A wonderful Mediterranean honeymoon

Voyager of the Seas Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

KevinL10

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 24

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Western Mediterranean (Barcelona Roundtrip)

Sail date: May 24, 2008

Ship: Voyager of the Seas

Cabin type: Oceanview

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 14 years ago

Review summary

We had an excellent time on our Mediterranean honeymoon aboard the Voyager of the Seas. Service, food, and staterooms were excellent as usual from Royal Caribbean. The trip was packed with a full itinerary of interesting ports, entertainment, activities, and tasty food. The cruise was not without its minor criticisms however, which will be discussed in the detail discussion below. However, overall we felt that the price was right and we felt we got tremendous value out of our cruise vacation.

Ports of call

Palermo, Sicily

3 out of 5

Palermo can be a bit rough around the edges compared to some of the other cities we visited, but it is quite walkable and safe. There are some sites that are very impressive and some quirky ones like the catacombs.

Thumbs Up 0

Don't Miss: Cheaper shopping prices and local markets

Naples, Italy

3 out of 5

We did not stay in Naples, instead opting to visit the nearby island of Capri. It is a beautiful resort island. However, as this is a jetsetter's paradise, beaware the prices at shops and restaurants are on the high side. We heard from others on-board that there was not much to see in Naples and that it was a bit rough. Most cruisers opted to visit Capri, Pompeii, or Sorrento/Amalfi.

Thumbs Up 0

Don't Miss: Try limone (lemon) granita on a hot day and oversee the coast at Emperor Augustus' garden

Villefranche-Sur-Mer, France

3 out of 5

There is not much to see in Villefranche. You will have to visit Nice, Cannes, or Monaco on an excursion or on your own (as we did). Villefranche is not a docking port and so you will have to lineup for tendering boats, which takes a long time. Then once you are in the village of Villefranche, catching a bus to Nice can be a lesson in patience. The small village's infrastructure does not accommodate such a large influx of people from a cruise ship.

Thumbs Up 0

Don't Miss: A visit to neighbouring Nice and dining at a nice French restaurant

Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy

5 out of 5

Florence is a wonderfully historic and interesting city to visit. However, because it is inland, the commute in will take about 1.5 hours each way. The one thing about Florence however is that you will quickly realize that tourists in the city outnumber residents. The crowds are stifling at times.

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Don't Miss: Soaking up all the culture, history, and art in Renaissance Florence

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

5 out of 5

Again, Rome is a long trek from the port of Civitavecchia. We traveled ourselves, instead of opting for the more expensive excursions, and managed to find our way into Rome on train for a few dollars (as compared to the ship's excursion of $86). The trip is about one hour but well worth it. Rome is such a historically rich city that one day is really not enough to see it all. With a cruise you just have to soak in bits of it. Plan to sample everything and not see anything in-depth however.

Thumbs Up 0

Don't Miss: The Vatican City, St. Peter's Basillica, and other historic sites

Pros: Service from staff was generally excellent, busy schedule of things to do on-board

Cons: Some long lineups to leave for ports, on-board entertainment was mediocre

Recommends Voyager of the Seas? Yes!

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