Emma and Becky arrived in Livorno on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas. Coaches were lined up to take hundreds of passengers on the long journey to Florence, or for half day tours to Pisa. Those joining the tours were up by 7 or 8am, all arriving at the restaurants at the same time for breakfast, and tetchily coming to terms with the early start, the crush, the prospect of a long bus ride. They gathered in lounges to have their names ticked off, stood in queues, sat in the bus as they waited for the stragglers, and watched the disputes over the front seats. The guide, distracted by the sheer numbers, counted them off in broken English, and described the comfort stops and shopping opportunities they would ‘enjoy’ during the day.

Peace had settled over the ship as Emma and Becky enjoyed a lie in followed by a leisurely breakfast. As they went down the gangway at 10am, an airconditioned Mercedes stood waiting, by its side two smartly dressed gentlemen, the driver holding a Mundy Carte Blanche sign, and the English speaking guide who welcomed them into the car with iced water and a beaming smile.

During the journey (the scenic route rather than along the motorway) their guide explained the history of the area and pointed out interesting features.

On arrival in Pisa, they were dropped right next to the entrance to the Campo dei Miracoli, and the guide busied himself obtaining tickets, enabling them to climb the Tower itself, before enjoying guided tours of the Cathedral and Baptistery at a leisurely pace, with the opportunity to ask questions as they went along. They chose to spend a few minutes shopping at the end of the tour, again at their own pace, and with no need to hang around waiting for fellow travellers. And on the way back to the ship, they stopped off at St Peters Church for a brief final visit.