tvlworm

37 minutes ago, bankergirl06 said:

Here you go!  Good Luck on your upgrade! https://upgrade.plusgrade.com/offer/NCL/

Thank you! 

Could anyone please share the link to check your bid status? The banner to upgrade is no longer available for me on the app and I didn’t bookmark the link. I still have a little over two weeks until sailing and was hoping to check and see if there have been any changes to the room types offered etc.  

Thanks! 

1 hour ago, kellymccrea said:

Did you hear this from NCL directly? I’m cruising from Italy in June and can’t find a direct answer on their website to save my life. 

Awesome—we are too 🙂 

this section of the NCL shore excursions FAQ previously had Italy listed as a country with shore excursion restrictions. This was removed a couple months ago. 
 

50 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

If you want to try to do all of those things in one shot, you're going to have to prioritize in a major way.  For the Ufizzi, are you just going to walk through, not stopping to see anything specific?  I spent several hours in there myself.  For the Accademica, are you just going to high-tail it to David, click it off your list and leave?  You're going to need appointment tickets in advance to breeze through.  If it's like when I was last in Florence, you have to queue up to get inside the Cathedral.  To be honest, for me it was the outside that was the most attracting.   But, you have to keep time to just wander around the Centro Storico of Florence, stop and have a sandwich or an ice cream.  You have a full day!!!

 We do have a timed admission ticket to the Accademia for seeing David so hopefully that will help. I’m thinking we probably will not do the interior of the cathedral, out of sake of time.  Where is the best vantage point for the exterior?  
I too wasn’t certain about going through the Ufizzi, I read a different recommendation that there are good statues around the exterior and it’s close to the famous bridge. I was hoping they would have some recommended paths like the Louvre does to guide you to specific must see exhibits. I definitely want to enjoy the day and not feel like we are rushing just for the sake of seeing things so I love the suggestions for ice cream! 

3 hours ago, mjramey79 said:

Hello, new to cruising here and I'm trying to gather as much info as I can before I take my first cruise in July in italy. With the easing of some of the covid restrictions in Italy, can we now go unsure without booking an excursion? I haven't found any resources that gave me a definitive answer and I was hoping that someone here might help. Thanks for any assistance that is given.

NCL is no longer requiring to use their excursions to go on shore and you can book independent options. 

1 hour ago, Gimpy McFarlan said:

We are seriously considering visiting Florence on our own from Livorno.  We will hop on the train to Florence, visit the Ascademia (to see David), visit Uffizi and then the Duomo.  Rick Steves has multiple pre-recorded walking tours of Florence so we plan to spend any additional time doing those.

That’s exactly what I to do too! I spent some of my time doing yesterday, plotting out the distances so I could estimate what times I should select on the tickets 🙂 

Is the train faster than the bus? We currently have a Viator option for coach transportation to/from which includes an hour in Pisa, but interested in learning about the train if it’s a faster option! 

We are first-timers to Rome as well and currently planning out of few days prior to our cruise on June 30th. I’ve found this website and suggestions to be extremely helpful and using it to base our own sightseeing on. 
https://www.romewise.com/rome-in-3-days.html

Hi! I’m looking for some guidance and recommendations for our upcoming visit to Florence (first time visitor!).  We’re booking the excursion through Viator that basically is transportation to Florence and Pisa, from Livorno.  

We’ll have approximately 4hrs in Florence according to the description. What are the top recommendations for what is logistically possible to see in that time frame? Should we focus on just truly sightseeing and taking in the scenery by walking around the city or would we have enough time to actually see places with get skip the line tickets? 
 

Thanks 🙂 

2 minutes ago, Budget Queen said:

I always go independent.    Simple with these ports.  But,  I suggest  YOU figure out what you want to see and do.    Then focus on the details.    It depends on you.   I simply jump on trains and public buses/metros  etc.   A lot of people can't/won't consider that.     I spent 3 months in the med last year and greatly enjoyed walking tours.   I use self guided Apps  but there are multiple guided options.   

 

Take some time and look over your shore excursion lists.   Most all those have cheaper independent options.   

Thanks! Do you have app recommendations? I typically book independent excursions as they usually are a much better experience and value. I’m not sure if it’s because these ports have so many more options and having zero experience in Europe in general but I feel like I’m going to need this full year + to get my plan together! 

13 hours ago, Nola26 said:

We took the Mediterranean itinerary with NCL last year so I can speak to Rome, Florence and Naples.

 

You can walk around in Naples. We did a pricey excursion and saw the Almafi coast, Positano, Sorrento and Pompeii, priceless experience with my mother. 

 

Florence and Pisa we did the NCL on your own. Great way to have transportation and our own plan and would do it again. If you want museums you should book a tour that gets you entrance otherwise you'll spend your time in line. We had a more casual experience cafe lunch, shopping and outdoor sites like David and other sculptures and Ponte Vecchio. 

 

Rome please book a ship excursion. Rome is over an hour away from the port. I would not risk a late return by train.

 

So in summary NCL ShoreX for Rome as a must and a strong suggestion for Florence. Both are a longer ride from the port. For Naples you can kick back more and make pizza your destination. 

I would love to do that same excursion you mentioned for Almafi coast, Positano, Sorrento and Pompeii, it sounds amazing and exactly what I’d love to do if I can get over the excursion price sticker shock for four of us (or win the lottery!) 🙂 

18 hours ago, Joanne G. said:

Mykonos and Santorini are suitable for walking off (actually, tendering off) and exploring on your own.    In Naples, I would definitely do an excursion, either private or NCL-sponsored.  Pompeii is fascinating, and the Amalfi coast is spectacular.  On a Celebrity cruise, a friend and I did both in one long day when we couldn't decide between them, and it was a great day.   Naples is a big, sprawling city, so I wouldn't consider it the best for exploring on your own. 

 

I have never been to Livorno, I understand Florence and Pisa are both some distance from the port, so excursions would be a good idea there.   I can't help with the other ports.  It looks like a fabulous cruise.  Have a terrific time.   

Thanks! That’s where I’m struggling the most, is trying to get an idea of what’s all possible and realistic to see in a day.  

21 hours ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

This is invaluable guide when planning your (possible) excursions, many of which you can definitely do on your own.

https://www.tomsportguides.com/

happy planning

This is a great resource! Thank you for sharing 🙂 

Looking for feedback, suggestions and recommendations for the following ports. Our cruise isn’t until July 2021 but figured early planning and daydreaming is one of the best distractions and boredom busters that I know. 🙂 

Will be sailing with DH, DS 17, and DD 15.  Would like to have ideas on what ports are best for just walking off and DIYing it and which ones we should have planned excursions at.  We’ve never been to any of the places we are visiting and it’s a little overwhelming with so many ports and everything sounding like it shouldn’t be missed.  


Thanks! 

3 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Nice review!

Thank you! 

Day 8 - Heading home 

It’s usually bittersweet and a bit sad the morning leaving the ship. In this case, catching up on bits and pieces of the news, I was really looking forward to being back home.   We had an earlier departure from Orlando at 11am, and chose to do the self assist departure. From the balcony could see that people were leaving at least 30 minutes before the official announcement was made at 7am. We made our way off the ship, through customs and were in the pick up area within 15 minutes!  Our Cortrans shuttle was there and waiting with several people already on. We only had to wait a few more minutes for the other two to join us and we were on the road at 745am for Orlando. Traffic was a non issue and the rest of the process in getting through the airport was easier than we thought it would be considering so many people were changing plans and Orlando Airport on Sundays in my experience, being a busy place! A few hours later back to the comfort of home. 
 

Conclusion—my opinions on hits and misses. We most often sail Carnival so my list is based in comparison to those experiences. 
 

Onboarding and departure—major RCL kudos! Never, ever have had an easier experience even with FTTF. I feel now like FTTF is a waste of $ knowing much easier processes are out there especially on ships with double the capacity! Get with it Carnival 🙂 
 

Ship Amenities/Entertainment- RCL comes out on top. The entertainment is amazing and there is so much to do, almost too much. Might have felt more so due to being 1st timers on an Oasis class ship. 
 

Private Island - Coco Cay is the best private island I’ve experienced! I would hands down do an RCL cruise that has multiple stops here! 

Overall ship experience - this is closer to a tie than I thought it would be! There is absolutely nothing else like an Oasis class ship, it is mind blowing. I loved the different neighborhoods and until weather changes happened, it’s almost hard to imagine that you are on a ship. We often referred to Royal Promenade as the mall 😂.   I liked that the split pool areas spread people out but did miss having one central pool area where all the fun was.  Also missed the dive-in movies. Just wasn’t the same sitting in the not so comfortable aqua theater versus a lounge chair on the pool deck.  
 

Cabins - this one goes to CCL and only because the 4th bed pulls from the ceiling creating more usable space.  The actual room sizes are almost identical but 4 passenger rooms on Harmony all place the bed at the front of the room. That plus the loss of space with the trundle out made it feel SO much smaller! I liked the bathroom on Harmony better, especially the shower door versus curtain.  I too liked that Harmony had several places for charging devices. So maybe it’s more of a tie after all. Most likely I think 2 rooms will be a much better option for us going forward. 
 

Food - CCL.  The food on RCL was fine, and overall have no complaints. Only things that I think are better on CCL is Guy’s Burgers, Blue Iguana Cantina and the deli. We enjoyed Park Cafe but the hours were limited compared to deli on Carnival.  

In all, I am so grateful and thankful that we had this opportunity. So much in the world has changed in the last 11 days and had we been scheduled the week after it wouldn’t have most likely happened.  Testing the RCL waters was great and so was our experience! They will now always be a contender for our future annual cruise options.  

Safe and happy sailings to you all! 🛳 🚢 
 

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Seriously, no line for Flowrider?

More people were watching than waiting! I don’t think many figured out that this area of the ship was not as windy as the other outside deck area on 15. There were no lines for any activities back there. 

Day 7 - Sea Day! 
The captains day 6 evening announcements about a less than smooth ride back to FL was no joke. I’m fine with a gentle rock to sleep but this was a first in waking up due to the movement! By the time we finally got up and out to get breakfast, new accessory bags were available all over the ship.  The ship changed the clocks ahead at 2am Saturday, which also really seemed to throw a lot of people off.
 

We attempted to have breakfast at the Windjammer but the lines getting in were massive—the worst I saw all week so that plan was scratched and attempted the near by Mini Bites.  Not the best plan as the wind caused the food to go cold before you could enjoy it.  Speaking of Mini Bites, was the concept changed? We never saw during the week any mini bite options, only breakfast and then burgers, hot dogs and nachos.  

With our room location, we primarily used the aft elevators. Returning down to 6 from deck 15, could see quite the lines below on 5. Apparently the internet service was down ship wide. Not the best of timing with I’m sure so many users trying to do their online check in for flights home.  Deck 6 was busy as well with really long lines for checking out pictures and placing final orders. 
 

The extreme wind and rocky seas forced the closure of deck 16 and the waterslides, eliminating poolside fun for us.  Debated about starting the never fun chore of packing but decided to postpone that plan in favor of indoor fun at trivia. After, we headed up for a late lunch at the Windjammer, it was seafood day and DS was in heaven with crawfish, shrimp, mussels and whatever else they had. We sat out facing the basketball court which worked out great to watch the basketball knockout challenge. It was all ages and the younger kids were trying so hard, it was really fun to watch, especially as one started hitting the baskets and won!  I noticed that there were still people playing mini golf and all the back of the ship options were still up and running.  It was a surprise that it was FAR less windy back here, so enjoyed a lot of the afternoon watching the flowrider surfers, sitting in the sun and finally convincing my mom to try both the Ultimate Abyss and the zipline. I really wish I could have strapped the faux-pro on to see her face down the slide 😂! Heights when suspended are not my thing...I’ve struggled big time on ropes courses before and almost backed out last second of the zipline. It’s short but still unnerving until finally pushing off. Perfect length for someone like me! 

Early evening was uneventful in finally tackling packing and getting ready for departure the next day.  Took a break for dinner and to catch the Celebration Parade, was a fun way to cap off a great vacation.  

1 hour ago, blueridgemama said:

Thanks for your review and beautiful pictures. Your posts are such a welcome diversion from all the gloom and doom posts about Covid19 and all the cancellations and concerns about refunds etc.  I certainly empathize with everyone who has been affected in the cruise community and the country as a whole.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise and certainly hope that we can all get through this next few months and get back to life as we knew it.

Looking forward to the rest of your review☺

Thank you! I feel horrible for the state of the travel industry and everyone impacted. It’s been a challenging week and it’s been a good distraction to write this review.  

2 hours ago, Judyrem said:

I am really enjoying your reviews and wonderful pics! 😁 Those snorkeling pics were great!  I am a avid snorkeler too!

Thank you! Snorkeling is the best, I wish I had the opportunity to go more often! 

Day 6 - Cozumel 

Cozumel is one of our favorite and most visited ports. There are so many great beach clubs and options on how to spend the day. It was going to be a BUSY day, I believe the captain shared that 8 other ships were scheduled and about 28,000 passengers would be arriving.  We arrived around 730am and started getting ready to head out for our day’s destination, our favorite of the beach clubs, Paradise Beach.  The forecast was iffy with thunderstorms forecasted, we all had our fingers crossed that the day wouldn’t be a washout.  This was our first time at the pier RCL uses and outside of different restaurants, very similar with lots of shopping available. I think Puerta Maya has a bit better layout and better area for the taxi stand.  
 

Off we went! Since it was relatively early there was hardly anyone at Paradise Beach. We opted for the all-inclusive option and added the water package which included snorkeling gear, paddleboards/kayaks and the inflatable park, all which was reserved in advance.  Our waiter for the day was Luis who was awesome and very attentive! He brought us to the beach area where w pretty much had our pick of where we wanted to be.   Paradise Beach is gorgeous—beautiful landscaping, huge pool, large beach, great food/drinks and typically lots to do in the water.  I say typically, because this time was quite different ☹️. The rough and wavy waters equalled A LOT of seaweed washed on the beach and the water was not the normal turquoise and instead was very murky with no visibility. They were working all day trying their hardest to rake, remove and clear but it didn’t seem to make any difference.  Due to the water, they were not providing snorkeling gear and it was too rough for kayak or paddleboards.  Honestly, I think they should have advised this at arrival and refunded the water package price.  Instead of enjoying the beach, most of our time was spent around the pool. The forecast so far wasn’t as predicted and was bright and sunny!  It worked out ok for us making the most out of the all-inclusive package as we had more time to eat and drink since we weren’t actively playing in the water.  
 

We got a little antsy for something fun to do and decided to go parasailing. This was a first for all of us! It was SO much fun and being away from the beach, the view of the waters was the colors we hoped to be enjoying. As we sailed above, I was a bit envious of the beach clubs further down as it didn’t look like they were experiencing the same seaweed problems.  
 

As the afternoon went on we made our way back to port earlier than what we would have, had the beach conditions cooperated. This turned out to be a great idea because not long after we returned to the ship, the clouds that rolled in opened up. Cozumel is a great place to people watch everyone returning to the ships, all were delayed in leaving due to rough waters for the excursions that went via ferry to mainland Mexico. Our ship alone had hundreds of late arrivals back. 
 

As we made our way out to sea, the captain shared it was not going to be smooth sailing. It was very windy and rocky!  Our evening was spent enjoying dinner, trivia and other indoor events around the ship.  

 

1 hour ago, CDNCRUIZR said:

Great pictures and review. Hope you guys are having a great time.

Thank you, we did! 

Day 5 - Roatan Continued 

Needless to say, the random vendor boat excursion was a success, I had a great time and I‘m really glad I went.  After returning to the resort, I walked down to the cliff at the end of the beach. The entire beach area was quite busy and there were the occasional vendors walking trying to sell bracelets and massages. There was also quite a bit of security and police officers walking up and down the beach as well.  
 

One vendor near the cliff area was selling fish food which was bringing in a lot of fish and the little kids nearby were loving it. 

 

The beaches were beautiful and it was a gorgeous day! 
 

Made my way back to the resort, taking a break to relax and just enjoy it all.  Decided to head again to the water to try snorkeling from shore, which wasn’t bad at all, just not as great as what I had seen earlier in the day.   Even though I was starting to look like a prune, I could have swam all day. Unfortunately for us, it was time to start getting our things together, change and head back to the ship.  Even though I didn’t use the pool, Infinity Bay was a great resort with a great west bay location and would highly recommend the day passes. I’d actually love returning to stay. Food and beverages were decent priced and service was great as well.  
 

We were back to the port around 130pm so plenty of time to look around. It was crowded and really hot, so we didn’t spend as much time as I thought we would.  The NCL ship that was in port was using a tender, so that really added to the congestion with a long line for those waiting.  Back to the ship we went. We people watched from our balcony for quite some time before getting ready to go play trivia in On-Air. It was 90s night so I was hoping to do ok, and ended up winning and the proud owner of a new keychain 😂. Not quite the same as a ship on a stick but something is better than nothing.  
 

It was chocolate night in the Windjammer which completely satisfied my sweet tooth and was fun looking at the different creations!  

Even though it wasn’t even 10pm, I was wiped out!  It would be another early but not quite as early morning arrival scheduled for Cozumel the next day that we were looking forward to. 

3 hours ago, mchin said:

Enjoy your review and pictures.   We are booked on Harmony in June crusing the same itinerary.  Thanks for taking the time to share.

Thank you! Hope you have a great cruise! 

Happy Friday! After a mind-spinning week, I am really looking forward to the weekend.  
 

Day 5 - Roatan 

It’s never fun setting the alarm clock on a vacation day but that’s exactly what we did for our early morning, 7am arrival (6a local time) to Roatan.  After our unplanned, extra sea day the day prior, it seemed like everyone onboard was eager for a land day!  
 

This was our second visit to Roatan, this being our first time at Coxen Hole as the dock. Mahogany Bay is great if you are staying put, but for ease of going on an excursion, this was a much better port, in my opinion.  Looks like lots of work is being done and enhancements are coming.  
 

Our first visit brought us to Little French Key which was amazing but I wanted something different, still with awesome snorkeling available so our plan was for West Bay.  I reached out to Infinity Bay Resort in advance and reserved day passes with transportation, which was $40 per person.  I debated about instead going through the ship for the neighboring Tabyana Beach excursion but the resort option looked much more appealing and it was a great decision!  Infinity Bay provided clear instructions for meeting our driver who was ready and waiting when we got off the ship. We had a short walk to the actual vehicle and off we went.
 

With morning traffic it took us about 25-30 minutes to arrive. It was just before 7am when we arrived to Infinity Bay, the activity coordinator who manages the day pass reservations hadn’t even arrived first. This was no big deal, the front desk contacted a different staff member who brought us to the beach area and a brief tour of the resort, letting us know about food, drink options (all ala-carte), restrooms etc. We quickly settled in our lounge chairs and I was immediately itching to get in the water and explore! Because of our ultra early arrival, the dive shop too wasn’t yet open so I couldn’t rent any snorkeling gear. While waiting, I used the time to walk around the resort and beach, checking out the ship used  tabyana beach, which was right next door. Only a handful of people were there but from the layout, I was so glad to have the extra space at Infinity Bay. 

While waking the beach in front of the resort, a local vendor approached for a 1hr boat snorkeling excursion offer for $20. It was only me who would be going so I was a bit apprehensive about this. I decided to give it some thought and went to check if the dive shop was open, which it was. Full gear rental at the resort was $10, great deal! Decided at that point I was going out on the boat. Luckily, as I was walking back, 3 other people were talking to him and too decided they were going. Whew, I wasn’t going alone! Turned out to be the BEST thing I did! 
 

I LOVE snorkeling and live vicariously through the amazing pictures people post here in their reviews. The guide/boat driver  brought us to an area about 10-15 minutes east of the resort.  It was absolutely AMAZING!  In my opinion, even better than the snorkeling excursion through Little French Key.  I could have stayed all day long looking at the beautiful coral and colorful fish.  
 

Snorkeling is only an option once or twice a year so I’m not the greatest with the underwater pictures as I have a very inexpensive underwater camera and this year added a “faux-pro” which I used to take video of. This proved to be not so easy to convert to pictures but I tried and am still working on figuring out.  I too don’t know the names of most of these fish, except the lion fish (my favorite as it was my first time seeing one that wasn’t in a tank), barracuda and the anemone—thanks Nemo! I was really hoping a clownfish would pop out! 🙂 

I think it’s a good idea, all things considered.  I personally thought it was kind of odd last week on Harmony that they were still offering the kitchen/galley tours.