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Julees11
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I am a first time cruiser to the Mediterranean and am looking for any advice about what to pack, how to plan excursions, etc.  

 

Are we able to take 2 bottles of wine aboard Allure of the Seas?

 

Thanks,

Julie

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What time of year are you going? That will determine the type of clothes you need. Summer is miserably hot and humid.

 

Buy a decent guidebook. Rick Steves has a good one devoted to Mediterranean cruising and has all kinds of advice on just about everything related to European travel and cruising in particular.

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Julie, welcome to cruise critic.

You need to supply a bit more information as to the time of year and where in the Med you are going. For instance, there would be a big difference between Greece and Barcelona. And a big difference between May and September.

Jim

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For the Med, spring -  fall, I pack knee length or longer sundresses and lightweight knit jackets and I wear some kind of European walking shoe such as Ecco.  I never carry a purse or backpack as it just makes you a target for pickpockets. I never bring any real jewelry and wear a cheap plain wedding band, obviously plastic watch and inexpensive looking earrings. Nothing that would be of interest to a thief.  The reason I wear sundresses is: 1.  cool in hot weather, 2. mine go below the knee so they are appropriate for churches with the lightweight knit jacket on 3. many restrooms don't have toilet seats and often the floors are very wet and it is easier to maneuver in that situation wearing a skirt or dress than in pants.  Men need to wear pants as they will not be allowed in churches in above the knee shorts (some men buy zip off pants for this purpose.). You might wonder where I keep my money/credit card, cruise card, cellphone, etc - they are in secret pockets.  You can buy these type of garments online. Here is a good site with great quality clothes: https://www.scottevest.com. Other than that, bring a sleep shirt, swimsuit and coverup, underwear, makeup and you are set. Keep in mind most days in the Med you get off the ship at 8am and don't come back until after 5pm.  You may never even have time to go to the pool.  RCCL allows each adult in your cabin to bring 1 bottle of wine in your carryon when you board.

 

As far as excursions go, you need to look at each port and figure out what you want to do.  Then look on Cruise Critic here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/21-royal-caribbean-“meet-mingle”-roll-calls/     Find your ship, then find your sailing date and look at the roll call to see if anyone is doing an excursion you would like to share with them.  If so, you can join them by arranging to do so on the roll call.  You can also arrange your own excursion and post it on the roll call to get others to join you and share costs. Keep in mind, it may be that no one joins you and you will have to pay the full cost of the excursion.  Depending on where you are cruising, you can look at ports of call to get advice on tour guides to use: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/8-europe/

 

If you happen to be going to Rome I recommend a walking tour company called "Through Eternity."  https://www.througheternity.com    They are much cheaper than the tour companies that pick you up at the port and will customize your tour to exactly what you want to see, making the most of your time.  Keep in mind that many locations require advance tickets and timed entrance, so decide what you want to see as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

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On 1/5/2020 at 8:53 AM, Julees11 said:

I am a first time cruiser to the Mediterranean and am looking for any advice about what to pack, how to plan excursions, etc.  

 

Are we able to take 2 bottles of wine aboard Allure of the Seas?

 

Thanks,

Julie

 

Yes, you can take 2 bottles of wine per cabin.

You may want to join your "Roll Call"...you'll get plenty of information regarding packing and shore excursions.

Check the "Ports of Call"...more information regarding each specific port. 

Happy Sailing!

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