Courier95

4 hours ago, skynight said:

FYI- Pacific, Island, Sea and Diamond do not have the I.C.. All other ships do.

Thanks for that - it's Crown Princess.

Thanks for all the replies.  We will certainly try it when on board.

I know that the food is complimentary at the International Cafe but is it necessary  to purchase a drink in order to sit and eat there?    Thank you.

Thanks Sauer-kraut.  I have been successful now!

Thanks to you both for your help.

Does anyone know if the Cruisegate shuttle from Steinwerder to Veddel is still in operation?  Their website is not taking bookings.

Our 2 night mini cruise  Southampton to Hamburg has a gala night on the last night.  Does anyone know if   luggage is put out the night before disembarkation as it is  on longer cruises? If so then we will probably do self disembarkation rather than trying to cram  gala attire into hand luggage. Many thanks.

Thanks to everyone for their  helpful comments.  We will go ahead and book.

New to Princess but not to cruising and hope a Princess regular might be able to help.   Would C605 a B2 Premium Balcony be a good choice?  I have been unable to find any information on the cabin "sticky".  I realise that it is quite near the laundry but, from other posts on here, that doesn't seem to be too much of an issue.  It is a late booking and there is not a great deal of choice of rooms left.  Thank you for any help and views.

Thanks - that helps a lot.

How long before departure date do excursions appear in the cruise planner section? Considering a Mediterranean cruise. Thanks.

Also take into consideration that should the ferry be cancelled for any reason (sea conditions?) then there is no other way of getting back to Malta and your ship. Gozo is unique and well worth visiting but it would be wise to have a good map if you are hiring a car as we found the the roads not all that well signed. In the time you have, you could get a taste of the island if you limited your time at the various sites.

Don't know about the two you mention but we had 6174 on the Eclipse last year and the top of one of the smaller lifeboats was just about level with the balcony floor. No view down but looking straight out or to stern or port was fine. In fact, we have chosen the same stateroom for this year.

Depends on where you want to visit - unlike many places in Europe some museums etc. in Malaga are open on Mondays e.g. the Picasso Museum, Gibralfaro Castle, Alcazaba and the Cathedral, others such as the Motor Museum, Carmen Thyssen Museum and Roman Amphitheatre are closed; this link gives some opening hours http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/spain/andalusia/malaga/articles/malaga-attractions/ If the places you want to visit are not on the link list just post again and I will find out for you.

 

Some places generally open on Mondays do close if a Public Holiday falls on that day - the Cathedral being one if there are special services scheduled; this will not affect you unless you are in port on Monday 1st May which is a National Holiday.

Thank you so much for your comments and the link - just what I wanted.

Campolady = are the main museums and sites open on Mondays? We will be visiting in May.

Thanks for all the advice and information but we want to avoid using the metro.

Thanks for the information and advice.

Can anyone give the cost of a taxi from the port to Sagrada Familia? My searches are showing up old posts and/ or a wide variance in prices. I realise that there is a port supplement involved. Thank you.

We are doing an 11-day sailing from Lisbon to Rouen in mid June with lots of great port stops and opportunities to explore exciting parts of Spain, Portugal, Bordeaux, Brittany, etc.

 

Our Spain port stops include: La Coruna with much history here in this major Spanish port that has cultural background going back to the Celtics, Romans, Moors, etc.; Bilbao with much here centered around Frank Gehry’s dramatic Guggenheim museum and their historic medieval streets and St Jean De Luz, for accessing San Sebastian, its top-rated food, the elegant Belle Époque architecture, its Spanish royalty setting as their seaside summer resort, etc.

 

Much research to do for these three different days in NW Spain. Our first for being in these areas of Spain!! We have previously done much and super enjoyed Barcelona, around Madrid/Toledo, Seville, etc.

 

What are your best ideas, tips, suggestions, secrets, special surprises, etc., for these three cities in NW Spain? Love wonderful sharing!! Don't be shy. Below is a visual for a few of the books that I got recently from our local library and have been checking. Lots of nice pictures, details, options, etc. Personally, it's nice to have today's books with more and better charts, graphics, visuals images, maps, building cut-aways, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 220,355 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/tlcohio/2017%20Travel/DecTravel2016A%20032_zpsjnfxm602.jpg[/img

 

 

You might like to check out the following couple of our favourite places in the area/s you mention. Of course, we don't know your time limitations and whether or not you will be driving yourself as seems to be your norm from your many other posts.

 

The first is Le train de la Rhune which starts from Sare, about 10kms from St Jean de Luz. It is a quaint little railway (similar to the one at Flam) that climbs to the top of La Rhune. There is a cafe at the top and, if the weather is good, magnificent views of the Spanish and French coasts and of the Pyrenees.

 

Secondly, the beautiful riverside town of St Jean Pied de Port a point on the route for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compestella. Many of the doors in the town bear the symbolic scallop shell. A climb to the citadel is rewarded with views of the countryside with mountains in the background.

 

If the places appeal to you then I am sure that they will be mentioned in one of your newly acquired guide books. Happy reading!

This June we will be returning from our cruise to fly to Manchester from Ciampino.

Our flight is 10.30 am does anyone know the cost of Celebrity's airport transfer?

Will the transfer be early enough for us to catch this flight?

Thanks for any advice.

Not sure if Celebrity do a transfer to Ciampino as that airport is used by the charter airlines. We did the journey from Civitavecchia to Ciampino once when our flight was diverted there from Fiumicino. Ciampino is 15 miles on the far side of Rome from Civitavecchia, We took the shuttle from the ship, the train to Rome Termini (1 hour) and got a taxi to the airport which took 40mins due to heavy traffic. There is a bus that runs between Rome Termini station and the airport. If there is not a Celebrity shuttle and you need to make your own arrangements, then IMO it would be very difficult to get there for your flight if you used the train/taxi/bus option. If you were first off the ship and had a pre booked car waiting,then it might be possible.

See the Rome Toolkit website for more information. Hope that helps.

I'm looking for advice about a day in Livorno. Most posts are about taking the train out of Livorno, but since we have been to Italy many times, we thought about seeing Livorno - where we have never been. So where to go, for 4-5 hours in Livorno? We are looking for a nice area to stroll around, cafés, a little shopping, old town etc. We will probably not go to a museum.

Thank you.

We decided to stay in Livorno and took the port shuttle bus to town and then got the hoho sightseeing bus that stops near the shuttle bus stop. The tourist information office is also near the shuttle stop and you can pick up a hoho bus leaflet and map there.

We got off at Terrazza Mascagni (google it) and walked along the terrace which had wonderful views out to sea and ends with a rotunda. There are a couple of restaurants for refreshment at the start of the terrazza.

Although we didn;t do it, it is also possible to get off the bus at Montenero and get the funicular up to the Sanctuary. The bus leaflet gives details of this and the other stops on the route. It is approx 60 mins circuit and not all of it is attractive but we enjoyed it.

At the end of the tour, we wandered around the town and the ancient canal area before getting the shuttle back to the ship having spent an enjoyable few hours.

Hope that gives you a few ideas. Enjoy your visit.

John Bull is spot on with his travel advice, as usual. I am pleased that you are factoring time in to spend at Stourhead. There is year round interest in the gardens and grounds and one really needs to experience the grounds to fully appreciate the magnificent setting of Stourhead. At the time of your visit in late April there will be lots of lovely shrubs and trees in bloom. If time allows, do walk round the lake which allows you to experience several different vistas. It takes just under an hour with time for the taking of photographs. Enjoy!

I live very close to Stourhead, Longleat and not far from Salisbury and Lacock and know them all well.

IMO it would be far too rushed to accomplish what you have planned for day 1. Salisbury is quite compact but you would need to allow time to at least view the magnificent Cathedral. Stourhead house is large and the wonderful gardens massive. Longleat house also needs at least a couple of hours and more if you want to include the safari park. Lacock village is unique and beautiful to stroll around and has a wonderful ancient Abbey to visit. Add on the driving time and the fact that the daylight hours will be short in March, it would certainly be very rushed to visit the places in any depth.

I hope that is helpful and that you enjoy your visit.

Thank you. I am in 6172. Not sure of the catigory will have to look

We were next door in 6174 this year on the Eclipse and did not find the partial obstruction a problem at all. Just the top of a lifeboat at balcony floor level. In fact, we have booked it again for next year.

IMO flying in on the day of embarkation can be risky. One year we did it as we are in the UK with a short flight time to Venice. The flight was scheduled as one of the first of the day and left several hours between landing and for getting to the port. Less than half an hour into the flight we turned around and headed back as the plane suffered damage to the cockpit window. By the time that a replacement aircraft had been found and the flight re - scheduled, it left us just enough time to leap into a taxi at Venice airport and we arrived at the port with minutes to spare. Since then we have always flown in the day before.

As others have said, make sure you comply with the baggage policies of the airlines you have mentioned.