The day started early with the alarm at 6 and tour
starting at 8..for the almost 2 hour drive from the port into Rome. Probably 10
buses to take people on the "Snapshot of Rome" tour....and it was a
very good tour. It is hard to see Rome in many days...let alone 3 hours....but
it was well done and a very good tour leader. We got to see the main places and
then had an hour at the Basilica....but the lines were so long to get in that
we could not go in. Both Audy and I agreed that this will be a return trip...in
the off season when we will have plenty of time without the crowds. Today the
line to get into the church was at least 45 minutes....and of course the
Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum are ticket only purchased in advance.
Another sparkling day as the photos will show..and we did
have time to walk around the Vatican area ....big crowds, though, as this is
Holy Week, so lots of school groups and tours coming for Easter.
Back to the ship by 2 and then lunch and today's selection
of food was great and thoroughly enjoyed by both of us. Audy is taking a nap
now....but we are going to talk with Viking about what they might consider
doing to improve the included tours....all positive...and should fit with their
philosophy of exploration....but a more practical explanation of "what to
expect" once your feet are in the ground in the specific city. For
example, there is NO WAY on a day like today that one should even think about
going into the Basilica....so why say in the Port Talk...."time for you to
see the church and then sit and have a coffee before boarding the bus
back"...this is like saying you will be in San Francisco for 4 hours...you
can ride the cable car from the wharf to Union Square then shop for an hour at
the SF Center then ride the cable car back to the Wharf and go have a seafood
dinner at the Wharf before you walk to Pier 39 to see the seals..and you have 4
hours even though it is the middle of the summer travel season. Just will not
happen. The problem is that you have to be "general" for the 930 on
the Ship.....and provide the opportunity to see Rome, or Split, or Dubrovnik
..... and then give specifics for those like us that want to know the details
of history ...etc..
So, we are going to share with management onboard an idea
of kind of a "shop talk" to. follow the Port Talk.....something like
we will go into more detail on what you will see and do in Rome in the time
allowed..and that today will be a mere "snapshot"... Don't think in
terms of seeing or doing everything....but seeing or doing enough to know that
you will want to come back.
Another aspect of this idea is to encourage guests on the
Ship to come to the Shop Talk and give their input . In that the Ship appeals
to the more educated and more well traveled....kind of like we are....ask
guests to share what they know about the city coming up. For example, the best
way to see Dubrovnik is to take the Cable Car up to the peak. Even though this
is a bit more expensive and not an included tour..it should be brought up at
"Port Talk" and allow guests to get tickets after the Talk, etc. If I
ever talk to someone about Dubrovnik I
will tell them this is a "must" to fully appreciate the city.
Another idea we have, and this would be more difficult to
do....would be to have an "advance couple" go into each of the cities
on the tour... and "check it out".....such as where is the shopping
area....where is the market...and know that if you want to see the market it
closes at noon, etc. In Venice.....the goal is to get to St Marks.....then
nearby are shops with clothes, jewelry, etc...or it you want a pastry...here is
a place to go to. Just wandering through the streets of Venice is fun for
some...but is a waste of time for others....especially if they want to find a
specific food or local specialty. On his trip, Corfu would be an excellent
example....in that we finished the tour,Mohicans was very well done...returned
to the Ship for lunch and a rest....then had plenty of time to go back into the
center of town to shop, get coffee, or whatever. But, we really had no guide on
specifically what to do, where to go to, etc....and that is where we saw the
great churches (Greek Orthodox)... and found the neat shops ($200 later)....
but others were wondering where we went, etc. An "advance team" could
have really helped here. So, so far, this would have been very helpful in each
Port city, except, Rome....which is another trip in essence.
Lastly, the entertainment on board. Quite good....kind of
local playhouse type of entertainment but a far cry above what we found on
Holland America to Alaska, which had Rock and Soul. Here they have a lot of variety....and the
specific entertainers, like Andras on piano and the classical trio ..are total pros...Andras
is clearly one of the best pianists we have ever heard...in the pop
realm....just a great talent that could play any Las Vegas hotel. The strings
are all pros....
So, another great day....we have a fun evening planned as
we will go to The Restaurant this evening...the we have a local singing group
coming on later.....
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