Rome Habi Cabs
Rome
Hub Navona
http://www.hubnavonarome.com/
Great location, just behind the Piazza Navona. Walking distance to all site in Rome.
Walked to the Colloseum, the Borghese, and the Vatican.
This location has 4 rooms, breakfast is included each day. You have several menu choices and you chose the time you would like breakfast. It can be served in your room or on a table in the lobby area.
Oksana does a great job, including providing you walking direction to all the tourist site.
This is a small BnB, so there is not someone available at the front desk all the time, but you can call if there is a problem.
Tours taken in Rome.
The day we arrived, we walked to the Colosseum and purchased tickets. There was a line, but it did not take long. You will need cash. The ticket is for admission to the Colosseum and the Forum (12E), must be used in a 24 hour window.
Be aware, there are people outside selling tickets and they claim to guarantee you admission to an area you don’t see with the regular tour. That is incorrect, ignore them all and proceed to the individual ticket line. Otherwise you will pay a premium for the ticket.
The next morning we had a Vatican Excavation tour at. 1130 am.
Reservations are required months in advance. The Scavi excavation tour is a 12E per person. You meet a guide and head into the building where she will explain to you the history of the Vatican buildings, what you will see and how they found the underground graves.
No pictures are allowed.
You proceed down stairs and have a chance to see the location of family tombs, these are the ones that have been excavated. Many are still covered in rocks.
At the end, you will be taken to see the location of the remains of St. Peter. Then you head upstairs and can see the Pope's tombs, located below St Peter's. Most of these areas are not accessible to the public.
Following the tour, we went into St. Peter’s Basilica. We did not go up the cuppulo. Which is a separate admission.
Website is
<http://www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en/ufficio-scavi.html>
The afternoon was spent at the Forum, walked around for a few hours. The Forum admission is include in the price of the Colosseum ticket. Our last stop for the day was the Pantheon. It’s free.
On Friday we had reservation at the Borghese. We had direction to the park, but not museum.
We got lost trying to find the museum.
Also, make sure that you purchase the tickets through the museum site, not a third party. The cost is double through a third party.
The last night we booked a night Vatican guided tour. Our tour was fabulous.
Again, book through Vatican site, not a third party.
Check night tours for all attractions well ahead of your visit. If you follow local guides on Facebook or Twitter, they will post when special tickets are available.
Joined a group pick up from Rome to the cruise port, using NCC. Cost was $25E pp. This was found on Cruise Critic Roll call for the specific cruise
Jewel of the Seas
Rome - Saturday
Seaday (Sunday) - weather not great to sit outside, started to rain in the afternoon.
Breakfast was in the Windjammer. Food was good.
Lunch was in the main dining room. My favorite is the "make your own salad". Choice of several salad types, lots of vegetable add ons and different protein choices.
The staff will chop and add salad dressing for you.
The ship was very well kept, clean and up to date.
Dinner was in Chop. I had the mushroom soup which was good, shrimp cocktail, which has changed and is now a plain shrimp cocktail. I ordered a petite fillet, medium rare, I receive the end cut which can be tough.
Dessert was cheesecake and key lime meringue pie. The cheesecake was plain, missing an ingredient. The key lime meringue was ok. The meringue was not smooth enough, maybe not whipped enough.
Overall it was good experience.
This ship has a cinema. For a movie lover, it’s great. Second day movie is Aquaman. Seats about 50 people.
Monday (Crete)
We didn’t take a tour in Crete. We decided to take a bus into port. The ship docked at 11 am. We exited the ship around 1130 am, and headed to the public buses, which are located just outside the port. You can purchase tickets just outside form $1.70 per way. The bus ride was about 15 minutes.
The town is very close to the bus stop.
Be aware, the bus stop return to the ship is on the other side of the street. The return bus comes about every 20 min.
Tuesday (Mykonos)
Tour through Royal Caribbean to Delos. Good tour, I have previously been to Delos. Not much has changed.
Following the tour, we walked to the windmill and then around town.
Wednesday (Rhodes)
Ship docks across the street from the walled city. Very easy to get around.
No tour, just walk around the city and did some shopping and eating.
Would like to mention a great place to purchase olive wood products. Store name is xxxx woodwork. The husbands makes all the items from olive trees in their yard and the wife sells the items in the store. If you are looking for products made locally, this is the place to shop.
Lunch was at Megiston. Lunch was maza. Tzahiki, hummus, grape leaves and pita bread. Excellent service and food. With water and soda out total bill was $22 e. Great price for the money.
Thursday (Athens)
Took a private tour with HP tours. Tour guide was Ava. Royal Caribbean changed port days and times we were supposed to get into port. Tour was supposed to start at 730 am, but with the new itinerary we didn’t get into port until 830. However there was a medical emergency and we had to accelerate the ship arrive into Athens. However there was not an announcement that we had arrived.
Once all the tour attendees arrived, 14 total. We left the port and headed to the Acropolis. When we arrived, we had a few minutes to go to the restroom.
Well this is a funny story now, but when I came out of the restroom, I did not see the tour group. They were not on the platform we were dropped off on. I walked around each of the buses and looked at the sidewalk and I did not see the group. There were many tour buses dropping off people. I decided after 10 minutes to walk to the entrance and wait for the group. Unfortunately, they looked for me for another 15 minutes before the came up to the entrance. Once I saw them I went back and picked up my travel companion who was still waiting for me. We joined the group after we entered the entrance gate.
We had a wonderful tour and history of the area by Ava. Enough time for pictures and wondering around.
When we were done, we walked out of the Acropolis towards the Acropolis Museum. It was a long walk and we happened to lose another tour group member. We walked to the stadium and the other areas below the Acropolis and ended our walk at the Acropolis museum. We had a one hour tour of the museum, probably needed a little more time.
Then we met the van and headed to the Plaka area for lunch. We had about an hour, then we had a tour of the Plaka area. Great history lesson.
Then we joined the van and headed to the Mount Lycabettus for a wonderful view.
Since this was a small group tour, we were able to modify the tour as needed.
However, please be advised. Do not take this tour if you have any physical disabilities, you have to walk an uneven surfaces, both up and downhill. There is no place to sit down. Please consider your physical health before booking this tour. Appropriate walking shoes with a good sole will help walking on the uneven surfaces and sometimes slippery surfaces.
Friday (Santorini)
We took a Royal Caribbean tour to Akrotori and Oia. Too many people on the tour, could not hear and see what the guide was talking about. Also, too many Royal tour groups in the building at the same time. We did not walk around the entire site since we ran out of time
Saturday (Sea day)
Sunday (Naples)
Royal Caribbean tour - hike Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. Due to the fog on Mount Vesuvius, the crater was not visible. We had 2 hours at Mount Vesuvius which was too long since there was fog in the area. If the time was shortened more time could have been spent in Pompeii.
In Pompeii, the tour guide spent too much time in each location. Instead of walking more of the site. This was my 4th visit and we didn't cover a lot of area, since she was talking.
Monday (Departure)
This was our departure day.
We had a shuttle with XXXXX with a pick up time for 9 am. We walked off the ship and picked up our luggage in about 5 minutes. The driver was waiting outside the terminal. We waiting for one other couple, then headed to the Holland America ship. It was still before 9 am, however the people waiting there were concerned that the shuttle was late. Where were a total of 8 people going to the airport.
Alitalia
We had a non-stop flight from LAX to Rome. We were on a 777 plane sitting in premium economy. So we had a little bit more space.
The seats and the entertainment where fine. As I would have expected for Premium Economy.
Our flight from Rome to JFK was also on a 777 in Premium Economy, but a much older plane. After this experience, I would not fly Alitalia again. The seats do not recline, the entertainment system is old. No touch screen TVs and the TVs where very small.
Insight from first time Europe visitor and cruise
Make sure you have a rain jacket with you for the incremental weather
Bring a small bag to put your belongs when you get off the ship on the last day, since your luggage is put out the night before
Royal Caribbean - Jewel of the Seas Review
We had a balcony on deck 7. It was plenty of room for 2 people.
The ship was smaller than any other ship I have taken on Royal Caribbean, but I was happy with what the ship had to offer for this European cruise.
As a Diamond plus member, we attended happy hour every night. We had wonderful service from Henry. Unlike some ships, the lounge was not over crowded. Also, they keep all the food and beverages always available, there was no wait and food was plenty.
I usually do not eat in the Main dining room, but we had dinner there 5 of the 7 nights. We were on a table of 8, however there where on 2 other people on the table. Fabulous service from our waiter and assistant waiter, xxxxxxxxxxxx. If we needed anything, they would run and bring it to us. We even had a special meal, made by the chef on night, only for our table. That has never happened to me in all my cruises.
Overall insight for this trip
- Book all tours directly with the museums you plan to visit
- limit tours taken through the cruise company, they are too large
- make sure you verify activity level prior to tour and make sure you are comfortable with the minimum requirements
- pack light