FloridaTourist

Thanks for coming back and I apologise for being a tad super sensitive.

I bet if you were on my cruise in April we would have a great time hanging out!

I like sailing with the older folks. Didn't want anyone to think I don't. I love talking with them and hearing of their life and travel experiences. I fully expect to be one of them some day. I will also be the first one to jump out of my seat in the Lido deck and help them carry their food to the table or hold doors for them etc. i am just saying in a port intensive 12 day med cruise I expect more older people and I expect a good amount to end the evening early. But for those that are out and about I can't wait to sit with you and enjoy a bourbon or scotch with you.

My wife and I are doing a 12 day Adriatic Sea cruise on the Oosterdam in April. 11 ports 12 days and only 1 sea day. We are young. We are both in our early 50's and exercise every day and eat healthy. We know he average age on this trip will be way older than us but we don't care. Older folks can be pretty funny. We figure with so many port days the majority will hit the sack early. We might even do that a few times with so many ports. The only thing we did differently was to book more private tours on our own. We didn't want to be held up by those with mobility issues.

If your on the SBP do they add gratuity to your cabin bill? Or is gratuity included in the package?

Thanks for the review. I hope I can do this when I sail on her April 18 fresh out of dry dock

On HAL does the beverage plan give you 15 drinks on embarkment day?

We don't board her till April 18 but excited to read your review.

Well, I am lucky enough to fly normally in C or F, but flying is a way of transportation, not a vacation.

 

 

 

If HAL introduces Class Dinng like at Celebrity, we will change lines again and head off to Oceania or Azamara. So far we like the larger ships and service of HAL though.

Couldn't agree with you more!

Having your own dining room is snobbish. That's the problem with the world today. People are afraid to socialize out of their class. The high price you pay for your cabin should be just that the cabin. When I travel on a cruise I expect the same level of dining service regardless of the cabin I book.

Hello,

 

 

 

Can anyone tell me if the Oosterdam has the new internet plan?

 

 

 

Thanks!

It goes in dry dock early April and sails again April 18. I would expect it to be upgraded then.

Looking for a recommendation for a Rome tour at night. Will be doing the Ancient Rome (Colosseum, etc) and Vatican on 2 separate days and looking for a tour to at night. Any recommendations for tour companies? I've already searched this board and not much has come up.

We have booked a night time food walking tour that starts in then Jewish qtr. Livitaly has some good tour and hi marks on tripadvisor

That's the cost of the Le Cirque dinner in the Pinnacle Grill, per person.

Your correct Lizzie. My bad.

We have thought the Pinnacle Menu was old and worn years ago. So now, perhaps HAL will finally update it and add some decent items. But beware folks, because one might also surmise that they will raise the price of dinner to $40+.

 

 

 

Hank

Prebooking the Pinnacle on my April 18 Oosterdam cruise is $49 not $40

We are looking at the Transatlantic at the end of March, arriving in Civitavecchia on April 3. I suppose this is Before dry dock?

That's the last sail before dry dock. It sails again April 18th for the Adriatic.

Sorry; can't help you on the Marriott. I had to google it, and found the one on the island - looks new, nice and interesting!

 

 

 

I can't really recommend anything specific for Venice other than to just take a vaporetto ride around the Grand Canal. The buildings are so pretty. We also did vaporetto rides out around the perimeter of the island, and to Murano and Burano, but those were less scenic - but still fun and interesting. I kind of liked the Arsenale area, as it's less visited than St. Mark's area, but I don't suppose it would be high on everyone's list. I wanted to see the pavilions that were built for an exposition some time ago, but didn't end up there. They are just kind of quirky and fun from what I've read, but again, not high on most people's list of things to do.

 

 

 

Some people go to Murano, but we didn't find it fabulous, just interesting. Burano is great for photographers, but if you want more to do than just walk around, take pictures, and do a little shopping, perhaps your time would be better spent elsewhere.

 

 

 

Dorsoduro is pretty nice, and Guggenheim is also there. I'm not much of a museum goer, though, so I didn't go in. Some people like the Jewish quarter (far reaches of Castello) but I never made it up that far. I kind of wanted to go to Torcello, but didn't really have time.

 

 

 

It might be fun to take a vaporetto that goes past the port, as you can see most of the cruise ships that are docked there. We did that, but of course we did that BEFORE our cruise as Venice was our embarkation port. It was also the first time we had seen our ship (Viking Star) so we were curious. Not sure if it would be fun to take a vaporetto past the port to see your ship after your cruise, though.

 

 

 

That probably doesn't help much, but maybe other people can make suggestions, or tell you about the Marriott. (Do they have a boat that goes to the island, I assume? I would hate to have to take private water taxis each time you went out exploring.)

Thank you for the info. The Marriott has a free shuttle from the hotel to st marks. I have read some not great thing s about murano so I think we will pass on that. Sounds more like a tourist trap and being from Orlando I have seen enough of those. On the other hand I have read some very interesting facts on the Jewish qtr. We might try to find a tour there.

Wow! Just reading this post about taking the train and then the bus and maybe a ferry!! Makes me exhausted just thinking about it, and at this late date (going in Nov.?). We will be in Naples in May on our Med cruise and have already signed up with a tour company to take us to Sorrento, Positano and Ravello through our roll call. There are 8 couples with two vans and we will sit back, listen and relax. I would try to check a tour already booked on some of the tour companies websites and see if you can get in one that needs a couple more people. This is our first med cruise and feel more comfortable with the tour company.

 

 

 

Just my opinion. Happy sailing!

My wife and I are doing our first Europe trip ever and our first Med cruise in April. I agree with you. We splurged on the Amalfi coast with a private tour. Kind of romantic. Lunch some place with a great view. Seeing what we want to see and spending the time we want to at the places we want.

Does anyone know anything about the JW Marriott? My wife and I booked that post cruise when we get off the Oosterdam at the end of April. We are using points so don't mind not being in the center of town. We have an overnight ship stay than we move to the hotel. We have a mid afternoon private tour of the major sites in St marks and a gondola ride. What else should we do? Any good food tours?

Yes, connectivity enhances our lives. But not 24x7. There's a time to look at your phone, and a time to put it away.

That's an individual's decision and people need to stop trying to control others use of a phone. You have no idea what hey are doing or the reason why. The only time it bothers me is when I am talking. Personal conversation demands attention. Any more than that and you are sounding like the "condo commando" that used to complain at my grand mothers condo when I swam in the pool with out a bathing cap in 1965. And FYI - I didn't even have long hair!

So, I guess the way I understand these "enhancements" is they require smartphone mobile apps? I guess since I don't have a smartphone or tablet and don't bury my nose in my social/mobile smartphone these "enhancements" won't mean or do a thing for my planning.

 

 

 

Just got back from a trip where so many people were so engrossed in their phones they didn't have a clue as to who or what was going on around them. The saddest part was watching families sit down to dinner where mom & dad couldn't even look up from their phones long enough to interact with their own children.

 

 

 

It's about time somebody started calling these people what they are....narcissists. We've had boomers, millennials and now maybe it's time to have the narcissist generation!

With all the bad you are finding on Smartphones and social media there is also a lot of good and it has helped a lot of people. The ones who criticize it are usually the ones who haven't taken the time to understand it. My son is employed in the social media industry, one that didn't even exist 5 yrs ago, and you would me amazed at the things it can help you do. Even his 75 yr old grandfather is learning and embracing. But his 75 year old grandmother refuses to even try and learn and is quick to criticize others but loves the results her husband gets from it. It's time to get with the program. It's not going away.

Thank you for your detailed review. There were many questions on the Canada/NE forum this year about docking at pier 30 (with most of us having docked at pier 21/22 so not many answers...). If you can answer some of them, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Did you walk from the ship to the Funiculaire? If so, approx. how many minutes was the walk?

 

For passengers with limited mobility, did they have a shuttle? Was is complimentary? Where exactly did the shuttle leave passengers? Were taxis waiting?

 

Did you walk from/to the ship at night? Did it feel safe?

 

Thank you. I will post a link to your answer in the Canada/NE forum.

I was just in Quebec this summer and actually stayed in the port area in a hotel . It is very safe down there day and night. It is about a 15 minute walk from the pier to the funiclaire. But if you don't have mobility issues the stairs were not a big deal. Quebec is very safe. Didn't see any areas I would not walk in at night. Taxis are not expensive there though.

I have been trying to decide on a good food tour in Rome. I would really like to do one on the Sunday night that we are there, but all the ones that I have found so far do not operate on Sundays. Does anyone know one that does?

I booked one in April 2016 on a Sunday through Livitaly. After researching it has great reviews and small group tour. Reviews say it is a great tour. Check them out on tripadvisor

Great review. I Know the age will be older than we are (early to mid 50s and very active) when we sail the Med in April on the Oosterdam but all the talk about walkers scooters and wheel chairs have me a little concerned. Is it really that many? Don't mine socializing with the older folks at all and we have booked private tours to avoid being held up by those with mobility issues. Is that the right thing to do?

We are sailing on the Oosterdam April 18 for 12 days. We already have the Pinnacle Grill as part of the Explore 4 and we already booked the Canaletto. Now I see they will do a Le Cirque one night for $49pp. Is it really worth doing? Should I book it now or will I be able to book it while on board?

Dress shirts with short sleeves are known as sport shirts. And I'm only 55 and I know the difference. My dad thought be right.

There is nothing wrong with jogging during early hours. If we do away with it completely we should just say HAL only caters to older folks. That is silly. Limiting it to early morning hours would be great.