wcyellin

The aft open deck is the most delightful spot on the ship.

We've spent many evenings there - having cocktails, then the ethnic buffet dinner.

A specialty Asian restaurant could be located on one side of the buffet area in the evenings.

Please leave the outdoor area alone !

If it were me, I'd look at a couple of things.

(1) I'd look thru the ship's shore excursion list to see what they're offering.

(2) Then I'd look at a couple of web-sites like:

http://fathomaway.com/guides/europe/france/itineraries/itinerary-corsica-france/

or

http://takingtotheopenroad.com/top-attractions-corsica/

(3) Then, I'd look at the prior and next cruise stops, to determine if the Corsica day should be an active or a relaxed one.

You can then develop some options. Maybe you just want to walk around Ajaccio, where the ship will likely dock. Maybe you want to tour the mountains and villages. Just come up with several alternatives.

The night before Ajaccio, you'll be at the Monaco Yacht Club, with your fellow cruisers. You'll be able to get the opinions of others, and -perhaps- find a small group to rent a van, or hire a van with a driver/guide. Also, the night before you'll have a better idea of the expected weather.

In any case, it's a great island, and you'll enjoy it.

Because the on-line reviews were mixed, we decided to try Le Cirque, hoping for improvement.

It was a mistake.

I ordered a chateaubriand medium rare. I requested béarnaise sauce. (one of several sauces on the normal Pinnicle menu).

For dessert, I ordered the chocolate soufflé.

I received a good sized piece of tenderloin, which seemed of good quality. But, it was between medium and medium well. Still flavorful.

When the waiter brought the beef, he said the chef wouldn't make the béarnaise sauce.

What was supposed to be the chocolate soufflé seemed like a dry inedible cupkake. It was way overcooked, and was clearly not a soufflé. The waiter who brought it must have known it was dry and inedible, because he never checked back.

While we - and the other diners- were finishing dinner, the staff brought out irons and began ironing linens on the tops of the unoccupied tables between the guests. It was surreal.

I have had many exceptional meals in cruise ship specialty restaurants. This was certainly not among them.

I have rented in Iceland many times. Both at KEF and in "downtown" Reykjavík.

Both are easy. Parking is not an issue, traffic is light, and everyone speaks English. There are good paved roads around Reykjavík; as well as a good paved road "the ring road" (with bridges) around the perimeter of the entire island.

A couple of points.

(1) If you will be driving far into the interior, on gravel roads, you may need a 4 wheel drive vehicle, and you'll need to check road conditions. On deep interior roads beginning with "F" on your map, 4 wheel drive is required. If you'll be mostly around Reykjavík, or on the ring road, this is a non-issue.

(2) Don't drink and drive. I was once stopped (leaving a bar) tested with a bac of .08, and when I expected the cops to apologize, I was informed that the presumptive "Intoxication" level in Iceland was .05.

I have not heard of Eurobuzz, but I looked at their web site, and I see nothing to get excited about.

They seem expensive, and you pay for both incoming and outgoing calls.

The best plan for you depends on your useage, if you'll be making (or receiving) only a few calls, just stick with your home GSM carrier (T-Mobile, ATT, etc).

For heavy useage, make sure your GSM phone is "sim unlocked" and buy a local prepaid sim card for the country you're in. Then you'll get a local number, free incoming calls, and much cheaper local calls to the USA or Canada.