Solstice Live/First-Timer Reports/Pix’s: Italy/Croatian June 7-19

[t60]

Have just spent an enjoyable couple of hours reading your ´live´ We off on a Med cruise with Princess on May 19,just hop some of my pics come up to your high standard. I enjoy editing my pix to make them look better. What editing program do you use? Thanks.

Sandy in Spain

[CruisingGatorGirl]

Thank you Terry for your information on Capri! Yes I agree with everything you said! We are going all the way there we don't want to see less. It really is hard to cut back somewhere, this is the trip of a lifetime! The medical and car accident stuff is costing $8,000 :eek: that was money we had for the cruise :eek: One way for us to cutback is on food... don't eat in specialty restaurants etc. I don't drink but my dad likes he margaritas and I am sure they are a pretty penny on the cruise... especially because he likes top-shelf :rolleyes:

 

thank you again for all the help!

[TLCOhio]

Thank you Terry for your information on Capri! Yes I agree with everything you said! We are going all the way there we don't want to see less. It really is hard to cut back somewhere, this is the trip of a lifetime! The medical and car accident stuff is costing $8,000 that was money we had for the cruise :eek: One way for us to cutback is on food... don't eat in specialty restaurants etc. I don't drink but my dad likes he margaritas and I am sure they are a pretty penny on the cruise... especially because he likes top-shelf. thank you again for all the help!

 

dln929: Terry' date=' you are such a wonderful ambassador for X and CC alike. I want you to know that your posts and photos inspired my first cruise on X, which my husband and I are taking at the end of June. When my husband came home this weekend and told me "I have two weeks vacation accrued that I need to use or lose" well---I knew exactly what to do with it! Your magnificent photo of Kotor has been floating around in my head for over a year now. We looked up sailing dates for Solstice this summer and lo and behold everything fit. Great prices for a guarantee CC cabin, and exactly the week we wanted. So now we get to go on "your" very cruise! Thanks a million for the inspiration that got us there. [/quote']

 

t60: Have just spent an enjoyable couple of hours reading your ´live´ We off on a Med cruise with Princess on May 19' date=' just hop some of my pics come up to your high standard. I enjoy editing my pix to make them look better. What editing program do you use? Thanks. Sandy in Spain [/quote']

 

Appreciate the kind and nice comments from t60, dln929 and CruisingGatorGirl!! Glad for CruisingGatorGirl to be helpful on Capri. That's a big chunk of health costs. Good luck on balancing the costs versus "fun" questions on your upcoming cruise.

 

Happy to be a "wonderful ambassador". Just waiting for that "check" to be coming in the mail. Glad those Kotor pictures have been floating in your head. With your cruise, maybe that will be the "cure"!!

 

For Sandy, YES, that editing on your computer makes a big, big difference. I use a MacBook Pro laptop computer. On it, I use their iPhoto program for photo editing and it works super well. Easy. Quick. Simple. Part of my "process" is to go through the 200-400 pictures shot each day, download to the laptop, back up to an external hard-drive back-up kept in the room safe, pick out the better shots with their star rating system, then check cropping, exposure, etc., for those selected best picture that I like the most. When you can look on a larger screen and fine-tune these pictures, it really helps improve the overall quality. The biggest "secret" is to only show and share "THE GOOD ONES"!!! Too many people show ALL of their pictures, including the average, poor and only OK pictures, over and over, boring one, too! Others don't want to see your fourteen shots of the same old boring scenes. Be selective in your picks, crop creatively, etc. Hope this helps.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 77,220 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[CRUISEBOY305]

Excellent question on Pompeii or Herculaneum. Fortunately, we had four days in the area in 1999 so that we saw Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento, etc. at that time. From my wife and the other couple that traveled on this 2011 trip with us and had seen Pompeii previously, the clear conclusion is that this more famous city would be the first choice. Why? Pompeii was a much larger and more diverse city. There is more to see there and a wider range of options, including BOTH residential and commercial stores/shops/services. That included Pompeii's house of women who offered, commercially, the men seven different "positions" for "services", etc. You know what I mean, right? Another unique part with Pompeii was seeing some of the bodies that were "frozen" in place when volcano erupted and they died. You could see the facial experience at the time of that tragedy. The downside with Pompeii is that it is much more crowded and busy. Our 1999 visit to Pompeii was not too crowd, but it can get hot and busy there, especially during the summer and with multiple large ships in port.

 

Herculaneum was more of a small, elite residential area. Very interesting and a nice "matched set", having already seen and done Pompeii. Herculaneum is closer to Naples, but does not have the train station that drops you right there at the main entrance. Below are a few Pompeii pictures from our 1999 visit there.

 

On the ceramics, YES, we saw some of the larger dinner tables. They looked great. BUT, my wallet is thin enough without dealing with the cost of buying AND SHIPPING such pieces back to the USA. Loved walking around and experiencing their high quality work with ceramics. For my taking pictures, is much cheaper than buying those pieces.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Here are some samples of what we saw in Pompeii with our guide. There are a wide variety of buildings, interiors, art and architectural objects, etc. Very interesting and super historic!!!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An example of the art on the walls within a residence in Pompeii. Amazing sites and sights in this historic area.:

 

 

Great photos. I've been to Italy just not to pompeeii / naples/ sorrento region. Defintely on my bucket list though.

[powellzk]

Terry;

 

We are staying at the Regencia Colon. Do you have recommendations for breaskfast and tapas?

[TLCOhio]

Terry; We are staying at the Regencia Colon. Do you have recommendations for breaskfast and tapas?

 

CRUISEBOY305: Great photos. I've been to Italy just not to pompeeii / naples/ sorrento region. Defintely on my bucket list though.

 

Hi' date=' Nancy! Are you an Ohio neighbor from Powell or elsewhere? Yes, the Regencia Colon has a great, handy location right across from the main Cathedral. For breakfast, I would suggest the busy, interesting and handy main market area as pictured below.

 

Here and below is more on the nearby tapas place that we super enjoyed. Before our cruise near our first hotel we did the Barcelona Tapas place named Neyras that we enjoyed so much. They are in the neighborhood of Sant Pere Santa Caterina i la Ribera with an address of Laietana, 41, 08003 Barcelona, Spain and their phone is +34 933024647. You can see more detailed reviews at:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d751585-Reviews-Neyras-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

 

Also, on a Sunday night after our cruise we did dining out at Les Quinze Nity in the La Place Reial just off of the La Rambla. Great meal and value at this place. This location is a popular square that is a social focal point especially at night. It was filled, even on a Sunday night, with Barcelonian's and tourists soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying some food or drinks at one of the many restaurants or bars that surround this interesting square. Let me know any other questions, reactions, needs, etc.

 

Appreciate the nice comments from CRUISEBOY305. Yes, the Naples area has some great history and options, including Pompeii.

 

[b']This live/blog is now over 79,000 views and on the way to the 80,000 level. [/b] Glad so many have dropped by, made comments, asked questions, etc. Keep it coming!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 68,975 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

On the Tuesday before boarding the Solstice, we visited the famed Mercat La Boqueria and had breakfast here. WOW!!! It is easy to see why this popular Boqueria Market is not to be missed. It has a wide range of fresh meats, cheeses, produce and delicious food options to enjoy. Here is one of the beautifully stock fruit stands and a busy breakfast stand in the market. There are several breakfast options here at this large and busy market.:

 

 

 

 

 

Our first night in Barcelona, included wonderful tapas and a spectacular paella in a small dining place near our hotel. It is named Neyras in the neighborhood of Sant Pere Santa Caterina i la Ribera with an address of Laietana, 41. Here is the lady preparing some of the food.:

 

[powellzk]

Thanks Terry. We are just north of Cincy by Kings Island. Love all the photos. Great for referencing what we want to see.

How did you get to the hotel from the airport and from the hotel to the pier? We are thinking aerobus???? then taxi? I can't wait to visit la boqueria market. My son plans to eat a ton of Jamon!

Are there ATM's close to the hotel? Did you happen to notice a spice shop in market? I am looking forward to bringing back a bunch of saffron so I can make paella at home.

[TLCOhio]

Thanks Terry. We are just north of Cincy by Kings Island. Love all the photos. Great for referencing what we want to see. How did you get to the hotel from the airport and from the hotel to the pier? We are thinking aerobus???? then taxi? I can't wait to visit la boqueria market. My son plans to eat a ton of Jamon! Are there ATM's close to the hotel? Did you happen to notice a spice shop in market? I am looking forward to bringing back a bunch of saffron so I can make paella at home.

 

Hi, again, Nancy! Glad to know you are from Mason, a fast-growing areas that I know fairly well. Appreciate the follow-up, added info and additional good questions. We went from their nice and modern airport to our hotel by cab. Fortunately, that airport is not that far away as you suffer through in some cities such as Paris, London, Rome, etc. We might have saved a little money by trying others means, but we would still have needed to get physically to our hotel door with luggage, etc., from where any type of public transit or bus would have dropped us. For a few dollars more, it was well worth it to go directly, quickly to the hotel by cab, get rid of our luggage and "BE THERE" in this great city with a minimum of hassle and worry. YES, lots of ATM's close and nearby, all over Barcelona, especially in this charming and historic area where our hotel is located.

 

On the market, I checked my many pictures, but did not see any stands with spices. It's large, large and I did not photograph, nor see everything that is there. Their website notes they have: "fresh fish and sea food; salty fish; tinned food; butchery and offal; birds; game and eggs; fruits and vegetables; herbs; delicatessen; breads and pastries; restaurants; frozen items; artisan products; charcuterie; farmers' shops; wine; and even a Greek and an Italian hand made pasta stall have joined the* consortium/maelstrom." They have so many, many different things, I'm sure spices are there. You will see below a connection for their website. You can check more through that source.

 

From visiting the famed Spice Market in Istanbul, be prepared for the fact that there are many different types of saffron. Qualities and costs can vary. Never realized there were so many different types of spices. We got some saffron for our son who likes to cook.

 

Since you like pictures, below are more from this great market, etc., that I have not previously posted. Hope you enjoy. Hopefully these added pictures below show and prove what their website proclaims that "the market is all about its people!" Do my pictures verify that "people" point?

 

THANKS for asking! Keep up the good questions and comments Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 69,065 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Here is a sample of additional views from the famed Mercat La Boqueria market in the heart of Barcelona right off of the La Ramblas. This includes people entering the market from the La Ramblas, the central part of this area with signs hanging down, my wife and Amy checking some of the options at one of the many stands, a fruit stand near where we had breakfast, a “meat lady” at one of the stands and lots of green, green beans, etc. Their English website is: http://www.boqueria.info/index.php?lang=en. This market has been through many phases of life since the 1200’s. It was born as a traveling market. As La Rambla grew in importance as a pedestrian lane, this market had the best place to attract large numbers of residents and visitors. It originated as an open-air market, in front of one of the gates of the old city wall (Pla de la Boqueria) where fruit and vegetable traders from local towns and farms near by would sell their products. In the mid 1800’s, some of the current structure were built for what you see today. In 1914, the market with the metal roof was inaugurated. It has become a “must-see” for visitors, plus having strong family memories for locals as it is so connected with the city's history, popular traditions and celebrations. Many of the staff are third and fourth generations working at this colorful market.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2012 by TLCOhio

[TLCOhio]

Here are a few more of my pictures from this great market that I had not previously posted on this thread. Plus, a couple of other pictures for fun of the great range of design and architecture from Barcelona. Love this great city so super much!! So much to see and do here.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 69,065 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Here are a few more visuals from the wonderful and charming Mercat La Boqueria in Barcelona right off of the La Ramblas. This includes the “egg lady” at this market, a visitor capturing a picture of the various nuts offered at one stand and many various meat items hanging at one of the locations.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are two added Barcelona visuals to reflect the great range of design and architecture in this world-class city.:

 

 

 

[cdn.cruiser]

At the top of these boards, it says “write a review”, so here goes, in live, blogging style. Last July we did our third cruise. Lots of great visuals to share along that Norway coast and fjords routing going up to the North Cape. That posting is now over 43,000 views. Appreciate those who tuned in.

 

This year, it was Tuesday, June 8, for our boarding of the Celebrity Solstice from Barcelona. We enjoyed time getting to know the ship, its offerings, lunch on the back Oceanview area, dinner in the main dining room, etc.

 

Today, we just completed tendering in Villefranche, seeing this area and to the east, including Menton and Monaco.

 

There are lots of details, pictures and first-impressions for the ship to share, but first a little background and pictures on Barcelona. It’s a super great city and port that has gotten even better since our first visit there in 1998. There is so much charming history and architecture, both classical and contemporary, in this city that is in Spain, but really its own region and special world. You will see that in some of the pictures below. During our afternoon and evening there, we did two different hop-on, hop-off bus tours of the city. From that top-level view on a wonderfully-nice, super-perfect weather day, I took over 400 pictures. Those have been narrowed-down to just twelve below. More Barcelona pictures will come later from breakfast and touring their super special market located along the famed la Rambla before going to board our ship mid-day.

 

Our party and experiences?: We are traveling with another couple from Central Ohio, Amy and Milt, who have done many, many Celebrity cruises, including two previously on the Solstice. We have connected with many others on this trip previously “connected” through these Cruise Critic boards. On our first day on the ship, we met and talk with a number of these CC board members through a 5 pm sail-away at the Sunset Bar, plus an 8:15 pm private party at the Michael’s Club. The Cruise Director was there playing piano, plus the Hotel Director and some other top ship officials attending.

 

Our past cruising?: We have done just three cruises. Late June 2006 on 204-passenger Seabourn Spirit, Athens to Istanbul, enjoying the Greek Isles over seven days. Then late July 2008 on the 940-passenger Crystal Symphony, Dover to Stockholm, enjoying the Baltics and Russia. And last year’s July 1-16 adventure on the 296-passenger Silver Cloud from Copenhagen seeing the dramatic Norway coast, above the Arctic Circle, Land of the Midnight Sun, etc. All three lines were excellent with great service, fellow passengers, staff, etc. What’s best? The honest answer is . . . “It depends!!!”. Ports, schedules, timing and prices vary much, especially right now with this economy, high airlines costs, challenged dollar values, etc. You need to seek what best fits your exact personal needs, budget and interests. That’s why we are sampling a larger ship, being with good friends, seeing previously-visited places in France, Spain and Italy, plus two highly-desired, first-time stops along the Croatian Coast.

 

OVERALL SCHEDULE/PLAN:

 

June 5, Sunday, depart Columbus, Ohio, through New York’s JFK airport; arrive Barcelona, Monday, June 6 early afternoon. Overnight at Hotel Regencia Colon near the historic Cathedral.

 

June 7, Tuesday, 5 pm, Celebrity Solstice departure from Barcelona.

 

June 8, Wednesday, 10 am to 8 pm, Villefranche, east of Nice, tendered. With private tour guide, visiting Monaco & Menton along the coast to the east.

 

June 9, Thursday, 7 am-7 pm, Laspezia port near Pisa and Florence, personal tour to the terraced coastal villages of Cinque Terre with private guide.

 

June 10,*Friday, 7 am-7 pm, Civitavecchia port near Rome, train into Rome; special Scavi/Necropolis tour under the Papal Basilica of St. Peter, options for other churches and nearby sights.

 

June 11, Saturday, 7 am-7 pm, Naples, private tour for scenic Ravello village overlooking the sea, Amalfi coast drive, historic remains at Herculaneum and Naples’ famed Archeological Museum with Pompeii relics.

 

June 12, Sunday, at sea.

 

June 13, Monday, Kotor, Montenegro, sail-in through fjord-like settings; 7 am-4 pm, tendered; ship tour to Old Royal Capital of Cetinje, various mountain overview areas, coastal walled city, etc.

 

June 14, Tuesday, arrive 2 pm in Venice, over-night there in port, various Venice options, special dinner there at canal-side at Restorante da Raffaele.

 

June 15, Wednesday, depart 2 pm from Venice after early morning sunrise walking in this historic city with its architectural treasures.

 

June 16, Thursday, 8:30 am-6 pm, Dubrovnik, Croatia, on-our-own-walking of walled areas, touring older/historic city areas, lunch at scenic coastal restaurant overlooking historic harbor, cable car ride to the mountain top.

 

June 17, Friday, at sea, sailing back to Barcelona. 39th wedding anniversary dinner at evening speciality Murano dining spot.

 

June 18, Saturday, at sea, sailing back to Barcelona.

 

June 19, Sunday, arrive Barcelona, 6 am; overnight at Hotel Onix Liceo, just off of the la Rambla. depart Monday, June 20 air flight to Columbus.

 

Many more details, ship impressions and pictures to come. There is so much to see and do on the ship, plus an initial, very intense first four port days, that it will take a little time to catch up.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our last July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now at 43,080 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

For Barcelona, one of the most famous sites is its main and historic Cathedral that is over 700-years old and right around the corner from our hotel.:

 

 

Overlooking the harbor is this statue/column to Christopher Columbus, plus a couple of government buildings.:

 

 

 

Overlooking the Barcelona harbor is this old warehouse building that is now a museum for this area with many water-front dining places.:

 

 

 

Barcelona has many apartment building with interesting architecture details. Here the iron railings are wonderful with a local lady taking a look as we pass below.:

 

 

 

Near one of famed architect Gaudi’s most famous building, here is a unique street light design along one of Barcelona’s major boulevards.:

 

 

 

This is a closer look at the top of one of Gaudi’s most famous buildings in Barcelona.:

 

 

Hi again,

 

Remember me, I wrote you a while ago that we were on the same cruise last June. I am going again this June with my two daughters. This time we are doing cinque terre instead of Florence. I noticed that you went to cinque terre during last June's cruise too. How did you like it? Did you mind the two hour drive to get there? Also noticed you took the train into rome. We are going by train this time as well. I have done some research on catching the train but wanted to know what your experience was like. Was it easy and straight forward to go by train? Thanks for your comments in advance.

Freda cdncruiser

[TLCOhio]

Hi again, Remember me, I wrote you a while ago that we were on the same cruise last June. I am going again this June with my two daughters. This time we are doing cinque terre instead of Florence. I noticed that you went to cinque terre during last June's cruise too. How did you like it? Did you mind the two hour drive to get there? Also noticed you took the train into rome. We are going by train this time as well. I have done some research on catching the train but wanted to know what your experience was like. Was it easy and straight forward to go by train? Thanks for your comments in advance. Freda cdncruiser

 

Hi, Freda! Yes, our original plan was to do Cinque Terre, but, we had to make an adjustment that morning when we arrived in the port that day. Weather conditions were marginal and limited up there when we arrive in that port near Pisa. We were working with the good folks with RomeInLimo and they had people up there knowing what was happening along that rocky coast in Cinque Terre. We made a "field decision" to shift to "Plan B" by going to Pisa and Lucca (which we had seen previously) and drop by old favorite, San Gimignano. We had visited this famed tower city in 1999 with our son, but it is a wonderful town that is always impressive in history and architectural styles. We had lunch here. Things worked out well. We really loved Lucca.

 

That leaves Cinque Terre as a "future to-do" and gives us a very good reason to go back to Italy . . . AGAIN and again!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 80,665 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[cdn.cruiser]

Thanks for your reply.

 

Also wondering was it difficult to go by train to rome. Is it straightforward? Did you run into any difficulties?

 

Thank you very much.

Freda

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for your reply. Also wondering was it difficult to go by train to rome. Is it straightforward? Did you run into any difficulties? Thank you very much. Freda

 

Sorry, Freda, for missing your earlier question on the train into Rome. We took the "special" train provided by the ship. It took us directly to the train station a few blocks from the Vatican. Or, were you wanting to do one of the regularly-schedule train provided by the Italian railroad?

 

Our ship chartered train generally worked OK. Not cheap, but it got us there and back. We sat on the train for about 20-25 minutes after being loaded before actually departing. That was frustrating to waste time that way. We nearly missed out 9:30 am Scavi tour under St. Peter's at the Vatican.

 

The regular train would be much cheaper. BUT, there is the logistics getting from where your ship docks in this massive, industrial port to the actual rail station.

 

Does this help? Any other questions??

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[powellzk]

Terry;

 

Who did you use for your tour from villefranche?

[TLCOhio]

Terry; Who did you use for your tour from villefranche?

 

Hi, to our Kings Island, Ohio, neighbor! Through these boards, we connected with a "local" who lives in Monaco who met us, rode with us on the bus east to Menton, had lunch there, saw more areas coming back, etc. It was lots of fun, but I don't want to get her in "trouble" by volunteering her services, etc. She was very kind as a friend to take us around, give us a different view than the normal tourist tour angles. We had time, too, touring around Villefranche, learning its interesting history and background. Does this help?

 

Am over 82,000 views for this live/blog and appreciate those who have tuned in, asked questions, made comments, etc. Don't be shy! Happy to provide any possible help to future travelers in this wonderful part of Europe.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 81,835 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Edited May 22, 2012 by TLCOhio

[Knolmom]

Terry could I trouble you again for some info on Capri. We did Amalfi/Positano/Sorrento last year from the Solstice with RomeinLimo. This year we want to do Capri from the Silhouette but there is no ship tour. Your thoughts please?

[powellzk]

Thanks Terry! As time ticks away I am having a million questions fly through my head. I'll try yo get them organized before I post!

[TLCOhio]

Terry could I trouble you again for some info on Capri. We did Amalfi/Positano/Sorrento last year from the Solstice with RomeinLimo. This year we want to do Capri from the Silhouette but there is no ship tour. Your thoughts please?

 

powellzk: Thanks Terry! As time ticks away I am having a million questions fly through my head. I'll try yo get them organized before I post!

 

On Capri for our New York friend' date=' I am not sure on your exact cruise date on the Silhouette, but I did a quick check for July 5 with your ship and [b']found three different tour options that Celebrity offers[/b]: Capri & Pompeii, NPC1, 9 hours, $194; Capri, Sorrento & Pompeii, NP02, 10 hours, $220; and Island of Capri without lunch, NP05, 8.5 hours, $120. Since these are numbered as tours 1, 2 and 5, it would seem that they are fairly popular and should be offered on most all days and ships. What date is your cruise? At times on local tours, the Celebrity website can be a little confusing, especially in a port with so many different options. Does one of these three seem to work for you? Capri is one of the "super stars" to visit from a Naples docking so it makes sense for Celebrity to have not just one, but several options at this popular port. I can't image that they don't offer something. Have you check for Capri options through RomeInLimo?

 

For Nancy from SW Ohio, YES, happy to try to answer your added questions. Hopefully, not quite a million of them, but we can start out with the first hundred or so of the more important ones.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[jagaul]

Hi Terry,

A big Thank You from a neighbor in Indiana. We live in Fort Wayne and I often come to your city for buying beads at shows held there at the large covention building on I believe Broad Street in downtown Columbus! But that is another story!

The Thank You is for your wonderful blog style review and all the following pages of questions following with your marvelous photographs. We will be on the October 14th sailing of the Solistice for the same cruise although we call at Cannes. I have read every page within this thread and have viewed every photograph....Wonderful, Wonderful!

I have been a professional photographer for many, many years although shooting mostly weddings and portraits. I am soooo looking forward to this cruise for the many photographic opportunities. I just want to tell you that you are "right on" with all of the photo advice that I've read within your posts.

After many cruises on which I have hauled around large cameras and lenses I made the decision to get a smaller camera for this trip after seeing what my son did with the same camera on a trip last year to England and France. I purchased a Panasonic Lumix point and shoot camera with a 16x optical zoom and so hope I am not disappointed in my decision as I am so used to working with my Nikon D700! I've spent so many vacations peering through a lens that I want to enjoy this cruise on a "real time" basis!

We are also spending two days in Barcelona prior to the ship and cannot wait to photograph this great city as well.

As to a question, here is one that I don't remember being addressed throughout this thread.......neither of us speak Spanish/Catalonian, French or Italian....if you do not speak these languages either, how much of a problem did you encounter when attempting to accomplish things like ordering in a restaurant or purchasing items? Just wondering!

Sorry for rambling on but I am so impressed with all of your photographs and your travelogue that I couldn't help!

Thanks again and many happy photo experiences in the future!

Judy in Fort Wayne

[TLCOhio]

Hi Terry, A big Thank You from a neighbor in Indiana. We live in Fort Wayne. The Thank You is for your wonderful blog style review and all the following pages of questions following with your marvelous photographs. We will be on the October 14th sailing of the Solistice for the same cruise although we call at Cannes. I have read every page within this thread and have viewed every photograph....Wonderful, Wonderful! I have been a professional photographer for many, many years although shooting mostly weddings and portraits. I am soooo looking forward to this cruise for the many photographic opportunities. I just want to tell you that you are "right on" with all of the photo advice that I've read within your posts. After many cruises on which I have hauled around large cameras and lenses I made the decision to get a smaller camera for this trip after seeing what my son did with the same camera on a trip last year to England and France. I purchased a Panasonic Lumix point and shoot camera with a 16x optical zoom and so hope I am not disappointed in my decision as I am so used to working with my Nikon D700! I've spent so many vacations peering through a lens that I want to enjoy this cruise on a "real time" basis! We are also spending two days in Barcelona prior to the ship and cannot wait to photograph this great city as well. As to a question, here is one that I don't remember being addressed throughout this thread.......neither of us speak Spanish/Catalonian, French or Italian....if you do not speak these languages either, how much of a problem did you encounter when attempting to accomplish things like ordering in a restaurant or purchasing items? Just wondering! Sorry for rambling on but I am so impressed with all of your photographs and your travelogue that I couldn't help! Thanks again and many happy photo experiences in the future! Judy in Fort Wayne

 

Hi, Judy!! Appreciate your super kind comments on my postings and photography. Glad to know it's been helpful and that you have such great photographic background/interest. Here are a few reactions/comments:

 

1. CAMERA: On just taking a point-and-shoot 16x optical zoom, that worries me a little. Don't you loose lots of quality when using that optical zoom? Personally, I would take your D700 and maybe limit a little your number of lenses. With my D3100, most all of my pictures were done with a 18-55mm zoom. Having a 10-20mm and 55-300mm was nice also. Being able to shoot RAW, get lots of quality, etc., made it so much easier to then edit more on my laptop, etc. You'll see so much great sights that you'd hate to "cheat" yourself for what you can capture and bring back. Just a caution as I am not experienced with that Panasonic Lumix camera.

 

2. LANGUAGE: It was no problem for us in these various countries. BUT, in many cases we were doing private and/or ship tours. Plus, for some cities such as Venice and Rome, we had been there before and knew the territory, etc. We had also done a decent amount of advance "homework" to know fairly well where we were going, what we wanted, etc. For food ordering, many of the people in these larger cities are experienced with serving lots of tourist from the USA, UK, etc. Many places have menus with added language, etc. You won't go hungry there!!!

 

Keep those good, smart questions rolling along. If you'd like ideas on another great Europe adventure potential for the future, check out our July 2010 trip along the Norway coast, fjords, puffins, etc. See connection below.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 71,454 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[YOW]

Hey Terry, just curious about La Boqueria (which we really like, not only for shooting but eating, people watching etc): did any of the merchants give you a hard time about photography? I've been yelled at there, bumped around, and given more subtle hints as well... not that it's been a deterrent, and I do try to stay out of their way politely. ;)

 

After many cruises on which I have hauled around large cameras and lenses I made the decision to get a smaller camera for this trip after seeing what my son did with the same camera on a trip last year to England and France. I purchased a Panasonic Lumix point and shoot camera with a 16x optical zoom and so hope I am not disappointed in my decision as I am so used to working with my Nikon D700! I've spent so many vacations peering through a lens that I want to enjoy this cruise on a "real time" basis!

 

I'll concur with Terry: pretty good chance at some point you'll feel the limitations with the point-and-shoot. I do understand about wanting to lighten up and enjoy the moment; but personally I couldn't enjoy anything if I was thinking, "gosh if only I had my Nikon." You could leave some of the heavier lenses at home; at La Boqueria, for example, among other places, I shot with a Nifty Fifty. OTOH recently I was in Havana and knew I'd made the right call to bring the 24-70 2.8 -- it really enabled some memorable images of people and cityscapes in varying circumstances.

[jagaul]

Hi, Judy!! Appreciate your super kind comments on my postings and photography. Glad to know it's been helpful and that you have such great photographic background/interest. Here are a few reactions/comments:

 

1. CAMERA: On just taking a point-and-shoot 16x optical zoom, that worries me a little. Don't you loose lots of quality when using that optical zoom? Personally, I would take your D700 and maybe limit a little your number of lenses. With my D3100, most all of my pictures were done with a 18-55mm zoom. Having a 10-20mm and 55-300mm was nice also. Being able to shoot RAW, get lots of quality, etc., made it so much easier to then edit more on my laptop, etc. You'll see so much great sights that you'd hate to "cheat" yourself for what you can capture and bring back. Just a caution as I am not experienced with that Panasonic Lumix camera.

 

2. LANGUAGE: It was no problem for us in these various countries. BUT, in many cases we were doing private and/or ship tours. Plus, for some cities such as Venice and Rome, we had been there before and knew the territory, etc. We had also done a decent amount of advance "homework" to know fairly well where we were going, what we wanted, etc. For food ordering, many of the people in these larger cities are experienced with serving lots of tourist from the USA, UK, etc. Many places have menus with added language, etc. You won't go hungry there!!!

 

Keep those good, smart questions rolling along. If you'd like ideas on another great Europe adventure potential for the future, check out our July 2010 trip along the Norway coast, fjords, puffins, etc. See connection below.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 71,454 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Hello again Terry,

Actually the Panasonic Lumix is a pretty great little camera....and the optical zoom is what to look for in the point and shoot variety of camera...it is the digital zoom that people get confused with....digital zoom is useless....terrible quality. I actually would have never considered going with only a camera like this had I not seen my sons images from their trip across the pond last year...they are wonderful...viewed on a 62 inch television screen without editing at the time I first viewed them! I have worked with this camera and it does a super job. This past weekend took it along to a wedding I was shooting and and did some comparision shots both outdoors and indoors with it and my Nikon D700 and they are great....so I'm not really worried about quality. What I am not used to is not having a viewfinder....although that is what I am trying to get away from....seeing everything through a viewfinder!

As to the language....thanks! We have been doing a lot of research and know what we want to see and do in Barcelona as well as the various ports. On the ship we will be doing tours in the larger cities and doing our own thing in the smaller ports. I believe for Rome and Florence we will take the ships transportation into the cities along with their short driving tour and then time on our own before meeting back up with the ships transportation at end of day. For Naples we are looking at either doing one of the ships tours or if possible I'm still l hoping to get together with some other couples from the rollcalls to arrange private tours. Venice we just want to explore on our own. We've gotten some language disks we are listening to and have several apps for language conversion on our tablet and iPhones so think we will be okay....it is great to have it firsthand from someone that has been there that it was not a problem! Thanks again.

When we return I'll try to remember to let you know when I have some images available showing how I and the new camera do together in Europe!

[TLCOhio]

Hey Terry, just curious about La Boqueria (which we really like, not only for shooting but eating, people watching etc): did any of the merchants give you a hard time about photography? I've been yelled at there, bumped around, and given more subtle hints as well... not that it's been a deterrent, and I do try to stay out of their way politely.

I'll concur with Terry: pretty good chance at some point you'll feel the limitations with the point-and-shoot. I do understand about wanting to lighten up and enjoy the moment; but personally I couldn't enjoy anything if I was thinking, "gosh if only I had my Nikon." You could leave some of the heavier lenses at home; at La Boqueria, for example, among other places, I shot with a Nifty Fifty. OTOH recently I was in Havana and knew I'd made the right call to bring the 24-70 2.8 -- it really enabled some memorable images of people and cityscapes in varying circumstances.

 

jagaul: Hello again Terry' date=' Actually the Panasonic Lumix is a pretty great little camera....and the optical zoom is what to look for in the point and shoot variety of camera...it is the digital zoom that people get confused with....digital zoom is useless....terrible quality. I actually would have never considered going with only a camera like this had I not seen my sons images from their trip across the pond last year...they are wonderful...viewed on a 62 inch television screen without editing at the time I first viewed them! I have worked with this camera and it does a super job. This past weekend took it along to a wedding I was shooting and and did some comparision shots both outdoors and indoors with it and my Nikon D700 and they are great....so I'm not really worried about quality. What I am not used to is not having a viewfinder....although that is what I am trying to get away from....seeing everything through a viewfinder! [b']As to the language....thanks! [/b]We have been doing a lot of research and know what we want to see and do in Barcelona as well as the various ports. On the ship we will be doing tours in the larger cities and doing our own thing in the smaller ports. I believe for Rome and Florence we will take the ships transportation into the cities along with their short driving tour and then time on our own before meeting back up with the ships transportation at end of day. For Naples we are looking at either doing one of the ships tours or if possible I'm still l hoping to get together with some other couples from the rollcalls to arrange private tours. Venice we just want to explore on our own. We've gotten some language disks we are listening to and have several apps for language conversion on our tablet and iPhones so think we will be okay....it is great to have it firsthand from someone that has been there that it was not a problem! Thanks again. When we return I'll try to remember to let you know when I have some images available showing how I and the new camera do together in Europe!

 

For YOW, no problems of any type for me when taking lots and lots of pictures in that scenic, interesting and great Barcelona market. I didn't shoot with a flash so that it's less of a potential problem to some people.

 

Hi, again, Judy!! Appreciate you sorted out the different between digital versus optical zoom, etc. I knew that one of them had a problem. I've been an SLR guy for 40+ years. Agree that the quality photography equipment, including point and shoot, keeps getting better. It's amazing what my iPhone will do. Sounds like you've got a great overall plan for your upcoming trip. Let us know any added questions. Hopefully you'll do some posting and sharing for what things go, what you saw new and unique, etc. .

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[jarand]

June 2012 and this review is still going strong. For good reason!!! We will be on the new Carnival Breeze for a B2B in August and September, and I plan to forward this link as fabulous reading to both roll calls! Thank you Terry!

[TLCOhio]

June 2012 and this review is still going strong. For good reason!!! We will be on the new Carnival Breeze for a B2B in August and September, and I plan to forward this link as fabulous reading to both roll calls! Thank you Terry!

 

Appreciate your kind comments and sharing this link with those on your roll calls. Good luck on your upcoming B2B cruise in the Med.

 

Many have done previous cruises in the Carib and are not prepared for the much wider range of great options at most ports in the Med. That's why some advance planning, prep and thought is important. Happy to answer any questions that are helpful. Keep it coming!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio