Group of three couples, all 50+: Bayta, Steve, Debbie, Charles, Susan and Greg
Cabin: Continental Suite
10 day cruise from Rome to Athens with stops at Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi, Taormini, Siracusa, Sea Day, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Santorini, Athens
DFW to Rome
Two couples left DFW on Saturday, June 23 at noon on US Airways. The flight left 45 minutes late and arrived Sunday morning at 10:30. Rome in Limo was waiting at the baggage exit with a sign with our name on it. Whew! Arrived at the apartment to find Debbie and Charles had already arrived and the apartment owner was waiting on us as well. We booked an apartment (I Capocci) near the Colloseum. The apartment was very nice. It had one room with private bathroom on the ground level and two rooms downstairs with a shared bathroom and the kitchen area.
Monday Rome
We left the apartment at 8:45 for breakfast at La Bottega del Caffe where breakfast included bread, croissant, pineapple juice and fresh squeezed OJ. Our breakfast was included with the apartment rental. It was a light breakfast and plenty to eat.
First stop was at the Colloseum. Construction on the Colloseum began in 72 AD and was completed in 80 AD and held between 50 and 80 thousand people.
The Forum for many years was the center of Roman life where triumphant processions were held. It was also the site for public speeches, criminal trials and gladiator matches, as well as being the heart of the commercial business of Rome. Many statues and monuments commemorate the great men of Rome. It is known as the most celebrated meeting place in the world, in fact in all of history.
Spanish Steps. The 135 steps were made famous for Americans in the movie Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.
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| View from the top of the stairs |
After our rest and ice cream we were off to the Pantheon. It is one of the best-preserved buildings of Ancient Rome and has been in continuous use since the 7th century.
Tuesday Rome
We left the apartment at 9:00 and had breakfast again at the same cafe. We walked to Santa Maria Maggiore church and toured it on our own.
The views of the Vatican and Rome from the top of the castle were impressive.
and then met Laura (Rome in Limo tour guide) for our Vatican and St Peter's Basilica tour. Laura was very good and we highly recommend Rome in Limo services. One afternoon is certainly not enough time for a thorough visit to the Vatican but I felt with the guide we made the most of our afternoon.
In hindsight we should have toured the Vatican in the morning. The cruise ship tours had arrived and were huge. It was very, very crowded.
We grabbed taxis back to the apartment and decided to go back to Restaurante IL Condor. Service is excellent, especially our waitress from Poland and the food was very good. I had lasagne and Greg had Saltimbocca. We stayed way too long. Too much food and wine.
Wednesday. Rome
Breakfast at our cafe and then we walked to the church of San Pietro in Vincoli (St Peter in Chains) where we saw Michelangelo's statue of Moses and the chains that bound Peter. I remembered visiting this church in high school and was glad we returned. The statue is impressive and the tourists do not flock here. It was a nice end to our sightseeing in Rome.
We walked back to the apartment and Rome in Limo was waiting for us to take us to the cruise ship (10:30). Again, kudos to Rome in Limo. Very professional. Embarking on Azamara Quest was so easy. We walked right up, they took our luggage, gave us our sea cards and we were on the ship. Awesome service. As we were walking on the ship, we were asked to eat in one of the speciality restaurants due to expected crowds in the MDR. We chose Prime C at 8. Beer packages were purchased and we had arrived on the ship. We checked our hand luggage as we entered the ship and headed to Windows Cafe where we easily found a table outside.
After a little exploring, I changed and headed to the pool where there were tons of available loungers (which was the case for the whole cruise). Towels were provided at the pool, so no keeping up with your towels. Greg wandered the ship and took pictures before the crowds arrived.
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| Library |
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| Library |
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| Prime C |
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| Looking Glass |
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| Looking Glass |
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| Casino |
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| Casino |
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| Mosaics area |
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| Lounge in front of MDR |
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| MDR Discoveries |
Our Butler was Eyup who was awesome. He exchanged the gin for another vodka and brought the makings for bloody Mary's as well as stocking up on diet cokes. He exchanged the champagne for white wine and kept it on ice for the whole cruise. The rum provided was Pyrat Rum and it was so smooth. I found a new vice! Our steward was Alvin. The room was always cleaned when we returned. Cruise director was Tony Markey and the Captain was Carl Smith. Our first dinner at Prime C was very good with Greg ordering rack of lamb and
I had Filet Mignon. The captain had an announcement at
9:00 but we missed it due to our late dining. The captain walked
through the Prime C and personally told us that we were switching Santorini and
Mykonos due to 9 ships scheduled for Santorini on the 6th. Turned out to be a
great move. Our Santorini guide said no problem switching our tour. After finishing dinner we caught
the end of the show. The theater is much smaller than on the larger cruise ships. It is more a cabaret lounge which we enjoyed. The singer Helen Jayne had a very strong voice. We then listened
to the piano player Max Difaz in Mosaics for a couple of songs. Finally a piano
player that is enjoyable. We will return to listen again.
Thursday Sorrento
Breakfast on the balcony was delivered by the butler, providing full dining set up. Very classy. After we ate we left the balcony door open as we were getting ready. A seagull landed on the balcony and I had to rush to close the balcony door. I think he would have flown straight in!
Pompeii, which was destroyed in 79 AD after an eruption from Mt Vesuvious was really impressive but there was way too much to see in 2 hours. Also, we should have hired a guide. Paulo could not go with us, so you have to hire a guide from Pompeii. We wasted time trying to figure out where we were and where we wanted to go but in the end we saw most of what we wanted to see.
After Pompeii, we went to a local family owned winery (Sorrentino) on Mount Vesuvius. They showed us their vineyards. The winery provided great views, wine tastings, food, and company. It was a very relaxing and authentic experience. We all enjoyed our stop here.
Next up was Herculaneum. Herculaneum was buried under volcanic ash in 79 AD. However, the ruins were not discovered until the 1700's and 75% of the site is still buried. The ruins here are smaller in size but more intact. It was very hot by this time in the afternoon and we were tired but very much enjoyed exploring this ancient site.
After our tour, we returned to the ship and enjoyed great views of Sorrento from our balcony.
We ate in the MDR but was too late to see the show tonight. We did catch a few songs in Mosaics before turning in. Sail away from Sorrento tonight was at midnight.
Friday. Capri
Breakfast again on the balcony, but no seagulls today. Tour was with "Tours of Capri" and our guide was Michele. We were driven in a convertible car with a driver. 3 in the back, 3 in the middle, and 2 in front.
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| The crowds that had arrived as we finished our tour. |
Next we were off to Anacapri where we took the single chair lift
to the top. The ride up and down was very peaceful and the views lovely.
After
the chair lift we wondered through Anacapri.
We toured the Villa San Michele which sits 327 meters above sea level with a beautiful garden and panoramic views of the town of Capri and its harbor, the Sorrentine Peninsula, and Mt Vesuvius.
We ate lunch in Anacapri at Le Arcate
Ristorante. A little slow and very noisy at first but food was very good.
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| Michele, our tour guide |
Then
back down the "Mama Mia" road to Capri.
We took the funicular down and the tender back to the ship. We didn't leave Capri until 6 AM. We ate dinner tonight in the MDR. Again, we only caught the end of the show, Voices, which was enjoyable. 4 singers and 4 dancers and they were good. Too bad we didn't get to see the entire show. The day ended at Mosaics listening to the Max, the piano player.
Views of Capri at night.
Saturday. Amalfi coast
Breakfast on the balcony as we arrive into port.
Tour today was with "Amalfi Coast Destinations" and guide was Roberto "the mayor", Melissa and Jim from the roll call joined us on this tour. The van held nine but was tight with three in the front. We started the drive to Positano. Winding, beautiful views but disappointed that we were not able to stop for pictures. Positano was very crowded and the walk was uphill. Not much historical, all shopping.
Next stop was the "Emerald Grotto". Charles and Debby did not want to join us in the cavern. The cavern was much larger than the Blue Grotto with lots of stalagmites and stalactites. The green light was not as vivid as the Blue Grotto but worth seeing.
When we returned, Debby and Charles asked to return to Amalfi. ?? After our detour, we then stopped for lunch at Hotel Fico 'India. Very nice restaurant with a great view and wonderful wine. Fish was the main course.
After a leisurely, relaxing lunch, we went to Ravello. Again, very crowded with only shopping. On our return, we stopped at the Santa Caterina hotel to enjoy the beautiful views from the deck. The hotel was gorgeous with white tiled floors with tiled floral arrangements inlaid. Pretty impressive.
Our tour ended in Amalfi and we spent a short time wandering around before catching the tender back to the ship.
Dinner was in the MDR tonight and we finished in time to see the whole show (Helen Jayne and Craig Dahn). Dahn was concert pianist and was very good, but not our cup of tea. Evening ended again in Mosaics listening to Max on the piano. Sail away was at 9:00 pm
Sunday. Taormini
Breakfast on the balcony. When we got ready to go ashore Charles and Debby were not downstairs. We went across the pier, found our driver who said they had time to join us. We called Charles and they said they would be there in 30 minutes. We went to a restaurant where the guys had coffee as we waited and then off for a great day. Tour guide was Roberto with Taxi Taormina and we did the Godfather tour. His van was very nice and he was delightful. Very easy to talk to and understand. It was like being with a family member for the day.This ended up being our favorite excursion and we credit Roberto. The scenery didn't hurt!
We started the tour with a stop at the Forza d' Agro which was a square used in Godfather II. Visited a church and enjoyed the views from the square.
Next we drove through the beach area of Taormini. Since it was Sunday, the beaches were very busy and we made several scenic stops for pictures.
Roberto suggested La Griglia for lunch and it was a wonderful restaurant.
Taormina was very quaint and we enjoyed walking around the town.
Off to Castlemola. It was a delightful town at the very top of the hill (highest point). Here we enjoyed scenic views, a church, and quaint shops. We had almond wine and German beer at Caffe' Bar Turrisi a very small and eclectic bar. All in all, probably our favorite day.
Back on the ship. We had dinner was in MDR and afterwards enjoyed the show which was poolside. The DJ (Alex Mac) did a salute to Buble. Sail away was at midnight.
Monday. Syracusa
We were docked today. While tendering was very easy on Azamara, docking was a nice treat.
After leaving the boat we headed on foot to the small island of Ortygia, which is the historical center of Syracusa . First stop was the market where we saw lots of fish stalls as well as fresh vegetables and many other items.
and the Cathedral built on top of 5th century Greek temple,
and the museum of Archimedes. Since I am an old secondary math teacher, I really enjoyed this museum.
From the museum, we took a taxi to the Roman amphitheater. They were preparing for a concert and most of the amphitheater was covered with modern seating and stage. Very disappointing. The amphitheater was started during the time of Nero but what we see today was started during the 3rd and 4th century AD.
We returned to the ship and had lunch on the boat. I ordered a hamburger from the pool grill. Greg went back into town to buy a magnet and walked through the market again. I went to the pool for the remainder of the afternoon and enjoyed the no crowds at the pool. Azamara staff offered small cups of fruit smoothies poolside. A nice touch. Dinner was in the MDR and the show was "All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go" by the cruise director Tony Markey. He was very good. Ended the day with a nightcap in Mosaics. Ship sailed at 7 pm.
Tuesday. Sea day
Breakfast was in Windows Cafe. We then visited the Le Club Voyage and booked the NYE cruise in 2013. We spent time at the pool and again, no problem with loungers being available. How refreshing. We had dinner in Aqualina at 6:30. The show was "Fireworks on Four Strings". He was a classical violinist and was very good. Enjoyed the show much more than I thought I would. Ended the night again in Mosiacs for a nightcap.
Wednesday. Mykonos
Breakfast on the balcony. Mykonos was very different from what I was expecting. It was very barren with little vegetation. The buildings are all white which contrasted against the brown hillsides which made the white buildings more drastic. Today's weather was very windy and the seas a bit rough.
We walked among the narrow streets toward the windmills, stopping for a snack and drinks at Aledkandra restaurant.
We then visited a couple of small churches.
We visited the Archaelogical Museum. It was 2 euros and consisted of two rooms but had some very old pottery and sculptures from Delos and Rhenia.
Back on the boat. We dined tonight in the specialty restaurant Prime C where Greg had the rack of lamb and I had the veal chop. Both were very good. Tonight was the White Night Party but was changed to the Red, White, and Blue party for the 4th of July. The cruise director along with the Quest singers and dancers performed. I had read a lot about the White Night Party but didn't notice that it was scheduled for tonight. We had finished eating before we realized that tonight was the outdoor buffet. We found a table and enjoyed the entertainment but was way too full to sample the food. We sailed tonight at 11 pm.
Thursday. Kusadasi
Breakfast on the balcony and we were docked today. Yea!
Our tour company was Ephesus Shuttle and the driver was Inan. He was very knowledgable with a degree in archeology. The shuttle seated 15 so we were very comfortable with only 6 of us! We headed first to Ephesus where Inan guided us through the ruins. The ruins are a must see and much more informative with Inan providing narration along the way. We paid extra to view the Terrace Houses which were well worth the extra cost. Ephesus was impressive and so glad we chose this tour.
Next we stopped at the Temple of Artemis. Not much to see.
We then stopped at a carpet factory which is subsidized by the government, training girls in the art of rug carpet making. It was interesting to see how the carpets are made. Then there was a showing of many carpets and two of the three couples made a purchase.
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| This was the rug we purchased |
Next we went to a leather outlet and was given a fashion show.
Once back in Kusadasi, Inan suggested a restaurant for a traditional Turkish lunch (Avlu) and it was very good. After lunch we wandered through the town buying our magnet. Kusadasi surprised me. It was much cleaner and more modern than I was expecting. We walked through the bazaar and the sales people were brash and insistent but I did not feel uncomfortable. Totally different impression of Turkey than I was expecting.
Friday Santorini
Breakfast on the balcony. We arrived to find only three small ships in port. Whew!! So glad Azamara switched our itinerary.
Today's tour company was Ocean Wave Tours and our guide was Dimitris. He had a brand new van. We walked straight from the tender to the cable car with absolutely no waiting. Said the lines were 2 hours long on the day we were originally scheduled to stop here. We had to walk a quite a ways uphill to the van. First stop was the a photo op of the famous blue roof church from above.
Next we went to Santos Winery for a wonderful wine tasting. We had 5 wines and a dessert wine with cheese, olives and crackers for 11 euros. Again, the view from the winery was awesome.
Lunch was at a beach restaurant (The Dolphins). We had wine, beer and appetizers. We were so full from the winery, we did not order anything else. The restaurant was right on the water and was very picturesque.
When we got on the tender there was the rest of our group. We had dinner in the MDR and then watched the sun set from deck 10. The sunset was gorgeous.
We met a young couple from San Antonio as we watched the sun set behind the hills. After the sunset we saw the show "Stage Door to Dreams" with the Quest singers and dancers. A very good show which ended with a song from Hairspray. Cruise Director played John Travolta's part and did it perfectly. Ended the night at Mosaics and sailed at midnight.
Saturday Athens at noon
Started the day packing in the morning and then ate brunch in the MDR where they had a jazz brunch. Very enjoyable.
After docking we hailed cabs to take us to the National Archaelogical Museum. Unfortunately the museum closed at 4:00 but we were able to see quite a bit. I think you could stay all day here and not see it all. It was very impressive.
We returned to the ship by taxi, ate in the MDR, and attended the farewell show. Hal Frazier (past his prime) and Chris Watkins (Fireworks on four strings). Again, we really enjoyed Chris. One final stop in Mosaics to listen to Max on the piano.
Sunday. Disembark
We had 8:30 disembarkation time, found our bags and headed out. Tour company was Athens Taxi. Guide helped us load our luggage and we headed to the Acropolis. The climb to the top was not as strenuous as I had read, but it was very hot and VERY crowded. Impressive yet sad knowing all the pieces that were taken from the Acropolis and is now in the British Museum.
Next we went to the temple of Zeus. We could see our hotel (Athens Gate) from here.
We stopped to see the Panathinaikon Olympic stadium from the first modern day Olympics in 1896.
Then we made a stop at the top of the hill for an overview of Athens.
Next stop was the changing of the guards at the presidential palace on Syntagma Square. Every Sunday at 11 AM, the changing of the guards (Evzones) at the tomb of the unknown soldier occurs. The guards are in full ceremonial dress. Definitely, interesting to see and glad we were in Athens on Sunday.
Next up was the Agora. To get to the Agora you have to walk through the very crowded street market. At the beginning of the market, we stopped to eat where we ordered pork gyros.
After the museum we walked around in the Plaka area. The missing suitcase was found at the port so all was well and the group headed to a restaurant/bar for drinks. We spent most of the evening at Old School Cocktail Bar where we were treated to a free pizza along with chips, nuts, and popcorn. We ended the evening on the rooftop of our hotel for one last cocktail. What a view with the Temple and Acropolis lighted. What a great last night to a wonderful trip.
Monday- flying home
Breakfast on the rooftop, driver arrived at 8:00 and we were off to the airport. After going through umpteen security checkpoints were headed home.
