JodiBB

We just did a Rome to Venice via Southern Italy and Adriatic cruise in May/June. It was a WindStar cruise (tint boat in comparison to the huge cruise ships) and the water was like glass. Most of the ship, we never felt the boat move!

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None of the bancomats we used issued coins, only paper money. That being said, I recommend you don’t use the bancomats that are kiosks, but actually at a bank. We found that they may be outside the bank, but if we went together, we didn’t find any problems with these.

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I’m not surprised. We just returned from the Windstar cruise from Southern Italy and the Adriatic. We arranged our own tours and didn’t take any of WS’s. We did a 7-hour private tour of Mt. Etna and Zafferena with a really nice wine tasting. It was just the two of us and our guide. That kind of tour with the ship would’ve cost us over $500. We paid $275. In Hvar, Croatia, the tours were $100+ to be on a group tour. Again, my husband and I took a private bicycle tour with a wine tasting that lasted 4 hours and we paid $250 for an exclusive ride.

I did this with Royal Caribbean years ago when we chose to take a private tour through St. Petersburg for 2 days rather than getting stuck on a bus with 40 other people. It cost a bit more, but we had a private guide and driver, and was able to see a lot more in a short amount of time due to having flexibility. Worth every penny.

I think if you’re adventurous and able to go off the beaten path, you can find a lot of great adventures without depending on the cruise line.

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There isn't a vaparetto that I know of that goes directly from P. Roma to Murano/ Burano. We just did this and took a vaparetto from P. Roma to Fte. Nova and then caught the #12 out to Murano/ Burano. There's a transfer involved. Overall it took about 45-60 minutes with the transfer wait

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That's all I needed Jodi. Hope you had a wonderful cruise!

It was AMAZING!! Wish we were still on the trip...

Enjoy your WS cruise...[emoji4]

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Does anyone know how much a beer costs or a glass of wine??

I seem to remember from the beer we bought in Dubrovnik that the bill came out to about $5 US give or take, which is about 30-35 kuna (if I’m doing my math right...still waking up). Much of Dubrovnik had tourist prices, but a whole meal still wasn’t expensive at the inner town cafes.

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We were just there and as we got off the ship, there were plenty of vendors vying for our business to take us on private tours. We had other, independent plans, so we didn’t give them any mind, but they were there in force.

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We had 2 ports in Croatia so we got a bit of Kunas upon getting into the first port. There are plenty of ATMs there. One cafe we went to didn’t take euros nor credit cards, so we were glad we had them. In our second port, we had a private cycling tour, so we wanted to make sure we tipped the guide appropriately, so we had thought about that when making our withdrawal as well

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We just came back from a Mt. Etna excursion. We used Journeys of Sicily with Salvo and it was AMAZING!! It was a private tour...me, my husband and Salvo in his Mercedes. He was a great guide and we got to see a lot, complete with a wine tasting in Zafferana, which was fantastic!! I put a full review on TripAdvisor for more details.

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I have sailed on Windsurf a couple of times about 10 years ago and enjoyed it. BUT, I am wondering if she is getting too old to provide a 5.5 star experience at a 5.5 price point. I am concerned about booking on a 38 year old ship and getting burned! Opinions are appreciated on your recent experiences.

We were just on the Surf and loved it! That being said, we did notice things, like deep scratches in the wood floor, thick layers of barnacles on the hull, and areas of frayed carpet. Many of the guests said the same during our cruise. A good dry docking would be helpful.

All this said, we loved the understatement of the don’t need brass, neon lighting and flash. We loved the food, the service and the experience overall. We will definitely take another WindStar cruise!! The wear and tear of the ship didn’t deter us at all. We

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We just left the Windsurf...

Glasses of wine ranged about $8.50-$10.50

Gin & tonics were $10.50

Beers were about $8-12 depending on the type

Obviously, I wouldn’t be able to give you all the drinks, but hopefully it’ll give you a jumping off point

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I downloaded the Rick Steves tour as well for our trip in September...did you both listen on the same phone or use your own or one of you listened? lol I'm trying to figure out the best way for BF and I

We found that our phones’ batteries drained rather quickly, even in airplane mode. Also, with all the tourists, it became hard to hear. I realized that the whole audio is also transcribed on the app, along with maps. We followed the map and then at each location, we read the transcript that coordinated with each point. It led us to the main points for the first 30-45 mins. From there, we explored the rest on our own.

Make sure to see the amphitheater and then continue onto the necropolis towards the back gate. Once through there, follow the Scavi map and you’ll find the body casts nearby.

Also, when you get off the train, don’t listen to all the huxters stating you need to buy tickets at the train station. Get off the train, go right and find the Scavi entrance. You can also get an audio tour form them if you want.

It’s a wonderful experience!

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We took a private tour with Journeys of Sicily. I booked them through Viator, but Salvo was amazing! It ended with a wine tasting that was to die for!!

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We just got back and did a DYI to Pompeii from Sorrento. We grabbed a train and went to the Scavi office to get our tickets. I downloaded Rick Steves’ Pompeii audio/visual tour to my phone and we used that as our walking tour guide. It was a great way to enjoy the city ourselves at our own pace. Once we got thru the tour, we were oriented enough to the city to read the map they provide you at the entrance and we were able to get to parts of the city many of the guided tours miss. For example, the necropolis at the South Gate was virtually devoid of tourists. The encased body casts exhibit was also empty (which we were completely surprised about)!!

We took the train back and returned to Sorrento with plenty of time to catch lunch before returning to our ship.

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We just returned from Venice and spent time in Burano. It’s one of my favorite islands. We walked around and grabbed lunch on a canal pizzeria. It was wonderful.

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I'm trying to decide if we should do our Pompeii tour solo. I dislike being in a large tour group. Has anyone just booked with a tour guide when they arrived to do a private tour? Is it cost prohibitive? Any and all feedback on tours and self-guided walks is appreciated.

I’ve seen several people on tripadvisor endorsing their experience using Rick Steves audio tour in Pompeii downloaded to their phones. We’re considering using this as our go to.

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We found a company called Shared Shuttle who have 65€ for 2 people from our hotel to the Civitavecchia port. As more people sign up, the price goes down. We’re down to 60€ now as another couple is joining us.

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We just booked thru a TA and besides a small OBC we didn't receive a lot more than we could've done ourselves. On a good note.... only 19 days before we set sail!

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We’re doing the opposite in that we are staying in Venice post-cruise and needed something central to the ports and to Piazzale Roma so we can grab a shuttle bus back to the Airport. We’ve booked the Hotel Olimpia which is one bridge over from the P. Roma.

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Could you say who you booked with,thanks.

http://www.sharedshuttle.it/

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I think the cruise lines scare you into believing you have to go with them. However, it would be more accurate if the cruise lines stated they can't guarantee or take responsibility that you'll get getting off the boat unless you go through them.

This is more accurate in that the cruise lines can't vet every other private, non contracted company as to whether they will get you paperwork in order to get proper visas or guarantee your return to the ship on time.

Rather than scaring passengers to death, it would hold more integrity just to state the facts about what they do or don't have control over.

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We used redoctober.us in 2005 and we got the same BS that we wouldn’t be able to get off with ship without RCL’s ships tours.

Not only were we able to get off, we sailed thru customs in less than 4 minutes and those on the RCL tours tools much longer because there were many more people.

As long as you’re going with a reputable company, they handle the visas in the course of your reservation. Enjoy yourself and don’t stress

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Civitavecchiaport.org was higher than other places I researched. I found and booked a shuttle for two people for 65€ with the price to go down if more people join us.

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At our ages the Windstar's sailing ships are a lot more civilized and I can no longer function without hot water! We made port in Plymouth, Montserrat, and rented a motel room for the day so a friend and I could wash our hair! Two years ago we returned there on the Surf to see the remains of Plymouth and the rest of the island. The motel is mostly covered in ash as well as the pier where we tied up. Astounding sights and sad too, but the 5,000 people who remain are dedicated to rebuilding.

 

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We’ll be on the Wind Surf in 30 days. It’s our first WS trip and it’s been a “bucket list” for me as well as my husband, who has never been to Italy (I have).

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We sailed on Windjammer's Yankee Clipper in 1982. Reality the passengers really didn't assist sailing the ship. The accomodations were 4 "deluxe" cabins on deck, 2 port, 2 starboard" with one bathroom separating the two. Cold pull chain shower, toilet and wall sink. Wooden bunk beds. The rest of the passengers in various quarters below that were bunks of up to 12 per sleeping area. Open bar on deck on honor system. Lots of partying, sleeping under the stars on mats at night. Sadly they lost a ship and crew off of Mexico in a hurricane years later. I heard one of the ships survives on one of the southern islands. There is a group operating under the name Caribbean Windjammer but not the same ships or people. Food was at picnic tables in a dining hall served in stainless bowls with large ladles. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas! Had the time of our lives!

 

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My husband is bummed the WJ line doesn’t operate anymore because he loves this kind of experience. Oh well, sigh....the Wind Surf will have to do. [emoji23][emoji23]

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