This was a trip of a lifetime and an itinerary that is highly recommended. The trip over to Barcelona was the low point. Delta caused us to miss our connection at JFK and instead of flying to Barcelona we ended up in Paris connecting to Air France. We arrived at 9 for a 10 AM connection but offloading onto busses and then a tour of airport ramps caused us to miss our flight once again. We ended up landing in Barcelona at 4 Pm and sure enough the greeting squad from RCCL was there to greet us and get us to the dock with 5 minutes to spare. Even though Air France assured us that our luggage was under control only half came off the belt in Barcelona. Three other families were there with us, having started in Tampa,with missing bags. The guest relations desk on the Brilliance was invaluable. They did follow up multiple times until our luggage caught up to us in Rome. Yes, Rome! Shows you what the French care about you! Our luggage did not come to Cannes the next day or Livorno the day after that. One poor guy was wearing his friend's teenage son's shorts and T-shirts for 3 days.

So lesson #1 is have 2 days clothes in your carry on, split outfits in your luggage, and have RCCL book your air because they really are there to help. Avoid Air France & Charles DeGaulle airport at all costs.

Cannes was delightful. Strolled the streets,sampled the sidewalk cafes, and perused the shops. Took pictures at the auditorium where they hold the film festival. Others went to Monte Carlo but gave it ho-hum reviews. Day 2 was Florence/Pisa and we did a 10 hour tour that included lunch. Great tour and lunch. Florence was far more interesting but you've got to see the "Tower" in Pisa. Read more