twruger

https://osanbashi.jp/locker/

I use Sea Scanner to find ship positions. 

1 hour ago, Tapi said:

I’m an airline pilot. Flying today is very different than it was just a month ago (which feels like it was a year ago). Today, most people flying are doing so for essential reasons, which is the main reason why airlines are still flying. 
 

There are no crowds. Airports and airplanes are very empty. No lines anywhere. Most businesses are closed, and there’s plenty of space to spread out and maintain “social distancing”. On the airplane, with very low load factors, it’s also easy to maintain distance. Recently, I’ve seen one passenger every 2 or 3 rows. Sarcastically speaking, we say that there’s no better place to social distance and isolate now than at the airport. 

 

As far as airplane cleanliness goes, we joke that the airplanes haven’t been this clean since the came out of the factory. Frequently throughout the day, the entire airplane is fogged with Matrix-3. Then a cleaning crew comes onboard, with Matrix-3 in spray form and they wipe every surface, seat, tray table, lavatories, etc. I’ve watched them in action, and they are doing a thorough job. And most passengers now, when they come onboard, they wipe their seat with their own wipes as well. Many are wearing masks and gloves. Passengers are in the most part solo travelers. Nobody seems to be traveling for leisure. 
 

 

Thanks for the background Tapi.  I would fly today if the need was there.  I've never been too concerned with airplane cleanliness as much as airports themselves.  It always seemed like the likelihood of picking up a germ was greater in the airport.

I look forward to somewhat of an "all clear" for cruising, as I think the early cruises may be some of the safest to be on.  Cruise lines should be hyper-vigilant about cleaning, and crowds will be low.  I would have to know that target ports are open though to buy any particular cruise.

This too shall pass.

3 hours ago, time4u2go said:

I hate to think what they call Ft. Worth area rapid transit. 😏

They call it... non-existent.

Cruise lines need to answer how they are going to keep their ships clean.  I believe one step would be a huge improvement... serve people at the buffets rather than having cruisers serve themselves with shared tongs.  Those are the grossest item on the ship, and elevator buttons probably a distant 2nd place.

1 hour ago, CrazyJess said:

Thank you Twruger for the info! Very useful. Do you have an idea how much time will we need in Aix? We will have 9 hour in the port of Marseille and plan to go to Aix. The question is – will we have enough time to visit one more town - Avignon or Cassis? Or may be Saint-Remy…. I hate to be in a rush but from another side it’s my only chance to see this region.

 

Thank you! Jess

 

No, sorry, haven't been to Aix myself... yet.  Just the Marseille port.  But I'm sure you have time to do more.  There are tours that hit Aix and Avignon in one day.

On 1/3/2020 at 9:08 PM, bonsai3s said:

 

roger b...please help...we want to DIY.

It will be our first time stopping in Palma.

How do we get from the cruise terminal to town?

Shuttle? Bus? or is it walking distance? Thank you.

Port to town:  Bus 1 to Stop #129 (Argentina sa Feixina)

Town to port: Bus 1 from Stop #1159 (P. Congressos, if leaving from east side of town), or Bus 1 from Stop #8 (es Jonquet, if leaving from west side of town)

1 minute ago, feenix said:

If we have 4 people, it seems cheaper to just take the uber all the way to aix than take it to the train station, right?  Supposed to be about 50 euros to aix.

You can set a pickup/dropoff location in the Uber app at any time to get an approximation of the rate, just DON'T actually click to reserve the car.  May want to do that around the proper time of day to match the time of day when you would be in port, since Uber likes to jack up the price anytime more than 1 person wants a car.  😠  It's all a balance of cost, flexibility, reliability, and risk!  But it sounds like an Uber for 4 might be pretty close to breaking even with the train option.

From Fira, it is walkable, but you're in for a small hike.  2.5km to port bus, or 5km to Terminal A, further if your ship is parked at a more distant terminal.  I would go to Plaça d'Espanya and take the Metro L3 to Drassanes, then 7-8 minute walk to cruise port bus on the peninsula by Hotel Eurostars Grand Marina.  Easiest option is just to cab it.  I believe the Port is simply "Port of Barcelona", but then there are multiple terminals (A, B, C, D, E) where your ship could be, and it might be difficult to ascertain in advance which terminal your ship will be at.  Of course, when going you just head to the port and look for your ship, so you don't really need to know the Terminal, though if using a taxi then a ship at further terminals would increase cost.

On 1/19/2020 at 8:01 PM, Retraitee said:

I would like to know, if We can take our luggage on  the Barcelona cruise port bus. Our hotel is on La Rambla and We would like to walk from the Columbus monument. We each have a large suitcase and  a small one.Thank you for all answers that would héla us.

You can definitely take your luggage on the cruise port bus.  The only purpose of that bus is taking passengers to/from the port, half which will be embarking/disembarking, and the other half on a port stop.  They have luggage racks.  I believe the cost was 3 Euro each way.  The bus goes between ship and the peninsula by the Teleferic tower next to Hotel Eurostars Grand Marina, which is about a 5 min walk from Columbus statue.  You could walk the same distance that the port bus travels, but you have to go across a bridge, which is inclined to allow ship traffic to flow underneath, and is at least 3km if you're coming from Port Terminal A.  If your ship is parked at another terminal further away, add on to that.  I wouldn't walk it with luggage, and we usually DIY and walk a LOT.  We saw people walking across that bridge, and they looked frustrated with their decision.  😄

In late Sept/early Oct, we cruised West Med and weather in Spain/France/Italy/Malta was just about perfect.  We would still sweat at times (its plenty humid), and also caught cool breezes.  I'm thinking your timeframe should be similar.

In case anyone considers Hotel Miramar... don't do it.  Worst hotel stay I've had in 20 years.  It appeared that bathroom had not been cleaned in weeks.  Towels were wet like they just hung up the previous guests' towels.  Vanity and toilet looked like they had not been touched once for a wipe down in some time.  Management incredibly rude.  Plenty of other issues too numerous to list.

If you only have the one afternoon/evening, just walk around to the major sites in the Gothic Quarter, or take the Teleferic to Castle Montjuic (starting with inclined railway from Parallel station).  The castle is not much to see in itself, but the views from there are amazing.

On 1/18/2020 at 1:40 PM, Mary Louise said:

Hi,

 

My husband and I are arriving two days prior to our cruise. We would like to do a 1/2 day tour of Barcelona the day that we arrive with a tour company. ( Skip the line) The following day we already have plans to go to Monserrat for a full day. Embarkation day we would still explore Barcelona but on our own.

 

Most 1/2 day tours are for the morning, but we would be looking to do an afternoon tour. Does anyone know of a tour company that does tours in the afternoon?

 

thank you 

 

ML

Barcelona is so easy to DIY, you don't really need a tour.  The Metro is super easy to navigate, and inexpensive.  You can get La Sagrada Familia timed tickets in advance on their website.

Port bus (3 euro) to Columbus statue area, then Metro L3 from Drassanes to Sants.  If your timing doesn't allow, take a taxi as others recommended.  There were plenty of taxis waiting when we disembarked, although we waited around and didn't leave ship until ~11.

We were in the Calanques Sept 28, and the weather was warm and beautiful.  I would think that April would be about the same.  We rented a car, drove to Cassis, and took kayaks from there (Port Miou) to Calanque d'En-Vau.  Search for "kayaking in Calanques" for more details on that.  I don't have any info on boats from Marseille though.

On 1/16/2020 at 12:05 PM, christieSF said:

We are a family of 4 with daughters who will be 11 and 15 when we are in Marseille at the end of July 2020.  We prefer to DIY whenever we can in ports and we are very active travelers.  We are in port in Marseille from 7:00 - 17:00.  We are having a hard time coming up with activities to do while we are there.  It will be our only French stop on this trip and the girls number one priority is croissants.  Hahahaha.  We love walking around towns, eating good food, and drinking wine!

 

The nearish towns that looks the best to us are Avignon, Aix-En-Provence, Arles, Gordes, and Lourmarin.  Obviously there is no scenario where we can do all of these towns, so we will limit it drastically.  If we stick with the bigger cities, we can do it by train.  However, if we wanted to get to the hill towns or wine areas, we would need to rent a car.   BTW, we came up with that list from a combo of Cruise Critic and this article:  https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/articles/the-10-most-beautiful-towns-in-provence/  If you think we're missing anywhere that would be better for our family, I'd love to hear it! 

 

I was wondering if anyone had experience with a one day DIY car trip from Marseille and how it went for you.  It'll be a Monday and I've been checking rush hour traffic which there is some, so we would have to account for that.

 

Thank you!

Last Sept we rented a car in Marseille and drove to Cassis for a few hours of kayaking in the Calanques.  If your girls would do that sort of thing, I highly recommend it.  Search for "kayaking Calanques" here and you should find the thread, and I have already given some feedback there about issues encountered.

I will reiterate here though, as it has gotten me and I've read dozens of other complaints... Hertz and Sixt all over Europe seem very sketchy and fraudulent, with random ongoing billing after-the-fact and fake claims of damage.  In Marseille, I rented from Alamo (near main train station in Marseille) and had a good experience.

1 hour ago, CrazyJess said:

What do you think about trains from Marseille to Aix? It’s only 12-15 min. 12,8 euro. Of course you still need to get from the port to the train station …. I’ve never been to Marseille. I'm just doing research on the internet

 

Thanks! Jess

If I was going to Aix, I would take the train.  You have these options to get to the train station...

1)  Uber (probably ~20-25 Euro)

2)  Taxi (seems there were 15 or so waiting when ship docked)

3)  Cruise-based shuttle - probably 15 Euro or so, picks up right at the ship

4)  Free shuttle - 1km walk to get there

We have an upcoming port stop in Marseille in July, and this time we opted for a ship excursion (MSC) to the lavender fields in Valensole. 🌼 😎

On 1/24/2020 at 11:00 AM, feenix said:

How convenient are the bus 50 drop off points to the ship and Aix town center?

At the port, the bus stops that I see are about twice the distance from the ship than the free cruise shuttle, at least 2-2.5km.  I don't see confirmation that Bus 50 stops there though.

3 hours ago, FiNiCheck said:

Is there any chance of having problems with tour tickets provided by the Best Guides? Has anybody heard about such a problem? I asked the company and they told me nobody had ever been stopped on the border because of tour tickets. I asked my cruise line and they advised me to book  through them.
I'm in two minds, which to choose. If there is a danger to be stopped, I'll cancel with Best Guides and book a tour from the ship.

 

The tour tickets/visas are garbage in/garbage out.  Give the proper info to the tour group, and double-check the tickets when you get them.  Ensure dates are correct, names are EXACTLY as on passport, with proper last/first order.  If not, they will correct them before you go.  Your sister's situation is apples/oranges, as she had to supply and validate all the info herself.  Don't overpay for an overcrowded cruiseline tour.

6 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

 

That is also what happened to us with Hertz.  Reserved at one price.  On pickup, the price had jumped.  On check-in, the price was higher again.  Then we got the sporadic random billings showing up for months later.  I won't ever  rent Hertz again in Europe.

What are good sights/itineraries off the beaten path to avoid the major Rome hotspot crowds?  We are  docking in Civitavecchia late June and travelling with a group of 7, ages 12-68.  Ok with DIY and trains.  Max 9 hour outing.  Avoiding throngs of people will be of more importance than seeing Coliseum, Vatican, Pantheon, etc.  

Suggestions?

In towns, the roads are very small.  You may want to get a smaller car than you are used to.  Finding parking may often be tricky, so use Google Maps and save Parking lot locations before you travel like you would any other destination.  We rented in Marseille port with Alamo/Enterprise, and had easy checkout/checkin for a drive to Cassis. 

I have read of many, many horror stories of fraudulent billing from both Hertz (experienced myself) and Sixt in Europe, so I won't rent from them at all.  They'll claim car damages weeks later, that either aren't real, or they just keep recollecting on the same damages repeatedly from drivers.  In my case, Hertz kept on sporadically billing me for months in random amounts, with zero communication or explanation.  Hertz in Europe is not the same as the US.  Just a thought of warning, you may want to consider any other company than those two.

Getting to Portofino on our own while docked in Genoa was pretty simple, and a great day out!  It was the easiest DIY day we had on West Med cruise.  Walk to Genova Piazza Principe station (~10 mins).  Train to Santa Margherita Ligure (~25 mins).  Bus 82 or ferry to Portofino (~15 mins).  Explore the town, walk up to Castello Brown (best views!), eat some lunch, tour the scuplture garden, take a lot of pics, and head back to the ship the same way.

The walk to the free shuttle was longer than we expected.  It was at least 1km, maybe a little further.  Not a problem if you're ready for it.  But when you get to the shuttle, you may wait another half hour until they fill it up, as they don't leave until full.  We were headed into central Marseilles to rent a car and drive to Cassis, but you could just as easily jump on a train at the central station to go to Aix or wherever.  After returning our car later in the day, we took an Uber back to port.  It was definitely faster than the walking and free shuttle, and we were starting to cut it close on time.

We will be back in Marseille port this June.  If we don't do an excursion, we'll likely just get an Uber both out and back to port.  If I recall, plenty of taxis were queued up when the ship docked.  The port is just too far from city center to make this any easier, and our ship was parked at the far end of the port.  It would be nice if they had a train station at the port.

1 hour ago, feenix said:

How did it go?  I would like to hear about your kayak day and any tips!

It was awesome!  We executed exactly as I described above.  On a ship of 4500 guests, I believe we were the only two people kayaking the Calanques.  We only came across about 10 other kayakers, but they all seemed like locals.  We were surprised by all of the jellyfish we saw in the Calanques.  The water is crystal clear and the weather was warm and perfect for late Sept.

We had some small snags to be aware of...

1)  Getting to rental car agency...  We walked to the free shuttle, which seemed like 1km.  After the free shuttle dropped us off at Joliette, we probably walked another 1km to get to rental car agency.  We actually enjoy plenty of walking, but I would probably just get an Uber to pick us up at the port if I did again to shorten that overall transit time.  We took an Uber after returning our rental car to ensure we got back to the ship on time.

2)  Very winding roads in Marseilles.  Almost immediately we missed a turn, and getting back to where we needed to be to get on the A50 and head east took probably 10 minutes due to the road layouts.

3)  Parking at Port Miou was disastrous.  The parking lot right where we needed to be is very small, maybe holds 40 cars and was full.  The area around there is all residential, with only street parking that was completely full.  We probably spent 30-45 minutes looking for parking, and almost made us give up and just head back to Marseille.  But we finally found a lot, about 10 minutes walk away.... Parking de la Presqu'île.  Not bad if you're already aware of where to find it.  It's on Google Maps.

4)  Finding our tour guide... We didn't get the best of instructions from Destination Calanques on where to meet them (partially they give poor info, partially language barrier), so probably searched for them almost an hour before finding the right guy.  They actually meet right at the water edge at the tip of Port Miou.

5)  So all those 4 items below put us behind schedule, but not far enough behind to miss anything.  Their other expected kayakers didn't show up at all, so it was just the two of us and one guide.  We spent about 3 hours on the water.

6)  As we were leaving Cassis and getting on the highway, we were immediately stopped by police.  An accident had just happened and they completely shut down the roadway entrance, and a helicopter was landing to take away the injured.  Not a good thing to have happen when you have 90 minutes to make it back to the ship!  We elected to go the opposite direction on the highway, hoping we could U-turn down the road and the closure was only the entrance ramp and the highway would still get through.  Fortunately that worked!  Arrived at the rental agency, checked in the car, had an Uber pick us up and take us to the ship, and we still had about 40 minutes to spare. That's closer than I like to cut it!  I haven't missed a ship yet, but is the thing I worry about the most.  We've cut it closer before in Nynashamn and Copenhagen.  :-)

Also, before kayaking, we drove to the hills on the coast above Cassis to the east for great views (Falaises de Cassis).  Definitely recommend that.  We are returning to Marseille by ship in early July this year, but we'll have a larger group with us (older and younger), so will likely either do an excursion to Les Baux, or one of the E-bike trips to the Calanques.  We're less risky on the DIY with a larger group.