realnice46

Lots of options to consider when choosing an Alaska cruise .... one way or RT ? RT from Seattle or Vancouver ? northbound or south? balcony ?

Since you are just starting to research for your cruise, I recommend that you visit the library and borrow a few books on Alaska. There are even books specific to Alaska cruises ! They provide info on cruiselines, ships, ports, activities, excursions, DIY, etc. ie Fodor has Alaska Ports of Call, or Ann Vipond has Alaska by Cruiseship. Learn about each port and what activities they offer to see which ports best support YOUR interests (and budget).

There's no point in my suggesting a heli dog-sled excursion in Juneau or bear viewing flights in Ketchikan if you don't have the interest or budget.

As for when to go, again, it depends on your interests. If you want to see lots of snow in the mountains and experience long days, earlier in the summer is better. The weather is usually drier earlier also. But if you want to see bears catching salmon, later in the summer is when the salmon runs occur. There are different peak periods at various locations.

 

As you look at itineraries pay close attention to port times. Make sure you're in port long enough and at the right time of day for planned activities. ie lots of whining on this board about the 7am - 1pm port time.

I also encourage you to read past trip reports which are posted near the top of this forum. Lots of helpful first hand experiences that may help you with your choice.

Have fun with your research and planning !!

Thank you for your input, already ordered Alaska Cruise book as well as another Alaska travel guide. Thanks for the tip on port times.

We are considering our first Alaska cruise for 2019 and would like input into must see ports before choosing our itinerary. Also what my be the best month, June, July or August?

Thanks Cruisestitch. I use them at home and you're right, they do keep water cold for a long time. I am embarrassed to admit however that when travelling I find them heavy and difficult to carry and when a long day is in store, I need more than one.. Mea culpa! Don't hate me.:o

I agree, the weight restrictions are making it harder to pack, so adding one of those containers would not work for me.

I know we have to restrict the plastic but what about eliminating cigarettes, everywhere you go, cigarette butts all over aren't they too a large problem?

I wish they would prohibit smoking anywhere on the ship. The 2 areas that they allow smoking they seem to keep spreading out further and have even been smoking in non smoking areas and the crew does nothing. For those people who have to have a cigarette they can get a nicotine patch for the cruise and that will satisfy their craving for short time they are on the cruise. My sister even had someone smoking a cigar on the balcony next to hers so she had to keep her slider closed. Cigars, cigarettes and other smoking items should be confiscated just as irons, steamers etc. Sorry to preach but for our past several cruises the privilege is being abused.

The dress code is very relaxed now. There are some that still dress in Tux, suits and ties and fancy dresses for the elegant casual nights and I've even seen jeans in main dining room. I kind of like the old days, but with the limit of luggage and weight it is very difficult to pack what we used too. Our problem is besides the cruise we always do 3 to 4 weeks land before of after and that brings it own problems. Have fun!

Sorry to post this here but my roll call is not very active and neither is the port board.

what is anyone's experience with tour from Koper to Ljublijana or Lake Bled or both?

We are in port from 7-4 and I am worried if that's enough time to visit both or should I choose one? Also what experience with either Celebrity tours or private for this port.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thank you everyone for your help.

We agree with everyone about Mr Sanchos. We were there end of April, you do need to take a cab, but I would imagine other people on your cruise would be going and you could share. check your roll call. We thought they were very attentive, never need to wait for service. We tried everything including the whole fried fish. We also found that they had a buffet by the bar which was also very good.

Would you recommend the tour operator you used? Would you please share, if so? Thank you for your suggestion! We will be there in early September and very excited to see this country!

Its been a few years so I am not sure who we used but if your sailing Celebrity I think they offer a tour and www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com also offers a tour at reasonable price.

You could also check Roll Call for your particular sailing and see if anyone has organized a tour to the park.

If I use my OBC to book shore excursion can I cancel and will OBC be refunded to my account? What is deadline for cancelling a shore excursion.

Isn’t there a Cruise Air forum this should be in?

Not sure, but some of the sub forums seem to be less active. I think you should be able to post where you might get the fastest response. For instance my current roll call is really slow , so I have posted some things on Celebrity board.

Was wondering if anyone had gone to the Krka National Park there? Is it worth the drive?

 

Thanks!

This is what I would choose to do in split. We did a private tour and it was breathtaking and will certainly go again if we had the chance. We walked around Split on our return from the tour and didn't find it anything special. If you spend your time in Split be sure to get some local currency not may places took euros.

Google tours from Split to Krka, there a many tour companies and very reasonable.

We always bring something like this also. On one Celebrity cruise awhile ago, there was a note in the cabins that you are not supposed to use these, but we did anyway on that cruise and many others with no issue. They have an extremely limited number of outlets so in today's day and age you really have no choice.

There are reasons they prohibit certain items . It always makes me angry when people don't think the rules apply to them. They put other passengers safety at risk!

Ah, apologies for misunderstanding.

 

There are a few other options from Civitavecchia -- one of them would be to visit the beautiful (and mysterious) painted Etruscan tombs at Tarquinia, as well as the museum in the town itself. This is sometimes offered as a tour but could also be done on your own via local bus or as a private tour.

 

Orvieto may be another option but cruise lines seem to rarely offer it. A private tour would work and may possibly combine a visit to this charming hilltown with a stop in Civita di Bagnoregio, an even more scenic place.

I would defintely agree with the option of private tour to Orvieto and Civita di Bagnoregio, they are wonderful.

The more I read, the more confused I become about the best way to tour the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, and St Paul's Basilica. I am typically a DIY tourist but feel that the best way to tour the Vatican area is using a guide for an early entry tour but which one? On CC I read lots of glowing reviews but wonder about negative experiences also. We are staying near the Vatican so transport to the area is not an issue. So what advice do you have for four seniors who have knees that fatigue easily and don't do lines too well?

If you can pre book your Vatican Museum tickets, saves a lot of time.

What are your Favorite restaurants, gelato, and pizza in Rome and Venice?

And recommendations to avoid "tourist trap food"?

Pizza good in Rome at the small little take outs on little side streets also look for out way little restaurants for pasta.

In Venice there are some take out pasta places served in chinese take out containers. Our favorite. Also pizza at places that sell by the slice much better that sit down places. Otherwise just look for something with great atmosphere or vies.

Please can you give me some help? We have friends travelling on Celebrity Eclipse and are tendering on 21 June in Edinburgh and I am trying to work out where they will come in as I am going to pick them up. Have hunted online and it's not giving anything definitive.

Thanks :)

June 21 already past?

My wife and I will be on the Epic in October. We usually DIY shore excursions. My question is: Is it possible to make it to Siena on the port day if we are planning on taking the train. We have been to Pisa before and don't have a need to see the Tower, etc. Florence is an option but she would really like to visit Siena again which would also free up a day trip after the cruise.

I would see one of the other smaller hill towns such as Volterra or San Gimignano. You could probably find a private tour that included both.

Check your roll call you might be able to find others that would like to do same thing. Also depends on how long your port day.

I was in Malta a month ago, and did a cruise from Buggibba to Gozo with a 2hr stop in Comino, there are also cruises from Sliema.

I think realnice 46 is getting the Blue Lagoon confused with the Blue Grotto which is in the south of the island, and is indeed served by the HOHO buses southern route,there is no HOHO buses serving the departure point to Comino in the north of Malta

 

If you look at www.CominoFerries.com this will give you details of the sailings and how to get to the port using MPT buses the journey from Valetta is over an hour in duration.

 

when I was in Comino there was about 6 cruises boats in the Lagoon roughly 300/400 people,onshore, the island is very barren and rocky ,about 6 shacks/vans selling snacks ,etc,and a couple of portaloos, there was also I noticed an area with about 40/50 deckchairs. but little cover

Thank you fir correction. We are visiting very soon with an overnight in Malta and your information will be helpful to us too.

Hi,

 

Does Celebrity have shuttles to the Acropolis? If not, how much does a taxi cost and how much travel time.

Thank you.

I think they had transportation to Athens not sure of drop off point. We took taxi I think it was about 40 Euros 4 years ago ago. We shared with another couple. You could also take metro.

Hello,

 

We are trying to plan a day to Comino/Blue Lagoon so we can come and go as we please, giving us enough time to spend time at the beach but also come back to Valletta and enjoy the area. We would like to do this without a tour if possible, but we understand if that is impossible. How have you all gotten from the ship in Valletta to the Blue Lagoon, and about how much did you pay for the transportation? Are there chairs available for rent on the beach?

 

If the Blue Lagoon is too touristy to enjoy or impossible to really enjoy without staying the during of our port times, what other beaches would you recommend in Malta? Again, how much would the transportation and chairs run up to be? There will be two of us.

 

Thank you to advance to anyone that can help, any and all help will be appreciated! :)

I hope you get get some other reply’s.

We love the Blue Lagoon we used Hop on Hop off bus for transportation you would be able to stay for a while depending on your schedule then return to Valletta. This depends on how much time you have in port.;p We used Malta Sightseeing available as you disembark ship. Very reasonably priced, better than City Sightseeing. Check their website for pricing and different routes.

I don’t remember see chairs for rent but we weren’t looking for them.

We are getting off a ship in Civitavecchi in early May 2019 (Lisbon to Rome on the Royal Clipper). We will have 3 nights post cruise, probably the last night will be near the airport. We have done Rome several times, been to the standard cruise stops in Italy, and stayed in Santa Marinella for a pre-cruise experience.

 

Looking for some suggestions on where to stay (which towns) for two nights, either by car transfer or getting a rental car. Tarquinia, Siena, Spoleto??? A 3 hour drive from the port is probably the max. We are laid back folks who walk a lot, spend a lot of time taking pictures, enjoy beautiful views, like quaint villages, people watch, don't spend too much time inside museums/castles/etc anymore. We do enjoy local meals and wine. :p Never have stayed in Civitavecchi. Should we?

 

Any other suggestions/recommendations from all you CC travelers? Thank you!

If you haven’t been then I would suggest Orvieto with a side trip to Civitavecchia Bagnoregio. That latter being small sleepy village with beautiful views and picturesque little alkyd. A photographers dream.

Marco Polo airport is a 20 minute ride from the pier. The airport is always chaotic so plan to be there 2 1/2 - 3 hrs prior to departure.

If you're on a tight schedule, have a cab or car reserved.

We have flown in and out of Venice several times and find it very easy and not chaotic. With this in mind we still always arrive at any airport at least 2 hours prior to flight.

We all hope they recover 100% as quickly as possible! Two GREAT, and I need to add- warm, very nice people.

 

 

An update from Judy this morning:

 

Hi Bob and Holly,

 

Thank you for reaching out to us about the accident. We appreciate your concern. I am home now, but my lung is still partially collapsed. I am doing breathing excersises hoping that will help my lung to reinflate. I have an appointment to see my primary care physician on Monday, and they will take another chest X-Ray then to see how my lung is doing. I hope it does well and that I won't need a tube inserted into my chest cavity to speed up the process. Bill had that done a number of years ago, and he says it is very painful, especially when they remove the tube (and he has a high tolerance for pain)

So sorry to read about your accident. We wish you a quick recovery and a return to your travels. Gary & Wilma

We only do ship tours if there are no other options. As an example for our cruise in April we stop in Koper from 7-4 so ships tour option to make sue we get back to ship on time. There’s been other times when ships tour was only option for a particular place we wanted to visit.

Otherwise much cheaper to book tours on your own . We also just use public transportation.