cruisemom42

Why not plan around this eventuality by getting tested before you get to the airport? At a pharmacy near where you are staying or remotely using your laptop, tablet or phone? If you test positive, no one is going to "alert" the Italian government. It just means you will have to make plans to self-quarantine there until you test negative or can get your certificate of recovery. This was the plan I had in mind when I recently got off a cruise in Southampton. Rather than flying out "day of", I booked a night at an airport hotel, then made arrangements to test remotely with monitoring once I was checked into my room. Luckily I tested negative (as the majority will), but had I not, I already had a plan in mind re: moving to a different hotel in London. Granted in London there are few restrictions but I would've stayed somewhere where I could order decent room service, could get out and walk around and/or sit in a nearby park, etc. I find it a little difficult to believe that everyone who tests at the airport in Rome, and gets a positive result, is handed over to officials for quarantine...? Unfortunately I cannot access the link posted.

+1

I'm not going to be able to answer your primary question, as I have not ever tried to pack that light. But if one of your main concerns is having the rolling carry-on on trains, I have a couple that are narrow and will fit down the narrow train aisles without bumping into everything. Rolling duffles (not too big) also work well in this regard. They are also small enough to fit on the racks above the seats, cutting out the worry about where to stow it and how to keep an eye on it. Another thought I have is about layering. I've subscribed to the layering way of packing for many years. But I would suggest that rather than thinking about only needing 2 of anything, think about the climates you'll be spending the MOST time in and pack accordingly. Two tee-shirts for 3 months, for example, would make me feel pretty starved for variety if the majority of my time was going to be in temperate regions where I wasn't having to layer. If you end up going with down, be sure it's waterproof. Unlike the poster above I tend to prefer fleece, and I have a fitness fleece jacket that rolls up and fits into my crossbody purse, so not really much of a room-taker. I always pair it with a lightweight waterproof (really waterproof, not just rain resistent) jacket that I can toss over the top. That way I'm covered for rainy days whether the temps are cool or warm.

It was also the case last year where some cruise lines had more stringent requirements than others. I'm not sure if that will be the case this year.... stay tuned. Perhaps some lines are reluctant to give up selling more shore excursions. 😲

Thanks for sharing that. I had forgotten that when we took 6-year-old DS to Rome, he just couldn't get over all the "naked" statues!

I'll chime in and agree that the archaeological museum is fantastic and shouldn't be missed. I visited the old one years ago and the new one more recently -- so much better and nicely displayed. The walk back to the port shouldn't take you more than 20 minutes. You can see the distance and possible route back on Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/wVgHhvZGP21JNee98

I realize this is a few days after the fact, but do you recall seeing the hat below in Gigi Pip when you were in store? I'm wondering how lightweight it is -- as you know I'm not a hat wearer, but this one might be tolerable to just pop on when I need sun protection IF it's not the heavy crochet...

Wink, wink. Don't prod the dead horse.

Just returned a couple of weeks ago from a cruise departing Southampton. I was in London for 4 days pre-cruise and it was ridiculously easy to find a clinic that could do my covid test. Word to the wise: what we in the US refer to as an "antigen test" is called a "lateral flow test" in the UK. What most cruise lines require is a "fit to travel form" based on a negative lateral flow test. I had probably 4-5 choices of places to go within 10 minutes of my central London hotel. The process was easy as pie. On my return, I knew I'd have to get another negative COVID test to fly back to the US. It's already a bit tight getting from Southampton to London for same-day flights back to the US, so I just booked a hotel at the airport, arranged shared transport to LHR, then went to my hotel and did my covid test via computer with a medical monitor. Again it was quite easy, although -- knowing there was quite a bit of COVID on my sailing -- I can't say that I wasn't a bit nervous about the result. Still, it was clearly negative and I received an email with the results within a minute after verification of the test online.

I was so excited that he featured Giorgione ("big Giorgio") -- my Italian teacher used his episodes for teaching cooking/food terminology and to help with understanding native speakers. There are lots of episodes on YouTube if you type in "Giorgione Orto e Cucina". Did anyone besides me think those twin guys at the end were pretty cute and charismatic? I could see them featured on a show on organic gardening/cooking. (Sort of like an Italian "Property Brothers" -- lol.) The show airs at 9pm where I am, which is a bit late for dinner for me on a normal night. But I did find that I had a dried Norcia sausage and some pecorino cheese with truffles, took them outside onto my (little) balcony with some wine, crackers and olives before the show. While I enjoyed the explanation about the bread w/o salt, I'm still not a fan.

I haven't actually seen the new version, but the original variety comes in a bag, like chips or pretzels. They look like this: I can find the "real thing" at a couple of local grocery stores that are close to a neighborhood with two large Jewish temples. It looks like this:

Good info, as always. Thanks for the link.

Small ships are increasingly rare. One has to pick one's battles. I'd much rather sail on a small ship with a great itinerary than a behemoth with a library.* * Not that one is very likely to find well-stocked libraries on the behemoths either, barring Cunard.

What is the source of your information about the 21 days in quarantine? On the US embassy website for Italy, I only see the following info: Quarantine Information: Are U.S. citizens required to quarantine? In some instances Travelers from the United States unable to present a valid vaccination, recovery certificate or negative test result will have to self-isolate on arrival for five days and undergo a molecular PCR or rapid antigen test at the end of the isolation. You are basically self-quarantining -- who is it that you think would be testing and requiring you to stay in quarantine? The real issue to me would be that -- regardless of quarantine procedures -- you will have to obtain a negative test prior to flying back to the US, which given your profile would seem to be your return destination.

The problem with discussions like these is that it becomes difficult to take a position without others immediately getting their backs up about it. Truth to tell, the "formality" went out of cruising quite a while ago (and I'm not saying that's a bad thing). And also, most of us, if pressed, do have some "line in the sand" where dress can become offensive, whether that's a wifebeater at dinner, a vulgar saying on a tee shirt, a wet bathing suit or a general lack of hygiene. So instead of retreating to these two corners of the ring, why not accept what actually happens in real life, which is that 1) cruise line dress codes are pretty lenient, and 2) it seems necessary that some minimum standards exist. I like to dress nicely but worrying about what others wear falls into the category of things I can't do anything about, so I leave it to the ship to enforce whatever seems appropriate (or not). If the ships' tolerance exceeds mine, I'd just look for a different cruise line. I'd hope most would respect the guidelines as given, but I recognize that some will forever push the envelope.

Glad to hear the fire danger is receding and that you're safe. 🙂

If you are willing to try doing it on your own, preparing in advance not only makes it easier but takes some of the stress away. Just remember that often things sound more complicated in writing than they are "in real life". If I were planning to do what you're contemplating, I'd start by looking online for others who may have posted trip reports on a spending a day in Cinque Terre from a ship in La Spezia (Google is an easier place to search than Cruise Critic's search engine unfortunately) and start making some notes about what appeals. Threads like this one, from TripAdvisor, give useful information and suggestions, even if not recent: Ferry choices from La Spezia to Cinque Terre - La Spezia Forum - Tripadvisor Unfortunately, Rick Steves, while often a good source of DIY info, doesn't cover this one in his book. Start making a plan of how you would like to proceed. But realize that in the summer these five picturesque villages are often elbow-to-elbow with tourists and allow for waits and delays in your planning as well (for example, trains being full and having to wait for the next one...) It may be smart to aim for exploring 3 of the 5 given your need to be back to the ship on time. Some tips: Use Google maps to create walking directions, e.g., from the cruise port to the train station: https://goo.gl/maps/kGMyTULVUfjqmoHx7 Looks like it is about a 25-minute walk, so then you have to decide whether to walk it, look for a taxi, or look at other options. Making decisions step-by-step along the way helps bring clarity rather than just wondering why someone else did something. If you decide to walk, spend some time looking at street views wherever there is a turn or anything tricky, just so that when I'm on the ground, it looks recognizable. YouTube is also a great source of help, especially if you learn by seeing. For example, look at videos such as "How to reach Cinque Terre - Cinque Terre Italy by Train in one day" (from La Spezia) or even ones as specific as "La Spezia To Cinque Terre: How To Use the Kiosk To Buy Train Tickets" which gives you a great idea of what the station looks like, etc. (even if you buy your ticket in advance). Things like this really help you to feel confident about doing it on your own. But again, do heed the warning not to plan more than you can do in a day with summer crowds all around you.

I was introduced to Bamba when I was in Israel. Someone I'd "met" through these boards volunteered to meet me at my hotel in Jerusalem and walk me through the very colorful and interesting Mahane Yehuda Market. As locals, she and her husband shopped there and made sure I got tastes of everything good (and plenty of small bits to take with me, as I was going to be in country for a number of days....). They even knew where there was an overlook above the market where you could look down on the scene and take terrific photos. At any rate, at some point I learned about these snacks from her, apparently they are an Israeli national treasure of sorts. It was even considered a war-time essential! Bamba, the peanut-flavored snack food, a wartime essential? Indeed - on March 27, 2003, the Knesset declared Bamba a vital staple food, meaning that workers at the Bamba factory in Holon would receive call-up orders to produce Bamba, just like soldiers. "We see the Bamba factory as vital, just like a bakery," said then-Labor Ministry official Nahum Eido. The regular ones taste sort of like if a cheese-puff was made with peanut butter. It's considered a healthy snack for young kids -- and interestingly studies have shown that introducing kids to peanut items early in life reduces the risks of them developing a peanut allergy later on. TJs imports theirs from the original maker in Israel. I've only ever had the original flavor. They're the kind of thing that is all too easy to keep eating!

Everyone is different. For me, knowledge is key. The more I know about a place (or object) and its history, the more likely I am to be able to appreciate it and -- dare I say it -- tune out the crowds around me. I do have quite a strong imagination as well -- plus have spent a good part of my life trying to mentally reconstruct ancient ruins in my head! I also think it helps that I often travel on my own. If I can get away, even a bit, from others and just "be" in a place, I tend to have a better experience. On the other hand, I know some people who feel that if they know too much about a place/object before they see it for the first time, it will be "ruined" for them -- I guess they don't see it with the same sense of wonder. Re: your example of Luxor: When I visited Karnak, I was on a small group tour with a guide/archaeologist who had actually worked on the site. He took us off to the side to a small, dark room (lit only by his flashlight) with a large statue of the Egyptian cat goddess. While we waited in the near-dark, he climbed up onto the roof and slid away whatever was covering the hole in the roof that served as a spotlight, allowing the sun to highlight the larger-than life statue. It was an experience that gave me a sense of how ancient Egyptian worshippers at this particular temple might have felt. In my defense, by the time I was 10 I knew the names of all the major Egyptian gods and pharaohs -- I will never forgive my parents leaving me behind at age 12 when they went to Egypt. It took me until age 42 to realize that particular bucket list/dream item. On that same tour we actually visited the Valley of the Kings on my birthday. Others in my group commented that I had an ear-to-ear smile all day.

I'm one of those "place people". I can conjure up a vivid picture in my mind if I know the history, and sometimes (often at surprising places) one can get a real feeling for what happened there. And by feeling I mean almost like someone walking over your grave.... One such place was Delphi in Greece, which was a sort of peaceful but powerful buzzy feeling. Another was at Carthage, where it helped that I was able to actually get down to the level of the houses and streets razed by the Romans; I tell you I could almost hear the screams and battle cries. 😱

I posted several examples earlier of objective comments. Please, someone let me know if there is no actual meat in the meatloaf. On second thought, nevermind, you won't find me ordering the meatloaf anyway. 🤣

The ferries are quite reliable, but having said that I would not risk it all on having only 10 minutes to make it to your ship before the "all aboard". (Ships generally request all guests be back on board 30 minutes before sailing.) A five-minute delay could lead to a major headache. And keep in mind that 5:20 time probably refers to the moment the ship is tied up. It could take you an extra 5 minutes just to exit if the ferry is crowded. Take the earlier ferry and take the stress out of the day. Regarding the Blue Grotto -- yes, boats should be readily available at Marina Grande assuming conditions are favorable for entering the grotto.

Terrible news. 😔 I hope the fires stay away from you. Seems like every year these fires start earlier and are more devastating. I imagine the air quality is pretty bad?

Ugh, selfie sticks -- the bane of modern existence... Hopefully they've been banned by now, most museums have done so. The Mona Lisa is not disappointing, it's just the experience surrounding it. I've gotten far more out of watching several documentaries about it and what makes it so special (e.g., Leonardo's painting techniques). It's too small to be appreciated by crowds.

Are you there on the first Sunday of the month, by chance? If so, there is a tradition of free admission on that day (I can't find whether this has been announced for 2022) -- it could be that the cruise lines don't offer tours on that day as it will likely be very crowded. If you find out this is the case, it's more important than ever to try to get to the Acropolis as soon as possible after docking. Taxis are readily available outside the main port entrance. Edited to add: Another thought -- is it possible that excursions on this cruise have already "sold out"? As you're joining it rather late, that may be another possibility....