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

[Ireallyneedavacation]

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!

 

I haven't written a review on TA or CC, but I did contact the owner directly. Toni did write a review on TA, but it was much nicer than what I would have done! :)

[cj_one2000]

I haven't written a review on TA or CC, but I did contact the owner directly. Toni did write a review on TA, but it was much nicer than what I would have done! :)

 

Did the owner apologize or anything? Just wondering how the boss of such an employee would respond to a complaint about such a weird employee. Did you ask for a refund or anything?

 

Part of me wishes that you could pay for these tours on a secure online sire, with a credit or debit card. That way if something goes wrong, you can create a dispute with your credit card company to get your money back. Instead, they almost always make you pay in cash at the end of the tour.

 

Unfortunately, here in Europe, many small business avoid credit cards like the plague -- they don't want to pay the surcharge fees to the credit card companies/processors. Seems like Euro cash is king over here, but that could also because a lot of Europeans don't like to use credit cards due to fraud with the card reading machines.

[enidcruiser]

Back in your pictures there was a gentleman on his knee proposing to a young lady. Did you know them or did you just take the picture for fun?

 

I guess that was what he was doing, right?

 

Love this review and the Navigator is about our most favorite ship. Thanks for all the great pictures.

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Back in your pictures there was a gentleman on his knee proposing to a young lady. Did you know them or did you just take the picture for fun?

 

I guess that was what he was doing, right?

 

Love this review and the Navigator is about our most favorite ship. Thanks for all the great pictures.

 

Oh, that was just Toni and Chris goofing around!

 

You are welcome!

[Sinduf]

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!!

My aunt loves the heat so don't think that will be an issue. RCI do a cruise out of the UK that includes 1 stop here in Cork but so many other great places to see here you'd need a seperate holiday just for Ireland.

[cdjmas]

We are taking the Eastern Mediterranean Cruise on June 2, 2013. It is our first cruise, second cruise for our friends that are going. This has been a great help to us!! We are staying 3 days in Rome before we sail. We will be using lots of your info. Thanks for posting.

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Did the owner apologize or anything? Just wondering how the boss of such an employee would respond to a complaint about such a weird employee. Did you ask for a refund or anything?

 

Part of me wishes that you could pay for these tours on a secure online sire, with a credit or debit card. That way if something goes wrong, you can create a dispute with your credit card company to get your money back. Instead, they almost always make you pay in cash at the end of the tour.

 

Unfortunately, here in Europe, many small business avoid credit cards like the plague -- they don't want to pay the surcharge fees to the credit card companies/processors. Seems like Euro cash is king over here, but that could also because a lot of Europeans don't like to use credit cards due to fraud with the card reading machines.

 

No, we weren't offered anything, and I didn't ask. We just took the bad with the good. He became pretty funny by the end of the day. You just never knew what he was going to do or say next! He really was very knowledgeable about Ephesus. And although a visit to a mosque wasn't on my things to do, I can now say I have been to one!

I would love it if more European companies would start taking credit cards. The only one that did was the bike tour in Florence, and none of the owners were European!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

We are taking the Eastern Mediterranean Cruise on June 2, 2013. It is our first cruise, second cruise for our friends that are going. This has been a great help to us!! We are staying 3 days in Rome before we sail. We will be using lots of your info. Thanks for posting.

 

Wow! Y'all are going all out for your first cruise! I think you will have a really good time, but know that Mediterranean cruises are nothing like the cruises to the Caribbean. They are both wonderful in their own ways. Mediterranean cruises are go, go, go. Caribbean, not so much! So, if you don't love it (but I think you will), at least give a Caribbean cruise a try!

I am glad I can be of some help for you! Let me know how it turns out!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

So, before leaving, I had purchased the birthday celebration package to have our suite decorated.

 

 

 

I also bought her a birthday cake that they brought to her during dinner. Look who Corrie got to sit next to on her birthday!

 

 

 

 

Here are Mike & Cheryl....

 

 

Here is the wait staff dancing around...

[Ireallyneedavacation]

After dinner we headed to Steve's and Steve's suite for a little birthday celebration! Steve and Steve had their suite decorated (for Steve's birthday), but they also made Corrie a birthday chair!

 

 

And some birthday earrings....

 

 

Chris then popped a bottle of champagne! And we cut into the cake! The cake was really good! (Sorry about the quality of these pictures. I apparently had my camera on the wrong setting.)

 

 

Now, before the cruise, Toni had organized a pub crawl for anyone on the roll call that wanted to attend. She mapped out all of the bars on the ship and set a schedule for where we were to be and for how long we were to stay in each one....some we went over, some we didn't stay long at at all. The pub crawl just happen to fall on Corrie's birthday, and since Steve and Steve had bought so many of those Turkish hats, we were all required to wear them for at least part of the night!

 

Here are Steve and Steve with the two hats we had bought them in Crete. We thought they looked a little more distinguishing!

 

 

If you are close with those in your roll call, I really suggest doing a pub crawl, even if you don't drink. I was starting to get a cold and was on medication and didn't drink, and I had a good time!...well, some did overly drink, so I had a good time watching them! I kind of look tipsy in this picture, but I promise you, I wasn't! (This is another self portrait by Steve!)

 

 

We got to the wine bar, and there was only like us and one other group in there. Mike, Steve and Chris decided they were going to pull a bunch of tables together, so we could all sit together. This made the most awful noise. I don't think the other group enjoyed our loudness because once Mike started yelling, "We want liquor!" (in the wine bar, mind you), they got up and left. The funny thing is that Steve got them on his video camara leaving the bar!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

 

 

When we finally got back to our cabin, this was waiting for us....

 

The last thing Corrie said before going to sleep was, "Best birthday ever!".

The next morning we got to sleep in, because it was our last sea day and last day of the cruise.:(

[Ireallyneedavacation]

The last sea day we just lounged around, and Toni and Chris to us to parts of the ship that we didn't even know existed, or really how to get to it, like the helo pad.

 

 

It was really rather breezy. And, yes, I am playing Wonder Woman.

 

 

Ok, none of us had ever heard of the Stromboli Volcano, so when we came upon it, we were a little shocked to see it, but the helo pad was a great vantage point! We were really shocked when we saw the puff of smoke come out of the top of it!

 

 

 

 

People actually live at the bottom of this volcano! You can see the little town on the bottom right.

 

[Ireallyneedavacation]

A couple of last dinner photos....

 

 

That night we went back to Steve's and Steve's suite to hang out and say our good-byes to them. Steve One doctored me up with some kind of hot concoction that he made me breathe in. It actually really worked well because the next morning I was a new woman! We said our good-byes and headed back to our room. The next day was another big adventure in Rome for our last bike tour down the Appian Way with Toni and Chris. And this is where the climax of our trip occurred and will remain a secret to Corrie's Dad forever!

[redned09]

:)Well I hope that Corrie's Dad doesnt read Cruise Critic!!!! cos I am hanging to find out what happens next!!!

[cj_one2000]

No, we weren't offered anything, and I didn't ask. We just took the bad with the good. He became pretty funny by the end of the day. You just never knew what he was going to do or say next! He really was very knowledgeable about Ephesus. And although a visit to a mosque wasn't on my things to do, I can now say I have been to one!

 

I would love it if more European companies would start taking credit cards. The only one that did was the bike tour in Florence, and none of the owners were European!

 

Glad you had a good attitude about it all! After being in Europe for two years, I see that the majority of transactions at stores, restauarants, etc. are all done with Euro cash. There are ATMs and banks everywhere because of this, so we've adjusted to taking out cash at ATMs at a bank (more secure) when we travel.

 

Never been in a mosque either -- I guess I'd be like you in that regard, being able to say that it wasn't planned but now you got to see one.

[sarahtxag]

Love those Turkish hats! HA!!! Gotta get some of those for sure!

[I Fly]

Joanna,

I've been reading your review day by day. You really made me feel I was there! If I were there, I would have considered this cruise the BEST cruise ever! Oh yeah, I was, and it was my best cruise ever!!!! Steve and I have been on more than 50 cruises together and while we always have fun on a cruise, this was more than a cruise, more than an adventure, it was something that doesn't happen too many times in a lifetime. The seven of us got along like we had known each other for many years. We just clicked!! Joanna, you did such a great job in recounting your adventure. Thanks for the memories from the cruise and for your outstanding review.

 

Steve Dos

Edited March 8, 2013 by I Fly

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Joanna,

I've been reading your review day by day. You really made me feel I was there! If I were there, I would have considered this cruise the BEST cruise ever! Oh yeah, I was, and it was my best cruise ever!!!! Steve and I have been on more than 50 cruises together and while we always have fun on a cruise, this was more than a cruise, more than an adventure, it was something that doesn't happen too many times in a lifetime. The seven of us got along like we had known each other for many years. We just clicked!! Joanna, you did such a great job in recounting your adventure. Thanks for the memories from the cruise and for your outstanding review.

 

Steve Dos

 

Hi Steve!! I miss you guys so much! I wish we could do all of our cruises with you. Steve One has updated me on a few you all are doing. Keep me updated, because one day, you will see me on another with you!

We did click! I am sure I wouldn't be writing this review had we not! You really need to get a FB page, because I love keeping up with Steve's travels. I looked you up the other day because I knew you would be on your roll call for y'all's President's Day cruise. It just made me wish I was going too!

 

Thanks for popping in and feel free to add any of your thoughts on our adventure!

 

Joanna

[Ireallyneedavacation]

:)Well I hope that Corrie's Dad doesnt read Cruise Critic!!!! cos I am hanging to find out what happens next!!!

 

Rest assured that I wouldn't be writing this if he did!;)

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Glad you had a good attitude about it all! After being in Europe for two years, I see that the majority of transactions at stores, restauarants, etc. are all done with Euro cash. There are ATMs and banks everywhere because of this, so we've adjusted to taking out cash at ATMs at a bank (more secure) when we travel.

 

Never been in a mosque either -- I guess I'd be like you in that regard, being able to say that it wasn't planned but now you got to see one.

 

We were just along for the ride, good or bad! We are just thanful that most of it was good!

BTW, thanks for your service!:)

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Love those Turkish hats! HA!!! Gotta get some of those for sure!

 

I loved the hats too! They are on my list is I ever make it back to Turkey. FYI, John is not on my list if I ever make it back to Turkey!:D

[bvocruise]

Do you happen to remeber what time the shows were? Also, how were the tickets handled for the ice show? Thanks!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Do you happen to remeber what time the shows were? Also, how were the tickets handled for the ice show? Thanks!

 

 

I am sorry. I don't. Steve, do you?

We didn't need tickets to the ice show. We just showed up!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

We carried our own luggage off the ship. We thought we were meeting Ivano with Italy In Limos early, but once we saw him, we realized that the two other couples from the roll call that we were sharing the ride with were already there! Now, I communicated with Ivano for months before the cruise. He is ssssooo nice and goes out of his way to make your experience as comfortable and flawless as possible. He also answers your emails almost immediately. He was unable to drive us to the port, but he made a point to make sure he could drive us back to Rome. As I said, there were two other couples. He dropped each of them at their respective hotels, and then dropped us by our hotel near the airport so that we could leave our luggage. We then road with him on to Rome. When we got to Rome, he drove us around and did part of the tour he would do for other clients. He also stopped and bought us all a coffee. The next time I go to Rome, I will definitely use him for all of my transportation needs. He is a little cheaper than the other BIG company. Oh, I almost forgot. I got an email from him the other day that said that he has now formed a larger company and is now known as AIM Limo Guided Tours. You won't be disappointed if you use him! He finally dropped us off where we could do a little more sightseeing before we did our bike tour with Red Bicycle Tours. (He actually dropped us off at the Hard Rock Cafe' so that I could buy my shirt. Only then did we realize how close we were to the Cappuchin Crypt that we had visited the morning of embarkation.:))

 

The road in front of the Colosseum was closed this day, so it made for some great pictures!

 

 

[Ireallyneedavacation]

I had made arrangements with Glenn Newland with Red Bicycle Tour to do a bike ride down the Appian Way to the catacombs and aquaducts. Toni and Chris were meeting us at the Colosseum where the tour started. Now, it was the 5 of us and one other couple from England. Apparently, Glenn had never had a group this size because he did not have enough bikes to accomodate us, so he was renting bikes from a guy at the Colosseum. Corrie ended up with one of these bikes, which turned out to be the worst of all of them. We were on our way....

 

 

 

 

 

Now, soon after we started, Corrie's chain came off, and we all stopped while Glenn put it back on. We then made it to the catacombs. You aren't allowed to take pictures in the catacombs. I have a picture of all of us while we were there, but I cannot find it. We also drank out of a fountain for a little water break. Let me stop right here. Glenn told us that there would be plenty of places to stop for water, but in my opinion there wasn't....so, don't listen to him. Take your water bottle!

 

So, after the catacombs, we continued down the Appian Way, and this is where the excitement started. Now, I heard Glenn and Corrie behind me talking as we rode our bikes. Glenn then sped up to catch those in the lead, because he needed us to turn left down a road. We turned, and we all stopped while he explained what we were seeing. We were here....

 

 

Looking at this....