Joanne G.

I checked my pictures from my Pride cruises - the pools have ladders.

On Carnival’s website, you can find the general information on these transfers with “Explore/Shore excursions/Dover”. They are currently showing at $109.99, so my recollection of them going up to $119.99 last summer is apparently wrong - but they could be that price by the time they can be booked next summer! Based on reviews, it’s clear some people had poor experiences. That’s too bad. I had no complaints and would do it again.

Different strokes . . . My last few cruises were solo, and keeping in touch with and sharing pictures with friends and family at home was a big part of my enjoyment. And I was happy that I got the text and email from one of my credit card companies about a potentially fraudulent charge, which was definitely fraudulent. I want my airline to be able to contact me in case of a schedule change or a flight cancelation. I like checking news headlines; I'm interested in what's going on in the world. My phone is my camera - smaller to carry around than my old digital camera. My phone and tablet are part of my enjoyment of the cruise, and I can't see any reason to disconnect. I sailed disconnected back in an earlier era, and I like this way better. To each his/her own. 😃 I need a watch on excursions when we have free time and are told what time to return to the bus, but I have a solar-powered watch for that.

I paid $100 last summer, but by the time of my cruise, the price had gone up to $120. It could be higher next year. As I was traveling solo, it was a good price compared to Uber or a private driver. A public bus and the train are cheaper, but given the distance, I liked knowing that Carnival knew I was on my way on one of their buses had there been traffic delays. I did it twice - the bus rides were 2 1/4 hours one time and 2 1/2 hours the other.

If you are interested in a Carnival transfer to Dover, last summer Carnival offered transfers from Heathrow (not sure about Gatwick - they probably did) and from Victoria coach station. The option from the coach station was great for me, as I spent some time in London before my cruises. It was much easier to get the bus from central London than getting back to the airport. There was also an option to get a Carnival transfer after the cruise back to Victoria coach station, which I used as I was staying over one night before my flight home. The transfer options showed up as shore excursions. Keep checking if you don’t see them now. These transfers are quite popular, so I assume they would offer them again.

Thank you for all the good information. (I feel silly that I mistakenly tagged the wrong screen name to thank in my previous post.)

That's what I have experienced - pretty much every time I sign in, I need to create a new password. Sometimes I can re-use the password that was just rejected, and it will be accepted when entered as a "new" password- very strange! This happens with my Royal Caribbean account, too. It happens with Edge browser and with Chrome. Yes, it's beyond frustrating.

There are reasons other than being lazy that someone, such as the OP, may choose to do a HOHO tour. Granted they aren't efficient for straight transportation between point A and point B, but some people find them enjoyable for different reasons. They can provide an overview of an unfamiliar, large, spread-out city. Buses and subways are not without their waiting times, and no sightseeing can be done from a subway car. They can offer commentary on the sights that some people find enjoyable. A one-day cruise stop may not allow enough time for walking between sites, or some people's feet may not be up to extensive walking. I plan on taking the Barcelona HOHO on the day I land, jet-lagged, for a pre-cruise stay. Thank you, @Zaragoza for the information on their routes. There are different acceptable travel styles, and offering alternatives rather than answering the OP's specific question struck me as a bit odd. The OP may have done his or her research and this was their choice.

I believe you are right. My recollection is that one of the major lines (NCL, maybe?) tried banning hair care items some years ago, and the backlash was swift. The captain had reason to fear an angry mob of women. The policy was quickly scrapped - or maybe never even implemented.

From recent reports, it seems the enjoyment of a visit to Santorini is hugely affected by how many ships are in port that day. Years ago, we had a delightful Celebrity excursion in Santorini, for which we were tendered to a dock where a bus was waiting to take us to Oia and a winery and then to Fira where we had free time. We took the cable car down to return to the ship. The villages weren't mobbed, and there was no significant wait for the cable car. But we were the only ship in port that day. Much as I would love to see Santorini again, I would check the port schedule first to see how many ships will be there on any itinerary I was considering. The dock we tendered to for our excursion was not the dock where the cable cars are. That first stop was only for people to meet buses for Celebrity excursions. After dropping us off, the ship relocated to the area from which the tenders shuttled passengers to and from the cable cars and the donkey path. This was in 2005, and I don't know if the process is the same now. With some mobility issues, it seems like a private customized excursion, such as an early return to the ship before the lines form for the cable cars, might be the best option, but I do see the challenges if the port is very crowded the day you are there. I hope you find something that works for you. Santorini is as beautiful as all the pictures!

@GeorgiaPeach51, thanks for the warning. You might want to warn even more people with a Trip Advisor or Google review. Choosing between a stuffy hot room or bugs sounds awful. (I would have gone with stuffy and hot. I hate bugs - had a fly get into the room in a Paris hotel when I opened a window for fresh air. I couldn’t sleep until I finally managed to swat it with my paperback guidebook.) I have found hotel rooms can get stuffy and uncomfortably warm (by our American standards) with no or inadequate a/c even if outdoor temperatures aren’t super-hot. And I don’t like opening windows without screens!

I read somewhere - but can’t confirm that it’s true - that because different types of trash and garbage on ships have to be handled differently, it creates more work for the crew if passengers were to dump everything into garbage cans in public areas. I leave empty soda cans on a nearby table or bar. I try to limit snacking to the buffet area, where I can leave any garbage on a plate or napkin on a table. The crew can then gather and sort trash as needed.

That's exactly what happened during my lunch in Rome upon arrival after my cruise. An American couple was seated at the next table in the outdoor seating area, and we struck up a pleasant conversation. But I am an introvert by nature, and I don't always want to make small talk with strangers. I shared the information about the Lancelot just so others will know what to expect about the dining and can decide accordingly if it's for them. I have no problem with the tiny solo hotel rooms in Europe. I have had them in Paris, in London, and now in Rome. (And a couple in New York City.) I actually like the option because of lower price, especially if it's for just a night or two pre- or post-cruise. I am a fan of Rick Steves' PBS show, his podcast, and his guidebooks for all kinds of practical information and tips. But I have come to the conclusion that his preferred type of hotel - small, family owned, communal-style dining, maybe with the quirk about the key - isn't exactly for me. I can tour ruins and historical sites all day, but I lean towards modern hotels, even if they are somewhat impersonal and lack local charm. Personal preference! For my next stay in Rome, I will be at the Hoxton, but it's part of a Celebrity post-cruise package, so I didn't specifically choose it.

I was able to cancel and rebook 6 excursions during the big sale last September. The process went smoothly, took only a couple minutes for each excursion, my OBC was available for re-use immediately, and the refunds appeared on my credit card account within a few days. BUT - none of my excursions were sold out at the time I did this. Even so, I was still worried about losing my spot during the process, but for each port I had an alternative choice in mind, and the savings were significant. Some of them are a bit cheaper now under the current sale, but I am done making changes. I don't want to push my luck of something selling out during the process. If I were you and really wanted those excursions, I would keep trying to talk to an agent in order not to lose your spot on a sold-out excursion. Good luck.

I don't know anything about Hotel Rafaello. But I stayed at the Lancelot for a couple nights post-cruise this past September. The location was great, very close to the Colosseum, yet on a quiet street. My solo room was tiny, which was not a surprise at all. The A/C was robust, which was most appreciated. The dinner that the previous poster mentioned was served at a set time each evening (7:30) and had a set menu, no choices. The dinner menu was posted at the front desk every morning, so if it didn't appeal to you, there were many restaurants nearby. Dinner was served in a lovely outdoor courtyard and communally, at big tables. The night I had the dinner, there was only one other person dining. It could have been awkward, such as if he hadn't spoken English, but he did, and we had a pleasant conversation. The food and wine were very good and reasonably priced at, I believe, €20. Wine was included - an open bottle of red and an open bottle of white were at the table when were seated. It was like a cruise dinner in that several courses were served one at a time with time in between courses for conversation. I skipped dinner the 2nd night as I had a very early flight and didn't want to spend so much evening time in an extended dinner. Breakfast was also communal, with only big round tables for seating. Typical for Rick Steves - he's all about social interaction! But not everyone wants to be social with strangers, especially at breakfast. Some people may have things they would like to discuss privately with their traveling companions. I would have preferred an assortment of big and small tables, but that wasn't the case for either dinner or breakfast. Another quirk, which may be more common in Europe as I encountered it in a hotel in Paris last spring, is that you don't take your room key with you when you leave for the day. You turn it in to the front desk, and then you ask for it when you return. It was a physical key, and it had a big tag with the name of the hotel and my room number on it. Once when I was waiting at the front desk that was momentarily unmanned, a couple came in, was too impatient to wait, and retrieved their key themselves from behind the counter. It struck me as a security issue. I may seem paranoid, but I am acutely attuned to security when traveling. I much prefer modern electronic keys that do not display the room number, can be kept in my possession during my stay, and are re-programed after each guest. I hope this helps, and I hope someone else can chime in about the Rafaello. Have a great cruise!

I see an Iceland and Ireland itinerary on the Eclipse July 16. Also May 22.

In my case I could use the refunded OBC immediately towards the rebooked excursion.

I was pretty pleased with how much I saved on excursions for my Sept Med cruise by canceling and rebooking during the September flash sale. Now some are a bit less, like the difference between 45% and 50% off. But others are the same and a couple are more. I want all my excursions (don’t want to risk glitches or them selling out while I am canceling), and I’m satisfied with the Sept price, so I’m done with the canceling and rebooking as the savings isn’t significant. Except for the wi-fi - today’s sale was worth canceling and re-booking. I suppose tomorrow’s sale could be better. This is like trying to time the stock market. I’m not crazy about this dynamic pricing or whatever it can be called, but it must work for Celebrity. I love the itinerary, and I’m looking forward to being on Celebrity, but this pricing craziness (on excursions and other extras, not fares as the mainstream lines all seem to do that) will have me checking other lines first in the future.

I had to cancel last year when I got covid a couple weeks before the cruise. I called Princess to cancel, and they gave me a phone number and a web site for filing the insurance claim. I had the Princess Platinum vacation coverage. I filed out the claim online, and I had to provide a copy of the cancelation notice from Princess which showed the amount of the penalty, which was the entire cruise fare due to the late cancelation. That's the amount I was claiming to be reimbursed by the insurance company. I also had to provide documentation of a positive covid test taken at my local Walgreen's. I received a check in the mail within a few weeks. It was a simple process. I had not booked with a TA, so I handled everything myself. Taxes, port fees, and prepaid excursions were refunded to my credit card within a few days of my phone call to cancel the cruise. A more complicated medical issue will require a form to be filled out by the attending physician, providing information on the diagnosis, the date of the diagnosis, and other pertinent information.

I got a notification through the app of 45% discounts on excursions and other items around Sept 1. I canceled and rebooked 6 excursions for my Sept 2024 Mediterranean cruise and saved over $300, plus I added a post-cruise hotel package that had been more than I wanted to pay. Not a shell game! And it was a quick, easy process, all done online. I have no idea how often Celebrity does this and if it applies to every cruise and every item when they do it. But I would get the app if you don't already have it and allow notifications. And of course, keep checking the website. Good luck!

I was on back-to-back cruises on the Pride last July in Europe when the ship needed repairs that caused one port to be dropped on the first cruise and three ports on the second cruise. My disappointment was acute, but ultimately, I was satisfied with the compensation offered by Carnival. I understand others will feel differently. I met people on board who were not satisfied. Regarding the OBC, in our situation the OBC was refundable, as were the credits for excursions, port fees, etc. That meant I could cash out rather than purchasing something I didn't really need or want. Before learning that I could cash out, a fellow passenger shared the idea of purchasing Carnival gift cards onboard, to be used on future bookings. I feel for anyone affected by the Panorama's issues. I hope there is a resolution that most passengers feel is fair.

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm considering the Carnival excursion, rather than buying a day pass from the hotel. Transportation, drinks, snacks, and lunch are included, as well as beach or pool chairs. But no mention of a room or a palapa. The resort looks so lovely that I want to try it. I hope to find some shade under a tree or rent a palapa if one is available. I am sure a cabana is more than I would want to pay. If all else fails, I'll be prepared with a big hat and a good coverup and can always go to that bar you mentioned!

I am considering a day pass to this resort on my Carnival cruise next April. From the pictures, it looks lovely, but I am concerned about availability of seating in the shade. I don't care if I am around the pool or on the beach, and I am willing to pay for use of an umbrella if that's necessary. But I can't sit in the sun all day. Am likely to find a place to sit in the shade somewhere on the grounds? Thank you.

I haven't been on an Atlantic crossing, but I was on the Pride for pretty much 7 days straight this past July during its emergency repair in Germany, the return to Dover, and through the first part of the subsequent delayed cruise. Granted, it was an unusual situation with a greatly reduced passenger load during the repair and the return to Dover and then a somewhat reduced passenger load for the subsequent shortened cruise as many passengers had canceled. I have always enjoyed sea days in my past 20+ cruises, but I found myself kind of bored at the end of this period on the Pride. The weather was often too chilly to walk on outside decks, which is one of my favorite shipboard activities. It was often too chilly to sit around the pool, even with the cover partially closed. My balcony use was limited to the occasional periods of sun and mild temperatures. The casino was always busy while at sea, but that doesn't appeal to me. Thankfully, I had plenty of reading material on my Kindle, and I found myself wandering around the ship and settling in random seating areas to read for a while. I ate too much at the buffet, as meals were the highlight of the days. 😲 My boredom was probably more pronounced because I was cruising solo. I have pretty much lost interest in a crossing for myself, but I know many people love them. I am sure on a crossing there is a full range of activities every day. I have always found the Carnival "Fun Squad" to be very dedicated to arranging a variety of things for people to do. Consider the time of the year, as that would affect how much time you could be on outdoor decks or your balcony if you have one. Hopefully others will share their experiences on Carnival transatlantic cruises to help you decide if one if for you.

I was on 3 cruises on the Pride this past summer, and photos were printed and displayed. I don't like having my picture taken and tend to avoid photographers on board and on the dock. The one time I let a photographer take a couple shots, while I was relaxing around the pool, I was never able to find it in on the racks of printed photos. I am sure I looked terrible as I usually do in photos. 🤪