NCteacherlovescruising

6 minutes ago, -Lew- said:

 

Be sure you're on the booking site at midnight Rome time to complete your request.  12:05am might be too late.

Ok, will set a reminder now!

On 10/19/2023 at 3:46 PM, slidergirl said:

If you have Armando al Pantheon on your list, be sure you make your reservation as soon as possible.  This is definitely NOT a walk-in place.  

How far in advance can you make reservations?  We will be there in June.  Nevermind, looks like it’s 30 days so way too early. 

I planned out most of our vacation last summer, made several changes along the way, then I went back to work and have been crazy busy and just left the final plans hanging. 
 

Now that we’re trying to get all the details sorted out, one thing I’m having trouble deciding on is our 5 nights in Rome. Too much to do and not enough days!  

Day 1 - We’re staying at Albergo del Senato so thought we’d visit the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, walk around whatever is near our hotel and go out for a nice dinner.  
 

Day 2 - We have a private tour of the Colosseum, forum and Palatine Hill 

Day 3 - Private tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel

Day 4 - Thinking about doing a wine tour to Tuscany. Sounds nice to have a relaxing day after 2 days doing a lot of walking. 

Day 5 - day trip to Florence or stay in Rome?  I’d love to visit Florence but are there any must sees in Rome we would have to miss to do this?  Also, isn’t Florence where they make the nice, leather bags?  I’d like to purchase a purse, belt, and perhaps gloves while we’re there.  
 

The tours days 2 and 3 are in the morning. What would be a good to do in the evenings?

When should we fit in the Trevi Fountain?  Super early before our tours on day 2 or 3, or one evening? 
 

Day 6 - Joe Bananas is picking us up at our hotel early to take us to Pompeii for a 2 hour guided tour, then off to our hotel in Amalfi. 

36 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

Click on your name. 

When that screen comes up, look in the black banner just below your name, and on the right you will see "SEE MY ACTIVITY" .  Click on that and it will open your past posts.

Thanks so much!  I found what I was looking for and booked our transfers with Joe Banana from Rome to Amalfi with a private tour of Pompeii, then Amalfi to Naples.  

Our NCL app has opened up tours for Ravena and they have a few for Venice.  How far apart are they?  We have two days in Venice post cruise.  Is that enough or should we consider booking one of these?  Also possibly interested in just staying in Ravena, the Murano Glass and Burano Lace tour, World Heritage Site Town of Ferrara, Bologna, and there are a couple wine tasting tours we might enjoy since we are wine lovers.  Anything you would recommend or mark off?

This may seem like a silly question, but I'm trying to locate my own questions, from months ago, in here. I thought there was a way to search for my own threads but I can't seem to figure it out. Now that our vacation is getting closer, I think it's time to start back booking some stuff and I don't want to ask the same questions I've already asked. I received an email from our tour guide asking me to fill out a confirmation form, so that prompted this search.

22 hours ago, redmomof4 said:

Would you share your tour info? We will be there beginning of August. I found one for Corfu but not Zak 

We’re booked with Seascape VIP Travel. They have several options. 

51 minutes ago, redmomof4 said:

What did you do in Zakynthos if you don’t mind sharing 

We haven’t went yet but we have a private boat tour booked. 

18 hours ago, Hlitner said:

The OPs question is a good one.  My first thought is that the distance is too short to hire a water taxi, which would likely charge around 100 Euros to take you 10 feet.  From the train station we would just use the vaporetto (#1 or #2) for the very short ride to Rialto Bridge.  That being said, the vaporetto stop is not the same as getting a water taxi to a hotel dock.  It comes down to whether the OP is able to handle their own luggage for relatively short journeys.  

 

There is a hard reality to staying in Venice.  One can spend their children's inheritance or find more reasonable options.  Water taxis are always expensive and a real luxury.  And they are not always easy to find without a reservation.

 

Hank

Someone from our “other” group has hired a private car to pick them up at the port and take them to the water taxi. They are looking for a couple to split the cost. If they don’t increase the price much to accommodate the 4 of us it will be well worth it to not have to fight with our luggage. 

17 hours ago, kohanfam said:

The hotel website 

https://www.rialtohotel.com/hotels-venice-grand-canal/

says 

By train or by car

From Santa Lucia train station and from car/bus terminal 'Piazzale Roma' or 'Tronchetto

By private taxi boat direct to the hotel (expensive)
By public boat-bus, line 2, leaving every 10 minutes, to the Rialto - Bridge Stop at 20 meters from the hotel.

5 hours ago, mapleleaves said:

but 100e for 5 pax is only 20E pp.   Compared to 10E for the vaporetto? No contest!

I'd happily pay 20E to ride in style down the Grand Canal, rather than be squished with my luggage on a crowded water bus.  

 

This!!

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Good point.  But water taxis are not always easy to find, on the spur of the moment.  One can certainly book them, online, if they have a good idea of the time of a pick-up.  For us, the cost of vaporettos is not an issue since, when in Venice, we always buy a multi-day vaporetto ticket (I think they sell 2,3 or 7 day tickets).

 

Hank

Another couple has already booked a private car and a water taxi. We don’t know them but are thinking about joining them. However, the friends we’re traveling with are packing lighter and plan to take the train and vaporetto. My husband and I don’t want to hassle with that. 

1 minute ago, kohanfam said:

Haven’t been there yet

When are you going?  We’re booked for July. 

26 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

use the water taxi coop web site to get an estimate.

The cost is the same whether there's 1 pax or 5. 

Explore Venice Water Taxi Rates - Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia

I just tried it but it didn’t give a price. Nevermind, working now. 70 euro doesn’t sound bad at all. Much better than fighting luggage there. Any suggestion for a private transfer from Trieste?

On 1/15/2024 at 2:25 PM, kohanfam said:

We’ve booked hotel Rialto at the Rialto bridge.  It was reasonable. 

How did you get there?

We have reservations at the Hotel Rialto. I understand there is a dock near the hotel. How much would a water taxi for 5 adults cost?  Would we book in advance or would they just be near the train station?  How much more would it be to get a private transfer (for 5) from Trieste?

On 1/30/2024 at 11:30 AM, b2dave2003 said:

Voyager of the Seas 3 June 2024

We just got an email with this change in the NCL Pearl River in July. We assumed they would change it to Trieste so we could still go to Venice. 

30 minutes ago, marazul said:

So, you take your chances.  I would probably do the same. 

But just do carry the extra cash in case you have to pay a fine. 

 

I’m not saying we won’t carry them. Just responding to your question of why it’s such a big deal for travelers to carry them. How hard will it be to get a replacement, if someone steals ours, so we can get back home?  

On 9/20/2023 at 2:48 PM, euro cruiser said:

I've never understood why this is such a big issue for travelers.  With a very little bit of forethought it's easy to safely conceal your passport on your person.  Of course, I mostly travel in the fall/winter/spring when one wears more clothing than in the summer months, so that helps.

We will be traveling in the summer so anything extra is undesirable. Additionally, it worries me with all the pic-pockets there. 

12 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

Post Captain, above, described two methods for redeeming awards/miles/points for actual airline tickets.

 

We have always used the second method, which can yield *very* good "value" for the awards (in terms of cash price to amount of awards).  And it can work with a lot of airlines and airline partners.

Although it does take a bit extra work (and yes, it can seem quite confusing at first), we've had some phenomenal business and first class flights on top international airlines.

 

For starters, use Google for information such as "Amex airline partners" (Amex doesn't have an airline, obviously, so this is different than how the other cards tend to work), and you'll see the full list.  Also Google 'Amex airline partners awards chart" or similar.

For the airline-affiliated cards, such as the AAdvantage Citicard (American Airlines), do the same thing.  But in this case, you could use the points on AA or on a partner.

We've used awards for many international trips with AA points, but *never* flown on AA equipment.

 

And as mentioned above, there is also the opportunity to transfer awards to a partner airline, but from their, get ticketed on yet another partner airline.

 

There is no way we would have paid cash for quite a few of the premium trips that we took on airlines like Cathay Pacific or Singapore Airlines.

And there were some trips that we wouldn't have taken if we couldn't get those comfortable beds (our aging bodies are less forgiving than they once were....).

 

There are sections on www.FlyerTalk.com about using awards.

(Be aware that there are a few grumpy souls on FT; just ignore them!)

 

With the Chase cards, if both spouses get a new card, the points can be transferred at no cost to the other spouse.  So one only needs to "keep" one account open, after collecting two bonus awards.  Note:  We always keep the accounts open at least one year before closing them, to avoid the risk of having the points snatched back.  (I have no idea how often they do that, but we use those points enough that we just don't want to risk it!)

 

Just double check the "airline partners" (and *their* partners!) whenever you are applying for a new card, given your interest in using the awards for flights.

 

Enjoy your travels!

 

GC
 

I wouldn’t qualify for their cards currently because of their 5/24 rule, even though I have a high credit score. 

Thank you all! Dh got the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.  If we don't think it's worth it after a year, I believe he can change to the Preferred.  

We have a cruise booked on the Pearl next summer. It says we will tender to Venice one day and dock in Trieste the next. Can you tell me about your experience tending to Venice? Last I heard they weren’t successful with this. 

54 minutes ago, sixpackeddie said:

I’m sorry to report that since there are no longer dedicated butlers for Sky Suites the only room service available will be from calling room service from your stateroom. 

This is quite disappointing as it was ONE of the main reasons we booked a SSS instead of a veranda. Do you know if we are able to downgrade our room without losing the perks for booking onboard?  I know the OBC would go down. 
 

4 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

I can't speak to lobster as I never eat it.  As to filet mignon, we were always able to get one in Luminae any night regardless of whether it was on any menu or not. In fact, we could often do so in Blu as well once we got to know the waiters.   I certainly hope it was a mistake to charge for it now as the Luminae menu leaves a lot to be desired as far as menu choices that suit our tastes.

Another reason we loved the yacht club!  I had filet more nights than not, although it was always on the YC menu. 

3 hours ago, jelayne said:

Since they just did away with Butlers for SS a couple of day ago it is probably too early to know.  My guess would be no.  They will deliver coffees & pastries but doubt they will send some one to Al Bacio to get them. Hope I’m wrong.

18 minutes ago, Kelownadon said:

Hope you’re right. 

This was the only reason I thought I would enjoy a butler. Well that, and stocking us up with water. Looks like we probably won’t have either. I wish we would have just booked a veranda for half the price. 

Will they still deliver specialty coffee and pastries from Cafe Al Bacio to sky suites?

11 hours ago, wineoclock said:

We stayed Here when we went 

https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/spain/madrid/palacio-de-los-duques-gran-melia?utm_medium=organic&utm_source=directories&utm_campaign=google&utm_content=2810

just near the palace. 
 

 

That’s beautiful!

8 hours ago, Post Captain said:

 

@NCteacherlovescruising ~

 

To an extent, that is true.  Just to be clear (so you know before you apply for the card, and thus avoid any unexpected surprises):

 

There are a number of significant benefits associated with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card (and the more "premium" Sapphire Reserved card, which generally is useful only for very frequent fliers/travelers who want/need special perks, and which carries a hefty annual fee.) 

 

In addition to a couple of standard charge methods (i.e, with money!), there are two ways to book with points using the Chase Sapphire Preferred (or Sapphire Reserve) card:

 

1.  Through Chase's Ultimate Rewards travel portal.  With the CSP card, your existing points are multiplied by 1.25, thus almost magically increasing your purchasing power.  Thus, for example, 10,000 points ($100) on your card are valued valued at 12,500 points ($125). 

 

This method is much the simplest to execute, though not always cheaper than using method #2. However, be aware that in using the Ultimate Rewards travel portal, you are booking through a third-party website. (If I recall correctly, it's actually an Expedia booking platform).  So the usual caveats about third-party bookings applies, though I would trust the Chase/Expedia platform far more than the sort of [fly-by-night] third-party agencies you find via some travel search engines)

 

2.  By transferring points from your Chase card directly to one of Chase's partner airlines (and/or to partner hotels)--or, to be more precise, to the airline's loyalty program--and then booking directly on that airline's website.  Transferring points to the airline is fairly straightforward, though you will first have to register for the airline's frequent-flier/loyalty program.  Moreover, method #2 requires more research to determine whether using this method for your particular desired flight is actually cheaper than method #1 or, indeed, cheaper than actually charging the flight to your credit card via the UR travel portal.  (I've not detailed that method and its potential advantages, since your original question has to do with paying with points/miles; but in some instances, it can be advantageous to use that method--which you would have to use anyway if you haven't accumulated enough points to cover the cost of the flight.)

 

Also, be aware that Chase does not partner with all major airlines, and thus it may not be possible to transfer your Chase points directly to your preferred airline. For example, Delta is not a Chase partner; if you wanted to use your Chase points toward a Delta flight, you would have to first transfer your points to the Air France - KLM "Flying Blue" program; you could then book your Delta awards flight via the Flying Blue platform, since Delta is part of the Sky Team alliance that includes Air France and Delta.

 

Finally, although points are always transferred at a 1:1 ratio, you have to calculate the value of each point on your particular airline's program.  As I said, this booking method takes more work and research; for many people, it's enough to make your head hurt.🤔😕  (And on top of all this, some other conditions also apply...)

 

For more information, see The Guide to Chase Transfer Partners on the nerdwallet.com website linked in post #6 above. Additionally, there are quite a few articles/reviews/comparisons of various travel credit cards on other financial information websites as well as video reviews and explanations on YouTube.  

 

(NB -- Disclaimer:  The information provided in this post does not claim to be complete and definitive, nor is it intended as a recommendation for any particular credit card.  Always do your due diligence and read the fine print on the credit card issuer's own website!  As we say in the trade, Your mileage may vary.)   

 

Thanks!  I have read numerous card comparisons and watched several videos and keep coming back to the two Chase cards as our best options. Because I’ve done so, I can’t recall which one(s) had warned about the complexity of those cards in making the most of them. It’s quite unfortunate we can’t transfer the miles to AA which we already have and has a major hub here in Charlotte. We do have United though. 
 

With that said, I can’t make up my mind between the Chase Sapphire Reserved and Preferred. We cruise every year. If we use the card to pay for a cruise (or hotel, etc) would that give us the $300 travel credit on the Reserve card or would we have to pay through their portal. Do VRBO or Air B&B rentals count?  We tend to rent cabins in the mountains annually.  The Priority Pass membership sounds like a nice plus, but we aren’t frequent flyers. It looks like we would need to book hotels through their portal to reap the most benefits, but it’s generally cheaper to book directly with the hotel. 
 

Edited to add: We are also considering the Am Ex Platinum card, but that annual fee is so high!  I do see where we’d get a lot of it back though. 

1 hour ago, goletans said:

Yep; I just go to my account, click Redeem next to my points balance and this takes me to the travel center where I search for flights that fit my itinerary. If I don't have enough points to cover the whole purchase price, the balance is put on my card. EASY. IF I want help, the stellar reps are a phone call away. Points can be used for hotels, rental cars, and more.

Check this out: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/chase-sapphire-preferred

Thanks!  I had read it can be kind of confusing to reap the full benefits of the card so it’s good to hear.