Gourmet Gal

3 minutes ago, bohaiboy said:

Both  pre and post .  Atlantide overwhelmed by customer at 700.  Then customers sit around chatting   We arrived at 835 pm tonight. Not seated until 905 pm. Missed 930 show.  We just booked a SB cruise.  Fed up with SS and the RCL management

I thought you were on Muse?

Stickman, thanks for posting so much detail, especially the entertainment.  We’ll be on Nova on a similar itinerary in 2026 and I’m just hoping the bean counters don’t nix the local onboard entertainment and the port send-offs by then.  Whoops, maybe I shouldn’t give’em any ideas…

32 minutes ago, wineasmusic said:

There is a nice padded bench for use when working at the desk.  If the weather is good, it would be great on the balcony.  They need 2 chairs though, plain and simple.  It would fit.

Sounds like they’re discouraging having meals in the stateroom.  They really expect you to sit on a bench for dinner?  What could be the reasoning?

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

We are on the Spirit now. I must say that the level of service improved significantly compared to our previous two cruises. But the menus in Atlantide shrank. And black caviar is not in the menu anymore, although it is still available on demand. But overall a better experience due to better service.

Good to know.  We embark next week in Civitavecchia.  Any other feedback would we welcome.

So if there is only one chair in the stateroom then how does a meal for 2 work?

Thanks for the feedback.  Just wondering, is there a sofa in the standard staterooms?

Can you order meals from the restaurants to be delivered by the course to your stateroom?

Did you take any of the ships excursions and how did you find the value, pricing?

3 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

We’re booked at Albergo Del Senato. I don’t recall, do they have an elevator?  They do have A/C, right?  No pool but does have a roof top bar, I believe. 

Amazing little view from the rooftop.

2 hours ago, Lookingtocruise42 said:

What are “jeans” though?

in all honesty, I have one pair of dress pants that belong to a suit, and the rest are things like this:

https://www.paige.com/p/lennox--m653f91-7882?scroll=true
 

Where I live, pretty much any place that requires formal would accept pants like that or like this: https://www.paige.com/p/lennox--m653901-6657 with a jacket (or without a jacket if no jacket is needed).

 

Will I be turned away at the restaurants with this? 

The light colored jeans would be fine on any non-formal night, especially with a jacket.  The black jeans might be too casual but perhaps choose one of the more casual eateries on that formal night. Keep in mind that just because others really like to dress up doesn’t mean you’re the one who will feel uncomfortable.  SS doesn’t do anything to make a formal night special so it seems burdensome to me that there is this expectation to dress so formally.  So glad the suggested attire has been relaxed.

No jeans probably does mean no jeans but the reality differs.  My DH wore black Zegna jeans with a Bruno Cucinelli jacket without a problem on multiple formal nights. Dress shirts, no tie.  This was on Moon before the revised suggested dress code.

Correct on jackets at all times in La Dame.

Yes.  You can transfer within 30 days.

There’s a great thread in Ports of Call here on CC that has all kinds of airport transport info with responses from a local.

Good question.  I’ve been wondering if the rapid rate of ships being added to RCL has impacted how well staff can be trained and “onboarded”.

Wonderful account of this unusual itinerary.  Does anyone suspect the lunch ashore as the GI culprit or did SS cater that, too?

As I recall it was better than hotel laundry pricing.  No matter the cost it’s always worth it to be able to travel lighter.  If you can afford a Uniworld cruise then their laundry prices shouldn’t be a problem.

13 hours ago, Port Power said:

If boarding time is 2:00pm, buses will start loading around 11:30am.  How “short” is the short tour?

Perhaps not short enough.  

I don’t understand the Marquee area either.  I’ll be on Nova circumnavigating Japan in late March, April and that area could be vastly under-utilized.  Some sort of retractable roof would have made more sense.  On rainy, cold evenings there will be more pressure on the other dining venues.

Spa and gym space should be a no-brainer now and for the past 20 years.

We have a D2D in 2 weeks and after arriving several days early we’re thinking about booking an early, short private tour before leaving the Rome SS hotel to transfer to the port.  Does anyone know typically how early SS has the transfers arrive?  I believe it’s a 90 minute drive to the port.  The stated embarkation time is 2:00 PM - so does SS have busses arrive then or prior in order to pace the queues?

What a great trip review.  I just noticed this.  Really appreciate the detail on Sydney - I’ll be there for 3 days next Spring on an around-the-world jet trip with Four Seasons.  Of course we’ll be staying at Sydney FS but this one sounds like a fairly basic hotel.  One of the excursion options on that trip is the Harbor Bridge walk and your conclusion was the same as mine…if I could walk it at my own pace rather than shuffling along with a group then maybe I would consider it.  We’ll be taking a sea plane to a pretty lunch spot instead!  Sydney looks like a beautiful city.

A tie is completely optional on any night.

Good to know they maintain such nice wines for the 100 or so people onboard at any given time!

16 minutes ago, flyers said:

Hi Gourmet Gal, Here are the menus`s for Kaiseki.Unfortunately I have no information on the drinks available from Kaiseki however the Sake is very good whether hot or cold.

Thanks for posting this.  The menu definitely has the elements of a Kaiseki meal with the difference being in the service.  Rice is a separate course in the traditional Kaiseki dinner.  Good to know about the sake.

Flyers, thanks so much for the details of this interesting itinerary.  Just a couple quick questions…my Japanese friends have taught me to steer clear of hot sake. Sake is usually served heated when it is of poor quality.  Are there any better or upgraded sakes available in Kaiseki, such as ginjo or daiginjo?  Also, is the meal an actual Kaiseki dinner with all the traditional courses and seasonal garnishes (6 courses or more)?

9 minutes ago, les37b said:

Fevertree tonic is being replaced by club tonic….. Ghastly stuff!. Ok, I was still able to get it, but only if I specifically requested it.

 

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Bean counters at work.  That’s really penny-pinching.

39 minutes ago, kohanfam said:

Here is my research.  Try Hotel Smeraldo, it may meet your needs.

 

 

Preferred location is Pantheon and Piazza Navona

#1 Albergo del Senato (on piazza at Pantheon) 9.3. $984 $1201, $1128, Pantheon patio requires 4 nights and is $445/night. 

BOOKED direct-$870e+36e, one double room with breakfast. $970

Hotel Smeraldo 8.9 (between Colosseum and Vatican),affordable $813. 0.4mi from Pantheon , May have street noise

Hotel Ponte SISTO 8.4 $1048

Hotel Navona 8.4 $1077

Albergo Santa Chiara (near Pantheon) 8.7 $1305, $1030

Lancelot (near Colosseum) 8.8 $664

Navona 49 9.0 $1323

Hotel Damaso (near Pantheon) 9.3 $1200

Hotel Artemide 9.3 $1215

Hotel Colosseum 8.4 $819

Hotel Locarno 9.2 $2244

Hotel Nerva Boutique (near Forum) 9.3 $1514

Hotel Hiberia Roma (with view) 8.7 $850  

Hotel Pantheon

Marriott Pantheon Iconic 286,000 points

Hotel Abruzzi $1185 annex, $1581 (pantheon view)

The one Boutique Hotel and Spa 8.9 $1591

Boutique Hotel Trevi 7.4 $1056

Hotel Trevi 8.2 $842e with view on their website, good location $892

 

Wow, if Albergo Senato is #1 I’d hate to see the rest.  It’s very basic though the location is really great.

3 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Just sent an email to our TA. We sail before you, so will tell you 😁

Are you on the F1 sailing?  If so I’ll look for the non-drinker swilling sparkling l’aqua minerale!