My apologies for taking so long to get this posted. I wrote it months ago, as you can see by the date, but getting the photos organized took much longer.
Naples (Apr 6): I booked a tour with Can’t Be Missed Tours on the recommendation of someone on our Roll Call at Cruise Critic after our Italytours.eu tour was canceled a few days before our trip. http://cantbemissedtours.com/ The price was good (69 EU each) and it goes to Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, and ending in Pompeii. It’s a lot to fit into 8 hours so I worried about making it back in time but they guarantee you’ll be back in time so I figured they knew what they were doing. I was kind of expecting another 8 passenger van or two but instead it was another big bus. I see now that we could have paid 20 EU more for a smaller group (14-18) which might have been worth it.
We went to Sorrento first and got a good view of Mt Vesuvius while driving out of Naples. They took us to an inlaid wood store tour which was really interesting. We learned a little about how they do inlaid wood and we were able to see a lot of examples in the items they have for sale. It was beautiful and was tempting to buy more but ended up with 2 coasters with cats looking at the water view for Jason & Veronica (looked just like their cats). We shopped a bit in the area and tried out Limoncello which is really good but sweet. The tour guide recommended a restaurant and this is where we learned that it’s better to look around on your own. It was okay but not great although we had lunch with a nice couple from Scotland. After that we drove along the Amalfi Coast which was beautiful and a little terrifying when you looked down the cliffs. We had a chance to get out and take photos before we headed on to Pompeii. We were only able to be there for 1.5 hrs instead of 2 which I think happens a lot because this tour packs a lot in. I really enjoyed being there and thinking about the poor people caught when Mt Vesuvius erupted. It was really helpful having a guide because we wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much out of it on our own. There was a little worry when heading back to the ship because we were a little late for all aboard time and people were rushing off without tipping the guide, who we thought was really good (& funny). They dropped us off as close as they could and it really wasn’t a problem.
Sea Day (Friday Apr 7): This was a welcome day after such a busy schedule. We could all sleep in a bit and relax. We had a meet & greet with Cruise Critic where a lot of the ship’s officers come in and say hi plus give us a card with their contact info if you run into problems while on the cruise. We also played a little get to know you game which was a lot of fun. The rest of the day was reading, eating, & drinking.
Iraklion-Crete (Saturday Apr 8): We decided that we could handle this port on our own and it turned out to be a nice, easy day. There was a little drizzle in the morning so wore our rain jackets but sunny later. We walked into town and looked at the Koules Fortress from the outside. It would have been 2 EU to tour it but decided against it as we were going to the Archaeological Museum. We noticed lots of shops walking to the museum so figured we’d find some things later on. At the Museum, we bought a ticket good for there and Knossos. They have a lot of things from Knossos there because it’s a ruin now. It’s primarily about the Minoan civilization. It was interesting but you wouldn’t spend hours there. We then headed out to find the bus to Knossos after using the mostly free bathrooms. A tip is expected when you see a woman there taking care of the bathroom.
We managed to get our bus tickets from a machine after a couple of tries (and a lady complained about us under her breath, lol). If we weren’t rushed we probably would have figured out that we should buy 4 tickets so we’d have our return. I read on my phone that you should hold onto our ticket when giving it to the driver so it rips in half. We’d never have known to do it otherwise.
Knossos was interesting to me because of the Minoans, who were only around for about 500 years before disappearing. You’re going through the ruins of the palace. Coming into Knossos, there were a couple of Peacocks that everyone was trying to see in the trees. We did enjoy the ruins but you wouldn’t spend a lot of time there unless you’re a real archeologist buff. When it was time to leave, we looked around a little and bought our return tickets from a little booth in front of the grounds. We also bought water from her for very little. All in all, getting around by bus was very easy and we were able to get back to the town center with no problem. We did a little shopping and then were heading back to the ship when we saw a nice little café with outdoor tables. The tables were tiny and when they had a bigger group they’d just bring more tables and chairs out. Al got a lamb Gyro and I got a chicken Souvlaki sandwich. They came with fries but what we didn’t know is that they wrapped the pita around the meat & the fries. Al got a large beer and I had a nice glass of wine and our total bill was only a little over 12 EU (around $14 US). It was really good and a deal.
Athens (Sunday April 9): We had planned to go to the Acropolis on our own by bus but had forgotten that it was Sunday. We made our way over to the bus stop and had to go by some taxi drivers. The first guy told us that the bus only comes every 45 mins on Sunday and the other option was the Hop on Hop off bus tours. Of course he wanted us to go with him for a private tour of the city for 80 EU. We said we wanted to go check on the bus before deciding. The next guy, Emmanuel, also talked to us and was more persuading with his personality and offered the tour for 70 EU and money back if we weren’t happy. His cab was a little worn but was comfortable. He took us to the hill leading up to the Acropolis because there are no cars allowed and gave us 1.5 hours to tour. There were stairs to climb to get up there but lots to see on the way. We saw a place that’s now used for outdoor concerts and could see a building on a distant hill that would come into play later. We listened to Steve Rick’s audio tape which helped a lot with the history and our first glimpse of the Parthenon was so special even with scaffolding. The view of the city was incredible from there and we spent a lot of time looking around and taking photos. The time flew by and we were soon going back to our drop off point.
We then did a whirlwind driving tour of the city, beginning with the Presidential Palace where we got to get photos with one of the Palace Guards. We got a lot of the history of the guards from our guide which made seeing the changing of the guards at the Parliament Building later that much more interesting. We saw it in person and then again on The Amazing Race when they went to Athens. We also went to Philopappos Hill and got the great view of the Acropolis and the city. This is somewhere we’d never have gone on our own. We then went to a few more places including Panatheian Stadium (site of the first modern Olympics) and then having lunch and shopping in Plaka. He gave us a map to see a couple more sites which we found but almost got lost coming back and were worried we wouldn’t be there to meet him on time. He talked a bit about the financial problems in Greece and how he’s a singer/entertainer but had to mostly give it up because of the economy. We thoroughly enjoyed our day in Athens and his tour made it so much more fun and interesting than going on our own would have been.
Sea Day (Monday April 10): This was another nice day of relaxing, reading, and enjoying what the ship had to offer. It was a little sad when they did the farewell show at the theater that night even though we had another day on the ship. Of course I had to take part in the $10 sale where they put things on tables and it’s a free for all of frenzied shoppers. I ended up with a kind of scarf that you wear like a jacket and a small pack for Al that he said was a man purse (it’s more of a mini side backpack). :)
Zadar, Croatia (Tuesday April 11): We arrived to a little drizzle and clouds when we boarded our bus for the excursion to Krka National Park. There were 3 buses leaving and our number was #13. Was that foreshadowing? We got a little glimpse of Zadar but that was it. Our ship wasn’t nearby and would have had to take a shuttle afterwards which we chose not to do. Our bus ride was around 1.5 hours by the time we stopped but was nice to see the countryside along the way. Our guide talked for a while and gave us some information about Croatia. We arrived at the entrance and she told us we’d have bathrooms once we arrived at some building. Most of us had breakfast and coffee or other drinks so that sounded like a good idea, or so I thought. She took about 15 minutes to get the tickets – standing in line and chatting with her fellow guides. You’d think there would be a better system.
We finally got to our stop and instead of going to the bathroom she talked about (or the free one a few minute walk away), she proceeded to take us on our walk – by waterfalls with running water. I was okay but Al and lots of others weren’t happy by this and I’m sure weren’t able to appreciate the beautiful scenery we were walking by. I’m not sure how long the walk took us but at least 20 minutes which was her rushing us along. I guess she got her break after that because we had 1.5 hours of free time there to use the pay toilets, drink, eat, and shop. That was too much time and we weren’t interested in anything right away (other than the bathroom) so wandered around. The big waterfall was beautiful and we walked past it and saw more scenery, a church, more stores, and the free bathroom that she didn’t seem to want us to go to. We got back a little before we were meeting her and got gelato cones. She then walked us the same way we just explored and was going to take us right past the free toilets until a few people said they wanted to go. There was a lot of grumbling about her by that point. She didn’t seem to have a clue about people and their needs but we all knew we had the same ride back. It really was a pretty place but was a little spoiled by the pushing of the stores and restaurants who I’m sure gave a nice kickback to the company. I know some who complained to Norwegian but I didn’t bother because I knew they’re changing the itinerary after our cruise.
The last night on the ship is always a little bittersweet because you have to pack. We decided to put our big bags out in the hall to be collected so we didn’t have to take them out ourselves the next morning. We had a dining and unlimited beverage package included in our cruise for the price of the service charges so had booked our favorite of the pay restaurants, Cagney’s for our last night. We really didn’t do a lot that night other than wander around and have drinks in one of our favorite places. It was a great cruise and now were excited to be arriving in Venice.
Venice, Italy (Wednesday Apr 12): We had one last breakfast on the ship and then left around 9:00. It took a while to get through the lines but we finally got out. We wheeled our bags over to the People Mover which was a train that got us to the Piazzale Roma where locals and visitors arrive in the city by bus, taxi, or car. From there we were only a 4 minute walk to our hotel, Santa Chiara Hotel. http://www.hotelsantachiara.it/en It was a really nice place and the location was perfect for us. Our room wasn’t available until later so we left our bags and headed out armed with our map and instructions from the hotel. I had read that you should get lost in Venice and we managed to do that right away. We were told to follow the yellow signs but then got distracted by following a bunch of students. Eventually we found our way to Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square). We were immediately drawn to St John’s Basilica which had a large line but it moved pretty fast. As soon as you get inside, you’ll want to look up. The the golden domes with the mosaics was incredible to see. They won’t let you take pics inside but did get a pic of one outside. You can walk through much of the main level without paying extra although there was a fee for special exhibits. We didn’t do that although did pay to go upstairs and thought it was well worth it. You’re able to see the beautiful mosaics up close and get a view of the beautiful Basilica from above. They have the original Roman bronze horses inside and newer ones outside. You step out into a balcony that runs along the front and one side where you get a great view of the square! We left and wandered around the square a little more and decided to find a place for lunch away from there. We found a nice little place that had a table for us outside. We had margherita pizza again and beer for Al and wine for me. It was also very good and we wandered around a little more in the area, including crossing the Rialto Bridge, before finding a vaporetto (water bus) that took us close to our hotel. We got a 24 hour pass which was perfect for us.
We were able to check in and settle in our room which was very nice. They gave us a free glass of wine and snacks either in the back garden or the front patio overlooking the canal. We choose the canal but weren’t counting on the gulls who were looking to eat our snacks. We finally gave them to the bartender and stuck to drinks. After a rest, we headed out again and just wandered with no agenda. I just loved how you’d turn the corner and there’d be another beautiful vista. We did some shopping along the way and took our time heading back. We decided we were too tired for a fancy meal that night so ended up getting something from a little café down from our hotel.
Venice (Thursday April 13): For day two we decided that we had check out Murano Glass in person. We got a vaporetto that took us to Murano which is a series of islands. We got off and just started walking around. Similar to Venice, there are bridges to get across the canals. It’s a picturesque place and we soon found a beautiful blue glass starburst sculpture in front of the clock tower in Campo Santo Stefano. After that we decided that the important part was shopping and just seeing more of the glass. We didn’t really have a lot of time to spend there so skipped the museum and other suggestions from Trip Advisor. There are demonstrations that you can see but the ones that were easily found seemed to be very touristy and one shop that I really liked didn’t do them. We decided that we’d do lunch there so found a nice café with outside tables. They do allow smoking but luckily there wasn’t too much smoke. I had to try a aperol spritz which was really good and perfect for spring/summer. Even Al liked it although he had a beer. They even brought us a small plate of sandwiches which was nice. We enjoyed the beautiful view and weather until we decided that we should head back to Venice.
I booked a gondola ride for 3 PM so we looked around the area of St Mark’s Square before heading to the meeting point. I booked through Viator and was sorry I did. It was very reasonable so if you just want a taste of it, then it’s okay but I’d rather pay more for a longer and more private ride. Part of our hour was spent in line so we were all a little disgruntled by the time we got on the gondola. Al & I managed to get the seat in front of the gondolier at least. There was another couple and a mother & daughter on our ride. Our gondolier was a little on the surly side and never cracked a smile. The ride itself was so peaceful and we got to see sights that you usually don’t see. We often passed other gondoliers going the other way and once in a while there was a singer onboard. The ride seemed short, more like 30-35 minutes. The gondolier continued to be unfriendly to the end and didn’t even smile or say anything to us as we were getting off. There was a tip jar when we were leaving but it didn’t seem to be getting any use. We did more wandering around but wish we’d have visited Doge’s Palace. I know we talked about it but for some reason didn’t go. I did buy a small painting of a Venice scene from one of the artists along the water.
We decided to have an early dinner because we had to be up at 4 AM to head to the airport. We originally had a nice flight at 12 PM that would take us straight to Philadelphia until American Airlines got rid of it and put us on a 6:30 AM flight to Heathrow and then a 3 hr wait before our flight to Philly. We found a nice place and decided to try the “tourista” menu which was a fixed priced one. It was a little different from what we’re used to because you’d think you’d get the salad first but it was the pasta, then the calamari, and then the salad. There was way too much food and I think you’re meant to eat over a longer period of time so I think I was a disappointment to our server. She asked if there was anything wrong. :) We both had an aperol spritz with our dinner. We enjoyed the view as long as we could since tomorrow would be a long day of traveling. After that it was a walk back to our room and then packing. We got a nice boxed breakfast to take when we checked out. We were able to wheel our bags to the bus in minutes and got to the airport in plenty of time. I won’t bore you with the trip home but we did luck out in the long leg because there was only 2 of us in 4 seats.
All in all it was a great trip and our taste of some wonderful countries. It made us want to go back to Italy and France for sure. I think my favorite was Venice but I’ve talked to people who went in the summer and didn’t like it as much as we did. Apparently there’s a smell that we didn’t experience plus the crowds would be much worse. Someone else I talked to didn't have that experience. Al’s favorite was probably Athens with our wonderful tour driver. The biggest winner was us with being able to go to such great places that we'd never been to before. Unfortunately, the itinerary we had is no longer offered by Norwegian Cruise Lines but maybe they’ll bring it back.
All of the photos are in albums by port:
Iraklion/Crete- https://photos.app.goo.gl/6RH95vBqBQfWgYNv1