Thank You CC - Sept 6 HAL Med. Wonderful

[runningprophet]

Thank you to all who post & share their wealth of knowledge on CC & TravelAdvisor. 6 months before our Sept.6th HAL Med cruise I began searching CC & TA for info. This was our 8th cruise lst in the Med. I was planning this trip for DH, myself & 3 other couples. I could not have done it without CC.Thank You! About 5 weeks before we left Canada for Rome we were offered an upgrade (or is that an upsell?) from guarantee obstructed view to a VA Balcony for $200/person - DH & I said YES! What a treat breakfast on the balcony every morning! We used Rome in Limo for our 3 transfers - they were wonderful! All reviews on CC were right on the mark. Our Hotel was Best Western Canada (115€ including wonderful buffet breakfast) which is 5 min. walking distance from the Train Station. Excellent Hotel - spacious bathroom, wonderful linens. Yes it is away from the city core but transportation was easy to us. Our tour of Vatican City was handle by Through Eternity - very informative. It was a privilege to spend the day surround by such beauty & works of art. Our 10 day cruise on the Noordam was all we expected & more. We would do these ports of call again without hesitation - so much more to see.Walking the wall of Dubrovnik was breathtaking - to realize that a few years ago so much was damage by war. What a clean & safe feeling city. Kusadasi/Ephesus we found the people warm & welcoming. Hello Ephesus was our tour supplier for the ruins which included (because of CC' recommendations) The Terrace Houses. Not to be missed! Yes we had a tour of a government sponsor Carpet Factory - fascinating & we did not feel overly pressured to purchase a carpet. They were proud of their work & have an excellent product to sell - so yes, we expected them to make a sales pitch. Our hearts & prayers go out to the people of Messina. We can not imagine what that city looks like since the mudslides! Our prayers are also with the many workers on ships from the Philippines & Indonesia. When you travel the world in many ways becomes a smaller place & your heart goes out to those who are suffering great loss & at such a time are far from loved ones.

Paul & Candy, Tavistock, Ontario, Canada