Serenade of the Seas - Venice Itinerary Review (Aug 11, 2013)

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Hi Windjamming,

 

:D you had me laughing out loud when you mentioned your lack of coffee intake (during the jetlag phase)!

 

I just love the picture of the Arno river! ...and I can't wait for more dog pictures!

 

Great review, enjoying it tremendously! Thank You:)!

 

Stef

[windjamming]

:D you had me laughing out loud when you mentioned your lack of coffee intake (during the jetlag phase)!

 

LOL, yeah, I don't know what I was thinking not having coffee. I blame it on jetlag! But that steaming cup of cappuccino was SO good!

 

Thanks for continuing to follow on, Stef! I was afraid that due to the "low-impact" nature of the cruise, I'd lost some followers.

[windjamming]

Civitavecchia

 

Buongiorno! Today we are in Civitavecchia, pronounced chi-vee-ta-veck-i-a.

 

Civitavecchia was an ancient Roman port, and the harbor was constructed by Emperor Trajan. Its name means old (vecchia) city (civita). Today it is still a very busy port, with many cruise ships and ferries. We had 4 cruise ships in port with us today: Liberty of the Seas, Disney Magic, Dawn Princess, and Norwegian Epic.

 

Originally, when we saw this itinerary, we were excited about going to Rome because we'd missed the Sistine Chapel the last couple of times we were there.

 

As luck turns out, it was a Catholic holiday the day we docked in Civitavecchia this time and the Sistine Chapel was closed. Argh!!! Why didn't I check first before picking this cruise??? This is really upsetting because when we did the "Exclusive Rome" excursion on another cruise, we also didn't get to go to the Sistine Chapel because it was a Sunday. (True story: Another time I was visiting Rome with a friend, and the Sistine Chapel was closed because the Pope's brother's birthday was being held there! Talk about family perks!!)

 

With the Sistine Chapel inaccessible and crowds expected (5 ships in dock!), we decided to skip Rome and do something completely different.

 

We chose the Leisurely Tarquinia and Ice Cream Tasting excursion. Tarquinia is an ancient city (pre-dating Rome) about 20km north of Civitavecchia and 90km north of Rome. According to a review on TripAdvisor, it is "a hidden jewel out of Civitavecchia" and recommended as a great alternative to Rome.

 

Our group of 14 got on the bus and then went to pick up about another 20 people from the Liberty. Our guide was Michele (Michael), but he asked us to call him Mickey.

 

We took the scenic route to Tarquinia, where Mickey pointed out neat sights along the way. Like these horned cows:

 

 

We finally got to Tarquinia (excuse the guy's arm - he stood there for so long!)

 

 

Mickey pointed us to public bathrooms first. They were free and reasonably clean, but there were no toilet seats and no toilet paper (this was a recurring theme in Italy). For those with mobility issues this may be a problem so best to investigate first.

 

Once we regrouped, Mickey gave us the option of either going on a walking tour with him and then having free time, or else starting the free time right away. He also gave us our gelato tickets. Half the group followed Mickey, and half wandered off.

 

Mickey took us to some sights in the old town. He showed us the old orphanage, where babies were left here in a window. Very sad.

 

 

We saw these amazing, fresh fruit at a stand. Despite its ancient roots, Tarquinia is a living town, and there were tons of stores and even cars whizzing down the streets. Look at those peaches!

 

 

Mickey finished the tour back in the town square and let us loose. We decided to take our gelato break right away ostensibly to beat the crowds, but, let's be honest. We're ice cream fans, and we wanted the gelato right away.

 

On TripAdvisor, Gelateria Danilo is ranked #2 of 56 restaurants in Tarquinia and rated 5.0 out of 5. It lived up to its reputation! You could select up to 3 flavors and have whipped cream. I chose nocciola (hazelnut), pistacchio, cioccolato fondante (dark chocolate). And of course whipped cream.

 

Excuse the blurriness, I think I was too excited to hold my camera steady:

 

 

And it was delicious!!! I liked the dark chocolate the best, then nocciola, then the pistacchio. They were all so flavorful and creamy.

 

With gelato in our tummies, we went for a walk. My dad decided to sit on one of the benches that lined the main street and people watch. Mom and I went in search for a bakery, but instead of finding pastries, we found a Benetton with 50% off everything in the store! Note: saldi (sale) is a good word go know in Italian. I now have a wonderful souvenir (by way of Benetton) from Tarquinia!

 

Before we left Tarquinia, though, we saw this lady cop. Can you believe that all the police we saw in Tarquinia were pretty women?

 

 

We returned to our meeting point and then took an uneventful ride back to the ship in time for lunch.

 

Summary

 

Port: Civitavecchia

 

Excursion: Leisurely Tarquinia and Ice Cream Tasting

 

- Very easy excursion. There is some walking over cobblestone but very manageable. The description mentioned 0.5 mi, and it was accurate. Many senior folks on the excursion.

 

- Tarquinia is really a nice alternative to Rome, which can be very busy in August. If you've never been to Rome, I certainly wouldn't go to Tarquinia over it, though. (And if you are set on going to the Sistine Chapel, make sure it is open first before you book your cruise.)

 

- Bring water with you. It gets very hot in the summer. In fact, bring some on every excursion. I bought a camelbak ($10 on Amazon) water bottle and filled it up every morning from the Windjammer. (Fill it up with a cup, don't stick it directly under the spout.)

 

- Bring toilet paper! In fact, bring some on every excursion, just in case.

 

- Get your gelato early! There are just 3 or 4 tables outside of Danilo, and it fills up fast.

 

- There is a FREE shuttle from Civitavecchia port to town. After lunch, Mom and I considered heading into town. We made it as far as the checkpoint, and after a hilarious conversation with the policeman manning the gate involving broken Italian (me) and miming (him), all three of us decided it was way too hot this afternoon. Mom and I went back to the comfy air conditioning inside the ship, and the nice, young policeman went back to sweating in his car. There is not much to do within short walking distance.

Edited August 29, 2013 by windjamming

[mrsfecura]

Civitavecchia

- Bring toilet paper! In fact, bring some on every excursion, just in case.

 

OMG this is such a great tip! I'd never have thought to do so.

[nelblu]

We were on the same cruise and done the same itinerary twice previously, with the exception of Ravenna instead of Corfu. Just as a heads up to anyone wanting to do this in the summer months--It's hot and humid and with the addition of the many tourists it feels even hotter. So glad that the buses are air conditioned. My spouse who is sharper than me brings Ziploc bags from home and packs wet face towels to cool us off. Re-used on tours as there are many fountains available to refresh the towels.

[mjldvlks]

. . .

Before we left Tarquinia, though, we saw this lady cop. Can you believe that all the police we saw in Tarquinia were pretty women?

 

. . .

 

LOL, I'd like to see her chase down a perp in those heels.

 

Great review. Thanks.

[hptraveler2]

Thank you..Very relevant. We are on the 9/28 sailing. Please continue your review. Thanks again from a CC lurker

[windjamming]

Just as a heads up to anyone wanting to do this in the summer months--It's hot and humid and with the addition of the many tourists it feels even hotter. So glad that the buses are air conditioned. My spouse who is sharper than me brings Ziploc bags from home and packs wet face towels to cool us off. Re-used on tours as there are many fountains available to refresh the towels.

 

What a brilliant idea!! Many of the fountains had ice cold water, and a cold face towel would have been heavenly! We were blessed with sun during our cruise, but it was definitely hot. Thanks to your brainy spouse for the good idea, and thanks to you for sharing!

[windjamming]

LOL, I'd like to see her chase down a perp in those heels.

 

Great review. Thanks.

 

Haha, I'm trying to imagine a perp in ancient Tarquinia!

[windjamming]

Thank you..Very relevant. We are on the 9/28 sailing. Please continue your review. Thanks again from a CC lurker

 

Aww, thanks for the support, hptraveler2, and thanks for delurking! When I started the review, I was worried that people would find it boring, because we cruise pretty leisurely. Your comment makes me happy that the review is helping someone.

 

Have a great time on your cruise. It is really an awesome itinerary!

[windjamming]

OMG this is such a great tip! I'd never have thought to do so.

 

I wouldn't have either until I found myself in Tarquinia without toilet paper! Fortunately my mom had extra, so she could "spare a square" (Seinfeld joke). Moms and moms purses are awesome.

[windjamming]

Salerno

 

Buon Ferragosto! Ferragosto is an Italian national holiday celebrated on August 15th. (The name is derived from "Festival of Augustus".) It is a big summer holiday, and many Italians travel to the seaside.

 

Doing as the Romans do, we were celebrating Ferragosto at the Italian seaside today.

 

And not just any Italian seaside. We were docked in Salerno, the main city on the famed Costiera Amalfitana (Amalfi Coast). Our excursion was the Leisurely Amalfi by Motorlaunch, which allowed us to "experience the spectacular Amalfi coast from the brilliant blue Mediterranean" in a motor launch, with minimal walking. We would also have some free time in Amalfi town.

 

(Note: a motor launch is a ferry.)

 

I also had another goal. On TripAdvisor, I'd found Cuoppo d'Amalfi, which is a little fried seafood fast food joint in Amalfi town that had terrific ratings. Instead of traditional fish and chips, it offered all sorts of fried little fish and octopus. From pictures on the Internet, it looked divine, and I was determined to make it my snack for the morning.

 

Coming off the Serenade, we met our guide Umberto and took a very short bus ride (5-10 minutes) to our motor launch:

 

 

Although it is a short bus ride to the pier, it is really not an option to walk given the industrial surroundings. We were also given Whisper earphones, which really weren't much benefit on this excursion as Umberto didn't say much, nor did he really need to! These were the types of views we were treated to during the entire ride along the Amalfi Coast:

 

 

Imagine driving on those bridges! After 45 minutes of sheer beauty, we docked at Amalfi town:

 

 

Umberto gave some rough directions and a time to return, and we were let loose. (In the excursion description we were supposed to be given a narrated walk, but, hey, it was a national holiday. Give Umberto a break.) I asked him for some guidance towards Cuoppo d'Amalfi, and he pointed in a general direction.

 

First, though, we needed a bathroom break. There is a row of cafes and bars near the pier, and Umberto had said it was fine to use the bathrooms but just to buy a coffee or a bottle of water. We walked into the first cafe, where Umberto was already hanging out with an espresso. I bought an espresso too, while Mom and Dad went to the bathroom. After I had my shot of happy caffeine, I used the facilities as well. They were fine and had toilet paper but no toilet seat.

 

Basic needs covered, we went into town. First stop was the Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea (Cathedral of St. Andrew). (Excuse the building blocking the cathedral, this was the only picture I had which showed all the steps.) Parts of the complex date back to the 9th century, and it's known for the 11th-century bronze doors from Constantinople.

 

 

There are about 60 steps in all, and guess what, both Mom and Dad started heading up before me!! What seniors?! Up at the top, we were able to walk into the Cathedral, which is a functioning church. If you are able to make the trek up, it's worth it. (Also, according to Rick Steves, there is a bathroom in the church, though we did not look for it.)

 

After heading down, I really think I deserved some fried fish. Umberto's vague hand waving not really helping me, I wasn't quite sure where to turn. Fortunately, there was a helpful sign with arrows pointing to where key stores are, and there was an arrow for Cuoppo d'Amalfi! Getting closer!

 

 

Do you see the little sign third from the bottom? We followed the arrow - no, practically skipped - towards where it pointed, and found this:

 

 

TRAGEDY! It was closed because of Ferragosto!! I looked around a little, hoping for a second entrance, but nothing was to be found. The Cuoppo d'Amalfi folks were probably at the seaside for the holiday, too. Understandable, but still disappointing.

 

No fried food on the horizon, we walked around town a bit, and bought small bottles of limoncello as souvenirs (they did not confiscate on the ship). We also found some sfogtielle (lobster tail), pronounced sh-fo-TI-ell-uh at a pastry shop for 3 EUR that I forgot to take a picture of, but it was flaky and soft and delicious.

 

Finally, it was time to return for our 45 minute boat ride back, and we again made it back to the ship for lunch.

 

Summary

 

Port: Salerno

 

Excursion: Leisurely Amalfi by Motorlaunch

 

- An easy, scenic excursion. The views from the motor launch are definitely the leisurely way to see the beautiful Amalfi Coast, and it is very worth it. In town, the streets are pretty well paved in Amalfi. Going up the steps of St. Andrew is completely optional, and the view is actually better from the ground! There were a mix of people on this excursion, though I do recall it leaned more senior. I think I would have preferred if Umberto spoke a little more, but given that he was working on a summer holiday, I was fine. I probably would be a lot more grumpy if I was working on the 4th of July!

 

- Amalfi is a fun little town. VERY touristy. Many stores sell the same things: limoncello, linen shirts, ceramics. Shop around unless you spot something really unique. I bought a small bottle of limoncello for 3 EUR but saw it sold for 4 EUR in other stores.

 

- On Italian national holidays, some stores (and in particular fried seafood shops) are closed.

 

- If you need to use the bathroom at a cafe, buy a bottle of water or a coffee.

 

- Your "senior" parents will surprise you sometimes by how active they are!

 

- Be careful when sitting near open windows on the ferry! The spray can hit you.

 

- There is little to do around the port in Salerno. It is an industrial port, though they are expanding and appear to be building a new port building.

 

And this concludes "part 1" of the cruise. We would have one sea day, and then Ravenna, 2 days in Venice, and finally Dubrovnik. We couldn't wait!!

Edited August 30, 2013 by windjamming

[windjamming]

OK folks, thanks again for the nice words and comments.

 

It is a long weekend here starting tomorrow, so the posts may be trickling in the next few days. Keep the feedback coming, and let me know if there any specific info you'd like.

[Bykrunski]

Terrific review... lovely holiday indeed

[kirian]

Livorno

 

 

 

 

 

There are no better 3 words in the English language than FREE ICE CREAM. Who doesn't like FREE ICE CREAM?

 

.....

 

There were FREE bathrooms in the restaurant to use. This reminds me of a funny line in Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruises book. He talks about where bathrooms are - in particular, free and/or nice ones - and if you come across one, he advises, "As Mom used to say, 'just try'". This was one of the bathrooms where, even if you don't need to go, "just try".

 

 

 

These sections both made me laugh :D So true about Free Ice Cream (as well as "free cookies" and/or "free wine" :p)

 

And, I totally agree with Rick Steves re: batherooms. If you find a decent one, just "try" ...lol!

 

Melissa

[grandmakathy]

We are so waiting for the rest of the review.

[crusinpeg]

Also waiting !!!

[windjamming]

We are so waiting for the rest of the review.

 

Also waiting !!!

 

Aww, thanks for the encouragement! Been running around enjoying the last weekend of the summer, but almost finished with the Ravenna writeup and will post tonight - promise!

[windjamming]

Thanks everyone for staying with me, and sorry for the delay. Today was the unofficial last day of summer, so I was trying to squeeze every last moment out of it before we all had to be serious again!

 

First, though, I need to make a correction to my post on the Amalfi Coast:

 

Salerno

 

We also found some sfogtielle (lobster tail), pronounced sh-fo-TI-ell-uh at a pastry shop for 3 EUR that I forgot to take a picture of, but it was flaky and soft and delicious.

 

 

I missed a few letters. It's sfogliatelle, pronounced sh-fo-gli-a-TEL-le. By chance, I came across a review of a local Italian bakery this weekend which talked about their sfogliatelle, and I realized I messed up the spelling in the post (and will need to make a trek to this local bakery)!

 

OK, let's continue the review!

[windjamming]

Ravenna

 

Hello all, welcome to the second half of our fabulous Mediterranean cruise on the Serenade. Our next stop was Ravenna, to be followed by 2 days in Venice, and finally, our last port, Dubrovnik.

 

In the ~40 hours since leaving the Amalfi Coast, we had gone around the "foot" of the boot of Italy and headed up the Adriatic coast.

 

Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 402 until its collapse in 476 (unrelated). It then was the capital of the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths and then became part of the Byzantine empire. Today, it is the location of 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is known for its well-preserved Byzantine mosaics.

 

The port is a jumping off point for many interesting side trips, and the ship's excursions offered included visits to: San Marino, Bologna, Ferrari Museum, Dante's Pine Forest (?), the beach, and the mosaics in town.

 

Since the excursions out of town were longer, we decided to stick with the mosaics. Even staying in town, there were a couple of options. The Panoramic Ravenna tour seemed fairly low impact, but they estimated a mile of walking. With Venice coming up the next 2 days, I wanted this port day to be as comfortable as possible.

 

We ended up choosing the pricier Taste of Ravenna, which promised us a "stop at the Mausoleum of Theodoric for an exterior view" along with a visit to the "Basilica of Saint Vitale" and "Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, sister of Rome's last emperor." It finished up with a tasting of "a variety of local products such as proscuitto and squacquerone (ham and special soft cheese), piadina (flat bread), and a glass of local wine" and free time in the old town. There was only 0.5mi of walking involved.

 

Check out some historical mosaics, enjoy some food and wine, and do it all without too much walking - we're in.

 

We were supposed to have docked at 9am, but because of especially strong headwinds the night before, we arrived an hour late. The Captain extended our departure time by an hour, so that our time in port would not be affected.

 

Fortunately, our tour started at 10, so we were not affected by the delay. We met our tour guide Roberta, a charming blonde (the biggest difference in the north of Italy? Lots of blondes!) who knew everything there is to know about mosaics and Ravenna!

 

The drive from the port isn't spectacular - lots of factories and chemical plants - but fortunately the points of interest improved as the excursion proceeded. We did a drive by of the promised Mausoleum of Theodoric, which was built in 520 AD for the King of the Ostrogoths, whose remains were removed during the Byzantine period. Because we did not get off the bus, I didn't not get a good photo. It is an interesting structure, though, and worth a look.

 

Finally, we arrived in town and parked the bus.

 

Side note #1: The tour guides throughout the trip were excellent at telling us what time to meet back at the bus and at what location, even if we were about to go on a walk as a group. They wanted to be sure that you'd find your way back even if you got separated (unintentionally or intentionally). On a couple of the trips, they even gave out little cards with emergency numbers you can call if you got lost. They also gave out maps everywhere and would tell us if we could leave things on the bus. I was truly impressed by the tour guides on this trip. Very professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. What wonderful ambassadors to their countries!

 

We walked through the old town and headed towards the Basilica of Saint Vitale.

 

 

We waited for a while while Roberta negotiated the tickets. I thought this dog was so poised! (Sorry for the creeper shot of the woman.)

 

 

Here we are inside the Basilica, an octagonal shaped structure. It is known for its well-preserved mosaics.

 

Photos don't do the mosaics justice, but here are a couple to give a sense of their grandeur. The mosaics are from the 6th century! Amazing!

 

 

 

We moved on to the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, right next door. No flash was allowed, so the pictures were a little dark:

 

 

Next was the "Taste" part of the excursion. We went to a restaurant with a large garden, where about 10 tables of 4 were ready for us. They had a small buffet set up with specialties of the Emilia Romagna region of Italy: piadina (soft flatbread), grape jelly, at least 4 or 5 different kinds of proscuitto, squacquerone (soft cheese that you used a serving spoon to scoop onto your plate!), and some caprese salad. They offered red and white wine as well as both still and sparkling water.

 

I tried a little of everything as well as the red wine, which Roberta had recommended specifically. It was all very delicious and hit the spot just right, as it was just about lunch time. The proscuitto was tasty, and the squacquerone was a delicate cheese with consistency of marshmallow fluff. The piadina was thin and pliable, and it seemed we were supposed to use it for the soft cheese, jelly, and proscuitto. The wine was a light red. We did find it a little odd that no forks were provided for the caprese salad. Were we supposed to eat it with our hands or with the piadina? Fortunately my dad had a few extra toothpicks on him that he'd snagged somewhere, which we put to good use.

 

In the restaurant, there was a very nice bathroom - with toilet seats and toilet paper. Definitely "just try" here.

 

Side note #2: I try to learn a few phrases in every country, for fun and to be polite. In Italy, I was buongiorno-ing and grazie-ing all over. When I went to get the wine, I got a little too bold, and asked for "rossi", thinking it meant red, based on a conversation I once had with a Rome taxi driver about his red hair (don't ask). The wine server gave me the universal look for "what?!" and I repeated "rossi" again, less confidently. Finally he and Roberta both said together, "ROSSO" and laughed. I laughed too and said "hey, at least I gave it a try!" Does anyone who speaks Italian know what I said wrong?

 

After the snacks, we then had some free time. Mom and I walked around while Dad people watched again. They had a Sephora, MaxMara, and Clarks stores, as well as a couple of other chain stores we recognized from other parts of Italy (Liu-Jo, Terranova). A woman on our bus came back with a Furla bag, so I'm guessing there was one in town, though I didn't get a chance to ask her. Many stores were closed, perhaps because of the summer holiday? There were also a few mosaic-themed shops. We didn't find anything super interesting so left Ravenna without any souvenirs.

 

Walking around, we saw how big of a deal mosaics are here. Even the planters have mosaics.

 

 

After about an hour, we met up with Dad and then met back up with Roberta and the group. Roberta also offered us the opportunity to take the RCI shuttle back at our leisure (free, with our tour sticker), but everyone chose to take the bus back with her.

 

We got back to the ship in time to catch the end of lunch in the Windjammer.

 

Summary

 

Port: Ravenna

 

Excursion: Taste of Ravenna

 

- A leisurely excursion, with very little walking. There are some cobblestones which can be difficult for walkers, but overall, few crowds, and an easy trip. There are some seats in the Basilica.

 

- The mosaics are impressive and in incredible condition considering how old they are. Ravenna is one of those places that I would never think about visiting, but I'm glad we did. That said, I don't think it is somewhere I'd feel a need to return to again.

 

- Bring toothpicks or other utensil if you go on this excursion. Or don't eat anything that requires a utensil. It's a nice snack.

 

- Terrific bathrooms in the restaurant.

 

- As I recall there is little to do in the actual port. There was a large building at the port entrance that appeared to house some stuff - maybe wifi for the crew? - but our excursion took us past the building and straight to the ship. It's an interesting sail in, though, if only to see the coastline and a very long esplanade.

[windjamming]

These sections both made me laugh :D So true about Free Ice Cream (as well as "free cookies" and/or "free wine" :p)

 

LOL, free cookies and free wine are definitely high on my list!

 

Thanks for following!

[new2cruise]

Thank you so much for this review! I have a quick question. Do you by any chance recall the name of the restaurant you went to have the tasting in Ravenna? Thanks!

[windjamming]

Thank you so much for this review! I have a quick question. Do you by any chance recall the name of the restaurant you went to have the tasting in Ravenna? Thanks!

 

Drat, I even took a napkin which had the name of the restaurant, just so I could remember it. I can't find it, now, of course, so...I went to seek Dr. Google.

 

I believe there was a Terranova store on the same street, which got me the street: Via Cavour.

 

Googling "restaurant ravenna caffe cavour" got me to a Tripadvisor review of "Cafe cavour ravenna", which noted "This is a little gem, tucked in through an archway into a quaint courtyard, this cafe has both inside and outdoor seating."

 

Further googling yields "Caffe Corte Cavour". I believe this is it.

Edited September 3, 2013 by windjamming

[new2cruise]

Drat, I even took a napkin which had the name of the restaurant, just so I could remember it. I can't find it, now, of course, so...I went to seek Dr. Google.

 

I believe there was a Terranova store on the same street, which got me the street: Via Cavour.

 

Googling "restaurant ravenna caffe cavour" got me to a Tripadvisor review of "Cafe cavour ravenna", which noted "This is a little gem, tucked in through an archway into a quaint courtyard, this cafe has both inside and outdoor seating."

 

Further googling yields "Caffe Corte Cavour". I believe this is it.

 

Wow! You are "a gem!". Thanks so much!

[DonnaK]

Wonderful review!