Hi,
Thank you, advance for investing your time in helping me plan my first Europe Trip.

My husband and I will be leaving to Europe last two weeks of July.
We will spend 3 night in Barcelona before going on to Royal Caribbean Voyager of the sea.
The stops we will be making are

1.NAPLES/CAPRI, ITALY
2. ROME (CIVITAVECCHIA), ITALY
3. FLORENCE/PISA(LIVORNO),ITALY
4. NICE (VILLEFRANCHE), FRANCE
5. PROVENCE(MARSEILLES), FRANCE

A. What should we focus on in each city we have about 10 hrs in each place
B. Should we take a tour from the cruise for all the stops or grab a taxi when on port
C. What should we know about the cruise as far as formal nights and dress code, restaurants and spas.
D. How should we dress when walking out on to the port.
E. What should we do in Barcelona.

Any feedback would be great I did a lot of reading as well but would love to hear personal experiences or advises from Europe Travelers.

FIRST of all, you should be going to the rccl.com site and reading about the formal nights and the so-called "dress code" as there is a wealth of information about YOUR SHIP right there.

Are you staying in Barcelona pre-cruise and where?

We are staying in Barcelona Hotel 1898 for 3 nights before the cruise.

Innak,
You'll have a great cruise. We did a roundtrip out of Barcelona several years ago with Celebrity. Had a great time.

You might want to check out www.cruisecritic.com. Lots of cruise information there. There is a message board specifically for RCL and members who can help you with what to expect on that cruiseline. There are also ports of call boards for help with what to do in each port. You can also sign up for the roll call for your specific sailing and chat with others on your sailing.

I have always found it a great resource for cruising. You'll get alot of help from people who have been where you are sailing to.

I posted on cruisecritic.com a large post detailing how to do every port independently; which sights/which train/which bus/how much. It can be found on the June 13 sailing for NCL Jade around May 6th date post.

Thank you

Definitely check out the cruisecritic.com message boards for a wealth of information. Register to become a member of the site then look for the ROLL CALL for your ship and your dates. There you will "meet" other people on your cruise.

I am taking the very same cruise you are but beginning next Saturday. I am only doing one RCCL excursion (Cinque Terre). I will be on a private tour of Rome with 4 other cruisers (we have not met, just connected via the cruisecritic roll call) and the rest of my days I will be sightseeing independently.

Please use the search box above to see threads people have already posted about Barcelona. Many people have recorded lots of helpful information about their trips that is archived on this site. They may not see this thread. Maribels guides are a wealth of information on Barcelona.

When I first booked my cruise some months ago we were scheduled to port in Marseilles. However, the Voyager is now porting in Toulon for my dates. Upon further investigation (cruisecritic) I have discovered that although the port is posted as Toulon we will actually port in nearby La Seyne sur Mer as the ship is too large for the Toulon port. Whew!
Ann Marie

Another thought. Check out the Hop on Hop off bus in Barcelona. There are three routes that take you to the popular tourist destinations. The metro is cheaper but the HOHO bus is easier for some tourists as it deposits you right where you want to be without alot of planning.
Ann Marie

Viajero2 - Is it easy to catch a taxi when walking off the cruise and are they reliable.

Hi there!

During your stay in Barcelona there are plenty of things that I would suggest. Personally, I am captivated by the architecture in the area, especially that of Gaudi. My favorite place in the city is Park Guell- it is a large gorgeous park filled with touches of Gaudi and he even lived in there for some time himself- be sure to wear very comfortable walking shoes if you visit! Also, I would suggest wandering through Las Ramblas and La Paseig de Gracia as well- very popular tourist areas with lots of shops, restaurants, and sights to see!

I hope you have a great trip!

Jenna

Lifestyle Barcelona

i was on a med cruise a few years. had a very difficult time getting a taxi when we docked in barcelona. i would definately arrange for a car to pick you up. we waited at least 1.5 hours in a long long line for a cab.

I have sailed RCCL 18 times, twice on the Voyager. I've never done a European cruise- I am not a city person. However, I would say in general that most excursions through the ship are overcrowded and expensive.

I've been a member of cruisecritic for years. They have SO much info there includung boards strictly for your cruise line and boards for the ports of call. You need to sit down and spend some time taking notes! Also, there's a feature through RCCl and cruisecritic called 'Meet and Mingle". You'll find others who are cruising with you. You don't have to do anything but sign up. You'll meet experienced cruisers who will offer great info on your ports, the ship, etc. There are also lots of trip reports posted there which will help you. Have fun!

We did a transatlantic cruise last year that ended in Barcelona..we were staying overnite then going on to Dublin..we took the ship`s tour to Monserrat which was spectacular!!As soon as the ship docked and cleared customs we were the first off the ship and right into a waiting bus.The tour took about 5 hours and dropped us off at Plaza Cataluna around 2pm and our hotel was an easy half block away..as the bus left the dock we saw the taxi line..had to be half the ship in line!Some friends who were at our hotel took a taxi and they waited in line for 2 hours!They were sorry they didn`t take our tour..plus the tour was only 30 euros and their taxi was 15!!