Royal Caribbean Cruise on the Voyager of the Seas
Mediterranean itinerary

I was able to take a wonderful fam trip with Royal Caribbean Cruise on the Voyager of the Seas Oct. 27-Nov. 4, 2006 doing a Mediterranean itinerary.  The trip was fantastic to say the least!

To start with we flew out of Milwaukee on Continental to Barcelona.  We flew in the day the ship departed.  I was a little nervous of this but everything went smoothly.  I was amazed at how quickly customs went.  You do have to pay attention to the lines that say Nationals and non-Nationals.  We did not purchase transfers with RCCL so decided to check with the rep at the airport to purchase transfers but would have to wait another hour to catch the next bus and pay $35/person so we opted to get a taxi.  Taxi’s were lined up outside the airport and readily available to take us to the ship at a cost of approx. 25 euros.  The driver spoke minimal English but the RCCL rep wrote down the address to the pier which helped get us there.  The ride was about 25min. but we arrived on a Sat. at 8:30am so there was minimal traffic.  There is an ATM available in the airport to exchange currency using your credit card.

When we arrived at the ship we were able to check our bags and wait in the cruise terminal until 11am when they would start checking people in.  At 11:30 we were able to get on the ship but not in our cabin until 1pm.  Lunch is available in the Windjammer Café.  The lunch buffet on the ship was not that impressive as it seemed the food was the same but I still ate it so it couldn’t have been that bad.

 Being on the ship early was a good time for us to explore ……we had an outside cabin near one of the nightclubs but we were not bothered by any of the noise.  The spa was always booked and had good reviews.  We walked past it one evening at 10:30 and there were still people in it.  Johnny Rockets restaurant was extra but a nice change of pace from the buffets.  The exercise room was large with a lot of up to day equipment.  There were 19 lounges on the ship so you never had to go far to get a drink.  However some of the lounges the service was not the best.  The casino seemed to be busy every evening while we were sailing.  We did not use room service but other agents in our group did and they said it usually arrived a few minutes early and the food was very hot.  We did not have an opportunity to get into the Italian restaurant but reports were service and the food was excellent.  I expected there to be an older crowd on board but there was a wide range of ages from retired to newlyweds to young families.  We even had fireworks on Halloween night before we left port.

There were 2 formal nights-the 2nd and 6th nights.  The food was absolutely fantastic in the dining room…..a lot of variety each night with several entrées to choose from.  I was surprised at how informal the attire was the other nights.  They do list 2 nights as casual and saw some people in jeans.  I expected it to be a more formal cruise as it was Europe but I was wrong.  The wait staff each night would give us tips for the next port.

We pre-booked our shore excursions so we did not have to stand in line each evening to book the excursions.  Royal Caribbean does charge your credit card right away not like others who wait until you arrive onboard.  We found that if they shore excursion said you must be able to walk on uneven pavement and walk for 3 miles they meant it.  Most of the excursions we took involved a lot of walking at a fairly quick pace.  One tip for customers plan your bathroom stops.  The buses used do not have equipped bathrooms so be prepared to purchase something to use a bathroom at a local bar or restaurant.  Most of our excursions had lunch included.  The restaurants that they choose were wonderful!  The local food was fantastic with large portions and usually included the local wine. 

Our itinerary included Marseille and Villefranche (Nice), France, Livorno (Florence), Civitavecchia (Rome), and Naples (Sorrento), Italy.  I can not say I have a favorite city as they each had their own unique charm and character.  In Marseille we took the tour that took us to Avignon and did wine tasting at the Palace of the Popes.  We had some free time to walk around the city and visit the few shops that were open as it was Sun.  Villefranche reminded me of the post cards of a fishing village in France.  Colorful homes built up into the cliffs right on the edge of the sea.  We were able to visit a perfume factory in Grass, France, have some time in Cannes to see the famous beach and take a drive through Nice on our way to St. Paul-de-Vence.  This village was on the top of the list of favorites for me.  It was small with narrow cobblestone walking only streets.  We could sit at a local restaurant watching the locals play bocce ball.  In Florence we did a walking tour in the morning then ventured out on our own in the afternoon.  We found a market area which was good for leather belts and purses along with silk scarves.  There is a bore statue with a legend that if you rub its nose, make a wish and drop a coin the fountain you will return to Florence.   They tours guides do warn you about pick pockets that are all over in the crowded tourist areas.  I did watch a gypsy woman try to hand her baby off to a member of our tour.  They do this to distract you while pick pocketing you.  If doing Florence on your own, start early as the lines for the museum to see the statue of David by Michelangelo is long.  Rome was a beautiful city but can not be done in a day like we had.  Due to it being a holiday (All Saints Day) most of the city was shut down including the Sistine Chapel.  It was easy to get around Rome without all the congestion though.  I was surprised at how dirty the city of Rome was as we drove into it with trash piled all over.  In the center of the city around the tourist areas it was much cleaner.  Our walking tour included the Roman Forums, Colosseum, and Trevi Fountain.  We were able to spend a short amount of time in St. Peters Bascillica but this needed more time to explore the beauty of the chapel.  No, I did not see the “Bachelor” while in Rome like my kids asked.   Last but not least is Naples.  I really wanted to see the Amalfi Coast as I have heard so much about it.  The drive into Sorrento is gorgeous with the cliffs and homes built up into them looking down at the Bay.  The most amazing part of our trip was the ruins of Pompeii.  I never expected to see a village as large as it was that was built before 79 AD.  The stone work that was restored from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79AD is remarkable.  It makes you wonder how that was all completed without any machinery and the irrigation ideas used then are still being used.  We also got to tour a local farm in Sorrento and watch them make mozzarella cheese.  After sampling fresh mozzarella cheese the stuff we buy in the store is not going to cut it.  Their olive oil and creamy lemon liquor was a hit.

All of the tour guides that RCCL used were knowledgeable and helpful.  They added a nice bit of local flavor to the tours.  Royal Caribbean had a good system of getting in the correct line for the tour purchased and had several buses for each tour so space was not as limited as I had expected it would be.  As soon as they would fill a bus they would get you off the ship to start the tour.  From most of the ports it is about 1-2 hr. drive to either get into the city or where the tour begins.

The entertainment on the ship was wonderful.  Some of the entertainment included a Motown group, magician/comedian, and Russian Acrobats along with the staff doing a variety show.  They even had the captain singing the last night.  We did make it to one of the ice show performances and that was spectacular. 

One bit of advice for customers is that shops are going to be closed on Sun. and holidays.  It is not like in the states, the shops close!  On most of the tours they do allow for minimal shopping time so watch that as they plan shore excursions if they love to shop.

We stayed an extra night after the cruise in Barcelona……what a good choice.  We were able to get off the ship by 8:30am and catch a taxi to get to the Avenida Palace where we stayed.  What a beautiful hotel.  The lobby had a marble spiral staircase.  Our room was quiet and large with a separate sitting area.  It was about 2 blocks from the Ramblas in a great location.  The concierge recommended that we take the tour bus for 18euros per person that allows you to get on and off as often as you wish for the day.  It was a good way for us to see more of the city.  We were amazed by the church Gaudi had started to build and is still being worked on even after he died.

When leaving Barcelona we did have to go through several security check points.  Here again plan extra time to get through security.  If you do not read the signs for Nationals and Non-Nationals you will be sent to the end of the line again.  In the airport duty free shops they will ask you where you are from before making any purchases as they will not allow any liquids carried on.  Before boarding they will go through all carry on bags again to make sure the liquids carried on are not over the 3 oz. allowed.

I have included a few of the many pictures I took so I hope you will enjoy them.  I would not hesitate to recommend this cruise to anyone.