Lewisinde

1 hour ago, jagoffee said:

Your booking is a cruise only booking without the AI?  It does include WiFi or the regular crew gratuities?

Was a cruise only booking. TA threw in the WiFi and drink package. 

Thanks so much!

3 minutes ago, thebutlerdidit said:

I don’t believe Celebrity would sell anyone a beverage package without including the gratuities charge, whether to an agency or a passenger, so I don’t think you’ll see any charges out of your own pocket. Enjoy! 

Actually, I believe that when passengers purchase the drink packages from Celebrity, they will find the 20% gratuity added to their bill.

We were given a free promotional Classic Drink Package by our travel agent for upcoming cruise on the Infinity. It does not appear online but our agent told us that the cruise line is aware of it. Will the cruise charge us 20% gratuity on the value on the entire packages, or 20% on just the drinks we order, or do we just tip them as we care to? 

We are in good shape and do a lot of hiking. The following itinerary is not good for those of you who don't want to do some moderate hiking, but for those of you who do, it will provide a great experience. Our cruise ship stopped in La Spezia in October, 2017. We left the ship EARLY in the morning. We bought the all day 16 euro train pass once we were inside the port terminal (there was a special ticket desk). The ticket provides free wifi at the stations but still have some spare euros and change if you want to use the toilet to pay the attendant.  At the street outside the port we caught a taxi (about 15 euros) to the train station and inside we caught the Cinque Terre train. These trains come quite often, sometimes every 10-20 minutes and the towns are only a few minutes apart by train. Fortuitously, we accidently skipped the first stop and ended up at the second stop, Manarola and walked down to the harbor. That's where the famous beautiful view of the colorful houses are. We arrived early before the crowds so we could get some good photos, selfies, etc before the masses arrived. It was pretty early and despite that a buses tourists had already started arriving, so we were glad that we went there first. We then took the train backwards to Riomaggiore and walked around the town. Its very interesting to walk around. Then off by train to Corniglia. Corniglia does not have a harbor and is situated on a hill so from the station you will need to walk up 385 steps (not steep at all but not recommended if you are not in decentshape). We walked around Corniglia and enjoyed a great lunch and some gelato. Feeling refreshed, we then hiked the coastal path for 1.75 miles  (90 minutes) from Corniglia to Vernazza. What a beautiful hike, with coastal views, olive orchards, and a stunning bird's-eye view of Vernazza as you descend to it. There were some inclines and declines on the path but overall not too bad. There is a restaurant/bar half way to stop for refreshments. After visiting Vernazza, we decided that we had a long day and took the train back to La Spezia and a taxi to the port. We still had the time but we did not visit Monterrosso al Mare and still made it back early enough to relax and prepare for an early dinner. Please remember that we did this in mid-October when the crowds have thinned and the temperature was cooler. It did get a little warm on the trail for that time a year and we wished we had dressed lighter.  I would still recommend bringing lots of water and snacks. Watch your belongings on the train as there is a history of pick-pockets, especially during the busy tourist season.

We had a one day port stop in La Spezia in October and decided not to go to Florence because of the long 2 hour drive each way. Once you get there, there are are long lines unless tickets are purchased online ahead of time. If you go to Pisa, there is a walk from the train station. If you go to Pisa, climbing the tower is really the treat. You will most likely need to buy the entrance online ahead of time so timing is important and hard to get perfect so plan on waiting. We decided insteadto spend the day at Cinque Terra. Warning...this place is not for those that have difficulty walking stairs or inclines!!! Taking a guided tour of Cinque Terra is really not necessary. The guide will just take you by train, something you can easily do by yourself. The towns are small and it’s hard to get lost. It’s easy to do Cinque Terre on your own from La Spezia if you are able to walk a lot. We left the ship fairly early in the morning to avoid the crowds at the first town. We bought our 16€ CT one day train cards inside the building tht we exited at the port. There was a lady at a counter selling them. We then walked to the street and caught a 15 min. taxi to the Centrale train station and then the CT train to visit Manarola first (2nd stop). Don’t forget to stamp your card right before getting on the train for the first time. There are signs telling you to beware of pickpockets. We didn’t see any but it can happen on a busy summer afternoon so watch those wallets and purses. The trains go both ways frequently but can be busy in the summer, especially as you approach afternoon time. Your train cards will have a code for free WiFi at the stations. I still remember needing coins for the bathroom attendants. We went to Manarola first since it has the most beautiful view from the harbor (colored houses) and we wanted to beat the crowds. After walking around Manarola, we took the train back to Riomaggiore for a visit and then onward to Corniglia. Corniglia does not have a harbor and is situated on a hill, so from the station at Corniglia, we walked up 385 steps (not steep) to the town. Corniglia is not as scenic as the first two towns but it’s the start of a beautiful hike. After a wonderful lunch and gelato stop in Corniglia, we hiked the coastal path for 1.75 miles (90 minutes) from Corniglia to Vernazza. It’s a beautiful walk but bring plenty of water as it can get hot in the summer. There is a restaurant/bar half-way in between to buy refreshments. This hike provides beautiful views of the sea, walks among the olive trees, and a great aerial view of Vernazza as you approach it on the hike. The path was mostly level but there were some inclines and stairs to go up and down. After visiting Vernazza we took the CT train back to La Spezia station and then a taxi back to the port early enough for dinner. 

We should all be aware how harmful cruise ships are to the environment. A lot of fuel used, human waste dumped both in the oceans and at every port, masses of people descending on each port each day creating more litter and waste. That’s on top of all the wasted food. Thicker towels mean more laundry detergent and waste water dumped in the ocean and at the ports. And if you don’t think some of that doesn’t end up in the ocean, you are naive.

Most cruise lines are economizing due to increased competition and more cruisers. The price of drink packages are going up, the quality of drinks are going down. The specialty restaurant prices going up, the quality of food in the dining rooms are going down. The quality of entertainment is not as good as before. Casual dress is now acceptable on formal nights. Where did the dessert and chocolate venues go? It’s one extra for this and extra for that. If X is becoming RCCL, is RCCL becoming Carnival? It’s all about that bottom line, no matter which class or cabin you are in. If you really need to go first class, look at Seabourne, Viking or Crystal.

We are on R.C.

Thanks for the update. Do you know if the tourist boats behind the outdoor market will be operating?

Thank you ch_. Not sure why they have to close the main downtown shopping area. It looks like it will impact our travel plans after all. I’m thinking that they may close the Old Market Hall and cancel the 90 minute tourist boat rides that start behind the outdoor market. We were planning visit the Market Hall and take a boat ride.

Been to all three. Vienna gets my vote. Lots to see, great coffee, deserts. Not so much in Frankfort.

No worries. It is not like they would be shutting down Helsinki so these two could meet. Although some of these stateheads demand that everything would be shut down and whole city blocks emptied of people and that there would be 10 000 policemen, Finland has never agreed to such nonsense. Most likely they'll meet 10-15km out to the countryside where the state owns some really nice estates.

 

Also, if there would be any disruptions like street closures it is not in our culture to keep them closed for nothing. They get closed for a few minutes and then everything gets back to normal.

 

So I would say there is zero chance that you would be impacted. You will still dock as planned, the shuttle will still take you to the same place and nothing (at least of interest) gets closed.

Thanks for your reassuring comments. Having never been to Finland, we are really looking forward to visiting Helsinki, the museums, Temppeliaukio Church, and the Sibelius Monument. Already disappointed that Uspenski Cathedral is closed on Mondays, didn't want to miss anything else.

We are scheduled to be in the port of Helsinki on July 16th. The news media is saying that this is the same day and city that Trump will be meeting with Putin. Will increased security and plenty of news media and others in Helsinki affect our ability to dock and to travel downtown and see the city?

Quick question

Do taxis take credit cards?

Yes. You need to reputable taxi companies...Taxi Stockholm, taxi kurir, or Taxi 020.

Our RC cruise ship will be docked in Riga from 11 am to 7 pm on a Friday. Due to the ship's size, we will not be at the dock closest to the old town, but rather at the KS terminal. This is a freight terminal about 12km from town. Supposedly, there is not much there including any taxis so I guess we will either take a ship excursion or taking the cruise ship shuttle bus to town and back. I would appreciate any suggestions on what to do, see, and where to eat in Riga.

The N. Europe and Baltic port reviews on Cruise Critic are back online...

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/shoreexcursions/

Maybe an attempt to generate more advertising revenue. In any case, very disappointing.

Yes, I think I’m looking in the right place. The Stockholm link gives cruise reviews, not port reviews. The “797 Tallin reviews” link only has 2 reviews, the “692 Helsinki” reviews link has just 2, and the “55 Riga reviews” link has 1 review. I tried both on my iPad and my laptop.

Last year, prior to our W. Mediterranean cruise, I was able to review numerous individual reviews of all our ports of call on the Cruise Critic website. There was a separate section for each place. This helped us to decide where to go and see and how to get there in in each port. I can’t many reviews of the Baltic ports of call. Where did they go?

I was on the getaway last summer NCL and I had tours in all of the cities except St. Petes. I could have done Stockholm and Tallinn on my own, Helsinki I went on a fabulous tour that I would recommend to anyone money well spent. I understand what others are saying about saving money for St. Petersburg, I have a Russian visa so I took the bus (40r from the port to the Hermitage) to get around and used a taxi app, and my Russian sim card. That was my cheap port, but as you can probably figure out I work in Russia, so I was not there on a once in a lifetime trip I could go back.

Whom was your Helsinki tour with?

You can buy Rick Steve’s book online from Amaz... very reasonably priced ($11) because it was published In October, 2015. The new edition won’t be available until this October. The book is huge..about 1 1/2 inches thick and covers 18 N. Ports with maps and itineraries. Will probably copy the pages that I need rather than carrying the book with me everywhere.

Thanks very much for the info. We are 4 adults with 3 large and 4 carry on pieces. I’m not sure that this will fit in a regular taxi. Maybe I will find another couple on our cruise to share the larger vehicle.

We are a family of 4 with lots of luggage who need to get from the Frihamnen port in Stockholm to Arlanda for our flight home after our cruise this summer. We don’t need to rush and it doesn’t look like our cruise ship will be selling a bus excursion to take us there. Any recommendations on a good, reasonably priced way to get us there? Will there be large vehicle taxis waiting at the port? Should we reserve one?:confused: