Need Help With Mediterranean Travel
Apr 20th, 2008, 07:10 AM
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Need Help With Mediterranean Travel
Hello,
I am considering a Mediterranean cruise from RCCL or Norwegian in October 2008. The cities we will visit are: Barcelona, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Livorna, Civitavecchia, Palermo and Naples. This will be my first trip to Europe and I would appreciate your insight on the following questions. I understand a cruise may not be the preffered method for visiting Europe for the first time but I plan to use the trip as an introduction to these beautiful cities. I appreciate your help. I will also post these questions on the cruise forum.
How is the weather in late Sept/October? Will it be too cool for swimming in the pool?
Are there tour companies you would recommend for visiting the key sites? Or is it easy to visit the sites on your own from the port?
Is English widely spoken in these cities?
I would like to stay a few extra days in Barcelona. What part of the city would you stay (hotel recommendations are appreciated)?
How's the physical condition of RCCL Voyager of the Seas ship (or NCL Norwegian Gem)? Is it worn? How's the food? Is it very smoky onboard? Who's the typical cruiser (middle aged, couples, etc.)?
I am considering a Mediterranean cruise from RCCL or Norwegian in October 2008. The cities we will visit are: Barcelona, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Livorna, Civitavecchia, Palermo and Naples. This will be my first trip to Europe and I would appreciate your insight on the following questions. I understand a cruise may not be the preffered method for visiting Europe for the first time but I plan to use the trip as an introduction to these beautiful cities. I appreciate your help. I will also post these questions on the cruise forum.
How is the weather in late Sept/October? Will it be too cool for swimming in the pool?
Are there tour companies you would recommend for visiting the key sites? Or is it easy to visit the sites on your own from the port?
Is English widely spoken in these cities?
I would like to stay a few extra days in Barcelona. What part of the city would you stay (hotel recommendations are appreciated)?
How's the physical condition of RCCL Voyager of the Seas ship (or NCL Norwegian Gem)? Is it worn? How's the food? Is it very smoky onboard? Who's the typical cruiser (middle aged, couples, etc.)?
Apr 20th, 2008, 07:35 AM
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Our (my) first trip to Europe was half land travel and half cruise. Not at all a bad idea. Typically the ships move at night so its a good use of vacation days.
Typically the cruise operator has 'shore excursions' at an additional costs. If the cost is not too much then this is the low-hassle way to go. From Livorna the primary choices will be Pisa and Florence. Volterra is possible but probably not offered. From Civitavecchia the destination is Rome. For three people on a five day cruise we paid about $600 for shore excursions.
On our boat the pool was ocean water right out of the Mediteranean. Yours probably will be as well.
Typically the cruise operator has 'shore excursions' at an additional costs. If the cost is not too much then this is the low-hassle way to go. From Livorna the primary choices will be Pisa and Florence. Volterra is possible but probably not offered. From Civitavecchia the destination is Rome. For three people on a five day cruise we paid about $600 for shore excursions.
On our boat the pool was ocean water right out of the Mediteranean. Yours probably will be as well.
Apr 20th, 2008, 07:43 AM
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Go to www.cruisecritic.com or www.cruisemates.com for recent reviews of ships you are considering.
Barcelona...my recommendation would be to stay somewhere near the Placa Catalunya which is centrally located and within walking distance of the Gothic Quarter and is also a public transport hub, especially for the Metro.
www.apsishotels.com might help (take a look at the Atrium Palace) but you could get an even better idea of where hotels are located by looking at the www.venere.com site
Livorno is about 1.5 hours by rail from Florence
Civitavecchia is about an hour from Rome by rail
You could do both Rome and Florence on your own if necessary and IMO
Barcelona...my recommendation would be to stay somewhere near the Placa Catalunya which is centrally located and within walking distance of the Gothic Quarter and is also a public transport hub, especially for the Metro.
www.apsishotels.com might help (take a look at the Atrium Palace) but you could get an even better idea of where hotels are located by looking at the www.venere.com site
Livorno is about 1.5 hours by rail from Florence
Civitavecchia is about an hour from Rome by rail
You could do both Rome and Florence on your own if necessary and IMO
Apr 20th, 2008, 08:53 AM
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Here are my suggestions, based on (my) own experiences. First the cruise will be fun, but nothing like Carribean cruises. This ship basically acts as a transport to 1 fabulous city after another. Forget about enjoying a "cruise" experience. You will be exhausted after touring each port, each day, and that's how you should feel (IMHO). There is so much to see, and you will only be able to sample a few of the highlights, but it WILL whet your appetite to go back for a land experience. Again, that's IMHO.
Second, forget about the cruise forum on Fodors. I think it's basically useless. If you want to know things like, "do they serve lobster or steak nightly", or "how many pairs of shoes should I bring", this is the place you will find the answers. If you want to know about how to negotiate a port city or what to see, or how to find a good guide, stick to this forum or cruisecritic.
I have cruised on RCCL and NCL, and again in my own opinion, here are the differences. On NCL the service is not as attentive because it's freestyle. You just probably won't have the same waiter each day. If you are travelling without a group, sometimes it's nice to meet the same group of people (providing you like them) at the end of the day to compare the day's experiences. That's what you get with RCCL, assigned tables. If you have people you're travelling with and want to eat with them each evening, either line is fine. Each is a nice ship and will get you from one place to another. I would choose on itinerary and how long the ships stay in a port. The longer the better.
I have only taken 1 cruise excursion and it was expensive, not very insightful and lots of money, besides that I felt like a lemming! Some stops you can do on your own. Other you do need a guide or bus tour. In Barcelona, there is a great bus tour, actually 2 routes that you can see pretty much everything and hop on/off. Same in Rome. Both cities have so much to see that you will only scratch the surface, but you need something structured because of your time limits. Also, if this is your 1st time to Europe, Rome and Florence are a train ride away, so are Nice and Monte Carlo. I can promise you the internet and just following the DIYer's will get you to the train stations, and from there to the cities, but this being your 1st time, you may not have the confidence to realize you CAN do it, so look at cruisecritic for private guides and once you pick a cruise, you can go online and find people on your cruise to share private tours. Way more affordable, and more fun!
The weather should be mild, but it could rain. I personally don't understand people who want to spend all their time at beaches. Might as well stay in the states. Sand and water, and on the sea day good luck finding a chair if the weathers nice. Put your towel out at about 8:00!
Whoever said to stay around Placa Catalunya gave you great advice. We stayed at the Hostal Palacios and it was under 100 Euros. With the $ so low, it is a great value. Check their website.
Voyager is a huge ship and very nice. The food was really good and they have little sidewalk cafes that are nice after dinner to people watch and have coffee. I don't know about the Gem, but they all look like Vegas hotels to me!
The last best advice I can give you is before you leave write down how to say key words in each language that you'll be needing. Hello, Goodbye, Thank you, How much, where's the toilet, etc... Keep it with you. And last, buy guide books and look at the forums here and the Europe forum on cruisecritic. Have a great time.
Second, forget about the cruise forum on Fodors. I think it's basically useless. If you want to know things like, "do they serve lobster or steak nightly", or "how many pairs of shoes should I bring", this is the place you will find the answers. If you want to know about how to negotiate a port city or what to see, or how to find a good guide, stick to this forum or cruisecritic.
I have cruised on RCCL and NCL, and again in my own opinion, here are the differences. On NCL the service is not as attentive because it's freestyle. You just probably won't have the same waiter each day. If you are travelling without a group, sometimes it's nice to meet the same group of people (providing you like them) at the end of the day to compare the day's experiences. That's what you get with RCCL, assigned tables. If you have people you're travelling with and want to eat with them each evening, either line is fine. Each is a nice ship and will get you from one place to another. I would choose on itinerary and how long the ships stay in a port. The longer the better.
I have only taken 1 cruise excursion and it was expensive, not very insightful and lots of money, besides that I felt like a lemming! Some stops you can do on your own. Other you do need a guide or bus tour. In Barcelona, there is a great bus tour, actually 2 routes that you can see pretty much everything and hop on/off. Same in Rome. Both cities have so much to see that you will only scratch the surface, but you need something structured because of your time limits. Also, if this is your 1st time to Europe, Rome and Florence are a train ride away, so are Nice and Monte Carlo. I can promise you the internet and just following the DIYer's will get you to the train stations, and from there to the cities, but this being your 1st time, you may not have the confidence to realize you CAN do it, so look at cruisecritic for private guides and once you pick a cruise, you can go online and find people on your cruise to share private tours. Way more affordable, and more fun!
The weather should be mild, but it could rain. I personally don't understand people who want to spend all their time at beaches. Might as well stay in the states. Sand and water, and on the sea day good luck finding a chair if the weathers nice. Put your towel out at about 8:00!
Whoever said to stay around Placa Catalunya gave you great advice. We stayed at the Hostal Palacios and it was under 100 Euros. With the $ so low, it is a great value. Check their website.
Voyager is a huge ship and very nice. The food was really good and they have little sidewalk cafes that are nice after dinner to people watch and have coffee. I don't know about the Gem, but they all look like Vegas hotels to me!
The last best advice I can give you is before you leave write down how to say key words in each language that you'll be needing. Hello, Goodbye, Thank you, How much, where's the toilet, etc... Keep it with you. And last, buy guide books and look at the forums here and the Europe forum on cruisecritic. Have a great time.
Apr 20th, 2008, 01:14 PM
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My own favorite med' city is Nice and October is one of the best times to visit weatherwise - that corner of the med (East France -West Italy) seems to enjoy a particularly good climate at that time of year, just as the rest of Europe is getting damp and chilly! There is a weather table (albeit for Nice) on this site: http://www.nice-city-vacation.com/nice-weather.html
Have a good 'un
Have a good 'un
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