erby2283

4 minutes ago, singinalot said:

 

 

ohhhh I so hope you get to go this time! 

One note I would say is to skip Sorrento and force them to take you to Positano only so you have more time. I want to go back to Sorrento and spend more time and honestly trying to fit the two in the same day is just not enough!

 

Happy to share Carmine’s information. He is Rick Steve’s recommendation. Carmine Foggia foggiacarmine@gmail.com owns See Amalfi Coast tours. I think he’s 3rd generation of your guide? He’s truly passionate about giving an italian experience. tell him singinalot referred you!

 

we paid 400euros for our private day. a bit of an increase from prices in 2019, but I get it and still totally worth it 100%

Thank you - We asked Italytours if they would skip Sorrento and they said they would only do it if we booked a private tour @ 209EU each.  I still have 11 months to make plans so we'll see 🙂  I'll check out Carmine though - thank you. 

1 hour ago, erby2283 said:

So overall, was the frustration worth the not having to deal with the cable cars? That is the question - and that is what tour operators like Sandra should understand - people are willing to spend the money for her tour knowing that it allows them to bypass the cable car mess but they have to get their act together.  They should at this point.

 

Overall did you feel you had enough time in port? How long did you get to spend in Oia and Fira? And what time did you get back to the ship in relation to when you leave port?

Thank you - perhaps in your review to Sandra you should let her know that there could be a good market for her with good word of mouth her on CC but after what you experienced, many are now scared to use her touring company - perhaps others are daring enough to book between now and next Sept when I cruise and we'll hear better reviews. 

Again, appreciate the feed back and hope you are enjoying the beautiful, yet busy, itinerary!

So overall, was the frustration worth the not having to deal with the cable cars? That is the question - and that is what tour operators like Sandra should understand - people are willing to spend the money for her tour knowing that it allows them to bypass the cable car mess but they have to get their act together.  They should at this point.

Overall did you feel you had enough time in port? How long did you get to spend in Oia and Fira? And what time did you get back to the ship in relation to when you leave port?

22 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Awesome on the flights!! What airline?

American. Booked directly with them. Paid extra for seats on the way home so we could get bulkhead - but it’s just main cabin. We could upgrade for $700 each to premium economy but that $700 will pay for all my exucursions. 😘

Looks like you are having some great weather! I had a very busy itinerary on my 2019 cruise in the Mediterranean - 12 nights and 9 ports - most days we docked at 7 so I had to get up by 5-5:30 most days. I was so exhausted I was asleep most nights by 9! 
 

oh - ps - flights finally opened up for our Sept 2024 cruise (same itinerary you’re doing now) and got non-stop roundtrip out of CLT to FCO for less than a grand! Stalking pays off. 🤣🤣🤣😳😳

1 minute ago, ninjacat123 said:

The crowd made it difficult to get great shots like this. Thx for posting ❣️

You're welcome.  This was actually the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 🙂

I was always in awe when I walked into the different Basilica's in Rome.  The shear size and height of the ceilings in not something that can be captured in a picture. Let me see if I can find one I took on my last cruise with someone standing in the picture at the bottom - it gives somewhat of a reference. 
 

Edit: yes, I had the pictures on my phone still. The size is just mind blowing when you’re there. 

On 10/4/2023 at 11:09 AM, ninjacat123 said:

I liked that too!  I asked  DH about the stops Sandras Amalfi drive tour compared to the Carnival excursion we have scheduled.  He would rather go to Sorrento than Ravello, so we are sticking with Carnival.  Sandra is a smart cookie and I'm keeping her tour company on my go to list.  We'll see after Santorini🤞

So did you definitely book her tour for Santorini?!? Please let me know about it when you get back! Enjoy your cruise, you should be boarding any day now 🙂

16 hours ago, mapleleaves said:

There's also the X80 bus that runs from the port to Acropolis, May - Oct, 

I looked at it last yr when I considered a cruise that stopped in Athens, but I took a different cruise.

But it was only 4E for the day pass and IIRC it was  20-30 minute ride.

 

X80 Piraeus – Acropolis – Syntagma Express Bus Line – OASA

Not sure what happened to my original reply - thank you.  We usually book with a local tour company but it seems like we could just follow @cruisemom42 's advice above and make our own trip of it.  We do have one in our party who has some difficulty walking but whether it's on our own or with a tour, it seems like there's gonna be a lot of walking in Athen's either way. 

Has anyone recently traveled from port to Acropolis via taxi and can share an estimate of cost?

Just getting caught up on your review!  I so enjoyed your pictures of Positano.  When I went in 2019, it was the only place I wanted to go to....but our excursion time was cut short due to traffic and we didn't make it.  I've contacted the same tour company again (we stop in Naples next Sept - we are there 7-7) and asked if they can take us to Positano.  They do...with a stop in Sorrento (which I've already been to) but I just want to make sure I get enough free time in Positano as it's really the only thing I MUST do this time around.  Their prices aren't bad (209 eu for just three of us or 99 EU for a group of 6-8).  But I'd also consider a private tour assuming the prices aren't too crazy.  Would you mind sharing some more info about your guide and what they charged?

I wanted to cruise the Mediterranean again (have only been once) and scoured RC prices for a year.  Since I care more about the itinerary than the ship, I finally decided on a 10-day Carnival cruise next September.  Got an extended balcony for $1306 p/p.  I've sailed both lines before and while I think the food might be a tad better on RC, I don't mind cruising on either brand.  Would have loved for it to be on RC as my status is higher but oh well....I'll pay more for airfare than my cruise. 🫢

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

At CLT!! Lots of people traveling 😁

Checkpoint E used to be the shortest, now I think it's the worst! Thinking about getting TSA pre-check before we sail (I have a RC cruise in May and this same itinerary next Sept). 

I was on Vision a few years ago and tendered in Villefrance. We had booked a private tour and needed to be off the ship early. They passed out tender tickets 2 hours prior to arrival (5:30 am) and you can bet my butt was first in line bc I needed to secure that first tender. 😂 Then I went back to bed for an hour. 

@ninjacat123 this whole time we've been chatting on that Santorini thread and guess what....I live in Harrisburg, NC.... I'll be following your adventure. 

@cruisemom42 Is it just as easy to take a train from Rome to Florence? We may add an extra day and do Florence but we're working on logistics.  Plan to fly in Wed morning and cruise leaves Fri but we can move it up to enjoy Florence for a day.

@ninjacat123 Yes! Let's just hope we can get some reviews on their excursion before then!  I did like how on their webpage you can key in your sailing and it will pull up all their excursions available in each port for your particular sailing.

12 hours ago, kleibo said:

Ninja - I just read that some people have signed up for this - missing the up and down completely   https://www.sandrascruisetours.com/port.php?sid=79&pid=1010   I don;t know anything other that some passengers have booked it and I did see a wooden boat at the dock when we were there.

Thanks for link - I saved it in my favorites for a possibility for Sept 2024.  I currently booked a ship excursion but this could be another nice option. We arrive at 8 and it could be nice to enjoy a little extra sleep - then again, we'd be on our own to get off in time to meet the excursion. At the same time, having it start at 10 reduces the stress of having to get on the first tenders.

1 hour ago, bennybear said:

My only concern for you is that I have heard of numerous last minute cancellations for people who book early at an air B and B type place.  You are at the mercy of the third party.   My preference is to book directly or with a well vetted booking company.    Research carefully to see they are legit reviews. 

I had read one or two complaints about that on the internet.  I did make sure this VRBO had been in use for a while (first review was back in 2018) and it literally does not have a single review less than 5 stars - which you think could be fishy - but I do so much research that I hope I am good.

Your point is not without merit though and maybe I will try and book something else that does not require a deposit with free cancelation just in case. 🙂 

After scouring this board and researching, I booked an apt yesterday through a third party app. We are three adults and as a @cruisemom42 has mentioned in some posts, it can be hard to find hotels that accommodate three adults. Found a lovely penthouse (807 sq ft) with a large terrace right down the street from Colosseum.  I was hesitant about the area but it has over 52 5-star reviews (nothing less than 5 stars). Trip is Sept 2024 and cost is 620 eu for 2 nights.  I personally thought it was a great price. 

3 hours ago, mar214 said:

We are in Santorini this coming October 14 with the ship departing at 4 pm. There are 3 other ships there that day. Our ship is the first to leave. Any suggestions for when we should be in line for returning on the cable car? Thanks!

I've never been there before so I'm sure some others with more experience can give better advice.  Our ship leaves at 5, we have 5 ships in port that day and our cruise excursions ends at 1:30.  I pretty much plan to head back right after that bc I really don't want to deal with the headache of waiting around.  

Have you looked up the other ships to see how many passengers they hold? That too can be a factor..  If they're smaller ships only holding 800-1000 passengers, that's a big difference over ships carrying 2000k+.

@ninjacat123 9/11/24.  I looked - 5 ships in port that day.🥲

On 8/30/2023 at 8:22 PM, ninjacat123 said:

Book it now.  You can cancel later.  I booked the "Oia & Thira" one.  

I bit the bullet and booked the Oia & Thira one over the weekend.  Didn't want it to sell out and like you said, I can always cancel it.  Someone on our roll call (on another site) is doing this itinerary now and he said they had to head back to the ship around 1 pm to beat the lines at the cable car (for a 5pm departure).  I really hate that you have to forego half you day in Santorini bc they can't figure out a better alternative to get people back to the ship in a timely manner. 

An article regarding the fees.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/09/26/icon-of-the-seas-the-hideaway-daybeds

I was wondering about this.  I (luckily) purchased a Breezy Bay Full-Day Beach Bed Rental when it was @ $219.  It's now at $399. But I have never been to Coco Cay and I am looking forward to some lounging around time with two of my best friends.  I'm still hoping that the beach bed rental is the better option over this day pass as we just want to have a chill day - a bunch of rowdy people or loud DJ  is not necessarily my cup of tea - although I would enjoy some pool time.