Trip of a Lifetime - Med Cruise - Serenade of the Seas 5/23/2014

[Karemark]

We just returned from an absolutely amazing trip aboard Serenade of the Seas and I wanted to share some of our experiences and pictures.

 

Let me first start with some background. In trying to decide how to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, we started looking into cruising. We knew we wanted to see Italy, but I also knew my husband wouldn't like the idea of needing to travel from hotel to hotel with all of the repacking and dragging luggage around. I found this cruise and with all of the wonderful ports, in addition to the fact we would be in Rome on our anniversary, I thought it would be perfect! I invited my sister and her husband to join us. So, we booked this cruise and almost a year of planning began!!

 

We did a lot of research, joined the roll call thread here on CC and met some amazing people!!

 

In addition to information on CC (the people on our CC thread and a couple of reviews from others), we found Trip Advisor to be an invaluable tool.

 

Here are some suggestions that helped with our trip:

 

- Bring an extra bag for purchases you make. We bought a Samsonite Tote-a-ton 33 Inch Duffle Luggage from Amazon. It was only $20 and it folded up nicely in our bag to take with us

 

- Security purse. These are some of the worst places for pick pockets. I wanted one with slit-proof handles and a RFID pocket to protect credit cards. I purchased Pacsafe Luggage Citysafe 200 Gii Handbag from Amazon. At first, I thought this purse was going to be too big, but it ended up being the perfect size.

 

- When making plane reservations, consider paying more for seats with some extra room. On Delta, they are called Ecomony Comfort seats. They are worth every penny!

[djandnic]

We are booked on the Serenade Oct 11 – 20, I’m wondering if you had the same itinerary? We are going from Rome to Santorini, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Athens, Crete, and Katakolon .

If so, any feedback you have regarding these stops or your trip would be greatly appreciated. We are going with a group and some have done these areas before so we have some ‘leadership’ to help us, but this will be our first trip to these areas.

[Karemark]

We are booked on the Serenade Oct 11 – 20, I’m wondering if you had the same itinerary? We are going from Rome to Santorini, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Athens, Crete, and Katakolon .

If so, any feedback you have regarding these stops or your trip would be greatly appreciated. We are going with a group and some have done these areas before so we have some ‘leadership’ to help us, but this will be our first trip to these areas.

 

We had a different itinerary, but some of our ports are the same. Here is our itinerary:

 

Barcelona, Spain; Cannes (Monte Carlo), France; Livorno (Florence), Italy; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Santorini, Greece; Naples (Salerno), Italy; Barcelona, Spain

 

You are going to LOVE this cruise and May and October are supposed to be the most beautiful times to visit these places!!

 

I will post feedback and pictures for each day.

[dln929]

We had a different itinerary, but some of our ports are the same. Here is our itinerary:

 

Barcelona, Spain; Cannes (Monte Carlo), France; Livorno (Florence), Italy; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Santorini, Greece; Naples (Salerno), Italy; Barcelona, Spain

 

You are going to LOVE this cruise and May and October are supposed to be the most beautiful times to visit these places!!

 

I will post feedback and pictures for each day.

 

Please do! We're going to be on the Serenade of the Seas next May, for the first time. I've only ever been on the Brilliance and that was before she was refurbished. Question for you off the top of my head--I know the Sea View Cafe has disappeared and Izumi has taken its place, but does Izumi have outdoor seating like the Sea View Cafe did?

[Karemark]

Please do! We're going to be on the Serenade of the Seas next May, for the first time. I've only ever been on the Brilliance and that was before she was refurbished. Question for you off the top of my head--I know the Sea View Cafe has disappeared and Izumi has taken its place, but does Izumi have outdoor seating like the Sea View Cafe did?

 

You are going to love it in May...on every tour we took, the guides told us this was the most beautiful time to visit (as well as October).

 

We ate at Izumi and it was wonderful and there was outdoor seating as well.

[Karemark]

Days leading up to departure:

 

We had a VERY active Roll Call here on CC and boy was it buzzing before we left! There was quite the discussion going on over when to start packing, many had started weeks before. We elected to pack the Sunday before we left so the clothes weren't too wrinkled.

 

The CC group had also planned a couple of get togethers since the official Meet & Mingle isn't until the first sea day. Most of us elected to wear Mardi Gras beads so it was easy to spot other CC members. I would also suggest getting name tags so people can write their names as well as their screen names.

 

We decided to spend a couple of days in Barcelona before the cruise and this really helped to get us acclimated to the time change before the cruise started. This is a very rigorous itinerary!!

 

Through the months, I had been watching the prices of Junior Suites as I really wanted to upgrade. The price difference was just too much. After final payment, they finally came way down but for new bookings only...oh well. A couple of days before we left, I was checking our reservation on RCCL and noted the upgrade fairy had moved us to a JS as well as my sister and they still kept us next door to each other!! We were excited for the trip before, this put us over the edge!!

Edited June 6, 2014 by Karemark

[Karemark]

Departure Day, Tuesday, May 20th!!

 

After months and months of planning, it was finally here!! Mark and I packed up the van and headed off to pick up my sister and her husband (Dianne and John) and then we headed to BWI.

 

We had a layover in Atlanta as did a few others from our roll call. We were really looking forward to meeting some of these characters we had been chatting, joking, and laughing with for a year! Having landed in Atlanta, wearing our beads, we were ready to finally meet.

 

It was great fun, we started talking and clicked immediately...this was going to be a great trip!!

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[robint]

Thanks for the report--we're on the 7/10 cruise with the same itinerary, and very much looking forward to it!

[ttnc4me]

Days leading up to departure:

A couple of days before we left, I was checking our reservation on RCCL and noted the upgrade fairy had moved us to a JS as well as my sister and they still kept us next door to each other!! We were excited for the trip before, this put us over the edge!!

How unbelievably lucky!! I always assumed that because we always travel with two rooms that we would never be upgraded. There's a glimmer of hope.:)

We traveled on a similar itinerary last summer & it indeed was a trip of a lifetime!

[Karemark]

Thanks for the report--we're on the 7/10 cruise with the same itinerary, and very much looking forward to it!

 

You're going to love it! It's our best vacation ever!!

[Karemark]

How unbelievably lucky!! I always assumed that because we always travel with two rooms that we would never be upgraded. There's a glimmer of hope.:)

We traveled on a similar itinerary last summer & it indeed was a trip of a lifetime!

 

We couldn't believe it either and yes, there is a glimmer of hope!!

[Karemark]

Barcelona - Wednesday, May 21st

 

We landed in Barcelona about 8:30 a.m. Having not slept on the plane, we were pretty tired and knew we needed to stay up as long as possible today!

 

The Barcelona airport was large and very empty. We headed to baggage claim and then through Customs. Wow, Customs was unbelievably easy!

 

Along with another couple from our roll call, we were met at the airport by Marta, our tour guide, and Manno, our driver, from Barcelona Day Tours. We elected to do a half-day Barcelona City Tour since our hotel room wouldn't be ready until about 2 p.m. They drove us around the city showing us many of the highlights. It was a very gloomy day, so the pictures of the city are not impressive.

 

We saw many beautiful buildings and here are some taken from the van:

 

 

 

 

We stopped at a park to get a view of the city:

 

 

[Karemark]

We were then back in the car and seeing more of the city.

 

 

 

 

This is one of Gaudi's beautiful houses!

 

Edited June 7, 2014 by Karemark

[Karemark]

We then got out of the van and started walking, turned the corner, and this is what we saw...

 

 

Amazing! Sagrada Familia. They are hoping to have it finished by 2026, 100 years after Gaudi's death. The four sides of the building are completely different with differing moods from light to dark.

 

 

 

 

[Karemark]

Marta was able to get us into the basement to see Gaudi's crypt. This section is normally closed off, however, it was open today and Marta managed to get permission to take us inside.

 

 

Edited June 7, 2014 by Karemark

[Karemark]

This is Gaudi's crypt

 

[Izzziee]

We had a different itinerary, but some of our ports are the same. Here is our itinerary:

 

Barcelona, Spain; Cannes (Monte Carlo), France; Livorno (Florence), Italy; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Santorini, Greece; Naples (Salerno), Italy; Barcelona, Spain

 

You are going to LOVE this cruise and May and October are supposed to be the most beautiful times to visit these places!!

 

I will post feedback and pictures for each day.

We are going on this cruise a week on Monday( 16 June )It sounds amazing we can't wait :D

[Bonnie Voyager]

We are going on this cruise a week on Monday( 16 June )It sounds amazing we can't wait :D

 

Me too! I'll be on the 6/16 sailing! :D We did a similar itinerary (but the 7-day version) last summer on Liberty of the Seas! It was amazing! Can't wait to do it again! See you on board!

[Izzziee]

See you there! we dont have quite so far to come as you do though! :)

[sonvoltken6]

We were on the sailing right before you. The itinerary was different - it was the 4 land ports in France and Italy but then 4 island ports. The ship was wonderful, we had excellent service all around and the weather was absolutely perfect. We saw rain once as we were tendering back from Villefranche. We did two nights in BCN after and just completely immersed ourselves in the city, taking the metro and public buses all over town. It was truly the vacation of a lifetime.

[cruiserking]

Welcome Back Karen. Enjoy your wonderful pictures and looking forward to seeing the rest of your adventures unfold.

 

Jonathan

[Bonnie Voyager]

Me too! I'll be on the 6/16 sailing! :D We did a similar itinerary (but the 7-day version) last summer on Liberty of the Seas! It was amazing! Can't wait to do it again! See you on board!

 

That is true! I enjoy the travel though! It will be me and my Mother-in-law. We will spend a couple days in Barcelona pre-cruise! We loved Barcelona last year and can't wait to return!

[MiniChunks]

We did a 12 day on the Brilliance back in 05 that followed basically the same itinerary. Best trip of my life, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Karemark]

We are going on this cruise a week on Monday( 16 June )It sounds amazing we can't wait :D

 

It is amazing and you're going to have a great time!!