cruisemom42

I like trains for point-to-point trips in Europe, but I would discourage using the overnight service. I've done it twice: once from Frankfurt to Paris and once from Lisbon to Madrid; despite having a private compartment, I found it very difficult to sleep and consequently was walking around in a haze all the next day. My grandfather worked for a couple of the passenger line trains during their golden days. Even after he retired he was able to get rail passes for family. The absolute WORST was taking Amtrak in the 1970s from near our home in southern Georgia to Fort Lauderdale by myself to stay with the then-retired grandparents. My parents sent me by myself as young as around 9 or 10! The trains would often run many hours behind schedule. I don't think I've ever been in a high-speed train (the ones that do the longer routes) that didn't have luggage storage somewhere in each car, though it might fill up. There is a plethora of information on various train services, including the ability to look at actual cars on various lines at the wonderful site called "The Man in Seat 61" which includes trains in Europe, UK, Asia, Africa, Australia and more: https://www.seat61.com/

Way off topic, but Lockheed Martin has built the C-130s just outside Atlanta (where I live) since 1955. It's not unusual to see them in the air.

Sometimes it's good to mix things up! And if you have your own room, that's a big plus. I can put up with a lot of other small aggravations if I have my own space. 😉

Go back and read the post again. All home workers* are remote workers, but not all remote workers are home workers. So you are not wrong, and no one has said otherwise... *Unless you're one of those individuals lucky enough to work for yourself and your home IS your office!!

Isn't what we normally see 3-D? 😉 Just teasing a little. I hate incorrect things like that, I was an editor for 30+ years... Anyway, it's only quite recently that these virtual reality/3-D type tours have become available. I have mixed feelings about them, as someone who has looked at a lot of ruins in my time. On the one hand, if well done, they can add a lot to our understanding of how the site or ruins would have looked, how they were constructed, decorated, and used. A good example is the one I've used at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. Some people find them very immersive. On the other hand, if the set doesn't work well, it's not very immersive at all, and you run the risk of missing out on what's actually there because you're too busy toying with technology in order to see what's not really there. It's sort of like people who take pictures constantly. They sometimes miss just seeing things with their own eyes, rather than through a lens. (Also if you have a guide, and that guide has to use his/her time helping people on the tour trouble-shoot their sets, then you get less attention and information from the guide overall.) In your case, there are two reasons I would advise against doing the 3-D tour. First, you say that you've had a fair amount of experience looking at archaeological and historic sites. So you know what to look for and have some idea of how to fill in the gaps. And second, the Delos site is pretty well preserved (or restored), so it is not as difficult as some sites to understand what you're seeing. Just my 2 cents....

Oh my goodness, that was YOU? I remember the discussions but didn't remember the username. Never got to do it; I haven't been back to Egypt since right before the Arab Spring....but I am trying to talk a friend into doing a stint on the old "steamer" down the Nile, the S.S. Sudan: https://thirdeyetraveller.com/agatha-christie-nile-cruise-steam-ship-sudan-death-on-the-nile/ Safe travels!

Wow, Melody! Thanks for the heads up. I snagged one in my size. (As of right now looks like they still have all sizes.) Cost me all of $10.49 with my free shipping and 5% discount, lol. These types of dresses are hit or miss for me, but if nothing else it might make a nice cover-up for my new navy print swimsuit!

Good luck -- as I said, I wish I could be more helpful. I too looked at all the official info (and videos) online before going there but there is still not a lot of "user experience", I guess.

Yes, that is concerning... I googled the address you provided, thinking that perhaps it was the address for the previous port (NOT the one I docked at near Topkapi, but the one that preceded Galataport near Galata Tower. But no, it looks like a different place altogether, closer to the Dolmabahçe Palace (north of Galataport). I would definitely reach out to your cruise line for clarification, especially as it is your embarkation port.

Okay, this is verging into the realm of sensationalism. Complaints about cost of food and drinks, fine. Service, fine. But...who amongst us makes a decision about a cruise that costs thousands of dollars based on whether or not there is a pen and notepad in the cabin??? Does anyone really travel without a pen of some kind? (And perhaps I am thinking of another line, but I believe that on Westerdam last year, we only had a small pencil in cabin. I despise writing with a pencil, but I didn't complain about it. There were far more serious deficiencies on that cruse...)

I was there in October of last year but I've hesitated to reply because I'm not sure I can add much. The new port is very large, more like an airport than the typical cruise port. It seems like they have routed passengers in convoluted ways in order to keep a "secure" zone, since there are many non-cruise passengers in the area (visiting the shops, restaurants, museums, etc.) We had to traipse a long route even to get where tour buses are located. We didn't embark or disembark (final) the ship at this port, so can only speak to it as a port visit. The only thing I can say is that there ARE elevators but sometimes you have to look for them. I did not specifically look for them, but I think I remember some seats or benches along the way. And although I was looking for a TI spot to ask about ATMs in the building, I could not find one. I didn't look for wheelchair assistance or anything like that. Sorry I can't be more helpful. We were on a small ship and there was another large ship in port with us. I think each of us had different paths through the building (!!) I returned there about 10 days later to disembark, expecting the worst, but as it turned out the new facility seemed to be overbooked and we (a small ship) ended up docking at a very old port that I had thought was closed years ago (beside Topkapi Palace). I was amazed. Everything looked like it hadn't been used in years, lol. But it was certainly easy to get to our buses for transfers elsewhere...

I agree with others that you should plan to see St. Peter's while you are there. It sounds like you've already booked your tour, but there are tours offered that include St. Peter's as well as the Vatican museum and Sistine chapel. Getting back -- since you're staying at Albergo del Senato, the metro isn't super handy. I would just get a taxi. It won't be very expensive maybe 12-15 euro plus or minus. You can find taxis at the bottom of the colonnade around the Piazza in front of St. Peter's. If for some reason you're ending at the museum entrance, you can often find a few taxis there but it's not an official taxi stand.

If your tour ends in the vicinity of the Colosseum, I think either one of these sites (in close walking distance) would be a nice addition: The Basilica of San Clemente -- it's not just a church, it's a time capsule. You can explore the 3 different levels, starting with the Roman era (1st c.), a second layer built in the 5th c. and destroyed in the 11th c, and the "newest" layer, which is still nearly 1,000 years old and has beautiful mosaics. This video gives you a good idea. Darius Arya, a leading expert on ancient Rome calls it the best underground site in Rome. It really helps you understand the long history of the city and why modern Rome exists on top of ancient Rome. You need to book a reservation in advance here. They do close daily for a long lunch break (12-2), so if your Colosseum tour is in the morning, look for a place to eat lunch (I can recommend the Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, but you probably need a reservation.) Baths of Caracalla -- These are probably the best preserved ancient Roman imperial baths that I have ever visited. Imperial = built in the time of the Emperors, but also they are imperial in size and scope. You can easily walk there from the Colosseum/Palatine Hill area. (They also offer a great audioguide or, for more $$ you can rent their VR headset and have the opportunity to see virtual footage superimposed on the existing site that shows how it would have looked in antiquity. As a plus, you can also visit the vast underground area where slaves would have been busy stoking the furnaces and doing other maintenance work for the baths. Video here.

I would argue that it has traditionally been, and should continue to be, part of the senior officers' responsibilities to be visible to passengers and mingle with them to an extent. The "captain's table" is a long-standing example -- having the captain entertain various passengers at his table while on voyages dates back hundreds of years. It doesn't need to be every day, maybe should not even be considered "off the clock" time. But IMO, it should happen. It could also serve the purpose of "walking the floor", e.g., letting employees at a lower level see their leaders about, maybe stopping to have a quick word, ask a question about what they're doing, or give a thank you or recognition. Most large companies require or at least strongly urge this kind of visibility. Celebrity officers are often seen out and about the ship -- dining in various venues, having coffee at the specialty coffee venue near the central atrium, etc. And they seem happy to be approached. I would not personally bother them, but it makes me feel that all is right with the world when I see them around the ship. On some other lines, sighting one of these officers is a rare thing.

It's genius!! Also, a related question: why do those chips seem to taste so much better there? 😂

Yes, you would go back to the same station, get on the same A line, and go in the same direction. If you want to go to St. Peters, you should get off at the Ottaviano/"San Pietro" stop. If you want the Vatican museum, go one stop farther, to the Cipro/"Musei Vaticani" stop. These are toward the end of the A line, so it will take a while to get there -- maybe 30 minutes? Can't remember for sure, it's been awhile since I did it from that part of town, lol.

Just to throw an "on the other hand" out there.... In Europe, you don't get the same push to turn over tables. Once you sit down, on the Piazza Navona or on the Champs Elysee, for example, and order your coffee or hot chocolate or glass of vino/vin, you are basically the owner of that table for as long as you care to remain. Why is there such a difference? From experience, I would think it's as likely that the Starbuck's "resident" crowd will order a second coffee or a pastry or even their lunch there, since they are already parked. Just as someone in a cafe in France might order a second coffee or .... well, you get the idea.

You left out SKI = Spending Kids' Inheritance That's one of my favorites. 😁

I'm not the one arguing a conspiracy. When ports are changed last minute then yes, it is difficult to find a substitution. Nuuk and Grand Cayman are examples of that. But arguably O should have changed 2 of the 4 ports I mentioned much earlier. Nicaragua was a no-go for months, and Acapulco had extensive hurricane damage, also well in advance of our visit. Conspiracy theory, no. Oceania not paying attention and/or "hoping for a Hail Mary play", yes.

Ok, yes, that's helpful. I do think the Manzoni Metro station (Line A) would be the best bet from your VRBO. A short walk, and you wouldn't have to change lines. It actually shows up on the first map you attached, it is the red "M" just above the "N" in Labicana. Suggest you get on the Metro Line A (direction north, or toward Battistini (which is what the sign may say). Get off at the Spagna stop. (5th stop after you board). You will be right next to the Spanish steps. Make a Google map for yourself, using walking directions. From this point it's much simpler to walk and the distances aren't far. There is a well-traversed path by tourists from the Spanish Steps to Trevi Fountain, and then to the Pantheon. I highly recommend that you plan to go inside the Pantheon. There are ticket machines on the left hand side if you're facing the front. They take cash. If the line to use these is long, there is a line for purchasing with credit card only that is closer to the entrance. I used it in November and was in within a couple of minutes, but if you're there in peak season you might look into pre-reserving a time. After you see the Pantheon, you might consider looking for someplace to eat lunch in the area around the Pantheon or Piazza Navona, which should be your next stop -- it's just a few blocks away. I think that's probably a good plan for a first day, unless there are other sites on your "must see" list. To get back to your hotel, there is a somewhat "hidden" taxi rank right behind the northern end of Piazza Navona. It's shown here (pink box). The green arrow is where there is an opening you can walk through from the Piazza to reach the taxi stand. A standard taxi can take 3 people without baggage and it should only cost +/- 15 euros or so to get you back to your hotel. (Maybe a bit more as prices keep increasing, but still easy and convenient...)

....and people ask "What did the Romans ever do for us?" 😉🤣

I'm a little confused by your description of the location of your VRBO. Via Labicana runs from the Colosseum to Termini (intersecting a bit below the station head) -- that part I get. But it looks to me like the Metro station at Manzoni should be closer to you if you are about "halfway"? Also I don't think that the station you mention is scheduled to open until October 2024, unless that has changed. (It is on the portion of the new Line C that traverses the heart of ancient Rome and has been plagued with delays due to new archaeological discoveries every 10 feet!). It will be renamed "Metronia". Or at least that is the latest I've heard. Perhaps @euro cruiser knows more? So if you could just confirm the details, I would be happy to look at how I'd arrange it.

Speaking only from my own experience, Nuuk was not replaced. Nor was Corinto (as shown below). And on the latter cruise there were other changes and cancellations as well. Grand Cayman was missed (no replacement), and also Acapulco (which WAS replaced). So on my cruises, 3 out of 4 missed ports were just a loss...

I don't think it is a conspiracy theory and I'd suggest we stop looking at it as one. The "move up" strategy was used successfully by car manufacturers for years, e.g., GM. They assumed you'd start out with one of their less expensive brands and gradually you would move up to the more aspirational (and expensive) top-drawer brands. Of course, customers then tended to be more brand-loyal overall. (My grandfather would have been a prime example.) Of course, they knew that you could move to a different brand, be it GM to Ford or Princess to Oceania, but they idea was that if your experiences were good overall, you might give the edge to the same brand. It also helps when perks carry over. I know many an RCCL cruiser who "moved up" to Celebrity because Celebrity honored their past-passenger status. Regarding the more contentious topic, again, I don't necessarily "buy" that Oceania is doing this on purpose to make money. Or least, not the way you're thinking about it. And I also don't buy that every scheduled port skipped is done spuriously. I was on the Iceland/Greenland cruise with @QuestionEverything where we had to skip Nuuk due to weather conditions. The night the announcement was made, there were 30+ foot waves we were sailing through. I don't believe any of us doubted the captain. However, the fact remains that Oceania cancels or misses or shortens a lot of ports. More than their competitors. Here's what I think as someone who has followed many cruise lines over time. O got ambitious a few years back and wanted to start competing on more than just their "Best Cuisine at Sea". They started putting together more ambitious itineraries and made claims about being in port longer (a claim that objectively still goes to Azamara in this category...) I think they overextended themselves in this respect. I cruise for itinerary, so I tend to notice when changes get made and people complain. O continues to put "troublesome" ports on their itineraries to attract customers -- and perhaps they legitimately hope that those ports will be less troublesome by the time the cruise rolls round. Often, they're not. Look at past issues with Myanmar, for example. Or as another less exotic example, Oceania had Corinto, Nicaragua listed as a port of call on my Panama Canal cruise (end of Dec) up until 2 months ahead, when they canceled it (26 Oct) -- despite the fact that the port had been closed to cruise traffic for months. So to me, I would blame misplaced faith that borderline ports will someone "work out", coupled with the idea to pull in passengers with very interesting itineraries, and topped off with a healthy dollop of poor communications. Now the shortening of port times -- that is very much a conscious decision to minimize costs and O should continue to be called out for it. If they want to do it, fine, but do it when putting itineraries together, not at the last minute and not after final payment.

I think Celebrity has done what HAL has done with regard to raising the prices for drinks without raising the limits of their beverage package. I haven't been on X since 2022, when that wasn't the case. But one can't say HAL isn't guilty of the same, just perhaps less aggressive... Celebrity had a tough 2023. They did really well right after Covid, much better than HAL. But last year they made HUGE cutbacks in quality of food in the MDR, and for a while they even decimated their buffet dinner options until the extremely vociferous feedback forced them to restore it. Celebrity also has significantly changed their itineraries. As someone else said, they seem to be aiming for short cruises (they even offer many 5-day cruises, which seems weird for a line that's much more sophisticated than Carnival). I still like the design of the M-class and S-class ships very much. I am not really interested in the new class.