Travel experiences that don't turn out to be as great as you hoped
May 3rd, 2024, 02:10 AM
#41
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Disappointing Private Vatican museums tour
The Vatican Museums and Sixtine Chapel private after hours tour. Yes, believe it or not.
I'm not new to private tours and I've seen many guiding styles. The guide we were assigned was not willing to adapt to our interests and almost looked annoyed at our questions, and insisted on stopping in places we weren't interested in instead. It was obvious that we were supposed to be following the exact same route than the guide 25 meters further - but that's OK, I can understand that sometimes sites need to stick to strict order and timings.
When we finally reached the Sixtine Chapel there were other groups there, all of them with the "after hours" tickets. They sell it as if it was going to be just you and your guide, but it was fine, there was enough room for privacy and enjoyment. The problem was that our guide preferred to talk about other artists that did the lower frescos rather than focusing on the masterpiece of Michelangelo. Thanks god I had done some research and was able to share my notes with my friend, because I was expecting the guide to describe the Sixtine Chapel vaults and tell us stories about Michelangelo, and point at unique details... and none of that happened. SO FRUSTRATING!
We ended up asking her if we were allowed to get closer to the Last Judgement (we were), and just ignored her trying to bring our attention to other stuff. Lady: this is a once in a lifetime experience for us, we came to see Michelangelo, not what you insist in showing us!
The experience was supposed to end with dinner... which was terrible. Dry pasta, meh appetizers... But we ate it just to be polite, and we left with the stomach full of bad food and having ruined the opportunity of enjoying a wonderful dinner somewhere else in Rome. Had I known I would have just accepted the glass of wine and left.
I'm not new to private tours and I've seen many guiding styles. The guide we were assigned was not willing to adapt to our interests and almost looked annoyed at our questions, and insisted on stopping in places we weren't interested in instead. It was obvious that we were supposed to be following the exact same route than the guide 25 meters further - but that's OK, I can understand that sometimes sites need to stick to strict order and timings.
When we finally reached the Sixtine Chapel there were other groups there, all of them with the "after hours" tickets. They sell it as if it was going to be just you and your guide, but it was fine, there was enough room for privacy and enjoyment. The problem was that our guide preferred to talk about other artists that did the lower frescos rather than focusing on the masterpiece of Michelangelo. Thanks god I had done some research and was able to share my notes with my friend, because I was expecting the guide to describe the Sixtine Chapel vaults and tell us stories about Michelangelo, and point at unique details... and none of that happened. SO FRUSTRATING!
We ended up asking her if we were allowed to get closer to the Last Judgement (we were), and just ignored her trying to bring our attention to other stuff. Lady: this is a once in a lifetime experience for us, we came to see Michelangelo, not what you insist in showing us!
The experience was supposed to end with dinner... which was terrible. Dry pasta, meh appetizers... But we ate it just to be polite, and we left with the stomach full of bad food and having ruined the opportunity of enjoying a wonderful dinner somewhere else in Rome. Had I known I would have just accepted the glass of wine and left.
May 7th, 2024, 03:36 AM
#43
Join Date: May 2005
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That's awful about the Sistine Chapel tour..I thought about that but I remember it was very expensive....
Happy, I don't know.....he was great about Turkey.
So many regulars have gone and I fear what that means.
Remember when Ira would post many times a day?
Then he only talked politics, and then began taking cruises.
Happy, I don't know.....he was great about Turkey.
So many regulars have gone and I fear what that means.
Remember when Ira would post many times a day?
Then he only talked politics, and then began taking cruises.
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rex
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May 7th, 2005 04:03 PM
