phillygirl63

I have booked an evening at Privee and will be inviting other couples that we meet on our cruise to join us. We did not have the opportunity to enjoy Privee on our last cruise, because (quite honestly), it was our first O cruise, and we didn't consider that we would be making as many friends on the ship as we did. So, we have decided to be prepared this time.

Here's my question -- What is the protocol for the purchase of alcohol for our guests. DH and I plan to purchase the prestige drink package at the beginning of the cruise, so we are covered. But what about our guests who are not participating in a package? Is it expected that I cover their drink purchases? Or is the invitation to Privee enough?

The private tour operators have way more experience with this subject than we do! They are aware of the time the ship arrives, approximately what time it will be cleared, etc. simply because they do this every day during the cruise season. They will often tell you what the most appropriate pick-up time will be for their location and for the tour you've booked.

Totally agree. Typically, they will set the time to meet you outside the ship no less than 30 minutes after arrival time. They usually give instructions in your confirmation as to where and when the meeting point will be and allow plenty of time for the priority ship's excursions and then you to disembark.

Thanks for your review. Reading it brought a smile to my face. If you haven't done so already, I would suggest that you copy and paste it on the Reviews forum for the ship so that others might have the opportunity to read it as well. They don't always check the other forums for reviews.

Bonine works for me. Better than Dramamine because I only have to take two pills every night before bed. It works for 24 hours and doesn't make me drowsy during the day.

Regardless of what type of medication you choose to take, the real key to avoiding seasickness is to not wait until you get on the ship to start taking it. You need to begin at least two nights before the cruise so that the medication has a chance to get into your system.

Also, as soon as I board the ship on the first day, I head to the nearest lounge and have a cocktail. Not too scientific but a nice way to start the cruise.

I am using International Friends (booked through Londontoolkit.com) for our direct transfer from our downtown London hotel to our ship in Southampton and then from ship to LHR. They have a list of hotels on the website that they pickup/drop off directly at. They pickup/drop off at LHR also. The total cost is GBP 246.00 for 2 people.

Choosing private tours vs. ship's excursions vs. DIY also depends on the ports. We prefer private tours whenever we are going to a port where we want to cover a lot of ground in one day, such as Rome, Amalfi coast, etc. Ship's tours are limited in the number of sites to be seen, cost more, and you only move as fast as the slowest person in the group. However, ship's tours were fine for Cinque Terre, Florence, some ports in Alaska, for example, where you only really need transportation and maybe a short walking tour. For those ports offering only one main attraction that appeals to you, then you may want to DIY.

I would recommend looking at the ship's excursions to get an idea of the highlights in each port, then doing research to see if maybe there were private options available that would get you to as many of those highlights as possible in the short time you have in that port.

Good luck.

Thank you for your help. I hear that now there are different company in any ports that offer shared tours, some suggestions will be appreciated. I'll definitely choose a cruise that stops in Naples and Taormina so if you guys have any tips or name of company used I'll appreciated.

 

Thanks again

Get involved in your roll call for whatever cruise you choose. Sometimes you can get others on the roll call to share excursions with you. Private tours in the mediterranean are usually less expensive and cover more ground than the tours offered by the ship. We used Aldo Monti's Your Tour in Italy for Rome and Naples (Amalfi coast), and they were absolutely terrific.

Thanks, CB B0ARDER, for your reply; it's much appreciated. However, your words "I believe" imply at least a modicum of uncertainty.

 

Does anyone out there know for sure, based on personal experience or observation, whether 8000 on the Marina (or Riviera, for that matter) connects to any other cabin or suite? And if 8001 connects to another cabin or suite as indicated on the O website, then is it to 8000 on one side or to the Vista suite on the other?

 

Thanks again in advance.

I stayed in Marina 8000 last August on our Baltic/Scandinavia cruise. I didn't recall a connecting door so I confirmed on the deck plans that neither 8000 or 8001 connect to any other room, including the vista suites next door. Adjoining rooms are clearly marked on the deck plans with an = mark. In any case, I don't think you will have to worry about parties or loud families next to you, as there were few (and I mean FEW) people on our cruise under the age of 30. We loved the room because it was so quiet and away from all common areas and the view off the front of the ship is pretty cool. However, be aware that there will be a loud vibration every morning as the ship pulls into port.

We loved the room

My ship (Oceania Marina) will be docked from 8 am to 9 pm in Newcastle, UK. I have an 11:00 tee time scheduled at Close House Golf Club, which I think is about 40 mins. away from the port. I am going to have a taxi take us there. Do you think I need to make an advance reservation or will there be plenty of taxis at the port?

DH and I are sailing on Oceania Marina -- 11 nt. Northern Europe (Royals and Vikings). I would appreciate any opinions/comments/suggestions for the following itinerary that I have so far (i.e. Is everything doable, anything I should add, etc.):

Wed. 8/3 -- arrive at LHR and meet driver from Five Star Tours for tour of Windsor town and castle and transportation to Grange Tower Bridge Hotel in London

Thurs. 8/4 -- 10:00 pickup at hotel by Int'l Friends (Londontoolkit.com) for transfer to Southampton arriving at Marina by 1:30 p.m.

M&G immediately following muster drill

Fri. 8/5 -- Sea Day -- maybe hang out with some of my CC rollers

Sat. 8/6 -- Newcastle, UK (8:00-9:00) -- 11:00 tee time at Close House Golf Club

Sun. 8/7 -- Edinburgh (Newhaven) (8:00-7:00) -- Tour with Ultimate Scottish Tours, including Old Course at St. Andrews

Mon. 8/8 -- Sea Day -- maybe hang out with some of my CC rollers

Tues. 8/9 -- Londonderry (Greencastle), Ire (8:00-10:00) -- 1:10 tee time at Ballyliffin (Old Course)

Wed. 8/10 -- Belfast, Ire (8:00-8:00) -- Tour with Paddy @ Belfast Tours

Thurs. 8/11 -- Dublin, Ire (8:00-8:00) -- 12:00 Guinness Connoisseur Tasting Experience at the Guinness Storehouse -- 4:00 Jameson Distillery Tour

Fri. 8/12 -- Liverpool, UK (8:00-5:00) -- 10:10 tee time at Royal Liverpool at Hoylake

Sat. 8/13 -- Cork (Ringaskiddy), Ire (9:00-5:00) -- NEED SUGGESTIONS

Sun. 8/14 -- Portland, UK (12:00-9:00) -- NEED SUGGESTIONS

Mon. 8/15 -- Travel back to LHR with Int'l Friends for 4:00 flight home

I am doing this in August and booked my transfers to/from Southampton with International Friends. Their website provides a rather long list of hotels in London that they pickup directly at and I booked my pre-cruise night at one of those hotels. The cost was GBP 246.00 for the 2 of us for direct transfers from our London hotel to the pier in Southampton and then from the pier to LHR at the end. The reviews were very good.

Darlene, is there a particular reason you have only these two closed-loop itineraries? You will get to see much more if you choose either a north or southbound itinerary. We did Alaska on Celebrity, northbound via inside passage from Vancouver to Seward. It did not included Hubbard Glacier instead of Glacier Bay. Hubbard Glacier is not a port, but simply a few hours where the ship enters the bay and makes several 360 degree turns for viewing the glacier with narration on the ship. We thought it was fantastic. What we really enjoyed was the Yukon Gold Rush train in Skagway, the whale watching and Mendenhall glacier excursion in Juneau, riding the lift to the cultural center in Juneau and float plane rides in Sitka and Anchorage. Although Icy Strait Point and the actual port in Hoonah was not too exciting, we did do an ATV excursion, saw a brown bear, and saw a whale off in the distance from the port. We also enjoyed staying two nights post-cruise in Anchorage.

If you are booked in a suite with butler service, then you should check with your cruise line to see if the butler is included in the daily gratuity charge. On our NCL cruises, they were not part of that, and we made sure to tip separately.

I like the daily charge, and NEVER remove it. It eliminates handing out envelopes on the last night of the cruise, which I always felt was a bit "tacky." With the dining anytime, anywhere concept becoming more popular among the various cruise lines, we no longer have the same table at dinner with the same waiters. This just makes it so much less complicated and very convenient.

We always give extra gratuity to our room steward if service is good. In addition, when we purchase the alcohol beverage package, we give extra to our favorite bartenders. Always at the end of the cruise.

Celebrity does go to Hubbard Glacier though, which is fantastic, and it looks like they have several itineraries that would fit your timing. Specifically, they have a 7-night southbound from Seward to Vancouver leaving on July 29, which would get you to Vancouver early enough to spend some post-cruise nights there before flying home on August 8. You would also have time to spend pre-cruise nights in Anchorage. They also offer an option to add a cruise tour to this itinerary, which starts on July 26. Check it out.

There will be nothing to do...well you teach him how to drink....most ofthe shoreex are NOT kid geared.... It may make you feel warm and fuzzy to bring a littleboy along andexcite him with your love... but you aint 10... he is...Ask your self is this trip for you or him?

 

He will feel likea 5th wheel... chances are he will have zero interaction with any one except you.

 

I feel you might be imposing your wants on a young child who may not share your interests.... at least I hope not at that age...

Let him be a kid...he will be thrust,all too soon into adulthood and theres no going back....Dont rob the boy....

 

With so many other lines Holland etc catering to young kids Oceaina would be my very last choice to take anybody under 30 on Holland goes into Glacier bay with national park rangers for a full day....They run programs Jr Ranger stuff perfect fo a 10 year old.... There will be none of that on Oceania ...even in Hubbard Glacier...

Although I agree (and have posted as much here) that Oceania is not the line I would choose to bring a young person on, given so many other lines sailing in Alaska that have kid-oriented facilities, I think your tone is a little harsh. Let's not forget that the OP is bringing TWO grandsons -- not just one as your post infers. Therefore, the boys would have each other as companions too, along with their grandparents.

However, I think good advice to the OP is that if she wants her grandsons to come away with a real love of cruising, then she should consider giving them a cruise that would offer the best experiences for a kid.

Klaipeda was one of our stops on our recent cruise. From my research prior to the cruise, this port did not seem to have much to offer as far as sightseeing. Some of our friends did a walking tour with the company that we used for all of the other ports, but were not overly impressed, especially after the other ports. DH and I decided to DIY it and just stroll through the town, which turned out to be very nice.

When you leave the ship, walk to the left toward the canal. There is a bridge that opens every 30 minutes by 2 men who turn the wheel manually. It was very interesting to watch. We would have totally missed that there was even a bridge there if we hadn't gotten there just in time to watch the opening.

We also had some beers and a nice lunch at one of the outdoor restaurants. The beers were very inexpensive (about 6 euros for 4 beers).

It was a great wind-down day.

Some of Phillygirl's recommendations remind me -- check with your specific cruiseline about things that are not allowed. I've heard recently (here on CC) of some line allowing only over-the-door organizers (be they shoeholders or other) that will not scratch any surface! No metal hooks at the top!

 

Some do not allow powerstrips but have their own for you to use (get one early on). I've read this is because so many powerstrips have surge protectors, and that can cause whole regions of the ship to experience power outages. I do carry a 3-outlet, NO surge protector, strip like you might find at any hardware store. It only cost about $3-5 so if it is seized I won't be heartbroke like I would with the $20 Monster one.

 

Some lines ALSO do not allow clothes steamers (along with irons, electric kettles, or coil water heaters). But pressing is available for a price from the ship as is laundry and dry cleaning.

 

I'm sure Phillygirl has done all she states (looks like mostly on NCL) -- but just do the research so you won't be counting on something that isn't allowed.

The OP is also sailing on NCL. On all of my NCL cruises, as well as the ones I have taken on RCCI, Celebrity and Oceania, they allowed all of the things I mentioned. I do agree, however, that the OP should check NCL's website to make sure they haven't made any changes to their policies, which is something everyone should do before relying solely on these boards. No one wants to be called to the "naughty room."

I have a cloth over-the-door shoe organizer that I bring to hang in the bathroom to organize all of our toiletries. It keeps those small bathrooms very organized. Try to buy as many toiletries as you can in travel sizes, so that you only have to bring home those that were not opened.

Start taking seasickness medication at least 2 days before embarkation so that it's in your system prior to getting on the boat. I think many people wait to see if they actually get seasick before starting to take anything, but why take the chance. I prefer Bonine, since you only need to take once a day before bedtime. No drowsiness during the day.

An electrical power strip is always a good thing to bring, as the rooms don't have an abundance of electrical outlets.

I also always bring Downy wrinkle releaser (travel size) and a clothes steamer, as you are not allowed to bring irons on board. However, they do have some irons and boards on board to loan out for an hour or two. I just never found it convenient to to iron everything all at once.

Hope this helps a little.

I agree that Cunard is probably the most formal. Have not had the pleasure of the actual experience though, but while doing research for our next cruise, it was clear that Cunard was serious about its formal nights and had more of them than other cruise lines.

I think 10% to the guide and 5% to the driver, if any, is an acceptable amount to start from and then adjust up or down depending upon the quality of service. Some private tour companies will advise you in advance of their gratuity recommendations for specific tours. It was that way on our recent Baltics cruise.

LHT28, thanks for that information. I was not aware that Oceania offered the youth program on some Alaska sailings.

Still, with no arcade, no children's pool, and no specific children's center, I will stick with the fact that Oceania is not a cruise line that I would choose when bringing younger people, especially with so many other cruise lines that actually cater toward families.

To be honest, one of the things that I liked most about our cruise on Marina was the fact that there weren't many kids -- as I said, just 2 that we saw. My husband and I have been there, done that. Our kids are grown, and I appreciate that there is a cruise line that does not "cater" to children. If I do ever have the opportunity to cruise with my grandchildren, I would choose a line that they would get the most enjoyment out of.

Have you looked at Celebrity for Alaska? They have programs specifically for kids, and the reviews are quite good. Oceania has nothing for your 10 year old grandsons, and they even admit as much on their website. During our 12-day cruise this past August on Marina, we saw only 2 children (a 2 year old and a 12 year old). Oceania is our favorite now also, and we have booked another on Marina for next summer, but I would not consider it the best ship for Alaska with almost teens. There just isn't anything for them to do. It would probably even be too cool for swimming in the pool.

I swear by Bonine to ensure no seasickness. Two tablets every night before bed and good to go for 24 hours. The key for me is to start a couple of days PRIOR to boarding the ship and to continue throughout the cruise. We have experienced at least one night of really rough seas on a couple of our cruises, and I have never had any problems.

Given the OP's concerns, I think she may be right to take a short cruise from Ft. Lauderdale as a trial run since they are right there by the port and don't have to spend extra time and money on flights. Then, if all works out well, start planning the Alaska cruise and then the next one, and the next one, ….

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Since you have not taken a vacation since 1999 and this is your first cruise, you are probably feeling a little overwhelmed, so here is my personal advice. First, google "top things to do in each of your ports." There are many websites, such as TripAdvisor, that will help you decide what excursions are a good fit for you. Take a look at the ship's excursions for those ports too. I personally am not a real fan of ship's excursions, as they normally are more expensive than private tours and are not as extensive, but Alaska is a little different in that respect, and we did book some of those tours. Floatplane rides are very easy to book on your own and are a great experience. Another must-do is the gold rush train ride (I think it was in Skagway) and a whale watching expedition in Juneau.

As the others have said, layers of clothing is a must.

Joining your roll call and reading the threads on the Alaska boards is also recommended. You will become a real cruise lover in no time.

Enjoy. Sometimes the research is just as exciting as the actual cruise itself.

OP, I think you will get better responses if you give more information about yourself. The Western Mediterranean is a wonderful cruise, especially for first-timers to the European ports like Barcelona and Florence, Rome and Napes in Italy. Also, Northern Europe and Scandanavia. However, if rigorous touring is not your thing or you have mobility issues, then I would say that cruise would not be ideal. So, tell us what kind of experience you are looking for.