Chasing Constellation from Rome to Arabian Nights November 2016

[need2bespoiled]

It's Patty and Sue from the South American adventure last December. Sounds like you and Dee are off on a another grand adventure! Give our regards to Dee and you'all have a great time!

 

Will do, thanks!!! Safe journies to you.

Best,

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[need2bespoiled]

This post is “only” two parts but I will promise has some amazing images.

 

This morning we had a typical hotel breakfast, nothing special and far from what we got in Venice. For the second time, we used Uber (used it last night to get to dinner) and had a ride instantly as there was a driver waiting at the hotel Valet. We’ve found Uber slightly cheaper than cabs and because Uber Black is the lowest level, the cars are nicer, newer, and cleaner than cabs. 4 Mercedes and an Audi so far, and not a Euro exchanged.

 

We arrived at the Vatican to HUGE lines, stretching two full city blocks around the corner +. I can’t imagine what it would be like to wait in those lines! Darlene wins the planning prize of the day, possibly the trip, maybe the year for buying tickets in advance. We were dropped off across the street from the entrance, walked in, waiting a few minutes and received our tickets to enter, and started following the crowds and large tour groups. By about 9am we were inside the Museum. We skipped the audio tour, took our time, but Dee could only manage so much on her new knee so we only spent about 2 to 2.5 hours in the Museum. You could spend much more but the groups and tour groups are insufferable.

 

The sites are certainly impressive right from the beginning when you can see the Basically St. Peter:

 

The grounds from inside:

 

While the collections themselves vary from statues, paintings, tapestries, artifacts and much more, it’s the building themselves which awe me. I am not overly impressed by a museum that has many pieces that should not belong to them. I feel they should be returned to those whose heritage they share.

 

I will share some of my favorite images. I think this statute looks like he is taking a selfie and I kind of want to photoshop a phone into his hand:

 

Posting for a social media picture:

 

Absolutely stunning ceilings:

 

To be continued …

[need2bespoiled]

Another amazing ceiling:

 

This image, and its pair on the other side are simply amazing!

 

As you wind your way through the museum, you end up the crush of people in the Sistine Chapel. It’s simply amazing, but it was hot, with tons of people, and we didn’t spend as much time there as I would have liked. After finishing in the museum and grabbing a drink at the cafeteria which we enjoyed sitting outside on the more peaceful grounds. The number of people in the museum is CRAZY!

 

When we walked out, we had to work our way against the line we skipped, which looks like it had not moved, but gotten longer and we heard the back could be FOUR hours long!

 

We walked all the way around to the entrance to the Basilica St Peter but the line was over 90 minutes to enter and Dee’s knee just wasn’t up for it. We did ask to be allowed in the wheelchair entrance but you need a certificate to do that (please note to check on this if you are mobility challenged). There was no way she would have been able to stand for that long so we walked a couple of blocks more and sat down for lunch (yummy pizza and pasta) followed by gelato. YUM! Another Uber and we were back at our hotel to relax for a bit in the afternoon.

 

This evening we met up with some cruise buddies and their cruise buddies (soon to be our cruise buddies) for a Halloween themed dinner at an apartment one of them had renter for the time they’re spending in Rome. Surprise, surprise, most people showed up in costume! I simply wore black and a cat mask I bought in Venice, meow. Dee had some tulle she brought with her, and was the “Spirit of Venice” One shot of some of us, who said Cruisers are boring?:

 

Tomorrow, we’re off to tour Rome’s amazing sites with a tour company Dee booked. On Wednesday we should (will!) FINALLY catch Constellation.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

PS. Moonstruck Duck wasn’t feeling well today, he rested at the hotel

[need2bespoiled]

This will only be a two-part post, and will catch up yesterday in Rome and today, finally getting ton Constellation!

 

We met out driver / guide (not truly a guide) at 10am to have a morning that didn’t start off too early, but with the holiday (All Saints Day) and a Marathon on that day in Rome, navigating around the city was very challenging, and our guide’s English wasn’t great, so after almost 30 min of driving and understandably due to the marathon not getting anywhere, I emailed the tour company to ask for a driver we could communicate with better, so we could plan how to deal with the issues of the day. At 11a they swapped out the drivers and all was MUCH better. We got to some great sites before lunch, like the Forum, Coliseum from the outside (with the holiday and the Vatican being closed, lines were huge), arches, Circus Maximus, “Wedding Cake” and many more.

 

 

 

About 1pm we asked for a recommendation for a nicer lunch location and our driver took us to Ill Sanlorenzo. While it was a bit pricey, the meal was the BEST we have had in Italy, EVER. We would LOVE to go back here, SOOO YUMMY.

 

In the afternoon we hit a few of the squares, the Parthenon, Trevi Fountain with a few thousand of my closest friends, the Spanish Steps, a quick bit of shopping before heading back to our hotel about 5pm

 

Unfortunately, the Partehnon closed at 1pm for the holiday, so I got to see the outside and peak inbetween the lock doors.

 

A few thousands of my closest frends at Tevi Fountain

 

To be continued…

[caribill]

I am happy to answer questions in general about Constellation (once we're onboard), the ports, the Suite Life, the Suez or anything I can, a best I can.

 

As you work your way to Abu Dhabi, please post if the ship time is not the same as local time at any of the ports.

 

Thanks

[need2bespoiled]

We were meeting our friend Toni for dinner at 8:30 at Metamorfasi which is an Italian molecular gastronomy restaurant. Another home run, soooo good and so much better than Metrapole in Venice. The meal was a two and half hour food exploration and journey. I only wish we hadn’t had such an amazing lunch to fill us up on the same day we had such an amazing dinner! The food was complex I compositions, textures and layers of flavor. This is another restaurant I’d highly recommend for the adventurous foodie. I have pics, but they do not come close to doing the food justice, so I am only posting this one:

 

I was so excited to finally get to Constellation; sleep didn’t come easily.

 

Since I couldn’t really see the Trevi fountain yesterday and since it wasn't far from our hotel, this morning I went on a run to see it without thousands of others there:

 

While I zigged and zagged on my run, I really didn’t get lost.

 

 

This was an amzing way to see sites I would otherwise never see. I saw fountains, a few pretty neighborhoods and stumbled on a church a tthe top of a hill, with a beautiful view of the city from its steps:

 

 

After a quick breakfast, to reinforce the fact that the heritage of the Boscolo Exedra is a foodie hotel has completely been lost we were off to meet our driver to pick-up Toni and head to the port. I won’t fully review the Boscolo Exedra here, but needless to say I wouldn’t stay there again. From cold eggs and potatoes EVERY day at breakfast, to scrapping plates into a wine bucket in the dining room, and piling dirty plates on side station it was more of a poorly run motel.

 

When we arrived down in the lobby to meet our driver, we were happy to see our luggage was brought down from our room as requested. I headed off to get some additional Euros from an ATM while Dee waited for a driver. When I returned, it had been 20 minutes since we arrived in the lobby and after calling the driver who we thought was 10 min late, we found out he had been standing 20 ft away the entire time, and had told the bellman twice that he was waiting for us. Apparently, the Boscolo staff couldn’t put 2 and 2 together but this had not the first time we had a similar issue. After loading our bags, we were off to pick Toni up in the Traveti part of the city. They hotel she was at was a small boutique hotel that was previously a convent, situated on very small streets and hard to get to! Once we had picked her up, we asked to stop at a special market to grab some wine and “provisions” which the driver nicely obliged.

 

After an uneventful drive up the "coast", we made it to the port about 11:40 and were boarding in 15 min. As we stepped onboard to have our pictures taken we found Ashley (previous Captain’s Club Hostess, now Assistant Guest Relations Manager). After hugs were exchanged, we were in Michael’s Club by about noon where we caught up for a bit, had glass of prosecco and then a bit later we found out our Butler was Stoyan who we had for a month on Millennium in 2014 (see review below). We really love Stoyan so we knew we would have a wonderful cruise! A few minutes later our primary server from Luminae on our Infinity cruise last December (see review below), Kavi, came down and said hello. It was so nice to see great staff we knew from other cruises on Constellation. After a bit we decided to head to Luminae for lunch. While I had the heirloom tomato salad and Luminae Burger, I enjoyed the burger on a salad instead of bun. I am _trying_ to enjoy the offerings without going overboard.

 

After lunch at about 2pm we headed to our cabin to see all of our bags waiting outside, SOO exciting! On our last cruise we were calling to find out where they were after muster.

 

We started to unpack right away, but took breaks to arrange plans with friends, look through information, and settle in. Muster was scheduled for 4:15p but at about 4:00p the Cruise Director, Rich came on the PA to announce there was an accident that delayed about 500 guests boarding so they delayed muster until 5pm, sailing until 5:30p and that we would still arrive in Naples on time. It turns out a Kiwi Truck had an accident. We headed to muster a tad early so Dee could get a seat, but I left for a couple minutes to watch the sun set:

 

Muster was one of the least painless and quickest muster drills ever! Yeah!

 

We took our time leaving muster so Dee wouldn’t have to fight the crowds and after checking the menu, decided dinner would be in Luminae. I am not planning on reviewing each dinner, or each dish as I have done on some reviews in the past but will share the occasionally highlight. issue if we have them and answer questions.

 

 

I would like to share that the suite is in excellent condition. We had numerous maintenance issues in several suites including Celebrity Suites, Royal Suites and even a Penthouse that was just out of Dry Dock on Infinity where there were too many cabin elements that didn’t work. Not only is the suite in EXECELLNT condition the personalized, friendly and warm service we have been receiving is the best we have received on any cruise! I have not been looking for issues (except maybe in our cabin) but overall the ship seems to be in very good condition. All in all, it was an amazing way to find Constellation! For the next 26 days, except for 1 overnight in Jeruselum where we will take one small bag, we will not have to pack, and yet will see so many amazing places with Plenty of Sea Days thrown in for relaxing.

 

Tomorrow we are renting a car, and driving own the Amalfi coast. Yes, I know, many would think this is crazy, but we’ve done it before. We arrive in Naples at 7a and plan to be on the road a bit after 9am. We’ll spend a couple of hours or so in Pompeii before heading to Positana and then Sorrento. Since we’re in port until 8p we have plenty of time.

 

That’s all for now, happy sailing!

Jenna

[need2bespoiled]

As you work your way to Abu Dhabi, please post if the ship time is not the same as local time at any of the ports.

 

Thanks

 

Will do. Just as an FYI, I've seen questions like this previously, but never personally experienced, or heard about a ship that didn't change it's time to meet the time of the port it was docked in.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[caribill]

Will do. Just as an FYI, I've seen questions like this previously, but never personally experienced, or heard about a ship that didn't change it's time to meet the time of the port it was docked in.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

When we were on a Royal Caribbean ship at Aqaba, the ship was two hours behind the local time.

[need2bespoiled]

When we were on a Royal Caribbean ship at Aqaba, the ship was two hours behind the local time.

 

No problem, I'll let you know, but we've never see Celebrity do this.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[jimbri]

Great review and photos. Thank you!

[need2bespoiled]

I’m back! Just having too much fun on the cruise to stay up to date! This will be another long post with multiple sections as I can only post so many pictures in each post and will cover our stop in Naples, Catania and a couple of days onboard. We’re truly enjoying our cruise. This morning we missed a time change, whoops, we moved our clocks ahead an hour and I missed yoga. Our biggest complaint would be the fact that breakfast ends at 9am. It’s simply RIDICULOUS to think on vacation that it should end so early. Every nice hotel I visit, hundreds of days a year keeps breakfast open until 11am. I am a bit tired of hearing the excuse that the start lunch at noon. It’s a TINY menu. They need to fix this!

 

We visited Naples previously in 2013 and rented a car and drove the Almafi coast to Positano and Sorrento but it was a few weeks later in the year and most shops were closed, especially in Positano. This time, almost everything was open, and since we were in port much longer (until 8pm) we decided to visit Pompeii first. I left the ship a bit before 9am and went and grabbed the car at Hertz which is right in the port. They tried to charge me more than my reservation, but I had none of that. Total cost was $80 for a Fiat 500 semi-automatic Diesel. We spent $11 Euro on fuel.

I picked up Dee ad Toni and we were in Pompeii a bit before 10a. Traffic wasn’t too bad. We walked a bit less than half of the site, nearly 4 miles (Dee waited for about 40 minutes for Toni and I to do some extra exploring). It’s simply amazing. Like Ephuses but MUCH bigger. Simply amazing what was done at both sites, given how old these sites are.

In addition to the ruins there are other art exhibitions on display, some outdoor and some indoor.

 

 

 

 

To be continued . . .

[need2bespoiled]

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued . . .

[need2bespoiled]

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued . . .

[need2bespoiled]

The ancient amphitheater:

 

 

 

To be continued . . .

[vulcan1971]

Jenna - thank you for taking us with you and your partner on vacation. I've always enjoyed reading your posts, and checking out your photos, including the food porn! [emoji14]

 

I'm looking forward to the remainder of your trip and hope I have more time to keep up with your post on a regular basis.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[need2bespoiled]

We departed about noon but Dee and Toni walked to a bit closer gate, and I went and grabbed the car to come pick them up. Unfortunately, the exit was one way and it took about 15-20 minutes to get back to them in busy crazy Italian driving. Once we reunited we headed straight for Positano where we parked at the top of the walking area, and slowly made our way down to eat, as we browsed and shopped in this wonderful village with crafty shops, fashion, art, tourist shops and restaurants. Skies were foreboding but except for one brief shower the weather was fine

We asked a couple shopkeepers where to eat and they both said Le Tre Sorrelle “The Three Sisters”. I can’t stress enough how much we enjoy eating lunch out in the places we visit while we explore. I can’t comprehend rushing back to the ship to miss a meal. They had totally fresh fish with a view of the beach an ocean.

 

 

After a bottle of wine, and amazing meal, we decided to skip the ride I had arranged for Dee back up in a golf cart so each of us could pick up and item we eyed but didn’t buy on the way down. As I was a bit behind them strolling, I got to see this AMAZING water spout!

 

What I purchased was a pair of custom sandals. This is something you can get in Capri, Positano and apparently, Taormina as we saw something similar.

 

We departed Positano a bit after 3pm and drove to Sorrento. It was roughly 4pm when we arrived and after spending a bit of time driving around, we decided we were tired and we would head back to the ship. While the drive is not for the faint of heart, it is stunning. The last bit is on the highway and drops you off right in the port, which would have been great, if I had not had to leave the port to find fuel before returning the car. We only used 1/8 of a tank but of course had to fill it. There are a few stations right out of the port but getting back in after fueling was a bit of an adventure in the traffic. We were back onboard about 5:35p, which is not too bad considering we had an 8pn sail away.

 

After relaxing and watching a stunning sunset in our cabin, we decided for a more relaxed dinner at Sushi on 5.

 

I know there has been much controversy about this, but we love Sushi. We were the ONLY guests there, service was excellent and prompt, while we were disappointed the soups found on a few other ships, including Millennium are not available as they apparently don’t have a way to heat them. We ordered a mixture edamame and a mix of shasimi, nigiri and a couple of rolls (no cooked fish). We also tried the fresh wasabi they grind off the root right at the table, very, very tasty! We thought the fish was excellent. Of course, it is previously frozen (this IS the case at many sushi restaurants) but the quality was excellent and the size of the pieces was typical. We were very satisfied an we’ll be back. Even if we didn’t have the benefit of unlimited specialty dining, including lunch, we would be willing to pay for the food for a change of pace. We probably would visit more often given the fact it is included.

 

Dee decided to call it a night, while I decided to head out and see the show (iHollywood) which I thought was very good. Surprisingly as I am not a “production show” fan. I then went and enjoyed a bit of a raunchy time at the “Frisky Feud”. No spoilers here, you’ll have to go see it to enjoy it.

Happy sailing,

Jenna

Edited November 5, 2016 by need2bespoiled

[FlorenceItaly]

FABULOUS!! What a wonderful time of year to be in Europe! Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

Marie

[need2bespoiled]

Yesterday, Friday, November 4 I woke early for some reason though I am not sure what woke me, but it was light out so I went out on the balcony as we left the Straights of Mesina. It wasn’t long before we could see Mt Etna.

 

We arrived in Catania at 10an and were touring with our friends Donna and Jane who happen to be in the suite next to us as well as their friend (now our friend) Jennifer and Toni. Dee arranged a driver and guide to take us to Mt. Etna and then Taormina. The weather was a stunning 70 degrees and stunning. By the time she ship cleared and we were in the van it was not 10:30 and we were off on the ride through traffic and windy roads to 2500m level of Mt. Etna. From there 4 of us decided to take the Gondola (cable car) for $30 Euros (not sure it was worth it) to the 2950m level. From there you can take a bus type jeep to 3150m and even hike higher with a guide.

View from the top of the Gondola

 

What they call a jeep, but is really a bus on steroids:

 

I’m not sure the Gondola was worth it as the drive to Taormina was another hour and by the time we arrived it was 2:30 and we were all so hungry.

 

 

Entrance to the old city of Taormina:

 

 

 

To be continued . . .

[need2bespoiled]

Lots of churches in town

 

I wish we had more time there. We either needed to skip the gondola at Mt. Etna or choose to do one or the other. Having now been to Mt Etna, I would simply head to Taormina next time.

 

Finally, we caught back up to Constellation. When we boarded at about 5:35p as a number of other busses did it was just getting dark. It was 5:30p all aboard with sail away at 6p.

 

 

Unfortunately, it was Chic night, which we don’t love on a port day, but we got “chicced up”, headed to Michael’s Club to watch classical violinist, grab a drink, meet friends who we’ve met on the trip, before dinner. The room had 20-30 people enjoying the performance. We had a nice meal in Lumiane where we closed the restaurant down.

 

So far on this trip, we visited 4 Unesco World Heritage sites as well as the Vatican and we haven’t even made it to Israel yet:

Venice and the lagoons.

Pompeii

Amalfi Coast

Mt. Etna

 

That's all for now, not sure how many people are reading this posting, definitely not as popular as some of my others, but that's ok I guess.

 

Today is a STUNNING sea day. I am guessing the temperature is close to 80 degrees on the balcony as I type this (and hotter now that I finished.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Ayton lady]

Reading along and thoroughly enjoying both the report and the photos. We are in 6148 next September. First time on M class and couldn't resist the suite for the sail away from Venice! Great to get all your tips for both Venice and the ship. We have been to Taormina before and really enjoyed the town but this time we dock at Catania as you did. Is there much to see in Catania or should we venture further afield as you have?

[caribill]

I’m back! Just having too much fun on the cruise to stay up to date! This will be another long post with multiple sections as I can only post so many pictures in each post and will cover our stop in Naples, Catania and a couple of days onboard. We’re truly enjoying our cruise. This morning we missed a time change, whoops, we moved our clocks ahead an hour and I missed yoga. Our biggest complaint would be the fact that breakfast ends at 9am. It’s simply RIDICULOUS to think on vacation that it should end so early. Every nice hotel I visit, hundreds of days a year keeps breakfast open until 11am. I am a bit tired of hearing the excuse that the start lunch at noon. It’s a TINY menu. They need to fix this!

 

 

 

Is the end of breakfast at 9 AM in the dining room, the buffet or both?

 

Thanks

[Moonraker7]

I'm reading and looking forward to meeting you next week!!

[suekay]

Loving your review, bringing back memories of Mediterranean cruises and increasing anticipation of joining Constellation on 10th December

[chemmo]

Lots of churches in town

 

I wish we had more time there. We either needed to skip the gondola at Mt. Etna or choose to do one or the other. Having now been to Mt Etna, I would simply head to Taormina next time.

 

Finally, we caught back up to Constellation. When we boarded at about 5:35p as a number of other busses did it was just getting dark. It was 5:30p all aboard with sail away at 6p.

 

 

Unfortunately, it was Chic night, which we don’t love on a port day, but we got “chicced up”, headed to Michael’s Club to watch classical violinist, grab a drink, meet friends who we’ve met on the trip, before dinner. The room had 20-30 people enjoying the performance. We had a nice meal in Lumiane where we closed the restaurant down.

 

So far on this trip, we visited 4 Unesco World Heritage sites as well as the Vatican and we haven’t even made it to Israel yet:

Venice and the lagoons.

Pompeii

Amalfi Coast

Mt. Etna

 

That's all for now, not sure how many people are reading this posting, definitely not as popular as some of my others, but that's ok I guess.

 

Today is a STUNNING sea day. I am guessing the temperature is close to 80 degrees on the balcony as I type this (and hotter now that I finished.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

So glad you enjoyed your pre cruise Italian visit....every time we visit we fall in love with the history, culture and food once more...

 

Just a quick question. Do you still have the soft and squishy balcony loungers or have they been replaced?

 

Also re the food in Luminae....How are you finding it? Are they willing to provide alternatives or adjustments to the menu or is it straight Luminae menu or MDR choices? We have found the Luminae choices quite limited and consequently do tend to use the specialities quite a bit on S class ships. However, dining choices on the Millie for us next year do cause us some concerns with the loss of Olympic. Appreciate you may prefer to leave an answer to this until later on in your cruise.

 

Have fun, relax and enjoy!

[Azulann]

Love reading your trip report of both the ports of call and the ship. My last three sailings have been on the Constellation. Love that ship and many of the Ports you describe.

The weather sounds fantastic.

Edited November 5, 2016 by Azulann