Review Vista May 24 - June 3 Med Cruise

[BaseballMomof4]

By this time, we were pretty tired so we started heading back toward our pick up point for Rome in limo. While one of my sons simply plopped himself down on some stairs to wait, the rest of us decided to walk across the river to see the castle.

 

 

We found a great little market there and were able to pick up some fun items for 1 or 2 euro!!

 

After that we went back to our appointed meeting place and very thankfully got into our lovely, large, air conditioned, comfy van to head back to port!

Edited June 15, 2016 by BaseballMomof4

[portico]

Thanks so much for your travel commentary on your Athens adventure. Now, I'm eager to read all about the Vista! We leave from Philly Airport at the beginning of October for our flight to Athens for a week's stay before boarding the Vista. Let us know about the embarkation process and the tours you took at each port.

[bigelow]

By this time, we were pretty tired so we started heading back toward our pick up point for Rome in limo. While one of my sons simply plopped himself down on some stairs to wait, the rest of us decided to walk across the river to see the castle.

 

 

We found a great little market there and were able to pick up some fun items for 1 or 2 euro!!

 

After that we went back to our appointed meeting place and very thankfully got into our lovely, large, air conditioned, comfy van to head back to port!

Thanks for your review , we leave in 30 days for Athens and your review is greatly heightening our excitement .

[brightfeather]

Baseball mom of 4, would you be able to part the Fun Times if you have them? We are on the Sept 12 from Athens 10 day. I'm really enjoying your review and pictures. :-)

[krlipman]

Baseball Mom,

 

Thank you for all the great information. I leave on Sunday, June 19 for Athens. I didn't even realize you have to have tickets to get into the Vatican Museums. Of course, I tried to go online to purchase them just now, and they are sold out for the day we are there (June 28th), so I changed my shore excursion from "Explore Rome on your Own" to "The Sacred Rooms of the Vatican - "Small Groups" This way museum tickets are included on the tour. Thanks again for all the great information, I have really enjoyed reading it and reviewing your pictures.

Edited June 16, 2016 by krlipman

[BaseballMomof4]

Baseball mom of 4, would you be able to part the Fun Times if you have them? We are on the Sept 12 from Athens 10 day. I'm really enjoying your review and pictures. :-)

 

I do have them and will try at the end of this to include them. Is there something in particular you are looking for?

[BaseballMomof4]

Baseball Mom,

 

Thank you for all the great information. I leave on Sunday, June 19 for Athens. I didn't even realize you have to have tickets to get into the Vatican Museums. Of course, I tried to go online to purchase them just now, and they are sold out for the day we are there (June 28th), so I changed my shore excursion from "Explore Rome on your Own" to "The Sacred Rooms of the Vatican - "Small Groups" This way museum tickets are included on the tour. Thanks again for all the great information, I have really enjoyed reading it and reviewing your pictures.

 

Great save!

[BaseballMomof4]

On to Florence! We missed this port in 2013 because of high winds so we were really excited about it. We met our Rome in Limo guide right off the ship and when I say she was phenomenal, well, she really made our day! Maria Clara was fantastic!!

 

Our first stop was Pisa and unfortunately it decided to rain on us there. Not to be deterred, we managed to get our photos in the rain (although we did not try for the standard "holding up the tower" type of photo). It really is something to see. Maria Clara made the ride to Pisa very interesting by discussing the history of the area and also showing us the enormous US military base!! I never realized how big it is!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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Pisa is beautiful, even in the rain!

[BaseballMomof4]

After Pisa, Maria Clara took us through the country to get back to Florence. We stopped at a scenic overlook and got some wonderful photos of Florence from above.

 

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[BaseballMomof4]

Our next stop was Accademia to see David. This place was super crowded. I am not much of a museum person so I planned on an "in and out" scenario but have to admit I could have spent half a day there. There are no words.

 

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Like the Vatican museums, there are several areas of Accademia where photo taking is not allowed so be aware.

 

Also like the Vatican museums, pre-purchased tickets will be necessary and these are timed as well so you will have to choose your day AND your time you want to visit.

[BaseballMomof4]

Maria Clara recommended a restaurant and then called ahead for us so we would get good, quick service. Fabulous food, fabulous service, good prices. Couldn't ask for more.

 

Next, at our request, Maria Clara took us to the Leather School. We had read about it and how they also had a store attached. Thinking we might find a bargain there, we wanted to go. Don't waste your time. Their merchandise is priced even higher than most of the stores were visited. So, off we went to do some shopping.

 

Last stop of the day was Ponte Vecchio. Surprisingly we did find some well priced jewelry there!! And the beauty and the history are simply amazing.

 

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Maria Clara took us to a nice shopping area and we shopped around for a while, after which our time in Florence was pretty much up. We got in the van, made a stop for some WONDERFUL gelato, and then it was back to Livorno and the ship.

 

This may have been our best Rome in Limo experience to date. Not only did we love Florence (and wish we could have spent much more time there) but Maria Clara was a gem!

 

I HIGHLY recommend this tour and this guide.

Edited June 16, 2016 by BaseballMomof4

[BaseballMomof4]

The following day was Marseille. We had visited Marseille in 2013 and really enjoyed the Old Port area. We were unable to get the ferry to Chateau d'If in 2013 due to choppy seas and were hoping to get there this time so we grabbed a cab and went to the Old Port.

 

First thing we noticed were hundreds of people in the streets and lots of music playing. Party? Nope, not so much. This was a protest, which became evident when we noticed numbers of police officers in full riot gear. We approached and asked if it was safe and they said yes but that if there was any indication of violence we should leave the area. Awesome.

 

We went to try to get a ferry to Chateau d'If. As if on cue we saw a sign. Ferry closed due to choppy seas. I am beginning to wonder if they really do go there or if it is simply a ploy to get you to come to the Old Port. We checked on a trip to the Calanques but since it was approximately a 3 hour venture, decided against it. We went with the same thing we had done in 2013. Le Petit Train up to Notre Dame de la Garde. We knew the Cathedral is gorgeous and the views are even better.

 

The ride up to the Cathedral has some wonderful sea views.

 

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And once up there, there are dozens of photo ops not to mention a stunning Cathedral.

 

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[BaseballMomof4]

No trip to Marseille is complete without visiting our two story candy store, Le Cure Gourmande, so 90 euro later we had arms loaded with candy and were looking for lunch.

 

We found our other group of companions and were going to sit down for lunch at one of the cafes along the waterfront but decided that $100 for lunch for 4 was a bit much and opted to head back to the ship. Those cafes have great views but 25 euro a plate for lunch seemed a bit extravagant to us.

 

We did manage a trip to the soap shop located right there near the cafes before returning to the ship, you can find it by following your nose!!!!!!!

[BaseballMomof4]

Finally, our last stop, Barcelona.

 

We had spent 3 days in Barcelona in 2013 and were excited about seeing some of the sights we had missed back then. Reality is, by the time we got off of a 10 day cruise one our 13th day of this trip, we were exhausted.

 

We dropped our luggage off at the hotel, the Gaudi Hotel - another gem!! They allow for luggage drop off since check in is not until 3:00 p.m. After leaving the Gaudi, we chose to walk over to Sagrada Familia. We had tickets for 10:30 am and it was early so we strolled La Rambla and made our way over to Sagrada Familia.

 

Yes, if you want to see Sagrada Familia BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE. It is not required, but the lines are insane and if you have prepurchased tickets, you just walk right in.

 

La Ramblas

 

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[BaseballMomof4]

After Sagrada Familia, we walked Passeig de Gracia - great shopping!! It starts out with really high end stores and then evolves into more reasonable ones so don't let Gucci and Prada scare you away, just keep walking!! While you do there is some gorgeous architecture to take in.

 

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[brightfeather]

Just to see what's going on each day and evening. It helps me plan our dining and activities. I really appreciate it. :-)

[BaseballMomof4]

We stopped for lunch at a version of a sub shop - BTW, it was delicious and then it was getting close to 3 so we headed back to the hotel.

 

When we got there, our luggage had already been taken up to our room which was great since they too sported one of those tiny elevators and it would have required at least 3 trips for us.

 

A little background on this hotel. I originally booked it for myself and one son, a simple double room. My other son and his girlfriend decided to join the trip late and I had to request either an additional room or one that would accommodate 4. I was given a room that would accommodate 4 and had no idea what that would be like and was a bit concerned. Well, no need for concern - this room was really nice!!

 

There was a kind size bed and two twins in the main room along with 2 desks and it was still huge!! There was a double closet and dressing area as well as an extremely spacious bathroom with a shower that had multiple jets as well as a separate bathtub!

 

We opened the drapes to what we thought was simply a floor to ceiling window and discovered our own very large terrace with 2 loungers AND a table for 4!! We thought we hit the jackport with that and then realized that our private terrace opened onto their rooftop terrace!!!

 

My only disappointment with this hotel room was the fact that we were only staying one night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

A portion of the rooftop terrace

 

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I want to go back to Barcelona and get room 614 at the Gaudi Hotel and stay for a few days!! And yes!! There is even a little dipping pool!

Edited June 16, 2016 by BaseballMomof4

[BaseballMomof4]

At this point we decided to walk La Ramblas again since most places were not open when we walked it in the morning and stop at the Boqueria. DO NOT MISS THIS!! This place is awesome. Here are a couple of photos:

 

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[BaseballMomof4]

At this point we all had an early morning flight looming over our heads (6:40 departure meant a 4:00 am wake up call) :( and we decided it was time for dinner. We had been told the locals recommended a place called Kubik so we went. The locals may recommend it, but I do not. None of us enjoyed the paella there and the Sangia was not one of the better ones I have had. It was somewhat pricey and the service was not good. But our bellies were filled and we decided it was time to turn in for our early wake up and the end of our adventure.

 

The next morning we essentially rolled out of bed and into our clothes and each individually got on the elevator and took our bags down. The front desk did a great job of getting us a cab at that hour, which apparently in Barcelona is like any other our because we were somewhat surprised at how full the streets were! Apparently Barcelona is the city that never sleeps in Spain!!

 

We made the Barcelona airport in plenty of time and had breakfast at McDonald's waiting to board our flight. The flights home were somewhat better than the flights to Europe. Our flight from Barcelona to Lisbon was quick and painless and on the flight from Lisbon to Miami we had a newer, nicer plane and were able to watch movies (new ones!) to pass the time. There were, of course, the usual pains in the rear who recline their seat all the way into your lap, etc. but that is economy flying! The food was good and we were entertained and able to catch short naps here and there.

 

TAP Portugal got us in early and our luggage all arrived in good condition and all that was left was picking up the rental car and driving the final 3 hours home. It was hard to believe that our long anticipated trip was really over and all that was left was a lot of laundry, some swollen feet (from now on compression socks are my friend), tons of photos to print and organize, and a review to write!

 

There have been several issues post trip, a double charge from a store in Turkey, Carnival failing to combine my portfolios for the two cabins on the ship and showing a $538 non-refundable credit on one and charging me $503 for another that I am still battling, Verizon failing to cancel my International Plan on the date it was supposed to and my now having to work with them for a resolution to that, but all in all it was amazing and hopefully my post trip issues will all have favorable resolutions.

[BaseballMomof4]

As far as the ship is concerned, I wasn't much of a social butterfly considering the long port days.

 

I can say the comedians (I went to 3 shows) were hit or miss. The first one was bad but the two after that were really good. I went to the Piano Bar one night and that was very entertaining. I am not a gambler so cannot comment on the Casino. We did not wind up eating at any of the specialty restaurants but heard good reviews of them.

 

I did do the Sky Ride and would caution parents of young kids that this is very difficult in spots and we saw younger kids stranded who had to be bumped around by the staff, one a particularly windy day even a grown man got stranded).

 

The hot tubs on Serenity and the Havana deck at the hottest and least crowded. You can see all the aft facing balconies from the Havana pool deck, so, no privacy there.

 

The Seafood Shack is well worth the price, the Clam Chowder is awesome!!

 

The laundry room is very popular so if you plan on doing laundry, prepare for a possible wait of a half hour to get a machine, when I went there was a line of people waiting.

 

I had no issue finding a deck chair on the sea day, which was a pleasant surprise!

 

I smoke and can say that the Deck 11 aft smoking area and the Deck 5 Lanai smoking area were both really, really nice.

 

We had anytime dining and our experience in the main dining room was hit or miss. We had a couple of great nights and a couple of "meh" nights. The Lido actually had some fantastic options and we ate there more than we normally would.

 

The new photo system is GREAT! So easy, no more searching for photos and you can buy them right from your phone if you have the Hub App and they show up on the Hub App within minutes of being taken.

 

We found the Hub App super helpful and useful and totally worth the $5.

 

If anyone has an specific questions, fire away - I will do my best to answer them!

[BaseballMomof4]

Just to see what's going on each day and evening. It helps me plan our dining and activities. I really appreciate it. :-)

 

I will try, since there are 10 of them it might take some time. And it may very well change from cruise to cruise as well but I will dig them out and start photographing them.

[LaCal]

Thanks for taking the time to do your review....Loved it and now just waiting for Oct 1st to get here so I can experience it all too

[NOLALADY]

Thank you so much for your very thorough and informative review.

 

I do have a couple of questions.

 

In Marseilles were you able to get a cab right off the ship? What was the cost?

 

For your Verizon international plan, did you use it? I'm deciding between getting it or I've read others say to get a pre-paid Euro phone. I'd rather use my phone if I need it, but I don't want to pay a fortune for doing so.

 

Thank you in advance.

[BaseballMomof4]

Thank you so much for your very thorough and informative review.

 

I do have a couple of questions.

 

In Marseilles were you able to get a cab right off the ship? What was the cost?

 

For your Verizon international plan, did you use it? I'm deciding between getting it or I've read others say to get a pre-paid Euro phone. I'd rather use my phone if I need it, but I don't want to pay a fortune for doing so.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Yes, we were able to easily get a cab, the cost was nothing remarkable or I would remember it but no, sorry, I don't remember exactly how much - certainly less than 20 euro or I would have remembered, and there were 4 of us.

 

It was much easier just to use our own phones and just turn off the data. Once pro-rated it will cost me $20 per phone and yes, we did use it. For 2 weeks we each had 50 texts, 50 minutes of talk and a negligible amount of data so we just connected to wifi in ports when we stopped for lunch. It came in very handy for texting although I really did not use the talk.

[NOLALADY]

Yes, we were able to easily get a cab, the cost was nothing remarkable or I would remember it but no, sorry, I don't remember exactly how much - certainly less than 20 euro or I would have remembered, and there were 4 of us.

 

It was much easier just to use our own phones and just turn off the data. Once pro-rated it will cost me $20 per phone and yes, we did use it. For 2 weeks we each had 50 texts, 50 minutes of talk and a negligible amount of data so we just connected to wifi in ports when we stopped for lunch. It came in very handy for texting although I really did not use the talk.

 

Thank you so much. Both of these answers are extremely helpful!