badtwin

Can't help with sleeping arrangements, but when my daughter (around 20), my sister and I shared a cabin, we found the solution to getting ready for dinner was to head to the steam room (MSC has some advantages although overall I prefer Celebrity) and then shower in the gym area. Sure beat 3 women using the small bathroom. Maybe one or more of the kids are old enough to send out to the gym for their showers?

Some nice items for scrapbooking. We did not get a glossy brochure with photos and such on our last cruise so I had to really struggle to find some nice things for my cruise album. I would like to be able to buy some X themed paper or even better, something for the specific ship (I really miss deck plans to mark our room), a couple of different photos of the ship (even nicer postcards or notecards would have helped) and maybe some tasteful stickers or the like.

I went to the scrapbooking classes on board and will use some of the hand outs, but found most sort of tacky and not Celebrity specific.

The problem is with your own bank, not with the European ATMs. Most European ATMs do not charge any fees (or they have low fees). Transactions for those in the USA are normally expedited by Visa International which only builds in a 1% fee (deducted from the wholesale rate of exchange). All the other fees are assessed by the users bank (your own bank). Since we do a lot of international travel we prefer to use a US credit union who assesses zero fees on International Transactions. The simple solution to your fee issue is to find a local bank that is not "fee crazy" like many large US banks. Although some large US banks offer no-fee or low fee deals if you use certain European banks, we have found that its a lot easier to simply use a US Bank/Credit Union that does not charge any fees with any banks :)

 

As to taxis in Barcelona, they are required (by local law) to use their meters. Some might try to con a traveler into a higher fixed fee and not run the meter, and they would be violating the law. Simply get in a taxi at the airport and make sure they use the meter (and it has been reset). If you want to have an exact pre-arranged fare it is best to arrange for a transfer from a local service (you can do this online). A taxi transfer will cost about 35 Euros (total cost for the taxi) and unless they have changed the rules the drivers are permitted to assess a small extra fee for excess luggage (this is added to the meter via a button that the driver presses).

 

Regarding using a credit card to pay for a taxi in Barcelona, like many other places in Europe the answer is maybe yes and maybe no. Even taxis that are authorized to accept credit cards would prefer cash and we have often encountered drivers who simply refuse credit cards or want an extra fee (not sure this is legal) to take a credit card. And there is also the issue that some taxis that do accept credit cards will not be able to process a US issued card because they do not have the EMV Chip/PIN system used in most of the world outside the USA.

 

Hank

I know issue was our bank. My point was that if you wait to get to the airport, selection of ATM is somewhat limited and we had no choice. If you do not travel a lot, it doesn't really make sense to get special cards and you try to do the best with what you have.

Most of our taxi experiences in Barcelona were fine. But at the airport (as at airports all over - not picking on Barcelona) there are those who aren't licensed trying to get you to go with them - just be sure to go to the taxi area. And on our return, we assumed we would be charged the same as into town and were hit with some probably illegal overcharges but at 6 a.m. had little choice but to pay up so we could make our plane. Better to ask before the ride.

Two suggestions

You might want to try to get some Euro in the states before you go. In two trips to Europe, the ATM fee at this airport was the worst. Not terrible but there were none with banks that had a reciprocal agreement with our home bank for lower fees.

Second, go to the official taxi area, get a licensed cab and agree to the fee before you get in. On a recent trip, we arrived exhausted and someone came up to us and offered a ride we assumed was a cab. I put my foot down when he started leading us away from the taxi area. Saved us money as well as worry.

Enjoy Barcelona - a real delight.

We stayed at Hotel Denit pre and post cruise and really liked it. Very close to Placa de Catalunya so you could use the aero bus if you want as well as the metro and other public transportation. Cab to the port was around 15 euro.

This hotel is quite different by American standards. Look at the photos on the website before you book. The rooms are smaller and done in an IKEA style. The shower/toilet space is separated from the rest of the room by a frosted glass wall so might be uncomfortable for some. We brought our own bar of soap because they provide shower gel.

But on the other hand we had great staff who were quite helpful, a decent breakfast that was included, a great location and a good price (under 90 euro a night) when we booked on line from their website (although we were also off season in November). The rooms were clean and they let us check in early once they had a room ready. They also had a luggage room so we could go look around while we waited for our room and free wifi.

Just off the Equinox. Found the hike up the mountain in spite of these boards. Thought I would share what I can recall to help the next ones who want to walk off some of their cruise food.

We had trouble finding the start so these notes are trying to reverse our descent. Take bus or cab to pile gate. Start heading up hill. Go on road between wall and imperial hotel, after less than a block, take the inclined path to your left and prepare for lots of steps. About midway, there was a "y" - go slight left. With luck, you will end up on the busy top road where the roadway splits or exits from the main road and part goes into a tunnel down to the city. Look across the sroadway and there is a beige pathway leading into the wooded area. This is the start. It is sort of rugged at first as steps are not maintained. Eventually you are on just a sloping trail that zigzags up the hill. Interesting plaques with the stations of the cross at the turns. Took us about one and a half hours up but that included wandering around town trying to find the start. The pathway is rocky and good walking or hiking shoes are a must. It is a fairly gentle slope but you must watch your footing.

After this hike we did the walls and still had time to shop and have a wonderful snack. We were in port from about 9 to 6.

We were there in November, so our problem was rain. It would be brutally hot in high season. But the cable car was closed during our visit due to winds, so we were some of only a few from our ship to enjoy the view from the top. Others arrived in cabs.

Good luck. We did not find most locals very helpful for directions, so had to just keep looking. The staff in the tourist booth was down right surly.

The specialty request was a suggestion in place of Blu since they were also suggesting cabins that were not eligible to eat in Blu.

I got that. It is just that the implication was that the parents were going to be eating in Blu the rest of the trip leaving the daughter where?

When we cruised with DD, she always joined us for dinner, and when old enough, went to the teen club afterward. (Wanted to clarify that I do not recall if Celebrity has teen clubs - they were available on some of the other lines we tried before we discovered the delights of Celebrity. By then DD was 21)

So to those suggesting the happy couple join daughter in a specialty restaurant on the special night - what about all the other times the parents are in Blu? The DD and her friend, if any, are on their own in the MDR?

Did I miss something?

Choices to me seem to be everyone in rooms that qualify for Blu or the happy couple is going to need to eat where the DD can join them.

I agree with prior comment that staff is accommodating to young ladies At least our MDR waiter was, who cobbled together several "cheese plates" as an entrée for our DD (queen of the fussy eaters) who just couldn't find anything that pleased her on the menu.

I have a cruise container with those items I use only for cruises/vacations. It has a copy of this:

http://www.reocities.com/calgon1/Ultimate_Packing_List.html

If the link does not work, google "calgon's packing list". It is the most over the top list you will ever see - not only on what to pack but how to pack. I never take that much anymore, but it was nice to have the list to at least consider.

If I have room, I like to take my luggage scale so I can check bags and do not end up trying to shift the load on the airport floor.

For beach days, I have a waterproof wallet (water tight plastic box on a string) that holds our critical documents safely while I swim.

And it may be listed, but I have a cord with permanently attached clothes pins for extra swim suit hanging in the shower or (gasp) on the balcony when we are in the room.

Finally, I try to make notes of what worked and didn't work on each crusie (3 now for me) as far as clothes and stuff I took. That stays with the cruise basket so I can find it and avoid the same mistakes. I have cut down a lot since the first cruise - but then, I made and took 3 togas on the trip.

Best advice I can give is RESEARCH and decide what you want - shopping, sites and history or "going local." We mixed it up on our cruise. Online, I found some walking tours (Rick Steves and other travel sites) we printed out and took with us, some IPod downloads for more detailed guided tours, esp. the major Rome venues. Lots of places to give you help.

You did not say how old, fit or adventurous you were. We are early 50's with daughter 20 and did not mind spending the day walking.

One highlight for us was the hike from Fira to Oia along the top of the caldera - but it was long, hot and took at least 4 hours. Bus trip back was a mad house.

We did Naples on our own to Pompeii but found it was a school holiday and the train ride was a mob scene and quite scary. I wished we were on a more formal tour. We ended up going back early rather than further down the coast because the train was so crowded we did not know if we wold make it back to the ship.

Bottom line was to study up and decide what you want to get out of each port. For example, we knew enough about Pompeii that it was understandable on our own. But we did a guided tour in Ephesus (not your itnerary but I use as an example) because I could tell we had no background to put the venue in context and some decent distances to cover. That tour was another highlight.

Sorry if this is a repeat question and slightly off topic but we are new to NCL and freestyle.

If you don't sit at the same table most nights, do you not tip the waitstaff extra? We had a great waiter on our last cruise (Celebrity Sostice) and rewarded him accordingly. I see from an earlier post that part of the room fee goes to waitstaff. Do we just count on that?

Thanks

Where was this thread when I started planning a month ago???

10 day/8 port cruise starts May 15. We have only one purchased tour - Ephesus. I am down to planning Rhodes. Found a walking tour on the National Geographic website, where I also found references to the Acropolis of Rhodes maybe near Mount Smith? But after an hour if internet searches, all I have found is a reference to walking 3 km or taking bus 5. Anyone out there ever visit this site and have any directions or ecommendations?

Thanks