Just returned Millennium Oct 5-17

[alinehu]

Mountainmare

I feel the same way!! I always tell that to my friends.In some way is bad!!I dont Like to feel that way>I always warn my friends also.

Since I'm still checking this board I feel it only fair to warn you. Cruising the Med and exploring Europe is addictive. We are less than a month from a Caribbean cruise and I haven't even started packing yet. When people ask where we are going I am guilty of saying "just the Caribbean".

Now I'm pouring over itineraries and looking at Turkey, Greece and maybe Egypt--you know the old saying--"How are you going to keep them down on the farm......"

 

Mountainmare

I feel the same way!! I always tell that to my friends.In some way is bad!!I dont Like to feel that way.I always warn my friends also.Does it ever go away??? Its been a year and a half since my Med cruise and I cant let go!

Always dreaming about the next one.So Im not alone...

:confused:

[mountainmare]

I was just trying to remember some details for the next trip that I'm planning now and lost my journal!!!! Glad I have a copy here.

[Jade13]

Regarding Liverno - Does anyone now if this was the same Claudio (who sent Roberto) that is highly written up on these boards? He is out of Rome.

[Jade13]

Regarding Liverno - Does anyone know if this was the same Claudio (who sent Roberto) that is highly written up on these boards? He is out of Rome.

 

I meant to ask if this is Claudio from limoinrome where you had an issue in Rome with roberto and the guide? What ever happened?

[mountainmare]

Jade--yes it was Claudio and he did write back to me when I complained, explaining that both his van was broken and he got sick for a full week. He also said that we should have asked to speak with him directly when Roberto called him from the port--but with tempers running high and Roberto screaming into the phone that just didn't come to mind.

With Claudio's reputation this was just a strange unfortunate incident.

My advice was ---even though you plan over a year in advance, don't expect things to go without a hitch. And in our case the Vatican guide was a waste of money. We still had to stand in line (as a matter of fact we lost time waiting for him) and as I said--he double dipped. So if you opt for the Vatican guide, ask very clearly about the lines and what you can expect.

Just so you know that things happen with any guide--another cruise critic group had arranged for a guide in Naples, who textmessaged them that morning that he wasn't going to show up--they had something like 12 people signed up.

 

Yet another cc group had Claudio give a substitue guide for Florence--and they loved the guide and had a fabulous time.

 

Our guide (through Claudio) for Florence was Fabrizio who we loved and are considering him either for airport transportation or maybe to drive us to port seeing Tarquinia on the way.

 

I'm giving Rome another chance for three days next Feb--this time we'll really see the Forum!!! This wasn't a case to slam Claudio or ruin his busness, just to let people know that sometimes things go wrong no matter how good the person's reputation is.

[veramoore]

Mountainmare ,

 

Do you think it is possible to do all this on our own with 7 people, two of which are children?

I am feeling stressed now as I am doing the planning for this family trip. I'm finding the shore excursions so very expensive for a group, yet trying to find our way in a group scary!

Also some of us have been to Rome and Florence and would like to go somewhere else, don't see other tours tho!

Any help appreciated.

 

Sharon

[mountainmare]

For our trip next year to Greece, Turkey and Egypt a family of seven including three teenagers who we met on our last cruise is also coming. They also are concerned about the price of ship tours and are hoping to most things on their own.

Use the search function here for each port and also go to other websites (like portreviews and tripadvisor) for advice. I always say to go to your library and take out as many guidebooks as you can.

For me, the best thing about traveling is just to be in a different place, so while in some ports everyone is flooding into tour buses and private vans, maybe you can just expore the town--Villefranche comes to mind as one stop the is perfect for this. Don't forget to check out the ports section (not the boards) of cruise critic also!!!

You don't say the age of the children, but I would say that with careful planning and a less is more attitude you will have a wonderful time.

[mountainmare]

This is for Olga on Costa--I can't figure out how to do the link thing.

[Tyger350]

On the Santorini beaches do they have a place where you can shower off the saltwater? Tony

[mountainmare]

The Black Beach has little changing kiosks and water, it is in a wonderful little village with cafes and little shops along the waterfront. The Red Beach is an adventure. You have to walk over a path along red cliffs to get to the beach, there is a little beach shack that has food and you can rent chairs there but it is more rustic. Do a general search on the web, on one of the Santorini tourism sites there was a detailed desciption of all the beaches, where they were, what kind of beach it was and what was there. The two we went to are the most famous, I cannot recommend the experience of Red Beach enough--along with the drive to the lighthouse (they are on the same part of the island). If Akatori (or whatever) is ever open again, Red Beach is right by the entrance.