Pat and I boarded the Regent Seven Seas Explorer at Civitavecchia at approximately 3pm. We had very little wait and were onboard in less than 20 minutes. The ship was scheduled to depart at 5pm. The Explorer is the most elegant ship that I have been on. This included the atrium with its huge Swarovski crystal chandelier that hangs over a double gold staircase that surrounds it. and the main restaurant, Compass Rose, with its magnificent Murano blue chandeliers. Another highlight is the three-ton Tibetan-style prayer wheel at the entrance to the Pacific Rim restaurant that is so heavy the deck had to be reinforced with extra steel. The Explorer is like a floating museum of all things beautiful. Art lovers can spot original works by Picasso, Chagall, and other masters. The room sizes range from ... read more

I looked forward to revisiting the Pantheon as I could not remember much about it from my visit in 2002 except its high unadorned dome. The Pantheon is ancient Rome's best preserved monument. The Pantheon is a former Roman temple, now a church, in Rome, Italy, on the site of two previous temples both destroyed by fire. It was completed in the year 125 when Hadrian was emperor. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus (the opening in the dome) and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 142 feet. It is actually larger than the dome of St. Peter's basilica. Among the notable people buried at Rome's Pantheon are painters Raphael and Annibale Carracci, composer Arcangelo ... read more

The forums are a vast and impressive array of ruins consisting of temples, government buildings and squares that can be very confusing. It is best understood if you take it in sections and read the information signs at the street level overlooking the various areas. The main one is the Roman Forum. If you buy a ticket to The Colosseum, you also have free entry to The Forum. The tickets can be bought online to avoid the lines. The main entrance gate for the Roman Forum is along the Via dei Fori Imperiali between the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia. The lines are usually shorter at the Palatine off Via di San Gregorio. I took a guided tour 15 years ago which helps you understand the confusing array of ruins. This is highly recommended for the first ... read more

One of the top museum attractions in Rome is the Borghese Gallery which is housed in the Borghese Villa built in 1614. The extraordinary collection of Cardinal Borghese's art is renowned all over Europe. The museum houses an important collection of works by Bernini, Raphael, Caravaggio and Canova, whose Victorious Venus (1805), internationally known as Paolina Bonaparte, is the most famous piece in the museum and virtually its symbol. The entrance fee is Euro 21 or 29.50 for a guided group tour of 90 minutes. I booked a guided small group tour through Viator for $40 which lasted over 2 hours. I highly recommend the guided tour as Pat and I were told and shown highlights that we would have missed. No ticket is needed for the gardens that surround the villa as they are open ... read more

I flew into Rome last November for a 7-day stay prior to our boarding the new Regent Seven Seas Explorer for our 16-night Transatlantic Voyage back to Miami. We had rented a very nice 2-bedroom 2-bath apartment located on the Tiber River. Our room faced the back overlooking dead-end street. It was not much of a view but it was much quieter than the river view side as there was a busy street between the building and the river. The apartment was convenient to the Vatican, Piazza Navona Piazza and the Spanish Steps among others. We only spent about 150 Euro per night for these roomy accommodations. Since there was just two of us it was nice having his and hers bathrooms right next door to each other. The apartment was not ready yet as we ... read more