Our trip started on August 18th from Ottawa; we had booked First Class seats on United via Washington using points thus we had the use of United's International First Class lounges. The aircraft was a new Boeing 777 with first class "suites" with fully reclining seats that stretch 6'4". Service was excellent; lovely gourmet meals, Personal TVs, Pillows, quilt and amenities kit.

Arrived in Rome early on Sunday morning, Aug. 19th; we had pre-booked a limo service and the driver was waiting for us at the airport (transfer from airport to hotel; hotel to Port and return to hotel was 255 Euros). We stayed at the Jolly Vittorio Veneto for 4 nights pre-cruise. This hotel is a little tired but has a few rooms with private terraces and we had requested this when we booked. The terrace was amazing - 14'x 20' with a patio table and chairs; it faced Villa Borghese and was a wonderful place to sit, drink and relax. Prior to going to Rome we pre-booked tickets for the Colosseum, reserved a time-slot at Galleria Borghese and bought tickets for a guided tour of the Vatican. All of these worked out fabulously.

After checking in, we walked to Trevi Fountain, although relatively crowded we had no problems getting right next to the Fountain to take pictures, throw in our coins and just sit and admire it. The crowd actually made it easy to find someone to take pictures of us. After having a beer close by we walked to Piazza Minerva to see Bernini's elephant sculpture with it's smile and from the back the elephant's muscles are tensed and it's tail is swung to the left. It was sculptured as it if were defecating; with the rear pointed at the office of Father Domenica Paglia who was one of Bernini's main antagonists. We then strolled to the Pantheon, Rome's best preserved temple built in 125 AD. Then onto Piazzo Navona a site previously used for chariot racing. Unfortunately, the 4 giants representing the world's greatest rivers was being repaired. We still saw parts of it through open panels. We carried water bottles and the refilled them along the way at fountains which you will find throughout Rome. The prices in Rome for eating and drinking were much higher than we expected, e.g. 8 Euros for a beer near Trevi Fountain and the Vatican. Hotel prices are very high; we paid 200 Euros per night which included a nice buffet breakfast and VAT. Taxis were reasonable but you need to find the taxi stands as you cannot flag them down. Read more