2008 Med Cruise Review

12 NIGHT MEDITERRANEAN/VENICE TRIP REVIEW
Royal Caribbean - BRILLIANCE OF THE SEAS
Prepared by Mary Engram, Travel Consultant
September 24-26 – 2 night pre-cruise stay in Barcelona, Spain
September 26 - Barcelona, Spain
September 27 - Cannes (Monte Carlo), France
September 28 - Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy
September 29-Sep Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
September 30-Sep Naples, Capri, Italy
October 1- Day at Sea
October 2 - Venice, Italy
October 3 - Venice, Italy
October 4 - Split, Croatia
October 5 - Day at Sea
October 6 - Valletta, Malta
October 7 - Day at Sea
October 8 - Barcelona, Spain

This review is going to be long, but I hope not boring. There are no photos, but hopefully that will come later. We are a group of 8 who had never sailed the Med before and this cruise did not disappoint. Six of the 8 live in California and the other two live in Alabama. I spent over a year researching the various ports of call and arranging for private drivers for our excursions etc, and the planning really paid off.

Flight Arrangements
Six of the 8 booked airfare through RCL. Although a bit higher, the price was comparable to independent air once you added roundtrip transfers from airport to pier and from the pier to airport. Although the group was at the mercy of RCCL, we were not disappointed with the flight schedules provided. We flew from LAX to Barcelona via Atlanta on Delta and returned them on either Delta via Atlanta or Air Frances via Charles de Gualle.

There were no complaints with the airlines or service, however, Delta did delay our return flight in Atlanta twice due to bad weather. Rumor has it that lightning actually hit the plane on the runway, but it is only a rumor that can’t confirmed (I did however, hear this from someone sitting next to the window and saw it happen). The other couple opted to book my own air from LAX to Barcelona on American and had to complaints either.

Pre-Cruise
Bill and I booked a 2 night stay at the Atrium Palace Hotel through RCCL. While booking with RCCL cost a bit more, the benefits outweighed the cost when you factor in that the transfers between airport, hotel, ship and airport. In addition, the rate included a full breakfast buffet each day (a value of approx. 18 Euro per person per day). The breakfast buffet selection was quite good and included hot and cold items, cooked to order eggs, champagne, juices, pastry, meats and cheeses. RCCL had a manned Hospitality Desk in the hotel lobby where you could get information on the city and purchase optional tours around BCN.

Our room was not ready when we arrived, but the hotel staff secured our luggage and we went off in search of lunch. We asked the hotel for a local restaurant in the area and they told us if we wanted authentic and not microwave food, to head to the small alley off Las Ramblas so off we went. Don’t ask me the name of the place we ate at, but there was a bunch of people speaking Spanish standing at the counter eating food I’d never seen before with signs I could not read. Yippee I hit the jackpot. This was the spot for me.

The restaurant did have a sit down section so we waited 15 minutes for a table and placed our order with a waiter that did not speak English, my Spanish is limited to hello and goodbye, and the menu was in Spanish. So when in Spain, just point to something and see what arrives at your table. I had no idea what I was eating but the food was great and I left with a full stomach for about $25 euro for the two of us.

We initially had a room on the 7th floor with a balcony and view of the school yard (not a great view, but loved the balcony). The only problem with the room was the TV did not work and Bill was not happy about that. My thought was, we are in Barcelona, who needs a TV, but Bill insisted that the hotel either get it fixed or we move to another room. Long story short, we moved to a smaller room on a lower floor, but Bill had his TV and was a happy camper. The room was still large by European standards and the in room bottled water was free.

The hotel had quite a few amenities not usually found in European hotels such as a Spa, Indoor Pool, full bar and restaurant and free wireless internet access in your room and all the public areas. They also had a small business center with 2 computers with free internet access for guests to use if you didn’t have a laptop. Or in the case of Bill and me, he could check emails using the laptop and I could use the hotel business center.

Since it was our first night in Barcelona, I was chomping at the bit to get out and see the city. Forget about jet lag and all that other nonsense, I wanted to get out, explore, and feel the vibe of the city. Luckily I have a husband who is more settled than I, so while he took a short nap after lunch, I went to the business center to take advantage of the free internet to check emails.

The first night we basically walked around the city, Las Ramblas area, and ended up at the harbor where a statue of Christopher Columbus looms high and large. This was just the first of many monuments we were to see.

The next morning, we purchased tickets for the HOHO Bus directly from our hotel's front desk and spent the entire day riding around the city exploring various sites. Gaudi is all over the place and you have to see his work to believe it. We especially like Park Guell as it overlooks the city with magnificent views and well as comfortable benches decorated with colorful tiles. That night we all walked down to Happy Hands and enjoyed a wonderful meal together. This was my first time trying Sangria and I really liked it.

Barcelona is a huge city full of active people and tons of things to do and I it well worth staying an extra night or two either before and/or after your cruise. Barcelona is architecturally stimulating and the entire experience of Barcelona's bustling streets, various barrios and diversity is reason enough to spend several days enjoying its beauty, dining, shopping and sights.

One thing that stands out about Barcelona is its abundant art, unique architectural flavor, rich history, stylish and beautiful residents and the enormity of its opulent culture. Walking the shopping streets is an adventure in high fashion, spectacular architecture, ornate artwork and a flavor all its own.

Embarkation
The RCCL Rep at the hotel had informed us to have our checked luggage packed and ready for pick up at 9am. After another nice breakfast at the hotel, we waited and waited for the RCL bus that was supposed to pick us up at 10:30. Come to find out, the bus driver got a parking ticket and was delayed. We made a brief stop at another hotel to pick up other cruise guests and were at the pier around 12 pm. Upon arriving at the pier, the line was not too long and the process was painless.

Ship
The Radiance class ships are my favorites and the Brilliance did not disappoint. No signs of rust, most of the carpet and upholstery had been recently replaced and there was little sign of wear and tear. But what can you expect when all around you staff is cleaning, polishing, and wiping different areas of the ship. They do work hard to keep the ship in good condition.

Service
Service was excellent on this cruise. Katherine, the Concierge was wonderful and could not do enough to ensure her guests were well taken care of. To give you an example, I personally don’t use the Concierge service except for an occasional late night cappuccino. Half way through the cruise I was in the Windjammer getting my customary after dinner soft serve ice cream and I hear this voice behind be say “so this is where you spend your time instead of coming to my lounge”. You guessed it. It was Katherine. I didn’t think she knew me from a hole in the wall, but this if the kind of one-on-one relationships RCL works hard to have with their customers. Needless to say, from that night forward I went to the concierge’s lounge each night if for nothing more than to have a few words with Katherine.

Food/Dining
This is the area where we were most disappointed! I had no problem with the food, but most of my group elected to eat in the Windjammer as they felt the food was much better and they liked the selection. Maybe it was because many of them ordered steak or beef and found it to be tough or chewy. I don’t know, but Bill and I would have dinner alone at a table for 8 and join our group in the Windjammer for dessert.

Bill loves the Seaview Café, but they changed the menu. No more onion rings, hot dogs, or sandwiches. They only had pasta, pizza, and salads, which was a big disappointment for Bill. Traditional dining times were 600pm and 900pm and My Time Dining was from 7:30 pm - 1030pm. We did not dine in Portofino or Chops on this trip.

Dress
The dress code onboard was a bit more casual. Even on formal nights, it appeared that folk changed into more casual, comfortable clothing after dinner. Entertainment- Because we had to be off the ship by 7:30 for our private tours, we only saw the production shows (Tango Buenos Aires, Now and Forever, Big Time Swing), Renato Pagliari, an Italian opera singer, and Daniel Hochstiner, a juggler. There were also comedians, a violinist, and impersonators onboard but we did not see them. Renato and the dancers from the Tango Buenos Aires show also performed in the Centrum which seemed to be very popular and well attended. Congratulations on making it this far. I hope I did not bore you too much with the details. If not, read on for a review of the ports of call.

Cannes:
We dropped anchor in the Cannes harbor around 9:30am. My group did not want to do private shore excursions in this port, some of them went on RCL shore excursions and other went ashore to venture on their own. Bill and I elected to obtain the services of private driver so I found 14 other people who were interested and reserved 2 vans for full day excursions with Revelation Tours. As this was a tender port, I also arranged worked with my Group Coordinator to give me enough priority tender tickets for everyone. This worked out great and we were off the ship by 10am and our drivers were at the dock at 10:30 am.

Cannes is the home to the famous Cannes Film Festival and is one of the most chic resorts on the French Riviera. Although we did not stop, we saw the famous red carpet. A visit to Monte Carlo is well worth the time. Monaco is a separate country and is one of the richest in the world. While only less than a square mile in size, Monte Carlo is simply bulging with yachts, Ferraris, jewelry stores and everything else one can spend money on. Taking a walk through downtown Monte Carlo's shopping area and then by the marina on the way to the casino is like taking a walk in an adult fantasyland. The square in front oft6he casino is breathtaking and the gardens up the hill afford on a fabulous view of the best of Monaco

Our first stop was Old Nice. Exploring the historic district is fascinating and offers one a glimpse into the past. The open air markets and shops seem to be everywhere. We spent time exploring its wonderful shopping streets and visiting the Old Section of town. The streets are filled with many French sidewalk cafes (where I got my first taste of French pastry) and the local produce, fish and open air markets are not to be missed.

Next we were on our way to Eze, a walled medieval village dating back to the 12th century that resides on the very top of a mountain looking over the Mediterranean. It is totally enclosed by rock walls and it has been resurrected and turned into a quaint village offering tourists a look into its history. Eze has narrow cobbled pathways that meander throughout the village and there are numerous shops selling everything of interest to visitors. There are some excellent restaurants near the top part of Exe and more just below its entrance near the road. There are also a couple of perfumeries located close to Eze.

Our last stop was Saint-Paul de-Venice, a typical medieval village made famous by the actors and artists living there. Certainly one of the most appreciated places on the French Riviera for its atmosphere, you cannot travel to this part of France without a stop in this delightful village.

After a fun filled first day, we arrived back to the port of Cannes at 6:30pm with plenty of time to make the last tender back to the ship at 7:30pm. Revelations Tours did a great job and everyone was pleased with their service. I would highly recommend them and will use them again.

Livorno (Florence/Pisa)
Livorno is a port city about 15 miles from Pisa and about 45 miles from Florence. I had arranged all our tours in Italy with Giovanni, a tour company I met at the Luxury Travel Expo in 2007 and we were we met by Walter promptly at 7:30 am and off we went in a private mini van which would that would take us up close and personal to the various destinations. Those in our group that had taken the Cannes tour through the ship especially appreciated this as we did not have to waste any precious time walking from place to place. We left the pier well ahead of the RCI busses and Walter promised us that we would have Pisa all of ourselves. After our stop in Pisa (no one climbed to the time), we were off to Florence.

At this point I must pause and mention one of many examples of the excellent customer service we received from Giovanni’s company and our guide Walter. I mentioned that Tuscany was a place we always wanted to see but knew we would not have time during this trip. Not a problem, says Walter. “I will take you into the Florence from the back way so you can see Tuscany”. He then proceeded to get off the main highway (Trivia note: if you are ever on a straight road in Italy, it was built by the Romans) and we were on our way to see the Tuscany countryside. Walter explained the harvest times, why olive trees are hollow in the middle, showed us olives that were not good for oil, explained that brand name does not matter as long as it is Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and why there was government control over crop rotations.

When we arrived in Florence, Walter was going to show us the “Beverly Hills” villas but we had to detour because a bike marathon was going on. Not a problem for Walter because he grew up and lived in Florence so he knew all the back roads and short cuts and no time was wasted. When we got into town we found ourselves in the middle of a local parade, complete with marching bands, representatives from all the local villages, and an added treat, a procession of retired alpine police with their little sage-green felt hats, each topped with a black feather (“capello Alpino”) that is at least 2 feet long.

We spent the day at the Accedemia, Baptistry, Bell Tower, Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and the leather market and outdoor shopping stalls. Giovanni made our reservations at the Accademia and we bypassed all the lines. Not only that but Walter literally drove us to the front door of most places, parked the van in the city center and squares and waited so we could safely leave our bags in the van. He also made us reservations at a local Trattoria where we had a private air conditioned dining room and excellent food. I highly recommend using private drivers if you want a stress free way to see as much as possible without having to walk miles.

Civitavecchia (Rome):
Civitavecchia is a port city about 90 minutes north of Rome. Again we used the services of Giovanni and this time we had Manny as our driver and he was also excellent. We did have an issue with the size of the van and comfort level for some of the ladies, but this was quickly rectified by Giovanni. When we returned from lunch, he had another van all ready for us so that those of us with longer legs could proceed on our tour in comfort.

WOW is all that I can say about Ancient Rome. We were awed by the Vatican and the ruins, to the point where, we did NOT want to go back to the ship. What an overwhelming feeling it was to be standing in the midst of such history and biblical references. We felt so blessed to have the very short time in Rome, and WILL go back (we threw coins in the fountain).

Giovanni was kind enough to also arrange a private guide and reservations for the group to tour of the Vatican, St. Peters, and the Sistine Chapel so we were able to skip the line. And believe me that line was LONG! But we went right to the Vatican Museum where we met our guide Stefanie who had our tickets in hand and walked us right to the front of the line and into the museum. We were able to walk through the museum and Sistine Chapel all the while receiving plenty of history and background from our guide.

After our tour, Manny made reservations at a local restaurant and the food was very good. Afterwards Manny was waiting for us to begin the whirlwind tour of Rome. Our stops included, Trevi Fountain (remember Bill and I tossed our coins in), Capital Hill, Piazza Venezia, Roman Forum, Mouth of Truth, a part overlooking the city of Rome, and the Coliseum.

By the time we got to the Coliseum, there was a huge line that we bypassed with pre-purchased tickets and so Manny could take us through a special entrance. Although Manny was not able to join on us on the tour, he gave us plenty of information and insight before going in. It was all incredible.

We did not see the Spanish Steps and Pantheon, or Circus Maximus as planned, as we had an unfortunate mishap during our trip to the Coliseum. A member of our group fell and had to be rushed back to the ship. Priase God she was not seriously injured and only required a few stitches on her lip. She was ready to go on our excursion to Naples the next day. At this point, I should mention that RCL’s medical staff was quick, responsive, and professional in treating her medical needs. For those of you to feel you don’t need insurance, all I can say is You Don’t Need It - Until You Need It. So don’t take the chance and risk it.

Naples (Amalfi Coast):
I again booked a private driver for the day with Giovanni and as promised Gieussipi was at the pier waiting for us at 7:30am for our full day on the Amalfi Coast. After leaving the pier, we drove past Mount Vesuvius and continued along the coast to Sorrento where we had some time to explore this seaside town. From Sorrento we continued to Positano and again had time to wander up and down this hillside town.

If you haven't taken the drive through the Amalfi Coast, I highly recommend it. However, the drive is not for the faint of heart or those who don’t like heights. Although some of our group had a problem with the height going up the mountainside, everyone enjoyed the restaurant they took us to in Positano...it was definitely one of the highlights of our trip!

Upon leaving Giuseppe took us to a family run restaurant in the hills above Positano overlooking Positano. Oh my goodness. I can't even begin to describe how awesome the food and the view from the ladies bathroom were. There are no menus. You eat what "mama" cooks. It was 20E per person and the food just kept on coming. It also included homemade wine and lemoncello after dessert. Yum! Highlight of the day.

We continued the drive to Pompeii where Giovanni arranged for us to have a private guide (Michael) who was a professor of history and wrote historical articles for a local newspaper and radio station. He was very knowledgeable and gave us a 3 hr guided tour which allowed us to learn and see so much. If you have never visited Pompeii, I would highly recommend it.

We got back to the ship around 6pm for a 7pm sailing. We were so stuffed, Bill and I did not go to the dining room for dinner. But we did slip down to the Windjammer for dessert and ice cream later.

At Sea: Finally a day of rest! Bill and I slept and watched movies all day.

Venice Overnight:
Ahhhh, Venice. If you haven't been there, you need to go. If you have, then you know what I am talking about.. Venice is truly one of the world's most wonderful cities. It has everything going for it. We entered the Grand Canal at 12 noon just in time to hear the city's chimes ring. The ship docked at the Cruise Terminal which is about a 15 min. water shuttle ride away from St. Mark's. Most of the group purchased the 2-day water shuttle pass through RCL, but Bill and I decided to use the local Vaporetto and purchased tickets at the nearby station.

St. Marks Square
St. Mark's Square is a huge area bordered by St. Mark's basilica and the old and new Procuraties. The Doge Palace sits next to St. Mark's Basilica and the famous Bell Tower rises above it all. At street level, Procuraties are filled with cafes, restaurants, and shops. There are four or five cafes with huge areas of little tables set up in the square where you can sit and listen to live music being played.

Grand Canal
We took the #1 Vaporetto down the Grand Canal to St. Marks Square. We managed to get seats in front and enjoy the spectacular view of the old buildings sitting right in the water. Small docks or steps with platforms lead right to the front doors of some of the hotels along the canal. It would have been fun to spend a night in one of them. Gardens and window boxes and balconies full of flowers caught our attention as we slowly made our way to St. Mark's Square.

The Bell Tower
It was 9 a.m. when we reached the square and there were few tourists around. The bell tower was first on our list and just opened for the day. We paid our 6 Euros each and took the elevator to the top. The view of the square was wonderful.

St. Marks Basilica
We walked directly out of the bell tower and got in the line for the basilica which was already stretching across the square. It is a beautiful church with numerous scenes depicted with mosaics shimmering in golden highlights in the large domes looming overhead. The floor is a geometric pattern of tiles. the Pigeons of VeniceFor a euro you could buy a small bag of corn and instantly make friends with hundreds of pigeons. Actually they are very gentle and there was only one "accident" which was quickly cleaned up.

Venice Evening Gondola Ride
This was the only ship excursion we took, but if when we return we will purchase tickets in Venice as it was much cheaper than the ship tour. However, we had to do it once and are glad we did. We boarded our gondola being careful not to move too much. It's almost like getting into a canoe. With amazing skill, the gondoliers used their long tongued poles to manipulate the vessels out of their dock and into the canal. It was an armada of 4 gondolas that slowly made its way down the Grand Canal. In the center of the armada, was a gondola with a tenor and an accordion player who serenaded us as we floated between buildings illuminated with the colors of the evening sun. As we entered a narrow canal to navigate the maze of small waterways that lace the island, the sound of Ole Sole Mio resonated from the exteriors of the buildings. Each time you go under a bridge you are to share a kiss. Yes it was romantic!

The following day, we again took the Vaporetto, but this time decided to go to the end of the line to explore. What a great decision this was because we ended up on Lido Island. We enjoyed the day exploring the little nooks and crannies of this beautiful city. No one spoke a word of English, and frankly my Italian is more like Spanish with an Italian sound. Folks were plenty nice though.

We wandered its narrow pedestrian streets and noticed that there were an abundance of artist galleries and also stone and clay shops. We passed several flower shops all selling spectacular arrangements, a local fish market in a small square where the fish were being sold open air on ice, local pharmacies and dry good stores and of course, local restaurants

From the first moment we stepped into Lido, we could see that it is completely different. First, the buildings are modern and there are vehicles, bikes, and public buses on the streets. Trees and rosebushes line the streets and is a big change from all the cobble streets, bridges and close alleyways. Trendier and more residential than traditional Venice, it still offers small canals, a variety of dining and impressive views of the city from across the Lagoon.

We had a great walk via Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta all across the island and ended up at the famous beach. The Lido is the beach of Venice. This island shelters the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea, and is famous for its Movie Festival which is held every year between the end of August and the first week of September. It was interested to see Venetians fully clothed laying on cement benches and wooden slabs sunning themselves.
As we walked the length of the island, we found that many of the local bars and eateries had that "where everybody knows your name" family feel, lending an insider's view to life on Lido.

We stopped at a sidewalk café for a wonderful pizza lunch. Before I had a chance to tell Bill not to open the package of breadsticks, it was too late. So we paid the customary 3 euro for opening the package, but that was part of the experience so it was okay.

Split, Croatia:
We dropped anchor in the Split harbor around 7am with forecast of rain. We didn’t have anything planned for this port so we just packaged our windbreakers and umbrellas and off we went. Split is a fairly large city primarily dominated by ruins of the Diocletian's Palace. We explored the Palace and other Roman ruins and wandered around the small, narrow streets.

We soon found ourselves in the center of town and kind of lost. But we rain into a very nice man who escorted us back into the main portion of town. As an added bonus he kind of gave us a running commentary of the city and it’s historical past. We had a wonderful experience with one of the locals.

When we arrived back in the center of town, we ran into the local firemen who were putting on an exhibit. I have no idea what they were saying, but before I knew it I was taking pictures with them and holding up one of their souvenirs t-shirts while another member of our group was off to the side being entertained with samples of the local wine.

Next we ran into a quartet performing wonderful a cappella songs in the middle of the square. This was a real treat for Bill and me. I can’t stress enough taking the time to be friendly to the locals. That’s were you experience the real flavor and culture of the country.

On our way back to the ship, we made a quick stop for cappuccino and a local pastry at a sidewalk café. We just sat back, relaxed, and people watched until it was time to return to our floating hotel. All and all it was a wonderful day.

Valletta, Malta:
We were not scheduled to dock in Malta until 7:30 am so Bill and I decided to go for our morning walk around Deck 12 at about 6:30 am. Well we never took our walk but went and grabbed our cameras because our arrival into Malta was just as beautiful, although different, than our arrival into Venice.

Malta lies about 60 miles south of Sicily and 160 miles north of Libya, a strategic position in the Mediterranean that has made the islands a crossroads of history. The last occupiers were the British, who granted Malta independence in 1964, but the biggest and most unique influence was left by the Knights of St John, to whom the island was donated in 1530; the Knights reigned supreme over the island for 270 years, building magnificent churches and monuments to themselves.

This was the island where the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked and there is a church dedicated to him. Trivia Hint: The reason why the clocks have 2 different times is to confuse the devil.

Another beautiful day and once again everyone was on their own to explore as they chose. To get from the ship to town you could either walk or take the city bus. Although we loved how the local buses looked (They were vintage 1950’s, painted yellow and orange, and in very good condition) Bill and I chose to walk and ended up running into a HoHo bus, similar to what we used in Barcelona, which gave us an opportunity to circumnavigate the entire island. Places of interested included the following:

Hagar Qim, a prehistoric temple complex discovered in 1839

The Hypogeum, a labyrinthine complex of man-made chambers hewn out of limestone, extending about 36ft below the surface

Mdina, known as the noble city, as it was the original capital of Malta before the arrival of the Knights of St John in the middle ages

St Mary's Church, in the central Maltese town of Mosta, with its glorious blue, gold and white dome

The Three Cities - Malta's maritime towns merged into a fortified conglomerate

In addition, we discovered that Malta has a glass blowing factor and a winery. Who would have known these existed in Malta. Maybe you, but currently not us.

At Sea: Day of packing as we prepare to end our trip.

Debarkation
The ship docked back into Barcelona around 4:30am. Our group all had RCCL transfers and started departing at about 7:15 am. Since there was no customs or immigration, walking off the ship took no time at all. The only glitch was at the Delta pier check in. Let’s just say not enough staff and computers to print boarding passes. Enough said about that. We made it to the airport in time and our luggage was there.

Summary
This was a fantastic trip in every sense of the word. The sea was smooth as glass the entire cruise, with the exception of the night before we arrived in Split. Although our trip was exhausting, I would not have missed one minute of it for the world. Everyone was happy with our guides and based on the comments of those in my group who took RCCL tours, I would higher recommend private drivers for this itinerary. Since large busses aren't allowed into the city centers, it was at least a half mile walk to most sites and you were limited to only 1-2 sites per excursion. Plus it was much nicer being in small groups rather than in a bus with 50-60 others.

Well that’s it. I hoped you enjoyed the review and would definitely recommend this trip to both young and young at heart. Lots of history and it will truly make the bible “come to life”. But Beware! There is a lot of walking on this trip so start getting exercising now.

Please feel free to share this trip report with anyone you think might be interested or view at http://maryengramtravels.blogspot.com/. I plan to do another group cruise, so if you want to join me, don’t delay. Let me know of your interest today.