ShotoJuku’s LEGENDary Mediterranean Adventure

[dolphin2012]

Thanks for a great review.. we are booked for this summer on the sunshine . i appreciate all your comments and wonderful pics.. i was very worried about our cruise but yur review made us feel so much better....you added alot of "sunshine" to what others were posting....:)

[deladane]

Thanks for taking the time to write such a great review! It's getting me even more excited for when I do the same itinerary on the Sunshine in September. I'm not sure if you mentioned it already, but how many formal nights did you have and which days did they schedule it? And do you remember what time they had you do the muster drill? Thanks again!

[Captain Carnival]

Welcome (finally) to Napoli, Italy!! (Part One)

 

OK I would presume by now many of you are quite aware of our port day routine - up with the sun, breakfast in the Unicorn Cafe, meet the M&M's and then off the ship by 0745 to meet our tour guide and that's precisely what we did today as well except this time we were in "Old Napoli Where Love Is King" and my Bride and I would soon discover why it's the heart of Amore. Napoli holds a particular and significant degree of importance to my Bride as this is the region where her maternal Grandfather was born and emigrated to the USA from who in turn met "his Bride" (maternal Grandmother) who was from Bari. In any event, our visit to Napoli was greatly anticipated and yet disappointing as we really never spent and real time in Napoli itself but in neighboring towns and in exploring the Amalfi Coast itself.

 

 

 

 

Today was our second tour with Rome In (a) Limo and today’s driver was Giovanni who like Luca from Messina was a seasoned professional that was incredibly well versed in the history and culture of the area and give us one hell of a tour. Not only a well-versed guide, Giovanni was also a well versed driver who knew the twisting and wind roadways like the back of his hand and I was a good thing as one minor error in any direction would have transformed our limo tour of the incredible Amalfi Coast into a virtual parachute tour off a cliff resulting in a submarine tour of the Amalfi surf.

 

 

 

 

Aside from the perilous drop, Giovanni also had to contend with the multitudes of Vespa scooters that cover and traverse the roads like angry mosquitos all competing for the same square footage of pavement. This is where I was able to practice my spoken Italiano a great deal in yelling out PAZZO-IDIOTA (Crazy-Idiot) at these suicidal-scooter-sidewinders with great fluency and frequency too; Giovanni agreed!

 

 

 

 

During our "white-knuckle" drive along the Amalfi coast we had a few opportunities to take a few photos before we made our first pit-stop in the cliffside town of Postiano. We got out and wound our way down through alleyways of shops and eateries that line the way for around a quarter of a mile or so until you reach the beach.

 

 

While visiting the Napoli area I kept hearing many fellow M&M's wishing to get some "Limoncello" that heard as "lemon jello" and thought why not - there's always room for jello! Little did I realize that limoncello isn't jello (duh) but a liqueur that is best served chilled and usually in "shot glasses" and of course tastes like lemon. In fact limoncello is a drink not only popular in the area but made exclusively in the Napoli region with softball sized lemons. Limoncello may not be jello but it does make a very nice cool and refreshing dessert - Gin Dan!!!

 

 

 

After our literal hike down and back up the Postiano were headed off to the other side of the Amalfi coast region to visit the town of Sorrento where we once again toured a bit, bought some limoncello and had lunch at a very nice ristorante the Il Leone Rosso (The Red Lion) an out of the way place off the beaten "tourist" path that is frequented mainly by locals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just as Sicily is known as the birthplace of the Cannoli, Napoli is the birthplace of pizza so we had to sample some. We split an order of Formaggio Ravioli and a Pizza (provolone y funghi) along with a 1/2 liter of Vino Rossi and were not disappointed!

 

 

Ciao For Now!!

[Captain Carnival]

Welcome (back) to Napoli, Italy!! (Part Two)

I broke this down into two sections just so I could post 6 pictures in each.

 

We spent around an hour eating and relaxing until it was time to race our way around the coastline cliffs once again as we made our way to the area of Mount Vesuvius, another active volcano and of course the source of destruction of the ancient town of Pompeii and Herculaneum that were both destroyed when Vesuvius erupted on August 25th 79 AD.

 

 

The total annihilation and destruction of these two established towns took just around 24-hours in which the town and its inhabitants were buried, burned, and smothered in volcanic lava and ash.

 

 

 

Once again we found ourselves struggling to see as much as we could with the limited amount of time that we had which was just around 2-hours however in order to capture the depth and breadth of the experience one would need no less than several hours if not several days. Much of what we saw of the ruins had been excavated and much more still lay unearthed in the surrounding area that now contained modern buildings, roadways, and a railroad.

 

 

Like all of the ruins we had seen thus far such as the Parthenon site and of course Ephesus, Pompeii was a stark reminder of just where we come from and how we do things today including how street side shops lined the stone covered streets complete with curbs and gutters. We truly are all connected and are all on the same course with destiny however I dare say that the people of Pompeii met their fate in a most dreadful and horrendous way – burned and buried alive. L

 

 

 

 

 

 

After rejoining the rest of our M&M group we had one final opportunity to grab a few souvenirs and it was now my Bride’s turn to speak a little Italian. Actually she did more than speak the language, she acted it out complete with a variety of gesticulating hand motions, vivid facial expressions, and an accent that would make Sophia Loren proud. Actually she reminded me more of the character of “Stefania” from Everybody Loves Raymond and her incredible skills in channeling her Italian ancestry truly paid off.

 

My Bride collects those small souvenir type spoons that are emblazoned with pictures and such from the area that your purchase them from and having family that comes from Napoli directly she was not going to let an opportunity escape her in not only getting a spoon but at a very fair price. When visiting a souvenir stand we saw the perfect spoon and of course she had to have it but was not going to pay the listed price of 7€ so I offered 6€ but was quickly turned away and I walked away just as quickly too. Not my Bride, she went right back in, with an attitude that was flailing just as fast as her hands were moving and waving with her now Italian accented negotiation skills along with a plethora of stern rejections of “NO” to whatever the shop keeper offered until she walked away with the “Napoli Spoon” held high in triumphant victory at a price of only……….2€’s. It was at that very moment I was thankful that she was not a divorce attorney!

 

 

 

The Napoli Spoon of Victory!!

 

We went left the area and returned home to our Carnival Legend and completed our evening with dinner with our tablemates and an after dinner show in the Follies Lounge. We then made our way back to our stateroom in preparation of our next BIG port of call – ROMA!!

 

 

Ciao For Now!!

[Captain Carnival]

Napoli Nightcap!!

 

 

One final note….today was Mother’s Day and my Bride was also treated in receiving some Mother’s Day cards from our three children and our two Grandchildren capping off a perfect day of visiting the “mother land” of my Bride’s family – Napoli.

 

Buonanotte y Sogni d'oro Mi Bella Sposa – Ti Amo!!!

[Captain Carnival]

Never been to this corner of the world...living through your experiences! Thanks for the review!!

 

Thanks, this was one cruise that I just had to review and share and there's more yet to come!!

[tlcs]

I love your review and the the pictures!

[Captain Carnival]

Thanks for taking the time to write such a great review! It's getting me even more excited for when I do the same itinerary on the Sunshine in September. I'm not sure if you mentioned it already, but how many formal nights did you have and which days did they schedule it? And do you remember what time they had you do the muster drill? Thanks again!

 

 

Thanks for the compliments, I wish I could do it again - it is the PERFECT itinerary!!

There are only two elegant nights, both on sea days. We set sail at 2:00PM and the muster drill was at around 1:30 or so just before we cast off.

Have a great "SUNSHINE" cruise!!

[Sailor_Sally]

This review was great . It really made me want to start packing ! Thanks !

[Captain Carnival]

Thanks for a great review.. we are booked for this summer on the sunshine . i appreciate all your comments and wonderful pics.. i was very worried about our cruise but yur review made us feel so much better....you added alot of "sunshine" to what others were posting....:)

Thank you and you should, no, you WILL have an incredible time on the Carnival Sunshine!!

[Coolcruise02]

Great review and pictures!

[Captain Carnival]

Nearly 5000 views now - I just wish I had more feedback like this one! Gratzi John!!!!

 

 

John Heald commented on your link.John Heald wrote: "that was fantastic Susan. What a brilliant couple and what a fantastic review. I am honoured by their kind words and enjoyed the photos of two people having fun. I have sent this to all the senior management here and I know they will be thrilled. Thanks Susan for posting this here and my best wishes to you and to ShotoJuku.......love that name. cheers"

 

8000+ Views!!

[Captain Carnival]

Trigger Rides Again….sort of!!

 

 

As I sit here (in my underwear like John Heald) it dawned on me that the majority of the “CRUISE” review has actually occurred off of the ship and essentially many of the stories have been on or about land excursion activities. Of course this would not have been possible at all without our Carnival Legend and it is Carnival who is responsible after all for exposing me to cruising and also for infecting me with “Fun-ship-itus” in which I believe there is no cure; God I hope not!!

 

Anyway life on the ship is always filled with many activities, shows, and forms of entertainment such as the audience participation shows that are usually hosted by the ships Cruise Director and of course on the incredible cruise we had none other than Carnival’s Senior Cruise Director – John Heald.

 

One of the more popular shows is called the “Marriage Show” that is somewhat similar to the “Newlywed Game” (1966) however today John reformatted the game a bit and brought up 4 newly-wed Brides up onto the Follies Lounge stage. John quizzed all of the Brides about a variety of topics including the most unique proposals in which one Bride (another) Susan described how her now husband – Josh proposed leading John to have Josh recreate the proposal with a certain twist.

 

 

John had Susan lie down on the stage (with her short-shorts) pretending to be a sleeping Snow White while Josh was asked to step out into the aisle and recite a few lines proclaiming his love and that he would speed his way up to her in a gallant rescue effort. Easy enough to do except when John intervenes telling Josh that he can only make it to his Bride if he is carried along the rest of the way upon his trusty steed – Trigger the Horse.

 

 

Of course John would need to select an appropriate Trigger-esque audience member who John described was sitting in the center of the third row and wearing a blue ball cap covered in Carnival Ship Pins; oh where would he find someone wearing one of these?

 

Crap!!! I knew I should have left this back in the cabin!!

 

 

John then walked into the middle of the third row grabbed me by the hand and escorted me out into the aisle to face my rider; well I kind of faced him. John of course had me “assume the position” of a horse and have me make my best horse impression on the microphone for all of the audience do hear and by horse I also mean hoarse!!

 

 

 

Smile Trigger - your best side is NOT showing!!

 

After “mounting” me (straddle please) Josh was instructed to “hit” the horse however Josh (pretended) to beat me around the head rather than the rear; either one was not preferred but when trying to give a horse (me) a giddy-up slap I certainly would not want a concussion.

 

I then galloped several hand and knee strides forward to the steps that were deemed sufficient enough in getting Josh close enough to the steps and I was allowed to go back to my stall (seat) laughing my ass off.

 

 

Thanks John – Now may I Please Have A Job With Carnival!!

 

 

 

 

 

Roma is up next, but as always,

Ciao For Now!!

[Captain Carnival]

And For Those fellow Cat Fans, here are just a few Cat pics….and sightings!!

 

 

 

 

 

Napping in Napoli....Shhhh!!!

 

 

 

 

And some more Turkish Tuxedo's!

 

 

Meow For Now!!

[Captain Carnival]

Great Review!!

 

Thanks, it's become a labor of love....I think..:D

[Captain Carnival]

This review was great . It really made me want to start packing ! Thanks !

 

I know the feeling except that everytime I start writing about what we did on the cruise I just can not believe that I am actually unpacked!!!! :(

[freeholdfriends]

We are going on the Sunshine 12 day in September. your review was fantastic.

[Captain Carnival]

We are going on the Sunshine 12 day in September. your review was fantastic.

 

Thanks, and the review "is" still a work in progress so stay tuned for more; it will probably be yet another week+ before it's done.

 

You shall have a GREAT time on SUNSHINE!!!

[Hogladyrider]

Thanks, and the review "is" still a work in progress so stay tuned for more; it will probably be yet another week+ before it's done.

 

FABULOUS review, loving it!

 

Legend is one of our favorite ships, will be disappointed to see her leave Tampa :(.

 

Nice to find another Carnival "junkie" like us. We just returned from a 4-day getaway on the Ecstasy to our favorite port of call Half Moon Cay.

 

I hope you will not be disappointed with Ecstasy, she definitely needs some serious sprucing up in areas.

 

We sailed her on her 1st outing from Port Canaveral in 2011 and she was in tip top shape and we loved her, this time around we still had a fabulous cruise but she is definitely showing wear from all the party people who have sailed on her since 2011.

 

Looking forward to more of your review and those great photos!

Susan

[Captain Carnival]

FABULOUS review, loving it!

 

Legend is one of our favorite ships, will be disappointed to see her leave Tampa :(.

 

Nice to find another Carnival "junkie" like us. We just returned from a 4-day getaway on the Ecstasy to our favorite port of call Half Moon Cay.

 

I hope you will not be disappointed with Ecstasy, she definitely needs some serious sprucing up in areas.

 

We sailed her on her 1st outing from Port Canaveral in 2011 and she was in tip top shape and we loved her, this time around we still had a fabulous cruise but she is definitely showing wear from all the party people who have sailed on her since 2011.

 

Looking forward to more of your review and those great photos!

Susan

 

Thanks for the review compliments! In my line of work, being a "junkie" usually ends up with you either going to jail or the grave yard, however I would gladly be a Carnival "junkie" if it gets me on several more cruises...all the way to Diamond level! :D

We are looking forward to sailing on Ecstasy in a mere 155 days - Crap!

 

Thanks again for reading - more is on the way....tomorrow.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Loving this review

[Sargent_Schultz]

Bookmarking this - I've been a little busy but we will be on Legend in a few months. Ports will be different, but the ship remains the same (or was that song?).

 

I shall return!

[Captain Carnival]

Loving this review

 

Thanks (again) Jimmy!!!

 

 

Bookmarking this - I've been a little busy but we will be on Legend in a few months. Ports will be different, but the ship remains the same (or was that song?).

 

I shall return!

 

Why not both the ship and the song; now would that be by "Legend Zeppelin".....:rolleyes:

 

And I too shall return (General) in the AM and write some more!

[Captain Carnival]

Nearly 5000 views now - I just wish I had more feedback like this one! Gratzi John!!!!

 

 

John Heald commented on your link.John Heald wrote: "that was fantastic Susan. What a brilliant couple and what a fantastic review. I am honoured by their kind words and enjoyed the photos of two people having fun. I have sent this to all the senior management here and I know they will be thrilled. Thanks Susan for posting this here and my best wishes to you and to ShotoJuku.......love that name. cheers"

 

9000+ Views

 

Roma Is Up Next!

[Captain Carnival]

Welcome to Roma, Italy!!!

 

They say that all roads lead to Roma and in our case that include ships too! Actually Roma, like so many of our previous ports of call has no port at all as Roma is some 50+ miles from the Port of Civitavecchia where we would tie up and approximately 1.25 hours away. Once again our routine included being up with the sun…eat…meet…beat feet…get in your seat…prepare for a treat…etc.

 

 

Like the two previous ports we would be utilizing the tour services of Rome-In-Limo who provided us with another incredible guide – Maurizio. One added bonus that some of you may be curious of is that our guides fluency in English was superb and that there was never any breakdown in communications whatsoever; in fact our guides spoke English somewhat better than some people I know! If you are thinking about tours then Rome-In-Limo can’t be beat!

 

 

Our visit to Roma would also include a stop at the Vatican – the Heart of our Catholic Faith. Actually our visit would be to 2 cities as well as 2 countries as Roma, a city unto itself, is the Capital of Italy and Vatican City is actually its own Nation State; the smallest geographically however the Vatican’s borders truly cover the globe.

 

 

 

 

We entered the city passing underneath an archway of the original city wall making a quick stop at the site of the Circus Maximus, made famous in films such as Ben Hur (1959 – same as me), that is actually a large oval footprint in the ground at the base of the Roman Forum area and Caesar’s “palace” (his residence not the Vegas casino) that overlooked the entire area.

 

 

 

We were also given a semi-history lesson (including a quiz) on both Rome up to the unification of Italy itself under the rule of Victor Emmanuel II Italy’s first King who we would also see (kind of) in just a little while. We also saw the monument on Rome’s fabled founder – Remus (a she wolf) who is featured all throughout the entire Roman Empire. I got extra quiz credit as I knew Remus had a twin brother Romulus proving once again that everything you need to know you can learn from Star Trek (Romulus and Remus are the home worlds of the Romulan Empire). J

 

 

 

 

We then took a quick rolling tour through the city and Maurizo point out several sites including the infamous “Wedding Cake” monument that is actually named the The Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) in honor of Italy’s first King __________________? (Quiz Time – The First Correct Reply Gets a Special Prize)!

 

 

 

 

Across the traffic circle was the balcony where the infamous Benito Mussolini (Il Duce) gave some of his more colorful speeches during WWII. Not much to hear mind you, but it was interesting to see where this guy made such a spectacle (ass) of himself.

 

 

 

 

We then made a stop at the Pantheon (free) and were able walk right inside with no wait whatsoever.

 

 

 

The Pantheon, and its huge Oculus (27 foot diameter) was simply incredible to see and experience from within and I still marvel at its construction having been built in 126 AD.

 

 

 

Ciao For (Part 1 of 3) Now!!

Edited June 3, 2013 by ShotoJuku