jewel cruise 6/25...any questions?

[CoachN]

Excursions:

Sicilylife

marcello

train to rome

florence on your own

walked around villefrance

 

AMAZING CRUISE!!!!!!

[bonnieg]

We are basically doing the same things on our upcoming 7/30 cruise. Sicily, renting a car, Marcello, train to Florence and Rome, Try to get to St. Paul de Vence. How did the trains work out? What time were you able to take the train to Rome and Florence? What time were the trains that you took back to the ship?

[Mstaczek97]

CoachN,

 

Thanks for your offer. Glad you had a great cruise!! Looking forward to ours on 7/30! A question about Villefrench....any tips of where to go, what to do in particular? Any favorite spots? Language problems...brushing up on my merci and bonjoure (sp)!! :rolleyes:

 

Thanks,

 

Michele :)

[dustinjones]

Hello,

 

Can you tell me what time you were allowed off the ship on the Rome and Florence days? Was it right at 7:00 or a little after? We are going to try to catch a train around 7:40 to be in Florence by 9:00 and wondered if that is even possible.

 

Thanks!

[CoachN]

bonnieg,

We only took the train into Rome...in Florence we did NCL's "Florence on your own" excursion. So I can't help much with the Florence train; however, taking the train into Rome was EASY! I believe the train that we took back left around 4:00, but there was a later one that left closer to 5:00. We were just worried that the 5:00 might be pushing it. One tip, I had a map from a guidebook that I bought that showed were the train stations were. This helps if you want to begin your day somewhere other than the Colliseum. For example, we wanted to start at Piazza Navona (we had been to Rome a couple of years ago). So we got off the train at the Trastevere station. We then took a tram that got us even closer to the Piazza, then we walked the rest of the way. Also depending on where you are in the city when you are ready to leave you do not have to go all the way back to the Termini station, you can have a taxi take you to one of the others. One more thing, I feel like I need to warn you about Marcello. The guy is INTENSE! He comes off as a bit negative at first, but he either softened, or I got used to it. That being said, the lunch that he took us to in San Giovanni was one of the highlights of the trip. The food and the view were just amazing!

 

Michele,

We LOVED Villefrance. I am so glad we decided to hang out there and not rush past it to one of the other cities. Everything was within walking distance. When you get off the tender at the pier there is a little tourist information area. They have free maps of the city. We walked to the top of the hill to a really awesome market. Half of it was like a flea market, the other half was food. We then just wandered our way through the streets. You can't get lost because it is so small. It was also not very crowded. No problems with the language anywhere, almost everyone spoke at least a little bit of english.

 

dustinjones,

In Rome you can get off the ship at 7:00am, the same is true for Florence. Since we didn't take the train in Florence I really can't help you.

 

One of our favorite things we did in Florence if you love to sit a people watch a little bit. In the piazza where the Baptistry and the Duomo are located. There is an English bar/sandwich place on the right hand side of the piazza (as you face the Duomo). The bar has an upstairs, where there is a balcony just big enough for a tiny table and two stools. We were the only people in the entire upstairs area. The food and drink were just okay, but the view of the baptistry and the duomo were to die for. Plus you had the feelling that you had total privacy even though there was so much activity right below. We were just going to stop for a drink, but ended up staying for a couple of hours and just soaking up the view.

[pauline wales]

any info on what to expect in cabin e.g soap shampooetc. Also is there a coffee maker thanks a lot;)

[mdallas]

my dh tires easily, and doesn't like to walk too far. I'm considering hiring a driver in Florence, to keep walking to a minimum, but its getting expensive! With the Florence on your own tour, how close to things did you get? Could you see a fair ammount without a great deal of walking? Would it be convenient for him to sit in a cafe (or on "your" balcony) while I went about a bit on my own? Also, how "beat" were you in Florence, given a full, long day in Rome the day before?

[CoachN]

any info on what to expect in cabin e.g soap shampooetc. Also is there a coffee maker thanks a lot;)

 

1. soap & shampoo dispenser in the shower...not the best, but convenient

2. coffee maker in the room, but I recommend roomservice coffee.

3. We thought the inside room was great....we were glad we didn't spend the $400 on the upsell to a balcony.

4. if you are a drinker definitely go with a bar setup

 

If you think of anything else let me know

[CoachN]

my dh tires easily, and doesn't like to walk too far. I'm considering hiring a driver in Florence, to keep walking to a minimum, but its getting expensive! With the Florence on your own tour, how close to things did you get? Could you see a fair ammount without a great deal of walking? Would it be convenient for him to sit in a cafe (or on "your" balcony) while I went about a bit on my own? Also, how "beat" were you in Florence, given a full, long day in Rome the day before?

 

My wife and I are in our late 30s and in pretty good shape, but we were exhausted after private drivers on Sicily and Naples. Part of our problem could have been staying out fairly late in the casino taking advantage of the free drinks.

We slept in before taking the train into Rome. That helped to recharge our battery for Florence. There is a short walk from the dropoff point to the meeting point; however, it puts you close to most everything. You just need to prioritize what you want to see. I would recommend doing the Florence on your own rather than a private driver, especially after a full day in Rome. Florence was much easier to do on our own than Rome. Again, just prioritize and have your husband go at a pace that he is comfortable with. My wife and I love to eat and drink our way through a city. Walk until you get a little tired then stop for an espresso or a wine.

 

You will have a wonderful time no matter what you do!

[Mstaczek97]

Thanks CoachN.....Your info has been very helpful. We are planning on staying in Villefrenche and enjoy the slower pace!! :D