| Before entering the museum we were informed no large bags, backpacks or bottles of water were allowed so we would have to store everything in a locker the guide got. Yet independent visitors plus those from bus 23 (we were 21) kept theirs, including the water. We had a very short time in the museum itself while the rest of the half hour was taken up by shopping if you wished. I didn't so sat talking to the guide. We collected our bags then proceeded to walk along the Gothic Quarter before proceeding to the bus and returning to the ship. |
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| We were supposed to be back for 6.30pm but managed it twenty-five minutes early. I made my way back to the cabin, conviced I'd missed Grand Celebration sailing since she was off at 6pm. |
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| I went onto the balcony and saw Grand Celebration sailing away so quickly grabbed my camera. With Voyager of the Seas and Norwegian Gem both for 7pm, I went on deck while Juanita went to the Tuscan Grille to wait. But by the time I got up there, Voyager had left early and Gem was about to follow suit. All the buggers had been mute but since ships have blasted in the past, it makes me wonder if it's new regulations for certain times or some European ports have banned it completely. |
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| I didn't stay too much longer and joined Juanita in the restaurant. She was surprised to see me so soon. Having done Portofino on Jewel of the Seas, this would be an interesting comparison. The knife was an curious shape but it was difficult to photograph. Juanita's scampi was served in a basket with newspaper, which was novel. It was also a real candle on the table. Quite a contrast to the usual flickering bulbs on other ships. Service was first-rate and our waiter Stephan from Romania was marvellous. It was all worth the money. |
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| After dinner I went up to Deck 15 for a night shot of the bridge and city. It was a gorgeous night. I then went to the photo shop to check my card, which had given an error while photographing the ships, but it worked fine. Typical! After that I needed a drink so the Martini Bar before heading back to the cabin for the 10pm departure of The Aegean Pearl. The bugger was late but when she moved she really moved! |
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| One the car ferry behind us was filled up, we were off at 11pm. Juanita had returned to the cabin by now and had to hold the video because it was connected to the mains and wouldn't stretch to the balcony. |
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| Juanita ordered the usual jug of hot water for tea and by now they'd given a brand new one just for her. They seemed to have missed the point. Then it was time for bed. The next day was at sea as we made our way to Civitavecchia in Italy. When I woke up at 9.30am, Juanita was already on the balcony doing her puzzle book. It was a gorgeous day. |
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| Lunch in the Oceanview at 12.30pm and we found Brian serving in the bar. Also they'd run out of hand gel so had a tub of wipes, which we thought hilarious. They'd been watering the gel down for days making it virtually ineffective. The food was also rapidly running out. |
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| After lunch Brian had disappeared but we found him working in the Mast Bar so took a seat and had a couple of Mojitas, which were nice. |
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| Afterwards we went to find Togi to see if he was also wearing shorts but we'd missed him. Damn! So instead we went for a little wander. Juanita was disappointed with the size of the pools, having been looking forward to a swim in something larger. We found the hammock amusing though and noticed the window next to it was closed whereas others along the deck were open. |
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| Racks were by Guest Relations for the Celebrity Today and other newspapers. Hooray! No idea when they erected them, but they should have been like that since day one. |
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| It was announced we were sailing between Sardinia and Corsica as we got ready for dinner. At least it was casual night. We had absolutely nothing about what times to put the cases out between. Juanita had gone to Guest Relations, only to be told it was on the information sheet. If it was she wouldn't be asking! It turned out to be 11pm, just like Royal Caribbean. We didn't receive the tips envelopes either. It was all so badly organised, even the most basic stuff. |
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| I went down to the Martini Bar at 6pm to get the drinks in. I asked Juanita what she wanted. If it was Brian, a blue wave. If it was Togi, the apple. It was Togi. We managed to get the photo with him before dinner. |
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| During dinner Thomson Destiny came from the opposite direction. Andy and Kim had spotted her first. If the stupid satellite system was up to scratch, I'd have received Pam's text before the fact so knew to expect her. But then it was a lovely bonus anyway. |
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| Knowing how busy the Martini Bar becomes before second sitting, I'd suggested we sort the cases out after we'd finished to give the bar a chance to clear. Then we had the boys to ourselves - nearly. |
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| Brian appeared again so we took our chance to nab him. He did my chocolate martini and wrote 'Thanks' along the inside. He did well, until getting to the end. But it was a lovely thought. Meanwhile Juanita had her apple from Togi and Blue Wave from Brian. Two-handed drinker? Never! |
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| I left Juanita to her two drinks and said goodbye to Alex who was at the Craps table with another lady from Southampton. Many cases were still outside cabins. Asleep well after midnight as usual. It was a 5am wake-up call, for me at least. Juanita said she'd get up if I wanted her to. We were already in Civitavecchia and I was delighted we were near the entrance so our companions, Celebrity Summit and AIDAbella, would have to pass our side and also I'd be able to see them later. I could just about see them in the distance so we went to breakfast at the Oceanview for 6.30am. We couldn't help noticing how many people put out room service cards as well as some cases still being there. |
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| Our assistant waiter Marte was also watching Summit turn and dock, telling me she was his first ship so he was happy to see her. Juanita left me to it shortly after she finished her breakfast. |
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| To my amazement they were dropping the pilot from Summit before she was even docked. Maybe that's normal in Italy but here they don't leave until everything's fast. |
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| I went back at 7.10am to an empty cabin. Juanita turned up shortly afterwards, having been to Guest Relations about something. She told me people were complaining about their stewards stealing things and demanding the police be called but those behind the desk weren't interested. I'd not heard back about my transfers. We went to the theatre and were told we could go so were off just after 8am. Our car was booked for 9.15am so we had some wait. We chatted to Kim and Andy for a while until their transport arrived and also Marci until ours did. |
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| Our driver spoke little English but if I'd known there was such shots to be had of the ships before he arrived, I'd have gone walkabout. |
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| And so finally the end of the review and congratulations if you made it this far. It could have been far longer, trust me. It had been a generally good cruise it was difficult deciding what NOT to include. I spend two days in Rome before flying home while Juanita then went travelling before coming back to me for a conference then heading back to Australia. During a tour through Naples we spotted Equinox, Summit and Norwegian Gem. So the verdict. Well there is absolutely no faulting the ship or cruise itself. They could have a bit more imagination when it comes to the itineraries though. Do they in Miami realise how close Southampton, Le Havre and Cherbourg are to each other? I've often seen other itineraries from Harwich or Amsterdam which call at Le Havre and Cherbourg. It should be one or the other, especially considering several excursions are the same. If they wanted two French ports there's Brest, La Rochelle or Le Verdon to choose from. Ditto Spain. We could have stopped at either Barcelona or Cartagena and then Monte Carlo or Sardinia. The itinerary was a little boring. But the ship was fantastic. I just wish they would rid themselves of the design faults such as the limited Promenade Deck and view. They also need to put the chi on both funnels (one makes it look stupid) and add the blue stripe the others have along the hull. The waiters, as well as Brian, Togi and or steward Frederick were great. The other staff let the ship down. The way so many little things simply shouldn't have happened with a ship which had multiple jollies before the new maiden voyage, then the trip to Norway was just too laughable for words. Anyone would think they were fresh to the job instead of having transferred across from other ships (notably Solstice). Hopefully these issues will be addressed by Celebrity. It could easily deter a first-timer from booking another cruise, either with that company or at all. Juanita said several times if I hadn't been with her she'd have thought many of the things would be the norm. I am on Eclipse next year so it will be interesting to compare how that's run with less time to get things right. It hasn't put me off going with Celebrity again. I just love them and they're more affordable than Cunard (but they need to do something about single supplements). RCCL should be proud of what they have achieved with this class of ship. Now if only they'd reduce cattle numbers on their own vessels so it's not so crowded they will be as good as Celebrity! More photos of the ships seen at Vigo, Gibraltar, Barcelona, Strait of Bonifacio, Civitavecchia and Naples can be found on the Other Stalking and Various Ships in Port indexes. And to see my dad's photos of our Southampton sailaway, click here. |
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