Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

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

Ireallyneedavacation
 Share

Recommended Posts

Ireallyneedavacation

Ireallyneedavacation

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks everyone for all of the nice comments. It really does give me motivation to continue . I had a battle with CC and Photobucket today, but I am so glad I got through Venice.

All of you that are doing this cruise, I think you are going to LOVE it! All that are just thinking about it, BOOK IT!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JsBs81

JsBs81

Posted
Posted

Thank you a million times over. You are not even on the ship and I am hooked on your review. Family of 20 going on this same trip in June. well rome for a few days then the ship. will let you finish but sure I will have some questions to pick your brain eventually if you don't mind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mrsfecura

mrsfecura

Posted
Posted
Ok, I am back! I had to take a dinner and The Amazing Race break! If any of you are watching The Amazing Race, this couple from Alabama portrays only a small percentage of Alabamians. Every state has to have a couple of rednecks, right? Say yes just to make me feel better!

 

Haha! We are huge Amazing Race fans. So happy it started back up last night. Ummm...that guy's hair is permed right? That can't be natural. Those 2 are something else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ireallyneedavacation

Ireallyneedavacation

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Thank you a million times over. You are not even on the ship and I am hooked on your review. Family of 20 going on this same trip in June. well rome for a few days then the ship. will let you finish but sure I will have some questions to pick your brain eventually if you don't mind.

 

 

 

Wow! 20!! Are you all planning to split up? It is going to be hard to keep up with that number pf people in those crowds!

 

You are so welcome! Go ahead and fire away! Maybe I can be of some help!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JsBs81

JsBs81

Posted
Posted
Wow! 20!! Are you all planning to split up? It is going to be hard to keep up with that number pf people in those crowds!

 

You are so welcome! Go ahead and fire away! Maybe I can be of some help!

 

 

Ha ha this is our 4 cruise or so as a group this big and age range is 4-70 so we eat dinner together (or in this case at several tables) besides that tends to me small groups when we get off the ship.

 

Thank you for the offer will start a short list of questions but I'm sure you will answer most. If not will ask when your done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ireallyneedavacation

Ireallyneedavacation

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Haha! We are huge Amazing Race fans. So happy it started back up last night. Ummm...that guy's hair is permed right? That can't be natural. Those 2 are something else.

 

I was too mortfied thinking about how this couple was the example for Alabama to even think about whether it was permed. Now that you mentioned it, his wife probably does it for him. It would be funny if they won, though, since you can already tell the other racers are stereotyping them as being dumb. And what's up with that hillbilly music they play when they feature them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dln929

dln929

Posted
Posted (edited)
Thanks everyone for all of the nice comments. It really does give me motivation to continue . I had a battle with CC and Photobucket today, but I am so glad I got through Venice.

 

All of you that are doing this cruise, I think you are going to LOVE it! All that are just thinking about it, BOOK IT!

 

I am really happy that you are fighting your battles and winning! My husband and I are taking our two kids--son age 26 and daughter 24--on this exact same itinerary at the end of October. This is going to be our first family cruise and I am so excited about it that I will probably drive everyone crazy until then!!! In the meantime, I am gobbling up everything you have to say and I'm cluing in the kids about your review as I know they'll like the perspective, as a young person, that you have to offer. Keep it coming please! (oh, as a side note, we're Amazing Race fans too; we even applied one season on the advice of a friend who was a contestant. Remember the "Glamazons?")

Edited by dln929
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ireallyneedavacation

Ireallyneedavacation

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I am really happy that you are fighting your battles and winning! My husband and I are taking our two kids--son age 26 and daughter 24--on this exact same itinerary at the end of October. This is going to be our first family cruise and I am so excited about it that I will probably drive everyone crazy until then!!! In the meantime, I am gobbling up everything you have to say and I'm cluing in the kids about your review as I know they'll like the perspective, as a young person, that you have to offer. Keep it coming please! (oh, as a side note, we're Amazing Race fans too; we even applied one season on the advice of a friend who was a contestant. Remember the "Glamazons?")

 

 

What a great family cruise! I drove everyone crazy with my planning as well. That's part of the fun, right?! If you have any questions, let me know!

 

I would love to be on The Amazing Race. I have watched every season, so if I saw your friends, I would probably remember them!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ireallyneedavacation

Ireallyneedavacation

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I last left you with us having had great success finding our pizzaria! It really was yummy! After eating, we caught the Vaporetto back to our hotel. While we were waiting for the vaporetto we ran into another couple that was actually going on our same cruise! I hate to say, but we didn't see them again. We made it back to the hotel and went straight to bed. We had to catch an early train that was to take us to Florence. BTW, I prepurchased all of our train tickets on the Trenitalia website before leaving. This saved us a lot of money, in some cases over $50 each.

 

Monday, May 21st

We woke early and ate at the annex at the hotel again. We then checked out and made our way to where we were to catch a water taxi. The previous day, I had asked the guy at the front desk if we needed to call and reserve a taxi. He didn't speak much English but from what I gathered it was, no, we didn't. Well, we drug our luggage to the taxi stand, only to be asked if we had a reservation. I started freaking out. We HAD to get a taxi soon, or we were going to miss our train! What were we going to do?? Also, did I tell you it was FREEZING! This just made things worse, because I am not a good cold weather person. Well, finally, to our relief, other water taxis started arriving. We actually got ours before the people that made reservations! Thankfully, we got to sit inside the boat, and we took our last little journey down the Grand Canal.

 

We made it to the train station, found our car and put our luggage in the storage area in the front of the car....More success! We can do this!

 

We found our seats and could relax for a while...little did we know that getting off the train would not be so easy!

 

ItalyandMediterraneanCruise124_zps1969f7e9.jpg

 

Once we made it to Florence, so many other people had boarded with luggage that ours was now buried in a sea of suitcases and, y'all remember that when I left the U.S. mine weighed 49 lbs. It now weighed more, since I had emptied my carry on stuff in it. Katie's and Corrie's weren't much lighter. What made the situation even worse was that there was also a limited amount of time for us to dig and retrieve it, since others were trying to get on while we were trying to get off. We were again panicing! Katie was the first to retrieve hers. We told her that we would pass ours to her as she got off. Corrie's was the second we retrieved. People were boarding. We were digging. Unknown to Corrie and me, when Katie got Corrie's and had her own as well, she got off balance and if not for the wonderful people of Florence, she would have done a face plant on the tracks! Those waiting to get on actually caught her and then passed her luggage (including Corrie's) down to her! Relief, we had made it to Florence and with no facial injuries!

 

Waiting for our taxi to take us to our hotel.

ItalyandMediterraneanCruise125_zps4b7288dd.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ireallyneedavacation

Ireallyneedavacation

Posted
  • Author
Posted

We stayed at the Torre Guelfa Hotel and LOVED it! It was built around 1260 and has a tower that you can climb for fabulous views of Florence. It also has a huge entrance door. You have to be buzzed in, so it is very safe.

 

 

A pic from the tower....

 

ItalyandMediterraneanCruise281_zps156968cf.jpg

 

The stairs going up to the tower....

 

ItalyandMediterraneanCruise282_zps87885670.jpg

 

The huge front entrance...

 

ItalyandMedCruise1276_zpscb64759b.jpg

 

Our room...

 

ItalyandMediterraneanCruise127_zps1ffa0de4.jpg

 

Our bathroom was also big, except the shower was tiny. It worked, though! I forgot to take a picture of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ireallyneedavacation

Ireallyneedavacation

Posted
  • Author
Posted

After we checked in, we headed out for a little sightseeing before our bicycle tour that evening.

 

Walking into Piazza del Duomo to see Giotto's Bell Tower, Duomo- Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Basilica was absolutely breathtaking. I had never seen anything like it.

 

 

ItalyandMediterraneanCruise147_zpsbedc751d.jpg

 

ItalyandMediterraneanCruise143_zpsc9034461.jpg

 

ItalyandMediterraneanCruise146_zps83ba37d3.jpg

 

ItalyandMediterraneanCruise152_zps9a7a3ee0.jpg

 

ItalyandMediterraneanCruise151_zps203087b8.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ireallyneedavacation

Ireallyneedavacation

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The next thing on our agenda was to visit to the Galileo Science Museum. They actually have two of his fingers on display in a jar! No pictures inside but here are some pictures of the outside sites on the way, including the outside of the Uffizi Gallery.

 

19fb5cdd-a3e6-41c6-ac39-499d106d9f6b_zpse9c5ef53.jpg

 

Having a little trouble, again. Posting this one just to be safe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bbfgator

bbfgator

Posted
Posted

So very happy to have found this review :). Just booked NOS for 5/5 so am really looking forward to your every post!

 

Now, just so you'll know....I'm a southern girl too and my next door neighbor is from Alabama and is an Auburn fan. So I give her a "War Eagle" every so often and she gives me a "Go Gators" and she's the best neighbor ever...but that Roll Tide thing just doesn't work for either one of us :).

Take care and thanks for entertaining us!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...