Mediterranean Cruise
My husband and I, in order to celebrate our 30th anniversary, sailed with a group of 16 friends aboard Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas for 12 nights. We started by flying to Barcelona, Spain, for a one-night stay. We took a private tour of the city, viewing some of the unusual designs of architect, Antoni Gaudi and other popular tourist attractions. Barcelona is a nice city, clean and easy to get around.

Then we embarked our ship for ports of call in France, Italy and Croatia. First stop, Cannes-we took a tour which brought us to Nice where we visited the outdoor marketplace-what beautiful fruits, vegetables and flowers! Then we ventured down the road a little, to Monte Carlo. We walked around the narrow cobblestone streets where royalty live, even today. We saw where Princesses Caroline and Stephanie have homes, in addition to the palace that Prince Rainier lives in-the Prince's flag waves above the palace when he is in residence. Across the courtyard, we could see the famous waterfront where the Grand Prix race is held each year. Then on to the Grand Casino-it was just what you'd imagine-everyone was taking pictures of the three top models of Ferraris that the valets got to park out front while the occupants went in to try their luck!

The next day, we arrived in Livorno, just a bus ride to Florence. We took a tour to the Accademia, where Michelangelo's statue of David is displayed. What a sight! Then we walked a couple blocks to see the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo) and the famous doors of the Baptistry. Not far away is the Piazza della Signoria where the Ufizzi Gallery houses 13th- to 18th-century Italian and European masterworks.

The following day, we docked in Naples and off we went to visit Sorrento and the isle of Capri. First we stopped at the unbelievable city of Pompeii, which was buried in lava after Mt. Etna erupted in 79 AD. Archeologists recently unearthed the city and revealed a wealth of artifacts and history. We ate lunch and shopped in the lovely seaside town of Sorrento before taking the ferry to Capri. Upon arrival, we took the funicular, a train that goes up the mountain. At the top is a wonderful mountaintop retreat-almost no cars! We walked around the narrow streets to the opposite side of the island for the most beautiful view of the sea you can imagine!

Well, we finally got a day off-a relaxing day at sea aboard our floating city. Time to watch movies, attend an art auction (yes, we bought a couple of pieces), swim, gamble in the casino or just do nothing. And, of course, we ate!

The next couple of days we were docked in Venice. It's hard to believe such a place exists where you either get around by boat or walk-no cars. We toured the Doge's Palace with its magnificent paintings. Then we walked through the “Bridge of Sighs” where convicts were led to their jail cells next door. After that, we visited St. Mark's Basilica and Square before walking the narrow streets where stores were displaying the latest in fashion, especially fine leather clothing and shoes. Before long, we were at the Rialto Bridge, which crosses the Grand Canal. The 2nd day in Venice, we took a boat tour to the island of Murano to visit a glass factory and then to the tiny island of Burano where lacemaking is popular. But we really enjoyed the quaint, colorful buildings lining the narrow streets in Burano.

Our next port of call was Dubrovnik in Croatia. It's a great medieval, walled city. Three main streets criss-cross with little ones-all with quaint shops and restaurants. We visited the Franciscan Monastery which houses one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, before taking a drive to the seaside village of Cavtat, with a lovely seafront to sit and enjoy the view or walk along.

Finally, another day at sea to catch up on needed sleep! Then we arrived at Messina, Sicily. We took a tour to the town of Taormina, perched on cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean. There we visited the ancient ruins of the theater where you have breathtaking views of the sea below. Then we walked the narrow streets of the town, looking for more souvenirs to take home! It was very nice.

Well, we're almost at the end of our wonderful trip, but not without visiting the “Eternal City” of Rome. We docked at the port of Civitavecchia and then took a tour to the city. It was November 1st, a holiday, so there was virtually no traffic in a city that is normally overflowing with cars and people. We visited the Colosseum and the Forum-they're unbelievable! Then we went to Vatican City and toured the largest church in the world: St. Peter's Basilica. It's about the only famous church where you can take pictures-even flash because there is no danger of damaging the paintings. That's because they're not paintings; they're mosaics! Every one is a masterpiece of color and art using over 800 colors from different materials.

The final stop on our fabulous cruise was Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast of France and the second largest city after Paris. We took a tour to the town of Les Baux de Provence. Another lovely medieval town in the hills-I know it sounds like the same thing over again, but you just don't tire of such lovely, quaint places in Europe. We also visited the city of Arles, where Van Gogh and others made their homes for a time in order to paint their masterpieces.

Yes, it was a whirlwind of a trip, but a great way to get an overview of the most famous sights on the Mediterranean. Now, we're planning our more in-depth trip to Southern Spain for 2004!


Cruising-which one is right for me?
People always ask me which cruise is my favorite. Well, I don't have a favorite-they're all different. (I have just completed my 16th cruise over several different cruise lines.) So, here are some highlights:

Royal Caribbean
Viking Serenade 3 nights LA to Ensenada: older ship, great for 1st time cruisers.

Rhapsody of the Seas 7 nights Vancouver to Alaska: newer ship, mediocre food, good itinerary; like the spa and pool that has windowed ceiling.

Legend of the Seas 12 night Mediterranean: 1st of the Rhapsody-type ships, nice ship, little better food. Port intensive itinerary-but great way to see a lot without packing and unpacking every few days.

Princess
Sky Princess 10 night Caribbean (1988): most fun cruise because we were with a group that was very active (my husband and I were Sonny & Cher in the lipsynch show!).

Sun Princess 7 night Alaska from Anchorage (Seward) to Vancouver: newer ship has pizza parlor, pretty good food, good itinerary for taking inland tour before or after the cruise.

Holland America
Westerdam 3 nights from San Diego to Vancouver: older ship.

Statendam 10 night Southern Caribbean: ship built about 1993-beautifully crafted ship, with wood décor and lots of artifacts. Good food.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)
Norway 7 night Caribbean: my first cruise-old ship, elegant public rooms, but when they added another deck in the mid-90's, it lost some of its special ambiance.

Carnival
Holiday 3 nights LA to Ensenada: older ship; good party ship; pretty good food; also good for 1st time cruisers.

Club Med
Club Med II (exactly like the Club Med I which was sold to Windstar and is now the Wind Surf) 7 night cruise around French Polynesia (Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, etc.). The best cabin and bathroom layout on any ship I've seen, (except for suites). The ship has sails, only holds about 350 passengers, has a more casual-elegant feel with no formal nights, open seating for dining and it's own marina folds down at the back of the ship for watersports.

Celebrity
Zenith 7 nights from NY to Bermuda: OK ship-not much in the way of décor, pretty stark; their newer ships have much better décor. I liked Bermuda-small, quaint island with pastel-painted houses; even the roofs are painted white because they collect rainwater as an additional source of water. And, yes, the men actually wear Bermuda shorts and knee socks with their suit coats and ties.

Besides these, I have seen another 10-20 ships. Except for the Club Med II, which is like the Wind Surf, all the above cruises are in the deluxe category. If you're ready for a luxury cruise, I recommend Windstar, Crystal, Seabourn and Silversea. More service, more personalized, more gourmet-type cuisine, no tipping and liquor is often included.

I talk a lot about cruises because they're a great value and great way to see more places, without the tiresome packing and unpacking and trying to decide where stay, where to eat and how much it's going to cost-meals and entertainment aboard ship are included! Additional costs are beverages, shore excursions and gratuities. However, some destinations can often be seen inexpensively by taking a taxi to the beach. It's also a great way to have a family reunion or business meeting. There are fantastic prices on cruises over the next year-for just a couple, check out the NCL flyer enclosed and check my website often.

Europe on your own
I specialize in individual trips to Europe, especially Italy, France and Spain. I provide air, hotel, transfers, train, car rental and/or tours, customized to your wants and needs. In addition, I give you a booklet that lays out your entire trip-just for you, usually at no additional cost.

Jamaica
In September, I traveled to Jamaica to see hotels. We stayed at Sandals Negril and visited Couples, Grand Lido, Beaches and the brand new Riu Negril before traveling to Montego Bay where we stayed at Sunset Beach Resort. While in “MoBay,” we visited Holiday Inn, Half Moon Golf & Tennis Resort & Villas, and SuperClub's Breezes. On our way to Ocho Rios, we visited Pebbles, Wyndham Rose Hall and Hedonism III before arriving at Enchanted Garden Resort. While in “Ochi,” we visited Sandals Ocho Rios, Couples and Shaw Park. We made a very brief stop at the new Beaches Royal Plantation and had dinner at Beaches Grand Sport at Ciboney.

As you can see, I inspected quite a number of hotels during my six-night stay; call me for the latest information.

Las Vegas
I have also been to Las Vegas four times in the past year-twice for business, once to celebrate my birthday and once to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. If you want the latest information on hotels, just give me a call. I stayed at Venetian, Treasure Island, Excalibur and Paris hotels. In the last couple of years, I have also stayed at MGM, New York-New York and Bellagio and have seen rooms at the Four Seasons Hotel at Mandalay Bay as well as the Luxor.