Ronald Baumer
Ronald Baumer
Cruise and Italy Specialist
I have been active in the travel business since 1981 and have been fortunate to have been on over 50 cruises since then. These cruises have been on many cruise lines and to a great number of destinations, including Alaska, the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas, Indian Ocean, Meditterean , England and Scandinavia, England to Russia, China Yangtze River, transit of Panama and Suez Canals and Nile River.
My wife and I sailed on the Azamara Club Cruise from Copenhagen to St. Petersburg. The ship was small enough to dock in the middle of most of the cities. Our cruise embarked in Copenhagen and we arrived a day earlier to rainy weather. Not wishing to miss Tivoli Gardens we went in the rain. Next day we visited the Little Mermaid statue and the Palace The following ports of call Sweden and Oslo, Norway were very interesting especially ancient battleship which sank on its maiden voyage in the Oslo Harbor. It has been lifted from it's grave and been restored and is on display in a large museum building.
On our return to Copenhagen we stopped in Tallinn on a Sunday. It was deserted and shops all closed, I wanted to see the inside of the church in the main square in the city center. But we had to wait for services to end and sat down for coffee. We struck up a conversation with a couple nest to us and their daughter. He turned out to be the port manager and came to have coffee every Sunday so his daughter could practice her English on the tourists.
Our favorite land tour is in Italy. We have made several trips an usually try to make to the Amalfi coast. The cliff side homes and shops with the small harbors is a beautiful view. We took two of our grandchildren. Hannah and Elle, on a trip that two days in Rome for the Colosseum and Forum and Italian food. Then the high speed train to Naples for the day where we enjoyed Pompeii ruins with the Mount Vesuvius in the background. Then we took a train to Florence where we visited the gates to the baptistry and spent a few hours shopping. We visited San Giamani, where Hannah and I went to the top of the main tower (no elevators) while my wife and Elle ate ice cream in the plazza below. We visited other villages in Tuscanny, with a traffic ticket along the way, and then to the beach for an afternoon. And then back to Rome for our flight home.
ITALY is our favorite tour or cruise destination
I have visited Italy several times - Rome, Amalfie coast, Sicily, Florence, or Venice. Picturesque is an understatement Rome is dynamic with plenty to see, eat &buy. Positano is charming and steep walk. Venice one a a kind. Florence the city of art, shopping and history. Normally we take land tours but a cruise live the chance to see many places in a few days. We have done both.
My Areas of Expertise
The Best Vacation / Anniversary ever.
I was a pleasure working with Trisha on her surprise for her husband's birthday. She failed to write that it was "one of her best vacations'. "Awesome". They had butler service and he performed fantastically. H was able to move them to a walk-out room for the last two days so they could see what they liked best. One night they returned late and were unable to get a table in the restaurant they wanted. The butler got them a table. They are ready to go back to Sandals.
First Trip To kauai
Thank for the review. I am very happy you h ad a great trip. Call me when you are ready for that next trip. Ron