cruisemom42

I have never heard of any ship tendering in Piraeus. I'd double check that if I were you.

You should be fine. Be sure you've got it Google mapped so you don't waste time with any wrong turns. And the idea of letting your tour provider know that you're coming from a ship is also a good one.

Indeed, it was very similar last year. I'd hoped that 2023 was an anomaly due to Japan having opened for tourism only a few months before I was there. Sounds like it's a longer-term issue though. Thanks for your update.

Where do you need to meet the tour? If it starts at the port, you'll be fine.

I agree with the above. Using a stroller in Pompeii would be practically impossible. And depending on when you will be there, it will be hot and crowded. Not to mention the houses are often close quarters and you are not supposed to touch wall surfaces, etc. -- difficult to keep a toddler from doing that. I would probably stick with just doing one place, and perhaps for a half day. Getting somewhere by ferry might be easier/more fun than driving.

My Iceland/Greenland cruise last year on Insignia had one lecturer. He was terrible. The info presented on Greenland in particular was very random.

Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed Pooh. I'm waiting for the Poohby podcast.

Lois, sorry to hear you are in the hospital again with more health issues. I hope they are able to get things sorted so you can get home and feel better. 🤞 Keep your spirits up. Good to get this dealt with before your next cruise.

The train schedules are only set a certain number of months in advance. I wouldn't worry about it. The Civi train is a commuter train for locals going into Rome to work, as well as for tourists. They're going to have plenty of morning options. The schedule doesn't change much over time. You can put in a closer date (e.g., like in the next 3 months) to get an idea of the timings. If using the Trenitalia site, be sure you set the time for whatever hour in the morning you want to leave (if you don't it will default to whatever time it is when you're doing your search.)

Yes, you do need to manage expectations with regards to room size in the historic center. Most hotel rooms are small. No getting around it. Hotels like Smeraldo only have a limited number of rooms. As marazul suggests, I'd try to figure out some dates fairly soon and book a room (or rooms) you like at the cancellable rate. You can always cancel later, but once the rooms are booked, they're booked.

Do you happen to know how it is decided which ships will dock where in Dublin? Are small ships prioritized for docking there vs. being tendered? I'm disembarking there on upcoming Azamara cruise (700 pax) and hoping they wouldn't be tendering for disembarkation.

I've seen that there is an ITGuide available via Apple Store but I haven't used it. In looking at reviews a few mentioned that the site doesn't have great wifi, which doesn't surprise me much due to its location. Rick Steves does good, downloadable tours but nothing for Herculaneum. The site itself sells an audio guide that might be the best bet.

I was on the same cruise as @Haljo1935 so same weather for me. This was the only port I'd not been to before. I had a shore excursion credit through HAL for the HIA promo and I chose to use it here even though I knew I'd lose the credit if the port was canceled. A lot of the tours did sell out. I'm very glad I chose one that got me out and around a good part of the island. This port is all about the natural beauty (not my shtick in general) and I got to see a nice sample of it. I'd definitely recommend a tour -- either private or ship -- that lets you have a similar experience. Note: While it's easy and convenient to walk around the city near the port on your own, be aware that on Sundays there is very little open.

Step over to the table of the offending party, adopt your best cheesy Italian accent, and say loudly: "Im-a so sorry, but I canna letto you do that here."

By "sights" in Pisa I assume you mean the Leaning Tower and the Field of Miracles (where the tower is located). Yes, the Tower is open on Sunday July 14 from 9am until 10pm, but be aware that you have to buy a ticket in advance if you want to climb it (not yet available for July):(https://www.opapisa.it/en/tickets/buy/ ) The other sites in the Field of Miracles (Campo dei Miracoli) are also open, including the Baptistery and Cathedral, although if services are being held, there may be periods when you cannot enter the Cathedral. Both of these are also work a look if you're going to be there. I have no idea about the tour you mention.

I so agree with this. Part of my frustration with HAL is that they are constantly teasing and not delivering. People told me on these boards for years that itineraries longer than 14 days had lecturers. Well in my experience, some have had lecturers, some have not. And some lecturers are good while others are terrible. I feel the same about classical music. While I am guardedly happy that it seems to be returning, I find it completely frustrating that I have no way of knowing whether there will be any classical music on MY cruise. I hope HAL does have classical music on this year's Europe itineraries. I am booked on the Rotterdam for 14 days in August. But I feel skeptical as the cruise can also be done in 7-day segments, meaning HAL will probably claim that they don't do classical on short cruises. Frustrating.

I can't stress enough that this is not the norm. I was there in late November for nearly a week. No problems at all with dust or allergies.

AFAIK the Spanish steps are the only 'famous' steps in Rome, except for possibly the "Scala Santa" -- the sacred stairs that are a draw for many religious visitors (info here). The Spanish steps are somewhat well located, but not quite as convenient as the area around the Pantheon for someone looking for a good general location. The nearby vicinity is one of the highest end shopping areas in Rome, with famous Italian (and other) designers like Gucci, Prada, Tod's, Versace and the like. (There are no bargains, FYI...) There are restaurants but not more than you'll find in the Pantheon area. The one "plus" for the Spanish steps area is the proximity of a metro line. That will get you to the Colosseum or Vatican with less walking, but not everyone is comfortable using it. One note of warning: Be sure you check any hotel description regarding location of nearby sites. Hotels are fond of saying things like "located only steps from the Pantheon" when in reality they are a 20-minute walk away.

Do you mean the Spanish steps?

Rome, Rome, Rome Both have interesting sites but there is much more to do in Rome. You can have a satisfying day in Athens but one day in Rome is just frustrating.

Is the main point of your travel to get to Sydney (or Tokyo)? Or is it the cruises themselves? Without knowing your full itineraries, number of sea days, other ports, etc. it is very hard to make any kind of recommendation. As for the two cities themselves (since that is your title question), I would vote for Tokyo over Sydney. Yes Sydney is a pretty city but it's in a country that, in many ways is not so strikingly different from the US. (English speaking, former British colony, Western traditions, etc. etc.) Whereas Tokyo is completely different. I find Japanese history fascinating. I enjoy the culture, food, traditions, art, architecture. But someone else (including the poster above) will have a completely different take. In the end you have to decide based on what interests you. If you could only ever get to one of them, which would you be more sorry to have missed?

I wanted to add my emphatic agreement with this. It's a starting point but can at best only give you an overview or suggestion to work from.

Neither Oceania nor Azamara require dressing for dinner beyond the normal for most cruise lines (e.g., no shorts, collared shirt, no beachwear). There are no "formal" evenings and jackets are not required. I haven't been on the other two, so can't answer for them. I believe Silversea is still a bit dressier in the evenings.

The trains don't strike "on a whim". Strikes are announced in advance and are posted on the official site. You just have to look them up. 🙄 I sure wish this trope could get retired. I have visited Italy every save save 2021. (I even managed to squeeze in a visit right before Italy closed down in early 2020....). I've always used the trains to get around and over more than 20 years I've yet to be impacted by a "wildcat" strike.

You sound like me. I lived for many years in a small cottage in a highly desirable location. Upstairs was a bathroom that in truth was no larger than the ones on the R-class ships. I used to tell people that I was the only person in the world to board a cruise ship, look in the bathroom, and say "My, how roomy!"