"Are these underwear yours?" DIS Viking Italian Sojourn 2018 TR *COMPLETE* 10/14 New TR Link!

khertz

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 10, 2008
"Are these underwear yours?" DIS Viking Italian Sojourn 2018 TR

Buongiorno & welcome!

I’m no stranger to Disney TRs on these boards, but this one will be a little different, as the Disney aspect comes from who we were traveling with and not where we were traveling to. We joined most of the podcast crew, and nearly 100 other DISers, for a Viking Ocean cruise around the coast of Italy. We also added on a couple of pre-cruise days in Rome, and some post-cruise time in Venice. Since this trip was discussed many times on the podcast, and it doesn’t seem to fit on any of the traditional TR boards, hopefully no one minds me plunking it right here on the podcast board.

But first, you might not know who we are, so here’s a quick intro!


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by disneymom1024, on Flickr

I’m khertz, a 32 year old Disney loving wife and mom of 2 rambunctious kiddos. My DH is my partner in crime, found occasionally on the boards as DDuck4Life. He’s 33 years old, and loves Disney just as much as I do! It takes both of us to get a TR done, as I take the notes while on the trip and do the writing and compiling, while DH takes a majority of the photos you’ll see.

This was our second DIS trip, and also our second visit to Italy! In 2014, we joined the podcast crew on their Viva Italia Adventures by Disney trip, and had the most amazing time. When this cruise came up for discussion on the podcast, it sounded incredible, and I was waiting to hear the crazy expensive price. But it wasn’t crazy expensive at all! It actually sounded pretty reasonable for what we were getting for 2 people. So we decided to book, and added on a couple of nights in Rome before the cruise departed and a couple of nights in Venice at the end of the cruise. Those were the only 2 cities we had visited on our previous trip, so all of the ports in between were brand new to us! This was also a brand new experience for me as it was my first cruise ever! We do have our first Disney Cruise scheduled for next year, so it will be interesting to compare.

So if you’re interested in lots of beautiful photos of the Italian coast, tons of food photos, and lots of fun, or if you just want to find out if those underwear were ours, this should be a TR you’ll want to join!
 
Wednesday March 21st ~ Travel
Day 0: A Long Way to Rome


Thursday March 22nd ~ Rome

Day 1 Part 1: Arrival & Trevi Fountain
Day 1 Part 2: Pantheon
Day 1 Part 3: Piazza Navona & Disney Store


Friday March 23rd ~ Rome

Day 2 Part 1: Sunrise Over Rome
Day 2 Part 2: Colosseum & Roman Forum
Day 2 Part 3: Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli
Day 2 Part 4: Twilight Trastevere Part I
Day 2 Part 5: Twilight Trastevere Part II


Saturday March 24th ~ Rome
Day 3 Part 1: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
Day 3 Part 2: St. Peter's Basilica
Day 3 Part 3: Cupola of St. Peter's
Day 3 Part 4: Civitavecchia
Day 3 Part 5: Chef's Table

Sunday March 25th ~ Naples
Day 4 Part 1: Sailing into Naples
Day 4 Part 2: Pompeii Ruins I
Day 4 Part 3: Pompeii Ruins II
Day 4 Part 4: DIS Meet-Up


Monday March 26th ~ Messina (Sicily)
Day 5 Part 1: Enchanting Taormina
Day 5 Part 2: Greco Teatro
Day 5 Part 3: Church of St. Catherine & Messina
Day 5 Part 4: Exploring Messina
Day 5 Part 5: DIS Dinner at The Restaurant


Tuesday March 27th ~ Crotone

Day 6 Part 1: Le Castella and its Fortress
Day 6 Part 2: A Pirate's Life For Me
Day 6 Part 3: Are These Underwear Yours?


Wednesday March 28th ~ Bari
Day 7 Part 1: Castellana Caves
Day 7 Part 2: Polignana a Mare
Day 7 Part 3: Basilica of St. Nicholas & Manfredi's


Thursday March 29th ~ Šibenik (Croatia)
Day 8 Part 1: Diocletian's Palace
Day 8 Part 2: Historic Town of Split
Day 8 Part 3: Final Sail Away


Friday March 30th ~ Venice
Day 9 Part 1: Welcome to Venice
Day 9 Part 2: La Bottega dei Mascareri

Day 9 Part 3: Murano Glass Blowing
Day 9 Part 4: Burano Lace Making


Saturday March 31st ~ Venice

Day 10 Part 1: Arrivederci, Viking!
Day 10 Part 2: Libraria Aqua Alta


Sunday April 1st ~ Venice
Day 11 Part 1: Buona Pasqua
Day 11 Part 2: Rialto & Accademia
Day 11 Part 3: Harry Potter in St. Mark's


Monday April 2nd ~ Travel

Day 12: Arrivederci, Venice!


FINAL THOUGHTS
 
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Day 0: Wednesday March 21st

Our day started out early on departure day! We had to get the kids up and ready for school, and had to have all of our luggage packed in the vehicle before we left. DS had a prayer service that morning where he would be singing in the angel choir, and we didn’t want to miss it. But since we had a 2 hour drive to the airport looming ahead and a 2 pm flight, we’d have to leave straight from the prayer service to get to New Orleans. DH’s mom had come in the night before, so she accompanied us to the prayer service with DD. After watching DS sing and giving him lots of kisses before he went back to class, we headed out to the parking lot to do the same with DD before going our separate ways. DD and MIL were headed back to our house, and DH and I were hitting the road for New Orleans to get to the airport.

We stopped to pick up my mom first so that she could ride with us to the airport and take our car to her house with her, and we grabbed some lunch too. We arrived at the airport at 11:30 am and it didn’t take long to check our bag and get through security. First up was a 1 hour flight to Atlanta. Our second flight was delayed about 30 minutes to we had some time to grab some food for dinner too while we waited to board.

Our long haul flight was 9 hours and 15 minutes from Atlanta to Rome.


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by disneymom1024, on Flickr
We probably could have skipped getting food at the airport because those long international flights come with lots of food! We got roasted chicken with potatoes and broccolini for dinner, slept through the turkey and cheese sandwich snack later in the flight, and got a breakfast of yogurt, a bagel with cream cheese, and a square of cheese for breakfast a little before landing. I remembered to get a picture of our roasted chicken dinner, but not breakfast.


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by disneymom1024, on Flickr

There was plenty of movies to choose from, but I only watched Daddy’s Home 2 before trying to get at least a few hours’ sleep. I tried watching Transformers: The Last Knight but got about 15 minutes in and thought it was pretty terrible, so I didn’t watch any more than that. There was nothing super exciting about our flight, thankfully, so it kind of flowed into our next day.


Continued in next post...
 
Day 1: Thursday March 22nd


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by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Our long flight to Rome landed at 9 am. One thing I remembered to do this time that I had forgotten to do last time we went to Italy was to pack a few necessary toiletries on the plane. Usually I like to pack everything in my checked luggage so I don’t have to deal with it at security. But this time I had packed my deodorant, face wash, and toothbrush with toothpaste in my backpack so I could freshen up a bit in the airplane bathroom and didn’t have to walk around with morning breath or my face feeling dirty.

We were towards the front of the plane, so we were able to get off pretty quickly and didn’t have many people ahead of us at customs, so it didn’t take long to get our passports stamped and head over to pick up our one checked bag from the luggage pickup.


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by disneymom1024, on Flickr


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by disneymom1024, on Flickr

For our transportation from the airport to our hotel, we had booked a car with
Rome Cabs, because they were decently priced and came highly recommended on Tripadvisor. Since our flight had been a little delayed in leaving the night before, we had been able to email the new landing time to them and when we landed, we had an email that told us we would be meeting our female driver at the airport’s meeting point. They actually have a great video on their website that walks you through the airport to where your driver meets you, so it was super easy to find! The only thing was there were TONS of drivers holding signs with people’s names, so we had to walk down and scan lots of people (luckily, not many women!) until we found our driver. This company doesn’t guarantee an English speaking driver, but ours spoke wonderful English, so it was a great ride. She gave us lots of tips and tricks on the drive over. It was €50, and well worth the price for a personal driver and not having to take public transportation or hunt down a taxi.

It took about 45 minutes or so with traffic to get to our hotel for the next couple nights, the Bernini Bristol in the Piazza Barberini. We had stayed at this hotel in 2014 on the DIS Adventures by Disney Viva Italia trip, so we ended up going with it since we were familiar with it, had enjoyed our last stay, and knew it was pretty centrally located to the things we wanted to do in Rome.


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by disneymom1024, on Flickr

We got inside to check in, and while our room was vacant, it wasn’t clean yet. She said they would call us when the room was ready, but we didn’t have any way of getting the phone call, so we just left our bags with bell services and used the restroom in the lobby to change clothes and freshen up some more.


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by disneymom1024, on Flickr

We had packed dry shampoo and found some bath wipes just to use for this day so we didn’t feel super gross having been so long since our last shower. It was nice to have a change of clothes and feel at least a little cleaner before heading out to walk around Rome!


I was just a tiny bit excited to be back in Roma!


One of our favorite things to do on our last trip was just peek inside every church we came upon, because you really never knew what kind of amazing places you could find. So as we walked this time, we did the same and ended up in some places we remembered, like this one.


I remembered this one because of the long benches around the walls and the bums we had seen sleeping in them last time! And I remembered it had a lot of fabric hanging from the ceiling like it was decorated for a celebration of some kind.

We had a few things we wanted to do again during our time in Rome, and one at the very top of the list was seeing the Trevi fountain again, not like this…


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by disneymom1024, on Flickr

But instead, like this!


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by disneymom1024, on Flickr
So amazing to see it not entirely covered by scaffolding and drained dry! It was incredibly busy over there, but we still took some time to walk around and take it in.


It was everything I thought it would be and more! We had been so bummed to find out last trip that it was all covered and drained, especially not knowing if we would ever be back. So incredibly thankful that we were able to go back and see the Trevi fountain in all its beautiful glory!

UP NEXT: The Pantheon & Piazza Navona
 
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I'm here! I loved your first Italian trip. A great idea to add on the extra days in Rome. I have only spend a day in Rome and it was a whistle-stop tour. One day I need to return and try to do things at a more relaxed pace. It's great that you got to return to the Trevi Fountain without all the scaffolding. Now where's the gelato?
 


I'm here! I loved your first Italian trip. A great idea to add on the extra days in Rome. I have only spend a day in Rome and it was a whistle-stop tour. One day I need to return and try to do things at a more relaxed pace. It's great that you got to return to the Trevi Fountain without all the scaffolding. Now where's the gelato?

Thanks for joining in!

Adding in time in Rome was a must for us, for almost the same reason as you mentioned. We had an amazing time visiting with ABD, but felt like we moved too quickly through some things like the Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel. Having time before the cruise to revisit those at a slower pace was an easy decision to make!

Making a return to the Trevi fountain to see it in all its glory was a dream come true!

Unfortunately, it will be awhile before the gelato makes an appearance...it was so cold in Rome, we never ended up getting any there!! But don't worry, we more than made up later on in the trip.

Loving the report Kristi! Great pictures by Dustin as usual.

Thanks, Jeff!
 
Unfortunately, it will be awhile before the gelato makes an appearance...it was so cold in Rome, we never ended up getting any there!! But don't worry, we more than made up later on in the trip.

haha, Rome felt so warm to us (we had to shovel out our car to get to the airport) that we were all about that Gelato life! (it actually got into the 70s today here, but going back down to the 40s this week)


Also should have commented on your posts beyond the thread title!

Glad that your travel seemed pretty smooth and glad that timing worked out that you got to see your son in his prayer service

Seems like you found a good car service ... I was a bit nervous booking cars in another country but everything worked out at each port / stop for us so I was relieved/happy

Glad you got to see the Trevi Fountain without the scaffolding and that it didn't disappoint! It is pretty darn impressive (would be even better without all the people trying to sell you all the do-dads and flowers and what not)
 
The DIS is about to shut down for the night so I can't read the updates yet but just wanted to let you know I'm following along! Can't wait to read about your cruise experience and see photos of Rome. I miss that city...
 
Glad you got to see Trevi Fountain. It's definitely a very cool thing - except for the crazy crowds surrounding it!

We used your advice of walking in every church you can find. They are amazing. I don't think I fell in love with Italy the way you guys did, but we really did have a lot of fun on our trip in September. If we ever go back, I would go without a tour though and travel at our own pace.
 
Excited to see you’re doing a trip report! Kate and I will be following along. It was nice the hotel was just a short walk to Trevi. We must have passed by it 3 or 4 times. By the time we took a movie tour with Chandra and Will our guide stopped there and asked if we wanted some free time. We all said, nope we’ve done Trevi, let’s keep going. I think he was surprised. It’s always so crowded, but still gorgeous.
 
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I can’t wait to read the title explanation. I will be reliving the trip through you and Dustin’s pictures. You are now 21% through the report.....can’t stop calculating.....:surfweb:

Chris
 
Yay thanks for letting me know you started! Happy to be following along!

Glad there were no issues getting to Italy! I am sure it was awesome getting to see the Trevi fountain without the scaffolding this time! Looks beautiful!
 
I am eagerly awaiting the next posting. Lets see- work or trip report and reliving a fun time. Despite the cold weather in Rome, I still had Gelato. I believe in eating lots of gelato when in Italia.
@met19 - A bit of a side track, but I have to ask - is that a Bichon? What's his/her name (if you care to share)? Kisses from me, please!! SO cute!!! I LOVE Bichons. If I ever live somewhere I can have a dog, a Bichon it will DEFINITELY be!! :dogdance:
 
Very much enjoying your trip report @khertz , and all the gorgeous pictures! Thank you for taking the time to share this!! Can't WAIT to hear how this title came about! popcorn:: :laughing:
 
haha, Rome felt so warm to us (we had to shovel out our car to get to the airport) that we were all about that Gelato life! (it actually got into the 70s today here, but going back down to the 40s this week)

The day we arrived was incredibly windy, and that is what made it feel so much colder to us!! By Friday, it was tolerable (though still cold to us from the south lol). We had similar weather this past weekend! But it looks like we are in for our usual warm April weather from now on.

Glad that your travel seemed pretty smooth and glad that timing worked out that you got to see your son in his prayer service

When I got the email about the prayer service, my heart sank a little when I saw the date. In Pre K & Kindergarten he had them monthly, but now that he's in 1st it's the only one for the year! I'm glad the timing worked out that we were able to see him and still leave in enough time for the airport.

Seems like you found a good car service ... I was a bit nervous booking cars in another country but everything worked out at each port / stop for us so I was relieved/happy

It was a great service! I was a bit nervous about it too, even seeing on their website that you are not guaranteed a driver that speaks English. Maybe we lucked out on that but it was a decent price and a very nice driver.

Glad you got to see the Trevi Fountain without the scaffolding and that it didn't disappoint! It is pretty darn impressive (would be even better without all the people trying to sell you all the do-dads and flowers and what not)

I hate that those pushy people ruin the atmosphere around these amazing sites!! It was ridiculous the one night we walked through St. Mark's and had to dodge about 20 people trying to give us roses!!

The DIS is about to shut down for the night so I can't read the updates yet but just wanted to let you know I'm following along! Can't wait to read about your cruise experience and see photos of Rome. I miss that city...

I'm glad you made it over!!

I miss it every time I leave. Venice is amazing too, but there's just something about Rome that makes me never want to leave!

Glad you got to see Trevi Fountain. It's definitely a very cool thing - except for the crazy crowds surrounding it!

We used your advice of walking in every church you can find. They are amazing. I don't think I fell in love with Italy the way you guys did, but we really did have a lot of fun on our trip in September. If we ever go back, I would go without a tour though and travel at our own pace.

The crowds did suck, but it was such a difference seeing it this time compared to under all of the scaffolding. Totally different experience! And worth the return trip.

The churches are so nondescript from the outside but then you walk inside and it's just mindblowing all of the art, marble, gold, etc. they have inside of them. Really beautiful!

I can see good and bad with the tours. We loved our ABD, but looking back we felt some things were pretty rushed. So those were the things we focused on this time on our own, and it was a very enjoyable experience getting to do things on our own. But then I loved having all of the travel in between cities taken care of with ABD and not having to navigate all over on our own.

Excited to see you’re doing a trip report! Kate and I will be following along. It was nice the hotel was just a short walk to Trevi. We must have passed by it 3 or 4 times. By the time we took a movie tour with Chandra and Will our guide stopped there and asked if we wanted some free time. We all said, nope we’ve done Trevi, let’s keep going. I think he was surprised. It’s always so crowded, but still gorgeous.

Welcome aboard!

Being at the Bernini was one of the best parts of staying there. I remember in 2014 we weren't even really looking for the Trevi fountain and ended up there almost immediately after venturing out of the hotel.

Haha I bet that is not an answer the guide usually gets!!

I can’t wait to read the title explanation. I will be reliving the trip through you and Dustin’s pictures. You are now 21% through the report.....can’t stop calculating.....:surfweb:

Chris

:rotfl: Now that there's no more need to calculate percentage of the ship we took over, this is a decent substitute! :thumbsup2

I am eagerly awaiting the next posting. Lets see- work or trip report and reliving a fun time. Despite the cold weather in Rome, I still had Gelato. I believe in eating lots of gelato when in Italia.

Thanks for joining in! :goodvibes

I agree with the gelato philosophy...We were just so cold we didn't even really think about stopping for some. But once we found the gelato counter at the buffet on the ship, I think we more than made up for it. And we ate a ridiculous amount in Venice too. :rotfl2:

Yay thanks for letting me know you started! Happy to be following along!

Glad there were no issues getting to Italy! I am sure it was awesome getting to see the Trevi fountain without the scaffolding this time! Looks beautiful!

Thanks for joining in!

Luckily, no travel drama this time! I don't think I could have handled it on as big of a travel day as this one was. lol

The fountain was enough reason to return to Rome on its own! So glad we had the opportunity to go back and see it in its full glory.

Very much enjoying your trip report @khertz , and all the gorgeous pictures! Thank you for taking the time to share this!! Can't WAIT to hear how this title came about! popcorn:: :laughing:

Thanks for joining in! I am completely programmed to enjoy every vacation with a TR in mind, so I'm happy & excited to share this trip! It helps with the post-vacation depression to relive it through a TR too, so I'm just happy there are people interested in reading about it.
 
Looking forward to reading about this trip. Italy is at the top of my travel bucket list. I heard about this cruise on the podcast, but just couldn't make it work. I'll have to live vicariously through you!
 

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