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Summit Review-Part one


brazilgirl

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I have decided to do my review in installments , like Charles Dickens used to do...I am a very slooow keyboarder and tend to go on and on , so I will write until I tire and then will sign off until the next installment.

 

Background- I am not a veteran cruiser-this is only my 2nd cruise and my first on Celebrity. I am , however , an experienced traveler and enjoy wonderful food and upscale amenities. I frequently vacation at resorts and great hotels and posadas(inns).

 

I am not a terribly critical person , as I believe I am truly blessed and it is important to always keep things in perspective.

 

We left Barcelona on the Summit on May 11th (destination-Venice). We arrived a day early and stayed at the Princesa Sofia Gran Hotel. Not a terribly exciting hotel - great breakfast and bathrooms , with robes provided though. The day we arrived was a bit daunting , as it was cold , rainy and our plane was 5 hours late. On top of that they managed to lose all 7 of our suitcases....Luckily , everything bad happened on the 1st day , in order to bring great things our way for the rest of our trip!

 

Note- I traveled with my husband and 3 children (ages 4 , 8 and 10). I am 38 and my husband is 39.

 

We saw a lot less of Barcelona than we would of liked due to the circumstances- I now wish we had arrived 2 days earlier instead as Barcelona is a fascinating city.

 

We arrived at the Summit around 3 . We were immediately attended by a very efficient young lady. There were no lines and the whole process was quick and painless. We were given our seapasses and boarded the ship.

 

Champagne , orange juice and Mimosas were served. Nice. We went up to our 2 staterooms . Our luggage was already awaiting us(quick!). We chose 2 inside cabins due to the fact that we were traveling as a family of 5 and we prioritized our shore trips and expenses as what we wanted to spend more money one. Considering the port intensive itenirary , I think we made a good decision as we basically used our cabin to sleep in and to shower!

 

The staterooms were very nice. They were impeccably kept with fantastic bed linens. The beds were very spacious and comfortable. The bathrooms were modern and spotless. We were 3 in one stateroom , which was cramped when the daybed was in use and 2 in the other which was fine. The closets were surprisingly ample , which was great. I also liked the fact that the staterooms were very dark when the lights were out-good for sleeping.

 

Our first day was a sea day. We sent the kids to the Fun Factory , which they loved! Alvaro and I explored the ship. I was so impressed by everything....The Aqua Spa is luxurious and I loved the Thallossotherapy pool. The giant Botero sculpture is perfect.

 

We dressed for the first formal dinner. The food was very good as was the service. However , I didn´t really enjoy eating so early(first seating) and the second seating would have been have been too late as our routine was to pick the kids up at 10 from the Fun Factory after watching the show.Therefore we opted on most nights to utilize alternative venues . As we had pre-paid our gratutities and we had a table for just our family , I felt that worked out fine.

 

We loved the options at the Waterfall Cafe. Some nights we had pasta , some nights sushi...Others a salad. The food was always tasty and fresh.

 

I will have to continue tomorrow as have to put kids to bed!Hope I haven´t bored you all!Kim

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Suzanne-

All the advice from you veterans helped make the cruise all the more wonderful!

 

 

Part 2-Continuation -food-

 

As I left off....We chose to dine at the Comopolitan restaurant only on the 3 formal nights. As I said , the food was good , as was the service but the schedule didn´t really suit us.Plus I found the atmosphere a bit "rushed" with all the waiters literally running around...I know this is due to the enormous task at hand of feeding hundreds of people at the same time , and they do an admirable job. But I didn´t find the atmospere relaxing.

My favorite dish at the Cosmopolitan restaurant would be the Prime Rib with Horseradish Sauce and the Lobster( cliche , but I am a seafood fan.)

At the Waterfall Cafe , I loved the afternoon tea sandwiches as well as the delicious pies.

My favorite part of the day , however , was without a doubt the breakfast...Oh , I really miss it. So many choices and so little time!!!!Of course , the famous waffle with fresh berries and cream were at the top of my list.

I also loved the almond french toast and the oatmeal(I´d add fresh berries , yogurt and nuts-yum!!!)

The bacon and sausages were perfect and so many good pastries too. 12 days wasn´t enough to eat everything I wanted for breakfast.

After eating a huge breakfast , my DH would skip lunch and just have a light snack mid-afternoon to stave us off til dinner. It worked out perfectly , especially in the ports(saved lots of Euros that way.)

We´d have gelato or something else . My favorite snack was in Oia(Santorini).We had the local yogurt with fresh fruit , honey and nuts. Heavenly.

As soon as we´d get back to the ship , we´d head to the poolside grill for some fuel for the kids. Karl , a very nice gentleman whoe cooked there , would make a tasty steak for Felipe and Isabella would enjoy a hamburger or such. Little Nicholas liked the hot dogs and the chocolate chip cookies. (Say hi to Karl for me!)

The best culinary treat was by far the Normandie restaurant...We dined there twice. The service was exquisite and the much-recommended goat cheese souffle was probably the best thing I have ever eaten!Such a relaxed , romantic atmosphere....And the staff was so much fun.Great memories.

I also enjoyed a few snacks at the aqua cafe-light, healthy and creative.

 

Entertainment-

 

I must admit I was a bit skeptical about the whole cruise show thing. I was pleasantly surprised. We went to almost all the shows and on the whole really enjoyed them.

The Celebrity Performers were quite good. There were 5 main singers -3 had excellent voices and 2 were fair.The Broadway type shows were fun ..The only night I didn´t really care for was the magician/comedian. He was just silly.My 8 yr old and 4 yr old seemed to like him though.

The best show was by the vocalist Chris Riggins , a Josh-Grobin like singer.Really , really nice. He sang a piece from Jesus Christ Superstar that was unforgettable.

 

I also loved the On Point Acapella group. We´d go to the Cova Cafe after dinner and have an Aspen Coffee and listen to them. Excellent.

The Frontliners would put on a fun show at the end of the afternoon by the pool too.

 

Now I have to go to bed -more tomorrow.Kim

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Great review - we are on the Summit August 15th and can't wait

 

Looking forward to the waffles and also the Normandie restaurant.

 

Can't wait to read more, especially what you did for shore excursions

 

Tammy

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Thanks for taking the time to review your cruise. Very few people since the refurbishment have written and there are many of us looking for any little bit s of information we can get before our cruises.

 

Thanks again,

 

Mark

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After reading the first 2 installments of your Summitt adventure I am so excited. We are going on the mediteranian cruise October 18th..I'm hoping to hook up with others for privite tours. I've contacted several tour guides and the itenerary and prices are much better than the cruise line offers. sue

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Did I get that correct for "thanks"?

 

Your review has so far helped me retain piece of mind for our Summit Transatlantic in November. We have several cruises with Celebrity, but have used other lines since 2005. I have been reading some on CC who say Celebrity food has gone downhill, and that also other things on Celebrity ships are not as good as they used to be. While this was your first Celebrity cruise, your comments indicate that it is still a great cruise line.

 

We have sailed on the Summit, Constellation, and Millennium. Their Cova Cafés have always been enjoyable for fine music. The stage shows have usually been great. We have enjoyed the food more than other lines'.

 

Thank you again.

 

Bob :p

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Thanks for everyone´s comments so far! Here goes installment 3!

 

The coffee in the buffet area was fine...nothing terribly exciting , but drinkable. The coffee in the Cova was yummy , but $6.95!

 

I forgot to mention that I dined at the "Casual Dining Waterfall Bistro". Reservations are needed and there is $2.00 service charge. The appetizers were excellent. My DH had some scallops which were mouth-watering. I chose chicken with baked macaroni and Wisconsin cheese...not a normal choice of entrees for me but I liked it. The waiters there are apparently in training and while they may lack finesse , they make it up in enthusiasm!

 

Shopping on board...

 

The Emporium had some nice shopping options. I am a bit of a jewelery collector. I like unusual pieces and always have my eye out. I purchased some Roman Glass jewelery which is unique and several pieces of Antica Murrina glass creations (earrings , bracelets , charms and a paperweight). I visited the Antica Murrina store in Venice and the same pieces were considerably more expensive. There were nice cosmetics (Lóccitane , La Prairie , Lancome...) and a good selections of watches.

 

Fitness Center..

 

I work out 4 times a week and so does my husband...The fitness center is top-notch . Great weight machines as well as modern treadmills.

 

 

Fun Factory

 

The Fun Factory is truly a blessing for those with kids. My kids still are talking about their new friends and the exceptional staff. The Fun Factory itself was very well laid out , with colorful decor as well as lots of fun stuff for kids...Games , arts and crafts , videos , a ball pit , slides, playstations.....They had themes every day(Super Hereos , Maps , Pirates etc. ) I got some great alone time with DH , the kids had tons of fun and I am sure the fellow passengers appreciated the fact that the kids were entertained!

 

Criticisms.....

 

It is hard to find anything truly bad to say when you are sailing the Med with the people you most love while eating great food and seeing some of the most beautiful places in the world!

But since I know people love the negative (ha!) so here I go....

I think Celebrity needs to pay more attention to the number of people serving beverages(alcoholic and non-alcoholic). It was often hard (really hard!) to find someone to order drinks from in almost all venues. Sommeliers were easy to find but someone to get you a coke or a beer was often a challenge.I often had to HUNT for someone.They need to improve this immediately.

Maintenence of the ship was really flawless-there was always someone cleaning , painting , washing....I am lucky enough to live in a country where I have help in my home so my standard of cleanliness is pretty high and I was very impressed.

I only encountered one rude staff member on the whole ship -the rest were very friendly and very helpful.

The embarkation and disembarkation were smooth and well-organized -I do think getting off the ship is too rushed and not great for people like me with 3 kids and a night flight.It would be fantastic if there were a 5 a clocl deadline to be off the ship and the new passengers could get on after 9 the next day , once the previous cruise date has officially ended. Just a thought(probably fiscally not advantageous).

Well ,gotta go-next installment -shore tips and case of the lost diamond jewelery....cliff-hangers ,huh!

Kim

 

a I

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Kim,

 

Thanks so much for your review of your trip on Summit. We were on her for the transatlantic immediately before the drydock. You're bringing back some wonderful memories for me. I'm so glad to hear that On Point is still on the ship. We loved our trip, but they were definitely a highlight.

 

It's a shame you didn't have more time in Barcelona. We spent three days there after a cruise and I can't wait to go back. Perhaps in the future you will also be able to return.

 

We agree with you that the food is wonderful. Those who have heard that it has gone downhill will be pleased at how good it is. The Normandie Restaurant and the goat cheese souffle are not to be missed.

 

Looking forward to your next installment.

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I had a few other questions. Do you children speak Portuguese or English? Or both? I was curious if they had any language problems either way with other children from different countries on a Med cruise or the Languages that the counselors spoke? Quite often the counselors speak english plus one or two other languages, so I have found them really terrific in working with the kids. I have found that kids seem to be the least bothered by speaking different languages and can usually work out a way to communicate if they want to make friends.

 

I have had mixed luck with drink service, with most of it being on the positive side. Before dinner I usually order a glass of chardonnay in one of the lounges, and we generally meet in the same lounge before dinner for every dinner. Usually there was a waiter who would spot me and bring me a chardonnay with out my even asking, which was usually good, but some times bad if I maybe wanted something different like maybe a glass of champagne, but usually I found it wonderful that the waiter remembered me and brought me something I liked. We have had excellent Sommelier service on all our celebrity cruises except one. Our first Mercury cruise our Sommelier was a bit over extended and while he was clearly hustling, he just couldn't service every one. We had unopened bottles of wine sit on the table for 20 minute or more. One night the Assistant Maitre'de stopped by and asked if we needed any thing and I could only say "A Cork Screw.". After that cruise, I too, the advice of many wonderful CC'rs who suggested that I speak with the Maitre'de the first afternoon and mention to him that we would be ordering wine every night and our unfortunate previous experience. I didn't want to make make a big deal, but I didn't want to stare and an un-opened bottle of wine either. We have only had wonderful things to say about our wine service on all of our other cruises.

As far as soft drinks go, I have no explaination as to why you may have experienced difficulties except that maybe they didn't send the regular bar waiters to the casual dining aread??? We had a waitress who would come every night to bring the kids soda and maybe a cappacino. Though I do remember on occasion havingto hunt one down for a Bloddy Mary at lunch.

 

Thank you so much for sharing your expeirence with the rest of us. I'll be on Summit in just 6 1/2 months. Can't wait.

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Sorry I missed my deadline yesterday...busy, busy!!Had a date with my husband at the movies.

Suzanne-My children speak Portuguese as a first language , but as I am American I have tried to teach them English at home.Isabella and Felipe (the 2 oldest) speak English very well , with a few mistakes... Nicholas , who is 4 , is really just learning. The cruise was great for him-it really stimulated his interest in speaking English. We had huge luck at the Fun Factory-the newest member of the staff is a young Brazilian man ,Carlo.That really helped Nicholas out.Nicholas made friends with the other English speaking kids even with his limited language abilities. My other 2 kids made tons of friends...they miss them already!

 

 

Ports-

 

Villefranche-

We tendered to the quaint little town , where we then caught a train to Monte Carlo.We walked to the station and had no problems. Monte Carlo was very upscale and my husband was thrilled by the preparations for the Formula One race. We had a snack and then walked to the Palace...stunning views of the whole area. There was a charming play area for the kids-they hung out there and met kids from all over Europe. Neat experience. We went back to the ship after that , as we were tired.

 

Livorno-

Favorite Day!!!!We had hired a private driver for our family. Andreas was outstanding. We visited Pisa first and then headed to Cinque Terre. However there was a traffic jam on the way so we decided to stop in a little coastal village called Lerici. This is where the poet Shelley hung out. It was charming and REAL , not touristy. We had the world´s best pasta for 8 Euros right in front of the bay and kicked pinecones through the narrow alleys while Andreas told us about Italian life.

Then ,on a whim, we decided to go to Lucca instead of continuing on to Cinque Terre. In Lucca , we rented bikes and biked around on top of the wall(it is a walled city). It is truly the most delightful place.There are Medieval constructions, lovely churches , gardens and chic shops. Andreas pulled my little boy on a bike "sidecar" while my husband pulled our other son. We dinged our bells and then sped through the narrow streets. We stopped for gelato ,of course. It was one of the best days of my life.

 

This brings me to a strong recommendation....Be flexible in your travels. I had researched and planned everything in detail before leaving, but I promised myself I´d listen to my heart. We changed our plans spontaneously and it was the best decision possible.Don´t get stuck in that "if it is Tuesday , I must be in Rome " mode of travel , where you obsessed about not missing any sights or statues and you run around checking off a hundred things a day. Go slowly and savor the little things in each country.

 

Rome-

 

Well , here we had a different private driver , Marcos. Unfortunately , a different species! Gruff, he just perfunctorily(sp?) pointed out the sights and dropped us off in front of the Vatican (with no orientation or tips whatsoever) and then dropped us off at the Coliseum in the same fashion.

We had a lot of fun exploring the Palantino and the Coliseum-lots of green , great weather (actually , the weather was perfect during the whole trip!).

 

Then we quickly visited the Trevi Fountain and the Forum. All the monuments and sights in Rome are awe-inspiring....truly magnificent. But our favorite part was climbing around the ruins of the Palantino.

 

Then Marcos sped back to the ship (at one point we caught him clocking 150km an hour on the highway....

 

Have to put kids to bed ..later will continue!Kim

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Livorno-

Favorite Day!!!!We had hired a private driver for our family. Andreas was outstanding. We visited Pisa first and then headed to Cinque Terre. However

 

 

Rome-

 

Well , here we had a different private driver , Marcos. Unfortunately , a different species! Gruff, he just perfunctorily(sp?) pointed out the sights and dropped us off in front of the Vatican (with no orientation or tips whatsoever) and then dropped us off at the Coliseum in the same fashion.

We had a lot of fun exploring the Palantino and the Coliseum-lots of green , great weather (actually , the weather was perfect during the whole trip!).

 

Then we quickly visited the Trevi Fountain and the Forum. All the monuments and sights in Rome are awe-inspiring....truly magnificent. But our favorite part was climbing around the ruins of the Palantino.

 

Then Marcos sped back to the ship (at one point we caught him clocking 150km an hour on the highway....

 

OH My!!! Thats more than a few Klicks!!! Rome is a fantastic city. DH had a 2 week business trip Rome 7 years ago, and I was lucky enough to be able to tag along for 10 days. I can't imagine trying to see the city in one day. But it does sound that , despite a less then inspiring driver you did manage to catch many of the Hight Lights.

 

It sounds like in your one day you saw some of my favorites during my 10 day trip.

 

I was glad to hear that your kids had a positive experience with languages in the kids club. We have always found the kids club counselers very good and pretty well trained as well. It was great that your older kids got a chance to practice their engilis and that your youngest got an interest sparked.

 

Our next cruise is out of Barcelona, and we spend 3 days in the Canary Island and a day in San Juan Puerto Rico post cruise. We have been all trying to learn a bit of Spanish via Rosetta Stone and just conversing with our many bi-lingual friends here in Arizona. I'm hoping that our kids will atleast try a bit of Spanish during the trip. In Barcelona the first lunguage is Catalan, though most people easily switch to Spanish if a response is giving in it. I can only hope that I can learn enought Spanish to appologize for not speaking any Catalan and speaking very poor Spanish. Maybe it is "Yo no Hablo Catlalan, y Hablo español muy pobre." but that might be a litteral translatin and not the idiom for "Poor Spanish". So I will keep studying.

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Brazilgirl,

I am enjoying reading your Summitt posts! One question, since you have had this experience...when the couch is set up as a bed, is it possible to move about the cabin around it or must one climb over it?

I will be "Summitting" with family in December and my cabin mates and I will be using the couch as the third bed.

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Questions answered-

 

You must climb over the daybed-there is really no room to circulate....

 

I hired all 3 of my drivers through Unforgettable Tuscany. However , none of them were actually part of that company-they were "associates". I believe Marcos was from Romeinlimo...

 

I highly recommend getting drivers. I think the experience is highly superior

to the bus tours offered by the cruise ships . The flexibility and power of choice offered are unbeatable. We spent quite a bit of money-1500 Euros for tours in three ports , but I would definitely make the same decision again. We decided what we wanted to see and at what pace we wanted to see it at and that was invaluable. As I said , the spontaneous changes we made brought us our best moments.

 

 

Naples-

 

In Naples , our driver Giovanni met us .He had a very nice van .He took us to Pompeii-on the way there he told us many interesting facts about life in Naples as well as historical facts about Pompeii. We arrived and he waited for us at an appointed time outside. He gave us pointers and we took a self guided tour after purchasing a guidebook. It was really nice and the kids found it fascinating.

We then left for the Amalfi Coast-simply breathtaking. We drove slowly along the winding roads while Giovanni told us many fascinating things about life on the coast. We stopped several times along the way for pictures etc. We finally ended up in Ravello , a quaint mountain town , for a lunch at a local pizzaria. It was delicious. I puchased some handpainted ceramic pieces and the most gorgeous coral and gold hand-carved earrings at a shop in the main square. The older gentleman who made them was in the shop and he exapleined the whole process to my kids. They loved it. The shop had photos of the jeweler with Nicholas Cage, Catherine Denevue and other celebrities (at his shop).His pieces are exquisite. On the way back to Naples , a herd of sheep invaded the road-it was really cool.

 

Giovanni had some trouble with the port police when dropping us off at the ship.Not sure why(some bureocratical problem). Felipe is still mad because he really liked Giovanni(as did we all!).

 

Athens

 

We took a cab to the Acropolis-50 Euros for a 4 hour tour with the whole family.....We climbed up , walked around(incredible!!) and enjoyed a local festival of Greek schoolkids singing and dancing.It was a shorter day (after many longer ones) and we went back to the ship early to relax by the pool. That evening there was a Med buffet party by the pool with a live guitarist. Very nice.

 

Santorini-

 

Another highlight!!!!!Fantastic!!!!

We tendered to the island (water a bit rough) and took the cablecar up the mountain...neat.

We rented a car and zipped around the island. We stopped at Perissa beach(black volcanic sand)and the kids swam and played for a good while.

 

Then we proceeded to Oia , which is amazing... A postcard come true. White buildings, blue domes , blue sea....Gorgeous. So many lovely shops and retaurants.We had heavenly Greek yogurt topped with fresh fruit , nuts and honey. Yummy!I´d really recommend renting a car. The island is small and you can really explore.

 

Gotta go! More tomorrow!Kim

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Brazilgirl, Thank you for your fabulous review! We were on the Summit to Hawaii last year and loved every minute. The only thing I would add, The Normandie restaurant has to die for Sea Bass on their menu and it was the BEST ever!

Nancie:cool:

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Actually , we visited the Normandie on 2 occasions and the 2nd time I had the sea bass...really outstanding. Everything about that place is outstanding!

 

Dubrovnik-

 

Because of weather issues (although it was a gorgeous day) , we had to change our tender location and were outside the historical center. Shuttle buses were offered to passengers for $10 a passenger. We opted to take a cab for 10 euros (for the 5 of us). We learned much from the cab driver about life in Croatia and about the war. Dubrovnik was under seige for 70 days and you can still see some effects of the war , although most everything was rebuilt.

We arrived at the "old town"-really delightful . Croatia is a place I´d like to live. Excellent climate, cultured people , stunning geography and architecture.A hidden pearl....We walked the wall, which was a "must"-the view from the wall of the Adriatic Sea is unforgettable. The whole city of Dubrovnik is full of interesting nooks and crannies , so explore. We visited the Maritime Museum with the kids , which they enjoyed (be sure to get some Kunas , their local currency as a number of places didn´t take Euros).

 

Venice-

 

 

Really a dream. People complain about it being dirty and smelly-hey , get a life!! Yeah , it isn´t perfect , but it is a place like no other in the world.I will never forget it. My "tacky" touristy gondola ride with my family was one of those moments of such serenity and awe , it is really undescribable. Gliding through the canals , seeing the world as it was hundreds of years ago , is really something....I took so many pictures ot the ironwrought balconies , marble carvings , so many treasures.

 

Alvaro and I visited Venice in the evening by ourseves and watched the sun go down on the water ...We walked around and had dinner-unfortunately , the food wasn´t very good and quite expensive. But the atmosphere made up for it.

 

 

The next day we had to leave the ship.....so sad. Our flight was only at night(7:35) , so it was a complicated day logistically. Just to have an idea we used 6 means of transportation in one day! I don´t really feel like reliving that day , so I´ll just say the disembarking was a well-organized but harried process.

 

Next post-cruise fashions (love this topic) , some tips/recommendations and my jewelery story. Is anybody reading this??Well , it has been fun reliving everything!

 

 

Suzanne-

 

Regarding Barcelona and language...most Barcelona residents speak Spanish very well-we communicated mostly in our rusty Spanish there. Catalan is very different than Spanish-more like French. Their region is only one and a half hours from the French border! Try to speak what little you know of each language in each country-people are patient and appreciate the effort and you will have more fun! Kim

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I'm loving your descriptions. Keep them coming. Can you tell us how you contacted the people who gave you the tours? Venice sounds wonderful but I wondered how you signed up for the gondola ride? sue

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Thanks Beamteam...the gondola ride is easy-they are all over the place and you need to just negotiate with them. There are more than 400 gondolas in Venice and they are competetive. We paid 120 Euros for a 50 min ride through the small canals and the Grand Canal.

 

The gentleman who set up our cruise connections page (Shaun) recommended the Unforgettable Tuscany tour company. Paolo organized the big tours on our cruise and he hooked our family up with drivers who weren´t from his company , but who he had connections with. You can get drivers in every port , but we only felt it was necessary in Livorno , Naples and Rome. The rest was easy to do on you own.Just look for unforgettable tuscany ´s web page.

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