KCSungirl

Oh how I hate this day. It's torture. So I stayed up all night and ran up a phone bill dealing with the airlines. Lufthansa screwed my seats up. I am flying United, but my first flight is on Lufthansa, so they manage checkin all the way thru. They had me in the back of the bus to Chicago. I need to let them know who I am. I am Fungirl and I am not sitting in a middle seat in row 43. That would be just too much shock to the system after living in the Palace. Kind of like Blue Jasmine.

Went to see my chefs for breakfast. One last crepe. Ectasy. I booked the HAL transfer bus to the airport ($39/pp). Normally I would never do this. However, I am out of euros and I have no energy left to make any more transactions, negotiations, decisions, etc. plenty of cabs available, but it was eary. 4 ships in port - ncl spirit, ncl epic, rccl liberty of the seas.

The HAL shuttle bus was painless, except for the fact that I stress on myself for spending the extra $40. Why do I do this? Let it go! The airport checkin lines are hideous. You could never be too early. Lots of shopping at the airport I went to the United ticket office, not the checkin counter. I calmly asked this man behind the desk to fix my situation. I told him I am Christie Brinkley in a fat suit disguise. He generously moved me to premium economy and put me in the bclass line. I am number 5 I can't be greedy or I might lose my good luck. To be continued...

Barcelona is rocking with excitement today. We were the only ship in port today after the Costa Riviera left early. The port is going to start getting super busy with the summer season. I didn’t have any advance plans for the day. The only thing for sure that I wanted to see was Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. Get your coffee and listen to me. People stand in line for tickets for over three hours. This is completely stupid. I bought my tickets online, the day before. They sell tickets every 15 minutes and you pick the time. This is what you do - get off the ship, get a taxi, go the Sagrada Familia first thing. Buy advance tickets between 9-10am. I walked right in. Also get the audio guide. You are missing out if you don’t go inside. A drive by is NOT sufficient. This is a masterpiece not to be missed. We spent a little over an hour at SF. We then caught the HOHO bus outside. We both the green and red line. There are two HOHO bus companies. They have tons of buses and are efficient and excellent.

Why is Barcelona the place to be today? If you know something about Spanish Futbol (soccer) then you might know the FC Barcelona team and Atletico Madrid. (Real Madrid is in the league also) These Spaniards are crazy for their futbol teams. Barcelona was playing Madrid for the championship. If I have my facts correct, Madrid was the underdog. They won in a 1-1 draw. The sea of color from everyone wearing their soccer shirts was cool.

After exhausting ourselves riding the HOHO bus, we got off at the main plaza, walked around, found Starbucks, strolled La Rambla and the Gothic Quarter. Beautiful day, albeit a bit cool in the shade. We made out way down to the Christopher Columbus statue and decided to walk to the ship instead of taking the shuttle or taxi. BIG mistake. It was a long walk. I had packing to do, people to see. UGH. Made it back to the ship at 6pm. Ran to the buffet to meet my boyfriends behind the food line. They are getting giddy over me. It is adorable. They even got me the souffle from the dining room that is not served in the buffet. I told them I wanted to take them home with me to be my private chefs. I am sure they would gladly come home with me.

After some packing, the Piano Man, Michael was doing his show outside on the lido deck at the back pool. Very nice venue. PC agreed to stay 45 minutes with me and then he ran to the Blues Club. All the seniors were there, bobbing up and down.

No photo purchases, no spa treatments, not a dime in the casino BUT drum roll……………………..I was the heavy hitter on the Internet plan. The internet manager was great! He thanked me for my business and gave me lots of bonus minutes.

Cinderella is getting ready to turn back into a pumpkin………..The long road home……………….

Boo Hoo. Only two more nights. It’s a clear, but cold and windy day. I got to enjoy very little time on the terrace relatively speaking. I hope someday I can book this suite again and enjoy hot sunny skies everyday. Fingers crossed that I will be lucky again.

Enjoyed breakfast in the buffet. The cooks are truly special. They are treating me like royalty. We are getting attached. I have never felt so well taken care of on a cruise ship. Enjoyed lunch in the buffet. I love the deli station and PC loves the burgers. We are creatures of habit. We eat the same things everyday. I did indulge in 2 crepes, though.

After breakfast, the shops had set up a Bazaar poolside. It was cute. Mostly Turkish type things. Some Spain/Italy items. Food items, ceramics, etc. Mostly good garage sale items. Everything I buy I say it will be in the next garage sale. I did buy one of those Fez type caps. Forgot what they are called. It was $3 and I thought it would make a good costume for a video. And I can wear it in Morocco or Turkey.

Time to pack. I hate this part. We went to the thermal pool one last time. It was formal night again (3 nights total). I saw some great costumes in the formal wear parade tonight. Gowns with Skechers and Merrell shoes. Comfort rules. We had a big night out on the town. We hit every entertainment venue. The Blues Club is by far the best entertainment we have ever had. These musicians are complete stars. The production show was fun - Droom. A good vs. evil love story with pop songs, wild costumes and sets. Love my time at the piano bar, aka the Comedy Club. I don’t think we ever got past 1972. No show tunes, no movie theme songs, no Barry Manilow. It was fun watching all the seniors bob up and down. We stayed out past our bedtime and we took advantage of the 11pm bistro. PC is eating 8 scoops of ice cream every night. He needs a 12 step program. No soft serve at 11pm, only lunch and dinner.

Packed some bags. I packed perfectly for this trip, except we needed fleece jackets. We only had the windbreaker type. It was cool. Great for touring, but not good for sea days.

Tomorrow - the ultima dia.

*******BREAKING NEWS******* There is a CREPE station at the Breakfast buffet! Why did I only figure this out after 7 days? God is trying to help keep me from blowing out the Michelin around my waist. My labor intensive day required us to get our butts out of bed way too early. I wanted to cover a lot of ground today so I booked a tour with a group formed on the CC roll call. There were 7 people in a VW Minivan. The tour company is “One Day in Provence”. William is the owner and he contracts with guides on demand. Our guide, Joanna, was hard to understand. Her English was really not in the acceptable range, but she was very sweet and I could manage the language thing. This is the only port I felt pressure to pre-reserve a tour because I knew I wanted to get out of town. Marseille is the second largest city in France, next to Paris. Traffic is bad and it’s all the same shopping, etc. as other large cities in Europe. It’s worth a look at the end of the day, but definitely get out of town. Since I was grateful to join the group from the roll call, I didn’t really take the time to research the tour. If I had it to do again, I might make changes to the plan. I liked our group a lot, but we moved way too slow for my taste. We left the port and drove to Aix-en-Provence. We toured the city center. Very charming city. If I had it to do again, I would go on to Avignon from Aix. After Aix, we drove toward the coast to Cassis to a winery. We toured the winery and had a tasting (15euro/pp). I would not have taken this tour if I had done my homework. I have been to wineries in lots of places, so this didn’t interest me so much. The view was beautiful, however. The countryside driving was fabulous. The wild poppies rock my world. After the wine tasting we went to Cassis and had a nice lunch on the harbor. Charming harbor. We took the 45 minute boat ride to the Calanques (16euro/pp). I loved this. So beautiful. After the boat ride we went to Le Castellet, a charming city. We walked around, shopped, took in the views. We were getting tired. It was at least an hour or so back to Marseilles. We drove around Marseille, saw the Cathedral and Old Port. Tour cost 100euro/pp plus the extras. We toured 9am-7pm and paid extra for two additional hours. Pretty good deal considering how much driving/time involved. Back to the ship at 7:30pm. Very long day, but we packed in a lot of activities. Very Happy.

Upon returning to the ship, we ran to the buffet. They were featuring a fantastic Mediterranean night buffet poolside. A BBQ with steak, lamb, pork, etc. The decorations were awesome. Flags and festive colors. I only have one complaint - the Buffet needs to stay open til 9pm 8:30pm is such a rush.

After dinner we were too tired to do anything. Unfortunately we missed what probably was a excellent production show - Zambra - a Barcelona dance troupe featuring Rumba, Flamenco, Torreo. We crashed hard when we returned to the Villa. The full moon last night and tonight was INCREDIBLE. I posted a pic on my FB travel page. I have an older, cheap Sony pocket camera. It doesn't always take the best photos, but I have taken some cool pics.

14 May Wednesday - Monaco

This is a crazy time to be in Monaco. The LeMans Gran Prix and the Cannes Film Festival are huge events. I could not believe the preparations that are done for the car race. Unbelievable. I had a very ambitious plan to cover every square inch of the Riviera from Monaco to St. Tropez. Obviously I had not done enough research. I had planned to visit, Eze, St. Paul de Vence, Nice, Antibes, Cannes, etc. Exiting the ship, I had a moment of clarity. Why not just enjoy Monaco and come back someday and visit other places on the Riviera. Great idea. We got on the HOHO Bus at the port(21euro/pp). We rode to stop 7, The Prince’s Palace. Got off, watched the changing of the guards and bought tickets to tour the Palace. Very interesting audio guide tour of the Palace. Drips riches. Artwork and furniture were impressive. The area is full of tacky tourist shops and cafes. We walked around and found ourselves the Oceanography Museum and Aquarium. WOW! If you are taking kids under 12 to Monaco, this is a must. The structure and architecture of the building is worth the price of admission alone. I didn’t know we were going to visit the museum, so I didn’t buy the combo ticket for the Palace/Aquarium (19euro). I paid 22euro total. Not a big deal. We had lunch at the restaurant in the museum. It is on the top floor with gorgeous views. Free wifi also. I enjoyed fresh clam linguine, caprese salad. We wandered around some more after leaving the Museum. Went back to stop 7 to get back on the HOHO bus. There is a problem with the HOHO bus. There are not enough seats on the bus when people don’t get off. My suggestion to you is, ride the full loop - one hour to see the tour. Stay on the bus for a second tour, but get off at stop 7 to see the palace and museum. Catch the bus back down to the ship at your leisure. The state is only 2 KM, so it doesn’t take long to get from one end to the other. We walked around the harbor and drooled over the yachts on the way back to the ship. Great Day.

Another day, another buffet. Off to dinner. I think we will pass on the Mind Reader show tonight. Maybe we'll enjoy the spa or go back to the Piano Bar (comedy club) and Blues Club.

Thanks for you comments. I love taking you along.

Change of plan, At Sea instead of Calvi, Corsica

Gale force winds and unsafe sea conditions for tendering, this port was scratched. I would have been ok with that had I been able to use my terrace in the Villa. There was no going out on any terrace today. It was very bad conditions. I never get sea sick, but did take Bonine today. Lots of people taking it easy and looking a little green. We enjoyed breakfast with some new friends, Jude and Dennis from south Florida via England. A leisurely lunch and hanging out in the villa with an amazing view. The crew members are taking such good care of me. All of the cooks in the Buffet treat me like they are my private chefs. I obviously am a minority in verbalizing my appreciation for cooking for me. You get what you give. Show some love to these guys and gals that are almost slaves. I don’t know how the crew members work these hours. It doesn’t seem humane or possible, Everyone has been friendly and kind. Our room stewards are also fantastic.

Big night out on the town. Since we had a leisurely day, we went out tonight. Hit the Blues Club, Piano Bar, and the production show “Heat” All the entertainment is great. The best laughs are in the Piano Bar. My mother’s karaoke. It cracks me up. These seniors are hilarious. They were doing hand motions to songs like “It’s my Party” by Lesley Gore and “Your just to good to be true” by Frankie Valli. I asked Michael, the piano man, if he could sing 70’s or 80’s music. He looked at me like I was an alien. How about some Bee Gees? Show tunes? Manilow? Michael relies way to much on a recorded track. Not too much piano playing going on. He said he would find something for me. HA! Can’t wait to find out what that might be.

An observation we have noticed is there is a lot of farting and belching going on. Seniors seem to be a lot more gassy.. They can’t hear/see/smell, so they don’t know they are trailing farts around. Ignorance is bliss.

Some seriously angry seas my friends. 18 ft. swells and we are being bounced around like crazy. Never been seasick in my life, but today I got out the Bonine. It is BAD and Scary. Calvi, Corsica scratched. I just want to make thru the night and get to port. Be back later with an update. I posted several pictures today to my FB travel page. Party On

Livorno is the port for Florence/Pisa/Tuscany. The majority of cruisers will take excursions to Florence. There are several ways to go about this - ship tour, ship transfer, independent tour, or on your own. It’s a very long day. If you can swing it on the front or back end of a cruise, I highly recommend spending one night in Florence. It’s an easy train ride from Venice or Rome. We toured Florence, Cinque Terra, and Lucca pre-cruise. All of those destinations are offered as shore excursions. My plan was to make an easy trek to Pisa. I had planned on taking the city bus or train, but my plan changed when I went the TI office in the main square (TI= Tourist Info, there are offices all over Italy). If you are going on your own, the first step is a 5euro shuttle bus ride from the port to central Livorno. The bus station is here, but the train station is another 20 minutes down the road. You have to take a bus to the train station. The train ride is short, less than 20 min. At the TI office they offered a RT bus ride to Pisa for 15euro/pp. Leaves office at 11am and returns at 2:45pm. Two hours in Pisa. That was perfect. You have to be able to walk up to a ½ hour to and from the bus station to the Leaning Tower. Upon our return to Livorno, the HOHO bus representative got on the bus and offered us a 6euro one hour tour of Livorno from 3-4pm. The deal of the day. Livorno is a nice coastal city. The weather was cool today. Actually too cool for the open air bus. We enjoyed a leisurely day for 26euro/pp. The Lido buffet was having an Italian themed dinner this evening. It was standing room only. All of the cruisers who toured Florence all day were too tired to go to the dining room and the menu was fantastic. We got a table early and watched people. The chicken parm was excellent. This was our favorite meal so far. After dinner we went to the spa to spend the evening. We love the heat beads.

Italy hasn’t received the memo that smoking is bad for your lungs, skin, and teeth. So many people smoke. We also have smokers smoking on a balcony nearby. I don’t care if someone smokes, I just don’t want to smell it or inhale it. Smoking on the balcony would be the same as me blasting Bon Jovi on my iPod for everyone to hear. It’s rude. I bet the smoker would immediately complain about my music. HAL needs to go non-smoking on the verandas. It’s inconsiderate to impose smoke or loud music on anyone anywhere.

I did post a cabin tour on my FB page. I don’t take my self too seriously, so don’t expect much.

We have been finding nice free toilettes at McDonald’s and Burger Kings. We do usually buy a soda or coffee, however.

Our last day in Italy. A wonderful country. Ciao Cannoli’s, Bonjour Crepes!

Tunisia was scratched from the itinerary. Not sure if it was the political situation or not as I heard someone from a Costa ship say they stopped in Tunisia. Olbia was the replacement port. I loved this plan. I have always wanted to see the islands Italians spend their summer holidays on. The water and beaches are beautiful on the Costa Smeralda. The ship scrambled to put together three tours. That wasn’t near enough space. We are not getting an early start, so our tours have been short and sweet. We walked through the main town, then hopped on the HOHO bus at the port for a ride to the beach - Pittulongu. We spent almost three hours eating lunch and enjoying the view. PC was enjoying the boobs on the beach. Lots of cruisers enjoying the beach, but the water had to be cold.

The Prime Rib was delicious tonight. PC has been eating mostly pork and chicken. I am eating mostly beef. The fish selections are pretty good also. The French fries are the best we have had at sea. I love the soft serve ice cream. The buffet hours are weird - 5:30 - 8:30pm. Reopens 10:30 - 11:30pm. I think it should stay open 5:30 - 11:30pm, with a switch to the bistro menu at 9pm. We always want desert/snacks between 8:30 and 10:30pm. No food available except pizza and pasta., the weakest link IMHO. We get Starbucks instead.

The BB King Blues Band played in the Vista theater tonight. They were AWESOME. It is Memphis blues, but all songs everyone knows - Tina Turner, Aretha, Smoky, Otis, etc. We are not getting our money’s worth on the Hydrotherapy pool. We don’t want to leave the Palace. My hair is looking pitiful. I need to make time for an appt in the salon. The British girls always do a great job on my hair.

I have just posted several videos on my Facebook travel page if you are interested.

Thanks for the nice comments. Glad you are coming with me.

Seriously, the best day of our life. Gorgeous sunny skies, enjoying the Palace, tanning on the balcony, lunch on the balcony, drinks on the balcony. Please don’t let this day end. Formal night. We don’t dress up in formal wear, but I sure enjoy watching the parade of those who do. Seniors in sequins and SAS shoes. The song and dance production show was excellent. This ship has some of the strongest entertainment I have ever experienced. The B.B. King All Star Band is incredible. Very talented. Where is my sexy Ron the Piano Man from Carnival when I need him? The Piano Bar entertainer, Michael, is a sweet, stocky Don Ho type with more hair. The Hawaiian shirts are not my idea of style. The seniors flock to the Piano bar to sing Dion, Bobby Darin, Bobby Vinton, etc. The music is a little before my time. He needs to move into the 70’s for me to start a relationship with him.

Starbucks! We love the Exploration Lounge, we refer to it as Starbucks. It is the computer center, library, game/card rooms. Comfortable leather sofas/chairs. We start and end our day with lattes. It is a wonderful area. The coffee drinks are included in our drink card package. It doesn’t get any better than this. Great coffee to start my day.

I am cruising for the first time with HAL "LIVE" to the MED if you have any interest. I have been away from the CC boards since my Celebrity NZ/Australia cruise. I miss Celebrity, but the HAL itinerary was great. I will compare HAL to my beloved Celebrity and Princess.

Cheers, Sungirl

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2039957

Sorry about that! My name for the DH. ;-)

Greetings from the Sea. It’s been a few years since I have posted live. It’s good to be back. I have covered lots of ground since I saw you last, but mostly on land. If any old-timers are still around from the Celebrity or Princess forums, you might remember my Princess “Seinfeld” cruise or my Celebrity NZ/Australia cruise when I took a nice little fall that almost sent me home.

I am a HAL Virgin. Can’t believe it has taken me more than thirty cruises to finally meet HAL. All I can say is WOW. Disclaimer: Food/Entertainment/Life is subjective. My idea of heaven might be someone else’s nightmare. You can use this info as a resource, not Gospel. I tend to be more of a luxury traveler. I haven’t shopped at Target all my life for nothin’! I am not a foodie. I spend the least amount of time possible eating. However, you would not know that by looking at me. I have way too many other things I enjoy (like writing this!) when I travel, to spend lots of time in restaurants. I peruse upscale tour group websites (A&K, Tauck) to get itinerary and hotel ideas. I am not adventurous when it comes to lodging. I prefer large upscale hotel chains. I have also started making stupid videos and posting photos on my FB travel page - Fungirl Across America and Beyond - Feel free to check it out if you are desperate for cheap entertainment. On with the show…….

I booked the Noordam four weeks ahead of sailing. That is typical for me. HAL had some great offers. A SZ suite for the same price as a balcony cabin for around $1,800/pp. I did not take this deal. I wanted an aft facing balcony Luckily there were still a few available. First clue this cruise was meant to be, as these cabins sell out first. They were also offering the free drink package and $50 beverage cards/pp. This was a great promo. No drink expense at all. WOW! I secured the cabin, booked air with United, my preferred perk airline, and made pre-cruise hotel arrangements. I had very little time to research every possible pre-cruise option, but I prefer a plan as you go approach. I reserved our first two night in Florence at the Westin Excelsior. I left my other nights open. I don’t want to commit to something in advance in case something better presents itself or I want to stay longer, leave early. I am pretty safe this time of year with last minute reservations.

We are off to Florence. The Renaissance capital of the world. One of the best walking cities in Europe. I flew via ORD and FRA. God smiled, upgrade to the 747 hump. We took a little detour on the way to Florence. Bad weather forced us to land in Pisa. Took a few hours off the day, but we got a wonderful tour of Tuscany from the air while we circled. Lufthansa provided a free shuttle to Florence. We opted to take a bus on our own to the city center instead of wasting time on a shuttle to the airport 25 min. out of town. Nice comfy ride on a coach bus - 6euro each. We arrived at the hotel on the Arno River a few hours later than planned, but we were greeted with a lovely room and view. All we could manage due to exhaustion was a nice dinner around the corner I research restaurants on Trip Advisor and use the hotel concierge to confirm or suggest. We are way more about atmosphere than we are about food. We like casual, rustic, local type places. You would not find us in the W restaurant or some modern chic trendy hangout. The concierge booked Trattoria Gargani. I told him I needed something 5 steps or less. It wasn’t 5 steps, but super easy to find. A traditional Italian Trattoria - pasta and veal scallopine. I did not pre-book any tours in Florence as I never know what my level of energy will be. After dinner I decided a full day tour was a go. Went online and booked with Art Viva for a full day of three different walking tours - The Original Florence Walk, Masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery and The Original David-Accademia Tour. They can book an unlimited number of people. They split into groups of 18 people and they have enough guides on call to accommodate everyone. After some much needed sleep, we ate the buffet breakfast and raced out the door to the meeting place for the tour - The Odeon theater in Piazza Davanzati. The weather was terrible. Cold and on/off rain. We were prepared, however. Raincoats and umbrellas. Our first tour guide, an Aussie, was excellent, but talked way too fast. He gave us a fairly comprehensive tour to all of the famous landmarks and piazzas We didn’t spend a lot of time at any one place. We had an hour break between tours so we sat in the Piazza della Repubblica and had a quick lunch at an old famous restaurant - Café Donnini. Gnoochi, my favorite. Met back in the Piazza Davanzati for the second tour - Uffizi.Gallery. We saw the top 10 masterpieces - Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Giotto, Caravaggio. If you are seriously interested in Renaissance art, do not book this tour. It is an overview that hits the highlights. Book tickets in advance online and take the audio tour.

Also leave extra time as the tickets don’t always run on time. We stood in line an extra 45 minutes past our time slot. On to the Accademia and my date with Michelangelo’s David. He rocks my world. He is made of stone as my friend reminded me. Spent over an hour just sitting with him. We didn’t talk, but he knew I was there. The greatest masterpiece ever sculpted IMHO. My feet were done, so I taxied back to the hotel instead of walking. GREAT DAY. Dined across the river from the hotel at another rustic, Mama’s kitchen type place - Antica Trattoria Angiolino - Caprese salad, Gnocchi, Lemon chicken. Gelato completed my evening at Gelateria la Carraia. Very romantic to stroll the Arno River. We had conquered Florence in a day and it was time to move on. Our feet were sore and I had been there previously. Where should I go? Let’s go to the Riviera!

Booked a fabulous hotel in the village of Monterosso, part of the Cinque Terra. A Unesco world heritage site comprised of five villages built into the mountainside. Taxied from hotel to the Firenze Santa Novella train station. Train from Firenze to La Spezia, connect to Monterosso. The gypsy gangs are out in full force at the Florence train station, but not near as bad as Rome. More aggressive in Rome and Barcelona. They want to help you with buying tickets at the kiosks, or carry your luggage for tips. They turn all the tips over to the ****. They are also looking for easy pickpocket opportunities. One word - PACSAFE. I invested in four pieces of this luggage/travel bags before the trip. Best money I ever spent. One 21” rollaboard, two backpacks - one bigger, one smaller, more feminine, and one cross body small purse. small ring. We were prepared and heads up and we had no problems. We were a little confused on the trains out of Florence as you can hop any train to Pisa/Livorno, it is not assigned. The board lists Livorno as the destination. Go by the train number, not the destination and keep track of the stops. You can preprint these schedules at home or have your concierge print for you. I had never navigated trains in Italy previously, so I was a little anxious. We got the hang of it after the first purchase/ride. I do have to confess that I let a gypsy lady help me at the ticket kiosk. I would have tipped her, but I had no coins. I felt bad and thought she was going to stick some thugs on me. I was crazy nervous! It’s funny now, but at the time I was freaked by the gangs. We loved the trains tho!

Arrived Monterosso 2 and ½ hours after leaving Florence. Our hotel, Hotel Porto Roca, offered free pick up from the train station. Luigi picked us up. Funniest taxi driver ever. I post the pics on my FB page. We checked in and ran to the ferry boat pier for the village tour. We stopped at each village, but only got off the ferry in Riomaggiore, as the ferry service stops at 6pm. The villages are small and can be toured quickly for an overview. Some people make a day of visiting every village. We didn’t have the time, but got the feel for the area. We had a nice meal in the restaurant at our hotel. Beautiful view of the Ligurian Sea.

Do we or don’t we? Should we pack everything up and schlep our bags to Portofino or stay put and take a day trip? We decide to stay put and save our $$$ and backs. Lifting our luggage on and off the trains is not easy. Had we not been cruising, we could have traveled with carry-on. Especially in the summer. I did manage to share one checked bag which is an improvement for me. Portofino is a very easy day trip from Monterosso. 45 minutes north on a regional train. Get off the train at Santa Margherita and take a bus or ferry 15 minutes to Portofino. We took the bus because it was waiting outside the train station. Took the ferry on the return. Portofino - Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Had lunch at the $1200/nt Belmond Splendido Hotel. This is part of the Orient Express chain of hotels. Lunch was ridiculous - $100/pp. I loved it, however. I did spend $1200 to stay at the OE Sanctuary Hotel in Machu Picchu, but the Splendido didn’t speak to my heart. I thought Portofino was overrated. It was all cruise ship tours from Genoa and Savona. The façade is fake. I enjoyed the Loews Portofino Hotel at Universal in Orlando more than I enjoyed the real thing. It’s worth a day trip, but not overly interesting unless you like the yachting/snob appeal of the rich. That’s boring to me. Rick Steves gives a funny editorial on Portofino. He is not a fan. Santa Margherita, however, is great. More spread out and real. We caught the train back to Monterosso. Walked around town, picked up a bottle of local wine, and picked a random restaurant. All of the restaurants have the same menu - lots of fresh seafood and pasta. We had a feast at Ristorante Amoretto - Calamari, swordfish, caprese, pasta. One more night on our fabulous terrace at Hotel Porto Roca. Definitely the nicest hotel on the Cinque Terra. The rooms are nothing to speak of, but you pay for the view. Fine with me. I am all about the view.

What should we do next? Should we stay another night on the sea? Should we explore another Tuscan town? Let’s go to Lucca. Gets us an hour closer to Civitavecchia and a walled Tuscan town looks fun. Biking is the favorite pastime of Tuscany. I thought we could rent bikes and cruise around. Made a reservation at maybe the second nicest hotel in Lucca - Hotel Nobelesse. A French palace in the center of the city. I found our cab driver Luigi at a gelato café and asked him to pick us up at the hotel at 8:30am. We took the regional train to Pisa Centrale, transferred to the fast train to Lucca. Always 1st classe if available. Took taxi a mile or so to the hotel from the train station. After we checked in and assessed the situation, we decided to walk the city and the wall instead of riding bikes for the sake of time. Locking and unlocking the bikes seemed like a time buster. We found a nice café in a Piazza - Trattoria Da Nonna Clara - more Caprese, pasta, veggie soup. We walked inside the walls back and forth. Really fun. I did do a little shopping even though I am not much of a shopper. Trying to get rid of things at my age, not collect more stuff. But, I needed that Italian leather hand bag and another Swatch watch for my collection. Scored on both. I do my souvenir video on FB at the end of the trip.. Ended a great day with a walk on the wall at sunset and a fabulous dinner at Trattoria de Leo. I am not sure whose list this is on - Rick Steves, Food Channel, etc, but it is a hot spot. Packed with Americans and locals. We were lucky to get in. Cash only. Highly recommend. The Dutch woman who sold me my pocketbook told me about the restaurant. I always chat everyone up to get opinions on restaurants. I seem to meet the right people over and over. My bag purchase was another one of those stories of being in the right place. Another tourist told me the store I was looking in had another location a block away. I went to the other location and found a great bag for my ipad. We attended two funeral processions today and they use Mercedes hearse autos. I am making sure I get a Mercedes hearse

It was a very short stay in Lucca, but a day is usually enough for me. I am of the school that I want to know a little bit about a lot of things. Quantity. Helps my trivia skills. Taxied to the Lucca train station. Regional train to Pisa Centrale, Connecting to the fast train to Civitavecchia We had armed guards in the 1st class car on the way to Civitavecchia. AWESOME.

Before we leave the land portion of my Italian adventure I will editorialize!

BATHROOMS - When asking say Toilette, you sound more worldly and sophisticated. You usually have two choices - go buy a gelato, coke or coffee at a cafe and use the toilette for free, or pay 1 Euro to use a public/café toilette. Get used to it and don’t complain. It’s the way it is. I over heard a woman refuse to pay 1 euro for the public toilette at the Pisa Train station. She went to McDonalds for 60 cents. First of all, the Pisa Train station bathroom was the nicest of any bathroom I saw. Secondly, what is an extra 40 cents when traveling in Europe? If you have the money to go to Europe, you certainly have the money to spend on a decent toilette. Remember to check out that Pisa public toilette if you need one!

SHOES- Please, I am begging you, throw away your white sneakers. Nike Free is for all ages. Old and young. Find a fun color you like and buy them. Most comfortable shoes ever. Or get some Mephisto, Merrell, Clark, Privo, Helle, Born, Me Too, or some stylish comfort flat, sandal, or boot. Leave the heels at home. I promise you there is no way to do what I did in heels.

CLOTHES - Please, I am begging you, leave the logo t-shirts at home. Nothing screams tourist more than a Budweiser or Georgia Bull Dog shirt. Solid color polo shirts are good. Or the solid v-neck t-shirts in different colors. Denim is the main dress. Lots of skinny jeans, ankle jeans, capris. Also black, white, and khaki. Burberry khaki always makes a nice statement. It’s all about the scarves. They are the outfit. Limit the clothes and change the look with scarves. We are not stupid Americans. Let’s dress like it.

DESIGNER PURSES/BACKPACKS/JEWELRY - Please, I am begging you, leave the fanny packs at home. It is not a good look and a target for thieves. Cross body purses, low profile backpacks are best Don’t bring the oversized North Face backpack. One word PACSAFE. Don’t keep your money in a wallet. Keep it lose and spread it out in different slots/compartments. I panicked every time I went to pay for something because I could not find my money and cards buried in my purse. No thief is going to get anything if I can’t get it unless they have bolt cutters! Leave the Rolexes, Tags, and diamonds at home. The savviest travelers would not wear jewelry or showy clothing /designer purses. I met a girl in Capri who had a fake designer bag and got picked at the market in Rome. She made so many mistakes it was sad. Don’t try to impress, safety first. We know they are home in the safe deposit box. I leave my wedding rings at home and wear a small ring.

MONEY - Get a few Euros before you leave the states. Either order from your bank or use the Exchange booth at the airport. I would say 50 Euros. Enough to take care of transportation or emergencies in route. Second step - hit the ATM at your first stop in Europe, even in the connecting airport. I stopped in FRA, so I used the Deutsche Bank ATM. Perfect. Start with 100 Euro. If you are traveling with a partner you might want to start with more. I got 300 euros at my first ATM stop. I would avoid the ATM at Rome airport or train station. Too many thieves and scams. Barcelona also. Use credit cards for every purchase possible and save your receipts in an envelope. Use the ATM as needed. I also carry $500 in AMEX traveler’s checks for emergencies. One time in Naples the ATM machine would not work and I owed a driver $400. Those traveler checks saved my ass. I could cash them on the ship.

We are going on a cruise! Halleluiah.

The Princess Fairy Tale - Chapter 2

Fast summary of Chapter 1 - Three years ago the Princess had booked her first suite on a Celebrity NZ/Australia cruise. A few days before sailing, Celebrity called and asked her to downgrade with an offer she couldn’t refuse. She is a practical Princess and genius with money, so she took the deal. She sulked for a day, but knew she made the prudent decision. The weather was not great and the balcony went unused. Great decision.

Chapter 2 - The Princess was so happy to secure an aft balcony 4 weeks prior to cruising. She had to pay quite a premium for that balcony. But she remembered all the money she saved previously in her downgrade, so it was ok. A few days before sailing that Magic Genie appeared again. But this time, the Genie wanted to reward the Princess for her patience and willingness to help someone else fulfill their dream of a suite cabin on Celebrity. He offered the Princess the Corner Neptune Suite on Deck 6 for a pittance. Her life is complete Her first full suite cabin in almost 30 cruises. PC knew none of this was going on. The Princess asked for self control so she would not spoil a huge surprise for PC. His jaw is not off the floor yet and we have never had a better cruise experience. These will be the best 11 days of our lives. Thank you to the HAL Genie.

Shared a cab with another couple at the Civitavecchia train station to the port. Very close to the port, 5euro/pp. There is also a bus for 1euro or so. We could not lift the luggage one more time! Taxi please. Check-in has never been easier. No crowding, no lines. PC didn’t notice I had gone to the suite check -in line. Thank God men are so clueless. ;-) In our suite in an hour from the time we left the train station.

The Reveal! PC walks in the suite and says what is this? Sungirl, you are in the wrong cabin. SURPRISE! I can’t believe I kept my mouth shut and he couldn’t believe it either. We had to postpone our 25th wedding anniversary trip on the same itinerary two years, so the second chance is oh so suite. We are in a Palace as cruise ship cabins go We can’t stop crying and laughing all at once. PC definitely deserves a few breaks with the demands of his real life.

We love the ship. Not too big, not too small. Perfect. 2000 passenger. The décor is a little weird and scary in places, but we don’t care cuz we got the suite! If I had to guess the demographics of this sailing, I would say 50% European/UK, 50% Canadian, US, Aussie, Asian. A handful of little kids. Mostly seniors, but more diverse than I expected. Captain - Bart Vaartjes Cruise Director - Kieron

07 May Wednesday - Civatavecchia

Embarkation. We were pretty exhausted by the time we got unpacked and settled. We bought the thermal/hydrotherapy pool couples promotion - $249. I had signed up for a couples massage, but after my experience in Laos with PC, I am not going to risk it. In Laos PC started snoring and I started laughing, then the therapist started massaging my boobs and stomach, I was laughing harder. It was not funny cuz I could not relax. The suite concierge lounge is fantastic. The concierge took care of everything - restaurant reservations, excursions, spa appts, etc. We ate in the Lido buffet. The menu is exactly the same in the Lido as the main dining room. I skipped the Welcome Show, which has never happened. I am not leaving my suite! This may never happen again. Free laundry! I had three bags of laundry walking on the ship. Done in 24 hours.

08 May Thursday - Naples

I have visited previously. If you a first time visitor I recommend Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast - Sorrento, Positano, etc. We took the ferry to Capri. Very easy to do on your own. Walk thru the parking lot of the port to the street. You can’t miss the ferry terminal. The hydrofoil fast ferries run often. The ride is 40 minutes. Very comfortable and nice ferries. Print the ferry schedule online if you are considering this excursion. Check the boards, as there are tow different companies running ferries. When we arrived at the ferry dock in Capri we went straight to the tour kiosk for the Blue Grotto. This was the funniest, most ridiculous, most over priced proposition that everyone needs to do once. We laughed so hard. It is so much easier to do these things at Disney World. I about fell into the water transferring from the speed boat to the row boat. 60 Euros poorer, but at least I can say I did it. High seas prevent the boats from entering the grotto on many days. After the Blue Grotto ride, we rode the Funicular up the mountain side for a quick lunch and photo op. Gorgeous views. We ferried back to the ship. The ship’s organized tour was on our ferry return. They paid $200/pp. We paid $186 total for 2 people which included the Blue Grotto. Ship excursions are so over priced. There are times, however, when they are a good idea.

Yes, I am sorry to ruin my Princess reputation, but I am a Buffet person. I want to eat what I want with no waiting or pomp and circumstance. The menu is the same in the Lido and Main dining room. I eat out every night at home, the restaurant service thing is tedious for me. I want to build my own salad at the salad bar. Chose the fruit I like, get two desserts without anyone knowing! PC loves the food. He said the grill had the best burgers he has ever eaten at sea. The pizza is a weak link. I love the deli bar and soft serve ice cream.

We skipped the comedy show tonight - Tom Sutton. Need to get back to the Palace.

09 May Friday - Palermo, Sicily

I am the hop on hop off bus Queen. I love to ride and get an orientation to the city. Palermo offers a HOHO bus, which is an great tour if you do it correctly. I did not. I got way too late of a start and there was some kind of protest that blocked the streets for hours. I think Italians strike and protest on a weekly basis. My suggestion to you is buy your HOHO ticket at the port. There is a desk selling tickets at the dock. Walk to stop 1. Take the first bus of the morning and get off at stop 7. Take the first bus to Monreale, the Norman Cathedral 6 miles out of town. Join the bus again at stop 1 or 7. Take the blue line bus back to the ship. The blue line has no traffic and it is the upscale neighborhoods/shopping/markets. When you get off the blue line at the port, turn immediately toward the city and walk to the café called “Bristol” This is a Gelateria/Bakery. Don’t leave Palermo without going here. I had cannolis to die for. I will dream of them forever. The Gelato is great. The biscuits, cookies, etc. all yummy. Free wifi also. Perfect end to a not so perfect tour because of my laziness. I am having a hard time leaving the suite. On the bus we met a couple who were disappointed in the cruise because they didn’t feel like the Welcome on Board was robust enough. OMG. People are so funny. They wanted red carpet, horns, and a Queens entrance. You have got to be kidding. Who cares?

Another night, another buffet. We are happy. We went to the Elton John impersonator show. PC hates the shows on the ships. I always feel pressure to leave because he hates them. He looks at me and says “Can we stay”? WHAT? He likes a show? OMG. It was a great show. So then we go the BB King Blues Club. They play 3 sets for an hour each night. We stayed for a few minutes and I was waiting for PC to say let’s go. He wants to STAY! WHAT? He is a guitar freak and loved the guitars of the seven or so piece band. The performed Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Morris Day, Chuck Berry, etc. Back to the Palace in a king size bed for the well fed Princess.

Stay tuned...........Everyone on the boards are so helpful, hoping I can pay it forward

On two weeks notice, I am frantically trying to figure out the itinerary - shore excursions, clothing, etc. I will hopefully be able to post a "Live" thread since the Med season is just now getting started. I hope I can help others. Sungirl

Ms Carole, I forgot you were still on the boards. You are an active cruiser. I love seeing you on FB. I am so "rusty" on my cruising. (you saw my photo of Rusty on FB!) Now that I have taken to doing stupid videos on my FB travel page, I might be boring with a LIVE thread ;-)

Ok Ports

Naples - been before, want to take ferry to Capri I think

Palermo - know nothing

La Goulette - know nothing

Florence - doing this pre cruise, want a Tuscany tour to Arezza and Cortona

Calvi, Corsica - know nothing

Monte Carlo- Need advice for nice coastal activities, scenic drives, posh people watching

Marseille - Need advice - which villages in Provence

Barcelona - I'm thinking about the HOHO bus. That is my favorite form of transportation in any city!

I need to hunt all of my CC friends down and tell them to check out my Facebook page

Fungirl Across America and Beyond

Write me when time permits. Love Ya, Sungirl/Fungirl

Ok, took the aft facing balcony. Something seems romantic about that in the Med. Now on to other questions like PORTS!

I will go to the ports of call, but if anyone has a rec that I shouldn't miss, let me know.

Florence, Pisa, and Cinque Terra, and Portofino are on my pre-cruise land tour plans

Marseille is my biggest question. Which village in Provence? Monte Carlo - How is the day best spent? Nice? Cannes? St. Tropez? Antibes? Coastal activities preferred.

I got a drink package for drinks under $7. Is wine under $7? is any liquor under $7?

It's been a year since I have cruised and I need to get my groove back

Ciao, Sungirl

mame42 - I prefer an older crowd! No problem getting loungers at the pool!! It was more a curiousity question than anything. I am way more afraid of children than I am seniors. ;-)

I am well traveled, so I like to hang with the well- traveled. Definitely the ACTIVE over 55 crowd. I say 55, because that's how old I need to be to get in my dream retirement community.

Best, Sungirl

It's good to be back on the boards. I have been away too long.

I am a veteran cruiser, but first time with HAL. Cruising the Med on the Noordam.

Question - The aft facing balcony cabins and the suite guarantee cabins are the same price. I don't care about size of the cabin, only amenities. Not knowing anything about HAL, I am trying to figure out if I should choose my BELOVED aft facing cabin or give up the view for a suite. I have never cruised in a suite, only mini-suites on Princess.

Will I find HAL to be similar to Celebrity and Princess? I want my expectations to be set correctly as to avoid any shock or disappointment. Is HAL still an elderly crowd or that an old stereotype?

Thanks for any feedback you can offer me. Sungirl

I was writing as you were posting. I love middle east/Mediteranean food, so I am looking forward to eating everything that is safe.

I am glad I booked a Carib cruise in November. I will need a vacation from Egypt adventure!

Sungirl

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I leave in a little over three weeks and only booked a week ago. I don't have a lot of time to study the seven books I have sitting on the kitchen table. ;-) I have a ton of emotions - excited, nervous, scared, etc. I think the flights are worrying me the most. I have never spent 14 hours on a plane, even though I travel full-time. I am really concerned about my luggage situation. I am used to packing the entire house! I can only take ONE 15lb carry-on and they say NO purse. Emirates must be strict. Thank you for the clothing feedback. I didn't want to wear white, but I always seen the Egyptian men in the white robe type clothing, so I didn't know if white was a "blend" type of color. I am really excited to fly the new Airbus A380, but I have never been able to sleep on a plane in coach very well.

Tom, I laughed about the King Tut pens, so cheesy and so fun!

I need to learn the currency exchange for Dubai and Egypt. That is important. I hate getting ripped off and I am not shy!

The food is going to be my biggest problem. I have lost 50lbs in the past year and I depend on all of the things you can't eat. Is meat plentiful? Bread? If I am staying at a high end hotel in Cairo - The Four Seasons, will I be able to eat salad? OR should I avoid uncooked food EVERYWHERE? I can exist on coffee and wine, however. Starbucks anywhere????

Thanks again for taking the time for me. Cheers, Sungirl

Seafun Tom,

I looked at your photos and they are fabulous. I loved your captions. The blue skies were beautiful behind the historic sites. The joy on your face really touched me. I hope I have the same experience you did.

A few questions - I noticed you wore shorts and some people had light jackets. Can women wear shorts? Did you see mostly summer type clothes? Would white be appropriate even though it is after Labor Day? ;-)

How did you dress on the cruise for dinner, etc. ? Is it cooler at night?

Did you use American money? Did you use your ATM card?

Are you safe from petty crime? Pickpockets, etc. ?

I am going with my girlfriend and we are both blondes (wild and crazy too), do we need to dress conservatively to avoid harrassment?

You looked like you got a lot of sun, is there time to sit by the pool on the cruise, or are you touring all day? I am counting on a Caribbean tan.

Are the crowds manageable at all of the sites?

Does the traffic in Cairo really slow you down from getting to see the sites?

What can I eat that I won't get sick? I am a little concerned about the food. Is bottled water provided on the boat and in hotels or do you buy it?

How were alcohol prices? Wine by the glass, etc.

Were there any special souvenirs you recommend? The small kind! Is their something that is a bargain?

I am just getting started........

Party On! Sungirl

Seafun Tom,

Your day by day review rocked my world. Thank you for taking the time to write and for helping a very nervous and excited girl leaving for Dubai/Egypt in 4 weeks. I am afraid I am going to die of exhaustion, especially with that 2:30am wake-up call to fly to Answan and Abu Simbel. I will need ambien and speed! I have hundreds of questions for you, but it is late and I will ask you later. ;-)

Cheers, Sungirl

To Hank, the OP, and all the others that took time to post - A BIG thank you!

This thread was very helpful to me pre-cruise. I conquered Rome and the rest of my cruise with NO problems except a few ATM's not working for me. I loved the flexibilty that came with planning our days the night before. We were never locked into a schedule. We hired taxis instead of mastering the subways/buses, but we covered a lot more ground and felt very safe all of the time. The pickpockets were bad at the Rome airport. I figure they prey on weary travelers. Never saw any gypsy dramas in Rome. We had a lot of fun and liked every port for different reasons. Can't actually say I would go back to any, only because there are so many other places on my list.

Hank, you could definitely give Rick Steves a run for his money. ;-)

Best, Sungirl

Nadine,

I printed your instructions and I totally think I can mangage that situation! I just have to remember to get the tickets validated. Thanks so much, Sungirl

Hank, Andy, and ddjwms, thanks for taking the time to comment on my post. I want to be more specific now since I have all of this help. ;-)

Athens: How do I get from the Port to the Acropolis on my own? Normally I would get a taxi and pay too much.

How do I get to the Plaka from the Acropolis?

How do I get back to the ship from the Plaka?

Rome: Let's say I took the bus from the Marriott to the Colosseum as directed from someone at the hotel. How do I get back to another area or the hotel? Do I walk to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps? Is this safe? Do I need a guide/tour for the Vatican?

Naples: Is the train to Pompeii a pick pocket haven? Is the boat ride around Capri interesting?

Greek Isles: Are there any nice resorts that we can either buy a day pass or use the facilities if we have lunch?

I have no brain when it comes to bus, subway, and train schedules. I always pay TOO much and take a taxi. How do I learn the public transportation system in Rome in a day? This is part of my stress also. I always know I can get myself somewhere, but never know if I can find my way back! (Without getting robbed or lost of course ;-)

I don't need Rick Steves, I have the kind people on the CC board to help me.

I need my own personal thread - Sungirl's Solutions to cheaper and stress free travel in Europe.

Thanks again for the counseling, Sungirl