My VERY late review of our Eastern Mediterranean cruise onboard the Navigator!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Thank goodness we havent chosen your tour company. We are using the Best of Ephesus tour group. We have been adamant that we do not wish to do the Rug factories......hope that includes weaving as well LOL!!!

Hanging out for the next installment.

What nights were the Formal nights?

 

You might want to throw in weaving school!;)

 

I will get back with you on formal nights. It's my b-day today, and my mind isn't working as well as it was yesterday!

[bbfgator]

Happy Birthday! Hope your day is special :).

[Kik35]

Happy Birthday Joanna, hope you have a great day!!!

 

Really enjoying your review. Great info about what to see and what tour groups to use and also what NOT to see and companies NOT to use:eek:!! Hoping to do this cruise next yr and really interested in your experiences. Glad you were able to avoid the "Turkish Baths"!!~Claudia

[goncruzn]

Enjoy your birthday! I just found this thread and I absolutely love it! Me and three of my girlfriends will be doing this same itinerary October 27th. I've been trying to decide what tour companies to go with and now you've at least helped me in deciding which one not to choose. :eek:

 

I love your pictures. We will only be in Rome for 2 days pre-cruise, but I wish it were longer because I'd love to do the drive down the Amalfi coast. It looked so scenic and pretty. Hmmm, I may have to see if I can get an extra day or two out of the trip.

 

Can't wait for the remainder of your review!

Edited March 6, 2013 by goncruzn

[sarahtxag]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I am enjoying your review so much! Thank you! I know it takes a lot of time and effort. 7 weeks from today we will be on our way to Rome and then the cruise. Can't wait!!!

[Sinduf]

Great review just caught up, thanks for all the work your putting into it. Sending link to my aunt as this is the cruise she's thinking of doing in July.

[k9trix]

Happy Birthday!!! Hope John doesn't surprise you and jump out of your birthday cake!

Trixie :D

[hansolosmom]

Happy birthday - hope you enjoy it

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Thanks for letting me know which tour company not to use next year! Still enjoying the review!

 

You are welcome! So glad it is entertaining enough that you are still reading along!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Happy Birthday! Hope your day is special :).

 

Thank you! Go Gators!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Happy Birthday Joanna, hope you have a great day!!!

 

Really enjoying your review. Great info about what to see and what tour groups to use and also what NOT to see and companies NOT to use:eek:!! Hoping to do this cruise next yr and really interested in your experiences. Glad you were able to avoid the "Turkish Baths"!!~Claudia

 

Thanks, Claudia! I am glad we avoided the Turkish Baths as well, especially with John!

You will love this cruise!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Enjoy your birthday! I just found this thread and I absolutely love it! Me and three of my girlfriends will be doing this same itinerary October 27th. I've been trying to decide what tour companies to go with and now you've at least helped me in deciding which one not to choose. :eek:

 

I love your pictures. We will only be in Rome for 2 days pre-cruise, but I wish it were longer because I'd love to do the drive down the Amalfi coast. It looked so scenic and pretty. Hmmm, I may have to see if I can get an extra day or two out of the trip.

 

Can't wait for the remainder of your review!

 

Thank you! Glad you are enjoying the review! I know you will have a great time with your friends! There are just so many new experiences that you will experience that are made even more special when you can share them with those you are close with!

You definitely need to add a couple of days! The Amalfi Coast is amazing!

[Melozone]

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Joanna, Happy Birthday tooooooo Youuuuuuuu!!!!! Sorry my pitch may be off, I have a cold.:D

 

Go Gators, I'm in Ocala

[Ireallyneedavacation]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I am enjoying your review so much! Thank you! I know it takes a lot of time and effort. 7 weeks from today we will be on our way to Rome and then the cruise. Can't wait!!!

 

 

Thank you! It does take a lot of time. I am just glad you all are hanging in there until the end!

Wow! Less than 50 days! I am jealous!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Great review just caught up, thanks for all the work your putting into it. Sending link to my aunt as this is the cruise she's thinking of doing in July.

 

Thank you! It will be very hot in July, but I am sure she would still have a great time! One day I just might make it out your way! It is on my list!!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Happy Birthday!!! Hope John doesn't surprise you and jump out of your birthday cake!

 

Trixie :D

 

Thanks, Trixie! That would be a birthday nightmare!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Happy birthday - hope you enjoy it

 

Thank you! It hasn't been too bad! Hey, at least I am still around to have it!:)

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Joanna, Happy Birthday tooooooo Youuuuuuuu!!!!! Sorry my pitch may be off, I have a cold.:D

 

Go Gators, I'm in Ocala

 

Thank you! I thought is sounded much better than the rendition I got at work today! Hope you feel better!

I am actually an Auburn fan. The Gators are my #2 team.;) But still, "Go Gators"!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Friday, June 1st

 

Souda, Crete was the only port that I didn't make arrangements with a tour company. We did, however, make plans just to go into town with Toni and Chris. We wanted to go to the beach, but we never found it. It was a very short port stop, and we just ended up walking around town. Here we are waiting on Toni and Chis.

 

 

This one is more for you to be able to see part of the ship than anything....

 

 

We decided to take the bus. It was very simple. The tickets to purchase were right outside the ship. The bus was very crowded, however....

 

 

The bus stopped in front of a market, so we went in and shopped and looked around for a while.

 

 

It was funny, because we didn't make plans with Steve and Steve that day, but who did we run into? Steve & Steve!!

 

 

Edited March 7, 2013 by Ireallyneedavacation

[Ireallyneedavacation]

 

 

 

Another Steve self portrait!

 

[Ireallyneedavacation]

 

 

Notice the Fish Spa Foot Therpay in this picture. This is where they use fish to eat all of the dead skin off of your feet.

 

 

We then caught the bus back to the ship. It was much less crowded!

 

And yes, Toni did make Chris carry her pink bag around all week!

 

Oh, if you need to get a teenager a gift to take back home, Corrie found a little t-shirt place where she got her brother a t-shirt with his name on it but in Greek letters. Almost no one (well, what am I saying, we are in and around Alabama), no one around here knows what it says. It is very much a conversation starter!

 

 

[Ireallyneedavacation]

When we got back to the ship, we wanted to find a chair and relax, but we didn't have much luck. I think everyone else had that idea too! We finally found some, but it was in a very loud section of the ship!

 

 

 

 

Next up....Corrie's birthday and the roll call pub crawl!

[cj_one2000]

Next stop....Ephesus, Turkey...This port might take a while to cover!

 

We used Trans Balkan (no space between the words, it got blanked out when I first typed it) Tours for our day in Ephesus, and to say it was uncomfortable is an understatement. Our tour guide "John" made sure of that.

Ok, let me give you a little background on this tour. I emailed this tour company more than once telling them that we did NOT want to go to a rug factory. Well, we met John at the port and got on the van and what was one of the first things he said? He told us that the only place to get safe food to eat is at a weaving school....well, I guess I never said weaving school. He then asked if this is where we wanted to eat lunch. I said nothing, but the rest of the bunch said, "yes". What else were they supposed to say?

 

 

After reading the rest of your review from your trip, I hope you were able to send your honest review on TripAdvisor or similiar site. Maybe you can even warn others in the port of call boards here on CC :D! How horrible that John took you to places you didn't want to go to, talked about his circumcision (ew :eek:) and was inappropriate and making you feel uncomfortable during the whole tour. And to top it off, at the end of the tour, John demands money for the whole cost of the tour for everyone, from you when others have already paid their portion! Glad we didn't book our Euphesus excursion with his company. Scary!

[redned09]

Did they have any theme nights?

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Did they have any theme nights?

 

No, no theme nights.