teachatthebeach

Rome!

For our Best of Rome tour, we used Italy EU Tours once again. Our van held 8 passengers. If the van is full, someone will have to sit between the front seat passenger and the driver. I'm 5-6 and barely had enough leg room. It's not very comfortable. Also, in order to see all of the major sites of Rome, you will have to keep moving. There isn't much time to linger at any one place. Our driver/guide was Giovanni and he was wonderful. How he manages to negotiate the traffic and scooters in Rome and not lose his cool is a miracle!

Our day started at the Colosseum. We had tickets to go inside, but the others on the tour did not. Giovanni dropped us off first and then guided the other ladies where to go to see sites close to the Colosseum. We had timed entry tickets and passed through the line and security with ease. We had about 30 minutes to tour the inside. Like I said...you have to keep moving! We met up with the group at the van and continued the tour. We had photo stops at the Victor Emmanuel monument, the Trevi Fountain (about 20 minutes), and the Spanish steps. For lunch, we stopped near the Pantheon. We had about 1:30 to see the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona and eat lunch. After lunch, it was off to the Vatican. It was about 2:00 when we arrived and it was packed! We joined another Italy EU Tour group and we shared a private guide. It took awhile to get tickets and headsets and to clear security, but we got in. Sadly, this part of the tour was not so good. Our guide spoke heavily accented English and it was hard to understand her. We started in the art galleries and spent almost all of our tour there. I was watching the time and asked two or three times if we would have time for the Basilica. Our guide assured me we would. After seeing the statues, the maps, and the tapestries, we finally got to the Sistine Chapel. From what I could see, security fills it up, a priest comes out and leads a brief prayer, and then people leave, and another group comes in. Even packed in like a sardine, it's an amazing place to see. After the Sistine Chapel, we reached St. Peter's. Our guide told us we had 5 minutes. Only 5 minutes to tour all of St. Peter's Basilica!!! We were very disappointed. After that, we got back in the van and headed back to ship.

When we got home after the trip, Italy Eu Tours contacted me and asked about our tours. I told them about the problems at the Vatican. They responded by telling me that is not how the tour is supposed to go and not up their standards. They offered me 50% any future group tour with their or any of their affiliated companies. I'm glad the offer doesn't expire because we don't have plans to return to Europe any time soon!

Advice for future travelers...if there is a place or site that is super important or special to you, do everything you can to do a private tour. That way, you can customize the tour and prioritize what you want to see.

Pompeii

Biggest lemons I’ve ever seen!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Pompeii and the uneven walking surface.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Naples!

In Naples, we booked a group tour to Pompeii, Sorrento, and Positano with Italy EU Tours.

https://italytours.eu/

We toured in a medium-sized tour bus. I believe there were about 15 people in our group. The air-conditioning in the van wasn't working that well. We were in the back where it was quite stuffy. By the end of the day, it was just plain hot! We were half-way back to Naples before it was comfortable. Despite being hot-we're from Florida and used to that- we still had a great day. The driver and guide apologized profusely for the air conditioning and were friendly, helpful, and shared lots of history and information with us.

It took about 30-40 minutes to reach Pompeii. This is one of the sites where you want to get there early before the crowds and the heat! Luckily, we did just that. Sadly, I don't remember our private guide's name, but she was amazing. She had so much knowledge to share about the history of Pompeii! Visiting Pompeii was on my bucket list and it did not disappoint. We spent a little over 2 hours there. Suggestion--if you need to use the restroom, do so before entering the site. About 30 minutes into the tour, DH asked about a restroom. Our guide said we'd get to one in about 30 minutes. Well, she forgot and we never saw any signs for anything that looked a bathroom, so we just toughed it out to the end. Also, bring water and wear comfortable shoes. There are many uneven walking surfaces and it's quite dusty.

After Pompeii, we boarded the van and headed to Sorrento. We stopped for some photo ops along the way. Honestly, pictures don't do the views justice. The mountains, the sea, the houses on the side of the mountain--all simply breathtaking! We had about an 1:30 on our own in Sorrento. We dined at Pizzeria Aurora http://www.pizzeriaaurora.com/ Our guide knew the owner and asked that we be served promptly as we were on a schedule. They were quite busy and lunch still took an hour. Another suggestion--our driver in France told us that lunch at a sit down restaurant pretty much anywhere in Italy or France is going to take at least an hour. The staff may promise you they'll get you out in less time, but it just doesn't happen. And for us it never did! So if you want time to sight see or shop, opt for a grab and go type lunch. Anyway, the gnocchi here was the best pasta we had on the entire trip! The pizza was quite good too. We wondered through the shops, got some gelato, and returned to our van.

From Sorrento, we drove on to Positano. We didn't drive into the city, but stopped to take pictures. Again, simply magnificent views! After Positano, we returned to the ship.

Next installment...Rome!

What recommended city tour you did which you recommend ? I am traveling with my daughter 12 years and son 7 years. Those not booked through cruise shipscand are competitive rates

In Barcelona, we did the Secret Food Tour of Barcelona. Everything else we did on our own. In Naples and Rome, we used Italy EU Tours. In Florence, we used Joe Bananas Limos. In Cannes, we used Riviera Premium Tours. With the exception of Cannes, we toured privately, not with a group, the rates were much better than the ship's tours. There are many good tour companies discussed here and on the Ports of Call page. Lots of options for you!

Ok. i ordered 2 rfid belt bags and universal travel adaptor. Amazon should give you comission. What else? LOL

I wish I got a commission! It would help support my Prime addiction!

Before getting on the bus for the 2nd day, we walked to the Boqueria Market. We got there mid-morning and it was just starting to get crowded. If you like freshed squeezed juices, this is your place. Lots of delicious combinations to choose from. We also tried the chocolate covered strawberries on a stick--5 huge strawberries for only 3 euros. We also found an olive stand which sold Spanish olive oils and vinegars in small bottles (ok for carry on luggage) that were vacuum sealed.

After the market, we walked to Gothic Quarter to explore before we began day 2 of our bus adventure. There is an excellent pastry/sweets shop called La Colmena located right by the Jaume 1 metro stop on the Placa de l'Angel. Excellent pastries and sweets! Next stop was the Gothic Cathedral. They do enforce their dress code here. We all had shorts on, but they were long shorts to our knees. We were allowed entry, but I did see a young lady in very short shorts turned away. After our visit, we caught the bus right by the Cathedral and headed to Park Guell. It took us over an hour on the bus to get to the park. Granted, not the best use of time, but we paid for the tickets so we might as well use them. The hop on hop off buses drop you near the park, but it is still a long walk up very steep hills to get to the entrance. If you have any mobility or health issues, I'd find another way to get to the Park. The city bus will drop you by the entrance and the taxis will as well.

Part of Park Guell is open to the public, but if you want to visit the Monuments area, you must purchase timed tickets. I waited to the day before to purchase the tickets, so the earliest I could get was 2:30. If I had it to over again, I would purchase tickets for earlier in the morning before the crowds and the heat set in. The park does offer incredible views of Barcelona and it was worth the trek!

After the park, we got back on the bus and headed back to our hotel. Our hearts wanted to keep going, but after 3 long days of touring, we were just wiped out. We did a little packing and took a nap. For our last night in Barcelona, we went to Can Majo, a paella restaurant on the beach. The setting was lovely. DD and DH shared the lobster paella and I had the veggie paella. The sangria was mighty tasty as well!

We woke up on Sunday morning knowing we had time before we needed to get on the ship. We didn't want to stray too far from the port area, so DD suggested the Aquarium. It's described as the largest aquarium in Europe and being huge animal/nature lovers we try to visit some type of animal/nature venue on our trips. So, that's where we went. It was a nice aquarium. The best part getting to bottle feed koi fish. IMHO, it wasn't worth the price.

After the aquarium, we headed back to the hotel, picked up our luggage and headed to the port. For us, the embarkation process at Barcelona was the fastest and easiest we have experienced. We arrived around 2:00 and were on the ship in 15 minutes. Our room was ready, so we dropped off our carry on luggage and headed to the buffet.

We had a private tour in Cannes that started at 8:30. I was concerned about the tendering process and stopped by the shore excursion desk. I was able to book a tender for 7:45. If you want to get to shore early in Cannes, reserve an early spot as soon as you can once on board. You can reserve through the TV in your stateroom. Our room was missing the remote, hence the trip to the shore excursion desk!

Our first full day on the ship was a sea day. We woke up to wind and rain. Normally, this would be disappointing, but we were still wiped out from our time in Barcelona. We used this day to nap and relax.

Next installment...Naples!

I'm back! DD had a friend visiting from out of town and we got a new dog! Things have settled down, so I'm back to my report.

For our second and third day in Barcelona, we used the Hop On / Hop Off bus. Barcelona has 2 major companies. Barcelona City Tour (www.barcelona.city-tour.com) and Barcelona Bus Turistic (www.barcelonabusturistic.cat). Both offer basically the same route and price. If you purchase your tickets ahead of time, you will save a few euros. At the recommendation of our hotel, we went with the Barcelona City Tour. There were plenty of buses running and we never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a bus. And we almost always found seats up top.

We got on the bus at Passeig Colom (Christopher Colombus statue) because it was 2 blocks from our hotel. The tour provides you with earbuds and you can listen to a narration explaining what your are seeing. It's available in several languages. This stop is on the Orange or West Route. We made our first stop at the National Art Museum of Catalunya. The views from here are amazing so be sure to get off the bus! Our second stop was Camp Nou, home to Football Club Barcelona. While not soccer fans ourselves, it was interesting to see the stadium and shop the team mega-store (and I mean mega...it has 3 floors). Our 3rd stop was La Pedrera (Casa Mila). This is one of Gaudi's buildings. This is a lovely area of Barcelona and home to the high end shops. We wandered down a side street and found an excellent pizza restaurant. We actually liked this pizza better than the pizza in Italy! It's also a short walk to the Casa Batilo, another of Gaudi's buildings. We got back on the bus and went to the Placa Catalunya which is the starting point for both routes. Here we switched buses and began the Eastern or Green Route.

I have to admit that to us this route was not nearly as interesting or scenic as the Orange Route. It does run through the Gothic Quarter and along the length of Barcelona's beaches, but we had already explored this area the day before. If you are interested in architecture, there are some interesting buildings on this route. Also, La Sagrada Familia is on this route. Park Guell is as well, but you can't see it from the bus route. You must get off and walk. We got on the bus later in the day and hit Friday traffic. I think it took us almost 3 hours to get back to the Placa Catalunya. We were really tired and just used this time to relax and check email...the bus has free wifi!

Thanks! That is I assume one bag per cabin and not per person?

I was just on the Epic. I called Housekeeping and asked the same question. They told me one bag per stateroom. I had two bags of laundry, so I stuffed the most items I could in one bag and put the $19.99 paper with that one and put the itemized slip with the other bag. When I checked my bill on the TV, I saw they charged me 19.99 each for both! That was a pleasant surprise! The itemized bag came close to $40! I wouldn't count on that pricing, but every now and then you get lucky!

Which airport did you fly out of in New York? I doing this cruise in July and am flying Norwegian also, so I’m wondering if we will have a similar experience. Also, thanks for the heads up on the cat cafe.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We flew out of Newark. The cat cafe was fun and a nice break from the crowds.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Barcelona!

We loved our time in Barcelona. It is a clean, safe, and modern city. The locals are friendly, happy to help tourists, and most speak at least at little English, so it's an easy city to navigate for tourists.

We had 3 full days in Barcelona prior to our cruise. On the first full day, we took a walking food tour with Secret Food Tours of Barcelona. https://www.secretfoodtours.com/barcelona There are many food tours available in Barcelona. I chose this one because the meeting point was in walking distance of our hotel. We all loved this tour. Our guide's name was Andres. He's a tour guide by day and a chef by night, so he had lots of knowledge to share about the culinary history of Barcelona. We made stops at a pastry shop, the Santa Caterina market (very similar to the La Boqueria Market but much less touristy), an olive oil/ spices/nuts specialty shop, a tapas restaurant, and a paella restaurant. With the exception of the paella, all the food and drinks (sparkling wine and sangria for adults and sodas for the kids) we had were wonderful. And there was plenty of food! We were stuffed by the end of the tour. The tour started at 11:00 and lasted about 3-31/2 hours. There's a lot of walking involved, so wear comfortable shoes!

The food tour ended in the Barceloneta area, so we took a short walk along beach. It was a short walk because it started to rain. With the help of some locals, we figured out which bus to take and were off to La Sagrada Familia. Before we left on our trip, I purchased timed entry tickets. I'm glad I did. Lines were long and with timed tickets we were able to pass through security and go right in. La Sagrada Familia is very impressive and it's not even finished! We walked around the inside and wandered through the museum. There is also a very nice gift shop.

DD and I are big animal lovers. Prior to the trip, DD was on the internet and found Espai de Gats which is a cat cafe. Visitors can have a coffee, soda, or snacks and play with adoptable cats. Of course, we had to visit. If you're crazy animal people and want to visit, reservations are required. It wasn't terribly far from La Sagrada Familia, so we jumped in a taxi and headed there. Since it was still raining, it was a nice break to relax and caffeine load as we were still suffering from major jet lag!

After our visit with the kitties, it was time to eat again. While reading up on the Cat Cafe, I found La Xula, a nearby tapas restaurant that looked interesting. It was only 2-3 blocks from the Cat Cafe, so that's where we went to dinner. Luckily, their kitchen was open and we were the first people there to eat. Many restaurants in Barcelona don't even begin serving until 8:00. This turned out to be our favorite meal of the entire trip! The menu is posted on a huge blackboard over the bar, but they do have an English version on paper. The bartender was so friendly and had lots of great recommendations. We had the burrata salad, patatas bravas (You must try these! They are fried or roasted potatoes in a spicy sauce. We had them 3 times while in Barcelona and the heat level ranged from mild to pretty spicy, but all were fabulous!), Spanish style meatballs, and 2 different salmon tartar dishes. We couldn't decide on dessert, so we got two! One was a salted caramel brownie with ice cream and the other was strawberries with balsamic vinegar and basil--berries with vinegar and basil sounds strange but it was light and refreshing! I far as I can tell, La Xula doesn't have a website, but they are on Facebook under La Xula Taperia.

After stuffing ourselves silly, we took a taxi back to the hotel and collapsed.

Next installment...Day 2!

Before I forget, here's a helpful tip. When packing to return to the United States, DON'T pack the current adapter in your checked luggage. You will need it to charge your phone at the airport. I did put ours in the checked luggage, but we got to the airport super early and the ticket counter wasn't open. DH realized what happened and dug it out of the checked bags. Crisis averted! At our gate, there weren't many charging options. We had a few people take advantage of our extra USB charging spots.

Now, getting the family to Barcelona. When I first started pricing flights, I had sticker shock. The flights seemed to cost more than the cruise. Somewhere here on CC, I found Norwegian Airlines. We did great a great deal. For roughly $2,300 total for the 3 of us (the low fare plus option) we got to select our seats, a meal was included, and we each got a free checked bag.

About a week and half before our flight, I received a text from Norwegian stating that our outbound flight would now be serviced by another airline-Hi Fly Airlines based in Portugal. A different plane would be used (Norwegian was a 787 Dreamliner and High Fly was an Airbus) so we had to reselect our seats. After an hour and half wait on the phone, I finally reached someone from Norwegian. He told me that at that time, he couldn't offer us 3 seats together. I asked to speak to a supervisor, but he told there was no one I could speak to. If I had a problem with the airline, I needed to submit a complaint online. I wasn't happy. Eventually, I calmed down, called back, waited over an hour again, and reached a lady who was very friendly and helpful. She found what she said was an exit row for my DH who is almost 7 feet tall. My DD and I would be seated directly behind him. The exit row turned out to be the bulkhead, but it was better than nothing.

We flew into New York a day early to visit the city. The day of the flight I received a text informing me that our flight would be delayed from 11:00 PM to 2:00 AM because the inbound flight was delayed. Luckily, I got the hotel room for 2 nights so we had someplace to relax before the flight. Around midnight we headed to the airport. Because of the delay, Norwegian did give us each a $15 food voucher. The only thing open at that hour was Subway, so we got sandwiches, cookies, and chips, and made our way to the gate.

The inbound flight finally arrived, but we never started boarding. Eventually, an announcement was made that our flight was delayed, but we were never told why or for how long. Looking out the window, we figured out why--mechanics were working on both engines. Two o'clock turned in to 3 then 4 o'clock. Still no announcement. At that point, we all just wanted information. The airport was essentially closed-no place to get coffee or a bottle of water or anything to eat. I was thankful for those Subway sandwiches at this point! Finally, at around 5:30 AM we were on our way.

The onboard experience was not that great. The first meal that was served was unrecognizable. I really have no idea what it was. In the section of the plane in front of ours, the seatback entertainment system was working. Ours didn't. I asked a flight attendant. She simply replied, "Some work. Some don't. Sorry."

Six and a half hours late, we landed in Barcelona and took a taxi to our hotel. The customs process was quick and simple and our luggage arrived quickly. We had a dinner reservation for 8:00 which we would never make. Our hotel was kind enough to call for us and get a later seating. We threw ourselves together and went to the restaurant.

As stressful as the flight was, our dinner made up for it. We ate at Agua which is located on the beach in the Barceloneta section of Barcelona. We shared two tapas which were yummy. DD and DH shared a lobster spaghetti which they loved. I had a roast pork dish and it was amazing. The setting was lovely, quiet, and relaxing. The service was polite, efficient, and friendly. Just what we needed! After dinner, we went back to our hotel and collapsed! Below is a link to the Agua's website.

https://grupotragaluz.com/en/restaurant/agua/

Next installment...pre-cruise adventures in Barcelona!

I have researched and gained so much valuable advice and information from these boards that I decided to write a review in hopes of helping some other travelers!

A bit about my family...we are a family of 3 from Florida. My husband is a semi-retired law enforcement officer, I am a middle school teacher, and we have a 13 year old daughter. We love to travel.

To start off, I made a few purchases before the cruise that were very helpful. I have terrible luck posting pictures and links, so if you want more information please let me know!

My Travelon Anti-theft Crossbody Bag: I first saw this bag at a local store and it sold for almost $70. Amazon sells it for much less. I bought mine from the Kohl's website. I had a 30% off coupon and I had some Kohl's cash which made it very affordable. It has 2 locking zipper compartments and was easy to organize all of my stuff. I usually carried everything the family needed in an overloaded backpack, but a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis stopped that. I need to travel lighter and this bag fit all of the important items.

Barcelona is notorious for pickpockets, so I needed something for my husband as well. I found the Lewis N. Clark RFID -blocking Hidden Belt wallet on Amazon. DH used it everyday of the trip. Someone on our roll call was pickpocketed in Barcelona and lost over 400 euros. For about $10 it was a wise investment.

I am a notorious over-packer and once had to pay dearly at the ticket counter. For this trip, I invested in a luggage scale. There are many on Amazon. It gave me the peace of mind I needed and no extra fees!

I also purchased on Amazon the Saunorch Universal International Travel Adapter. It also has 4 USB slots. This kept DH's Cpap machine running and 3 phones charging all night long.

Next installment: Getting There and it wasn't half the fun!

On my 3 Norwegian cruises we have had traditional balconies. It’s more important to me to be near the elevator than to have a particular type of balcony. As long as the view isn’t obstructed, I’m good!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We booked a private tour with Riviera Premium Tours. It was a very relaxing day. We stopped in Nice and stopped at the market. We had the best croissants here!

Here are the pictures!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Wonderful news. I hope you enjoyed your trip. I’m 7 months in and still bobbing :(

I’m so sorry you are still bobbing. After our March cruise, I was seriously considering not booking another cruise. It was that bad. Since I’ve been symptom free so far this cruise, I’ll give it another shot. I hope you find some relief soon.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We stayed at the Arc la Rambla Hotel and loved it. It was clean, quiet, safe, and well located.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I’m not sure where you catch the port shuttle. We stayed at the Arc la Rambla Hotel which is very near the port. We loved it-clean, quiet, safe, and excellent location.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We stayed near the Gaudi Hotel and got a taxi to the airport for about 10 euros. We were 3 people with 4 suitcases. We just waited for one of the larger taxis. The hotel could also call a taxi for you and request a larger one.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We spent a delightful week on the beach in a condo right next door to The Rainbow Cafe in Grand Case a few years back. Please visit Grand Case and let us know how The Rainbow Cafe and all the other wonderful restaurants and the people that work and live there are doing. Thank you!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

When we were there in March, the Rainbow was the only restaurant open on Grand Case. Lunch there was great!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Update... after 4 flights, a 7 day Mediterranean cruise with smooth seas throughout, and some crazy rides up and down the mountain sides of Spain, Italy, and France, I’m happy to report no MdDS! I’m shocked, but relieved!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

This "was" the complimentary Shanghai Noodles menu (posted in 2017) on the BA, open for dinner only - no reservations taken & there is often a line and a wait for it ... you are given a "pager" to alert you when it's your turn, feel free to hangout by the casino bar or try your luck with the "bandits" with your "donations" - identical on the GA per one of our niece ... not sure if anything has changed since.

 

 

 

 

Noodles soup/broth is okay, IMO - the 3 starters are okay. They are prepared in a small, "open" kitchen in front of you, served hot off the wok / frying pan ... Portion sizes used to be slightly bigger in the old days when there was an upcharge.

 

 

 

Look at it as comfort food, O'Sheehan style - with a small Asian selection, casual & light dining.

Yes, that is the same menu as last week on the Epic.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Just traveled with a flat iron with no problems. Mine has a thermal pouch. As soon as I’m done, I unplug and put it in the pouch. No problems!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We tried it last week on the Epic. We enjoyed the shrimp dumplings, the chicken noodle bowl and the pork noodle bowl, and both desserts offered. The veggie fried rice was very dry and didn’t have much flavor. I would definitely go again.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Great! I Love Cuba Photo Tours really are the best (I've used a few). The best thing is they will plan whatever you want- no preset itineraries you need to choose from. Just send them an email with anything you want to do, or your interests if you aren't sure. It's 100% customized. I just got back, and this was the kind of tour that made me really want to spread the word :-) You can email them at yoselvazquez@yahoo.com.

Another vote for the I Love Cuba Tours. We toured with them last July and had a lovely day.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums