Must see in the Mediterranean

[aquarianne11]

:( Jealous :( The May 24 roll call is pretty quiet right now. Hoping it will start picking up.

 

We are only planning a couple of tours. Florence with RIL and Izmir. I will probably just go to RIL's website and either start or join a tour for Florence. I haven't done enough research on Izmir yet to decide how we will handle that one.

 

I got some excellent info on getting to Capri from Naples on a thread I started in the Italy ports of call section complete with video!!!!!! We DIY'd Rome the last time so are comfortable with that as well as Marseille.

 

Cannot WAIT to be back in Barcelona!!

 

 

Thanks, I will definitely check out the Italy ports of call section.

 

I know our cruises are more than a year away but planning is really part of the fun! :)

[trvlgirlmq]

Hi! Thanks so much! I would really love to join you guys on the June 21 sailing! The itinerary is amazing!

 

We would like to DIY some of the ports as well so save on costs and to make some days lighter. We also need to enjoy the beautiful new ship! :D

 

Did you book the Early Saver fare?

 

Since the early saver is the best price, we want to be 100% sure first before we book anything.

 

Yes, we did book Early Saver. It's a risk but I am hoping for some price drops too! If something happened and we could not travel then I would take the hit of $50 per person and re-book with the remaining money.

 

We also want a couple of easy days so we can come back to the ship early to use all of the fun stuff (Waterworks, Sports square, etc).

 

I highly recommend Rick Steves Mediterranean cruise book. Also, the ports of call board here has already been very helpful to me. I've done land trips to France and England but this is a whole new ball game and the planning is a bit different. As everyone on the roll call gets to know one another folks can join up and travel together as well on DIY excursions if they choose.

[BaseballMomof4]

Thanks, I will definitely check out the Italy ports of call section.

 

I know our cruises are more than a year away but planning is really part of the fun! :)

 

You are preaching to choir about planning! :D I just pulled out my binder from our cruise in 2013....:o.......yes, I had a binder with separators for each port :p

[BaseballMomof4]

We're on the June 21 sailing with ce_cruise. We did book some private excursions but I am rethinking a couple. With the research I have done I really think we can DIY all but Izmir and Taormina (no public transportation from Messina on Sundays). We also decided to drop Florence due to distance and will focus on Lucca/Pisa. I think making adjustments for cost and length of travel will not make the trip any less exciting or memorable. So come join us!

 

We actually prefer sailing at the end of May - it's the "cusp" of tourist season there so a little less crowder and a little bit cooler as well. I also have to have one less vacation day since Memorial Day factors in and flights are a little cheaper as is the cruise.

 

Since we live in Florida our kids are out of school by the first or second week of May (college) so it works well for us.

[trvlgirlmq]

We actually prefer sailing at the end of May - it's the "cusp" of tourist season there so a little less crowder and a little bit cooler as well. I also have to have one less vacation day since Memorial Day factors in and flights are a little cheaper as is the cruise.

 

 

 

Since we live in Florida our kids are out of school by the first or second week of May (college) so it works well for us.

 

 

We also normally prefer to travel Memorial Day week as we are this year but school doesn't dismiss until May 26 so we miss that 24th departure. Then there is an eight day before we get back to the 10 day itinerary and the one we preferred was of course later! Ah well we will make the best of it.

[aquarianne11]

Yes, we did book Early Saver. It's a risk but I am hoping for some price drops too! If something happened and we could not travel then I would take the hit of $50 per person and re-book with the remaining money.

 

 

Thank you, that's good to know. We are not very familiar about Early Saver yet but I have read a lot of good things about it especially the part about the price drops! :)

[aquarianne11]

You are preaching to choir about planning! :D I just pulled out my binder from our cruise in 2013....:o.......yes, I had a binder with separators for each port :p

 

That's cool! I'm sure this time you'll have an even better time planning. :D

 

I see you sailed the Epic last 2013. That's the other ship we are looking at but the room/bathroom layout seems weird so I really prefer the Vista.

 

Vista is newer and has the better price and itineraries as well.

Edited March 23, 2015 by aquarianne11

[BaseballMomof4]

That's cool! I'm sure this time you'll have an even better time planning. :D

 

I see you sailed the Epic last 2013. That's the other ship we are looking at but the room/bathroom layout seems weird so I really prefer the Vista.

 

Vista is newer and has the better price and itineraries as well.

 

The bathroom wasn't as big of an issue as I thought it would be (especially since it was me with my 3 sons!) but the cabin itself was IMO poorly laid out.

 

When the sofa bed and upper were in use, you could not open the door to the balcony or the closet. The wave shape was also pretty awkward. And this was supposedly a "family" balcony.

 

We were also less than impressed with the food in the MDR although the pay extra was good, and so much of the entertainment required a reservation we really didn't get to do much.

 

So, IMO, you made a good decision ;)

[aquarianne11]

The bathroom wasn't as big of an issue as I thought it would be (especially since it was me with my 3 sons!) but the cabin itself was IMO poorly laid out.

 

 

 

When the sofa bed and upper were in use, you could not open the door to the balcony or the closet. The wave shape was also pretty awkward. And this was supposedly a "family" balcony.

 

 

 

We were also less than impressed with the food in the MDR although the pay extra was good, and so much of the entertainment required a reservation we really didn't get to do much.

 

 

 

So, IMO, you made a good decision ;)

 

 

Thanks for the very helpful info! :)

[BaseballMomof4]

Thanks for the very helpful info! :)

 

Here is a link to the review I wrote. You will find not everyone shared my opinion, and I think that is helpful to know.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1857483

[elaine5]

We also sailed the Epic in the Med in summer 2013. For those considering the EPic, here are my thoughts:

The bathrooms were weird. They are OK if you are VERY close with your travelers. It would be OK with a couple or small kids, but not really for teens and parents, IMHO. There is a curtain to pull for privacy. We had 2 rooms that each slept 4. We had 3 in each room. Rooms were just too narrow to work. But, we paid the same $ as for just OV on RCCL and got a balcony on NCL. The ship was very nice, but really felt more like a hotel--very little open space. The pool deck was jammed. Buffet in the AM was jammed. Those are the major negatives.

 

The positives: Entertainment was quite good, a nice change from typical cruise shows, and my kids loved the bowling alley and the Pub where DS got moz sticks each day prior to dinner. I made pre-reservatoins. We saw Blue Man group (not my taste), but for "free" it was fine. We loved the fake singers, Tina Turner, Adele and Tom Jones. We did the Cirque show and even at $39 for excellent seats, it was worth it, though the $29 seats would have been fine, as it is a small venue. We also saw a good version of the Beatles in the Lobby, and some Spanish dancers in a small bar. Given that we were in port 6 of 7 days, that was plenty of entertainment for us. We thought MDR was very good and had no reason to pay extra. Cruise was a good value and ports were great.

We also sailed Carnival Splendor in Europe when it was 1st built in 2008. It was an awesome cruise. We typically don't sail Carnival in the US, but will try the Vista in Europe, based upon our excellent 2008 experience.

Edited March 24, 2015 by elaine5

[aquarianne11]

Here is a link to the review I wrote. You will find not everyone shared my opinion, and I think that is helpful to know.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1857483

 

Thanks for sharing your review! Really enjoyed it. :)

 

Sorry you missed your tour in Florence due to bad weather... I hope you'll get a better weather for your Vista cruise.

 

I bookmarked your review for future reference. Looks like we are doing the 8 day itinerary, Barcelona RT.

 

I checked with DH, he likes the July 1st itinerary better because of the cost. :(

[aquarianne11]

We also sailed the Epic in the Med in summer 2013. For those considering the EPic, here are my thoughts:

The bathrooms were weird. They are OK if you are VERY close with your travelers. It would be OK with a couple or small kids, but not really for teens and parents, IMHO. There is a curtain to pull for privacy. We had 2 rooms that each slept 4. We had 3 in each room. Rooms were just too narrow to work. But, we paid the same $ as for just OV on RCCL and got a balcony on NCL. The ship was very nice, but really felt more like a hotel--very little open space. The pool deck was jammed. Buffet in the AM was jammed. Those are the major negatives.

 

The positives: Entertainment was quite good, a nice change from typical cruise shows, and my kids loved the bowling alley and the Pub where DS got moz sticks each day prior to dinner. I made pre-reservatoins. We saw Blue Man group (not my taste), but for "free" it was fine. We loved the fake singers, Tina Turner, Adele and Tom Jones. We did the Cirque show and even at $39 for excellent seats, it was worth it, though the $29 seats would have been fine, as it is a small venue. We also saw a good version of the Beatles in the Lobby, and some Spanish dancers in a small bar. Given that we were in port 6 of 7 days, that was plenty of entertainment for us. We thought MDR was very good and had no reason to pay extra. Cruise was a good value and ports were great.

We also sailed Carnival Splendor in Europe when it was 1st built in 2008. It was an awesome cruise. We typically don't sail Carnival in the US, but will try the Vista in Europe, based upon our excellent 2008 experience.

 

 

Thanks for the info!

I'm glad Carnival is back in Europe for 2016 so we have another option.

[heatherbelle]

Lucca is a smallish walled town. There is a cathedral, but it was closed for restoration when we were there a few years ago. Just cross over from the train station and go thru the gate into the town. There used to be bike rentals near the entrance, I think. We just walked around, shopped, ate, etc. in the town, then walked around the wall part of the way. My kids like to climb towers; I think there are 2 in Lucca.

Then, take the train back to Pisa and either take the tourist bus for 1 euro or so to the leaning tower, or walk thru Pisa (very nice, safe) to the tower, depending on your time. You can climb the tower and visit the other religious buildings on the square. There is very good gelato/slushies right behind the tower.

It's a nice, low key, inexpensive day vs "must sees" except for the leaning tower. We enjoyed walking thru Pisa (20 minutes) from the train to the tower and then we took a slightly different route walking back. After almost missing a train on a prior trip due to the long ticket line, our last trip, we bought our train tickets and printed out from home ahead of time (5 euros or so each way). We were able to get off the port shuttle bus, run, and literally jump on the train. If we had not had tickets in hand, it would have at least 30+ more minutes for the next train.

 

 

I can highly recommend Lucca and Pisa too if going DIY. we went to Lucca first rode the bikes then stopped of at Pisa, which was very busy and got off at Pisa Rose station, which is nearer to the tower. After Pisa we headed to Pisa Cental which was a very very long walk. I couldn't find a bus to take us back to the station although there is one somewhere. So my tip would be to get the train back to Pisa Cental from Pisa Rose and then change again for Livorno.

[Greek Gal]

Here is a link to the review I wrote. You will find not everyone shared my opinion, and I think that is helpful to know.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1857483

 

You know I thought highly of that review/blog as I am up past 3 AM due to having taken copious notes from it! THANKS SO MUCH for such a detailed account of your trip and the great photos! You must have liked the ports as I see you are doing a very similar cruise on the Vista in 2016. I am booked for the Vista in September and hope I see you post another review comparing the trips and with new details and prices for things.

 

I've never been to Lisbon and had hoped to find a cruise that went there and to Athens, Barcelona, Sicily, Malta, etc. but the Vista cruise in September was just so inexpensive that I couldn't hold out for one that might come along with Lisbon for just as little paid for the cruise. Your idea to fly from Barcelona to Lisbon is an interesting one as a friend of mine from Sicily tonight was suggesting we tack on another city before and/or after the cruise because she said the flights within Europe are often only $80 or so, or were for her six years ago. I doubt they would be that inexpensive today, but still worth looking into. I would love to hear your details from your visit to Lisbon. Are you planning to take any trips to other cities before or after your Vista cruise?

[BaseballMomof4]

You know I thought highly of that review/blog as I am up past 3 AM due to having taken copious notes from it! THANKS SO MUCH for such a detailed account of your trip and the great photos! You must have liked the ports as I see you are doing a very similar cruise on the Vista in 2016. I am booked for the Vista in September and hope I see you post another review comparing the trips and with new details and prices for things.

 

I've never been to Lisbon and had hoped to find a cruise that went there and to Athens, Barcelona, Sicily, Malta, etc. but the Vista cruise in September was just so inexpensive that I couldn't hold out for one that might come along with Lisbon for just as little paid for the cruise. Your idea to fly from Barcelona to Lisbon is an interesting one as a friend of mine from Sicily tonight was suggesting we tack on another city before and/or after the cruise because she said the flights within Europe are often only $80 or so, or were for her six years ago. I doubt they would be that inexpensive today, but still worth looking into. I would love to hear your details from your visit to Lisbon. Are you planning to take any trips to other cities before or after your Vista cruise?

 

Thank you so much! And yes, I am planning to write a review again this time. I always feel that I get so much information from these boards that I want to give back what I can.

 

With this cruise being 10 days, we will just spend two days pre-cruise in Athens and 2 days post cruise in Barcelona. We would like to take a ferry to one of the other islands in Greece, but I haven't planned that far ahead yet.

 

And yes, we very much enjoyed all the ports from our first cruise and are very excited to visit the places we missed in those ports the first time around!

[ce_cruise]

reviving an old thread.

[BaseballMomof4]

You know I thought highly of that review/blog as I am up past 3 AM due to having taken copious notes from it! THANKS SO MUCH for such a detailed account of your trip and the great photos! You must have liked the ports as I see you are doing a very similar cruise on the Vista in 2016. I am booked for the Vista in September and hope I see you post another review comparing the trips and with new details and prices for things.

 

I've never been to Lisbon and had hoped to find a cruise that went there and to Athens, Barcelona, Sicily, Malta, etc. but the Vista cruise in September was just so inexpensive that I couldn't hold out for one that might come along with Lisbon for just as little paid for the cruise. Your idea to fly from Barcelona to Lisbon is an interesting one as a friend of mine from Sicily tonight was suggesting we tack on another city before and/or after the cruise because she said the flights within Europe are often only $80 or so, or were for her six years ago. I doubt they would be that inexpensive today, but still worth looking into. I would love to hear your details from your visit to Lisbon. Are you planning to take any trips to other cities before or after your Vista cruise?

 

Lisbon did not cost me any extra on the airfare because it is the hub for TAP Portugal and all flights go through there. I simply made my connection for the next day instead of the same day. Worked out great! We took a cab from the airport, checked into our hotel and were able to walk to a lovely area where the HoHo started - the HoHo was perfect for one day in Lisbon. We got off at the Discoveries monument which is right across from the Tower of Belem, which is directly across the street from the monastery - 3 attractions in a tight cluster was perfection! We wound up eating dinner at the Hard Rock because quite honestly we were exhausted and had our fill of local delicacies by then and simply wanted a burger and fries! :p We did make a quick trip to the McDonald's before we went on the HoHo, we tried to do this in every city to see the different set ups and menus! So interesting!

 

I will most definitely be posting a review in May - I cannot wait!

Edited December 15, 2015 by BaseballMomof4

[BaseballMomof4]

Thanks for sharing your review! Really enjoyed it. :)

 

Sorry you missed your tour in Florence due to bad weather... I hope you'll get a better weather for your Vista cruise.

 

I bookmarked your review for future reference. Looks like we are doing the 8 day itinerary, Barcelona RT.

 

I checked with DH, he likes the July 1st itinerary better because of the cost. :(

 

Looking forward to Florence this time around! Booked with RIL again, hopefully we will have better luck with the weather!

 

Do spend some time in Barcelona - you will not regret it!

[aquarianne11]

Lisbon did not cost me any extra on the airfare because it is the hub for TAP Portugal and all flights go through there. I simply made my connection for the next day instead of the same day. Worked out great! We took a cab from the airport, checked into our hotel and were able to walk to a lovely area where the HoHo started - the HoHo was perfect for one day in Lisbon. We got off at the Discoveries monument which is right across from the Tower of Belem, which is directly across the street from the monastery - 3 attractions in a tight cluster was perfection! We wound up eating dinner at the Hard Rock because quite honestly we were exhausted and had our fill of local delicacies by then and simply wanted a burger and fries! :p We did make a quick trip to the McDonald's before we went on the HoHo, we tried to do this in every city to see the different set ups and menus! So interesting!

 

I will most definitely be posting a review in May - I cannot wait!

 

 

Thanks again for the info that you've provided. We have booked all our flights now!

 

Booked TAP Portugal for our return flight from Barcelona to Newark so we can stay in Lisbon for about 20 hrs! Our Lisbon to Newark flight will be the next day.

 

Did you have to collect your check in bags in Lisbon? We are hoping that we did not have to do that.

 

Do you recommend a specific hotel or area in Lisbon so we can make the most out of our very short stay?

 

Thanks again! Happy New Year to all! :)

[BaseballMomof4]

Thanks again for the info that you've provided. We have booked all our flights now!

 

Booked TAP Portugal for our return flight from Barcelona to Newark so we can stay in Lisbon for about 20 hrs! Our Lisbon to Newark flight will be the next day.

 

Did you have to collect your check in bags in Lisbon? We are hoping that we did not have to do that.

 

Do you recommend a specific hotel or area in Lisbon so we can make the most out of our very short stay?

 

Thanks again! Happy New Year to all! :)

 

We stayed at the Clarion Suites on Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca. It was a very nice hotel and just a short walk to the HoHo from there, but I am not sure what their pricing is like because we used points to book.

 

We did collect our bags at the airport as we were staying overnight but the hotel offered to hold them for us while we went out to sight see.

[aquarianne11]

We stayed at the Clarion Suites on Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca. It was a very nice hotel and just a short walk to the HoHo from there, but I am not sure what their pricing is like because we used points to book.

 

We did collect our bags at the airport as we were staying overnight but the hotel offered to hold them for us while we went out to sight see.

 

 

 

Thank you so much!

[southerngirl8]

Thank you so much!

Just found this thread!

 

I did not see anyone posting info about the tour group I found in Izmir- I found a tour company that will do a tour to Ephesus from Izmir. There are quite a few tours to pick from, depending on what you want to see. I chose the 'relax tour of Ephesus" as I can stay as long as I want to in Ephesus and see exactly what I want. I want to spend equal time in Izmir. Tour company is "ephesusshuttle". Worth a look!

 

In Messina, if you are not interested in seeing Mt. Etna, there is a train that will take you to Taormina. A co-worker was just there in Sept. and loved it. Cost is like 4 euro a person each way. Taormina is easy to walk around on your own.

 

Last time in Barcelona, I stayed at the Hotel Colon. Was AMAZING hotel!!!!It is centrally located and a great hotel. It is a bit pricey, but I got a free upgrade from their sister hotel, Regente Colon, which is a bit cheaper and right next door.

 

My flight for this cruise I was able to get a 20 hour layover in Paris. Since it is a normal layover I get 20 hours in Paris at no extra airfare cost! Can't wait! I love Paris, my last visit was in 1984, I spend New Years eve there (1985). I will plan on packing my carry on accordingly so I don't have to get my "big" suitcase but just let it be checked all the way thru.

[javajunkie91]

@BaseballMomof4 you mentioned pre-booking tickets on a fast train to Rome from the port. How do we find information on this?

Edited January 3, 2016 by javajunkie91

[southerngirl8]

@BaseballMomof4 you mentioned pre-booking tickets on a fast train to Rome from the port. How do we find information on this?

Here is the link for the fast train in Rome: http://www.smartcruisetours.com/