Moon Orchid

Hello, is there a good hotel next to Smeraldo ? We booked 3 night at Smeraldo for August .My brother wants to stay there too but the hotel is full for those nights. Thank you.

18 hours ago, sasandy said:

You have done a very good job researching Europe. It is similar to my plans even the hotel is the same. I spent over a year researching and I still have more to do. I would suggest an excursion from Naples to Herculaneum. It is very similar to Pompeii but a little more preserved. Santorini and Mykonos is the same for us also.

Thank you , I changed my mind and booked the 9 nights Greek Isles cruise for August 25 instead. Same ship, just a little bit longer. Now I have to research for what to do in Athens and Chania. What company did you book the excursion for Naples ? TIA

7 hours ago, steamboats said:

No vibrations on deck 14 aft...

 

steamboats

Did you have a good room on this deck ? Had been searching for cruises on Icon and Star for next September and rooms on deck 14 always available. I was wondering if these room are okay. 

3 hours ago, edinburgher said:

For your stop at Kusadasi, you  could visit the world class ruins of Ephesus as there is really nothing of any interest in Kusadasi itself and the ruins are outstanding. Visiting Ephesus is the #1 option. Include if you can, the terraced houses, which another poster has referred to as "apartments"

 

You could take a shorex, arrange a private tour, or take a taxi.  Many many previous threads and posts about all the options for getting there and touring the site can be found on these threads:

 

.  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=kusadasi&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149

 

And have you looked to see if there is a Roll Call for your ship and sail date?  The RC is where you would be able to share information and ideas  with fellow passengers and possibly join any private tours which others have arranged, also where you might find others to join any private tour you have arranged.

 

Here is a link to  RCs for Odyssey  of the Sea. Check if your sailing already there, if not, consider starting one.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2463-odyssey-of-the-seas-roll-calls/

 

 

 

Thank you so much. I forgot about the Roll Call ( We have our little grandson with us because his parents got Covid , it's a joy to have him all week ,but my mind is not that sharp ☺️.)
Thanks to all wonderful experts on this board, Edinburgher,Marazul,CruiseMom42,Kohanfam,Euro  cruiser , Benny Bear, Hlitner and Touchstonefeste. My list of what to do , where to go is almost complete. I just need to go get some Guide book like Marazul suggested.

24 minutes ago, cayman09 said:

How far in advance would be sufficient to book Armando?

I hope I'm right, I saw something from Reddit ,it said "The reservations open up 30 days in advance at midnight Rome time "

31 minutes ago, marazul said:

Day 1 looks fine.  You must reserve at Armando way ahead of time. There is no such thing as dropping by to see if they have a table.

 

Day 2. Reserve the Vatican Museum on their website. https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home  The time you go to the tour determines the time you get lunch. Pizzarium is fine, but there are many trattorias and pizza places that are very good.  If you go to the Vatican in the morning you will have plenty of extra time in the afternoon for other things. For example, Castel Sant' Angelo. the Roman Forum, Capitoline Museum, Domus Aurea, Giudecca, etc., etc. Get a guide book.  I haven't been to the Locanda, but I am sure it is fine.

 

Day 3. After Trevi, continue on to Spanish steps and Piazza del Popolo.  There is a lot to see in the area.  Get a guide book. There is no Colosseum Museum.  You visit "the" Colosseum and you must reserve ahead of time.  Don't go back to the same places for dinner.  Rome is full of wonderful places to eat.  Look at the "Italy: All Things Food and Wine Related" thread pinned to the top of this forum. For example, try Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina not far from your hotel.  It is wonderful. Reserve.

 

Santorini - good decision

Ephesus - you must go on a tour to the ruins and make sure it includes the "apartment" houses.  Go to the "Other Mediterranean Ports" forum for lots of info.  Staying at the port town (Kusadasi) would be a total waste of time.

Mykonos - ok.  Then town is very scenic.  Consider going to Delos if you are interested in Greek history and mythology.  

Naples - three main choices: Pompeii, Capri or the Amalfi coast.  It all depends on how much time you have in port and your interests. You can't see it all. Lots of info on this board.

 

Are those all your ports?

Yes ,it's a 7 nights cruise. At first we want to do the 7 nights on Oasis depart from Barcelona, but changed to Odyssey because it has 2 sea day to relax , and we want to have some extra time in Rome .
Thank you for all great suggestion . I appreciate it.That will help us a lots with the planning.😀

1 hour ago, marazul said:

@Moon Orchid

Good luck with planning Rome.  Take control if you can.

Here is a suggestion for ship excursions. As you know, when you are planning to book a ship's excursion or a shared independent excursion, each party has to make their own reservations.  You should pick the excursion you want at each place.  Then give "her" a printed list of the options at each place and tell her that they are welcome to book the same excursion that you have or to choose any other they like.  In either case, you will meet afterwards at the ship for drinks and dinner. Leave it up to her and her clients to choose.

Thank you for your suggestion. I have this plan out when we're in Rome. Please feel free  to give me more advices 😊. 
Day 1,early morning after check in the Albergo Santa Chiara hotel we will take it easy because of the jet lag.
- Lunch at Labottega Pastificio
- Visit Pantheon,Piazza Navona,Campo de' Fiori market ( if we're not too tired )
- Dinner at Armando Al Pantheon
Day 2, Vatican Museum.
- Quick lunch at Pizzarium Bonci or ( Ristoran Pizzeria dei Musei )
-Dinner at Locanda Di Piereo

Day 3, walk to Trevi Fountain after breakfast
- Then maybe do the Colosseum museum late afternoon
-Dinner at Armamando Al Theon or Locanda Di Pireo again.

Port : Santorini, I plan to take Royal excursion to avoid the cable car.
Ephesus, Turkey ( No plan yet )
Mykonos, walk around the island
Naple, Italy ( No plan yet )

2 hours ago, edinburgher said:

So her clients with their vast knowledge of European travel  know more than specialist travel writers?    Already issues with planning Rome, and you have yet to move on to the port calls planning.Can only wish you the best of luck on this family trip as I think you will need it.

Agree. Her clients they did lots of lands vacation, so it's different than us cruisers .That's why I let her monitor the airfare with the suggestion that we need the flight that get to Rome early. That will make her happy because she wants to takes over my planning ( but have no clues😁)
I'll  research all other things like what to do for the 3 day in Rome, and at other ports ,then get together to discuss which one to do.
This will be the third time we travel together, I feel bad to say no when family ask to tag along☺️
I have same problem the last time on Harmony cruise 7 years ago. We're a group of 13 people .We agreed to use SAS transportation from FLL hotel to Miami port and back to FLL airport after the cruise. After the cruise, while we were waiting for SAS shuttle to come, she told everyone to get on 4 taxis because they offered her a cheaper prices and we don't have to wait.
I told her" We've already paid SAS roundtrip. If you want, go ahead and take the taxis. But did you know with that price, they will take you to Miami airport, not FLL." She said " Oh, I didn't know".

 

Thank you so much for everyone great advised. We got hotel booked, will book flight soon when the price goes down a bit. So excited and exhausted at the same time. Caribbean and Hawaii cruise are much easier for planning☺️

1 hour ago, marazul said:

Rome is expensive, especially after covid.  Yes, that is about par for the location.

 

And I do hope "she" doesn't read CC! 🤣🤣🤣

No, like I said she doesn't like to do any research, so she will never visit this board 😋. She is a salon owner so she got all the ideas from her customers. And it's doesn't matter if she see what I posted. I told her all the time to calm down🙃

21 hours ago, marazul said:

This is one of the booking platforms that small, independent hotels use to process their bookings. They are safe and reliable. 

Is it the norm to pay $300+ for a double room mid September at Albergo Del Chiara ? 

7 hours ago, edinburgher said:

It isn't difficult to learn a few things about "Europe".  Suggest that they both read, read and read even more, tourist information websites, guidebooks (borrow from a library?), Rick Steves, Fodors, Frommers, Lonely Planet websites and any others they might find online, but also YouTube videos as there are probably a good number of videos they can watch. And of course Tripadvisor for reviews and images to help them decide what would interest them.

 

Following at least some of these suggestions, they will learn and may even give them the courage to go their separate ways for a few hours each day.

She is the type of people who doesn't like to do research because some people they knows everything😛☺️. Like she said we should fly in FCO around the check in time at the hotel, I said people on Cruise Critic advised that we should fly in early and check in, have the hotel hold the luggage, that way we will have extra time in Rome. She didn't like that.
I like to travel with family, but some time, it's pain in the b**t😁. I might have to do the way you guys advised me, meet them at dinner, that way everyone is happy.

1 hour ago, marazul said:

This is one of the booking platforms that small, independent hotels use to process their bookings. They are safe and reliable. 

Thank you.☺️

I tried to book the Albergo Santa Chiara hotel but it looks like it bring me to simplebooking.com. Is it from the hotel or it is the third party website. Weird, I didn't go through with the reservation.

1 hour ago, bennybear said:

I think this is great advice!  That’s what we’ve done with friends and it has worked well.  
I agree that you should stay in the historic centre in order so see as much as possible of Rome.  For your first trip  that makes the most sense.  
 

Also I suggest you arrange private car transfers to further maximize your time and lessen stress from the airport and to and from the port.  We like using Stefano’s Rome Cabs.  With four people the costs will be reasonable for the convenience.  
 

For Ephesus, we had good luck with the tour guide Levant Solmaz, highly recommend you visit the Terrace houses.  
 

In Naples,  either a ferry ride and visit to Capri, or an excursion to Pompeii would be my suggestion for a first visit.  
 

Or you could take the easy way and each choose your own ship’s excursions.  All the best!

Thank you very much for your great advices.
 

2 hours ago, edinburgher said:

If it is located somewhere like Florence, that could possibly be an option worth considering and a tough decision for you all to make, but Florence is a much shorter distance than 6-7 hours away. In 6-7 hours from Rome you could even be in one of a few different countries depending on the mode of transport.

Can't remember the name of the three cities that she showed me on her phone, but it said that it would take 6-7 hour to drive from there to get to Rome and Civitavecchia port.

37 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

It sounds like, for your sanity (not to mention actually enjoying your own trip), you might need to suggest that your brother and sister-in-law do their own thing during the day, then meet up with you for dinner.

I talked to her this morning ,told her the same thing. She said' Oh no, we will follow you guy because we don't know anything about Europe". I told her " I will do the research, then let us all decide where to stay ,what to do. But please don't try to change the plan later just because some one you know mention to do this or that". She said okay.
Hopefully we will have a smooth trip 😆. 
 

2 hours ago, edinburgher said:

And once you decide which sights are of most interest to you all, sounds very basic, but do remember to book ahead for any which require pre-booked timed entry slots. That information should be on the official websites of each sight/attraction.

Thank you, I'll do that.

10 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

While it's both interesting and informative to learn what others have done, it's only relevant once you can articulate what kind of trip you want/traveler you are.  Many people like tours, others like to explore on their own, others like a combination of the two.  Some are into art, others history, others food and culture, etc.

 

It's not easy to find a through line for four different people, one that will satisfy everyone, so it's important to discuss among yourselves how you like to travel.

 

As for what to see, you can't see even the major sites in Rome in less than a full week, so with only a few days you'll need to be judicious and make some tough choices.  Just because "everyone" goes somewhere, that doesn't mean you need to, the trick is to find the best fit with your particular interests and desires.

 

I'll bet that in just a few minutes the four of you can generate a list of interesting sites that will exceed the time available, so maybe that's a place to start.

Thank you. I agreed with everything you said. When it comes to planning I take time to research and asking for people advices. With only 3 days in Rome I need to pick tours or do stuffs that fits into those 3 days, not to try to do everything because that's impossible.
Like you said, it's not easy to satisfy everyone. My husband and my brother they are pretty easy, just his wife she is already drive me nut with all of her own ideas even though she has never travel to Europe before. 
I'm trying to look for a good hotel , well located like Mom42 said. But my sister in law has no patience and keeps suggesting hotels in Civitavecchia Port, or told me that we should go to her time share 6-7 hours away from Rome  😔.

10 hours ago, kohanfam said:

Here are my notes

10/28 Monday to 11/1 Friday.  Four nights in Rome

Albergo del Senato dbl room with breakfast $970+$345=$1315

 

10/28 Monday Day 0 in Rome.  

Check into hotel or drop luggage.   Probably around noon.

12:00 lunch

Visit Pantheon, 9am-7pm, 5e, no advance needed

3-6 golf cart tour.  Rollingrome.com.  $100/person.  4 in cart.  3 hours.

Rick Steves Heart of Rome sel guided walk with narration. 1 mile walk, 2-3 hours.

Includes Campo de’Fiori, Palazzo Farnese, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Pasquino Statue, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Piazza Capranica, Parliament, Piazza Colonna, Via del Corso & Galleria, Trevi Fountain, Aqueduct Ruins, Immaculate Conception Column, Spanish Steps

 

10/29 Tuesday. Day 1 in Rome

Vatican Tour - St Peters Basilica, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel. St.Peters closed Wednesday.   Tour must include special corridor

Vatican tix on sale 60 days prior

Recommend Walks of Italy Pristine Sistine Early Small Group tour, 1 hr early, 7:15-11:15, 4 hrs, max 15, $105

The Roman Guy Privileged Entry Vatican + Sistine 3hr, 7:45, max 16, $104

LIV Tours Semi Private Early Morning 7:30 3hr30m, max 6, $139 

Lunch - Locanda di Pietro,

After Vatican and lunch, do any of options 

 

Options on both afternoons

Walk to Castel Sant’Angelo (museum + view), Piazza del Popolo and Spanish steps

Crypts and Catacombs tour.  Walks of Italy - $77, 3.5hr 1:45-5:15

Walks of Italy tours - Welcome to Rome - $54, 2.5 hrs, max 15, 5-7:30

Walk tour.    Pasta Making $77

Walk tour.    Borgese tour $88, 2.5hr, max 15

Walk tour.   Trastavere Sunset Food and Wine $131, 3hr, 12 max

Villa Borghese - tickets released 3 months in advance, 20e

Street Food Tour 5pm, 2.5hr, from Campo de’Fiori

Trastevere Food Tour 5pm, 3hr, $62.41

Golf cart tour - rollingrome.com golf cart tour.  $100/person, 4 in cart. 3pm, 3hrs.

Walk from Pantheon to Trastevere via Piazza Navona. Link

Includes Campo de Fiori bustling market. Ponte Sisto bridge. Piazza Santa Maria and church.

https://www.rometoolkit.com/walks/pantheon_to_trastevere_walk.html

Other popular sites - Appian Way,  Basilica di San Giovanni, Baths of Caracalla, Ostia Antica

Tour the Pantheon- buy tickets and download audio guide. 9-7, 50minutes, 15e

 

10/30 Wednesday. Day 2 in Rome

Colosseum tour

Tix go on sale 30 days prior coopculture is official site

Recommend Walks of Italy - Premium Colosseum, 3hr, max 16, $84, 10-1, includes Forum and Palatine 

Or VIP Colosseum Underground, 3.5hr, max 24, $132, 8:45-12:15

Or Gladiators Gate, 3h, max 25, $102

Or VIP at Night, 2.75h, max 24, $110

Lunch by Colosseum- Trattoria Luzzi, Naumachin Ristorante, Pasqualino Al Colosseo 

Then could do

Baths of Caracalla- 1hr, 20 min walk *****

Museum of the Imperial Fora (Museo dei Fori Imperiali)

Or Options above

 

10/31 Thursday Day 3 in Rome

Walks of Italy Borghese gallery - $91, 2.5 hrs, 2:45-5:15, max

Wow, thank you so much for the great advised.

9 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

Choosing a hotel that is well located in Rome is very important when your time is limited. (You don't want to spend time going to and from your hotel to the central areas where most sites are located).

 

Here's a long but detailed thread with a lot of good info (not just recommendations) -- it's mostly from the past year so it is pretty up to date:

 

 

Thank you very much.😊

Hi all, my husband and I and another couple ( My brother and his wife ), we decided to take 7 nights Greek Isles cruise on Odyssey ,depart from Rome September next year.
We will fly into Rome early and will need a hotel for 3 nights. Then go to the port the boarding day.
Please advise what hotel to stay .What are the must things to do in those 3 days. I saw an article show 25 best thing to to in Rome, Italy. But I doubt it that we can do all that. Lol
Our ship will stop at Santorini , Ephesus, Mykonos and Naples.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much in advance 😊( I have done some research since this morning but need more fresh ideas ).

3 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Pro tip - come here first to ask questions - you'll likely get a more understandable curated answer.

Thank you I will do that more from now on.
I heard that us cruisers will have to board the ship at a new terminal at Tarragona cruise port in 2024. It's an hour away from Barcelona. So here is my question ,is it better to take a cruise depart from Rome now ?
I though it's easier when cruising from Barcelona but the new cruise terminal changed everything ?Don't know how you experience cruisers do it, I was just started to look for the Europe cruises and already feel exhausted ☺️🙃

Thank you for asking question about this. I was confused when searching for Oasis Europe cruise next year.😊

I have never cruise to Europe before. Can some one please explain this to me ?
I was checking on Oasis Of The Seas Europe cruises for September next year and noticed something weird.
Royal have 7 nights Western Mediterranean Cruise depart from Rome,
September 5-12 and September 12-19.
Then same ship depart from Barcelona , 7 nights Western Mediterranean Cruise.
September 1-8
September 8-15
September 15-22
September 22-29
I messaged Royal on Facebook asked them about it and this was how they replied to me: 
"Hey there. I apologize for the confusion. On Day 3 (September 15th) people will be boarding from Barcelona for their 7-day sailing. The itineraries overlap.
Then I asked " So the sailings on September 1st and September 8 will be depart from Rome or Barcelona ?",
Royal said " The September 1st sailing departs from Barcelona. Day 5, September 5th, the ship will stop in Rome and guests for the September 5th-12th sailing will board"
I guess I am dumb, still don't understand how this work 😊. I have only cruise with Royal 17 time , mostly Caribbean and Hawaii cruises so I guess Europe cruise are different ?