To cruise or not to cruise, that is the question!
In celebration of our first wedding anniversary, my husband and I recently embarked on a three week European adventure. We started our travels in Paris, then flew to Rome (Civitavecchia) to catch a Mediterranean cruise. As weird as it might sound, I have never been on a cruise before. I was willing to give it a go, mainly because my husband really wanted to see the Greek Isles and a cruise is the easiest way to do that. I was really hesitant to sign up for a cruise, especially since it was a ten night cruise, but I figured there has to be a first time for most things.
Our trip started with four nights in Paris, which has always been a favorite of mine. I have been twice before, but never with a boyfriend/husband. We spent four nights at the Hotel Pont Royal, which is an adorable hotel a few blocks in from the Siene in the St. Germain neighborhood. I was really satisfied with this hotel, their service, and especially the location. We did your typical tourist things (since Michael had never been) and man, are those lines long now. Since recent global events are making everything crazy, we spent about 2.5 hours in security lines to go up the Eiffel Tower. There is definitely a military presence around and you do find yourself taking extra precautions. However, we still enjoyed ourselves. One thing I would highly recommend is the Bateu Le Calife. It's not cheap, but this Siene dinner cruise is one of the best. You cruise up and down the river all while eating an amazing meal--what's better than that! And of course, they time the cruise so they pass the Eiffel Tower just as the evening light show is going on.
After spending four nights in Paris, we flew out to Rome to get to the boat. Well, our trip didn't start that well since our airline (Alitalia) lost my husband bags. You'd think a quick straight shot from Paris to Rome would be a time you could expect your bags to be safe, but think again. Thankfully, we had an amazing car service that waited for us outside of baggage claim--I was terrified they would leave us as we were sorting out this mess since we were so far behind schedule. If anyone is travelling to Italy and needs a great car service, RomeCabs is the way to go! I have to say, the customer service we experienced with Alitalia was the worst I have ever seen. They were unhelpful, rude, and acted like they didn't really care that our bag was lost. Luckily, the staff on-board the Celebrity Reflection were pretty on point.
Once we got on the ship, we worked with a few people from the Guest Relations desk to the Captains Club. They gave us an amenity kit to hold my husband over until we were able to get his bag on board--lucky for us, we packed a few days worth of items in his carry on. Eventually, the boat was able to get some information out of the airline and they confirmed that the bag was going to arrive at the Civitavecchia cruise-port around 5--problem was, the boat left at 5. Rather than risk it, we had Alitalia send the back to our first stop, which thankfully was in Italy (Sicily). The next day, the boat coordinated a pickup from the Messina Airport so the bag could be brought on-board, whew!
Now, back to the cruise itself. After all of that mess, we were finally able to unwind. We spent the next ten days cruising around Europe and it was splendid.
Our first stop was Messina, a port town on the eastern coast of Sicily. I have been dying to go to Sicily for a long time, mainly since I'm half Sicilian. I have always heard of how warm, beautiful, and amazing my mother island is, so I was thrilled to be on a trip that would finally bring me there. The city of Messina is fine, a bit hectic for my taste. However, we booked a private tour with Sicily with Mario and it was fantastic! We went to Savoca (where they filmed The Godfather), over to the craters of Mt. Etna (which is still very much active!), and to the other side of the island where we spent some time in Castelmola and Taormina. The island of Sicily is magical--there is just something about it. Maybe it's my family connection, but my husband felt it too. There is something very old world and authentic about the towns, the people, and the landscape. I would return to Sicily in a heartbeat and this time, spend a few weeks!
After Sicily, we had a day at sea before we reached Mykonos. I have to be honest, the day at sea was rough. There are not enough pool chairs for the amount of people on the ship, so if you don't get up at 6AM and park it outside, you're not getting one. This is where the cruise could really do some improving. They claim to have a policy against people holding chairs with their towels, but I saw a lot of abuse of this rule and no one doing anything about it. Mykonos itself was a really nice island, but a bit touristy for my liking. I didn't quite feel like I was getting that authentic Greek experience, probably because Mykonos is the party island out of all of them.
After a day in Mykonos (which I have some great intel on, should you work with me!) we were off to Kusadasi. Given the recent insanity in Turkey, we were not sure if they would still take us there. Much to my surprise, we docked in Kusadasi. In all honesty, I was not a huge fan of Turkey. We went up to the Ruins of Ephesus (which was really awesome to see) and the House of the Virgin Mary. Up in the hills, the country is beautiful. Down in the city, not so much. I'm glad I saw it, but I don't think I would go back. This was also the one day where we coordinated a tour through the boat, rather than a private one through a company I found, and that was a huge letdown. If you ever want to feel like the world's biggest tourist, go on a cruise excursion.
After we left Kusadasi, we sailed on to Rhodes. I loved Rhodes. Absolutely loved it. The island is rather large, but doesn't feel like it. You get off the boat and immediately see a huge stone wall, which is surrounding the inner parts of the main town. We spent half of the day at the beach by a restaurant (where you spend about 15 euro on a beach chair with umbrella) and then headed into town--it was here where I had my first taste of authentic Greek baklava! The town itself it a lot less touristy and crowded than you would expect, which was a nice breath of fresh air from Kusadasi. All in all, I would definitely return to Rhodes. Here is where I finally felt like I was in Greece.
Once we left Rhodes, we went full steam ahead to Santorini! Oh the lovely island of Santorini--something out of dreams. The island is all volcanic and because the town sits on the very top of a cliff, the dock is not built up enough to allow for large cruise ships--this is the only place where we had to tender in. The base of the island (where the tender docks) is a very small little landing area with only a few shops. It is here where you can either walk up, ride the cable car up, or do as we did and take a donkey. Man, these donkeys are smart! They fall in line, walk all the way up this massive cliff, and seem to know exactly where they're going--it's incredible. Once you get up there, you're now in the town of Fira. The town is all white buildings and somewhat touristy. We really wanted to see a more authentic side of the island, so we hired a driver and went on a tour to see Oia and Firostefani. Oia is the village where you see the famous blue domes (it's also where Angelia Jolie has a vacation home). The village is absolutely adorable, but very difficult to get around. The sidewalks are very small/narrow and it's crowded. However, it was still an amazing place. There are beaches on Santorini, but they're mostly black sand beaches due to the volcanic activity. The hotels are mostly small, boutique hotels that are absolutely charming. I could definitely see myself returning here.
Upon our departure from Santorini, we popped over to mainland Greece and hit up Athens! Many people warned us of Athens before we went--it's dirty, the people are criminals, it's not nice, blah blah blah. I am happy to report that we loved it. We also hired a private driver here from George's Taxi,which was a great decision. Our driver, Kostas, was incredibly smart and knew a ton of information about where we went. According to Greek law, drivers cannot be formal tour guides inside of museums, ruins, etc. However, to skirt around that, Kostas always gave us a very informative lesson before we left the car. We spent the whole day together and it was lovely. He took us to a restaurant off the beaten path for lunch where I had the best gyro I've ever had--no joke. Early in the day, I expressed my love of baklava, and he took us to the oldest baklava shop in Athens. He got together a sampler box of different kinds, and wouldn't even let us pay! This guy was A+ and so was Athens. The tourist areas are crowded (the Athenian Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, etc.) but they're worth it. The Parthenon itself was undergoing restoration, so it was covered up a bit, which was kind of a bummer. All in all, Athens was not at all what people told us and I would absolutely return--it's a beautiful city!
Our final stop on the cruise was Naples. I had been to the Amalfi Coast years ago, but have always wanted to go back. When I was planning this trip, I knew I wanted to take Michael there, so I booked a private tour through See Amalfi Coast that brought us to Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. If you have not been to the Amalfi Coast, you're missing out. It's one of the most interesting, beautiful, exciting places I've ever seen. Each town on the coast has a very unique identity, so I really don't have a favorite. Positano has great little shops, a nice beach, and great photo ops. It's becoming a bit touristy, so I wouldn't be surprised.
if it's more built up in the coming years. We were supposed to go to Amalfi, but a) it was pouring and b) there was no parking. So, instead, we opted to head up the hills to the village of Scala. Our driver, Bruno, had been to a little family owned restaurant up there and highly recommended it--boy was he right. I can't remember the last time I was that stuffed from delicious Italian food. It's very much off the beaten path, but it was divine and well worth it. After lunch, we headed to Ravello, which is amazing. It's the cutest little town perched up on a hill overlooking the sea. Not a ton there, but it would be the best place for a nice quiet getaway. The Amalfi Coast captured my heart years ago, and it recaptured my heart this time--easily one of my favorite places on earth.
At the end of the cruise, we docked back in Civitavecchia where RomeCabs picked us up and brought us into Rome. We spent the next four nights eating, sightseeing, walking, and shopping. I studied abroad in Rome, so it has always held a special place in my heart. We had dinners overlooking the Colosseum, quaint little meals in Trastevere, gelato until it was coming out of my ears, and saw some historical stuff in the process--word to the wise, book tickets online in advance! Italy is amazing, and Rome is the heart of it.
So, this begs the question, would I cruise again? I think I would if I were going to either a place I have never been before (and want a small taste of a lot of things) or a place where I don't have much of an interest in seeing anything (like the Caribbean, where I just want to relax). Since I had been to Europe many times before, I knew what this experience could be. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think the cruise made the experience a smidge inauthentic, but overall it was a good way to travel. For Europe first timers, this could be a really great option, For the authenticity seekers, it may not be the way to go.