Longstockingpippi1

Hello

Please share your experiences parking at Ravenna cruise port.  
I know the trains in Italy are awesome, etc etc. I am specifically looking for those who have parked at the port. TIA 

Nadine

I am in the process of trying to purchase train tickets from Bologna to Ravenna for our cruise. I’m having a hard time. I read to contact Sala Blue to secure seats and make assistance arrangements. Just to get the assistance arrangements has required numerous emails, several in Italian. Nothing has been sent regarding seat reservations. Am I doing this wrong or expecting too much? At this point I’m wondering if they are deliberately difficult, or is it me. I have kept a respectable tone but maybe all my emails are too much for them 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️. Advice please on how to secure wheelchair seats, ty Nadine 

Had the saddest looking blandest grilled cheese from Johnny Rockets , never again😧😧. Thought about asking for my  money back but I just let it go, live and learn.👍👍

7 hours ago, seasagatravel said:

I should be able to experience everything. The maximum weight of 2 riders is 450. There is no reason why Royal, who makes billions, cannot create experiences for all guests to enjoy. I have never had to get on a scale with other cruise lines. 300 pound is not as much as 450, we can all agree on that .

 

I cruise with my disabled daughter who can’t do any of the things that RCL offers, she can’t even tender ashore. So by your logic RCL should make everything accessible for her, the water slides, the flowrider, special tenders, cause it’s all about me, me me. 
We find enjoyment in being on the ocean and spending time together, there is always something to us to do. 😊

On 5/31/2023 at 5:06 PM, dani negreanu said:

We were on a land vacation in Crete, and just took a regular boat to Spinalonga. The travel time was 5-7 mins.

 

We bought the tickets on the dock.

I did the same, had a blast. I was solo so when they let us swim in the bay I didn’t stay in the water long, I was worried about my swimming ability. 

On 7/18/2023 at 5:20 AM, Kezzie62 said:

When doing a B2B on turn around day its sad to see the cleaning staff with bags of ducks putting them in the trash. 

Hoping none of them find their way into the ocean😧😧.

There are several, but how accurate and updated are they? Anyone have a recommendation? Want to check out ship’s scheduled to dock during my next cruise, ty . 

Food thing this is a RC board then. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

13 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Yes, I hang towels and re-use them at home, BUT consider:

 

- At home we have two good-sized bathrooms with towel bars that allow the towel to spread out /dry out for real; whereas, on a ship our family's towels hang crowded together on hooks on a fairly small door.  

- At home my husband and I share one bathroom, while our daughter has her own bathroom; in contrast, on a ship we're all sharing in one small bathroom, which means more towels and more humidity to keep them damp.  

- This is all compounded by the fact that on a ship we often get hot and sweaty and take more showers.  

 

No, towel usage at home vs. on a ship doesn't compare apples-to-apples.  I don't apologize for using more towels onboard than I do at home -- and it's not about being snotty or difficult to please.  It's about reality of ship bathrooms and how slowly towels dry in them.  

 

 

True, things dry very slowly . 

53 minutes ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

There was a group of about six adults in the hot tub inside the solarium on the Explorer last year.  They had an unhappy infant in there with them, and laughed every time she/he screamed.  We gathered up our things to leave and by the time we passed the hot tub, the baby was gone and there were two people from Security talking to the remaining adults in the group. 
 

Off-topic:  That was the cruise we saw Security in action four times. Some people next to us were kicked off the island when two large groups (15-20 each) clashed on Labadee.  They visited the cabin next door to us with two very minor children (approximately 5 and 9 years old) who were screaming and jumping against the walls from one bed to the other after 11 p.m., while their parents enjoyed their own cabin 6-8 cabins down the hall. And there was a chair sitting outside another cabin for a Security member the last 36 hours of the cruise. 

Sounds like a Carnival cruise 😧😧

I love the Solarium and have never seen kids in it, I would definitely speak up, can’t adults have one place sans kids? I travel with my special needs daughter ( 38 years old) so I don’t often get to use the pool/ tubs but when I do I just park her wheelchair in the shade and hop in for a few minutes. 

A recent cruise compass from May posted on RCL blog website lists hours for the saunas and steam rooms on deck 11. I thought those were removed recently, can anyone confirm or deny? TIA. 

12 minutes ago, poocher said:

Deck plans can be deceiving.  If you do a mock booking for 2 then for 4, does the sq ft change?

Hi Enfield 👋🏻👋🏻looks like summer is finally here 🤣🤣. AC is on here. 
The website cruisedeckplans.com has pictures of all the ships and all the cabin categories. The pictures show a big difference. 

Check out cruise deck plans, looks like quite a big difference 🤗. 

Thanks for the helpful replies 👍👍.

29 minutes ago, little britain said:

Lengthy recent review here.. 

Yes, several of us were following her but she stopped posting before the cruise ended. She never finished her trip report. We don’t know if an illness struck or what 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️. I had been talking with her, she was very helpful. 

24 minutes ago, Milhouse said:

FWIW, Celebrity also offered a coach transfer from the port to Bologna train station for $34.95 and to Bologna airport for $44.95.

Gives me hope 👍

Hello Explorer cruisers I am looking for a recent or future ( for those of you yet to sail) disembark luggage tags information sheet. I am enclosing an old one as an example of what I am referring to. 
By looking at a more recent copy I will be able to confirm/ deny the existence of a Bologna train station shuttle. RcL says there is one but I am doubtful because 1. Not one person has mentioned it and 2. Despite my inquiries to others not one person has responded. 🤷‍♀️

Hoping on CC someone can enlighten me, this information will help my plans as I am traveling with a wheelchair dependent daughter and my plans need to be precise. TIA

32 minutes ago, Milhouse said:

Assuming the question is re: going from the port (Porto Corsini) to Ravenna train station:

FWIW, we just got off the "Celebrity shuttle" this morning which is obviously run by a contractor.  I'm assuming it would be similar for RCL(??).  We booked the last 9:30am shuttle and it left at 9:30am on time.  They called our tag number around 9:10am. Need to find luggage.  There's a risk you get stopped by Italian customs who were roaming included a sniffer dog and a check point but I'm guessing it's unlikely.  We walked right through. 

There's obviously a risk that the bus needs to wait for stragglers.  Our bus only took just over 10mins to go from the port to Ravenna station (whereas it took closer to 15min the other way).  Note, our shuttle dropped us off in a parking lot on the back side of Ravenna train station so there's a short 2min walk to the stairs/elevator that leads you to the platforms.  Had to wait for our luggage to be pulled from the belly of the coach bus as there were a number of cruisers taking this transfer.  There was a bit of a line for the elevator which only can handle 2-3 people at a time with luggage.  There aren't many stairs though; two flights.  

It's a small station so unlikely to get significantly lost/disorientated.  If you need to buy train tickets, the machines are to the left around the corner of the ticket window.  No line for the machines, they had an English option, and they took cash and card.  Slight line for the ticket windows.  We held off buying our tix to Bologna until at Ravenna since the route is an hourly (at x:45 intervals) commuter train so little risk of not getting on.  We didn't risk for the 9:45am train but just waited a bit for 10:45am train in the cafe/McDonalds seating in the train station.  Needed to remember to validate our tix.  Platform for our train was was relatively easily identifiable from the screens.  The train left on time at 10:45am.

 

I think a 9:15am shuttle for a 9:45am train in Ravenna is possible but I wouldn't consider it plenty of time.  Hope the description of my transfer gives you ideas where the potential choke points are if that's the direction you are going.

 

Great rundown, exacly the reason I’ve been hounding cruise critic and social media sailing groups to confirm or deny the existence of a port to Bologna train station shuttle. RCL says there is but can only be booked on the ship. I’ve yet to see it mentioned on any of the threads I’ve scoured so I am doubtful of its existence. My daughter is in a wheelchair and would be very helpful to just take the shuttle to Bologna, but all people wanna talk about is hiding/ finding ducks 😣😣. 
 

Supposedly the hop on hop off are wheelchair accessible ( they claim). Could you tell? Again ty😆

When is the cruise, did you purchase cfar insurance? 

My intention in telling you to go to guest services was not to raise hell but to say to them “ Hey guess what happened, I got this letter…. Yada yada…..Do you happen to have any upgrades available?” You have a good conversation starter 😀😀

Thanks for the review, sailing in October, can’t wait. That tender looks wheelchair accessible or maybe it’s my wishful thinking. My daughter is in a wheelchair. 

When you board, board early and go to guest services ASAP. 

On 6/1/2023 at 11:45 AM, sanders said:

Thx everyone… related question…. Do suites have more privacy? Much more expensive the the regular cabins? Accessible?

They do have accessible suites but not enough privacy for two families traveling in one room. Unless it is a two bedroom and you should always look for pictures on the internet.