Do you know how difficult it is to write about a two month vacation three months later? I’ve tried. Honest, I have. It’s just not happening. So, I will write about some of the memorable things that happened and at the bottom, link to all our photo albums for anyone who’s a glutton for punishment. LOL!
OUR FIRST TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE (Port Canaveral to Barcelona)
We had cruised the Carnival Freedom before, so we were quite comfortable with the layout. The cruise was fairly uneventful, especially boarding since we were the only ship in the port (middle of the week embarkation). We got a wheelchair for me (my back was acting up) and we breezed through the lines.
The only whoops was the suitcase with a tote bag holding the two 12 packs of soda on top – it tipped over (more on that suitcase later). We didn’t think much of it. Once in our room, Stu discovered several of the soda cans had exploded. He clean things up and put the soda in the fridge. But, when I got to my small suitcase, I found soda all over the outside and a most of what was inside. The suitcase went into the shower and I sorted through what needed to be washed from the contents. Sigh…
We added to our Band-Kids! (see previous cruise notes from earlier years…). In fact, the female lead singer had been on our last cruise. We walked in and she saw us and waved, immediately recognizing us. At the end of that evening, we met the rest of the band – they were awesome! We went to listen to them (and sometimes dance, mostly slow) every night they played.
Other than that, it was pretty much like any other cruise but with less kids.
OUR MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE (Rome to Rome)
This cruise was on the Carnival Pride, another ship we had been on before so no surprises. It was a port intensive cruise but we didn’t book excursions at them all.
OUR SECOND TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE (Barcelona to Ft Lauderdale)
This was Stu’s second Holland America (HAL) cruise and my first. Definitely a big step up from Carnival, the first week was a bit overwhelming for me. Then I got comfortable and really enjoyed it. We had purchased the Have-It-All package so we had WiFi, drink package, two specialty restaurant meals (each), and $200 in excursion credits (each). We could have gotten a table for two each night if we reserved a time, but five was too early and eight was too late for us.
The food was okay (too much foo-foo for me, I prefer more basic) and we only ate in the main dining room three times since there were rarely tables for two (and I was exhausted and peopled out), plus the lido had the exact same food plus other items. Service was exceptional and they had tablecloths!
The room was comfortable but lacking in drawer space as well as counter space in the bathroom (which had a tub, so I had to be careful getting in and out). There were underbed drawers, but that was hard on our back. There were drawers over the sofa, but of no use to short folks like me. But we did have a huge balcony! I liked the curtains and big television. But there was next to no wall space for magnets which we use to hang hats, clothes (wool airing out), and other items. While we had WiFi included, I had to upgrade my plan to even open emails and do basic Google searches. Ugh!
The entertainment was much less than we were used to on Carnival (especially the Mardi Gras), but the performers were great. The shops were all high-end. I did manage to find a smalls section with candy and HAL items. We never found a comedy club but loved the band in the Rolling Stones club. Their Navigator app wasn’t as fully featured as Carnival’s Hub and the information about events and activities was almost non-existent.
While the ship was at over 90% occupancy, it never really felt crowded. Lots of open spaces, lots of quiet spots, and the decor was understated and very nice.
CRUISE EXCURSIONS
On the cruise to Barcelona on the Carnival Freedom, we stopped in Portugal and did an excursion to Crater Lake. Well, the weather didn’t cooperate and by the time we got to the top of the hills to see it, we were completely fogged in. Stu got off the tour bus (I stayed back with several others) and took some photos in the visitor center showing what we would have seen in good weather.
On the Mediterranean cruise on the Carnival Pride, we had some amazing excursions. We didn’t book every port and on some Stu booked solo while I conserved my energy for Scotland. The best was to Olympus where the original Olympics were held. Amazing, so big, and they still light the torch there for each present day Olympics. The other good one was Naples to Sorrento along the Amalfi coast. Wow! What a drive, and the views… The worst was Athens. It was so bad, most of us complained and we got a 50% rebate on the cost of the tour.
Coming back on Holland America’s Oosterdam we had four ports cancelled, three due to weather and one due to a pilot (boat) strike. Three excursions were cancelled and refunded. They added two stops in the Canary Islands and we booked one excursion, which we enjoyed.
FLIGHTS
We booked all three flights with Ryanair, a budget airline. They have quite stringent baggage restrictions but we sailed through (I did a ton of research before the trip). But, at every on-boarding I ended up with my carry-on luggage being pulled aside for inspection, each due to the power banks I was carrying. I understood and had no issue with this. BUT, I ended up getting pulled aside and having my hands swabbed as well. No idea why, but I was also quickly processed. The flights were fine and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again. But I would always schedule wheelchair assist at booking AND choose a back row since their planes board the wheelchairs from the back of the plane. All but one of our flights boarded and exited via the plane’s stairs. This was really interesting in Scotland when we arrived in rain with 40mph winds and had two 19″ suitcases plus backpacks to carry off. It took both my hands to hold on, Stu wrangled the bags.
LODGING
BARCELONA – IBIS: Our hotel was in a central location and the staff were quite nice. Coming in early on the cruise ship, we had several hours to kill till our room was ready. They let us purchase breakfast (small fee) and then they held our luggage while we walked a bit. Okay, a LOT. Yes, we got lost and lost again. LOL! Our room was small but had plenty of space for our stuff. Cleaned daily and quiet. We stayed there twice and enjoyed it both times. Oh, and the breakfast buffet was the best of all our hotels and was only exceeded by one B&B in Scotland.
ROME – OCEANIA: This hotel was a real treat. It was on the third floor of an older building close to central Rome. We barely fit in the open grated elevator with all our luggage. The staff was amazing. Family owned, we chatted with the owner and his wife. Beautiful rooms, nicely decorated, with a very modern bathroom. Nice breakfast but mostly pastries and fruit with some unflavored yogurt. But a cappuccino every morning! They offered to store our bags when we flew to Scotland since we didn’t need a lot of what we brought for the whole trip. We had two stays there and would definitely book again.
SCOTLAND – PREMIER INN: We picked this hotel based upon location and price. The reviews said it was pretty bare bones. BUT, they gave us a room in the old section of the hotel. It was huge, with high ceilings and the bonus…a view of Edinburg Castle. Many photos were taken during our two stays. Again, a very modern room/bathroom. No service unless requested, but that works for us. We would definitely stay there again.
SCOTLAND – B&Bs: During our five day tour of the Highlands, we stayed at three different places. Two were a traditional B&B and one was a hotel. All were small, all had two twin beds, all were very nice. Breakfasts varied but were all good.
WEATHER
We had good weather other than arrival day/departure day in Scotland and some cooler temps in Rome on a couple of days. Scotland, known for cold and wind, brought out the sun for us during our five day guided tour with Highland Explorer Tours. Perfect weather!
GENERAL
Contactless pay was everywhere, even in taxis. We had been warned and were ready. We set up our Apple Wallets on our iPhones and tested it at home before we left. (I believe there is a Google Wallet for Android phones). It was so much easier and we have continued using it back in the states whenever it is offered. We did use ATMs a couple of times, just to have a little local cash on hand, but 95% of the time, we used the Apple Wallet and our Apple Card (no international currency exchange fees).
Donna with two VERY nice Barcelona police officers who were eating lunch at the same place we were.
2 thoughts on “Our European Vacation: First Notes”
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Bill and I just returned from a cruise on Celebrity. I think you two might like that better than Holland. We’ve done the other lines. Now that we’re back and we had a great time we’ve decided to go back to the river boat cruising. It’s just our style. No added expenses–tips including for your transfers, bus drivers, and local guides. They use the Whispers so we can always hear the guide. Tours are included, along with beer and wine. These are small groups. Please note we do not do Viking!
I see an inexpensive Celebrity cruise to try, but all the others are way up in price. I signed up for their newsletter. We’ll keep an eye on them. Thanks!