Americans on Splendida 11-2009

[cakeordeath]

We leave on the Splendida next week so I really really enjoyed your review, however segmented! With most Splendida/Fantastica reviews I've read, everyone seems to have had their cabins on the medium to lower decks. Ours will be on deck 12 and I'm just wondering if the higher decks are to be avoided for some reason???

 

 

hello...our cabin is just what we ended up with.

Have a wonderful trip!

[Capricruiser]

Thanks Cake. Leaving Tuesday and even though it's January, I'm hoping for a great cruise with lots of interesting stops. A review when I return.

[diblasi21]

I am going on the Spendida on 7/25 departing from Marseille and have a few questions:

 

Are you allowed to bring a bottle of wine with you? On American ships they allow it you just have to pay a fee for corkage

 

Tunisia

Is it safe to just find a driver when I get there? My interest are the town with the blue roofs I think its Sidi boud Said, the Medina, and if there is any left over time to go to the beach or a mosque. A camel ride would be great as well..

 

Malta

I would love to go to the Blue Grotto and Medina (souk) Can anyone give me advise on the Blue Grotto. Does it take long to get a boat to go out there? Do you get to swim? Is there snorkeling in the area?

I am only there for a short time

 

Rome

I booked through the cruiseline to do the Vatican but reading on here a lot people went with a private tour operator. I'm a little scared of not making it back intime...

I would like to do a tour that takes me to the Vatican but that I also get a quick stop at the colloseum, Trevi fountain, etc

 

Barcelona

I want to do Las Ramblas and the sagrada Familia and suggestions on the best way to do this? Also, is it easy to find the Boqueria?

 

Messina and Genoa

Is this a good place to go the beach?

 

Marseille

When we leave the cruise is there a way of touring Marseille? We will have our luggage and plan to take the train to Paris

Does anyone know how close the train station is to the port?

 

Any additional suggestions are greatly appeciated!

 

Sonny

Miami,Fl

[jspqld]

I was on this ship last year. We brought a couple of bottles of alcohol on board at one of the port stops & we were never questioned about it, however these were souvineer type bottles to bring home.

Rome: depending how long you have in Rome that day, you can take the train to the Vatican, allow 1.5 hrs for train & short walk at either end. From near the vatican you can catch a train to the colloseum & then train back to ship. You could also look at doing a hop on/off bus if you want to see more sights like trevi. If you dont have much time in port I would stick with a organised tour. The private guys will get you back to the ship ontime, they do this job everyday but they are very expensive.

Barcelona: easiest option would be to get a taxi (not really expensive) to the sagrada, then another taxi to the top of La ramblas & walk your way down towards the sea. About half way, the market St. Joseps boqueria will be on your right. Once you get to the end you can take a port bus or short taxi ride back to ship. The hop on/off bus is also a good option & leaves from where the port bus drops you off.

Messina: is a port town so does not really have beaches but I believe there would be good beaches within a twenty minute drive. Same as for Genoa although it might be a bit more than 20 mins in either direction. Travelling west you would come to the Italian riviera & south I think you head towards Santa Margarita. In Genoa there is a great castle up on the hill about a 5 min taxi ride, called Castello Albertis. It is used as a museum & has great views of the Genoa Port & coastline.

 

Enjoy.