martyap

And this seating oddity in not only on the 4:40 pm Delta JFK > FCO on May 8…..ditto on other early May dates…..same flight time

I agree.......just curious of the seats taken this far out

MY MISTAKE IT IS THE MID AFTERNOON FLIGHT FROM JFK ARRIVING FCO *EARLY MORNING* When Delta holds back seats I believe they mark them with an X. This is quite strange…..nobody from this fictional group wanted to sit near a window? And…..they all appeared overnight together

We need a non stop early morning flight JFK > FCO on May 8, 2024. When I look at the available seats I see something I have not seen before. On both the right and left sides, rows AB and HJ almost every aisle seat is occupied in Main and Economy…NO WINDOW SEATS….ONLY AISLE SEATS are occupied. Also on May 6th. Seems very strange. ?

This is all pre cruise and we have been to Rome four times before both as a port and for several days. I know we will still find lots to do so Florence will be fine for now as an easy day trip. Thanks

Thanks again……what other day trips from Rome should we consider? We enjoy them a great deal. We were just in London and went to York; Paris to Reims; Brussels to Brugge, Ghent. Trains are amazing and easy to use.

Thanks…basic info and exactly what I thought. Just returned from London>Paris>Brussels with lots and lots of trains. Italy sounds in sync…….much appreciated. Already registered with Trenitalia on their app.

We are staying in Rome pre cruise for 7 days and would like to take a day trip to Florence. We know it would be a long day which is ok. Is it best to buy train tickets in advance? Are standard tickets fine or consider any of the upgrades? Do all tickets assign seats? Is Termini difficult to navigate? There is a bus on via Torre Argentina to Termini but we are sure we have to leave lots of extra time to get there and locate the platform. Thank you for any advice and suggestions.

Thanks……we basically use the room to sleep and shower. Would probably rather spend the €1000 on dinner, wine, specialty tours etc. I know we plan to do a day trip to Florence one day and possibly one other. it was too complicated to split our time in Florence/Tuscany and Rome without renting a car which we did not want to do. For us if Senato could at least offer some assurance of a room with a separate shower rather than a tub/shower combo that requires gymnastics skills it would help deciding. I will eventually email or call.

Never heard from them and sent a bunch of emails. I made a reservation at the hotel Smeraldo, annex, 19sq.m., 7 days for €1996 w/breakfast and more important a separate shower which we prefer. My question for Senato was the size difference between their Superior Double vs. Junior Suite AND if any Junior Suite rooms have a separate shower. Last night I noticed that our May 2024 dates opened and the Junior Suite was not even available……..so I booked the Superior Double with the shower request, same 7 days, same breakfast but €1000 higher than the Smeraldo. Don’t even know the average size of the Senato rooms. Would not mind for 2 days but we are staying a week. Is the del Senato worth the extra€€€???? TBD Won’t finalize hotel until I book air in about three weeks Thanks for following up.

Nothing at all from them……I’ll try again mid week. We are way ahead of ourselves our cruise is May 2024. Just returned from London/York>Paris/Reims>Brussels/Brugge with lots and lots of trains, metro, tube, buses……..We had this cruise booked a while and figured a week in Rome + a week cruise would be less hectic. I’m sure I will connect with Albergo del Senato. in the meantime Smeraldo gets very positive remarks………Thank you!

“We've stayed at Albergo del Senato three times over the years...in a Superior Double Room each time. The first two times we had excellent accommodations; however, last fall our room was the smallest room we have ever had in Europe...or anywhere. There was just enough room for our bed and open luggage had to be slid under the bed so we could walk by. There were a couple of other issues that prompted us to look elsewhere which is how we ended booking six nights at Hotel Smeraldo is a Family Suite Town House this fall.“ Still have not received a response from Albergo del Senato. From what I remember our last room was on the small size……they all vary greatly. Their rates for next May are not yet posted so I will compare when they are. They don’t even indicate room sizes on their website. I booked the Hotel Smeraldo……reviews are really good and rates were ok. In order to get a little larger room 19sq,m. we took a room in their ANNEX across the street. Have not read any negatives other than breakfast is served in the main building. Another plus for us is a walk in shower…..not a fan of hurdling tub/shower combos.

I agree…..but 3 days…..3 no replies

We usually stay at Albergo del Senato but we got a good rate at Smeraldo and the room is 19msq Will check out Senato rates when they open. Must admit communication with Smeraldo was 5* and Senato zero after three email attempts. Plus we have been to Rome several times so looking at the Pantheon is no biggie

We are spending 7 days in Rome pre cruise……probably a day trip to Florence and one other. Is there a location near the airport where we could walk around, have lunch/dinner and then catch an early taxi the next morning to FCO? I agree the hotels in Civitavecchia don’t look appealing. If not we will just book the 1:50 flight the day we disembark at the higher fare. Thank you

Right now the airfare to book the 1:50pm flight to JFK vs the 9:45am flight the next morning is +$600 for the two of us. Should we consider staying in Civitavecchia one night? Would have to also book a very early transfer to FCO. Any recommendations for Civitavecchia? Thanks

Hotel Smeraldo? The reviews are positive and we booked for next May. They have a main building and an annex directly across the street. The room availability in the main was a 15sq m.w/ balcony and in the annex a premium 19sq m. room. We are staying 7 days so we went with the larger room. Similar pricing. Any concerns with the annex? Thanks

Thanks for the great ideas. More interested in countryside than beach and this will be early May, not summer. We have been to La Spezia, Porto Venere and Cinque Terre but not to stay over and the day crowds are far from appealing. Lucca is an option so will look at that. Another option is to base in Rome and do a few day trips to Florence, Ovieto, etc. Lots of research to do. I have driven in Europe many years ago when we went with friends…….this trip is just the two of us and would feel better with public transportation. Happy Holidays

Any suggestions of where to spend pre or post other than Rome. We have been to Rome a number of times. Possibly 4-5 days. Was thinking of possibly Milan/Lake Como via train and then fly back to JFK from Milan. That might be a little far. I know there are destinations that we could reach if we rented a car in Civitavecchia but not sure if that’s in my wheelhouse…..have not driven in Europe in many years. This is for May 2024 so plenty of time to decide. thank you and happy holidays

This is very far in advance for the 9/15/23 Odyssey. We are in Naples from 8am to 6pm on a Saturday. We have been to Pompeii and Herculaneum and have no desire to return. Also, this itinerary will be stopping in Ephesus and Athens so that will be sufficient for ruins.One in our party uses a walking stick because of slight mobility issues, so that is a consideration. We have spent time on the Amalfi Coast but would consider visiting Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento w/lunch and hiring a private tour/driver. Or should we consider just spending the day in Sorrento? Is taking the ferry from the port an easy option? I’m guessing Saturday might be problematic so any suggestions would really be helpful. Although we have ported in Naples many times, we have never actually explored Naples…..an option? thank you!

Thanks……helpful information. Not going until September 2023

Has been a few years. Booked a 9 day Greek Isles on the Odyssey. Day 3 and day 9 (last day) are sea days. Most other days we are in port until 6pm or 7pm except day 8 when we are in Crete only until 3pm. Any idea what the formal nights would be? We usually do not book specialty restaurants. I see we can book/reserve the Solarium Bistro for dinner. In the past I remember eating in the Solarium but don’t remember reserving it. How is it compared to the main dining room? We have my time dining so this would give us the option of a specific time on 1-2 days if it is worth it. Thanks

Found some basic info that is useful https://paulandcarolelovetotravel.com/chania-crete-cruise-port-information/

We are porting off the Odyssey of the Seas from 7am to 3pm. Just starting to do research as this is for September, 2023. I’m guessing from the itinerary I just received that we “dock” by Souda Bay which I believe is a short distance from the town of Chania. Do most ships dock or tender? Is this an easy DIY port? Shuttle bus to Chania? Any help or advice would be appreciated……thanks