We decided to do our own thing and get the bus from Fira to Oia. However we hadn't anticipated how long it would take to get off the ship and up the cable car. About 90 minutes all told. However we found the bus station easily and it was a nice ride to Oia. Quite busy there but very scenic. However after an hour browsing the shops and taking in the views we were VERY hot as the sun was absolutely blazing. We had planned to walk down from Oia to Ammoudi Bay but ended up retreating into a bar to cool off. I had booked a table at the Kastro restaurant and we had a nice if somewhat unremarkable meal there. We got the taxi back to Fira for €15 and then encountered a massive queue for the cablke car down. Still it was better than walking as those who did that were less than impressed with the amount of donkey poo in places! 


Santorini

We booked a tour with Athens By Taxi (www.greektaxi.gr)- half day in Athens then a drive down to Cape Sounion. There was a taxi strike in Athens but we confirmed the night before with our driver Paul whose communication from first enquiry onward was great. He has a spotless air conditioned Merc minvan with a copious supply of chilled bottled water. He got us to the Acropolis early before the hordes arrived, then gave us a city tour including the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, the Temple of Zeus and the Olympic Stadium. We had just over an hour at the New Acropolis Museum - not enough as it is completely fascinating and brilliantly laid out. Then it was out of the city down the Saronic coast for a lunch stop at a beachside restaurant. Finally on to Cape Sounion and a look round the Temple of Posiedon. 
Paul was a lively and engaging host who gave us a lot of historical and cultural background with a locals perspective, including some perspectives on the Greek economy and local politicians. I would thoroughly recommend him - he is not ranked number one on TripAdvisor Athens tours for nothing. 


Athens (Piraeus)

The views approaching Istanbul early in the morning were memorable. We signed up for a tour organised by some Canadian companions and had a varied and enjoyable day seeing most of the main tourist sights. Of these the Topkapi Palace was fascinating and I would recommend paying extra to see the Harem, as this adds some additional perspectives to the lives of the Sultans and their entourage. We were there early to avoid queuing to see the Treasury - there were a lot of people waiting by the time we came out. The Hagia Sophia is truly memorable and you really feel a sense of history and its varied usage over the centuries. Don't know why but we weren't as inspired by the Blue Mosque, magnificant though the architecture is. 
Similarly we weren't really captivated by the Grand Bazaar as it was somehow a little more repetitive than we were expecting, although of course we ended up haggling for a number of items. We enjoyed the Spice Market the following day somewhat more. And of course we bought Turkish Delight, spices, nuts etc which do genuinely taste delicious now we are home. We took a boat trip on the Bosphorous on day two - very nice to get further up to water and closer to the Asian shore. 


Istanbul

We signed with other CC companions for a trip with Ekol tours. Again a very pleasant and full day which gave us excellent value. Started with a trip up to Sirince in the hills - a pleasant if tourist oriented village where we did pick up a couple of bargains. Then we stopped at a leather outlet and I'm afraid we did end up buying a couple of jackets. However we did get the prices down a LOT! 
Then on the Ephesus - we had not anticipated just how big the site is. Arriving a bit later in the day meant it wasn't quite as busy as it apparently was earlier. But with such a vast area to cover it was easy to keep moving. It is astonishing to think that less than 15% of the area has yet been uncovered, let alone excavated, so we will return in 10 years or so to see what else has been found. The undoubted highlight for us was the Terrace Houses - well worth the extra cost to see such a well preserved set of remains with frescos, mosaics and real evidence of what it was like to live in a community of linked dwellings. I can see why people call it the world's biggest jigsaw puzzle given the overwhelming number of fragments of all sorts of items to be analysed. 
Finally back to Kusadasi and an overwhelming number of shops and stalls selling "genuine fake" everthing - watches, shoes, bags, belts - you name it. My daughter was in heaven! 


Kusadasi

We decided to walk from the dock to the town which took about 35 minutes. To be honest we didn't really take to Mykonos Town which I would compare unfavourably to other greek ports I have visited like Chania or Corfu Town. However it would have been better if we had booked something positive to do as we had done as much as we wanted after about 2 hours. And then we waited 90 minutes in the hot sun for a taxi! Lesson learned 


Mykonos

We actually docked at Salerno as there were 4 other large ships at Naples itself. We booked a tour of Herculaneum, Positano and Sorrento with AP Tours. A smaller vehicle than the other tours we did and a bit cramped for space. We decided on Herculaneum as others in our party had already been to Pompeii, and were glad we went there. The remains are much better preserved as they were destroyed by mud rather than ash. Given the smaller scale of Herculaneum as well and you really felt that you were getting a real feel for Roman life in the 1st Century AD, walking down proper streets and going into recognisable shops, houses, baths etc in an astonishing state of preservation. We booked a guide via AP Tours at additional cost and he was excellent. And the best thing - there was hardly anyone else there throughout our 2 hour visit! 
Then it was on to Positano - by this time a lot of traffic had built up and we started to slip behind schedule. We stopped for lunch at a good trattoria above Positano (da Constantino) - authentic food but they forgot to bring the wine. We had about 45 minutes to walk around the town itself which wasn't really enough. Then with the clock ticking it was on to Sorrento but by the time we arrived we only really had about half an hour there to allow sufficient time to get back to the ship. In hindsight it would have been better to go to Sorrento before Positano, or pick one or the other, as we ended up spending a lot of time in the van. 


Naples

Cabin 9270 (Panorama Deck).  Selected this after analysis on CC (great thread!). Very pleased with the choice - well situated midships close to lifts and stairs.  No noise from card room.  Extra large balcony was excellent.  This cabin has pullman bed and sofa bed - we only used the latter as it was comfortable and more convenient.

Food good overall - a few disappointments and some thing lacking taste, but good enough to make us feel that we didn't want to book any speciality restaurants (menus for which didn't really inspire).We have cruised with P&O on Ventura before and first impressions of the Equinox were good - brighter and a bit more interesting than Ventura.

Celebrity Equinox Review

The Beautiful Celebrity Equinox - just like its Captain says

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Deluxe Veranda 1A

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