Carnival Pride 10-day cruise to (Pompeii), (Mt. Etna), Mykonos, Santorini, Athens, Olympia, Turkey, plus train around Italy

[IntrepidFromDC]

I was STUNNED to find Manarola even more beautiful than Riomaggio!

[IntrepidFromDC]

A couple pics of ladies boutiques for the ladies. I am happy to report a much better balance of shopping (i.e., mix of boutiques,  t-shirt shops, bars and trattorias, souvenir shops,  etc.) than in Positano. 

[ninjacat123]

10 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

From the peak,  these are photos looking back at Riomaggiore and forward to Corniglia. We can't see Manarola because the mountain is so steep it is vertically below me.

That trail is definitely "hike at your own risk".  Yikes! 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Manarola Stazione. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

A fisherman in Manarola prepares his rigging for tomorrow. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

More pics of beautiful Manarola including a natural spring and prickly pear cactus bearing fruit. Plus, the entrance to the train station - another tunnel under a mountain.  On to Vernazza! I'm hungry after that early hike!  I sustained a bloody injury on the hiking trail but I will spare you the pic. My daughter will not be so lucky. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Just off the train from Manarola to Vernazza.  They run every 10 minutes or so and are always packed. About 4 or 5 minutes between villages. 

[backbiter]

5 hours ago, maluhia87 said:

We brought a bottle of Amaretto and wines in Civitavecchia without any issues. I'll let you know after we get more at the stops if there are problems. 

There were serious beer shortages on the Pride last week. I believe they ran out of Red Frog beer (all varieties), and certainly had no more cans of wheat beer (Blue Moon or Paulaner), which is my drink of choice. I found some bottles on sale in Athens and had no problems bringing them back on board to see me through the last few days on the ship.

The Sports Bar did find a couple of cans of Caribbean Wheat which I gratefully purchased, but overall, in 20 years  i've never experienced a cruise with so many items running out.

[IntrepidFromDC]

My pre-vacay research yielded that the regional pasta of Liguria, and especially Cinque Terre, is "trofie", which I had never heard of before.  Some Italian food becomes famous in the US, others not so much.  I ordered homemade trofie with homemade pesto for lunch,  plus a parma ham and fresh mozzarella sandwich as backup, or to eat on the train to Parma tomorrow.  Both were amazing! Oh, a couple Italian margaritas may have helped. I wish I had one more day in Cinque Terre! 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Vernazza!

[IntrepidFromDC]

Monterosso seen from the Vernazza beach. I  had lunch in Monterosso after getting off the ferry just yesterday.  It feels like a week ago.  You know that feeling you sometimes get on an amazing, over-stimulating vacation,  where time warps and loses meaning? Yeah, that feeling. 🙂

[IntrepidFromDC]

[IntrepidFromDC]

I found my excursion kiosks in Vernazza,  plus some shops. Took the train back to my airbnb in Riomaggiore (highly recommend) and so I'm done posting until later. Dinner at La Torpedine tonight,  I'm so psyched! I don't want to leave Cinque Terre! 

[IntrepidFromDC]

1 hour ago, backbiter said:

There were serious beer shortages on the Pride last week. I believe they ran out of Red Frog beer (all varieties), and certainly had no more cans of wheat beer (Blue Moon or Paulaner), which is my drink of choice. I found some bottles on sale in Athens and had no problems bringing them back on board to see me through the last few days on the ship.

The Sports Bar did find a couple of cans of Caribbean Wheat which I gratefully purchased, but overall, in 20 years  i've never experienced a cruise with so many items running out.

One of the casino supervisors said a large shipment of a wide variety of items including arugula and alcohol arrived late and we sailed without it. Soon after embarkation I was at Alchemy and at least five people couldn't have their first choice. I recall the bartender saying there were no amaretto and other bar staples onboard. Later someone said that I shipment was following us but missed us in Mykonos and Ephesus too.

[lennythenose]

7 hours ago, maluhia87 said:

We brought a bottle of Amaretto and wines in Civitavecchia without any issues. I'll let you know after we get more at the stops if there are problems. 

Was this at embarkation or a port day?  If at embarkation did carry it all on or put in your checked bag?  We are boarding in Lisbon and bringing our 2 bottles of wine for the cruise but hoping to bring some port and liqueur to take home but didn’t know if possible. 

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, lennythenose said:

Was this at embarkation or a port day?  If at embarkation did carry it all on or put in your checked bag?  We are boarding in Lisbon and bringing our 2 bottles of wine for the cruise but hoping to bring some port and liqueur to take home but didn’t know if possible. 

Yes you can. Just make sure you have the appropriate bubble wrap/packing materials to properly protect the bottles in your check luggage. There are special bubble wrap sleeves especially for wine bottles on Amazon. 

[NCTribeFan]

Not all women who cruise (and we aren't all "ladies" either 🤣 ) do so to shop.  This one could not care less about shopping in ports.

 

I did buy a nice red leather bag while in Venice prior to the Vista inaugural sailing, but that was a planned purchase.  I'll look around for another bag while in Rome, but I definitely do not frequent the shops in the ports.  I don't buy souvenirs.  I don't buy cheap t-shirts.  Or magnets.  Or shot glasses.  My house already has too much junk in it.

 

And packing space, when you're going to be gone for over a month, is already at a premium.

 

Now, buying alcohol and consuming while on the trip is a different situation entirely. 😁

 

They better not run out of beer!!  But with our 17 ports, I shouldn't have any trouble finding adult beverages to purchase and carry on.  Just in case!

[IntrepidFromDC]

[IntrepidFromDC]

Dinner was very good but not WOW. I enjoyed the trofie pesto from lunch so much I got it again.  Octopus was delicious, nice char and wood-smoked flavor. 

[emm126]

Wow your pictures are amazing! I have never been to Cinque Terre definitely putting it on my bucket list. I think I would pass on the trofie pesto though, looks like worms to me- ha. I am sure it was delicious. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

[IntrepidFromDC]

2 hours ago, emm126 said:

Wow your pictures are amazing! I have never been to Cinque Terre definitely putting it on my bucket list. I think I would pass on the trofie pesto though, looks like worms to me- ha. I am sure it was delicious. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

When we were little we said the same thing about spaghetti,  remember?  I see a little trofie in your future!  😁 🏴‍☠️

[IntrepidFromDC]

11 hours ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

Goodbye Cinque Terre!  I left some of my heart with you.  

 

Today is a travel day, mostly.  Train from Riomaggiore to La Spezia. Train from La Spezia to Pontremoli. Bus from Pontremoli to Berceto, train from Berceto to Parma.  With this route I  get to see much of the countryside of Tuscany I haven't been to before. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

4 connections successfully completed,  I just checked into the Novotel Parma Centro. Like in Pisa, it's directly across the street from the train station. From Cinque Terre to Berceto it was mountains, mostly uninhabited. Mountains ended abruptly after Berceto (pronounced "Barcheto" with a hard "a"). I'm refreshing my memory on the self-guided walking tour, then will be off.

[jimbo5544]

Love Cinque Terra , you have one fantastic trip going there

[IntrepidFromDC]

Parma Centrale Stazione on the left, my hotel on the right.  Allows me to take the guesswork out of "What time do I REALLY need to leave for the train station?"