Any ideas for my med cruise

[tommycruiser]

thanks for the tips

[Mebert]

tommycruiser,

Welcome to Cruise Crazies.

While in Barcelona, if you have time, visit the Gaudi Cathedral (La Sagrada Familia), which is an architectual wonder in Barcelona designed by Gaudi himself. Also if you have time take a trip to Montserrat. There you will find a monastery and cathedral dramatically perching on the top of Montserrat. There are also shops and a hotel high in the mountains. There are some scenic views of the valley from atop Montserrat.

When you're in the Villefranche-sur-Mer area you have to work your way up to Monaco-Monte Carlo. The ship may have an excursion to Monte Carlo. When you get there make sure you get your passport stamped at the Monaco-Monte Carlo train station so you can have bragging rights. See the palace and the route for the Grand Prix Auto Race.

From Livorno you can take a trip to Pisa (Leaning Tower) or Florence. Shopping is great in Florence. Look for Italian leather. There's also the Duomo Cathedral that's seen from all around Florence and the Ponte Vecchio bridge that spans the Arno River that has shops on it too.

There's not much to do in Civitavecchia. You'll have to take an excursion to Rome. You may want to take an excursion to the Colleseum, the Vatican, the Spanish steps and some of the famous fountains in Rome, like Trevi Fountain.

In Naples you might want to go to the ruins of Pompeii or the Isle of Capri, both very exciting.

[tommycruiser]

Thanks for everything I printed it off

I was here a while back and finally made it back here

[Mebert]

tommycruiser,

I thought your name sounded familiar.

Did you come aboard with a large crew of new members?

We're glad to have you back. We hope you can stick around this time.

[tommycruiser]

I put this in my favorites guess I'm on to many boards I forget about some at times but I like this board it's very relaxing here the others tend to be very confrontational

[Joanandjoe]

We've been in two of the ports, Villefranche and Barcelona. Our suggestions are quite different from Meberts's. Bur first, some general comments.

1) Research each city, and decide what you like to do. In Barcelona, for example, we went to Sagrada Familia, and thought that the church was interesting and awful. We are not Gaudi fans at all.

2) Pace yourself. My brother and SIL had a similar itinerary, and decided to go to Florence from Livorno, Rome from Civittavecchia, etc. They came back exhausted, and said it was not a fun itinerary. At most, go to one (but not both) of those cities, and do something more relaxing and closer to the ship on the other day. Neither city can be seen adequately in one day anyway.

3) Vary what you do, or you'll think that Europe is nothing but a bunch of churches. It is that, but it's so much more! Go to a few museums, a beach, a landmark, and definitely a sidewalk cafe or two.

4) Visit grocery stores. You'll pick up great food and perhaps some souvenirs, at much less than tourist prices.

5) In Barceloa, try the terrific subway system to whisk you from one place to another.

6) Steel yourself to the cost, and eat an occasional meal off the ship, just for variety.

7) Go to a winery if possible.

For Barcelona, we suggest following what you like. There are museums for Miro and Picasso, a great old section, the wonderful street/plaza (I forget the name) running from the waterfront to the town, a cable car that ends at the harbor, fantastic nightlife, great food, and, oh yes, Gaudi.

Villefranche itself is intersting: be sure to walk down the completely covered Rua Obscura. If you like gambling and just want a border souvenir, by all means go to Monaco. On the other hand, if you like beaches, go to one. If you like museums and a wonderful old city, go to NIce. If you want a fabulous medieval walled city, which has Chagal's grave in an Italian graveyard, take the excursion to St. Paul de Vence, possibly the best shore excursion we ever had (and we placed stones on Chagall;'s grave and purchased wonderful herbal soaps). Monaco would be about our eighth choice.

Do the research, then do what you like, not what someone suggests.

[Sunbeam]

Those suggestions were great. We are planning on doing that cruise in October 2008.

Printed everything.

Thanks again

[tommycruiser]

Thanks everyone for all the advice I printed it all.

I do know we are going to rome so maybe skip florence this time it gives me another reason to cruise the med again .

I know the next time we go I really want to do greece

[Mebert]

Joanandjoe,

Normally I would ignore certain statements that I find personally offensive for the sake of the peace of the board, but I didn't want to let this one slide because I detect something else in the message that I don't want to go into.

You have given very sage advice. No one expects cruisers to follow suggestions blindly. When suggestions are made they're made based on the suggester's experiences and not based on "you must do this or you must do that."

I was not suggesting that Europe is nothing but churches and cathedrals but merely suggesting things based on my own experience. If the readers doesn't like the suggestion, they don't have to do it. A suggestion is just that, a suggestion.

No posters suggestion should be dismissed based on another poster feeling they have more experience than others.

There. I've gotten that off of my chest and we can respectfully go back to being the friendliest board on the web.

[Joanandjoe]

Sorry, Mebert,. If you made a comment about Europe seeming like nothing but churches, I didn't even notice it. The comment was based on my experience. And no, I wasn't suggesting that I know more about this part of Europe than other people. What I do know is that everyone experiences things differently. For example, how many people would (as we did) spend a week in the Caribbean without even thinking about going to a beach, much less going to one. You have to do what you want; and on a first trip, you want to experience a bit of everything.

The last thing I would want to be is condescending. I apologize.

TTFN, I'm off to Amsterdam this afternoon. I probably won't check the board again until I'm back on the 24th. Joe