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Wind Surf 04/29/18 Classic Italy and Dalmation Coast Live(ish)


crisp1
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First Windstar Cruise, first Med cruise- cruise booked through WS, got an upgrade- air, hotel, transfers/ and maybe excursions independent. Air with Alitalia good rate- no seat assignment.After looking at possibles as far as hotel/ transfer etc in Rome pre cruise for 1 day- decided on booking a hotel in Civitavecchia pre cruise and pay the 120 Euros transfer. After looking at all the hotels available ( only 4*) we decided on the Borgo Del Mare- a family owned small hotel. I still have to find a hotel post cruise in Venice ( a harder choice) and our excursions- through the ship or independent- questions? Once on board I think wifi is out

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After looking at Europeforvisitors and checking out hotels etc for Venice I booked the Olimpia Hotel- not close to San Basilio where we will disembark it is close to transportation to the airport. We disembark early am and aren't supposed to check in until 2 pm, so taking a vaporetto to Piazzale Roma will take up some of that time and also allow us to enjoy some of the sights along the way.

I am 'old school' and like to have info in my hand- so I bought several books/pocketbooks- Rick Steve's Venice, Fodor's Italy, Berlitz pocket guide to Croatia and Lonely Planets Fast talk Italian ( don't want to sound/look like a total tourist)

Still thinking about excursions- or just explore what is close to the ship- a can do in Amalfi and some of the others.

 

If anyone is considering staying at the Borgo del Mare in Civitavecchia they offer transport to the hotel from the airport, I have a copy of their restaurant's menu ( they offer a discount on the 3 course meal- very good ) free breakfast and free transfer to the ship

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The Olimpia can securely store your luggage and you can return at a later time. If you are good with map skills, it is walkable from San Basilio. I think it took me about 15-20 minutes.

 

Having a coffee or cold drink outside the hotel is great people watching and boat watching. There are 2 canals that meet up. We saw things like the prison authority boat, delivery boats, porters with lots of luggage going over bridges, a wedding party, etc.

 

It is easy to walk into Venice from the hotel. Make time to go into the Jewish ghetto for a tour of the historic synagogues. It was very informative.

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We are limited time wise- so pre/ post cruise times are limited- one day in each- so we are fine so far with our choices for hotels, thinking about just walking around on our own vs ship tours vs independent. A thought, first time, do I need to 'see it all', or just enjoy the city/port- I'm 68- but very active ( can keep up with a 40 yr old), I used to try to make the most of our time in each port- now I think more about just enjoying the time we have without pushing it- leaning to 'winging it'

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Our flight arrived on time, but customs was a pain, those in charge would move people around/ make new lines, seemed to take forever- our luggage was supposed to be at 9- but was at 10. So many people being picked up by services- we finally found our guy from the Hotel Borgo del Mare. A bit of a walk to the van, but after a night of no sleep I was happy not to have to deal, just follow. The ride was nice by highway through areas of mostly meadow. The hotel is off the main road, but you can still hear the traffic this time of year. The system is set for either heat or cool- so it's still set on heat since the nights have been cool- but we have windows that can be opened- hence the sound of traffic. The hotel restaurant is not opened for lunch, but there are 2 within a short walk. We ate at Ideale- seems to be a local favorite- on the water with views of the larger cruise ships. There is a video menu in the entrance with an English version- but the menus are only in Italian. Shared a bottle of a local red wine and just pasta pomodoro- Forgot the locals eat theirs al dente. Although the restaurant isn't opened for lunch at the hotel the bar is open- so we split a bottle of a local wine on the outside patio. The free wifi is fine, rooms on the small side- but not smaller than you'd find on a any cruise ship. Dinner later, free breakfast and transfer to the ship tomorrow

Chris

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  • 2 weeks later...
Hi Chris,

 

We were on the Royal Princess with you this past March. My son & his wife will be on this ship next month and I was wondering what type of entertainment is available in the evenings.

Right now there are 2 choices - a duet ( Mardi Gras) that plays in the Compass Rose at Sailaway and late night- their lat sets are better- early ones a bit mellow- guitar player is very good and they are tech savy- have a good recorded back tracks for their material

In the Lounge is a band ( 4 piece with a female lead vocal) very extensive play list- they usually play just before dinner ( 6:30 ) and again play 2-3 sets starting at 9:30 or so. Nothing during the day when in port- or on sea days-

In cabin,first run movies playing non-stop in cabin choice of 2 each day + Rick Steve or something other interesting. Us Prime- tv shows with top 10 lists in between, Fox News, CNBC, Sky News, BBc News and Sky Sports News.

Sailaway is something not to be missed- one could enjoy it daily- 1492 plays ship-wide as the sails unfurl while you leave each port.

One day on this itinerary they brought aboard a local band who sang in Croat- 5 man, upright bass, guitar, 2 mandolins - all sang - tenor down to bass- with a low bass vocal extra- very enjoyable

One night there is a crew show- not to be missed- magic, comedy, solo and band collaborations- one vocalist was so good he got a full lounge standing ovation- the syncronized swimming was a real crowd pleaser.

Visiting the bridge is another thing not to miss- along with the galley tour.

Chris

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