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PurpleTraveller

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  1. SHIP: Infinity REVOLUTIONIZED: No CABIN #: 7002 DECK #: 7 CLASS: Deluxe Oceanview AREA: Forward BED NEAR: Middle of the cabin QUIET?: Yes and NO (See Comments) BALCONY VIEW: N/A as Oceanview but view through porthole forward and of part of the helipad BALCONY SIZE: N/A WIND A PROBLEM?: N/A SOOT A PROBLEM?: N/A PROBLEMS/COMMENTS: This Deluxe Oceanview cabin is large with lots of space. It has a couch, two tub chairs and a small coffee table. When we sailed in June 2024 the carpet was new. It is at the very front of the ship with the porthole facing forward and with a view of part of the helipad. The cabin was very quiet regarding foot traffic or hearing anything from the hallway or neighbouring cabins. However when docking or anchoring you do hear the ropes or anchor being deployed and there is vibration felt from the thrusters. This didn't worry us as we were usually awake but some may not like this noise and vibration. We would happily sail in this cabin again.
  2. We always self disembark including in Sydney with no problem. The only thing is that if you have large luggage you will not be allowed on the escalators to get to street level and have to use the lift which may have a bit of a line. If returning from overseas (New Zealand or Pacific Islands) you will also possibly have a bit of a line to hand in your Incoming Passenger Card so allow some time to get to your transfer to the airport. The last time we arrived in Sydney in December 2023 it took us about 20 minutes to get from the ship to street level and we were able to use the escalators.
  3. We originally had a tour to Sirince booked through Viator for our June cruise stop in Kusadasi as we had been there twice before. There were not any ship excursions going there. We ended up cancelling the tour as we went to Sirince during our land tour of Turkey before our cruise but it could be an option for you. We enjoyed our visit there. Sirince is a small town in the hills inland from Kusadasi. There are lots of shops, bars and restaurants and the back streets further away from the town centre are lovely. It was quite busy in the town centre but we spent a couple of hours there and it is not far from Kusadasi. When we were in Kusadasi during our cruise as we have been to Ephesus twice, we walked to Pigeon Island and saw the small fort and lighthouse, strolled along the waterfront and then into the back streets of Kusadasi behind the bazaar and saw some of the brightly coloured stairs and umbrellas in the bazaar area.
  4. Do you mean Kusadasi in Turkey? Rhodes is a lovely island in Greece and Rhodes Old City is a beautiful medieval walled city.
  5. I would choose the itinerary with Rhodes as it is one of my favourite Greek ports. Rhodes Old City is a beautiful mediaeval walled city with many gorgeous laneways to explore, lovely old buildings, lots of shops and restaurants, the site of the Colossus of Rhodes and all a short walk from the dock. Note that for Ephesus you actually dock in Kusadasi and must either take a ship excursion, private tour, taxi or some type of transport to Ephesus. I recommend a visit to Ephesus as the ruins are magnificent.
  6. I was on Royal Princess (Dec 2 to 15) last year and the Christmas decorations started going up on December 7. On Majestic Princess (Nov 24 to Dec 6) in 2018 the decorations started going up on December 3.
  7. Thank you so much for your information. We will be seeing them on the way back to the ship after the Ring of Brodgar (unless the order of where we visit changes) so this is very helpful. It will be great if we get weather as lovely as you did. Totally understand about the "Trains, Planes and Automobiles" as that is how we seem to travel. On our last trip I even had a hot air balloon to add to the mix! Thanks again and I look forward to the rest of your review. 😊
  8. I am thoroughly enjoying your review and wonderful photos. I will be in Kirkwall next year on a Princess cruise so the details of your tour are very helpful. We are taking a Princess excursion that stops at the Ring of Brodgar but not the Stones of Stenness but would like to see them if possible from the bus. What side of the bus were you sitting when you took the photo of the Stones of Stenness? Thank you. 😊
  9. A lot to think about here. Does your mother need to use a walking stick, a walker, a scooter or a wheelchair or can she walk by herself? This will be important when considering where to stay pre cruise and how to get to the port. How long are you wanting to have for a pre cruise stay? While Venice is wonderful it could be a challenge for your mother to get over the many bridges in the city. If you stayed right in the centre near St Mark's Square it may be easier for her as there are areas that are easier to get around but it still would be necessary for bridges to be crossed. Bologna may be easier for her and as Bologna is the closest airport to Ravenna it that may be a good option. I spent two nights in Bologna in July and it is a lovely city to visit and relatively flat and easy to get around. Unless your flights to Rome are a lot less expensive than flying to Venice or Bologna I wouldn't fly there as it is a lot further to get from Rome to Ravenna. Where is your cruise ending? If Rome you could do a post cruise stay there. I would probably not use the train to get to Ravenna. Having to look after your mother, your child and luggage when getting on and off a train and having to change trains if coming from Venice or Rome could be rather challenging. I would look at the RCI transfers or a private transfer. A private transfer would be the most comfortable and convenient but may cost more. While Ravenna doesn't have many taxis it is a lovely town and is flat and easy to get around. The sites are fairly close to each other and the mosaics are amazing to see. The town centre is fairly compact and there are plenty of options to eat and shop. You could stay a couple of nights in Bologna then transfer to Ravenna for a night to be close to the port and use the RCI transfers from Ravenna to the ship. The port is a 20 minute drive from Ravenna. When considering where to stay the city centre is always more convenient to see sites and for having meals. It is always good to be able to leave the hotel and be close to where you want to see, be close to restaurants and be able to go back to the hotel for a break or rest. I would consider transferring from the airport to a hotel in the city centre and then after your stay transferring either to Ravenna or the port. Some hotels in Italy may have a few steps to get into them from the street however most will have lifts. Rooms are generally more compact than you may be used to. Lots for you to consider and you will need to do a lot of research for your trip to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible. Possibly would be best to start with how long and where you think you would like to stay pre cruise and go from there. Good luck!
  10. Lovely to read your review. I have been to London many times but love to read about and see photos of other people's visits. Looking forward to your cruise review as I will be doing the British Isles and Iceland cruise in September 2025 which has a couple of ports that you visited. Thanks for taking the time to share your trip. 🛳️
  11. Well the good thing is that Ravenna train station is close to Ravenna city centre so it should only be a fairly short walk away from your hotel. I hope you have a great time in Ravenna (we loved Ravenna when we were there in July) and have a wonderful cruise. If you are interested I did a review of our Constellation cruise and post cruise stay in Ravenna. https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/topic/3019483-italy-and-croatia-on-celebrity-constellation-june-25-2024/#comments
  12. In that case you should contact your TA and let them know that you want the transfer that is included with your pre cruise hotel package from the airport to your hotel and from the hotel to the ship. Are you able to see the pre cruise package that you have purchased in your documentation from your TA or on your app? If you can that should show exactly what is included in the package. I understand that this is all a pain to deal with but it is worth persevering to get everything sorted out. Also it will all be worth it when you are on the cruise which will be wonderful. 🛳️
  13. Is the hotel that you are staying at in Ravenna booked through Celebrity as a pre cruise package? I have seen Celebrity pre cruise hotel packages to stay in Venice but don't know about Ravenna. If it is you should have the transfer from the airport to the hotel included. If it is a seperate hotel booking then a transfer is not included. Celebrity usually only do transfers on the day of the cruise and for their pre cruise packages from the airport to the Celebrity hotel and then from the Celebrity hotel to the ship.
  14. The Princess app just updated and I can now access everything in the app including excursions. 😊
  15. I've been having this error message on the app for more than a month when I go into anything including Dining, Packages, Excursions and Spa. I have uninstalled the app and reinstalled it a number of times. I have rung Princess numerous times and been told on different occasions - that I am the only person having this issue, - just uninstall the app and reinstall it to fix the problem and - two weeks ago that the issue with the app will be fixed in a day or two. Fortunately I can still use the website but I won't be holding my breath that the app will be fixed soon! 😊
  16. I personally would not spend half my port day going to and from Florence only to have a few hours there unless there is something you especially want to see. In June we had a wonderful day going to Lucca and Pisa from Livorno. Lucca is a lovely town and we had a fabulous time wandering the charming streets, walking along the wall, visiting churches, shopping, having a great pizza lunch and topped off by delicious gelato. At Pisa we did the obligatory photos at the Tower which was a bit of fun and enjoyed viewing the beautiful buildings. There is lots to see and do in Barcelona so you will need to research to see what interests you most. You can easily DIY in Barcelona depending on what you want to do. There is also lots to see and do, in and from Naples. Popular choices are Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri and the Amalfi Coast. You can also stay in Naples where there is plenty to do. Once again do your research to choose what interests you most as you can't do it all. Some you can DIY and others you may want a tour. Come back with more defined questions once you have worked out what you want to do in a port for advice and help in how to do it. Have fun planning! 😊
  17. Thank you for another wonderful review! I have thoroughly enjoyed following your and Charlotte's travels. Cruising in Greece is always a joy and you showcase this beautifully in your review. I look forward to reading your future cruising reviews. 🛳️
  18. SHIP: Constellation REVOLUTIONIZED: No CABIN #: 7002 DECK #: 7 CLASS: Deluxe Oceanview AREA: Forward BED NEAR: Middle of the cabin QUIET?: Yes and NO (See Comments) BALCONY VIEW: N/A as Oceanview but view through porthole forward and of part of the helipad BALCONY SIZE: N/A WIND A PROBLEM?: N/A SOOT A PROBLEM?: N/A PROBLEMS/COMMENTS: This Deluxe Oceanview cabin is large with lots of space. It has a small couch, two tub chairs and a small coffee table. It is at the very front of the ship with the porthole facing forward and with a view of part of the helipad. The cabin was very quiet regarding foot traffic or hearing anything from the hallway or neighbouring cabins. However when docking or anchoring you do hear the ropes or anchor being deployed and there is vibration felt from the thrusters. The vibration was sometimes for a very short time and at others it went on for what seemed a long time particularly when reversing into a berth. This didn't worry us as we were usually awake but some may not like this noise and vibration. We would happily sail in this cabin again. View from the porthole. View over the helipad.
  19. I can't really help with the arriving information but it may depend on how you are getting from Bologna Airport to the ship in Ravenna as to whether you have enough time. Are you using a Royal Caribbean transfer, private transfer or the train? Bologna is about 2 hours from Ravenna by road but longer if using the train. Arriving back in Ravenna you need to pre arrange transport back to Bologna Airport. On my Celebrity cruise in July there were Celebrity transfers directly from the port to Bologna Airport for flights after 12.00pm. Maybe Royal Caribbean has transfers that you can consider. Also even though our ship arrived at 5.30am the ship was not cleared until just before 7.00am for passengers to disembark.
  20. I like the first itinerary on the Nieuw Statendam better. Rhodes is one of my favourite Greek Island ports, Valletta is a great place to visit with a lovely sail in and out and after spending four days in Istanbul in July I have a new favourite city. Lots of fantastic places to see and experience at each port. You also get to spend time in two different cities at each end of the cruise.
  21. I found layers were good as it can be cool and rainy but I was rather warm after walking around. I wore a T'Shirt, fleecy, light weight rain/wind jacket and long pants. We did get one downpour during our two days at Machu Picchu so my rain jacket was very welcome. Good comfortable walking/hiking shoes are important as some of the site is uneven and there can be steps to climb. Hope you have a wonderful trip!
  22. Hope you have a wonderful cruise and thank you for bringing us along. I did the opposite itinerary (Rome to Ravenna) in June and had a fantastic cruise. Enjoy! 🛳️
  23. There is a section on the cruisedeckplans website that shows obstructed views for Princess ships that may give you an idea of the obstruction for some cabins. https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/ships/ov.php?ship=Majestic-Princess&cabins=E101-E230
  24. Included in the ticket for the boat from the Old Port to Oia is the bus to take you from the Ammoudi Port below Oia up to Oia and a bus from Oia to Fira. https://transfer-to-oia.gr/
  25. When in Rome near the Spanish Steps in June we saw a family group of four being asked for their passports by police. I do not know if there was a specific reason that they were asked but only heard the police asking for their passports. We walked past casually and did not linger as we didn't want to attract their attention as we did not have our passports with us. It was the first time that I had seen anyone being asked for their passports.
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