dronnygirl

I would always recommend taking a taxi at the port in the Caribbean. They are much cheaper than the ships trips and the drivers know the islands very well. Sometimes you have to share a mini bus with a few others, but we like the company. The taxis are reliable and always get you back to the ship in good time.

I totally agree about tipping Kruzseeka - we did a cruise with Princess and were put off by the tipping situation. Every time we sat down for a drink or meal, people were constantly talking about whether or not they had removed the tips. We personally don't want to spend our holidays discussing money and much prefer the Thomsons approach.

Thanks for your replies - very helpful. Not booked yet but think we will - we went to Yugoslavia before the war there (1980's) and loved it. I believe Dubrovnik has been re-built as it was before.

Weather's awful - that's what made us start thinking of sunny holidays:)

Could anyone please advise where the ship is berthed in relation to the old town? Can you walk or are there taxis?

Also, is there much to see at Corinth or would you advise taking a trip?

thanks,

I think it only fair that the tips are distributed between all the staff - after all the kitchen staff and cleaners all work so hard behind the scenes to ensure we have a good holiday. However, we do tip cabin staff and a few others. Last cruise I tipped a very pleasant lady who kept the toilets near the theatre immaculately clean. She was there every night and could not speak English but always had a smile.

I assume you will be in the Caribbean? It's very safe to arrange your own excursions and so much cheaper than using Thomsons. There are taxis waiting at all the ports and will take you on tours. Very often they have mini- buses and they will wait until there are 8 people to go together. We liked this option as we had others to share our experience with.

The locals are very aware of the ship's leaving time and will get you back in plenty of time.

Try a company called 'Rose & Jim' - we found them at the port in St Kitts and Rose was a great tour guide. Rose is from Leeds and Jim is from St Kitts. They know all there is to know about the island and had a small bus so there were 8 of us on the trip. Rose took us to some lovely places and let us agree how much time we wanted at each place. http://www.roseandjimstaxi.com

Aruba is definitely worth taking a trip from one of the buses at the quayside. They don't charge too much and take you all round the island. It's a really beautiful island, quite different from the West Indies as it's very arid and loads of cacti everywhere. There are also lots of iguanas sitting on the rocks. We did the trip and then the bus dropped us at a lovely beach with lots of hotels so we were able to get something to eat and use their facilities. We then just took a bus back to the ship. Enjoy your trip.

Louis Imperial Beach is lovely and has lots of outside space down to the sea - sunbeds not all crowded by the pool but out in the grounds. We loved it.

Nelsons Dockyard - I seem to remember we were there for about one and half hours - no charge to walk round. There are lots of little boats and some market type stalls and cafes. But it's lovely to walk around in the sun and I could have easily spent half a day wandering round.

If you pick up one of the shared taxis at the gate they will allow you as much time as you want at each place.

When we were dropped off at the end of the trip, our ship was docked next to another and the small town was very busy - all the bars full and we were able to mix and have a chat with the people from the other ship. A great way to end our day.

When we arrived in the Caribbean someone gave me a great tip - buy a postcard in each place you visit and write a diary on it each day. As we visited so many islands over the 2 weeks, we soon got mixed up but this was a great way to remember.

To be honest, this is such a lovely island with plenty to see that we didn't have much time at a beach. We loved the Nelson's dockyard area and wished we could have had a little longer there to just sit and take in the area. We did get the driver to drop us at a beach for an hour or so on the way back to the ship and then he collected us later. He didn't expect payment until he had dropped us at the ship as some were a little worried he may not return for us - but don't forget these people are very reliable. This is a beautiful island, we could have easily spent more time there.

I can recommend Cosol tours. They picked us up at the port around 8am and dropped us back around 4pm. They make several stops throughout the day at different places and stop for lunch at a local cafe where they provide local food - the banana cake was deliceous! The mini-buses hold about 12 people but there were only 8 of us on our trip so you aren't waiting for the usual latecomers. There are cold drinks included and they don't let you off until all the rum punch has gone - ha! During the afternoon they took us to a lovely beach that is not accessible to the large coaches.

A really good trip.

Aruba is lovely - quite different from the West Indies. It's very arid and loads of cacti everywhere. There are lots of iguanas as well. There are buses at the port and you can take an island tour on these. A really good and cheap way of seeing all the places - at the end of the tour our bus dropped us off at a lovely beach with hotels and facilities. We spent a couple of hours there and had something to eat, then just had to take a bus back to the ship. There are quite a few market stalls on the quayside near the ship and a few bars so it was good to have a drink and people watch.

This is an extremely easy and cheap way to see Rome on your own. The 3 main points that make this day relaxing and enjoyable are:

An early start – be in front of the cruise ship trips

Planning before you go so that you are not dithering what do when you get to Rome

Leave plenty of time for the train back to Civitavecchia as Termini is a very large station

We left the ship at 7.15 am and the shuttle bus was waiting at the bottom of the gang plank to take us the 5 minute journey out of the docks. The bus dropped us off and we walked to the right, around the corner to a kiosk where we purchased tickets to Rome. Tickets are 12 euros each for return journey or 16 euros for the non-stop faster train, however faster train was booked up. They will give you a timetable with your ticket. We took the 08.02 train and arrived at 8.55 am at Rome St. Pietro station. We got off there and walked round the corner to the Vatican. As it was early, there was only a small queue which was moving quickly. 10 minute wait and we were in St Peter’s Basilica (free of charge). Came out of Basilica and decided not to go to Sistine Chapel as you have to go through the Museum and it is a long walk. With limited time, we preferred to try to see Coliseum instead.

Walked towards Castel St Angelo and across the Pont St Angelo. We then took a left turn and walked by the riverbank to the next bridge and turned right, across the road, and we saw a sign for Piazza Navona. Followed sign into Piazza. This is a large open space with 3 fountains and lots of artists painting and plenty of cafes.

Took route out by the middle fountain and followed signs to Pantheon. Again another square with plenty of cafes. Was able to sit in Pantheon to rest our legs!

Then followed route to Trevi Fountain. Very busy square. By this time we were hungry and stopped for lunch in a cafe just off the square. Paninis 4 euros which we thought reasonable.

Moved out of square and toward the Coliseum. We came out at a large crossroad with the Coliseum straight in front. However, the forum is just across the road and it is best to purchase tickets from the Forum for both sites (12 euros) as there was only a 5 minute queue at the Forum, whereas we waited 25 minutes for tickets at the Coliseum. Walked around both.

We had seen all we wanted to see by 3pm so had an ice cream and headed for the underground station opposite the Coliseum as we wanted to take the 16.12 train from Termini back to Civitavecchia to get us back to ship by 17.30. The underground was very easy and we only waited a couple of minutes for a train – 2 stops to Termini Station.

At Termini we had to go up stairs to the main station. This is a very large station and you have to watch the notice boards to see which platform you require. Civitavecchia train was platform 28 and we could only see platforms 1-24. Saw a sign for 25-29 and followed. Then had to walk a good distance to these 4 platforms. We arrived just in time for the 15.45 train which arrived at Civitavecchia at 17.00. Leave plenty of time as this is a very large station and easy to miss signs.

We walked back from the station along the sea front which was very pleasant with cafes and ice cream places, to the shuttle bus back to the ship.

We had a fabulous and cheap day out. We did not stroll along as we wanted to fit so much in but kept walking and did all we wanted.

When we compared notes with people who had done the ships trips, they had paid £78 each and had spent a lot of time waiting for people who turned up late at rendezvous and didn’t see as much as we had.

The trains are clean and comfortable with upstairs if you want a good view. They appear to run on time. However, beware that they sometimes change the platform at the last minute e.g. when leaving Civitvecchia we were told platform 1 but as the train approached we were told platform 3 – just follow everyone else!

Would really recommend this but you will need to keep an eye on the time – don’t miss the train back.

Keep the phone number of the ship with you in case of an emergency. Good luck.

I'd recommend doing Rome on your own by train. We did this and had a wonderful day, seeing all the major sites. We got off the train at the Vatican and did it first so there was hardly any queue. The key is to get off the ship as soon as you can and get the first train, then don't leave it to the last train coming back. The cost was 12 euros return and it was very easy. If you are interested, I could let you have a full itinerary of what we did.

The last day of your cruise they put a bar bill through your door - we were on AI but it's interesting to see how much you have drunk. We had a couple of glasses of wine at dinner and 2-3 drinks through the evening. Also a few beers/soft drinks during the day - not excessive but we didn't go without. We added up our bill and it came to £250 for a week. Not sure if this helps you make up your mind but personally I would just pay for what you use - £398 seems a lot.

Yhe Coffee Lounge looked very nice but pricey. We never saw anyone eating or drinking there - a white elephant??

We always put our own labels on our cases just in case the airline make a mistake. On our cruise this year, one couple never received their cases in Marmaris and only received them 5 days later in Cyprus. We felt so sorry for them as they only had the clothes they travelled in plus swimming gear they had taken in their hand luggage.

There is a shuttle bus at £5 per person each way. It's a very good idea but you need to book. We thought we would walk into the town and then decided to take the shuttle. It was booked up until early afternoon so we walked. It looks very close until you get off the ship and have to walk for 15 minutes in the opposite direction of the town to the port exit and then it's about 20 minutes back towards the town. Not far if you like walking but the day we were there it was extremely hot. There are taxis waiting at the port gate and charge 8 euros into town. Once in the town we did a lot of walking, it's a pleasant promenade and there is a market at the far end. There's also a lovely beach which is worth visiting. Enjoy your time in Larnaca.

We had 2 sockets over the dressing table - one 3 pin British and the other American

Not sure if all the cabins are the same.......

You'll sail through the Dardanelles on the way to Istanbul. Thomsons give a talk on the war and it's really worth going to. You can quite easily see the monuments on the headland. Very interesting and moving. We were at Galipoli just as the sun set and it was absolutely beautiful.

I must admit I do leave shampoo/shower gels which I assume the staff use. Hopefully saves them a bit of money.

We tip the cabin boy but usually sit in different places in the MDR so don't always tip ( I didn't know there was a general box in the dining room on the last night but will watch for that in future.

However, we were recently on Celebration and there was a lovely girl called Janice who cleaned the toilets on deck 6 every night. She kept them immaculate and was always smiling. It's good to give people like this a tip as they probably don't get many - I also mentioned her on the feedback form.

I agree Huddersfieldtourist - the Head Waiters should be allowed to refuse people into the MDR unless they are suitably dressed. This should be made clear at the point of booking. We always dressed up on formal night but the last 2 cruises haven't bothered as we have seen men in short sleeved shirts and no jacket in the MDR - it doesn't seem the same if some join in and others don't. I must point out that on the non-formal nights this year there was one guy who always wore a football shirt and jeans in the dining room - personally I don't think this counts as smart-casual.

I must say though, that we were on Princess Cruises once and their formal night was worth dressing up for. There was a reception with the Captain before dinner and then music in the atrium all night with dancing and champagne fountains etc. It really was a special night and everyone dressed up.

Treatment prices vary - it's usually cheaper on days that everyone is ashore on trips although they sometimes have 'offers' on sea days. It's approx £60 for a facial depending on which one you have. I had one last year on Dream and thought it expensive as much of the time was spent discussing products etc. An alternative idea would be a voucher for a local beauty salon where she could have a manicure/pedicure just before she goes on the cruise.

The beach in Larnaca is very nice and clean. I would advise taking the £5 return shuttle from the ship as, when you dock, it looks very close to the town/beach. In actual fact you have to walk quite a way to the perimiter fence which is to the right (about 15 mins) and then double back towards the town (again 15 mins). You can then walk the length of the promenade which is quite long. We got to the perimiter/customs and, as it was very hot, decided to take a taxi into the town. This cost 8 euros for the 2 of us but we wished we'd taken the shuttle. We had realised it was quite a walk and had tried to book the shuttle in the morning but it was booked up till 1pm, this is why we decided to walk. Best to book in advance if you want to go in the morning.

Larnaca is very nice - we took the taxi to the old fort which is quite central. There are shops and bars in the back streets as well as on the front and we found a good market for souvenirs etc.