We’re wrapping up nearly two weeks at sea, our cruise show (a one-hour “Rick Steves’ Mediterranean Cruising” special to air on public television in January 2019) is in the can, it’s midnight, and we’ll be in Barcelona by the morning.
Join me in this clip as I journey from the top deck to my stateroom. I was going to tell you all about the wonders of the room card, which is also your on-board credit card and ID card…but I’m a bit tired and loopy, and I forgot. Still, here’s a quick little look at our ship (Celebrity Cruises’ good ship Reflection).
My TV crew and I are on a Mediterranean cruise, filming a special that will air on public television in January 2019. One of my main goals for the show is to help independent travelers make the most of the cruising experience. Here’s one big tip: Consider your shore excursions carefully.
While easygoing cruisers may choose to book an excursion from the cruise line for $100 (or more) a crack, there are many other legitimate options that open up to passengers once they step off the ship. Some travelers may opt to find a small company with a box office in the terminal — and have essentially the same experience for about half the price. Meanwhile, others will book a private guide with a car or minibus in advance (using sites such as Cruise Critic to team up with other cruisers and share the expense). And others will simply hop on a public bus or hike to the train station (guidebook in hand) and do their own thing. For the most reliable information, I recommend skipping the onboard shore excursion information desks. Instead, head to the tourist information kiosks that are set up to greet ships in each port.
As the cruising industry grows, more and more cities are investing in terminals that can accommodate these massive ships (and their payload of tourists). In this clip, I’ll take you for a quick walk through the terminal at La Spezia, Italy. From here, you can get to Florence (a couple of hours away by bus), Pisa, Lucca, and the Cinque Terre.
(Note, however, that I don’t recommend that cruise ship travelers try to see the Cinque Terre. It is not designed to handle masses of quickie half-day visits by cruisers. Locals don’t appreciate “looky-loos” from cruise ships, notorious for arriving all at once at peak time and congesting the villages and trails, without staying for dinner or spending the night. The crowds can be frustrating for all involved.)
As Europe continues to endure terrorist attacks, fear-mongering politicians and media seem eager for these to have a greater impact than they deserve. Sure, these events are tragic…but no more so than other equally-deadly non-terror-related tragedies.
Lately, I’ve been visiting sites where terrible terror events have occurred: London’s Westminster Bridge, Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, Brussels’ airport, and Nice’s Promenade des Anglais. At most sites of vehicle attacks, there are now bollards in place to stop murderous cars from entering.
I’ve been in Europe five months so far this year…and, clearly, Europe (while working on security) is embracing life, not fear. With this more reasonable and thoughtful response, potential terrorists become lowly criminals with intent to terrorize and do not get the hoped-for results they wasted their lives for. Join me in this clip for a stroll on Nice’s wonderful Promenade des Anglais.
Follow me in this clip as I venture deep into Naples, far from the throngs of tourists piling off our cruise ship. I discovered an amazing quarry filled with human bones when I was here in the spring, and I just had to come back with my TV crew to film it.
Here’s how I wrote it up for the next edition of the Rick Steves Italy guidebook:
Cemetery of the Fountains (Cimitero delle Fontanelle)
A thousand years ago, cut into the hills at the high end of Napoli, was a quarry. In the 16th century, churches with crowded cemeteries began moving the bones of their long dead here to make room for the newly dead. Later, it housed the bones of plague victims and the city’s paupers. In the 19th century, many churches emptied their cemeteries, adding even more skulls to this vast ossuary. Then, a cult of people appeared whose members adopted skulls. They named them, put them in little houses, brought them flowers, and asked them for favors from the next life. And today, the quirky caves — stacked with human bones and dotted with chapels — are open to the public. Located in a sketchy-feeling neighborhood at the top end of Sanità (via Fontanelle 80, tel. 081.795.6160, 10:00-17:00 daily, tips accepted). To get there, hop in a taxi, ride the subway to the Materdei stop and follow the brown signs for ten minutes, or hike ten minutes up Via Sanità from the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità).
My TV crew and I are on a Mediterranean cruise, filming a special that will air on public television in January 2019. Some of my favorite moments so far have been “sail-ins.” Each morning, I get up and — even before I brush my teeth — I enjoy the view from my balcony. This morning, the sun was peeking its hot head over the volcano of Vesuvius. I just had to share it with you. (Forgive me, I didn’t dress for this clip.)
Thanks for all the comments, both here and on Facebook. They are fun to read. I’ve noticed many of you think cruises are too crowded. Sure, there can be 3,000 people on your ship. But very often, like here in Naples, you dock right in a city center. And, as you’ll see in this clip, you can be deep in the neighborhood fun of the city within a few minutes of getting off the ship.
I visited Naples earlier this year and discovered the amazing district of Sanità. And I just had to bring my TV crew back. We filmed a segment here about how a cruise can feel like an adult summer camp (filled with people hell-bent on seeing the clichés), or you can use it as a springboard for your own series of little adventures. A cruise can be La-La Land or reality…or a little of both.