Willdra’s Hyperactive Carnival Horizon April 15-22 Cruise

[willdra]

When we got in, we were so sleepy from our ordeal and our day, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I set my alarm for 5:00 so that we could at least shower real quick before dinner. When our alarm sounded, we still weren't ready to get up, but the way W’s appetite is setup, he was not missing a meal under any circumstances. We dragged ourselves out of bed, got ready to go, then headed out.

 

[tchakra0124]

Naples/Pompeii

 

W and I slept very well. In fact we slept so well that we missed our excursion. Yep missed it. My phone powered off sometime that night, and my alarms never went off. When we woke up, I actually thought we were not docked. Missed that too. At least we’re consistent. The only thing that made me get up and check the time, was the strange feeling that I was very rested and ready. Unusual. I don’t ever like to wake up early. Not even in Italy!

 

 

When we got out of bed, it was 9:44. Our excursion left at 8. We felt like Dumb and Dumber (and rubbish). Since panicking is not in our DNA, we started looking at our options. We grabbed the excursion booklet to see if there were other tours leaving. There were, in fact, our exact same tour was departing again at 1. W showered and dressed first.Then he grabbed our tickets, and went to the Shore Excursion desk to see if they would exchange them. Welp, of course the Shore Excursion desk was closed. On the way back, W ran into Frank, our Stateroom Steward. W casually mentioned our dilemma because Frank asked why we were still there. He then suggested that W go to Guest Services, and ask if they would help. W came back to tell me that he was going there, and to meet him on Lido for breakfast. I took my time showering and getting ready, cuz late risers breakfast didn't end until 12. We were indeed late risers. I also sent up a quick prayer to The Big Guy upstairs asking for grace for our huge faux pas. If we ever needed a miracle, it was today! We were fully prepared to take an L for the day tho, since we were to blame. When I met W for breakfast, he had new excursion tickets for a tour that started at 11:20. After he explained our dilemma, Guest Services refunded the tour that we missed, and booked us for another one. This actually saved us $100 cuz the second tour was way cheaper. Man, the Big Guy really came thru for us this time! I'm gonna have to do better with my "before sleep" prayers. We exhaled from relief, then quickly inhaled our breakfast. We had to keep it moving, so we didn't miss the bus again! I didn't take a picture of my food, because it was pretty much the same as I had the day before. Basic.

 

On the way back to the cabin, we walked outside and it was nice and warm out, and the high for the day would be 75. We were happy that we could leave the jackets in the cabin. We saw Frank in the hall, and we thanked him so much for the advice. He helped pull our butts out of a mess! Since we had everything ready to go, we just grabbed our bags and walked out. We met our guide right as we got off of the ship, and she led us to the shuttle bus out front. We handed over our tickets, then boarded.

 

 

 

Pompeii is about 40 minutes from the port, and we settled in for the long ride. Right before we departed, a guy in front of us started crunching on some chips really loud, with his mouth wide open. I wanted so bad to tap him and say: "Sorry sir, but there’s no crunching allowed on this bus". Soon after that, a young man in the back of the bus was telling his travel story so that everyone on the bus could hear it. Why must people chew and talk so noisily? Everyone on the bus DOES NOT want to hear you eat or talk. I keep ear buds in every bag that I own, specifically for times like these. Beyoncé take me away! Carry on.

 

 

 

The bus ride went by quickly after Beyoncé bailed me out. Thanks Queen Bey. There’s not a whole lot of scenery to look at on the way tho. When we got up to Pompeii, we filed out of the bus, and were led over to the ticket booth. Part of our punishment for missing our excursion, was that we had to purchase our entrance tickets ourselves. The line was long and hot. They only took cash, no card. Every now and then tour guides would approach the people in line offering tickets and tour packages. When they got enough people to agree to their terms, they would take the group to the front of the line where they were given priority treatment. Every time a group went up, the line came to a completes tandstill while they got their tickets. It was a little crazy, but definitely not worth us paying the extra money to skip the line. We were in line maybe 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know who the individual in the foreground is, but if I were them, I'd quit my job, become a Harry Potter impersonator & get rich. Lol! (I mean it as a compliment- HP 4ever)

 

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[willdra]

There were many empty seats at dinner. People were trickling in, or skipping all together. AC and V sat with us but on this night, we were the only ones at our table. We could've sat at another table, but we were ok with our small group, and we're too lazy for that. I had my regular Peach Soup, Fritto Misto Di Mare, and Beef Tenderloin as my entree. W and I had the S’mores parfait for dessert. We took them back to our cabin , and placed them in the fridge for later. They keep very well in there, and it’s awesome to have a nice dessert surprise waiting for you after a show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

After dinner went to the comedy club to see Kane Brown again. This was his last show with us so I’m glad we caught. After the show we walked around then went up to Lido to get ice cream and water. My water consumption was still low, and I’m sure my “check liver light” was bright red!

 

We saw the Magic Group playing while we were up there. They normally have one of the big conference rooms to use during their cruises, but on that night there was something else going on, so they had to play in the Lido. We hung out with them for a while, then went back to 1209. Rome was coming up the next day, which meant lots of energy consumption.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I fell asleep, I set 2 alarms, then I said a prayer thanking God for lemon flavored everything. It's so versatile, cool, and refreshing. I know that Jesus' cookbook is filled with lemon meringue pie, lemon chicken, lemonade, limoncello, lemon cake, lemon bars, lemon doughnuts, and lots of other lemon flavored loveliness. I also thanked Him again for coming all the way thru with that pizza!

[willdra]

Oh my gosh thank you SO much for posting pics from Tea Time. I've been trying to make it to Tea Time but always miss it and wondered how it was. Definitely going to make it my business to make it next month on Vista :D

 

You should definitely go if you get the chance! The desserts are good, and it adds a little fanciness to the day. ;)

[MsJersey84]

I love love love your reviews. I found your dream review while i was sick and in bed this weekend and then i saw you had this one.. You have kept me laughing all day and night.. I just cant get enough.. If by any chance you will be on the Elation Sept 24, 2018 or the Glory Oct 6, 2019 please let me know i would love to say Hi to you in person..

 

Happy Sailing..

LaToya

[dreadpirate3]

And now I know that Beyonce is the new Calgon.

[willdra]

I love love love your reviews. I found your dream review while i was sick and in bed this weekend and then i saw you had this one.. You have kept me laughing all day and night.. I just cant get enough.. If by any chance you will be on the Elation Sept 24, 2018 or the Glory Oct 6, 2019 please let me know i would love to say Hi to you in person..

 

Happy Sailing..

LaToya

 

 

 

LOL [emoji23]Thanks for reading my randomness! We haven’t decided on our fall cruise yet, so I’ll have to look those up! [emoji5][emoji5][emoji5]

 

 

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[willdra]

And now I know that Beyonce is the new Calgon.

 

 

 

Yes, cuz that whole Calgon thing might be frowned upon in public. Maybe. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji85][emoji33]

 

 

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[willdra]

more more I need more

 

 

 

❤️❤️[emoji7][emoji7]❤️❤️

 

 

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[Hooked!]

Another great trip report, Willdra! I made a banana bread the other day and couldn’t help but think of that magnificent loaf that traveled halfway around the globe with you. :')

[willdra]

Civitavecchia/Rome

Our 2 alarms rang bright and early. Frank said that he was tempted to knock on our door to make sure we were up this morning. I told him he should've because we can’t be trusted. #children. We were sleepwalking until we had our coffee tho. Thank goodness it wasn't crowded at breakfast.

 

Our tour met in the Meridien Restaurant starting at 8:25. I had a wardrobe malfunction, so I ran down to our cabin real quick after we checked in. This was a very good thing about 1209. It was close to lots of stuff in the Main Lobby. When I got back A and Z had made it, and we left 7 min later. The tour was supposed to depart at 8:45, but we left early since everyone was checked in. Serena was our guide for the ride down and back. It was 45 miles to the Colosseum. Serena will hook you up with Colosseum tickets for 20 Euro and the Hop On Hop Off Bus for 20 Euro, if you need those. She just asks that you let her know on the bus so she can call it in. We made our plan for the day with the map that Serena gave us on the bus. Serena provides detailed Rome info, and she comes to everyone individually to answer questions. We ran our plan by her, and she approved. It was good that A and Z were with us, that way W had someone to map, plan, and think with. I'm not the one. I have very little sense of direction. Just enough to find my way home. Sometimes. Welp, except for that one time……

 

Anywho, the bus stops for a restroom break on the way, because there are no potties at the Colosseum,which is our first stop. I didn't go, since I was empty for once. I'd planned on not going for a while. I didn't want to have to chance a Roman Port A Potty. Le Ew.

 

It was 77 degrees when we arrived in Rome. We stopped to take a picture of Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Actually, it wasn't really a stop per se. The bus slowed down so that we could take pictures. Gee thanks.

 

 

Traffic got worse as we got closer to the Colosseum. It took 2 hours to get there with the bathroom break. Once we parked and got out, we were led to a ticket agency to buy our tickets. Watch your step everywhere, the rocks are rocky, and the sidewalks are steep. A lady fell getting off of our bus, because she didn't see the high sidewalk. She was ok, I think it was more embarrassing than anything. Bless her heart.

 

Serena suggested that we tour the Palatino first since our passes included a free admission to it as well. The line looked long to go thru security at the Colosseum, that's why she suggested that we wait. However, we wanted to go ahead and get 'er done. We did not come this far to punk out. We were in there like a raccoon in a restaurant trash bin!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

Plan A worked out for us. It only took 15 minutes to actually get inside to security. While we were waiting, a lady with some black pleather pants on, skipped us in line. I let her live because I was in Rome, and I knew Jesus was watching. Plus, those black pleather pants were going to be very warm and unpleasant on her shortly! Karma comes for line cutters, and it chafes your thighs. Be warned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A random guy asked A to take his picture with his camera. When in Rome.

 

[willdra]

We spent an hour going through the Colosseum, then we walked to Piaza Venezia. It was a warm day, and there were throngs of people about. There are tons of vendors and people trying to help or talk to you too. Ignore. Dodge. Avoid. Them. Most likely, they mean you no good. There are also lots of groups, and people stop suddenly. Right in front of you. Yay, my favorite!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

After the Piaza, we went to the taxi stand to get a taxi to St Peters Square. There were 4 of us, but we had to wait for this small taxi to fill up first, because it was out front. Even though we couldn't take that one, our driver wouldn't skip it. After a couple took the small car, the driver of the SUV finally took us. It was 10 Euro for the 4 of us. It was also one of the craziest rules ever. I understand the courtesy of not skipping the first car, but when it's physically impossible for the first car to take a larger group, then the rule should be that the first large enough Taxi gets them. SMH.

 

[willdra]

Our driver put us out right in front of the Vatican. We walked down to the Square, and took lots of pictures. Z went to the Poste to send his parents and brother postcards from the Vatican as well. He was diligent about doing that at every port. A got pistachio gelato, which she said was really good. So same.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

Again, this is an area with lots and lots of peddlers. It was the worst that I've ever seen. They don’t take the first no as an answer either. You have to keep repeating it, and even get loud, which I hated to do in front of Jesus' Vatican vacation home. It was so bad, that we heard a British lady say "What do we have on that makes us look like tourists?" Ummmm Start at the fanny pack (bum bag), and the camera around your neck. Then end at the accent, and that sun visor on your head. That was not hard.

 

 

From St Peter’s Square, we took another taxi to Trevi Fountain. It was 18 Euro for the 4 of us from the Square. W tried to get the price down, but the driver wouldn't budge. When we got to the fountain, there was a traffic jam to get out. The driver just basically let us out on the street, and told us the fountain was around the corner, which it was. It was way smaller too than what I'd pictured. There were hundreds of people over there. When all of us were together, we tossed our coins in the fountain, took pictures, gently moved some people out of the way, then kept it moving to the Pantheon. Is this how the Olympics got started? Racing thru Rome trying to catch all the sites?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

The Pantheon was kinda crowded, but it was very close to Trevi. We ate lunch next, at a café on this cute little side street called Via De Pastini. Everyone had pizza and it was all delicious. I ordered orange juice which they fresh squeezed and it was outstanding. I had to go, so I went inside the restaurant to wait my turn.There was someone in the one upstairs, so they directed me to go downstairs. It was interesting down there. The doors didn’t lock, so I had to go quickly, while holding the door closed. Hodor would've been proud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

After I ate my lunch, I ducked into a gift shop and bought some souvenirs. From there, it was a short walk down to the Palatino. We spent most of our time there on the top, since there was a sweet breeze blowing.

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

Pretty soon we were done exploring, cuz we were outta gas and fading fast. Unfortunately, we still had about an hour until our bus was scheduled to arrive. W talked to Google and found out that there was a café about a quarter of a mile down the road from where we were. We walked down there, and got drinks while Z went to the potty. It would be a long ride back so it was better to go ahead and go.

 

We walked back down to the bus meeting spot after that. W thought the bus was meeting us on the opposite side of the street from where we were dropped off. I remembered the name on the bus, and we saw every bus but that one. There were lots of buses on San Gregorio, and it was easy to confuse them. I'm glad that I used my one brain function to make a note of our bus info. At about 4:40, we saw the bus go down, but it never turned around to come down to our side of the road. A walked down to check, then came back to get us. We were not walking anymore until we were sure it was our bus. Lazy had come to reclaim its King and Queen. We accepted.

 

It was hot as hades on the bus until the driver cranked up the air. I couldn't help but wonder how he was sitting on that hot bus, looking like a wilted kale salad. Unbelievable. Our official "back on the bus" time was 5. At 5, there were still 2 people missing. Serena told us several times not to be late. She counted us 2 or 3 times, she even went to the other side of the street but could not find them. It was driving her crazy. At 5:10 we saw the couple running to the bus. Good thing we were on a Carnival Excursion and they would wait for us if we ran into any trouble on the road, cuz we were cutting it close.

 

Welp we didn't run into trouble but W and I ran into some naps. We slept most of the way back.There's something magical about that sleep that you get after a long day of touring and enjoying life. Especially when you don't have to drive back. Or cook. Or clean.

 

It was too late to make our Early Dinner in the Main Dining Room when we returned, so we went to Cucina Del Capitano. W called them when we got back to 1209, and they said they could fit us in around 8:30. This gave us time to shower and smell good.

 

Zaid was our waiter and he was very nice. It wasn't crowded, so the staff was pretty attentive. I ordered Arancini, Papperdelle, and a side of Spaghetti. W ordered the Calamari, Gamberetti Alla Pizzaiola with a side of Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower.

 

 

 

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[willdra]

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

We ate our dinner in the Cucina, while watching the ship sail away. After all of that food we were in danger of breaking the weight limit in the elevators. We still ordered dessert tho. #FoodGoals

There was a new menu and Tiramisu wasn’t on it. Booooooo!!! We ordered Biscotti Al Cioccolato Con Sale Marino/Caffe Gelato as backup dessert. The name was more interesting than the dessert itself. It was ok, but neither one of us finished it. It really tasted like unfulfilled potential, and a bad substitute teacher with a comb over. Hard Pass.

 

 

 

 

Love and Marriage Show was on at 9:30, so we left and went straight to that. Love and Marriage is a show that we don't normally miss. It's pretty funny cuz it's not scripted. We enjoyed it as usual, and Mike made it quite comical.

 

 

 

At the conclusion of the show, we went out to get another copy of the Funtimes for the day. I'd left our original somewhere, and I wanted to replace it. When we got to Guest Services, there was a guest yelling at one of the Reps, but we didn't stick around to find out why.#mindyourownbusiness I wanted to ask if we could have the commemorative Horizon Book that was in our cabin, but they seemed stressed with the"incident", so I booked it outta there.

 

 

Before I fell asleep, I said a prayer thanking God that I ordered those Teva's and Skechers before our vacay. My dogs did not even whimper the whole trip, and we were putting in some Disney World-ish distances daily. It seriously felt like I was walking on clouds. #HappyFeet

I also prayed for the hands that crafted those shoes. May they never know callouses or hangnails, and may they stay soft, moisturized, and nimble enough to make many more masterpieces. Amen.

[willdra]

Another great trip report, Willdra! I made a banana bread the other day and couldn’t help but think of that magnificent loaf that traveled halfway around the globe with you. :')

 

LOL! :') Now I want some. I'm going to see AC this weekend, I wonder if it would be out of order to ask for another one? ;p