Questions Emerals Princess Med

[Tulsa Cats]

My husband and I are leaving Rome Sept. 2 on the Emerald Princess. I am wondering if we should book ship shore excursions or venture out on our own ? Have you hired a private company ? Some cruisers mention free shuttles. I've read one who said there were no free shuttles on the maiden voyage. Also, formal night. Really, are we talking tuxes or could my husband get by with slacks and a dark sports coat ? Will he need a tie ? We're staying a few days in Rome and a few days in Venice. Any food ideas ?

Thanks........

[MercedMike]

You will love cruising the Med. You will find lots of information on the Europe ports of call boards.

 

Check out our review and pictures at

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/med.html

 

We took some ship's excursions, some independent tours. All the independent tours were great and we really recommend the guides. You will find links on that page for all the guides.

 

We did have shuttle boats in Venice, for which they charged our ship card $10 each. Otherwise I don't remember any free shuttles.

 

Formal night in the Med tends to be just a bit more formal than the Caribbean or Alaska. We saw quite a few tuxes. But there were also lots of men in suits or slacks and jackets, but definitely with ties. It depends on what you will be comfortable in. You can also rent a tux through the ship. The ladies were a bit more formal, with lots of nice gowns in evidence.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Nanatravel]

Please be sure to read my review under Member Reviews, Emerald Princess. Other than Princess transportation for Florence and Rome, we took private tours or just walked around on our own. Do check out the Europe forum for recommendations of private tour guides/companies. If you haven't already, do sign on to your Roll Call. This is a great place to meet others who will be cruising with you and who already may be looking to share a tour.

 

Private tours offer much more time sightseeing; for less money; with flexibility; in comfort; and a chance to meet other great cruise critics. These companies depend on the word of mouth repeat business. They will do everything possible to make your day memorable.

 

In Venice, we had our hotel, Locanda Orseolo, make dinner reservations for us on the 2 nights we stayed with them. Both were excellent for food, ambience and service. Average total bill including a bottle of wine was about $100E.

 

Bon Voyage

Nanatravel

[Eileen G]

We were on the Emerald in May and did the Rome to Venice route. We did almost all the ports on our own. You can read my review http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=557922

my pictures are at the end of the review. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. We landed up eating in the buffet everynight so I don't know how dressed up people were in the dining rooms. My husband just takes dark pants and a sports coat. This was a really fantastic cruise and we are considering going back next year.

Eileen