heatherbelle

Past DCL cruiser here while DS was 11 when he took his first 7 nighter DCL Med cruise. I loved it so much I booked a 7 night DCL cruise for the 2013 and a 7 night DCL Cruise on the Fantasy for the following year (2014).

Carnival released their pricing for the Sunshine, it was a no brainer really, we cancelled the 7 night DCL med cruise in an inside and booked a 12 night Med cruise in a balcony cabin:D for less money. My DH was of the opinion if you don't try it you never know. We had such a great time on that, that we then cancelled the Caribbean cruise with DCL and booked the Breeze this was last summer.

The only differences are, the food choices are more limited IMO, for example the buffet has less choice than DCL but still lots of choices, no prawns, less choice in puddings. No free fancy cakes in the cove cafe, you have to buy soda. But we can live with that. The shows are not as fancy but who can beat Disney but they are good and we liked the fact that there was a lot more entertainment, shows, comedy club, bands, piano bar, casino.

My DS loves Carnival, although I think he would like any cruise to be honest. We are very loyal to Disney and will be heading there this summer, for the 8th time but I cannot justify paying all that money for a cruise. If it wasn't for the free dining plan, we wouldn't stay onsite at WDW.

So do not be afraid to try something else and go out of your comfort zone. I thought it would be like a 18-30 holiday in Benidorm, it was nothing like that. Lots of lovely American's and Canadians onboard, hardly any Spanish, chattering watching shows, which happened on my DCL cruise. It was great. Clubs are good for the kids and like velvet says you have senerity.

We too have booked the 06/08/16 sailing on the Vista, for a great price.

Sushhhhh those rooms are a secret. I was so disappointed that the Spa OV was classed for two as oppose to 3 people on the Vista.

She's looking beautiful. Excited.

At the end of the main drag in Dubrovnik, there are a couple if cash points, and banks I used my debit card and withdrew some krona here. The taxis took Euros and prices were in a board in the port.

I haven't stayed in that cabin, but I was in 8117. The foot traffic is light in the front area and other than constant stateroom door banging and balcony door slamming during the day it was very quite. The door banging appeared to be caused by kids moving between their inside rooms and parents balcony rooms.

Thanks everyone. My mum will pay as she goes, it's a 10 day cruise. I will fill her up on alcohol before we head back to the ship on port days.:D

On CCL in the Med you can bring wine back and there is no charge at all. They don't bat an eyelid.

Yikes the corkage is three times as much as the wine.

Thanks for the reply.

Previous CCL cruiser and I just want to ask a few questions from experienced NCL folk.

On CCL if you cruise in Europe you are allowed to take your own alcohol onboard. Is this the same with NCL, my mum likes a glass of wine I am tea total mostly?

I was going to opt for the tips package when I book rather than the drinks package.

If we pay for her to have a drinks package, is it a requirement that I too have to have one, even though I don't drink? It is on CCL.

If booking through the US, I can claim any price drop prior to final payment just like with CCL or have a refund if plans need to change, is this correct?

Many thanks.

mrsfuzzmo thanks for your thoughts. :)

 

 

I guess I know what I am getting with DCL whereas I have no experience of Carnival at all. And I don't want to be on the carnival ship moored up next to Disney Magic in Naples, Livornio or Rome ( where they would be at the same time) and thinking I wish I were on the Magic!!

 

I am still so undecided! Unfortunately we don't have an endless supply of money, so deciding what to do for our holiday is a big decision!

Hi Scarecrow here, under a different name!

As you know my first cruise was on DCL, I re-booked DCL onboard to do a med cruise and a Caribbean Fantasy cruise. Along came Carnival who both my friends and family have cruised with,for a fantastic price, so booked to try it and cancelled the 7 night Med DCL cruise. We got a 12 night cruise in a balcony for the same price as a 7 inside cabin. I loved Carnival, so much so that I cancelled the Fantasy cruise I had the largest aft balcony cabin booked on the Fantasy and booked us into the Breeze instead. We have never looked back.

As for fines in case anyone else is reading this. Fines are only issued when 10 sessions or more are taken in a 6 week period, that's 5 days. It's £60 per parent per child. I issue the fines LOL!

Come and join Velvet and I on the 06th August sailing.

See you on the DIBB.

Drama Queen's on RCL, thanks to a cruiser on my roll call.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1668619

Sailaway - Carnival.

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1759692

Yes, unless the other person cancels there's and it goes back into the mix with a lower price.

Lucca is a smallish walled town. There is a cathedral, but it was closed for restoration when we were there a few years ago. Just cross over from the train station and go thru the gate into the town. There used to be bike rentals near the entrance, I think. We just walked around, shopped, ate, etc. in the town, then walked around the wall part of the way. My kids like to climb towers; I think there are 2 in Lucca.

Then, take the train back to Pisa and either take the tourist bus for 1 euro or so to the leaning tower, or walk thru Pisa (very nice, safe) to the tower, depending on your time. You can climb the tower and visit the other religious buildings on the square. There is very good gelato/slushies right behind the tower.

It's a nice, low key, inexpensive day vs "must sees" except for the leaning tower. We enjoyed walking thru Pisa (20 minutes) from the train to the tower and then we took a slightly different route walking back. After almost missing a train on a prior trip due to the long ticket line, our last trip, we bought our train tickets and printed out from home ahead of time (5 euros or so each way). We were able to get off the port shuttle bus, run, and literally jump on the train. If we had not had tickets in hand, it would have at least 30+ more minutes for the next train.

I can highly recommend Lucca and Pisa too if going DIY. we went to Lucca first rode the bikes then stopped of at Pisa, which was very busy and got off at Pisa Rose station, which is nearer to the tower. After Pisa we headed to Pisa Cental which was a very very long walk. I couldn't find a bus to take us back to the station although there is one somewhere. So my tip would be to get the train back to Pisa Cental from Pisa Rose and then change again for Livorno.

ALSO NEW FOR 2016

Industry-acclaimed Harmony of the Seas, will mark the start of the 2016 summer season in Europe with sailings from Barcelona and Rome. The company’s third Oasis Class ship will offer a unique selection of seven night sailings - visiting ports such as Palma in Mallorca, Provence in France, Florence/Pisa/Naples.

Brilliance of the Seas also will alternate 12-night Italian Mediterranean and Greek & Italian Mediterranean cruises.

Serenade of the Seas will sail seven-night Norwegian Fjords and seven- to 13-night Scandinavia and Russia itineraries, round-trip from Copenhagen, Denmark, in early summer and August, and from Stockholm, Sweden, in June and July.

Jewel of the Seas will alternate 10-night Greece & Adriatic and 11-night Greece, Turkey & Croatia itineraries from Venice, while Vision of the Seas will alternate seven-night Greek Isles and Greek Isles & Turkey cruises.

Rhapsody of the Seas will homeport at Rome (Civitavecchia) and sail nine-night Greek Isles cruises in early summer and autumn months. From late June through August, the ship will alternate seven-night Greek Isles and Greek & Turkey cruises.

This what I received.

For Naples if you are a first timer, you must go to Capri. I haven't as yet done the Amalfi drive, but Capri was breathtaking.

Hi agree with everything said above, we are big DIY fans in Europe, tour are very very expensive whether they are private or with the ship, but if you have spent a lot of money getting to Europe I. The first place and may never go again then it is probably worth paying the money for the likes of Rome in Limo etc.

However here is what I noticed on my last trip, we always always headed out of the port past the taxis and on a bit and found the prices of official and non official (that's another story) cheaper, BUT the taxi driver couldn't speak much English which was fine for us as we only wanted to be driven somewhere. In Athens we paid I think it was 80 Euros, that was for a non speaking tour, so he dropped us at the Acropolis, museum, Zeus , into town at the Plaka, the changing of the guard and old Olympic stadium, he waited whilst we looked around and had two hours in town for lunch too, so I though that was good value for money, I was anxious about not been too long as we had left our DS (15) on the boat sleeping. Others on my group found a coach trip that was 25 euros each and had pretty much the same tour but with a guide.

In Dubrovnik taxis at the port ours was excellent 50 euros for a 1 hour tour dropped off at the Pile gate.

Messina, tours again at the port, where people shared large taxis to get to Nessina for two hours, we walked out of the port where we met with a guy who charged us 80 euros the others were charging 120 at the port. Well he wasn't a taxi driver I think he was an old godfather LOL! no seat belts in the car no taxi badge, anyway we survived, saved 40 euros and it's a funny story to tell people he was a lovely chap who wasn't a day under 80. He waited for us and we paid him when we returned to port. A bit of a mistake, but you live and learn.

There were also taxis at Naples too.

Next time I am going to hook up with people on CC who have been before and just want a taxi somewhere and share one at the ports. They had up to 10 seater people carriers waiting to whisk folk away.

So to answer your question yes it can be done at port, but gave a plan of how much it should cost, some pirts gave prices pinned up and know where you want to go.

Here's another excellent Med trip report. I think it was this one that helped me plan to visit Lucca. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1848309

Rome in a day

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1518706

Carnival Breeze in the Med

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1698004

Carnival Magic

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1597451

Xcruise

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1700095

Trip reports that will inspire you, not all of them are CCL, but I used them for planning.

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1683745

Taromina on your own

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1522369

Purchase your wall tickets for Dubrovnik before you leave home. I have used this site before. http://www.dubrovnik-travel-experience.com/dubrovnik-city-walls-walk.html

Toms port guides

For all of the DIY folk out there. A wealth of info, that will help you get the best of your Med cruise.

http://www.tomsportguides.com

Article here in theUK press regarding Southapton sailings http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/11437870/New-cruise-ship-will-be-worlds-largest.html

Maybe if they lowered the Anthem pricing more of us Brits would sail on it. £6500 for three during the Summer months is ridiculous, especially when some of those days are spent in cold choppy waters. I can go to Disney for less across the pond.

i too would like Carnival to be here in Europe each year, having taken my first Caribbean cruise on the Breeze last summer I have to so it seemed so boring compared to the Med. Once you have seen one Caribbean Island etc ... At least in the Med there is so much to see and do. I did enjoy my Breeze trip, but it just wasn't the same.

I too would like more of a mixture of ports, Villefranche, nice, Istanbul, more Greek Islands, or even a Canary cruise and if CCL are reading this, us folks who work in schools would like longer cruises in the school holidays please, not these short 8 night ones:D pretty please.

I wonder what the grey area is on the deck plans between the delux OV and normal OV at the back of the boat? Any ideas?

When we were on the Sunshine in 2013 guests were charged €15 each for the bus transfer in Marseilles and back, it wasn't free. I was on the 28th July sailing. The buses were supplied by the port.