DAY 9 EUROPE TRIP - ROME- CIVITAVECCHA – EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE

25 May 2009

DAY 9 EUROPE TRIP
ROME- CIVITAVECCHA – EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE

Another lovely hot sunny morning today. We had a slow start today. Eventually we made our way to Pizza Tuscola to catch a can to Tuscolana Railway Station. We bought our tickets for Civitavecchia and went to platform 2 to wait for the train. It cost 4.50 euros per person to travel the approximately 70 km to Civitavecchia. The first train was due at 9.15am - didn’t arrive. The 2nd train was due at 10.15am - didn’t arrive. The third train due at 10.45 am did come. It was a fast modern train. In the carriage we could see the speed at which the train was travelling. It ranged anywhere between 90 and 157km per hour. It took just over an hour to get to Civitavecchia.

The port town was nice.

We walked along the main road to the actual port where we caught a shuttle to the ship.

Our ship is Celebrity’s new ship “Solstice”. It was launched in 2008. It is like a floating hotel. It is the largest cruise ship ever built. It is huge! It carries 2,850 people and has 15 decks. It has lot the feel of a ship but is more like a resort. It is very modern and stylish and has lovely art woks in all public places and in the staterooms.


We are on the bottom deck - Level 3 but our stateroom is lovely with a big window. Out on deck we took in the views around Civitavecchia

And the port.




We familiarised ourselves with the ship and soon settled into cruise mode as the ship sailed away in the early evening. It is a very relaxing way of travelling.

However, the prices on board for drinks have given us a big shock. I don’t think we will be indulging too much in that regard.

At dinnertime we met the people we will be sharing a table with for the duration of the cruise. I think we will have good company for dinner. We were surprised that we were not sitting together with hubby’s sister and husband. After dinner the first show was good. We really enjoyed the A Cappella group Soul’D Out. Their singing was brilliant. The violinist Greg Scott also wowed us.

A lovely first day on board the Solstice.