"Ugh, do I have to get up already?" The day started much too early for me -- jet lag had sunk its claws in deep. Our ship docked at Marseille at 7:00 am, but we were all up by 6:30 am to prepare for a busy day. Well, maybe not all of us -- Alexander felt no need to rouse himself. Smart boy. It was very difficult to get Alexander going, so while I tried to gently wake him, Dave went up to eat at the Windjammer Cafe, the buffet restaurant on deck 11. He brought down a tray of foods for Alexander and me, heavy on the protein so the meal would stick with us longer. Alas, the eggs had a strange taste -- I think they were reconstituted, not fresh. Blecch! The oatmeal was very runny, most likely overcooked. The hash was good, but hardly healthy. Oh well. Sometimes you just need fuel, not taste. I scarfed it down while Alexander nibbled sleepily on some bread.

We had requested an in-room babysitter for Alexander at 8:00 am (our first shore excursion meet time was 8:30 am). By 8:10, no one had shown up at our stateroom and it was time to go. We called Guest Services to inquire, and they admitted nobody had been assigned to the job. It was frustrating and quite unprofessional of Royal Caribbean. And yet, I must admit that I was secretly relieved. I was really concerned about leaving Alexander with a stranger in a strange place so early in the trip. The relief lasted for one minute, quickly replaced by a gripping fear of how I'd manage Alexander on a shore excursion filled with adults who likely wouldn't tolerate the exuberance of a 2-year-old, to say nothing of the work I was supposed to be accomplishing. I quickly gathered Alexander's stuff and took a deep breath while Dave reassured me that I could do this. Could I?

Finally ready, we went up to the La Scala Theatre (deck 3) to meet for our shore excursions. I had Alexander in his stroller, but La Scala Theatre is full of stairs and no ramps, and I had to go down to the stage to check-in for the excursions. Not a promising start. I gathered a sleepy Alexander in my arms (have I mentioned he weighs over 30 lbs. now?) and made my way down to the stage. We managed to get checked in (Royal Caribbean gives you a small round, numbered sticker to wear) and waited for our excursions to leave. I should note that it is very important to get to your check-in place (double-check the location - it may not be in the theatre) at least 15 minutes before the excursion is due to leave because they almost always left right on time. No grace period for late arrivals.

My excursion was the "Marseille City Tour" -- it left at 8:30 am and returned at 12:45 pm. This excursion had us board a tour bus and drove us around to various sights (this is true of essentially all the Mediterranean excursions Alexander and I would take). Our tour guide spoke excellent English and it was very easy to understand her. Our first stop was the Palais de Longchamp, a large monument and fountain build to commemorate the arrival of Durance canal water to Marseille, relieving a long, mid-1800s drought. We were only here for about 10-15 minutes, but it was enough time to walk around the monument and marvel at the gorgeous carvings.

Longchamp Palais

Back on the bus, I sent out a heartfelt thank-you to the mommy fairy. Alexander was doing fabulously. He enjoyed looking out the bus window at the passing sights. Naturally, he loved to get out and stretch his legs at the monuments. And he was charming everyone with his winsome smiles. I was also able to get my work done, namely evaluation of the shore excursion.

Playing on the tour bus

Our Marseille city tour excursion continued on through the streets near the Old Harbor (Vieux Port). We next stopped at a monument honoring veterans of the wars of the "orient" (Monument aux Morts d'Orient). The monument overlooks the sea and it's quite scenic. You could see the many islands near Marseille, including the island of If, home of the Chateau d'If where the fictional Count of Monte Cristo was fictionally imprisoned.

War Heroes Monument

More driving about the city lead us up to the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde, a church perched on top of La Garde hill, the highest point in Marseille. Locals call it "la Bonne Mere" (the good mother). The tour guide warned me that I shouldn't bother with my stroller. One look confirmed this. There were at least 200 steps up to the cathedral. Oh boy. Alexander managed to climb about a dozen on his own, but then asked to be carried. Smiling as graciously as I could, I gathered him in my arms and began the slow ascent. I should note that I've recently lost weight -- just about as much as Alexander weighs, in fact, but carrying that extra body weight is so much easier than holding a squirming toddler your arms. Nonetheless, we triumphantly made it to the top. The view from the top was beautiful and well worth the climb. For an even better view, you can climb farther for a view from high atop the church. If you can't climb any more steps (like us), there's an elevator in the cathedral which takes you to the top.

Notre Dame de la Garde

Our last stop on the city tour was Vieux Port, the old harbor. We were given 30 minutes to walk about and shop at the stands set up along the wharf. Alexander and I wandered about, avoiding the suspicious women who were probably pickpockets and generally enjoying the freedom of being "alone" in a foreign place. I bought a pretty lavender sachet (10 euros) at one of the stands and took many photographs. This was my favorite stop on the tour - it gave the best "feel" for Marseille.

Fishmonger at Vieux Port

We returned to the ship by 1:00 pm. We had quite a long line to stand in to get back onboard, but it wound through a terminal with shops and a small cafe. Prices were higher here than at the Old Harbor, but it's still worth noting if you're not planning to do a shore excursion and want to get a souvenir of Marseille. Back on the ship, Alexander and I collapsed on the bed and slept like logs for several hours. Now THAT felt good! We then had a light, late lunch in Johnny Rockets, the extra-charge cafe on deck 11. We paid $3.95 so we could order a hot dog, veggie burger, and a chocolate malt. I should note that the chocolate malt was an additional $3.60. We were also given a bowl of onion rings and fries when we sat down, and the service was excellent. I didn't like paying extra to eat casual food onboard (nothing else was open at that particular time), but the food was decent and the atmosphere was fun.

Chowing down at Johnny Rockets

Tip: For those not planning shore excursions through the cruise line, on our cruise we could sign up for a shuttle bus into Marseille from the pier. Cost was $6 one-way or $12 round-trip. I suspect the same shuttle will be offered to DCL passengers.

Dave's excursion was a full-day affair to Arles and Les Baux, two charming destinations near Marseille in the heart of Provence. Here's Dave's report:

Our tour bus takes us for a long highway drive west near the coast, past parched and burned hills ravaged by the brush fires that have accompanied the region's long drought. The scene becomes more lush when we reach the broad tidal plains of the Camargue. Then it's north and inland, through Provence's agricultural heartland to Arles, a major city since Roman times, now famed for its association with Vincent Van Gogh.

Sunday 10:15 am. Van Gogh came to Arles for the light, but today the light is terrible (as it would be for most of the rest of our trip) - gray and mostly overcast. I started scanning the sky for gaps in the clouds so I'd be ready with my camera when the sun peeked through.