Carnival Liberty 8/1/05 - 8/13/05 Review

[Tomshark]

After cruise need to stay over one night before flying out of FCO to USA, has anyone stayed at a hotel near FCO airport?

[LatinaWorldTraveler]

HI Bill,

 

I have decided to take your suggestion and do Barcelona on our own. Looking at the map, things seem a bit spread apart. Can you recommend an itinerary? Did anyone on your cruise do the Bus Turistic thing?? It seems a good option but I am not sure. We definitely want to see the major sites, Ramblas, the Market, and the Picasso and Dali museums, and whatever else we can squeeze in.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

<3 Liz

[BillnBobbi]

Bill or anyone else that knows,

 

We are looking at the map for Murano and there are several stops for the vaporetto in Murano. Which one is the best one to get off at for touring the glass factories?

 

Thanks,

Glenda

 

Hi,

 

We've been preoccupied with the New Orleans disaster all week. Our older son, daughter-in-law and grandson live there. Her entire family (father, aunts, grandmother, sisters) all live there. Everyone is now safe and sound, if scattered anywhere between Houston and Tampa.

 

 

OK, Murano. Get off at the first stop which is Falco (?) IT was something beginning with F. The place is quite small, very walkable. The glass factories are EVERYWHERE. Don't buy in the first place you get to off the vaporetto. Many of the places have the same things and the prices can vary widely.

 

BnB

[BillnBobbi]

Wow, these are fun to read! thanks for making the extra time. Do you cruise any other lines? any comparisons?

 

We've cruised on four other lines. We like the Conquest class shipsthe best so far.

We've been on the Conquest last August in the W. Caribbean. Of course, this time on the LIberty. We will be on the Glory over Christmas in the eastern caribe.

 

BnB

[BillnBobbi]

My husband and I will be flying into Rome (FCO) on September 4th. We would like to know how long does it take to get through customs and baggage claim

before reserving our transportation?

 

Gee, it didn't take long at all. Maybe fifteen minutes. But then we look like two dumb middle-aged white tourists. In the Amsterdam airport we saw customs agents separating young single males (20s-30s) from others and being much more thorough.

 

BnB

[BillnBobbi]

HI Bill,

 

I have decided to take your suggestion and do Barcelona on our own. Looking at the map, things seem a bit spread apart. Can you recommend an itinerary? Did anyone on your cruise do the Bus Turistic thing?? It seems a good option but I am not sure. We definitely want to see the major sites, Ramblas, the Market, and the Picasso and Dali museums, and whatever else we can squeeze in.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

<3 Liz

 

No, they are not spread apart at all. Everything that you'd want to see in the one day can be done on foot. That's assuming you are in good physical condition, because you will do about 6-10 miles of walking.

What we did (I think I said so in my review, but I'll repeat it) was take a private cab (because the shuttle buses hadn't arrived at 7:15am when we got off) to Sagrada Familia. We looked at that for a while, then strolled west through L'Eixample district where many other Gaudi structures are located (Casa Mila, Casa Battlo to name just two). Then we walked down the broad boulevard on which those two houses are located (south) until we arrived at the central hub. From there we went southwest into the Gothic Quarter, visited the Dali Museum, looked at the Cathedral, the winding streets, etc; went into the Picasso Museum. From the Picasso Museum we walked over to Las Ramblas and proceeded south.

We made an extended stop at the Mercato (The Central Market which when you walk south on Las Ramblas is on your right). That was great, because we are incurable foodies, and like looking at some of the exotic items, as well as the way other cultures present their foods. We had a wonderful al fresco lunch at the fish grill stand in the back of the market.

The woman owner of the grill gave us an entire platter of sliced serrano ham, which she sliced in front of us right off of the rump. I had asked for a mere sample and she gave us a platter! With bread and pickles! And it was on the house! She asked if we had ever been to Barcelona before, and we told her we'd never been to Spain before. She said "Welcome to Spain"!!

From there I wanted to walk over to Park Gueill, but it was pushing 100 degrees that day and Bobbi was wilted. So we rested a while walked down to the Columbus Monument and then took a Sloooooowwwwww walk back to the ship.

We would have taken a shuttle or a taxi but we simply couldn't find them.

I hope by the time you go that the ship has the deal with the shuttles straightened out.

What I just described to you took us from about 7am to about 2 in the afternoon. It was a nice full day, we saw a lot if not everything. But, hey, now we have a reason to go back to Barcelona for more. It is a wonderful cosmopolitan city.

If you don't want to walk all of that, familiarize yourself with the excellent subway system. There are maps posted everywhere, and they are clearly marked. You don't need to know Spanish or Catalan to figure them out.

 

BnB

[RnB]

We've has John as cruise director twice (plus once more for her with her son). Does he have any new routines? I can't imaging him stretching out to 12 days and still being funny. How many times can he do Mary had a little lamb? And it it loses something if he can't find someone of Asian decent (forgive me for not being politically correct) who can't pronounce "shoot".

[BillnBobbi]

We've has John as cruise director twice (plus once more for her with her son). Does he have any new routines? I can't imaging him stretching out to 12 days and still being funny. How many times can he do Mary had a little lamb? And it it loses something if he can't find someone of Asian decent (forgive me for not being politically correct) who can't pronounce "shoot".

 

Well this was the first time we had him as CD. I have to say we did find him amusing and congenial, but you are right, many of the routines are old. We know they are old because we've heard them from other CDs on other cruises, and even other cruise lines.

 

There must be a CD joke book somewhere, or a CD convention where they all get together and compare notes. Hey, professional comics do this all the time.

 

I think that the time is long past for ethnic jokes as well. Yes he did do the Asian who could not pronounce "shoot" correctly. You know what, I'd like to see him or any of the other comedians who were on the ship (most of them were African Americans) speak Chinese, or Korean, Thai or any other of the Asian languages that are found among the crews on these ships.

 

My guess is they don't know ONE word, and couldn't say a simple sentence in anything but English if their lives depended on it.

 

Mainstream comedy has pretty much gotten away from ethnic jokes, even where one is poking fun at one's own. Jewish comedians will still tell Jewish jokes to Jewish audiences, but it is not the keystone to their acts, as it once was with older comedians such as Jackie Mason.

 

It used to be that black comedians WOULD NEVER tell ethnic jokes about their own people, even to their own people. I always liked Bill Cosby in his younger days because he respected himself and never condescended in this way. He was funny without resorting to ethnicity or cursing. Now he's become a grumpy old man, but much of what he says wrings true. I'm guessing that he detests many of the younger black comedians who we see now, not only for their material, but also for their reinforcing of stereotypes in their dress and in their manner of speech.

 

There were two black comedians on our cruise. One guy was not only obnoxious, started with the "how many __________(pick an ethnic group or nationality, or religion) in the audience", which immediately tells me he has lousy material. But he seemed to think the only adjectives were the "F" and "S" words. Then he resorted to the basest form of jingoism on a cruise in which many non-Americans were on board. What an idiot. Then he tried self-promo. "I'll be standing outside the Venetian after I'm done so you can buy my (vanity produced) CD, which I'll autograph". WOW! There's a collectors item!!

 

Perhaps you're wondering why we didn't just walk out? I dunno, we have a masochistic streak in us.

 

BnB

[gsb]

Great info.

Thx again. Gary

[LTSJEEP2000@AOL.COM]

hI.....I AM GOING ON THE 10/12/05 LIBERTY. OH BY THE WAY I LIKE YOUR REVIEWS IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.

 

I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT NIGHTS WERE THE FORMAL NIGHTS.

 

I ALSO HEARD THAT SOME OF THE CABINS SMELL SMOKEY....IS THIS TRUE????

[purple32759]

Hi Tina

 

Could You Please Tell Me a little more about "Stefano" with ROMECABS? How far in Advance did You Make Reservations with Him? Does he meet You at the Rome Airport Holding Up a Sign with Your Name on it? Did You Pay By Credit card and Does He Send You a Confirmation over the Internet? What Type Vehicle DOes he Drive--Car or Van? Do You think he would Charge 50 Eoros for 2 People fromthe Airport to the Hotel in Rome and 120 Euros from the Hotel to the Port the Next Day fro 2 People?

 

CHEERS & THANKS!

Julie

[DebNJoe]

Hi Tina

 

Could You Please Tell Me a little more about "Stefano" with ROMECABS? How far in Advance did You Make Reservations with Him? Does he meet You at the Rome Airport Holding Up a Sign with Your Name on it? Did You Pay By Credit card and Does He Send You a Confirmation over the Internet? What Type Vehicle DOes he Drive--Car or Van? Do You think he would Charge 50 Eoros for 2 People fromthe Airport to the Hotel in Rome and 120 Euros from the Hotel to the Port the Next Day fro 2 People?

 

CHEERS & THANKS!

Julie

 

Hi Julie,

I'm leaving in 2 days for the Carnival Liberty, using Stefano for all my transportation to/from airport/pier/hotel as well as a day of touring Rome post cruise. I contacted him via email back in April and everything was confirmed by email. He did not require any payment up front nor did he ask for credit card info. I can't remember if he is willing to take credit card payments, we are paying in euros at the end of each journey. I found that his prices were the best compared to other tour companies recommended here.

 

I recommended him to my SIL, who traveled to Rome last month. He was waiting for her group at the airport with a sign. She did use his services for some touring as well. She is not the easiest to please, and she raved about him :D

 

Debbie

[purple32759]

Hi Debbie

 

Thnaks For the Info about STEFANO!! You are a Great Help--I was a little Worried about Paying ahead of Time--I will Remember to get Euros ahead of time to Pay him!

 

THANKS AGAIN--Much Appreciated!!

 

CHEERS!

Julie in Savannah, GA

[purple32759]

Hi Debbie

 

I Forgot to Ask You--How many Euros does STEFANO Charge for a Day Tour of Rome?

 

THANKS AGAIN!

Julie in Savannah, GA.

jtucker86@comcast.net

[DebNJoe]

Hi Debbie

 

I Forgot to Ask You--How many Euros does STEFANO Charge for a Day Tour of Rome?

 

THANKS AGAIN!

Julie in Savannah, GA.

jtucker86@comcast.net

Julie,

His price is 35 euro/hour, not per person. There are 4 of us, don't know if there is a different price for larger groups requiring larger vehicles, but I don't think so. He can also provide a Vatican guide as well - not sure of the price on that.

 

I leave tomorrow - so I'll post back when I return (after 10/15/05) to let you know how things went! :D

 

Debbie

[AKcruzer]

HI Bill,

 

I have decided to take your suggestion and do Barcelona on our own. Looking at the map, things seem a bit spread apart. Can you recommend an itinerary? Did anyone on your cruise do the Bus Turistic thing?? It seems a good option but I am not sure. We definitely want to see the major sites, Ramblas, the Market, and the Picasso and Dali museums, and whatever else we can squeeze in.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

<3 Liz

 

Hi Liz,

 

We just got back from our cruise (9/6) and extended stay in Italy. What BillnBobby writes is correct. In fact, I followed basically his same route through Barcelona after reading his trip report. The only thing we did differently is we took a subway from the Drassanes station to Sagrada Familia which saved us a little money. I bought a good travel book for each port we visited so I could study up ahead of time and be my own tour guide.

 

We skipped the Dali Museum in favor of more shopping in the Gothic District. Do not miss the Mercat (market) or La Sagrada Familia for that matter.

 

Also, it looks like Carnival figured out their shuttle bus schedule for this port. The buses run every 20-30 minutes between the ship and the World Trade Center. It's a little bit of a hike from the WTC to the ship by foot, but I'm sure it could be done (as Bill did).

 

Have fun on your cruise; our trip to Italy was one of the best vacations I've ever taken.

 

Steve