Just returned -12nt med cruise-any questions??

[jlijny]

We just returned from a Celebrity 12nt Med Cruise. All the suggestions that cc members had, made our trip FABULOUS. Our stops included Barcelona, Villefrance, Florence, Rome, Naples, Santorini, Athens, Dubrovnik and Venice. We had 2 days post cruise in Barcelona and 2 days post cruise in Venice. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them. Hopefully, I will be able to help others, the way everyone helped me.

[damesey]

Hope you had a great trip...We leave Oct. 12th....Did you do a private tour in Rome or see it on your own? In Barcelona, any suggestions on hotels or restaurants? thanks

[BandBinPA]

We get into Barcelona 8:30 a.m. Oct. 10 and have the day to explore. Suggestions? I have my own idea but not sure they are all doable in one day. I was thinking Guell Park in the am with a visit to La Sagrada Familia. Then off to Gothic Quarter and in the evening the Montjuic Mountain and Magic Fountain. Don't know how long all this will take and we will probably be jet-lagged. We are doing Montserrat Sunday morning before the cruise ship leaves.

[jlijny]

Hope you had a great trip...We leave Oct. 12th....Did you do a private tour in Rome or see it on your own? In Barcelona, any suggestions on hotels or restaurants? thanks

 

We had a FABULOUS time.

 

In Rome, we had a 9hr private tour with Romeinlimo. They are the BEST. They are reliable, knowledgeable, and very friendly. My best day of the trip was in Rome. We had a driver and a licensed guide with us all day. Our guide, Julia, was terrific. We saw everything there was to see, and had time for a great lunch. Romeinlimo had secured tickets for the Coliseum and Vatican for us, so we were able to skip the lines. We were at the Coliseum by 9:00 am before all the tour buses arrived. I highly recommend them.

 

In Barcelona, we arrived on Sunday, and stayed at the Majestic Sunday night and Monday night. Since there were three of us, we needed a Suite. The suite was great.....large and clean. I can't comment on their other rooms, but have heard they were rather small. Many people on this board recommend Hotel 1898, but they couldn't accomodate three people in a room, so we could not stay there. My husband and son loved our room at the Majestic. If you decide to stay there, negotiate to have breakfast included.....we paid 80euros for the three of us, which I thought was ridiculous.....but we paid it anyway. Restaurants we went to: Agua (Barceloneta). The atmosphere was great. We ate right on the beach. The food, however, was just ok. My son loved it, but I wasn't overwelmed. If you like tapes, you must go to Cal Pep. Be prepared to wait....the line is long, and they don't take reservations.

 

Hope this helps. Have a great trip!!!!!

[jlijny]

We get into Barcelona 8:30 a.m. Oct. 10 and have the day to explore. Suggestions? I have my own idea but not sure they are all doable in one day. I was thinking Guell Park in the am with a visit to La Sagrada Familia. Then off to Gothic Quarter and in the evening the Montjuic Mountain and Magic Fountain. Don't know how long all this will take and we will probably be jet-lagged. We are doing Montserrat Sunday morning before the cruise ship leaves.

Since you are arriving early, you will probably be able to do everything you want to do. We arrived on Sunday, but not until 2:30. We had the balance of Sunday, and all day Monday to tour Barcelona. On Tuesday, we had a private tour guide pick us us at our hotel (with our bags), take us on a 5hr tour of Montserrat, and then bring us directly to the ship. In the 1.5 days that we had devoted to Barcelona, we still did not get to see everything we wanted. I am sorry that I didn't allow one extra day. Your itinerary sounds correct......head off to Park Guell first.....then go to La Sagrad Familia (be prepared for long lines, here. This is where we lost some time). If you want to see everything, don't waste too much time walking, jump in a taxi, bus, or use the metro. After La Sagrada Familia, I would suggest going to Casa Mia (La Pedrera), walking down La Rambla, and seeing the Bouqueria Market. You will still have time to take transport over to the Gothic Quarter. Depending on what you want to do at Monjuiic, you may have to eliminate something else. If you just want to walk around for awhile and then see the Magic Fountains, you will be fine. If you want to see the Castle, or any of the Museums, remember that they close early, so you will need to arrive early. See the sights, and wait for the Magic Fountains which begin at 9:00pm. One problem: where were you planning to have lunch or dinner? Anpther suggestion: I am not sure what your budget is, but Jose from Pepito Tours offers a private 4hr tour of Barcelona. We used him for our tour of Montserrat, and he and his driver are FANTASTIC. He will pick you up at the airport, put your luggage in the back of his van, and take you to ALL the things you want to see (and more). You will definitely see everything on your list. At the end of the tour, he will bring you (and your luggage) directly to the hotel. You will then have the rest of the day and night to do whatever else you want......perhaps linger longer at Montjuiic, or have a fabulous dinner.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy the trip!!!!!

[wack001]

We get into Barcelona 8:30 a.m. Oct. 10 and have the day to explore. Suggestions? I have my own idea but not sure they are all doable in one day. I was thinking Guell Park in the am with a visit to La Sagrada Familia. Then off to Gothic Quarter and in the evening the Montjuic Mountain and Magic Fountain. Don't know how long all this will take and we will probably be jet-lagged. We are doing Montserrat Sunday morning before the cruise ship leaves.

 

BandBinPA;

Hi I am on a different ship leaving in sept, I was also thinking of doing Monserrat the day the ship leaves but after doing all the research it seems that you would be pushing it and no room for error, what is your plan ?

thanks Bob

[wack001]

Since you are arriving early, you will probably be able to do everything you want to do. We arrived on Sunday, but not until 2:30. We had the balance of Sunday, and all day Monday to tour Barcelona. On Tuesday, we had a private tour guide pick us us at our hotel (with our bags), take us on a 5hr tour of Montserrat, and then bring us directly to the ship. In the 1.5 days that we had devoted to Barcelona, we still did not get to see everything we wanted. I am sorry that I didn't allow one extra day. Your itinerary sounds correct......head off to Park Guell first.....then go to La Sagrad Familia (be prepared for long lines, here. This is where we lost some time). If you want to see everything, don't waste too much time walking, jump in a taxi, bus, or use the metro. After La Sagrada Familia, I would suggest going to Casa Mia (La Pedrera), walking down La Rambla, and seeing the Bouqueria Market. You will still have time to take transport over to the Gothic Quarter. Depending on what you want to do at Monjuiic, you may have to eliminate something else. If you just want to walk around for awhile and then see the Magic Fountains, you will be fine. If you want to see the Castle, or any of the Museums, remember that they close early, so you will need to arrive early. See the sights, and wait for the Magic Fountains which begin at 9:00pm. One problem: where were you planning to have lunch or dinner? Anpther suggestion: I am not sure what your budget is, but Jose from Pepito Tours offers a private 4hr tour of Barcelona. We used him for our tour of Montserrat, and he and his driver are FANTASTIC. He will pick you up at the airport, put your luggage in the back of his van, and take you to ALL the things you want to see (and more). You will definitely see everything on your list. At the end of the tour, he will bring you (and your luggage) directly to the hotel. You will then have the rest of the day and night to do whatever else you want......perhaps linger longer at Montjuiic, or have a fabulous dinner.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy the trip!!!!!

 

hi;

could you give a little more info on the montserrat tour. thanks

bob

[jlijny]

hi;

could you give a little more info on the montserrat tour. thanks

bob

It was FANTASTIC. Jose is the owner of Pepito Tours. He is the licensed guide, and he comes with a driver, too. He picked us up at the hotel the day of embarkment.....loaded the back of his van with our luggage....and off we went. The originally plan was to go directly to Montserrat for a 5 hr tour and then to the ship. We mentioned to Jose that there were 2 things that we missed seeing in Barcelona....the Bouqueria Market (since it was closed on Sunday when we walked down La Rambla)....and Park Guell (since the Fat Tire Bike Tour lasted longer than we expected). He instructed his driver to go there first. He spent time with us in each of the stops, and then it was off to Montserrat. I am glad we didn't try this trip on our own. You need a car to get you to the top. While at Montserrat, we stopped for lunch, and then back to Barcelona to board the ship. We boarded at about 3:30. If you are interested in doing this, check out his website (www.pepitotours.com) His van seats 6 people plus the driver and himself. There were only 3 of us, so we had tons of room.

[BandBinPA]

Our travel agent booked the Montserrat for us. It leaves at 9:30 a.m. and comes back by 2:30. We can then board the ship so that sails at 7 p.m. so have plenty of time.

[BandBinPA]

Thanks for all the info, I will check out his tours.

[andy7753]

How was the Majestic? I've heard varying reviews. We booked the hotel through the cruiseline so I'm not sure what kind of room we will end up with. Did you notice if there was a cruiseline representative at the hotel?

[BandBinPA]

Checking into the tour but not sure the rest of our group will pay that price for 4 hours. How available are cabs and prices to get to all these places? Is the hop-on-hop-off bus cheaper but takes longer to get around?

 

bandbinPA

[CTBob]

Thanks for this very informative thread. We are doing a Barcelona to Barcelona cruise in May and I'm sure that I will have many questions in the coming months. First question: do you have any photos of your hotel or any of the ports you visited. We will be doing many of the same except not Venice and Ephesus instead of Dubrovnik. Too bad, I understand that both are beautiful.

 

Bob

[jlijny]

How was the Majestic? I've heard varying reviews. We booked the hotel through the cruiseline so I'm not sure what kind of room we will end up with. Did you notice if there was a cruiseline representative at the hotel?

We had a Suite at the Majestic which was wonderful. There were 3 of us, so our options were limited, The room was big and clean. I don't know what the others rooms are like. The location of the hotel if fabulous. I didn't see any cruiseline representative at the hotel.

[jlijny]

Checking into the tour but not sure the rest of our group will pay that price for 4 hours. How available are cabs and prices to get to all these places? Is the hop-on-hop-off bus cheaper but takes longer to get around?

 

bandbinPA

Taxis seem to be available, but you need to find a taxi stand first. You can't hail them down. We walked most of the time, but when we needed a taxi, we always found one. I don't know much about the on-off bus, but someone on our cruise was complaining that it was too crowded. They got off at Casa Mila, and after touring, couldn't get on the next bus. After waiting, they decided to find a cab.

[jlijny]

Thanks for this very informative thread. We are doing a Barcelona to Barcelona cruise in May and I'm sure that I will have many questions in the coming months. First question: do you have any photos of your hotel or any of the ports you visited. We will be doing many of the same except not Venice and Ephesus instead of Dubrovnik. Too bad, I understand that both are beautiful.

 

Bob

We have tons of pictures, but I need to edit. I think that I took over 1400 shots. Yes, some of the pictures are of the hotel. If you send me your email, I can forward you those. Too bad you are not going to Venice, it was my favorite port. I don't think that you are missing anything in not going to Dubrovnik. I am sure the port city of Ephesus will be fine. I liked Dubrovnik very much, but my husband and son weren't that thrilled.

[CTBob]

We have tons of pictures, but I need to edit. I think that I took over 1400 shots. Yes, some of the pictures are of the hotel. If you send me your email, I can forward you those. Too bad you are not going to Venice, it was my favorite port. I don't think that you are missing anything in not going to Dubrovnik. I am sure the port city of Ephesus will be fine. I liked Dubrovnik very much, but my husband and son weren't that thrilled.

Thanks for the offer, I would love to see your photos. My email is rmlynott@yahoo.com

I usually do a website for my cruises like those in my signature, may I use you photos? Thanks either way.

 

Bob

[cougar]

We are cruising next year and are going to some of the ports you were in, did you notice if leather goods were a good price. We were thinking of leather brief cases, just wondering.....sounds like you had a great time.:)

[jlijny]

We are cruising next year and are going to some of the ports you were in, did you notice if leather goods were a good price. We were thinking of leather brief cases, just wondering.....sounds like you had a great time.:)

Can't help you with that. We spent most of our time, sightseeing and dining. I collect things, so whenever we would pass a store with something for my doll collection or my Christmas ornaments, I would make my family stop. Otherwise, I didn't spend time shopping.

[CTBob]

We just returned from a Celebrity 12nt Med Cruise. All the suggestions that cc members had, made our trip FABULOUS. Our stops included Barcelona, Villefrance, Florence, Rome, Naples, Santorini, Athens, Dubrovnik and Venice. We had 2 days post cruise in Barcelona and 2 days post cruise in Venice. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them. Hopefully, I will be able to help others, the way everyone helped me.

Can you please tell me about your Meet & Mingle. What did RCI have for you, drinks, food, etc.? Also if you used My Time Dining, what times were you able to sign up for? Thanks.

 

Bob

[Eileen G]

Hi Bob I'm so glad you and your friends are going on a Med cruise. I think you will really like the Brillance. We love the radiance class of ship. Royal will set a meet and greet for you automatically once you have 25 sign up for the M&M. Each ship is a little different but usually the CD will host and there will be prizes and everyone should get a little gift. When we used MTD on the Monarch they asked everyday what time we wanted for the next night. The only comment about the time we chose is that we might not be finished with our meal for the show. I believe you can just show up and be seated also. It was so easy to choose our time and set it for everynight and have the same waiter. They even gave us our choice of tables.

 

I know you will love the Med and this probaply won't be your last Med cruise. By the end of your cruise you will be saying " next time we need to go to that port".

[jlijny]

Can you please tell me about your Meet & Mingle. What did RCI have for you, drinks, food, etc.? Also if you used My Time Dining, what times were you able to sign up for? Thanks.

 

Bob

 

Celebrity doesn't have anytime dining. There were 2 seatings, and we chose the late seating (8:45). The Cruise Connect party was scheduled for our first day at sea....10:30 in the morning. I missed half of the party since we were invited to tour the Bridge and see how all the Navigation Equipment is used. My husband and son really wanted to see that, since we have never been invited before, and unfortunately was scheduled at the same time as the Connect party. When we did arrive, I remember seeing coffee, tea, etc....as well as some desserts.

[CTBob]

Hi Bob I'm so glad you and your friends are going on a Med cruise. I think you will really like the Brillance. We love the radiance class of ship. Royal will set a meet and greet for you automatically once you have 25 sign up for the M&M. Each ship is a little different but usually the CD will host and there will be prizes and everyone should get a little gift. When we used MTD on the Monarch they asked everyday what time we wanted for the next night. The only comment about the time we chose is that we might not be finished with our meal for the show. I believe you can just show up and be seated also. It was so easy to choose our time and set it for everynight and have the same waiter. They even gave us our choice of tables.

 

I know you will love the Med and this probaply won't be your last Med cruise. By the end of your cruise you will be saying " next time we need to go to that port".

Thanks Eileen, I really wish you were going with us so that you and David could be our tour guides. I'm really not as adventurous to go off on my own in some of these ports, but would love to do it. I followed your Med thread and that motivated me to book this one. Both of my cruise groups, from CT and NC are going so there will be twenty of us. We'll make a great target for pickpockets.

 

Thanks Jlijny, that's pretty much what I remember from our cruise on the Century.

 

Bob

[neverenoughtime]

We're also sailing on the Summit (!) but at the end of October. Can you tell me a little about how you got Euro's? We're flying into Barcelona and I am trying to decide if I should get Euro's from my local bank or use the ATM at the airport. Any advice? What about access in the other ports? Can you get Euro's on the Ship??

Thanks!

SGE

[jlijny]

We're also sailing on the Summit (!) but at the end of October. Can you tell me a little about how you got Euro's? We're flying into Barcelona and I am trying to decide if I should get Euro's from my local bank or use the ATM at the airport. Any advice? What about access in the other ports? Can you get Euro's on the Ship??

Thanks!

SGE

 

I needed to take a lot of euros with us. I had planned many private tours, and they required only euros.In some cases, they specified euro/euro travelers checks.......I only brought euro T/C to cover the private tours, since they are useless everywhere else. You can always get them in port. I didn't want to spend time....so I made sure I had euros with me. When I ran out, I did get some on the ship. The exchange rate on the ship wasn't great, but very convenient.