sdbart

Thanks for the welcome! I've actually only ever been to Rome for about 5 hours! We went on Brilliance of the Seas and our "Rome on Your Own" excursion got stuck in traffic on the way into town. It really made me want to go back. I love the idea of renting an apartment. Is it hard to arrange? We will likely try for a small hotel in the thick of things.

Rome is pretty intense, but we love it. We prefer staying in the centro storico, the historic center, centered around the Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori. Almost all the stuff you hear about is within walking distance of this area, so no worries about traffic! And many of the streets are pedestrian-only now.

One thing we noticed was that hotels were much more expensive than they were on our last visit. We'd talked about renting an apartment and that was all the encouragement needed. There are a number of rental agencies in most European cities specializing in short-term vacation rentals; I found several apartments I liked (and could afford!) on vrbo.com and airbnb.com. My email is bart at cox dot net. If you email me, I can give you more details, including some hotels I like.

We're using reward miles, so depending on which date we can get seats, our plan is to spend five or six days in Rome. Looking forward to meeting you both!

Just booked this cruise. Anyone coming along? We're Mike and Lee from Canada

Hi Mike and Lee, we're Bart and Bob from San Diego and we'll be joining you. Actually, having read your blog and listened to a couple of your podcasts last year, I feel I already know you guys. ;-). We're planning to fly to Rome early and rent an apartment (it's one of our favorite cities) before heading to the ship. Should be lots of fun.

My partner and I will be sailing on the Fall 2013 Celebrity Reflection TA from Civitavecchia to Miami. The cruise is stopping in Tenerife and then St. Kitts and St. Maartin, so the weather should be good (and warm) most of the cruise. We were on the Solstice westbound TA last December and had really good weather. We are once again sailing in Aqua, just for Blu, which we loved. We celebrated our anniversary on that cruise, and a friend with pull had a huge chocolate cake delivered to our table in Blu that evening. The entire Blu staff, including the assistant maitre'd sang Happy Anniversary before we shared the cake with half the restaurant. All the next day, other passengers who were in Blu at the time, congratulated us.

There were between 100–200 gay men and lesbians on that cruise and the Martini Bar became the before-dinner meeting place. There was even an item each day in the ship's bulletin, mentioning that. The staff couldn't have been more welcoming.

That's OK. I know how it is when you're on vacation, you look at things and say to yourself, "Oh that's neat I'll never forget that." And then when you're home and think about it again, it's like "Gee, I don't remember!" Happens to me all the time.

 

Maybe this calls for another trip on the Equinox to refresh your memory :D

I totally agree; time for another cruise!

Here's a picture of the "vestibule" on the Equinox. All the rooms have them whether they had the outer connecting doors or not. This is true of the Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse, and now on the Reflection.

 

http://www.shipparade.com/cruise_ship_reviews/Celebrity_Cruises/Celebrity_Equinox/Photos/IMG_0729.JPG

Thanks for posting that photo! I knew I had seen a photo of those doors, but for the life of me I couldn't locate it. It was on the only site I didn't check. :D

All the cabins have a vestibule on the Solstice? We didn't have one on the Equinox.

Our cabin (1531) had the vestibule area, only without the outer doors, so the actual cabin doors were inset from the corridor. The cabin number was in the inset area, facing the cabin number plaque next door. Both of us could stand in that vestibule area while searching for our Seapass cards without blocking the corridor. The cabin doors definitely opened out, but because of the vestibule area, did not open directly into the corridor.

Do you think it may have been a space issue? Those banks of connecting cabins had to be 3-4 ft deeper than regular cabins to allow for the vestibule.

I don't think so, Christine. The non-connecting cabins on the Solstice have the same vestibule, only without the outer doors. Exactly the same amount of space. And the Reflection is three feet wider than her sisters. I'd like to know how the extra width is distributed. Are cabins a foot wider or is the extra width in the corridors. Or are the balconies a foot deeper?

Deck - 11

Cabin # - 1531

Class – Aqua

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Bed near?(balcony or bath) – Bath

Quiet Cabin (With comments on problems. Note if connecting. ) – quiet

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – no obstructions

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - normal

Was wind a problem? no

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? n/a

Any specific problems with this cabin? no

Any other comments? Close to elevators and stairs, quiet hallway, great balcony views to water, and forward and to the rear. Would book this cabin again.