| My husband and I just returned from an 11-day cruise to Greece, Turkey, and
Egypt aboard the Costa Allegra. Although most noters seem to be interested
in the Caribbean, I thought this might be an interesting trip report.
The Cost Allegra is a new ship, and is nicely laid out. Our cruise was only
half full (the ship accomodates 800 people - we had just under 400 aboard),
and this seemed like the right amount for the ship; I think it'd be very
crowded when full. There's one pool and three outdoor jacuzzi's, several
bars and lounges, and a good-sized dining room. The food and service was
good but not exceptional, except for the fresh pasta. Our cabin (inside,
Deck 3) was the most efficient layout I've ever seen with more storage space
than our higher-priced cabin on the Song of America last year. The shows
were a disappointment, and included things like a "Mr. Costa Allegra"
contest, which relied on physical humor and silly tricks for laughs, as well
as a man who blew various types of bubbles for an hour and a half. Tipping
is different than in the Caribbean - the bar bill has a 10% surcharge which
is considered a more than adequate tip. The stewards and waiters are all
tipped in Italian lira, at rates of about $4/day total.
My overall recommendation on Costa is that if it's the only way to get the
itinerary you want, it's perfectly acceptable. If Royal Caribbean had an
identical itinerary for the same or even a bit more money, I'd go for RC.
As an aside, we did get a 2-for-1 on this cruise, so it was very reasonable.
Now for the itinerary, which was excellent! The 11-day cruise was
well-paced, interspresing "major" ports with more minor ones throughout the
cruise. The ship leaves from Venice - due to our early flight arrival, we
were able to spend about a half day there - very beautiful. The first
official stop was Bari, Italy. Turns out this is a second embarkation point
for Italian passengers. Bari itself is nothing great and has a very high
crime rate. We went on the excursion to a town called Alperobello, which
had some interesting cone-shaped medieval homes which are still used today.
The second day was on Corfu, Greece, which is a beautiful island with some
interesting museums in the port town. Day 3 was in Athens, where we booked
an all-day excursion. The morning was spent at the Acropolis - again,
breathtaking. In the afternoon, they took us along the Aegean coast through
several resort towns. After lunch at a 5-star hotel, we had some beach
time. The water was surprisingly clear and warm. At sunset, we ended up at
the Temple of Poseidon, which is on a cliff overlooking the Aegean. All in
all, a great day. Day 4 hit two smaller islands; Patmos, which was very
undeveloped, but had an interesting Monastery, and Kos, which, IMO, was a
really awful tourist-trap with long beaches.
Day 5 went to Antalya, Turkey, where we again booked an all-day excursion.
Turkey was a real surprise - a place I wouldn't mind visiting again. The
countryside is beautiful, and the Mediterranean Coast is as nice as the
French Riviera at about half the cost. We also saw some Roman ruins - one
town, and an especially well-preserved stadium really stood out. I
understand there are also great buys on Oriental Rugs if you know what
you're looking for. (This is a big business for them - contact me offline
if you want more info.) Day 6 was spent in Cyprus. We were unimpressed
with Limassol, where we landed, but the surrounding areas were nice enough.
Days 7 and 8 were spent in Alexandria. The first day, we went on an all-day
excursion to Cairo (about 2 hours away by bus.) The Pyramids are truly
astounding! There was also real intense security for the tourists. Our bus
caravan had a police escort as well as a spare bus in case of problems.
Each bus also had a plainclothes policeman on it, and there were armed
policemen around all the tourist sites. I felt safer there than in Rome.
The second day we spent in Alexandria, a nice town. The whole time in Egypt
was interesting from a sociological standpoint - a very different way of
life. It made us realize how much we take for granted in this country.
After a day at sea, we made a stop at the Tremiti Islands off the coast of
Italy. These are very isolated and rural, and would make a great beach
stop. Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy, so it was underwhelming. We
debarked in Venice, and flew to Rome for a one-night layover.
All in all, it was a great trip! One final word of advice if you plan to
take this kind of cruise; budget a lot of money for excursions. We only
took about half of the excursions offered (although they tended to be among
the more expensive ones), and we spent over $600 for 2 people. We felt it
was well worth it, but it could be a real expense if you don't plan for it.
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