Random thoughts about our Med Cruise
Chuck and Laura own The Flagg Agency in Canton, GA. We will host our next post travel conference call this Thursday October 22nd 7pm EDT. If you want to ask questions or listen in on the call please email us (flaggmedcruise /at/ cruiseholidays.com) and we’ll send you info on how you can join the call.
It is nearly noon on Saturday and I am sitting in our hotel room at the Hotel Colon in Barcelona. We have just completed a nearly two week land tour and cruise from Madrid to Barcelona, Cannes, Portofino, Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Naples.
We have checked in for our flight home tomorrow. We had planned on a flight back a day after our return just in case of a delay in our arrival. However, this was not necessary and we would have made it to the airport in plenty of time. Live and learn. Just a tip for the next cruise. There can always be delays, but this is why travel insurance is so important. Having a concierge who could arrange hotels, flights the next day, and possibly even transfers helps take a level anxiety that is already present in most people when it comes to flying. Flying commercial for me no longer has the allure it once held.
Cruising on the other hand, still does!
We loved our almost two week adventure. We walked in the footsteps of some of the most influential artisans in history. We saw their works in ways photographs or books cannot convey. Having experiences is what touches the heart far more than a picture or line of text.
Since starting first starting to write this entry, we have walked Las Ramblas in Barcelona. We have eaten at a wonderful restaurant located above the Dali Museum in the Gothic District. By the way, the Hotel Colon was quite enjoyable. Having spent a week in an inside stateroom, walking into that hotel room (which is small by American standards anyway) was like walking into a home! We really do hold a preference for verandahs and suites, but for this port intensive working vacation our inside stateroom fit our needs. This time we were only in the room to shower, change and sleep. However, had we not been working, we would have really enjoyed sitting on our private balcony as we sailed in and out of port. This face is something to consider when you are preparing for your next cruise.
Like I said before, Madrid reminded me of New York only cleaner. Barcelona holds a charm that I want to explore again and again. The part where we stayed was alive even after 11:30 when we rolled out of our wonderful restaurant last night.
I loved Cannes and look forward to exploring points west such as Marseilles and Villefranche.
Portofino would have been better had there not been rain and stormy seas which made tendering scary if not highly delayed. This was not the fault of the cruise line, but it also allowed us to decompress having been going straight from Tuesday through Sunday. I would love to use this stop or even La Spezia as a gateway to Cinque Terre.
Florence was a city where we honestly did too much. It was the port where we personally realized and would recommend private tours. Take a small group of friends, maybe three couples, and arrange a private driver and explore Florence during your time in port. Or do what we did and see Gino at Castello di Verrazzano, but do not try to do both. If you are lucky enough to have two days in port, do one on each day and maybe stop at Pisa as your return to your ship to get that photo for yourself.
I feel the same about Rome. Let me arrange a cruise that either does a roundtrip from Rome or either departs from or arrives in Rome. Allow yourself extra time to truly explore the city. Spend a day seeing the sites and not from a bus driving 30-40 mps. Remember that the Vatican museum is like the Smithsonian. It is impossible to see in one day if you want to explore the treasures beyond the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s or the Square.
There were people on our cruise who did explore Naples and enjoyed it. Having now seen Pompeii, I want to continue to journey and explore Herculaneum and see the treasures in the archeological museum. I was so pleased with our time spent with our driver Nico and with our guide Rafeal in Pompeii. One of the things I took away from that visit was the fact that the Romans when visit the forum had the call of nature hit them would first have their slaves warm the seats for them.
Having you virtually travel with us has been a pleasure. I cannot wait for you to be ready to cruise with us or allow me to find an experience that you will carry with you in your heart. When you are ready, just give me a call!
Happy Sailing!
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