Live from Equinox! May 20-June 1. Venice to Barcelona

[AZ ParrotHead]

Ciao!

 

Greetings from Venice. I am going to attempt a Live thread for the first time during our 12 day Venice to Barcelona adventure on Equinox. Ours will be the second cruise post dry dock so we hope to bring you the latest on Gastropub and other improvements made to the ship. Please send us your questions and we will be happy to respond as our limited Internet budget allows!

 

Background:

 

We are a party of 4 on our second European Cruise. We did RCCL Mariner from Rome 3 years ago to Greece and Southern Italy. DW and I (53 and 34) and my parents (70 and 60) are in AQ. We have private excursions booked in most ports and will comment on them as we experience the adventures. This cruise celebrates our anniversary, and Mom and Dad's birthdays. I am Jonathan, my wife is Sheryl, parents names are Dennis and Diane.

 

Pre-Cruise

 

This has been quite the adventure! Sheryl and I had originally planned to fly from our home in Phoenix to Milan on Thursday, May 15 and arrive on the 16th. A Good Samaritan on our roll call let us know that the Milan airport had a planned labor strike for Friday. I called AA and talked them into letting us change our tickets even though they didn't have the strike officially planned for yet. This took 4 phone calls, and a letter to the CEO but they finally did the right thing and agreed to alter our itinerary. The best they could do was a flight to Rome on Wednesday but hey, we made it! (By the way, AA DID cancel our original flight, so changing was the right call!)

 

Day 1

 

We changed our car rental to pick it up in Rome and drove north to Orvieto for lunch. Orvieto was on the Amazing Race this season and is known for its duomo and ancient medieval walled city on a hill. It is a charming, beautiful place with a unique vibrancy. It gets a lot of tourists so expect bus crowds if you are there in the afternoon. We spent 2.5 hours there and were able to walk the whole city and have a meal. Its not a big place. If you are visiting during a cruise stop, plan on 2 hours tops and add a couple of other locales during the day.

 

After Orvieto, we drove another hour north to Arezzo for the night. Arezzo is known for its famous medieval festival and jousting tournament held each June. It too has walls and a well preserved historic center. Unlike Orvieto, it is not on the itinerary of most tour companies so you get to experience the real flavor of the city with many more local Italians than American tourists!

 

I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is clean, well lit, safe and compact enough to see in a few hours. We had a fantastic meal of risotto and pasta surrounded by bantering Italians who obviously lived in the city. A real cultural experience.

 

I am top tier with Marriott and Hilton so most of our hotel nights on this trip are on points. We opted to select the AC Hotel Arezzo as there were rooms available for a mere 15000 pts per night. AC is a newer Marriott chain on par with Courtyard. The rooms are sleek, modern and functional although free internet is only available in the lobby. I was impressed with the size of the room, the quality bedding and the upscale and trendy decor. The staff was efficient and friendly as one would expect at a Marriott. All in all, a great place to stay the night and we will look to AC the next time we are traveling abroad.

 

Day 2. Arezzo to Modena and Milan

 

We got up around 9 and I worked out in the hotel gym for an hour. We jumped in the car after cleaning up and drove 2 hours to Modena for lunch and touring. I chose Modena because we will be visiting Pisa and Florence during the cruise. Modena is a medieval city with a bustling downtown full of students. We enjoyed sitting at a cafe and watching the college kids converse about politics, art, and religion. In English.

 

That's right. Not to burst your bubble, but in case you didn't know English is langua prima here in Italy. There is a 99 percent chance that everyone you encounter will speak some level of English. I have tried, in vain, to use my poor French and Italian throughout the trip. The people just smile, listen, and answer right back in better English than what you speak. When you observe people speaking at Cafés chances are they are conversing in English, especially if there is a person from another country in the circle. Everyone speaks English. It's just the way it is.

 

After Modena, and buying some good balsamic at a local shop, we drove north to Milan. Here is where we picked up our original itinerary and had a nice dinner in a bustling local neighborhood near the Centrale train station. Once again, we stayed at an AC on points and were not disappointed. The AC in Milan is centrally located to the train station and metro and offers both garage and street parking. I would happily make it my first choice the next time I am in the city.

 

A note on Milan. Some have said it has lost its charm as most of the old city was destroyed and rebuilt after the war. I have to agree with this. The city reminded me of Frankfurt: a focus on business and economy. Unlike ugly Frankfurt however, the Italians rebuilt their city to be like Paris. There are wide sidewalks, tree lined boulevards and high end shopping next to buzzing cafés. If you consider yourself an urbanite you should consider visiting Milan. It is young,vibrant and clean. For us, we found it to be too much like the cities we travel to regularly for business so we eagerly left the city the next morning in search of something more.....vacation-y.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[agathasmum]

Looking forward to reading more about your trip. Bon Voyage!

[AZ ParrotHead]

Day 3

 

We awoke to another glorious day in Italy. The weather has been phenomenal. Sunny, warm (highs in the mid 70s) and clear. The original plan was to bum around Milan but both Sheryl and I were eager to get going up north to Lake Como.

 

Once again, I worked out in the gym. Italians are impatient, by nature, and the gentlemen who showed up while I was in the the middle of my run on the treadmill made it clear that he expected me to get off so he could use it. He did this by walking around the treadmill while I was on it, looking at how long I had been on it, and then jumping on the bike next door and staring at me while I blissfully ignored him.

 

In the US, this would have earned him a kick in the head or a toss out the door but here in Italy it is par for the course. Americans, by nature (like me) don't put up with this kind of BS--especially during our personal exercise time. Suddenly, I felt very energetic and the lethargy from too much wine and pasta the night before seemed to disappear. In fact, I felt good enough to do two extra miles that morning....while he waited.

 

After my run and shower, we skipped breakfast at the hotel and jumped in the car for the drive north. We needed gas and coffee so we stopped at one of the AutoGrill rest areas on the Autostrada. What a place! It looked like an international airport with shopping, restaurant, cafe, and clean facilities. I enjoyed a cappuccino and a croissant that was better than the previous 2 hotels--on the side of the highway!

 

A note on driving in Italy:

 

As I noted above, the Italian culture is impatient by nature and that extends to their driving especially. This manifests itself by insanely fast driving on the Autostrade and the annoying habit of sneaking up in your rear view mirror and flashing you to get out the way. When you think about it this makes total sense: the majority of Italians get up in the morning, standup at a coffee bar, slurp rocket fuel--errr espresso--in 90 seconds and get in their cars and go. Where is that caffeine supposed to go? You got it...straight to the gas pedal.

 

Oh gas, almost forgot, if you rent a car get a diesel. They are much more fuel efficient, quieter, and most have turbochargers.

 

So, if you are going to drive successfully you need to be mentally prepared for this. The speed limit is 83MpH and most people cruise well above that. Apparently all Italians order their cars with warp speed in order to get to the traffic jam first.

 

One other thing I have observed from driving throughout Italy for 5 days: people who drive Audis are the worst. If you see an Audi in your rear view mirror, get the heck out of the way. Did you know that when you drive an Audi you are legally allowed to cruise 30MPH faster than everyone else? And tailgate whomever you'd like? Neither did I. Next time I'm asking Avis for an A8.

 

In all seriousness though I have driven throughout Europe and certainly Italy is the fastest country I have driven in. It's not especially scary once you figure out how everyone goes. But, it is very very tiring. I found that driving 2 hours in Italy made me as tired as driving 5 in the states. So the key to being safe and successful is frequent stops and keep the distances between overnights small. Do that and you will be just fine.

 

We drove to the city of Como and saw our first glimpse of Lake Como. We were there on Market Saturday so we perused the many stalls of everything from women's bras to artisan cheese and wine. Como is a bustling town and the stepping off point for adventures further north up lake. It gets many many bus tourists and I found it to be as crowded as Verona and Venice. The old city is walled with narrow streets, funky shops, and grand piazzas. Despite the crowd, we found a table at a pizzeria over looking the lake and had a nice lunch staring at the magnificence of the view--both people and nature.

 

Around 3 we drove north to Bellagio. Lake Como is shaped like an upside down Y and Bellagio is located right between the legs. It is a major lake ferry port and has both passenger ferries and car ferries to other towns on the lake. It is known for its shopping and breathtaking vistas.

 

To say Bellagio is beautiful would be doing it an injustice. Words cannot describe its charm and grace. We stayed at the hotel metropole right in town and took advantage of the hotels sweeping rooftop deck to sit and admire the glorious views. I don't sit down for long. That's just not me. But, in Bellagio, I literally sat in a lounge chair on the roof sipping wine for 3 hours watching in awe as the setting sun consistently made the mountains and the lake change. It was like watching a ballet, courtesy of nature. I am not spiritual person but witnessing the calm serenity from that seat made me wonder at how amazing our world truly is.

 

That evening, after the day tourists left, Bellagio became much quieter and peaceful. We walked the city and did a little shopping and enjoyed a dinner at one of the many fine restaurants in town. We went to bed that night knowing that we were not done with Bellagio and that we would return one day to experience the beauty and peace again.

 

 

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[Sandy1975]

Subscribing because im interested in equinoxes after dry dock. Also, any info on the Beverage Package will be appreciated!

[TommyD3]

It would be great you could post a picture of the menu at the new Gastropub after you get onboard:) Thanks.

[Christine Frances]

This is facinating:D Thank you so much for your detailed descriptions and I am really looking forward to the next installment!

[Cruising89143]

Thanks for the "live" review. We will be boarding the EQ as you debark. Have a great cruise.

[AZ ParrotHead]

We have the package and are planning on upgrading. Will include info.

[AZ ParrotHead]

It would be great you could post a picture of the menu at the new Gastropub after you get onboard:) Thanks.

 

Will do.

[Biker19]

Ciao!

 

A note on Milan. Some have said it has lost its charm as most of the old city was destroyed and rebuilt after the war. I have to agree with this. The city reminded me of Frankfurt: a focus on business and economy. Unlike ugly Frankfurt however, the Italians rebuilt their city to be like Paris. There are wide sidewalks, tree lined boulevards and high end shopping next to buzzing cafés. If you consider yourself an urbanite you should consider visiting Milan. It is young,vibrant and clean. For us, we found it to be too much like the cities we travel to regularly for business so we eagerly left the city the next morning in search of something more.....vacation-y.

 

Some may disagree with you on that one.....:cool:

[Tommy3putts]

Hope you are successful with your live report.

[cruzin4sun]

Hi. Subcribing. Can't wait to read more. Will you please let us know if Blu is open for lunch when you embark? Thanks.

[shoelover536]

:D Thank you for this review! We are on the almost identical cruise in September.

 

Can you answer (when you have time) which nights (and which port the ship was in that day if applicable) the formal nights were on? Our Sept. cruise is 13 nights so slightly different, but I'm trying to figure out when to book our specialties - want to avoid booking them on a formal night.

 

Many thanks and I will be following along!

[Classynfun1]

Loving your review....you and your family are definitely my type of travelers! Looking forward to more!

[wallie5446]

It would be great you could post a picture of the menu at the new Gastropub after you get onboard:) Thanks.

 

We have the menu! Now please, please, just a picture or two or the finished area!:D

Edited May 19, 2014 by wallie5446

[sewon]

Love your review. We also loved Lake Como when we spent a few days there; your description of Bellagio is superb. IMHO Milan was a good day trip from Lake Como to see The Last Supper and the Duomo.

Looking forward to pictures of Equinox.

[TeaBag]

Your review is amazing. It's like being there with you. We will definitely have to see Bellaggio, as it sounds wonderful. We have driven from Rome to Sicily and back twice, so we enjoyed your description of the driving. Spot on!

[bryjohn]

We are on youf ship 1st June from Barcelonacan u please let me know what the classic drinks Package is like if you have time or even a photo of it. Thanks

[TommyD3]

We have the menu! Now please, please, just a picture or two or the finished area!:D

 

We have a menu posted by "Celebrity Cruises" with the comment that it was not finalized. One of the wines I am interested in was listed at the same price per glass as several months ago. Since Celebrity had a recent price increase I am interested to see if it is now significantly more expensive than my premium package limit:confused:

[wallie5446]

We have a menu posted by "Celebrity Cruises" with the comment that it was not finalized. One of the wines I am interested in was listed at the same price per glass as several months ago. Since Celebrity had a recent price increase I am interested to see if it is now significantly more expensive than my premium package limit:confused:

 

I see, sorry. They posted the 'revised' Classic list on another thread this morning.

[AZ ParrotHead]

Day 4.

 

We awoke to sunshine and cool breezes in Bellagio. The town is so very different when the day tourists are not there. I moved the car to an available space and paid for parking through 11. In Bellagio, parking is free from 8pm-8am and you must get a ticket for the other hours. There are also some free spaces marked in white lanes but they are very difficult to find.

 

We spoke to the front desk person and she advised that the best way to get to Verona was through Lecco. That meant driving down the other side of the lake along a road that she advised was "a bit narrow but very pretty". Turns out that was an accurate description. Sheryl and I compared it to the road to Hana on Maui with its twists and turns. What the road to Lecco has that Hana doesn't is cyclists--both bicycle and motorbike--by the hundreds.

 

Italian bicyclists are Italian drivers on the weekdays. So they ride crazy too. Side by side making it impossible for you to pass them safely. The motorbikes are just as bad. The bikers here subscribe to the "space makes lanes" theory of driving. Unfortunately they do Not subscribe to "share the road". I think I had more grey hair at the end of the drive than I did at the beginning. Sheryl enjoyed it though as she got to gaze out the window at the lake while I gazed at the backsides of many ill fitting biking shorts and shirts.

 

Here's another myth I'd like to debunk. Not all European cyclists are thin and sexy. In fact, many are downright ugly. And since the guy to girl ratio on the bikes was like 30 to 1 there weren't even any pleasant distractions on the road! We finally made it to the autostrade and were promptly passed by 6 Audis. In a row.

 

We made it to Verona by lunchtime and parked in the new garages near the city walls. Verona is one of the best examples I've seen of integrating history and life into a functioning unit. The city features an ancient roman amphitheater and coliseum that is still actively used today. When we were there they were setting up for a season of plays, concerts, ballets, and operas in the original place where gladiators once fought to the death. There is high end shopping throughout the city and a series of charming palazzos and cafés.

 

When we were there it was very very crowded because of a marathon that morning. The city square was bustling with families on outings, runners, and tourists snapping pictures. Today on the Vaporetto we met a couple who just spent the week there and they said that Sunday was abnormally busy.

 

Truthfully, the crowds turned us off and we made the obligatory stop at Juliet's balcony, took the picture, and, made our way out of town with a stop for gelato. By the way, Juliet's balcony is fake. How do we know this? Well, first off, Juliet wasn't a real person. She was a fictional character. So, there's one strike. Secondly, I don't think they had reinforced concrete during the renaissance to hold up balconies. Finally, I don't think Juliet built her house with a gift shop in it. But I could be wrong.

 

Even though all signs pointed to the balcony being "imagineered" by the city of Verona, that didn't stop the 100 people in line from paying 6 euros a piece for thirty seconds on the balcony while their husbands fiddled with the camera and jockeyed to get a clear shot without some other tourist's greasy hair in the picture. To add insult to injury, Juliet's garden has "gone green". You can't leave a note anymore. Instead, you can use a grease pencil and scribble a note to Juliet on her whiteboard--that they power wash every night. Not kidding at all.

 

We made the drive to Venice and got to our hotel at about 500. We are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn in Mestre. You are asking yourself: why would this idiot choose to stay outside of Venice??

 

Let me answer. Bags. We are packed for three weeks and a cruise. That involves 3 bags (now 6 with the glass we bought in Murano). Venice is a charming city with BRIDGES and CANALS. See the problem here? The HGI offers free parking and is 2 stops on the bus to Piazzale Roma-- the hub of Venice transportation. The bus stop is literally in front of the hotel and it takes 6 minutes on the bus to get to Venice. In addition they have nice things like free internet, a gym, a pool and new rooms. Tomorrow when we head to the ship we can grab an inexpensive cab right to the terminal. If you are starting in Venice, you should consider this hotel. It's a great choice. We have been highly impressed. Oh, and the rooms are available on points.

 

We took the bus to the city and planned on taking the No 1 Vaporetto through the grand canal to St Marks. We ended up on the wrong boat and took the long way around in the middle of the channel past the cruise ships. Here's what we learned: check the dock assignment! The Vaporetti are marked with their routes and the docks are too. Look for it. The attendants on the boat aren't the most helpful and don't announce routes or stops. You just sorta have to know what's going on.

 

When we got to St Marks the main tourists had cleared out of the city and we got to enjoy the beauty and the majesty of the plaza. Truly a dream come true. The original plan was to take a gondola ride but after our long Vaporetto ride, we needed a break from boats. We meandered throughout the city for a couple of hours and found a restaurant that looked promising. We sat on the terrace next to a canal and sipped wine pinching ourselves that we had actually made it to Venice.

 

After dinner we got lost but eventually made out way on foot back to Piazzelle Roma. Another efficient bus ride and 10 minutes later we were in the hotel lobby sipping limoncello and gushing about the day. Sheryl was tired but I was wired. So I did what any good husband does: laundry. I am happy to say we now have enough clean underwear to get us through until the "laundry bag" special day in the middle of the cruise!

 

More tomorrow. Ciao!

[Pushka]

Thankyou for your reports.

[Chazteach1]

Don't you just love Venice?!!

 

We did a ore cruise last year to Lake Como and went to Bellagio.... Absolutely lovely! Had a great guide the whole trip! We stayed at the Hilton Stucky across the canal near the port! A very nice room and view!

 

Thanks for your reports. Can't wait to board EQ in late June!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app - My next cruise - Equinox - B2B 6/2014

[SkystheLimit]

Some may disagree with you on that one.....:cool:

I'm with you about Milan. Didn't expect much but a large modern city. We were pleasantly surprised on our first visit. There is plenty of history to see. The Duomo is worth the visit alone.

[SkystheLimit]

We are loving the review. Thank you for posting. I appreciate the driving instructions. Might not work for us as we can't drive in Atlanta without arguing.

 

Have a wonderful trip. Believe Gail and Marty are on your trip. We sailed with them a couple of years ago on the Equinox. Great fun!

 

MJ