Celebrity Edge - Italy, France, Spain Trip Report

[terrydtx]

Love your reports and pictures, we did the same as you, last August with 3 days in Rome and then a 12 night cruise on the Reflection of Italy, Croatia and Greece. We also were in a party of 4, my sister and her husband. It was also so hot in Rome, over 100F but we are all from South Texas and use to the heat. We ended up being gone over 30 days as we traveled to Florence then Venice and got on another cruise in Venice for 14 days to Greece.

Edited July 25, 2023 by terrydtx

[dsa181920]

Embarkation Day

The earliest boarding time I was able to get was 12:00.   This worked out well with our transfer which was supposed to arrive at 10:00.  We had time to have breakfast in the hotel and check out.  Our driver stopped for a photo stop at the top of a hill overlooking Rome. 

 

 

 

Soon we were on our way to the port at Civitavecchia.  We arrived at the port around 11:30.    We were able to check our bags at the pier and proceeded into the terminal.  This was the easiest and quickest boarding experience we have ever had for a cruise.  We moved through security and were given a boarding number.  In less than 5 minutes, our number was called.

 

 

We were able to drop our carry-on bags in the room and then went to enjoy lunch in the buffet.  It was crowded up there, but we were able to find a table.  During lunch the announcement was made that the rooms were ready.  We usually have a balcony room, but we haven’t used the balconies much on the last few cruises.  We tend to get together with my sister and her husband in one of the bars or common areas.  We decided to try a Deluxe Oceanview Room.  We had room 9109 and really liked this room. It had a sitting area by the front window and the room was larger than a typical balcony room.  We were able to enjoy the view as we came into ports without being outside in the heat.  Our room was on the port side and my sister had an identical room on the starboard side.

 

 

While we were unpacking, my sister put some door decorations on our doors.  Later in the cruise, a lady told me she always looked for our door decoration to ensure she was in the right hallway to her room.  I didn’t have the heart to tell her that there was a similar decoration on the door in the starboard hallway.  

 

 

 

We took some time to explore the ship and then had dinner in the Cosmopolitan.  We were assigned table 354 and had the early seating.  We had wonderful service in this restaurant. Our sommelier was great and used this first night to get to know what we liked in wines.   My sister and I each ordered a cappuccino after dinner and Allan, the assistant waiter, brought one to us each night the rest of the week. Each of the main dining rooms has a specialty section on the menu which goes with the theme of the restaurant.  When my sister asked our waiter what we needed to do if we wanted to try the other dining rooms during the week, she encouraged us to stay in the Cosmopolitan.  She told us to pull up any of the menus and let her know what we wanted, and she would bring it to us.  My favorite dessert in this restaurant was the carrot cake.  It was a twist on the traditional version.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After dinner we explored the ship some more and went to the show which was a comedian, Phil Tag.  He was pretty good and kept the audience laughing.

 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2023 by dsa181920

[hcat]

Great  review...thanks for sharing.very nice cabin choice!

 

on our Beyond cruise to the Carib,, we were in an elev with 100 % folks from all over in  Fla... either yr round  residents or Snowbirds!

 

Hope you try the other mdrs? ..Tuscan ( our favorite)  and Cyprus are smaller and each  has unique decor and ambiance. We also enjoyed Normandie...  Ate breakfast and lunch in Cosmo a few times..

[dsa181920]

Cruise – Day 2  Ajaccio, Corsica, France

We arrived in Ajaccio around 8:00 in the morning.  This town was the birthplace of Napoleon.  Doug and I had researched the port and watched some videos, so we decided to walk around the port on our own.  This gave us time to have a leisurely breakfast which was served in the Cypress restaurant.   By the time breakfast was over, we were able to leave the ship without waiting in line.  As we left the terminal area, we headed left along the sea wall. We walked to the Citadelle D’Ajaccio.  Since it was Sunday there wasn’t much to see inside this area.  It looked like there might be a few shops inside that would be open during the week.  We traveled past a beach which was quickly filling up with people.  The beach area was not very large.  There was a section roped off for swimming.  We walked to the statue of Napoleon which is located in a park area.  Apparently, there was a music concert the day before.  There were tents still set up from the event.   There is a little train that travels around the port.  It passed us several times on our walk.  This might be an option for someone who doesn’t want to walk around the port.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked through the narrow streets of the town.  There are a lot of restaurants and bars with outdoor seating.  It was still early, so most of these had not opened yet.  We went to the Fesch Museum which is an art museum established by Napoleon’s uncle. The entry fee was reasonable, and it was air conditioned.  It has three floors of Italian paintings.   It was a nice way to cool off and enjoy some artwork.

 

 

 

Before returning to the ship, we walked through the local market. There were a lot of cured meats and cheeses in this market.  My husband is in the restaurant business, so he thoroughly enjoyed this.

 

 

 

Doug and I returned to the ship while my sister and her husband explored the port a little more.  Doug and I had purchased the week pass to the thermal suite, so we spent about an hour in there.  We purchased the pass on the first day when they offered it for a discount.  The thermal suite has heated loungers, a sauna, a crystal room, a salt room, rain showers, steam bath, and some floating chairs.  After leaving the thermal suite, we checked out the solarium.  The pool in the solarium is smaller than the ones on the S class ships.  There is one hot tub in this area.  There are two more at the outside pool deck.

 

 

 

We met up with Vicki and Jeff again at dinner which was in the Cosmopolitan.  Our server, Jennylyn told us about two chef’s specials which were not on the menu.  Doug and Jeff tried those and said they were really good. Vicki and I ordered our appetizer off the Normandie menu.  It was the baked brie and it became our favorite during the week.

 

 

After dinner, we spent some time in the Casino playing the slot machines.  We only spend a small amount each night.  Not much luck this time.    We wrapped up the evening with the evening show: Kaleidoscope with the Theatre Production Cast.

 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

I’ve never seen an ocean view cabin like that. Nice choice!

[curmudgeon98]

On 7/24/2023 at 6:33 PM, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Thanks for posting this!  We will be in Rome next summer on the Equinox so this is just building my anticipation!  Are Uber prices there comparable to here?

In Rome, Uber will normally link to a local taxi, and make payment appropriately.  It can be hard to hail a cab or even find one in cab ranks, so this is helpful.  It also helps to enforce use of the meter, as their are plenty of Rome cab drivers who like to overcharge tourists with "meter off" fares if you get one at a cab rank.

[timandnancy]

I am going on Reflection on September 19, with a stop in La Spezia.

I am going to try taking the train to Cinque Terre on my own, and would be interested if you talk to anyone on your ship who would be trying this, or has done it. Just checking to see if it is as easy as it looks.

Thanks!

Tim

[debfed65]

Hi Tim

 

We have done the Cinque Terre from the port of La Spezia on 2 separate trips.

 

The first time we took the ferry from La Spezia and stopped in 4 out of the 5 fishing villages.  We went to the farthest village first and worked our way back.  But keep in mind that timing is everything by doing it this way!  You don't get much time in each village in order to board the ferry in time to get to the next village, but it is very pretty to do it by sea.  We were there on a weekday so the crowds were manageable.

 

The second time we did it by train, however we were there on a Saturday and it was way too busy to even move around in the villages and the trains were packed. It was very easy to do and much more time efficient to do it by train because the villages are so close.  

 

It really is something to experience and we will definitely do it again if we are back in La Spezia.  Depending on your timing, it is much nicer by ferry and very memorable to approach the villages by sea.  

 

Alternately, you could always ferry out to the furthest village, and then take the train to visit each one the way back.  

 

The first time we were there was a weekday in September 2022...the second time was a Saturday this past May.

 

Hope this helps!  Cheers...Debbie & Ron

[RobertoF]

We took the train from La Spezia to Cinque Terre last month.  It was not difficult taking the train.  The problem was the crowds.  The train platforms and trains were packed solid.  The line to get the Cinque Terre train pass (which includes unlimited access to the trains between the towns and park passes) was super long.  We wound up hiking more between the towns because taking the train was too crowded.  The place was beautiful but the crowds took away a lot of the enjoyment.  The hiking was fun though.

[RobertoF]

Oh, also one other thing I forgot to add: I figured the train ride between the towns in Cinque Terre would be pretty along the hillside and coast, etc.  Unfortunately, most of it is through tunnels so you don't get extended views.  So if you want the views you really have to hike.

[Retiredafter39]

19 minutes ago, RobertoF said:

We took the train from La Spezia to Cinque Terre last month.  It was not difficult taking the train.  The problem was the crowds.  The train platforms and trains were packed solid.  The line to get the Cinque Terre train pass (which includes unlimited access to the trains between the towns and park passes) was super long.  We wound up hiking more between the towns because taking the train was too crowded.  The place was beautiful but the crowds took away a lot of the enjoyment.  The hiking was fun though.

You can purchase the Cinque Terre card online and avoid the lines at the train station. The cost for a one day €18.20, the cats gives you unlimited train and access to the paid trails. 

[RobertoF]

We tried to buy the pass online but the site kept giving us errors.  Maybe we were doing it wrong, I don't know.  Some people also said you could get the pass at the machines but I did not try.  Should have tried the machines ...

[Retiredafter39]

I only use the official websites not third party sites, much better results.

[dsa181920]

On 7/26/2023 at 7:57 PM, NCteacherlovescruising said:

I’ve never seen an ocean view cabin like that. Nice choice!

There is a downside to this room. Whenever the ship tenders instead of docking at the pier, you can gear the anchor being used. It didn’t bother us because we were always awake at that time. However, if you like to sleep in, you will be woken up by the noise and vibration.

 

[vickykay]

Question about the trains between the villages.   Does it involve lot of uphill walking , ie from the station to each village?
 

Also, how are the crowds early Sept ( going ,Sept 2024)?

Thanks!

[jimbri]

Wonderful report and photos.

[RobertoF]

1 hour ago, vickykay said:

Question about the trains between the villages.   Does it involve lot of uphill walking , ie from the station to each village?
 

Also, how are the crowds early Sept ( going ,Sept 2024)?

Thanks!

It varies villiage to villiage, but in general there is a lot of uphill walking because the train stations are usually up the hill and then the town slopes down to sea level.  So when you arrive you walk downhill but then to get back you have to go uphill.  There was a bus at one of the towns that supposedly went to the train station.  We waited at the stop at the bottom of the hill with some other people for a while, didn't see the bus, and decided to just walk it.  In that town (I forget which one) you had to walk uphill and then there were stairs taking you back downhill to the train station.  Because the towns are built on cliffs overlooking the ocean it is very pretty but also steep terrain to walk or hike.

[terrydtx]

14 minutes ago, RobertoF said:

It varies villiage to villiage, but in general there is a lot of uphill walking because the train stations are usually up the hill and then the town slopes down to sea level.  So when you arrive you walk downhill but then to get back you have to go uphill.  There was a bus at one of the towns that supposedly went to the train station.  We waited at the stop at the bottom of the hill with some other people for a while, didn't see the bus, and decided to just walk it.  In that town (I forget which one) you had to walk uphill and then there were stairs taking you back downhill to the train station.  Because the towns are built on cliffs overlooking the ocean it is very pretty but also steep terrain to walk or hike.

Last year we took the train from Florence to Pisa and the train station was almost 2KM from the plaza with the Leaning Tower and while it wasn't uphill it was over 95F and that walk was grueling. You are correct most of the historic towns in Italy were built on hilltops and access has to be by foot from both train and buses. 

[KKB]

On 7/22/2023 at 10:58 AM, dsa181920 said:

I have enjoyed reading many live reviews and trip reports on this site.  I decided to try to write a trip report on my recent sailing on the Celebrity Edge   Hopefully, someone will find some of the information useful.  My sister was celebrating her 60^th birthday and her 40^th anniversary and asked my husband and I to join her for a few days in Rome and then a sailing on the Celebrity Edge to Italy, France, and Spain.

 

Itinerary:

July 8^th – Port Civitavecchia, Italy (Rome)

July 9^th – Ajaccio, Corsica, France

July 10 – Portofino, Italy

July 11 – La Spezia, Italy (Florence/Piza)

July 12 - Cannes, France

July 13 – At sea

July 14 – Palma de Mallorca, Spain

July 15 – Barcelona, Spain

 

We usually sail on the Caribbean and often stay on the ship.  For this cruise, we were going to ports we have never traveled, so we were exploring each day,  

 

Sallie

Loving your TR so far. 

LOVE Eclass--my favs!

DD & I are doing Italy & Greece on NCL next week...we, too, are doing a Trastevere food tour & it looks similar. Colosseum & Vatican sold out (luckily our suite has Colosseum views), so we booked a cooking class the next day. Figure we shall just wander a bit otherwise.

Good to hear your pickpocket stories--good reminders.

[timandnancy]

Thanks everybody for the feedback on going to Cinque Terre from La Spezia.

Debbie & Ron mentioned how busy it was on a Saturday.

We are in La Spezia on a Sunday.

I wonder if all shops will be open, or since that's on a weekend, will it be crowded also?

Thanks!

[dsa181920]

Cruise Day 3 – Portofino, Italy

We arrived in Portofino around 8:00 in the morning. This is a tender port I could hear the anchor being deployed.  We were both up and the noise and vibration did not bother us.  Doug likes to have an early morning cigar, so he was at the smoking area outside of Eden when we arrived.  We did not have any excursions planned so we had breakfast in the Cypress restaurant.  We waited until the tender called for open boarding.  These tenders were a little nicer than some of the others we have seen.  They had individual cushioned seats for everyone. When we arrived at the port, there were restrooms available as you got off the tender.  For those who are interested, it costs 1 Euro to use them.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked past some shops and headed to the left towards Castello Brown.  We followed the path and stopped halfway at the Sint George church.  The left side of the church has been restored.  They were still working on the other half. There is also a cemetery behind the church that you can wander through. 

 

 

 

 

After resting at the church, we continued up the hill to Castello Brown which dates which is 16^th century castle and now a museum.  There was a reasonable fee to go into the castle.  The views of Portofino from this area were well worth the climb. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now it was time to go back down to Portofino.  There were a lot of people on tours on their way up the hill.  We also passed some men who were carrying pieces of a fence up the hill.  That would not be a pleasant job.  When we were back in town, we strolled around some of the shops and stopped at Winterose which is a wine bar.  This place had some good reviews so we were hoping it would be open.  We were a little early, but they allowed us to sit outside while waiting.  This wine bar is right by the water so we had a great view of the boars in the marina.     The wine bar had a special which we all ordered.  For 15 Euros, you got a glass of the wine of the day, a cheese and meat plate, onion jam, olives, and focaccia.  The other tables quickly filled up.  This was a very relaxing way to wind down our time in Portofino.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dsa181920]

After lunch at the Winterose Wine Bar, we went back to the ship.  Doug and I spent some time in the Thermal Suite and solarium. We met Vicki and Jeff at Eden for a drink before dinner.  This became our favorite place for a pre-dinner drink.  There was usually some music during this time.  We enjoyed sitting along the walkway behind the bar.  This area was a little quieter and offered a view of the port or sea.

 

 

 

We had dinner in the Cosmopolitan.  Jowel, our sommelier, had several bottles of wine waiting for us.  He did a great job of pairing the right wines with our food.  We ordered food off the Normandie and Cosmopolitan menus.  After dinner we went to the Casino and played the slot machines for a short time.  The main show was a magician.  We decided to pass on that and watched a game show in the Club and then went back to Eden for a little while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TPCRUISER2]

Following and Enjoying! Could you please share your car service from airport to hotel? And did you use the same service to the port? Thanks in advance!

[vickykay]

Thanks everyone for the information on Cinque Terre.  We had planned on the train a few years ago but cruise was cancelled ( time of Covid). Planning in next fall.  My husband has slight balance issues since back surgery last fall so probably will pass on the train next Sept.  Looking at a tour with Italytours which transports directly to a few towns, minimal walking up and down hills.

 

Very much enjoying your review!
 

 

[dsa181920]

8 hours ago, TPCRUISER2 said:

Following and Enjoying! Could you please share your car service from airport to hotel? And did you use the same service to the port? Thanks in advance!

Our TA arranged the hotels and transfers for us. The transfer in Rome was Pegaso Limos. They were always on time. Nice size vehicles. We had paid in advance so didn’t need to worry about payment.  It was the same company to hotel and then to the port. 

Edited July 29, 2023 by dsa181920