Well this trip came about as the result of two unrelated events happening:
I checked my expiring miles and noted I had some expiring within the next 12 months; and I received a regular cruise specials email.
I put together one and one and came up with my current trip.Sydney-Rome-Venice
It’s not the ideal time to cruise the Mediterranean with temperature lows 12 and highs 18-20 but not bad either.
The way cruising now works you basically buy the cabin and the cost is 85% with one person of the cost with two. So I invited a friend of mine, Regis who lives in Paris to join me and I have designated him as my valet and baggage handler. He was in Sydney for two weeks last October and I’m sure it will be fun.
This being my 60th year on the planet I am treating myself and using all my points which I have squirreled away for years and years to travel business class and am writing this on my first leg Air China to Beijing connecting Air China to Rome. I can recommend Air China having travelled it before. Business class has flat beds so I am in heaven, although I am not sure about the eel appetizer!!
Probably more than any other trip I have done this required a lot of research and booking.
Considering this was a cruise which is supposed to minimise bookings it proved quite intricate.
One interesting note, I wanted to book a car from Messina (a boring place) to Taormina (a special place) and was quoted €140 for the pickup, one hour drive there, three hours while we were there and one hour drive back. I negotiated this (as I do) down to €120 while another company, fully understanding what I needed quoted €430 – WTF!!!
For those interested I use a free app (also online) called TripIt. You simply email all the confirmations you get by email using your registered address and it builds you entire itinerary including confirmations, hotel addresses absolutely everything. Highly recommended!
Got only as few hours sleep and watched Spies of Warsaw and a few TV shows to amuse myself but overall it wasn't too tedious.
Brief stopover in Shanghai and then to Beijing where we deplaned onto the Tarmac one of my big hates in travelling. When I get somewhere I just want OFF THE PLANE not down stairs into a bus to the terminal up escalators yada yada yada.
Two interesting guys next to me on the two flights to Beijing. First was a Chinese who lived in New Jersey and worked for AT&T then went back to China started a business which he sold to Siemens and has invested his money in office buildings operated as Serviced Offices. The Second was a partner in McKinseys so nice conversational partners.
The queue for a taxi to the hotel was a 90 minute wait - I don't do 90 minute waits for ANYTHING! I phoned the hotel and they kindly offered to send the shuttle which arrived within 15 minutes.
A medication assisted 5 hour sleep and I'm ready to face the world and more importantly 11 hour flight to Rome followed by 6 hour train to Venice.
Hope all my friends are wellXD
I put together one and one and came up with my current trip.Sydney-Rome-Venice
- 7 Day Cruise from Venice: Bari, Katakalon (think Olympus),
- Izmir, Istanbul and Dubrovnik
- Train to Genoa
- 7 Day Cruise from Genoa: Naples, Messina, Tunis, Barcelona and Marseille.
- Prague two days
- Shanghai one Day
- Home
- Hotel Beijing during 14 hour layover – I tried to get Air China to provide it but the free ticket proved an insurmountable obstacle even for me!! I should note that the $A34 for the Ibis Hotel is bearable but I may give the $A2.40 breakfast a miss.
- Overnight Train Rome to Venice (hey it saves a night’s accommodation!!)
- Overnight accommodation Venice
- Train Venice to Genoa
- Overnight Accommodation Genoa
- Car in Messina to Taormina
- Flight Marseille to Prague
- Accommodation Prague
- Flight Prague to Rome
- Overnight Accommodation Rome
- Accommodation Shanghai
Got only as few hours sleep and watched Spies of Warsaw and a few TV shows to amuse myself but overall it wasn't too tedious.
Hope all my friends are wellXD
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