Nearly Live from Oosterdam Med Empires June 13th - 25th.

[Unlvswezel]

Just a ton of thanks for this review. We fly to Athens on Wednesday and board on Saturday. Looking forward to using your insight to make our trip more enjoyable. Any specific meal in the MDR that surprised or wowed you? Im usually a steak and spud guy but always looking to try something new!

[sdiekmann]

On 6/8/2022 at 4:46 PM, VMax1700 said:

We are taking the complimentary transfer from Trieste to VCE Marco Polo airport on June 25th.  Currently our boarding pass shows a debarkation time of 8.30 am.  I am hoping that this is the transfer time, bearing in mind that we will be docked in Trieste overnight.  I will confirm what exactly happens, as it happens.

 

 

Did you find your answer to this?  We will board on the 16th, with a complimentary transfer to Trieste and a paid transfer to the airport at the end of the cruise.  Neither is showing up in our cruise docs yet.

[BarelyACruiser]

You mentioned your suite was not renovated.  Curious which Signature Suite stateroom were you in?  We got upgraded to 6060 and board tomorrow. 

[BarelyACruiser]

1 hour ago, sdiekmann said:

Did you find your answer to this?  We will board on the 16th, with a complimentary transfer to Trieste and a paid transfer to the airport at the end of the cruise.  Neither is showing up in our cruise docs yet.

I am catching a complimentary transfer from the Venice City Center tomorrow… I have no documents in the app or email. Called to asked exactly where I go and I am guessing which time I show up based on my embarkation time + the 2 hr drive. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻 

[FlorenceItaly]

4 minutes ago, BarelyACruiser said:

You mentioned your suite was not renovated.  Curious which Signature Suite stateroom were you in?  We got upgraded to 6060 and board tomorrow. 

Was this an upsell or an upgrade?  Wishing you a fabulous cruise!

[BarelyACruiser]

Upgrade - I called to see if I could move to a different Verandah stateroom and in the process they said they could actually offer an upgrade, no cost to me. Took it…

[VMax1700]

5 hours ago, aaaaa said:

Your impressions of the late-night Lido buffet?

Reheated Leftovers.

[VMax1700]

6 hours ago, ger_77 said:

Inquiring minds want to know if the duct tape pulled off the paint from the air con unit when you removed it.   🙂

Still up on the air con!

Sticky note on mirror to remind me to remove in the morning.

(touch-up paint on standby 🤫) 🤣

I will report back.

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, sdiekmann said:

Did you find your answer to this?  We will board on the 16th, with a complimentary transfer to Trieste and a paid transfer to the airport at the end of the cruise.  Neither is showing up in our cruise docs yet.

Last night (i.e. two nights before end of cruise) the disembarkation details were on the bed.  Our disembark time was listed as 6.30 am, but I got it changed to 7.30 am.

On an earlier post I gave the times of the transfers to VCE Marco Polo Airport.  See post #370

Edited June 24, 2022 by VMax1700

[VMax1700]

3 hours ago, Unlvswezel said:

Just a ton of thanks for this review. We fly to Athens on Wednesday and board on Saturday. Looking forward to using your insight to make our trip more enjoyable. Any specific meal in the MDR that surprised or wowed you? Im usually a steak and spud guy but always looking to try something new!

We only went to MDR once, for first Dressy night.  After that it was just Pinnacle, Lido and Canelleto.  No real standout.

[VMax1700]

54 minutes ago, BarelyACruiser said:

You mentioned your suite was not renovated.  Curious which Signature Suite stateroom were you in?  We got upgraded to 6060 and board tomorrow. 

6117. Starboard, towards stern. Extended balcony in a Z shape.

[VMax1700]

6 hours ago, Torquer said:

@VMax1700Thank you for your incredibly helpful reviews and answers to questions during your cruise.  It will be invaluable for our upcoming cruise on Oosterdam this summer.

 

Please let us know how the disembarkation and transfers work out back to VCE.  In particular, we would like to know what time the earliest transfers depart tomorrow morning, since we have a noon flight from VCE and are concerned about making it to the airport on time.

Times for transfers are on post # 370

[HELENPSL]

Thanks for all the info regarding the ship.  We will be on with you in November for our first transatlantic.  I’m a little nervous about 7 days at sea but at least the casino will be open.  Big trouble!

Helen

[Torquer]

11 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Times for transfers are on post # 370

Thanks...I somehow missed that in your prolific reports. 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

@VMax1700  Have a safe flight home tomorrow.  I hope the airports are not horrible, and that everything goes smoothly.

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, BarelyACruiser said:

I am catching a complimentary transfer from the Venice City Center tomorrow… I have no documents in the app or email. Called to asked exactly where I go and I am guessing which time I show up based on my embarkation time + the 2 hr drive. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻 

As far as I remember there were only 2 transfer times offered.  9am and 11am from the airport or from Tronchetto, beside the People Mover.

[VMax1700]

21 minutes ago, Torquer said:

Thanks...I somehow missed that in your prolific reports. 

I will post how it all works out tomorrow.

[Florida_gal_50]

Thank you for this informative and interesting thread.  I hope you had a pleasant flight home.

[terrydtx]

15 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

As far as I remember there were only 2 transfer times offered.  9am and 11am from the airport or from Tronchetto, beside the People Mover.

Those times are correct, which is why we chose to do a private transfer from Venice City to Trieste.

 

BTW I really enjoyed your blog and now we know much more of what to expect on our Oosterdam cruise in August.

[firsttimer1971]

17 hours ago, BarelyACruiser said:

You mentioned your suite was not renovated.  Curious which Signature Suite stateroom were you in?  We got upgraded to 6060 and board tomorrow. 

 

@BarelyACruiser, very interested if you like room 6060, my DW and I will be in that room on the Oosterdam next year. Please let me know!

[VMax1700]

We have arrived back home to a wet, cold, Cork.

So, just to report on the disembarkation and the transfer to VCE Marco Polo Airport.

 

Bear in mind that we docked in Trieste yesterday lunchtime, so HAL logistics had a lot of time to get it arranged properly, which may not happen with cruises which arrive the morning of disembarkation.

 

First group was scheduled for 6am disembarkation, and at 6am they were called on to disembark.   Here is the line of buses that were outside the terminal at 6.30am

 

We were scheduled for 7.30 am disembarkation and at 7.30 am we were called.  A few minutes later we were in the terminal building collecting our bags (there were trollies and porters available) and headed down to the quayside where buses were waiting.  There were numbers on the buses to correspond to the baggage/disembarkation ticket (we were Black 3) and we put the bags into the bus (the driver was helping others put their bags in) and a few minutes later we were on our way. The bus had 51 seats and only 20 pax were onboard.  We arrived at the Bus park at the airport at 9.55am, so in total from start to finish 2h 25 minutes.  Pretty, pretty good.

We were happy with the transfer and would do it again.

 

Our personal troubles just started then, as we were 2 hours too early to check in and when we returned to the check in counters it seemed that everyone else on the flight was ahead of us in the queue.  Then there was a monstrous queue at security.   😭 Then the aircraft was held at the gate for an hour because of air traffic problems.

It has been a long day and I really don't care if there is a pillow chocolate tonight or not, I just want to get my head down and close my eyes.

Goodnight all, and thanks for following my Ramblings from the Med.

[VMax1700]

One final bit of housekeeping!

Marks on the aircon??  If I was a secondhand car salesman I would say that those marks "will polish out" 😁

[Nancy&Frank]

@VMax1700 Thank you so very much for your detailed blogging.

i feel as though I am totally ready for my Oosterdam cruise in September.

 

[*Miss G*]

23 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

One final bit of housekeeping!

Marks on the aircon??  If I was a secondhand car salesman I would say that those marks "will polish out" 😁

 

Thanks.  Painter’s tape might be the way to go to avoid damage.

 

Also, thank you for a very informative and enjoyable thread.  Very much appreciated.

[ajstahle]

Colin,

Thank you so much for your postings.  You are a real trooper to take the time and we all appreciate it.