Grumpy100

We are thinking about booking the Celebrity Constellation for May, 2014.

I have read some of the must do's for the Baltic Cruises but still don't understand what is so great about the Baltics.

I love to see nature and the mountains and snow vs. cities. I have my choice of doing Iceland and Amsterdam OR Amsterdam and the Baltics cruise. Am I the only one that does not understand why it does not really appeal that much to me to do a Baltics cruise. We have already done the British Isles, Norway to include Oslo and Copenhagen. Would it be worth going on a Baltics cruise to see Estonia, Russia, Finland and some of Sweeden. HELP..............WHICH DO I CHOOSE.............:eek::eek::eek:

Looking for a 3-4 star hotel for Amsterdam for end of April, 2014. Want to be near waterway (canals) and close to center of town so can sightsee.

I want to be able to book tours from the hotel as we know nothing about where we are going.

Any suggestions for the above. Plan to stay 3-4 nights.

Want to see Anne Frank House, do a waterway dinner cruise, see Kuenkfoff Gardens and the Windmills and maybe the farmers fields if the tulips are still in bloom.

Thanks.

That's why I was going to go the first week of May that way I may hit it at full bloom or maybe hit it at the end. Either way if we go to Kukenhoff Gardens (which we will) then maybe I can see them bloom there.

A previous post on this thread said that they don't have alot of blooms out in the field anymore because the main business is the bulbs.

I don't want to go too early to Iceland because it is already cold there.

We are thinking about booking a fly/drive tour around Iceland for next May, 2014. We also want to fly from US to Amsterdam, spend 3 days there and then on the return do the 6 day self-drive tour around Iceland.

So we are looking at the first week in May. I was looking at the Nordik company,(not sure if that if spelled correctly).

What will the weather be like in early May since I am from Florida. Figure on putting the two trips together to see the Tulips in last part of April and then saving on airfare on the return and going to Iceland.

Can you recommend anything that we should definitely include in our trip.

Any help would be helpful.

Thanks.

Thanks I reposted on another board.

Wow I really wanted to see the fields in bloom. That is disappointing. I may cut a day in that event and just stay three days. I think I can fit everything in in that amount of time.

Thanks for the answers.

We are thinking about doing a short trip to Amsterdam in late April and early May, 2014. We would fly from US to Amsterdam and do 3 or 4 nights in Amsterdam. Then on the return do a 6 night fly/drive trip around Iceland. When you add an extra stop the airfare is not that much more so thought I would save some money on airfare and combine the trips.

Question: Looking at Amsterdam tulip time I know it depends on the weather as to when the peak time for the tulips. So...thought we would leave the US on 5/1/14 and then visit Amsterdam from 5/2/14 through 5/5/14 and depart on 5/6/14.

Is that enough time to see the tulips at Kukenhoff Gardens as well as see them out in the farmers field. Then I would also want to go to the area that has the windmills. We are not museum people so would want to do a canal cruise in Amsterdam and see some of the highlights of Amsterdam.

Is 3-4 days enough to see what I stated above.

Thanks for any input and any suggestions of where we would stay in Amsterdam looking at 3-4 star hotels.

Thanks.

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We are thinking about doing a short trip to Amsterdam in late April and early May, 2014. We would fly from US to Amsterdam and do 3 or 4 nights in Amsterdam. Then on the return do a 6 night fly/drive trip around Iceland. When you add an extra stop the airfare is not that much more so thought I would save some money on airfare and combine the trips.

Question: Looking at Amsterdam tulip time I know it depends on the weather as to when the peak time for the tulips. So...thought we would leave the US on 5/1/14 and then visit Amsterdam from 5/2/14 through 5/5/14 and depart on 5/6/14.

Is that enough time to see the tulips at Kukenhoff Gardens as well as see them out in the farmers field. Then I would also want to go to the area that has the windmills. We are not museum people so would want to do a canal cruise in Amsterdam and see some of the highlights of Amsterdam.

Is 3-4 days enough to see what I stated above.

Thanks for any input and any suggestions of where we would stay in Amsterdam looking at 3-4 star hotels.

Thanks.

I will always use the self disembarkation as one less reason to lose my luggage. Even on 12 day European cruises. I don't overpack and am able to handle my luggage. Just turned 58 so have a few more cruises on my bucket list so the less hassle the better happy cruising to everyone.

Hi Cruisestitch:

 

Yes, we clear US C&I in Vancouver.

 

We are flying in to FLL the day before the cruise.

 

Yes, there are a number of later flights, both on United and other Airlines.

 

Choice Air tells me that they have an Assured Arrival policy. I haven't flown with Choice Air before, but that policy sounds good, in theory anyway.

Just because they guarantee it doesn't mean the airlines can accomodate you. I book my own air and control the reservation. Choice Air can only do so much.

Self disembarkation is very organized. We have never had a problem if you arrive early and get to the elevators early. They have you meet usually in the dining room and they do not make any announcements so it is not a mass exitus. I will continue to self disembarke. Much easier and organized at least with celebrity. We have done it with carnival and it was a mess. Happy sailing.

We just returned from a cruise on Celebrity Equinox and for the last 10 cruises have done the self-disembarkation and just carried our bags off the ship. After reading what happened to you I will definitely continue to do that. When we were coming back into the country in Philadelphia we were waiting for our luggage and someone else grabbed it with about 4 others and then just walked away. I happened to be in sight of the bag and thought it looked like ours so walked over there and checked the tag and it was indeed ours. We had been waiting and watching the carousel and when it got down to the final few pieces of luggage I started to panick.

I then looked all around the carousel and found our luggage. People are just idiots when taking off luggage and discovering that it is not theirs.

They should then put it back on the carousel so the correct person can claim their luggage.

I feel very sorry for you for what you have had to go through and for it to ruin your vacation when you spent so much money.

I hope that your further vacations will end better for you and that you will be able to get your luggage in a timely manner.

Our first 10 cruises we always put our luggage out the night before and I never worried about it. But as I get older and start worrying about just about everything I think it is a good idea to just carry off your luggage if you possibly can.

Good luck and I hope that Celebrity comes through for you with more money.

Safe and Happy travels.

21.

The way that I would go back on the Costa Cruise is if it was for free. Oh and I won't forget to bring my own pizza from Pizza Hut too. Happy sailing just not on Costa.

I have only been on one Costa cruise and we did not like it. Too many smokers, too many loud anouncements in 4 different languages. Food was terrible most of the time. Pizza was aweful. Pizza Hut has better pizza. Shall I go on.................:confused::confused::confused:

I am American and have been on one Costa cruise and would not go on another Costa cruise. But since you are European you will love it and have no problems whatsoever. Enjoy.

We were in Sydney for two days back in 2009 before our cruise and stayed at the Four Points Sheraton which was very convenient to all the sights.

We took the water ferry to the Taranuga Zoo and got some awesome pictures of all the animals and some across the harbor. We also went to Sydney Wildlife World and saw the Koala Bears and got our picture taken with them. We also went to the Sydney Aquarium. We walked around the Botanical Gardens and the Opera House. It was awesome. I would love to go back and see the Blue Mountains but with only two days we opted to see the zoos and the city. I have heard that the Blue Mountains are somewhat similar to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina so if we ever go back we will do them.

:eek::eek::eek:

My longest flight for me personally was from PBI - LAX to SYD. Way to long even though we had a long layover in LAX before the 14 hr. flight to Sydney. :p:p:p

We are doing this exact thing when we go in November. We are taking the ships excursion that lets you disembarke on the ships tender first ahead or the other passengers that take you to another part of the island. From there we take a bus up and then go to a winery, then onto Oia where you spend about an hour. Then they take you to Fira and there it ends with a ticket to go down on the cable car. We took this one on purpose so that we could be off first and not waste time waiting on the cable car to go up to Fira. There are two other ships in port that day so want to be prepared.

I guess we could stay in Oia longer if we wanted and then catch a cab back to Fira if we wanted as long as we let the tour guide know.

:D:D:D

Its easy - if you dock near the Valletta waterfront where most cruise ships go to, there is an attractive row of restaurants and a few shops. Nice for a drink or light meal. Then head to the right and follow the road keeping the sea on your right for about 10 minutes - you will See the first part of Victoria Gate (where the road goes through a small tunnel). That is next to the Barrakka lift which takes you straight up into the city. There are spectacular views from the top and a nice cafe.

 

Those who don't mind a few steps can continue through the tunnel/gateway and turn left at the small roundabout, up the hill - keep on going and take the steps on the left once you are through the main city (Victoria) gate. Just keep following the steps up (warning - quite a few!) and you will be right in the centre of Valletta. If you don't fancy it going up, its a nice walk back down - just look for St John (san Gwann) street, which will take you back down to Victoria Gate. Theres a good lunch stop (Sicilia) right above the gate. Or you can go to the nearby British Hotel or Grand Harbour hotel and enjoy an inexpensive meal overlooking the Grand Harbour.

The Barrakka lift, is that a cable car?

When you get off the ship in Valetta, Malta are you close to anything?

Can you just walk around and see stuff and can you book a tour from the pier like seeing the Blue Grotto and maybe the city of Marsazloxes. I heard it was quite lovely.

Please advise. Thanks.

Otherwise I will have to take the ships tour. I do not want to be gone all day.

Thanks for the penguin pictures. Its Grumpy not Grouchy but I will answer to either.....:):):)

We did this same cruise on the NCL Sun about 4 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. The only thing we didn't do was go to Antartica but I would definitely do it again and go to Antartica. Loved seeing the penguins. Awesome...

Looks like the mysterious island that King Kong was on...:confused::confused::confused:

Are we getting close to the iceburgs?????????

Anxiously waiting for the iceburg pictures and what about any penguins????