Mediterranean Cruise on Galaxy

shabal57 · December 23, 2007

Brand new member. Just booked 10 night cruise on Galaxy leaving from Civitaveccia on May 30, 2008. Anyone who has gone on this cruise, please send me some feedback on the ports. Which excursions can you recommend, etc. Also heard that Galaxy is undergoing refit in April. Is this true? If so, will it be ready in time to go Transatlantic?

flymenot · December 23, 2007

Brand new member. Just booked 10 night cruise on Galaxy leaving from Civitaveccia on May 30, 2008. Anyone who has gone on this cruise, please send me some feedback on the ports. Which excursions can you recommend, etc. Also heard that Galaxy is undergoing refit in April. Is this true? If so, will it be ready in time to go Transatlantic?

We are booked for Atlantic crossing 5/3/08. Galaxy is going into drydock in Apr for about 2 weeks, just before our cruise. We took the Galaxy on the same crossing in 06. We loved it. We are looking forward to seeing the improvements from the refurbishment.

TourDeCruise · December 23, 2007

We took this Eastern Mediterranean Galaxy cruise in May 2005, and it was our favorite cruise. We spent 3 days pre-cruise (counting arrival & boarding days) in Rome, Civita di Bagno Reggio & Orvieto (last two in route to Civitavecchia). We had been to Rome a few times before, of which 2 times we did Celebirty's tour called Rome on Your Own.

In Sicily, we did Celebrity's Taormina on Your Own where we walked around Taormina, took the cable car to the bottom & up again, and went to the Greco-Roman Theater, and found the much smaller Roman Odeon in route.

We had been to Athens before, (Parthenon/Acropolis/Cape Sounion), so this time we took a private tour to Ancient Corinth & Mycenae.

In Mykonos, we took Celebrity's tour to Delos.

In Instanbul, we did a private tour of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Roman Basilica Cistern, Archaeology Museum, Topkapi Palace, and Grand Bazaar.

In Ephesus, we took a private tour of Ephesus including the Terrace Houses and the Archaeology Museum and saw a few sites in route.

In Rhodes, we walked on our own and found the Temple of Aphrodite and went to the Archaeology Museum.

In Santorini, we took a private tour of Akrotiri and went to Oia. We had been there before when we took a Celebrity tour all over, went to the Archaeology Museum, and then went to Nea Kameni to climb the volcano on our own.

We had been to Naples a couple times before, when we took the Celebrity tour to Pompeii and climbed up Mt. Vesuvius and then walked around Naples on our own later. The second time we went to Herculaneum on our own and went to the Naples National Archaeology Museum. The last time there, we went to Capri on our own, walked around there, took the chairlift to Monte Solero, and did the Blue Grotto boat trip.

In most cases, we turn our Mediterranean cruises into archaeology site visits, since archeaology and ancient history are big interests of ours. Your interests may be different from ours, but if you are interested in any of the above sites and want additional information, let me know.

You'll love this cruise. Excellent choice.

Kathy

tcocktail · December 23, 2007

Brand new member. Just booked 10 night cruise on Galaxy leaving from Civitaveccia on May 30, 2008. Anyone who has gone on this cruise, please send me some feedback on the ports. Which excursions can you recommend, etc. Also heard that Galaxy is undergoing refit in April. Is this true? If so, will it be ready in time to go Transatlantic?

Shabal57: Here is a link to Tom_UK his gave a wonderful review of the trip last June http://tomtotley.wordpress.com/2007/06/

We too are sailing on 30, May 2008. Come join our roll call. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=617219&page=5

We are flying fom JFK on AerLingus on the 26, May. When will you be arriving in Rome?

Tom

mikebzt · December 24, 2007

I am thinking of taking this as my hooneymoon cruise. I have never been on Celebrity but have been on RCCL and have only heard wonderful thigns about it. Still undecided but perhaps seeing some more great reviews I might book within the week

tom_uk · December 24, 2007

Shabal57: Here is a link to Tom_UK his gave a wonderful review of the trip last June http://tomtotley.wordpress.com/2007/06/

Ah - fame! - or perhaps notoriety. Never mind.

I did a 10-night cruise on Galaxy for two successive summers, 2006 & 2007. The 2006 cruise was a little different - only two calls in the Aegean, and some additional calls in the western Med, e.g. Cannes and Livorno. Here are some pictures I took on both of these cruises:

First some pictures of Galaxy herself, in 2006: http://www.*****/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=2512

Then the ports of call. First, Capri (Naples): http://www.*****/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=2514

Santorini in 2006: http://www.*****/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=2515

and in 2007: http://www.*****/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=2890

and of 'Santorini docking in context' (2006): http://www.*****/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=2737

Mykonos: http://www.*****/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=2702

and Corinth, from Athens, in 2007: http://www.*****/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=2892

and I did a couple of reviews:

2006: (can't locate at the moment);

2007: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=30488

(Well, you did ask for information!)