Lenity,
You are going to have a fabulous time. I have done most, but not all, of the stops on your cruise and I promise you are
in for a great experience. I think it is really important for you to get a couple of good books and read up on your major
stops before you go. It will help you better plan, may cause you to change some of your excursions, and will definitely
better educate you on what you're going to see. In particular, books on Venice, Rome, and Athens would be useful.
In my opinion, must sees include:
the canals of Venice
the Vatican (and Sistine Chapel if you can fit it in) and Roman forum
the Parthenon
Ephesus
There are many other great sites, but you cannot miss these.
Understand that many of your days on the excursions will be long ones, with lots of walking. So, pack good walking shoes
and comfortable clothes. For a first timer in Europe (I assume) there is definitely no better way to go than with the ship's
excursions. Even though you have already booked them, you can always change your mind -- usually up to about 24 hours
in advance. In Venice, you really do not need any excursion. The ship will have a water taxi to drop you off in San Marco
and the city is so small that it is easily walked independently. There are plenty of English signs and many / most of the locals
speak English. In the other cities you are visiting, excursions are definitely necessary -- you'd never be able to see much on your
own in them.
In a couple of cases (Rome and Florence, in particular), the port is more than an hour's bus ride away from the city and
major sites. On those days, you can get a little cat nap on the way back to your ship.
Most of the places you are visiting are part of the EU, and their money is the Euro. You will need to have some Euros since
the stores, taxis, etc usually do not accept US dollars. You can usually get some currency exchanged right on the ship, in
one of the European airports you'll be going through, or you can get some to take with you prior to going by using American
Express, or most large US banks. US credit cards are accepted everywhere you'll be visiting, so you do not need Euros for
major purchases.
You need to be careful in all of your stops to guard against pick pockets. They are everywhere in Europe, and they can easily
spot tourists. Many people purchase an inexpensive travel wallet that hangs around your neck and inside your shirt. In it you
carry your cash, credit cards, identification, etc. Whether you take that route or not, do be very careful.
You can lighten your packing by using the ship's laundry sometime during your 12 days. Almost all inexperienced cruisers pack
way too much and end up schlepping it around. Less is better.
If you have any specific questions, I'll try to help.
Ted
