PurpleTraveller Posted July 23 Author #51 Share Posted July 23 (edited) 11 hours ago, FeebeeH said: Enjoying your review and the photos, the market stalls with fresh fruit/vegetables, and the pastries look delicious. Thanks! The fresh fruit and vegies looked lovely. Did you notice the amazing carved wood fruit stands/holders in the second photo? Most interesting fruit stands/holders I have seen. Edited July 23 by PurpleTraveller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 23 Author #52 Share Posted July 23 Saturday June 29 - Naples We arrived in Naples at 7.00am. Unlike previous visits we were not docked at the Stazione Marittima as those positions were occupied by MSC Grandiosa and Odyssey of the Seas. Instead we were docked in a more industrial area with no terminal building about half a kilometre away. We could watch ferries coming and going. Once again we had breakfast on the back deck of the Oceanview Cafe. At 7.30am we went to the Theatre for our shore excursion - Destination Highlight : Sorrento and Amalfi Coast by Boat. We had really been looking forward to this excursion so that we could revisit Sorrento where we had spent a few days back in 1990 and to be on the water for a while on a hot day. Our tour was called at 7.55am and we were on the bus at 8.00am. There were 44 passengers and our tour guide was Rita. Unfortunately the bus had an issue when the luggage compartment was opened to put a stroller in it but then the driver was unable to close the luggage compartment door. We sat on the dock for a while then drove very slowly with the luggage door open to another area of the port where we changed buses. At 8.30am we were able to start our tour. We drove to Sorrento which was very scenic when we got to the coastal road but there was a lot of traffic. At 10.10am we arrived at Sorrento and walked 15 minutes from the bus station to a store, A. Gargiulo Jannuzzi established in 1852, to see a demonstration of wood being inlayed. They had a large selection of music and jewellery boxes and also furniture. We were given coupons to get a bottle of water each from the bar next door. We skipped the demonstration and after using the restrooms we went to see Sorrento. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 23 Author #53 Share Posted July 23 Saturday June 29 - Naples Continued Unfortunately due to the delay to starting the drive to Sorrento because of the fault with the bus luggage door we had almost no free time to see Sorrento. With only 15 minutes of free time we made a quick dash down the street and around the block. At 10.45am we all met up and at 10.55am walked to La Basilica Ristorante for our included lunch. We arrived at the restaurant at 11.10am which was very early to have lunch. At one of the doors to the restaurant was a basket of the biggest lemons I have ever seen. The lunch was good with gnocchi for a starter, roast chicken with potatoes and spinach for main and a sponge and cream cake for dessert. As I am unable to eat cream I was given delicious home made lemon sorbet. We left the restaurant at 12.00pm and walked back to the bus station. At 12.20pm we left Sorrento in our original bus which had been repaired and drove to Salerno. We were able to enjoy the views from the coastal road as we headed into Salerno before we headed down to the port. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 23 Author #54 Share Posted July 23 (edited) Saturday June 29 - Naples Continued We arrived at Salerno at 1.45pm and got on a ferry for the trip to Amalfi. We sat on the top deck of the ferry and the views of the coast were lovely. We watched kiteboarders skim along the water and there were fortifications on the waters edge. There were small towns along the edge of the sea. We arrived at Amalfi at 2.30pm. We left the ferry dock and walked across the road into the town. The town was absolutely heaving with tourists. It was terribly crowded and not very enjoyable. We walked up to the cathedral but didn't go in. Edited July 23 by PurpleTraveller 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 23 Author #55 Share Posted July 23 (edited) Saturday June 29 - Naples Continued We saw a small laneway next to the cathedral so walked up it and found a different view of Amalfi. We were the only people walking in the narrow back laneways. It was wonderful! Occasionally we would come into a wider area with a cafe. As we only had an hour of free time we eventually made our way back to the chaos of the main street. We walked along the very busy shopping street and visited some lovely ceramic stores. At 3.30pm we met up with the tour and got on the ferry to return to Salerno. Edited July 23 by PurpleTraveller 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 23 Author #56 Share Posted July 23 Saturday June 29 - Naples Continued The ferry left at 3.35pm and we were back in Salerno at 4.10pm. The views of the coast were just as beautiful on the way back. We left Salerno at 4.20pm and were back at the port in Naples at 5.10pm. We were on the ship at 5.20pm just in time for the 5.30pm All Aboard. We were a little disappointed with this shore excursion. We knew that we would spend a lot of time travelling but we didn't expect to spent half of the nine hour tour on a bus. Added to that because of the issue with the bus luggage door we lost most of our free time in Sorrento. Lunch was much too early and in hindsight we should have skipped the lunch to have more free time in Sorrento. The ferry ride was great and definitely the best part of the excursion. Amalfi was so crowded it was not enjoyable to be in the main shopping area but we were very thankful that we had gone into the back laneways to enjoy wandering. While we were unfortunate to have been delayed for 30 minutes because of the bus issue the timings of this excursion need to be reassessed to try to make it less rushed and it would probably be better if Sorrento was dropped and just have the excursion as a boat ride of the Amalfi Coast with a visit to Amalfi. When I was at the Shore Excursion desk regarding a matter with another excursion I did mention this to them. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 23 Author #57 Share Posted July 23 Saturday June 29 - Naples Continued As we sailed away from Naples we passed a small lighthouse at the exit to the port. After such a long day we didn't feel like going to the Main Dining Room so after a shower we had dinner at the Oceanview Cafe. We had a relaxing evening with our friends at the Sunset Bar enjoying the views of Capri as we sailed by and even saw some dolphins. At one point while at the Sunset Bar I felt something crawl up my arm and into my shirt. Once I removed it and got over the fright I saw that it was a grasshopper. I hope he somehow got back to land! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbfb Posted July 24 #58 Share Posted July 24 21 hours ago, PurpleTraveller said: Thursday June 27 - Portofino Continued We got the 12.15pm ferry to Portofino and thoroughly enjoyed the ride sitting on the top deck. We had lovely views of Santa Margherita as we departed. The views of the coastline as we made our way to Portofino were beautiful and we passed Celebrity Infinity on the way. The entry into Portofino was gorgeous. We could see from the ferry that it was a lot busier in Portofino than when we had left. Do you think it’s worth spending the day in Portofino? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 24 Author #59 Share Posted July 24 4 hours ago, cbfb said: Do you think it’s worth spending the day in Portofino? We really like Portofino but it is very small. You could spend a two or three hours in Portofino but there isn't a lot to do. If you wanted to do more I would consider going elsewhere such as Santa Margherita or Rapallo as well as spending some time in Portofino or go a bit further afield such as the Cinque Terre. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 24 Author #60 Share Posted July 24 (edited) Sunday June 30 - Messina We arrived in Messina at 7.00am and headed off to the Oceanview Cafe for breakfast. We had a lovely view of Messina from the back deck as we ate. We were joined by the Marella Explorer 2 at 8.00am. At 8.30am we went to the Theatre for our shore excursion Destination Highlight : Black Madonna of Tindari. We have been to Messina previously and gone to Taormina and the Godfather villages so we were hoping for a tour to somewhere a bit different and quieter. At 8.35am our tour was called and we walked out to the dock where the tour buses were lined up. We were on group 22 and to our astonishment when we got past bus 21 there was a black Mercedes mini van between bus 21 and 23 with number 22 on it. We had hit the shore excursion jackpot! It was just the two of us (our friends went to Taormina) and another couple on the tour in a mini van with our driver and tour guide Renata. We couldn't have had a more opposite shore excursion experience from Naples if we had tried! We set off at 8.40am and drove to Tindari which is a hilltop town on the north coast of Sicily. It only has a population of 33 but has a magnificent cathedral and ancient ruins. As we approached we could see the cathedral high on the hill. At 9.35am we arrived in Tindari and were able to park in the highest carpark as we were in a mini van so we only had a short walk. We walked up the hill past small food shops and were given many samples of their wares such as candied nuts, marzipan and sweets. There were shops with lovely local ceramics and ones cooking nuts. We walked past a statue of the Archbishop who had the idea of building the current Cathedral of Tindari and who is buried in the cathedral. There were great views down the coast from the path up to the cathedral. We visited the Cathedral of Tindari and the Black Madonna. The current cathedral was only completed in the 1970's but there has been a holy building at the location for hundreds of years. The cathedral is decorated with mosaics, marble and stained glass windows. Edited July 24 by PurpleTraveller 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 24 Author #61 Share Posted July 24 (edited) Sunday June 30 - Messina Continued From the square in front of the cathedral are wonderful views of the coast and the Aeolian Islands. There are seven islands including Stromboli but due to the hazy conditions we could only see six. Looking in the opposite direction we couldn't see Mr Etna at all because of the haze. Our guide took us into a cafe to show us the Tindari speciality of black icecream made with volcanic ash. We didn't have time to try any and I must admit it didn't look terribly appetizing. There was a particularly inviting table at the cafe which would be lovely to sit at and enjoy your coffee, meal or icecream. We then walked up the road enjoying the views. Our destination was the small archeological park where we visited the small museum. We then walked around the park and saw the ancient theatre built at the end of the 4th century BC and overlooks the coast. Edited July 24 by PurpleTraveller 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 24 Author #62 Share Posted July 24 Sunday June 30 - Messina Continued We then saw the bathhouses with their mosaics. As we walked to the Basilica I liked this view of the old with the new behind it. We then had an hour of free time so we walked further up the road for more wonderful views. When we returned to the cathedral it was busier than when we had been there earlier with people coming for the Sunday mass. We walked along the side of the cathedral for more great views of the coast. We then strolled back to the carpark where we all met up at 12.00pm for the drive back to Messina. We arrived back at the ship at 12.50pm and were back on the ship at 1.00pm. The tour was so calm, peaceful and relaxed. In the cathedral there were only about 20 other people when we we there. Our group were the only people at the archeological park. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, there was a breeze and it was an absolute pleasure to be in Tindari. The tour to Tindari was the total opposite of what we had experienced the previous day in Naples. I am amazed that the shore excursion wasn't cancelled with only four participants but it was great for the four of us. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 24 Author #63 Share Posted July 24 (edited) Sunday June 30 - Messina Continued We had some lunch at the Oceanview Cafe where we had a view of the harbour and the Messina Strait. While we were eating the question of the day was being asked. The question was "How many passengers were on the cruise?" and the answer was 2,289. At 4.00pm we went up to deck 11 for the sail away. The ship carefully moved out from the dock and then sailed past the Stele Madonna della Lettera or Our Lady of the Letter Monument which had its column covered in scaffolding. It was erected in 1934 and is almost 200ft tall. The words in Latin "Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus" at the base mean "We bless you and the city". We then sailed out of the harbour and into the Messina Strait between Sicily and mainland Italy towards Brindisi. Dinner was in the San Marco Dining Room where our water performed some interesting tricks balancing items on tooth picks. Our evening finished at the Sunset Bar where we enjoyed a drink with a view of the Italian coast. Edited July 24 by PurpleTraveller 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 24 Author #64 Share Posted July 24 (edited) Monday July 1 - Brindisi We had breakfast at the Oceanview Cafe and then sat on deck 11 to watch the sail in to Brindisi at 9.30am. The ship came into the port then did a 180° turn in front of the Castello Alfonsino Forte a Mare to dock. At 10.00am was the announcement that the ship had been cleared. Our friends decided to stay on the ship to have a relaxing day so the two of us left the ship and got on a free shuttle bus from the port to the city centre at 10.05am. We arrived in Brindisi at 10.20am. We walked along the waterfront which is a lovely area and had a small market. We had a great view of the Monument to Italian Sailors which was built in 1933 and is 54 metres tall. There were views across the harbour. Further along the waterfront we came to the base of the Roman Column. The column was commissioned by the Emperor Trajan to mark the end of the Via Appia Antica which starts in Rome. There were previously two columns but one collapsed in 1528 and was donated to the nearby city of Lecce. A short walk away we found some F2 racing boats on the waterfront. We could now see Castello Svevo originally completed in 1233 with a naval ship moored in front of it. Edited July 24 by PurpleTraveller 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 24 Author #65 Share Posted July 24 (edited) Monday July 1 - Brindisi Continued The waterfront area was quite lovely and there were some quaint laneways nearby. We visited the Tempio di San Giovanni al Sepolcro which was built by the Knights Templar in the 11th century as their second church. Entry cost €3.00 each. There are some very old frescos on the walls. In the Piazza Sant Teresa is a war memorial. We walked past the Loggia del Palazzo Balsamo with its ornate loggia built in the 14th century. Next was the Duomo where there was a wedding happening. The cathedral was built in the 11th century but was remodeled in the 18th century. We liked the cute wedding Fiat 500 Bambino. In the corner of the Piazza Duomo is the Porto dei Cavalieri Templari which is all that remains from the Knights Templar main church. Edited July 24 by PurpleTraveller 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 24 Author #66 Share Posted July 24 Monday July 1 - Brindisi Continued We strolled through the quiet streets enjoying looking at the buildings. We walked to the Archaeological Area of San Pietro Degli Schiavoni. The ancient remains of a Roman street and buildings have been preserved under the modern Guiseppe Verdi Theatre completed in 2006. On the way back to the shuttle stop we walked along Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi which is lined with shops and cafes. We got the 12.30pm shuttle back to the port and were back on the ship at 12.50. We had lunch at the Oceanview Cafe where there was a Canada Day display. We then had a relaxing afternoon before having dinner at the San Marco Dining Room. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 25 Author #67 Share Posted July 25 Tuesday July 2 - Kotor We woke at 6.00am and opened our curtains to find that we were in the Bay of Kotor. The ship glided through the bay and we enjoyed the beautiful scenery even though it was rather overcast and misty. We passed the Lady of the Rocks island at 6.20am and reached our anchor point at 6.45am. We had breakfast on the back deck of the Oceanview Cafe and watch Oceania Vista pass us in the bay on her way to docking at the Kotor dock. A short time later the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Club's Evrima also passed us to tender near the Kotor dock. At 7.55am there was an announcement that tender service would commence. Our meeting time for our booked shore excursion "Destination Highlight : Kotor and the Seaside Resort of Budva" was at 8.15am and exactly at 8.15am we were called to board a tender. The tender left and arrived at the Kotor dock at 8.45am. The bus left at 8.55am Our guide was Silvana and there were 39 passengers. We drove from Kotor to Budva. We went past the Kotor Cable Car that opened in August 2023. When we reached the coast there were good views of the coastline. We arrived in Budva at 9.30am and we walked from where the bus dropped us off to the Old Town of Budva. The walk took 20 minutes. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 25 Author #68 Share Posted July 25 Tuesday July 2 - Kotor Continued We entered the Old Town at 8.50am through the main gate. The Old Town is surrounded by 1.5km of walls. We walked through the pretty streets. There was a short walking tour where we walked to the Church of Sveti Ivan, a lookout from the wall and the Church of the Holy Trinity. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 25 Author #69 Share Posted July 25 (edited) Tuesday July 2 - Kotor Continued We were then given almost an hour of free time so we walked around the very cute Old Town. We walked past the Budva Museum to look out over the other side of the Old Town's wall. We headed back into the Old Town As we walked back into the narrow streets there was a shower of rain but it didn't last long. I took the opportunity to do some shopping. We then walked out of a gate to see the walls from the beach. With the skies looking very ominous we made our way back into the Old Town and walked down some lovely streets. Edited July 25 by PurpleTraveller 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 25 Author #70 Share Posted July 25 (edited) Tuesday July 2 - Kotor Continued Soon after a massive storm hit. There was torrential rain, thunder, lightening and strong winds. We took shelter under the awning of a bar but we still got soaked. The water was flooding the streets and there was so much water it couldn't flow away quick enough. VID20240702104415.mp4 We had to leave our shelter to get back to the meeting place at 11.00am and when we all arrived we were a rather bedraggled bunch of cruise passengers. The walk back to the bus was interesting as we walked through flooded streets and at one stage the water was above our ankles. This drain was completely dry when we walked from the bus to the Old Town. It was now a torrent of water. Safely back at the bus we left Budva at 11.30am for the drive back to Kotor. Our driver was notified that the 1.7km road tunnel between Budva and Kotor had a traffic jam so we took the far more scenic high road which was a bonus. When we got to Kotor we were in a traffic jam of traffic entering the city. We could see the old walls above us. We got back to the dock at 12.25pm. When we got off the bus I asked the guide why we had not gone to Sveti Stefan (a lovely island resort south of Budva) as it was part of the tour description. She told me that it was not part of the tour and when I said that it was on the Celebrity description of the tour she told me that I was mistaken and it was definitely not part of the tour. Hmmm! I would follow this up when I returned to the ship but in the meantime we set off to see Kotor. Edited July 25 by PurpleTraveller 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 25 Author #71 Share Posted July 25 (edited) Tuesday July 2 - Kotor Continued We decided not to do the walking tour of Kotor that was part of the tour as we have been to Kotor three previous times. Fortunately the worst of the weather had passed and it was pleasantly warm with the sun starting to come out. We walked past the fruit market to the south entrance gate. We then climbed the stairs to walk on the Old Town walls. As we walked along the wall we were able to look into the Old Town of Kotor. We could also look down to the outside of the wall. We ended up at the north gate where we made our way into the Old Town. The streets weren't too busy near the north gate so we could enjoy walking but as we neared the centre it became very crowded. When it became extremely crowded we made our way back out of the main gate and to the dock. We got on a tender at 1.35pm and were back at the ship at 2.05pm. We stopped at the Shore Excursion desk to query why the tour description had Sveti Stefan as a tour highlight when the guide told us that it was not part of the tour and we didn't go there. They agreed that the current description on the Celebrity app and their excursion computer system showed a visit to Sveti Stefan as a highlight. They were very apologetic and told us that they would investigate. I had specifically chosen this tour because it was supposed to show me Sveti Stefan. I knew it wasn't a visit but I expected a photo stop or a least a drive past. After our day in Zadar I went to the Shore Excursion Desk as I hadn't heard anything from them. I was told that they hadn't had a response from Celebrity Miami or the tour operator as to the discrepancy between the tour description and what was provided but I was given a 20% refund which I thought was a fair outcome. Edited July 25 by PurpleTraveller 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 25 Author #72 Share Posted July 25 (edited) Tuesday July 2 - Kotor Continued After dropping our damp belongings in our cabin we went to the Oceanview Cafe for lunch. It was raining while we ate but later in the afternoon it cleared up and the sun came out. At 5.20pm the Oceania Vista passed us as she left Kotor. At 5.30pm we went up the the Sunset Bar to watch the sail away. We ended up on deck 12 near the Rooftop Terrace where we enjoyed the lovely views as we sailed from Kotor. We sailed past the lovely town of Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks Island. I always love sailing through the narrow Verige Strait which is only 340 metres wide. We sailed past small towns and churches. The sun coming through the clouds was amazing and there were low clouds over the mountains. We also sailed past a couple of submarine tunnel built in the 1970's by the Yugoslavian Navy. Edited July 25 by PurpleTraveller 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 25 Author #73 Share Posted July 25 (edited) Tuesday July 2 - Kotor Continued Eventually we got to the exit of the Bay of Kotor. This was our final view inside the bay. As we approached the Sea there was a rainbow. We sailed out of the Bay of Kotor and past Mamula Fortress which was built in 1853 as a defensive fortification to guard the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. The ship sailed into the Adriatic Sea at 8.00pm and we went into the Oceanview Cafe to have dinner but not before admiring the sun setting. After dinner there was a lovely sunset to watch while out on deck. We then returned to our cabin for a quiet evening. Edited July 25 by PurpleTraveller 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunset329 Posted July 25 #74 Share Posted July 25 Absolutely adore your photos. Thanks for sharing your photos and review. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtechmk Posted July 25 #75 Share Posted July 25 Wonderful photos! Looks like a great trip! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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