Hi Jon,

Our Florence tour went very well.  Our guide was waiting right outside the church with a sign with our name on it as promised.  She took us on a walking tour through the streets of Florence talking about architecture and people as we walked.  We did not go inside any buildings but learned a great deal about what was going on in Florence as they were constructed.  When we reached the Uffizi, she used our voucher to get tickets and we went right in with no wait.  She went to all the highlights and talked to us about the paintings and sculptures.  She was definitely an art expert and knew so much more than most guides would know.  She gave us a very thorough tour and then we bought advance timed tickets to see the David statue and tour the Accademia on our own after lunch.  She walked us toward the Accademia and recommended a good place to have luch and the best place to get gelato.  Our friends were definitely impressed with her.  We all thought that 3 hours couldn’t possibly have gone by so quickly and wished the guide could have stayed for 4 hours but she couldn’t.  We had a smooth visit after lunch at the Accademia and enjoyed our gelato treat and had some time before we had to meet up with the bus back to the ship.  So it was a very successful day and more than we ever could have seen and learned on our own.  Thank you for all your arrangements and help.  Our cruise was very good but the shore excursions through Oceania were very weak compared to the high quality of everything else on that cruise line.   Later I will tell you some of the stories but overall, it was a great experience.  We loved the cities we visited, the food was top notch, we loved the smaller size of the ship, and the service was excellent.  Thanks again for a great summer cruise and for your contribution to our ship board account.

Hugs, Diane