amusea

It seems that the glitch is just confined to my reservation. Others who are booked on this cruise still have their reservations so I will be checking with my TA since Celebrity can't find out any info for me.

Jay

Hi Michael,

My partner and I are also booked but for some reason this cruise is no longer listed in the Celebrity site nor is my reservation for which I have paid a deposit. Since I am in the process of booking hotels, etc. it is troubling. If you find out anything please post a reply. Thanks.

Jay in Tucson

For those of us that have contributed to this board and are not connected to Aquafest or one of the other groups onboard, it might be fun to find a place to meet on the day of sailing after the fire drill. On another Solstice ship our group decided to meet in the Ensemble Bar on Entertainment Deck 5. The reason was that this lounge is located aft by the specialty restaurants and Michael's Club. It is not a passage to some other lounges so it was very empty. It turned out to be a good idea and it was possible to talk without shouting over the PA system music. So I put this forward as a possible venue and welcome other ideas if people are interested in having a gathering.

 

Jay

Since I am leaving for Italy today I hope that someone will think about suggestions for a meeting place. My idea was posted a few months ago (see above) and nobody has commented since. I'll be checking this BB while in Florence and Rome to see if a decision has been made about a good place to meet after the fire drill on Dec. 1.

Jay

Nov. 30, 2012

General strike: air travel, rail support, sea transport to lesser islands, 24 hours.

Air travel and airport staff, 24 hours.

Rail travel 24 hours starting at 9 p.m. the 29th.

Sea connections with main islands 24 hours starting at 8 a.m. the 30th.

Alitalia, 24 hours.

Jay in Tucson

For anyone who is not aware of it, please read the last few pages of the roll call board which discusses the announced transit strike for November 30. It is basically being called by Alitalia airport employees but usually there are sympathy strikes, especially with train, bus and metro employees.

Hi Jay,

 

Would you allow me to copy your information to my cruise web site? I've been collecting useful travel information to keep and to provide to those that would be interested.

 

Thanks,

 

Monica

Monica,

Please feel free to copy my post. As of a few days ago it was still possible to buy the super economy tickets @ 9 Euros for second class travel which is very satisfactory on these reserved seat trains. Nobody should worry about finding their way to the port from the train station since there are quite a few people that have opted for the 12:10 train.

Jay

Hi everyone,

I booked seats on the 12:10 Frecciabianca train to Civitavecchia. Sadly, I seem to have lost out on the less expensive tickets, I paid almost $39 for the two seats. I'm in Coach 8, seats 1C & 1D.

 

 

Yikes. I can't imagine what happened. The regular second class fare is 14.50 Euros and the discount price today (Oct. 9) on the Trenitalia site is still 9 Euros per person. The only higher price is 20 Euros for first class but you are in the same car that we are. Perhaps Coach 8 is divided into two parts - one part first class and one part second class. Some coaches are divided like that. Anyhow, sorry you had to pay so much.

 

Jay

what train is everyone discussing? how do you book? thx.

Here is my post from a while ago with the details on the express train from Termini. It seems that we have all chosen the earlier train which leaves at 12:10. Since it is reserved seating it is best to order tickets over the internet. Just be aware that the "discount" price increases as the train fills up. However, I just checked and the super discount second class tickets are still 9 Euros. I don't know why someone seems to have paid a lot more but that was probably for first class.

The train is such an easy and inexpensive way to get to Civitavecchia if you are in the vicinity of Termini. The "regionale" local trains are slow, uncomfortable and have little room for luggage. But a few times a day there is a "Frecciabianca" train that runs between Roma Termini and Genova which stops at Civitavecchia. You have to reserve a seat but the trains are the former deluxe long distance intercity trains with comfortable reclining seats and lots of luggage space. These trains usually make only one or two stops between Roma and Civitavecchia. You can get a second class Super Economy ticket if you buy the ticket in advance on the Trenitalia site (super economy tickets are still available as of today). The link is http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...0080a3e90aRCRD. The price rises as more tickets are sold. Ours were nine Euros rather than the standard fourteen and a half Euros and our pre-allocated mandatory seat reservations which were included in the price were e-mailed to us along with our electronic train ticket. There are two Frecciabianca trains leaving Roma Termini that would get you to the ship in time for the cruise. If you are interested, here is the procedure:

Click on the above link which takes you to the English Trenitalia version. In the "From" box type in Roma (not Rome) Termini. In the "To" box type Civitavecchia. Indicate number of tickets and fill in the "hour" box with the number 12. The date of course will be 1-12-2012. Click on the lowest available fare box. This will pull up the complete list of trains around noon to Civitavecchia. There are two Frecciabianca trains that are available for getting to Civitavecchia in time for the cruise. The first is train #9786 which leaves at 12:10 and arrives at 12:51. The second train #9770 leaves at 13:29 and arrives at 14:07. Click on the train you prefer and the 9 euro per person economy fare if it is still available. The seat allocation is automatic when you purchase your ticket(s). Scroll down to the bottom and there is a box you can click which does not require registration. After completing each screen click on "complete". You will have to give your name and e-mail and you have to click on the box that indicates that you have read the rules and regulations. After completing the purchase with a credit card there will be an instantaneous message sent to your e-mail which has the ticket with electronic code printed on it. I used my credit card that has no foreign transaction fee but any major card will work.

I have used the Trenitalia site twice recently. Once for my tickets from Florence to Rome since I will be in Florence for a week before traveling to Rome and once again for Civitavecchia. Both worked perfectly.

At the station on the day of travel make sure you validate your ticket in the box before getting on the train or there could be a 50 Euro fine.

Jay

For those of us that have contributed to this board and are not connected to Aquafest or one of the other groups onboard, it might be fun to find a place to meet on the day of sailing after the fire drill. On another Solstice ship our group decided to meet in the Ensemble Bar on Entertainment Deck 5. The reason was that this lounge is located aft by the specialty restaurants and Michael's Club. It is not a passage to some other lounges so it was very empty. It turned out to be a good idea and it was possible to talk without shouting over the PA system music. So I put this forward as a possible venue and welcome other ideas if people are interested in having a gathering.

Jay

Hi Tim and Dale,

The train roster seems to be growing daily. JimmyNYC is also in Coach 1. I think that is the sleeper car:D:D. I guess we will have quite a caravan walking to the port. Luckily we never travel with any checked luggage. Just a rollaboard and flight bag each.

Jay

Hi everyone,

I booked seats on the 12:10 Frecciabianca train to Civitavecchia. Sadly, I seem to have lost out on the less expensive tickets, I paid almost $39 for the two seats. I'm in Coach 8, seats 1C & 1D. Someone else on this board is also in Coach 8, but right now I'm too lazy to look to see who it is. See you on the train ;)

 

From my research, I've got Simon Boccanegra playing at the Teatro Dell'Opera on 11/30, but I haven't found a way to book seats for anything beyond October. Anyone have any clues there?

 

I love the fact that, accidentally, the opera house is within walking distance of my hotel!

We are the guilty persons that have seats 11A and 11B in coach 8. The fact that the price has gone up means that the train is filling up. We have done the walk to the entrance of the port where the shuttle buses wait so just follow us (unless it is raining and we will all fight for the one taxi):(.

No sense trying to get tickets to Boccanegra at Rome Opera. They are not selling seats until November and then it is probably through a ticket agency. We will probably walk across the plaza on the 29th and just try to buy tix at the Box Office. That way you can choose your seats since the Rome Opera is in the classic horseshoe shape and many seats have partially obstructed views. Just use you best Italian.

Since it is the second performance with the second cast it should be easy to get tickets. Just use your best Italian. On the day of performance the seats are supposed to be 25% less but in Italy you never know. If that doesn't work there is also a reduced price for seniors and unfortunately I am in that category although my partner is not.

By the way, the Boccanegra performances are Tuesday the 27th (premiere), Thursday the 29th and Saturday Dec. 1.

Jay

I have posted this notice on the main roll call board also but here is the good news again:

Good news for those of you who are transferring in Frankfurt. The new Terminal A Plus will be opening next week. All flights from the USA will arrive in some part of Terminal A. No more tarmac debarkation and buses. Several new Business, Senator and First lounges are part of the new terminal.

Legal transfer times will be reduced from one hour to 45 minutes.

I am hoping that signage will also be much improved since that has always been a negative aspect of FRA.

Here is the announcement:

FRA/sp-rap> Frankfurt Airport’s (FRA) new Pier A-Plus – the 800 meter-long westward expansion of Terminal 1 – opened on schedule after about four years of construction. Flight operations begin on October 10 at the new pier, allowing Germany’s biggest hub to serve up to six million additional passengers per year – thus a total of approximately 65 million passengers per year. This €700 million terminal complex will be exclusively used by Deutsche Lufthansa AG and its Star Alliance partners. In particular, Pier A-Plus provides more docking positions for serving widebody aircraft like the Airbus A380 superjumbo and the Boeing B747 family.

Jay

We're taking the 12:10 train from Roma Termini to Civitavecchia on Saturday morning. It's about a 15 min walk to Civitavecchia town center from the train station. The port runs a free town-ship shuttle bus. Hope to see you at the IQ!

Jimmy,

We're in Coach 8 on the same express train. What car are you in????

Jay

ROMA OPERA Verdi's Simon Boccanegra (R Muti conducting) ... just announced for Wednesday, Nov 28. Anyone care to join us for a great musical night at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma ?:)

Just wondered how you are going about getting tickets. I think we are attending Turandot in Florence on the 28th but our tickets have been cancelled, refunded, the dates changed, etc. A usual Italian nightmare. After four days in Florence we will be traveling to Rome on the 29th so we might be interested. I don't think my partner will sit through two operas in two nights but he does like Muti - so maybe. I guess we can always run across the plaza if we want to leave the opera before Simon dies :) since our hotel is just opposite the opera house across the plaza. Because it is the premiere the tickets are more expensive but perhaps upstairs would be a consideration. Please let me know where you are planning to sit and if you are buying your tickets online or through a hotel concierge.

Jay in Tucson

I can't find a paper clip symbol.

Within the G&L Roll Call list just look for our roll call title:

LGBT Roll Call: Celebrity Silhouette T/A 12/01/12

The title is in a rectangular box. In the upper right hand corner of the box is a small paper clip symbol. Perhaps your browser doesn't support the attachment. I use a PC with Mozilla Firefox. Hope you can find it.

Jay

I'm disappointed that we don't have a roll call for this trip. Someone had promosed to put one together quite some time ago, but didn't follow through. I guess it's too late to start one now.

 

David

David,

The roll call is by no means complete but it can be found by clicking on the paper clip symbol under the heading "rating" in the listing of this cruise at the upper right hand corner of the box. After clicking the paper clip you then have to click on "roll call".

Jay

Hi Tim and Dale,

Just wondered if you booked the 12:10 train and, if so, what car you are in. We are in Car #8. Just in case it is raining maybe we could share a cab from the train station in Civitavecchia to the port entry if the cab is big enough for four persons and luggage which may be a stretch. It is only about six blocks to the port shuttle bus but you and your luggage could get very wet if the weather doesn't cooperate.

Jay and Al

Please note that the super economy train tickets are non-refundable.

As of yesterday it is possible to purchase tickets online for the train trip to Civitavecchia from Rome Termini. At the moment the Trenitalia site has ticket availability in the Super Economy category for the express trains. These Frecciabianca are former intercity trains that have been refurbished, have space for luggage and have comfortable reclining seats. They travel between Roma and Genova. If you want to see what the interior of the cars look like you can google Frecciabianca. The normal price for riding one of the express trains rather than the slower regional trains which are uncomfortable and have little luggage capacity is 14.5 euros. This includes the seat reservation which is mandatory. The super economy price which is now available is 9 euros for second class. As the allotment of these tickets is exhausted the price rises.

If you are interested - here is the procedure:

Google Trenitalia and click on the English version. In the "From" box type in Roma (not Rome) Termini. In the "To" box type Civitavecchia. Indicate number of tickets and fill in the time box with the number 12. The date of course will be 1-12-2012. This will pull up the complete list of trains around noon to Civitavecchia. There are two Frecciabianca trains that are available for getting to Civitavecchia in time for the cruise. The first is train #9786 which leaves at 12:10 and arrives at 12:51. The second train #9770 leaves at 13:29 and arrives at 14:07. Click on the train you prefer and the 9 euro per person economy fare. The seat allocation is automatic when you purchase your ticket(s). Scroll down to the bottom and there is a box you can click which does not require registration. After completing each screen click on "complete". You will have to give your name and e-mail and you have to click on the box that indicates that you have read the rules and regulations. After completing the purchase with a credit card there will be an instantaneous message sent to your e-mail which has the ticket with electronic code printed on it. I used my credit card that has no foreign transaction fee but any major card will work.

I have used this site twice in the last week. Once for my tickets from Florence to Rome since I will be in Florence for a week before traveling to Rome and now once again for Civitavecchia. It worked perfectly.

At the station on the day of travel make sure you validate your ticket in the box before getting on the train or there could be a 50 Euro fine.

Congrats. You will be very happy with this stateroom. We did the wine cruise back in 2010, and it was a lot of fun.

Thanks for the info on 3112. I'm about to book the Millie from Shanghai to Vancouver and I am trying to decide between 3112 and 3114. For me the deal breaker is whether the beds and love seat face forward or aft. If you could tell me which way the beds face in 3112 it would be much appreciated.

Welcome ptown and pompano. I'm from the boston area too, living in NYC now. Anyone form NYC?

 

Lived in Manhattan (East 57th St.) for forty years until 2001. Now retired in Tucson with my partner and just plan trips and enjoy the peace and quiet:)

 

Jay and Al

Just for the official listing:

Jay and Al Tucson AZ Select Dining Cabin 6240

I went ahead and booked Aquafests' 15 night transatlantic for December on the Celebrity Silhouette. Price for a C2 cabin was about $800 less than if I had booked it directly with Celebrity, so it was a no brainer. 15 nights for about $2500 total for two people plus air

I am also on the December Silhouette cruise. I wanted to mention a couple of things. First, it is true that Aquafest costs less than booking directly with Celebrity. But that is not a good comparison since nobody should pay the cruise line price just as they wouldn't pay rack rate at a hotel. The cost for my balcony cabin was the same as was quoted by Aquafest but my agency also included an onboard credit and free gratuities which made the cost considerably less. It is still great to book with a gay cruise agency but I wouldn't do it just on price alone.

Also, on the home page of Aquafest you will notice that they have two different kinds of cruises. One type is an "event cruise" which are held mostly on NCL ships and include entertainment, costume parties, etc. The other type is called "hosted group cruises". These are usually to locations farther away from the USA and are more for social contact than partying. That is what you will usually be offered on Celebrity cruises since they have a more subdued atmosphere than NCL. To Aquafest's credit, they are very clear to differentiate between the two types of cruise experiences. From all the comments I am sure that either type of cruise offers a good time and for anyone who is interested in meeting new friends these groups would seem to offer a very pleasant experience. I have sailed on five Atlantis cruises and now I am more interested in smaller groups rather than full ship charters so perhaps I will try Aquafest or Pied Piper in the future.

There is also a Gay Roll Call for the December Silhouette cruise on this website so that is another way to meet other gay cruisers but of course you will miss out on some of the events that Aquafest has scheduled.

Welcome back Jay! I would love to do a Hawaiian cruise someday. Heading off to Honolulu for work on Sunday (been there/done that) but would love to do an island cruise at some point.

 

Thanks for providing the additional info, I'll add it to my Roll Call. I'm jealous about the 4 days in Florence... I wish I could take that much time off from work :mad: But, 3 days pre-cruise was all I could swing!

 

Don

Don, The answer to taking time off to travel is not a mystery but can be hard to achieve. It's called retirement. Luckily Al and I are still able to get around quite well so travel is the name of the game. I see you live in Alexandria. I lived for many years in Arlington, DC and Alexandria. Went to high school in Arlington - Washington-Lee High school - when it was the only high school for all of the Northern VA area - most of the area was farmland. And the president of my senior class was Warren Beatty who lived in McLean, VA. so we are the same age. Shhhh.

Jay

Jay and Al here just back from Hawaii on the Century. We are in 6240. We just finalized our travel plans and are flying Phoenix-SFO-Frankfurt-Florence - United Airlines/Lufthansa - on Nov. 24. After four days in Florence we will be in Rome on Nov. 29 and 30 and are taking the train from Termini to Civitavecchia on Dec. 1.

Jay in Tucson