How is Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas? <BR>Our cruise sails from Barcelona on Oct. 4. Please give advice on shore excursions during this 12 day cruise. Ports of call are Marseilles, France; Livorno, Italy; Naples, Italy; Venice, Italy; Messina, Sicily; Rome, Italy; and Monte Carlo/Cannes. <BR>

We've cruised on RCCL five times, the latest on Splendour of the Seas from Vancouver to Hawaii last September. All of their ships are excellent and you will enjoy the cruise. They do a good job of setting up and organizing their shore excursions. You might ask your travel agent to get an advance copy of their shore excursion guide.

Just returned last month from a one week trip on the newest ship Visions of the Sea. Our ports were Barcelona (which we saves for last) Rome, Monte Carlo, Messina, Corsica. The shore excursions were great all depends on what your looking for. Feel free to ask away. I used this forum to plan our cruise and we had the best time. So may people gave us do's and don't. Are you going with kids? Are you into history, night life, which setting are you signed up for. Fire away. <BR>

My wife and I just returned from a cruise of the French and Italian Riviera. We stopped at both Cannes and Monaco/Monte Carlo. I would not simply walk around Cannes. The city has a beautiful marina/beach strip, but is otherwise not unique. In fact, the architecture looks alot like Palm Beach, Florida. What Cannes does have is a wonderful location, so you could use the stop as a chance to explore inland. If you like the ship's organized excursion offerings, fine, but I suggest renting a car (with another couple, perhaps) and just taking off ! In Monaco, it is worth your while to explore the area where the palace is located, as well as visiting the Monte Carlo area. If you have any gambling bones in your body, you must go to the Grand Casino. However, this can all be accomplished in less than 1/2 day. I recommend renting a car and traveling the Grand Corniche or Middle Corniche from <BR>Monaco to Nice, with a stop in the town of Eze. Very pretty.

To Rich- Did you realize that the Monte Carlo casino that tourists visit is not the real one for the residents. When we walked in to the "Grand Casino" to the right there was an admission rate sign $10 a day $50 a week and something dumb for the month , so we asked a few questions and we found out that it was a taste to the Grand Casino. That is why there were only a few machines and no black jack needless to say I left a donation at the mini one. <BR>

HI CHRIS, <BR>MY HUSBAND AND I SAILED ON THE SPLENDOUR OF THE SEAS LAST YEAR TO SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. THE SHIP IS WONDERFUL -- THIS WAS OUR 18TH CRUISE SO WE HAD LOTS TO COMPARE TO -- OUR CABIN WITH A PICTURE WINDOW WAS LARGE AND COMFORTABLE WITH GOOD CLOSET SPACE AND A LARGE BATHROOM. THE SITTING AREA WAS GOOD SIZED AND THE TV BROADCAST CNN AND ESPN, BESIDES MOVIES (MY HUSBAND WATCHED A NY METS BASEBALL GAME ON TV AFTER WE RETURNED FROM THE BALLET IN ST. PETERSBURG -- HE WAS IN HIS GLORY!) THE PUBLIC ROOMS ARE BEAUTIFUL -- THE DINING ROOM IS TWO LEVELS WITH WINDOWS SURROUNDING THREE SIDES -- EXCELLENT FOOD AND SERVICE IN THE DINING ROOM AND THE CASUAL BUFFET (WHICH ALSO SERVED DINNER AT NIGHT) BE SURE TO BRING BATHINGSUITS BECAUSE THE SOLARIUM POOL, WHICH IS ENCLOSED, IS QUIET AND VERY LUXURIOUS -- A DELIGHT TO COME BACK TO LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER SIGHTSEEING -- THE SPA AND AEROBICS CLASSES WERE GREAT. THE ENTERTAINMENT IS FIRST RATE AND RATHER THAN THE LAS VEGAS TYPE OF DANCING-SINGING, THEY CONCENTRATED ON SPECIALITY ACTS -- A PIANIST ONE NIGHT, MAGICIANS ANOTHER, A TENOR ANOTHER, A COMEDY ACT ANOTHER, AND ON AND ON! WE HAD LATE SEATING DINNER WHICH GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN OUR FRIENDS IN THE VIKING CROWN LOUNGE FOR DRINKS BEFORE DINNER -- THE VIEWS ARE REALLY STUNNING. THE CASINO ACTION IS LIVELY AND THE SCHOONER BAR WAS FUN WITH LOTS OF SINGING AROUND THE PIANO. THE TOURS OFFERED WERE EXCELLENT AND THE SHIP'S LECTURER WAS INFORMATIVE -- HE WAS A FORMER STATE DEPT. DIPLOMAT TO THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES AND HE WAS EXCEPTIONALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT EACH PORT -- AS THE SHIP LEFT EACH PORT HE WOULD GET ON THE PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM AND TALK ABOUT EACH COUNTRY WE LEFT. ALL IN ALL, IT WAS AN EXCEPTIONALLY MEMORABLE TRIP AND WE ARE CONTEMPLATING SAILING ON THE SPLENDOUR AGAIN NEXT YEAR WHEN WE DO THE MEDITERRANEAN. HAVE A REALLY GREAT TIME -- BUT REMEMBER, IT'S ONLY AS GREAT AS YOU MAKE IT!

CJ: <BR> <BR>My huband and I are leaving on the same cruise boat. We depart on July 10. This is our second Royal Carribean cruise. We have pre-booked an all-day Rome excursion. Any other suggestions, "dos or don'ts"? <BR> <BR>Bev <BR> <BR> <BR>

Sorry I've been out of the loop for a while, hope you get this before you leave. We booked everything the day we boarded on the ship. We found it much easier. Just go up to the persers desk and they have forms there to fill out. Seeing Rome is your second port sign up the first day. We were very disappointed in Monte Carlo, after an hour drive into Monte Carlo we only got to see a mimi Grand Casino. The rest of the trip was on the hour bus tour. Unless you bring binoculars and look fast you could never see the stars homes. We found it to be a waste of our time and money. I would have rather stayed on the ship. We did a taste of Rome which was an all day trip. We were off on our own in the AM and then joined the group in the afternoon after all the shops closed from 1-4. <BR> <BR>Make sure you stick to your guns on your seating assignment on the ship. We had a problem the first night and had to do some crying and palm greasing to get our second seating as we requested and were promised. You wiil find that 80% of the ship was spanish speaking. The crew was great (Please say hi to the head areobics instructor in the spa he just so happened to go to high school with my son. His name is Todd and a real sweetheart. (My name is Carol) <BR> <BR>The ship was beautiful neat and clean, The staff is very friendly. Is this your second cruise on RC? If it is you will go to a private cocktail party for return RC passengers. <BR> <BR>We were ery disappointed in the tendors that took up to and from the ship to land. Some of the bus trips to get to you country you were to tour were very very long. Pleas feel free to ask anymore questions you may have. We are back from our 4th of July trip so I'm free to answer. <BR> <BR>PS The women on the ship dres very very well during the day and night <BR>

Kim please excuse me I must have sun stroke. I read you message wrong. I have been getting to much E mail on this cruise that I forget who I'm answering. You are a repeat RC cruisers. My advise on Rome is to use a map at all times and don't loose your tour guide as my husband and I did. He speaks itialian fluently and thougt we could get around Rome buy just taking to the natives. Not use your maps because instead of saying they don't know a certain direction they would give you the wrong one SOOOOOOOOOOO use a map. We lost our group and ended up a twenty minute cab drive where we were suppose to meet. They were very nice about it but it held up the whole tour. <BR>

We went on this same cruise this past May, with the same itinerary. Had a wonderful time. We've cruised lots before and had alot to compare it to. The ports are terrific, only not enough time in each city to see it all, so do alot of research on your must sees, get a good map, a good book on Italy and have a plan. We took the train from Livorno to Florence and from Civitavecchia to Rome. We preferred to go our own way, if you would like more info on getting around, please feel free to contact me. This is a fabulous vacation, wish we could join you. So many things I couls say about the ship and the ports. Have a wonderful time. Also, be careful about the weather when in Naples if you are going to go to the Isle of Capri. If it gets rough, the trip back to Naples can be very nausating, so be sure to check the weather. We were lucky, but have heard heard horror stories.Bon Voyage! and contact me for more info if you wish.

<BR>Whatever you do....Don*t miss Messina!!! Definately take the trip to Taoromina in Sicily! It was the highlight of our trip! I recommend the all day tour in Rome. There is just so much to see and I found all of the guides in every port fantastic. <BR>I also loved the Eze/Monaco/Monte Carlo all day tour. If I have said anything...I have said TAOROMINA! TAOROMINA! TAOROMINA!!!!!! We were on the Enchantment of the Seas....brand new at the time......I love RCCL. Going to Venice, Turkey and Greece this year! <BR>