boingy300

1st link will get you to us. I cannot wait to get back to Oz and see NZ for the 1st time. Hi Terry from Mason Ohio!

Karen

We are considering Air NZ but are confused by the allowed baggage. We are doing 3 weeks (cruise/land) and want to take 2 bags each <24kg/50lbs. I am confused by ANZ website that states only 1 bag allowed. It reads like we can only take 1 bag. I don't mind paying extra for a 2nd bag, but would not fly them if we can only do 1. I didn't have this issue with Qantas last trip and think I'm probably not reading this correctly. We are trying to decide between economy and the awkward twisting premium economy seats. Qantas makes us go to SYD then AKL- costing us a day of travel.

Can someone clarify the baggage allowance for economy for ANZ? Thanks!

Karen

We did it in early May between Rome/Naples. There are wind breakers so no wind. Maybe want a jacket. We didn't need one. We went early in the cruise and had the place to ourselves. We let the professionals cook the meat! It was entertaining. (You can see a good photo of the area,last picture, on Day 4 - Naples, on our blog below.)

Karen

My parents were in their 70's and we did the Western (Our 5th Western). Some things to consider: 1) Labadee is Haiti. The island, joined with Dominican Republic is called Hispaniola. It is our favorite port stop anywhere. The Haitians that staff the roller coaster, water slide and wave runners are wonderful ( & helpful). My Dad actually had a mishap there and it was the Haitian employees that came to his rescue (the staff from the ship....not as helpful). They do have wheelchairs to take you down the pier and a cart you can ride. Yes, please tip. Fun to just sit and watch the zipliner's from the Dragon's breath bar (elevated, not crowded and nice breeze blows through). 2) If the ship changes stops and goes to Freeport Jamaica instead, it is okay to get off and shop. I simply (& pleasantly say "No thank you " and am left alone) at both Ochos & Freeport. Kind of nice to get off the ship. 2)Grand Cayman- even though it's tendered it's doable. Just allow for extra time. I love Captain Marvin's trip to Sting Ray City. Our parents' favorite part of the cruise (They are in their 70s). I prefer Western over Eastern cruise. Beautiful islands. Jamaica gets a bad rap, but I've never had a bad experience there. I hope you have a blast. I am itching to go Western yet again....after our New Zealand trip.

"Getting out there!"

Karen

We are diamond on RCCL and did our 1st Celebrity cruise in May on the Silhouette. A bit different as far as entertainment and activities. We liked it for where we are in life (sons in college and not with us on this trip). I'd compare it to the Radiance. If your kids have been on Oasis or Freedom class then they may be a bit bored in comparison. We had a very port intensive cruise on the Silhouette so our sea days were spent poolside. Lots of things play into this here. How many days at sea? What do they like to do? Pools are nice, no rock walls or flow riders.

I found the evening diamond/elite event to not be well attended on Celebrity because every one had drink packages and met elsewhere. I wasn't too impressed with the food but with $14/ day per passenger they did very well. I didn't appreciate a big difference between the lines.We enjoyed the "Lawn" grill and the Italian restaurant....I already forget the name. Q-sine was quirky. The ping pong tables outside of the casino (strange location) seemed popular. The reading lofts on 7th floor were interesting as well. Pools were nice. I don't think there is such a thing as a bad cruise or bored kid, so I am just sharing my experiences. Others may have had a different experience. Good luck in your decision.

Karen

I'd love to hear of your trip! Have fun.

Karen

And logic would dictate if you were going south from Auckland to Sydney you'd want starboard, correct?

Karen

Here's to 35 years! Happy anniversary!

Karen

We stayed at the Marriott Circular Quay and had a partial view(We also used reward points as well). I loved the location. 2 blocks from the bridge/Opera house. Eager to hear what other hotels others suggest. I think getting down near the Opera house was great and the park behind the Opera house was lovely to walk around. Karen

We tried our 1st Celebrity in May (Silhouette) and have sailed Indy's sister ship Freedom OTS in the past. IF I were taking teens, I'd go with Indy. All adults? Silhouette. We liked the Silhouette better because of the martini/molecular bar and Tuscan Grill. BUT it is more Radiance sized. Indy is larger. I don't know anything about you, so I can't really say what you'd like. If our 20 year old sons were going, we'd head to RCCL. We've done Holland and I felt it was the most sedate. We also did a very port intensive cruise on the Silhouette so we were beat in the evenings (Oh and Qsine was fun!)

70-80 euros. I forget exact amount. Worth every penny,IMHO.

Karen

Deb/ Ohio Neighbor I would love to ask you questions surrounding your journey if you don't mind! My email is oslerfamily@gmail.com.

Great suggestions everyone, thanks. I think since we are going into New Zealand a few days early we'll just take the tour and soak up a 2.5 hour ride through the interior to and from (Hey we did a 12 hour round trip from Vegas to Grand Canyon- so this will be easy!)

Karen

Ok I do have the tour company that runs to Auckland and back and I was planning on doing the geothermal on the cruise day.(Good to know I was on the right track). I was just wondering if it was worth it to do on our own to get away from the "herd". Driving would be a bit of a challenge. I think we'll stick with the herd....thanks!

Karen

Is it possible to rent a car from Auckland and see the caves, Hobbitron and maybe the geothermal area in 1day. If you were to delete one of those and save for a cruise tour day what would it be? We are thinking of renting a car and driving to the area from Auckland for a long day. There is so much we want to see here! Help! Thanks, Karen

For us it leads to booking everything we can through private vendors, like shore excursions. I spend too much money to leave my plans to an unreliable source. In this day and age there is no excuse. Period. I love their product of sailing.They would make more money if they stopped running IT from Grandma's basement and spent some money.

Thanks! The tour I am looking at is about 13 hours from Auckland and back- hitting Hobbitron and caves. I was hoping to hit the Geothermal stop on our cruise port day. On a cruise you don't get the interior of New Zealand so 3 hours on a bus to & fro is okay. Is this realistic? I get basically 2 days to see this. I may never be back. What is best?

Thanks! Karen

I am eager to hear the responses as well. We are also considering a tour down from Auckland for the day to see it all!

Karen

I found limited information on visiting the Dolomites. I hope this visual tour will help others who are considering a stop here.

http://oslertravel.blogspot.com/2014/09/day-14-dolomites.html

Let me know if you have questions!

Karen

We weren't expecting much and we were surprised how much we enjoyed it. It felt very different/ Independent from other Greek locations. I also liked getting away from the large groups of people and just relaxing as we learned about the land. I hope you have a great time! Karen

We found limited information on Crete from the boards. I'm hoping this will help others. It made me sad that people either stayed on the ship or only went shopping in town. This was our favorite Greek Island. Hope this information helps and if I can answer any questions please let me know!

http://oslertravel.blogspot.com/2014/08/day-11-crete-chania-greece.html

Karen

Yes, lunch was included. We did fail to clarity WHAT we were eating. They just bring out a plethora of food. You may want to ask your guide beforehand. It was good. The Efes beer was quite good as well.

Karen

We did the Pyrgos wine and walking tour. Not sure if this is helpful for those planning excursions, but hopefully it will be useful. It is a beautiful area.

http://oslertravel.blogspot.com/2014/08/day-10-our-day-in-santorini.html

Enjoy! Karen

Glad it was helpful! The place was beautiful! It was the only time all cruise my toes got in the sea! Karen

They were very helpful so I hope they will work with you.

Karen

I failed to answer your question! Yes very happy with them. Well coordinated.

Karen