Spiriting around the Med with walking difficulties

[fabnfortysomething]

I usually write a review after a cruise but this time thought would have a go at writing a day to day detailed blog which will be particularly relevant to those with walking difficulties .

 

A bit of relevant background first

Darling hubby has Rheumatoid Arthritis which has affected most of his joints-his walking difficulties come mainly from his left ankle which needs replacing but as he is only 50 his surgeon is reluctant to operate yet as the lifespan of these artificial joints is not as good as hip joints.In fact he now has 2 metal hips.

 

You may remember the 70's series the 6 million dollar man[at least that's what it was called in the UK] Steve Austin-we can rebuild him stronger faster etc. Well I call hubby the 6 thousand dollar man and henceforth shall refer to him as 6 or darling 6.

 

Friends we met on a Baltic cruise 2 years ago booked this cruise and we decided to test the friendship by going along on the same cruise and booking ourselves into the cabin opposite.I believe it worked pretty well.

 

I also suffer from OCPD or obsessive cruise planning disorder which meant I researched in detail for private tours in most of the ports and asked for tour mates via the roll call.We met some really great people this way and also via the meet and greet.

 

However back to the cruise

 

Starting pre cruise we'll call this day -1

 

We'd booked a park and stay package at Manchester airport in the UK which included 15 days parking and a shuttle service to the airport for our 7-30 am flight to Venice

 

We didnt book wheelchair assistance but in hindsight should have done as Manchester is a large airport and it's quite a hike to the gate area.

However 6 managed and we eventually got on the plane an hour late in the rain-it was very nice to land 1 and a half hours later in sunny Venice.

 

Our plane was due to land 11am and our friends K and D plane from the US was due to land 11-15 so the plan was to meet at the arrivals hall.Their mobile/cell phone was not set up to make calls outside the US but we reckoned we wouldnt need to contact each other as this plan was foolproof-yeah right!

 

Our plane was delayed an hour and as we landed in Venice we could see the Delta plane already unloaded at the airport.

 

Immigration was fast and we quickly got through to the baggage hall-it really is a small airport.We noted the Delta flight from New York had arrived early so it was no surprise that the baggage carousel for that flight was empty and we didnt spot them in the arrivals hall.No problem we reckoned they had gone on ahead and would contact at the hotel in Venice.

 

Firstly had to buy tickets for the ATVO bus shuttle-thanks to research on cruise critic I knew to head for the ticket machines for the 6 euro one way ticket.Unfortunately the machine would not accept my nice new euro notes. An Italian local came to the rescue and by creasing the notes slightly the machine accepted them! TIP the machines dont like pristine notes.

We then headed over the road to wait for the no1 express to P Roma.I knew to validate the ticket in the machine before boarding the bus but this did surprise the driver as he had to help several other tourists through the process.

 

The ride from the airport took about 30 minutes and soon we were crossing the long road bridge into the bus concourse in P Roma where we spotted our hotel Santa Chiara.

We chose this hotel as there were no bridges to cross and it had a lift/elevator.The hotel itself is very attractive and our room 207 was lovely.It had 4 floor to ceiling windows,beamed ceiling and chandaliers and marble floor.The view to the left was a side canal,to the right P Roma and directly below a construction site! [i think the annexe is being rebuilt]

 

Just a word of warning-rugs on marble floors look pretty but can be lethal health and safety wise.I rolled them up and put under the bed for the duration of our stay.Costwise the Thursday night was 159 euros and Friday 179 plus a tourist tax payable locally.

 

We went over the road to Kand D hotel-best Western olimpia and found they hadnt checked in as their connecting flight from home airport to New York had been cancelled[this was when a mobile phone would have been useful!

We texted our son at home to ask him to check our emails and sure enough there was the message from Kand D to say they should arrive the next day.

 

We decided to buy Vaparetto tickets and orientate ourselves to Venice.By this time it was lunchtime but in the heat we weren't hungry but needed water water water to rehydrate!

 

We expected to minimise walking by using Vaparetto as much as possible so bought 36 hour passes for 25 euros.The stop was close to the hotel,the nearest one said St Marks via route no 2 so we got on that.This was actually a roundabout route which took around the commercial area and along the Guidecca canal.We got off at St Marks which was packed and got the no1 back up the grand canal to P Roma.

 

By this time it was 4pm and we were a bit hungry so grabbed a sliceof pizza for 4 euros from a snack bar at P Roma around the corner from the hotel and sat and ate in while people watching.

 

we had a quiet evening in the hotel bar which overlooked the grand canal and drinking a glass of wine[or 2] at 3 euros and beer at 5 euros before heading to bed[after all we had been up since 4am

 

So ends day -1

[meltingmoments]

Nice start to your review........look forward to more!!

We are sailing the Epic Western Med next week, and I too have RA, so although the ports are different, I look forward to seeing how a fellow RA club member manages! ;)

I hope you both have a great cruise :)

Edited August 4, 2012 by meltingmoments

[valleyvillage]

What a sweet and generous post. Can't wait to read more! :D

[LTC]

Can hardly wait for more of your review. We're on the Spirit in September.

[searoses]

looking forward to every word. i also suffer from ra and every day is different despite having great treatment. your itinerary is my dream cruise and even the smallest of details could enhance the trip...

[LadyShiva]

What an interesting beginning! Thank you for taking the time to do this. :)

[willysgrandma]

Please keep writing! As someone with bi-lateral hip and knee replacements (and needing a shoulder replaced too) and in pain much of the time from foot problem, I am very interesting in hearing how your hubby handles all the traveling.

[fabnfortysomething]

thanks for comments so far-pleased that you are finding it relevant.RA is a horrible disease but this cruise proved you dont have to let it beat you.

 

This was the 21st July sailing from Venice to Barcelona with lots of ports and challenges in between.

 

Friday morning we woke 7-30am to the sounds of church bells-lovely.This was immediately followed by the sounds of pneumatic drills! Remember the construction site? These guys obviously start work early to avoid the hottest part of the day.

 

We decided to have breakfast and take the Vaparetto to St Marks before the crowds arrived.Unfortunately there was a public transport strike that morning.Because of this we didn't get the value for money we expected out of the 36 hour pass.

 

6 finds he is stiffest first thing and difficult to get going but by 10am he decided to give it a go and try the pedestrian route.

It is impossible to walk a direct line through the narrow streets and you need to keep an eye at street lamp level for signs directing towards Rialto.Confusingly you often find arrows pointing in different directions with same destination.

 

He has a walking stick/cane that converts to a seat which came in very useful.By taking frequent breaks we eventually came to the Rialto bridge-surrounded by souvenir shops galore and crowds!

However the wander along the way was worth it as the side streets are very interesting and you keep coming across little gems of architecture that we would have missed if we'd just kept to the Vaparetto route.

We decided not to push it by continuing on to St Marks and turned back to P Roma following the directional signs again and returning a different route!

 

Back at the hotel 6 rested his legs on the bed whilst I watched out the window at the activity going on both on the canals and P Roma.

I saw an airport bus pull up and a couple of familiar figures get off. Not trusting my eyes I called over to 6 to check whether it was indeed Kand D-no response-he's plugged into his mp3 player and oblivious!

By means of a sharp dig in the ribs I attracted his attention and hauling himself off the bed he agreed that yes it was indeed them.So we start madly waving out the window to attract their attention.They so us as probably did most of P Roma who were wondering what this crazy couple were doing!

 

I went rushing down to meet them whilst 6 followed down at a more sedate pace.It had been 2 years since we had last seen each other and at that time 6 had been in desperate need of his 2nd hip replacement so they noticed a dramatic improvement in his mobility!

 

We walked over to their hotel which although only 1 bridge away was not easy with luggage-no bridge in Venice is!

 

By now the strike was over so we took the no 1 vaparetto down to St Marks for an orientation tour.The waters were a bit choppy and the step across can be a bit wobbly so a very attractive lady attendant took 6 arm to help him across.K asked if he could borrow the spare walking stick-a remark that would have earned him a sharp elbow in the ribs from D if she'd heard!

 

6 and K were chattering constantly about soccer/football and associated gossip and D muttered that she'd better take plenty of photos to show him where they'd been because otherwise he was going to miss it all if he didn't shut up and observe!

 

We walked around St Marks square with its hoards of tourists and took plenty of photos and then took the Vaparetto back up the grand canal.

 

 

We had a relaxing evening eating at an outside terrace restaurant outside Olimpia hotel and then back to our hotel for a few drinks and catch up on gossip before it was time to head to bed

 

end of day 0

[NMLady]

Thank you for this thread. Now that hubby is 81 he has mobility problems, walks slowly with a cane. So this is a helpful thread. When we were in Venice we used the vaporettos. The Italian "strikes" usually last only 4 hours. There was an air traffic controller strike the day we flew out of Venice. Cancelled/delayed lots of flights including ours.

I'm glad you saw so much of Venice close up. Thank you for sharing. I am looking forward to the rest of your cruise blog.

Edited August 5, 2012 by NMLady

[hillside]

Thanks so much for your input. Glad to hear your perspective.

[fabnfortysomething]

It was Saturday so had a lie in till 8-30am as no consrtuction work as an alarm call!

 

We checked out of Santa Chiara hotel-cost was 159 euro first night and 179 2nd night with12 euros tourist tax payable locally in cash.I would recommend this hotel for location and ease of getting around [no bridges to cross and a lift/elevator in the hotel.

 

We met up with Kand D and crossed over the road to the people mover to take us to the cruise port.There was a long line of people with luggage across the entrance-not queing for the people mover but for the left luggage depot next door.They were completely blocking the entrance so we had to get people to create a gap so we could get through.Once inside we bought the 1 euro tickets and then found only 1 lift which was very slow in arriving to take up to the upper level where the monorail operates.Many people used the escalators/moving stairs instead but that's not easy with luggage or if you have balance problems.

 

The service is fast and very clean but it just doesnt extend far enough.We got out the other end and saw the ship funnel with NCL on it quite close-unfortunately that was the Jade not the Spirit.Our ship was docked furthest away and it was a long walk!!!

 

employees were stationed along the route guiding the way to the correct ship but there was no porterage service available and requests for wheelchairs were met with blank stairs.We did eventually reach the terminal but that was a long haul with luggage.

 

Anyone disabled or with young children will find this a struggle.Even able bodied would find it unpleasant if it had been raining!

 

Anyway check in was very easy and they very quickly called for embarkation.I checked my ticket and saw had no 1.As we had checked in at the same time I assumed K and D had the same number so we set off for the line. K is far too polite and if anyone cuts in front of him he just lets them so he was lagging several people behind us when we went through the entrance.That's when we realised he had ticket number 6 and the lady on the entrance wasnt going to let him through.As the rest of us were already half way along we had to call back to the lady that we were all part of the same party and anyway his wife was in charge of his stuff-we didnt want to lose him at this stage!

 

First problem solved-now onto security.

With 2 metal hips 6 always sets off the security alarms which involves a frisk down.We have this down to a fine art whereby I go through first and am there to collect his paraphenalia off the belt while they search him.

 

We now also have an added factor.He is on weekly injectable medicine which needs to be babysat.ie kept at fridge temperatures and not to go through Xray machines as it is uncertain as to how this could affect its effectiveness.We have a travelling pouch which keeps contents cold for several days and a doctors letter explaining about the xrays and at each airport security so far this has not been a problem-they examine the medication to check it is properly sealed and after a few questions pass it around the machine. Not in this case. Despite repeatedly pointing to the letter and holding the pouch away from the xray tube he got a hold of it and sent it through with the rest of the hand luggage!

 

We just looked at each other in disbelief but as the damage had already been done we decided not to make an issue of it. Note to self-get a copy of that letter in several languages!!!

 

OK we're on board-let's relax!

From previous experience we knew to avoid the overcrowded buffet on embarkation day so headed to Windows restaurant which was almost empty and had a relaxing meal of fish and chips and a chance to scan through the freestyle daily.

 

K and D then went back off the ship to explore more of Venice whilst we checked out the rest of the ship and ended up on deck 12 at the outside bar of Raffles for a cold beer.

 

When staterooms were ready we found 2 letters on the bed.The first one was to confirm that our requested fridge for 6 medication was there[only suites have fridges as standard] So provided the drug hadnt already been inactivated by the xray at least we could take care of it properly from now on.

 

The 2nd letter caused a bit of an arrgh moment.Our cruise critic meet and greet scheduled for Monday 10am had been brought forward to the Sunday!

 

I rang Charlin from guest services who explained that due to a staff meeting it had been necessary to reshedule.OK if you postpone you can put up a note but how to contact people when it's been brought forward?

 

We were expecting 60 people and the venue had already been changed a few weeks earlier from Henrys bar to the Asian restaurant to accommodate larger numbers.Then I had been able to contact via the roll call-too late for that now.

I had brought a copy of the list with me and about half the people had listed their cabin numbers.Charlin said she would send a letter to those cabins but for security reasons I did not have surnames for people-only Christian and their roll call screen names.

 

I also made out notes to cabin numbers I had and after muster drill went on a delivery from decks 5 up to 11.I remember thinking I wouldn't need to go to the gym and being glad we were on a realtively small ship and not the Epic!

 

The cruise terminal is not the most picturesque view of Venice but we whiled away the afternoon sitting on our balcony and watching activity in the dock and planes taking off in the distance.

 

We had an adjoining cabin to a suite and the interconnecting door provided very little sound insulation.We could hear laughter and voices through it and hoped we weren't going to have noisy neighbours!

 

That evening we went back to Windows restaurant for a meal then checked out our about to be usual haunts for the nights-Henrys Pub and Champagne Charlies for drinks and listening to the guitarists/piano players.

 

I had given a description of ourselves on the roll call as a short woman with long grey hair and a man with long greying blonde hair and a beard who walks with a limp so if you spot us please say hi.

 

Well we were sat there when a tentative voice came over my shoulder-excuse me are you Lyn?

 

It was a couple from the roll call who said that they had received the note about the change of date so hopefully would have a decent turn out in the morning.

 

Sailaway was 1am in the morning so we decided to stay up for it.To be honest it was a non event.It was cold and windy on deck and all bars had closed.By 1-30 we were still in uninteresting part of the canal so decided to go to bed.I was about to get between the sheets when I heard a call of voices from outside.I opened the curtains and there we were opposite St Marks square all lit up!

 

end of day 1

[Starrgazer50]

Thank you for your review.:)

I'll be on the Spirit April 17th, Barcelona to Venice.

I have back problems and am nervous about Venice in regard to getting around, especially when I disembark with luggage. I currently booked a room at Hotel Arlecchino Venezia @ 200.00 euro a day and not too far from the ship. Your hotel is alot cheaper than mine, I may reconsider.

Glad to know that NCL gave you the requested fridge. I requested a fridge for insulin. I was surprised to find out that the balcony cabins didnt have one, but it is an older ship.

 

Looking forward to hearing more. Enjoy your trip.:)

Edited August 6, 2012 by Starrgazer50

[txtrace]

Thank you so much for your review! I have a reconstructef & fused ankle and a reconstructed hip. I have wanted to go on that trip but didn't know if I could manage. I can't wait to read the rest

[fabnfortysomething]

Thank you so much for your review! I have a reconstructef & fused ankle and a reconstructed hip. I have wanted to go on that trip but didn't know if I could manage. I can't wait to read the rest

 

I'd say go for it!

 

contact several private tour operators and detail your limitations.The good ones will work with you to explain the local geography and what is or isnt possible

 

hopefully my descriptions will help you but if anyone wants more specific answers to questions contact me at cruisecritic@escomb.org.uk

 

Lyn

[Valter]

Hi there Lyn :)

 

Excellent reviews, lets see how it goes for the rest. I want to read the 24th July dinner.

 

Cheers

 

For the other readers: We missed the meet and greet because we did not write our cabin number, so we did not know about the change. Although Lyn, 6, K, D and others were kind enough to go there twice, yes they appear in Monday too, and we met them, and found great people, amazing talkers and the best you can ask to be along you in a cruise. Thank you guys :)

 

 

Valter and Cristina

[fabnfortysomething]

we set the alarm for 9am to make sure had breakfast and were down for the meet and greet at 10am at the Shogun Asian restaurant.

K and D were teasing me about my organisational obsession and presented me with a childs tiara and said I would henceforth be known as Queen Lyn.Our cabin steward Joseph had a lot of fun with that tiara and his nightly towel animals!

 

Our roll call really picked up towards the end and we had 60 responses so the ship had already changed the venue from Henrys pub to accommodate greater numbers.There are usually a few drop outs anyway but with them bringing the meeting forward 24 hours I was a bit nervous about the turnout.For future reference asking people to post their cabin numbers on the meet and greet list is a good idea as it helps in situations like this.

 

We actually had 24 people turn up and about a dozen crew who took time to introduce themselves and hand out contact detail cards in case of any issues on board.They then left and it was up to us to mingle.It's always a bit awkward first meeting strangers so we set the ball rolling by introducing ourselves and then invited everyone to do the same. Several of us had arranged tour shares so this was the chance to meet in person and finalise arrangements,others wanted to meet others in similar situations eg single mothers and other kids to hang out with.

 

NCL definitely seemed out to make this meet and greet awkward as they had the catch up muster drill at 10-30-several people had to leave because the original one was 4pm the previous day when a lot of people took the opportunity to go back into Venice.

 

However they returned afterwards as the party was still going-we were supposed to have the room from 10-11 but by 12 we were still there.We thought we'd better clear out to allow them to prepare for lunch[although the entire time we were on the ship it never seemed busy in there]

We decided that we would come back at 10am the next day to see if any more turned up who we hadn't been able to contact.

 

We headed to the lobby to sign up for the wine package.It does work out cheaper than buying by the glass and you can then carry the opened bottle anywhere on the ship with you including to your cabin for sailaway/late night nightcap on the balcony.

 

There was the option of 4 6 or 8 bottles in 3 price ranges.I got the cheapest 8 bottle package for $179 + 15% gratuity.

 

Most of our tour mates were at the meet and greet but there was one couple outstanding whose room number we didnt know.Fortunately in our email correspondence we knew their surname so went to guest services.They understandably wouldnt give us their number but put us through on the phone and fortunately they were in their cabin.I explained the mix up and we arranged to meet them later that afternoon in the lobby.

 

We went back to the cabin to find a plate of sweets awaiting and a compliments card from Brian the hotel director.Then the penny dropped about our priority boarding the day before-I'd got the discretionary VIP treatment for organising the meet and greet-yey!!

 

The afternoon was overcast, warm but windy.However the ships air conditioning was on overlad in the lobby so after meeting up with the missing tour mates J and M from Canada we went outside to thaw through!

 

There is an outside seating area outside Henrys bar so a few beers were in order

 

We tried out the other free restaurant Garden room that night but found the service very slow and only just caught the show.This was a rock show and 45 minutes of song and dance which was entertaining

 

Then it was back to Henrys pub to catch Angel-singing guitarist but disappeared pretty quickly when the kareoke started at 10.

We retired to the lobby area where we were joined by J and M from that afternoon.This soon became the theme of the holiday-people from the meet and greet bumped into each other all the time .

 

11pm it was time to retire and was greeted by a towel elephant on the bed wearing my tiara.

 

we noticed that voices were carrying through the connecting door again but they did settle down soon afterwards.

 

end of day 2

[fabnfortysomething]

A few of us went along to the Asian restaurant at 10 to catch any people who hadn't got the message about the change of date for the meet and greet.Another 8 people turned up including a lovely Portuguese couple who we ended up spending quite a bit of time with.We explained the mix up and handed out the contact cards they staff had provided.

 

It was a sunny day so went exploring and found the last available lounging chair[probably available because when I sat down in it the webbing was starting to fray away from the frame-it held my weight-note to self don't eat too much on this cruise!]

 

I noticed lounge chairs piled up on the forward sun deck and also aft which were screened off.Asking a crew member he said they were awaiting repair-exactly where and when was this going to take place when the ship is on a year round location in Europe?

 

There were the usual rows of chairs reserved by towels and in one case by a banana!!

 

I spent about an hour reading-it was windy and I remember thinking a lot of people baking up there for hours were going to get caught out-sure enough dinner that night there was lobster on the menu-they were just sitting on the chairs rather than on plates.

 

At 1pm was the lattitudes party for free guests-ie free alcohol.The same officers turned up from the meet and greet and also the captain.We spotted several faces from the meet and greet[and from the catch up this morning] and spent the time chatting to them.Then it was off to the Blue Lagoon for a burger to soak up the 2 glasses of wine.

 

Back in the cabin found my daily treat of canapes from Becky,concierge.We ended up sharing our daily treats with Kand D.K in particular has a good appetite but no body fat.This is because he continued with his daily routine of 6 mile run each day-on board by means of 36 laps of the joggers track[in the heat!!]

 

There were a few more freed up lounge chairs by the afternoon so spent another hour reading in the sun before changing for dinner.

 

We'd arranged to meet Kand D and our new friends Jand M from Canada in Windows.Our server Horace from Jamaica was intrigued to find out how we all knew us other and proceeded to nickname us the United Nations as we were a couple from the UK one from USA and another from Canada.

 

Afterwards we headed to Champagne Charlies where the rest of our tour mates for the next day found us along with the young Portuguese couple so we spent the rest of the evening chatting before heading to bed ready for an early morning start in Athens

 

end of day 3

 

-

[Suzieanna]

Enjoying your report so far, esp. the comment about the lobsters!

[monygrl]

I am loving reading your review. I am going on this cruise next year with my DH who has diabetic neurapathy in his feet and my BIL who had colon cancer. I am very interested in how you got along in the different ports. Some seem so active, but I plan on getting some outside tours where there isnt alot of walking. I just dont want us to miss anything either. This is a tour of a lifetime for us.

[fabnfortysomething]

I am loving reading your review. I am going on this cruise next year with my DH who has diabetic neurapathy in his feet and my BIL who had colon cancer. I am very interested in how you got along in the different ports. Some seem so active, but I plan on getting some outside tours where there isnt alot of walking. I just dont want us to miss anything either. This is a tour of a lifetime for us.

 

keep reading as once we get ashore I organised private tours in most ports to be able to minimise walking for my husband but we still saw a lot and even he surprised himself with what he was able to do

 

Lyn

[fabnfortysomething]

This would be our first tour and a test of what 6 would be able to manage.

 

I'd booked a 12 seater minivan with Paul Kalomiris from Greek taxi and by attracting tour mates from our roll call we had 11 people.

We docked 7am and were due to meet our tour guide at 7-30.

For all our tours we arranged to meet 10 minutes before at the coffee bar on deck 7 so we could disembark together.This turned out to be good for a young Canadian couple who joined us on several tours.Whereas we were to be found frequenting the bars till late at night they were up at the crack of dawn and getting their caffeine fix at this place.

 

A common theme for the trip was that the NCL coaches had priority parking close to the ship and private tours were parked further away.

 

We had to take the [free] shuttle to take us from terminal B where we had docked to terminal A where we met our guide Demetrius,son of greek taxi owner Paul. In conversation with him during the day he told us that he works for his father as a tour guide as due to the recession he cannot get a decently paid graduate job in Greece.

 

Our first stop was the Acropolis with Demetrius giving commentary along the way.We arrived 8-30 by which time there was already a crowd of people there. Demetrius dropped us off and told us where he would pick us up later-he was not allowed to act as guide inside the place but could hire a guide for 100 euros.We declined as everyone wanted to go at their own pace. It cost 12 euros for tickets which covered all the archeological sites in Athens[under 18 are free]

 

There is an elevator for disabled people which goes straight up the sheer cliff face-6 decided to attempt the upward climb via the steps as his initial morning stiffness had worn off.

This was by far the most challenging site on the whole cruise.The steps are very slippery and lots of uneven surfaces-even I slipped a few times and had to watch my footing.Add to that the crowds to jostle you and it's not a disabled friendly place-a whhelchair or childs buggy would be impossible.

 

However he did it and if could have found one would have bought him a t shirt emblazoned "I conquered the Acropolis"

One of the most useful purchases for this cruise was his walking stick that converted to a seat-it allowed him to take frequent breaks as necessary .

 

We spent 1 and a half hours there and on making our way down the lines for the ticket office were very long and slow moving and temperatures were hitting 40 degrees centigrade[over 100 fahrenheit] so we definitely went at the right time.

 

We met up with Demetrius who drove us to the Temple of Zeus for a photo stop[entrance fee included as part of tickets bought at Acropolis] the on to the Olympic stadium built for the revived Olympic games in 1896.This was also a toilet/restroom/bathroom stop.50 cents required to get through turnstile-either a 50 cent coin or made up of 10 and 20 cent coins-will need to exchange a euro coin so collect some small coins.

 

It cost 3 euros to enter the stadium itself which had an audio commentary.We did consider having a colllection so K could do his 6 mile run around the stadium with us cheering him on but thought that may get us kicked out!

Next stop was changing of guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.This does look comical but I gained respect for these guys when learned in training they have to stand still for 6 hours to be able to withstand the 1 hour standing motionless in the sun and that the weight of the wooden shoes is quite substantial.

 

Next stop was to the top of the Lycabettous hill for some spectacular views over Athens and then to a parking area from which it was possible to climb lots of steps to the Church of St George.About half the party went for it-I wimped out!

 

So far the morning had been very busy and with the exception of the Acropolis site easy walking with transport between sites.The plan for the afternoon was free time around the Plaka area for shopping lunch and exploring the rest of the ancient ruins.

6 and I decided that as we had seen most of the sights on our wish list we would get Demetrius to drop us back at the ship early and he would colect the rest of the party 2 hours later.

 

Traffic in the city centre was very heavy so Demetrius took us on the back street route so we got an extra city tour!

cost of the tour was 450 eurosfor a 12 seater minvan which was able to navigate the narrow back streets of Athens and drop us right off beside where we needed to be.Between the 11 of us the cost worked out at 37 euros each and 12 euros for admission.Demetrius was a great guide and would highly recommend greek taxi as a company.

 

Back on the ship we headed for luch and then I spent the afternoon sunbathing on a practically deserted ship!

When I got back to the cabin found 6 elevating his feet to reduce ankle swelling.I had also acquired "cruise ankles" for the first time so the pair of us were lying on the bed the wrong way round with our feet up on the headboard-would have given Joseph our cabin steward pause if he'd walked in!

 

Remember that we had been given contact cards at the meet and greet,well we were still hearing noises through the connecting door so rang Brian the hotel director and explained the problem.Within 30 minutes there was a knock on the door with a crew member with a roll of duct tape.He used this to seal the air gap around the door and it did seem to do the trick! Whatever I was very impressed with speed of response.The Spirit is the oldest ship in the fleet[14 years] and sound insulation probably not as good but I will be sure to check for connecting doors when checking out future cabins for desirable location etc.

 

Dinner that night our United Nations group got another country added as our new Portuguese friends V and C invited us to join them to help celebrate C 30th birthday.

 

We specifically asked for Horace as our waiter who was delighted to have a Mr and Mrs Portugal to add to Mr and Mrs UK Mr and Mrs USA and Mr and Mrs Canada

 

V had gone all out for this birthday celebration-the cruise itself was a present but he had also arranged for their cabin to be decorated with baloons and streamers.The waiters also brought out a birthday cake with dessert and sang happy birthday.Watch out V you've set the bar for future birthdays now!

 

end of day 4

[DesrtDrmr]

Loving your review. Also have mobility problems, but have wanted to do this cruise, just didn't know if we could............we'll keep reading...... Thanks!

[monygrl]

Thanks again. Am looking up walking stools and backpack stools as I'm writing this. Great idea.

[fabnfortysomething]

We had a very short port time 7am -1pm which is ridiculous as the main attraction is Ephesus which is an hour away.We deliberated what to do and considered a ships tour level 1 which cost about $70 and didn't include entrance to Ephesus but a look from the entrance gates.all ships tours also stated they included a trip to a rug or leather factory which we didnt want.

 

We booked Izmir and Istanbul trip the next day through Kagan Kosagan of KSG tours reasoning if they caused us to miss the ship we were with their company the next day so travel would be on them! I spent a lot of time emailing Kagan specifically about 6 mobility problems and how we wanted to see as much as possible for both days but no extended meals or wasted time shopping[remember this for Istanbul trip]

 

On disembarking it was a long walk from the ship to pier gates and it was already hot at 7am.No shuttle was provided. 6 had to stop several times to rest as morning is the worst time for joint stiffness.

We passed through the terminal building and met our guide Taner with a driver and minivan for our group of 8.This consisted of most of the United nations group Mr and Mrs UK Mr and Mrs USA Mr and Mrs Canada and our young Canadian coffee loving friends.

 

What can I say about Taner as a guide-he was entertaining and passionate about architecture as that was his degree subject .On a shallow and sexist note he was also very easy to look at! He talked later in the day about Turkish rug making and apologised that there wasn't time to take us but that it was worthwhile if we had the time in Istanbul.

 

Anyway back to Izmir.The drive from Izmir port took about an hour mainly along motorway.First stop was House of Virgin Mary.We passed by the gates of Ephesus and up a narrow winding road to the top of a hill.At 8-30 there was only 1 tour bus in the car park.Taner paid admission charges in lire and added to the cost of the tour at end of day in euros which we paid in cash.

The place is very peaceful and beautiful and set amongst shady trees.We spent 30 minutes there and were encouraged to use the free toilets.Now this is where the men got the best deal.Inside the mens toilets is a large opening in the wall which gives a beautiful view of the tree covered hillside below.Be assured I know this cos 6 took a photograph!

 

Returning to the minivan the car park was now full of tour buses so definitely best to come here first thing.Down the hill to the upper gate of Ephesus which was surrounded by gift shops and the viewing plarform mentioned in the ships guide consisted of peering in through the fence at the least interesting part of Ephesus.

 

We were a bit concerned as to how 6 would manage but his initial stiffness had worn off so he decided to give it a go.

 

To be honest compared to the Acropolis Ephesus was a breeze!

Taner broke the site down into bite sized pieces.He would find a shady area,explain what was around that part then point out the next shaded area along the route at which to meet up after we'd spread out to take photos

 

There are uneven surfaces and some slippery stones but with several rests 6 managed.The most hazardous area was going down the main street to the library which was packed.Someone not watching where he was going bumped into 6 and caused him to stumble.He did complain of pain in his leg afterwards but fortunately was OK by the next day

 

At the lower gate is the amphitheatre which is pretty impressive and would have been the other sight to be seen from outside the gates but that would have not given anywhere near the scope of the place

 

Taner then gave us the choice of visiting the gift shops at the exit or a quick visit to the Temple of Artemis-we voted for the temple!

 

firstly we had to negotiate past the hawkers with their souvenir guides and "genuine fake watches"-I do regret not getting a photo of one of those signs!

 

The temple was a short drive away and was free admission which was just as well as there is not a lot there-just a photo op.

The site is full of gypsies trying to sell souvenirs etc-Taner said the trick is to ignore them and not respond no matter what language they try to speak to you in

 

All aboard ship time was 12-30 and we arrived back 12-25.Normally I like to be back long before that but many of the ships tours were not yet back and we didn't actually set sail until 1-15.As I mentioned 6 hours in port is far too short for this stop.

 

Admission fees for House of Virgin Mary and Ephesus were 18 euros per person and the cost of the minivan split between 8 of us was 56 euros.Bear in mind the ships tour to Ephesus without admission was $70 which is about 56 euro so I think we got a good deal

 

Back on board it was time for lunch,sailaway and then while away the afternoon sunbathing on the balcony as up on deck was packed.

As the sun left the balcony area I took a nap listening to the sound of the waves and occasionally opening my eyes to gaze out at the land we were passing and the oil or freight tankers-this is the life.

6 meantime had his feet up on the bed and resting his leg which was giving him some bother after being jostled that morning.

 

That evening the United Nations met up again with Horace as our requested waiter.Afterwards it was off to Champagne Charlies and wait for someone we knew to pass by.Without fail our Scottish friends who had been on our Athens trip and we chatted and compared notes before it was time for bed before another early start.

 

end of day 5

[SteveH2508]

Loving your review. We did these ports last summer on the Jade. My DW has mobility issues and we can empathize with your review. It is a real shame you had so little time at Ephesus - it was the highlight of our excursions.