My VERY late review of our Eastern Mediterranean cruise onboard the Navigator!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

This is when I noticed that Corrie was not with us! I immediately spoke up and asked where she was. Glenn: "Who?" Me: "Corrie" You should have seen the look on his face. He told us to stay put, he would go get her. He came back about 10 minutes later with no Corrie! We all road our bikes back to the Appian Way. He told the English couple to ride back the way we came. Chris went down a road that turned right, and Glenn continued straight down the Appian Way. He told Katie, Toni and I to stay put. (We weren't the best bicyclists!). So, about 15 minutes pass and Chris comes back, no Corrie. 20 minutes pass and the English couple come back, no Corrie. About 25 minutes pass and Glenn comes back, NO CORRIE!! Glenn tells us that he road to the very end of the road. He says we have a couple of more hours of daylight to search for her, but the only thing that he can come up with is ABDUCTION!!! Now, if you were a tour guide, wouldn't you possibly think this but not say it out loud?? Katie breaks down in tears. I am in shock and panicking trying to determine what to do next....police, embassy, the dreaded call home. The last thing I was told by Corrie's Dad was not to lose her! WHAT WERE WE GOING TO DO?? About that time here comes Corrie coming from the same direction that Glenn went. She had the biggest smile and had bicycle grease all over her face! That image will forever be seared into my mind! Her first comment to us, "Thanks guys for leaving me!". Her bike chain had come off. She yelled at us to stop, be we didn't hear her. So, by the time she got the chain back on, we had turned, and she didn't see us make the turn. She had ridden to the end of the road and crossed a major highway. Glenn didn't do this. She said she knew she needed to run around when she made it to an airport. She sees Katie crying. This thrilled her, and she says more than once, "Katie LOVES me!" Katie screams at her wanting to know why she didn't just stop. Me, I just went over and hugged her. Her response to all of this...."I was fiiinne!! (She drug out the words.) I had moneeyy. If nothing else I was going to hire a taxxii to take me back to the Colosseum and pay extra to put the bike in the bacckk. I was then going to call MeMaw (our Mom) and tell her that I had lost y'all, but to tell us what she had done. I walked down the Appian Way with an old man (remember she loves old people) and his dog for a while. I passed people and asked if they had seen a large group with 2 girls with red shirts. They said yes, for me to continue riding. I really felt like a true Italian for a while!" This was the scariest moment of the entire trip!! You now know why we will never do a bike tour again!!

Glenn then asked us what we wanted to do, turn around and go back to Rome or continue to the aquaducts. I really felt badly for the English couple. They came on this tour and then this happens. Corrie apologizes to them, and the lady's response to her was, "No, you were magnificant! I would have been crying, but you come back with this huge smile on your face!" Corrie said she was okay, so we continued on the the aquaducts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It really was pretty out there.

Edited March 9, 2013 by Ireallyneedavacation

[Ireallyneedavacation]

 

 

We did stop for water at a little cafe before making our way back to Rome. Once we got back to the Colosseum, Glenn insisted that Corrie take a free t-shirt with his companies logo for payment for him losing her. I think he learned a lesson that day that he should count the number of people turning before continuing on! We then had a quick dinner with Chris and Toni. They were doing the night segway tour and didn't have much time. We then made our way to the train station for our ride to the airport. This is our final group picture from our trip....

 

 

We were staying in a hotel near the beach and the airport. We had the hardest time trying to find a taxi to drive us just in this area. Most were lined up to take you to Rome. After trying 3 prior locations for taxis, we finally found one to take us to our hotel. This was my least favorite hotel, and I recommend that if you have an early morning flight, that you stay at a hotel nearer the airport and not one at the beach.

 

I forgot to set the alarm, but thankfully, my internal clock woke me in time to meet our driver from Italy InLimos to take us to the airport the next morning for our 8: a.m. flight. Our vacation was over and now we just had our long flight home!

 

We had the best time, with highs and lows, but thankfully there were more highs than there were lows! We met some great people and made the best friends that I believe I will keep in contact with forever. Chris and Toni actually flew down to Alabama in October to go to the Alabama vs. Texas A&M game with Corrie. Katie and I, being Auburn fans and all, opted not to go to the game!;) But we still had another great weekend with them! Katie and I are taking a cruise in October with our Mom out of Boston. We make a stop in Halifax, NS, where Toni and Chris are from. Toni already has our day planned out for us! But there will be one more little Chris and Toni around when we get there! She is now expecting her first baby the end of this month!!

 

If anyone is wondering whether or not to take this cruise, just do it!! If you have half as much fun as we did, you won't regret it!!

 

For those of you who are wondering which Steve posted earlier, I found this picture of us tonight...

 

 

The end....for now! Thanks for reading along!

[ddauber]

Thanks so much for this review. We are doing the same cruise this May. You have given great tips! I hope we have as much fun as you all did. Maybe late for others, but perfect timing for us! :)

 

Greg

[DaNana]

Thank you for taking time to share. I have laughed, sighed, took a deep breathe of concern and gotten many great ideas for our cruise May 5! This is why I love CC, you "meet" some of the greatest folks of all time!

[Giskard]

Thank you Joanna!! What a great review and it is so close to the itinerary we have planned I've gained some great ideas! The cruise is the end of our European trip for our son's graduation starting late June this year. We will be going to Prague, Croatia, Venice, Florence Rome and then the cruise. I got some great tips and information from your review for our trip and will be contacting some of the excursions you used. I already know I will be re reading it to find what i missed and what i must do or not do.

 

You had a great trip!

Deb

[redned09]

Thanks Joanna!!! awesome read, some great Ideas!!! so glad Corrie found her way back to you.......I know the feeling when someone disappears like that :eek:

Last question, what nights were the Formal nights:)

[lah66]

Awesome, Awesome review. I will bookmark it so I can read it again when I start seriously planning our 2015 European cruise!

 

You girls are just the best! I feel so connected to you that I had tears come to my eyes when Corrie finally found you! The picture of you hugging her at the aquaduct was precious..like you were holding on to her for dear life! Steve and Steve, and the rest of your new friends, look like wonderful travel companions!

 

Thank you so much for writing this review...I am sure it took hours and hours of your time, and I know we all got way more than just a few travel ideas from it.....Enjoy your cruise with your Mom and I hope you come back to do another review. My Mom, sister, niece and I are cruising together for the first time in October...just the Caribbean, but I hope we have some exciting stories to hold onto forever! Many Thanks!

 

Lauri

Edited March 9, 2013 by lah66

[amyscruising]

My sister and I are going to the Med next year- I am taking notes from your trip. Looks like you had a wonderful time. Thank you for letting us tag along!:D

[I Fly]

Joanna,

Again thanks for the great review. I really hope we can cruise again together. Let's just try and make it happen.

 

Steve Dos

[mrsfecura]

What a fabulous review! Thanks again Joanna - you did a great job and I can't wait to read about your future adventures! I hope you'll do a review of your cruise out of Boston!

[bbfgator]

I've looked forward to reading this every morning...will surely miss checking on this thread every day. You did a great job and have made me really really look forward to our trip in May to Rome and then the cruise on Navigator.

Go WAR EAGLE...and always, Go Gators!!

Take care in all your travels :).

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Thanks so much for this review. We are doing the same cruise this May. You have given great tips! I hope we have as much fun as you all did. Maybe late for others, but perfect timing for us! :)

 

Greg

 

You are on our exact cruise but one year later! You should have gone last year! We had a blast!!;)

Hopefully, I have helped you at least a little! If you have any other questions, please ask away!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Thank you for taking time to share. I have laughed, sighed, took a deep breathe of concern and gotten many great ideas for our cruise May 5! This is why I love CC, you "meet" some of the greatest folks of all time!

 

Aww, thank you! I hope you have the best time on your trip! You all are going to have to let me know how it goes! Thank you for tagging along with me!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Thank you Joanna!! What a great review and it is so close to the itinerary we have planned I've gained some great ideas! The cruise is the end of our European trip for our son's graduation starting late June this year. We will be going to Prague, Croatia, Venice, Florence Rome and then the cruise. I got some great tips and information from your review for our trip and will be contacting some of the excursions you used. I already know I will be re reading it to find what i missed and what i must do or not do.

 

You had a great trip!

Deb

 

 

You are welcome, Deb! I am so glad you enjoyed it. Now, what am I going to do with my time in the evenings??

What a trip to remember for all of you, especially your son! He is lucky to have such great and thoughtful parents that would do this for him! Hopefully, you will love all of the excursions as much as we did! (I feel certain you are not using the one we used in Turkey!;))

Have a great time!

Joanna

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Thanks Joanna!!! awesome read, some great Ideas!!! so glad Corrie found her way back to you.......I know the feeling when someone disappears like that :eek:

Last question, what nights were the Formal nights:)

 

Thank you, and you are welcome! I am glad she found her way back too! It was a horrible feeling for a while.

I believe the formal nights were 3 and 6, but I am trying to get verification. I will let you know for sure.

[VABeach]

Thank you so much for posting! I am doing this same trip in May. I'm taking my 81 yo grandmother for her very first real vacation EVER. This did help answer a lot of my questions. I'm glad that we are taking a ship tour in Turkey. Having never done anyting like this before, she definately has some "concerns" (justified or not) and I don't want anything to happen that is going to freak her out. :rolleyes:

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Awesome, Awesome review. I will bookmark it so I can read it again when I start seriously planning our 2015 European cruise!

 

You girls are just the best! I feel so connected to you that I had tears come to my eyes when Corrie finally found you! The picture of you hugging her at the aquaduct was precious..like you were holding on to her for dear life! Steve and Steve, and the rest of your new friends, look like wonderful travel companions!

 

Thank you so much for writing this review...I am sure it took hours and hours of your time, and I know we all got way more than just a few travel ideas from it.....Enjoy your cruise with your Mom and I hope you come back to do another review. My Mom, sister, niece and I are cruising together for the first time in October...just the Caribbean, but I hope we have some exciting stories to hold onto forever! Many Thanks!

 

You are sweet, Laurie! Thank you! And I WAS holding on to her for dear life!;) We were very fortunate to find people on our roll call that we got along so well with. No one complained. No one whined, and we all thought the same things were funny! We did have a great trip, and I am so glad that we got to share a lot of it with Toni, Chris, Steve and Steve!

By the time you have your European trip, hopefully, I will have another one under my belt! For that one, I will take more notes. Actually, I have learned to take more notes for all of the ones I take!

 

Enjoy your cruise with your Mom, sister and niece!...."just the Caribbean"...there is no such thing as "just a cruise"! They can all be great if you try to make them that way!

 

Thanks for reading along on my our adventure!

 

Joanna

[Ireallyneedavacation]

My sister and I are going to the Med next year- I am taking notes from your trip. Looks like you had a wonderful time. Thank you for letting us tag along!:D

 

 

We did have the best time! I hope the notes you took help! I love travelling with my sister. So, if you are anything like us, you will have a great time with yours!

I am happy that you did tag along!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Joanna,

Again thanks for the great review. I really hope we can cruise again together. Let's just try and make it happen.

 

Steve Dos

 

Thanks for helping make it a great trip, so I could do the review!! We WILL make it happen!

Joanna

[Ireallyneedavacation]

What a fabulous review! Thanks again Joanna - you did a great job and I can't wait to read about your future adventures! I hope you'll do a review of your cruise out of Boston!

 

Staci, thanks reading along and giving me encouraging words in the process! My next cruise is in May on Carnival out of Miami, so some of you RCI loyals might have to jump over to another board to catch my next adventurous installment! I am doing it with my friend, Angela who has never cruised before. She is a hoot, so I am expecting to have a lot of fun! We are going on the Breeze which is Carnival's largest ship.

[Ireallyneedavacation]

I've looked forward to reading this every morning...will surely miss checking on this thread every day. You did a great job and have made me really really look forward to our trip in May to Rome and then the cruise on Navigator.

Go WAR EAGLE...and always, Go Gators!!

Take care in all your travels :).

 

 

It's funny, but I think I will miss writing about our adventures! Thank you so much for reading along, and I hope your trip is as great as ours was! Tell your neighbor War Eagle for me....and for you, Go Gators!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Thank you so much for posting! I am doing this same trip in May. I'm taking my 81 yo grandmother for her very first real vacation EVER. This did help answer a lot of my questions. I'm glad that we are taking a ship tour in Turkey. Having never done anyting like this before, she definately has some "concerns" (justified or not) and I don't want anything to happen that is going to freak her out. :rolleyes:

 

Wow! You are very special to take your 81 year old grandmother on her first real vacation, but to take her to Europe makes you extra special!:) I have tried to convince my mother to do our trip with us next year. Since we booked our own excursions, we were not crowded, and we really didn't have to walk all that much...for our cruise excursions, anyway. (She has bad knees.) You will have to let me know how it goes. Maybe if I told her your 81 year old grandmother went and had a great time, she would feel like she could make the trip herself as well!

I hope you have a great trip!!

[VABeach]

Wow! You are very special to take your 81 year old grandmother on her first real vacation, but to take her to Europe makes you extra special!:) I have tried to convince my mother to do our trip with us next year. Since we booked our own excursions, we were not crowded, and we really didn't have to walk all that much...for our cruise excursions, anyway. (She has bad knees.) You will have to let me know how it goes. Maybe if I told her your 81 year old grandmother went and had a great time, she would feel like she could make the trip herself as well!

 

I hope you have a great trip!!

 

Thank you!! I know there will be challenges, but my grandfather always wanted to go to Italy and he didn't make it. This is something I have to do, I don't really have a choice. Your review helped prepare me.

 

I hope you get your mother to go! Life is way to short to not live it! :)

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Thank you!! I know there will be challenges, but my grandfather always wanted to go to Italy and he didn't make it. This is something I have to do, I don't really have a choice. Your review helped prepare me.

 

I hope you get your mother to go! Life is way to short to not live it! :)

 

 

Your grandfather will be there enjoying all of it with you! I will pray that it goes smoothly for you. I am sure you will reap many blessings for doing this for her, because, you always have a choice!:)

I keep trying to tell everyone that. There is just too much to see to stay in your own little world! My Mom has travelled some. I am so glad I convinced her to do this cruise with us in October. She is actually having knee replacement surgery next week on one of her knees. She is expected to have it on the other knee down the road sometime. Maybe after she completely heals, she will be a new woman!

[Kik35]

Joanna~Really loved your review. You have a great writing style, I almost felt like I was on vacation and was sad when it was over!!

We went to the Med last Oct(Loved it!) on the Breeze. It was a beautiful ship. We mainly cruise RCI but would def go on the Breeze again. Hope you have a great cruise on the Breeze!! And don't forget a review when you get back!!:D~Claudia