maldenmusic Posted August 25, 2016 #26 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Love these pictures. We are regular travelers to Athens but have never cruised out of there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TravelE Posted August 25, 2016 #27 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Loving your review! The pictures are beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettienets Posted August 25, 2016 #28 Share Posted August 25, 2016 (edited) Super review and pictures. In the Atrium does that fancy light fixture change colour every night or several times and colour in one night. It looks very attractive. Was afternoon tea in Horizons on deck 4 aft? I understand they charge now for specialty teas? or you can have regular, decaf or green. Sent from my BLU STUDIO 6.0 HD using Tapatalk Edited August 25, 2016 by lettienets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyboy Posted August 25, 2016 #29 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Nice following your review and photos. Haven't been to Messina and your shots makes me want to visit that port. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkg Posted August 25, 2016 #30 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Looks like a great trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlekid58 Posted August 25, 2016 #31 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Awesome review. Thanks for Sharing:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluwes Posted August 25, 2016 #32 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Loving the review. We have the same itinerary on our 13th September sailing so following with great interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 26, 2016 Author #33 Share Posted August 26, 2016 Super review and pictures. In the Atrium does that fancy light fixture change colour every night or several times and colour in one night. It looks very attractive.Was afternoon tea in Horizons on deck 4 aft? I understand they charge now for specialty teas? or you can have regular, decaf or green. The atriu fixture changes several times. It was a nice feature, and we liked havig drinks at the lobby bar. And yes, afternoon tea was Horizons aft. They do charge for the specialty teas - I tried one and really wasn't impressed. I'm happy with an English Breakfast or Earl Grey. I had tea on the Lido deck most mornings and settled for the Lipton. Next year I might bring my own tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 27, 2016 Author #34 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Another long port day and another long tour. We booked Carnival’s boat tour to Amalfi followed by Pompeii, and it was a full day. Our bus traveled to Salerno, where we boarded a tour boat to take us along the Amalfi Coast to the town of Amalfi. The Amalfi Coast is amazing to see – towns carved into the sides of the hills. I’m glad we decided to do this by boat. 244 Salerno by baxted, on Flickr Salerno 246 Amalfi Coast by baxted, on Flickr Vietri sul Mare 256 Amalfi Coast by baxted, on Flickr Amalfi Coast. It's amazing how they managed to build these towns into the hillsides. 261 Amalfi Coast by baxted, on Flickr Look for the house, center left. We couldn't figure out how you would get there. 269 Amalfi by baxted, on Flickr I'm glad we did the Amalfi Coast by boat! 270 Amalfi by baxted, on Flickr Arriving at Amalfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 27, 2016 Author #35 Share Posted August 27, 2016 At Amalfi, we had a given amount of time to explore the town and return to the boat. Amalfi is a picturesque town - central piazza in front of the cathedral with narrow, winding streets surrounding it. There was a funeral in the cathedral, and as the casket was carried down the church steps (not an easy feat for the pallbearers) the cathedral bell tolled, the shops in the piazza closed, and people quieted and paid their respects to the deceased. The casket was placed in the hearse and then the funeral party walked behind the hearse along the streets out of the town, led by the priest intoning prayers. Very moving. 274 Amalfi by baxted, on Flickr Amalfi 278 Amalfi by baxted, on Flickr Amalfi, Cathedral of St. Andrew 280 Amalfi by baxted, on Flickr Amalfi Street 282 Di Cape di Ciucce, Amalfi by baxted, on Flickr Di Cape di Ciucce, Amalfi. This fountain dates from the 1700s. 281 St. Andrew's Fountai, Amalfi by baxted, on Flickr St. Andrew's Fountain 291 Amalfi by baxted, on Flickr A last view of Amalfi Our purchases in Amalfi were a hand-painted shot glass, a bottle of Limoncello (the bottle is so pretty I'm going to have a hard time opening it) and a bottle of balsamic vinegar. There are lots of other shopping opportunities. One down side to Carnival excursions – you are at the mercy of the person who doesn’t understand time. We had several different Carnival tours on our boat – not all were continuing to Pompeii – and two people on one of the other tours was a half hour late getting back to the boat. Smaller groups are much more manageable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 27, 2016 Author #36 Share Posted August 27, 2016 After returning to Salerno, we traveled to a hotel close to the entrance to Pompeii where we toured a cameo factory (no pressure to buy and restrooms on site) then had lunch in a catering facility. Lunch was good – cannelloni followed by a chicken course, with bottles of house red and white wine for the table. Gelato for dessert. This was our sons’ first introduction to gelato – wouldn’t be their last. After lunch, we walked to the entrance to Pompeii. Our guide explained that to see everything, we would need to spend three days. Since we had only a few hours, we saw what we could. We did not go to the Antiquarian, the museum where you can see many of the artifacts, but what we saw was amazing. 297 Pompeii by baxted, on Flickr Courtyard. Our guide explained that while the statuary was among the excavations, it does not necessarily appear in the place where it was located in 79 A.D. 302 Pompeii by baxted, on Flickr Courtyard. 303 Pompeii by baxted, on Flickr Amphitheater 305 Pompeii by baxted, on Flickr Stairway in the amphitheater 306 Pompeii by baxted, on Flickr Pompeii Street 309 Pompeii by baxted, on Flickr Pompeii House Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 27, 2016 Author #37 Share Posted August 27, 2016 314 Pompeii by baxted, on Flickr Courtyard of a house 315 Popeii by baxted, on Flickr Frescoes 317 Pompeii by baxted, on Flickr Frescoes and ceiling 328 Pompeii by baxted, on Flickr Pompeii Fountain 336 Pompeii by baxted, on Flickr Pompeii square 340 Pompeii by baxted, on Flickr Looking toward Vesuvius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 27, 2016 Author #38 Share Posted August 27, 2016 After Pompeii, we headed back to Naples. As you might be able to tell from that last photo, we had a storm come up but it didn't last long. A word of caution for those visiting Naples: security here is different from most ports. Instead of screening bags on the ship, it's done in the port area by port employees, not Carnival security. Since many tours returned at the same time, the lines were very long. I've gone through TSA lines in a shorter time.:eek: It took a good 45 minutes to board the ship. As we sailed away from Naples, we were rewarded with a beautiful view of Mount Vesuvius. 343 Mount Vesuvius by baxted, on Flickr Vesuvius 346 Island off Naples by baxted, on Flickr Island off Naples Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 27, 2016 Author #39 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Love these pictures. We are regular travelers to Athens but have never cruised out of there. Loving your review! The pictures are beautiful. Thank you both! I wish we had planned more time in Athens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 27, 2016 Author #40 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Looks like a great trip. Awesome review. Thanks for Sharing:) Thanks for folllowing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 27, 2016 Author #41 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Loving the review. We have the same itinerary on our 13th September sailing so following with great interest. You will love this cruise! It's pretty intensive but well worth the exercise. DH actually lost weight.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 30, 2016 Author #42 Share Posted August 30, 2016 We booked our Rome tour with ItalyTours.eu to do a full-day starting with the Coliseum and ending with the Vatican – and everything else in between. There were a total of six of us – our family and a couple from Ohio. Having a small group was great, and I wish we had done that for Florence. Our driver met us right at the ship in Civitavecchia for our hour drive into Rome. First stop was the Coliseum, where we had advance tickets to enter. That doesn’t mean you don’t stand in line – there are lots of other people with advance tickets, and everyone has to go through security. The lines move, though, and it is well worth the wait. I think our sons could have spent the day here. 355 Arc h of Constatine and Coliseu, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Arch of Constantine and Coliseum 360 Via Sacra and arch of Titus by baxted, on Flickr Via Sacra and Arch of Titus 363 Coliseum Rome by baxted, on Flickr Coliseum interior 365 Boys, Coliseum, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Sons, Coliseum interior 370 Coliseum, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Coliseum interior 371 Arch of Constantine and Coliseum, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Arch of Constantine and Coliseum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 30, 2016 Author #43 Share Posted August 30, 2016 After the Coliseum, we visited Palatine Hill and the Circus Maximus. 373 Circus Maximus, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Circus Maximus 374 Palatine Hill, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Palatine Hill 375 Palatine Hill, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Palatine Hill Our guide was a bit coy about our next stop – all he would say is “you will have an amazing view.” We drove through some residential streets to a small church – Santa Maria del Priorato. However, the church was not what we came to see – instead, we were directed to a gate near the parking lot to look through a keyhole. What we saw was a view across a garden to the dome of St. Peter’s, perfectly framed by the keyhole. 378 Santa Maria del Priorato, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Santa Maria del Priorato. I wish I had a picture of the keyhole view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 30, 2016 Author #44 Share Posted August 30, 2016 We were back in the van and off to the Capitoline Hill and the Roman Forum. One thing that struck me is that although it seemed like we had done a lot of driving, the sites we visited were in a fairly compact area. 379 Capitoline Hill and Roman Forum by baxted, on Flickr Roman Forum 382 Roman Foru by baxted, on Flickr Roman Forum After that, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. We had lunch at a trattoria near the Spanish Steps – Caprese salad and a carafe of the house red wine for DH and me, pizza for the sons. 388 Trevi Fountain, Rome by baxted, on Flickr 389 Boys Trevi Fountain, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Sons, Trevi Fountain 391 Spanish Steps, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Spanish Steps 392 Piazza di Spagna, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Piazza di Spagna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 30, 2016 Author #45 Share Posted August 30, 2016 After lunch we went to the Pantheon. We had a 1:30 reservation at the Vatican, so our time here was a bit limited - but enough. 394 Pantheon, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Pantheon exterior 395 Piazza della Rotunda, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Piazza della Rotunda 398 Pantheon, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Pantheon portico 400 Pantheon, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Main altar, Pantheon 403 Pantheon Rome by baxted, on Flickr Main entrance, Pantheon 399 Pantheon Dome, Rome by baxted, on Flickr Pantheon dome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 30, 2016 Author #46 Share Posted August 30, 2016 Our last stop of the day was the Vatican. Again, we had advance tickets plus a separate guide who is an expert on the Vatican. We were paired with another six-person tour and equipped with audio devices and earbuds to hear our guide. The Vatican Museum is another one of those places where, if you want to see everything, you’d better plan on spending several days. The downside? The heat and the crowds. However the art collection is amazing. 406 Vatican Museum Entrance by baxted, on Flickr Museum Entrance 410 Vatican Museum by baxted, on Flickr Museum Courtyard 414 View from Vatican Museum by baxted, on Flickr View from the museum 427 Vatican Museum by baxted, on Flickr Museum stairway 428 Vatican Museum by baxted, on Flickr Museum hallway 429 Vatican Museum by baxted, on Flickr Museum hallway At the end, you reach the Sistine Chapel – no photography allowed. Signs at the door note that it is a worship site to be respected with silence. Most folks observed this request, but every now and then the noise level would rise above a murmur and a security guard would call out, “SILENCIO!” Well, that helped the atmosphere of respect. However, the chapel is absolutely breathtaking – my recommendation is to stand (or sit – there are some seats) and just take it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 30, 2016 Author #47 Share Posted August 30, 2016 We then went to St. Peter’s Basilica, the size of which is awe-inspiring. It was still crowded, but it is so large there was plenty of room. 436 St Peters Basilica by baxted, on Flickr Main Altar and Dome 432 Michaelangelo Pieta by baxted, on Flickr Michaelangelo's Pieta Outside, we took in St. Peter’s Square and were met by our driver, who took us back to Civitavecchia and the port. I really recommend this tour. 439 St Peters Square by baxted, on Flickr St. Peter's Square 444 St Peters Basilica by baxted, on Flickr Basilica facade 441 Swiss Guard, Vatican by baxted, on Flickr Swiss Guards I think this was the day we were 20 minutes late for dinner. After a long hot day, no one really wanted to go to dinner without taking a shower first – and I don’t think Dragan and his team would have wanted us there! After dinner we just took it easy, listening to music and having some drinks. 446 Towel animal, Rome night by baxted, on Flickr Towel animal, Rome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjn911 Posted August 30, 2016 #48 Share Posted August 30, 2016 Absolutely loving your review. Thank you so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmcsharon Posted August 30, 2016 #49 Share Posted August 30, 2016 I'm really enjoying your wonderful review and beautiful pictures! My kids are similar ages to your boys so it's nice to see that they are enjoying the sites as well. I was really glad to hear that you recommended Italytours.eu! We have them booked for all 3 of our Italy ports! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted August 30, 2016 Author #50 Share Posted August 30, 2016 I'm really enjoying your wonderful review and beautiful pictures! My kids are similar ages to your boys so it's nice to see that they are enjoying the sites as well. I was really glad to hear that you recommended Italytours.eu! We have them booked for all 3 of our Italy ports! We booked Marseille through them as well (but I'm getting ahead of myself;) ). Both tours were excellent. I should have booked them for Florence as well. Not that I didn't like our day, but it could have been much better with a smaller group. I think if my sons could have picked their favorite places it would have to be Pompeii and the Coliseum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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