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Larainerenee

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Posts posted by Larainerenee

    Where to stay?

    in Greece Ports

    Posted

    We have an overnight onboard ship in Athens, then disembark. Our flight is the at 6:30 the following day. I like the idea mentioned above, - drop luggage off at an airport hotel, go see Corinth or Delphi and sleep at the airport hotel.

    Thank you for the suggestions!

    • Like 1

    Where to stay?

    in Greece Ports

    Posted

    We leave from Athens at the end of our cruise and we will need to stay overnight to take a very early flight the next day.  We are doing 2 nights in Athens pre-cruise, have already been there and an overnight is included in our cruise. Are we better off staying at a hotel near the airport or in Athens that night?

    Oosterdam June 11 sailing, Ashdod, Haifa tours?

    in Africa & Middle East

    Posted

    8 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

    I was lucky enough to do this tour with HAL a few years before COVID. We had one night in Haifa and one night in Ashdod. Sometimes if there is ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, the ship will avoid Ashdod and may spend 2 nights in Haifa instead (less in the path of any stray rockets....lol).

     

    Ashdod is the closest to Jerusalem, so most would recommend tours to Jerusalem (there is much to see there) or possibly Jerusalem + Bethlehem from Ashdod. A secondary (but far less interesting) destination from Ashdod would be Tel Aviv.  Some people try to do Jerusalem + the Dead Sea or Masada, but IMO that is too much for a single day and you really end up short-changing yourself in Jerusalem.

     

    Haifa is a pleasant port from which many tours will head to the Galilee region. Such tours might include Nazareth, the Jordan river, Cana, etc.  Other options include Caesarea, a beautiful set of ruins right on the shore of the Mediterranean with very Roman influences (built by Herod the Great but a lot of the construction was done by Roman army units). There is an aqueduct on the beach there that is beautiful to see....  You could combine Akko (ancient Acre) with Caesarea if you like history; Acre of course is very associated with the crusaders and Knights Templar. Especially interesting if you get a private guide who will walk you through the underground tunnels there...

     

    As to tours, when I did the cruise HAL offered an overland tour that left the ship in Haifa and did not return until the end of the day in Ashdod, spending one night ashore in a hotel. This tour (for a solo, me) was astronomically expensive -- as expensive as the entire cruise!  So I started looking at private tour options.

     

    I located an excellent private guide who provided me with a full day tour by myself on Day 1 (Haifa) based on my own interests. Returned to ship at end of day. Then a full-day private tour for myself and one other couple in Jerusalem for the full day. It was less than half of the ship tour for a thoroughly personalized experience, one of the best tours and guides I've ever had. I was okay focusing only on a few places with Roman history (my passion) because I was already planning a return to Israel via land and knew I'd have time to visit many more places then.

     

    Another tour option if you do not want to go the small-group route is Guided Tours Israel. They are extremely practiced at working with cruisers on shore excursions. They offer several "set" itineraries based on your interests (e.g., Christian sites, Jewish heritage, etc.) and their tours are in large vans of somewhere between 12 and 20, I believe. They are consistently rated highly in reviews I've read here. I just wanted something more specialized/personal than they offered.

     

    One more point -- there is a lot of ground to cover. With my private tour I was glad on the second day to only tour Jerusalem. We were back at the ship in good time without rushing. But as we were leaving Jerusalem at around 3pm, the HAL tour buses from that expensive overland tour were just arriving!  Of course, they ended up being late returning to the ship -- by several hours. 😲  There was quite a bit of grumbling later from those who took that tour about the overly ambitious itinerary and being rushed off their feet.

     

     

    That was great info! Can you share the name of the guide who you used?

    thanks

    Piraeus?

    in Greece Ports

    Posted

    We have been to Athens and we've seen all the major sites. Our cruise has an overnight there, so that's another day. We are planning to fly in 2 days ahead and thinking of what to do before the cruise. I see some good suggestions above.

    Thanks

    First time on Apex, first time Retreat quest a couple of questions

    in Celebrity Cruises

    Posted

    13 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

    This will be our second Celebrity cruise and first time in the retreat, which leads to some questions.  I'm somewhat of a picky eater and my husband is a foodie.  I'm sure he will love the menu in Luminae, but I will need to order off the other menu in there a few nights.  (At least I read on here there is paper menu I can request with more basic items like steak and chicken.)  I assume I can get mashed or baked potatoes, a ceasar salad (from the children's menu) and basic vegetables (green beans, asparagus, broccoli, etc.) if I let them know in advance.  Is this correct?  On Evening Chic nights will they offer prime rib or lobster like the MDR?  What night's would that be on a 7 night cruise?  When you stay in a suite, do you book any specialty dining or is the food and service as good or better in Lunanie?  I love steaks and Italian, would you recommend a particular restaurant for me or just stick with Luninae?  Is the menu on the app typically all that is offered?

     

    Is the retreat sundeck usually crowded like the other pool area?  Will there be a lot of kids at the pool during a spring break cruise or will it still be an older crowd?  I don't mind being in the sun, will I need to get up early to get a lounger near the pool?  I will slather on sunscreen and hope to go home with a bit of color.  

     

    What on earth will I use a butler for?  I don't want anyone unpacking for me.  Will they bring specialty coffee or alcoholic drinks to our room?  Remove the items from our mini fridge so we can stock it with water bottles?  Maybe bring our breakfast?  If I would like a spa appointment, should I expect the butler or concierge in the lounge to make it, or is that something I would need to schedule myself?  We usually just book verandas, so this will be a completely new experience for us.  

     

    Oh, and there's the onboard credit.  I know what I can use it for, but would you use it to book excursions and specialty dining?  An updo for one of the evening chic nights?  A massage maybe, but I get them monthly at home.  My friend has used hers before to buy an expensive bag.

     

    Anything in particular I should check out on the Apex?  

    We are just off Apex today and our first Retreat experience. The cabin was lovely with plenty of storage. We loved the easy boarding and the ability to go to any of the MDRs without a reservation, but we usually ate at Luminae. I have a food allergy and after the first night it was always remembered and I never had to mention it again; I found that remarkable.
    Our host brought us ice everyday and made sure the fridge had plenty of the soft drinks we like. He could make reservations for us, but I had done those at home. I was quite happy to do my own unpacking and packing. He also will be at the entrance to the theater, as there are reserved seats for Retreat guests.  
    We enjoyed chilling in the retreat lounge and I loved the comfy lounge deck chaises. It was a British Isles cruise, so not quite warm enough to swim, although some did use the retreat pool.

    You can use your OBC for excursions , specially restaurants and shops. 
    Chic nights can be as dressy as you want. No jacket or tie for my husband, but we saw lots. I dressed as I would for a nice night out at home- mainly black pants and a nice top. Don’t stress over it!

    Enjoy it! I know I will have a hard time cruising in a “regular” cabin again.

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    Covid Testing Information

    in British Isles/Western Europe

    Posted

    On 7/7/2022 at 11:03 PM, paulandjoyce said:

    Anther cruise critic person wrote about 

    on point-testing.com

    it is 14.99

    you use your at home test (we have free from the govt and insurance) and they watch you on line and send an email…

    this looks like the best price and is 24x7

    if anyone has used them, please respond!

    We did this… super easy!

    Amsterdam Taxi

    in British Isles/Western Europe

    Posted

    On 7/3/2022 at 4:11 PM, MAVIP said:

    ` Information about our call and go service:  After landing it could be uo have to wait for your luggage or have other things to do, like shopping, telephone calls or other business.... 

    When you need your taxi/cab, the following steps: 

    1. walk to departure 3 (follow signs)
    2. Take elevator, stairs etc tot departure 3
    3. Call our general 24/7 telephone number _31 (0)638514288
    4. Tell our operator your name and destination
    5. Go to exit at door C en wait inside    Within max 15 minutes after your telephone message a driver will arrive.  Take care to be ready as only a few minutes parking are permitted . The team of AMSTERDAM TAXI thanks you for your trust in our company` 

     

    JMO: Reading the contents of the message of Amsterdam Taxi: If I were you I would just follow the advice of @Ashland#19   of just stick to your reservation with the other company as you mention in #16.    

     

    On 7/3/2022 at 4:11 PM, MAVIP said:

    ` Information about our call and go service:  After landing it could be uo have to wait for your luggage or have other things to do, like shopping, telephone calls or other business.... 

    When you need your taxi/cab, the following steps: 

    1. walk to departure 3 (follow signs)
    2. Take elevator, stairs etc tot departure 3
    3. Call our general 24/7 telephone number _31 (0)638514288
    4. Tell our operator your name and destination
    5. Go to exit at door C en wait inside    Within max 15 minutes after your telephone message a driver will arrive.  Take care to be ready as only a few minutes parking are permitted . The team of AMSTERDAM TAXI thanks you for your trust in our company` 

     

    JMO: Reading the contents of the message of Amsterdam Taxi: If I were you I would just follow the advice of @Ashland#19   of just stick to your reservation with the other company as you mention in #16.    

     

     

     

    Thank you !!

    Amsterdam Taxi

    in British Isles/Western Europe

    Posted

    18 hours ago, MAVIP said:

    just my suggestion and I hope you donot mind, that you could ask us (a few dutch members of CC react on those pages) for a translation of the contents of te pdf.   Enjoy your stay in Amsterdam and your cruise!

     

    Sure....

    Informatie “Call en Go” aankomstservice.
    Na landing van je vlucht kan het zijn dat je nog op je bagage moet wachten of
    dat je nog andere zaken moet regelen; b.v. shoppen, telefoongesprekken moet
    voeren of andere bezigheden.
    Heb je je taxi nodig hebt dan dien je de volgende stappen te ondernemen:
    1. Je loopt naar vertrekhal 3 (dat wordt door borden aangegeven)
    2. Ga met de lift, trap of roltrap naar vertrekhal 3
    3. Bel met ons algemene 24/7 telefoonnummer: +31(0)638514288
    4. Meld onze operator je naam en bestemming
    5. Begeef je naar de uitgang bij deur C en wacht binnen.
    Binnen maximaal 15 minuten vanaf je bericht aan ons komt er een
    chauffeur je ophalen.
    Let op dat je klaar staat aangezien er slechts enkele minuten zijn
    toegestaan voor het laden/lossen van passagiers.
    Het team van AMSTERDAM TAXI bedankt je voor het in ons gestelde
    vertrouwen.

    Amsterdam Taxi

    in British Isles/Western Europe

    Posted

    On 5/22/2022 at 9:46 AM, Ine said:

    Or you can call this company and maybe even prebook: https://www.amsterdamtaxi.net/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvqeUBhCBARIsAOdt45aKvUaYjeewr7UmLFgLjh4mwEQm3w_w-G__sMSzbWqGN4DjKXFyu-EaAiZ6EALw_wcB

     

    I went to this website and booked. I had a few questions and emailed them from the contact link on their website; no response. I received a pdf confirmation from them in Dutch and asked for a translation. No response. I tried emailing the address on the website; address bounced back. I was concerned about not hearing back so I booked with another company. They are 42eros from airport to the Marriott.

     

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