Carnival Cruiser Sails Royal Caribbean ~ Navigator to Italy, France, Spain ~ 10/28/12

[Beautiful sunsets]

Love your posts! Can't wait to read more! Going on the Navigator out of Rome with my daughter 4/21/13. Cannot wait. Never been to Europe so it will be an adventure. Thank you for posting!:)

Edited November 8, 2012 by Beautiful sunsets

[gapearl]

We slept in again a bit and were up and out around 10:30 am. Lots to see and do today!

 

While planning this trip, I bought the Frommer's Italy 2012 travel guide. There was a small section in the Rome chapter about the Capuchin crypts. The one little picture they had left me very intrigued, and I told Jackie we had to go see it. This was our first stop of the day.

 

The Capuchin crypts are located under the Church of the Immaculate Conception, right off the Barberini metro stop on the right. It's open from 9-1 and 3-6, closed on Thursdays. Frommer's said a donation is required to enter, but they actually charge 6 euros now. There's a small museum when you first enter. I don't remember much of what we saw, but it was enough to hold my attention at the time. One thing I took note of was a map of the world and the number of Capuchins in each country. There are more Capuchins in Italy than Brazil, Australia, and the USA combined. Interesting.

 

Then on we went into the crypts. The crypts contain the bones of over 4,000 Capuchin friars buried from the 1500's-1800's that have been turned into pieces of art. Some of the skeletons are fully intact and wearing a habit. One crypt contains art made from hundreds of pelvis bones. Chandeliers were hanging made from the bones of hands and fingers. The Crypt of the Resurrection features a painting of Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life. I know this place must sound creepy, but it was fascinating. Really fascinating. Cameras aren't allowed, and there are guards monitoring you throughout the museum very closely. I couldn't sneak a picture if I wanted to. I bought a few postcards so I could have a few pictures to remember this place by. Definitely add the Capuchin crypts to your must see in Rome list!

 

This is the crypt with the pelvis bones.

 

 

 

Notice some of the skeletons are standing, laying down, and fully dressed.

 

 

 

 

When you're done reading my review, Google this place!

[gapearl]

From the crypts, we walked on to the Spanish steps for some people watching and pictures. We saw lots of big groups of "stick followers." A bride and groom were taking their wedding pictures. Lots of artists were drawing caricatures. This one guy selling flowers came up to me, gave me a nice smile, and handed me 3 long stem red roses. He said he wanted me to have them. Now if you've been paying attention, you've noticed I've had quite a bit of attention from the Italian men. I was like AWWWWW, how sweet! Jackie took my picture with the guy and everything. As he started to walk off, he back tracked and asked me for a little something for the roses. :rolleyes: You're kidding, right? Jackie and I each reached into our bags and pulled out a few coins, about 3 euros. He wanted more and I told him to just take the roses back. He said no, keep them, and finally left. Eh, whatever.

 

 

 

 

There's always a crowd.

 

 

Great view from the steps.

 

[gapearl]

It was a short walk from the Spanish Steps to the Trevi Fountain.

 

 

 

 

Take a coin, hold it in your right hand, throw it over your left shoulder, and make a wish. The Trevi Fountain collects about 3,000 euros a day in coins!

 

 

After walking all morning into the early afternoon, it was time to do what we do best- eat!

 

 

We split an appetizer of bruschetta, a four cheese pizza, and an order of broccoli. The menu didn't list which cheeses were on the pizza, so when it came out, we wondered what's that green cheese? Hmmm, I'll give it a shot.

 

 

It was gross! Turned out to be Gorgonzola. We tried to eat as much of it as we could, but just couldn't bear to taste it any more. We scraped off what was left. Ugh.

[nancronin]

What a great review - really funny at times too - you gotta love those Italian guys - lol!! Sounds like you had a great time and you haven't even gotten to the cruise part! :)

[gapearl]

After lunch, it was time to head to The Pantheon.

 

I had stop for some gelato on the way.

 

 

And there it is, ladies and gentleman! WHOA! I wasn't expecting it to be that big!

 

 

 

 

 

[gapearl]

A couple of my videos of The Pantheon.

 

 

 

This is the tomb of Victor Emanuel II, the first king of Italy.

 

 

You can pay your respects and sign the guestbook, where the guard is standing.

 

 

 

 

 

[gapearl]

Good Lord we did a lot of walking today! I wish one of us had brought a pedometer to keep track of our mileage. From The Pantheon, we headed back in the direction of The Colosseum to see the Roman Forum and Palentine Hill. The weather had been perfect for the last two days, but now it was beginning to look like it was going to rain. I checked the weather before we left, and brought my umbrella, just in case. Good thing, because I'd need it soon.

 

We passed the capitol building on the way.

 

 

Jackie saw this fountain and decided to be silly and play a trick on me.

 

 

She posed me for this picture and I had no idea what she was doing. I cracked up at this all night.

 

 

Finally at our destination!

 

 

 

[gapearl]

It began to rain right as we were ready to go in. We were told that they normally close when it rains because it can be dangerous (people walking on wet, slippery cobblestone and rocky paths, I get it). Just as we were about to leave, we noticed them still letting people in, so we went for it. Our Roma Pass got us in for no charge. We didn't get to see everything because a few areas were blocked off, but we saw enough.

 

 

 

She called me Mary Poppins the rest of the day.

 

 

What a trooper! No umbrella necessary!

 

 

 

This is NOT what you want to see when you're trying to leave. The metro was shut down!

 

 

We heard it was because of a strike, but it was really because the entire metro B line wasn't working. We needed the B line to get to the A line to get back to our apartment. We could have taken a bus to the next metro station on the A line, but they were too crowded and didn't look safe. I suggested we cough up the money for a cab. but Jackie said no, they'd take advantage of the tourists trying to escape the rain. She looked at our map and said we could walk about 8 blocks to the closest metro on the A line, and that's what we did. By now my feet were screaming for mercy! We grabbed a couple bottles of wine before getting on the metro. Earlier we had considered going out to enjoy Rome's weekend night life, but with our extreme fatigue and the pouring down rain, that wasn't happening. We made it back around 6, maybe 6:30 pm, relaxed and enjoyed our wine for the rest of the night.

 

Up next: Our last day in Rome....finally!

[Darkwolfe]

Greatly enjoying the review! :)

[gapearl]

The previous day completely exhausted us and we slept pretty late. We didn't get out of the apartment until 2 pm. Our first stop was the Termini train station to buy our tickets and check out the train schedule to Civitavecchia for the next day. From Termini, we took the metro to the Circo Maximus stop and then the #118 bus to The Catacombs of St. Sebastian.

 

 

 

These particular catacombs weren't the ones I initially wanted to see, but they were the most convient. Frommer's says they're the least satisfying of all the catacombs to visit, but we found them fascinating. Admission was 8 euros and included a mandatory tour with a guide. The tour was about 45 minutes. There were lots of small catacombs for children because of high infant mortality rate of the time they were built. We saw many empty burial plots, but there were still remains behind the ropes in the restricted areas. If the tunnels were stretched out, they would go on for about 6 1/2 miles. The bodies of St. Peter and St. Paul were found here. Our tour guide was very interesting and knowledgeable. It was a fascinating sight, and I really wish I had pictures to share!

 

From the catacombs, we walked to the Trastevere area with some people from our tour for dinner. It's going to be hard going back to The Olive Garden after this.

 

 

 

 

It was a Saturday night, and boy this place was lively! Lots of people were out about, mostly a 20-30something crowd. We stopped at The Art Cafe for a drink and checked in on Facebook with their free internet. We left around 11, took the H bus to the Termini station, and headed back to our apartment to pack up.

 

[gapearl]

Flying into FCO- No customs forms needed.

 

Buy your Roma Pass at the airport at the information booth. Includes a 3 day metro pass, free entry into the first 2 museums, discounts on other museums, and front of the line access at many places. You can also buy the pass at the Termini station and about 5 other spots around Rome, but just grab it at the airport if you can.

www.romapass.it

 

Train from FCO into Rome is 7-8 euros, about 1 hour, and not included as a Roma Pass Ride.

 

Do a little research and consider renting an apartment in a residential neighborhood, not a hotel.

www.tripadvisor.com or www.flipkey.com

 

Don't rent a car. Trying to park will stress you out.

 

Colosseum- 4 euros extra for a guided tour. Admission included in Roma Pass.

 

Vatican City- BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE IN ADVANCE TO AVOID LONG LINES.

www.vatican.va

 

Dress appropriately. No sleeveless shirts, bare shoulders, nothing above the knee.

 

Remember the secret door just after exiting the Sistine Chapel for easy access to St. Peter's Basilica.

 

5 euros to climb all 500+ stairs to the top. 7 euros to climb 300+ stairs and an elevator.

 

Castel Sant'Angelo- Good for a few pictures, but you won't be missing anything if you don't go.

 

Capuchin crypts- Must see! 6 euros. No pictures allowed.

 

Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain, and The Pantheon- All walking distance from each other and free to see.

 

Roman Forums and Palentine Hill- Use your Roma Pass. Might not be able to get in if it's raining.

 

Catacombs- Go see any of them. No pictures allowed.

www.catacombe.roma.it

 

Trastevere area- Great bars, restaurants, lots of nightlife.

 

WHEW! I would say our 4 days in Rome were very successful. The only thing on our list that we didn't get to see were the Baths of Carcalla. I guess we have to plan another trip back to Rome at some point.

 

Coming tomorrow- We board the Navigator!

Edited November 8, 2012 by gapearl

[Merion_Mom]

Those were pretty cool pictures, I have no idea what the cost was in dollars. As long as they aren't pushy likes the ones in Cozumel lately.

 

They have gladiators in Cozumel?!?!?!??!

 

;)

[sailinglisa]

I just want to say....GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!! I am LOVING your review!

[mrsfecura]

Thanks for the welcome! Renting an apartment was new for me. I usually stay at bed & breakfasts, another good option. Where is your Mediterranean cruise going?

 

 

 

 

We think alike - love B&B's too! We're doing a 12 night out of Barcelona (my longest cruise ever!!) - so we'll go to 3 Italy ports (Livorno, Civitavecchia & Naples), Cannes France, Athens and Santorini Greece and Kusadasi Turkey!

 

Your photos are great - I'm going to pop over to your other reviews now!

[Sinppu]

I did a half marathon

 

Way to go GIRL!!

I did my first half marathon in September so I know what you went through :D

That's definitely worth celebrating!

[poncho1973]

he took us to some side door exit. We cut right across to the ticket line for that and didn't have to go all the way out. This is a very important detail! I hear that this door is sometimes unguarded, and if it is you can sneak through it when the guard turns his head. Or perhaps you can just smile and ask nicely if you can exit. I say this door is important because if you miss it, and go all the way outside to re-enter St. Peter's, you will be in line for a while, at least an hour or longer.

 

Just a little more on this.

 

The "secret door" is the tour exit. If you stand with The Last Judgment behind you, this door will be on the right near the opposite wall. Apparently, sometimes it is guarded (and fiercely) and sometimes it is just closed.

 

The key is just to be cool (or apparently, two attractive females used to greeting/wooing strangers on a daily basis) and not notice it.

 

Some cruisemates saw a couple pacing around it, watching it, trying to sneak past. The guard stopped them and turned them away.

 

My wife and I just played it cool. I made a note of the door when we got inside the chapel. It was guarded. I also noted several of the tour groups in the room. I found the groups that most looked like us (a white guy & a Cuban girl would have looked weird with the Japanese tour or the large middle eastern group with the women in headgear) as they came in.

 

We looked at the chapel as long as we wanted and when we decided it was time to go, we just noted which tours seemed to be gathering to leave. We just casually mingled with one of them and walked out that door when they did.

 

Another key is that the staircase looks like it goes nowhere. It's insanely long. Just keep going and you'll come out outside, along St. Peter's.

 

FUNNY SIDEBAR: I noticed that some of the people were listening to the tour guide on headphones. I had my iPod in my backpack and just slid one of the earpieces in my ear. My wife laughed at me and said that was overkill.

Edited November 8, 2012 by poncho1973

[Kik35]

Great review & you haven't even started on the actual cruise yet!!!:D Can't wait to read more!!-Claudia

[gapearl]

Love your posts! Can't wait to read more! Going on the Navigator out of Rome with my daughter 4/21/13. Cannot wait. Never been to Europe so it will be an adventure. Thank you for posting!:)

 

Nice! Have fun! Hopefully you'll have a few days to explore Rome like we did. It's such a beautiful city with so much history.

 

What a great review - really funny at times too - you gotta love those Italian guys - lol!! Sounds like you had a great time and you haven't even gotten to the cruise part! :)

 

Hahaha yeah those Italian guys. I'm uploading my first set of cruise pictures as I'm typing this.

[gapearl]

Greatly enjoying the review! :)

 

Awesome! Thanks for reading! :)

 

They have gladiators in Cozumel?!?!?!??!

 

;)

 

LOL ;)

[gapearl]

I just want to say....GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!! I am LOVING your review!

 

Thanks Lisa! So glad you're enjoying! It just gets even better on the ship! ;)

 

We think alike - love B&B's too! We're doing a 12 night out of Barcelona (my longest cruise ever!!) - so we'll go to 3 Italy ports (Livorno, Civitavecchia & Naples), Cannes France, Athens and Santorini Greece and Kusadasi Turkey!

 

Your photos are great - I'm going to pop over to your other reviews now!

 

That's a dream itinerary! So that you don't have to wait for my debarkation in Barcelona, check out the Glory Facade Guest House (hireaflat.com). We stayed there for 2 days at the end of our cruise in the Picasso and Dali rooms. There are 4 rooms total in this apartment. Loved it! It's right across the street from La Sagrada Familia and right off the metro. Lots of restaurants and gift shops in the area. Consider staying here before your cruise. :)

[gapearl]

Way to go GIRL!!

I did my first half marathon in September so I know what you went through :D

That's definitely worth celebrating!

 

Congrats to you too! I had this genius idea to try for a full marathon next year, and then leave on a cruise the next day. I don't think that will be happening any time soon, but a cruise would be the perfect way to celebrate AND recuperate!

 

Great review & you haven't even started on the actual cruise yet!!!:D Can't wait to read more!!-Claudia

 

Thanks Claudia! So much more coming soon!

[gapearl]

Just a little more on this.

 

The "secret door" is the tour exit. If you stand with The Last Judgment behind you, this door will be on the right near the opposite wall. Apparently, sometimes it is guarded (and fiercely) and sometimes it is just closed.

 

The key is just to be cool (or apparently, two attractive females used to greeting/wooing strangers on a daily basis) and not notice it.

 

Some cruisemates saw a couple pacing around it, watching it, trying to sneak past. The guard stopped them and turned them away.

 

My wife and I just played it cool. I made a note of the door when we got inside the chapel. It was guarded. I also noted several of the tour groups in the room. I found the groups that most looked like us (a white guy & a Cuban girl would have looked weird with the Japanese tour or the large middle eastern group with the women in headgear) as they came in.

 

We looked at the chapel as long as we wanted and when we decided it was time to go, we just noted which tours seemed to be gathering to leave. We just casually mingled with one of them and walked out that door when they did.

 

Another key is that the staircase looks like it goes nowhere. It's insanely long. Just keep going and you'll come out outside, along St. Peter's.

 

FUNNY SIDEBAR: I noticed that some of the people were listening to the tour guide on headphones. I had my iPod in my backpack and just slid one of the earpieces in my ear. My wife laughed at me and said that was overkill.

 

Thanks for the extra information. We had no idea it was a door for tours. We honestly thought it was just a "secret" door. LOL. Good thinking blending in with a tour group. Hopefully this will help some other people reading. Must have been a boring tour guide if you started listening to your iPod. :)

[mrsfecura]

 

 

That's a dream itinerary! So that you don't have to wait for my debarkation in Barcelona, check out the Glory Facade Guest House (hireaflat.com). We stayed there for 2 days at the end of our cruise in the Picasso and Dali rooms. There are 4 rooms total in this apartment. Loved it! It's right across the street from La Sagrada Familia and right off the metro. Lots of restaurants and gift shops in the area. Consider staying here before your cruise. :)

 

Ah! Thanks!! I'm definately going to check this out - we plan on 2 nights in Barcelona pre-cruise!:)

[gapearl]

We were so excited! The day we had been looking forward to for almost a year had finally come. We were ready to leave the apartment around 8:30 am. It was a much easier walk with our bags this time since we knew where we were going. It was a quick 5 stops from Ponte Lungo to Termini. Our train to Civitavecchia left at 9:40. We bought our tickets the day before and they cost about 10 euros each. We were told twice by two different workers to head to track 25. We grabbed a little something to eat and headed that way. It was a looooooong walk, much longer than we were expecting. Time was ticking and I began to get worried we wouldn’t make it.

 

We finally got to track 25. There was a train there, but it wasn’t boarding and just didn’t feel right. There were no employees there to assist us. A local man was standing around and asked where we were going. We showed him our tickets, and he said we were at the wrong track. We had to go all the way back to track 21, which wasn’t a short walk. Remember that scene in Home Alone, where the family was running through the airport trying to make their flight because they were late? Yeah, that was us. We had literally minutes before the train left. This nice man got us on the right train and even put our bags up for us. Apparently, he makes his living by spending his days on the train platforms, looking for lost Americans he can guide in the right direction and ask for tips. We would have missed our train without him, so we had no problem taking care of him. The train left about 3 minutes after we sat down. There would have been another one in an hour if we would have missed this one, so we would have been fine, but just be sure to give yourself plenty of time. The ride to the port of Civitavecchia was just under an hour.

 

View from the train.

 

 

When we arrived, it was what I like to call a hot mess. There are no escalators, so you have to carry your heavy bags up and down a couple of staircases. The place was crowded with people heading to the ship, and about twice as many people leaving the ship. Total chaos. Once finally outside, I was looking for the shuttles I’d read about that take you to the ship. We didn’t see any, so we started doing what everyone else was doing- walking.

 

She's lugging those bags like a pro.

 

 

After about a 15 minute walk, we made it to the shuttle buses. If you’re not mobile or traveling with children, you can take a cab to the shuttles. It was a 5 minute ride on the shuttle from where they picked us up to the ship.

 

First glimpse of the Navigator from the shuttle.

 

 

Embarkation was fast and easy. From getting off the train to getting on the ship was 40 minutes. Not bad! My first thought about the ship was that it was very pretty and elegant, much more muted than Carnival ships. We headed straight to the Windjammer for lunch.

 

My eyes were bigger than my stomach. I certainly didn't eat all of this. The honey stung chicken was delicious!

 

Edited November 8, 2012 by gapearl