Just Back from Millennium 14 night Med Cruise

[Tony C]

Hey JNLROSE - have fun planning for the Med cruise. I am sure you will love it. We did Florence/Pisa on our May, 2004 cruise. We enjoyed both places, but have no desire to do them again. We did a ship excursion for them and it was about a 10 hour tour -- too long of a day. If you have a private driver, he might be able to take you into Florence in a shorter time and maybe even the Tuscany countryside (not sure how far apart they are). We are going to do the Tuscany countryside this time since we have heard so much about it. We also have a private driver through the same people as you for Rome. There is a lot to see there and we are looking forward to doing it with a private driver -- we did the ship excursion last time. It was great, but again a 10 hour tour. You definitely can do Santorini, Mykonos and Dubrovnik on your own. We are also of the opinion that unless you want to go to some of the other islands like Murano or Burano, you can do Venice on your own. The ship takes you by water bus right to St. Mark's Square which is kind of a focal point to visit the surrounding sights. Only 268 days for me to be there again -- can't wait.

Shirley

[JNLROSE]

Shirley, thanks for the words! My TA is the one who has recommended the drivers both in Florence & Athens--he has personally used them more than once! He also said doing Florence with this driver will definitely allow us more time in Tuscany as well.

 

I have heard that using private drivers is much better not to mention cheaper than the ship sponsored tours. We're not planning on doing any ship tours. We do have one booked on the Mercury in November, but it's a shorter one!

 

We have no plans to do anything else in Venice other than the city, so I'm sure as well we can do it on our own. We're having a lot of fun researching this Europe trip since everything is new to us.

 

Thanks again for the info!

[cherski]

What was your experience bringing liquor on-board for in-cabin-cunsumption? We've always been able to do this when sailing from San Juan (2 bottles each in our carry-ons). There's a duty-free liquor store right at the pier (just for cruise passengers since it's past security).

 

I'm not trying to start a pro/con thread, just asking what your experience was.

 

We'll be doing Venice to Barcelona on October 12th.

 

Thanks,

Cher

[toniwoods]

For us it was not a problem at all either when we first boarded or subsequently when we purchased wine while at the winery in Tuscany (which we ultimately did not consume on board - had planned to crack a bottle in the Olympic, but wound up taking a bottle that someone had sent to us from the Celebrity cellar). Trust me -- on a 14 night cruise, we still wound up purchasing plenty from the bars and sommeliers on board!!

I do imagine however that the situation could possibly be different on each ship.

 

Toni

[tmac]

Hey!

Sounds like you had a wonderful trip! I can't wait! I was wondering what time we can board the ship in Barcelona? Our cruise leaves Monday at 7 p.m. and we are getting in to Barcelona on Friday. We want to be one of the first on board!!

[Tony C]

We had also went to Barcelona a few days before the ship sailed. We were able to board before noon, which was great. Lots of time to unpack and explore the ship before dinner.

[Andym]

We were picked up from the hotel at 11am and were on the ship by 11:20.

Take your swimming things in your hand luggage as our bags were not delivered to our room until 4pm. We were able to go into the T pool by 12 and had the place to ourselves. The buffet opens at 12 and you will be able to drop off your bags into your room although it will not be ready to occupy.

 

We like Toni, had no problems bringing drinks on board. We bought wine and Limoncello and the security although scanning everything, never said a word. We took the wine to the table on several occasions , including the Olympic. We bought some very nice wines at the winery on the Tuscan countryside tour (besides drinking lots whilst there) and the sommellier acknowledged that it was top quality. BTW we never payed corkage in the restaurant. It simply was never charged.

 

Hi Toni

 

Andy

[jezzdogg]

We were on the same ship as Andym and Toni. We were on the ship by 12:30,(embaration was a breeze) and had first bag delivered not 10 minutes after we arrrived in our room, our last bag arrived around 2p.m. A note if you are arriving and sightseeing in Barcelona, the basement of the major department store El Cortez Inglesis(sis) has a grocery store, we stopped and purchased sodas and water to take on the cruises with us, at a fraction of what the ship charges, had the room steward empty the refrig so we could put our things in.

[toniwoods]

We also bought water in Barcelona to bring on board. In addition to El Corte Ingles, there is a nice supermarket right on La Rambla where you can pick up water. My reasoning for this is that I do not like Evian which they sell on board. It is supposed to taste "silky" but to me it tastes slimy. I would like to see good old Poland Spring on board!

 

Another tip - although we laughed at our fellow posters who had started a thread about different things they bring along on a cruise, we took a tip from them and we were positively loving that collapsible cooler I stuck in my suitcase! I filled a bag with ice from my stateroom and we toted that along with us (I used it as a purse as there were sections in the top for a wallet etc.). We sure appreciated having nice cold water on those 100+ degree days in many of the places we went to! We also put washclothes in there, so when the ice melted down, we could stick them in the nice cold ice water and refresh ourselves. It was just sooooo......hot!

 

Toni

[Andym]

Norm and Toni,

Believe it or not Bea has tonsilitis. We have just got back from the doctors. She had a terrible night last night. Now she is on antibiotics it hopefully should clear fast.

We also used the same supermarket as Norma, but to buy toiletries. They are heavy and with the airline luggage restrictions it seemed to make sense. They were cheaper too.

Looking at doing the same cruise next year but in reverse. Just getting some prices.

 

Love to you both.

Toni, How is Sam doing.

[Liat]

We have not been to Pompeii, but people who have done all the Naples scenes recommend Capri & Sorrento over the ruins, unless you are a real Roman archaeology buff. We loved Capri.

The Tuscan countryside is nice, but if

you have limited time - go to Florence.

It is a fairly small city, but has great museums, a lively atmosphere and the world's best gelato.

In Barcelona we stayed at a hotel called Meson Castillo, near the north end of the Rambla; about a 10 Euro cab ride from the pier. It was quite nice, well located and reasonable. For Venice, if you don't get a specific recommendation, you might try tripadvisor.com which has a lot of reviews and ratings. Be prepared for a $200.00 per night minimum cost for a 3 star hotel, and up from there!

[chuckchopper]

Hi there Andy, Bea, Toni, Sam, Norma, Harvey et al.

 

Admittedly, I haven't had a lot of time to search since my return, but ... Just found this thread! ... I was wondering if any of you would be back on the board following our extravaganza. (Silly me ... Is a bear Catholic?)

 

Like all of those above, we had a fabulous time on an incredible itinerary. And we, too, enjoyed the company of the above crowd during our journey. We were surprised at how many times we ran into each other ashore by accident (Particularly in Dubrovnik ... as Andy said ... we probably had as many Cruise Critic members show up impromptu at the entrance to the stairs of the walled city, as came to the on-board CC party!)

 

I find that we are still reeling from the busy port schedule. There really wasn't time to fully absorb and appreciate all that we saw, since each day was so full. And you didn't have much opportunity to reflect back on it, since the next morning just brought a whole new and often quite different experience. We are only now finding the time to mentally review all that we saw, and put things in perspective. I can't say that it was a "relaxing" cruise, because we were always on the go (except for the few sea days), but in the end, I felt like I had been away from work for twice as long as I actually was, because of the amount of experiences that were crammed into that 2 weeks.

 

For me, it was particularly interesting to revisit some of the places that I had last seen 20, and in some cases 35, years earlier. For example, I was a bit disappointed in Mykonos since 20 years ago, it was a really unique; out of the way; quiet; off the beaten track sort of place ... now it seems very busy and commercialized in comparison. Maybe I was just having an "off" day, 'cause, on the other hand, I thought Santorini was spectacular, even though Fira had a very similar collection of shops, etc. to Mykonos.

 

Venice, which I didn't care for 35 years ago, (OK ... I was quite young at the time! ... and I was there in the rain; in a very cold February; the squares were flooded; and I was staying at the Youth Hostel for .50 a night - kind of a different experience!) anyway ... Venice, was one of the major highlights of the trip this time around.

 

I found it difficult to compare the ports as to which was "better" or "the best", as I found most of them to have their own particular uniqueness. There certainly weren't any days that I said "I should have stayed on board today" (although there were a few that I said (to myself, of course), "I should have left my 14 yo son on board today!" ;) ). In retrospect, it was probably sensory overload for him (not to mention us!), but he is now starting to relate his experiences to his friends at school, and I am definately getting the idea that he got more out of the trip than he let on at the time.

 

There were a few ports that, while I found them interesting, I probably saw as much as I needed to in the allotted time, and I am less likely to return there. The bulk of the trip, however, was only a taste of what could be seen in that particular area. I would have gladly spent another couple of days in Barcelona, Florence, Rome, Santorini, Dubrovnik and Venice. I couldn't believe the number of people I met that didn't get off the ship in Livorno because "Pisa only has a tower there" and "Florence was too far away, and we couldn't be back to the ship in time for lunch". Aarrrggg! (To each his own ... perhaps they had a more relaxing cruise than I did. -- After all -- someone has to sit by the pool!) Personally, I was trying to milk every last experience I could out of the trip, as it will probably be a long time before I manage to get back there again. And speaking of special experiences ... too bad you all happened to miss me singing "You make me feel brand new" (in my tux) at the Karaoke while trying to stay up till midnight the night of the grand buffet! :cool: Hmm, ... on second thought, perhaps you were fortunate.

 

I am still in cruise withdrawl, but perhaps reading a few more of your comments will help. Haven't a clue where I will try to go next, but am sadly aware that I will have to pay off a few Visa and Amex bills first. :D

 

Back at work now, but was terribly jetlagged for about a week. Kept waking up at 3 AM and trying to call my room steward for breakfast on the veranda (didn't get it though, Louvain just rolled over and went back to sleep!)

 

All in all, a most memorable experience. It was a pleasure meeting and touring with all of you. If any of you (from the "Olympic 8", that is) are in the Vancouver area, I will expect you to contact me for your very exclusive heli-tour of the sights of the lower mainland (and you thought the views of the dropoff along the Amalfi coast were exciting! :eek: ).

 

I, too, look forward to reading your detailed reviews. I doubt if I will find the time to be as complete and articulate as you folk are likely to be, but perhaps I can add a few comments if they seem appropriate. (Or even if they seem inappropriate, if it will get a laugh!)

 

Cheers ...

 

Lyle, Louvain, and Ben.

 

P.S. Andy ... Hope Bea is feeling better soon. Please pass on to her the following URLs that we were discussing over dinner that night in the Olympic. Sorry to talk business, but they might be of interest to her.

 

www.arrowsmithschool.org

www.processingskills.com

 

P.P.S. Actually, come to think of it, Harvey might be interested in these sites as well. It was an unusual coincidence that out of our small group of 8, brought together from points half way around the world by this board, -- four of us were involved in working with kids with learning disabilities. (Or ... perhaps it wasn't ... do do do do, do do do do <-- Twilight Zone Theme!)

 

P.P.P.S. For the rest of you (including the lurkers) ... the above URLs have nothing to do with cruising, Europe, or holidays ... so don't worry that you were left out of anything!

[JNLROSE]

Phil, so you're saying Pompei can be missed? We've been hearing that from others as well. Would you then recommend just getting the hydrofoil on our own to Capri & Sorrento? How much time would you allow for each? Is there anything else worth seeing in Naples?

 

I've already taken care of Villefranche, Rome, Florence & Athens. I think I know where we're staying in both Barcelona & Venice & we're doing Dubrovnik, Mykonos & Santorini on our own---Naples was my last place to finalize!

Another question for you guys---how hard is it to tote luggage from a water taxi in Venice to your hotel if it isn't right there? The one I'm looking at is like a "block" or so up the street from the drop off point!

[Andym]

Rosie,

I would say that Pompeii cannot be missed. If you have any sort of historical interest in your blood, the experience will completely blow you away. We visited last year with a guide and did a 2 hour tour. We hardly scratched the surface. We returned this year on our own and spent a further 5 hours there and didn't see anything we had seen the year before.

We caught the number 2 bus from the road next to the peir, just negotiate past all the taxi drivers touting for business, the bus stop is on the island in the middle of the road by the shop. Take great care when crossing the road, the drivers in Naples have to be seen to be believed (as a cab driver told us on the return journey from the station $15, Pedestrians - no ploblem, Busses - No problem, traffic lights - no problem, most of the way we had our eyes shut) . When you get off at the train station, the train fare was 9 euros for the two of us return. The trip to Pompeii was busy, but the trip back was very quiet. The train station is right outside the entrance to the site. If you need one you can pick up a guide, either as part of a group or a private one if you want to pay a lot more. They are constantly shouting out for business. These guides are official guides, the only ones allowed in the site. Most private tours from the ship will have guides arranged for you, but some may simply drop you off and arrange a meeting time and place.

[DocJohnB]

We had 13 glasses of the best wine .

 

Andy,

 

One quick question. How the hell did you even know it was the Milennium you were getting back on board that evening. :p :p :p

[Andym]

John,

We went to San Gimignano after the wineary. I know this as we have photo's. No trouble getting back to she ship. The bus took us. The wine was soooooo good, but it did kind of screw the rest of the day up a little. What didi it was that I mentioned that I liked Chianti Clssico and he openned a bottle of his best $95 for me alone.

If you ever get chance, do this tour. There were only just over 20 of us and it was almost like a private tour.

 

Andy

[jezzdogg]

Andy

Hope Bea feels better, send her my love. Sonehow in the confusion I lost you e-mail, so if you can send it along at Jezzdogg@aol.com. (thanks) We are doing next summer the Northern Europe on the Infinity- for us all new countries and to top it off Cirque de Soleil on board.

As Andy has said, do not miss Pompeii - the one thing I would proably miss is Capri, if you do Sorrento you will get the same feeling (we have been in both)

Also, on the early morning with the getaways in the ports Florence, Rome at 7am, order breakfast in your room, it is nice being able to eat out on your balcony while you dock and the feeling of being rush is not as bad.

For those of you still looking for a hotel in Venice, we stayed at the Hotel Ala, what a lovely hotel, the bathrooms were huge, rooms large for Europe in size, wonderful wonderful breakfast, has a private dock for the water taxi's and a vaparetto stop just down the street, and the best yet......it is a Best Western so they offer a senior discount, we paid 122 american dollars a night. It is abount a 5-10 minute walk to San Marco square, right next to Santa Maria Gigglio Church (sic). It was a lovley walk to the square right past the best shopping in Venice, Gucci, Ferragamo, Prada, Fendi and LV. (By the way the LV are cheaper in Europe than they are in the US and also they say made in France vs the one's sold in the US, say on the inside made in the USA)

[tmt9367]

To anyone reading this thread that's going to the Med., a word to the wise. Take private tours in Italy. It's not only cheaper, you get to see more in the same time as the ships tours. Like toniwoods said, with the ships tour of Tuscany, you opt out of Pisa and Florence. We had a young woman that was born and raised in San Gimignano last May and she was great! She took us to her hometown AND Pisa & Florence, among other places. I highly recommend private tours in Europe.

 

I have the names, e-mail addresses and phone numbers for tour operators we used in Livorno, Rome and Naples and I'm more than happy to share them. All three were excellent! They all used new Mercedes Benz vans that held up to 8 or 10 people.

 

SDT

[Andym]

I agree with you on some of the private tours. Tuscany is probably a must as everything is so far way from the port and not easy to get to on your own. Rome is an exception. We went on our own ( on the ships bus ) and saw the Colloseum with a guide, The Forum with a guide, the Trevi fountain, the Panthenon, the old Circus Maximus, the Spanish steps and St Peters. We did the museum and chapel last time. I doubt if a private tour would have given us more. I have tips on guides to St Peters and the Colloseum that get you past the lines is anyone is interested.

We did Pompeii on our own and from Naples at a fraction of the cost of a tour. We were able to spend 5 hours there. (we are very interested in Roman history).

We were warned about Capri (ships tour, private tour or on our own) as the crowds were expected to be huge.

[ttime42]

We're booked for the Eastern Med cruise in May 2005. I've found lots of good and helpful information here already -- thanks! I am curious about two or three things, and hope some experienced "hands" will enlighten me.

 

1. Flying into Barcelona and out of Milan (or Venice) -- what's the least expensive way? Did you buy your air from Celebrity? Is that a good idea?

 

2. At which ports does the ship use a tender to get passengers to shore? In Venice are you able to get onboard the ship at will? (Our cruise allows one night in Venice before the end of the cruise.)

 

3. I'd love to hear from anyone who would be interested in sharing a private tour guide with us in Athens. We did that with great success in St. Petersburg on our Baltic cruise. Also, if you can recommend a guide for Athens, please tell me!

 

How do you set those countdown signatures? How long is it until May 15?

 

Thanks!

 

TeaTime

[susie Q]

Hi.......my husband and two close friends have booked a Venice to Barcelona (12 day) on the Millie. None of us has ever been to Europe and just reading all of the posts is making me a bit dizzy. If you would not mind, would you share with me what you felt were absolute "musts" at the various ports? We have still not decided what to do about pre and post cruise accomodations. We are struggling to work on affordable airfare, which currently is awful! I found a hotel in Barcelona called Hotel Jazz, does this ring a bell? Any tips you have would be very much appreciated..we want to make this a memorable cruise! Thanks so much! (Just some personal data...we're all in our late 40's and love to have a good time..no couch potatoes here!)

[Petoonya]

Susie,

 

We did Millennium Barcelona to Venice last summer and going to do it next spring again different cruise line. Hope you are visiting the ports section under Europe as you will find tons of MUSTS and lots of great pointers on how to save. Planning what you want to see and what you can forgo with a party of four is essential. Last time we did private cars/private tours, planned with people we met thru CC- it was great but this next time we are taking off by ourselves and doing more by rail.

 

Hotel Jazz in Barcelona gets good marks on Tripadvisor. We are going to try Apsis Atrium Palace in Barcelona this time- got a great rate on their site. We stayed at Pensione Accademia in Venice last time (awesome) but it wasn't available this time- so we are doing La Calcina. Again moderate price, great location and well recommended in the ports section.

Good luck to you!

[tmt9367]

ttime42,

We have never booked flights through the cruise line. It's cheaper to get it on your own and you can fly on your schedule. You also can pick whatever airline you want. Try British Airways. I reccommend you flight out of the US at least TWO days prior to sailing. You'll lose one day in flight and one day to see Barcelona and get adjusted to the time difference.

 

On my last Med. cruise, the only tender port was Santorini. If you're going there, I highly suggest you take the donkey to the top from the tender pier!! What a blast! In Venice you can get on and off the ship at will. Celebrity has free water taxi service from the pier to St. Marks Square. It's a 5 minute ride.

 

As for Athens, you can do this on your own. From the pier, take a taxi to the train station!! Some say you can walk, but it's over a mile. From there you take a 10 minute train ride and when you get off, you can easily walk to the Partheon and surrounding areas. I recommend taking private tours in all Italian ports. You can see many more points of interest this way compared to the ships tours. It's also a lot cheaper. We did ship tours our first trip to the Med. and never again!

 

SDT

[tmt9367]

susie Q,

Here are some things I wouldn't miss and have seen them more than once.

 

Villefrance- Grand Casino, Monaco, Nice & Eze. You can also take a train to Cannes. It's very nice area and a nice ride too.

 

Livorno- You can easily see Tuscany, Pisa and Florence in one day with a private guide. IMHO, Pisa is a must see!

 

Rome- I suggest you take a private city tour. They'll be able to take you places and get you in and out faster than tour buses. I recommend going to the Vatican. You would believe your eyes! These tour operators know people at the Vatican and other places and in most cases, you don't have stand in lines. When visiting the Vatican last May, we by passed huge lines and went right in!

 

Naples- Capri and the Amalfi Coast are also a must see. You can do this all in one day with a private tour. You're not able on a ship excursion. Pompeii is very interesting, but if you're not into seeing ruins, don't do it. It also takes at least a half a day to really see it.

 

Dubrovnik- No tour needed. Surprisingly nice town! You can walk on your own. Great views from the wall that circles the city.

 

Santorini/Oia/Fira- This is one of the best stops on the cruise! The views are amazing! You can take local buses to get around. You must eat in a seaside restaurant for lunch! Don't forget to take the donkey! You'll laugh the whole way up!!

 

Athens- This is just another large and dirty city. Take the train and see the Partheon and surrounding areas. The views are incredible!

 

Hotel in Barcelona- We ask our T/A which hotels Celebrity is putting people in for pre-cruise stays and book it ourselves. Why? It's cheaper and on the day of embarkation, you purchase the transfer from Celebrity and they handle you're luggage to the bus and to the ship. No fooling with taxis. We have stayed in the same hotel every time we've been to Barcelona, The St. Moritz. Very nice and the price isn't bad.

 

Hopefully this helps! Just ask if you have other questions.

 

SDT

[JNLROSE]

TMT,

 

I would like to know the names of the tour operators you used in Italy. I have looked at a couple to see what they provide. You can either post them here or if you'd rather, just email me (addy link is right below my name)

 

We're looking at a flight that would get us to Barcelona around 9:30 AM the day before--do you feel this would be enough time to see most of the must-sees there since we don't sail until 7PM???? I've also looked at the Atrium Palace for E130 on their website.

 

How hard is it to handle lugage in Venice when the hotel is a block or more from the water taxi drop off point????

 

Thanks!!