Genoa Tour

Location: Genoa, Italy.

Summary: A panoramic tour of Genoa, a beautiful fishing village, kind guides, rude fellow tourists, good food, dreadful entertainment, and a long, noisy night in a poorly placed cabin.

Arrival in Genoa

Today, the ship arrived in Genoa, Italy, where I had booked an escorted tour of the city. I woke before my alarm at around 07:30, showered, and got ready for my trip ashore.

Wanting to avoid the chaos of the breakfast buffet, I went to the Beverly Hills bar, where excursion groups were gathering. I was early, so I ordered a ginseng coffee and waited. The two girls reading the departure instructions were almost impossible to understand; their speech and the instructions were unclear. Eventually, one of the men took over and read everything perfectly, and the groups began leaving the ship.

Exploring Genoa

My original Segway tour had been cancelled, so I’d switched to a panoramic coach tour. The guide noticed I was walking with difficulty and kindly made space for me in one of the reserved seats at the front. We drove through several areas of Genoa, past the port, where we saw impressive architecture and even a replica of the pirate ship from the original Pirates of the Caribbean film. From there, we continued through more affluent districts before stopping briefly at a small fishing village.

The village and coastline were beautiful, even under a cold, grey sky. I was grateful for my heated body warmer under my coat. After a short walk and a few photos, we returned to Genoa and stopped at a vantage point overlooking the city. The view was spectacular, the port, the rooftops, and the cruise ships below us.

From the viewpoint, the coach dropped us at Raffaele De Ferrari Square, where we were given an hour of free time. The guide gave us simple directions past the Cathedral and towards an old city gate. I wandered past the cathedral, museum, and gates, taking plenty of photos, before looping back through winding streets to our meeting point.

I had time to grab a roll from a local café and eat it outside. I spotted a nearby monument, walked over to take photos, then returned to the coach for the journey back to the ship. As we left, I tipped the guide and driver €5 each. Sadly, I seemed to be the only one. Some of the ladies on the tour had spent the entire trip moaning, and when we returned to the ship, they hammered the lift buttons repeatedly as if that would help. When the lift arrived, they pushed a disabled woman in a wheelchair aside to get in. It was disheartening to see such a lack of patience and compassion.

Back Onboard

By the time I returned, I’d missed lunch in the dining room, so I got a takeaway burger from a poolside bar and ate it indoors, where it was warmer. I had a beer and chatted briefly with Helen, a lovely Scottish lady I’d met the day before. Afterwards, I went back to my cabin to rest my legs.

At 18:30, I headed to the dining room. One of the Spanish ladies I’d been dining with on previous evenings spotted me and walked with me to the restaurant. It’s always nice to be reminded that friendliness crosses language barriers.

For dinner, I had tomato soup with mozzarella and basil, followed by a grilled chimichurri ribeye steak with sautéed potatoes, green beans, and peppers. The steak wasn’t a thick cut but sliced, still delicious, especially with a couple of glasses of red wine. Dessert was a small mixed fruit salad, though I did eye my companion’s mango and pistachio ice creams more than once.

A Night of Terrible Entertainment

After dinner, I grabbed a Long Island Iced Tea and headed to the theatre. At the door, I was told drinks weren’t allowed, so I had to finish it in one go and leave the empty glass outside. Inside, I sat at the end of a row where every other seat had an “out of order” sign. This didn’t stop people from climbing over me, kicking my walking stick, and then moving further down the row anyway. This went on for the first twenty minutes.

The show, Access All Areas, was dreadful. The dancers were out of sync, the singers were poor, and their attempts at classic rock anthems were painful. For the second night in a row, I left halfway through.

I went to a smaller bar and ordered a pint with a Piña Colada chaser to revive the evening. I was enjoying the peace until the evening act arrived, yet another singer who couldn’t hold a note. I finished my cocktail and took my pint back to my cabin, where at least the two of us could enjoy each other’s company.

A Long, Noisy Night

I was asleep by 22:30, but unfortunately, my cabin was next to a service corridor. Just after midnight, the noise made sleep impossible. I went to the reception to ask about moving cabins. The night staff said they could move me temporarily until the morning team arrived, who would then assign a permanent room. Not wanting to disturb other passengers by moving around at that hour, I returned to my cabin. I eventually fell asleep around 03:00.