You know where I'm coming from by the title. If you liked the Carnival Freedom on the 10/28 transatlantic, you won't like this review.
We booked our tour a tour company which was very reasonably priced, and although their excursions didn't always work out as planned, we thought they were a decent value. That may have been the problem with this cruise. It was priced reasonably enough that travel bums like us could afford it. There's something to be said for not buying cheap cruises. I'm guessin' here, but the pricier the cruise, the classier the clientele.
We flew out of Tampa on Delta, making connections via Cincinnati and Rome and then by bus to Montecatini (near Florence) for 4 days at the Montecatini Manzoni hotel, which included breakfast and dinner each night. Not the best flight/transfer arrangement but when you pay cheap, you get cheap. The bus ride from Rome to Montecatini took 6 hours with traffic and stops and that doesn't count sitting on the bus for almost an hour before we left Rome. Oh well. We arrived in Montecatini in the rain and after dark. Then following the tour guide's directions, we got lost, couldn't find the hotel but then we did find a delightful 'evening market' and directions to the hotel. We went right in, dinner was waiting and by the time we finished dinner, our bags had arrived at our room. Excellent start!