searaider

4 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

So the gaping hole (other than Alaska), is the Legend Euro sailings.  I was expecting that to fall today, I could go out and look, but  when was the Legend going to New York in advance of the cruise to Europe, anybody remember?

Hi, we are booked on the June 3 transatlantic on the Legend out of New York then the following one June 19th to Norway.  Final payment has been made and we are waiting until Carnival cancels and thought that would happen today.  Oh well, more waiting, I guess.

We just came back from a cruise to the Baltics.  We used TJ travel in St. Petersburg for 2 days and their guide Maria was fantastic for the 8 of us.  We saw as much as we could possibly see and I found them great to work with.  They are very responsive through the internet and you can pay in St. Petersburg or online if you are more comfortable.  I also went with them for small group tours in Helsinki and Tallin.  Our groups there were 7 and 9 people though the website said there could be more.  I found the vehicles very comfortable and quite new and on none of the tours felt crowded.  Our guides spoke very good English and very experienced.  If we go back to that area, I will be touring with them again, though maybe to other places/things.

We just came back from Iceland last week.  Sunny weather for our days, but away from Reykjavik, the wind could be quite strong and cool.  We live on west coast of Canada and dressed in layers, with a windbreaker/rainjacket as the outer layer.  At various times during the day off it came and back on for cool winds.  People from southern areas may need more layers.  Remember your sunglasses and moisturizer and a hat for the cool air.  I did not use sunscreen and only experienced a little wind burn while walking in an extremely windy area. I only used gloves when walking on the glacier, but people from southern areas may find it a bit more cool than we did.  We took way more warm clothes than we needed for beginning of June.

On 6/6/2019 at 5:37 PM, ciocco said:

Searaider,

Thanks for your post.  I will also be doing a tour with TJ in St. Petersburg and wondering about lunches?  Were you on your own and if so did they direct you to where to go?

Thanks

Both days included lunches.  First day we ate at a restaurant in the 'Tzars Village' which was a three course meal including Russian borsht.  The second day we ate in the city at a small restaurant, again three courses-soup, main, and dessert.  Interesting that the second day, the meal included buns but not the butter (was an extra charge).  I have a special diet and our tour guide made sure that the restaurants could accommodate me. 

On 5/18/2019 at 1:34 PM, kctwinmommy said:

We brought a lot home 2 years ago, in July. Pretty sure I just put it on my carry on though. And now you're making me want Belgian chocolate again!! LOL! We went to Dumon, sooo... good!

We have brought chocolate home twice to Canada from Bruges.  Both times from Dumon chocolates which are a family owned business and once were talked about in a Rick Steves book.  Both times we put in our checked luggage and they arrived to western Canada after a couple of weeks of cruising in perfect shape.  While on the cruise ship we put them in the 'cooler' in our cabin.  Oh so good and perfect gifts for those looking after the house at home.

We just returned from our Baltic cruise on Brilliance of the Sea.  We used TJ tours for Tallinn, St. Petersburg (2 day tour), and Helsinki and found that they are great to work with.  For St. Petersburg, we had to submit passport info when booked and that allow TJ Travel to add the visa to the tickets for the tour.  As stated in a previous post, the tickets you receive must be printed copies not electronic to give to customs in St. Petersburg.  TJ Travel does not require payment in advance but you have an option to pay in advance if you want, otherwise you pay in St. Petersburg using rubles or by credit card.  We paid by credit card and it took only a couple of minutes and they were very though in explaining the charge would be in rubles from their side, though the cost is quoted in US dollars.  They also provided the Canadian dollar amount which as Canadians was good. Our tour guide, Maria was one of the best we have ever had in all the private tours we have taken over the years, and the van was newer and very comfortable.

The customs in St. Petersburg was lengthy on the first of two days, as the agents are extremely serious and wanted to see passport and compared face to passport, sea pass card for ship, and tour ticket before sending you through. They do not talk to you at all and no smiles.  They will want to see passports on the way back to the ship as well.  Day two was quick through customs.

7 hours ago, familytravellers said:

Hello!

 

We have booked with Martin Taxi for our upcoming cruise and I wanted to find out if you had a good experience with them again. Lou also quoted us 100 Euros roundtrip. Our ship is scheduled to depart at 5:00 pm. Would a 2:45 pm pick up in Brugge provide us with enough time to get back to the ship (including the port shuttle bus)?  

We had another great experience with Martin Taxi.  They were waiting for us when we exited the port, and we actually exited about 20 minutes before the booked time, as we got off the ship fast and no wait for the shuttle to take us to the port entrance. Meant great picture taking in Bruges before the crowds showed up.

It can take a good 1/2 hour to get to or from the ship to Bruges but discuss the best time to go back to your ship with the driver before he/she drops you off in Bruges.  The port shuttle from ship to port entrance takes no more than 5 minutes if you do not have to wait in line.

Our group does not like to leave it to the last minute, so picked a time about an hour before final boarding to be picked up.  We were dropped off right next to the central square which is a bonus, as the buses cannot get that close.  Our taxi driver arrived early to pick us up as he said he would be there 15 minutes before the agreed time. 

By the way, the ship transfer bus drops and picks up people about 15 minute walk from the center.

25 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

m have nearly $200 refundable OBC. Can I cash that in immediately? I am trying to avoid paying casino fees.

 In all our cruises, I do not remember the obc showing on our account on the first day.  It has taken a day or two for they to input it, so likely not able to directly access it before then, as the desk will not have that info yet. On being able to draw it out, I only know about the casino.  Someone else will have to tell you of their experience.

15 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Whatever the price that you book it at is locked.  It will not adjust with exchange rate fluctuations.  

 

Cruise planner putchases will vary with the exchange rate.

As well if you prepaid your gratuities, they will be locked in at the contract price.  As mentioned by someone else, the exchange rate changes for cruise planner purchases but not sure how often RCCL changes the rate but have seen a couple of price differences in the past few months due to exchange rate, not sales, etc.

Sailing on the Brilliance on May 19th and received a invite to upgrade today, from oceanview to balcony.

balcony $270 pp min bid

superior balcony $400 pp  min bid

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 1:12 PM, searaider said:

Same problem here, as well and sent an email a number of days ago.  All the CC advertisements for cruises and topics for cruisers that come regularly show up in the correct email but not the messages from the boards.

Hope this is fixed soon, though I realize this is likely a low priority with all the other issues, I have heard/read about.

It took a week or so, but after an email to CC help, it was fixed.  No problems since.

On ‎12‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 1:59 AM, Bookbug53 said:

Cruise no longer shows under Carnival listings and TAs are reporting that remaining cabins were pulled back. Sold out.

Today, still not showing on Carnival site or any of the TA sites, I checked.  Usually cruises sold out still show but show no cabins available.  Not sure what is going on with this cruise but hope it does not get cancelled.

On ‎11‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 10:33 AM, BarbinMich said:

We've been to/enjoyed Iceland twice (2009, 2016), stopping at Akureyri, Isafjoerdoer, and Reykjavik.  Sometime during that period I became aware of an Icelandic mystery writer--Arnaldur Indriðason.  I've now read about 5 or 6 of his books--they're available in English.  His protagonist is detective Erlendur and he works out of Reykjavik, although some of his cases are north of there.  I highly recommend them if you want to read about how gritty life (and death) in Iceland can be.

Thanks for the suggestion.  I have now ordered a couple of his books.  Looking forward to reading them before my trip to Iceland.

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 1:07 PM, searaider said:

Hope you are able to get some help.  I have the same problem, and sent an email a number of days ago.  Still not fixed or told how I can fix it.

Just to let everyone know that the Help contact is dealing with email address issues.  I have had my problem fixed.  Thanks!!!!

Same problem here, as well and sent an email a number of days ago.  All the CC advertisements for cruises and topics for cruisers that come regularly show up in the correct email but not the messages from the boards.

Hope this is fixed soon, though I realize this is likely a low priority with all the other issues, I have heard/read about.

Hope you are able to get some help.  I have the same problem, and sent an email a number of days ago.  Still not fixed or told how I can fix it.

Martins Taxis are a very reputable taxi company in the area. The fares are set by the local authority (not the taxi company) and this year the fare is 55 euros so your driver wouldn't have been able to change it even if she wanted to. Was your quote from a long while ago.

I have just booked Martin Taxi for May of 2019 and Lou quoted me 100 euros, 50 euros going and 50 euros for the return trip. This is the same amount that we paid in fall of 2017. I expect that the service will be as good as the last time we used them.

You can walk into town. It is a small quaint place.

There is a path near the pier, along beside the train tracks where a vintage train will take you in. It is Very slow though....LOL We didn't know the train existed until almost into town when we saw it.

We were just there in May and there was also a shuttle provided by the city that picks up at the port and goes to a couple of stops. I cannot remember the cost but it was not much and the shuttle came quite often.

Some people take their passport off every time leave the ship in port and some take photocopies and some do not take anything more than a drivers licence unless told otherwise by the ship. In all our travelling, I never thought much about it until last fall.

After our last Europe cruise, I am more comfortable taking my passport at each port. While in France last fall, our friend fell and ended up in the hospital. The first thing they asked for was the passport so they could photocopy it. Then all the other info, like address etc. Not sure how her injury would have been handled if she did not have her passport with her. Also, as a result of the accident, time back to the ship was close and there was talk about keeping her in the hospital. Imagine being left in a country with no passport.

As we get older some of us get less adventuresome, and that is likely us, but we now take our passport with us off the ship in any foreign country.

great photos-keep the information coming. We are on the ship in a week. yahoo!

Thank you for trying to reassure. In 2016 they added a stop in Brighton before the train reaches Gatwick. I verified this on the Gatwick Express website. You’re right that it’s nonstop from Gatwick into London. That’s not the issue. The issue is that the article and commenters indicated that the train would fill up with commuters from Brighton, making it difficult for people boarding at Gatwick. In other words the train now runs Brighton-Gatwick-London instead of just back and forth between Gatwick and London.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

In early October, 2017, we had an overnight flight from Canada land at Gatwick and we took the train into London. The staff at the airport were great in pointing us to the correct platform for the Gatwick Express but the platform was packed and we ended up waiting for the next one which seemed to come quickly. But that train was full of morning commuters from its last stop, and there was no where to sit or put our luggage, though we did get on right away. So we stood with many other travelers for the 1/2 hr with our luggage between or legs or in front of us. Though it is a smooth ride, if you have luggage with spinners, hang onto it or you can run it into other people standing. This can also prevent you from sitting on it for the trip. The train car was packed so be prepared. You also have to be able to lift your suitcase into the car yourself, so keep that in mind if you have heavy luggage.

Having said all that, we would take the train again. It was a quick and reasonable priced way to travel from the airport into London.

Personally, I don't enter any foreign country without carrying my passport. After all, that's what they are for. I'm a septuagenarian who has lived overseas and has travelled extensively on business and pleasure, and carrying my passport is second nature. Never lost one yet, but I take common sense precautions. Only when I started reading Cruise Critic did I become aware of this "lock it up in the safe" approach among some cruisers. If something goes wrong while I'm ashore and I miss the ship's departure, I can fly home or to the next port without difficulty. Those with a drivers licence won't be so lucky. I'm not saying that leaving your passport locked up is wrong, just that it isn't my choice.

Same here for us. We used to just take our drivers licence and a copy of the passport but on a trip to France, our friend end ended up in hospital when we were on a day trip in port and the first thing they asked for was passport. Having to stay overnight and then find your way to the next port would be a challenge without a passport, and that is a challenge I can do without.

Thanks for the great information. We are going in 2017.

We were on the Radiance in April and were able to get Udi's cookies after the first couple of days at the coffee shop. We were asked to order them earlier in the day to be picked up in the afternoon, as they were in limited supply and a couple of afternoons, they did not have any. This is the first time I have every seen a shortage of GF cookies on any of our cruises, so either there are more GF cruisers or less cookies in stock.

We did this for the first time this spring on the Radiance. We had a number of sea days and it was a great way to spend an evening. The dinner was good and they can accommodate special dinning requirements if known in advance. Show was fun, and predictable, but lots of laughter and great people at our table. Plan on spending at least 3 hours from the start to finish.