Our Mediterranean Summer Cruise

After many many hours of training and studying European cruises and its ports of call for our clients we finally embarked on our own adventure to the Mediterranean.

Packing for 14 days when you only own 7 days of clothes is a bit stressful but no worries we are on our way to Europe for a fantastic 12 day cruise aboard the beautiful Celebrity Equinox.   Just before we left we had two groups of clients that had ‘transportation’ challenges (delayed flights and delayed luggage) and we were hoping we would not have similar issues.   Luckily our flights were on time, no lost luggage, and uneventful.

We had set up an individual tour for our arrival into Barcelona.  Our guide picked us up at the airport and gave us the highlights of the city.  I think the highlight for me was the fascinating architecture of Gaudi and visiting his fascinating sites.  It really makes the city very unique. The Sagrada Família church is something to behold and just visiting the outside was a treat and we wish we had time to spend visiting the inside.  After our tour it was off to our hotel on Las Ramblas, a main street running through the city with many shops and restaurants.  A great location and close to the port.  I knew Europe hotel rooms were small and expensive and I was prepared … our room was small and just big enough for the four of us.  We did like the room as it was very modern and had a beautiful bathroom.



After a long flight and exceptional tour we strolled along Las Ramblas and had a delicious tapas dinner at a sidewalk cafe.  Then it was off to bed for our cruise the next morning.  Oddly enough one of the most fun parts of our short Barcelona stay over was our stop at the local supermarket to purchase yogurt for breakfast.





It was fascinating walking around and looking at the different ways meat is sold, different brands, and great local foods.  Saturday we were off to board the Celebrity Equinox.

All of Celebrity’s Solstice class ships are wonderfully designed and have an air of sophistication which makes them a perfect choice for the Mediterranean.  We had sailed on the Eclipse in the Caribbean and the Equinox did not disappoint.   Our first two days would be at sea as we made our way to the Adriatic from Barcelona.  Celebrity had many activities to educate and entertain as we sailed.  We always explain to our clients that Celebrity is family friendly but not family focused and our sea days validated that again for us.  Most of the activities and entertainment is geared toward older adults.  The boys enjoyed many of them and did participate in the various kids’ club activities.  They are at a funny age where they prefer not to partake in a lot if the kid activities on cruises and prefer to spend time with us and in the adult activities.

Unfortunately the casino was not too kind to me and I was just one putt short of beating the Officers at the Lawn Club in the Putting Contest (I think they cheated).  The main entertainment was fantastic with great production shows, an extremely funny family friendly comedian, and a comedy magician the boys really enjoyed.


Although we are not necessarily foodies we enjoyed great meals and the food was outstanding.  Our favorites were dinners for two at the specialty restaurants Murano and Tuscan Grill.  I had some of the best food at the two specialty restaurants.  The Spaghetti Bolognese appetizer, made with prime beef and veal, was heavanly.  The main courses were exquisite with Filet Mignon on one night and Lobster prepared table side on the other.  To top it off we had an amazing soufflé for dessert.

Now the ports …..


Dubrovnik Croatia was a port where I did not quite know what to expect.   Dubrovnik ended up being one of my favorites. The walled city is very charming and great to walk around in exploring all of the different alleyways and side streets.  The wall has is about one mile around and you are able to walk the entire distance.




If you go you must bring water as it gets hot!  But the views are absolutely amazing!  Our local guide with our small (non-cruise tour) group was excellent and well versed in the history.  She also shared her personal experience with the war in the 1990s.  You can still see some of the damage from the rocket attacks.   One thing we learned was to not assume we knew what we were ordering for lunch!  Our youngest Ethan ordered ‘fish fry’, expecting a normal fried filet.   NOT – what came out was a bowl of small whole fish lightly fired (eyes included) … oh boy the look on his face.


Nothing compares to the sail into Venice.  You sail so close to the islands and St. Mark’s Square you can reach out and touch it.  Obviously there are not any cars as the islands are all connected by hundreds of bridges, so traveling around involved lots of boats and vaporettos.  You must allow plenty of time to get around.  Our local guide for Venice was born in Venice and has lived there her whole life.  It was great to have a local guide just for the four of us.



St Mark’s Basilica was very beautiful and interesting.  Doges Palace was a bit repetitive but we enjoyed touring the prison and crossing the Bridge of Sighs.


Day 2 was a tour of the Grand Canal and off to Murano.  With our tour we were not herded to a glass shop with 40 people but to a local glass shop with a private tour by the owner.   He was extremely proud of his workers and personally explained many completed items in his shop.  No pressure to buy … but of course we did!  I wish we had more time to explore the side streets but Murano was the highlight for us in Venice.

If we thought the sail in to Venice was spectacular …. Montenegro had it beat hands down!  Montenegro has the most southern fjords in Europe and you sail right through them to get to Kotor.










Another small group (only 8 of us) had a great walking tour within the old city of Kotor and off to Budva a lively resort area with some great views.   The old city has some great history and is fascinating to walk through with the mountains as a spectacular backdrop.

I would have to say the best part of this port was the sail in and out. Tonight was ‘date night’ at the specialty restaurant Tuscan Grill.   Nothing could beat sitting by the window at sunset just the two of us overlooking the aft of the ship as we sailed out of Montenegro and the awe inspiring fjords.




I had seen pictures of the Amalfi Coast … but pictures do not do this area of the world justice at all.  Our private van tour started with a stop in Pompeii.   The scope if this city is amazing coupled with the history of being destroyed when Mt. Vesuvius erupted.  You can see the main streets lined with shops.  You also have the areas where the town’s people lived and see the walls decorated with ancient art.  The city even had a spa for both the men and women that were amazing for the time.   You can even see the ruts in the road that the chariots had worn into the road.  

Then it was off to tour the Amalfi Coast visiting the towns of Amalfi and Positano.  We had the best Italian meal of our lives in Positano.  The small local restaurant is run by an Italian family with homemade pasta and pizza.  The view overlooking the coast was like a postcard.  The meal and experience was the highlight of the day!

Rome – one of the most anticipated stops we had on this cruise.  The two highlights for us were the Coliseum and the Vatican.  It is hard to believe the tragedy of what occurred in the Coliseum and the only reason they stopped was that people lost interest.  The Coliseum itself is a marvel and is actually a pre-cursor to today’s modern NFL stadiums with ‘luxury boxes’ and seats for the ‘common folk’.

The Vatican was almost a surreal experience.    Our local guide was an expert is showing us the most interesting things to see.  She is getting her masters in art and actually had the opportunity to be up in scaffolding in the Sistine Chapel to see the masterpiece up close.  She was full of interesting facts and she was wonderful with the kids.   For example Michelangelo did not like one of the Cardinals who criticized his work so when he painted the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel he painted the Cardinal with a snake biting where the sun does not shine!  We certainly gained a greater appreciation for Michelangelo seeing his work in person.  St Peter’s is the largest church in the world and was an inspirational site to visit.  The size, scope, and beauty is something we will never forget.

Florence, Pisa, and Tuscany was a port that we really enjoyed.  Our first stop was in Pisa to see the Leaning Tower.  It was a quick stop but was a lot of fun taking some pictures at the tower.  The lean looks a lot more dramatic in person!  After the quick stop (again with our private tour) it was off to Florence.



We took the scenic route through the country side.  We made a stop at a local olive mill where they make fresh olive oil and wine.   We were able to test some of the local wine and olive oil.  A great souvenir was a couple of small bottles.   An interesting item was that wine was being filled into to locals’ empty jugs via a gas station like pump!  That is one way to buy local wine!

Florence is an amazing city where the Renaissance began.   We were able to see many local artists (and bought a great small print) and some of the wonderful architecture.    The Duomo, the large Florence landmark, was amazing.  We could have just spent an hour alone looking at all the details on the outside of the building.  One of the last stops was the Academia Gallery to see the real Michelangelo David.  You see pictures but you really appreciate the genius of his work as you see it in person and compare to other statues by other sculptors.   It was if David would step right off the pedestal and walk around the room.  It is an experience that is hard to put into words and is something to try to see in one’s lifetime.   Our last stop was for local gelato and back to the ship!

Our last stop was Villefranche , France the gateway to Nice.  We did not have a lot of time in this port so we decided to visit the medieval town of Eze which included a visit to a perfume factory.







 

This medieval town had some spectacular views and interesting shops. This was very interesting and we have some great soap direct from France.  For our next visit we would like to spend more time exploring Nice.


This was certainly a trip of lifetime and to be able to share it with our boys was something special.  We cannot wait to get back and explore some of these destination is more depth.

Happy Cruising!