We took a 7 night time Mediterranean cruise with Explora cruise line earlier this month touring down the coast of Italy and over to Spain. Right here’s the primary of a sequence of posts recapping our journey!
We’re again from Mediterranean cruise!!
The journey went nice, and I’ve SO a lot to share. This week and the following be all journey themed as I recap every of our stops.
This journey was quick journey! Our purpose was to see as many cities / locations as doable with out having to maneuver our suitcase 10 occasions, and we positively completed that. That stated, we acquired only a style of our stops, and the following time we journey throughout the ocean, I’d love to do extra gradual journey type.
General I completely LOVED Explora, and the cruise half was wonderful. The boat, meals, drinks, setting had been all beautiful. (Thomas, nevertheless, is “over cruises” for now.) I’m able to plan a Greek Isle cruise with Explora subsequent! I like the sensation of getting off the ship to discover a spot after which coming “residence” every night. You both love or hate cruising, and I like it. It was by far the nicest cruise line I’ve been on.
I huge thanks to my sister, Laura Allen, for planning all the small print of this journey! She is a journey advisor with Fora and advisable the cruise line. She additionally advisable and booked our metropolis lodges and helped us make preparations for drivers. In case you’re focused on planning a visit – attain out to her (for free of charge to you, as journey advisors are paid on fee from the lodges/cruises)!
Listed here are the weblog posts coming:
- Journey day + Rome
- Explora Cruise Overview + Day at Sea
- Naples + Amalfi, Italy
- Trapani, Sicily
- Tunis, Tunisia / Ship day
- Carloforte, Sardinia
- Mallorca, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain
Touring To Rome
We drove to North Carolina to drop the boys off with my dad and mom, after which we took a flight from Raleigh to Dulles, after which a direct flight from Dulles to Rome. We used bank card factors to ebook United Polaris enterprise class! (Study extra about that right here.) The Polaris lounge in Dulles was SO NICE, and it was nice to have free meals and drinks and comfortable chairs for our six hour layover.
Right here’s my Polaris lie-flat seat for the 8.5 hour in a single day flight.
Having now skilled the sort of flight, I admit we didn’t do it proper. We left round 6pm and as a substitute of attempting to sleep for the 8 hours, we acquired caught up within the champagne and multi-courses of meals. I did precisely what I stated I wouldn’t do and principally acquired 3 hours of damaged sleep! Subsequent time I’d 100% prioritize sleep and forgo the frills. I did love the skincare goodies we acquired at our seat. And it was considerably extra comfy than sleeping at a proper angle in economic system.
The various programs of meals was fairly respectable! I might barely eat breakfast which was served at my physique clock’s 1AM.
We landed in Rome at 2AM physique clock time, and went via passport management and baggage declare with out points. An enormous bonus was that our lodge had a complimentary shuttle so we didn’t need to stress about discovering a cab!
Sleep Strolling Round Rome
Our room wasn’t fairly prepared upon arrival, so we tried to clean up as finest we might they usually saved our baggage whereas we went on the lookout for breakfast after which walked across the metropolis. First cease: espresso + croissants.
Our lodge was a pleasant stroll to the Colosseum. It was superior to see in particular person! We weren’t properly traveled sufficient to know that tickets had been bought out for the entire day, or we’d have gone inside.
However we had been nonetheless in a position to get very shut.
We had been simply so pleased to be there!
We walked via a residential neighborhood in quest of a restaurant for lunch.
And we discovered one tucked into an alley that was full of Italian’s having fun with their lunch.
We had a fried eggplant appetizer, pasta, and bread – traditional Rome!
Corso 281
Throughout lunch we acquired a textual content that our room was prepared, so we took an Uber again to the lodge. My sister booked us at Corso 281, which was so beautiful! It’s a tiny lodge, but it surely had some good perks together with the airport shuttle and a free breakfast. The situation was nice too.
We took a pleasant afternoon nap, showers, and dressed up for dinner out. We additionally had a glowing rose in our room compliments of our journey advisor and had a few of that on the balcony earlier than heading out!
We went to the well-known Trevi Fountain on our stroll to dinner.
We simply liked the slim streets and eating places tucked into each nook.
We had dinner at Maccheroni Ristorante out on their patio.
Afterwards we strolled again to our lodge. It’s wonderful how outdated and well-known all the things is!
After a fairly respectable night time’s sleep, we had breakfast dropped at our room! Trying again on this meal, I want I might eat all of it! However I had little or no urge for food within the second.
We went for an influence stroll round within the morning earlier than showering and heading to our cruise port on the coast. It was a quick 24 hours in Rome. Rome wasn’t inbuilt a day but it surely was seen in a day – hahahah.
Coming subsequent: boarding the Explora cruise!
