cruisemom42

There will be a shuttle (small charge) from the ship to a central point in town. Cost will depend on whatever NCL decides to charge. Taxis are very few and far between, I would not count on being able to get one.

I've been on Insignia (one of the group of smaller/older O ships) twice and the classical music is nice. They play several times each evening and also each day during afternoon tea (which is the best version of this event I've been to on a cruise ship in recent years). Unfortunately the classical music on HAL is unpredictable. It seems they cannot or will not commit to having it on all ships, on all cruises.

So nice they named her twice.

When I had to commute to work almost an hour each way, I listened to audiobooks sometimes as a way to keep my stress levels down in rush-hour traffic with crazy-stupid drivers. I tend to gravitate troward those where the author reads her or his own work as I feel they know best where to place the emphasis or how to shade any given reading.... Now that I've retired, I am much less interested in them, though. Maybe on a long car trip....

Sorry, didn't see his post when I posted my reply.

They only paid the cost because the ship could not dock in Gambia as scheduled and the "late returners" had already traveled there on their own dime.

I don't think I ever knew this. Thanks for that tidbit. I like a good espresso drink (though I stubbornly refuse to call it a martini....). And I like Tamarind bar.

Hotel Ponte Sisto is not far away (a 4 minute walk according to Google Maps) and has gotten good reviews online and here on CC.

Definitely NOT needed and you'll see only a very few other passengers wearing them (if any).

Has the sticky toffee pudding version showed up yet?

I just meant as a general guideline. Always a good idea to ask if one has a specific question of any company.

If it's not clear on their website, just email them and ask. I think almost all of the frequently recommended vendors are allowed inside the port. Including some that are shared shuttles.

I agree with those who've said it depends on the individual family. I come from a traveling family. Both my sister and I were taken to Europe for the first time in our young teens (I was 14). I went on my first cruise at age 9. Back then there was not really much catering on ships for kids but I loved it anyway. We took DS on his first cruise when he was 5 and to Rome when he was 7. Never sailed on NCL or Carnival or RCL, the so-called "family lines" and he still had a great time. I'm curious. How does one appear bored?

Which is not that unusual for that board!

Colosseum ticketing has been problematic for the last couple of years, post-Covid. The authorities are changing how ticketing is done. I'm not sure what exactly that entails, but likely a different process if not an entirely new vendor. The change appears to be underway now (April) with a stated goal of May 1 for the turnover. I would suggest following this thread on Tripadvisor for more info. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187791-i22-k14717647-New_Notice_on_Parco_Archeologico_Del_Colosseo_Website-Rome_Lazio.html

Are they selected to complement the itinerary or are they just random experts?

They were great in October 2023 when I was on BTB cruises on Onward. Having just been on O's Insignia just a couple of months prior, I thought the 2 lines very similar, especially since I was on the same-sized ships. Might be different on a larger O ship. While I liked Oceania's food and some decor better, I found the entertainment and passenger mix more to my liking on Azamara. Just in general I also like Azamara's itineraries more.

That reminds me. Holland America had a ship docked at one of the Israel ports on the day the Palestinian attack on Israel occurred (Oct 2023). They pulled out all the stops to get everyone back to the ship, even those on private tours, and did not leave until everyone was on board. Kudos to them for doing an extraordinary job under very challenging conditions. There are some situations that no one can adequately plan for.

I don't think anyone's saying the ship should wait. Just that people are sometimes late due to things other than being an inconsiderate bum.

I will be taking a river cruise at the end of this month on a Viking river cruise that's called "Chateaux, Rivers, and Wine". It is round-trip from Bordeaux and visits a number of areas well known for producing excellent wines (St. Emilion, Sauternes, Medoc, etc.) It might be a good starting point for you. The cruise is offered from April through October (I think) on various dates. I am also planning to spend additional time in the area before the cruise to see more of the region on my own, including some days in Bordeaux, a visit to the Lascaux caves and various other places such as Sarlat and Poitiers.

Hadn't you heard HAL's new laundry slogan: "Pressed, not possessed." 😈

1973 -- Emerald Seas 1974 -- Sitmar Fairwind (and about once a year thereafter for next 10 years) My grandparents sailed a number of times on HAL started around 1971-72. They retired to Fort Lauderdale and cruised often.

Wow, very impressive. I hope you'll write up something summarizing your thoughts on all of them once you've finished your "study". I would be very interested to hear your thoughts across the broad spectrum.

I have a good example of why well-meaning rules often don't work. In a community near mine that has certain "neighborhood standards" to retain historic character, a man failed to get approval for a renovation that included a rounded front stoop (a relatively modest change). His request was rejected and the man apparently went bonkers. I guess he realized somehow that paint colors were not covered in the rules, so he decided to paint his house lime green with purple polka dots as a protest There were pics in the local rag at the time. The story also got national coverage. Lots of traffic down a small street to see the place. I'm not sure what the resolution was -- lost interest in following the story, I guess. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-may-21-na-dots21-story.html

If you're docked at 7am and ready to get off as soon as it's possible, you should have no problem being at the Acropolis entrance by 9am.