TSC

I agree with the recommendation to check out the roll calls. We prefer Celebrity, but when I take the grandkids, I go with RCCL or one of the other kid oriented lines.

Overall- I think the vibe on RCCL is much better for teens. For example on FOS you have dance parties, and games and movies by the pool. On Celebrity, you get some dance parties, but, the crowd is usually older. However, we sailed Celebrity once in the summer and the ship had plenty of kids who were having a wonderful time.

DH=Dear husband, DW = Dear wife, etc.

Hi All

 

My mom (51) and I (19) are traveling on the 5th of July Adriatic Cruise (Departing from Venice, Italy; Ravenna, Italy; Koper, Slovenia; Split, Croatia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; Bari, Italy; Valletta, Malta; Catania,sicily,italy; Naples, Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy) and as a complete novice I need some advice!

 

In terms of shore excursions, based on reviews, it seems that the tours offered by the ship are somewhat overpriced and it's better to do your own thing? Can anyone confirm this? If so, is it necessary to get hold of local tour guides, or will we be fine just wandering around on our own (armed with a guidebook) ?

 

I'm also a little confused about the drinks packages. Neither of us are big drinkers (I'm from SA - legal drinking age is 18) but we do drink a lot of water. Do we need to purchase a drinks package for water?

 

The ship does offer fitness classes, but I can't seem to find out whether there are any that are complimentary? I know we'll probably be too exhausted from exploring the ports to hit the gym, but I'd like to know, regardless!

 

The cruise is 12 nights long, and I've heard the longer the cruise, the older the crowd. Is this true? Or can I expect more people in my age group because it's Summer in Europe? Are there any entertainment activities offered that would appeal to someone in my age-group? Any night clubs or bar that tend to be frequented by a younger crowd?

 

Any advice would be appreciated!

Drink package - no need to purchase one - and I don't think it makes much sense on this port intensive cruise. There is tap water, tea, coffee, and usually a fruit type drink (like lemonade) available for free. Everything else is available on a cost per drink. A Coke, a glass of beer, and a glass of wine usually cost about what we'd pay here in the US - (check out the threads on the drink packages - all the prices are posted.) The soda package (all the fountain soda (not cans) you want every day costs about $7 per day and is a good idea if you are a big soda drinker. I've been known to start my day with a diet Coke! :p The alcohol packages (includes sodas, coffees, and special waters too) start at about $45 per day for classic and the premium is about $55 per day (these are estimates - check the threads for actual costs.)

We used the classic alcohol one once for my husband on a Carribbean cruise and thought it was a good idea because of the convenience and because it felt good not to think about whether or not something costs extra- BUT - we are not going to purchase for the Med cruise, because we won't be on board long enough each day to get our money's worth. Every day but one, we will be in port - not on the ship.

On this cruise, even if he buys a special coffee (about $5) and 3 cocktails (about $6 for his Jack Daniels and water) and a couple of Cokes (about $2) - he can't come close to the $45 per day to break even. I guess if you are a bigger drinker and want the special martinis available on the premium package (the $12 per drink) it might be a deal - but - no way we can drink that much every day and still make it to the tour the next morning. Of course ..... we are not 19!!!

I think on your itinerary many of the ports are pretty good places to do-it-yourself. I would suggest purchasing the book Rick Steves Mediterranean Ports guide - there will be many good suggestions about the logistics of the different ports as well as info on how to spend your time. IMO if you are going to explore on your own, it is still good to have a plan of what you want to see and do. You will also get good ideas from others on your roll call as well as by reading thru the options offered by the ship. Have a great trip!

We are doing the reverse of your cruise in October. The Rick Steves's Med Ports book is good - but - it's missing many of these ports. It doesn't include Koper, Kotor, Bari, Ravenna, or Catania.

I agree with the other posters, that your best bet is to get on your roll-call. Usually there is lots of chatter about private tours.

Another option is to check out the reviews of recently returned cruisers from the Silhouette's Med cruises. Often they will post reviews of the private tours they took. I just read one from the Priesmans (I think that's how it's spelled) that was fabulous!! I highly recommend checking out their review - you will get so excited for the cruise. :p

Also - another comment about ages of cruisers. Yes, I think any longer cruise has a bit older crowd, but the summer months are less affected by that. You should be able to find others on board that are enjoying the night clubs. What a wonderful trip for you and your mom. Enjoy!

A couple more points.

We've recently started getting to the terminal earlier. Mostly because as Floridians we drive to the port and want to give ourselves some extra time "just in case." I agree that there are no lines before 11, but don't forget that you cannot get into your room until 1:00 p.m. So, if you carry on luggage, you'll have to drag it around for the first couple of hours. Almost nothing on the ship is "open" but you can wander around a get a feel for the place. The windjammer gets crammed with people because there is nothing else to do. If it's warm, put a bathingsuit in your carry on, change in the bathroom and start your vacation immediately with a colorful drink and a lounge chair by the pool! :D

Disembark - we've noticed that self -disembarkation is becoming much more popular. Be prepared to wait in line. However, once the lines start moving, they go pretty quickly.

We did notice on our last cruise that the non-USA passengers line was very slow. Not sure why, but it was much worse than usual. :(

Ship - Solstice

Deck - 7

Cabin # - 7258

Class – (I don't remember)

Starboard or Port Side - Starboard

Bed near?(balcony or bath) – Balcony

Quiet Cabin (With comments on problems. Note if connecting. ) Quiet. Non connecting

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. No obstructions, life boat below so you can't look straight down - but otherwise great.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - oversize - this is the first one on the forward side of the hump - the "left" wall (closest to the front of the ship) was the same size as the rest of the cabins, but the "right" wall was about 3-4 feet longer (we think about 9 feet long.)

Was wind a problem? No

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? None

Any other comments? The cabin right next door - 7260 has an even bigger balcony. It's "left" wall was the same size as our "right" wall - about 9 feet. We think this second cabin from the front has the deepest balconies on the hump on all floors.

And - thanks for doing this. It was very helpful.

Hi. I have a map of Copenhagen and noticed there is a water bus service. Looks like you could go from near the dock to quite near to Tivoli. Can anyone that has been there confirm whether that is possible. We are hoping to walk to Tivoli and maybe get the waterbus back?

 

Thanks

 

Sue

Yes - very possible to take water bus from "near" Tivoli back to area pretty "near" the docks. We took one from Nyhaven to the docks using the Copenhagen card.

The water bus only comes every 20 minutes and I don't know how late it runs. They use a tour type boat for the short run to the opera house - I think the 902 bus - but the 903? i think - has a closed top so its not quite as nice a boat ride but does have windows.

Also -as to walking Copenhagen - on our first day, we walked from the ship to Tivoli and then back again. It took about 4 hours as we stopped along the way to see things. We got a map from the information booth on the pier and followed a "walking tour" outlined on the map.

Lair Bear,

Thank you for this lovely guide. I just decided at the last minute (because of some great deals) to book our first Baltic cruise. But it leaves me with only 2 weeks to plan! :eek: So, I am extremely grateful to the helpful people like you that post on cruise critic. :p

We'll be on the Constellation May 2 and I can't wait to "walk in your shoes!" I'll let you know how many times we get lost!

Trish