Solo Senorita EPIC Western Med Review

[Papalove12]

Loved your review and great pictures. Just like you we are embarking out of Rome on Sept 25. You mentioned when you were trying to get off the ship in Barcelona that you had committed a faux pas and I didn't catch what that was. Were you in the wrong line? It sounds like it was chaotic.

[GA_Traveler]

I just finished reading the review so far and wondered if you are going to finish it? I am eager to find out about Naples and your tour with Rome In Limos. I am hoping to do this cruise next summer and if so, I am working on planning my excursions.

 

I loved the review so far and it sounds like you had a blast.

 

Thanks.

[Tiggertastic]

thanks for such a great long review

 

Good for you not swapping seats on the plane, people need to learn to pay for their seats, we always do

 

And when he stood up, I would have said excuse me then and let me know when you're ready to sit down and I will get up again

 

Loved the studio pictures too

[snorklinbarb]

Very entertaining review. Having been on Epic twice for two B2B's and many of the places you visited, I felt like I was right there.:)

 

Curious about your pre-cruise Rome hotel. Enjoyed all your photos but do you happen to have any of the hotel? Was breakfast of any kind included? If not, were there places nearby? You mentioned a trattoria - were there places nearby for dinner?

 

You had me laughing in many spots. Sounds like the studio worked out really well and that the cruise line does a nice job of arranging things.

 

Did you happen to notice who was in Fat Cat's? You mention Howl at the Moon a couple of times so not sure if you got there.;)

 

Hope you get back to Montserrat sometime when the boys choir performs at 1 pm. My first time there I missed it but did get back.

 

Thanks again for taking time to do the review and photos!

[sunbird21]

I had posted the final two days on here before I posted the pics...somehow it didnt get posted...oops!! Didnt mean to leave anyone hanging! The blog was on my old laptop,so I just have to transfer the file over to this one....will repost! Thank you everyone for reading and for the comments-I plan to do another blog for my second Epic cruise in January!

 

In the meantime,to answer a few ?'s...

 

My "faux pas" that I forgot to put in...apparently,I was supposed to get in line with the people disembarking in Barcelona to get off the ship. I didnt realize this until that evening in the studio lounge when Vianey commented on me "cutting" in line...although she had TOLD me to go ahead and go....(shrug). It wasn't the most organized process,as I'm sure other Rome cruisers can attest to. Looking back,it seemed like the Rome embarkers (and even more so the Marseilles ones) were the redheaded stepchildren...people embarking on Barcelona got a bit more fanfare when getting on board,the specials were all geared towards that day,etc. It didnt make any difference in the cruise experience,mind you-just seemed like that was the "official" beginning /ending of the cruise week on the Epic.

 

I don't have too many hotel pics from the Hotel Versailles,will try to hunt some down,but it was nice and clean,simple.It was a bit out of the way from the main attractions,near the Borghese Gardens.It didnt include breakfast but if you walk outside the hotel,take a left,about a block down was a main square or "piazza" with several trattorias,cafes,etc.This was also the main bus stop to transport you to the Metro,Termini,or other attractions.

 

Fat Cats...we went in it on the last night for a few,a jazz band was playing.They had some comedians and bands throughout the week,nothing that was terribly interesting to me,and definitely not the infamous Slam Allen that was mentioned in reviews from the previous summer.

 

Stacey

[sunbird21]

Onto Day 9...

I definitely had to wake up too early this morning,as we were meeting our guide from Rome In Limo at 8! Much like the other mornings,the cruise director came on the intercom to announce that we had arrived in Naples ahead of schedule and had been cleared by the port to enter.

Today,since I was on limited time,I skipped O'Sheehans for breakfast :( and stopped by the Studio Lounge,where I found the cabinet with pastries behind the bar,along with a juice dispenser and an espresso machine. I grabbed a quick breakfast and made my way to the Atrium Cafe,where the excursion group was meeting.

With the exception of one new couple,everyone else had been on the Livorno excursion-me,B,E and R(who did NOT get lost overnight this time!), and V and M.Everyone else was already at the Cafe when I arrived at ten to eight.Since I had no other contact information for the new couple,we waited around for a few,then decided to head outside and see if they were there.

After walking through a large airport like terminal,we went outside and found a sea of 3 piece suited men in sunglasses. V spotted one holding a card with my name,and sure enough, the other couple,P and A were with him. Our driver,Diego,greeted us warmly and ushered us to his Mercedes van. Although most of us were pretty quiet(it being early and near the end of the cruise) Diego chatted energetically. B,who was even more hung over than I was, muttered "Typical Italian," under his breath. (Hmm...methinks theres some tension between certain European nationalities??)

Anyway,as we climbed into the van,B grabbed a backseat,planning to nap during the drive. I sat by him with the same hope,as V and M grabbed the front seat,camcorder already fixed in M's hand. As E and R climbed in the middle,P and A looked a bit perplexed as they divided up into the remaining two seats. P sat next to me and proceeded to lean forward and hold A's hand in fromt of her as we drove away from the pier.

While we drove,Diego inquired about our trip,asking about other excursions and ports.R piped up that this one was sure to be the best b/c "I'm on this one!" which of course,made everyone else laugh,and we had to tell the story of poor R getting lost on board. Diego made a few good natured jabs at him,and this began an excursion long banter between the two which had most of us laughing.

At one point,as we were driving,Diego made a remark to me about my "husband," and after correcting him that B and I were NOT married,and had just met on the ship,P swung her head towards me so fast."You're not together? I assumed thats why you wanted to sit next to him," she said accusingly.

"No,just wanted to sit in the back," I replied.

Diego,however,was happy to hear that I was single(on the cruise at least). "This is fantastic! Now,you must take me back on ship with you,I'll stay in your cabin." We all laughed.

As we drove along to Positano, Diego continued to tell us about his life as a tour guide and about some of the history of the area. he claimed he dreamt about being an opera singer.Of course,R goaded him into performing for us,which he accepted-and his voice was AMAZING. The only Italian opera singer I'm vaguely familiar with is Pavarotti(sp?) and his voice was very similar. He earned much applause after that performance!

Soon,we stopped along the coast to get pictures of the sea and the beginnings of the spectacular Amalfi shoreline. Diego also pointed out the MASSIVE lemons for sale by vendors,as well as the "Italian ******"(some type of pepper) which he nudged the men to purchase.

(I didn't notice that any of them did,but I don't think they would have advertised it LOL).

When we were getting back into the van,P stopped me,asking if I wouldnt mind trading seats with A,"since you are not with B and we really want to sit by each other."

I agreed,as I really didn't care,and I didnt mind who I sat next to...but keep in mind,these are small minivans with 9 people inside.The distance between any two people is probably a foot.Is it REALLY that much of a tragedy to sit an extra inch or two away from your partner for a half hour at a time???

At any rate,V,who witnessed the exchange,offered take my new middle seat and let me sit up front next to M. I declined,saying again,I didnt care where I sat,and I didnt want to separate her from her husband.

"Don't be ridiculous," she chided. "We've been together this whole cruise-I'm not going to suffer if I'm not right by him!" I guess I wasn't the only one who thought that the previous exchange was a bit off.

I continued to protest but she insisted,so for the remainder of the day,I sat between M and Diego.It was a better view up front,of course,and Diego was flirting away with me next to him.

We continued to drive to Positano,where Diego joked about "visiting his girlfriend" while we shopped/toured the town. Since he had (in jest) invited us to his house for his wife to cook for us,R couldnt resist threatening to rat him out. Diego shook his head, then stated ,"Well,I'm just going to have to sneak back on with you then,Stacey!"

Giggling as he dropped us off,we spilt up to wander down the steep streets of Positano. I browsed some shops and then proceeded to run into V,M,E,R,and B within the next ten minutes(Positano's not very big).So,the group of us wandered into a shop that E found,giving Limoncello samples,in both original and a creamier version.I found the original version to be quite sour(but strong),while the creamy version reminded me of Tequila Rose(and not in a good way).

We had about 45 minutes in the town,which went by quickly. Once we were back at the meeting spot,we ran into another group from the ship,who claimed that someone had just been robbed down the street. Chaos!

On that somber note,we headed down the mountain(cliff?) to the winery. As we were driving and chatting about the horrible weather that we had throughout the cruise,Diego boasted about how sunny it had been in the region. "I promise you,I guarantee you-no rain today. Only sunshine."

R couldnt help himself. "Are you willing to wager on that,Diego? Because its seemed like it was going to be sunny every day,and its still rained."

"I GUARANTEE it,R-mundo," he insisted. "I specifically ordered sunshine for my beautiful guests. In fact,if it rains," he paused. "If it rains,I give you all this excursion FOR FREE."

"Come on,rain!" R chanted. We all laughed. I felt relieved though that the forecast MUST be pretty good for a tour guide to make such a statement.

However.....never a good idea to challenge the weather gods.....

TO BE CONTINUED

[sunbird21]

Hi! Sorry it took so long for me to come back,but life kept me busy the last several weeks! Anyway,as I am making my second trip on Epic next week,I wanted to finish this review up before I start the next!

 

Continued from previous post.....

 

Once we arrived at the winery,Diego let us out and we were greeted by a tour girl,who took us on a tour of the vineyard. Unlike typical vineyards,these vines were planted in ash,as we were at the base of the infamous Mt Vesuvius. She had given us a glass of the "Tears of Christ" wine to sip on as we toured. It was a white,kind of sweet but not bad.

 

After the tour,we settled in at a table on the patio for lunch. The food was incredible,we had bruschetta, and a couple of other appetizers. For the wines,they basically presented us with a bottle at a time and left them all for us to drink. Needless to say, we were WELL hydrated by the time we left! They even offered up the Grappa again,although I skipped it,knowing that I hated it in Tuscany.

 

As we climbed into the van and started off for our last stop,Pompeii, the skies grew cloudier. Diego turned out of the road that the winery was on, and then it happened....

 

Several drops of water splashed onto the windshield.

 

We all held our breaths. Just then,R spoke up. "Diego, is that....!?!"

 

"No, no! " Diego said frantically. " I just turned on my wipers by accident!"

 

Then the clouds opened completely and sheets of rain spilled onto the car.

 

We all cracked up. "Free tours! This is great! I'm treating everyone to Cagneys tonight!" R exclaimed.

 

Diego hung his head in shame. "Tomorrow, I find another job," he said mournfully.

 

We all laughed,and R joked back that we would still pay since he had been such an awesome tour guide. It was funny,but kind of depressing at the same time-after all,it had now rained every single day on this cruise! It was inescapable!

 

Upon arriving at Pompeii, Diego let us out and indicated that we would meet the van back there in a couple of hours. Prior to arriving,there had been a stalemate amongst e group regarding whether or not to hire a private guide. A few people wanted to,but not the majority,so it was a bit awkward with the few trying to talk the group into it. In the end,people decided amicably to kind of do their own thing here. It was at this point that we split up. M wanted to remain behind and take a nap on the benches outside. E and R rented audio guides and followed that tour,B was going to as well, but upon seeing the line to rent an audio guide, he came over with the remainder of us.I was just going to use my RS tour from my Kindle book,and the others decided to come along with me. So, I became an unofficial tour guide for the afternoon!

 

The outlined tour ended up working out very well,with only one glitch...RS starts his tour at a different point then where we were left off,( we entered by a long path leading to the coliseum). So,it took a good 10 minutes to figure out where the actual starting point was. Once we did,the tour had very clear descriptions as to how to navigate from point to point. It did not cover all of the points that the audio guide did,but it covered the main stops and quite a few more. I think our little subgroup left feeling like we got a full experience at Pompeii.

 

One of my personal favorite moments:

We were outside one of the "houses" and I was reading the description of the artwork in the living room from my Kindle. Suddenly, I came to a part where Rick described a prominent fertility symbol on the wall. I paused for a second, and one of the others jumped in. "Yup, we see it!" Clearly,they found the signature piece without the reading.

 

Overall, we saw several houses,the main forum, other town squares,stores,watering holes,a brothel, and concrete covered remains of a couple of victims.

 

 

 

At the end, we had about ten minutes to spare before we were due back. The rain had been kind and had stopped just before we arrived at Pompeii,but was now starting to drizzle again. As we headed for the exit and crossed through the forum, we saw an elderly man laying across a wall with his anxious looking wife leaning over him and a couple of others hovering nearby.

 

Our group paused. Any and all research that I have done in all of my trips told me that this could very well be a setup for pickpockets,and I certainly knew that they were present by the number of people I had heard about losing valuables on this trip. However,being a nurse,I didn't feel right simply walking by. So,I gave my purse to one of my other group members,who were already looking wary and clutching their own, and approached the man. Thankfully,he did speak English,and after assessing him for a few minutes,determined that it was a legitimate incident and he was hypoglycemic(low blood sugar for those with no diabetes or medical knowledge).

 

Apparently he was on a tour,and the guide had run off to get the medical staff present in the park. Once we figured out the cause,another person standing nearby offered the guy a candy bar to eat.

 

After the tour guide returned with other medical personnel,he appeared to be feeling better from the candy,so our group continued towards the exit. We were now running a couple of minutes late,which wouldn't have been TOO bad,except....no one could remember which of the dozens of identical cobblestone paths led to the walkway leading to our entrance. Finally,we found someone who directed us to the coliseum,and once there,we were able to find our way back. By the time we reached the van, we were about a good twenty minutes late,and the drizzle was now a downpour.

 

Luckily,Diego didn't reprimand us, and we still had about an hour before the ship was due to leave. Diego assured us that we were pretty close to port.

 

The rain continued as we made our way through Naples,as we all pretty much conceded that we would not be using the waters,ides on board after all.

 

Diego was true to his word,and had us Epic-side shortly. Just as they had in Italy,people handed me their share of the tour cost,and I presented it to Diego. I think we all gave him at least 10-20 euros apiece extra. Diego then handed us a bottle of limoncello and thanked us for still paying him even though it rained ;-)

 

As we walked back to the terminal,we made quick plans to meet up later and split the limoncello as a group, and then people divided up as we got to the security line. I was by myself after exiting the terminal when Vianey spotted me walking to the gangway. She asked me where my cabin was,and once I told her,she directed me to a different entrance,saying it was closer to my room. I was very appreciative!

 

Upon returning to my cabin, I began to feel a little down about the trip coming to an end :( I started to pack before the final solo meeting,and did not go to view the sail away due to the rain.

 

Packing aside,I made my way to the studio lounge,where Christian the bartender remembered my drink and poured it for me as I walked in. Such service! Other members of the Rome group were there,and we all began taking our goodbye pictures.

 

The "new" crowd (Barcelona embarkers) were there as well,but they seemed to gravitate more towards the other end of the lounge. Vianey came in and announced that the dining venue would be Taste that night,which the Barcelona peeps were fine with.

 

However,the rest of us kind of wanted to dine somewhere else that night,so we decided to go to O'Sheehans for the last dinner.

 

Before we left,we stayed in the lounge as the others left for Taste. Christian kept us going for a bit with drinks. A few of us slipped him extra tips as a goodbye,and he presented us with a nice bottle of red for our dinner that night.

 

So, it was off to dinner,where I got to enjoy the chicken wings one last time!

 

At the dinner,S asked me where I was staying in Rome the following night. I was going against everything I normally do on trips,was planning to book something near Termini station once I arrived. I am usually so Type A with planning trips it's not even funny,but I had left this night open not knowing where in Rome I would want to stay, and planned on booking something before I left for civitavecchia last Wednesday,but that didn't happen. It turned out to be a good thing though,as S has a hotel booked in Civitavecchia,and asked if I wanted to stay with her,so she would have someone to go into Rome with! I decided to take her up on it,even though it meant I'd have to get up earlier to get a train to FCO the following day.

 

Just then,B decided to stay another day in Rome and decided to book a room at the hotel as well. Since he was flying out the same morning as me on a business trip, he offered me a free ride to the airport with him,as he was claiming that as a business expense.

 

I couldn't pass THAT up! And now I would have a couple of other people to hang around with on my last day of vacation! I was a bit worried that I would be a third wheel,as S and B clearly had a vacation fling going,but S later assured me that all would be fine.

 

With that settled,we separated after dinner,planning to meet up at the Fabba party later. I went back to my cabin to collect the limoncello and go up to Shakers,where we were meeting with the tour group to share it.

 

B had declined to attend,heading for one last evening at the casino. I fully didn't expect to see the new couple, and I ran into V on the way,who said that she and M weren't going,either.we said our goodbyes and she gave me a bottle of champagne that M had been given at the casino that they didn't want to take with them.

 

Now I'm not a casino person at all,but from what I heard,people were seriously making $$$ on this trip. I was tempted to try,but having next to no gambling knowledge,I decided it was best left to the pros.

 

So,it ended up being just me,E and R at Shakers with the limoncello. The bartender gave us glasses on the DL,and warned us to be careful with it as it was likely to be confiscated. The three of us chatted for a bit about the trip,managed to get down a glass each of the liquor,and then said our goodbyes.

 

I walked back towards my cabin to drop off the limoncello,and sure enough,a bartender at one of the other bars grabbed me,pointing frantically to the bottle. "You can't have that!" he exclaimed.

 

I explained that it was the last night of MY cruise,and I was merely take it back to my cabin. He shook his head,insisting that I was not allowed to "walk through the deck with it." we had a staring contest for a few minutes,as I waited for him to figure out a way for me to magically transport myself back to the 11th floor. Finally, he sighed and gave me a white linen napkin.

"At least COVER IT UP !" he snapped.

I agreed,thanked him and continued on my way.

 

After dropping off the forbidden fruit, I headed to Bliss to watch karaoke and found L and L2 there. We had a drink before heading to Fabba,which,miraculously, was able to be held on Spice- a first for this trip!

 

The Fabba party was quite lively! I confess,I love the musical Mamma Mia,and have seen it a few times in NYC, so I liked a lot of the songs.

 

 

Vianey was decked out in her best 70's gear.

 

Fabba concluded after an hour,and they continued playing music.i stayed for a bit,but was getting tired,and it was going to be an early morning again.so,I said goodbye to a few people,made plans to meet some others in the morning in the lounge,and confirmed with B and S that we were doing self disembark at 8ish.

 

My long awaited Epic cruise was just about over.....

 

 

 

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[sunbird21]

A few pics of Pompeii since there was a photo limit....

 

 

 

IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/08/ydysypev.jpg[/img]

 

 

And just a couple more of the beautiful Amalfi coast....

 

 

 

 

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Edited January 8, 2014 by sunbird21

[sunbird21]

Day 10- The end of Epic and Final Day in Italy

 

Since I was packed,I planned to sleep in as long as possible before I had to meet B and S in the lounge( we had changed our meeting time to 9). Unfortunately,this was the one day when the cruise director amped his voice up on the intercom and started announcing debarked times starting at 6:45.

I ignored that one,and the ones at 7, 7:15, and 7:30. By 7:45, I gave up,got ready,and headed to the lounge early. I had yet to try the pastries there,so I found the mini fridge with them in and tried the infamous cappuccino machine. Just then,L,A, and C came through,as they were sharing a cab to FCO,so we said our goodbyes.

 

Shortly after that,B and S came in,and helped themselves to coffee and pastries. They had barely sat down when one of the cabin stewar came through and asked if we were disembarking. Saying that we planned to self disembark at 9, he glanced at his watch,saying that it was 8:45, and giving us a pointed stare.

 

So,S and B abandoned their breakfasts, and we collected our luggage and headed for the elevators. Needless to say,this was a cluster ****, and it took about 20 minutes before we were actually off the ship. We pretty much walked right through the terminal and the driver that S hired was waiting out front to take us to the hotel.

 

I know it doesn't make sense to stay in Civitavecchia since Rome is easily accessible,but I was glad that we did. S's hotel,the hotel Mirabelle, was very similar to the boutique type hotels I've stayed at in Europe,and it was right on the boardwalk overlooking the Mediterranean. We had a small balcony,and as we were taking pictures,the couple in e room next to ours were on their balcony,so we chatted a bit. Turned out,they were going on the Epic that day! We of course raved about the ship,gave them our tips,and wished them a Bon voyage.

 

 

Once we were settled in our rooms,we walked to the train station,which was a block behind the hotel. We got on the fast train that went straight to San Pietro station and Termini.

 

Sure enough, about a half hour later,we arrived at the San Pietro station,and decided to get off here. S mainly wanted to see the highlights,as she didn't explore Rome once she was mugged,so she was happy to go anywhere. st Peters and the Vatican were what I had planned to see that day,and I had purchased the skip the line tickets to the Vatican for 3pm.B had been to Rome many times before,of course,living in Belgium,so he was pretty flexible too. The two of them also purchased tickets for the Vatican at the same time,so we decided to stop by and see the papal mass for a bit first before going elsewhere.

 

This HAD to be a pickpockets dream. The crowd was HUGE! B kept warning us to watch our purses....

 

B then pointed out Pope Francis on his podium,and took turns lifting each of us up to see him. I tried to snap a quick picture...

 

Once we had our Papal sighting,we decided to head on out.it was a mob!

 

B saw these guards and wanted to take pics with him,and the guard obliged....

 

After that, we headed for the metro and went down to the Colosseum area,where we walked by the outside of it and the Roman Forum for S to see. I kept encouraging her and B to go in and tour it,as we had time,but she said she was happy to see it from the outside. Either that,or she witnessed the MANY tour groups winding their way around with someone holding up signs indicating various cruise lines.

 

I'm guessing that Wednesday is the main port day in Civitavecchia.

 

Since they didn't want to go inside,we headed back towards the metro and went to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps before stopping for lunch at one of the many street side trattorias. While scenic,the service there wasn't great,and the food took quite a while.

 

As we left the trattoria,our weather demons followed us,and the skies opened up as we walked towards the metro. We ended up grabbing a taxi to the Vatican.

 

Since we had 3pm tickets,I figured that most of the cruise crowds would be dying down and the museum wouldn't be that crowded. Wrong! We weaves our way through about a hundred people inside the main entrance until we found the skip the line counter. Luckily,there weren't many people there,and we quickly got our tickets,and entered the vast museum.

 

We climbed several flights of stairs with a crowd,and I kept waiting for them to disperse into different parts of the building and have some breathing room. I didn't get it until I was leaving the museum!

 

Once again,I used my RS book for the Vatican tour,and he did an amazing job describing everything,but it was hard to be able to concentrate on studying the different rooms,sculptures,paints,and ceilings,as there was simply nowhere for us to stand and read.i had to kind of skim the page and talk as we were walking. Even the guided tours I saw were pressed up against the walls and shouting to be heard. If one wanted,they could just simply tail these guides and get a free guided tour...it was impossible to separate anyone.

 

However,when all is said and done,the Vatican was so amazing that one is simply taken away visually in each room.

 

 

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[sunbird21]

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[sunbird21]

The crowds basically were propelled by momentum from room to room until we reached the Sistine Chapel,where,of course,you couldn't take any pictures. It was incredible to see. I am glad I read the description of the panels beforehand,as it would have been impossible to read while standing there!

 

After gazing at the ceiling,we found then"secret" door indicated in RS book,and exited by the hallway that is linked to St Peters Cathedral. We stopped at a gift shop in between the two and I purchased a couple of rosaries for relatives.

 

At this point,B and S were getting tired,and B suggested skipping the cathedral and heading back to Civitavecchia. I had no intention of doing this,so I told them that I would take a later train back if they wanted to go. They decided to continue on,and I think they were glad that they did,because the cathedral was incredible

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure enough, once we walked in, B spent the next several minutes taking panoramic photos.

 

There were crowds here as well,but the cathedral is so vast that there was some breathing room to walk around. It's hard to adequately describe the sheer beauty of either of these two buildings. I am Catholic,but I don't think it's a requirement to be able to appreciate....I was speechless.

 

Once we were done,we headed back to the train station. My feet were absolutely KILLING me at this point.

 

Unfortunately,it seemed like the crowds were ready to head back too,and the train was standing room only,which made for a pleasant trip back.i ended up sitting on the steps after a while.

 

After arriving in Civitavecchia,we had some space at last as the hotel was in the opposite direction than the pier. We went to our respective rooms and collapsed for awhile before dinner.

 

Honestly,I don't know how people who do the Barcelona-Barcelona route do it. there's so much to see in Rome,and so much walking,it's an exhausting day to cram into 8-10 hrs and then go back to the ship and do ANYTHING. This evening,more than ever, I was glad that I chose to do the Rome embarkation.

 

Once we were rested up,the sun was setting,and we walked to a little pizzeria down the boardwalk. The temperature was mild,and the view of the sea was picturesque. At one point,I looked up and saw the silhouette of the Epic sailing away,so I snapped one final picture of her.

 

I had to admit,I thought Civitavecchia was a cute little seaside town,and for those who have been to Rome before or are willing to spend a night away from it pre or post cruise,it's a nice place to relax. There a a handful of cute little pizzerias and cafes along the boardwalk,and this one in particular(can't remember the name,but it had brightly colored picnic tables on the patio) had pretty good food and the servers were very friendly. At one point,the music started playing the Rank Sinatra sone,"New York,New York," which made me laugh,since that was my destination the next day!

 

My final Italian day was coming to a close as we headed back to the hotel. We spilt the bottle of champagne that V had given me before calling it a night.

 

 

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[sunbird21]

Last photos.....

Goodbye Epic!

 

The pizzeria in Civitavecchia

 

 

 

 

 

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[Lilystar]

Hi Stacey,

 

I've been reading through your trip review and the roll call for your trip. Thanks so much for such a detailed report. It is very helpful as I'll be on the same ship in August this year with the same itinerary.

 

I have a question for you. The 2 tours you arranged (smartcruise in Livorno) and Rome in Limo in Naples....it looks like you stopped at a winery at both of them. Can you shed some light on the differences and which one you preferred and why? Did you get to see the countryside? Did one of the tours stick out to you more than the other? I am asking because I may only get the chance to visit one winery while on the trip and I really liked the reviews of both companies you used. So I'm curious on the details.

 

Thanks once again!

[Doandroidzdream]

Hey, what is an RS book? Thanks!

 

"Once again, I used my RS book for the Vatican tour"

[karoo]

Hey, what is an RS book? Thanks!

 

"Once again, I used my RS book for the Vatican tour"

 

 

I'm assuming RS stands for Rick Steves. He also has an iPhone and IPad app you can load onto your devices. He has audio tours that are excellent. You can download them before you leave. I've used them in Rome, Florence and Venice. I love them - you can sightsee at your own pace.

[Doandroidzdream]

I'm assuming RS stands for Rick Steves. He also has an iPhone and IPad app you can load onto your devices. He has audio tours that are excellent. You can download them before you leave. I've used them in Rome, Florence and Venice. I love them - you can sightsee at your own pace.

 

Oh thank you! It was killing me not knowing how she was using her Kindle so cleverly to assist with tours. RS Kindle did not bring up anything that made sense when I googled ^.^