zitsky Posted October 19, 2023 #126 Share Posted October 19, 2023 Where did you say this statue is? Asking for a friend. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv2camp04 Posted October 19, 2023 #127 Share Posted October 19, 2023 Love the review of your Evening Food tour. I've been looking at something like that for our cruise out of Rome next year. Do you have the link to the tour you used? Thanks!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisebeachgirl703 Posted October 19, 2023 #128 Share Posted October 19, 2023 Following along Charla and Jeremy. Keep the pics coming. You two look great. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare theopup Posted October 20, 2023 #129 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Thanks for all the details, information and pictures of your Rome pre cruise holiday. I have made note of some of the restaurants that you listed, and the golf cart tour sounds interesting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DaKahuna Posted October 20, 2023 #130 Share Posted October 20, 2023 (edited) 6 hours ago, zitsky said: Where did you say this statue is? Asking for a friend. Pretty sure she said the actual statue was in the Vatican and I believe we saw it on our tour in 2018. Edited October 20, 2023 by DaKahuna 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare GenerationX Posted October 20, 2023 Author #131 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Happy Embarkation Day! It’s map dress time in Roma! 41 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare chemmo Posted October 20, 2023 #132 Share Posted October 20, 2023 14 minutes ago, GenerationX said: Happy Embarkation Day! It’s map dress time in Roma! So enjoying your adventures…So many people visit the great cities and sights of Europe and forget to leave time to ‘Stand and Stare’….They come away with a long list of ‘been, seen, done’ but totally fail to capture the feel or ambiance of the places they visit. Coming from the UK we have been blessed with being able on relatively short flights to enjoy many week/two week holidays in the Mediterranean which is definitely far more relaxing. However, I think your focus on food and wine has helped you on a short visit to Italy to really soak it up….I think many reading your review will learn from your planning which has really been excellent. Looking forward to your next instalment! 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare GenerationX Posted October 20, 2023 Author #133 Share Posted October 20, 2023 37 minutes ago, chemmo said: So enjoying your adventures…So many people visit the great cities and sights of Europe and forget to leave time to ‘Stand and Stare’….They come away with a long list of ‘been, seen, done’ but totally fail to capture the feel or ambiance of the places they visit. Coming from the UK we have been blessed with being able on relatively short flights to enjoy many week/two week holidays in the Mediterranean which is definitely far more relaxing. However, I think your focus on food and wine has helped you on a short visit to Italy to really soak it up….I think many reading your review will learn from your planning which has really been excellent. Looking forward to your next instalment! Thank you! You are so right. It was odd, this morning for the first time in all my cruises I was a little sad to be getting on the ship. We could’ve easily spent a whole week just in Rome really enjoying the city. I could’ve spent a full day in Vatican City alone. We’ve decided that next Europe trip our goal will be to save away vacation time at work so that we have 5-6 days in Rome on land pre-cruise. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zitsky Posted October 20, 2023 #134 Share Posted October 20, 2023 (edited) 3 hours ago, GenerationX said: Thank you! You are so right. It was odd, this morning for the first time in all my cruises I was a little sad to be getting on the ship. We could’ve easily spent a whole week just in Rome really enjoying the city. I could’ve spent a full day in Vatican City alone. We’ve decided that next Europe trip our goal will be to save away vacation time at work so that we have 5-6 days in Rome on land pre-cruise. I used to think that Paris was my favorite city, but I really enjoyed Rome last time. I like the dress! Edited October 20, 2023 by zitsky 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare chemmo Posted October 20, 2023 #135 Share Posted October 20, 2023 8 minutes ago, zitsky said: I used to think that Paris was my favorite city, but I really enjoyed Rome last time. I like the dress! I can simply sit in a cafe in both of these cities and simply watch the people (and the fashion) go by! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare hcat Posted October 20, 2023 #136 Share Posted October 20, 2023 (edited) My husb has convinced me to stop and savor more..and snap fewer pics.( I am a snap snap snapper..he takes time to study and compose his photos) It was good advice! you should consider Florence..our favorite BON VOYAGE and HAPPY B DAY CRUISE TO JEREMY! Edited October 20, 2023 by hcat 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zitsky Posted October 20, 2023 #137 Share Posted October 20, 2023 26 minutes ago, hcat said: My husb has convinced me to stop and savor more..and snap fewer pics.( I am a snap snap snapper..he takes time to study and compose his photos) It was good advice! you should consider Florence..our favorite BON VOYAGE and HAPPY B DAY CRUISE TO JEREMY! One of our first and best trips was a stay at a villa not far from Florence in Sienna. Waiters in tuxes serving dinner outside. Not that expensive back in 1995 since we didn’t have a big travel budget. I wish I had put that trip on Facebook because I can’t find the name of that place today! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Stem to Stern Posted October 20, 2023 #138 Share Posted October 20, 2023 We were absolutely enamored with our first visit to Venice last year. Then we spent two nights post-cruise in Bologna which was another incredible city. Italy has so much to experience. We have only scratched the surface. Tornero Italia! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouChamp Posted October 20, 2023 #139 Share Posted October 20, 2023 8 hours ago, GenerationX said: Thank you! You are so right. It was odd, this morning for the first time in all my cruises I was a little sad to be getting on the ship. We could’ve easily spent a whole week just in Rome really enjoying the city. I could’ve spent a full day in Vatican City alone. We’ve decided that next Europe trip our goal will be to save away vacation time at work so that we have 5-6 days in Rome on land pre-cruise. Aloha. Enjoy the cruise. Rome is certainly special even though my family is from Sicily although I favor Venice and my daughter favors Florence as she also studied there. Just a tip should you decide to visit Rome again. You can spend endless time at the Vatican Museums and I retained a College professor who gives tours in Rome and the Vatican. She has since retired but there are special licensed guides who can access the museum without waiting on line. She had a driver for us who would wait as we toured the Pantheon, the Catacombs etc for two days and also took us to restaurants where tourists don’t go. We did the same in Florence, London, Athens, Paris, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Rio, and it was well worth it with no waits and easy in everywhere. Its a lot of research but well worth it. Anyway enjoy and remember…food pictures please 😂 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lastdance Posted October 20, 2023 #140 Share Posted October 20, 2023 (edited) Don’t forget to add Dolomites to a future trip; the small town, Castelrotto, of Italy is just magical due to all the beauty that surrounds you! Edited October 20, 2023 by Lastdance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare chemmo Posted October 20, 2023 #141 Share Posted October 20, 2023 5 hours ago, zitsky said: One of our first and best trips was a stay at a villa not far from Florence in Sienna. Waiters in tuxes serving dinner outside. Not that expensive back in 1995 since we didn’t have a big travel budget. I wish I had put that trip on Facebook because I can’t find the name of that place today! Couldn’t be Villa Del Sol could it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare theopup Posted October 20, 2023 #142 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Thanks for the top LouChamp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zitsky Posted October 20, 2023 #143 Share Posted October 20, 2023 46 minutes ago, chemmo said: Couldn’t be Villa Del Sol could it? I don’t think so. I’m desperately searching through old emails! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare chemmo Posted October 20, 2023 #144 Share Posted October 20, 2023 (edited) 51 minutes ago, zitsky said: I don’t think so. I’m desperately searching through old emails! I feel your pain…So frustrating when you find somewhere special. We once drove around the rural county of Cheshire, UK for hours to find a curious little castle we had once spotted and meant to revisit one day…We couldn’t initially spot it on the internet and resorted to driving around. It was quite magical when we rounded a bend and spotted it! A road trip to Italy needed perhaps? Edited October 20, 2023 by chemmo 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare GenerationX Posted October 20, 2023 Author #145 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Hello from onboard Beyond! I know we still have to talk about Jeremy and I’sq Tuscany day, but wanted to share a bit about our embarkation experience and first hours onboard while it’s fresh in my mind. We booked a private transfer to Civitaveccia with Transfer Service Rome. The driver arrived at our apartment about 15 minutes early and we were on our way to port in a spotless van by 10am. Traffic wasn’t bad so it only took about 50 minutes to make it to the port from Trastevere. When we arrived, the Retreat “priority embarkation” experience was literally nonexistent. After a porter took our checked bags, everyone went through the same security line, did check in and were given a little ticket with an embarkation group number on it and were told to wait in a sitting area until their number was called. No Retreat boarding lounge, etc Fortunately it was early and not very busy when we arrived, so we waited less than 15 minutes to board. When we sat down they were boarding group 55 and we had a ticket for group 60. Not having the Retreat embarkation experience wasn’t a big deal to me having paid such a low price for our moveup, and how quickly things went, but if I’d paid over 15K for a sky suite at regular price, it’d probably have put a little salt in my mouth starting the cruise. When we got onboard we went to our room and dropped off our bags then headed to my office at sea aka the martini bar. When we arrived I was greeted by some of the same bartenders who were working on my solo spring cruise. They were very exited to meet “Mr. Charla” 😂 and surprised us with special espresso martinis! I was also happy to see them still giving out Evian for premium package bottled water (I had read some reviews it was getting hard to find onboard). After a cocktail, we headed over to guest services to put some cash on our onboard account so it isn’t sitting in the safe and convert some more from USD to Euros for port spending. This is one of those places where MSC still beats out Celebrity for me. In Yacht Club, the concierges have full banking capabilities. They can do currency exchange and account cash transactions without having to go stand in the line at guest services. Once again we were lucky having boarded early though and the wait in line was only about 10 minutes. While we were doing our transaction I heard a man at the next desk ask about changing his stateroom and be told that the ship is completely sold out for this sailing and no cabin changes or upgrades are available. After getting money in order, it was off to grab our traditional first peaches and bourbon in the Retreat lounge and head to our first meal in Luminae. We got there about 12:45 (lunch served till 1:30) and were seated quickly. On our way in the hotel director for the ship was greeting guests as we came in to dine. When we said hello he looked at me with a big smile and said “welcome onboard! first time sailing with us on Celebrity?” and Jeremy choked on his sip of peaches and bourbon. As we were walking away “FINALLY! There’s somebody who works on this ship who doesn’t know you already!”. For appetizers Jeremy had the ceviche which he cleaned the bowl of and I tried the short rib borscht. I’m used to having borscht be served cold but this one was warm. I liked it much better than the chicken consumme that often makes an appearance on the Luminae lunch menu though. Jeremy said his Luminae burger was good as always. My steak in my steak frites was a bit overdone. As is my custom I asked for it with the truffle fries that come with the burger rather than the thick wedges. We had my edge class traditional first night dinner reservation at Eden so decided to save our appetites and skip dessert. Speaking of which, we are all dressed and ready for said dinner! I even found the perfect Eden themed dress on a clearance rack for $18 and paired it with my favorite necklace, made from the first cut of steel for Beyond’s hull. Stay tuned for a catch up post about our last land day in Italy yesterday and a report on our stateroom and the “modified” sky suite experience thus far. Pics from our first hours onboard as well as elite plus captains club event schedule below. 30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare theopup Posted October 20, 2023 #146 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Just a spelling edit from my last post that I just noticed! “Thanks for the top LouChamp” should say - Thanks for the tip! Lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micruiser2002 Posted October 20, 2023 #147 Share Posted October 20, 2023 43 minutes ago, GenerationX said: Jeremy said his Luminae burger was good as always. Reminder to self - ask for extra caramelized onions. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare abbydancer2003 Posted October 20, 2023 #148 Share Posted October 20, 2023 1 hour ago, GenerationX said: When we arrived, the Retreat “priority embarkation” experience was literally nonexistent. After a porter took our checked bags, everyone went through the same security line, did check in and were given a little ticket with an embarkation group number on it and were told to wait in a sitting area until their number was called. No Retreat boarding lounge, etc On our way in the hotel director for the ship was greeting guests as we came in to dine. When we said hello he looked at me with a big smile and said “welcome onboard! first time sailing with us on Celebrity?” and Jeremy choked on his sip of peaches and bourbon. As we were walking away “FINALLY! There’s somebody who works on this ship who doesn’t know you already!”. First, our experience in Civitavecchia was similar, but it was our first sky suite, so we didn't know any better. We did have a different check in like, but the Aqua line was actually a little shorter. And by the time we got there, everyone was just boarding as they came. Second, when DH and I were on the Summit in April, it was his first time and my third. By afternoon of the first day he asked me if I knew everyone on the ship and was going to hug them all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mac_tlc Posted October 20, 2023 #149 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Ohhhhhh… Bourbon and Peaches………. mac_tlc 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zitsky Posted October 20, 2023 #150 Share Posted October 20, 2023 16 minutes ago, abbydancer said: First, our experience in Civitavecchia was similar, but it was our first sky suite, so we didn't know any better. We did have a different check in like, but the Aqua line was actually a little shorter. And by the time we got there, everyone was just boarding as they came. Second, when DH and I were on the Summit in April, it was his first time and my third. By afternoon of the first day he asked me if I knew everyone on the ship and was going to hug them all. Charla, This is really strange because in mid May 2023 there was definitely a Retreat check in area and lounge in Civitavecchia. We were in a Sky Suite on the Beyond. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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