CintiPam's Review of Oceania's Nautica June 5 Athens to Rome Cruise

[CintiPam]

My review of our wonderful cruise last month on Oceania's Nautica has been posted. Our cruise primarily visited Italian ports, including Taormina, Sorrento, Amalfi, Livorno, Portofino and Rome, so here's the link:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=56647.

 

The review is well-captioned, with underlines, so feel free to scroll down to the Italian ports section for my experiences and recommendations.

 

Also, please post your comments and questions because you all know how much I love to talk travel.

 

Pam

[cruisemom42]

I was wondering when we'd see your review! Thanks for all the details. I'll be emailing you about Oceania for 2010.

[CintiPam]

I wanted to wait a couple of weeks before starting to write it, frankly because I was afraid that it simply would appear as too much of an Oceania puff piece. Between the amazing itinerary and the wonderful roll call we had, we were in big-time vacation bliss upon our return, the spouse even saying it was his best vacation ever.

 

So I waited, but the glow simply did not fade much.

 

I now am worried that I am too spoiled for a land vacation in Europe.

[Susan-M]

Hi Pam,

A great review and a pleasure to read ... many thanks for sharing your experience with us!:) After reading so many of your posts on here, I had no idea that it was only your 2nd cruise ... I thought you had been cruising forever!

 

I know what you mean about the glow not fading ... I still feel that way 9 months after our Azamara Med cruise, and am keeping an eye out for the next Azamara or perhaps Oceania cruise for us (I do like O's more port intensive itineraries).

 

... so, what do you have your eye on next?

[cruisemom42]

Vis-a-vis your experience with the carry on luggage delay, I wonder if you happened to see this?

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/opinion/02thur3.html?_r=2&hpw

 

The opening paragraphs are priceless.

[CintiPam]

Hi Pam,

A great review and a pleasure to read ... many thanks for sharing your experience with us!:) After reading so many of your posts on here, I had no idea that it was only your 2nd cruise ... I thought you had been cruising forever!

 

I know what you mean about the glow not fading ... I still feel that way 9 months after our Azamara Med cruise, and am keeping an eye out for the next Azamara or perhaps Oceania cruise for us (I do like O's more port intensive itineraries).

 

... so, what do you have your eye on next?

 

Yep, I went from total cruise ignoramus to mouthy poster in less than a year! Of course, I am a big researcher, like you are, before my trips, reading multiple guidebooks, and also I have studied a lot of art over many periods in the last few years because my latest volunteer passion is being a docent at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Our training course was pretty intense, with research papers, exams, etc. And, between my Istanbul to Athens first cruise, and Athens to Rome second cruise, we have covered a lot of the Mediterranean very recently.

 

I personally would love to visit Barcelona and also have much more time for the south of France and the Amalfi Coast, but Mr. Military History is not sure, thinking perhaps that a French or Italian land trip would be pretty sweet. Eight hours in port for some small Greek islands or beauty spots like Taormina is fine, but in many places it can be pretty frustrating for slow sightseers like we are.

[CintiPam]

Vis-a-vis your experience with the carry on luggage delay, I wonder if you happened to see this?

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/opinion/02thur3.html?_r=2&hpw

 

The opening paragraphs are priceless.

 

No, I had not, so thanks for the link.

 

CNN online today had a Christopher Elliott article about luggage fees creating more and more havoc with people trying all sorts of ways to avoid the ever-mounting fees.

[cruisemom42]

Yep, I went from total cruise ignoramus to mouthy poster in less than a year! Of course, I am a big researcher, like you are, before my trips, reading multiple guidebooks, and also I have studied a lot of art over many periods in the last few years because my latest volunteer passion is being a docent at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Our training course was pretty intense, with research papers, exams, etc. And, between my Istanbul to Athens first cruise, and Athens to Rome second cruise, we have covered a lot of the Mediterranean very recently.

 

I personally would love to visit Barcelona and also have much more time for the south of France and the Amalfi Coast, but Mr. Military History is not sure, thinking perhaps that a French or Italian land trip would be pretty sweet. Eight hours in port for some small Greek islands or beauty spots like Taormina is fine, but in many places it can be pretty frustrating for slow sightseers like we are.

 

 

I can highly recommend a land-based trip to Turkey, knowing how much you like what you've seen of it so far :D .... Plenty of art, archeology, and military history for you both!

[CintiPam]

I can highly recommend a land-based trip to Turkey, knowing how much you like what you've seen of it so far :D .... Plenty of art, archeology, and military history for you both!

 

Yes, I really would love to do two to three weeks just in Turkey, visiting Cappadocia, Antalya, and some of the lovely ruins on the west coast. I still participate daily in the Istanbul (and Athens) forums on tripadvisor.

 

The spouse is more museum oriented, and is talking about Prague/Budapest/Berlin, none of which we have visited.

[cruisemom42]

Yes, I really would love to do two to three weeks just in Turkey, visiting Cappadocia, Antalya, and some of the lovely ruins on the west coast. I still participate daily in the Istanbul (and Athens) forums on tripadvisor.

 

The spouse is more museum oriented, and is talking about Prague/Budapest/Berlin, none of which we have visited.

 

I can relate. I was in Frankfurt for work a couple of years ago and almost decided to go to Berlin for a few days afterward to see the museums there. (However, I eventually decided on Paris instead!) I do go to Frankfurt every couple of years, so maybe next time it will be Berlin....

[CintiPam]

I can relate. I was in Frankfurt for work a couple of years ago and almost decided to go to Berlin for a few days afterward to see the museums there. (However, I eventually decided on Paris instead!) I do go to Frankfurt every couple of years, so maybe next time it will be Berlin....

 

Well, both Berlin and Paris indeed have wonderful museums, but I assume that there is no comparison when it comes to the restaurants!

 

Another reason I love Italy: hands down, the best combination of great food and great sights!