VirtualRain

On 5/3/2023 at 4:59 AM, cruisemom42 said:

 

 

If you want more info as you advance your planning, I'm happy to help. I don't visit this board very often but if you quote me or tag me, I'll see it.

 

Thank you kindly for the great insights and advice... much appreciated.

 

I think we would like to spend one day in Alexandria exploring that city and do a day tour from Port Said to see the Pyramids, Sphinx, and Museum.  I'll see if we can also fit in the Khan-el-Khalili bazaar.  And I think unless the new museum is open, we will actually skip the museum and ask for a visit to old town instead.

 

ps. it's amazing you remember that I'm into photography. I've not been on these boards for many years... mostly because we didn't cruise at all during Covid and are just now getting back to it.  I remember many of our discussions... probably going back over 10 years now. 🙂

On 4/27/2023 at 5:38 AM, Pushka said:

We will be in Port Said in a month and have booked a private tour to the Pyramids, Felucca on the Nile and a trip to the Bazaar. Port Said is the gateway to Giza and Cairo. We are using Egypt Day Tours. 

Thanks... I will look into Egypt Day Tours... how did you come across them? Why did you choose them?

No one has been to Alexandria or Port Said?

 

Anyone?! :D

Hi, we are on a NCL cruise that stops in Egypt in October.

I'm wondering what your advice would be on the following questions...

- What of these two ports (Alexandria vs Port Said) is best to just stay local and explore, shop, eat?

- Depending on the answer to the above question, we will likely book an excursion or day tour to the Pyramids and Egyptian Museum at the other port

- I hope the new Grand Egyptian Museum is open by the time we visit - what are the latest rumours?

- Is it best to book an NCL excursion or a 3rd party tour? (The ship tours are fairly expensive at $300pp)

- Any good 3rd party tour operators you would recommend?

 

Thank you kindly in advance for your thoughts!!!

-Chris.

I have dined in the Grown Grill numerous times, always order the lobster as my "main", and have never been served just one lobster tail. It's always been 4 to 6, depending on the size, which is actually more than I can eat. The portions are not stingy, so IMO, well worth the $29.

 

Right. That was before and it was great value. Now, you will get one tail and if you want a few, it will cost you like $29+$20 extra.

 

I think it’s really poor policy to start nickle-and-diming people in the Crown Grill and other specialty restaurants. It goes against long time cruise culture where food is all-inclusive. I can understand the cover charge, but this is just going a bit too far.

 

We would usually order the muscles as an appie to share, then get a filet and a couple tiny lobster tails each... not excessive, but now that will cost us $58 for cover plus $50 for extras. That’s like twice the price! It’s not right.

 

Cruising use to be great value. It’s slowly deteriorating in value and based on the attitude of many apologists here, I can see why. We’re all frogs getting boiled to death slowly, and not only are some people oblivious to it, they actually support it. WOW.

 

At least in our case, Princess’ attempt to earn more revenue from us is actually going to earn them less as we will no longer go to the specialty restaurants. That’s cover charges they will no longer get. Hope they’re happy saving the cost of a few tiny lobster tails.

China Highlights is well known and reliable.

You time estimate for the train is rather pessimistic. And not only will the bus need to make stops at multiple hotels but you won't leave Tianjin until everyone is off the boat. The advantage of the bus is not travel time but rather convenience (not having to figure you way around).

 

I gather you think the train will be better? Have you actually done it?

 

Here's what I know about the train...

 

- There are three bullet trains from the new Yujiapu train station closest to the port, at 7:01, 8:45, and 11:39.

 

- From what I've read, the taxis at the port charge extortion rates for rides to the train station, so you really need to take the city bus #513 (which starts at 7AM but it's not clear from what end).

 

- The bus drops you at Citizen plaza (40min) and then take a taxi from there to Yujiapu station.

 

- Then you need to get your train ticket. You can either buy at the station if you speak Chinese, or buy in advance through a service and collect the ticket at the train station. However, in China there is a line for everything. They suggest a minimum 45 min budget for getting your ticket and getting on the train.

 

- Then the train ride is nice and fast - 1 hour to Beijing South Station.

 

- Taxi travel time from Beijing South Station is 35min without traffic (which is never). So expect about 1 hour transit time from the station to the Hotel.

 

So we could try to be off the ship before 7AM to catch the bus to the train station for the 8:45 departure and arrive in Beijing at our hotel at 11AM. (4 hours total) Or get off the ship around 9AM and be on the 11:30 train and arrive at the hotel around 1PM (4 hours total).

 

On a shared coach, we get off the ship at 9AM, get on the coach and arrive at our hotel around 1PM (4 hours total).

 

I really don't see the attraction of the train.

Hey there, I'm wondering if anyone has used either China Highlights or Tour-Beijing for a transfer from the port to central Beijing?

 

Both offer shared coach service for $49 USD and drop you at your hotel.

 

Anything good, bad or ugly to say about these companies service?

 

My concern is that with a stop at every hotel to drop people off, I'll be on the bus all day.

 

Although the bullet train sounds appealing, by the time you arrange transport to the station (45min) early enough to make sure you can get a ticket (budget 1hr), the train ride itself (1hr) and then battle traffic in a taxi on the Beijing end (30-60min), I'm not sure you're much further ahead time wise and it's a lot more trouble than just rolling off the ship and onto a coach.

 

Any advice?

Thank you for posting the link. Your photos are beautiful and hope we have just as great weather as you seemed to have when we go in late August. I hope you post more when you visit again next month.

 

 

Thank you. I will definitely post back here following our upcoming visit.

The only credit that can be refunded back to your CC is purchased OBC. The other can be cashed out thru the casino. Don't know the process but has been discussed in the forums.

 

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Forums mobile app

 

Sorry, but what do you mean by "refunded back to your CC"? And what do you mean by "other can be cashed out thru the casino"? I assume some OBC is non-refundable, meaning there's no way to get any of it in cash as a balance. However, you seem to be implying it can be cashed out through the casino? True?

 

If I buy $500 OBC in advance and I also have $125 in non-refundable OBC from future cruise, and $250 non-refundable shareholder benefit OBC, then I have a total $875 in OBC. If I spend $600 on board, can I get the other $275 back? Do they chip away at the non-refundable OBC first, so if you have a balance, it's the OBC you paid in advance that you can cash out?

 

Sorry if this sounds confusing.

Question... when you have a mix of OBC sources including future cruise OBC, share holder benefit OBC, and OBC purchased in advance, is any and all of it available to be cashed out if unused? Do they debit the gift OBC first so if you don't use it all you can still cash out the OBC you paid for?

 

I'm just wondering how it works because I seem to think that some OBC cannot be cashed out while clearly any OBC you pay for in advance can be.

 

Anyone know?

Yes I reserved my tickets by phone yesterday. It was very easy!!

 

Kellie

 

Where do you find the phone number? Does anyone have a link? (I cannot find a number on accademia.org)

Answered my own question... Book intercity and high-speed trains in advanced but don't bother with regional trains.

 

A great resource: http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm

What's the general advice?

 

My thinking is that on a cruise, you're timelines are pretty established and rigid and therefore booking a specific train in advance isn't that much of a risk. And I'm guessing it can save you a bit of time and hassle at the train station.

 

On the other hand, maybe it's just not worth booking online in advance... and is just as easy as buying at the train station?

 

As an example, I can buy my desired intercity train tickets between Genoa and Monterosso now (a month in advance)... is it cheaper or advantageous to do so now? Or should I just do it at the station?

 

Of course, regional trains are a different matter... is it worth booking those in advance while on-board? Or just wait til you're off at the station?

Regional trains won't show up that far in advance, look at the schedule for this coming Sunday.

 

Aha! Thanks.

There are some schemes (such as Eurorail Passes) but this is no help to a cruiser. And you might want to consider that if you are going from Civitavecchia to Rome it often pays to buy a BIRG Pass (about 12 Euros) which covers both the round trip regional trains and all days use of Rome's Metro and buses. And as to Naples, if you are planning on heading south (towards Pompeii, Herculaneum and Sorrento) that particular train is not even operated by the Trenitalia System. This train line is owned and operated by a small private company (Circumvesuviana).

 

Hank

 

Thanks. That's what I figured.

Looks like we might be on the same cruise! Princess?

 

If so, we were lookihng at doing this DIY trip too! Thanks for the info!

 

Yes, Emerald Princess.

 

As it stands, I'm thinking of taking the Intercity 651 train at 7:47AM from Genoa that arrives in Monterosso at 9:03AM. Returning on the 674 train that leaves Monterosso at 2:54PM, arriving in Genoa at 4:15PM.

 

I'm thinking a combination of train, walking, and boat between villages while we're there.

The train station is up on the hill above the upper town, not a bad walk since it's downhill. You can't get there directly from Naples by train, you need to change somewhere along the way. There is a connection on Sunday mornings that would depart Naples at 8:35 and have you in Vietri at 9:32, probably the best option. (I always forget about that station in Vietri.)

 

Vietri itself is a nice town but it's no Positano. Vietri's specialty is ceramics; they don't just sell them here, they make them. The town's web site offers a list of manufacturers in town along with the addresses of their showrooms (pdf at the end of the article): http://www.comune.vietri-sul-mare.sa.it/i-ceramisti-cultura-48.html

 

How are you finding a train between Naples and Vietri... I was just on the Trenitalia site and got nothing for June 14. But Salerno had lots of options :(

We are likely to end up using Trenitalia in Genoa (Cinque Terre), Livorno (Florence), Civitavechia (Rome), and Naples (Vietri).

 

Is there any kind of pass, discount, or other savings to be had by travellers frequently using Trenitalia?

I'm actually thinking of just taking the train.

 

I can get a train that departs at 7:45AM from the train station near the harbor and be back around 4:30PM giving us a full 5-6hrs there. It's about the same price as renting a car, but less hassle to get to and no driving :)

 

What to see...

It seems like Vernazza is a must see.

Manarola demands a photo from the water.

Riomaggiore also sounds nice.

 

Is three towns too many to do in 5 hrs? I don't want to be rushed, but I don't want to be bored either.

 

 

If 3 towns is possible, then I'm thinking...

- Take the train from Genoa to Riomaggiore

- Take the boat to Manarola

- Take the boat or train to Vernazza

- Take the train back to Genoa from Vernazza

 

What do you think of this?

You are correct that its nearly impossible to find an open rental car agency in Naples (or most places in Italy and France) on a Sunday. The exception is at the airports and this is not very convenient for a cruiser. Going to the places you want to see is somewhat difficult and very time consuming...although you can certainly spend most of your day getting to Amalfi and Ravello on the SITA buses. We do not generally recommend the SITA buses for a port day.

 

So you might want to consider other options. DW would quickly recommend returning to Capri (she loves the island). If you have not previously visited the town of Anacapri and taken the single chair-lift up to the top of the mountain this might be an option.

 

Otherwise you could consider taking the train from the Naples train station up to the town of Caserta. From the station you can walk to the expansive Caserta Castle with its many rooms and huge garden area (you need decent walking shoes). This castle is sometimes called the Versailles of Italy and was an important place in WW2 when it was used by General Mark Clark as his headquarters for the 5th Army. (in the interest of full disclosure we thank Eurocruiser for getting us interested in Caserta).

 

If you enjoy ruins and have yet to visit Herculaneum, this is another option which can easily be done on your own.

 

Hank

 

Thanks for the recommendation on Caserta... It does look impressive! I'll look into that a bit further.

 

Since you're really interested in the eastern end of the coast you could take the train to Salerno and a ferry or the bus from there. I'm afraid that if you want to get to Vietri Sul Mare it's the bus, I don't think there is a ferry connection.

 

You could take the ferry to Amalfi and work your way back to Salerno by bus, or take the bus to Vietri and then on to Amalfi and Ravello, saving the ferry for the ride back.

 

Ferry schedule here: http://www.travelmar.it/it/orari

 

Bus schedule here (note that only G's and H's run on Sundays): http://www.sitasudtrasporti.it/archivio/Download/corse/sitasud/Campania/Salerno/e7c9539e-fb75-4370-b38e-184b354e479a_5120.pdf/0

 

Thanks for the information.

 

Is Salerno worthy of a port day by itself?

 

What about Vietri? Is it a nice village to explore? Similar to Positano?

 

And looking at google maps, the train to Salerno passes right through Vietri where there is a train station... is that not correct? If so, it might be more convenient.

Hi, we're in Naples on Sunday June 14th. On past trips we've been to Capri, Sorrento and Positano, and Naples itself. We're not really interested in Pompeii.

 

I was hoping to go to the east end of the Amalfi coast including Vietri Sul Mare, Amalfi and Ravello.

 

Unfortunately all the car rental places close to the pier appear closed on Sunday. I'm not interested in paying for a private tour/driver.

 

Any suggestions on how to do this using train/bus?

Hi, we're in Genoa on a cruise, Monday June 8th.

 

I'm wondering if it's reasonable to visit Cinque Terre and how best to do it in a day.

 

What I know:

 

- I can rent a car from Europcar (near the trains station) at 8AM for about 45-Euro which seems reasonable.

- Driving time to the Cinque Terre area from Genoa is around 90-120min.

- So if we leave at 8AM and plan to be back by 4PM that gives us about 4-5hrs in Cinque Terre (9:30AM to 2:30PM)

- Apparently parking is not that convenient

 

What I don't know: (and could use some help with)

 

- What is the best way to spend 4-5 hours there?

- Where to park?

- How to get around?

- Which towns to visit?

- How to get some photos from the water?

 

Any first-hand experience or web-site resources would be helpful.

Sounds like you need a new TA :) I have never had a problem getting price reductions before final payment. After final payment I never look at the prices so I havent tried to get a reduction after final payment.

 

 

This thread is not about negotiating prior to final payment. Anyone can simply cancel without penalty prior to final payment and rebook at the lower fare.

 

What were talking about here is after final payment, which is usually when the prices can drop substantially. As an example, up until final payment, an inside cabin on our 21-day Med cruise was $3900CAD and now, three weeks after final payment, it's $2100CAD. That's significant.

[quote name='Colo Cruiser']Who's latest flash sale? Are you selling cruises?

Our Emerald cruise Aug 8th still has Tunis as a stop, I am sure it will be canceled.[/QUOTE]


Why are you sure it will be cancelled? We're on an Emerald cruise scheduled to stop there June 11th and it hasn't been cancelled even though the stop earlier in June was cancelled immediately after the March incident.

I'm guessing we're a go for June 11th barring no further incidents. I suspect that the earlier stop that was cancelled was more for optics than it was because Tunis is now unsafe. If anything, Tunis is probably safer now than its been in recent history because security is probably more alert and diligent. I don't know. I just think that if Princes was going to cancel all stops there, they would have done that right away. Waiting is not going to make anything more or less certain about the risk is it?

The excursion rates in My Personalizer are in Cdn dollars . Gratuities are also shown in Cdn dollars . That is if you booked in Cdn dollars.

 

 

Strange. Not for me. Booked in CAD but everything extra is in USD. I prepaid gratuities in CAD but they added 10% to the standard USD gratuities.

 

Excursions are definitely in USD and not appearing to offer the option to pay in CAD at the preferred exchange rate. :(