udivegirl

I bid the lowest minimum bid of 1500 for GV (S1) and received an email today that it was accepted. We sail on Sunday (in 5 days). We were originally in a family suite, no balcony. I was shocked it was accepted and have been bouncing off the walls all day!

udivegirl - How did you get bottled water at the bars? They usually just bring me a glass of water but I should would love the hint on what to say.

 

We just ask for a bottle of water. We're usually in a suite. Maybe it is free for the suites but not other cabins?

We always take the UBP even if not big drinkers. It includes the specialty coffee at the cafes. Bottled water was always included as well on all of our cruises but you had to get it at the bars, not the bottles in the room. Once in awhile we are up for a glass of wine or a foo-foo drink also.

The $50 shore excursion is only per cabin, not per person. It also depends if you plan on booking a lot of ship's tours. The money saved might be worth it.

The internet service is spotty at best and very, very slow. We've had many issues with internet on ships, so the internet package is not of value to us. Wi-fi is everywhere off the ship, so if we need to get in touch with anyone, we do it on land.

I do wish the gratuities was an option again. That was definitely worth it.

We have never cruised in the Med before and would love any "must do's" in Kotor, Santorini, Corfu, Dubrovnik and Mykonos.

Also, what are the shows on the Star at the moment?

TIA

We haven't been to Dubrovnik or Kotor.

Mykonos: A favorite! We had a wonderful day here just wandering around getting lost and having some cocktails. It is beautiful! We had no idea what to expect when we arrived, but this little town was one of our favorites. I am looking forward to visiting it again. Look for Petros the pelican. We spotted him while eating lunch wandering the alleyways in town. He's quite large. Lol!

Santorini: A highlight for us was Oia, which is where the famous blue dome is. It is a beautiful, cool town.

Fira isn't quite as interesting and much busier, but it will be amazing to watch the sunset from here I've heard.

This is also where you catch the cable car down to the tenders. Last time we were here, we walked the donkey path down to the tenders due to the line being too long for the cable cars and we probably would have been late. It was an easy walk (we are late 40s and early 50s). The steps are gradual and very large (more like platforms). You do have to watch for the donkey droppings but it is not that bad at all, really. They obviously clean up after them at some point. I don't recall it being stinky either. If you have any kind of mobility issues, however, I don't recommend it.

Corfu: This was just okay for us. We did an island tour. We hired a private guide with another couple. It is very scenic, but it was quite crowded everywhere we went. The lunch we were provided was very good. I am not sure what we will do at this port again this time.

If you go into town, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to taxi back to the ship. We had a hard time finding a taxi back to the ship, and we squeezed in with 4 other people in order to make it back in time (6 of us). We had to "lap sit." The taxis were abundant when we arrived in town, but when it was time to head back, there were none to be found. (They have taxi stands you have to wait at.) There were a few other groups waiting as well and I don't know if they made it back but there were lots of "runners" when we watched from the ship. Where our ship docked was farther from town than it looked and it wasn't recommended to walk.

Hope this helps. Others will have some insight I'm sure.

We've been in both the Haven Owners Suite and an Aft Penthouse on the Jade. The Haven was nothing special, IMO. The pool is tiny and nothing special about the Haven at all.

We loved having the aft balcony of the PH due to being able to sit outside with no wind. Great views off the back for sure! Also, the suite benefits come with it.

Their souffles! I hope they still have them for our next cruise in May 2015.