sbaker

For our upcoming Amsterdam stop, we will port at the cruise terminal in Ijmuiden.  What is the best way to get from the cruise port to the Amsterdam city center?  I've heard that there is a local bus route (Route #382).  How far is the bus stop from where we get off the ship?  Is it hard to catch a bus?  How long does it take?  Are there taxis readily available, and if so, what would be the typical fare?  Any recommendations for private transportation companies?  Any other suggestions?  Thanks for your help. 

Can NCL on-board-credit be used towards the daily gratuities?  I know with some cruise lines it can be and others it can't.  We received $200 OBC with our NCL booking and I'm trying to decide how we'll use it. 

Do I have to wait for an email inviting me to bid for an upgrade, or is there some way that I can go ahead and bid before that?

I understand that most NCL itineraries offer a laundry special mid-way through the cruise that lets you have cleaned as much as you can fit in a paper bag.  What is the size of the bag?  Also, any tips or suggestions about fitting as much as possible in the bag without the bag tearing? Thanks!

I'm sure this is already answered somewhere, but I can't find it.  If we decide to do the BOGO air fare, how soon prior to our cruise will we likely receive our itinerary?  

Which cruise terminal does NCL use in South Hampton?  What's the best way to get from there to the train station?

We have a european NCL cruise booked for this coming June.  I know that with many European cities, there are various places a cruise ship may actually port and that different cruiselines use different places, some of which may be a ways outside of the city.  We're just wondering where we'll actually get off the ship in these cities, and whether we'll be close to the town center or whether we'll need to find transportation to get into the "listed" town.  For NCL cruises, can any of you tell us what to expect for the following stops:

Gothenburg, Sweden

Copenhagen, Denmark

Warnemunde, Germany

Hamburg, Germany

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Zeebrugge, Belgium

LeHavre, France

Thanks for any NCL specific help, insights, and suggestions you can provide!

Our upcoming cruise in June starts in Oslo.  We're looking at spending several days in Oslo prior to the cruise.  We've never been there and its always been high on our bucket list.  Do any of you have recommendations for a good hotel?  We want something nice but don't need fancy or high end.  We're looking for something reasonably priced that has good access to sites of interest and public transportation.

One of our stops next June is in Zeebrugge, Belgium.  We're scheduled to arrive at the Zeebrugge Cruise Terminal at 8:00 a.m.  I've schedule a tour that leaves from the city center in Bruges at 10:00 a.m.  What is the best way to get from the cruise terminal in Zeebrugge to Bruges (and then later back to the cruise terminal)?  

First time with Celebrity next month on the Eclipse.  One of our party has celiac disease and is therefore limited to gluten free food options.  How is Celebrity with accommodating these needs?  Any tips and recommendations would be appreciated. 

Thanks.  Yeah, I don't like the idea that you can't see other excursions once you book something for that day.  

We have a cruise booked for next June.  At this point, all we've paid is the $250 deposit.  As I've been looking at excursions, there are a few I'm quite interested in.  I hate to wait too long to book them and find that they're sold out.  If I book an excursion now, can I cancel it later and get a full refund if I find something I'd rather do or if we change our minds and don't go on this cruise? If so, what would be the deadline for cancelling the excursion and getting a full refund?

We're doing the 7-day California Coastal itinerary on the Eclipse in October.  This will be our first experience with Celebrity.  What might we expect for the evening entertainment in the main theater on a 7-day cruise?

We're doing our first cruise on Celebrity in October.  We can't do the on-line registration until August 31st.  Just wondering how early we'll be able to check-in and board the ship the day of the cruise.  Does Celebrity assign check-in time based on when you complete the on-line registration?

We're doing a Califonia coastal cruise on the Eclipse in October. We'll be in San Francisco for one day.  What pier will the ship dock at?  We're trying to make plans for the day and wonder where we'll be getting off the ship.

We're doing a California coastal cruise in October.  We'll be in San Diego for one day.  Any suggestions for what we should see and do for the day? Are there things to do not too far way from where the ship will be docked?  Is there public transportation or easy ways to get around the area?  

We're doing a California coastal cruise in October.  We'll be in San Diego for one day.  Any suggestions for what we should see and do for the day? Are there things to do not too far way from where the ship will be docked?  Is there public transportation or easy ways to get around the area?  

We recently booked a cruise on Eclipse for October.  This will be our first experience with Celebrity.  For those of you with knoweldge and experience, how is Celebrity at accommodating guests with celiac?  Are gluten free options readily available without fear of cross contaminaiton? 

Anyone have information about how NCL is with accommodating passengers with celiac?  Do any of you have first hand experience that you can share?

Our upcoming cruise ends in South Hampton.  We're looking at spending 4 or 5 days in London following the cruise.  We've never been there and its always been high on our bucket list.  Do any of you have recommendations for a good hotel?  We want something nice but don't need fancy or high end.  We're looking for something reasonably priced that has good access to sites of interest and public transportation.

One of the "Free at Sea" offers is for "Free Excursions".  It says "Save $50 per tour with Shore Excursion Credits".  What exactly does that mean?  Is it $50 credit for an excursion in each port?  Is is $50 per person or $50 per cabin? It's a bit vague and I can't find anywhere that gives details.

We don't have a lot of experience with NCL.  Looks like booking air through NCL is a pretty good deal.  One question we have is about flexibility with dates.  If we want to fly in 3 or 4 days early, or stay 3 or 4 days on the end, will they accommodate that?  Or is it pretty much limited to flying in the day before the cruise and back home on the day of disembarkation?  Any other pros or cons we should be aware of?

We've done mostly Princess cruises in the past and don't have a lot of experience with Royal Caribbean.  Does Royal Caribbean ever do promotions that offer reduced deposits or non-refundable deposits.  We're looking at a cruise for summer of 2024 that currently has a pretty great rate, but we're not quite ready to fully commit at this point.

4 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

My thoughts:

 

Day 1- Athens -- arrive a couple of days early to see the sights in Athens (Acropolis, etc.)

 

Day 2- Mykonos, Greece -- charming typical Greeek island, you can just wander the small town or take a bus or taxi to one of the island's many beaches. If into history, definitely take a boat to nearby small island of Delos.

 

Day 3- Chania, Crete -- the ships dock at Souda but it's a 15-20 minute bus or shuttle ride to Chania, a harbor town that's very scenic, including a lighthouse, some Ottoman baths that are now an archaeological museum, and small shops/restaurants around the harbor. Easy walking day; have lunch on the terrace looking at the harbor

 

Day 4- Zakynthos, Greece -- mainly about getting around the island and seeing some of the beautiful beaches and coves either by tour or a taxi (or rent a car).

 

Day 5- At Sea

 

Day 6- Kotor, Montenegro -- Set at the end of a long fjord, it has one of the most beautiful sail-in/sail-outs in the Med. Be on deck early to watch it. Kotor is a nice medieval walled city worth exploring; can easily do on your own.

 

Day 7- Split, Croatia -- Some like Dubrovnik but I prefer Split. It is a town built into and out of the remains of the palace of a Roman emperor and the setting is very pretty, including the esplanade along the water. Again, easy to do on your own. Take a local tour of the remains of the palace -- you can see the basements as well as a couple of surviving small buildings from Roman times.

 

Day 8- Ravenna, Italy -- beautiful small town and worth spending an overnight here after disembarking to see the amazing mosaics from the 300s to 500s AD; they are incredibly well-preserved and so colorful!  Then take the train to Venice and spend another couple of days there before returning home.

 

It seems like a very nice itinerary. Which cruiseline/ship?

Thank you so much for your thoughtful summary!  We're looking at Royal Caribbean's "Voyager of the Seas" in May 2024.

We're looking at booking a Greek isles/Adriatic tour for next year but know very little about the area or ports. For those of you who might be familiar with these areas, could you please share your thoughts and insights about the following itinerary:

Day 1- Athens

Day 2- Mykonos, Greece

Day 3- Chania, Crete

Day 4- Zakynthos, Greece

Day 5- At Sea

Day 6- Kotor, Montenegro

Day 7- Split, Croatia

Day 8- Ravenna, Italy

Thanks for your help!!!