Scottishclover

EMBARKATION It was finally cruise day👏. The big question on these boards is always what’s the best way to get to Civitavecchia. Well, you know we are cheapskates, so you can probably guess how we did it …… but you would be WRONG! We had booked a private transfer to get us from the port to airport after the cruise but we thought we would save some money by catching the train to the port. However about a fortnight before leaving the UK, I had read about a strike on the 7th July, panicked and booked a shared transfer. It was the best decision I made. Turns out the strike was just local transport and wouldn’t have affected us anyway but our shared transfer ( which turned out to be private in the end) was just so hassle free, I would do it again, without a doubt, over the train and bus. And bear in mind this is the opinion of someone who is totally fine with lugging luggage and using public transport. We used RFT Rome Fiumicino Transport and the service was good. They got in touch the evening before to confirm the time, sent a photo and name of driver and vehicle registration. Our driver was prompt and it was an air conditioned Mercedes minivan. Very comfortable for the hour journey to the terminal building. Our check- in time was 11 o’clock and it took no more than 10 mins to get on the ship. We were impressed! No waiting whatsoever. There was nobody there as we were boarding. Was this going to be a quiet cruise? Now there is no denying it - the Beyond is a beautiful ship. Watch a video on YouTube, lots of TAs do tours of the ship. Having been on Apex last year, we loved the familiarity of the ship. We noticed some wee differences straight away. These swing chairs are a new addition just outside Cafe Al Bacio. We were pleased our favourite place on board hadn’t changed too much from the Apex, other than some different seating. I think Celebrity has done well with the tweaks. The biggest improvement is definitely the Sunset Bar. The space here is just lovely and we used it quite a bit throughout the cruise compared to last year. The weather difference may have played a part here though. Try the signature Marrakesh Mule cocktail, it’s delicious. I love the way the bar is over different levels and has lots of different seating options. Another addition to the Beyond is the Mast Bar, kind of tucked away on deck 15. DD1 is training for a half marathon so did a lot of running on the track on the cruise and the bartenders here kept her well hydrated with water. We found them so friendly, possibly because it’s a bit quieter than other bars and they have more time to chat. The mast bar has some comfy seating and a TV behind the bar for watching sports. They make a good Spritz too but I’d love to know why Campari spritz is in the classic drinks package but aperol spritz is extra🤷‍♀️ Now I need to talk about numbers. Last year on the Apex there were only 1200 passengers on board. This year there were 3450. So quite a difference. In all honesty, no matter where we were, we could always get a seat, never had a wait for dinner and always got served pretty promptly.However you could tell the crew were working extra hard. Last year, in bars and restaurants the crew were much more relaxed. In the evenings there was a buzz about the whole place, which was missing a bit from last year’s cruise. On the Beyond, there were times when things felt very busy, on the resort deck especially. It was difficult getting a lounger on sea days or any kind of swim in the pool. Also, some mornings in Oceanview cafe it seemed busy ( just head towards the far back of the ship for plenty of seating) but there were always quiet spots to be had around the ship. The crowds were most noticeable on our 2 sea days. The resort deck was heaving. As we are not sun worshipers, it didn’t impact us too much. Our sea days looked like this: Me- dance classes/Zumba, trivia, Cafe al Bacio DH - walking, trivia, table tennis, Cafe al Bacio DD1 - yoga class, long runs, cafe al Bacio DD2- walking, table tennis, cafe al Bacio DH and I also went to the 2 talks by cruise director Alejandro, which were entertaining. The first one about the pandemic was especially interesting. I do think there was a lot more activities/music last year aboard the Apex on sea days. For example, a lot of the guest entertainers did matinée shows. Maybe there is no demand for it on warm weather cruises when everyone is on deck sun bathing? Before I get to the ports ( and lots of photos of amazing scenery), let’s talk about demographics. This was a young cruise. I think the people on this ship were the exact target market Celebrity is hoping for with Edge Class. I saw very few elderly people. There were lots of older teens/ young adults on board but not too many children. At 50 I’d say we were definitely over the average age. In terms of nationalities, mostly Americans but quite a lot of large family groups from Latin America. Also curiously, loads of Scottish people. How do you notice Scottish people on a cruise ship? They’re the ones with ginger hair, sunburnt skin and sat at the bar getting value for money out of their drink package😂

Thank you for taking the time to read. Our thoughts on the Beyond and cruise ports coming up next.

I would definitely go to Lucca. It was so charming and even though we were there during the Summer Music Festival, it wasn’t overly busy. You could spend a very pleasant day there. If you like to DIY the trains go every half hour from Pisa Centrale. You wouldn’t love Scotland at the moment - the weather during the school holidays has been just miserable. We were lucky to be on our trip and missed 3 weeks of constant showers. Yesterday at noon it was wet, windy and 13 degrees😩

I think a cruise is the way to go for big family trips. You can all go off and do your own things during the day and then socialise in the evening. A recovery cruise - what a lovely idea. Best of health to your daughters.

Just wondering if anyone has experience of renting a car in Honnigsvag and driving to the North Cape? We would be in port from noon to 9 pm. Looking for info on: - the car hire place ( think there’s only one) - any worthwhile places to stop on the way I know there are tours but there are 4 of us so a car is much more economical and we enjoy the freedom. Not worried about the roads, we have driven in Iceland before. Thanks.

ROASTING IN ROME Our final day in Rome was ann absolute roaster and was our Colosseum day. I knew I was going to struggle to get tickets through the official site, so I had booked a tour with Walks of Italy back in April called Gladiators Gate: special Access arena and colosseum tour at £54 each. 2 weeks before our trip they emailed to say they had moved us to another, more expensive tour and wouldn’t charge the difference. Of course this tour, while a smaller group, didn’t go down onto the arena. I was pretty annoyed. Anyway, we decided to make the best of it and in the end our guide, Ectore, was so good that I was just grateful to be on his tour. The tour was very well paced with toilet stops and time to refill water bottles and his knowledge about the colosseum and the Roman Empire was excellent. Knowing we were from Scotland, when he talked about the expansion of the Roman Empire he even joked with us that the Romans wouldn’t go near the crazy Celts (in reference to Hadrian’s Wall). Some different views from inside the Colosseum. View of Constantine’s Arch from the Colosseum. After about an hour and a half in the Colosseum we went over to the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. I actually would have liked more time and information in the Forum but it was getting near midday and it was a furnace. When you’re down there is hardly any shade. View of the Forum from the Palatine Hill. After the tour, we headed back to the apartment for a long lunch to escape the heat. Then we went for ice cream at our local, Panna & Co where I broke my own rule of repeating a flavour. It was Sicilian lemon and I couldn’t help myself. We had a nice wander in the Non-Catholic Cemetery and then went back to Travestere for some Happy Hour drinks. Our time in Rome was nearly at an end but we were getting pretty excited about the next part of our journey on The Beyond. Rome: Top Three Tips 1. Don’t try to do too much in the one day. In the summer heat one big site is enough followed by some pottering. 2. Bring a reusable water bottle and fill up at the water fountains or ‘nasoni’ which you can find everywhere. Rome’s water is very clean. 3. Do venture out the main tourist areas. We loved the local feel in Testaccio and it is well worth a visit. Next up… finally the cruise! Apologies, I know it’s taken a while to get onto it, you’ve been very patient😀

Thank you. I’m not sure how much longer the girls will come on holiday with us, so trying to do as much as we can with them as possible.

TAKING IT EASY IN ROME So our feet hadn’t quite recovered and by luck this was the day with no real plans. The only thing on the agenda was a visit to The Pantheon. Now it used to be free to enter but 2 days before our visit a charge was introduced. It was minimal at €5 but I couldn’t find out how to buy online tickets beforehand. In the end we just went old school and queued up on the day. We got there around 9:20 am and had a 20 minute wait at the most, but it was in full sun. There’s different lines for cash and credit card so check you are in the right one. It was a little chaotic but I’m sure they will iron out the kinks in time. There was already quite a queue early on. It wasn’t too busy inside. It’s hard to believe quite how old this building actually is. The floor work is beautiful. Looking up towards the oculus. Afterwards we just went on a stroll nearby. Piazza Navona Bernini’s fountain at Piazza Navona Campo d’Fiori The girls were very tempted to remove the bottom melon😂 We began to walk back to our apartment via the Colosseum with a stop at the ‘wedding cake’ monument for some views and then coffee. This was a very cute espresso! Tip: espresso is cheaper if you have it standing at the bar. Once back in Testaccio we went to the market to grab some lunch and buy some fruit and veg. Prices were reasonable and lots of locals were there shopping. There’s something for everyone- even us vegan and gluten free weirdos - and there’s seating in the centre atrium. The afternoon was spent having a bit of much needed R&R in the Airbnb. DD1 had a bit of admin to do in preparation for her year abroad in Germany and I wanted to do some washing before we got on the ship. After a while we decided to head over to Travestere for a drink. It was a lovely area to explore. Still quite touristy in comparison to Testaccio though. Spritz anyone? Me - Aperol, DD 2 - Hugo and DD1- Campari. Coming up next ….. final day in Rome and Colosseum tour.

VATICAN MUSEUMS DOs AND DON’Ts -Do buy a ticket in advance, we walked straight in. -Do get a tour. The museum is so vast, without a guide and in the heavy crowds we would have been lost. -Do follow the rules in the Sistine Chapel. As well as the amazing art, it is still a holy place and there’s no photos or talking allowed. -Do think about a private tour if you have issues with mobility. Our guide stopped rarely, it was walk and talk. You had to be quick to keep up! -Don’t expect air conditioning - it damages the art ( or so they say, maybe they are just saving on energy bills!) -Don’t be late if you have a Vatican Official Tour. Our guide left at 2:55 sharp for a 3 o’clock tour and didn’t check if everyone was there. -Don’t believe what you read. I had read that it was quieter late afternoon as all tour groups go in the morning. I don’t think they could have squeezed another human in the inside of the building, if they had tried. It was really tricky to take photos inside due to the heavy crowds. I also didn’t want to stop and lose the guide. I was also constantly trying to keep track of my family when we moved from one room to the next. Here are the few I took: Pio- Clementino section of the museum. Apollo Belvedere sculpture. It was actually nice to get a little air outside. Remember to also look up when you walk through the museum. These ceilings look 3D but they are actually flat. I booked tickets and a tour on the official Vatican Museums website. There’s lots of options, the cheapest tickets go fast. I was just going to go for audio guides but the guided tour was not much extra. Our guide was exceptional. She started by using an interactive display to explain the different sections of the Sistine Chapel as she isn’t allowed to enter with her group. This was really useful when we came to view the main event later on. Then we moved through some of the main highlights of the museum. The room of maps was especially interesting and I really enjoyed the Raphael rooms. Our guide told us about the Michelangelo v Raphael situation. They were completely opposite in terms of personality and it was Raphael who was really the Rome superstar. As I said, the only thing was we were mostly moving the whole time, especially in the long halls so there wasn’t a lot of time to completely admire and study the art. I think this will be the same for most tours Overall I thought this tour was very informative and she also added the odd wee joke to keep things light. The couple of hours just flew by. It was definitely value for money and I would recommend it for a visit to the Vatican Museums. FANCY FOOTWEAR IN ROME I had a wee giggle at a topic on the Italy ports of call forum so am going to give my thoughts here. Should you wear ugly but comfy trainers or try to be a bit more stylish ? Our footwear of choice in Rome was Birkenstock. They were a very popular choice. I have Gizeh and the rest have the 2 strap Arizonas. I also alternated with a pair of Timberland leather Malibu waves sandals which have a back strap and ortholite support. These were a great investment bought specifically for this trip. After DH being called the worst dress man in Stockholm by our daughters last year ( it was true, I compared him to others the whole day), he wanted to get a bit more stylish and Birkenstock were the way to go for him. But there’s still plenty of folk walking about in comfy trainers. Let’s face it nobody will ever be as stylish as the Italians do there’s no point in trying to blend in. In fact Rome is so full of tourists, they seemed to be in the majority so just wear what you find comfy. Even our trusty Birkenstocks didn’t do the trick by the time we walked back to the Apartment on Tuesday evening. Our phones told us that in the 24 hours we had been in Rome we had walked over 50 km😱. I rest my case for trainers.

Thanks, you’re very welcome .I’m going to try to shorten things down a bit to get to the cruise section which is probably what most folks are interested in.

He certainly won’t have the heat or the crowds in the winter. My advice is to be organised and get tickets for any of the big sights in advance. Also don’t be frightened to use the trains to get around. Italy actually has a pretty good rail system.

Thanks, we tried our best with photos but just really snaps from the iPhone.

I’ve been looking at hotels in Southampton for next summer and Room2 was top of my list for our family of 4. Thanks so much for the review.

ST PETER’S BASILICA So why do your teenagers agree to get up at the ungodly hour of 5:45am on holiday? Well, for this… An empty St Peter’s at 7:30 am. Mission accomplished. After a 50 minute walk along the river, accompanied by lots of runners and cyclists, we made it St Peter’s with hardly any queue at the security check. This is one place where they are very strict about covered knees and shoulders. Not easy in the heat but linen is your friend, ladies. We made a beeline for the dome climb before it got too busy and took the cheapest option ( I’m sure you are noticing a pattern) to walk instead of taking the lift. The lift only goes part way up anyway. Half way up you can get into the dome to see these amazing mosaics close up. No matter where you look, every square inch is covered in amazing art. If you are at all claustrophobic or are not particularly fit, avoid doing the dome climb. I don’t think their warning signs are quite forceful enough. I’m not going to lie, it was hot and sweaty and you are at the mercy of the pace setters in front of you. In our case as our (bad) luck would have it, a very fit and fast German school group. There really aren’t many places for a breather and it made The Leaning Tower seem like a stroll in the park. Once at the top it was totally worth it though! View to Bernini’s famous square. View to the gardens of the Vatican. After the climb down you end up inside the basilica. I mean there are just no words to describe the grandeur so some photos will just have to do. Michelangelo’s sculpture Pieta is behind glass. Even if you are not religious, you can’t help but be affected by the feeling of spirituality in the basilica. It’s just an amazing building inside and out. After a quick espresso pit stop in Prati, we made our way towards the Piazza del Popolo and the Borghese Gardens. Taken from Terrazza del Pincio. Great views from the river. Walking is the way to go. We actually didn’t stay too long in the gardens, primarily as I could feel the beasties biting. We were in the mood for gelato again, and stumbled across Gelateria La Romana on Via Cola di Rienzo. We were desperately in need of some air conditioning and a seat by this point but this place offered so much more. It was a covered metal tub scenario again, indicating quality, and the taste was spectacular. I had Fior di Latte. Now we live in a town with an award winning ice cream shop but this was the best ice cream I have ever tasted. Every gelateria we visited had a plethora of vegan and gf choices and most had gf cones too. We carried on back towards the Vatican, did a bit of shopping and then had a late lunch at an organic place in Prati. We were all flagging with the heat and the early start and we still had our tour of the Vatican to do. It really took an extra effort and I realised that really we were doing too much in the one day and would need to adjust accordingly.

I really enjoyed your photos from Bermuda. Thanks. We had a cruise planned there with Disney in 2020 but it got cancelled due to the pandemic. Do now I know what I missed out on! Might have to look into trying to get there again.

😂😂😂 I understand but here’s the thing, the price differential between an inside and veranda allowed us to have a cheeky wee trip to Porto and Lisbon instead. We did move-up last year to a IV on Apex and considered it for this trip but DD1 is studying in Germany this year so we thought the money could be better used for flights to visit her there. And honestly we only used the balcony section last year to air our gym clothes. We are more out and about on the ship people. I find the storage for 4 to be adequate in an inside but you do have to be on top of keeping things organised. I did do a bit of nagging on that front but was entirely vindicated as our stateroom attendant told me she had all her colleagues come and see her “showroom” . Nobody could believe there were 4 adults in there🤩 Another bonus is that our daughters are teeny weeny which helps. 4 in a room can be done and we wouldn’t think twice about doing it again to save some money. I’m not sure I could ever bring myself to spend the money for a suite but I know others feel differently. Remember we are canny Scots…..

Yes, I enjoyed your review very much. I’m not organised enough to do a live review and too cheap to pay for the good WiFi 😂 I think we just about got away with the heat. I was concerned about that element of the trip. However that nice 6 weeks of consistently good weather we had in May and June this year got me a wee bit accustomed to it. I’m a Primary School teacher so we had no option but to go in July. I’ve also had skin cancer so need to be very careful in the sun hence the sun hat and always factor 50. Being a woman of a certain age does not help with the sweating situation either🤦‍♀️ The final couple of days on the cruise in Sicily and Naples the temperatures really seemed to go up a notch.

Our journey from Lucca to Rome was a comfortable and easy one on the regional train. It stopped at Civitavecchia, which got me thinking…. Next time we cruise out of Rome I would stay in Lucca for a few days and then head to the port by train in the morning. It’s definitely a viable pre-cruise option if you have already been to Rome a few times. ROME ESSENTIALS Probably the biggest concern for tourists is where to stay. Obviously it depends on your budget and preference but we wanted to keep costs down ( we have 2 girls to put through university). We decided to stay in an Airbnb a little outside the Centro Storico in the area of Testaccio to save some money and it was an inspired choice. The location was fantastic. For walkers like us: 20 mins to the Colosseum, 40 to Trevi Fountain area, 50 to the Vatican City and 15 to Travestere. For non- walkers: very close to Roma Ostiense station for direct links to Termini and the port and also minutes from Piramide underground station. Taken from the Non-Catholic Cemetery just round the corner from the apartment. Shelly, Keats and Goethe are buried here.( That's one for the German scholars among us , myself and DD1 included.) Testaccio is much loved by foodies and has some famous, traditional, Roman trattorias in the area as well as a covered market, a bit like Granville Island Market in Vancouver. I tried the Roman snack Suppli there and it was delicious. There’s also an abundance of bars, cafes and gelaterias. Could this be the best flavour combination ever? Dark chocolate with raspberry, mint and chilli from Panna & Co on Via Marmorata. However, the highlight for me was Piazza Testaccio. After 6pm it was teeming with local life; people chatting on benches with a glass of wine, children playing football ( the real game ⚽️😀) and drawing with chalk on the pavement. That is why I love staying away from the main tourist drags in Airbnb - you get to see how the locals live. If you plan to go to Rome, I would recommend heading to Testaccio for a meal in the evening. After settling in, we headed to Rome proper in the evening to do some sightseeing with lighter crowds. The girls’ first glimpse of the Colosseum. I know they are awe-struck when the phones come out straight away. There was still quite a crowd at The Trevi Fountain at 8 pm. Looking down at the Spanish Steps. If you sit down at all you will get a whistle blown at you by the police. It was quite amusing to watch. You are allowed to sit down on the upper section. Vittorio Emanuele ll monument. You can see the streets were quiet by this point. We had a realistic itinerary planned for the rest of the week. I knew we would need some down time due to the heat so didn’t over plan. The last time DH and I were in Rome over 20 years ago we just queued to get into the sights. Now you have to be ultra organised with online tickets. We had 3 full days and our plans were: Day 1 - St Peter’s and dome climb early am, Borghese Gardens, official Vatican Tour pm. Day 2 - Pantheon first thing then walk in the centre. Back to Testaccio Market for lunch and some downtime. Walk over to Travestere for aperativo in the evening. Day 3 - WalkItaly tour of Colosseum and Roman Forum am then go with the flow pm. This was as much as we could manage in the extreme heat and we walked miles doing it all.

Thank you. We made some great memories on the trip.

A PERFECT DAY IN PISA It was another early start as I had booked a timed entry for the Leaning Tower at 10am. After a short train journey it was about a 20 min walk to the Square of Miracles through the University quarter. By the way, we are walkers or use public transport. We never use taxis or Ubers. We were expecting crowds but were very pleasantly surprised. Maybe we just beat all the tour groups? We had tickets for entry to all the different buildings in the Square of Miracles costing €27 . It’s €20 for the tower only. You need timed entry for the tower, which can be booked 20 days in advance. Due to the timed entry the queue for the tower was pretty much non-existent. One thing to note, you need to check in all your bags before climbing it. The steps aren’t that narrow and the climb is easy for any relatively fit person. The lean is actually less in percentage terms than you would think. View of the Cathedral from the top of the tower. The Baptistery . As you can see the lawns are well kept. Even by lunch things weren’t too crowded. A bit cheesy but had to be done. It’s fun to watch everyone try to get THAT photo!! One building not to miss is the Camposanto. There’s lots of paintings of biblical scenes inside, some in the process of being restored. One thing to remember, especially ladies, is to be respectful and keep shoulders and knees covered at religious sites. I carried a scarf and the girls had very fine crochet boleros to put on when going into churches. After a thoroughly enjoyable morning, we decided to go into the nearby University Botanical Gardens. As it was the first Sunday in the month, we got in for free ( always welcome). It was fine for a stroll but not much was in flower. Our destination for lunch was Filter Coffee Lab. It was a trendy, hipster place near the uni that I knew would be right up the girls’ street. It was busy and service was quite slow but we were in no hurry and there were loads of gf and vegan options. It’s about 5 mins from the Square of Miracles. In the afternoon we wandered into the centre and down by the River Arno. We got a contender for the best gelato of the trip at Gelateria de’ Coltelli. It’s on the bank of the river and a little walk from the main shopping street so wasn’t busy. I had lemon and peach and DH had hazelnut. They source most of their ingredients locally. You know it’s going to be good when the ice cream is not on display but contained in metal tubs with lids. This was the case in our 3 favourite gelaterias. Down by the river Arno. It was very peaceful. All in all, we had a great day in Pisa. I would totally recommend it if your ship docks in Livorno. It’s pretty compact for getting around and was just a nice change of pace from the day before in Florence. Pisa: Top 3 Tips -Get to the Square of Miracles as early as possible to get the most out of your visit. -All the buildings in the Square of Miracles are worth a look, not just the tower. - Don’t ignore the rest of Pisa. It has a lovely vibe, it’s a university town after all. Next up……how to make the most of your pre-cruise stay in Rome.

You are very welcome. Hotel Ilaria had air conditioning, which we were grateful for. I actually like the level of air conditioning in Italy. It’s not too severe. I find the temperature on the celebrity ships too cool for my liking - even when I’ve just returned from near 40 degree heat. Of course we are not used to air conditioning in Scotland. I’m a teacher and the air conditioning in schools consists of opening the windows😂

FIGHTING THE CROWDS IN FLORENCE Okay, I should preface this by saying that Florence was the scene of the great gelato scandal of 2000 when DH paid €9 for two ice creams. DH was not too bothered about returning. After a great breakfast with fresh gf and vegan pastries ( 🙌Hotel Ilaria) , we got the train to Florence. It took 1 hour 20. On arrival in Florence the station was hoachin’ ( to use some good Scottish Vernacular) and it set the tone for the day. No matter how crowded you imagine Florence is going to be, it will be worse than you think. First we headed to the Duomo. Queues were already long but we had plans to just see it from the outside anyway. It is an amazing structure, especially when you consider the architecture behind Brunelleschi’s done. Then we hotfooted it to Palazzo Vecchio for a tour called Hidden Passages. The guide was excellent but I wouldn’t say it was a must do if you only have one day. You can see a copy of David in the background. Unfortunately the closest we got to the real thing. Images from The Hall of the 500. On our tour we went right up into the attic and learned how these amazing paintings were attached to the ceiling. After lunch at a great gluten free restaurant called Ristorante Quinoa, we headed to Ponte Vecchio then over the river to the Piazzale Michelangelo for some views. It was well worth the walk. Ponte Vecchio is a bit of a tourist trap and a pickpocket’s dream. The quintessential view. Then we had a Free Walking Tour at 5pm but of course it started at the other side of town. So we retraced our steps through the crowds on our already weary feet. Again the guide was great, but all the crowds made his job difficult and a walking tour in the heat of the day isn’t a great idea. It was a tough crowd. We use Free Walking Tours a lot and they are a good way to keep costs down. Once the tour ended we decided we had had enough, so said farewell to Florence got the return train to Lucca. Not before stumbling on the offending gelateria from our last visit in 2000. Once bitten, twice shy. We waited till we were back in our little oasis of Lucca before partaking in some gelato. Florence Top Three Tips - If you are doing a walking tour, do it early on to beat the crowds. - Book in advance if you want to go to Uffizi or Accademia galleries. I could have got tickets for Accademia months ago but I put it off and then nearer the time everything was sold out. -Reading up on some of the history of the Medici family helps you get the most out of Florence. Florence deserves much more than a one day visit if you are an art lover. It just wasn’t so appealing to us and the crowds affected our experience. On our cruise there were day tours to Florence from Livorno but I think they would have been really hectic and hot. If I ever go back to Florence it will be in low season. Next up….. Pisa

Due to the lovely responses I got from my review of our Baltic Cruise on the Apex last summer, I thought I’d give you all some tips and insights on our Beyond cruise this year as well as our pre- cruise experience. I will also try to answer these fundamental questions: Can 4 adults really survive 10 days in an inside cabin without killing each other? Is the Italy and Greece in the height of summer ever a good idea 🥵? Is there a pre- cruise alternative to Rome city centre when sailing from Civitavecchia? Can you eat well on a cruise if you are coeliac and vegan? Can you ever tire of too much gelato? Will you need a holiday to recover from the 3 week holiday you have just had? ( I think you might know the answer to this one already…..) OUR ITINERARY 4 nights in Lucca, Tuscany 4 nights in Rome 10 nights cruise (ports were Katakolon, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Messina, Naples, Livorno Warning: If you love a review with lots of ship and cruise food photos, this is not for you. Vloggers on Youtube do that much better. However, if you like tips and ideas about ports ( mostly on a budget), enjoy photos of stunning scenery, have food allergies to manage and are interested on what a youngish!! ( I know I’m kidding myself) demographic think about Celebrity then please stick around and enjoy. QUICK INTRO The only selfie of all us from the trip. Gold star if you can guess from which port on the itinerary we took this. What do you need to know about us? We are a Scottish family living just south of Edinburgh. DH and myself have just celebrated the “big 50” hence the big trip, and our daughters are 20 and 18. We are outdoorsy, independent travellers and tend to enjoy holidays hiking in nice scenery and cooler climates. We have cruised to Norway, Alaska and Scandinavia before so surely this warm weather cruise is not for us? Well, last year we enjoyed our first foray with Celebrity on the Apex to Scandinavia so much, we decided to try the Beyond. It was a toss up between this itinerary or the following cruise to Turkey and Greece but our girls realised they would be ticking off more countries on this particular itinerary so the decision was made (for which I am eternally grateful given what happened to the temperatures shortly after we returned home.) PRE- CRUISE:LOVING LIFE IN LUCCA I beg you if you have never been to Lucca, go now. Reason 1: Easy to get there on a cheap, direct flight to Pisa from Scotland and other UK airports. Sorry my American friends can’t imagine there’s direct flights from the US. Reason 2: It is just a beautiful wee Tuscan gem. Simple. Reason 3: Really handy for day trips to Florence and Pisa. Reason 4: There is a direct train from Pisa Centrale to Civitavecchia so an ideal place to visit pre-cruise if you are looking for a change from Rome. Reason 5: It’s cheap compared to other places in Italy - this is judged by my very non-scientific benchmark of the price of an aperol spritz😂 Our journey had not got off to the best start. In my stupidity, I had not booked the cheap, direct flight from Scotland as recommended above, and so we found ourselves belting through London Gatwick to the horrific sound of “any remaining passengers to Pisa” over the tannoy. I’ll learn from that mistake. However, once on Italian soil it was an easy train ride on the Pisa Mover to Pisa Centrale and then 30 min train journey to Lucca. We like to mix our accommodation up a bit on trips so stayed in the delightful, classically Italian, Hotel Ilaria, just inside the city walls. We had a family suite and breakfast was included. I would go back in a heartbeat. Great choice for anyone. First, we went off in search of the Italian holy grail…. Espresso, first of many…. Pasta at Cibo e Convivo ( lots of gf and vegan options) Enjoying our first gelato of the trip in the Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro in Lucca. Top tip: we found that all fruit flavours and dark chocolate were vegan in any good gelateria and and anything without obvious cake/biscuit additions were gluten free. No fillers are used. Our first day we just chilled in the morning. There was an epic rainstorm and given we were in Italy to escape a rainy Scottish summer, it was a bit of a downer. However we knew that blue skies were on the horizon and this was in fact the only rain we encountered on our 18 day trip so we weren’t too miffed. Once it cleared up, we went out for a bit of a potter. The only things on the agenda was to climb the Torre Guinigi later in the day and find a gluten free bakery I had read about. San Michele in Forno . There’s lots of churches in Lucca but this was a standout. It’s made from local marble. Different views from the tower. It’s an easy climb up and has trees growing on the top! Price €6 acceptable to DH. Another great activity in Lucca is to walk, run or cycle around the city walls. They are 4km long, shady on hot afternoons and have lots of points where you can come off them into the town. Best of all they are free ( pay attention Dubrovnik!!) and even better we had free bike rental from the hotel so DH was especially happy! Taken from the walls. However lots of rain + lots of trees can only equal one thing. Me and DD1 were bitten alive. It was worse than the Scottish midges😩 Starbene Bakery near the Santa Anna Gate. Completely gluten free products. DH got pizza and focaccia straight from the oven as well as some sweet treats. It was worth searching out. My Lucca Top Three Tips - Enjoy an aperativo at a cafe in one of the many relaxing piazzas. - Hire bikes and explore the city walls (Celebrity actually do an excursion from Livorno called Lucca by Bike.) - Wear bug spray!! Coming next…. One day in Florence

I can confirm that Celebrity have upped their vegan game (acc. to my 2 daughters). We are just off the Beyond and noticed a lot more vegan offerings in the buffet since our cruise on Apex last July including more plant based protein. The vegan corner at lunch usually had one bean option and one plant based meat substitute but lots of other vegan things scattered about. Also in the MDR there is now a separate vegan menu. Last year there was just a vegetarian menu which could be adapted. Our daughters found the desserts much better this year too, there was a nice variety. My husband and I ate in Eden one night and I noticed the vegan tasting menu. I was sorely tempted but ate off the normal menu. Our girls went to Raw on 5 and had vegan ramen followed by mango and avocado specially made “sushi”. Their only complaint is breakfast, although they assumed the porridge was made with milk since no lactose free labelling but I think it actually might be made with water in OVC. They got by by concocting their own version of chia pudding and fruit and avocado/mushroom toast. Decent peanut butter, porridge made with water and some vegan sausages would make the difference for them.

The best way to use any leftover OBC is to reward great crew members with extra tips. We are just off the Beyond and did this rather than buying something for the sake of it or gambling it away in the casino. We just went down to Guest Services and filled out a form and the money came out of our account pretty much straight away.