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Silversea ("And The Winner Is")
I have chosen the Silversea cruise from Barcelona to Nice for
May....haven't been on a cruise in years, way too long for my liking, so decided to treat myself for my birthday. Thanks to everyone for their imput and I wouldn't mind any other help/tips along the way....I've been to Europe several times but these ports are new to me, however I am familiar with them through their reputation....Gail |
#2
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Silversea ("And The Winner Is")
On Mar 6, 5:16*am, STAR wrote:
I have chosen the Silversea cruise from Barcelona to Nice for May....haven't been on a cruise in years, way too long for my liking, so decided to treat myself for my birthday. Thanks to everyone for their imput and I wouldn't mind any other help/tips along the way....I've been to Europe several times but these ports are new to me, however I am familiar with them through their reputation....Gail Gail, what a wonderful birthday treat! And May will be a lovely time to sail that itinerary. For tips/tricks on Silversea, check out the Cruise Critic discussion forum dedicated to Silversea: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=183 Michelin online is fabulous for identifying starred restaurants and attractions, producing custom maps, etc. in the event you want to make independent plans for any of your days in port. http://www.viamichelin.com/ It looks like the Barcelona-Nice itinerary includes port stops in Port Vendres, Sete, Marseille, St. Tropez, Monte Carlo, Portofino, Calvi (Corsica) and Nice. We have visited Barcelona, Portofino and most of that Riviera stretch by land trips, and we made a one day port stop in the Nice area on a Med cruise. Barcelona is self-directing based on your interests-- hopefully, you'll get to arrive a few days before embarkation to shake jet lag and see the sites. A lot of what one does along the Riviera is simply gaze at the gorgeous vistas, eat, drink and be merry! For my own personal tastes, I would research whether any of the towns will have market days when you visit. There is nothing quite like a Provencal market, and wherever we travel, an early morning market stroll is a favorite way to start the day. You may enjoy a casual breakfast (here, think fresh fruit, fromage, French pastries and French roast coffee--yum!), it generally doesn't take time away from other plans for the day and you have a chance to engage with locals in a non-touristic environment. (A nice "souvenir" is Provencal table linens--you will be reminded of your trip every time you use them.) Of course, artists have always flocked to Provence, so you can find many, mostly intimate museums and galleries, e.g., I recall an interesting Chagall collection in one of the coastal towns, but am not remembering which one at the moment! Another thing to do is to look at the shore excursions Silversea offers and consider taking one (or emulating it on your own--renting a car and driving is pretty easy) to get up into the highlands overlooking the coast, there are some charming towns with a totally different feel than the seaside resorts. Similarly, I'm sure they will offer full day excursions you may want to take if the port town doesn't hold your attention, e.g., Aix or Arles are common day trips from Marseille. For active pursuits, the hiking is fabulous. It's a little too early for water sports (IMO--I like conditions to be a tad warmer than spring!). And there are plenty of shopping and gambling opportunities, of course! Sorry to ramble. If you have any specific questions, there are many well-traveled contributors here--just ask! Have fun planning, Diana Ball Austin, TX |
#3
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Silversea ("And The Winner Is")
STAR wrote:
I have chosen the Silversea cruise from Barcelona to Nice for May....haven't been on a cruise in years, way too long for my liking, so decided to treat myself for my birthday. Thanks to everyone for their imput and I wouldn't mind any other help/tips along the way....I've been to Europe several times but these ports are new to me, however I am familiar with them through their reputation....Gail How wonderful, Gail, a cruise is the perfect birthday gift. I have never cruised on Silversea, so please come back and tell us all about it. Glad you are cruising again. :-) Becca |
#4
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Silversea ("And The Winner Is")
"D Ball" wrote in message ... On Mar 6, 5:16 am, STAR wrote: I have chosen the Silversea cruise from Barcelona to Nice for May....haven't been on a cruise in years, way too long for my liking, so decided to treat myself for my birthday. Thanks to everyone for their imput and I wouldn't mind any other help/tips along the way....I've been to Europe several times but these ports are new to me, however I am familiar with them through their reputation....Gail Gail, what a wonderful birthday treat! And May will be a lovely time to sail that itinerary. For tips/tricks on Silversea, check out the Cruise Critic discussion forum dedicated to Silversea: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=183 Michelin online is fabulous for identifying starred restaurants and attractions, producing custom maps, etc. in the event you want to make independent plans for any of your days in port. http://www.viamichelin.com/ It looks like the Barcelona-Nice itinerary includes port stops in Port Vendres, Sete, Marseille, St. Tropez, Monte Carlo, Portofino, Calvi (Corsica) and Nice. We have visited Barcelona, Portofino and most of that Riviera stretch by land trips, and we made a one day port stop in the Nice area on a Med cruise. Barcelona is self-directing based on your interests-- hopefully, you'll get to arrive a few days before embarkation to shake jet lag and see the sites. A lot of what one does along the Riviera is simply gaze at the gorgeous vistas, eat, drink and be merry! For my own personal tastes, I would research whether any of the towns will have market days when you visit. There is nothing quite like a Provencal market, and wherever we travel, an early morning market stroll is a favorite way to start the day. You may enjoy a casual breakfast (here, think fresh fruit, fromage, French pastries and French roast coffee--yum!), it generally doesn't take time away from other plans for the day and you have a chance to engage with locals in a non-touristic environment. (A nice "souvenir" is Provencal table linens--you will be reminded of your trip every time you use them.) Of course, artists have always flocked to Provence, so you can find many, mostly intimate museums and galleries, e.g., I recall an interesting Chagall collection in one of the coastal towns, but am not remembering which one at the moment! Another thing to do is to look at the shore excursions Silversea offers and consider taking one (or emulating it on your own--renting a car and driving is pretty easy) to get up into the highlands overlooking the coast, there are some charming towns with a totally different feel than the seaside resorts. Similarly, I'm sure they will offer full day excursions you may want to take if the port town doesn't hold your attention, e.g., Aix or Arles are common day trips from Marseille. For active pursuits, the hiking is fabulous. It's a little too early for water sports (IMO--I like conditions to be a tad warmer than spring!). And there are plenty of shopping and gambling opportunities, of course! Sorry to ramble. If you have any specific questions, there are many well-traveled contributors here--just ask! Have fun planning, Diana Ball Hi, Several years ago, a reader of this board reported back on a similar itinerary. They were wine lovers and raved about the small town restaurants, especially in France, and the drinkability of the local red wines. Don't know if this suits your pleasure, but thought I would pass it along. Harry Cooper Austin, TX |
#5
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Silversea ("And The Winner Is")
Seehorse Video plucked Senior Frog's Magic Twanger and said On 3/6/2010
1:44 PM: "D wrote in message ... On Mar 6, 5:16 am, wrote: I have chosen the Silversea cruise from Barcelona to Nice for May....haven't been on a cruise in years, way too long for my liking, so decided to treat myself for my birthday. Thanks to everyone for their imput and I wouldn't mind any other help/tips along the way....I've been to Europe several times but these ports are new to me, however I am familiar with them through their reputation....Gail Gail, what a wonderful birthday treat! And May will be a lovely time to sail that itinerary. For tips/tricks on Silversea, check out the Cruise Critic discussion forum dedicated to Silversea: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=183 Michelin online is fabulous for identifying starred restaurants and attractions, producing custom maps, etc. in the event you want to make independent plans for any of your days in port. http://www.viamichelin.com/ It looks like the Barcelona-Nice itinerary includes port stops in Port Vendres, Sete, Marseille, St. Tropez, Monte Carlo, Portofino, Calvi (Corsica) and Nice. We have visited Barcelona, Portofino and most of that Riviera stretch by land trips, and we made a one day port stop in the Nice area on a Med cruise. Barcelona is self-directing based on your interests-- hopefully, you'll get to arrive a few days before embarkation to shake jet lag and see the sites. A lot of what one does along the Riviera is simply gaze at the gorgeous vistas, eat, drink and be merry! For my own personal tastes, I would research whether any of the towns will have market days when you visit. There is nothing quite like a Provencal market, and wherever we travel, an early morning market stroll is a favorite way to start the day. You may enjoy a casual breakfast (here, think fresh fruit, fromage, French pastries and French roast coffee--yum!), it generally doesn't take time away from other plans for the day and you have a chance to engage with locals in a non-touristic environment. (A nice "souvenir" is Provencal table linens--you will be reminded of your trip every time you use them.) Of course, artists have always flocked to Provence, so you can find many, mostly intimate museums and galleries, e.g., I recall an interesting Chagall collection in one of the coastal towns, but am not remembering which one at the moment! Another thing to do is to look at the shore excursions Silversea offers and consider taking one (or emulating it on your own--renting a car and driving is pretty easy) to get up into the highlands overlooking the coast, there are some charming towns with a totally different feel than the seaside resorts. Similarly, I'm sure they will offer full day excursions you may want to take if the port town doesn't hold your attention, e.g., Aix or Arles are common day trips from Marseille. For active pursuits, the hiking is fabulous. It's a little too early for water sports (IMO--I like conditions to be a tad warmer than spring!). And there are plenty of shopping and gambling opportunities, of course! Sorry to ramble. If you have any specific questions, there are many well-traveled contributors here--just ask! Have fun planning, Diana Ball Hi, Several years ago, a reader of this board reported back on a similar itinerary. They were wine lovers and raved about the small town restaurants, especially in France, and the drinkability of the local red wines. Don't know if this suits your pleasure, but thought I would pass it along. Harry Cooper Austin, TX I've heard that the Jacques Cousteau Institute & Museum is very fascinating in Monte Carlo. -- ________ To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address. Brian M. Kochera "The poor dog is the firmest of friends, the first to welcome the foremost to defend" - Lord Byron View My Web Pages: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951 My Shutterfly Page http://photosbybrianmk.shutterfly.com/ |
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