Cruise Review – Voyager of the Seas – July 23, 2011 – Adriatic Sea Cruise w/pics

[hawlcruiser]

Just booked this exact GS this morning on the Voyager sailing out of New Orleans in Feb. Love the pictures and details. Anything you want to share about the ship/stateroom would be appreciated. Great post!

[BillOh]

I'm enjoying the pictures. Voyager was our first ship. I loved the picture of the solarium, that was one of our favorite places. You didn't get a shot of this prime photo opportunity though.

 

[janeer]

Loving the review, can't wait for the next instalment! We sail, same journey, in one weeks time!

[Norwegianlatvian]

Thanks alot for the review! I was on Voyager in October 2010, and I will be on her again in aprox. a week:)

[bbbearden]

Hi - sorry another question - I've worked out we'd be saving almost £100 by booking this trip. Can you please tell me how you paid for this. Did you pay in cash by Euros or can you pay by card?

 

We paid in cash with euros. I do not know if they take a card or not.

 

There is an ATM on the ship in a phone booth on deck five. This ATM dispenses Euros so if you need more you can take them off your card.

[bbbearden]

I'm enjoying the pictures. Voyager was our first ship. I loved the picture of the solarium, that was one of our favorite places. You didn't get a shot of this prime photo opportunity though.

 

 

I got the shot, I just did not post it. :D

[bbbearden]

Just booked this exact GS this morning on the Voyager sailing out of New Orleans in Feb. Love the pictures and details. Anything you want to share about the ship/stateroom would be appreciated. Great post!

 

The pictures really tell the story. It was a great suite, in a great location, with a great cabin steward. We loved every minute of it. The worst part was having to leave.

 

There was a ton of storage, the furniture and fixtures were nice, in general the location was quite, and we had no complaints.

[BillOh]

I got the shot, I just did not post it. :D

 

I discovered this place at 3am the last night, It was our first cruise and my wife wouldn't let us go to bed. I walked in this room, totally confused, walked out, then back in again and someone else came in and demonstrated its use.

[bbbearden]

Ravenna Italy: We arrived in port on Tuesday morning in Ravenna. The port is about 25 minutes from the town and so you will need to take a shuttle or a taxi to get into town. The taxi’s did not start to appear until the ship had been in port for about an hour. The shuttles began service almost immediately.

We did not spend any time in Ravenna. We rented a car from Maggiore and drove to Florence. My wife’s grandfather died fighting in World War II in Italy and is buried at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial. My wife had never been able to visit his grave and pay her respects and so we made the trip on this day.

We took the first shuttle from the pier and arrived in downtown Ravenna pretty early. Maggiore car rental was just around the corner from the bus drop point. I had been very specific that I needed a car with an automatic transmission and paid a substantial premium to get one. When we arrived at the Maggiore office, they only had two cars, both of which were compact cars with standard transmissions. I am a big guy and paid for a larger car and cannot drive a standard very well. The lady at the counter spoke NO English despite the fact that their website had an English version. She tried very hard to be helpful but communication was very hard. We finally had to settle on the small standard transmission car (an Alfa Romaeo) and my wife had to drive (she grew up with a standard). This was a problem because I was the one who had gotten the international drivers permit, and she did not have one. However, we really wanted to see the cemetery and so we chanced it.

I had a negative impression about Italian drivers and expected the roads to be confusing and crazy. The Italian roads were in great shape, the signs easy to read and follow, and the traffic was polite and well mannered. Nothing like what you see on TV and in the movies. I was amazed at just how good the roads were, and how easy it was to get to where we were going. We did hit some traffic slow downs but still made it to the cemetery on the other side of Florence in about 2 ½ hours.

The Florence American Cemetery was really beautiful. The countryside around it was stunning, the grounds were very well kept, and it was overall a beautiful and peaceful place. It was actually emotional for all us. My wife’s grandfather was sent to Italy, with a pregnant wife at home, and a two year old son. She gave birth to my wife’s mother after he left for Italy and was killed in action fighting in Italy. He knew he had a daughter but never got to meet her. My wife’s grandmother loved him deeply and never remarried, choosing instead to raise her two small children with the help of her sister. It is a touching story and the chance to visit his grave meant a lot to us.

We spent 2+ hours at the cemetery and then drove back to the ship. We made a stop or two along the way, but made it back in time for the last shuttle back to the ship. The Tuscan countryside was amazing and I want to go some day to spend more time there.

 

 

Voyager in Ravenna

 

 

Our rental car, nice car, but not what I paid for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bbbearden]

 

 

 

My wife's grandfathers grave marker.

 

 

 

[bbbearden]

Docked next to us at the pier in Ravenna was the Zenith. Used to be a Celebrity Cruise lines ship, but has now moved on to a new cruise line.

 

 

[bbbearden]

I discovered this place at 3am the last night, It was our first cruise and my wife wouldn't let us go to bed. I walked in this room, totally confused, walked out, then back in again and someone else came in and demonstrated its use.

 

 

I knew what to expect only due to a friend that had been on the ship or would have been a bit confused myself.

[Jules12Wed]

I got the shot, I just did not post it. :D

 

Sorry being a bit thick - what is it??

[rickdent]

bbbearden: Thank you for your posts of pictures and your description of your wife's grandfather and grandmother's sacrifices. It was moving to read and see the pics of the cemetery. It is gratifying to see the excellent condition of the cemetery, we don't all realize how many tens of thousands of Americans are buried overseas. Their sacrifices should not be forgotten.

A great review of the cruise so far. Hope you've recovered from the cramped conditions of the Alfa.

Rick

[SchoolNurseMom]

Not really a comment on the cruise, but I noticed that the name on the grave marker is "Brinkerhoff" Is that a common name? My son has a friend with that last name and I have never heard it anywhere else.

[lilant]

I got the shot, I just did not post it. :D

 

Whats in this picture i dont get? inside secret?

 

:confused::confused:

anthony

 

 

 

 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... THE URINAL WITH A VIEW!!!!

[Texas Teen]

Enjoying the review and pictures! :D

[bbbearden]

Whats in this picture i dont get? inside secret?

 

:confused::confused:

anthony

 

 

 

 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... THE URINAL WITH A VIEW!!!!

 

 

You got it, the very unusual urinal on Voyager.:cool:

 

I had the shot, just could not bring myself to post a picture of bathroom fixtures.........however, it is unusual and a bit of a conversation piece.

[bbbearden]

Not really a comment on the cruise, but I noticed that the name on the grave marker is "Brinkerhoff" Is that a common name? My son has a friend with that last name and I have never heard it anywhere else.

 

 

His name was Charles Brinkerhoff from Des Moines, Iowa. It is somewhat common in some areas. I think it may be a Dutch name but not 100% sure. The entire story is very touching. Not really something for these boards, but a reminder of the sacrifices made for our freedom. A reminder that is very personal.

[bbbearden]

bbbearden: Thank you for your posts of pictures and your description of your wife's grandfather and grandmother's sacrifices. It was moving to read and see the pics of the cemetery. It is gratifying to see the excellent condition of the cemetery, we don't all realize how many tens of thousands of Americans are buried overseas. Their sacrifices should not be forgotten.

A great review of the cruise so far. Hope you've recovered from the cramped conditions of the Alfa.

Rick

 

The Alfa was actually a nice little car, I just could nit drive it. Glad my wife our. I drive a full size SUV so you can imagine the siz difference. It was n adventure, and we still had fun. The car issues at least make it a more entertaining story.

[julieclair]

Thanks for sharing your wife's grandfather's story. So very moving! I'm glad you all were able to visit his grave and pay your respects.

 

Thank you for this exceedingly helpful review. We will be taking this cruise on October 8th, so we're anxiously reading every word and excitedly viewing every picture!

[julieclair]

Koper Slovenia: On the pier right outside the secure area where you exit there was a booth selling shore excursions. The excursions were almost exactly the same ones being offered on the ship for about half the price.

 

Did you happen to notice if they had any tours going to Lake Bled?

Thanks,

[DEERINH2O]

Voyager was my first big ship... I love your review... Really nice that you visited your wifes grandfathers marker... that is very touching..

 

Kathy

[Liz]

I am going on this cruise in two weeks time and really looking forward to it. Just a quick question I am in a Junior Suite - can I use the Portofino and Suite seats in Theatre or is it only for GS/OS ?

 

Thanks

 

Macker91 - it looks like you are cruising on 3 September - ? If so, come on over to our roll call (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1347063&page=8) !

 

Liz

[Liz]

Thanks for your review - I'm on the September 3 sailing and am enjoying your comments!

 

Liz