Prior to taking off; I was lucky enough to have a few days to explore Rome, as the cruise left from nearby Civitavecchia.
The cruise itinerary can be seen below on the map, and my experience in each of the stops can be read via the links below:
•Rome
In this blog post, I plan on talking more about the cruise itself rather than the stop, and give my feedback of a cruise experience.
The cruise had everything you could imagine on it, a water park, pools, a gym, a running deck, a casino, multiple restaurants (including a very fun Japanese restaurant with built in entertainment).
I must say, I seem to have been the black sheep in my family when it comes to my cruise experience, as everyone else seems to have really loved it. However, I’m not one for really going on beach holidays, or relaxing holidays. I prefer getting a feel for a city. Immersing myself in new surroundings, sampling local food and beer, taking in the tourist attractions with a bar crawl in between, and just experiencing a city’s vibes.
And a cruise simply does not allow enough time to do that, it’s a rushed mash of sights before getting back on a boat before it disembarks, and in a lot of the stops, restaurants haven’t even opened by the time you are expected back onboard – apart from the Cathedral in Palma, eating a burrito in 7machos was essentially our itinerary, but the timing of the cruise did not allow this. I feel you barely scratch the surface of a city on a cruise, which isn’t my cup of tea – but I can see the appeal for others.
I do reiterate the vast number of activities, eateries and entertainment venues on board, most of which were extremely entertaining. And this, I think is the crux of my problem with the cruise ship. It’s a snippet of everything. If it were stationary in the sun for a week, I think I’d appreciate the luxury experience a lot more than docking, just experiencing a location, and jetting off. The night life of a city is as much a part of the travelling experience as the day, and you’re denied this with the cruise. I feel a lot of my opinion on the cruise, boils down to considering myself more of a traveller than a tourist. Whilst I will undoubtedly stand out as a tourist during my travels, I always attempt to fully immerse myself in my surroundings – whilst I don’t think a cruise ship gives you the chance to do that.