We’ve had our eyes on Repositioning/Transatlantic cruises for some time and early in November the time was definitely right. The cruise began in Rome and ended in New York after 16 days. The cruise was a smashing success, I may write a separate post related to cruising, our choices, what worked, what could we could have done better etc.

Rome

We flew to Rome 3 days prior to sailing so that we could get some sightseeing in. I found good hotel deals at the airport which proved quite effective but did have to commute into central Rome on the express train which was fun. Here is a recurring theme that was established immediately, there was only enough time for cursory exploration, Rome has quite a dense central city, an endless number of interesting sites in a very small space.

Check my last post for notes on the new system for delivering photos to you, click on the photo below for a slide show of photos from our visit to Rome which concludes with videos for the first time.

Or click here for the old presentation

Naples

This was our first port of call but according to our plans we chose to skip disembarking. It was a good decision, we were pretty tired from the flight and the day in Rome; but, Naples is sea side city and I believe that we could have disembarked and done a fair bit of exploring withing walking distances.

Click on the photo below for images from the deck of Naples.

Or click here for the old presentation

Livorno / Florence

It isn’t immediately obvious that Florence belongs on an cruise itinerary, it is a mountain city. We docked at the port of Livorno and picked up a tour that I arranged through Viatour before leaving Canada. Timing was very tight on this excursion and the tour operator was great, but unlike Rome where we toured the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, we did not line up to see David in Florence.

Click on the photo below for our photos and video from Florence

Or click here for the old presentation

Cannes

We have visited Cannes and the South of France more than once in the past so we passed on going ashore at this stop.

Barcelona

Barcelona is an impressive city, spectacular architecture, and what appears to be cutting edge urban planning. We did not manage to walk the Rambla, which, while memorable, is said to require … vigilance and we really barely covered 1/2 of an overview itinerary. We made our tour plans at the port which ultimately cost us at least an hour and half as the port was quite busy that day. We definitely want to revisit Barcelona.

Click on the photo below for our Barcelona photos and videos, I’m not especially happy with the editing on this presentation and I will probably redo it when time permits.

Or click here for the old presentation

Cadiz

I hope that all cruises include a port like Cadiz. Most of the town is within easy walking distance of the pier, the shopping is excellent and the town is very picturesque. Cadiz is known as the Columbus’ port of embarkation, and I think you will agree from the photos that it is a great place to explore.

Click on the photo below for the slide show.

Or click here for the old presentation

Lisbon

Lisbon was an especially hectic stop so we decided to buy a tour of the city from cruise line. As it happens, the port is arranged so well that we could have been on our way as quickly just as effectively by making arrangements at the port. In addition, an old and special friend of ours, now lives near Lisbon and we had plans for a couple of hours. More than for any other stop, the photos really don’t do Lisbon justice.

Or click here for the old presentation

Azores Island

This was disappointing as we were not able to land in the Azores Islands due to bad weather in favour of an additional day at sea. It was quite foggy so I needed to process the photos that I took of the Azores from the deck, click on the photo below for a look.

Or click here for the old presentation

Bermuda

Lots to see in Bermuda including within walking distance from the port. The port is picturesque and there is shopping mall (with study, some of the goods were worth considering); but, the star is the National Museum of Bermuda which is located in what was the home and offices of the Commissioner of the Port and Port’s defenses. As a bonus, there is dolphin reserve on the premises and, to our delight, a small show was mounted. Click on the photo below for the slide show.

Or click here for the old presentation

New York

And finally we arrive in New York at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. One of the real pluses of this trip was that it terminated in New York which is much easier to manage than, for example, a Florida port. I was up at 4:30 to see the Statue of Liberty. The quality of the video is quite poor, I did notice that there were some settings that might have helped, next time. Click on the photo below for the video.

Next up is Sam and Trevor’s official Christmas photo and it looks like the best one yet.