Just back from the Voyager 10/14 - 10/21

[hydrorama]

Just wanted to share a little bit and say thanks for all the informationa and help I recieved over the last several months.

 

Voyager of the Seas October 14, 2006

 

Barcelona, Marseilles, Villefranche, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, Barcelona

 

Arriving in Barcelona was very easy. We got off the plane on the tarmac and were bussed to terminal A.

We went thru passport control which took about 10 minutes. After our passports were stamped we went to baggage claim to collect our bags. Outside we were met by our driver from Taxi Internacional (http://www.taxiinternacional.com/) The trip to the hotel cost 40 euros. I did not see a queue of taxi’s as we left the airport, but that was probably because we were among the last few people out of the terminal.

 

We stayed at the Grand Marina Hotel on the Moll de Barcelona. ( http://www.grandmarinahotel.com) This is where some of the smaller cruise ships dock. It was a beautiful hotel and the view was spectacular. The room itself was spectacular. Marble bathroom with a separate shower complete with body massage and a large Jacuzzi. There were tons of in room amenities, including robes, slippers, and just about any toiletry you might need, bath salts, toothbrushes and toothpaste, mouthwash, razors and shave cream, and of course soaps and shampoo. The room was huge with a nice balcony overlooking the city. There was also a reception on the terrace with complimentary Catalonian champagne. It was the nicest hotel we have ever stayed in. It was a little pricey, but for our first trip abroad we really wanted to treat ourselves.

 

We walked from the hotel to the Christopher Columbus monument (Mirador De Colom) at the bottom of Las Ramblas. You can ride the elevator to the top of the monument for some panoramic views. I was blown away by the sheer number of people on Las Ramblas. I can’t imagine what it would be like at peak travel times. I did not see any or encounter any pickpockets or other problems but can certainly see where the potential existed in such a crowded area. We walked up Las Ramblas to the Plaza De Catalunya and went into El Cortes Ingles, a 10 story department store that has just about everthing. We did a little shopping there but you can get better buys in some of he smaller shops which are plentiful. Had to make a stop at the Decathalon store. This is a large sporting goods store based in France I believe. I needed a new watch as the battery in mine just died. Found one for 8 euro. I also wanted to get a few shirts for running so I could be reminded of my trip on a regular basis. Walking thru the Old Quarter (Barri Gottic) on the narrow pedestrian streets checking out the shops and the architechture was a lot of fun. We found a nice square where we sat outside and had a lunch of paella and a pitcher of sangria and just watched all the people go by.

 

On Saturday morning another driver from Taxi Internacional picked us up and drove us to the ship. The cost was 30 euro. This was the most animated driver we had and he told us some incredible stories. I can’t remember his name but he said there is a documentary about him on The Discovery Channel called The Devils’ Apprentice, so I’ll have to look for that. Arriving at the pier we went thru security before check in. The whole process took less than 20 minutes. After checking in we went back into Barcelona without going onboard. We took the shuttle bus from the pier to the Columbus monument. It was 3 euro pp round trip. We walked along the water front and then walked up to the Picaso Museum. We walked back to Las Ramblas and it was even more crowded. It was really amazing to see all the different people and different nationalities. The market off Las Ramblas was really something to see. It’s about halfway up on the left if your back is to the water. We bought some fruit and continued to walk around. On Saturday there was a small flee market set up between the Columbus monument and the waterfront. Communication was not really a problem. It seemed that most of the locals (at least in the tourist areas) spoke some English. We knew some basic Spanish and a few key phrases and this was more than enough to get by.

 

The shuttle back to the ship picked us up where it had dropped us, on the opposite side of the street. Back at the pier there were shops (duty free if I remember correctly) after the security check point. You could buy wine and water along with other goods and walk onboard with them. There was no additional scanning process after the shops. We got back to the ship just in time for the muster drill. Even though it was done in several languages it didn’t take very long.

 

We stayed in a junior suite on deck 10 on the port side of the ship. Our cabin was on the hump giving our balcony a nice forward view. We had the main seating in the dining room, and had dinner there each night. Our sea pass card said dinner was at 7 pm but the cruise compass said dinner was at 6:30. We typically arrived closer to 7 usually around 6:45. We had a table for 2 so this didn’t affect anyone else. But there were people arriving for dinner after 7 every night. Enjoyed every meal, never had a bad dish. There were some spectacular desserts.

Late seating had 2 times listed in the cruise compass, 8:45 and 9 pm. Formal nights were on Sunday (Marseilles) and Thursday (Naples). Did not see any shows so I cannot comment on those. After dinner we would stroll thru the promenade to do a little people watching . The promenade and the ship in general was very impressive. We would stop in the Pig and Whistle to get a drink and take it back to the cabin where we sat on the balcony with a nice Cuban cigar and watch the sea go by.

We used room service for breakfast each morning and ate while watching the port. Room sevice was always on time, even early once or twice and called before they brought the tray up.

Lunch we had on shore each day. The only time we were in the Wind Jammer was for lunch on Friday, the sea day. They had a large selection and the food was good.

 

Our first port was Marseilles on Sunday. The view from the port side showed the gangway and the small cruise terminal. Off in the distance you could see the hills. The docking area was clean and quiet. There were taxis available at the terminal. Walking was not really an option. We took the ships shuttle to the old port ( Vieux Port), the cost was 12 euro pp round trip. The bus dropped us along the water front across from the Hotel de Ville. We got back on the bus in the same place, on the same side of the street.

 

After getting off the bus we watched some of the fishermen coming back in with their catches and checked out the fish market. They had everything, lobster, octopus, squid and an amazing variety of fish. We were a little leery in this port as we had read many commentaries about the French people not being very friendly or helpful. This was not the case at all for us. In fact it was just the opposite. We learned a few words and key phrases in French and always tried to speak to the people we encountered using our limited French vocabulary. After we made the effort they usually responded with a little English. I think a lot of them enjoyed showing their ability to speak English and spoke it quite well. We never asked anyone if they spoke English. Actually we were asked after mangling their language if we spoke English! The greatest example of helpfulness came from the girl at the counter of a fast food place (quick burger) where we stopped to (buy a drink) and use the bathroom. She didn’t speak much English but she spoke a little Italian and a little Spanish and she really took her time giving us directions. Using these four languages and of course hand signals we were able to find out where we needed to go. She was very patient with us and really started our day off well as this was our first encounter. Can’t imagine getting that kind of help here in the states at Mickey D’s. There is a tourist information office at the top of the Old Port. It is right behind the quick-burger.

Originally we had planned to take the petite train up to Notre Dame de la Garde but it wasn’t that appealing so we decided to walk. We took Boulevard Andre Aune from the old port. We walked up the hill and I do mean hill in about 30 minutes. There were some great views along the way. There was a free restroom outside the basilica. After looking around for awhile we walked down from the trail on the opposite side to Abbaye Saint Victor. The walk was thru a residential area. There were some nice bakeries along the way. We had planned to go inside and see the crypts but mass was still going on so we walked back to the Old Port. We strolled along the port and checked out some of the café’s. The ones right along the water were the most expensive. There were several more restaurants along the side streets. Most places had their menus and prices posted by the entrance. We found a place with outdoor seating under a canopy that offered a 3 course lunch for 12 euro. They gave you a choice of 4-5 appetizers, 4-5 entrees, and 3-4 desserts. We both had the bouillabaisse. Lunch including wine beer and tip was under 40 euro.

After lunch we walked to La Canebiere which is a main shopping street at the top of the Old Port. The tourist information center is located here as well. Since it was Sunday most of the shops were closed. We had planned on visiting the fashion museum located here (usually open on Sundays) but it was closed as they were setting up a new exhibit. The La Canebiere district was very dirty with a lot of litter on the streets. Also you need to watch your step thru out Marseilles since nobody seemed to clean up after their dogs and there were droppings all over the place.

Back at the old port the fish market was gone and the street vendors were set up. We looked around and bought a few trinkets including soap which is a popular item here. Some of the artwork was very nice.

 

Our second port was Villefranche on Monday. This was a very picturesque port and the port side of the ship faced the harbor. We really enjoyed breakfast on the balcony this morning. This is a tender port and tender tickets were given out starting at 7 am in the La Scala theater. I went down at 7 to get in line and was surprised to find only a handful of people waiting. We left the cabin around 9 so we could catch the 9:47 train. The train schedule can be found here http://www.ter-sncf.com/index.asp . No one asked for our tender tickets and we walked right on. The ride was about 10 minutes aboard boats supplied by the port, some of them had an upper deck. Much nicer than the ships life boats. Getting to the train station is very easy. Walk along the water front with the water on your right side. After about a half mile you come to the last of the buildings on the strip to your left. The last place is a restaurant called Carpaccio (or something close to that) It has a yellow front and you can see it from the tender. The stairs to the train station are just past it. Take the stone steps up to the station. You can buy your tickets on the platform if you know how to work the machine. We bought ours inside from the attendant. I had practiced asking for 2 round trip tickets to Monaco and the attendant understood and complimented me on my French, in English! Back on the platform we validated our tickets and waited for our train. It is very important to validate your tickets in the yellow machine, insert your ticket and it will be time stamped. Just watch the others and follow suit. No one checked our tickets that day but if they do and your ticket is not stamped you will be fined. If you are heading south (sud) to Eze or Monaco you will be on the right platform when you purchase tickets. If you are heading northbound you need to be on the opposite platform. Monaco is the 4th stop. It is important to count the stops as they do not announce any stops. I think you can get a map here http://www.sncf.com .

 

We got off in Monaco. I’m not sure how many exits there are from the Monaco station, there are at least three that I saw. We used two of them, one arriving the other departing. When you arrive in Monaco if you walk to the very front on the station (heading with the train) you will come out at the port where all the yachts are docked. If you stay to your left you will walk up a long hill with the water on you right. This road will lead you to the casino passing designer boutiques along the way. If you walk to the very back of the station this exit will lead you to Monaco-ville. It is a long walk from the platform to outside. Once outside there is a tourist information booth to your left. It will be the first “building” as you exit. As you exit there is a road to your right. Cross this road and walk away from the station to get to Monaco-ville. The road is slightly curved so you will not be able to see but there is a staircase on this road that leads up to Monaco-ville, ita has some great views of the water. I took a minute here to get my bearings straight, once I took a second to think about ti was very easy to figure out. If the water was on my right I was heading towards Monte-Carlo and the casino. If it was on my left I was heading towards Monaco and the aquarium. We took the steps up to the Palace, from there you can walk down to the Cathedral and into the Jardins Saint Martin. It’s a nice quiet pedestrian area with some great ocean divers. We watched a group of divers going into the water. Being divers ourselves we found it interesting to watch. The gardens will lead to the aquarium. Entry fee was 11 euro pp. We really enjoyed this. Got several close up pictures of some very colorful fish. After the aquarium we walked down to the harbor and up to the casino. It was between 1 and 2 and most of the designer shops were close (whew!) The casino and the squares in front were pretty busy. Lots of fancy cars zipping thru here. We had to check my wifes’(tbc) hat and water bottle with the coat clerc. Our bags were ok. I checked my bag anyway to get a break Tbc kept hers’ with her. The lobby was impressive. There were bathrooms inside, there also public restrooms available throughout Monaco. It was nice not to have to search for one. The day we were there a jacket was not required for entry but a passport was. Copies or dl’s were not acceptable . The cost was 10 euro. The gaming rooms do not open until the evening and a jacket (and a lot more than 10 euro is required then) Walk back down the hill from the casino to get to the train station. Cross the street at the bottom of the hill to get to the train station. The train back to Villefranche was at platform. This is the same platform you arrived on, you want to be facing away from the tracks you arrived on. Try to wait in the middle of the station. There is no line so be ready to run when the train stops. It’s everybody for themselves.

 

Our 3rd stop was Livorno on Tuesday. We hired a driver for the day to take us to Pisa and Tuscany. I had originally booked with Allessandro Camilli but he cancelled on me. I wound up taking Tuscany by Taxi for 400 euro for the entire day, 8 –5:30. I was more than satisfied. The itinerary was planned in advance and everything went smoothly. First stop was Pisa for a 9 am climb of the tower. I purchased my tickets in advance here http://www.opapisa.it/index.php?id=178&L=1&T=2 . 17 euro pp online, 15 at the ticket office.The ticket office is in the long one story building across from the tower. They barely got open by 9am and there was only one other (Italian)couple there besides ourselves. So the 4 of us had the entire tower to ourselves. That was fantastic. From there we had an hours or so drive to Monteriggioni, a small walled village a little off the beaten path. Next was a private wine tasting at Torciano (near San Gimignano) that Elio had arranged for us. This was a lot of fun. The wine tasting is free but they would like you to buy some wine. The price includes shipping. They served salami with cheese and crackers. We also sampled some olive oils with the crackers. From there we went to San Gimignano, a walled city. There was a lot going on here and there were plenty of alleyways to explore. Encountered our only “hole in the floor” toilet here. The drives out in the country side were very pretty.

 

Our 4th stop was Civitavecchia on Wednesday. The port side of the ship faced the water here, could still see some land though.Couldn;’t see the gangways. It had beend of nice to watch the people e is bus transportation to and from. At $72 pp it was outrageously overpriced but it was comfortable and stress free. There were a few busses that came back late and the ship waited on them. The captain made the announcement during dinner. The bus dropped us off at the bus station near Saint Peter’s. The meeting point was at Saint Peter’s Café on Via della Conciliazione in front of St. Peters square. Originally we planned on walking up Via Di Porta Angelica to the metro station and taking the train to the colosseum (coloseo). There were plenty of cabs lined up at Saint peters so we hopped in one to save time. The fare was 7 euro and we were there in 5 minutes. Outside the colosseum we joined a tour group. The tour was 10 euro pp added to the entry fee of 11 euro pp. The major benefit of this was we were whisked to the front of a very long line. Less than five minutes from exiting the cab we were inside the coloseum. The tour included headsets to hear the guide and lasted about 45 minutes. You could stay as long as you like. Exiting the clloseum we walked thru the forum and up the stairs at Piazza Venezia. Via della Corso will take you towards Trevi fountain. You need to make a right after 5 or 6 blocks. From the fountain Via della Murette will lead to the Pantheon. From the pantheon head towards your right (as you face it) and you will come tp Piazza Novana. We sat outside(there is a lot to see)at Tre Scalini and ate tortufa and drank cappuchino. If you like chocolate you will love this desert. It was out of this world. It cost 35 euro,. Well worth it though. From there we walked along Via del Coronari checking out the antique shops along the way. We crossed the bridge (Ponte Vittorio) back to Via della Conciliazione and made our way to St Peter’s café to sit and have a drink and people watch. It cost 10 euro for a mug of beer and an espresso.

 

The fifth stop was Naples on Thursday. We decided to visit Capri instead of Naples. Once you get off the ship walk thru the terminal. Outside walk away from the water and continue thru the parking left. When you get to the road turn left. The water will be on you left. Walk about 150 yards and there will several ticket windows with hydrofoil service to Capri. Check the schedule posted in each window and get you ticket for the one leaving next. You can find schedule here http://www.capri.net/salsa/lang/en/page/transport.html We caught the 7:55 for 14 euro pp. We had just missed the 7:35. The ride lasted about 45 minutes. There were bathrooms aboard. In Capri there is a tourist office on your right at the end of the pier next to the coast guard office just before you reach the road. They were closed so we bought a map at one of the shops. We bought our tickets for a 4:30 return. There are taxis available but the most popular way up to Capri town and the Piazzette is the funicular. Tickets are for sale for behind the coast guard building. We opted to walk. There are plenty of walkways leading up. We found a quiet walkway that led to an overlook behind the Faraglione rocks. There is also another overlook at the Garden of Augustus (Giardini di Augusto). Take Via Vittirio Emanuele to get there. We had lunch on the hill with a nice view of the port. We each had a pizza, about 8 euro apiece. The total was about 35 euro including drinks and the sevice and cover charge. The pizza a views were great. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant but it was across from Schettino’s sandals. After lunch we walked back down to the port. We had made arrangements with Capri Relax Boats to take a ride around the island on a gozzo boat. http://www.caprirelaxboats.com

The cost was 130 euro and the ride lasted around 2 hours. The boat could hold about 12 people. Our boat pilot was fantastic and got us into some small grottos and coves that seemed way to small for the boat. It was a great way to end the day and wrap up the trip.

 

Friday was a sea day and we took it pretty easy. Mostly relaxing on our balcony. Taking the occasional walk to go look at pictures, or book another cruise to get the cruise credits. Maybe get a drink and stroll down the promenade. But mostly just relax. It was a pretty tiring trip. We didn’t try to cram every single thing in and we did not rush from one site to the next. But there was a lot of walking and we were both grateful for the rest.

 

Saturday morning we were back in Barcelona. Disembarkment went smoothly. We went to the dining room for breakfast at 7:30. By 8:30 we were off the boat. Taxi Internacional took us from the pier to the airport. Cost 40 euro. There was a taxi rank at the pier but there was a substantial line as there were more passengers than taxis.

The departure area for international flights in terminal A was wall to wall people. Lines snaking all over the place. Delta ticket counters were to the left in the main area and USAir was to the right. Continental was in a smaller area behind Delta. The restrooms were behind Usair. The lines moved faster than you would have thought from the size. It took about an hour to get thru both the ticket line and security. At the counter you were informed that no liquids were permitted to be brought past the security check point or on board. So everyone had to take what they had in their carry on and put it in their checked luggage or loose it. There was a 2nd checkpoint with scanners b4 boarding the plane. The were taking all liquids, including wine bought in the duty free shop.

Arriving in philedelphia there were 4 different check points to clear before getting to the main terminals. They all went pretty smooth and the wait wasn’t too awful long. But after a 9 hour flight it sometimes felt pretty long.

 

To any one planning a trip to Europe I cannot stress enough the importance of comfortable shoes with plenty of support. There will be lots of walking and time spent standing inline. We both wore Mephistos and were very happy with them.

 

Another tip is to use the restroom every opportunity you have. It seems they are either feast or famine as far as availability. We carried our own paper but there was only one place where they didn’t have any. I think that was in marsielles. I would definitely consider carrying hand wipes with you as well.

 

I know security is important to everyone and there is some potential danger (mostly pickpockets) for tourists traveling abroad. Everywhere we went appeared safe. There were a few beggars and a couple of gypsies in Rome but I didn’t see any problems. We both wore shoulder bags that were designed with security in mind. Mine was by pac safe and had wire mesh in the front and bottom to prevent slashing and wires running thru the strap to prevent cutting. TBC’s was from either Magellon’s or Travel Smith and had a leopord print. She loved it. I also wore travel pants and shirts with deep zippered pockets. I even went so far as to attach my wallet to the zipper with a detachable key ring. One ring on the zipper, one ring on the wallet connected by a push-pull type key chian. There was no was anyone was getting my wallet without me knowing about. And if I knew about they weren’t getting it easily.

 

We bought our euros in advance. Whenever and wherever I travel I like to have my money with me. Didn’t see the need to change that approach for Europe. Especially since I don’t even have an atm card. Didn’t want to learn how to use one overseas. Our bank did not charge us a fee, the got euros for us at the inter bank rate. We estimated we paid about 40 dollars more than we would have using atm’s. But we never had to think about how much cash we had or when or where we needed to find an atm machine. I did have to buy about150 euro onboard, paid about 10 cents extra on the dollar. Used the amex card quite a bit as well. Every place that took credit cards accepted amex except for El Cortes Ingles and Decathalon both in Barcelona. Looking at the amex bill they charged us less than we had figured. I was glad to see it accepted so widely.

 

We had a blast and would definitely like to go back to Europe. Possibly another cruise, a land base trip would be nice too. Give you plenty of time to explore an area. One thing I would do different is bring more money with me!

[missyal]

Thank you so much for the amazing review! The detail is incredible. I have to go back and re-read it because I'm sure there is something I missed the first time'round.;)

 

Missyal

[Erie Dave]

We were on this same cruise and also stayed at the Grand Marina for a day prior. We loved this cruise so much with one exception--there is not enough time in the day to do what you want. We went non-stop for the first 5 days. Thank goodness we had the sea day on Friday so we could rest up a little. We booked the special Brilliance cruise for next September while on this cruise so that we can have another day in Rome and Naples and also see Sicily, Greece and Croatia.

Again, thanks for the great review!

[hydrorama]

Dave, yeah it really was a great cruise. We would definately do this one again.You are right there never is enough time. Would love to spend a few days in Barcelona, it is a cool city.

 

DJ

[CruisinGerman]

Thanks for your great review.

 

Just as a matter of information for others planning to visit our home city of Barcelona, the original poster appears to have perhaps had a misunderstanding at El Corte Inglés department store, because El Corte Inglés does definitely accept American Express -- they always have and this hasn't changed.

 

I've never been to Decathlon, so I can't confirm that one personally.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[hydrorama]

Gunther, I'm not sure what happened at El Corte Ingles. They said yes that they accepted american express and I tried to use it at a couple of different registers including gourmet foods and the optical department but it wouldn't go through. Once outside I called amex to see if there was a problem with the card (I had notified them that I would be overseas) They assured me the card was fine and they had no record of the card being used or rejected at El Cortes. Must have just been some kind of computer glitch. My mastercard worked there but my American Express blue card didn't. Decathalon told me they didn't except amex.

 

Also thank-you, I had gotten some good information from some of your previous posts!

 

DJ

[CruisinGerman]

Your review is one of the most thorough and enthusiastic reviews I have read in a long time.

 

Start planning your next cruise ---- !!!

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[CruisinGerman]

You're right about Decathlon. The French-origin hypermarkets (Carrefour, Alcampo, Decathlon, etc.) pride themselves on being super discount stores, so they don't usually take American Express here in Spain (it can also be debated as to whether they are in fact super discount stores).

 

El Corte Inglés does take American Express -- sorry you had that unexplainable glitch -- and out of all the stores, even if they are a little bit more expensive, they provide the best service and overall shopping experience (as far as large department stores are concerned) here in Spain.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[bronxgirl61]

We are leaving on Thursday - same exact trip. The review was great and now I'm really excited. I'll make sure I take enough money !!!:D Thank you again.