This trip (I’m not sure I can call it a vacation…as a vacation implies relaxing, and I don't know when we are EVER going to get to relax.) spans 22 days; 2 tr
aveling, 3 in Venice, 3 in Barcelona, and 14 on the ship. Of the 14 on the ship only 3 are at sea, so that means we will have 17 total days for sightseeing (and 3 for relaxing? See what I mean?!?).When you are going to a region of the world with such fantastic history and wonderful cultures, it doesn’t seem right to get up each morning and say, “gee, I wonder what we should do today?” So at least some basic planning was required, even if it just meant giving each day some simple structure that would allow flexibility and/or spontaneity (whimsy comes to mind as well).
As our itinerary in post #1 shows, besides Venice and Barcelona we will be hitting seven different ports. That meant ‘getting to know’ nine ports in enough detail so that when we got home and someone asks, “Did you see such-and-such while you were there?”, we wouldn’t have to say, “gee, we didn’t even know that was there!”
One of the easiest things to do is simply look at the tours the ship offers in each port and take the one that looks the most comprehensive. You know you aren’t going to be able to see all there is that tourists feel compelled to see, but you might as well see as much as you can!
But, if you have been on cruises, and have been on those 'big bus' tours, you know that they can become a little ‘cattlecar-ish’ and a
t times you spend more time milling around as a large group instead of actually seeing the sights. So before actually checking what the ship had to offer we went back to the old trusty Cruise Critic boards and started doing research on private tours, guides, and/or drivers in each port.
So, all that is left to plan is Venice, Dubrovnik and Barcelona…oh, and Rome. Rome will be the next blog.
t times you spend more time milling around as a large group instead of actually seeing the sights. So before actually checking what the ship had to offer we went back to the old trusty Cruise Critic boards and started doing research on private tours, guides, and/or drivers in each port.Just as we were starting this process, friends Rich and Lynn from Lake Wildwood decided they liked the sound of our cruise and asked they ‘minded’ if they could join us. “Heck No!”, 
the more the merrier. That then gave us four heads for planning instead of just two.
Several people on our cruise (and posters on our ‘Roll Call’ list) shared the results of their searching, and before we knew it the four of us had joined in
with another group of four and locked in with well known and respected tour guides in Naples and Florence. And then another group of four came forward and we formed a group of 12 for Ephesus.
the more the merrier. That then gave us four heads for planning instead of just two.Several people on our cruise (and posters on our ‘Roll Call’ list) shared the results of their searching, and before we knew it the four of us had joined in
with another group of four and locked in with well known and respected tour guides in Naples and Florence. And then another group of four came forward and we formed a group of 12 for Ephesus. Being on a roll we then set up just the four of us with a driver in Athens, and then we signed up with another guide/driver in Nice/Villefranche, and picked up two other couples from the Roll Call. Of course the advantage of a guide/driver (and a small group) is that you can rely on him/her to take you to main tourist sights (less ‘thinking’ as far as I’m concerned), and you can do it quicker and with much more flexibility (“Shall we stop here for lunch?” “Do they have Chianti?” “Yes” “Well SURE then!!!”). 
So, all that is left to plan is Venice, Dubrovnik and Barcelona…oh, and Rome. Rome will be the next blog.
Oh, and no ship excursions have been schedule so far…but for Barcelona that is still an option.
