- Preparations for our Mediterranean cruise, arriving in Rome
- Day 1 in Rome - Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica
- Day 2 in Rome - Colosseum, Central Rome walking tour
- Day 1 of Celebrity Equinox Mediterranean cruise - embarking in Civitavecchia
- Day 2 of Celebrity Equinox Mediterranean cruise - Florence and Pisa
- Day 3 of Celebrity Equinox Mediterranean cruise - Nice, Eze and Monte Carlo
- Day 4 and 5 of Celebrity Equinox Mediterranean cruise - Corsica and Sardinia
- Day 6 and 7 of Celebrity Equinox Mediterranean cruise - Day at Sea and Palma de Mallorca
- Disembarkation in Barcelona, overnight stay, and returning home "The Amazing Race"-style! (with free double upgrade)
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It had been just less than three months since our trip to New Zealand and the Maldives, yet we were off on another overseas adventure, a 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity Equinox.
PACKING FOR A 13 DAY TRIP
Kaleb and I aimed to each have a carry-on backpack and one 24" rolling suitcase weighing less than 50 lbs to check in. As I have gotten feedback that it would be helpful to know what things we packed, both my and Kaleb's lists are found below. We were able to pack relatively light as we had no qualms about re-wearing clothing if it looked clean and not funky smelling. (one exception is underwear and Kaleb prefers fresh socks daily) It also helped that we were going to a warm climate with no need for bulky items like sweaters and coats. For cruise formal nights, Kaleb wore the same suit so that saved a lot of space.
In her luggage
11 pairs of panties
3 bras (black/beige/sport)
2 bikinis (so one can dry)
1 swim dress coverup
2 wrinkle-free cocktail dresses for formal nights on the cruise
2 dressy tops for smart casual nights on the cruise
1 pair beige pants
3 capris (black/jean/sport)
4 casual tops
2 skirts
3 sundresses
1 packable wide-brimmed hat
1 pair black Havaianas flip-flops
1 pair strappy sandals
1 pair low strappy black heels
1 black leather cross-body bag
1 beach tote
full-size shampoo and conditioner (I prefer to use my own)
small makeup bag (6x3x1.5) filled with basics
hanging toiletry bag filled with our personal items (like this one)
rhinestone earrings and necklace set
hook earrings with clear beads
photocopy of passport (in case luggage gets lost or I lose my passport)
In her backpack
Kindle
few magazines
Platypus collapsible water bottle
passport
wristlet containing ID, credit card, cash
snacks
camera and accessories
mobile phone and accessories
noise-blocking headphones
pen
tissue
lip balm
sunglasses
eye shades
leftover euros (paper and coins) from our trip to Ireland
What she wore on the plane (in addition to undergarments and socks)
small silver teardrop earrings
short sleeve top
lightweight cardigan
jeans
black Skechers Go Walk 2 shoes
In his luggage
11 pairs of boxers
11 pairs of quarter-length cotton socks
3 undershirts
1 navy suit (jacket and pants) for formal nights on the cruise
1 dress shirt
1 tie
2 long-sleeve button down shirts for smart casual nights on the cruise
1 pair dress socks
1 pair dress shoes
4 wicking t-shirts
3 cotton t-shirts
1 pair of shorts
1 pair hiking pants that unzip into shorts
baseball cap
electric shaver
In his backpack
camera and accessories
mobile phone and accessories
a few magazines
eye shades
noise-blocking headphones
iPad
What he wore on the plane (in addition to undergarments and socks)
long-sleeve top
belt
jeans
Timberland trail shoes
wallet
Everything was rolled up as tightly as possible and stuffed into the luggage. There wasn't much room left for souvenirs, but we don't normally buy them.
It was possible to pack lighter by using laundry services on the ship. We also could have brought quick-dry clothes and laundry soap, but I'd save that challenge for trips that require it, or if we go on The Amazing Race.
BOOKING THE CRUISE
I normally would recommend at least a 9- or 10-night cruise (12+ would be ideal) when traveling overseas, but as our companions had limited vacation time along with child care planning (kids on summer break staying with grandparents), 7 nights was the best option for the group, which also included a few nights pre- and post-cruise.
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| Our "Spanish Interlude" itinerary on Celebrity Equinox |
When we booked in August, there was a steal of a deal on partially obstructed veranda cabins. The "obstruction" consisted of a lifeboat positioned such that you couldn't see the water straight down while standing at the balcony rail, which we were okay with since most of the time, you look out to sea. Even with the "123go!" promotions that Celebrity was promoting later in the year, the money we saved with the deal was worth more since they raised prices by that time. We also were able to take advantage of a $100 per cabin onboard credit when Celebrity offered a promo code on Facebook.
In addition, Kaleb and I were able to use the future cruise credit that we received from donating $250 to the Galapagos Conservancy onboard our Celebrity Xpedition cruise a couple of years ago.
Kaleb and I and a few others also decided to pre-purchase the onboard beverage packages, making it almost all-inclusive. There were different packages available depending on if you wanted non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverages, bottled water only, etc. If you drink a lot, this is a good package to buy. I did the calculations for a premium non-alcoholic package and it broke even, so I decided to get one. Even though I didn't use it so much that Celebrity was paying me to drink, I found that the service was much faster because you didn't have to sign for anything. They just swiped your card and that was it.
AIRFARE
The cruise started in Rome and ended in Barcelona. Summer airfare from the western U.S. to Europe is very expensive nowadays (close to $2k, possibly more for open-jaw flights) and the limited award tickets available are snapped up by travelers who plan their trips over a year in advance. Even though we booked the cruise last August, we ended up buying plane tickets in April in order to try to coordinate arrivals with everyone else coming from different places. I noticed that prices were a bit lower in March (3 months before departure), but in the end, the delta between the price we paid in April versus tickets purchased by friends who joined our cruise at last minute wasn't very much. It doesn't seem that airlines lower their prices for European summer travel, so book whenever you find an itinerary you like to get the seats you want versus waiting for a sale that may not happen and risk missing out on a good flight schedule or seating.
We bought our tickets on united.com, flying United metal from San Francisco to Frankfurt, then Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Rome, with our return flight on Lufthansa from Barcelona to Frankfurt, then United all the way from Frankfurt to Houston to Sacramento. This combination ended up the best for us in terms of price. Remember that United had sent me a promotion to upgrade to Premier Gold status for free until May 31? (which came in handy on the first flight on our New Zealand trip) Even though my complimentary Gold status would expire before this flight, I was still able to select Economy Plus seating in the exit row and hoped that the seats would not move despite my eventual downgrade in status come June 1. I checked on our seats every few days up until our departure and luckily we were never bumped out.
Since I had a bunch of United miles in my account, I used them to get us on a waiting list for transatlantic business class upgrade (and first class upgrade on domestic legs) there and back, costing 40,000 miles and $975 per person roundtrip. (20,000 miles each way plus $425 and $550 co-pay based on fare class paid in each direction, as explained on this United webpage) Buying business class tickets outright would have cost over $4000 per person so it was slightly a better deal to use the miles and co-pay. All had to be paid upfront and if we didn't get the upgrade, the miles and co-pay would be refunded. San Francisco to Frankfurt was a popular route for frequent flyers so I wasn't expecting to get upgraded until possibly hours before departure. We did get the upgrade to first class on our Houston to Sacramento flight within a few days of waitlisting. It's not worth paying $550 plus 20k miles if all you get is domestic first class, but there is an interesting caveat to the upgrading scheme - if the transatlantic portion of the itinerary is not upgraded, your miles and co-pay will be refunded, regardless of whether you had multiple domestic legs upgraded to first class. Incidentally, we did hit this caveat, with circumstances unfolding in a way that I would have never dreamed...skip to the last entry "Returning home" if you can't stand the suspense.
During online check-in (24 hours prior to departure), I went through the usual motions but then was asked something along the lines of "Do you want to be automatically checked in for your return flight?" It seemed like a reasonable question at the time, so I clicked "Yes". Bad idea. I get a response saying that my and Kaleb's tickets were now split up and we had different reservation numbers! This probably happened because we were on a waiting list to upgrade our return flights and we had different frequent flyer status. Had we been flying domestically, I would have been upset as he would no longer be connected to my reservation and miss the opportunity for complimentary upgrades, free baggage, etc. Since we were flying international, I thought that having our reservation split up wasn't going to be a problem. It turned out to be a curse and blessing at the same time. (again, jump to "Returning home" to forgo the suspense...sorry if it hasn't been written yet!) If this question still pops up during check-in, my recommendation would be that if you want to stay together, respond "No" to automatic check-in and just do it at the usual 24 hours in advance. There's a Wiki about this on Flyertalk.com.
OUR TRIP BEGINS!
As we did on our New Zealand trip, I rented a car one-way from Hertz using my company leisure rates to get to San Francisco, which was convenient. When we got to the gate, our names on the upgrade waiting list were so far down that there was no chance. We were happy to (still) have our exit row seats. Dinner and breakfast were acceptable. I think we caught a few hours of sleep. We had just enough time to get to our connecting flight in Frankfurt so we didn't stop by a Priority Pass club lounge (complimentary membership through the AMEX Platinum Card). On the Lufthansa flight, we were served a snack.
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Arriving at Rome's Fiumicino airport, our luggage took forever to be unloaded. While waiting, I noticed a grey soft-sided bag from the previous flight had broken open, its contents going round and round on the luggage carousel. The owner of the bag was not there; everything was haphazardly collected by an airport employee and dumped on the side of the carousel. I saw bits and pieces were still traveling round and round and he didn't care about collecting all of it. So make sure your bag is sturdy enough for a beating and pack carefully so heavy items aren't pushing against the zippers or seams. A strap that goes around the case would be helpful. Some people get their luggage wrapped in plastic, like the one in the middle of the picture below.
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| broken luggage and contents for all to see |
Kaleb and I had no problems going through immigration. Two of our friends, Quinn and Tammy, were arriving in Rome an hour after us so we waited for them before heading into the city. In the meantime, we withdrew euros from the ATM and shopped for sim cards for Kaleb's cell phone but the vendors seemed very shady.
I researched different ways to get to Rome from the airport: the non-stop Leonardo Express train to Roma Termini station, non-stop bus to Roma Termini, taxi, or arrange for private transfers through RomeCabs. In our case, I decided to go with the bus, costing 5 euro per person. The Leonardo Express cost 14 euro per person and was 20 minutes faster, but we weren't in a hurry. I was also confident that we would be able to make our way from Termini station 15 minutes on foot to our home for the next two nights, Hotel Raffaello. I found this hotel from browsing recommendations listed by fellow Cruise Critic members on the "Italy Ports" forum.
We headed to the bus stop in Terminal 3 and found several bus companies selling tickets to Termini. Since all the buses were going to the same place, the four of us purchased tickets for the one that was departing next.
The ride took less than an hour. We were dropped off at Termini (despite being non-stop, there was a stop, but we stayed on the bus as only 2 people got off), then after getting our bags, made our way on foot onto Via Cavour towards the hotel. The sidewalk was narrow and uneven in some areas, making it a challenge to keep our luggage rolling steadily. Street signs were hard to find, especially in the dark, so we missed the right turn to the hotel and had to backtrack a block. Once we knew where the hotel was located, it was very easy to get around for the duration of our stay. Even though it was past 9pm, there were many people out and about, with al fresco dining on the sidewalk, so it never felt unsafe.
Hotel Raffaello was a nice and comfortable hotel, with friendly and helpful front desk clerks. Booking the room directly on their website offered the best price as well as free breakfast every morning. (search promo codes online for additional discounts) There was also free wi-fi. The elevator was very small, barely enough room for two people plus luggage, but at least there was one. Our room was a decent size for Europe, with private (en suite) bathroom. The only thing that was inconvenient was the shower conversion in the bathtub. Instead of a curtain, there was a folding glass partition with no seal between it and the tub. Spray from the shower would leak through the fold to the bathroom floor; we had to put towels down to control the flooding. When we compared the details of our room to others, it seemed that everyone else had a shower-only setup, some even fitted with nozzles like a "car wash". If you don't need a bathtub, I would suggest requesting a room with just a shower.
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Even though we had been traveling for more than 18 hours, the four of us went out for a late dinner, finding a casual pizzeria with large rectangular pans of pizza on display, somewhat like a Famous Famiglia where you choose pizza-by-the-slice and they heat it back up for you. We couldn't understand the pricing on the Italian menu on the wall and had no idea what ingredients were in each pizza, so we just pointed to what we thought looked good. The guy behind the counter asked if what he cut from the pan was enough, then the portions were taken to the kitchen to be heated up. We eventually figured out that the pizza was sold by the gram. It was so filling that we only finished half our portions but it wasn't bad for late night eating. We then found delicious gelato at Gelateria S.M. Maggiore just a block from our hotel...yum!
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We returned to the hotel, set a time to meet for breakfast, then got some much needed sleep that night. The rest of our traveling group were in the air on a red-eye flight, arriving the next morning. Tomorrow, we will do some sightseeing including the Vatican....stay tuned!
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