Questions for recent Voyager cruisers

[kcl]

DH and I will be cruising r/t Barcelona next month. I haven't seen many posts recently regarding the Voyager. Can a recent cruiser answer a couple of questions? Thanks in advance.

 

Is the coffee available in the Promenade area REAL coffee, or the usual ghastly concentrated liquid stuff they serve in the buffet? Is there a charge per cup or is it gratis?

 

Is there only one pier from which cruiseships embark in Barcelona? Is it the one near the World Trade Center?

 

How early can we get off the ship in Villefranche sur Mer if we don't go on a ship excursion?

 

In Livorno, do we have to take the ship shuttle to town or is there a public bus that will get us there for a fraction of the cost? I seem to have read something about that on another forum (?).

 

Looking forward to our first European cruise!

[more vacations needed]

We've been on the Voyager, but not in Europe. When it sailed from Galveston, the coffee served in the promenade was SEATTLE'S BEST. Coffee is free. Hope it's the same overseas, we are taking a european cruise in 2009.

[mringenoldus]

We returned from Barcelona last Sunday. I have posted a review you may want to take a look at. It was a great trip...and my second time doing it.

 

The coffee on the Promnade is Seattles Best. I am a big coffee drinker and thought it was quite good. My husband says he saw staff putting grounds in the urns.

 

The pier is over the bridge from the plaza with the statue of Columbus. I'm not sure if there was a World Trade Center - but you will have no difficulty finding it.

 

My son went down early and got us ticket on the first tender for non-excursion passengers. We were in the tender by 10:30. We had just missed atrain and had to wait until well after 11:00 for the next one to Monte Carlo. The problem is the Sunday schedule.

 

Do not take the ship shuttle! It's $12 to the Livorno square and then you'll have to take another taxi to the station. Walk out side the fence area and get a cab straight there. If you fill the cab it will be about 4 Euro per person. I think the train ticket to Livorno was 11-15 Euro.

 

I'll be glad to answer any other questions you may have.

[kcl]

Thank you so much for your response.

 

I'm a little confused by this, though: I think the train ticket to Livorno was 11-15 Euro. Did you mean the train ticket to Pisa or Florence? We haven't decided whether to take the train to Florence since it's a Monday and most museums will be closed. Might just hang around Livorno and explore.

[mringenoldus]

My son went to Pisa and the train ticket was only 3 or 4 Euro. He tried to also get to Lucca but unfortunately the train times didn't work for him and he didn't want to take any risk getting back to the ship on time.

 

I'm not sure you will find much in Livorno to interest you. You might want to consider Cinque Terre or Lucca.

 

If you happen to be looking for an awesome driver in Naples - try Roberto di Palma at acdrobertodipalma@alice.it.