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| Standing in front of Circus Maximus (used for chariot racing & could accommodate up to 300,000 spectators) |
Twelve Day Mediterranean Cruise
Oct. 29-Nov. 10, 2010
(starting in Rome and ending in Venice)
Day One - Rome
Our Mediterranean Cruise began in Rome. We flew into Rome a day early before the cruise began. That meant one day to recoup from jet lag, set our watches ahead six hours, and go on a marathon three hour tour of this beautiful city before boarding the The Princess Cruise Ship. Needless to say, we will return because that wasn't nearly enough time! I would recommend arriving three to five days ahead of your cruise so you can rest and see as much possible at a more leisurely pace. Also, this time of year the weather was very pleasant traveling temperature. It was in the 70s and sunny. Another good point about this time of year is that the prices are cheaper because you are traveling at the end of the season here. We were able to get a bargain price of $1,200 per person with an obstructed view which merely meant that we had a window with a life boat below it. It didn't obstruct our view at all and we were in our room so little that it did not matter. We also had an AWESOME travel agent who arranged all our side trips. There were approximately thirty of us in this group so our travel agent got us some outstanding prices. A knowledgeable travel agent who gets back with you and knows about the places you want to go is KEY to a great time at good prices.
This was definitely a trip for activity. We had a different port each day with only one day at sea. So if you want the biggest "bang for your buck" go in the fall.
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| Temples of Saturn and Concord (foreground) with Basilica of St. Peter in (background) |
A "must do" is to buy one of the
Rome Past & Present books with CD on one of your stops. I actually purchased a similar book in other ports as well. It includes information, pictures, and overlays so one can see what a place looked like years ago and what it looks like today.
There is a lot of historical information at your fingertips and it is in an easy to read format. The cost is approximately 15 Euros. Hint: You can negotiate the price. I paid more than my friend but it was totally worth it.
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| The Pantheon (erected between 27-25 A.D.) |
Since our trip was a three hour tour, we actually saw many sights from the van which is not the best but worked for us since we only had limited time in this beautiful city. We saw the Colosseum, Great Square, Roman Forum, Temples of Saturn and Concord, The Circus Maximus, The Theatre of Marcellus, The Pantheon, and lastly The Basilica of Saint Peter. Unfortunately, because of our time restraints we were unable to go inside but the Vatican Square was breathtaking. We were in awe of the architecture, statues, and history. To think of all the times we had seen the Vatican Square in movies or on TV, it was so very exciting to be actually standing there. The Pantheon is also amazingly still intact. We were able to go inside and marvel at the beauty. We stopped or drove by many other sights but it was hard to keep it all straight.
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| Trevi Fountain |
Another favorite spot was the Trevi Fountain. After we returned from our trip we watched the old movie, "Three Coins in a Fountain" and found it so interesting to see places we had just been.
At this stop we also enjoyed some Gelato (Italian ice cream), a MUST in Italy! I highly recommend it! Yummy! Day Two of our trip was Naples, Italy. (to be continued)
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