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Group of 26 Travel Professionals
Occupation: Travel Agents
Number of Cruises: Most were seasoned cruisers
Ship: R-1
Sailing Date: May 29, 2001
Itinerary: Rome to Barcelona (Western Mediterranean)
About This Review
This review is the result of 26 travel professionals that sailed the R-1 on May 29th, 2001 and represents an attempt to answer many questions about Renaissance and the Mediterranean cruises that Renaissance offers. Every last person walked away with their expectations having been exceeded by the experience and I think you will find out why after reading this review. To see a large picture of the thumbnail pictures simply click on the picture you want to see.
This review is broken into 4 distinct areas; The Ship , a look at the R-1, The Cruise , a day by day look at the ports and cruise, Shore Excursions , what to expect and finally, FAQ about the R-1 .
Getting to the ship:
I had obtained an excellent airfare from British Airways on their new
San Diego to London non-stop flight and departed San Diego right on time for the 10 hour flight to
London’s Gatwick airport and made the connection to BA’s flight to Rome without incident.
After claiming my luggage I made my way to the Hilton Airport Hotel and checked into my room
for a nice 12-hour recovery sleep. After enjoying the
buffet breakfast in the morning, I met with the Renaissance representative that had set up shop in
the coffee area of the hotel to help people transfer from the Hilton Hotel to the ship.
I took advantage of the $49.99 rate on the air-conditioned motor coach that Renaissance
offered and left the hotel promptly at 11:30.
Civitavecchia (the closest port to Rome that the cruise ships use) is
some 80 Km from the airport and takes approximately 1 hour to reach.
Some in our group took taxicabs that cost between $US150.00 to $US200.00 depending on how
many bags and passengers there were. I would strongly
suggest taking the transfer offered by Renaissance. There is a train from Rome to Civitavecchia but one must first take the train
from the airport to Rome and then connect to the train to Civitavecchia and then a taxicab from the
Civitavecchia train station to the ship. While you can
save some money this way, taking the Renaissance transfer offers the security of knowing that you
and your baggage is going to make it safely (and on time) to the ship.
You would simply make your way to the Hilton Hotel (about 20 minutes walk from the baggage
claim area through an air conditioned overpass—be sure to use a luggage cart) and gather in the
coffee shop area. Renaissance even provides a continental breakfast while you await the departure of
the air-conditioned motor coach.
Embarkation
Once at the ship the motor coach delivers you right to the foot of the
gangway where Renaissance has set up kiosks with the initial of last names clearly designated on the
kiosk. Once checked in (takes 30 seconds) Renaissance
provides you with your room key and a map of the ship and you board the ship. I am not sure why
other cruise lines make such a big deal out of the embarkation process but they should send one of
their efficiency experts to observe Renaissance’s process. At
the top of the gangway you present your new boarding card/room key to security and they swipe you
onto the ship. From there you are met by one of
Renaissance’s staff who help you to your stateroom and make sure you are comfortable before
leaving you to start enjoying your cruise.
HINT: I always carry my luggage onto the ship rather than let the porters do it. This way I can unpack the second I enter my cabin and start enjoying my cruise. I would strongly suggest that you do the same or at least pack a carry-on with your first day’s necessities. I was in the Jacuzzi by 1 pm and enjoying my cruise while other passengers were walking around waiting for their luggage to be delivered to their cabins. However Renaissance does an excellent job of delivering luggage and no one has to wait hours for their bags
The Ship
The R-1 is the first of a series of new ships for Renaissance.
Launched in 1998, she is practically a brand new ship and she looks every bit of it.
All of the R class ships feature the same configuration and décor.
Once you have sailed on one R class ship you know your way around all of the ships in the
fleet as they are all the same. Everyone in our group
loved the décor of the ship and the immediate ambiance the ship exudes.
I have included a good number of pictures so you can get an idea what each area looks like
and also get a feel for the R class ship’s appeal.
The cabin
Our group was all on the fourth deck from mid-ship to forward.
The first thing that struck me when I entered the cabin was the generous use of wood and
mirrors. My cabin (4024) had an unobstructed ocean view
from its picture window with floor to ceiling drapes that closed to keep the light out in the
morning. My cabin featured a king sized bed that was very comfortable and enough room to get all
around the bed. There was a floor to ceiling mirror at
the foot of the bed that gave the cabin an even more generous appearance. A very generous vanity
area with 2 110-volt outlets provided a great place for my computer and printer with tons of space
to spare. There is a television with 3 first run movies running concurrently along with several
channels of programming (including CNN). There is a
very generous closet area consisting of two full-length hanging closets and an additional ½ length
closet with 4 drawers below. The vanity offers more drawers and other storage areas.
There is a safe as well hidden on one of the storage areas below the TV.
Everything is a rich teak that gives the cabin lots of charm unlike many ships that are using
plastic for everything. Next to each side of the bed is
a nightstand again with more drawers for storage and a mini sofa resides in the sitting area of the
cabin. All in all, there is just enough square footage
over the traditional cabin to give you the feel of spaciousness and a quality higher than cabins of
other cruise lines in the same price range.
The bathroom is very typical of cruise ships in its size (compact) only
the use of porcelain instead of plastic gives the bathroom a quality feel about it.
There is a hair dryer and ample storage space for toiletries.
A Tour of the Ship
The R-1 is exactly the same as all of the other “R” class ships.
She is a smaller ship at only 30,277 gross tons and a guest capacity of only 684 lucky
adults. R-1 (in fact, all of the “R” class ships)
does not allow children under 16 and all of the ships are completely non-smoking.
The first thing one notices is the “homey” feeling about her.
Upon entering the R-1’s main lobby you notice that the chairs are full sized living room
chairs that can be moved wherever you want them. The
carpets are a fine simulation of India Rugs laid into of beautiful carpet with lots of colors.
There is an abundance of teak paneling with gold inlaid designs.
The ceilings make excellent use of textures, crown molding and various skylight reliefs so
that the overall feeling is one of a richness not usually found on most mass-market cruise ships.
Fortunately this theme permeates the R-1 with lots of nooks and
crannies and an abundance of places to meet in large and small groups with many intimate spaces to
escape from the crowd. R-1’s space ratio of a very
generous 44.16 is quite evident as you explore the ship. The ship is well suited for her passenger demographics and repeat adult cruisers
that enjoy sophisticated elegance in a casual atmosphere will not be disappointed.
The Restaurants
R-1 has an open dining policy so that you may eat when you desire and
with whom you desire. Some of the restaurants require
reservations while others you may simply show up and be seated. This is a great feature of Renaissance as everyone can have the exact dining
experience they are looking for. We chose to eat as a
group and were able to obtain group seating throughout the cruise for 7 and enjoyed excellent
dining.
The Club Restaurant (Deck 5, Aft)
This is the main restaurant on the ship and does not require advance
reservations. You may simply decide when you would like
to dine and head for the restaurant to be seated. The
restaurant is elegant and offers many ocean view tables. We
experienced extremely good service and the food was generally very good to excellent.
Trying to please 7 well-travelled travel agents is no small task and other than a few
suggestions our group was very satisfied with The Club Restaurant.
There were always several entrees to select from including fish every night. During the last meal we enjoyed at the Club we selected an entrée that no one
had chosen and passed it around the table. On this
evening all of the selections were excellent. Many in
our group preferred the Club Restaurant out of all the restaurants on the R-1.
Also the Club is open for breakfast and lunch as well as dinner.
The Italian Restaurant, (Deck 10, Aft)
The Italian Restaurant requires advance reservations (while reservations
are required, at the alternative restaurants there is currently no additional gratuity suggested as
with other cruise line’s alternative dining which makes the experience that much more enjoyable) I
thoroughly enjoyed the Italian Restaurant and I stuck with fish and salad and was never
disappointed. One of the nice things about the various restaurants is that if you ordered a
bottle of wine in the Italian restaurant and did not finish it you could arrange to have the wine
follow you to the next restaurant. The Italian
Restaurant’s menu consisted of fish, veal and other meats, pasta and salads.
The Grill Restaurant (Deck 10 Aft)
This is everyone’s favorite along with the Club Restaurant.
The Grill Restaurant offers steaks, chops and fish in an elegant setting.
Rack of Lamb was offered every night and was a favorite choice for many of the agents.
I stuck with the fish that was consistently wonderful (how can you miss in the
Mediterranean?) Overall, I enjoyed the Grill Restaurant the most as it was intimate and the service
was very good to excellent.
The Panorama Buffet (Deck 9, Aft)
This is the ship’s buffet restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch
and dinner. I found ample fruit, yogurt, cheese and
other healthy choices were consistently available. I would have liked to seen more local fruit in the offerings as a number of
others in our group mentioned. The ship offered
pineapple, cantaloupe, grapefruit, bananas, citrus and apples every morning.
Lunch always offered several choices of salads, entrees (including fish daily) and vegetables
(excellent). There are two coffee and juice stations
that are open all hours as well in the Panorama, one of which was outside on the fantail behind the
Panorama.
The B-B-Q (Deck 9, Poolside)
This is the poolside lunch venue that offers excellent hamburgers and
hot dogs with French fries. The quality of these items
is one step above most other cruise lines and they also offer one additional B-B-Q item every day.
I saw teriyaki beef sticks, Lamb skewers, pork chops among the offerings everyday. There is no salad offered at the B-B-Q so one has to go into the Panorama to get
it.
The Pizzeria (Deck 9, Aft)
The Pizzeria is located inside of the Panorama Restaurant as a
separate food venue. The pizza was excellent and the
only complaint that I heard was that it was not open long enough and should have been open in the
evening and that the pizza, while good, was not the best.
The Entertainment Venues and Lounges
The Western Mediterranean Itinerary is very rich in daytime activities
and many folks couldn’t manage to stay up for the entertainment after a full day of touring,
shopping, climbing ruins or whatever they did. Generally
there was a show after every dinner in the Cabaret Lounge and other choices such as a piano bar and
a dancing venue. It was hard to find anyone up and
around much after 11 pm.
The Cabaret Lounge (Deck 5, Forward)
This is the main showroom and entertainment venue on the ship.
Shows mainly consist of song and dance productions (very good) and magic acts, singers and
such. The Cabaret Lounge is a quality showroom and
offers folks that “up close and personal” experience with the entertainers.
There are tables right up next to the stage for those that want to almost be part of the
show. The room is terraced
so that all seats have a view. The thing I liked most
about the Cabaret Lounge is that the chairs are “living room” type chairs that can be arranged
to suit anyone’s needs and desires, as they are not bolted to the floor.
The showroom offers excellent acoustics and the central stage can be seen from all position
in the lounge.
The Horizon Lounge: (Deck 10, Forward)
This is the primary dancing and meeting place venue.
The Horizon Lounge is broken into several different areas that can be isolated from the
others. We held our seminars in the Horizon Lounge by
simply roping off one of the areas and were never bothered by anyone.
Forward in the bar is a floor to
ceiling full-length picture window that extends from one side of the ship to the other.
It is an excellent place to witness the arrival or departure of the R-1 into or from ports.
It is also an excellent place to spend quiet moments just taking in the beauty of the
Mediterranean Sea. In the early evening and then later
into the night the Sports Bar offers dancing and other types of entertainment (karaoke and such).
The Casino Bar (Deck 5, Mid Ship)
The casino bar and piano lounge was one of my favorite places.
There are several stools that you can use to order drinks but the bar sits directly in
the center of the casino and most folks simply use it to obtain a drink while they are
playing. Folks enjoying the music in the piano lounge are also served from this bar as
well. In addition to the stools there is always at least one full time waitress serving drinks
in the piano bar.
The Pool Bar (Deck 9, Poolside)
The Pool Bar was rarely open as there was a general lack of interest the
first couple of days of the cruise.
The Club Bar (Deck 5 Aft)
The Club Bar sits right outside the entrance to the Club Restaurant and
is a perfect place to meet for cocktails and conversation prior to dining in the Club Restaurant.
It is decorated so that it feels like a homey environment where you can simply relax in
absolute comfort. I liked the Club Bar on the R-1 the
best of all the lounges on the ship and found myself there just relaxing on several occasions
The Grill Bar and The Italian Bar (Deck 10 Aft)
Both the Grill and the Italian Restaurants had small bars with bar stools and an intimate sitting
area that one could use while they waited for their reservation time.
The Grill Bar is especially quaint with its “Old New York” feel.
The dark mahogany wood and rustic feel give the Grill Bar a very special feeling.
Other Public Areas
The Library (Deck 10, Aft)
WOW! The library is without
a question one of the best that exists on any cruise ship at sea.
Its lavish use of textures, ceiling reliefs, dark hardwood
bookshelves, sofas and overstuffed chairs give the library a feeling of richness and lavish
comfort. Best of all the library is open 24 hours a day
and the books are taken and returned on the honor system. Besides
being absolutely beautiful, the library is large and functional as well.
The books are categorized by book type (just like a large library) and it is quite easy to
find books to read if you know what you are looking for.
The Internet Café (Deck 9, Forward)
R-1 offers a full service Internet café consisting of 6 fully automated
workstations. The connection speed is fast which is
good because on this sailing Internet access was a full $1.00 per minute.
They were offering a special of $59.95 for unlimited use during the balance of the cruise
(the Internet Cafe was closed for the first 4 days) which is what I opted for and it was a great
value.
Charlene, the Manager of the Internet Cafe, is a wonderful and dedicated
lady who makes using the Internet Cafe a pleasure. She is always there to help anyone who
wants it and keeps the system alive with constant care and maintenance.
The Card Room (Deck 9, Forward)
I rarely use the card rooms on ships as they are usually designed for playing cards and that is about it. However, the card room on the R-1 is an excellent getaway spot as it is rarely used and offers a wonderful ambiance. I found myself going there when I wanted to ponder something or work without interruption.
The Fitness Center (Deck 9, Forward)
As you may have guessed by now I am into health and fitness. While most ships allocate enough space for a reasonable fitness center they usually just don't equip it right to obtain a reasonable workout. The R-1 (in fact all R Class Ships) have done an excellent job of designing and equipping their fitness centers. They are broken into four distinct areas,
First, the aerobics area is large enough so that folks can spread out during their
aerobics classes, R-1 offers quite a number of cardiovascular machines and a nice variety as
well. There are tread mills, 2 Stair
Master machines, bikes and ski machines. I never saw all of the machines in use so there was
no waiting for anyone to complete their workout before starting. The weight machine area offers just
the right Body Master machines to stay toned. There is a chest press, lat rowing machine, triceps
push down, preacher's bench biceps curl, leg lift, leg curl and a military press. The dumbbell
section offers dumbbells to 50# (not the usual 30# cutoff) and two separate weight benches.
The Spa (Connected to the Fitness Center) offers a steam room and two superb showers that are free to use after your work out. Taking a nice long steam bath followed by a hot shower is just an excellent way to end a work out. The Spa also offers full Steiner services.
The Pool Area (Deck 9, Mid Ship)
Aaahhhh, the R-1 Pool area. No kids, adults only, no splashing, yelling,
running, falling, crying, "Marco Polo", none of that. The R-1's pool area is exactly
as the other R-class ships. There are two Jacuzzis that are never crowded and a swimming pool
that is kept at around 80 degrees so that it is always comfortable. Around the pool area are
covered chairs and sun chairs and there is a table between each lounge chair so getting in and out
of the chairs is easy. There is a pool bar close by with tables to sit at and their is also
pool service by the waiters that are non-invasive. It is a wonderful experience for adults and
in my opinion one of Renaissance's best features.
The Self Laundry (Deck 7, Mid Ship, Port Side)
Thanks again Renaissance. The R-1 offers a complete self-service laundry
facility for those that did not pack enough. Tokens for operating the machines are at the
Registration desk and there is an ironing board and iron to keep those clothes that got wrinkled on
the way to the R-1 looking fresh and snappy. The best time to use the facility is during the
day when you get back from touring. Evening time (before dinner) tends to get a bit busy. The R-1
also offers "laundry specials" during the week where they will wash and fold all of the
laundry you can get into a laundry bag for just $10. I took them up on it twice and it really
saved me work.
The Casino (Deck 5, Mid Ship)
The R-1 offers a large casino area with several table games and slot machines and
more slots are found outside the Horizon Bar.
The Shops (Deck 5, Mid Ship)
R-1 has a couple of excellent shops. One sells primarily Renaissance signature
items (hats, coffee mugs, wind breakers, sweat shirts and so on) plus sundry items one needs when
one runs out of (or forgets to pack) them. The other shop sells fine items of jewelry,
perfumes, watches, and so on. They are spacious enough so that you do not get that cramped
feeling you do on some ships that simply overstock their limited space.
The Registration Area (Deck 4, Mid Ship)
The registration desk on the R-1 is open 24 hours a day and offers many
services. On this itinerary you will find yourself exchanging currency quite often. R-1
is unique as they will not change currency as they would rather simply charge any currency to your
cabin as a "hotel charge". This works nicely as you can then exchange-left over
currency for a "hotel credit" against your initial charge. The R-1 exchange rate was
competitive with those offered on shore in the various countries but with the wide fluctuation in
currency, I found the currency exchange places very crowded (especially in Spain). The
convenience of getting the currency on the ship far outweighed any variation in exchange rates.
The Shore Excursion Desk (Deck 4, Mid Ship)
The R-1 has a sophisticated way of confirming shore excursions. There is no
need to wait in line to book with a shore excursion salesperson as you can simply grab a form and
indicate how many tickets you want and drop it into the shore excursion box. The tickets are
delivered to your cabin shortly thereafter. If you need advice on a particular excursion there is
rarely a line to speak with one because of this procedure. The R-1 offers extensive shore
excursions that our group found them valuable and informational.
The Staff and Entertainment
The R-1 is blessed with an excellent staff that is obviously motivated by the ship's middle management and Captain. We experienced excellent service in all of the restaurants and generally throughout the ship. The entertainment was fair to very good (but this is a port intensive cruise and the entertainment was secondary to the experience) The Paramount Performers were very good and showed an extreme amount of talent. Their singing was the high point of the performances (especially Linda Demenchini's). Brett Kite was interesting as he combined magic with comedy and singing. I have never seen an act choreographed like his. The other main entertainer, Jorge Dellacher was enjoyed by some but I found his act and humor somewhat boring. Wally Blake who played at the piano bar was interesting to listen to and played some rather good music. The Renaissance Duo that played up in the Horizon Lounge played soothing dance music and were relaxing to listen to.
The entertainment staff had their hands full on this cruise as there was a diverse group in terms of age and tastes. Assistant Cruise Director JJ Ullrich did an outstanding job at fielding petty complaints about this and that and was also very available to the guests of the R-1. This goes a long way to improving guest satisfaction as each guest feels as if their comments count and JJ did an excellent job of handling the comments and the difficult passengers. Cruise staff Carol Armstrong also did an excellent job at handling "high maintenance" guests and was always available for anyone to approach.....this goes a long way with passengers as well. Cruise Director Craig Cusanelli is a professional and it shows every time he addresses the ship and the passengers. Together, this team makes the R-1 work much smoother then it possibly could with a lesser effort. My hat is off to Renaissance for assembling a winning team.
The Cruise
Day One, Civitavecchia, (Rome) Italy
Civitavecchia is the closest (and main) port for the city of Rome, which
sits some 80km to the southeast. It is approximately an hour’s drive to Rome but is connected via
train as well. After arriving and boarding the R-1 I unpacked and then made my way to the purser’s
desk to reconfirm my group’s arrangements. Having
just got off the R-1 three weeks prior it was just like old home week.
It is funny how many friends you can make on a ship in 10 days. I reconfirmed the
arrangements and then made my way up to the Jacuzzi where I ran into some of our group members
already enjoying the pool. Spending the afternoon
enjoying the sunshine by the pool and Jacuzzis was just the ticket to recuperate from the 9 time
zone jetlag. I enjoyed dinner with some in our group
and then turned in for the evening missing the opening “Welcome Aboard” show.
During the day I had heard what sounded like a computer resetting every
30 minutes or so and didn’t think anything of it. When
I woke up at midnight to what sounded like an alarm clock I was a bit disturbed.
After a couple hours of no sleep and being reminded every 20 to 30 minutes by this sound I
decided to go to the front desk to see if anything could be done to figure out what was going on.
This was around 2 am. The staff at the Purser’s
desk made it a point to call the engineer who personally came to my cabin and figured out that the
air conditioner motor was on its way out and told me that it would be “quite a job” to repair it
and suggested that I move to another cabin for the evening. He
even went to the front desk and obtained a key for a cabin right down the hall and offered to help
me move.
I was truly impressed by the solution that had materialized.
While the motor going out was an inconvenience to me, the R-1 had no way of knowing it was
going to go out and did everything within their power to resolve the situation on-the-spot.
I have been on larger ships where the chain of command may have lengthened the process to
several hours, not several minutes. The following
morning, a workman was at my cabin door with tools and ladder and had the situation under control by
noon. Sometimes how one responds to a crisis defines
their level of commitment…it is my impression that the staff on the R-1 are totally committed to
their passenger’s comfort and satisfaction.
Day Two, Civitavecchia, (Rome) Italy
One of the agents had arranged to see the Pope and take a tour of the
Vatican for the day so I agreed to go along with four other group members who had arranged for a
small van to meet us at the ship at 8am. With virtually
no sleep, I got up worked out early in the morning, had an early breakfast and made my way to meet
the group at the gangway to board the brand new Mercedes Benz Van.
It was fully air-conditioned and very comfortable. We
took off directly from the ship and made our way through Civitavecchia to the highway that runs into
Rome. It takes about an hour to get to Rome and the
driving was at a rapid clip. One can’t help to notice
the speed at which traffic flows through the countryside.
As we approached Rome the countryside gave way to city quite quickly and
city gave way to dense traffic, noise and population even more quickly.
I was amazed at the density of small automobiles and motor scooters that were jammed into the
narrow streets throughout Rome. The traffic was the
most hectic I had ever seen. After negotiating slowly
through the streets of Rome the van approached the walled Vatican City (which is actually an
independent state within Rome) and finally dropped us off right in front of the Vatican.
It was amazing. Every kind of person in the world was represented in the area.
I snapped this picture of a beggar lady in the courtyard of the Vatican. We made our
way through the throngs of people up to the area in St. Peter’s Square where you needed tickets to
access the sitting area the pope addressed. Once
settled, we were treated to introductory announcements in various languages made to the various
groups that were in attendance. One couldn’t help but
be impressed with the diversity of the population represented.
It wasn’t long until the pope made his entrance by riding a small vehicle around and through the
crowds of people waving to and acknowledging some of the folks lucky enough to have chosen seats
around the perimeter of the seating area (HINT: if you are lucky enough to visit the pope’s
Wednesday morning ceremony choose seats right on the edge of the seating area where a pathway has
been cleared…you will be able to see the pope very close up.) Once the pope had completed the tour
around the seating area he made his way up to the podium where he sat and delivered his message.
It was truly an awesome experience. While I am
not Catholic, one would have to be numb to his surroundings to not appreciate the grandness of the
experience.
Once the ceremony was over we made our way to the entrance of the Vatican Museum and entered the
huge structure. Our guide Michela Mancini proceeded to show us the highlights of the museum
(which are awesome) and explained the meaning of many of the frescoes, tapestries and artwork that
are displayed throughout the museum. The museum has hallway after hallway of wonderful displays that
date back centuries. The museum requires quite a bit of
walking and here are a good number of stairs as well. The
visit to Sistine Chapel and viewing the works of Michelangelo was wonderful.
The highlight of the tour was visiting St. Peters Basilica, currently the world’s largest church.
The structure is awe-inspiring as it resides at the heart of the Vatican and commands the
attention of everyone. The basilica is a definite “must
see” when visiting Rome. St. Peter is actually buried
under the main alter at St. Peter’s Basilica and many found it an honor to be so close to his
remains. The ceiling of St. Peters Basilica’s dome is
also covered with awesome frescoes
that stagger the mind and the statuary of the church is absolutely splendid. The lower statues are approximately 20 to 25 ft high (my guess) and the statues
on the upper level are made to appear exactly the same height but are actually some 50 to 60 feet
high to accomplish the optical illusion. It is truly
spectacular.
Once done touring the museum and Basilica we drove to a square for a
wonderful lunch before continuing on to visit soma of the other sights of
Rome. Trevi Fountain is well worth seeing, if not for
the fountain itself for the surrounding buildings and area that the fountain resides within.
Spanish Steps didn’t do much for me but it is on the stop for most tours and our guide felt
it necessary to stop here. We then visited many of the sights on the tourist
route. I enjoyed seeing the Colosseum and got a great
picture of it. The Roman Forum and Circus Maximus were also interesting as was many of the other
ruins that are so abundant within Rome’s inner city. One
of the special stops that we made was up on a hillside where a private residence that had an entry
gate with a large
keyhole that focused directly on St. Peter’s Basilica over one mile away.
Our driver had obtained permission to show her guests the visual treat and we were among the
lucky few to enjoy it. One of our group members had a
camera with enough zoom to capture the sight for your enjoyment so here is a picture of the keyhole
compliments of Don Weber.
After a full day of touring we were all bushed and began our ride back
to Civitavecchia and the R-1. About 30 miles from the
ship is when the van began slowing down and then rolled to a stop on the side of the highway.
Apparently the accelerator cable had broken and the driver was unable to control the speed of
the van. After a few minutes of fooling with the
situation the driver had removed one of his shoelaces and temporarily fixed the problem so that we
could continue the ride to the ship. Once in
Civitavecchia some in our group wanted to stop and select some local wines to take aboard the R-1.
We found a local Deli and proceeded to purchase some excellent wines for about $2.50 per
bottle. Olives and other tasty treats were also
purchased. The deli was the most fun of the entire day.
Once back on the R-1 we met for in the Club Bar for cocktails and then
went into the Club Restaurant for a lingering dinner of conversation and laughter.
After dinner we were treated to the first show of the cruise, the “Bon Voyage” show.
This was performed by the Paramount Performers and was an excellent kick-off for the cruise.
Then it was off to an early night’s sleep after a full day.
Day Three, Naples, Italy
I awoke early and made my way to the gym for an early morning workout
and had the pleasure of watching the R-1 slide into her berth in downtown Naples. The Internet Café
on board the ship was down and I wanted to find an Internet Café so I was off the ship early and
walking the city looking for one. Naples is an active
city of several million people and all of them seemed to be driving automobiles, scooters or walking
around downtown at the same time. The traffic is hectic and the pedestrian traffic even more so.
I walked for miles around Naples and while I didn’t find an Internet Café, I did find
Naples to be a wonderful and vibrant city. The women in
Naples are simply beautiful! After some time I decided
to ask a taxicab driver if he knew of an Internet Café and he then proceeded to talk me into going
to Pompeii with him. I am not sure I have ever laughed harder (I intended to visit Pompeii anyway.)
We made our way through the streets of Naples onto a highway and began our trek out to Pompeii.
As you know Pompeii was an ancient civilization that was buried under ashes and volcanic dust
in the year of 79AD after an eruption of the nearby volcano named Vesuvius.
Pompeii is unique as the ruins sat under the ash for generations and was only recently
uncovered by archeologists. The ruins have been exceptionally preserved with even small details
intact. The size of Pompeii alone is staggering. Many
artifacts are displayed that were taken from Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum including artwork,
pottery and community communication such as announcements of theater performances and gladiator
fights, wine sales and so on. It is truly amazing to
think that the culture of Pompeii was so similar to ours, yet it was almost two thousand years ago
that the artifacts were buried.
You can wonder through Pompeii’s streets and walkways entering homes, businesses, arenas, public
baths and many of the buildings just as they existed in 79 AD.
I found the staggering amount of carved marble
pillars, facades and exquisite detail of the homes fascinating.
Many homes even had large pools (presumably for swimming or bathing) and water gardens.
Don’t miss Pompeii. While I didn’t get there
I heard that Herculaneum (which is half the distance from Naples) was even better preserved although
smaller.
Back in Naples I took another walk to try and find an Internet Café and thoroughly enjoyed the
Castle Nuovo that stands proudly at the waterfront in Naples. This
13th century castle is now a museum but its overwhelming size and importance hints of
times past and the wealth of some of the residents in Naples.
Striking out again I decided to get back onto the R-1 and settle into
the afternoon by the pool and relax before getting ready for the 5pm sail away cocktail party that
Renaissance had prepared for our group in the Horizon Lounge. We
enjoyed the vistas and cocktails while pulling away from Naples and then some of us proceeded to the
Club Restaurant for a wonderful dinner. After dinner is
was show time with entertainer Brett Kite. Brett has a
unique show and blends comedy with magic and singing. He
is very entertaining. While I wanted to attend the
Karaoke party in the Horizon Lounge at 11:15, I ended up calling it an early evening and went to bed
for a wonderful night’s sleep.
Day Four, Livorno, (Florence) Italy
The R-1 docked on time in Livorno and some of our group had decided to
take the train from Livorno to Florence to do some sightseeing and I agreed to join them.
I was up early, worked out and had breakfast in the Panorama Café and was shore side ready
to go at our 9 am meeting time. We grabbed a taxicab from the R-1 to the train station with plenty of time to
make the 10 am train. The train took an hour and one half to make it to the downtown Florence train
station that is within easy walking distance to all of Florence’s attractions.
We were keenly interested in seeing the Duomo so after getting directions made our way to the
square that housed the Duomo.
I was not prepared for the beauty that stood before me. The entire exterior of the Duomo (and
attached buildings) is faced in hand carved marble and has an almost iridescent glow about it.
Upon entering the Duomo one is dwarfed by the immensity of the interior and the exquisite
detailing of the marble that is also used on the interior of the church.
There is extensive use of stain glass and the frescoed main dome is stunning.
While I had thought that I had seen enough churches in Europe to satisfy me for a while I
wouldn’t have missed the Duomo and would rate it high on the “must see church” list.
After visiting the Duomo for an extensive time we decided to have lunch
at a local spot and stumbled upon an Irish pub that resides in the Duomo square.
We selected seats upstairs and enjoyed ale and Irish sandwiches and salads for lunch.
All in all it was quite fun. The Irish pub had a
small balcony overlooking the Duomo Square so we sat on the balcony and simply took in the beauty of
the Duomo when the balcony seats became available.
Some of the ladies in our group wanted to do some shopping so we made
our way up to the shops that resided in the old town part of the city.
While visiting the shops four youths ran by laughing and carrying what appeared to be
pictures. Seconds later they were followed by two
policemen that were closing in on their flight. Down
the alleyway the youths abandoned their plunder and took off running while the policeman recovered
the goods for the shop owner who had been violated. The experience was a very real reminder that it
could have just as easy been one of the ladies’ purses that the thieves were running with and that
they could have just as easy gotten away as not.
After a considerable amount of time spent shopping we made our way back
to the train station and headed back towards Livorno and the R-1. I spent some time in the Jacuzzi
and then got ready to meet some of our group in the Grill Restaurant for a wonderful dinner followed
by the stage production “Unforgettable” by the Paramount Performers.
This group of young and talented people is a joy to watch and they spend quite a but of time
singing songs from the past that sparks many memories. I
was bushed and turned in after the show and slept like a baby.
Day Five, Ajaccio, (Corsica,) France
We arrived on schedule in Corsica and some of the agents in our group
elected to simply take a walking tour of Ajaccio and I joined them.
After a quick breakfast of fruit, juice and yogurt in the Panorama Café I joined the group
at the gangway to make our way into Ajaccio. It is a beautiful city and distinctly French.
There are little sidewalk cafes everywhere and small shops selling quality specialty items. We walked around the coastline and came
upon the main beach in Ajaccio. It was a lovely
bending coastline line with soft white sand. There were
many oceanfront restaurants to enjoy that took in the views of the ocean and the islands beyond.
I made a mental note that I would certainly return to Corsica in the future. We even walked
by a surf shop hinting that Corsica had potential surf.
Turning inland from the main beach the main shopping area in Ajaccio
opened up and it is truly wonderful shopping. Many in
our group purchased specialty liquors and other distinct gifts. I was impressed with the density and
quality of shops, bars and restaurants that the city sported. It
is so nice to see small entrepreneurs be the predominant distribution force and nowhere does it seem
more obvious. As it was Saturday, there was a large
flea market taking place near the ship and some of the group entered the flea market while I made my
way back to the ship for an afternoon of working in my cabin and also getting some sun time by the
R-1’s pool and Jacuzzis.
7:15 pm found many in our group in our meeting place in the Club Bar for
a pre-dinner cocktail. We dined in the Club Restaurant
and had a thoroughly enjoyable time with lots of conversation and laughs.
It is funny how the Club Restaurant becomes everyone’s favorite because of the ambiance,
service and menu selection. After a lingering dinner I
decided to retire to my cabin and get some more work done passing on the evening’s entertainment.
Day Six, Nice, France
I was up early again having fallen into the old adage of “early to
bed, early to rise” and after completing my workout took a quick breakfast in the Panorama Café.
A small group of us had decided to explore Monaco and met shore side right at 8 am to catch
the local bus for the trip down the coast to Monaco. Nice
itself is absolutely beautiful but the coastline between Nice and Monaco is some of the most
wonderful I have ever seen. Gorgeous bays punctuate it
with steep cliffs climbing from the crystal clear ocean floor to well over a thousand feet in
elevation. There are flowers everywhere and the
Mediterranean construction of homes and buildings is to die for.
It is truly beautiful and a “must see” The local bus only cost about 60 francs and was
quite a bargain.
Approaching Monaco the shoreline becomes more populated with large homes and small hotels in
idyllic settings. We started to enter a hand-carved
tunnel when someone in our group decided it was time to get off the bus.
We crossed the street into a small plaza and viola, Monaco opened up before us.
I knew Monaco was high profile but nothing prepared me for the affluence of the area.
There were high-rise buildings everywhere and the density of life seemed overwhelming.
Designer clothing stores, jewelry stores, art galleries, souvenir stores and other high-profile
shops everywhere. I stopped to look at the flats being
offered in the window of one of the real estate stores and was shocked to find that a small 2
bedroom flat started around one million dollars US. The
Monaco Grand Prix has just finished and the spectator stands were still up but being disassembled.
Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis, and many other exotic automobiles were driving the streets
of Monaco like Fords, Chevrolets and other American cars do in San Diego. We made our way towards the casino and other famous landmarks and were in awe at
every turn of a corner. The yachts in the marina, the
public parks and fountains, the coastline and the people of Monaco make the trip very memorable.
In the square that the casino resides there was a jewelry store that had a diamond watch (among
other treasures) in the window that was so stunning that I had never seen anything like it before.
With a diamond bracelet that must of contained 40 carets of diamonds it was almost too bright
to look at. We continued walking around Monaco in awe
of the overall impact of its infrastructure and then decided to continue our trek of the area.
J.J., the Assistant Cruise Director on the R-1 had told us of a place to
have lunch in a charming medieval village called Eze (pronounced like says without the s) and we
hailed a taxicab to make our way there. Getting a
taxicab in Monaco was no small effort. After 30 minutes
or so of trying to hail a cab in the street with no success, one of the ladies finally picked up a
telephone and we had a cab within 30 seconds. We made
our way into the foothills that shade the Mediterranean coastline and came upon a small village with
two perfumeries. The driver continued to climb up to a
tunneled entrance to what appeared to be a fort of some kind. We
paid the driver and then started climbing on foot through the tunnel into a maze of small walkways
flanked by some of the most charming shops, bars and restaurants that I had ever seen.
Eze is built on a huge rock some 1,200 feet directly above the ocean and dates back centuries.
It is made entirely of rock with stairs climbing every which way among narrow walkways that
meander throughout the maze. There are flower baskets
everywhere as there are small areas of flowering plants where ever a planter could be established.
The rock facades and exteriors of the buildings add to the magical effect of Eze.
The shops are quite small and the products of high quality.
Original art, wine, olive oil and local products are all represented in the shops.
There is a small hotel that is absolutely stunning with a small restaurant that sits directly
above the ocean hundreds of feet below. Eze is awesome
and you should add it to your “must see” places when visiting Nice.
After a lingering lunch in Eze we decided to make our way back to “Old
Town” in Nice and to then walk back to the ship from Old Town taking in the sights on the way. We took a taxicab from Eze to Old Town and penetrated the area a few blocks
before deciding that we should make our way back to the ship. Old Town was great but anticlimactic
after Monaco and Eze. The
beach at Nice is well attended but is mostly small rocks rather than sand. It doesn’t keep visitors from enjoying the sun and the surf however.
We chose not to explore the beach since it looked quite difficult to walk upon and it was
also very crowded. On the way back to the ship we past
a monument that
was carved right out of the rock on the side of the cliff across the street from the beach. It was
impressive. After a long walk we had returned to the R-1 where I immediately jumped into the Jacuzzi
for a long relaxing soak before getting ready for dinner in the Grill restaurant with some of the
members from our group.
Dinner was wonderful and we finished just in time to attend the late
show for the evening a wonderful presentation of “One Singular Sensation” by the Paramount
Performers. As always the Paramount Performers put
their all into the show and everyone enjoyed their energy and talent.
I was bushed and decided to turn in right after the show.
Day Seven, Marseille, France
I awoke early and headed up to the gym for a quick work out before
having my usual breakfast of fruit, yogurt and juice. It
was a national holiday in France and since none of the stores or sights would be open I decided to
stay on the ship to work on my computer. It was a
beautiful day with just enough breezes to keep cool in the sunshine next to the R-1’s pool and
Jacuzzis. I have to admit to flaking off for a few
hours to simply enjoy the day. The ship docks in a
commercial harbor and it is quite a ways to downtown Marseille.
Those that did go into town loved it, as did the folks on tour for the day.
We met for our usual pre-dinner cocktail before enjoying another
excellent dining experience in the Club Restaurant. After dinner I spent some time in the Internet
Café and got to the Cabaret Lounge just in time for the beginning of the talent show.
My vote went for the older couple that did the old Laurel and Hardy skit of “Who’s on
First”. The skit was OK but the interaction between the couple was wonderful.
I ended up back in the Internet Café and then turned in for the evening, the sun having
taken its toll.
Day Eight, Day at Sea
This was our first day at sea and also the day of our seminar.
After an early work out and small breakfast of fruit and yogurt in the Panorama Café I made
my way to the Italian Restaurant where our seminar was to be held. The Hotel Manager had made sure
that all of our needs were met and was there on hand doing last minute checks to see that everything
was perfect for us. We ran our meeting from 9 am until
12 noon at which time we broke for lunch and to spend the afternoon at leisure.
It always amazes me how groups come together and while this group had been slow to do so, the
seminar did the trick.
I chose to spend the day in the sun by the pool as did the majority of
other passengers and I have to admit it was difficult finding a lounge chair in the perfect weather.
I simply laid my shirt and shoes in an empty chair and sat poolside for the early afternoon
until the crowd thinned out a bit. I enjoyed meeting
some wonderful people in the Jacuzzi and the pool and this is one of the real treats about cruising.
I stayed late into the afternoon and then went to my cabin to get ready for tonight’s
dinner in the Club Restaurant. Quite a few of us met
and had to get a few tables close to one another to house us. We
had a wonderful dinner and then went into the evening’s show, “Greased Lightning” starring the
Paramount Performers. It was another wonderful show and again the energy was outstanding. After the
show I visited the Internet Café for a while and turned in for a good night’s sleep
Day Nine, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Up early again I enjoyed cruising down Mallorca’s coastline and into
Palma’s harbor. The view approaching Palma is wonderful and is well worth getting up early to
enjoy. I had intended on staying on the ship and
working but some of our group members talked me into going into Palma with them for sightseeing and
shopping. We left the ship around 10 am and took cabs
into Palma and were dropped off in front of the fort and cathedral at the center of town.
We made or way up towards the old town shopping area
passing the fort and several wonderful shops. Nearing
the crest of old town we stumbled upon an old Catholic Church that was quite unique. Upon gaining entrance to the church we were all in awe of its size and beauty.
The church was not a tourist attraction but simply an active church that must have been in
service for centuries. Look for the steeple when
walking in Palma’s old town. After visiting the
church we enjoyed a cup of “Café con Leche” before starting serious shopping. The ladies in our
group were in heaven with a myriad of shops and boutiques selling everything one could imagine. The pedestrian streets wind every which way through out the area and shoppers are
rewarded with excellent shopping.
Tired of shopping, some of us decided to power walk back to the ship and set off for a wonderful
hour-long walk along the edge of the marina that makes up the shorefront in Palma.
The quantity and quality of yachts in the various basins is staggering. Once back on the ship
I took a late lunch in the Panorama Café and then spent
the afternoon by the pool and in the Internet Café catching up on my e-mail. Don Weber, one of our
group members was up on the sun deck with his digital camera and got an excellent shot of the
Bellver Castle with a long distance lens for your enjoyment.
A small group of us met for dinner in the Club Restaurant and celebrated
with some wine. We ended up closing the restaurant
having spent hours in casual dinner conversation. We
even sat through the late show in the Cabaret Lounge. I
was bushed so turned in right after dinner.
Day Ten, Barcelona, Spain
Once again, I was up early for the arrival of the R-1 into our last port
of Barcelona, Spain. We eased into our berth and were soon cleared to go ashore.
Since I had just been in Barcelona, I took the day to catch up on some work and to work on
this cruise review. It was a gorgeous day and once
again I admit to taking time off to enjoy the pool and Jacuzzis.
The pool area was just about empty and it was extremely pleasant having it all to my own.
We had arranged for a group photo and farewell cocktail party to take
place up in the Horizon Lounge but as there were so many of us took the group photo on the stairs in
front of the reception area instead. After returning to our cocktail party we broke into groups to
take dinner in the Club Restaurant. Once again we had a
very enjoyable meal and lingered into the night. We
closed the Club Restaurant and everyone made their way to their cabins to finish packing for their
departure in the morning. The dinner ended with two of
the group members having a dessert eating contest, both admitting defeat after several desserts and
much laughter.
Day Eleven, Barcelona, Spain
I was up early and took a light breakfast in the Panorama Café before
finishing packing and debarking the ship grabbing a taxicab to the airport to catch my British
Midland flight to London where I was going to spend the next three days waiting to board the R-7 for
a 15-day Baltic cruise. I would highly recommend the
R-1 as its staff is so focused on pleasing their guests.
It always amazes me how people can find things to complain about and one
of the secrets of the cruise director’s staff is that they are always available to listen to the
petty complaints and comments of their guests. Personally,
I would not be able to take it day after day, but that is what separates the professionals from the
non-professionals I guess. My hat is off to the R-1 for an exceptional crew.
The Shore Excursions
Civitavecchia
(Rome) Italy
Highlights of Rome, Full Day, $109.99 (Note: Lots of Walking)
We departed the ship in the morning via an air-conditioned motor coach
for the hour and one-half drive to Rome. We first stopped at Trevi Fountain and walked into the square where the fountain
resides. I tossed a few coins over my shoulder just to
make sure I would return to Italy and found the fountain beautiful.
From the fountain we continued on to the “Wedding Cake” a monument in the center of Rome
located in the Piazza Venezia that we had special permission to climb. The view from the top is
awesome. You can see all of the major sights within
Rome. From there we visited the Forum and the Colosseum
(which I found fascinating) We then continued on to central Rome where we had a wonderful lunch in a
sidewalk café and then quite a bit of time for shopping.
All in all, I would give this tour an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. While it can’t be helped because of the location of the ship to Rome there was a lot of time spent commuting to and from Rome.
Historic Rome, Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, Full Day, $109.99
We left the R-1 and made our way to Rome and upon arrival drove by many
of the main sights. We passed the Pyramid of Caius
Cestius, Circus Maximus (where the Christian chariot races were held) The Arch of Constantine, the
Colosseum, the Forum, Venice Square, the Synagogue, People’s Square, the Aurelian Walls, Borghese
Park, Via Veneto and finally, Barberini Square. We then spent lunch in the center of Rome and also got a little shopping in
before heading to the Vatican Museum. While there were extensive lines we were able to circumvent the lines as part of
the R-1 group. Our guide that took us through the
museum spoke perfect English and seemed to sense just how much information we wanted before moving
on through the museum. The Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo’s famous The Genesis and Last
Judgment was breath taking. We entered St.
Peter’s Square through Bernini’s colonnades (semi circular pillars covered with a massive ornate
roof) and entered the world’s largest church, St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Basilica is simply amazing. The artwork and detail that makes up the interior goes without description.
You simply must visit this fabulous structure when in Rome.
I would give this tour a 10 on a scale of 1-10 as it maximized the limited time we had to see
Rome and everyone came away completely satisfied. Hint:
Bring a bottle of water and wear comfortable walking shoes for this tour.
Rome on Your Own, Full Day, $79.99
We left the ship via air-conditioned motor coach heading for Rome.
It took about an hour and one half to get to the drop off point (and also the pick up point)
where we were left to explore Rome on our own. We had a guidebook and were able to find most of the
attractions without any problem. There just wasn’t
enough time to spend sightseeing or in the museums but this was an excellent way to get to/from
Rome. If I were to do it again I would have taken one of the tours so as to make the most of the
little time we had in Rome.
Naples,
Italy
Capri and Anacapri, Full Day, $129.99
We departed the R-1 and boarded a jetfoil and made our way out of the
harbor across to the island of Capri. We entered the harbor and disembarked the jetfoil where we boarded a transfer up
to the town of Anacapri. It is a quaint village with
lots to see and do. We chose to have a lingering time
shopping in Anacapri’s interesting little shops. We
had a wonderful Italian lunch that was included with the tour and also visited Villa San Michele an
old convent turned part museum. We then rode the
funicular back to the port and boarded the jetfoil for the ride back to the R-1. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend it to anyone that who
already seen Pompeii.
Highlights of Naples, Half Day, $49.99 (Lots of Walking)
We left the ship via motor coach with an excellent English-speaking
guide. We drove directly to the center of Naples and
the Piazza Gesu’ Nuovo. From here we walked to many
of Naples’s main sights; the Obelisk, the 16th century Gesu Nuovo church and other
important churches and buildings. We then climbed to the top of Posilliipo Hill for a breath taking
view of all Naples. From there we went to the Piazza
del Plebiscito, a huge square that adjoins the fabulous Royal Palace and opera house. We had an hour or so to shop before returning to the ship.
I loved this tour and give it high ratings. However
I would not recommend this tour for anyone who cannot take extensive walking tours.
Pompeii and Sorrento, Full Day, $129.99 (Lots of Walking)
We left the R-1 via air-conditioned motor coach, worked our way through
the city and finally headed down the main road towards Pompeii,
Upon arrival we walked into the Pompeii park area where our guide took us through Pompeii
explaining everything that we were seeing. He did an
excellent job making sure we spent most of the time in the shade for his explanations as it was
quite hot and many of us were not accustomed to the heat and the amount of walking that visiting
Pompeii requires. We spent a few hours taking in
Pompeii’s more important sights before making our way back into the motor coach for the trip to
Sorrento.
It took about 30 minutes to get to Sorrento from Pompeii and once we
arrived enjoyed a wonderful Italian lunch (included in tour) After lunch we then made our way to the
center of Sorrento, which is a wonderful sea side quaint community with lots of shops, cafes,
churches and a myriad of interesting sites that reside in Sorrento’s narrow alleyways.
I would give this tour a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. The
only thing I would personally change is to spend less time in Pompeii with more free time to explore
Sorrento.
Ancient Pompeii, Half Day, $69.99 (Lots of Walking)
We departed the R-1 via motor coach going directly to Pompeii.
Pompeii is an ancient city that was buried under 35 feet of ash and volcanic dust during the
first century. It has been uncovered and its treasures
protected for everyone to see. You can actually walk
the entire city of Pompeii exactly as it was when the volcano erupted (well almost, the wooden roofs
and doors have long since deteriorated) The city is laid out into blocks or grids much like modern
day cities and each street has its own unique place in the community.
There are residential streets with private residences (some more grand than others)
commercial streets where businesses resided, public areas such as public baths, temples, theaters,
markets and meeting places.
Of extreme interest are the paintings and inscriptions that bear
resemblance to modern day community communications. All
in all, I found Pompeii to be unique and quite interesting and would give this tour a high rating.
Pleased note however that there is a considerable amount of walking on uneven cobblestones,
up and down hills and some climbing to be able to see Pompeii.
Livorno, (Florence) Italy
Fascinating Florence, Full Day, $119.99
We departed the R-1 in an air-conditioned motor coach and made our way
to Florence (approximately 2 hours) where our first stop was at the Academy of Fine Arts and a
viewing of the famous Michelangelo statute of “David.” I
didn’t think I would be impressed but if fact was with the presentation and finery of the statute.
We then proceeded to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (better known as the Duomo) The Duomo is
fascinating and I believe was the first structure to feature the dome like construction it is named
for. Its marble exterior is beautiful as is its marble laced and stained glass interior. From the
Duomo we enjoyed a relaxing lunch and then continued to the Piazza della Signoria that offered more
fabulous buildings and statutes. The final stop at
Santa Croce is where Michelangelo, Calileo and Machiavelli are entombed and offered some of the
finest pieces of the Renaissance in its art collection. We
spent some time shopping before returning to the R-1. Overall I would give this tour an 8 on a scale of 1-10 as there is quite a bit of
downtime in the motor coach.
Lucca and Pisa, Half Day, $59.99
We left the R-1 via air-conditioned motor coach and drove directly to
Lucca (about 30 minutes) There were architectural wonders everywhere.
From the medieval bastions to the Basilica de San Frediano (built in the 6th
century) the buildings are absolutely fabulous. There is a well-preserved Roman amphitheater and
other fabulous churches. We took some free time to
explore Lucca before heading on to Pisa to see the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
I was amazed at the beauty of the tower and adjoining cathedral and buildings.
The tower is faced entirely in marble and is spectacular to view.
Again we took some free time to explore the area before heading back to the R-1.
I would give this tour a 10 but would have liked a little more time in Pisa and a little less
in Lucca.
Florence on Your Own, Full Day, $89.99
We took an air-conditioned motor coach from the ship to downtown
Florence (about an hour and ¾) where the motor coach dropped us between the train station and the
Duomo. We had approximately 5 hours before returning to
the ship from the same pick up spot and wanted to make the best use of the time.
Renaissance provided a guide with the transfer who educated us about Florence on the way in
and this made it very easy to determine what we wanted to see.
In addition, they provided us with excellent maps of the various sites that made it even
easier to plan our day. Highlights: Don’t miss the
Duomo…it is spectacular. David is crowded but well
worth the wait. Shopping is good to excellent and the
restaurants are excellent. This is an excellent way to
get to Florence as the guide and maps make the visit easy to do.
Ajaccio, (Corsica) France
Highlights of Ajaccio, Half Day, $49.99
We first drove to Casone, where Napoleon once lived and worked as a young man and
inspected the statue and other monuments recite his achievements.
From Casone we continued along the coast to a Greek cathedral and then on to a lookout point
that overlooks the “Bloody Islands” named for the reddish hue they take on at sunset because of
the vegetation on the islands. We then returned to the
city and visited Napoleon’s house where he was born and visited the museum dedicated to Napoleon’s
memory. We visited the cathedral where Napoleon was
baptized (awesome) and continued with a walking tour of Ajaccio’s shops and marketplace.
We choose to stay in town and had a marvelous lunch overlooking the beach in Ajaccio.
I would highly recommend this tour however it does require quite a bit of walking.
Ajaccio Highlights and Tasting, Half Day, $49.99
We left the R-1 in an air-conditioned motor coach and drove directly to Casone
after driving through the downtown area of Ajaccio. We
visited Napoleon’s statute and other remembrances of his existence and then drove on past numerous
beautiful beaches and along gorgeous cost line to one of the most beautiful restaurants I have seen.
Once in the restaurant there was wine, cheese, bread and other treats for tasting. I thought that there was going to be a sales pitch to purchase wine and/or gifts
but none was existent. I thoroughly enjoyed the
experience and would change the tour to simply drive by Napoleon’s town and simply spent the
majority of time at the restaurant, but then I am really not that interested in detailed history. We
spent some time exploring before returning to Ajaccio for shopping and then the vessel if one chose
to do so. I would give this tour a 7 on a scale of 1-
10 simply because I would have liked more time at the restaurant.
Others would have given it a much higher rating.
The Perfumed Isle, Half Day, $49.99
I loved this tour! We left the ship
in a ½ full air-conditioned motor coach and explored Corsica’s inner valleys and countryside.
There is a wealth of undergrowth of herbs and flowers that dominate the terrain.
The blending of the scents of these various plants are what gives Corsica its name of the “Perfumed
Isle” We stopped in one valley where the scent was so wonderful and heavy that it was almost
overwhelming. I would highly recommend this tour to
anyone who enjoys nature and wants to experience a natural phenomenon unique to Corsica.
Some of the folks that purchased this tour expected to visit a perfume
factory. Be aware that this is not a commercial tour to
purchase perfume.
Nice, France
Highlights of Monaco, Half Day, $64.99
We left the R-1 in an air-conditioned motor coach and climbed up the
Lower Corniche making our way to Monaco. We arrived at the top of the Rock of Monaco where we saw
the cathedral where Prince Rainier married Grace Kelly (and also where she is currently entombed.)
The view from the top of the rock over Monaco is wonderful. From
there we drove to the casino at Monte Carlo where we entered the casino.
I had expected to see everyone in tuxedos (or at least jackets) and was disappointed to see
many folks in shorts and tees shirts gambling. While it
was gorgeous in the casino the lax dress code really took away from the experience for me.
We spent time enjoying the shops and cafes around the casino square and then drove the route
of the Monaco Grand Prix (which had just been completed). From
there we drove up the Middle Corniche road enjoying the vistas along the way.
All in all, I would give this tour a high rating as we covered a lot of ground and saw what I
personally wanted to see. However, be advised there is quite a bit of walking done on this tour and I would
not recommend it if you have any difficulty walking on uneven cobblestone or for long distances.
Stars of the Cote d’ Azur, Full Day, $119.99
We left the R-1 via air-conditioned motor coach and made our way through Nice and
up the coast to Cannes. We spent time enjoying Cannes’
fabulous shopping and shoreline. I thought Cannes was
one of the most beautiful places I had ever been and would like to go back for a week to simply
enjoy its ambiance and shopping. From Cannes we headed
inland stopping at a perfume factory to enjoy the various scents of the region. We then enjoyed an
excellent luncheon in the “loup” River Canyon before we made our way to an incredibly quaint
walled village “Saint Paul de Vence". This
village was as quaint as any I have ever seen. Over a
thousand years old it is a maze of winding streets with residences turned into shops offering the
products of the area. I could gave spent an entire day
in Saint Paul de Vence and for me, it was the highlight of the trip.
I even purchased an antique that will reside in my living room to remind me of the
experience. After exploring the town’s narrow cobblestone streets we turned the motor coach back
to the R-1 where we arrived in the late afternoon. Note:
this tour is not for anyone that has difficulty walking. Saint
Paul de Vence is difficult to navigate and some of the folks on our tour were complaining about the
amount of walking. I loved the tour and would recommend
it. However, more time in Cannes and Saint Paul de
Vence instead of time at the perfumery would have been more desirable in my opinion.
Spectacular Views of the Riviera, Half Day, $64.99
We departed the R-1 and drove along the coastline towards Monaco
enjoying the views of the beaches, bays and resorts on the way there.
It is truly a gorgeous drive and the narration by the guide brought the experience to life.
Once in Monaco we drove the route of the Monaco Grand Prix through downtown Monaco and saw Monaco’s
main sites including the main hotels and casinos. The
“Silver Wind” was ported right downtown Monaco and another luxury ship was anchored outside the
harbor tendering in her passengers. Monaco is truly
incredible. We continued our drive this time gaining
elevation climbing up the side of the mountain range that hugs the coastline.
We made a couple of stops for photographs overlooking Monaco and then continued on to Eze.
Eze is a walled village that resides some 1,400 feet above the sea on top of a huge rock. It is totally unique. From Eze we
continued back towards Nice and ex on top of a huge rock. It
is totally unique. From Eze we continued back towards
Nice and experienced views of the entire surrounding area for miles.
We descended into Nice and toured much of Nice on the way back to the ship.
This was an excellent tour but I would have rather taken the tour of Monaco as other than
Eze, the tour was primarily riding in the motor coach. This
would be an excellent tour for folks that have difficulty walking the areas cobble stone streets,
hills and long distances and I would highly recommend it for them.
Marseille, France
Avignon and Les Baux – Powers in Provence, Full Day, $79.99
We departed the R-1 via an air-conditioned motor coach and made our ay through
the countryside to the walled city of Avignon. We
visited the Palace of the Popes that is a huge fortress where several popes ruled during the
fourteenth century. We visited many of the rooms within the fortress and then had ample time to
explore Avignon’s wonderful streets and shops. We
enjoyed a wonderful lunch at a sidewalk café (not included) before we boarded the motor coach and
made our way to our next stop, Les Baux, a medieval village complete fortified by surrounding high
walls. I loved Le Baux’s small shops and winding walkways and could have spent more
time there before returning to the ship. Overall I would give this tour a 10 because of the uniqueness of the places
visited and as I understand it was probably the best choice of all the tours.
Aix-en-Provence – Ancient Charm and Artistic Splendor, Half Day, $59.99
We drove directly to Aix-e–Provence and visited its main attractions, which
were stunning. I enjoyed having the time to explore its
side streets and shops however could have used more time for shopping.
We then returned to the ship. I would give this
tour a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10 simply because I would have liked more free time for shopping.
Highlights of Marseille, Half Day, $44.99
We departed the ship via air-conditioned motor coach and drove by some beautiful beaches before our first stop at the Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Grande, a huge church with a large statute of a Virgin keeping a watchful eye on Marseille. From the church we then toured the city of Marseille stopping to take photographs of the Palais Longchamps and also stopping in the Old Harbor district. Unfortunately many of the shops and restaurants were closed due to a national holiday but the area was charming just the same. I would recommend this tour as a quick way to see Marseille’s main attractions and then stay in the Old Harbor area for the afternoon shopping (if they were open)
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Valldemosa and the Cartuja, Half Day, $39.99
We left the ship and took a motor coach to the village of Valldemosa
which is a very charming village in the mountains (wear warm clothes) We visited the monastery that
was constructed in the 1300s and was later rented by the musician Chopin and his mistress, French
novelist George Sand. We were actually able to see two
of Chopin’s pianos. We then strolled around the
quaint narrow streets of Valldermosa before reboarding the motor coach and continuing on.
One of the stops at the La Fiore Glassworks factory was very interesting. We thoroughly
enjoyed this excursion.
A Taste of the Past, Half Day, $45.99
We left the ship via motor coach and drove along the oceanfront into the
countryside. I especially enjoyed the numerous windmills that dotted the landscape.
Our first stop was at an ancient manor that dated back to 1755 known as Els Calderers.
It was quite interesting to observe the way people lived hundreds of years ago in Spain.
I also enjoyed the wine cellar and other rooms. The grounds of the manor were gorgeous with a
large pond and agriculture area. We then made our way
to the Orquidea Pearl Factory where we spent a good deal of time (I would have rather spent less
time here and more time at the manor) On the way back to the ship we stopped at the Beliver Castle
in Palma. This is the only round Gothic-style castle in
Europe and features picturesque arched entrances, a round keep and beautiful grounds.
I would recommend this tour.
Palma City Highlights, Half Day, $39.99
We left the ship via motor coach and drove directly to Beliver Castle,
which has a commanding view of Palma and the huge bay. We then continued on to the Orquidea Pearl
Factory that I found quite interesting. I thought there
would be a sales pitch to buy pearls but such was not the case however there was a good selection of
pearls and jewelry if you were interested. We then went
to downtown Palma and visited the cathedral, which I thought was one of the most beautiful
structures that I have ever seen. Unfortunately, we could not get inside the church as it was a
national holiday but I can imagine that it was stunning. Even
though it began raining rather hard, everyone on this tour found it to be wonderful.
On the way back to the ship our driver took us down some of Palma's narrow streets that were
lined with shops (all closed because of the holiday) I made a mental note to come back to Palma.
This tour is a great way to see Palma’s sites in a short period of time and then take the
afternoon to go back to the spots you are interested. I
would highly recommend it.
A Self Tour of Palma de Mallorca
We departed the ship with another couple and negotiated with a taxicab
to provide us with a tour that he designed for us. We
negotiated a reasonable price and then set off to see the sites.
We went to the castle (which I enjoyed quite a bit) and then headed downtown to see the
cathedral and surrounding area. Our driver then took us
to a place called “Pueblo Espanol” which was like a theme park with all of Spain’s most
important structures build in scale model. We all thoroughly enjoyed this park as you could enter
each of the buildings that were exact replicas of their full sized counter parts. We then headed back to downtown Palma for shopping and our driver/guide took us
to a leather shop that offered excellent products with excellent prices.
The quality was quite good and they offered the serviced of making custom leather coats in 24
hours. I would have had one made if we would have been
in Palma the next day. Over all the tour was great but
when we returned to the ship the driver doubled the agreed upon price saying that we misunderstood
what he had said. We finally agreed to pay it, as the
arguing was getting out-of-hand.
Hint:
Write down the agreed upon price and have the driver acknowledge it
before getting in the taxicab. The driver of this cab
intentionally ripped us off, as all four of us were positive that we had an understanding before
getting in the cab. Be wary!
Barcelona, Spain
Hint:
If you are on a cruise only program take a taxicab from the airport to
the ship (about $40.00). We asked the information desk
at the airport how to get to the port and they directed us to the underground.
It took us over four hours and we had to change trains downtown Barcelona with our luggage….
Take a taxicab!
Highlights of Barcelona, Half Day, $69.99
We departed the ship going straight to the Miramar for a beautiful view of the City of Barcelona. You could see much of the city and of the Olympic stadium as well. On the way to downtown Barcelona we drove by the Las Ramblas promenade and stopped at the main square downtown which was quite impressive. There are numerous huge government buildings surrounding the square, which is park like with its fountains, trees and shrubbery. We then drove to Gaudi’s “Church of the Sagrada Familia” You have to see this structure to believe it. It was first started in 1884 and remains under construction still. The construction is so bizarre it is hard to believe that it exists. From here we drove to the Gothic District stopping at another church that was some 600 years old and just beautiful with immense stained glass windows and an ornate interior and exterior. We spent time wandering around the Gothic district (I thought it was the best in Barcelona) before returning to the ship. I would highly recommend this tour as it gives you an excellent overview of what Barcelona has to offer in a limited amount of time.
Self Tour on the Red/Blue Tourist Buses
We took the ship's transfer into the Statue of Columbus and purchased an
all day pass on the tourist bus for around $11.00. The
bus goes from tourist attraction to tourist attraction and you can get off and on as many times as
you want. The red bus takes a different route than the
blue bus and you can change lines whenever they connect at a common stop.
We made several stops and saw a great deal for not much money.
I really enjoyed Las Ramblas and the Gothic District.
Is it difficult to see the Pope at the Vatican?
The Pope makes some appearances during the week and on Wednesdays speaks to a crowd in St. Peter's Square directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica. One of the agents in our group obtained tickets from her church to gain entrance. It required a formal request for whatever number of tickets she wanted and was awarded the tickets without incidence. Upon arrival at the Vatican we simply entered St. Peter's square and took seats to hear and see the Pope. Folks without tickets could also hear the Pope but were located quite a ways back from where he was speaking. There are two huge screens (one on each side of St. Peter's Basilica) that can be seen from quite a ways off that showed the Pope as he was speaking. The bottom line is that you should get tickets from your church and if you cannot you can still attend the service but will not be in the main seating area.