Rare hcat Posted July 25 #76 Share Posted July 25 On 7/23/2024 at 6:55 PM, PurpleTraveller said: photos edited out for spacing! ht 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. nice review..great photos but seemed like a very busy day..no time to sit and enjoy! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare hcat Posted July 25 #77 Share Posted July 25 Loved the remaining pics etc.. We are no longer doing long excursions with walking and touring, so I much appreciate hearing abt yours! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeaBag Posted July 25 #78 Share Posted July 25 Thank you for this delightful review with all the wonderful photos. We are taking this exact same cruise on Constellation next month. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumbles Posted July 25 #79 Share Posted July 25 Great review and lovely photos! You should be a travel writer. We're doing a similar itinerary in September but not stopping at all the same ports - this makes me even more excited (like that was even a possibility). Thank you for taking the time to let us live vicariously through your experiences! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #80 Share Posted July 26 11 hours ago, Sunset329 said: Absolutely adore your photos. Thanks for sharing your photos and review. Thank you! Also thank you for reading the review. Hope you enjoy the rest. 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #81 Share Posted July 26 11 hours ago, txtechmk said: Wonderful photos! Looks like a great trip! Thanks! We had a wonderful trip - wonderful but a tad exhausting. We went to many great places and really enjoyed our two cruises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #82 Share Posted July 26 10 hours ago, hcat said: nice review..great photos but seemed like a very busy day..no time to sit and enjoy! It was a very busy day where we seemed to either be sitting on a bus or rushing around. Definitely no time to sit back and enjoy our surroundings with the exception of the ferry ride which was very enjoyable. Having lunch at 11.15am was ridiculous. We all had a big breakfast because the tour description stated that we would go to Amalfi first before going to Sorrento for lunch so we were expecting a late lunch. No-one was terribly hungry at 11.115am. I would have much preferred the ferry ride and a more leisurely time in Amalfi and perhaps a visit to Salerno where we got on and off the ferry. Hindsight is wonderful isn't it? 😊 10 hours ago, hcat said: Loved the remaining pics etc.. We are no longer doing long excursions with walking and touring, so I much appreciate hearing abt yours! Thanks! I hope you enjoy the remainder of the review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #83 Share Posted July 26 8 hours ago, TeaBag said: Thank you for this delightful review with all the wonderful photos. We are taking this exact same cruise on Constellation next month. Thank you! I'm glad that you are enjoying the review. Have you planned any excursions or tours on your cruise? We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on Constellation. Hope you have a wonderful cruise! 🛳️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #84 Share Posted July 26 3 hours ago, bumbles said: Great review and lovely photos! You should be a travel writer. We're doing a similar itinerary in September but not stopping at all the same ports - this makes me even more excited (like that was even a possibility). Thank you for taking the time to let us live vicariously through your experiences! Thankyou so much! I know what you mean about the excitement before a cruise! 😂 Hope you enjoy the rest of the review and that you have a wonderful cruise. 🛳️ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #85 Share Posted July 26 (edited) Wednesday July 3 - Split Constellation arrived in Split at 7.30am just after the Queen Victoria. We had breakfast on the back deck of the Oceanview Cafe enjoying our view of Split. At 8.20am was the announcement that the ship was cleared for passengers to leave the ship. We went to the Theatre for the meeting time of 8.45am for our shore excursion "Destination Highlight : Ancient Salona and the Town of Trogir". At 8.45am our group was called and our bus left to drive to our first stop at 9.00am. We were a group of 42 passengers. We arrived at the ancient Roman town of Salona at 9.25am. Salona was an early Roman settlement and abandoned in the 7th century. We had a short walking tour where walked past some ruins. We then we had 30 minutes of free time so we went directly to the Ampitheatre which was a bit of a walk. We met back at the bus at 10.15am. After we left the ruins we were able to see the ruins of the Roman Theatre from the main road. We drove to Trogir which is a mediaeval town on a tiny island that is now connected to the mainland by bridge. We arrived at 10.50am and went on a walking tour over the bridge to the island and to the Cathedral of St Lawrence. Edited July 26 by PurpleTraveller 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #86 Share Posted July 26 (edited) Wednesday July 3 - Split Continued A short walk away was the waterfront where we were given an hour of free time. We walked along the lovely waterfront to the Kamerlengo Castle. We then made our way past a bell tower and into the very pretty town. A stop for some delicious icecream was most welcome and then we walked back across the bridge to the produce market. Our friends bought some lovely cherries that were absolutely delicious! We met at the bus at 12.30pm and drove back to Split. We were dropped off at the ship at 1.25pm. Edited July 26 by PurpleTraveller 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #87 Share Posted July 26 Wednesday July 3 - Split Continued Our friends decided to return to the ship but we decided to walk the 15 minutes to the Diocletian Palace of Split. The Diocletian Palace was the retirement palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian and it was built between 295 and 305. The palace was used by other Roman rulers after his death. We entered through the Bronze Gate and walked through the substructures which were used to take delivery and store goods. We wandered around seeing the Cathedral of St Dominus and the black sphinx dating from the 15th century BC. Around the corner from the cathedral we walked through this pretty open area and then returned into the Palace. We walked through the Vestibule which was the formal entrance to the imperial apartments with the dome now open to the sky. Next was the Peristil the colonnaded Roman courtyard. We walked out of the Silver Gate. We walked around the walls to the Bell Tower and the statue of Gregorius of Nin. We reentered the Palace through the Golden Gate and walked through the narrow streets. The Iron Gate was our turning point. We headed back towards the Bronze Gate and walked past the Temple of Jupiter. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #88 Share Posted July 26 (edited) Wednesday July 3 - Split Continued We walked out of the palace to the waterfront and had a stroll then sat back for a while to people watch. At 3.00pm we walked back to the ship past the Split sign. We thought the solar power benches where you can charge your phones were interesting. We were back on board at 3.15pm. A visit to Cafe al Bacio for some lemon tarts for afternoon tea was in order and then we had a break in our cabin. Sail away was at 5.15pm and we could see that the Helipad was open for invited passengers to enjoy the sail away. We had dinner at the San Marco Dining Room and then spent the remainder of the evening at the Sunset Bar. Edited July 26 by PurpleTraveller 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AIWALKINGTOUR Posted July 26 #89 Share Posted July 26 Fantastic photos! My wife and I were on the same sailing on the Constellation. We likely crossed paths a few times during the cruise. While we hit the same ports it seems like we went on different excursions. In Split we hit Krka waterfalls. They were nice but in hindsight we would have liked to spend more time in old town. Looking forward to the photos of Zadar, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #90 Share Posted July 26 10 minutes ago, AIWALKINGTOUR said: Fantastic photos! My wife and I were on the same sailing on the Constellation. We likely crossed paths a few times during the cruise. While we hit the same ports it seems like we went on different excursions. In Split we hit Krka waterfalls. They were nice but in hindsight we would have liked to spend more time in old town. Looking forward to the photos of Zadar, Thank you! We had a wonderful cruise and met lots of lovely people from all over the world. I hope you enjoyed your cruise as much as we did. 🛳️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #91 Share Posted July 26 Thursday July 4 - Zadar Constellation arrived in Zadar at 7.30am on a beautiful morning. We had breakfast on the back deck of the Oceanview Cafe while enjoying the view. The first announcement that the ship had been cleared and passengers could leave the ship was at 8.05am. We left the ship shortly after 9.00am and got a shuttle to the Zadar Old Town at 9.15am. The shuttle cost USD15.00 return or USD8.00 one way. The ship was docked at a fairly new and modern terminal and the Old Town was a 15 minute shuttle ride. We arrived at 9.30am just adjacent to the Sun Salutation. This is a 22 metre wide circle of glass plates set into the pavement which collects the sun's energy during the day and then has a light show after dark. Next to the Sun Salutation is the Sea Organ that is set into stone stairs on the waterfront and when the sea movement pushes air through the pipes makes sounds. We then walked down the lovely waterfront. Across the road is the Roman Forum and the Pillar of Shame which is a Roman Column that was used as a shame post during the Middle Ages where people who had done wrong were chained and humiliated. Adjacent to the Roman Forum was St Donatus' Church which was built in the 9th century and is circular. We climbed the stairs to look down from the dome. Next door is the St Anastasia's Cathedral and Bell Tower. We walked down the main street to the pretty People's Square. The clock tower was built in 1798. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #92 Share Posted July 26 Thursday July 4 - Zadar Continued A little further on is St Simeon's Church where the sarcophagus of St Simeon lies inside. It was commissioned in 1377 and the coffin is made of cedar and covered inside and outside with gold-plated silver reliefs. We then walked through pretty Peter Zoranic Square. Around the corner is Five Wells Square and part of the Old Town walls. We then walked into the Queen Jelena Madijevka Park before heading back into the Old Town. Off the main street were small laneways with restaurants. We did some shopping and got lunch from a bakery which we ate at the waterfront. Our friends decided to stroll back to the Sea Organ before returning to the ship. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 26 Author #93 Share Posted July 26 Thursday July 4 - Zadar Continued We wandered the streets and walked past more remnants of the old walls and out of the Land Gate to see the cute little port. After reentering the old town we had a quick walk through the City Market to see the produce. There was an interesting old machine in the market that was possibly used to grind grain. We then walked through the streets before heading back to the waterfront. We got a shuttle at 1.25pm and were back at the terminal at 1.40pm. We were back on the ship at 1.50pm. We had a light lunch and went to our cabin to pack. Dinner was at the San Marco Dining Room where we had our last meal and bid our lovey waiter Umam and assistant waiter Wangsa farewell. We spent the rest of our evening at the Sunset Bar enjoying our last evening on board. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare chemmo Posted July 26 #94 Share Posted July 26 3 hours ago, PurpleTraveller said: Thanks! We had a wonderful trip - wonderful but a tad exhausting. We went to many great places and really enjoyed our two cruises. Sincere thanks for your wonderful review. It is about twenty years now since myself and family enjoyed the places you visited on both cruises in a mix of cruises and land tours…At that time we could enjoy the walking and the long days and still have energy left for the evenings entertainment…. It has been wonderful to revisit many of our favourite spots vicariously with you, many happy memories! Your reviews with provide a wealth of information of both life on board and the ports of call for those visiting in the years to come. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcairns Posted July 26 #95 Share Posted July 26 Thank you for this wonderful review. We are doing the same itinerary in September and you have provided us with plenty of insights into what to see and do. 👍👍👍 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AIWALKINGTOUR Posted July 27 #96 Share Posted July 27 Nice Grand Finale. Did you spend any time in Venice or did you head for the airport? After two cruises I would have done the latter 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 27 Author #97 Share Posted July 27 19 hours ago, chemmo said: Sincere thanks for your wonderful review. It is about twenty years now since myself and family enjoyed the places you visited on both cruises in a mix of cruises and land tours…At that time we could enjoy the walking and the long days and still have energy left for the evenings entertainment…. It has been wonderful to revisit many of our favourite spots vicariously with you, many happy memories! Your reviews with provide a wealth of information of both life on board and the ports of call for those visiting in the years to come. Thank you! And thank you for reading along. I'm so pleased that my review has brought back happy memories for you. I enjoy writing reviews of my cruises not only to relive my memories but also to hopefully give future cruisers some information that may help them with their planning. 😊 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbfb Posted July 27 #98 Share Posted July 27 Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us. Your descriptions and photos were wonderful. It looked like an amazing trip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 27 Author #99 Share Posted July 27 17 hours ago, Alcairns said: Thank you for this wonderful review. We are doing the same itinerary in September and you have provided us with plenty of insights into what to see and do. 👍👍👍 Thanks, hopefully this review will help a little with your planning. Hope you have a wonderful cruise in September! 🛳️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 27 Author #100 Share Posted July 27 18 minutes ago, AIWALKINGTOUR said: Nice Grand Finale. Did you spend any time in Venice or did you head for the airport? After two cruises I would have done the latter 🙂 Thanks! I'll be posting what we did next. After leaving the ship we spent a night in Ravenna (we've been to Venice twice) then used trains to go to Bologna and Milan before flying to Istanbul for four nights and then flying home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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