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

[windjamming]

[quote name='kirian']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
[/QUOTE]

Melissa, I completely understand!! It's obvious how much time and effort goes into your hilarious narratives, photo selection, and making it all flow together! We love it and appreciate it. Please don't feel rushed -- the pace is just right!!

PS: love the tip on getting the sandwiches toasted. You are totally the Queen of the Park Cafe!!

[celebrity]

[quote name='kirian']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[/QUOTE]

Melissa, no need for an apology. After 20 cruises I have never attempted a review . Life and work get in the way.
Please do it at your leisure and know that it is appreciated by many.
Thanks for the info, your photos and your sense of humor. You are totally a " Cool Girl" and I hope I sail with you some day. :) Edited July 31, 2014 by celebrity

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

screw the patience -- Pleeeeeeaaaaaasssssseeeeeeee another installment. The dispense is killing me! I only have 10 more days till our next cruise --- how am I supposed to leave without knowing about all of your adventures?

Arghh!!!!!

(Payback's a bitch -- I remember not being done with my review either when you left for your Serenade cruise ....How could I ever have been so cruel --- delayed apologies!)

No seriously -- take your time --- :Dbut just as much as you absolutely have to, okay:rolleyes:? Your fans are waiting!

Stef

[crvng4mr]

[quote name='Kreuzfahrtneuling']screw the patience -- Pleeeeeeaaaaaasssssseeeeeeee another installment. The dispense is killing me! I only have 10 more days till our next cruise --- how am I supposed to leave without knowing about all of your adventures?

Arghh!!!!!

(Payback's a bitch -- I remember not being done with my review either when you left for your Serenade cruise ....How could I ever have been so cruel --- delayed apologies!)

No seriously -- take your time --- :Dbut just as much as you absolutely have to, okay:rolleyes:? Your fans are waiting!

Stef[/QUOTE]
Hahahaha!!!!!

[kirian]

[quote name='Kreuzfahrtneuling']screw the patience -- Pleeeeeeaaaaaasssssseeeeeeee another installment. The dispense is killing me! I only have 10 more days till our next cruise --- how am I supposed to leave without knowing about all of your adventures?

Arghh!!!!!

(Payback's a bitch -- I remember not being done with my review either when you left for your Serenade cruise ....How could I ever have been so cruel --- delayed apologies!)

No seriously -- take your time --- :Dbut just as much as you absolutely have to, okay:rolleyes:? Your fans are waiting!

Stef[/QUOTE]


LOL! I think you were done with your review in time for my Serenade cruise, but I believe it may have been Windjamming who left for her trip prior to you finishing.... I can't be sure though.

The good news is that I survived my insane week of work and after sleeping in late this morning, I am finally starting on the behind-the-scenes work on the next installment (reviewing my journal notes, narrowing down the photos, etc). I should have all of Naples written, proofread and posted by the end of tomorrow (fingers crossed!)

As always, thanks to everyone for hanging in there and for chatting among yourselves while I have been away :D

Melissa

[Julia’s Journey’s]

screw the patience -- Pleeeeeeaaaaaasssssseeeeeeee another installment. The dispense is killing me! I only have 10 more days till our next cruise --- how am I supposed to leave without knowing about all of your adventures?

 

Arghh!!!!!

 

(Payback's a bitch -- I remember not being done with my review either when you left for your Serenade cruise ....How could I ever have been so cruel --- delayed apologies!)

 

No seriously -- take your time --- :Dbut just as much as you absolutely have to, okay:rolleyes:? Your fans are waiting!

 

Stef

 

 

Like ;)

Bless her heart ;)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - Oy, excuse the auto correct ;)

[Cruisie Girl]

I am looking forward to the next installment of your adventure. Thanks for taking the time to write such a fun and fact filled review of your journey.

 

Between you, Stef, Ayesha and Middle Aged Drama Queen I am so ready for my Med cruise on The Explorer of The Seas 13 months from now, September 2015.

[kirian]

Like ;)

Bless her heart ;)

 

 

Hahahaha!!! BTW - as always, you're little screaming guy in your signature brought a smile to my face :D

 

 

 

I am looking forward to the next installment of your adventure. Thanks for taking the time to write such a fun and fact filled review of your journey.

 

Between you, Stef, Ayesha and Middle Aged Drama Queen I am so ready for my Med cruise on The Explorer of The Seas 13 months from now, September 2015.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read it and comment, Cruisie Girl! Cruising in the Med is so different than the Caribbean. You will have a great (and somewhat exhausting) time. 13 months give you lots of time to plan and look forward to things. I like that part "almost" as much as the cruise itself. If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to ask. If I can't answer them, I'm sure Stef, Ayasha, MADQ, Windjamming or one of the others will be happy to help!

[scrappylenore]

Just wanted to say I have been following along and love, love your review. We are going on the Serenade at the end of September for our 25th Anniiversary and my whole trip was inspired by the writings of the Middle Aged Drama Queen, Windjamming and Kreuzfahrtneuling. They have been my go to sources for what to do (and not do to LOL - well we arent going to the Accademia in Florence so I think we are good) on our trip. I need to go find Ayesha's review too now as I think I may have missed that one. Thanks for all the advice Melissa and I can't wait to read more.

[kirian]

 

Ah, Naples…. A city you apparently don’t want to actually visit, but a port that is a great jumping off spot for better places (e.g. Capri, Sorrento, Positano, Pompeii, etc.). This was the second time I had been in the Port of Naples and to be honest, neither time did I actually go into Naples proper. However, from what I have heard from others who were brave enough to go into town, I haven’t been missing much. One couple I spoke with later that day said it was the only time on their trip so far that they didn’t feel very safe. So, unless you have a serious (and strange) desire to see the town of Naples, this is a good port to do some sort of excursion.

 

Disclaimer #18: I am not a hater of all things related to Naples. In fact, I have a carton of Neopolitan ice cream in my freezer right now (and it’s quite good). So, to be safe, let’s just say, I don’t hate Naples (so if you’re in the Mafia, please don’t come after me). I have just been told by those that have been there, it’s better to be avoided. By all means, if you have had a wonderful experience in the town of Naples, please share it with us.

 

Anywho……

 

The ship arrived about an hour late this morning due to some pretty extreme fog. Fortunately, the fog would lift by mid-afternoon and we would have a pleasant weather-day in the mid-70s.

 

As usual, we started our day off with coffee and a pastry in the room and then headed to the Park Café for our egg sandwiches around 7:45a. We were to meet our tour group in the Safari Lounge at 8a for our 8:15a start. Things were a bit delayed and so they didn’t call our group until 8:30a. We trudged off the ship and onto our waiting bus and departed for Mt Vesuvius at 8:45a (30 minutes late).

 

If you can’t tell by now, we were doing a ship’s excursion in this port. It was our only one…. everything else was DIY. Why did we choose to take an over-priced RCCL excursion here, you might be wondering? Well, frankly, because I was lazy. I had researched my brain out for the other ports and when I got around to Naples, I was just tired of trying to figure out a better/cheaper way to do what I wanted to do. In the case of Naples, I knew exactly what I wanted to see and RCCL happened to have an excursion that fit the bill and the price wasn’t horrendous (yes, it was more than what it would have cost for me to do on my own, but like I said, I just wanted to be lazy).

 

Our plan for this excursion was as follows: “Mount Vesuvius: Starting at 3,000 feet, you'll trek narrow mountain paths, zigzagging 1000 feet higher, to the crater's rim. Volcanic Rim: Skirt the edge of the crater with an alpine guide, while enjoying breathtaking views of the bay. Pompeii: Destroyed by Mount Vesuvius, these ruins offer a fascinating look at daily life under imperial Rome 2,000 years ago.”

 

See what I did there…. I demonstrated the art of being lazy and just copied the description of the tour from RCCL website.

 

On my last cruise which stopped in Naples (1996) I had done a tour of Pompeii. Not only did I feel like there was so much I didn’t see the first time, but Crazy Mom had never been there and I really wanted her to have a chance to see this amazing town. Also, CM and I had hiked to the top of a volcano during a cruise stop in Costa Rica, so I figured we should continue the trend here in Naples and tackle Vesuvius (although it was more like Vesuvius practically tackled us, but I’ll get to that). So, that was the reasoning behind wanting to visit these two sights.

 

Today’s tour would start at the obligatory Cameo factory. If you haven’t been on the RCCL tour before, you should note that they usually contain a stop at some sort of store under the guise that it’s to give you the opportunity to use the restroom…. But we all know what’s really behind these stops. Don’t ever feel obligated to purchase things during these short layovers (unless you want to). Heck, don’t even feel obligated to listen to the sales pitch if you don’t want to. You paid a ton of money for the ship’s excursion; you shouldn’t be made to feel like you need to spend any more. OK, I will put my soap box away now.

 

I will have to admit though, this was one of the least pushy “comfort” stops I have participated in. We got to the factory around 9:15a (so we had been on the bus for 45 minutes at this point). The owner gave a short (5 min) presentation. Then we were given 15 minutes to walk around the jewelry store, observe one of the craftsmen at work and/or use the facilities. It was not high pressure in the least and the restrooms were free.

 

Back on the bus we went at 9:30a to continue the journey to Mt. Vesuvius. On some of the tours, I think they go in the opposite direction… Pompeii first and then Vesuvius. I believe they try to take weather conditions into account in determining which is the best order on any given day (so don’t be surprised if you take this tour and do things in the opposite direction).

 

The base of Vesuvius wasn’t too far from the Cameo shop, but we weren’t touring the base, remember? We had to get to the top. The bus takes you up a long, VERY winding, switchback road. I’m talking hairpin turns that would have had James Bond in his glory while driving his Aston Martin. Our driver actually had to honk his horn on several occasions as we encountered totally blind curves. I truly have no clue what we would have done if another bus was coming the opposite direction. The road is a two-way path, but it’s only wide enough for one vehicle (who planned that?!).

 

Finally at 10:10a, we arrived at the parking lot. We were told we had to be back at the bus in 1 hour, so off we went. The tour description said that the bus would drive you up the mountain and you would be walking the last 1000ft to the top. No big deal, I thought. Even the Munchkin’s mini-legs could walk a leisurely 1000ft. That’s less than once around a track.

 

Ahhhhhhh… but in this case, it’s not 1000 horizontal feet… or even relatively horizontal feet. It was the last 1000 VERTICAL “feet” which translated to what I would say was about a 1000 “meter” hike up a very steep path (notice, we changed from feet to meters there). The path is wide, so plenty of people can fit on it and it’s not too rough (it’s a fine gravel) but it is very steep.

 

If you look closely, you can get an idea if the angle of ascent.... see the angle of people's calves and how they are leaning forward? It's a steep climb!

 

Me, being the “World’s Most Thoughtful Daughter,” left CM and her mini-legs in the care of two strangers from the cruise and told her I would meet her at the top. I had places to go, volcanos to see…. I didn’t have time to be held back by her tinyness. Plus, it wasn’t like she could get lost (oh wait, if you have read Stef’s review, you know this is not exactly true). And, before you think I’m totally terrible, I did keep looking back every 50-100yds to make sure I could still spot her and the two strange men in whose capable hands I left her.

 

Look.... the Munchkin finally made it! That's her in the black jacket and green shirt along with her two "keepers" to her left (your right).

 

Our instructions were to gather at the top, where we would meet our official park guide. He gave us a pretty good overview (10-15 minutes) and then we were let loose to see the volcano on our own. I had the goal of making it around to the other side, but remember, we didn’t have much time, so Crazy Mom and I had to high-tail it. We made it, took the obligatory photos and then literally (and I do mean “literally”) had to run back down the mountain to our meeting spot (we didn’t want to be “those” people…. You know, the ones they always have to wait for). We passed a few of the others from our group during the downhill sprint, so at least we knew we wouldn’t be the last ones. We arrived back to the parking lot at 11:15a (5 minutes late) and the goofy bus wasn’t even there yet! Geesh, all that running for nothing.

 

From the top... far side of the crater

 

Mt. Vesuvius really is an interesting place. Not so much because of the views into the crater (to be honest, it’s one of the more boring craters I have seen…. Ok, I’ve only seen two craters, but the one in Costa Rica was considerably cooler…well, I guess describing any volcano as “cool” is sort of odd, but you know what I mean). I think what makes Vesuvius so amazing is the history behind it. The sheer, destructive force… and knowing that shortly, we would be walking through the town that it buried centuries earlier.

Oh, wait, there is one other interesting….aka scary…. thing about it. It’s still alive and smoking. Yes, for those that might not realize it, Mt. Vesuvius is NOT a dormant volcano. If you need proof of this (besides the steam coming off it) you will notice that it is ringed with special seismic monitors that look like this (so that “hopefully” scientist will have enough of a warning in order to be able to evacuate Naples and the surrounding towns prior to the next major eruption):

 

This monitor has had a little...err...art, added to it

 

Here you can see more of the monitors that ring the crater along with the solar panels that power them (upper left and then down to the right)

 

The other neat tidbit of info is that it isn’t the only volcano in the area… or even the largest. Nope. The one that holds that honor is the super-volcano, Campi Flegrei. You see, the portion of the bay to the west of Naples is actually the crater of a super-volcano (like the one in Yellowstone in the US) and should it ever erupt, well, Naples and all the surroundings towns probably won’t even have the chance to become a future Pompeii…. They will just be disintegrated. Think about that the next time you are docked in Naples. OK, probably don’t think about that…. You’ll just freak yourself out and ruin your day. Just choose to live in blissful ignorance of the giant, magma chamber under the sea not far from where your lovely ship is docked…. You’ll be fine.

 

Cool Girl

[kirian]

From the bus... on our way there

 

An old lava flow from a previous eruptions (in the 1950's I think.... but don't quote me on that)... it's the gray line at the base of the cliffs in this photo

 

This was an unwelcome sight after hiking up the mountain. You know, the Park Ranger who was lazy and drove up the mountain to the top could have helped poor CM and her mini-legs out.... just saying

 

Steam rising from the crater walls

 

The crater, in all its glory

 

:cool:

[celebrity]

I am looking forward to the next installment of your adventure. Thanks for taking the time to write such a fun and fact filled review of your journey.

 

Between you, Stef, Ayesha and Middle Aged Drama Queen I am so ready for my Med cruise on The Explorer of The Seas 13 months from now, September 2015.

 

Explorer will always have a special place in my heart. She's the ship I sailed more than any other.

So many wonderful memories.

The Med is everything you can imagine and more. Enjoy every minute!

[KPLIONMA]

My friend and I took this tour from the Ruby Princess last fall. Unfortunately, we didn't have such great weather as most of the climb was moist and foggy. We thought it was going to be an easy climb...Like you said, "What's a 1,000 feet"! Wrong! But it was so worth it. I can't remember the excursion cost but we did visit the cameo shop and Pompeii. Must be a "cruise ship" package excursion.

 

Love your review...keep it coming!

 

Barbara

[denisey]

This was an unwelcome sight after hiking up the mountain. You know, the Park Ranger who was lazy and drove up the mountain to the top could have helped poor CM and her mini-legs out.... just saying

 

 

Phew! For a minute there I thought you picked up on Stef's Panda fetish! I'm glad CM's mini-legs got her up the hill!

__________________

[denisey]

[quote name=kirian;43618797

Disclaimer #18: I am not a hater of all things related to Naples. In fact' date=' I have a carton of Neopolitan ice cream in my freezer right now (and it’s quite good). So, to be safe, let’s just say, I don’t hate Naples (so if you’re in the Mafia, please don’t come after me). I have just been told by those that have been there, it’s better to be avoided. By all means, if you have had a wonderful experience in the town of Naples, please share it with us. [/quote]

 

Okay, I'll step up to the challenge....I like Naples.

 

Yes it is a dirty, gritty city and the folks can be rough. But like any city, with a little caution it is just fine. I'm convinced that a lot of people don't feel safe there because they have been told not to feel safe there. But before we get all the stories of the cousin's neighbor's friend's sister-in-law, who was robbed in Naples, you can find that kind of story in any Italian city, right?

 

We went twice...once by train from Rome and once as a cruise stop.

 

The first trip, we walked from the train station to the Archaeological Museum. This is where all the treasures from Pompeii were saved. It was one of the best musuems I've been too. We then walked up the Spaccanapoli and took the regular train to Pompeii. We went in the back gate and there were NO crowds.

 

There was a trash strike and while there was a lot of trash, it was piled very neatly.

 

The second trip, we took the train from the ship to Herculaneum. It was destroyed the same time as Pompeii. It is a smaller site, less excavated, but spectacular. It was hit with mud not ash, so the mosaics and murals are all still in place. We got together with a group and had a guide for 6 Euro each.

 

We then strolled around Naples and had pizza at Galleria Umberto I. There were a lot of locals enjoying the sunshine at a local park.

 

One day I would like to get to the street where all the Nativity sets are made!

Edited August 3, 2014 by denisey

[kirian]

(Disclaimer #19 - there are actually more than 2 posts pertaining to Naples…. I ended up writing more than I thought I would once I got started….lol)

 

.........

 

We last left our fearless travelers running for their lives down the side of Mt Vesuvius in an attempt to escape the oozing lava flow that was trying to overtake and devour them….

 

OK, no we didn’t….

 

We actually last left our intrepid travelers as they huffed and puffed trying to catch their breath after running down the side Mt. Vesuvius so as not to miss the bus. Let’s be honest though, the first one was more exciting, wasn’t it?

 

Back on board the bus (which finally showed up) we wound our way back down the side of the volcano, through the gauntlet of hairpin, blind turns. If I recall correctly, I believe that we did actually encounter at least one other bus coming up the hill as we were going down and it took a bit of rocket science-level maneuvering for the two buses to get past one another without one of them careening off the side of the road. Being in a motor vehicle in Italy is never without its moments of high adrenaline packed excitement!

 

We arrived at Pompeii at 11:55a (so I would estimate that it took us only about 20-25 minutes to get there from Mt. Vesuvius). We were given a coupon for an ice cream or drink (not both… you had to choose). We chose the ice cream (it was one of those little paper cups with the wooden spoons, but it was still tasty & refreshing after our hike up, and run back down, the Mountain of Death). The coupon was good at the Suisse Restaurant (which is right where the bus let us off). We were given 20 minutes total before we were to meet up and head to the entrance of Pompeii. This gave us just enough to time to enjoy our little cups of ice cream and visit the restroom (there was a .50E charge here, but the restrooms were very clean and worth the small cost…. Anything is better than the pit in the floor we found ourselves faced with in Cinque Terre).

 

There are apparently at least 2 entrances to Pompeii because the way we went in was not the same way I had entered in 1996. This time, we found ourselves near the theater shortly after entering. However, before we got to the theater, we were shown the sports field and gladiator barracks. What was interesting here was the height of the doorframes. Apparently gladiators, and I’m guessing most folks in 79 A.D., were a lot shorter than people now. Well, shorter than all people except CM. She would have fit right in back in 79 A.D.!

 

 

 

 

Next, it was on to the theater. I was particularly excited to see this since I missed it on my first visit the Pompeii. Our tour guide managed (after a lot of cajoling, as well as begging and pleading from those in the group) to get one of the teenage girls from our group to sing happy birthday from a certain spot in the theater. This was so that we could hear the amazing acoustics this place still had….. it was pretty cool!

 

After this, it was on to several other stops including the fast food stall, bakery, forum and of course, the brothel. Everyone has to go to the brothel… no trip to Pompeii would be complete without visiting. We had a couple of younger people in our tour group, so our guide used the word “dessert” to mean sex (during the bus ride there, she was able to explain, without really explaining, that she would be using this word in place of the other). Kids are smart though, so I’m sure they knew what she was talking about.

 

Ayasha did a fabulous job of detailing the photos of the brothel and the “directional sign” to help the fellas find the brothel, in her review, so I won’t repeat them here, but I will provide the link that should take you to the page in her review where you can find these. Don’t miss it! Go check it out…. We’ll wait…..

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2067096&page=14 (be sure to check out the last photo of post #266 to see the aforementioned “directional sign.” Those randy Pompeians…lol!)

 

Tic toc, tic toc…..

 

Great – you’re back! Weren’t those photos fabulous?! Can you believe that it seems that I did NOT take a picture of the “directional sign”? What?! I took 3000+ photos on this trip but somehow I didn’t take that one! I clearly remember seeing it, but I couldn’t find a photo. Perhaps CM has one on her camera.

 

So much of Pompeii just speaks for itself, so at this point, I am just going to post some photos and comment where necessary….

 

 

This was the 79 A.D. equivalent of a fast food stall... it's right outside of the entrance to the theater so folks could get a little snack during intermission. Those holes are actually the tops of large terra cotta vessels that were used to keep hot food hot

 

See those 3 raised stones in the middle of the road? They served a dual purpose: 1) they acted as a raided cross walk so people wouldn't get their sandals wet when they crossed the streets (because the town would hose down the streets to keep them clean) and 2) they indicate if the road is a two-way or one-way street. Wagon axles were a standard width back in the day and the wheels went between the stones. In this case, 2 wagons could go in opposite directions at the same time on this street

 

This is a one-way street. If you look closely (further up the street) you will see just one stone on the middle of the road. Therefore, only one wagon could go up or down the street since the wheels had to straddle the stone... you couldn't have two wagons passing each other in opposite directions

 

[/url]

Pompeii is huge! This is just what it looked like down one of the many streets

[kirian]

The town is so large, that we rarely felt crowded (except in the brothel of course since it's the most visited spot)

 

Part of the forum in the center of the city

 

 

 

That statue head you see behind the columns is someone very important... I just forget who (if you know, please fell free to tell us)

[kirian]

No matter how many times you see these casts, you just don't get over the feeling of terror and pain they evoke. Those final moments must have been terrible beyond belief

 

I would love to buy a jug of wine this large in the store

 

Another relative of the fella from the Park Cafe. Actually, sections of town were delineated by their different fountains. They were used to tell people what area of town you lived in. This section of town is where all of the janitors lived.... you can tell by the mop the guy is wearing on his head (just kidding!)

 

It wasn't until later that night when I was reviewing my photos of the day that I realized just how cool this one was. If you look in the background, that's Mt. Vesuvius looming large over everything. I had no idea it was in the photo when I took it

Edited August 4, 2014 by kirian

[kirian]

Unfortunately, during this stop in Pompeii, our guide for whatever reason, didn’t take us to the “Beware of the Dog” house or the big mansion house (I saw both of these on my first visit and had been telling CM about them…. Sadly, we didn’t get to see them this time). We were back at the exit at 2p, so all in all, I guess we spent about 90 minutes in Pompeii itself. Nowhere near enough time, in my opinion, to really even begin to fully explore it, but at least it gives one a taste of what life was like almost 2000 years ago.

 

Once we exited, we were given about 30 minutes to explore some of the shops, sample some limoncello and get a snack. We all met at the agreed upon place and had about a 10 minute walk to get to where our bus was waiting for us…. Which was nowhere near where it let us off earlier. This apparently caused some confusion because when a head count was done, we were one short. Yikes!!!

 

Our bus driver drove back to the spot he had let us off at the beginning and lo and behold, there was our missing compatriot. Whew! Now that all were present and accounted for, we made our way back to the port.

 

Now, I have no idea why our guide was in such a rush all day. She said it was because we were 30 minutes late leaving in the morning (due to the fog and our late arrival). However, we were back to the port by 3p which meant we still had 3 hours before all aboard time. I really wish she would have given us more time in Pompeii, but this is one of the risks of taking a ship-sponsored tour. The next time I find myself with an opportunity to visit Pompeii, I plan to do it without a guide. I’ve been with a guide twice (and I definitely think if you haven’t been there before, you should use a guide), but I just want to be able to wander around this fascinating town on my own and just soak it all in without the running commentary.

 

Since we had so much time before we had to be back on the ship, we took the opportunity to make contact with my dog sitter (aka Dad) back in the States. The cruise terminal is rather large and has some shops in it. We were able to get free wifi by purchasing something (we chose gelato) at a small convenience store named Algoga Food store. I actually had to hand the guy behind the counter my phone so he could put the code in (he did the same for others) rather than him just giving me the code on slip of paper (maybe they have had issues with too many people getting free wifi for free….lol). Anyway, we called my dad, but the connection was pretty bad so we didn’t chat too long. Finally, we got back on board, grabbed a snack at the Park Café and then headed to our cabin for a nap.

 

Tonight was the Jack and the Beanstock aerial show in the Centrum, but we missed it. The show was at 8p and we had reservations for Giovanni’s at 7:30p. This was our first time at any of the “pay” restaurants. Our booking came with a voucher for dinner for two, so we figured it would be silly to not at least try one of the venues. We were not disappointed.

 

We had a very nice table right near the windows. Our server, Mary Jane Gayton, was fabulous. Absolutely top notch!!! She was very friendly and never rushed us. I had the following: carpaccio (appetizer), gnocchi with lamb ragout for my primo course, ossobucco for my secondi and marsala cannoli and custard with cherries for dessert. Crazy Mom started with eggplant parmesan, followed by shrimp penne, veal parcels and then the rum cannoli and tiramisu for dessert. We each enjoyed wine with our dinner as well. The portions were generous, to say the least, except for the desserts… they were small which is why we each had two (plus, Mary Jane insisted….lol).

 

 

It took us 2.5 hours to get through all 4 courses and it was one of the most memorable dining experiences I have ever had aboard a ship. Even though we had vouchers, I would be more than happy to pay for the experience again (and plan to do so at least once on our next cruise). We only had to pay for the wine, but we also gave Mary Jane a tip (I think it was $20…. She seemed rather overwhelmed by that amount, so perhaps that was a lot, but I didn’t think so). In fact, after that, we often saw Mary Jane at the Park Café and she always remembered us and would chat for a few minutes. She ended up getting our WOW card at the end of the cruise.

 

Tonight was White Night (or whatever you want to call it)…. The night where folks-in-the-know break out the all-white outfit they knew to pack. CM didn’t feel like wearing white; I packed a white dress specifically for the occasion so I wore it. However, we both look like humungous beached whales in the photos from this night, so I won’t frighten you (or embarrass me) by posting them.

 

White Night also coincided with the big pool party (maybe it always does?). We were simply too exhausted after our long day to party on the pool deck into the wee hours. We did however swing by to watch them with the setup process for a few minutes. The food looked wonderful (which is saying a lot since we were positively stuffed at this point).

 

 

For those that still had energy to join the festivities that night, I have no doubt they had a blast. For us though, it was way past our bedtime, so we headed back to the cabin, changed our clocks back an hour (daylight savings time was ending) and fell into a deep sleep. The next day, we would be able to sleep in because it was finally time for a day at sea!

 

This is the little dry-erase board we had in our cabin. After this night, we never wrote on it again. I couldn't bring myself to erase my awesome artwork that reminded me of our day's adventures. It's still on the whiteboard to this day.... cracks me up every time I see the little stick figure running from the lava....lol

 

Cool Girl

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

If you look closely, you can get an idea if the angle of ascent.... see the angle of people's calves and how they are leaning forward? It's a steep climb!

 

Lol -- now I feel even more heroic for RUNNING up the damn thing -- with a huge backpack on:rolleyes:.

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Phew! For a minute there I thought you picked up on Stef's Panda fetish!

__________________

 

:Dlol -- I didn' know I have a "fetish". Gotta tell Tanja, she'll love it;)!

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Melissa,

 

Lol I LOVE the white board pic!... Can you frame a white board and hang it on a wall? mmmhhh, I guess it's worth a try:D. Did you or CM draw it? Must have been hard to get it back home without smudging it.

 

Its thundering intensely outside right now....somehow this makes me think of an erupting volcano...I wonder why:rolleyes:?

 

Stef

[Julia’s Journey’s]

There was a trash strike and while there was a lot of trash, it was piled very neatly.

 

 

LOL, growing up my mom always said 'Go to Naples and die:D' There was a trash strike when my parents where there (probably in the 70's)and all she remembers was the stink, dirt and dog p@@ and they were there a few days:D

 

We have been a few times on cruise stops and last October we caught the ferry to Sorrento and spent the day there, we then caught the train back and walked from the train station back to the port:eek: Not the best area but we didn't feel unsafe but the area around the museums and Palace etc (other side of port from the train station) seemed very interesting and touristy.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Julia’s Journey’s

[crvng4mr]

Melissa, you left mom!!!! With 2 strange men! Hahaha! That is terrible.:p:eek:

 

I can't say enough how much I love your writing!

 

Pompeii is the perfect place for a hide and seek game! It would last for hours.

[windjamming]

Disclaimer #18: I am not a hater of all things related to Naples. In fact, I have a carton of Neopolitan ice cream in my freezer right now (and it’s quite good). So, to be safe, let’s just say, I don’t hate Naples (so if you’re in the Mafia, please don’t come after me). I have just been told by those that have been there, it’s better to be avoided. By all means, if you have had a wonderful experience in the town of Naples, please share it with us.

 

Oooh, I have a story!

 

During our first Mediterranean cruise, we did Pompeii in the morning, and Mom and I went into Naples in the afternoon. We stayed within a few blocks of the port, which is what our stateroom attendant advised. (Because who doesn't get tourist tips from their cabin steward.)

 

Our goal was the famous Neapolitan pizza. Coming from New Jersey, we take our pizza seriously. Like, I knew people in high school whose families would disown them if they dated someone whose family frequented a different pizza joint. Okay, I'm exaggerating (only slightly), but we do have very exact standards. (We're also serious about Springsteen, but that's another story for another review.)

 

Anyway, we walked and walked looking for a place that wasn't sit down. We just wanted a slice from a pizza parlor. We finally found a place that sold small pizza pies. Good enough. We got a margherita pie to go.

 

By then, it was getting close to boarding time, so we headed back to the ship, thinking we could enjoy our Neapolitan pizza as a pre-dinner snack with Dad.

 

Alas, it turns out you're not allowed to bring hot food onboard. Who knew? (Hint: not me. I know all of you knew.) So what to do? I wasn't going to give up a pizza. The state of New Jersey probably let me back if I'd done that. I got comfortable in one of the promenade lounge chairs before security, and ate most of the pizza. Fortunately it was probably at most 10", and Mom did help. I also offered some to the mean security guy who wouldn't break maritime laws, but he politely refused.

 

In any case, it was delicious. So, there. A good Naples story. :)

 

PS: Now..back to catching up on this abundance of amazing reviews!