June 28, 2008 Summit Review

[Cruise2Golf]

Background

I'm an 18 year old girl who recently returned from a cruise to the Mediterranean for aboard the Celebrity Summit. I traveled with my parents (Both-52) and my brother (24). I'm writing this review because me and my father figured people would like to know how the cruise was in the eyes of someone a bit younger, but i will also include my parents and brother's opinions. We are fairly well traveled family and I have been on 2 cruises prior to this one in the mexican riviera and one in alaska, both on carnival cruises. My parents have been on 2 norweigen cruises in addition. We chose to cruise with celebrity mainly because of the itinerary because i really wanted to go to Greece and Italy.

 

I do apologize if I'm a bit wordy, i am a teenager and i'm usually very descriptive. But when me and my father were searching cruise critic before the cruise we very much enjoyed the detailed reviews that told us specifics. Also feel free to ask any questions about anything you were wondering or that i wasn't specific enough!

 

The Trip to Barcelona

We flew into NY (Kennedy) for our connection to Barcelona. Anyone doing this needs to understand that Kennedy is infamous for it's delays! We picked a relatively early flight into Kennedy in case of delays. We had a 4 hour layover (flight taking off at 7pm giving us to get into Barcelona with plenty of time) in which we grabbed a quick snack and walked around. When we reached our gate we noticed that the flight had been delayed about 30 minutes...not too bad. Eventually it got delayed again about 2 hours. Then after we got on the plane there was a medical emergency on another plane and didn't take off until 2 hours later. All in all we had about a 7-8 hour layover.

 

We got into Barcelona with plenty of time to get to the ship. It was a little chaotic in the Barcelona airport because there was another cruise leaving from Barcelona at the same time. We got on the shuttle to go to the ship-not long at all. We got to see a little bit of Barcelona but we didn't really get to see the city as we hoped. If we had to do it over again we would have liked to spend a night or two in Barcelona before embarking. Though it was a lot easier to get to the ship by shuttle as we saw some people walking up a large hill with their luggage, this did not look like fun.

 

Embarkation

When we arrived to the dock we got in a medium length line to check in with the ship. When we checked in my mom got pretty angry because the man at the counter, Rodrigo, was pretty rude to us and acted as if it was a hassle for us to be checking in. He also gave us a hard time about some forms we had to fill out. Bad experience. We arrived around 12 and no one was allowed on the ship until 1 o'clock. After checking in we were handed a number which was the order we would go onto the ship. We were fine with waiting because we know it's all apart of traveling "hurry up and wait." but the older couple in front of us put up a scene about having to wait more after they had been traveling for two days. We thought this was a little strange considering MOST people had been traveling since the day before, again all part of traveling.

 

There were a few shops around where me and my brother picked up some post cards (i collect them and my brother sent one from each place to his girlfriend.) My dad decided to exchange some money because usually the rates on cruise ships are ridiculous. The woman gave us a 50 euro bill which my dad found stupid because the touristy shops don't appreciate you giving a 50 euro bill for something that costs 1 euro.

 

We then got in line to go on the ship, where the picture taking started. We got one taken because they were SO persistent but you could tell everyone didn't want one because we were all so tired from traveling. We felt that the embarkation was a little rocky. We sat in line FOREVER and when we got to the front of the line we could see that they were letting about 10 people on at a time and waiting for all of them to come in and get out of the way. i understand this helps with congestion we just felt they could be more efficient. Once on the ship we barely had time to look around before we were being pushed to someone to show us where our room was. My mom was upset because they were giving out champagne and other cocktails but we didn't have time to grab it because we got shoved down the stairs so the man could find us our room. Overall we felt the embarkation process could have gone A LOT better.

 

Villefranche/Monaco

For our first European cruise we decided to use the ships excursions because we knew everything would be taken care of. We did the Monaco and Monte-Carlo excursion. We met in the rondevzous lounge and received stickers with a number and color. (number for the bus number and color for the tour.) We tendered in easily and got on the bus to go to Monaco. Our tour guide was okay, probably our least favorite tour guide, we felt like she wasn't a native of france or monaco which we would have preferred but her english was great. We really enjoyed that she let us stop in Nice for about 10 minutes to take some pictures. We were surprised by the scenic route we took and enjoyed it!

 

Monaco was beautiful we got to see the Grand Casino, the palace, the harbor, and the cathedral where Princess Grace is buried. We thoroughly enjoyed Monaco, especially because we probably would not be able to afford to stay there!

 

We returned back at the harbor and walked around Villefranche. If you choose to take it easy in Villefranche and do not care to take an excursion or go to Monaco this port would be pretty easy to do by yourself. It's a beautiful town and there are a lot of sea side restaurants where they speak english. There is also a little market right next to the harbor and we even saw a beach in the distance where people could go swimming. When we returned to the tenders we were happily surprised that they gave you a cold towel and ice water or fruit punch while you waited for the tender. They did this at every port and we thought it was a small detail that we really appreciated.

 

Pisa

We definitely chose this ship because of its itinerary, but the only problem is you have four days of extensive port seeing before a relaxing day at sea. because of this we decided to just go to Pisa and not go to Florence. We were a little disappointed about not going to Florence but we felt Pisa was more of a must see for us than Florence (another reason to go back right?) We chose the excursion that let us go up into the tower, we also chose the later one which left at about 1:30. My family and I are NOT morning people so we decided a break in getting up early would be nice because we had extensive excursions in the two days ahead. We enjoyed this as we got to sleep in and go to the pool beforehand.

 

We enjoyed the leaning tower immensely. If you choose an excursion or do this on your own we highly recommend climbing the tower. It was absolutely beautiful at the top but i wouldn't recommend it if you're claustrophobic because the stairways are narrow (at the top there is only room for one person) and sometimes there are people going up and down at the same time.

 

We got some time to shop and eat after climbing. there are pizzerias and gelato to be eaten! But beware that there are hundreds of men trying to illegally sell you fake bags, sunglasses, watches etc. If you get caught buying one of these things you will be fined. It was a little scary at times because when there was a mob of them around you. There are plenty of other legal shops around where you can buy touristy things.

 

Overall we really enjoyed this excursion and highly recommend it!

 

Rome

Rome was definitely our most extensive day. We wanted to see Rome and the Vatican and we did the Exclusive Best of Rome excursion. For this one we met in the celebrity theatre which was a little chaotic getting off. Once we were off it takes about an hour and a half to get from civitavecchia to Rome. On the way our Bus's air conditioning stopped working but we got it fixed. Once in Rome we Saw the coliseum and went inside. We didn't get as much time inside as we would have liked but we had a lot to see. And we had to see the entire city in one day. We got to see the Arch of Constantine and got a few pictures of the Forum. We thoroughly enjoyed the coliseum definitely a must see as it is the symbol of Rome. Then we went to the Trevi Fountain, very pretty but VERY crowded. We got a little while to take pictures and of course throw in our coins.

 

After the Trevi fountain we went to lunch at a local hotel. the bus driver was late and a little unreliable but we got there eventually though late. The food was pretty good. Great pasta for starters but they had fish and chicken as the entrees. My parents said the fish was good but i couldn't really finish my chicken cause it was very overcooked. Overall good mean-includes champagne and white wine.

 

After lunch we went to the Vatican. First was the museum which was very nice, the ceilings were incredible. Then was the Sistine Chapel. It was incredibly gorgeous seeing Michelanglelo's masterpiece. If you are planning to go to Vatican City you must cover your shoulders and knees (me and my mom wore capris and a short sleeve shirt and my brother and dad wore longer shorts and t-shirts.) the only thing we were disappointed with was there were no pictures, bags, talking, or inappropriate clothing aloud, and we saw all of these. People were taking pictures with flash and continued after being asked to stop. It was ridiculously loud, about every 5 minutes the guards would make a big announcement to be quiet. Although this was very beautiful we were disappointed that the rules were blatantly ignored. The chapel was followed by St. Peter's Basilica which was also extremely beautiful and not to be missed.

 

After leaving we got a few minutes to look in a shop nearby - very expensive. We were disappointed because we never really got time to go and take pictures in the square. I got a few because i ran out to the middle to get pictures.

 

Naples

In Naples we decided to do the Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii Hike. In the morning we climbed Mt. Vesuvius. If you're not in fairly good physical condition i would not recommend this. Especially because it was very hot. We decided to do this because we really wanted to see pompeii from Mt. Vesuvius. The only problem was all of the fog. You couldn't see anything. It was a bit disappointing but very cool to know you climbed a volcano. A guide told us a bit about the volcano and we got too look into the crater and by the time we were climbing down you could see a little of the panoramic view. On the way up they hand you walking sticks, although they helped a lot they DO expect a tip when you get back down.

After Mt. Vesuvius we went to Pompeii. The tour guide gave us time to get a free drink at a cafe and we grabbed a pizza to share as a snack because lunch is not included. Pompeii was incredible, we couldn't believe how advanced they were so long ago. Warning: there is practically no shade in Pompeii so make sure you drink a lot of water and dress appropriately.

 

We got back to the ship at around 3 o'clock. I really wanted to go find a pizzeria in Naples because that is where pizza was actually invented. We went out by ourselves and sort of got lost looking for it but finally found one, we shared a Margarita pizza and it was great. One thing about Naples is be careful! The driving there is the worst i've ever seen! Our tour guide put it great she said traffic laws are more like guidelines or suggestions. You just have to start walking and hope they stop. It was also the dirtiest place we visited. There were piles of trash bags because, our tour guide explained, there is a political problem with who the money for trash is supposed to go to.

 

Santorini

Santorini is definitely one of the prettiest places we went on this trip. This is also a port that is very easy to do on your own. We walked around and looked for the convent where the nuns are supposed to sing. We walked for about 30 minutes and finally found it. They weren't singing yet but it was still nice to walk around. We felt this town was very quaint and loved its beauty. I recommend doing most of your shopping here as there are numerous jewelry (the lava stone is cool because santorini is near a volcano) shops and other touristy shops. There are also hundreds of restaurants on the water. We ate at one called Niki and the food was incredible! We really enjoyed the traditional greek food and the view was incredible.

 

One thing to note: if you've ever seen the pictures of Santorini and they have those three blue domes that is NOT where they tender to. It is the same island but the boat tenders at Fira and those are in Oia. We went around forever looking for them until someone told us. But there is a bus that goes from Fira to Oia that we were told was a good price and worth it. We decided against it because we figured it looked about the same as Fira.

 

We decided to take the cable car up (4 euros a person) and decided to walk the trail down. We hardly saw anyone walking up the trail as it is very steep. The only problem was that the donkey's were just sitting there and sometimes they would be blocking the path but we thought that was funny and they were very well mannered. When we caught the tender back we saw some people who looked like they had been swimming so i guess there was a beach around there somewhere.

 

Athens

We decided to do the Athens & Cape Sounion with Lunch excursion. We really enjoyed the Acropolis and it gives you a great panoramic view of Athens. Really beautiful. Be careful though i saw several people fall because they slipped on the stones.

 

After the Acropolis we saw the changing of the guards through the bus though. Went by the Temple of Zeus. Then we stopped by the Olympic stadium and got out and took some pictures.

 

Then we were on our way to Cape Sounion. One thing we were disappointed in was that we were not made aware of how far away Cape Sounion was. It was an hour and a half there and back and we got stuck in a major traffic jam. Despite this Poseidon's Temple was very beautiful and the view from Cape Sounion was absolutely beautiful. If we had to do it again we probably wouldn't have gone to Poseidon's temple. Although it was beautiful it was way too far out and we felt we could have used our time better.

 

Croatia

This is also a port that is easily done on your own. We took the shuttle from the ship to the old town, a must see. They told us you could walk but when we took the shuttle we realized it would have been way to far to walk. We just walked around the old town, shopped a little and took pictures. There is a really cool fountain where you can actually drink the water that is a must see. We didn't walk around the wall because we were trying to save a little money but i've seen the view in pictures and it looks beautiful. The city really is beautiful.

 

Venice

You ride into Venice at around 10 o'clock. This is really nice because you can sleep in, grab breakfast and watch the boat pull in to dock. Okay so you don't actually ride into the middle of Venice, all the sights are on the STARBOARD side (or right side when facing the front) of the boat! make sure you remember this. They also opened the helipad but we decided against going there because we weren't sure how many people would be there but we figured there would be loads. It was truly beautiful. Once we docked they had a buffet out by the pool until our boat was approved.

We boarded the water taxi and road through the Grand Canal. Once we got into Venice we were very surprised how crowded it was. St. Mark's Square was possibly one of the most crowded places we went to. We walked around and did the rest of our shopping and walked around. We then decided to take our gondola ride. Make sure you BARGAIN with them. a standard ride is 80-100 euros. Someone told me that if you go into one of the smaller canals they will be less expensive than the grand canal. But we wanted to go under the bridge of sighs. The full gondola ride we were told was 100 euros and the other was 80 when we found someone who would bargain with us. We decided on the 100 euro ride. It was definitely worth it, Venice was much better back in the less crowded canals. Truly a high light of our trip.

 

We returned to the ship late. we were a little sad about how anticlimactic the last night was because it was overnight so we didn't make it to the last dinner and there was no big celebration because people were still in Venice.

 

Disembarkation

Now this truly was a breeze. It was almost too quick. After the cruise we were going to stay in London for four nights because my brother has never been. Our flight was at 11. We were supposed to be in the Martini bar by 7:50. We got there a little early, around 7:30. My dad went up to talk to the staff member and he told us we could go ahead and leave. We left right then and walked right out. We caught the bus to Marco Polo. We felt bad for one of the women on the bus because she forgot her purse at the ship and the bus driver didn't speak any english. Overall very efficient disembarkation.

 

Room

My family decided to get a stateroom with a window. In the past we decided to get a veranda but decided against it because it saved us thousands. We're strongly believe the room doesn't matter as much because you're never really in there except to sleep and we could spend the money on other things. We had stateroom 2120. They are definitely pretty spacious. We had 2 twin beds, 2 bunk beds, and a fold out couch. My brother slept on the couch the first night and said it was uncomfortable. My brother didn't want to sleep on the bunk bed because he wasn't sure about the weight limit. The second night my dad volunteered to sleep on the bunk bed because he has back problems. He's about 200 pounds and was fine. The bed said the weight limit is 300 pounds but we thought someone above 250 should be careful.

 

Closet space was plentiful and they had hangers. Enough to hang my dad and brothers suites and my mom and I's dresses and skirts (i brought 6 dresses and 2 skirts so you can see how large the closet was.) There were about 8-10 drawers i'm not sure. But we found you could keep some things in your suitcase and keep them under the beds. The bathroom and shower were okay, not huge but it's what we expected.

 

Some people might not put a family of 4 in one room but we found it fine and we didn't get too annoyed with each other =].

 

Food and Dining

We chose the early seating for this cruise. Early seating began at 6:15 and the show would start at 9:00. The late seating began at 8:45 and the show for them began at 7:15. We chose the early seating because we knew we would have to be getting up early for several excursions. We were never actually on time which was great because the dining room was very flexible. the family next to us never showed up before 7. We usually showed up around 6:30-6:45. This was great for us because as my brother would tell you i take a long time to get ready.

 

We felt the food was a lot better than our past cruises. It wasn't terrific every night but it was definitely good. I'm a relatively picky eater but there are certain dishes they have every night like chicken, new york strip, shrimp cocktail, and a caesar salad. I took advantage of this a few times. They also had things like escargot, lobster, prime rib, lamb, pasta and everything in between. The only thing that was not good at all were the desserts. We were definitely not happy with them. There was this one chocolate pie that was great and the baked alaska (the last formal night) was great as well. The ice cream was the one thing that we would get if nothing looked good.

 

We didn't always eat in the dining room. There were several nights that the dining room menu didn't look good our that we decided to stay a little longer in port and decided to just eat in the waterfall cafe. The food was always good they had pasta and pizza every night. They had a sushi bar which we loved and they would always have a different selection of food. The pizza and bread were definitely my favorite parts it was very good and open until 11 every night. The pasta is great too because they cook it right there in front of you.

 

There are A LOT of bars and lounges in this ship. Our favorite was the one at the back of the ship. I believe it was called the waterfall bar. It was really nice to sit back there as we left port. There was also this really good guitar player/singer that was back there every night. We thoroughly enjoyed him and he was very talented. We would go back there and eat and get drinks a lot and it was very nice.

 

We didn't try the Normandy restaurant because we always feel that the dining room is fine and since it was $30 per person it would be $120 for us to eat there not including drinks. But i heard it was very good and the food is to die for but we were just in for saving money where we could.

 

The one thing my brother was really upset about was the fact that every source of food would close by 11. Even the pizza. we were accustomed to having a 24 hour pizza buffet or something. they had "gourmet bites" at 11:30 but after that the only way of eating was room service. It all worked out for us because we were usually in bed by 11:30 if we had an early excursion but on the days we were up late and we got hungry we had to eat some granola bars we had brought for the plane rides.

 

Service

The service was probably the best part of the cruise. They spared no expense. There was always someone around to take your drink order. We loved our stateroom attendant Merriam. Literally we would step out for a second and the room would be clean. Our waiter was a little strange though. We felt like we confused him if we asked for something different than what was on the menu. But our assistant waiter Imade from Indonesia was spectacular! We absolutely loved him. What also impressed us is that we would see "the bar guy" and "the wine guy" they would greet us by name and remember our favorite drinks.

 

The only people we felt were rude were the excursion desk staff. My dad went to ask them questions a few times and felt they were a little rude.

 

Entertainment

Overall I thought the entertainment was very good. The celebrity singers and dancers were very good and we enjoyed the broadway show. We thought it was a little strange when on one of their shows they did a titanic song...we thought that was a little inappropriate and had a good laugh.

 

We saw the ventriloquist and thought he was okay, pretty funny. A little inappropriate for the younger crowd. The broadway singer Jerrie and thought she was really good but she sang a lot of songs I hadn't really ever heard. We really liked the comedian and would definitely suggest seeing him. Again a little inappropriate for younger than about 13.

 

The entertainment throughout the ship was very good. Our favorite was definitely the a capella group On Point. They said something about this being their last cruise but i'm not sure if they are coming back or not. Also the guy that plays at the back of the ship at the waterfall bar was also very nice. We also heard the string quartet was very good. We never got to hear their entire set but we heard them here and there and sometimes they played in the dining room. Also the celebrity orchestra was great and we enjoyed hearing them play as well.

 

Possibly our favorite night was the white night Flava of the Mediterranean. It was so fun! everyone wore white and they had a buffet of Mediterranean food and music. It was delicious. They also roasted a lamb which we thought was cool. They had the a capella group sing, the band played and all the celebrity dancers and singers were out. Even the cruise director John was out dancing. They had greek dancing and spanish dancing and basically a massive dance party. It was almost like a rave because they had these glow in the dark glow sticks and paint. Me and my dad went down to dance and it was so fun. Just a good night and the next day was a day at sea so you could stay up late. We left around 12 but they said some people stayed dancing until early in the morning.

 

Nightlife

The nightlife was okay. But if you're looking to party until dawn, celebrity isn't for you. We had heard there were a lot of older people there. We didn't really find this true. there were lots of teenagers and family's. There were several times i would see the X club tweens doing a scavenger hunt. We did feel that there weren't as many little kids running around, we actually felt there were less people in general which we were not complaining about. On carnival we were used to having to show up early for shows to get a seat and although the shows were definitely crowded we could show up 5 minutes before the show started and could still find an okay seat.

 

I personally didn't use the teen clubs but i heard people talking about them and saw all of them looking like they were having a good time. I looked at the schedule and it had things like rock band, scavanger hunts and a talent show. The X club (i believe 10-13 year olds) had dinner parties every night and i saw all of them the really young children having a good time. It seems like a good program.

 

My dad was trying to teach my brother how to play craps so we went to the casino quite a bit. It didn't really get busy until about 11-11:30 then there were loads of people. it was nice and the staff was great and helped explain the game to me.

 

Wardrobe

Casual Nights: Most people wore golf club attire. Polo shirts and kaki pants for men mostly and a pair of nice pants/capris or a casual dress or skirt is what i wore. Although i saw people in shorts and jeans as well. they are pretty lenient on attire.

Informal Nights: Men usually wore a jacket with no tie or a tie with no jacket. Women usually wore summer dress or a relatively nice dress.

Formal Nights: Some men wore tuxes but most wore a dark suit. women usually wore a nice dress.

 

Overall i felt they were pretty lenient. Some people were way dressed up and some were way dressed down. Not to bad. We had 3 formal nights, 2 informal and the rest casual.

 

Overall

This was by far our favorite vacation we have ever taken. i took about 1800 pictures. These places are truly beautiful. And we all said we felt like we could take this same exact cruise again and do different things at all the ports and still have the best time ever. This vacation is very port extensive and we were definitely tired when we got home but it gave us great memories. I'm already asking my dad where we're going to go next year!

[Rick-cruiser]

Wow.... what a spectacular review!! Sounds like you had a wonderful cruise and truly memorable experiences. Thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive, detailed report - and for sharing your viewpoints from a (very mature) 18-year old perspective... :)

 

Rick

[Cruisenouvelle]

So glad you had a great time. Many years from now you'll look back on this with wonderful memories. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[cafine]

We were on the same trip!! Did a few ports differently however.

Barcelona--arrived 1 1/2 days early. Toured the city on our own on double decker buses. Loved the Las Ramblas and market and celebrated niece's BD at outdoor cafe with great food and Sangria. (watch for extra fees for outdoor dining)

Villefranche-- walked to train station and went to Monte Carlo and got back to ship to eat quick lunch then ship exc. to Nice and Eze.

Florence--cancelled our shore exc. with the ship which turned out to be a mistake. We taxi to train and 1 1/2 hr to city, waited in line for almost 2 hrs to see "David" and we saw cruise tours get in a lot faster. We liked that we could do the rest of the city on our own, but one day there is not enough. Ate at Normandie that night which was mostly excellent except our Lobster entree

Rome--had private guide which I highly recommend as they get you around faster and not huge group like with the ship.

Naples-- Did on our own by getting taxi--negotiate! Went to Pompeii for 2 hrs then on to Sorrento for outdoor cafe lunch pretty views and shopping.

Santorini-- some of our group did ship tour to winery then on to Oia which is beautiful. My DH and son rented a car and toured on their own. We met up later and taxi to beach to swim!

Athens--did the ship's tour to Acropolis then way out to Cape. Agree that wasn't worth the long hot bus ride.

Dubrovnik--took shuttle to walled city and "Walked the wall" great views! Walked to the beach for a refreshing swim! Found a cafe for fresh Sea Bass and cold beer!

Venice--Did ship's tour to Doges Palace and St Marth. Cathedral and the square. Didn't return with tour and shopped and Gondola ride! Rented our own water taxi to get back as was cheaper for 8 of us than the ship's transportation.

We are all still smiling every time we think of this amazing trip!!!!

[nycglitter]

Cruise2Golf - Thanks for the excellent review. We are leaving in 3 days for Barcelona and then on to the cruise and we can't wait! Sounds like you had a great time!

 

 

Cafine - A couple of questions, 1st, we have an excursion planned in Santorini, but I have been reading that it is very doable on your own. Would you agree with that? Is it easy to find transportation from Santorini to Oia?

 

and 2nd, in Dubrovnik, do you remember where you ate? I love getting restaurant recommendations!

 

Thanks to both of you!

[cafine]

nycglitter

Yes it is very doable on your own. In fact get off the ship and beat the tour groups. Take the trolly thingy up the hillside to town. There is a taxi stand on a back street or rent a car/jeep for the day. My husband and son rented a smart car for 45 E for the day and had their best day of the cruise!! He also said a moped or atv would be fun. Driving there is safe and the island isn't that big. Have a wonderful trip! Feel free to ask questions. I learned a lot from this site before our vacation but some you learn as you go.

[cafine]

Oh I forgot--the rental place for mopeds is called Alex's and car rental is next door. Sorry, I don't recall the cafe in Dubrov. but just look around on little streets/ alleys off the main square.

[cafine]

Cruise2golf,

So great you enjoyed your trip! Our kids are 21 and 23 and LOVED it! Two nieces 24 and 26 also had a wonderful time. What memories!

[April Jewel]

Thanks for a wonderful review - we are doing the same cruise in August with my daughters who are 17 and 14 and it is interesting to read about how much fun you had.

 

One quick question is can you remember what evening the Flava evening was - you said it was before an "at sea" day do you know which port evening it was on?

 

Thanks

 

Tammy

[Andy]

Hi Cruise2Golf !

 

Thank you for your outstanding review. I am happy that you had a great Cruise on Summit. I am sure you will have many wonderful memories. I hope you submit your review to our Members Review section.

 

In case you need the link, here it is : http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreviewform.cfm?ShipID=251

 

Welcome Home !

[nycglitter]

nycglitter

Yes it is very doable on your own. In fact get off the ship and beat the tour groups. Take the trolly thingy up the hillside to town. There is a taxi stand on a back street or rent a car/jeep for the day. My husband and son rented a smart car for 45 E for the day and had their best day of the cruise!! He also said a moped or atv would be fun. Driving there is safe and the island isn't that big. Have a wonderful trip! Feel free to ask questions. I learned a lot from this site before our vacation but some you learn as you go.

 

I may just cancel my excursion and we can do it on our own. Sounds like a ton of fun! Only a few days away! Can't wait!

[Cruise2Golf]

Yes our "Flava" night was the last night in Greece (after Athens)

 

I'm glad everyone liked my review! and i hope everyone who said their doing the same cruise has a fantastic time!

[April Jewel]

Yes our "Flava" night was the last night in Greece (after Athens)

 

I'm glad everyone liked my review! and i hope everyone who said their doing the same cruise has a fantastic time!

 

Thanks for that - I have made a note of it

 

Tammy

[Chameleon]

Great review, we are going on 22/7/08 cruise on Summit with some friends and our son who is 13. It was good to hear that the cruise isn't too 'stuffy'.

I love the sound of the Flava night - sounds fun.

 

We've done Med cruises quite a lot before and live in the UK so won't be doing many excursions- looking forward to chilling out in Santorin, Dubrovnik and Ville franche and Venice.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to wrte about your trip - it was a great read and had some good tips - maybe you should become a travel writer !!:)

 

Anne

[Dog Mommie]

Thanks, Cruise2Golf, for taking the time to review your lovely cruise for all of us!