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abridalmaven
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Posted: Sun Oct 28th, 2007 06:38 am | 1st Post |
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I know I have not posted lately life has been hectic, but I thought someone might like the review of our recent cruise
Phil and I had a wonderful trip and before I go into the details let me say the minute I stepped on the ship, the first thing that popped into my head was that it felt like coming home. Since this was our third time on a Radiance class ship we knew every inch of the ship. My husband and I are avid travelers and take one cruise a year and at least one land trip and many mini weekends at my sister's in the country. We live outside of NYC eat out quite often and have a wide variety of likes in food an often try things we have never tried before unless it is something I am allergic to, like scallops.
Also I have to add, I do not go looking for things to complain about, personally I think people like that ruin their own vacation and also the people around them when they whine about things, so unless something was really off I will not mention it. But I am too busy on a cruise to be looking to see if there are stains and so on, so unless something is extremely noticeable and impair the use of such and item, it is not a big deal to me. Also I think that when people do something over and over again they change and in a sense become jaded, and overly fussy. Something they did not notice or care about the first few times out now becomes major issues. I mean if someone mentioned they saw a dust bunny somewhere, my thought was why were you in a position to be looking in such places, and secondly if I ever go to their home maybe I should check to see how perfect their house keeping is, and I am sure they will fall short. Why worry about such things, no two people will ever be in agreement on such topics as food and so on. So I only offer my opinion of the things I experienced from my own point of view. If life gives you lemons, make lemonade, I have never been on a vacation (even the non perfect ones) where I did not manage to have fun.
Now for the details. We flew Iberia and from other reviews, I was not expecting a great flight, but I was pleasantly surprised. My last flight was on American in February to Vegas from NY, and with no food service unless it was purchased. I knew transatlantic does have food service, but on this flight they even used metal utensils and the meals while not 5 star, was adequate and 2 decent sized meals and plenty of choices of free drinks including beer and wine, and offers of additional bread and rolls with dinner. A nice surprise was fresh wrapped pillows and blankets (unlike other airlines which you have to grab the ones that are available) I bring my own for that reason. They had 2 movies and the seats were comfy and roomy. And the attendants on our flight were very friendly and attentive. The only downside was the blabbermouth seated behind us who talked the whole time we were flying (a redeye) and when her friend fell asleep she started blabbing with someone behind her, even when they dimmed the lights and the movie was playing. Makes me wonder how someone could be so dense as to not know that during a redeye flight that some people would actually want to sleep. I put in my earplugs and my noise canceling headphones to get a little sleep.
We had a layover in Madrid and after you get off the plane and walk what seemed like a mile, you had to go thru security again, go downstairs and have a long walk again to the departing flight. Getting off the plane and finding luggage was easy but the taxi driver did not understand us very well. Even with my Spanish translation book and the address of the hotel, he had a hard time finding it. But we did arrive and the fare was quite decent, so no big deal in the end.
The Hotel Continental Barcelona was nice, but if anyone was expecting something like a Marriott type experience might have been quite surprised. The rooms were very small and the decor was sort of tacky, but it was clean and the bed was extremely comfortable and the breakfast buffet and 24 hour free refreshments were quite nice. Having been in Europe before, I knew what to expect. I do have to thank all of the people who suggested it as it was in a very convenient location on Las Ramblas in the action area of the city and decently priced.
Barcelona is a fabulous city and I felt very at ease there. It is so full of life and the people are so friendly and helpful, it was easy to have a good time. I know I will definitely go back some day for further explorations. After we arrived we set out to explore a little on our own, and of course to have some of the famed Tapas. After exploring Las Ramblas, a delightful busy area with street performers and small kiosks, we settled on a cafe across the street from our hotel and had a delightful meal and enjoyed just sitting and people watching. A fact that I was not aware of before the trip is that you pay EXTRA to be seated outside. This would not have altered our choice as it was delightful to sit outside on a comfortable day and take in the scenery.
But after a few hours jet lag hit and we headed back to the hotel for a short nap which turned into a 4 hour siesta. When we went back down to the lobby we ran into our roll call friends and introduced ourselves. It was nice to meet the people we would be spending time with, and after chatting for so many months on the roll call, and seeing their pictures, we immediately knew who they were. We then ran out for a quick bite and more exploring. Barcelona takes on a very romantic feeling in the evening and comes alive. After a short time we saw a very quaint little gelato store and of course had to sample some, and to our delight it was fantastic. We then headed back to a good night's sleep on an extremely comfortable mattress. I am a restless sleeper and can tear apart the most well made bed if I am not comfortable. But I woke up in the same position I fell asleep in, so I know it was comfortable.
The next morning we met a number of CCer's in the lobby to start our planned excursion to Monserrat. The subway was just outside our door and we easily navigated the subway system with our eager guides, Lee and Mike members of our roll call. Luckily the ticket machines also had English and the system is very well organized and easy to figure out. We transferred from the Metro to the light rail and then the lengthy train ride. But we were with people we had been chatting online for months with so the time passed quickly. We were having a great time just talking. Then we arrived at the Monserrat station and boarded our tram ride up the mountain. I enjoyed the view, but if you are remotely afraid of heights, there is a train that also goes up the mountain; you just get off at the next train stop. But since I have done many a cable car ride and love roller coasters, this was a real treat for me. My husband took tons of pictures. The Monastery at Monserrat was quite impressive and we spent a great deal of time exploring it and enjoying the wonderful view of the surroundings. While we started out as a group we slowly split up and went off on our own. They were also holding wedding there that day and it was interesting to watch the bridal party and the family trek up all of those steps to get to the church.
After we finished we re- boarded the train and decided to go into the city and see more sites on our own. Since I had a guide to Barcelona which also came equipped with subway maps we found our way around easily. La Sagrada Familia by Gaudi was one of the stops and if you view our pictures you can see how impressive it was. There are few words beyond amazing that can describe this piece of architecture. We then made our way back to the hotel and got ready for dinner with the group.
Lee and Mike ( roll call buddies) had picked out a great restaurant for about 14 of us from the CC roll call, in the Gothic quarter. The food the choices were massive and the food was excellent and service great. Along with a wonderful group of new friends we had a nice evening. As we sauntered back to the hotel we stopped at a gelato store for dessert. And lo and behold it was the very same place Phil and I had stopped the night before. As we were wending our way back we noticed a helicopter hovering and as we got closer to the Place De Cataluna a plaza by our hotel, we saw police in riot gear and swat teams. Seems there was a separist group (anti King) demonstration going on, but it did not seem real rowdy to me far from the ones I have seen in NYC, where I grew up. We heard glass breaking throughout the night from the front of the hotel, but luckily our balcony was in the rear and we heard little if any noise during the night.
We woke up to a wonderful morning and another in our group had arranged for a group of vans to take us to the pier at a reasonable price. So we all piled in and were off to meet the ship. What an impressive sight RCI ships make at the pier, in my mind the prettiest ships I have seen. Our embarkation went very smoothly and before we knew it we were some of the first passengers on the ship. We did not need to explore much as we knew the layout of the ship, so we just went up to the buffet, and the eating began. And as usual the food was great! Nice way to start a cruise. Also our luggage was there is record time!
Shortly after that we went to our staterooms, ours was a balcony cabin on deck 8. We met our cabin attendant and she was one of the nicest and most efficient we have ever had. Then we went down to check our table. This is the only thing that was not the most pleasant during the trip, but we had 2 friends with us at the table and that made up for it. We did try to change it later after we had met our friends, but they said unless we changed to the 9 PM seating (we had 8:30) they could not change it. The other couple at our table was nice enough, so we stayed put. Besides, our servers were the best, so that alone made up for it.
At 3 PM we went to the Skybar to meet the CC members from our roll cal that had not hooked up yet. Some had come in late the night before and a few crazy ones the same day. We all chatted and took pictures and after a few drinks scattered off to do our own things. At dinner we met the other couple at our tables, had a nice dinner and saw the welcoming show which was nice. Phil and I both visited the casino to "make our donations"
The next day was a relaxing sea day, nothing particular planned for the day, sea days are a blur so I will not go into details. The following day was our first stop and we had a tour arranged for a short time after we arrived. As soon as we got into port we went to explore Villefranche -sur-le-mer, stop for a quick snack with CC friends and then went off on our tour. We saw Nice and then St. Paul, an ancient village on a mountaintop. The view was spectacular! Phil and I had lunch in a little cafe along with Linda and Mike friends from our CC group. We had a very nice day, and another lovely dinner and show when we returned back to the ship. Our next day had an early tour so we skipped the casino and went to bed early.
The next day our tour started in Livorno, Italy and we were in a private tour set up by Lorna and Bill. We had a van with seating for eight. And while it was fairly comfortable, unless you are in the front seat, you views are rather limited and there is not as much head and foot room as in those luxury buses. The driver first took us to Pisa where we saw the Leaning tower and surrounding buildings. Then we were off to Florence, where we were ushered right into the Museum where David is along with wonderful bother works of art. After we were finished we were taken to a lovely cafe where we had a sumptuous lunch and at a very leisurely pace. After lunch we were taken to a different area of Florence for more glorious sights and to visit Ponte Vecchio on the Arno River. We sped back to the ship and beat all of the buses. The only downside of this tour was the lack of narration along the way; I would have liked a bit more history along the way.
Next Stop, Naples. When we first pulled in we went out a little to explore the area surrounding the pier as we had a little time before our tour was scheduled. But the traffic was unlike anything I have ever seen. And this is coming from a native NYer who used to work in Manhattan. The drivers there are insane; we witnessed 2 fights in the short time we were walking around. And the traffic just comes to a dead stop to watch it. Scooters drove up on sidewalks, cross overs for pedestrians only and their traffic lights seem to be a suggestion only. We were very glad when we got back to the safety of the pier to board our bus. On this tour we went to Pompeii and this just blew me away. Of course first up was a mini tour of the cameo factory which in my opinion was way over priced. But I guess living outside of NYC has great advantages, we can get things at decent prices. Then we went into the city. I was truly amazed at how much ha been recovered and how much of it was still intact. And as usual we took a surplus of pictures of the wonderful structures.
After that our next stop was Venice and sailing into the port was a wonderful experience. Being so high up we were able to have a wonderful overview of all the sites. Of course later in the day we took a water taxi to St. Mark's Square to explore on our own. We did a little taste testing along the way. The Pizza did not impress us at all, NY pizza wins hands down. The Proscuttio hero was a winner though at only 4 Euros which is about $6 here. Even in NY it is priced way more than that and being a connoisseur of those meats, we could tell it was a great quality. And the gelato was not bad, but the best tasting gelato was yet to come. We shopped for Phil's mask for the ball and I found one reasonably priced for him. I had made my own and dragged it to the ship. I should have waited and bought one, even though I do like my own.
The next day we did the ship tour and we did the Doge Palace and St Paul's church and the museum. Quite a bit of impressive art, but the problem was after awhile your brain went into data overload, so much to see and absorb. Still, we had a lovely day and while the weather was cooler when we started out it warmed up as the day went by. The sail away was just as wonderful as the sail into port. That night was the masked ball and a wonderful time was had by all.
The next port was the most surprising one for us, Croatia. We did not have great expectations but we were blown away by this country and the people who seemed genuinely friendly. Our tour did start out on a slightly bad note, as two of the people on the tour only had a copy of there passports with them and just assumed that would be fine. They had the nerve to argue about it an said no one told them when it was announced and was also in the daily compass. The bus returned to the ship and they retrieved them and we were then on our way. I have a passport and have had it since 1991 and assume it is meant to be used. I never go into a port without it unless I am in the Caribbean. What if we get separated from the group and are stuck in a county without ID? I think anyone who thinks otherwise is very naive and foolish. I would not like being stuck without it. Besides, I have a packsafe bag and my husband has a similar fanny bag, both steel reinforced, so no worry about it being stolen.
Anyhow after a false start we were on our way. Our first stop was a little art gallery up in the mountains where we were greeted with welcoming drinks of Grappa and some figs. The artist lived in this home and painted family life scenery from their history. Then we had a lunch at the Grava family farm 1896 where everything was homegrown and organic. We toured the older part of the home where olive oil was pressed. And the old time kitchen. we were then also given a shot of grappa and some figs. We then had a delightful lunch and were entertained by members of the family and some neighbors. The food was plentiful and the wine seed never ending, as soon as one decanter was emptied it was refilled.
With so much to eat and drink we were almost ready for a nap. Then we stopped at the walled city of Dubrovnik, a beautiful walled city which has withstood the ravages of time and wars. We toured the city, but then the skies opened up and we all scurried for shelter. As we had rain ponchos with us we were prepared, but ducked into a gelato store anyhow. To our amazement this was the BEST gelato we have ever tasted. Having been in Europe before we have sampled a great deal of gelato. What a wonderful way to end the day.
The next stop was Corfu, and the weather was really nasty, so it put a gloom on the day. The first stop was a beach resort but it was raining so hard most people did not get out of the bus. Phil and I had ponchos and did a little exploring and the rain let up. We went up into the mountains and the scenery was lovely. We drove thru a town were the buses literally were within an inch of the homes and there were some scrape marks on the homes. While the bus was comfortable I sometimes wonder about having busses that big go thru such small streets. We stopped at a local cafe to sample wines and had snacks, we did some shopping in the tourist shops. We were lucky as the prices were decent there, but others who stopped elsewhere had problems I have heard.
After a much needed sea day we arrived in Rome. In the spring I had surgery on my foot and while I am healed quite well at this point, copious amounts of walking do take some toll on my foot, so I booked a fairly inactive bus tour thru Rome with the only real stop being the Vatican. Our tour guide was quite amusing and a wealth of knowledge. Originally we were scheduled for the Vatican as our first stop, but there were several accidents on the road and we were stuck in traffic for quite some time. So the guide reversed our tour and after a brief rest stop we were on our way. Rome is an amazing city and there is so much to see, we drove all over and saw so much I can not recall all of the places we saw. St. Peter's Square is so much larger than I could have imagined. Rome is a wonderful mix of old and new and I know we will be back to see all of the sights we could not spend time exploring in depth , and of course we had to sample the gelato one final time. I have to add we do not eat sugar or starches and we are firm believers in the low carb lifestyle for health reasons but on this trip we did indulge ,knowing well the price we would pay for it ( return of acid reflux, break outs, energy slumps, etc.) but once we got home it was back to normal. The day ended much to soon.
The last sea day we did need our rest as all of this had toll, along with our dietary indiscretions, so we basically relaxed and then sadly packed. The Brilliance is a wonderful ship and in excellent shape. Having done the Radiance and the Serenade we knew the layout of the ship quite well. Of course we had dinner at Chops and Portifino's and as usual the meals were outstanding. But the dining room food was also excellent. One night I did not care for the choice and chose salmon on the alternative menu and it was succulent and juicy. Our wait staff was incredible and very attentive and so much fun. I miss being pampered by them, I think even though we have always had great servers, this staff were the best we have ever had. The only real complaint I have is that the Seaview cafe is not easily accessible in bad weather, you know late at night when we got the munchies, I mean 2 nights I went out into the rain to get there. Well of course I could have called room service.
I did not go to all the shows, my taste runs a little different than Phil's so he went to one's he liked and I the ones I liked, of course a few we both liked. I think the shows I saw were great. We used the hot tubs, pool (to reduce the swelling of my foot), played Mini golf and all the usual things, but also took plenty of naps (in the comfy new bedding) as this was a port intensive cruise. And of course we both made donations to the casino, me at the slot's Phil at the Craps table. The Venetian masquerade party and all the cocktail parties were fun, the best being the C&A repeaters party in the Viking Crown lounge just as we were sailing into Venice, we had the best view! We did watch Quest but did not participate this time, but it was still fun as some of our CC buddies did win. All in all I have to say this was one of the best cruises we have ever done and we also made some great new friends who I hope to sail again with someday. There was so much to see at very port, we would not hesitate to do this cruise again and may do so some time in the future. Our only regret was having to go home and return to reality.
I invite every to view some of the great pictures we took while on the cruise at
http://community.webshots.com/user/abridalmaven
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hstrybuf
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Posted: Sun Oct 28th, 2007 08:52 pm | 2nd Post |
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It's good to see you again Barb! I received your pictures and took a quick peek. How I would have loved to have been on this one with you! 
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Deb
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My pics: http://community.webshots.com/user/hstrycrsr
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lee
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Posted: Sun Oct 28th, 2007 11:36 pm | 3rd Post |
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Great to see that you had a great time.. And I wish I were there!!
Great Pics
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Lee (a.k.a -- wercruzin)
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http://www.wercruzin.us
Carnival - Legend '08
RCCL - Rhapsody of the Seas '03
Carnival - Ecstacy '00
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Adios
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Posted: Mon Oct 29th, 2007 06:09 pm | 4th Post |
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| Very nice review Barb. Glad that you enjoyed the cruise.
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WeBeCruisin
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Posted: Wed Oct 31st, 2007 02:01 am | 5th Post |
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Very nice review, Barb.
I loved the Brilliance of the Seas when I did a similar cruise in July of 2005. We spent an extra day on each end in Barcelona and loved it. We had been there previously and couldn't wait to get back.
Our itinerary was a little different from yours, though. We were on a 12-day which left Barcelona and went to Villefranche, Cannes, Livorno, Naples, Athens, Santorini and Rome. We were supposed to go to Turkey, but that port was cancelled due to the political situation, and as we were pulling into Mykonos a 105-mile-an-hour windshear came up and almost capsized the Brilliance.... Over 10,000 pieces of glass were broken in the dining rooms as the ship leaned at almost a 45 degree angle. Scary.
We chose that itinerary because we had been on the Legend of the Seas in 2001 which included Venice, Sicily, Marseilles. and Dubrovnik...... I was very pleasantly surprised with Dubrovnik also.
Allen
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Allen
Saints and Sinners 4 back to back on the Destiny, October 30 2008
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Saints and Sinners 5...Legend, October 18, 2009
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whatawonderfulworld
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Posted: Wed Oct 31st, 2007 03:32 am | 6th Post |
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Greetings neighbor - I live right next door in Hicksville!
We're NCL'ers but I always read reviews from the folks who post here at CTT no matter what line they sail on.
Loved your review and thank you thank you thank you (did I say thank you?) for posting those fabulous pictures! Next Summer DH and I are going on our first cruise in Europe. Seeing your pictures - knowing what's coming up for us next August...well it was one terrific way to spend a Monday evening after a rather contentious day at work. I loved the way you framed the scenery, very nicely done. I know the effort it takes to get just the right shot - they really are terrific.
What time of year did you go on your cruise? What was the weather like?
Thanks again.
Ciao,
WaWW
Last edited on Wed Oct 31st, 2007 04:06 am by whatawonderfulworld
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Mark Twain
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