livorno, Italy. It is currently 3:45pm, but let’s rewind. At about 5:30 this morning my brain decided to say wake up! How rude. I popped a couple of Motrin and watched the sunrise. With my alarm going off at 6:20, I decided, may as well just get up now and start getting ready. So getting ready I did, while husband still slept. I wish I had half a mind to soak my feet but in all honesty, nothing works/helps, and it’s just one of those things I have to deal with. But today I woke up feeling extra puffy and stiff so I downed a can of water. Before long hubs woke up and we were ready to take on the day. I went to Starbucks, while the hubs grabbed breakfast. Divide and conquer! We met our friends at Spice H2O. Have to make sure we check in for our excursion together so all 4 of us made our way to theater to check in. Less than 5 minutes from arriving, our tour was being called. Within 10 minutes we were already on the bus. A far cry from yesterday’a tender debacle. Today our tour is San Gimignano and San Donato Farm. First up SG, and about 2 hours of free time to enjoy all this town has to offer. But first? Nap-time, for the 2 hours drive back to the ships.

Let me wrap up yesterday before I get into today! After we got back to the tender port there was quite the line yet were not the last bus to arrive. Funny enough 41 arrived after us. Go figure! Anywho we got back on board and headed straight to sugarcanes. I love me some Coco Loco Mojito’s they are absolutely delicious. We enjoyed our mojitos before it was time to get ready for dinner. Tonight is Le Bistro because well France. K and T are joining us tonight so the 4 of us meet up at 8 for dinner which was delicious. I got the Escargot and French onion soup to start. Hubs also got the French onion soup and goat cheese salad. Naturally I enjoyed some of his goat cheese balls because I’m a fiend for cheese. Our friends got the escargot each and the steak tartare and the goat cheese salad as well. For mains K and I got the lamb while T got the Filet and hubs got the pork. For desserts hubs got the chocolate and rice crispies sans raspberry, T got the floating dessert, K got the Frasier and I….well I got the cheese. Par for the course. We all shared a French press pot and some baileys on the rocks with our desserts. After dinner, we crossed over to headliners to catch Howl at the Moon. It was ok. I remembered it being much better in the past and felt bad for how much I hyped it up but it’s all contingent on the requests they get. I enjoy when it’s a rambunctious bar crowd singing along to don’t stop believing and the entire audience is involved rather than some tunes that maybe only one or two persons know but again, it’s all in the recommendations! We left shortly after to check out the karaoke. I was surprised at how small the draw was but perhaps we got there too late as only 3 or 4 songs were performed before it was time to wrap it up. I guess it’s all for the better as we do have to meet at 8am tomorrow it’s high time that we call it a night. But before we do, it’s time to head to sugarcanes for one last coco loco of the night and while we’re here, let’s make reservations for the Ice Bar. Cool! Before I go wrap it up, let’s get a little personal. Only because it’s moderately relevant. In 2017 I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and for the last 3-4 years I’ve been dealing with severe edema and joint degradation. With the level of heat and activity, this Mediterranean cruise is impacting on me quite significantly and I’m starting to greatly slow down. Although my husband tells me I’m not allowed to complain because he thinks it’s solely due to my consumption of water or lack there of but no this has become increasingly and highly uncomfortable especially all the walking on unpaved and uneven cobblestone. Considering, we’re only 5 days in to our 16 day trip, I’m doing my best to keep up not only with this review but also with my overly ambitious itinerary. But enough about me, back to the trip. We make our way back to the room for the evening and set our alarms for another early day!

Before I get too ahead of myself, let me just say, San Gimignano….wow!

Apologies if I misspoke on the wine! As mentioned this was my first time bringing any on board for NCL or otherwise but I’ve mistakenly merged the rules of several cruise lines. It’s funny though, as through our carry on scan no one asked who I was with and I said to my husband we could’ve brought more than 2! Guess we really could have 😅

We have about 2 hours from Monte Carlo back to our tender port so I’m sure many naps will be had! Today our tour was Monaco and View from Eze. Our first stop was Eze which was lovely. It was a quaint little village with shops and cafes. We walked up to a terrace that over looked Monaco and could see some remnants of the Grand Prix a few weeks back. The area was absolutely serene and picturesque. After a short while we rejoined our bus to head to Monaco. While here we learned about the impressive history of Monaco and its less than .9 square mileage. One of the smallest countries in the world second to only the Vatican. While in Monaco we were to have some free time for lunch but as our tour started 45 minutes late, our time was very limited. More on that later. We popped into the Pinocchio, a charming inside/outside restaurant, down one of the alleyways and enjoyed 2 pizzas, a glass of wine each and a crème brûlée before we had to jet off to catch the bus. We were 3 minutes late to board the bus but we were not the last ones on! From Monaco we took the short ride over to Monte Carlo where our tour guide pointed out aspects of the Monaco Grand Prix included Pole Position and the checkered line. I won’t pretend I’m an F1 super fan but I have watched drive to survive on Netflix and watch many of the GP’s. Not sure if I’ll be able to catch the one in Barcelona next week as we’ll still be on board and the tv channels are very limited. Again, more on that later. Let me rewind a touch. As I mentioned this morning, we were in the manhattan room waiting and waiting and waiting some more. When our friends initially got to the Manhattan room to check in for the excursion they were given sticker 41. When hubs and I arrived, we were given 42. We asked the girl if this is just for the tenders or for the entire tour and she said it was for the tour entirely so we traded in their 41’s to match our 42’s. 41 was called a few short minutes later and we assumed we would be following shortly but no that was not the case. It wasn’t until 10:30 (over 45 minutes later) that we were finally called. We tendered and boarded our coach at 11:15. Not a big deal, or so we thought…. When we arrived at Eze, 41 was leaving. At that moment we thought sure that makes sense. When we got to Monaco, our guide said we would have free time for lunch but then told us to follow him and proceeded to take 45 minutes delivering a History lesson on Monaco, the princes and princesses and by the time we were done we had less than 30 minutes for lunch. Furthermore this entire time, bus 41 was still there and remained there until it was time for us to board our bus as well meaning they had an entire additional 45 minutes in Monaco and our time there was rushed limiting our opportunities for lunch. Luckily for us the service was not only very friendly but also very quick at the Pinocchio and the 30 minutes was just enough to order, eat and pay. And like I said we were technically 3 minutes late to the bus. Imagine how much more enjoyable that would have been with the additional 45 minutes. The 2 busses then simultaneously delivered us to and collected us from Monte Carlo so we were essentially jipped that time all because the tenders were disorganized and we had to wait on the ship. Now we’re racing back because the last tender is at 6:15. Anywho, back to Monte Carlo. Because we 4 were a little frustrated with how Monaco was handled we decided to ignore our guide and do it entirely on our own. I wished we had done that in Monaco as well but we didn’t know better then. We took in our own sights and sounds and it was perfect. We walked along the waterfront and gawked at the yachts. I asked my hubs if he was picking one out for me as a birthday gift. in order to reside in Monte Carlo you must have a minimum of 6 zero’s in your bank account. My math tells me that’s a million dollars at least. No wonder the caliber of cars and yachts is what it was If you’re a car person just walking around casino square and watching the Ferrari’s, Rolls Royce’s, Bugatti’s, Maserati’s and more driving around is quite impressive. While lovely to look at, entirely too rich for my blood. We stopped for some ice cream, as it was about the only thing our wallets could handle, which was actually very nice before heading back to the bus. Overall it was a good tour but would have been significantly better with that extra 45 minutes. I keep apologizing to my friends as they were to have been 41 originally. Whoops, sorry guys!!!!

Yes, when we sat, our server explained to us that we would be allowed 1 or 2 appetizers, 1 main, 1 sauce, 2 sides and 1 dessert per person.

While we certainly saw a lot, I still feel like much was left unexplored so would love to come back and spend more time there!

Today we are calling to Cannes, France. This is a tender port but with a ship excursion booked it was not something we needed to worry about. However, if you do not have a tour booked, through the “TV’s” by many of the elevator banks, you can preselect your tender ticket. Well anyways, this morning I woke up around 5am and the sky was beautiful. Hints of pink and blue started peeking through and sunrise was expected around 5:40am. As hubs was still snoozing, I tried to force myself back to sleep but “Field of Dreams” was on the movie channel so I enjoyed that but evidently sleep eventually won as at 8:00 my alarm re-woke me up. We started getting ready for the day to head to Monaco and Eze. By 8:45 we were making our way to the buffet for a quick bite before meeting up in the Manhattan room at 9:30 for our excursion. Unbeknownst to us, your entire party must be present to check in for your tour as our friends got to the manhattan room a few moments before us, we had 2 different sticker numbers. Luckily the crew was gracious enough to allow them to trade in their number so we could be together. We hung out in the manhattan room and waited and waited and waited some more. About 45 minutes later we were called to the tender boats. The tender ride was absolutely lovely. The water was smooth across the bay and the ride was enjoyable unlike some many tenders I’ve taken in the past. The ride took about 10 minutes and before I knew it we were on the bus to Eze….. From my research the ride should take a little over an hour but traffic is building up so who knows. Well better get back to the tour guides history lesson! Ill check in later with another update

Hope yall haven’t missed me too much! After our cocktails we had more cocktails. Hubs and I got our Spanish wines and cheeses and we found our way to a starboard side aft table (look at me dropping all my ship (not a boat!) terminology). We prepared our own homemade charcuterie board and with our friends, the 4 of us got to work devouring a delicious rosemary encrusted cheese and a sheep’s milk hard cheese with a bottle of red and a bottle of white. While requesting a bartender to pop our corks, we were asked more than once if we can bring wine aboard. So what I once believed to have been common knowledge is apparently just a well known secret. Yes you may bring up to 2 bottles of wine per cabin. If you have the drinks package there is not corkage fee however if you did not opt into the drinks package there is a minimal (I believe $15) corkage fee. While we were enjoying our wines and cheeses, our ship started to sail away. While not the most spectacular of sailaways it’s always nice to enjoy the sea breeze as we start to move. So why was it not spectacular? For no other reason than the port is near a very industrialized marina full of shipping cargo container ships it made for a less then favorable view. Perhaps portside would have been better. After sailaway, we made our ways back to the rooms and brought our luggage in as well as change into our swimsuits to enjoy the sunshine. Even at 5pm the sun was still quite strong and high in the sky. For 2 hours, we enjoyed the quiet emptiness of Spice H2O. The water feature was lovely and we laid out on the loungers with a mango meltdown. Around 7pm, hubs and I parted ways from our friends as we got ready for our 8pm dinner reservations at Cagneys. Dinner was very nice, we started with a Caesar Salad and crab cake and a ribeye each along with sides of creamed spinach and truffle mashed potatoes. The steaks were cooked perfectly and everything was delicious. We skipped dessert as we had plans to meet our friends at Syd’s at 9:30 for the 10pm show and we were already running a touch late so off we ran. Luckily everything is quite close and easy to get to so we to Syd Norman’s at 9:40 and it was PACKED! My husband was able to find 2 loose stools and we propped ourselves up in the back corner. We tried to find 2 more to no avail but as we were to find out, they wouldn’t be needed. The show was absolutely Phenomenal and we sang along to every song ranging from Styx, Toto, John Cougar and so many more. I’m kicking myself for never having made it to a Syd’s show previously but now know I will prioritize them moving forward and ensure we show up at least 30+ minutes early. In a few days they will do a Fleetwood Mac show and a Rock the Prom and we will try to get to both! After the show, it was easy to call it a night as it was already 11:15 and our alarms were going off at 8am so for now that’s where or first day on board ends but with 8 more nights and 9 days lefts of the cruise there will be plenty more activities and events to share with you all!

Connected with our friends K and T and had a couple more mojitos before trekking to Garden Cafe for a quick bite. The options were plenty and we had a ham and swiss panini, a slice of pizza, a beef carving, some penne paste in a Parmesan sauce with asparagus, and some fries. The fries were not good. Everything else was yummy but the ham and swiss panini was my favorite. After lunch we walked around the pool deck for a couple of Miami vices until the announcement that the rooms were ready. A quick check in to the room to drop off our personal bags and put the wine and cheese into the fridge and now it’s back to sugarcanes with the lovely melodies of the pianist in the background. Were ported today next to Virgin Voyages, Oasis of the Seas and a Costa cruise. For now we’re just going to relax and sip on our cocktails while we wait for our luggage to get to our stateroom. Pictures of the stateroom to come later!

And we’re on board, that was quick. Already checked into our muster station and obligatory first drink aboard!

All checked in and ready to board!

The Barcelona terminal seems a little less organized than my experiences in NY and Florida. With little to no direction or seemingly anyone unaware of where to go. We were told to wait in line across the street. After an hour of waiting in the beating sun, the line finally started to move. All of these people surely couldn’t have had a 9:30-10 or 10-10:30 check in….