sueajp

We are first time Celebrity cruisers who have tried many other lines (as you can see by my signature) ;) We are very interested in the October 19th sailing from Rome to Corsica, Malaga, Seville, Girbraltar, Sete, Toulon, Portofino, Florence and back to Rome. Has anyone done this sailing? I have been reading the reviews and many are just back from the Israel, Abu Dhabi etc.. portion and have lots of negatives about the ship and food and entertainment! This is rather concerning. I was wondering if that particular trip had a rough go or if others found it similar on this itinerary? Looking for all thoughts! Thanks! :D

WE are in a similar position. First time on Celebrity and love this itinerary of Spain, France and Italy.. Read a lot of negative reviews from people just back from the mid east trip a little bit ago. That left me rather uneasy.... This is reassuring.

Thanks!

We are looking at the Constellation for our very first Celebrity cruise. We are looking at the October sailing to Spain, France and Italy. I just read a LOT of negative comments from folks just back from the mid east cruise. It is making me nervous about our choice! Our two big cruises to Europe were with Princess and then Avalon Waterways. CAn any one else reassure me that this is a good ship? We don't like the mega ships and liked the size and ports of this one Thanks!

Due to the popularity of the Anne Frank House, we opted to book that tour through the ships excursions. We did not have to wait in line and could go through on our own. At the end there was a little cafe where we had coffee and met back with the tour guide.

Question for those who have already done this cruise. We are considering this one for Sept or October this year. One of us has some difficulty walking and another has lower stamina. Are the excursions mainly walking and is this prohibitive for someone with mobility issues. He refuses to use a cane though it would help! Thanks for any insights. :confused:

When we took a Mediterranean cruise a few years ago, we booked a private operator to Ephesus. They picked us up so we were at the ruins when they opened and were able to explore with up close views of everything at our own pace. The tour buses from the boat arrived when we were about halfway through and you could look back and just see this mob of people descending. We paid the same for the private tour as we would have for the cruise excursion, but had such a more intimate experience and individual contact with the guide. Definitely worth it!

 

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We did the exact same thing in Kushadashi.. The tour guide took us to a nice family style restaurant too. She was a marvel of knowledge and fun for our small group! We used a private tour in Pompei and the Amalfi Coast. Much nicer than a big bus.

My brother and sister in law who are non cruisers won a trip to Alaska on Royal Caribbean for August. I think it is the Explorer:) of the Seas. We have not sailed on this ship even though we have 11 cruises to date. They are being given an ocean view cabin with the option of paying to upgrade to balcony. They were quoted $1000 something to upgrade to an E-3 cabin mid ship decks 6,7,8... or they could go cheaper for a more forward or aft. Sister in law gets sea sick.. Plus I am aware there would be more walking from those ends. Any thoughts, experiences would be helpful.Thanks!

We are longtime cruisers and have not sized the Dawn in a long time from Boston. We are looking at a last minute option. Did you find the pool too crowded to enjoy? Hard to get a lounger? Any advice is welcome!

Our Avalon cruise ended in Basel. Took a cab to the train station and went to Lucerne. Beautiful! We stand right on the river and loved that area. We took the cruise across the lake to Mt. Pilatus and then the cog railway up to the top. On a beautiful day the scenery on the lake is spectacular! Little villages and towns. You can get off the boat at different stops of you wish. We took the train to Zurich and stayed near the airport. Took the tram into town and explored old town. Early flight the next morning with free shuttle to airport.

From a Princess cruise we used Joe Bananas limo for a private tour of Naples, Amalfi coast and Pompeii, highly recommend this option. You dictate how much time in each area and their expertise gets you there and back on time! Private tour in Pompeii was great!

This is an amazing review! Just got my first Viking Ocean brochure. Seems like a good option!

We did not book the Anne Frank House ahead of time, so opted for an excursion offered through Avalon the day we embarked for the next day! Yes, it was pricey but it also included more touring time around Amsterdam and no wait in line!! It was well worth it.. I am not sure when I will get back there. So yu weigh your options.

Just starting here in Mass.

We enjoyed two nights in Lucerne post our Avalon Rhone cruise in September. It is easy to book the excursions to the mountains. We simply walked to the boat docks across from the train station and picked out our trip. It was a beautiful day to cruise across the lake and the cog railway was fun. We chose to come and go the same way rarer than the golden pass. They tell you what times you need to get to the boat. I also suggest waiting for the day of to book to see how the weather is. We went up on a clear day but the clouds enveloped us while we were on Pilatus.

Hi Mario,

Yes it was a great cruise! I would recommend Avalon but would carefully check my room LOL!! We didn't have much time to lie in bed! Next time, I would go a little longer and take a " sea" day or just walk to town in a port where that was possible. The low levels on the Rhine had us docking further out on Mainz and we had a run in to town! We strolled back on our own leaving the tour, that was a good move!

We stayed at Des Alpes in Lucerne. It is right on the river in the Old Town and an easy walk to everywhere including the train station! However, right now there is a lot of construction around the hotel. It was a little quirky but did have free wifi and included breakfast. They do not have air conditioning so be careful if its the warm months!

Welcome home! What did you think of the cruise and the ports? The service and food on the ship? Did you have any low water problems? We've been home about a month and it feels like it was just yesterday that ours ended!

We really enjoyed the ports/. They were a little intensive and if I had the choice again I might have skipped one or two of the optional tours and slowed our pace a bit. We were definitely on the run. The food was very good and certainly plentiful. Enjoyed the ever flowing wine! The river was certainly low and we had to dock at a couple of further away stops than might have been. The ship was very good and we enjoyed our fellow cruisers. I regret that I did not notice that Felicity was not a suite ship. It was a smaller room than I had anticipated. Others were surprised too. Pays to read the fine print! 68% of their ships are! We called ourselves the 32%! You don't spend much time in your room! The beds were comfortable. Would cruise with them again.

We just did a lot of train travel in Europe this summer and I would definitely say two smaller suitcases. You have to lift them to put them above your seat on the luggage racks. Also, many stations have a lot of stairs and two smaller ones may be easier than one larger one.

 

Jane

Packing light is always a trial for me! We carried two good size suitcases and a small carry on each.. We kept our luggage with us on empty seats or between seats. One train had a space for the luggage in the back where the bikes go too. We sat in second class seats to avoid the stairs on the trains. There was really no need to pay extra for first class anyway. The trips are relatively short. Getting on and off the train and up escalators is a challenge so if you can pack light, go for it!

Hi Sue,

 

Thanks for reporting back. I hope you had a wonderful time, despite what sounds like a few hiccups.

 

We're doing it the other way around. Train from Zurich to Lucerne, two days in Lucrene, the train to Basil for the cruise. Any tips you wish you would have known about the Zurich airport or train station, the train trips, or Lucerne? We're doing that portion on our own as well, so I hope to be as prepared as possible.

 

Thanks!

Stacy

Hi Stacy,

It was a wonderful time.. The train from Zurich to Lucerne should be easy. The train station is downstairs from the airport and the Lucerne train brings you right into the heart of downtown. I thought there would be a TI in some of the stations but only found the one in Zurich train station. Sometimes a sign said tourist information, and it was just the sign showing the routes! We tried to buy our tickets from a person rather than the machines. Truth be told, we bought them by they were rarely checked! We loved Lucerne. There is plenty of beautiful places to just wander around the river and the lake. The famous Chapel Bridge is closed at the new end of the town just until late Oct for repairs. There are other bridges to take you all the way across. The restaurants along the quay are fun. Be prepared for sticker shock on food prices. The back side of the Old Town has lots of little shops too but be aware they close on Sundays. Hope this helps.

Hi folks, Everyone on this board was very helpful.. hoping to return the favor. We just returned from our first river cruise on Avalon Felicity. If you have questions, I would be happy to try to answer them. We arrived the day of the cruise and got the transfer to the

Movenpick Hotel in Amsterdam. Post cruise, we took a cab to the train station in Basel for a direct train to Lucerne. Even though everyone assured us it was easy.... we ran into an unheard of glitch!! There had been a pedestrian accident on the line... we were shuffled to another train, to a bus and then thanks to the kindness of strangers.... we made it! It was stressful but makes a great story. Two days in Lucerne on our own were great. Then an uneventful train ride to Zurich and then home the next day. Hit me up !

Sue:)

Sueajp;

 

 

 

We are sailing the Felicity on the 13th back to Amsterdam. This is our first river cruise so is there anything you can tell us about the ship and excursions or anything else we should know?

 

 

 

Thanks

Hi there. We have 2 days left. One thing I didn't realize is this is Not a suite ship that you see in the commercials! It is older and so the room is tight! Did not research that enough. It had been wonderful but strenuous. You need good walking shoes and layers as we have had variable weather. Some included tours and some optional are vigorous. Food has been mostly good and service is excellent! Do you have specific questions?

On the Rhine now on Avalon Felicity. Rainy and cold.. A little sun this morning as we sail towards Cologne. Hoping for some sunshine! Mixed weather in Amsterdam yesterday too. Th driver does look a little low,

We are going on Avalon Amsterdam to Basel. We are flying inthe day of since we will have our first day of the cruise in Amsterdam. Then we go independently from Basel to Lucerne for two nights and then overnight in Zurich. We are pushing out on our own .... Hoping to have it go well. In retrospect, I would have ended with the cruise I think! We did this before once after a Princess cruise ending with a stay in London. It can be a little daunting doing it on your own. I am reading everything I can about Switzerland! I am tryouts no to decide now if I want to get a Swiss pass that would cover trains, boats and cable cards.

We are cruising on Avalon on the Romantic Rhine in September. This helped to explain some of the ports. Cannot wait! Also doing some independent travel after in Switzerland. Taking the train to Lucerne for two nights and then on to Zurich for one night. A big skittish on doing the stuff on our own since we LIKE the handholding! Each cruise we have tried to venture out more on our own than with ships tours. But that is on the big ships. Anyone else doing some things on your own?

Having the same issue on Avalon in September on the Rhine, I do miss the connections you get on the big ship boards. Some folks here have been helpful when I was choking the cruise and I am grateful for that!