Tbird58

We'll be on NCL Getaway in Dublin May 7th from 0700-1900 and just want to do our own thing.  What's the easiest and fastest way to get to center of Dublin from the tendered port?  Thanks!

We have used Tiber Limo multiple times to go from FCO to Port, Port to hotels, etc.  I highly recommend them.  Their on time & professional.  As another person suggested, go to your roll call & try to get a couple more to your transfer.  It will much cheaper.  

We've used Tiber Limo multiple times for a transfer from port to airport, port to center city, etc and they're fantastic!  They're always on time.  Check their pricing and you can go onto your roll call you might be able to get a few others to join you and share the cost.  

We're first time NCL too.  Usually always book Celebrity, RCCL and others & never have to book a reservation for a show.  We're on the Getaway - 4/2924.  Will there be a list of shows on the website stating what's available for booking reservations?  That part is new to me.  Thank you!!

We've had great success using Tiber Limo to transfer between Hotel to Port, Port to Rome center & the airport.  They are reliable, professional and reasonable.  

We watched the CEO speak about changing and updating the menus after many complaints on food choices and quality.  She said they would roll out by Thanksgiving, so I'm curious if they were out?  We sail on 12/9 from Barcelona and hoping the menu's have been updated.

We have used Tiber Limo many times transferring from FCO to hotel & hotel to cruise port.  Always on time, they'll give you a quote online and very efficient.  

We stayed at the Hotel Riviera Fumiciano last year for 4 nights & loved it. Big rooms & great breakfast.  2 blocks from the water.  They had a shuttle to airport & less than 10 min drive. You could email them to see if they offer shuttle that late, and if not I’m sure they’d have suggestions. We’ll stay there next trip to just get away from the hustle of Rome. Lots of wonderful local restaurants with a lot of locals!

1 hour ago, hankandteri said:

By way of contrast, John Heald just posted last night’s menu from the Carnival Luminosa MDR. Compare this to any of the X menus posted on this thread and it will become immediately apparent why so many here are unhappy with the present state of Celebrity’s  MDRs.. 

We did Carnival with 2 of our grandkids in June....I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the food - it was excellent and lots of variety.  Waiters were fantastic.  However that's the extent of what was great.  I don't think I could ever cruise CCL again, unless they pay me!  Best described as WalMart of the seas.  

11 minutes ago, Baynanno1 said:

It seems I was under the misconception that this thread was about new menus!

This thread is quite interesting and humorous!  Thanks for that.  We are lovers of Celebrity and in Dec we booked AQ for the 1st time.  Anxious to see the difference in BLU and MDR menus.  We cruised in Jan 2023 and the MDR food was definitely not the same quality as prior to 2020, but we sure didn't starve.  The Madre'D said they were still hiring Chefs and trying to get the food back to the higher quality it was in the past.  We're foodies and look forward to trying new menu items.  I love cruising for so many reasons.  We also are booked on NCL - NA in 24, so that will be a fun comparison.  And looking at HAL for 24 & 25.  I'm happy and fortunate that we have the opportunities we do to travel ~ trying to find the positives as much as possible!  Happy cruising.

3 hours ago, bunny76 said:

Are the shuttles from the cruise port to Blankenberge run by the individual cruise ships or Zeebrugge  authorities?

We're looking to go from Zeebrugge to Blankenberge(and back) this Nov,(Sat 18th). It seems no direct trains or trams in November and takes almost 2 hours to go via Bruges. It's quicker to walk (90mins) but not sure if it's a feasible walking route ?

It seems you can't prebook a taxi? and I could only see 3 taxi companies so it would be tough trying to get one.

Following! 

7 hours ago, AtlFirstTimeCruiser said:

Hi!  We are on the Infinity sailing with you.  Would you mind letting us know what you find out from Simon Tours?  We are also looking for options on the stops in the Canary Islands.  

Hi.  They did contact me and there's not enough time on shore for their excursions.  We dock in the Northern part of the island and their tours are on the south side.  We decided just to walk off ship and head into town.  We enjoy that too.

58 minutes ago, sleepingcat said:

Me again. La Palma is the least developed of the Canary Islands. The absolutely best thing to do there is to go up the National Park , its absolutely beautiful. And probably the quietest place I ve ever been to on earth.  You are on the edge of Europe, nothing between you and the Americas, no cars, no motorways, no planes overhead. We did it with a ships tour, but a private taxi will allow you to spend as much time as you want.  Our group was all saying to the guide that we wanted to stay longer than the ship's tour allowed. 

Thanks so much sleepingcat!  I'll look at the park info - and happy to do a taxi verses ship tour!  

2 hours ago, BlueSkiesTX said:

I could have written this post. We are in the exact same situation. We are on a similar itinerary during the holiday sailing on Infinity. Just not quite sure what to do in Gran Canaria. Looking at snorkeling possibilities as well, but they are on the other side of the island as you said. You are given wetsuits, thankfully. I think the water is going to be quite chilly.

Yes, it's hard.  I did find a company yesterday called Simon Tours and reached out to them asking about a couple of tours, so we'll see.  You must be on the Infinity when we get off?  We're on 12-9 to 12-21 & then we're flying to Amsterdam for 5 days.  Usually we're in Texas at Xmas since I'm from there and all family is there, but we're skipping this year!

We're on the NCL Pearl in April-May 2024 and also have a stop in Le Havre.  I just booked a tour to the American Sector D-Day tour with Overlord Tours.  My FIL has some mobility issues and they suggested we do the private tour (up to 8 people) and even offered a foldable wheelchair, which will help for a long day.  The private tour is 995. EUR for an 8 hour tour.  They also have a group tour if you want to join one that's booked.  Doing research I found ACSM & Overlord to be the best tour companies.  Make sure you book from the port, not from a town.  

On 6/28/2023 at 9:37 AM, bhambamacruiser said:

My family enjoys cruising and have sailed often with Princess and Holland America. We've been on two river cruises in Europe, but have not done an ocean cruise in Europe. Our mother turns 80 next year and wants to visit Ireland. She has some limited mobility, so we feel a British Isles cruise is an ideal way for mom to visit Ireland. Has anyone booked private drivers as an excursion in Ireland (Cork, Dublin, or Belfast) or even Le Havre for an excursion in Normandy? Princess offers a private driver for 1/2 or full day excursion in multiple ports. I know you can also secure these on your own. We want mom's trip to be accessible and easy. We are also researching a land tour in Ireland, but keep coming back to a cruise. The Princess cruise to the British Isles (May 15-27, 2024) aligns closely with the Queen Mary 2 crossing from NYC that we are also considering, so that is why were are narrowing our search to Princess. I guess I'm trying to compare a cruise vs. land tour to Ireland. Thank you for the feedback and input!

I'm looking for suggestions for tours in Gran Canaria.  I'm open to ideas.  We'll be there for the day in December, so I'm not sure how warm the water will be.  Most excursions I've looked into leave from the other side of the island and don't offer transportation, which we could find a way there; but time is an issue.  Thanks!

14 minutes ago, kcs413 said:

We will be on a cruise stopping at Le Havre next May and would like to day trip it to Normandy. I am not seeing any Royal Caribbean excursions there (too early???), so I am wondering if this is something we would have to plan on our own. Any advice and/or input regarding a day trip to Normandy would be appreciated!  TIA

I just booked the American Sector tour with Overlord Tours.  They offer group and private tours.  We booked the private for 6 people from the Le Havre port at 995EUR.  There were 2 tour companies highly recommended - ACSM and Overlord.  Same price for 6-7- 8 people, however Overlord was accommodating for offering a fold up wheelchair for my FIL.  They also suggested private if people have mobility issues (2 of our 6 people do) - so that was a deciding factor for us.  Make sure you look at the tours from LeHavre.  Another person on our ship booked from Caen by mistake since it was cheaper, but it doesn't work if you're arriving in LeHavre!   We're so excited to see Normandy.  A long time in the bucket list!  

I'm sure you'll be just fine.  Positano is less steps and more incline.  Go at your own pace.  All the stores offer pretty much the same goodies.  There are several eating spots looking out to the water that are lovely, even if you just stop for a drink.  Be prepared for crowds.  If you're on a big bus, you'll have to walk more than a smaller guide.  But absolutely gorgeous!  I can't comment on Capri - we haven't been there. 

We've booked the independent tour guide Italy Sharing (aka Joe Bananas) several times and have had great success.  We keep it to no more than 12 people and do the Sorrento, Positano, Ravella tour that includes lunch.  It's fabulous.  Enjoy!

49 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

For people to make hotel suggestions an approximate budget would be helpful. It's not a very long taxi or Uber ride from almost anywhere in Manhattan to the cruise terminal. How many nights are you staying and what type of activities/sightseeing are you considering?

I'm not sure at this point of our budget for pre-cruise hotels..I need to work on that.  We'll only be there 2 nights and probably not much sightseeing since we were there in Aug 2022.  And I have to be mindful of my in-laws mobility.  Thank you.  

We're on NCL Pearl next April & wondering which port they use?  Also any suggestions for hotels would be great.  Something maybe close by.  Since we're traveling with my in-laws & have some mobility issues, we're not going to drag bags to pier - we'll use Uber.  Thanks!

We've used Tiber Limo multiple times from ship to FCO, hotels to ship, ship to downtown Rome and have been very happy.  Don't let the limo name fool you.  They use vehicles based on the size of your party and luggage.  They're very responsive to emails and you can get a quote prior to booking. 

15 hours ago, tusconcam said:

My DW and I are looking for advice/suggestions for local feel Piazza Navonna restaurants please. We are staying nearby in May and could use some personal experience/advice for breakfast, on the go places and dinner too.

 

If there happens to be any appertivo/appertif bars you can pass on  it is greatly appreciated.

 

Feeling a bit  overwhelmed.

Thanks.

We LOVED Osteria de Memmo.  It's on a side street close to the Piazza.  You will need reservations, but some of the best true italian food we've ever eaten.  Only open at night.  There are numerous bars/appertivos close to and surrounding the Piazza.  Their great for a drink, but like lots of tourist spots...overpriced on food and lacks a lot of flavor.  Ask your hotel for recommendations on restaurants within walking distance too.  We've had great success from recommendations.  Enjoy!!

20 hours ago, aaalynn1 said:

Thinking of using this company at the port in Civitaveccia to get to our Hotel in Rome. I can't remember where, but I think I saw someone here give them a good review. I would love to hear if anyone else has used them.

We have used Tiber Limos numerous times & very happy with their service.  They will bring a vehicle for the number of people you have.  Always on time & very professional.  

14 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

The UDP with free at sea is around $20 a day pp, cheaper than others that you pay for.

Is that the upgraded Drink package?  20.00 a day plus gratuities over what we've already paid in gratuities?  Thanks.