If anyone is interested, here is a report on our wonderful Mediterranean cruise. <BR>Cruising Aboard the Renaissance R-1 <BR>Athens to Istanbul <BR>October 16th to 28th, 1999 <BR> <BR> This was our first cruise and I believe we were lucky to stumble upon this for our initiation. We spoke with our various ship dinner companions who had been on many cruises (some as cruised as many as 50 times) and they reviewed the R-1 extremely favorably. From what I understand, other ships subject you to a lot of loudspeaker announcements. We had almost none of those on the R-1. Instead, each day we received a printed itinerary which listed the days instructions, entertainment, activities and special television offerings. The only really negative comment I have about the ship is that the bed was not very comfortable. It felt almost like a sleeper sofa. That is surprising, since all of the other furnishings in the room and on the ship were of high quality, such as the shower fixtures and the more than ample storage space. The layout of the room and storage spaces had obviously been very well thought out. However, a bed is something you spend a third of your time on! By comparison, the bed at the Ceylon Intercontinental Hotel in Istanbul was heaven! There were even down comforters and four king sized down pillows with high quality bed linens. I have never slept so well in my life. Except for the bed, we thought the cruise was an incredible value. <BR> <BR> We upgraded to a balcony cabin and have been spoiled for life. We would never do it any other way now. The experience of being able to go out on the balcony in the hush of the early morning and watch as we came into some of the exotic ports were unforgettable. As we quietly drew near Santorini it was misty and almost like a dream. The high cliffs with the white buildings were so beautiful. We put our binoculars to good use. Also, pulling into Istanbul was fascinating: the loud put-put of the small fishing boats going out to sea, and the spires of the mosques still lit up in the early morning light. Perhaps some cruises don't warrant the extra expense of a balcony room, but this trip certainly does. <BR> <BR> The food was better than we expected, from some of the reviews we read. I had been in catering and consider myself pretty picky and I had no complaints. On only one occasion did I hear that anyone was unhappy with the food. It was a disapointing vegetarian entree ordered by two of our table companions. The wait staff was impeccable. Many of them are young Europeans, some of whom are supporting a wife and children back home. I think the entertainment could have been more varied. There was a core group of young entertainers who did musical reviews. It reminded me to some of the Disneyworld entertainment we have been to. They are very fresh and perky, and talented, but it did not keep my interest. Actually, after a full day of getting up early and sightseeing, I was not very interested in staying up late partying anyway. <BR> <BR> The Ceylon Intercontinental in Istanbul was outstanding, even nicer than the Atheaneum Intercontinental in Athens. Our stay in Athens did start out on a bad note: check-in was chaotic and disorganized. We had been on a long plane trip and everyone was tired. We then had to sit through a long orientation (which was mainly to promote the organized tours, which we were not planning to do). Afterwards there was a mad dash to the check-in desk, which was run by the hotel staff. They were overwhelmed with trying to register 650 people at one time. If you were polite and waited your turn in line you were pushed aside by other people forging ahead. This was the only organizational foul-up of the whole trip. Otherwise, we were very impressed with the way Renaissance handled this large group. Then, the first night in the hotel (at 1:00 a.m.) our television suddenly changed to Channel 9 and began to emit a piercing siren. The screen displayed the message: 'Evacuate hotel immediately'. We all stood in front of the hotel in various stages of undress for about an hour, until we were readmitted. We were never officially informed what the problem was. Some said it was a bomb scare. Another story was that since President Clinton was to be visiting the hotel in November, the secret service were testing the emergency response system. One of the hotel personnel told us that a scare happens every week somewhere in Athens, because of all the kids using their cell phones. All I know is, from now on when I am out of town, I will always keep my shoes, purseand coat next to the door. <BR> <BR> The cities we visited were varied and interesting. I had read that Athens was noisy, dirty and crowded. Well, we loved visiting the Acropolis, wending our way through the back alleys of the Plaka, watching <BR>the changing of the guard. We experimented with local restaurants. Our stewardess on the plane told us about a small cafe hotel called ' Vasilis'. We had dinner there twice and both times there were flight crews eating there. A fews shops down, was a great place for breakfast. The new owner works at the hotel in the evenings and bent over backwards trying (and succeeding) to please us. The surroundings are less than elegant, but the food is great and so are the prices. We seldom paid more than $22 for both of our dinners, which usually included the local beer. We only visited the roof-top bar of the hotel once and had our drinks outside with a great view of the lightedAcropolis. <BR> <BR> Santorini was a bit of a disappointment. Perhaps it was because of the season (mid-October), but it was somewhat dead. Our pictures are breathtaking, though. You could not get a bad picture on Santorini if you tried. The island strikes me as the kind of place that is mainly there for tourists. We like to hang out with the locals. Everyone wants to make a buck off of you. I was initially charmed by this guy who was dressed in rustic clothing, sweeping the street next to a colorfully outfitted donkey. I pointed my camera at them from a distance and he began yelling at me, exclaiming that he expected me to buy his pistachios (on the donkey's back) before I could take a picture. It was obvious his costume and positioning were a set-up for the tourists. Kind of like an adult Disneyland. We enjoyed Rhodes much more, because we had more contact with the locals. I had an absorbing conversation <BR>with a young woman shopkeeper who had been educated in New York and travels the world buying goods for her store. We even exchanged addresses. <BR> <BR> We hate organized tours, so in Kusadisi we rented a car with some friends we met on the ship. We shared the cost of $30 and drove to Ephesus. Once you get out of the city, it is easy to find your way. Ephesus was unbelievable! It is the one place you really should have a tour guide, or at least a really good guide book, because <BR>of the richness of it's history. <BR> <BR> Saving the best for last, Istanbul was wonderful. The city is vibrant with color and activity. Everyone says people are so friendly in Turkey. They really are, but beware, everyone wants to sell you something. The park benches are full of men in suits waiting to strike up a conversation with you. "Where are you from?" "How do you like it in Istanbul?" They cheerfully walk you to the sites you are looking for and wait for you on the other side. Then comes the invitation, "Come to my family's shop around the corner - no obligation - only takes a few minutes of your time." One young man escorted us for two hours! There are a lot of children selling small toys (they evaporate into thin air when the police drive by only to reappear again in a few minutes), or offering to polish your shoes. The latter can be quite obnoxious in their insistency. If you are not firm with them (we were told to say "hire" - I think it means an emphatic "no"), they dab the polish on without your permission. <BR> <BR> We ate several times at a place called 'Haci Baba'. There are large display cases where you just point to the meat you want and they cook it for you on the spot. There are also large trays of cooked foods and salads. We have been eating lamb, feta, eggplant and yogurt every day since we've been home. Another great local place is a series of restaurants in the Flower Market and Fish Market areas (called 'Checik Pasaje'). It's alive from 7:30-10:00 p.m. with lots of local people and strolling musicians. Afterwards, we went to a coffee and pastry bar for dessert.All of these places are within walking distance of the Ceylon Intercontinental Hotel, just past Taksim Square. Ask your hotel concierge for his advice. Ours gave us great tips. <BR> <BR> We visited the Blue Mosque, St. Sophia Church, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is a series of 45 streets of shops. Everyone tried to pull you into their shop. Nothing is priced, so you barter for everything. We were told not to accept the first five offers given. You know you got a great deal of the proprietor is practically mad at you when you leave. You hear everything from "Now I have to close my shop", to "You have broken my heart". If you have the money, the rugs and jewelry are beautiful. We didn't, so we bought little things like worry beads, spices and pepper mills. We did find a beautiful red mandolin in an abandoned shop window and bought it from an old gentleman who had built it years ago and let us have it for $20. We didn't barter with him over it and he had tears in his eyes when we left. <BR> <BR> The Basilica Cystern was mysterious and eerie. It is an ancient underwatern cavern once used to store water in case of siege. When we were there, there was an avant guard art show inside, with art films being shown on the walls, and under the water. Huge lit globes hung all around, inside of which were holographic blinking human eyes. In the background you heard eerie, echoing classical music, accompanied by the sound of dripping water from the ceiling. Another unforgettable experience was the Turkish Bath. All the guidebooks said not to miss this. I agree. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I won't spoil it by describing it. All I can say is, relax and go with it. You will be out of your comfort zone, which is not bad. All in all, the memories from this vacation, with the help of 350 pictures and 4 hours of video, will last a lifetime. <BR>

Maggi- Thanks for your wonderfyl post. I felt like I was there!! I just spoke to Renaissance today regarding your very cruise in late Feb. I just returned from a Mediterranean curise on Celebrity and saw Italy, South of France and Spain. We had a Suite with a veranda and it was wonderful. I am glad to say our bed was great! Celebrity also has a policy of not making unnecessary public announcements over any speaker system. I am glad to hear of your positive experience with the food on the R-1, as I have also read some not very good reviews. Your check in experience on your pre hotel stay is a turn off. I would not have the patience you had. I also wonder about the air provided by Renaissance. I heard it is a "cattle car". What was your air experience? Thanks again for sharing your curise experience with us!

Dear Dave, <BR>With regard to flights, I don't know what you are used to. I generally don't want to waste money on business or first class and don't mind a little discomfort for a cheaper fare. That said, the World Airways flight was fully booked. The seats were comparable to other charter flights I have been on. The service was just fine and the flight was uneventful. I was impressed with this: we had spent the night in New York the night previous to the flight. Our hotel shuttle pulled up to the terminal and immediately a Renaissance representative, with clipboard in hand, met us at the shuttle and helped us with our luggage. They didn't know what hotel we were staying at, or when we would arrive at the terminal. It's a small thing, but it made me feel so "taken care of" from that point on.

Hi Maggi -- I enjoyed your review tremendously! I, too, felt like I was there! Thank you so much for your very interesting descriptions. <BR> <BR>We just returned [on 10/21] from the Coastal Spain Cruise on the R2. It was absolutely fabulous and a wonderful experience. As you have been eating lamb, feta, eggplant and yogurt every day since you've been home, we are enjoying all the CD's of wonderful Spanish music we brought back -- you know, dancing around the house to the sounds of castanets! )))) <BR> <BR>As we are going on the R1 Greek Isles Cruise next month, I have several questions I would like to ask you. Would you mind me e-mailing you directly? <BR> <BR>Thanks again for your enjoyable review. <BR>Lois <BR>

Lois, <BR>Lucky you! I'd be happy to try to be of help, fire away! We just saw the new Bond movie and were thrilled with aerial scenes from Istanbul and the Bosphorus strait. My husband and I were giggling and pinching each other. (Wish we were back there now.)

Going on the R2. The ships guidelines for tipping seem excessive. Did you adhere to them? I also heard that their tours were not great, any comment?Thanks for any tips or suggestions, we are on the Lisbon to Barcelona itinerary.

Debbie, <BR>I am also on that same itinerary Lisbon--Barcelona. We are going in Mid. Jan. The weather is a concern for us? Checked temps. it does not look to bad for the tours, the cruise may be cold. Anyone out there have imput? or been there before?