Cool Girl & Crazy Mom do the Med-Venice: A (very delayed) review of a Serenade voyage

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

:oPhew, thank God you made it! I can sleep easy again.

Now you can both hold your heads up high and say you tackled Rome on your own -- even while under serious stress. You rock! Hey, and if you still break out in sweat typing about it now, that's definitely an adventure you'll remember forever. Nice little easy peasy stuff will probably be forgotten much faster. Definitely one thing you and your mom will talk about years from now in one of those "remember when" moments:).

:mad:I've never ever had anybody ask for money for directions----that seriously sucks! Poor you!

:pLol -- never been called a guru before. Gotta tell Tanja and Tarik, they'll laugh their butt off.

Stef

[KansCocoa]

Stef pointed me in the direction of this review, and I've been laughing all morning reading it…it's bringing back so many memories of my own adventures in Europe.

 

Love your style - love your humor - love your snark. :)

 

Can't wait to read more!

[crvng4mr]

Wow.....middle aged drama queen stopped by and posted. That is a high honor!

You rock and can't wait for your next installment!

[kirian]

[quote name='KansCocoa']Stef pointed me in the direction of this review, and I've been laughing all morning reading it…it's bringing back so many memories of my own adventures in Europe.

Love your style - love your humor - love your snark. :)

Can't wait to read more![/QUOTE]

Wow, coming from you, Middle Aged Drama Queen, that is quite the compliment.... thank you soooo much!!!!! You and Stef were my main inspiration for writing this review. I learned so much from both of you and I just wanted to pay it forward :)

[quote name='crvng4mr']Wow.....middle aged drama queen stopped by and posted. That is a high honor!

You rock and can't wait for your next installment![/QUOTE]

I know, right! I mean, not only did MADQ stop by and leave such a sweet comment, but Stef was the one who sent her here. Now that's what I call a Double Honor!!!!! :D

Melissa

[kirian]

[quote name='NS Girl'].... You were on the verge of tears? I would have caused major flooding from my tears. [COLOR="Red"]I can see the headlines now.... city is partially submerged from the tears of a lost tourist.[/COLOR] 😢😢😢 Note to self... wear waterproof mascara when travelling.[/QUOTE]

Hahaha! I just pictured a 200 ft tall woman taking out the city of Rome with floods of dripping mascara..... Godzilla, watch out! :eek::D

[quote name='celebrity']Fortunately, I have low blood pressure. You raised it to an extremely high level reading this post. LOL[/QUOTE]

Fortunately for me, I have BP on the lower side as well.... otherwise my heart would have burst out of my chest and splattered across the wall of the Metro station while I was frantically searching for the missing train station. To say I was freaking out is probably putting it mildly....lol!

To those of you reading this thread though, really, getting to and from C-Town on your own is easy (when they don't move train station while you're in the Coliseum). Even after the meltdown, I would still try it again the next time :D

[kirian]

[quote name='Rocknsoul']This review is so fun! I've followed a chain from Stef's to Windjamming's (really loved them both, BTW!) to this one...I think I may have to read Ayasha's while this is being updated! Seriously, I've been reading all day.

I just wanted to learn a little about the Serenade to prepare for our cruise in December, and now I feel like I've been to the Med. Thank you all for the great mini-vacation today!!

......

Subscribing...can't miss out on the rest of this one. Please tell CM she looks lovely & that I would absolutely adore taking this cruise with my Mom, but she won't leave my Dad alone to go with me. Guess I'll have to take my own daughter next year. [/QUOTE]

Hi Lisa - thanks for stopping by... glad you found us! If you liked Stef's and Windjamming's, you will definitely like Ayasha's (her pictures are wonderful!!!!). You also definitely need to check out Middle Aged Drama Queen's reviews (the links are in her signature, I think). She has a great sense of humor!

I will definitely pass along the compliment to CM (she is still "playfully" yelling at me for posting the pic of her on the capital. My mom sounds like she is the exact opposite from yours.... she would ditch my dad for a cruise in a heartbeat....lol!!!!

[quote name='Kreuzfahrtneuling']:oPhew, thank God you made it! I can sleep easy again.

Now you can both hold your heads up high and say you tackled Rome on your own -- even while under serious stress. You rock! H[COLOR="Red"]ey, and if you still break out in sweat typing about it now, that's definitely an adventure you'll remember forever. Nice little easy peasy stuff will probably be forgotten much faster. Definitely one thing you and your mom will talk about years from now in one of those "remember when" moments:).[/COLOR]
.....
:pLol -- never been called a guru before. Gotta tell Tanja and Tarik, they'll laugh their butt off.

Stef[/QUOTE]

You make an excellent point!!!! It's the truth, too.... we will always talk about things like this that made the trip particularly memorable.

And of course you're a "guru".... if Tanja and Tarik don't think so, you tell them just to wait until I see them on a cruise one of these days.... I'll set them straight! :eek::D:cool:

[mjldvlks]

OK, if we could get you and Stef, KansCocoa and maybe a few of the other classic reviewers to take a cruise together -- now that would be something to read about

[crvng4mr]

[quote name='mjldvlks']OK, if we could get you and Stef, KansCocoa and maybe a few of the other classic reviewers to take a cruise together -- now that would be something to read about[/QUOTE]
I agree with this statement right here!

[kirian]

[quote name='mjldvlks']OK, if we could get you and Stef, KansCocoa and maybe a few of the other classic reviewers to take a cruise together -- now that would be something to read about[/QUOTE]

[quote name='crvng4mr']I agree with this statement right here![/QUOTE]

OMG - could you imagine! We would have a blast writing up our combined review. We need to have Ayasha and Windjamming along as well :D

[B][SIZE="4"]Hey RCCL - are you listening???? [/SIZE][/B] I'm sure we would be more than happy to give you the rights to publish the "Review to End All Reviews" in exchange for say.... a free cruise or two a year for life. Heck, I'll even take an inside cabin - I'm not picky :D:cool:

[crvng4mr]

Yep!!!! It would be totally worth it for RCI, we promise! Cheapest pr they could ever get and the best!

[mjldvlks]

[quote name='kirian']. . . We need to have Ayasha and Windjamming along as well . . .[/QUOTE]

Ha! The more the merrier. Let us know if you arrange that cruise -- it would have to be worth booking.

[denisey]

[quote name='mjldvlks']Ha! The more the merrier. Let us know if you arrange that cruise -- it would have to be worth booking.[/QUOTE]

Way back in 2002, I went on the first Cruise Critic Group cruise....and it started a lot like this...just saying...

Of course, no one got a cruise for free....

(and I seem to like ...... as much as Cool Girl likes " "'s!)

[windjamming]

[quote name='kirian']OMG - could you imagine! We would have a blast writing up our combined review. We need to have Ayasha and Windjamming along as well :D

[B][SIZE="4"]Hey RCCL - are you listening???? [/SIZE][/B] I'm sure we would be more than happy to give you the rights to publish the "Review to End All Reviews" in exchange for say.... a free cruise or two a year for life. Heck, I'll even take an inside cabin - I'm not picky :D:cool:[/QUOTE]

Aww, thanks for including me, Melissa!! That would be an EPIC cruise. And hey..how about we make it a review competition - girls vs boys? Us vs Trainman, Radio, Sailor Jack, John Galt, Gambee, and I'm sure many more I've forgotten. Who has the wackiest adventures on public transportation? Takes the most pictures of random animals on the street? Temporarily misplaced children/train stations/moms? Loud alarms next to major pieces of art? Finds the broken ice dispenser (is that thing working yet on the Serenade?)

Oh, I'm being ridiculous.

...because that wouldn't be a fair competition, would it?? :D

[kirian]

[quote name='windjamming']Aww, thanks for including me, Melissa!! That would be an EPIC cruise. And hey..how about we make it a review competition - girls vs boys? Us vs Trainman, Radio, Sailor Jack, John Galt, Gambee, and I'm sure many more I've forgotten. Who has the wackiest adventures on public transportation? Takes the most pictures of random animals on the street? Temporarily misplaced children/train stations/moms? Loud alarms next to major pieces of art? Finds the broken ice dispenser (is that thing working yet on the Serenade?)

Oh, I'm being ridiculous.

...because that wouldn't be a fair competition, would it?? :D[/QUOTE]


Of course that wouldn't be fair, because we [B]KNOW [/B]who would win!!! As the say goes, "Girls Rule, Boys Drool" :eek::D:cool:

BTW - I LOVE how you brought up tidbits from so many of our collective adventures. Every time I see a photo of pigeon, I think of MADQ. As soon as I saw the broken ice machine on Serenade, I thought of Stef.... and so on and so on..... We gals [I]do[/I] manage to come across some funny things and have some wacky events happen to us, don't we?!

Now, maybe the boys will start chiming in to this thread and earn some of their respect back. Come on fellas, where are ya??????

[EmpressofPurple]

[quote name='kirian']Of course that wouldn't be fair, because we [B]KNOW [/B]who would win!!! As the say goes, "Girls Rule, Boys Drool" :eek::D:cool:

BTW - I LOVE how you brought up tidbits from so many of our collective adventures. Every time I see a photo of pigeon, I think of MADQ. As soon as I saw the broken ice machine on Serenade, I thought of Stef.... and so on and so on..... We gals [I]do[/I] manage to come across some funny things and have some wacky events happen to us, don't we?!

Now, maybe the boys will start chiming in to this thread and earn some of their respect back. Come on fellas, where are ya??????[/QUOTE]

Count me in on the girls team:D

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app

[crvng4mr]

[quote name='EmpressofPurple']Count me in on the girls team:D

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app[/QUOTE]
Yay!

[jennywren46]

Your review and that of Ayesha is really making my day I can't wait for the next instalment. Thank you so much for helping me relive a wonderful cruise we had a few years ago it's bringing back wonderful memories and making me chuckle as we'll :D

[KansCocoa]

Aww, thanks for including me, Melissa!! That would be an EPIC cruise. And hey..how about we make it a review competition - girls vs boys? Us vs Trainman, Radio, Sailor Jack, John Galt, Gambee, and I'm sure many more I've forgotten. Who has the wackiest adventures on public transportation? Takes the most pictures of random animals on the street? Temporarily misplaced children/train stations/moms? Loud alarms next to major pieces of art? Finds the broken ice dispenser (is that thing working yet on the Serenade?)

 

Oh, I'm being ridiculous.

 

...because that wouldn't be a fair competition, would it?? :D

 

I am never going to live this down.

 

It's been two years since this…alleged…incident…and I still get grief over it.

 

:rolleyes:

[enidcruiser]

It was not "alleged"since you fessed up to it Sherri. But we all enjoyed the telling of the tale. Love these fun reviews. Thanks Kirin.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[crvng4mr]

[quote name='KansCocoa']I am never going to live this down.

It's been two years since this…alleged…incident…and I still get grief over it.

:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]


Hey Sherri, the security there was still talking about it when we went a month ago! I knew they were talking about you as they kept saying something about the American woman, and shrieking and running, lol.:p:eek::D

[kirian]

Back aboard.....

After a full day in Rome (outside…. aka without air conditioning), we were ready to relax…. And eat!!! In case you were wondering what we did for “fuel” while we were touring the Forum and Coliseum, I will tell you. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Disclaimer #17 – That last statement wasn’t exactly 100% true. We did have the cappuccinos prior to entering the Forum (remember the crazy coffee buying/drinking tale?). While in the Forum, we split a small bag of peanuts I found in the bottom of my backpack and we each had our water bottles of course. So, technically, our fuel for the day was one small cappuccino, ½ a handful of peanuts each, and some water…. That’s pretty darn close to “nothing” if you ask me :p

Once aboard, we made our way to the Park Café (which was the only place really serving food at 4:45p). We each had a salad and a sandwich. Crazy Mom chose the veggie sandwich and I had the Parma & Brie (thought of you, Stef!). Here’s a tip – ask to have your sandwich toasted. Sooooo much better that way and they are happy to do this for you.

Feeling somewhat energized, we grabbed a cookie and brownie to go, picked up a cocktail and headed up to deck 12 to relax and enjoy the sun (and I caught up on my journaling… wouldn’t want to forget a single moment of the day’s wild and wacky adventure).

Tonight was also the Crown & Anchor party for guests who had late seating in the MDR (those with early seating had their party the day prior; if you did MTD, you could choose which day to attend). Dress was smart casual and the event was held in the Safari Lounge…. Where there was free champagne (of course!).

We found our Cruise Critic friends, Peggy & Ernie (our cabin neighbors :)) as Laura & Scott (my future in-laws :D), and sat with them for the event. Captain Rune gave a little speech and then we were given a rare treat. One of the crew, a lighting engineer, came on stage and “serenaded” us with his rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Kind of Town.” However, he changed the words up a bit and his song was entitled “My Kind of Ship.” The guy was really great! He should have been in the Activities Department, not hidden behind the scenes fiddling with lights.

Finally, it was off to dinner. Tonight, we both chose the same appetizer (cheese sticks) and entrée (chicken stuff with veggies). I recall us both agreeing these were good choices. For dessert, it was cappuccino chocolate cake for CM (maybe it would have enough caffeine in it to tide her over until the morning) and I had a most fabulous butterscotch pecan pie. Yum!

We grabbed a nightcap to take back to our room, where we were greeted with this little guy:


[IMG]http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y430/kirian88/Med-Venice%20Cruise/Rome%20-%20cruise%20day/SAM_0924_zps89d91122.jpg[/IMG]


Then, we hit the sack early. We had been going for 4 days straight on the cruise, plus our one day in Barcelona, but it wasn’t time for a restful day yet. Nope. Tomorrow we would be in Naples and would be tackling the heights of Mt. Vesuvius followed by a trek through the ancient town of Pompeii.
:cool:

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

lol -- I'm all for the "female reviewer`s cruise" but we have to take Sinppu and Katgoesonholiday with us too, okay?

Lol -- although, I think the group of all of us might have SO much fun, that we all wouldn't have time to take pics for a halfway decent review anymore:D.
But the cruise would rock for sure. Go on Rccl -- make us an offer we can't say no to:D.

Stef

[Irish Cath]

[quote name='Kreuzfahrtneuling']lol -- I'm all for the "female reviewer`s cruise" but we have to take Sinppu and Katgoesonholiday with us too, okay?

Lol -- although, I think the group of all of us might have SO much fun, that we all wouldn't have time to take pics for a halfway decent review anymore:D.
But the cruise would rock for sure. Go on Rccl -- make us an offer we can't say no to:D.

Stef[/QUOTE]

you ain't going without me !!! Not that I have a great reputation for review writing ! :o Sounds like one cool cruise

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

[quote name='Irish Cath']you ain't going without me !!! Not that I have a great reputation for review writing ! :o Sounds like one cool cruise[/quote]

Hi Cath,

:DLol I sure loved the START of you review....hint, hint...when will we see the rest;)?

Stef

[kirian]

[quote name='Kreuzfahrtneuling']Hi Cath,

:DLol I sure loved the START of you review....hint, hint...when will we see the rest;)?

Stef[/QUOTE]

I saw this and thought... wow, folks might be wondering when I am going to write the rest of [I][B]THIS[/B][/I] review! Have no fear, I haven't fallen off the planet.

Work has been insane and by the time I am done, the last thing I can bring myself to do it spend 2hrs in front of my computer typing up the next section of the review (I work on a computer all day, so sometimes I'm just "over it" come 5p). And it really does, on average, take me about 2 hours for each of the the longer posts (by the time I review my journal, write things up, try my best to proofread, then go through all my photos, narrow them down, upload the right ones to photobucket and then add them to the review.... whew - I just got exhausted thinking about all those steps).

I write everything in Word first.... I am just keeping a running file. In case anyone is curious, at this point, all those sections in this review are equal to 37 single-spaced pages in my file. Wow!!! That's longer than the longest paper I wrote in grad school and we aren't even halfway through yet. By the time we finish (and we[B][I] WILL[/I][/B] finish) I'm going to have a novel on my hands :D

Anyway, thanks for your patience.... I promise, we will get through Naples (Vesuvius & Pompeii) over the next few days.

Melissa Edited July 30, 2014 by kirian