Royal Caribbean remains a quality experience. We upgraded to a balcony room since we knew we would be gliding by fantastic sights. It was worth it. The room was really nice and we don't know if we will ever go back to the interior tiny rooms that we convinced ourselves were OK because we only slept there...

The Eastern Mediterranean cruise was a first for us.. We flew into Rome to join our son and a "quaint B&B we found on the Internet. We were looking for the best ways to be economical (it's a challenge our family persists in) We planned on the train from the airport to Termini end. It was 24 euros. As we walked the airport to baggage claim, we saw signs for bus lines advertising 5 euros transfers... We checked it out and thought it would be fine. We bought a round trip ticket for 8 euros. It was a short walk to the bus stop and easy to load suitcase in the outside bins. They let us off just outside the Termini, and took about 50 minutes. Our son arrived later that afternoon and he took the train as planned. He said it was a terrifically long walk to get to the station, then load the luggage on the train and haul it with them.

We toured Rome (not our first time, but perhaps our last) for two days. The pickpockets were worse than ever. My husband was picked twice within 30 minutes and both times he recovers his wallet from the hands of the pickpocket who got his wallet out of my husband from pockets. My son was picked the next day, and later on the way to the Termini to go to the port, I was picked by three young women who surrounded me. I also figured out what they were doing and batted one of them away from me as she reached into my bag. Read more