carlmm

@bluemarble, would you know the dress codes for the further, 2023, QE's Australia and beyond cruises? I am considering a 18 nights one but not when there are too few formal nights.

As a plan B for a rainy, ughly day, all off the later indoor sights would be a good option. I would not visit the mentioned Certosa or the castle next door on the same mountain, as part of their enjoyment is the most faboulos view, on a bright, sunny day that is. If the weather really bad, of course the Fortezza right next to the terminal is the option with the least exposure, followed by the royal palace.

Just do not rely on the stated "10 Euros". There are still quite a number of vendors, taxis, restaurants, sights all over Europe which only accept cash. You might run into none of them or it might be eg. the taxi you urgently need. Thus I would recommend quite a bit more, at least € 100.

Where did you actually get off? Directly at your ship? So did they stop multiple times for the different ships?

Even worse, IMHO, 😉 Pre dinner I will have some cocktails not go to a show.

Remember that most people dine in Britannia. These showtimes give everybody the chance to attend a show after dinner (early at 8, late at 10). Actually these are even earlier than they used to be in the past. I liked the 10.15pm better as on my last cruise we often missed the first minutes due to dinner.

Yes, people do dress up, open to some interpretation. Pre Covid diamond priority meant you just show up at your pleasure and are directed to the priority check in. On the cruises I have done during covid, there was no priority boarding.

I hope my source at Cunard was wrong, but here are the bad news: I was told that it isn't about Covid anymore but the various onboard department managers and responsible cruise director etc. regard these parties as to much work. They are glad they are gone, they do not want to bother.

Just stupid, IMHO. I have brought flowers on board many times both for cabin decoration and as gift. And no, American agencies have no jurisdiction in Europe.

Next day's menus are delivered to your Suite in the evening.

Things develop much worse than I had expected. Yet, there is also the positive side of all operations, i.e. the cruisships we might like, will go on.

Thank you for your interesting reports. They help to make informed decisions.

Coffee, not really decent but somewhat drinkable for breakfast in Britannia. Interestingly, I personnaly found the room service coffee and the one poured by waiters in the Lido to be better. Worst was the coffee from the machines in the Lido.

Not only Barcelona, authorities at every port has full access to the passengers manifestiert, i.e. also the last EU one. Maybe, you will see, they even will ask at least non EU passengers to submit their passport.

HAL has a special "guest accessibility" department. You might contract this.

You should be able to see it in your booking confirmation, not anywhere online. (IME)

Thank you for sharing your experience and all the information. I enjoy reading.

If you really want to see all three sites, you can probably do according to your plan. Yet, both the Sagrada Familia and the Parc Guell are places where you could easily spend much more time depending on your interest. At both sites you will benefit from a guided tour or an audio guide to see and understand much more. If you are really interested in the basilica, do take a guided tour first and then continue on your own, assisted but nor limited by the audio guide. Include the towers. Regarding queues at the port: Probably most people will not take a taxi but the shuttle bus to the base of the Ramblas. You can get a taxi there, too, and have access to the metro, but with your schedule a taxi directly from the port is the best option (and should not be a problem to get),

I like the location. It is almost like private lift right to the pool and down to the indoor action as less people use them.

Isn't that interesting? One might go even so far to say there is some Yacht club snobism by Americans on this board. Never have seen this "one can only endure the exclusive maybe 2 or 3% of passengers section" in any European board.

Fortunately on my last cruise just two weeks almost all of those of the mentioned aspects which I would miss were still there. They only one of the above I missed was a midnight Buffet.

How desperate are you to see Paris? Will this be your last chance ever? If the answer are very and yes, than go, maybe on an organized tour to get a nice overview. Otherwise, no, it is a long trip, and there so many things to see much close, er Rouen.

Interesting to read about the ships of a bygone era.

It looks like you are certainly young enough to travel to the Mediterranean many more times in the future. Thus you can't really do wrong with an itinerary. As your first idea is Greece just go there. Preferably add a few days in Athens before or after the cruise. Regarding the cruise line: You might try an European line like MSC to get an ever better feeling for the Mediterranean vibe.

There is always a risk when you fly in the day the cruise starts, yet I have done it to Santiago even with a three flights 36 hours connection. With a 7am schedulded arrival you still habe a buffer for a couple of hours delay. I guess most people stay in Santiago but I highly encourage you to go to Valparaiso, a most interesting town.