Century review and cruise journal - Med 10/22

Just got to typing away, so it ended up as 15 pages typed...I'll post in sections. Hope you enjoy.

Andrew

Us: Late 30’s/Mid 40s (ugh, I guess, at 45, I have to admit to “mid” now…) gay couple, traveling with two other couples, Joel & Marjorie and Ed (different person than my Ed) & Michelle.

Ship/Cruise: Century, Western Mediterranean, October 22, 2007, 11 days R/T from Barcelona

Ports: Barcelona, Marseille, Villefranche, Livorno, Civitvecchia, Ajaccio (Corsica) Gibraltar*, Malaga*, Valencia, Barcelona

* Change from original ports: Casablanca and Tangiers

Cabin: 9202, Concierge Class, aft, starboard side

Seating: Late

Pre-cruise: Two day in Barcelona**

Post Cruise: Three days in Barcelona**

**more on this later when I talk about the ports

Overview: What an amazing trip! The weather was nearly perfect, with only one morning of rain in Tuscany, and one half day of rain in Umbria. The seas were VERY calm, and I only noticed a slight motion once in the entire trip. The ship is in great shape, and the staff were mostly terrific- only one experience that was less than stellar, and even that was ‘good.’ The food was as expected- very good for cruise line food, with a few highlights in the main dining room, and STELLAR food in the specialty restaurant. The entertainment that we saw was for the most part predictable, but we’re not “show” people. We did enjoy some of the smaller venues…The other passengers were delightful, and the Martini Bar was “well used” the entire trip. One of the best cruises we’ve had with Celebrity (of six) and the Century might be our new favorite ship (other cruises were all on Infinity or Constellation)

Embarkation: With six of us, we took two cabs from the Eixample district to the pier. We arrived at the pier around 11:30 with all our luggage. Once the second cab arrived, we proceeded to check in. We are Elite, our two friends are Select, the other two were ‘newbies’, and all in Concierge Class. I think that qualified us to check in almost any line but the Suite line…..HOW DARE THEY KEEP ME WAITING FOR TWO WHOLE MINUTES! (It was actually because I brought different credit cards that the ones I’d used for the on-line check in.- so totally my fault. On-line check in- another great idea!!!) If we hadn’t had to wait for the taxi that Ed and Joel got lost in, we would have been on board in under ten minutes. Champagne in hand, we did the usual….dropped our carry-ons in our rooms…which were all ready!, confirmed the reservations in Murano’s, the specialty restaurant, made our spa appointments, checked our dining room table location (more on that later) and went to Aft deck 11 for lunch and wine…Ah, the cruise can start!

The Ship: Being used to M class ships, I was anxious to see if I’d like this ship. I was happy that it was slightly smaller, although I still prefer ships of about 800 passengers. With the recent refit, we expected the ship to be in good shape, and it was. For those who know the décor of the M class ships, the Century is a little more subdued. More rich ‘wood’ paneling, art that, while still modern, doesn’t jar me quite so much, and pleasant colors for upholstery. Mind you, this is no English Country Manor, and the décor is still decidedly “Cruise Ship,” but again, comparing, I preferred it.

The public rooms all seemed to be in good shape, and I didn’t notice any particular wear and tear…even 8 months or so after the refit. There is one “extra” lounge on this ship, located on deck 6 aft. A lovely room, but we only used it for a few Captain’s Club events. Not sure what else happened there. Once again, spent NO time in the Rendezvous lounge, other than the lifeboat drill. Oh well… One nice feature was the forward lounge on deck 12(?). It had a slightly more intimate feel to it, not as open as the forward lounges on M, but with plenty of seats to see the view forward. Again, a pleasant room.

The dining room was fine, with the usual two-tier design. We did think that there were more tables on deck 5 and that the opening to deck 4 was smaller, but it was lovely as usual. And quieter, we thought. Not so much general dining noise. The sushi bar/ sandwich area was a favorite haunt, and the aft outdoor deck on Deck 11 as nice as any of the other ships.

The Casino is….the casino….I only stayed long enough for our friend Joel to help me win back at Craps all the money I lost in the slot machines. The Atrium was lovely, and the services all seemed well located. The shops were the usual assortment. Didn’t buy a thing- not even a cap. One annoying thing was that they ran many “sales” on tables outside the shops…nothing worth buying, but the crowds looking at the tables of cheap watches and jewelry made it hard to walk around the upper level of the atrium. I know they’ll continue these sales, along with the art sales, but it would be nice if they weren’t done in such narrow passageways.

Michael’s Club was very nice, but seemed under-appreciated. The “action” was all in the Martini Bar! This is the one room that looks VERY different than the rest of the ship’s décor. White leather furniture, an ice bar, and mood lighting that changed from green to blue to pink. Heaven forbid that someone took a picture of me during the “blue” moments….I’d look like a slab of white pork fat! Other than THAT obvious disadvantage, the room was comfortable, and, as I said earlier, very well used. Frankly, with Sudi behind the bar mixing his concoctions, it could have had chicken crates for seating and bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling, and we wouldn’t have cared. The only downside we saw was that, as it was small, it filled up fast, and the smoking ‘side’ is really amidships, so it got a little smoky on occasion. There was one woman smoking Cigarillos (only allowed on Deck 11 aft, Port side) who refused to put them out, until security was called. (I commend the staff for handling this so well. Not an easy position to deal with a customer like that, especially as i believe she was drunk.

The spa and gym were fine, and we did make use of the services. The decks and pools were nice, and we particularly liked the tables and chairs on the deck above the pool. We used those for a nice quiet meal while looking out to sea. The Spa café wasn’t so tranquil as on M class, so when I had their food, I usually took it out to the tables by the pool. We liked the hot tubs, and used them quite a few times….perhaps more with the lack of a Thallasotherapy Pool. The main flaw of the deck design was the running/walking track. It’s impossibly small (11 laps to the mile). I found it more interesting/easier to walk a deck lower, among the lounge chairs overlooking the pool. Fortunately, as this was a port-intensive cruise, and I walk at 7:30 or so, it wasn’t too crowded. But I do miss a design that allows you to walk around most of the ship…

Our stateroom was a CC in the aft of the ship. While smaller by 20 sq.ft. than the M CC staterooms (and even smaller than the particular CC rooms we usually have!) they’ve done a great job with making the room feel spacious. The flat screen tv’s help, as does the storage tucked in a few extra places…overhead on either side of the bed, and in a drawer under the sofa. Even as clotheshorses, and with buying BAGS of souvenirs, we didn’t use up all the storage in the room. The fabric panel above the bed was attractive enough, and infinitely preferable to the bad art bolted to the walls of some cruise ship staterooms. With the nice wood tones, and the mirrors and fabrics, it seemed more like a quiet refuge from all the activity. The bed is rounded at the end, which helps with the feeling of spaciousness, but is a little short for those over 6’. (Hint: sleep on the diagonal- they’ve put in new mattresses, and what ever they’ve done has virtually eliminated that unpleasant bump where the two twin beds join. GREAT JOB!) The bathroom is a cruise ship bathroom. Small, functional, but only to be used by one person at a time. Again, I prefer the large shower stall to a tub-shower combination, as I get more ‘clearance.’ In sky suites, I had to stoop over to fit in the tub every time I showered. They’ve also added those nice shower rods that arc out into the room, making the shower feel more spacious, and avoiding that problem when the wet shower curtain becomes your new best friend.

One other hint: if you’re booking on deck 9 or below, try to go for a location more amidships. While fine for the parts of the cruise where we were sailing or in port, the aft cabins get an extra ‘rattle’ from the thrusters early in the morning on port days…since we had nine port days out of 11, the rattle was nearly every morning at 4:30. I’m a light sleeper, so it might not bother you, but, just in case, try to prop open the bathroom door…that was the major culprit for the rattling noise. Again, a very little thing…don’t stress if you have one of these cabins. I’d take it again in a minute!

Food: Dare I wade into this territory fraught with peril, and with everyone’s individual likes/dislikes worn like a mantle of smug know-it-all-ness? (Hey, I include myself in that!) Well...it’s MY review, so, at least as long as you’re still reading, and not posting a reply, I guess what I say goes as gospel….

As I said before, I think Celebrity’s food is “very good” for cruise ship food. We live in the Bay Area of Northern California, not far from Wine Country, not far from the Central Valley (also known as the Nation’s Salad Bowl!) and near all the gourmet restaurants in San Francisco and surrounding communities. My standards are high, but I’m also realistic. Preparing THAT much food at the same time, you are not going to have the same quality as in a 60 seat restaurant on shore. That said, I think the chefs do a remarkable job at producing food that is, for the most part, tasty and well prepared. Most of us know that fish is a risky proposition…very often frozen, and, unless you’re lucky with your timing, often over cooked when served to this many people. That said, I did manage to have a few fish dishes that were good, not over cooked, and well flavored. No sushi quality tuna, seared and served over wasabi mashed potatoes, but good salmon, sole, etc. Shell fish seems to take freezing better, so the scallops and prawns were better. Lobster…once again, it depends on the luck of your timing- mine was pretty good this time. The chicken dishes were uniformly good. I don’t eat beef, but all either liked or ‘really liked’ their beef dishes. Soups were good…I remember a few standouts…a warm tomato soup was lovely. I avoided pasta, as it’s much better to get that at the pasta station on deck 11. The big surprise was…salads. I usually avoid those too, but on the first night, I relented. It was actually both tasty AND fresh. The greens were crisp, the dressings good (I liked the “Celebrity” dressing) and the presentation attractive. O.k., so I’m not a total convert…the Caesar salad still looked anemic….but I had butter lettuce the next night, and it, too, was perfect. So I kept it up, and was generally very happy. Appetizers are my favorite (probably because I’m hungriest then!) and we had several good ones. My favorite is still on the menu- Gratin of potatoes with Montrachet cheese. Desserts were good….I often chose the cheese course, and dreamed of it being as good as the specialty restaurant’s…oh, well…but the sweet deserts were nice. I’ve heard many complaints about portion size, and did not feel that this was an issue. I prefer a five course meal with small courses, and the portions seemed perfect. If we ever wanted more of something, we just asked, and it was provided. Biggest hint here: Ask! Ask the waiter if he recommends something. Ask for something else if you don’t like what you ordered. Ask for more if you really like it. Ask for something someone else is raving about. They are very good at fitting this in, without interrupting the flow of service.

The Specialty restaurant is SO worth a trip. We went twice, dining in the wine room once, and out in the restaurant the second time. Both experiences were great. The goat cheese soufflé really is nice, the lobster bisque is lovely, and the ahi tuna tartar fabulous. I also had the Lobster and Scallop dish, which I adored! Hint: If you dine there more than once, they will offer some “extra choices” so that you don’t feel like you’ve “been there/done that.” While the staff section is coming up, let me just say that the staff in this room are terrific!

The food in the spa café is a hidden gem…lighter, made in smaller quantities, and imaginative, it’s worth the trip towards the spa to get it. I wasn’t wild about the spa dining room, but should note that the service is excellent- it’s the same staff that work in the Specialty restaurant.

The Sushi bar is a favorite, and the perfect 6:00 snack for those at late seating. There were a few ports where they delayed the start of the sushi bar, which meant I missed it, but a slice of pizza in a pinch kept me going until dinner at 8:30.

Breakfast for me is always bagels, cream cheese and lox, available from the buffet. Happy, happy, happy! Lunch is usually something from the Spa café or the sandwich bar, whereas Ed, my s.o., was always at the burger bar. We didn’t use the dining room for breakfast or lunch…and I generally avoid the main sections of the buffet…don’t like the crowds or the cafeteria atmosphere. (That said, the dining space for the buffet is more attractive than on other ships.)

Room service, given the port days, was limited to one quesadilla, which was hot, tasty, and delivered quickly. We missed taking advantage of the CC menu for room service, and would have liked some more sea days to enjoy that.

Service/staff: In general, we were REALLY pleased. The staff at the front desk was very helpful. The captain’s club event was nice, and we met several officers there. The pool butlers and waiters were very helpful, even when it wasn’t to sell us drinks! Our room attendant, Flavio, was not only willing, but very able. Requests were acknowledged, and then completed so quickly! Absolutely no complaints…well, other than the fact that they’d run out of fabric laundry bags! I KNOW I could have squeezed another $20. worth in that bag for the “Unlimited Laundry” coupon if it weren’t made of paper! (Still, a nice perk for Select and Elite…helped keep down the packing, knowing we could rely on this)

The stars of service? I mentioned the service in the specialty restaurant, but it’s worth mentioning again. We had “The Super Mario Brothers” as our wait team, along with a great sommelier, and their service was professional yet friendly, and they joked with us with out it seeming forced, and would disappear before it seemed intrusive…a perfect balance.

Also, in the main dining room, we had an assistant Maitre d’, Johannes, who couldn’t do enough for us, and has more genuine charm and humor. We met him when he was a waiter on Infinity, and in fact, he was promoted to Ass’t Maitre d’ in the middle of that cruise. We then sailed with him to Hawaii, and, while not our Ass’t Maitre d’, made sure we were well taken care of. So imagine our surprise when, looking for our table the first day on board, who should come walking out of the kitchen. He saw us, and dove to the floor behind the waiter’s station…but then came up and, hugs all around, managed to move us into his section for the cruise. It really made the experience so much nicer. We did have an over-burdened sommelier (They need MORE of them!!!) and a waiter who, while professional, seemed passionless about his job. We don’t need to be best friends with staff, but we do like people with a sense of humor. More important, though, is a waiter who wants the meal to be spectacular, and to ensure that we enjoy the food. In the past, waiters have offered an informed opinion about what was good/not so good, and learned our ordering habits to recommend something. These qualities have really enhanced our experience, so we were a little disappointed that this wasn’t there. Fortunately, Johannes more than made up for it…

And, of course, Sudi, in the Martini Bar, made every evening an event. It’s not just that he’s charming, or that he can do neat tricks while making TERRIFIC cocktails, but that he’s also great at service, and genuinely wants to please. Even when the issue with the cigarillo came up, he was professional, but managed the situation quickly, and took care of it.

The last “honorable mention,” although there were many other great staff, goes to a security officer….odd, you say? I can’t even say I knew his name, but we called him the “happy-happy guy!” A short man, slightly round, and, I believe, from the Philippines. He was on the ship’s gangway area both for morning departures as well as afternoon returns. Every time, he just kept saying “everybody….HAPPY…HAPPY.” Now, this may have been some trick worked up at corporate in Miami, but who cares. He was sweet, and you just couldn’t help be in a better mood upon hearing him. I think it helped especially on those few mornings of rain to lift peoples’ moods, and keep the potential grumbling about weather, about sanitation efforts upon re-embarking, etc.

And, while not directed at a specific staff member, I thought the ship did a excellent job of keeping the ship clean, and encouraging the use of the hand sanitizers. Two of our six got sick, and, while it may not have been Noro, we spent so much time together, sharing food and drink, that I’m amazed we didn’t get sick, too. In part, I credit the ship’s efforts.

Captain’s Club: Very nice event as usual….done in that “extra lounge” I mentioned earlier. Very personable officers, and the Captain’s Club Hostess was charming. The benefits for Elite aren’t all that great, but, like the laundry coupon, and the “buy one bottle of wine, get one half off” coupons were nice. We’ve asked in our comment cards that they offer more straight forward perks, rather than “buy something, get something else” so we’ll see. The nicest perk though, came the night before the last day, when the hostess invited us to a tour of the bridge. We’d missed the formal tea, we’d missed the senior officer’s cocktail party (even I balked at a cocktail at 11:00 a.m.!) so this was a really nice extra to have. I’d toured many bridges as a child, but, post 9/11, thought that those days were gone. But no, we were invited, and had a very pleasant officer tour us around, and let us take photos…of course, Ed has a picture in the captain’s chair!

(Let me just say here that, while there might be a few good recommendations sprinkled here and there, this is much more of a personal journal. If you read it, the one thing I hope you take a way as a fellow traveler is that this is all an adventure, and even the missteps/mistakes can make for great memories.)

Barcelona- What a wonderful city….one of my new favorites in Europe. If you have a chance to stay pre or post cruise, I highly recommend it. We found it clean, safe, and both sophisticated and still charming. We were to stay with friends in their apartment, but found out that they were going to sleep on the floor so we could have their bed…we insisted on getting a hotel room, and were able to book at the same hotel we were using post cruise. The AC Diplomatic is a modern hotel, more focused on business travelers than tourists, and very well located. The rooms are spare, and a little small, depending, but have really comfortable beds, good storage, and lovely bathrooms with all the amenities you’d expect …including nice bathroom products. Done in green marble tile, the bathrooms felt luxurious, even. In the room itself, there was a mini bar with water, sparkling water, wine and beer. Complimentary, and restocked once a day. Our room had a view over the Italian Embassy next door, over the roof tops, to La Sagrada Familia. To say it was perfect would be an understatement. We tried to locate restaurants ahead of time, using web research, and realized that, with the jet lag, we would most likely be happy with tapas bars for dinner. We found some GREAT ones. The best, in my mind, was Paco Meralgo. (c/ Muntaner 171 on the corner of Còrsega. Open every day of the week-rare in Barcelona…. Bookings: telephone: 93 430 90 27) Located about four blocks over, and six blocks up from the top of Las Ramblas, it was a modern tapas place, but with a local crowd. Charming waiters even made up for our lack of ability in Spanish with humor and graciousness, even in the face of some “ugly American” behavior. Hint: when someone asks in Spanish if you have reservations (recommended) you don’t shout out “ENGLISH!!!!” and then hold up six fingers for the size of your party! I wanted to KILL Ed, but, fortunately, his charm helped us overcome the proposed banishment to the smoking section, and all was good. We also found that there were Cava bars (Cava is the name for Spanish sparking wines) that also had great tapas. Our choice was Xampu Xampany, (Gran Vía de les Corts Catalanes 702, Phone 93-265-04-83) and with an inexpensive bottle of Cava and really good tapas, we had more than enough food, and at not too expensive a price. We also found a great Cervesaria for tapas, and it, too, was wonderful! Cerveseria Catalana (c/de Mallorca 236; near Passeig de Gràcia.) Also near the top of Las Ramblas, an incredibly popular spot. While they serve wines and Cava (our choice again!) they have a spectacular selection of beers from around the world, along with AMAZING tapas….my favorite was either the prawns…perfect and spicy, the Patates Bravas- fried potatoes with a spicy aioli, or the eggplant, onion, red pepper dish with a round of goat cheese melted on top! We also had lunch at a barge on the waterfront. It’s in Port Vell, not far from the bottom of Las Ramblas, and the yacht marina is right there. The barge is called Luz de Gas, and, if you’re lucky, you can sit on the roof of the barge, sipping Sangria, warming under the sun, and eating wonderful food. Hint/warning: It is nearly impossible, even in crowded places with a waiting line, to get your check. There is a lovely custom of allowing you to really enjoy your time at your table, and they don’t want to rush you.

O.k., so Barcelona isn’t all about food and drink, and we certainly enjoyed being tourists as well. We walked everywhere from the hotel. We walked to see La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s unfinished cathedral, and it was well worth it. Spectacular in pictures, it’s even better to see all that’s been done, and all that’s yet to be finished. There are other wonderful examples of his work, and a museum, too, Parc Guell. Highly recommended. We also wandered through the Barri Gothic, a wonderful maze of small streets, shops, cafes and old churches. Spend an afternoon there! The port was wonderful, and hopping with activity – a boat show at the Marina, and the pre-events for the World Race, a two person, round-the-world yacht race starting from Barcelona. Shopping is great, and we did find good bargains on shoes at Corte Ingles, the big department store, as well as several smaller places. Most standard luxury goods were VERY pricey, but some of the pottery and crafts in small shops in the Barri Gothic were reasonably priced and unique. One thing I wished we’d done was explore the parks: Parc Montjuic and Mont Tibidabo….ah well, next time…

Marseilles:

Our first port on the ship, and we were ready to go. We’d discovered that it’s really inexpensive to take the bus from Marseille to Aix-en-Provence. We just needed a cab to the bus station, and were thinking we could beat the $10. pp for the cruise ship’s shuttles into Marseille. Ah, the best laid plans….we talked to a cab driver, who convinced us to take a cab all the way to Aix, and then he’d pick us up, and bring us back. My French is fairly good, so we negotiated back and forth, and agreed to two cabs for the six of us. When we got to Aix, he doubled the fare, and wanted half up front…We demurred and invited him to call the police. Now, I don’t want everyone to think that all cab drivers are scammers, but I also don’t want anyone to go away with the impression that this was simply a misunderstanding (I still have the cab driver’s voice ringing in my head: Vous avez mal compris!” and Ed shouting back, in pigeon SPANISH, “Don’t you ‘no comprende’ me” …another small “ugly American” moment, but at least Ed’s anger was justified.) The police finally arrived, and, after much back and forth (she spoke no English, so it took a little longer for me to explain….) she told us quite frankly that we’d been scammed, but that, due to French law, we had to at least pay the fare on the meter. We payed the one-way fare, and, while I’m getting ahead of myself, took the bus back to Marseille, which was easy, cheap, and comfortable! Hint: Beware of taxis promising of flat fee cab rides. If there’s a meter, and he leaves it on, that’s what he’s going to go by. The good news in the karma department is that we had a delightful day in Aix (more in a second) and that both cab drivers got expensive tickets for various problems with their cars (something about permits not displayed properly) and for illegally parking while they called the police. And I must say, unlike the stereotype of the cold indifferent French police-person, our friendly cop couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. (I wonder if she added more infractions to their tickets as a warning about scamming tourists!)

O.k, so Aix is ABSOLUTELY charming. We regrouped after our ‘unpleasantness’ with the cabbie, and found a great little café for breakfast, with STRONG black coffee, pastries and juice. We wandered off the main street, and stumbled on an open market. THIS is the way both to see a culture, and certainly the way to buy souvenirs…inexpensive pottery, herbs, some interesting antiques….and FOOD! Un-pasteurized cheeses, olives, bread – we were in heaven! We even bought some to take back to the ship. We also found inexpensive but delicious local wines, and brought those back too. (no problems at security…but we only brought two bottles…and we did take them to the dinning room and paid corkage, not that they knew that ahead of time…) There are also fascinating alleys with shops, several large churches, and a lovely museum. But it was lunchtime, and I’d found a local place recommended in Lonely Planet…Zinc D’Hugo. AHHHHHH. Duck Confit, Charcuterie Platters, Caprese salads, red wines, a tour of their new wine cave, and a Tarte Tatin for desert…I could practically hear myself purring like the French cat in the Pepe le Peu cartoons. With bags loaded with ‘herbs de Provence (Make sure to get some….the smell alone!) pottery and wine, and bellies full of good bistro food, we headed back to the ship happy….although we did see that ferret-faced cab driver back in line again! Eh, hopefully, he got a bad escargot with his lunch!

Villefranche:

What a lovely harbor, with beautiful views of the hills. Can’t say, though, that the town itself offered much…in fairness, we didn’t try too hard, and, when we returned from our adventures, it was late afternoon, when shops were closed and the village was quiet. While many decided to go to Nice, or to Monte Carlo, we decided to take a bus to the village of Eze. It’s a darling little hilltop town, and easily accessible by bus (you have to change busses in Eze-sur-Mer, but if you get the transfer ticket, it doesn’t cost any more. ) Hint: if you get to Eze, before wandering off, check out the return schedule for that same bus…you’ll find out why in a minute… We wondered into the village, and climbed up the steep hills to the top. The reward: views of the coast, the ship in Villefrache, and of the upper, middle and lower Corniches, the roads between Nice and Monacco. Also at the top is a “Jardin Exotique,” a beautiful collection of cacti, succulents and other arid landscape plantings, along with interesting statuary and poems in the garden. We found a hidden nook with some odd chaises that sprung from lily ponds, and rested….and ate French bread…and had another “ahhh” moment. We wandered back through the twisty alleys of the town, visited the cathedral and cemetery, and then had a delightful lunch at the MUCH less expensive restaurant at the bottom of the hill. There are two LOVELY looking places, but at LOVELY prices. If you have the time, I’d check it out…we saw the terraces, and almost regretted not dining there….We then tried to catch the bus down the mountain to Eze-sur-Mer, but missed it by 5 minutes. My ever-handy negotiating skills in French confirmed with the bus driver that we could take the next bus, heading to Monaco, and it would meet the bus back to Villefranche…we’d just have to pay a second fare (nothing really…cheap!) The only tidbit he withheld was that the place where the two bus routes intersected was IN Monaco! So we had a little diversion…which was fun. I hadn’t been to Monte Carlo since I was little, and it’s an impressive city! If you ever wondered who buys enough Bentleys and Rolls Royces to keep both car companies going, well, you’ll find the answer in Monaco. I counted TWO Bentley dealerships in about as many blocks, and saw three identical convertibles in front of the Casino. Truly a sight, but a bit beyond my budget. Hint: If you REALLY want to have that “James Bond” experience, arrange it ahead, and make sure that you’re dressed properly. Nothing very “007” about showing up in jeans and L.L. Bean Fleeces! After our little detour, we rode back to Villefranche and back by tender to the ship (our only tender port….be aware of this if you make elaborate plans ashore) The views here were worth the whole thing.

Livorno/Tuscany

We, as you can probably tell by now, don’t like ship’s tours, preferring our own adventures (or misadventures!). In Livorno, rather than trekking into Florence, or bussing to Pisa and doing the tourist thing, we rented cars, and headed off for the hill towns of Tuscany. While we had rain at the beginning of the drive…and a little trouble finding the Avis place (turned out they DID send a shuttle to the ship, but, if we’d taken that, we would have missed out on a VERY thorough tour of the docks….), we eventually found our way to Volterra. It’s a charming village, and known for its carved alabaster…we stopped at one shop, and could have turned the townhouse into something that would rival the gardens at Versailles! We decided that San Giminianno was our real goal, so pushed on through very windy switch back turns to the village of San Giminianno. Known for its towers, fortifications, and hilltop location, the town is walled, and principally a pedestrian village. We parked outstide the walls, used the bizarre pay toiliets (don’t EVER try to cheat them out of the money by following one after the other….the second of you will get a thorough scrubbing!) Pizza slices for breakfast! How bad could this place be? (really, it was almost 11:00. and the pizza was NOTHING like Papa Gino’s!) We decided to split up, and Ed and I spelunked through the town, finding open markets, beautiful towers, churches, and lots of wine shops selling the local white wine. Incredible views, wonderful old architecture, and a lovely day spent wandering. Returning to the ship, I thought we’d go back and spend more time in Volterra, but, with the winding roads, and a few people sensitive to car sickness, we decided to go back via the highway, stopping to show the others Pisa. Hint one: All of Pisa is under construction, so you “can’t get there from here!” Hint two: some memories from earlier trips should be left alone, not sullied with a more recent visit. After MUCH back and forth, literally, we found our way to the church and tower, parked and walked in. During the requisite shots of people holding up the tower, we discovered that you could not only purchase half the output of 20 Chinese souvenir factories, but that, according to several of the hawkers lining the path, that this was the best place to buy Prada, Gucci, or Rolex! Make that Preda, Goo-chi, or Bolex. Really sad what’s happened to that area, and that it’s so NOT pretty. Don’t worry, our reward for this tourist trap was about to come.

Spending so much time getting IN to Pisa, I wanted to get out quickly. Once I saw a sign for Livorno, I was off like a shot, not caring that it wasn’t on the main highway. We were buzzing along the back roads at about 70 kph, and checking to see that car #2 didn’t get lost, when Marjorie pipes up from the back seat. “That was odd…” “What?” “There was this woman sitting in a chair in that field back there…in leather go-go boots and a mini skirt. She was just sitting there in one of those plastic lawn chairs next to an abandoned building.” Explanations of life in rural Italy ensued, with reassurances that she was probably just a bored Italian teenager….when all of the sudden, we spotted two more scantily clad young women standing on the other side of the road. And two more, in chairs….and another coming from the forest, ahem, adjusting herself. Finally, we passed a military base, and it all became clear. In one of the oldest civilizations in Europe, we were witnessing one of the oldest professions! They apparently ‘set up shop’ along the road, and go into the forest, the fields, or some deserted shack to ‘work.’ We were chortling away about this, and wondering what the passengers of the second car were thinking. We finally stopped for gas before returning the cars, and apparently, without a pontificating driver/tour guide like me, they’d figured it out completely from the first set of go-go boots. Ahhh, Italian culture. (Oh, and here’s where I have to admit to Jim that we made up the story about Joel stopping and trying for “international relations”…sadly, there are no such pictures- Ed was pulling your chain.) No incidents to report with the car, back on ship, and off to…. Hint: driving in Italy is really quite easy, and you have SO many adventures…we’ll dine out on the Livorno Lolitas for a long time!

Civitavecchia/Rome/Umbria

Once again, we decided to leave the crowd going to Rome, and strike out on our own. Having both been to Rome many times, we rented a car from Europcar, and this turned out to be a better value than Avis the day before. Our first bit of good luck was the shuttle driver from the ship. We mentioned that we were going to drive to Viterbo, and then see Tarquinia on the way back. We’d read great things on-line here about the ports, and thought that would make a great day. We’d considered Orvieto in Umbria, but decided it was too far. Well, our bus driver, after taking everyone else to the one drop-off spot for the shuttle, drove us to the car rental place, the whole time telling us that we NEEDED to go to Orvieto! He assured us that it wasn’t a bad drive, especially with the Autostrade (high speed toll road). So off we went, approaching lovely rolling countryside once we left the coast, and driving through some charming hilltop towns. And then the Autostrade….O.K., I’m not the brightest bulb in the marquee, and add in driving a standard transmission, a little rain, Italian road signs, and Euros for money, and it’s a miracle we got there. As we approached the toll plaza to get on the highway, I, with all the above swirling through my mind, panicked at not seeing a lane with a person. I only had Euro notes, and decided that we wouldn’t have correct change for the toll booth…Um,….Andrew…you’re getting ON the highway. And just like the Massachusetts turnpike, you get a ticket when you get on…and pay when you get off…D’oh! Instead of realizing this at the time, I popped the car into reverse, and BACKED off the highway, across 5 lanes of traffic. All fine until the last lane, which had a LARGE truck barreling down on me. If it weren’t for the upgrade to the sporty and agile Fiat Bravo, not sure I’d be alive to type this! And I’m sure there’s a truck driver still telling his buddies over Chianti what a MORON he saw the other day on the Autostrade! So there, my one ‘adventure’ for the day was over, and we got some water and a snack at the roadside café, and tried again! With NO problems, we FLEW up to Orvieto, and even from the highway, the sights were wonderful. It was raining, but only enough to keep the traffic light, and keep the tourists away. We nearly had Orvieto to ourselves. It’s a small hilltop town, with a winding street leading up to it. Plenty of free parking at a lot right outside the village, and we chose that, although, given the weather, we probably could have parked right in town. So about now, I’m going to start using superlatives, and you’ll roll your eyes and say, I’m sure it was nice. But it is the MOST charming town, with the MOST GEORGEOUS cathedral, and charming people and AMAZING food!!! We toured the cathedral, -now, I’m not Catholic, and certainly not very religious, and the façade of this church moved me nearly to tears. Maybe it was the rain, but the front positively glistened. The frescoes are wonderful, and worth many photos. We left that square and walked through the quaint streets to the main shopping street. There’s a beautiful theatre there, well worth a look. The shopping was fantastic, and we bought lots of pottery gifts. Hunger took over, and we tried to find a restaurant. Wandering back alleys, we stumbled on a place that smelled great, although it was empty. I don’t know the name, or the street, but it was opposite the exit to the underground caves (Next time, we save time to do THAT tour…) We shook off our umbrellas, and in our very limited Italian, and the waiter’s even more limited English, we ordered our meal. O.k., Cathedral…Georgeous…but THIS FOOD was a religious experience! We started with crostinis with four different toppings- truffle, tomato, spinach and mushroom. WOW. And then comes the Secondi…the pasta course. A white lasagna with mushrooms and white truffles….Out of this world. By the time the entrée of delightful chicken …with truffles! came, we were moaning with pleasure, full as ticks, and still mopping up the sauce with the great bread. We couldn’t do dessert, but I swear I’ll track that place down again on a return trip. We strolled the village some more, mailed some postcards Ed managed to write between bites, and headed back the cathedral square. We stopped in the most charming wine store, buying some wines from the region, and some cheeses and olives (can never have enough!). The couple who ran the store were so cute we wanted to adopt them…or have them adopt us. They spoke NO English, so we muddled through picking out the nicest wines, buying good sticking blue cheese. The signora asked where we were from, and when we answered “California” she said she was so sorry about the “Incendio” (Not, apparently referring to Harry Potter!) We figured out she was talking about the awful fires in Southern California, and pointed at ourselves and said “No, no, norte.” She smiled and gave a big sigh of relief. It was such a sweet moment. And made us fall in love with Orvieto even more….an uneventful but pretty drive back to Civavecchia, past aquaducts and charming fields and hilltowns- I was driving 150 kph on the Autostrade…and getting passed…By old junkers!!!! Don’t know if I could face that highway every day, but a fun adventure nonetheless. Even with my “Toll” mistake, it turned out to be a flawless enjoyable day, and we even made it back in sunshine to have a 5:30 soak in the hot tub on the ship!

Ajaccio, Corsica

A beautiful day, and a beautiful port to pull into… and ‘just what the doctor ordered’ after so many heavy duty ports. We didn’t do an organized excursion, or even do much research. We walked off the ship and right into the port proper (nice to have a port where you don’t need a shuttle!) And, to make us feel right at home, they had a lovely open air market with wonderful spices, cheeses, olives, bread….ah, wish I were there right now. We lingered, and then decided to shop right before the market closed. We wandered around the village, and found interesting plazas with statues of Napoleon Bonaparte and his brothers, as well as the house where he was born. (Overrun with tours, so we wandered away to look at the charming architecture.) We also walked out beyond the harbor fortifications and found an urban beach that was clean. Socks and shoes came off and we dipped our toes in the Mediterranean, and strolled on the beach. Saw our first topless sunbather, a woman about 65- you go, girl! We then wandered back to the harbor, found a portside café, and spent a few hours drinking wine, eating mussels and salads…and, yes, pomme frittes. Joel and our friend Susan even cajoled a young French boy out of his fit of pique by asking him to take pictures of us. Delightful day, sunshine, good food, laughs, and yes, again, difficultly making the staff believe that after only two hours, we wanted the check! I could get used to that pace of life! We did our shopping (all food!) and returned to the ship. One thing to be prepared for about Corsica is the majesty of the mountains. Another place to return to, and worth exploring outside the main town, I’m sure. Even the views from the ship were amazing.

Gibraltar

After a wonderful, restful day at sea, and another morning sailing along the coast, we passed the Rock of Gibraltar and pulled into port. There were conflicting stories about what the “tour” of the major sights should cost. Taxis lined up at the ship said “35 Euros per person” and we’d heard 7 Euros, so decided to walk into town…about ten minutes along major streets, and everything under construction, until we got to the old gates to the city. By the looks of the construction, those of you cruising next year will have a more pleasant walk. We found a cab stand, which had the 7 euro price for the tour posted, and then talked to a cabbie…he wanted 25 Euros each, so we hemmed and hawed. Turns out that his price included admission to the caves, to see the concert hall, and to view the stalactites and stalagmites (which is which?). It also included entrance fees to the tunnels from the wars, with all the battlements. At one point, we saw some signs with entry fees, which were about 8 Euros each for one site, so we figured while we may not have negotiated the rock bottom price, that we did o.k. Our driver was very entertaining, knew enough to make the drive up interesting, and showed us the “Pillars of Hercules,” where we took a picture, but I have to say, the monument isn’t that much. More interesting was the view across the Straights of Gibraltar to Morocco….as this was on our original itinerary, it was at least fun to say “we saw Morocco!” The driver warned us about all the monkeys, and many guide books said how careful tourists needed to be. Nonetheless, the driver cajoled some monkeys with food, and even had one crawl onto of Joel’s head…eeeuuuuuwwwwhhhh! Glad it was him and not me! But the monkeys were everywhere, with their babies, and Ed had a great time posing with them…the views from the top were really wonderful, and alone, were worth the price. The tunnels were interesting, and there’s lots of history to be seen/read as you wander through the tunnels….sadly, we’re not always swayed by cultural significance or history, and found ourselves most fascinated watching the place take off from the airport. The road that connects Gibraltar with with the mainland cuts right across the runway, so, much like a crossing gate at train tracks, bars lower to stop cars and trucks from driving across the runway when planes are landing or taking off….o.k, so I guess we’re all just little boys at heart! We went back to the village to shop and eat. Lots of places advertising tax and duty-free merchandise, and lots of jewelry, Lladro, etc. (For those who want Lladro, the prices are, according to other tourists, better than in Spain at the factory store…) Ed wanted a piece, so we compromised on a Chinoiserie pair of salt and pepper shakers in dark blue porcelain…didn’t look like Lladro to me, but satisfied him. Of course, then Joel laughed at me, making such faces about Lladro, and then waxing eloquently about how wonderful the Royal Crown Derby dog I bought was….Hey, taste is individual! We were trying to get Marjorie to buy an exquisite sapphire and diamond necklace, when Joel decided to eat a piece of candy…which pulled off his crown! Being an English holding, though, we were able to find, in the space of ten minutes, a café that served English fish and chips, some decent beer, and a tourist information counter, and the name of a dentist who could see Joel right away. (Priorities, you know…) The three of us enjoyed the fish and chips while Joel wandered off to find the dentist. We joined him after about an hour, with his fish and chips wrapped up in paper (we drank his beer). We found the dentist’s office, and walked in to find the waiting room empty, save one young man in the corner, a good sign that Joel was being tended to. Ed decided to ask the young man if he’d seen Joel, so after establishing that the man spoke English, he started describing Joel to him…Marjorie and I were aghast, as Ed failed to notice that the young man was blind. Ed, gotta’ love him, is one of the most oblivious people I’ve ever met. Again, thank the lord he has some charm. By then Joel was just coming out of the office, and, our mortification dissipated as the young man went in to the dentist’s office, and Joel paid for his crown to be reattached…all of 20 Pounds Sterling for a permanent reattachment. Joel decided then and there that all his future dentistry was going to be done in Gibraltar! So we decided we’d had our one misadventure for the day, and to head back to the ship. Another fun/funny day, with priceless pictures. I agree with people who say that Gibraltar is really a one-time stop, as I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to go there again (I’d been as a teenager the last time, so maybe the rule is once every 25 years or so). Alternatively, I’d take a tour or drive to see sights from there in Spain.

Malaga

Malaga was another one of our substitute ports, and we did just a little bit of research before going there…It’s a long dusty walk off the pier to get into town, but not un-doable. We wimped out and paid for the shuttle. Beautiful esplanades, and wonderful pedestrian shopping streets…we wandered around until we found the Cathedral, and visited that. Really interesting architecture…a little touristy. We then went to the Moorish fortifications, and realized THIS was worth seeing. Amazing waterworks still displayed among the ruins (not VERY ruined…lots of frescoes, reliquary, and gardens to see, and neat paths along walls with crenellation. It’s connected by a long path to the fortifications up on the hill, and if you’re able, I highly recommend going to the top. To walk up nearly killed me…..I drank an entire litre of water on the way up, but you can also catch a bus that takes you up. There were warnings of people being mugged on the walk up the hill, but, with as many tourists there that day, didn’t seem like a problem. Ed found out about a hotel and restaurant right below the upper fortification that’s run by the government, but highly respected. They have a very elegant restaurant upstairs, and a terrace downstairs with views of the harbor, our ship, the bull ring, the whole city. With a meal of meats, cheeses, olives, bread and sangria (oh, and some AMAZING fish cakes served with eggplant) we were truly happy. I was exhausted, so took a cab back, while the others went back to town to shop. Hint/warning: Maybe it is my taxi karma, but the driver added on five Euro to take me all the way to the ship. I could have either walked from the main gates to the port, or had him drop me off at the shuttle place and saved money! Still, we loved Malaga, and had a great time.

Valencia

Of all the ports, this was probably the biggest disappointment, not because it isn’t worth seeing…it is, but because of a lack of planning our part/the cruise line’s part. We arrived on November 1. November FIRST! All Saints’ Day. BIG religious holiday, and much of the center of town was closed down. All the shopping we’d wanted to do outside of town at the pottery factories wasn’t possible. We did go to the major cathedral, Catedral de Santa María de Valencia, and saw what is purported to be the Holy Grail. We also went to the bull ring, which was having a “medieval faire.” Not exactly sure what was so medieval about it…a few kids in Goth costumes, and an ironsmith making sculptures out of metal with an old hand-powered bellows thing. But the best baklava I’ve ever had (Ed had a donut the size of his head, covered in chocolate, MORE olives (we’re all about to turn into olives at this point in the trip) great breads, spices, and some interesting handicrafts. The other disappointment about the trip was that, as it was a holiday, the wonderful aquarium was PACKED with tourists and locals alike, and we couldn’t get a lunch reservation at the aquarium restaurant….again, bad planning on our part, as well as a less than perfect day to be in any port in Spain. Not to worry, we had a good time, and even managed to have champagne, olives, bread and cheese on the boat after we got back. I hadn’t been to Valencia since I was 11, so I can’t say I feel that I really got to see it, and, with all the attractions at the new science park, the marina built up around the America’s Cup race, the pottery, etc., I think we NEED to go back.

Sadly, we come to:

Disembarkation:

What a long horrible drawn out process….by the time we gathered our bags to go to the priority disembarkation lounge, we were being called to leave the ship! What with a minute getting off, two minutes of collecting luggage, and that LONG wait (one minute) for a cab, we were done in about ten minutes. Actually, because it was early, and most people in Barcellona were on holiday, we left our stateroom at exactly 7:05 a.m., and were checked in to our hotel in the Eixample, and back in bed by 7:45 a.m. Never had such a smooth departure….almost too quick to even gnash my teeth that the cruise was over!

Summary….

So what would I change? Not a lot. The trip was as near to perfect as a trip should be…the various shortcoming, flaws, and mis-adventures only served to point out how lucky we were to experience everything else on this trip. We had wonderful friends with us, and met some new ones, we ate, we drank, we laughed! We relaxed, we toured, we shopped. I think my only advice would be to those from the West Coast, or any other long flight from NY: If you fly, as we did, through New Jersey to Barcelona, or stop in either Atlanta or JFK, take an extra night at each end of the trip, rather than flying through. Had we just stayed at the Newark Hilton for a night before flying to San Francisco, I think the jet lag would have been much less severe. As it turned out, we got up at 6:00 a.m. Barcelona time, and traveled for almost 28 hours straight. Because it was still “the same day,” I didn’t realize the toll it would take. The other advice? Take matched crossings on the QM2, and you’ll REALLY be relaxed from your Mediterranean cruise…broke, but relaxed!

I typed this off line, and there are obviously several places where pictures would be helpful. I'll get those next week, and try to post good ones.

Andrew

Oh, and that should read "Stinky Blue cheese," not "Sticking," and it was "planes" taking off at the airport in Gibraltar, not "places"....too late to correct the posts...:o

Andrew

Andrew, I felt like we were right there with you...wonderful review!

After hearing all about the trip at our lunch...I really enjoyed reading all about the ports, and your adventures.

Hugs,

Karyn

What a GREAT review!! Thanks for sharing with us. Century is our first cruise ship, and we enjoyed her immensely. Nice, thorough review. Mille mercis!

Hi Andrew, thanks for such a detailed review and glad you

and your friends all had a great time:)

I leave in 3 weeks and wish it was longer than 4 nights:eek: but it

will be my first time back on CENTURY since her overhaul.

After reading about your waitstaff I have no doubt my time

will be fantastic;)

I booked Murano's and I am hoping one of my long time

friends who works on board the ship will be able to join me

for dinner. If not, I am sure I will still have a wonderful dinner

on my own:D.

And I am really looking forward to seeing Sudi again! This short

one will have to get me through till March...sailing 10 nights

on Galaxy!

Sorry about your taxi-cab fiasco:( but as you said, at least

you had a friendly cop!

Thanks again and hopefully one day I will be able to do Europe

on a cruise too.

If this didnt get me excited, nothing will. I am going Nov.10, 08 and you have made this trip so inviting. I do want to go to Casablanca, I am going to read this another time in case I missed something. This was the best I have read .

Thank You again

Dorene

P.S. Pictures would be great if you have some to add!!!!!

Yaaaay! It's nice to know where "Happy Happy" is. I know him from Summit.

Great review Andrew. :)