Are you excited about the Gem and the Mediterranean?

[daring]

I'll get the hubby to help me with it later.

 

After loaded the boat and going to shore and saw a little tram marked cinema tours. Since my son is so into movies we decided to hop on it. It was a nice overview of the city as they talked about different celebrities, movies, and the history of the Cannes film festival. After this tour we felt as if we knew our way around and started walking to different points of interest such as where the festival is held, the Carlton hotel, the high end shops, and then the beach. There are lots of places in Cannes where you can just sit and watch all kinds of interesting people go by. From the port you can walk up the hill to the left to a church, park, and sidewalk cafés or walk to the right down the beach front, conference center, and downtown area. I had a very nice relaxing day here. This was the first time my son had been exposed to European beaches. He never said a word, if you know what I mean.:rolleyes:

 

I hope I can post my picture with my hand in Clint Eastwoods hand prints for this was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

[daring]

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=74g13t35.4xwhzcsh&x=0&y=5lqfb3&localeid=en_US

[1greencar]

Thanks for posting the photos.

Do you remember if the beaches in Cannes were sand, stone or pebbles?

[SallyUK]

Here's the final part of my port review, for CANNES:

 

We'd looked long and hard as to what to do in France. We've both been to France before, speak enough French to get by and know how to use the French train system. However, having looked at the times, we identified that it was pretty much impossible to get to Nice (where we'd never been before) and Monaco (where we'd been but wanted to go back to) without taking the ship's tour. This was a shame as it did stifle us a little bit, but hey, needs must.

 

This was an early start! We had to be tendered across at ridiculous o'clock (6.45am I think, you can imagine how early breakfast was) and were on the coach and away by 7.15. Because of the short time in port, you don't really get to be where you want to be, when you want to be there. So we did get to Nice but had to leave before the town really woke up.

 

Nice was lovely. We had just over an hour there, not really long enough to see what we wanted. If we were to go back we would go by ourselves and do our own thing. With the early start we were given some free time, which we used to walk along the pebble beach before walking up to the headland which separates Nice from its little port. While standing at the headland at such an early hour of the day, we were treated to one of the most enjoyable yet surreal moments of our trip. A local children's dance troupe was practising dancing to Saturday Night Fever. There's something very amusing and beautifully endearing about watching a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds learning to be John Travolta and doing the pointy arm thing.

 

Walking back to our meeting point, we went to the little flower market in the old town, which also sold fresh produce, home-made soaps, etc. This would be a good place to buy reasonably priced gifts to take home (assuming that such items are allowed in the country you're going back to). They also sold quite tasty breakfast pastries, as by now my stomach had finally woken up.

 

And that was it, all out of time to find out how nice Nice was. Onto Monaco. The drive from Monaco will be along one of the Trois Corniches, the three roads between Nice and Monaco. We took the Basse Corniche (the lower road) along the coast. At this point I should say to anyone planning to take this tour SIT ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE COACH!!!! I cannot emphasise this strongly enough. If you sit on the right you will have stunning views of the little towns along the way that form part of the Cote d'Azur. If you sit on the left hand side of the coach you will get to see the people on the right hand side of the coach getting a fantastic view while craning to see past their cameras.

 

The Monaco stop is a two-parter. You stop first on "the Rock" of Monaco, which is where you will see the Palace, the Ranier tombs and the Monagasque parliament. You also get a fabulous view over Monte Carlo. If you want to see the Formula One course, the best place to stand is at the far left of the wall where you look down over Monte Carlo. It is there that you can see the most of the course. Sadly there isn't sufficient time to visit either Prince Ranier's car collection or the Oceanographic institute, both of which are in this area.

 

It was during this stop that we met the Spanish couple who I mentioned earlier in the thread, who had been to the station, found out that there were wild cat strikes and worked out that in order to get back to Cannes they should look out for NCL tour stickers: good use of common sense. We also overheard a tourist ask their guide (they were from Princess, not from our group) whether the guard outside the Royal Palace was audio-animatronic. I kid you not...

 

Finally it was time for the last stop. This was in Monte Carlo and takes in the part of the Grand Prix circuit (albeit in reverse) that covers the area from the tunnel, past the hairpin and up to the Casino Square. The meeting point is Casino Square, and this is an area with some very exclusive and expensive shops so we did some window shopping.

 

On our way back we took the Moyenne Corniche (middle road) and hoped to see the coast from the left hand side. Sadly this journey was mostly on the motorway so we didn't really get to see anything at all. If anyone is planning to do this tour I would suggest downloading maps of Monaco and Nice as we were not given these by our guide and it would definitely have made looking around easier.

[cruisin' judi]

Can everyone see the pictures or is it just me?

 

Hey Mickeysgal,

 

I can't see any of the pictures. At first I thought that it was my browser, so I changed to IE and still can't see them.

 

Judi

[1greencar]

Thank you for the review. I really want to get to Nice this trip and I'm willing to skip over Monaco and just spend the entire few hours in Nice. This doesn't sound possible with the ships tour. Anybody aware of how to get there on your own?

 

Here's the final part of my port review, for CANNES:

 

 

[jerseygirl53]

Thank you for the review. I really want to get to Nice this trip and I'm willing to skip over Monaco and just spend the entire few hours in Nice. This doesn't sound possible with the ships tour. Anybody aware of how to get there on your own?

We had a friend take the train but as Sally said they ended up on strike and it cost 100euros to get back to the boat by cab

[jerseygirl53]

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=74g13t35.4xwhzcsh&x=0&y=5lqfb3&localeid=en_US

Great pictures.

[SallyUK]

It is easy to get from Cannes to Nice by train and it is unlikely there will be another wild cat strike, but just in case, its worth taking additional cash or at least a card to withdraw cash in case of strikes so you can get a taxi back. I'm pretty sure that NCL also offers tours to Nice only. Either way, I'd definitely say to take your own map in case you don't get one. The ship's map for the port is only of Cannes.

[1greencar]

It is easy to get from Cannes to Nice by train and it is unlikely there will be another wild cat strike, but just in case, its worth taking additional cash or at least a card to withdraw cash in case of strikes so you can get a taxi back. I'm pretty sure that NCL also offers tours to Nice only. Either way, I'd definitely say to take your own map in case you don't get one. The ship's map for the port is only of Cannes.

 

I am going to plan on that. I will bring a map and cash. (and I would always have a card with me for back up). I do wish it was one of the longer days in port instead of the short day.

[SallyUK]

Hey daring, cool pics! For some reason they've only just loaded on my pc even though I've been reading these pages over the last couple of days. Did the settings change or something?

[mickeysgal]

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=74g13t35.4xwhzcsh&x=0&y=5lqfb3&localeid=en_US

 

Love your pictures! I wish I was back there.

[daring]

Hey daring, cool pics! For some reason they've only just loaded on my pc even though I've been reading these pages over the last couple of days. Did the settings change or something?

 

Gosh Sally I just don't know, I keep trying different things.

 

Love your pictures! I wish I was back there.

 

I think that often myself, esp. at mealtimes.

[hat776]

I too wish the stop in Cannes was longer. The ship arrives in Barcelona so early that I would have thought another hour would have been possible.

Maybe it plans on arriving early as many pax have early flights back to UsA.

[SallyUK]

I too wish the stop in Cannes was longer. The ship arrives in Barcelona so early that I would have thought another hour would have been possible.

Maybe it plans on arriving early as many pax have early flights back to UsA.

 

We were told that it was because the ship needs to cover a long distance and to get to port early enough to start the change over, but we woke up early the day we arrived in Barca and watched the ship's plot on the TV on the way into port, it crept in at a snails pace for hours. Maybe they need to allow extra time in case of bad weather crossing the Bay of Lions (it was anticipated that night on our journey but didn't happen). Plus the ship was late leaving Cannes due to long queues to board the tenders.

[daring]

I too wish the stop in Cannes was longer. The ship arrives in Barcelona so early that I would have thought another hour would have been possible.

Maybe it plans on arriving early as many pax have early flights back to UsA.

 

Loved your island! Really gave a thought of moving there. Can you tell me anything about the hospitals or nursing jobs? Do you know if nurses are respected and paid well there?

[hat776]

Daring - Glad you appreciated what Malta has to offer .

As regards nursing. Nurses are respected here. Malta has one main g0v. hospital - brand new and really state of the art. There are also two private hospitals and a number of clinics. The standard of health care is high.

However, wages in Malta are MUCH lower than in USA. The cost of living is lower though and the standard of living is high. Malta is a good base for a stay giving a chance to go round Europe as there are low cost airlines to many destinations.

Try contacting

Malta - Malta Union of Midwives & Nurses

MUMN, Tower Apartments, No. 1,

Triq Tas-Sisla,

Birkirkara. BKR 13.

Malta

Tel/Fax: +356 2144 8542 Email: mumn@maltanet.net

 

http://www.imsrecruitment.com/malta.htm

 

google - malta europe nurses jobs

 

However, I think you should come for a longer stay before you take such a big step

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.imsrecruitment.com/malta.htm

[SallyUK]

Just wondering, who's off next? We need some more departers to say goodbye too and so we can relive our trips through...

 

Also hat, when you go, please as one European to another, tell me whether you think that the cruise director Andrea should host the Eurovision Song Contest. You'll see what I mean when he presents the evening shows.

[daring]

Thank-you for the info. Don't worry; I'm not impulsive, just a dreamer. I'm curious; would you mind telling me if you are female? Hat sounded like a male name to me :).

 

 

Also: HI Sally!

[cruisin' judi]

Just wondering, who's off next? We need some more departers to say goodbye too and so we can relive our trips through...

 

Also hat, when you go, please as one European to another, tell me whether you think that the cruise director Andrea should host the Eurovision Song Contest. You'll see what I mean when he presents the evening shows.

 

We're definitely not next. We have until October 4th. I really can't wait!!!!

 

Judi

[daring]

We're definitely not next. We have until October 4th. I really can't wait!!!!

 

Judi

 

 

Don't worry Judi, this is part of the fun. Enjoy!

[locruise]

My husband and I are this cruise on Aug 30th, we are not going to Cannes though we stop in Nice, cannot wait

[Bannda]

Here are a few photos from the cruise....there are only 900+, so that should help a few of you relive your cruise. :)

My dh took about 2/3 of these and I took the other third.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/BhamBanda

 

I miss the ship rocking me to sleep every night!

[1greencar]

My husband and I are this cruise on Aug 30th, we are not going to Cannes though we stop in Nice, cannot wait

 

Don't forget to take notes while you are there and come back and tell those of us who don't get to go till much later all about it.

 

I am especially interested in Nice. Even though we don't dock there, I am going to to try and get there on our short stop in Cannes

[daring]

My husband and I are this cruise on Aug 30th, we are not going to Cannes though we stop in Nice, cannot wait

 

You're gona love it but don't think you are going to get to rest.

 

Here are a few photos from the cruise....there are only 900+, so that should help a few of you relive your cruise. :)

My dh took about 2/3 of these and I took the other third.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/BhamBanda

 

I miss the ship rocking me to sleep every night!

 

ME TOO! Love the pics. I'm still trying to get mine on here.