Live from the 05/25 Liberty of the Seas Western Mediterannean

[kyan]

No the ship shuttles were free from the ship to the port entrance and back from the port entrance to the ship. After that is where/when you need to make your own arrangements. Marseilles-free, Villefranche-tender, Florence-free, Rome-free and Naples you can walk right off.

 

Thanks for the information. I'm boarding in Barcelona on June 15. Can you answer these questions?

 

1. In Marseilles, does the ship have a shuttle from the port to the Vieux Port area? If so, how much does that cost?

 

2. In Villefranche, how long is the walk from the port to the train station? Did you get off the train at the Monaco-Monte Carlo station? If so, did you take a bus or taxi from that station to the Prince's Palace? Is there a taxi stand or a bus stop nearby that station?

 

3. Were you allowed to take pictures inside the Prince's Palace?

 

4. In La Spezia, how far is the train station from the port? Are there a lot of taxis nearby the port?

 

Thanks.

[S.FLORIDAFAMILY]

In Naples we were looking to go to Pompeii and the Amalie coast with a stop in Sorrento. Can this be done with trains or last minute transportation procured when we disembark for less than the similar tour would cost if done thru the ship?

Also,where did you need cash and where could you use a credit card. Can you use a credit card when paying for a taxi or to procure last minute transportation from people waiting outside the ship looking for passengers.

Did you make any phone calls from the ports using your cellphone. We have Att cellular. Do you just dial 001 and the number. Is there any difficulty?

Can you take a train from the Rome port to and from Naples ? The cab seems costly. Is there a better way. We are staying in Rome before and after the cruise.

Same question from Rome to the airport. What transportation options are there?

Thank you so much. We appreciate any advice.

[Smiley4]

The only ships excursion I did was the hike in Pompeii. The guide was good and you took breaks along the way but it's steep and it's tough. It's dirty and muddy and your shoes will be ruined. Had I known, I would have brought old, old tennis shoes to throwaway as soon as I was done. I wore relatively new ones. Overpriced as is any RCCL excursion but a once in a lifetime event for me and I wasn't sure how to plan that sort of hike on my own.

 

I am a diamond member living in Florida. I have cruised a ton of times. This is the first European cruise I've done. It was a lot dressier than any other cruise I've been on. I think Europeans put a higher premium on that than we do. I wore a suit both formal nights. I saw 1 inappropriately dressed person combined throughout both formal nights. That shocked me more than anything. I only ate the windjammer food embarkation day and it was fine. However, I'm not picky at all so I might not be the right person to ask on that.

 

The bus in Marseilles let's you out right outside the port, which is also the bus stop and taxi area. From there you can take the bus into town for 2 euros or a cab. You can also walk out of the Marseilles port area, following the green painted line but it's about 2 miles. I shuttled out and walked back in the amazing weather. No rain all week and about 70 degrees. As for the food, I eat anything that doesn't eat me. I ate at chops one night for my friends birthday and enjoyed it but don't think it was worth the extra cover charge or the raised drink prices. I'd eat all 7 days in the dining room next time.

 

The ship does not have a free shuttle but you can get a transfer to vieux port area for a fee but not sure how much it was. In Villefranche, it's about a half mile walk from the tender drop off area to the rain station. Not a bad walk at all. After the train to Monaco I took the city bus for 1.80 euros into town. Cheap, easy and clean. Yes, the taxi stand and bus stop are right near the train station exit which happens to be 14 floors below street level. Really neat actually. No, no photos at all in the palace but plenty outside of it. Security was tight. I took a cab from just outside the port in La Spezia to the train station. It was about 10 Euros. Yes, lots of taxis around in every port. Very pushy and trying to sell you any and every kind of tour they can. Get your prices confirmed up front. If you don't know the language, write the question down before hand or use a google language translation application.

 

Everything's done much cheaper with trains and yes you can do Pompeii, Amalie coast and sorrento. I didn't use a credit card at all but my friends did. No problems anywhere. Make sure to call your bank ahead of time and let them know to lift the international block or it won't work. In the big cities, Barcelona and Rome you can use cc to pay taxis but not the small ones. I'd plan to use cash for that. I have att as well and got an international calling plan for the week here. It was no problem to use to make calls and yes you use 011. It was .99 cents a minute to make a call, .50 cents to send a text and .05 cents to receive one. Great reception everywhere. You can take trains from anywhere in Europe to anywhere else. Rome to Naples, Naples to Rome, Rome to the airport etc. it's a great system and inexpensive but beware of train strikes. That means some trains run and some don't. Check online ahead of time for the dates. They're planned months in advance.

 

Just got off the ship and am staying an extra day in Barcelona. I'm staying at the Renaissance Barcelona and it's a great hotel. The entire staff speaks English, the concierge knows everything you want to know and it's a great location. I toured the city via the hop on hop off bus and saw everything in 2 days. I'd highly recommend it if you're coming out before the cruise or staying after.

 

Other things I noticed from my cruise, the end of cruise comment cards are now done via email. You have a week to complete after receiving. No paper ones left in the room anymore. Not many gamblers in the casino. More of a port driven cruise. The smokers all tend to congregate in the casino because that's one of two places they can smoke. I took the train into Rome and hired my own, private guide. Her name was Sabrina Spinazze and her email address is S.spinazze@gmail.com. She was excellent, a art historian, spoke English very well. I was able to see the Vatican, Vatican Museum, Chapel, Colisseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and other sites in 5 hours. Feel free to reach out to her. She met me right at the St Pietro station and held up a sign with my name. Much cheaper than the cruise excursion and I beat the rush.

 

Flying back across the pond tomorrow. Keep the questions coming if you have them while the info is fresh in my mind.

[rockyrigatony]

Just read several replies and gleaned all kinds of great info for our cruise in October. Some of my questions were answered even before I posted them! Thanks to all of you.

Speaking of October, I'm reading I should expect temps in the 70's for this area. Does that seem reasonable? Coming from upstate NY, I'm calling that glorious. How about evenings?

We're also staying in Barcelona then Madrid for a couple days each and want to pack as light as possible. Gonna be tough for a 12 day trip. Is there laundry service on board?

[Cruiser Nonna]

Thank you so much for taking your time with all the wonderful information.

 

In regards to the shows on the ship - did you make reservations ahead of time?

Do you remember how early your cabin was available on embarkation day?

 

What time were you off the ship in Barcelona? Any problems getting a taxi?

 

Thanks again - Safe journey home -

[S.FLORIDAFAMILY]

Thanks for all the info. We live in Florida also and are diamond members. Where in Florida do you live? Did you pay in US dollar cash or did you mainly need euros? Was the weather very warm? Just trying to figure out packing. It's my husband and I and 2 daughters. How did you get into a Rome from the ship and how much was it? We're the seas calm or rough? Is it easy getting off early at all the ports? Were you worried with theft at the stops with carrying cash around? We leave from Rome and we are getting there 3 days earlier to tour around. Let me know any other advice and info that you remember. Thanks so much!!!

[Badger-Badger]

Thank you so much for replying :)

 

Hmmmm .... I am going to have to be creative in my packing. We are only bringing 1 carry-on suitcase each for the whole trip. I am going to have to be creative to make sure I don't have to wear the same black dress in the MDR every night!

[boontj2003]

In Naples we were looking to go to Pompeii and the Amalie coast with a stop in Sorrento. Can this be done with trains or last minute transportation procured when we disembark for less than the similar tour would cost if done thru the ship?

Also,where did you need cash and where could you use a credit card. Can you use a credit card when paying for a taxi or to procure last minute transportation from people waiting outside the ship looking for passengers.

Did you make any phone calls from the ports using your cellphone. We have Att cellular. Do you just dial 001 and the number. Is there any difficulty?

Can you take a train from the Rome port to and from Naples ? The cab seems costly. Is there a better way. We are staying in Rome before and after the cruise.

Same question from Rome to the airport. What transportation options are there?

Thank you so much. We appreciate any advice.

 

We got off the boat and there were a ton of taxis outside. We negotiated a price for 8 of us in a van and our driver took us to Sorrento for shopping then off to Pompeii. That was the best !! Highly recommend just walking off the ship and using the taxis. Also, be mindful when eating anywhere near there. Be sure to order off a menu with prices on it. They pushed food on us and it cost us $300 american for lunch.

 

Make sure you make it a point to visit Sorento for a few hours. The most beautiful city we toured. Loved it. Fabulous time!

[Biscuit1970]

Did you have any of the drink packages - being so port intensive do you think they would be worthwhile? Can you remember how much a beer is - I imagine ill average 5 to 6 beers a day so thinking the package will still save me a few dollars... Also is it true that if you buy the package on the ship it is subject to Spanish VAT but if you buy online in advance the VAT is not applicable?

Thank you for all the great info .

[tidygirl]

Thanks for all the info so far! I do have more questions. You said you met a Sabrina Spinnaze to help you tour around Rome how much did she charge and was it per person or for whoever would be in your group and did this include your admission or was it additional? if you prefer not to mention the cost that's ok I can always send her an email.

If you did Pompeii and Mt Vesuvious again would you attempt to go by trains or do you feel it was worth the cost through the ship?

[CRUISEFAN0001]

The information in this thread is great.

 

I've also been doing a great deal of homework on excursions, including 2 different couples that did variations on this same itinerary last year and the year before.

 

The one work of caution both of them shared - separately - was to avoid private tours. They only took RCI-sanctioned tours...as they had been told firsthand by people who were duped by local "tour-guides" who were scam artists and also the risk of being led into bad areas of some of these cities. They also indicated that at least one of the trains into Rome has a record of more than 50 muggings a year onboard.

 

Bottom line...they both said most of the time things will be fine no matter where you go and with whom...but there are plenty of stories of people being led into problem areas and even extorted for money to lead them back into good areas.

 

Unless someone can verify with solid references that an independent guide person or company is legit...buyer beware. That's the advice we are passing on after reading plenty of horror stories online and getting the 2 couples to share their own experiences.

[tidygirl]

Did you go right from the airport to the port or did you stay a night beforehand? Did you take taxi or train?

In Rome did you actually go into the Vatican and the Colisseum or just look from the outside?

Also did you happen to use Choice Air or did you book your own flights?

 

@cruisefann0001- Is there a particular train that has problems? The people being mugged are they travelling as solo, as a couple or a group?

We are a family of 6 all adults that will be travelling together and the ships excursions are EXPENSIVE and don't even give me the options of going where I WANT to go and yes if my life was at risk would pay the money, but there are certain things that I want to see in Rome as it will probably be our 1 trip with the whole family!

[CRUISEFAN0001]

@cruisefann0001- Is there a particular train that has problems? The people being mugged are they travelling as solo, as a couple or a group?

We are a family of 6 all adults that will be travelling together and the ships excursions are EXPENSIVE and don't even give me the options of going where I WANT to go and yes if my life was at risk would pay the money, but there are certain things that I want to see in Rome as it will probably be our 1 trip with the whole family!

The referenced incident happened on the train to Rome..it was a couple. This is not to alarm anyone...rather...to point out that when in another country...the risks can vary. Group excursions bring both local knowledge and lower risk to the table.

[Smiley4]

Aaahhh finally back in the USA after a 9 hour fight yesterday from Barcelona to Charlotte and then a connection to Orlando, where I live. Back to answering questions.

 

I had no problems whatsoever on any of the trains and took them all over the place in 4 of the ports. Sometimes multiple times to multiple stops in 1 day. VERY cheap and MUCH more effective than a cruise excursion. The ship charges WAY too much and you can get more time and attention on your own. For example, the ship charged 89.50 each for a train into Rome and back while my cost was 9 each through rail europe. it was from the same train station on the same track. Do the math. That money adds up in each and every port. I heard of no problems whatsoever from any other guests, other than lost luggage, on the flight to the cruise.

 

I went into the Vatican and the Colisseum. I pre booked my tours ahead of time. I went with my guide. She was 50 per hour regardless of the group size. Highly recommended. The temps were in the upper 60's and low 70's all week and the upper 50's at night. Yes, RCCl can do laundry and dry cleaning onboard.

The only show I could pre book was the ice skating show. The walk offs could leave the ship in Barcelona at 6 15 am. I left at 7 30, after breakfast, and stayed another night in Barcelona. No problems getting a taxi, they were everywhere. Toured the city on the hop on hop off bus. Green, red and blue routes. 22 euros a piece for the day.

 

I wasn't worried about my security. I used common sense. I kept my money on my person, left other valuables in the ship safe, sat on the trains near the conductor and his assistant, didn't consume alcohol while in port and kept aware of my surroundings. Everything in Europe is via Euros. No US dollars used in ports but were what you used on the ship. I exchanged money ahead of time at Wells Fargo in Orlando and got about 135 Euros for 200 dollars US. Using the ATMs in Europe you got about 10 pct more than that. I'd recommend to get what you need to get started over here and get the rest over there. The seas were calm in my opinion, sunny everyday and went through 1 rainstorm one night. The weather was perfect I thought. No Spanish VAT if you buy ahead of time. I feel that 21 pct tax, 10 pct on food and beverage is highway robbery so plan ahead and keep that in mind when you buy things onboard. I booked my travel over and back on my own. I did not use choice air. I was off the ship so much on this cruise that I don't feel the drink packages are worth it, unless you drink a lot in a little bit of time at night.

 

Anything else you wanna know, just ask. I'm happy to answer and wish I had the answers to these same questions ahead of time. I was flying blind from the beginning as nobody had posted anything from May 1st through my embarkation date of May 25th in reference to specifics about this cruise.

[amandac]

Do you have the cruise compass?

[Smiley4]

Only in my mind and I have a great memory :)

[Cruiser Nonna]

You are fantastic!!! Sharing information is the greatest gift. Thank you for answering my questions -

 

Do you remember if they offered unlimited internet package and the price?

 

Anything you wish you had done differently either on the ship or land had you known in advance what you know now?

 

Do you remember what time the cabins were open on embarkation?

 

Thanks again -

[Smiley4]

The unlimited internet package was 189.95 reduced to 160 for being a diamond member. I arrived at 10 15 am on embarkation day, was allowed to board at 11 and rooms were open at 1. It's an even easier embarkation day than normal because this os a split cruise. Some boarding in Barcelona and others boarding 3 days later in Rome. Debarkation was simple as well as you don't have to do customs stuff like you would in the USA before you get to the airport. The next day, when I went to the airport, it was a bit more difficult and slow as we were seated at the gate, then told to clear the gate area while customs set up shop, get back in line, go through customs and a carry on bag check then head back to the gate to board.

 

There's nothing really that I would have done differently. I planned things out pretty well ahead of time, saved a ton of money booking ahead of time via raileurope, beat the crowds to all the ports and returned with plenty of time from the ports not to stress. There's so much to see and do in several of the ports that you can't do it all. You almost have to do this itinerary more than once just to complete everything but if it's a once in a lifetime thing then just do what you can.

[marti0127]

Dining times are 6 30 and 9 pm for deck 3, Rembrandt dining room and 7 and 9 30 pm for deck 4 Michelangelo Dining Room, deck 5 is my time dining.

 

A surprise to me was the 21% VAT tax applied to everything purchased onboard other than food and beverage. Food and beverage has a 10% tax applied. It's a European cruise thing.

 

Booking process quite simple in Barcelona. At the port and on the ship within 10 minutes. Because this is a 2 port embark/disembark cruise it cuts down the wait times and lines dramatically.

 

Very port intensive cruise. Very easy to undercut the cruise line excursion prices by booking your own train tickets and doing the exact same excursions on your own. You also beat the crowds to the sites as the trains are much faster than the buses. Rail Europe does everything in English and can help with any train tickets you wish to purchase prior to flying to Europe. Used the trains in all of the ports. Very easy, cheap and time efficient.

 

Not many gamblers on this cruise. The casino is empty most nights. The weather has been amazing. Saturday Night Fever was excellent. The Zooks, a 1960's Beatles type band as the headliner was excellent as well. The ice skating show was great too.

 

Anything else you want to know, just ask.

 

Hello:

Thank you for the good information you provided. Based on what I read, your recommendation will be to do the excursion on your own? The train ride were very efficient and you didn't encounter any problem, right? How many people were in your party? In my case, is just my husband and me and I'm a little apprehensive on being by ourselves. Any suggestions, thank you in advance

[Smiley4]

It was just me and a friend of mine. We did everything ourselves other than the guide we hired in Rome and the ships hiking excursion in Naples. No problems at all and never felt unsafe or at risk. Some vendors aka gypsies were a little aggressive in Rome but no different than what I've experienced when cruising to Jamaica. It was such an awesome experience that I'm contemplating doing the Allure at the same time next year that adds Mallorca and drops Nice because it can't tender.

Rail Europe, Rail Europe, Rail Europe lol. Avoid the VAT tax as much as you can, use the atms over there to exchange money to get a higher return rate, fly in a day early or stay a day later to better explore Barcelona, Get a room with a balcony to see more, pick the late dining so you don't have to rush back from port to get ready for dinner, take room service snacks and water with you in a backpack when you go into port so you save on buying food in port, make sure you eat at De Michaele in Naples, the birthplace of pizza. Those would be my main suggestions.

[Cruiser Nonna]

Thank you again - If I missed this information, please forgive - but what did you do in LaSpezia?

 

I would like to go to Florence - and have done so out of Livorno but not LaSpezia?

 

Thanks again -

[Smiley4]

In La Spezia, I took the train from near the port to the Pisa Centrale stop, walked the 15 minutes to the Leaning Tower, climbed it (188 steps) and visited a couple of the other museums on site. I beat the crowds and was out of there by 11. I then took the train from the Pisa Centrale stop to Florence and toured there. I was back to the ship by 4 pm. I booked all aspects of this port myself and didn't use the ships excursions at all. 18 Euros to climb the tower. 9 euros to take the train each way.

[marti0127]

Thank you so much for your information Smiley9713. Actually we are getting in Barcelona on Friday and embarking on Sunday to be able to explore a little the city. Actually I booked an excursion with RCL for Nice and Florence, but after what I read from your advice I will do Rome and Marseilles on our own. I already got Pompeii with another cruise critic group. I'm looking forward to have this wonderful experience.

Once again thanks a lot. :-)

[Smiley4]

Marti0127,

 

If you're going to be in Barcelona 2 days prior to the cruise, I'd consider buying the 2 day hop on hop off bus passes in Barcelona. They have 3 routes, green, red and blue. The passes are good on all 3 routes and you can get on and off as many times as you wish. The buses run from 9 am to 8 pm each day. Lots to see on the various routes and fun to hop off, sight see, take a few photos, then hop right back on and continue. The informative bus guides speak in about 10 different languages and you can sit on the top level, open air, or down below if you prefer less sun. Great way to see anything and everything in just a day or 2. You can buy tickets at any of the various bus stops with cash or a credit card.

 

Enjoy your trip.

[tidygirl]

@marty0127- Not sure what your interest are in Rome we are wanting to hit the Vatican, Coliseum, Pantheon and Trevi Fountain and at this point we are planning on trying it on our own. We hope to leave as early as we can get off the ship to catch a train. i'm definitinely a little apprehensive about it but the savings I think will be worth it and I really didn't find any ship excursions that offered to see all these. We are a family of 6 with us being 48- kids are 27,25,23 (SIL) and 22 I doubt we will stay a long time at any site as we only have so many hours and my family wants to get in seeing as much as possible. We will get a tour in the Vatican not sure how long that last? But if you are interested in riding with us on the train (if you are an early bird)let me know I always like the kids along as I feel safety in #. Also debating checking about the tour guide smiley9713 recommended for $50 an hour not sure how many hours we'd need and if you would be interested in splitting the cost? I wonder if it would help us get more accomplished than doing on my own?