LIVE from the Ruby Princess - VENICE to BARCELONA; May 17th to May 29th

[Toto2Kansas]

Pia, keep warm and thanks for the update! :)

[Baileydog1]

Carol..... You absolutely cannot go wrong with Fabrizio. I was on a tour with him last April and he is well worth the money. Just kind of sorry you already have him booked when we are in Rome because I was going to contact him.

Paul:(

 

Paul,

We were on the previous cruise and toured Rome with Stefanano, the owner of Romecabs. He was excellent...easy to understand, provided umbrellas, got us to everything we wanted to see, told us what time to book vatican tickets, took us to good and inexpensive restaurant for lunch, had new 8 passenger (plus driver) Mercedes van that was very comfortable and you could stand up in. He is the owner of a fleet of 5 vans and I highly recommend him. Full day tour for 8 was 600 E plus cost of colosseum tickets, which he bought, and the cost of lunch (and his tip). Just Google Romecabs.

Kathie

[Kiwi Kruzer]

 

 

Looks like a nice day coming up for you in Monte Carlo Pia.

Have a great day in Monaco ...again:)

 

Wonder if this brige cam shot is of you coming in to the port, or are you tendering today?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Wonder if this brige cam shot is of you coming in to the port, or are you tendering today?

 

Asked too soon:D ....

just caught you sailing into port ,

on both the bridge and the port cam.

 

 

 

[Pia1913]

Monte Carlo numero tres. Happy Friday morning. First time we almost drowned, second time weather was good, today?????? Eh! It's dry, but iffy. We'll get off and poke around and even try to find the elevator that Hutch says is here. We couldn't find it last time; maybe we didn't look hard enough. I know we used it many years ago, so it has to be here somewhere.

I thought we had gotten our last free drink win last night, but James decided to do limericks again and I won another this morning. He says I have the record for number of wins on any cruise. Sorry I never kept track of them. The one he chose was the Civitavecchia limerick which I've already posted and never read yesterday's from Livorno. So here is that one:

There was a young Roman named Caesar,

Who wanted to see Mona Lisa.

But the ship went to Livorno,

Where he was greeted with Bongiorno,

So he ended up going to Pisa.

Today's afternoon movie is Young Victoria, so we very well might see it. Tonight's entertainment is that magician again; guess they kept him on. Also the pianist Linda Gentille. Fusion has a Latin Espanol Dance Party and MUTS is doing various concerts by Christina Aguiliera, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner and Cirque du Soleil. Forget about Explorer's; just the same old band.

Will check in again later. Still have minutes.

David, your webcam shots really enhance this blog. Thanks. Will email when I get home re: Auckland.

[Infi]

Thanks again for the live from, Pia. Two (well, maybe three) questions:

 

Are you tendering today in Monaco? Were any of the other ports consistently tendered besides Monaco and Mykonos?

 

Did they have the Italian and Chef's dinner menus on this cruise, and if so, what nights were they? Those are our designated specialty restaurant nights ;) Or, if there's another menu that's truly awful, I'd appreciate the heads up.

 

Thanks again.

[hubofhockey]

Since we are doing this same itinerary, I checked out the cover band in Explorers on Youtube. They seem okay to me and, if the dance floor is open, my wife will appreciate it. You can't please everyone.

Hopefully, you can find some things to do in Barcelona that you haven't done before. Sounds like you are ready for your 40 days at sea to finally come to an end. Quite honestly, I might be even more bored, especially being on the same cruiseline and same ship for all of that time. After reading this thread, if I ever do back to backs, I think I'd do different cruiselines for each leg.

[Pia1913]

Thanks again for the live from, Pia. Two (well, maybe three) questions:

 

Are you tendering today in Monaco? Were any of the other ports consistently tendered besides Monaco and Mykonos?

 

No tendering in Monte Carlo at all on any of the three cruises. Mykonos tendered this time, not last.

 

Did they have the Italian and Chef's dinner menus on this cruise, and if so, what nights were they? Those are our designated specialty restaurant nights ;) Or, if there's another menu that's truly awful, I'd appreciate the heads up.

 

Thanks again.

 

Yucky Chef's dinner was night in Mykonos, but not the same last cruise. They switched it. Wait staff was surprised too. I had spaghetti and meatballs.

[Pia1913]

Since we are doing this same itinerary, I checked out the cover band in Explorers on Youtube. They seem okay to me and, if the dance floor is open, my wife will appreciate it. You can't please everyone.

Hopefully, you can find some things to do in Barcelona that you haven't done before. Sounds like you are ready for your 40 days at sea to finally come to an end. Quite honestly, I might be even more bored, especially being on the same cruiseline and same ship for all of that time. After reading this thread, if I ever do back to backs, I think I'd do different cruiselines for each leg.

 

You probably didn't hear the leader sing. I said the band was OK, just not him. In Barcelona we're going to the airport. Also, I have never been bored. I always find something to do and if you know me you also know that what you perceived as boredom, was not.

[bcnvcanada]

Pia, Thanks for the three live from. We have enjoyed reading them. We were with you on the first part. You will enjoy the Barcelona Airport. Very easy to get around. They post times for check in about three hours out. After security, there is a McDonalds and a good coffee place. Do have a safe journey home. Will be looking forward to your more live from. Again, thanks.

[coo359a2]

Thanks for taking us all along on your b2b2b. You and Mike and have safe flights back home. We are still keeping fingers crossed the volcano stays happy till we fly over on the 3rd.

[CruzinNoony]

Hi Pia,

 

I enjoyed your "live froms" very much. Thanks again for taking the time to do them. Have a safe, uneventful flight home. You'll have just enough time to unpack, do laundry and pack again for your Emerald cruise! :D

[hubofhockey]

You probably didn't hear the leader sing. I said the band was OK, just not him. In Barcelona we're going to the airport. Also, I have never been bored. I always find something to do and if you know me you also know that what you perceived as boredom, was not.

 

I suppose I heard him and it may have been mediocre. But the songlist is good, mixed among the decades, and good for dancing. I will give them a shot and probably have a good time at Explorers.

 

As for being bored, I guess I got the wrong impression from some of your posts about the substandard entertainment and many choices, all bad.

[Pia1913]

Thanks for taking us all along on your b2b2b. You and Mike and have safe flights back home. We are still keeping fingers crossed the volcano stays happy till we fly over on the 3rd.

 

And I expect you and Donna to do a LIVE from the fjords. Shhhhhhhhh....about the V word. I heard there was another one in Guatemala yesterday.

[Pia1913]

Hi Pia,

 

I enjoyed your "live froms" very much. Thanks again for taking the time to do them. Have a safe, uneventful flight home. You'll have just enough time to unpack, do laundry and pack again for your Emerald cruise! :D

 

Even I think that's pretty funny. And overkill. But that's just how things work out sometimes. :D

[san diego sue]

My final farewell to Pia and her blog. I too, thoroughly enjoyed being with Pia on this last leg, and in person on the Ruby with her the first two legs of this journey. She is never bored and she is so entertaining being with her.

Until we meet again.

Regards,

Gloria and Lew:D

[tallulahbel]

Even I think that's pretty funny. And overkill. But that's just how things work out sometimes. :D

 

 

Hi Pia, It was a great cruising along with you on your live. Hope we meet again soon. I will be looking forward to your next live. Have a safe trip home.

 

Tallulahbel (Andrea)

[DonahCBrown]

And I expect you and Donna to do a LIVE from the fjords. Shhhhhhhhh....about the V word. I heard there was another one in Guatemala yesterday.

 

Assujing we both make it 'over the pond' with no problems! Watch this space!!

 

Safe travels, love to Mike, wish you were coming with us on the Ocean Princess this time - long time til our next one together!

[cruisingallover]

Pia and Mike...safe travels home! We are off to Vegas for one week then boarding the Crown Princess on June 8 for 15 nights and then visiting Italy for a few weeks afterwards. Will talk to you in July ;)

[kidder kid]

Pia and Mike -

 

Safe travels and Pia, thanks so much for your posts on your b2b2b. I've enjoyed reading your observations.

 

Carolyn

[treesah]

Thank you, again, for letting us cruise with you. Have a safe and uneventful trip home.

 

Teresa

[Pepes Pal]

Also, I have never been bored. I always find something to do and if you know me you also know that what you perceived as boredom, was not.

Hello Pia, Have safe travels home. I too have had fun following your "lives". (I've followed them since you left FLL.) I look forward to meeting you on the Ruby TA in Oct. 2011. Until then safe travels & happy cruisin"!

 

Judy

[rdsqrl]

Thanks for taking us all along on your b2b2b. You and Mike and have safe flights back home. We are still keeping fingers crossed the volcano stays happy till we fly over on the 3rd.

Did you notice that volcano shut up really quick once the oil leak in the Gulf began to get so much attention? I think it got its nose out of joint, what with being pushed off the front page.

Pia, since I'm using you as my own personal Siskel & Ebert, please report back on Young Victoria so I'll know whether to add it to my Netflix. I watched Did You Hear About the Morgans last weekend and, well, I liked the bear . . . However, I was rooting for the hit man, not SJP, which I don't think is what the filmmaker had in mind.

[MMDown Under]

Did you notice that volcano shut up really quick once the oil leak in the Gulf began to get so much attention? I think it got its nose out of joint, what with being pushed off the front page.

 

Thanks for the laugh!

 

Like everyone else who followed Pia's Live, I enjoyed being along for the journey. Thanks for sharing!

[Pia1913]

Saturday morning in Barcelona. EST hasn't gone to bed yet and it's still Friday. All packed up and ready to report to the Wheelhouse at 6:15 for our transport to the airport. What a long day this is going to be. We expect to land in NY at 7:30 PM, which of course will put our bodies at 1:30 AM Sunday. One night's sleep should hopefully take care of those pesky 6 hours. We're in NY until Monday.

I want to thank you all for cruising along with me for the 16, 12, 12 day cruises, or for some of you, all 40 days.

Judy: Not booked on Ruby for 2011. No TA at all. Oct. '11 is Ocean. Need to update my sig line.

RDS: Young Victoria: I liked it. Emily Blunt is adorable.