airheadfan

I am a real fan of the camping headlamps. The band is not so tight that it gives you headaches, they are fairly light so you do not notice the weight, and you have both hands free for those heavy hardcovers.

My wife is fairly light sensitive so if I am reading a real book in bed rather than an e-book on an e-reader, the headlamp provides a great solution. She can sleep and I can read - happiness achieved.

Make sure to get one with multiple brightness settings - usually just done by clicking the on switch multiple times - and use the low setting in bed or on your balcony and no one will be disturbed.

The other real advantage is that if your ship ever has a serious problem and loses power, you have a very good emergency light. On the high setting mine gives a strong beam of light for up to at least 100 feet. Must be the boy scout in me but I think everyone who travels should have at least one emergency light in their kit.

I took the ship's tour (Marina) to Orvieto last October. The bus ride is uneventful with little to see until you get close to Orvieto. Once there you have to walk up hill into the town, which is not a problem for anyone with a reasonable walking ability. We had one mobility challenged person and they made arrangements to have them driven up to the city, and I think they used a local bus. The tour guide was helpful, did not take us shopping and provided a useful description of the town and its history. We had sufficient time on our own and they provided a very nice lunch in a good restaurant close to the cathedral. Climb up to top of the clock tower for a great view.

For me it was good value, in spite of being a ship's tour. I always wanted to see Umbria and this gave me the opportunity without a huge investment of time and money.

As an alternative, consider a trip to Tarquinia. We went while spending a few days in Civitavecchia before doing our Rome to Rome B2B2b. It is just a bus ride to the north and is another hill town, but with a very nice museum and some well preserved Etruscan tombs. Another place that is reasonably close is Ostia Antica - missed it on this trip but on my must do list if I ever return.

We were there on two different days in October and found enough within Marseilles to keep us busy and satisfy our curiosity about this historic port. My wife is an avid gardener so we spent most of a day at Borély park. Locals helped us buy a daily bus pass and gave us directions on how to find the park - actually quite a nice ride along the seafront. The park is enormous and contains a special garden behind huge locked gates. You pay admission and they arrange for a security guard to open the gates and then you are locked in until you want to leave. This was a very pleasant change from crowded tourist sites.

You can easily take a bus up to the cathedral - of course you can take the little train, but I am either a snob or easily embarrassed, but I not be caught on such a goofy looking contraption (but that is just me).

We were in Livorno in October on the Marina and we took the train to Lucca. Very inexpensive compared to some of the costs mentioned and the train station is very very close to the main gate through the walls. Very efficient and comfortable.

We took the shuttle into Livorno, then a bus to the train station. Take the train to Pisa station and transfer to the train that goes to Lucca. Our first time with trains in Italy and locals responded to our occasional bewildered looks and guided us to the right train.

We actually stopped in Liverno twice (it was a B2B) and joined a group who hired a van to Florence and back. Personally, although Forence is an amazing place, my preference is Lucca - but I try to avoid crowds and I am not that interested in Church art. Oddly, several people I spoke with who went to Pisa found it disappointing, other to have your picture taken near the tower - not sure they explored sufficiently but many thought it was a waste of their time. In our case, we did not stop but continued on to Lucca and this was one of the highlights of our 30 days in Europe.

Have a look at Tarquinia - relatively close to Civitavecchia . You can get there by bus, which you catch across from the cathedral. Tickets can be purchased from a Tabac.

Tarquinia is an Etruscan hill town with a great museum and a large number of well preserved Etruscan underground tombs. The town itself is pleasant and picturesque and when we were there in October it was almost devoid of tourists.

I keep following this thread hoping as do others that HAL's smoking policy will change to guarantee non-smokers a smoke free environment while finding a way to accommodate those who must smoke on their cruise. Disappointed to find that smoking is still allowed on balconies.

We had one unfortunate cruise where the enjoyment of our balcony was greatly reduced by smokers from both the adjoining balcony plus the one next to it. So, we did our research and found an alternative line that meets our needs perfectly. Oceania accommodates smokers with designated areas, while prohibiting smoking in suites and balconies plus almost all other areas of their ships. We moved our dollars to them and HAL has missed out on 44 days of our business, plus what we have booked in the future.

If HAL changes their policy then we will re-consider as we find their itineraries interesting. Until then, if their business plan is to cater to the smoking minority then we will spend our holiday money with someone else.

We used the Hotel San Giorgio and were very pleased. Had a view of the boardwalk. Ate in their dining room one night and found both food and service excellent. If you wish they can arrange for a shuttle to the port. - or you could walk as the port is very close.

We were on the Marina for a B2B2B in October and brought on Lemoncello, Cava, Prosecco, Brandy, and Gin - did they change the rules just for Scotch? We had no problems with the others - they were always in a carry on that went through the X-ray. I am sure that I saw crew doing the same. So, you should not have a problem unless things are different now.

Depends on which ship you are on - the larger have 4 specialty restaurants while the smaller ships have only two.

Our favorites are the miso glazed sea bass and lobster pad thai in Red Ginger, the foi gras appetizer and the sole prepared table side in Jacques; the filet with gorgonzona in Toscano and and no real favorites in Polo. Others of course disagree totally with our preferences.

I have only had one bad meal out of 30 nights in the specialty restaurants: Toscano had a stuffed pork chop that tasted very, very good but was so tough you needed a third hand to hold it on the plate while you sawed your way through.

MDR - never had a bad meal but none struck me as overly memorable - always very good with remarkable service.

We were in Liverno a few weeks ago and took the ship's shuttle into town, then a city bus to the train station, then the train to Pisa and changed to the train to Lucca. Was a great day trip and Lucca was one of the highlights of our cruise.

Easy to do and quite economical. The train station in Lucca is just a couple minutes walk from the gate through the city wall. Lots of helpful people if your Italian is a little rusty (mine is non-existent).

I really do not understand the angst over the nominal charge for using the laundry facilities. However, if you choose your wardrobe wisely for travelling you do not need to use them at all. We just returned from 24 days on Marina (B2B2B) and simply washed what needed cleaning (underwear and socks mostly) in the sink and hung them on the clothes line that stretches over the tub. Money saved and then invested in happy hour.

Just off Marina in Rome yesterday morning. Everyone out of cabins by 8 and off the ship by 9. They said this was an Italian customs or immigration requirement so may vary by embarkation country.

There are two Hiltons at the airport in Rome - what is the difference in getting to the Hilton Garden versus the Hilton Airport? The reason I ask is that I rightly or wrongly booked into the Hilton Garden in late September. Are both walkable from the airport or should I take a cab?

I was on a 20 day cruise on Marina and frequently met a man in the steam rooms/saunas/showers - he was travelling with his wife and daughter in one cabin and he used the facilities in the sauna area rather than fight for limited time/space in the cabin bathroom.

I think his solution defused a lot of potential tension.

And as many have said, seven days is not that long, so as long as everyone is flexible and understanding you should not have any problems.

In response to the OP's question: Have you or are you planning to switch cruise lines because you do not like that HAL continues to permit smoking on verandas?

One cruise on HAL was enough for us as the passengers on the two downwind balconies were heavy smokers and this significantly limited our enjoyment of the veranda. We switched to Oceania who have limited smoking but manage to accommodate smokers and enjoyed every smoke-free day.

Neither of us is allergic nor do we have asthma or any other respiratory problem. We simply find second hand smoke offensive and will not support HAL's business plan based on permitting (it is a permission, not a right) an activity that is both a health and a fire risk.

We would consider HAL again if they adopted the same or similar smoking rules as Oceania.

If you choose the Lobster Pound, make sure you make a reservation as it is not a large restaurant and it closes early - about 8:00 pm when I was there in late May. Many people taking the night ferry to Newfoundland are looking for a dinner place so it can get busy.

It is a good choice for dinner and lives up to the reviews. Another very good choice is the Black Spoon - different food and atmosphere but also very very good.

Just a bit of information for those who are not familiar with the naming of waterways in Newfoundland. In my area a pond is much smaller than a lake and a boy with a good arm could throw a rock from one side to another. Not so in Newfoundland. Western Brook Pond is a long inlet or fjord and the boat ride takes a couple of hours to go to one end and return. We were fortunate to go on a cloudless day and it was spectacular - if you get a chance to go on a ship's tour do not miss out on the opportunity.

Expect a 30-45 minute easy walk into the boat dock - I am not sure whether they would provide transportation for a ship's tour.

It will take you 4 hours one way to walk - it is about 19k or 11 miles from the city to the gardens. Given your limited time in port, you might want to consider renting a car, taking the bus, take a cab or even rent a bike.

Notentirelynormal - although there are several good places for fish and chips in Victoria the absolute best I have ever had was in Holberg, a minuscule settlement in northern Vancouver Island, between Port Hardy and the west coast. Unfortunately, not very accessible to cruise visitors.

As a caution, the absolute worse fish and chips I have had locally was at the new Oak Bay Beach Hotel - beautiful property but their fish and chips, at least on the occasion I was there, were horrible. If they had served such a bad product in Newfoundland, where I think their fish and chips deserve Michelin stars, they would have hung the chef.

Personally, when I am downtown, I prefer Gallagher's, which is in between the other two pubs - they have expanded so they have frontage on Government Street, but not as fancy as the other two.

Enjoy your stop in my wonderful city

Could it be the Bard and Banker? It is a Scottish Pub in the old Bank of Commerce building. They do have daily 2 for 1 specials, with fish and chips one day of the week. You can find them on the internet and send an email to see if that is the pub you are looking for. The other possibility is the Irish Times, also in an old bank and very close to the Bard and Banker - both are on Government Street in the center of the old part of the city.

Hope you find the one you are looking for.

Do a search on youtube for instructional videos. There are lots of very helpful clips. Specify landscape photography and you should find something that is helpful. You will even find very specific topics covered, like depth of field, aperture, iso, focus etc etc. I recently bought a macro lens and found that my shots improved 1000% after watching the experts offer tips - much better than trying to learn by hit or miss shooting.

I a sure you will find something that will improve your shots.

We stayed at the Intercontinental - close to transit, parks, plenty of restaurants nearby and a huge shopping center nearby in the base of the tallest building in South America. Worked well for us.

I have bee there a number of times and it is worth a visit - very peaceful village in the hills above Selcuk. If you want to be thrifty find the dolmus local mini-bus) to Selcuk, which will take you to the otogar (bus station). There you will find another mini-bus that will take you up to Sirence. Just do the reverse to get back to Kusadasi.

If you have time, there is a very good museum in Selcuk - again, not something that many tourists visit.

As an alternative, look for a day tour that takes you to Pirene, Didyma and Miletos (I may be slightly off on the spelling) - a very different experience from Ephesus.

I think dileep gave you some good advice. Really give some serious consideration to one of the excellent super zooms now available. I have a Canon super zoom that takes excellent photos, but for really wet weather I have a more compact waterproof that is very pocketable. For my more serious photography I have a high end Canon DSLR (5D mark iii). For going on a cruise, if I had only one to take, I would chose the super zoom every time. Lots of flexibility, great telescopic range, generally not too bad in low light, built in flash, not too heavy, and you cannot spend any more money by adding lenses. Compared to the DSLRs they are affordable and much easier to carry around.

You might look into a tour to Pergamon - lots of history from the Hellinistic and Roman times. Once had a library second only to the one in Alexandria. Have a look at the description in wikipedia or other sources.

It will be a full day tour as it is about an hour away and there is lots to see. You should be able to easily find an operator with a quick search.