Alatraveler1

Any butler is better than no butler at all!

13 hours ago, LoveThatCorgi said:

Our Med cruise in 2022 visited both Corfu and Katakolon.  We enjoyed both!  In Katakolon, we wanted to visit Olympia and the archeological site.  We chose The Olympia Project semi-private tour with Niki Olympic Tours.  The included lunch was so good!!!

That is what we are doing on our stop as of now, have read nothing but glowing reports about this tour.  The have also been almost immediate in responding to my questions.

Yours is not the only ship to drop Corfu for Katakalon, I think it's the third I know of.

Heard May 29 sailing EPIC now has Corfu replaced with Katakolon.  Same multi-reason verbage in email as is standard.  Shore Excursions are not yet available to book for the new port.

I like the change.  I would caution however though that in comparing prices of several cruises when I change the number of passengers, forcing you to select cabin type again, sometimes the taxes, port fees, etc. are no longer included.  If you go straight through with the default two passengers it seems to work fine for me, but when adding additional passengers it goes back to presenting a price that is not inclusive of those taxes/fees.

Thanks Marazul!  The website from the news article goes to the Ministry of Transport, a government agency at https://scioperi.mit.gov.it/mit2/public/scioperi.  Sorry I forgot to add the website at first.

While I'm not sure all encompassing, and additional actions may happen without much advance notice, this Italy MIT website lists scheduled transit strikes.  They are listed as national, regional or local and give dates and times of strikes.  Also indicated is the mode(s) of transport affected.  Again, while not an absolute list of all strikes that may happen during a visit, it might be useful to know those scheduled in advance to help in planning your visits to Rome.  I'm hopeful cruisemom42 will post here with her wealth of knowledge of how useful this site is and any other information that might help when dealing with strikes (sciopero). 

I saw this issue on our cruise but only when we had a tour booked in a port would it just show us that one tour.  Called and was told since it was a full day tour that I had booked the system would not show me tours that would conflict with it.  Hence, only showing me the one tour I had booked.

Just a curious question, but I've heard about that if you miss the ship they leave your luggage at that port. However, I've watched from the balcony as people missed the ship and we sailed away.  We never returned to the port to drop off their luggage though if so they could just get on the ship then.   So I've always wondered how does it get from the cabin to the port after the ship has left?  

Keith Jenner gave you great advice.  Base on my reading of your post, the only thing that you might wish is more than the two included dinners with FAS.  Depending on how many more, adding them "a la carte" might be less expensive than the FAS+ upgrade charge.  Do the math to be sure.  NCL and Celebrity are our favorite lines and lately other than one Alaska cruise, NCL has given us the better value for our cruising dollars.

She offers a guided tour with a separate driver which is great and I'll contact them for an estimate.  I'd also be interested in just a driver that can take us to those sites for a set rate or even a per hour fee without providing guide services.

43 minutes ago, marazul said:

https://guidedtoursmalta.com/

Thanks marazul, had looked at their set tours and they weren't what we were looking for.  I'll contact them about a custom tour.  Hope others post so we'll have options that best suit us.  It's difficult to get an affordable custom tour.

Any recommendations for a customizable tour driver/guide/company in Valletta?  We are looking for a 4-6 hour tour in the afternoon (around or after 2pm) that would go to the following:

• Hagar Qim and Mnajdra - tour of prehistoric sites
• Mdina - walk about the old city
• Marsaxlokk - Quick visit for harbor walk

This would allow us to use the rest of the time to go before or after the tour for short visits to Valletta sites of St. John's Co-Cathedral, perhaps the Archeological Museum and take the Barrakka Lift back to port.

Any help appreciated.😀 

Very strange regarding the Epic.  Hopefully it's just a glitch like what happened a couple of weeks ago when many excursions disappeared and then came back later.

Love that so much is within walking distance of other sites.  It makes it easier to fill a day but not try to pack too much in that you can't slow down and appreciate each one.

32 minutes ago, FPMoosally said:

 

Considering your statement read, "meal quality good but not marginally better than MDR", I understand your position. However, if I had to guess, I would say about 98% of people would disagree with you.

 

9 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

I know I disagree with the OP.  We’re Platinum and Sapphire.  The only time we’ve declined the meal package is on a seven night cruise when we are booked in the Haven.  We didn’t see a reason to pay for two more specialty dinners when we already get two with our status.  It would leave just three nights to enjoy the enjoy the Haven Restaurant.  When we’re not in the Haven, taking the FAS dinners is a no brainer.

Then consider me one of the two percent.  Thank you for your opposing viewpoints which I appreciate and accept.  However, please accept the viewpoint of someone who differs from you, nothing more nothing less.

idocdlw,  again a great idea for a positive only thread.  Believe me, I'm experiencing some posters who will vilify you if absolutely everything you say about NCL isn't outstandingly positive.  It's one of my favorite cruise lines and I always have a great time, but sometimes things happen and you want others to just be prepared.  99.9% of cruises are much better than a day at work so chances are we will have a great time!

14 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

It is one of the best deals NCL has. 

Actually, included dining should be the best deal, but I'm sure you disagree and that's ok too.

15 hours ago, EngrJones said:

Yeah, I don't get it either.  Just make some placeholder reservations and cancel/adjust as things play out.  I don't understand how a 5:30 reservation will interfere with "spontaneous."  What else is going to come along at that time to make you want to defer dinner?

If I make placeholder reservations, I feel as though I may prevent someone who prioritizes specialty dining from being able to get that time slot if I might cancel it late.

17 hours ago, FPMoosally said:

 

I understand. You don't like specialty dining regardless of the gratuity. I guess that's what I can't wrap my head around.

 

I've not had even remotely similar experiences as yours, on any level. Never a conflict about was or was not allowed, never slower than the MDR, only one bad meal, one time. And walked in without reservations on many occasions, if we weren't particular about the venue.

 

Just lucky, I guess.

 

 

Yep I guess, just lucky.  Our experiences and preferences just happen to be different.

16 minutes ago, FPMoosally said:

 

You seriously turned down 4 free specialty meals for the cost of the gratuity? I can't wrap my head around that.

 

Not due to gratuity.  Some of our specialty restaurant experiences have been excellent and some less than stellar, arguments/confusion/conflict among staff over what was and was not allowed with FAS, extremely slow service, meal quality good but not marginally better than MDR, etc.  But mainly as I stated "We also tend to prefer to be more spontaneous with dining times and reserving dining times interferes with that."

9 hours ago, Laszlo said:

I've been to Bar Harbor a half dozen times during the spring summer and fall. Lots of non cruise tourist there, I don't think they are too worried about the loss

Perhaps, and only having been there a couple of times, it seemed overcrowded (and not just due to cruisers).  We are bigger fans of Boothbay and other locales.  Maybe that is what it will take for this to stop, other nearby communities welcoming cruisers and their dollars.   Even though they may be fewer dollars it would be more than from land tourists they are not currently getting anyway.

Check out IQ Hotel Roma, great reviews on ********, walking distance to sites and Roma Termini Train Station.  More modern, but varied room sized for different family sizes.

We turned down the specialty dining this cruise as part of FAS.  I guess we've been spoiled by great service in the MDRs on the past two cruises.  We also tend to prefer to be more spontaneous with dining times and reserving dining times interferes with that.

Thank you for the indepth review.  Hope your trip home is uneventful and according to plan.  I know you've given me some things to both pay attention to and look forward to.  Hopefully our first foray into a new cabin class will improve even more on what have been enjoyable and worthwhile cruises in the past.