Campbell soup

On 5/1/2023 at 8:59 AM, gdlamberth said:

8 February thru 10 March.  There are roll calls for both cruises now; but, are pretty inactive.  I guess its still early days. We do already have Tours by Locals excursions set up in Burnie (since we already have something on, Burnie not on my list of ports).  We are in Christchurch twice and have an excursion up to Arthur's Pass already set up.

Greg

I am trying to find a Tour by Locals in Burnie on March 3, 2024 but Burnie doesn't show up. Am I doing something wrong?

Lots of great information.  The only thing I can suggest is to bring rain ponchos.  It poured the last time we went through the canal and we were lucky they were selling the ponchos.  We wanted to move from port to starboard multiple times so it meant being outside in the rain. 

Karen and Bob 

Last year we took a taxi into town. The price for four people was about £20 into town and £15 return. The taxi took us right to the entrance to Trinity College.  The people who took the shuttle were still boarding the large bus by the time we were paying to get in to see the Book of Kells.  It was easy and quick and personal. 

I sure hope that HAL's test is a failure.  I love to order a second entree so I can try something new or exotic.  I sure don't want to have our waiter running back to the kitchen for another safer entee after I take my one bite of something new and hate it. If i can't try new things in the MDR then I might as well go to the buffet and have meatloaf and macaroni and cheese every night.

I also think that if people want more than one entree choice every night they might just choose to only eat at the buffet and then skip out on tips that they would have gladly paid for their amazing waitstaff in the MDR.

On 11/24/2017 at 12:17 AM, pris993 said:

This is an interesting thread, read through it, we have been to Paris many times maybe 12+ over past 30 years. Early on we walked all day for hours... now we are much older we can't do that any more. We have never used the subway... either walked or took a taxis. We also have always stayed out at ORLY or Charles De Guall airports at either the Hilton or Hyatt hotels. Did so because saved a lot of money. We have always taken the airport bus in and out of the city... spend the day and then head back to our hotel for the evening. We always picnic in the city... love shopping at the street markets in the city. My dh is originally from Paris, so speaks French and understand the culture. On our last visit I discovered now days when giving direction to taxi driver one needs to give them a street address vs cross streets, since they all use GPS. We do like being out at CDG Airport for checking our flight back to the states, morning traffic can be a night mare if there are accidents, if you are trying to get to the airport to catch a flight. We have gotten off ships in La Harve, taken the tour bus from the ship into Paris and then a taxi to our hotel. We always travel with a lot of luggage as we visit family in Europe along the way, so taxi works best for us.

Thank you for this info. We have been trying to figure out how to get from La Havre to Paris then where to stay and how to get to CDG. Any other info would be appreciated. 

Very nice review! We like this ship. We enjoy the smaller piazza because we get to know the servers who can take a moment to say hi.

On 4/1/2016 at 11:36 AM, mamkmm2 said:

Here are some of the resources that I've been using to plan our day in St. Peter Port. Thought I would share and maybe save someone some time and/or work.

 

Websites:

http://www.visitguernsey.com/st-peter-port

http://www.visitguernsey.com/cruise-visitors

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g551622-St_Peter_Port_Guernsey_Channel_Islands-Vacations.html

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=547

https://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Guernsey/Saint_Peter_Port-733193/TravelGuide-Saint_Peter_Port.html

http://www.chriscruises.com/2013/09/ten-things-to-do-in-st-peter-port-guernsey-channel-islands/

 

Maps:

http://www.mapquest.com/great-britain/st-peter-port-282409004

http://www.guernseyharbours.gov.gg/article/103073/Maps-of-St-Peter-Port-Harbour

 

Self-guiding walks of St. Peter Port:

http://www.visitguernsey.com/tasty-walks

I found the maps and audio (that you can download to your smart phone and play as you walk) very useful. Tasty Walk 2 is the one that I'm most focused on for this port.

 

Very cool virtual tour of St. Peter Port:

http://www.destination360.com/europe/uk/guernsey-saint-peter-port/virtual-tour

 

There's a youtube channel by a gentleman named Vic who has done all sorts of vids of St. Peter Port. He's fond of boats and tends to talk a lot but he does provide some information. Below is his youtube on Cornet Castle

 

 

[YOUTUBE]GOrmbENIT3s[/YOUTUBE]

 

For a broader look at the island of Guernsey this is a pretty good vid:

 

 

[YOUTUBE]umLE6rt09GY[/YOUTUBE]

Thank you for all of this information. Karen

We did a 25 day Baltic/TA in September this year and the library shelves were empty. After getting nowhere with customer service on the ship, I wrote an email to Princess directly. I explained that not everyone had the luxury of reading from tablets and phones and that we would be in three English speaking ports before the crossing where they could find books for the ship. Two days later, there were 200 new books purchased in the UK while we were in port. The front desk manager called me three times before I called her back to find out what happened and was my problem resolved.  I guess the head office wanted to know that I was satisfied and happy. It pays to write and complain!

See them everywhere you can! They are all so different and so wonderful!

I just finished "Set Sail for Murder" by Carolyn Hart. It is light reading, no blood and guts. They travel to the Baltic and visit the Hermitage.

I just finished "Madonnas in Leningrad" by Debra Dean. It is the best book ever on Russia in the early 1940's, the Hermitage, and the secret art that was sold off from the Hermitage to get money needed to fund the war. It's a novel and so fascinating. I can't wait to see the art in the Hermitage after reading this book.

Did you make it to the city hall in time for the 10:30 tour? Was it worth it?

The Regal docks at 10:00....how soon will we be able to disembark an how long is it to walk to City Hall? Would love to make it there by 10:30 for a very reasonable 5 hour tour....any possibility?? Will find out tomorrow if they’ll wait for the 4 of us!!

 

 

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So many great choices. My library is going to think I'm crazy! I am!

Thank you. I wanted to watch this but couldn't find it.

The Singing Revolution is available online at YOUTUBE. After watching the movie, I have decided to take a bus out to the TV TOWER (Teletorn) to see the place where the bloodless stand-off with Russian tanks took place. plus it is supposed to have a fantastic view.

 

One of the HOHO buses ( the one with 3 routes- 3 colors) will take you there. Or you can take Bus 34A at Viru Square.

 

http://www.teletorn.ee/en

 

 

 

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DG0C3SKovw

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3rNYUIm1is

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tLmVGIqVDU

Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF4ZZH5UNUw

Part 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfv5XkeSN-g

Part 6

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n70n4k33Pk8

Part 7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fHF6BZr4q0

Thanks for sharing thes videos. Katren

2

Many have strongly recommended the film 'The Singing Revolution' for Tallinn.

 

It's a bit left-field, and not really what you asked for, but if it's any interest here are the short videos, with some history, that I made from my Baltic cruise in 2010 :

 

Copenhagen

 

Tallinn

 

St Petersburg

 

The Fountains of Peterhof

 

The Catherine Palace at Pushkin

 

Peter and Paul Fortress/Cathedral

 

St Isaac's Cathedral

 

Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood

 

The Winter Palace/Hermitage State Museum

 

Helsinki

 

Suomenlinna (Fortress of Finland) at Helsinki

 

Stockholm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NweRnGqZ1k

 

Royal Warship Vasa & the Vasa Museum at Stockholm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x45l1WMZOXA

 

Berlin - general sights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCdvsq9lJJ8

 

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wgke23Hfuw

 

The Berlin Wall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZCwlKiiZrs

 

On the roof of the Reichstag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o57Fb88tVTM

If you send your laundry out, pin a Shout color catcher somewhere. They wash all colors together and you may have clothes "bleeding"

 

Around Thanksgiving Princess offers $500 gift cards with an additional $25 gift card (that expires the following Feb). Just make sure you have a cruise booked that you can apply the extra $25 to by expiration date

 

Amex has a benefit that gives you $100 off a $500 CCL purchase - deal going on right now. Go into your account under "benefits" and add it before booking or making a payment on existing booking.

If I figure out how to get the ccl $100 off the $500, can I use it on Princess?

How did you like Inverary? We are doing a tour there in September. Is there anything we don't want to miss while we're there? Thanks. Karen

p.s. Love your photos!

How do you get into the player's club? Join somewhere?

Thanks for your help. How expensive were the transfer to town and were any of them free?

The new carpet has red and green dots. Think "red" as in red wine, port wine, port side.

If we want to go from the cruise port LMA to the rock church, the market Square and the fortress, what order would be easiest? Plus with the day pass purchased at the pier, which tram, bus or ferry would be best to get to each destination? Thank you so much, Karen

p.s. How do I say hi and thank you in Finnish or Swedish?

Thank you for this information! Is there a 2018 edition?

About one hour from the ship to Suomenlinna. See example route from LMA to the southern end of Suomenlinna: https://www.reittiopas.fi/reitti/Selected%20location%3A%3A60.15276259350466%2C24.913537502288822/Selected%20location%3A%3A60.13825429919754%2C24.989626407623295?time=1497679200

 

Tram 9 runs every 10 minutes Mon-Sat and every 12 minutes on Sundays. Tram 6T also runs to the terminal every 10-12 minutes during afternoon and late evening. Tram trip from the terminal to downtown takes 10-15 minutes. The Suomenlinna Ferry runs every 20 minutes for most of the day and takes roughly 15 minutes.

 

In six hours you should be able to do everything you mention depending on how long you want to spend at each place.

Thanks for your review! Karen

Thanks for this great review!

or

Glad you are enjoying the review, Rascal 1.

 

May 21: Day Five (Oslo sailaway)

 

I will include a couple of pictures of the sailaway from Oslo. The images are poor quality but they will give you an idea of distance, and what you might be able to see on foot if you just wanted to get off the ship and wander around. As we pull away from the dock at Akershus Castle, you can see how close it is to the City Hall waterfront area. (City Hall is the brick building with two towers).

 

I’m also including a shot of the ship from inside Akershus Castle. As you can see, the Silhouette is docked right alongside the building. Very convenient.

 

You could actually see quite a lot just on foot in Oslo, if you restrict yourself to the downtown core and waterfront. Just past City Hall, on the opposite side of the harbour from the castle, is the Aker Brygge area: modern buildings, shops, and a marina. Easy to reach on foot. To give you a sense of distance, this shot was actually taken from Akershus Castle – you can see some Norwegian dandelions in the foreground.

 

At the farthest end of this area is the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art; it’s the building with the curved roof. It’s on my list for my next visit to Oslo, whenever that may be. You can see the passenger ferry right in front of it.

 

A little farther out, we sailed past the Fram Museum.

 

 

And a little island in the harbour.

 

 

It’s a scenic sailaway.

We have been to Sterling Castle and Loch Ness by car a few years ago. We are trying to decide if we should book the Discovery Scotland tour you mentioned and go to the same places again. Their other tours are sold out. What do you think about a repeat visit? Thanks, Karen

As far as castles, we loved Stirling Castle, we saw that from Greenock port. We used a company called Discover Scotland, would highly recommend! Smaller bus, excellent guide, great stops in addition to Stirling, and a fraction of ships tour price.

 

 

 

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