Cruising: Royal Caribbean - Greek Islands
Is Cruising for Teenagers?
When my dad suggested that we go on a family cruise for the summer, my first thought was boredom. It seems like yesterday since I was trying to keep busy in covid lockdowns, but I thought that this would give me something to look forward to after my GCSE year so I agreed it might be fun. Although, sitting around on a ship for days doing nothing seemed to be the reality. In fact, it was far from it…
The Ship "Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Sea"
9 days on-board - should I have gone ?
The ship itself had me blown away! I’d never seen one on this scale before let alone to travel on it. Being a theatre kid, I loved the shows every night, live music and gameshows that anyone could take part in (even pub quizzes where I could show off my ‘Stranger Things’ knowledge). By day, there were silent discos, dodgems, pickleball, table tennis and loads of arcade games. Surfing out on top deck and indoor skydiving too looked fun but I may have chickened out… There was also the North Star viewing point, a massive crane that took you above the air where you could look down at the ship below. Ice cream bar, taco station, live music and movies shown at night was all on top deck and, though I was sceptical, sitting around and reading with the music was nice for a change.
Food on Board - All you can eat !
A definite highlight while onboard the ship was the food. Specifically, the ‘Wondeland’ restaurant both me and my younger brother enjoyed with food unlike anything we’d ever tried before. At any point during the day there was at least one all-you-can-eat buffet open which was amazing! My brother and I loved that you could have almost anything you could think of for breakfast and cakes and pizza at any point throughout the day. I didn’t think much of the teen-only area, a small area of the top deck restricted to teens only (as implied) with a few chairs and bean bags. I just don’t think sitting around doing nothing is my thing.
The Greek Islands - Santorini
Santorini was my fav stop on the whole cruise. Although the waiting to get a gondola up was a nightmare (especially when it’s soooooo hot), the view was worth it. It was absolutely beautiful however not much of that postcard ‘blue roof’ shot most people expect. Personally, I like to go jewellery shopping and Santorini was full of that along with various greek mythology-based items and interesting stories behind many symbols people there wear. Being a Percy Jackson fan, it was pretty cool. Although I’m not a fan of history, another really interesting stop was a guided tour around Pompe. How the people were so ahead of there time continues to baffle me plus adorable cats were strolling through the street
Conclusion, should I have gone ?
Overall, this holiday has been my second favourite so far. The shows were of west-end quality and the entertainment was incredible. The heat at times was a bit much but on the ship it was brilliant. So that’s my days at sea summed up.
Overall Rating Card
Top Tips if your planning on cruising
We started our holiday in Rome for 4 days staying central without a car. Flying into Fiumicino International Airport (also known as Leonardo Da Vinci Airport):
Rome was incredible but very hot in August so be warned. Start your day early, rest in the afternoon and wonder about in the evening. We did purchase a Roma Pass Excursions ticket to help with planning in Rome. Was it worth it? We are not so sure, if you like to be spontaneous it can make the day a bit rushed going from each pre-booked visit. However, you will need to book in advance for the big attractions like the Colosseum and Vatican Museum.
From Rome we took an easy taxi transfer directly to the port Port of Civitavecchia to start our cruise. ( 40 minutes drive )
You wont find much at the port if you arrive early though so don’t rush and and enjoy a great Italian breakfast before setting off.
Typical Day Plan
Day 1 – Fly into Rome
DAY 2 – Explore the Vatican City
DAY 3 – Explore the Coliseum and nearby areas
DAY 4- Shopping and hired a family peddle bike around the park
DAY 5 – taxi to the cruise port
Cruising
Taxi back from the cruise port to the airport
Useful links
Airport Leonardo Roma Fiumicino https://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en/
Cruise Port of Civitavecchia https://www.civitavecchiaport.org/
For transfers we used Iteritaly they turned up on time and gave a reliable service although others are available. https://iteritaly.com/en/d/private-transfer-rome-fiumicino-ciampino-airports-civitavecchia-port
For Rome Excursions we purchased an all-inclusive ticket for the top attractions. https://www.romapass.it/
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