click here for 58 digital photos of our Mediterranean cruise
This was our third cruise with Royal Caribbean. We had previously done a 4 day Caribbean cruise on the Sovereign of the Seas and 7 day Alaska cruise also on the Legend of the Seas. We wanted to try a longer cruise so we chose the 12 day Mediterranean, round trip from Barcelona. Website postings have been very helpful (thank you Libby), as was Anne Vipond's updated book 'Mediterranean by Cruise Ship'. We highly recommend Anne's book, easily found at online bookstores.
Linda and I tried our first inside cabin on this cruise. Considering how little time we spent in our room, it was just fine. Space utilization was very efficient. As has been said before, this is not a very relaxing trip. There is so much to see. Most excursions were full days with early departures. Because of that, we tried the late dinner seating. Now that we've tried both the early and late seating, we will definitely go with the early seating next time and eat at the Windjammer on days we get back to the ship late. Most shows started at 11:00 pm for the late seating, much too late for those 7:30 am excursion departures.
We feel guided excursions are the best way to see cities we're not familiar with. They did seem a bit pricey but we were very pleased with our informative guides, organization and lunches when included. Most excursions involve a lot of walking, sometimes uphill on uneven surfaces. Good walking shoes are a must. Restrooms were not always readily available and my wife was happy she carried extra tissues in her pack. We took and enjoyed the following excursions:
Cannes, France (tendered in): Nice and the French Rivera tour
Livorno, Italy (docked): Florence and Pisa tour
Naples, Italy (docked): Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri tour
Venice, Italy (docked): 1st day - on our own
Venice: 2nd day - Venetian Gondola and Glass Factory tour (book
this very early!)
Dubrovnik, Croatia (tendered in): on our own
Messina, Sicily (tendered in due to dock construction): Taormina
tour
Civitavecchia, Italy (docked): Rome, the Eternal City
Marseilles, France (docked): Aix-en-Provence
58 digital photos of our trip are at: www.koskiphotography.com/mediterranean.html
Because of 9 hours of jet lag from northern California, we flew to Barcelona a day early. We were on our own and saw the Picasso Museum, La Rambla and the Gothic cathedral. We found the Metro (subway) a very easy way to get around.
Despite many on-board warnings, one woman had her purse sliced open in Rome. Gone were her passport and wallet full of credit cards. We carry minimal cash and one credit card. Our passports and a different credit card are left in our cabin safe.
We thought by traveling in May we would avoid the 'tourist season' but due to all the cruise ships, every place was mobbed! Weather for us was unseasonably warm, getting into the high 90s in southern France.
A few closing thoughts… The ship was in great shape, and according to staff, is drydocked every two years for overhaul and restoration. It's large, but not one of the mega-ships, and we never felt crowded. All the staff was helpful and friendly. We found the variety and quality of food very good, though there are always those few who might feel otherwise. To help you with packing, we had two 'formal' nights, two 'smart casual' nights and eight 'casual' nights. This was a wonderful trip, a great way to get to many cities without constantly unpacking and driving (Italy would not be my favorite country to drive or try to park in).