ceetee

These boards are the best. Thanks. Just what I needed to know for the Casco mail run ferry.

Do you buy tickets on the dock or ahead?

Received this error when trying to access my roll call 

Reflection Transatlantic April 22/2019

Here’s a link for the Dublin Airport

https://www.dublinairport.com/at-the-airport/passenger-information

Lots of information. You can buy a fast pass for 6-8€, depending on time, that gives you a time of under 10 min. That is just for the Irish part of check in and security and then you proceed to U.S. pre-clearance so basically two securities. 4 hours seems to be the magic number.

Also read some blogs on the CC Ports of Call Britain board about this.

Another tip

Join Pinterest. Tons and tons of pins for Dublin, Ireland, Azores, places of interest, what to wear, what not to do in a pub, etc. I found pins for all the places we are visiting on our tours. Guaranteed to keep you busy for hours and hours. Make a travel folder and save the ones you like.

We took the train/bus/train tour from Dublin to Glendalough and Avoca (where we visited the mill store and had a wee bit to eat in a pub/restaurant before heading back to Dublin). I am not one who usually enjoys organized tours but this one was great. Glendalough was magical and mystical and we got a beautiful wool throw at the Avoca mill. We had a tour guide in addition to the bus driver. The guide was excellent and it was an experience in itself seeing how the bus driver navigated the narrow, winding Irish lanes. As I recall, we did the train/bus combination tour to maximize time and go to Avoca as well as Glendalough.

 

 

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Thank you. Just the personal advice I was looking for.

Day trip from Dublin to Wicklow and Glendalough.

Comparing bus tour vs Railtours which is train, bus, train.

Same locations but price difference.

Would like to hear feedback from anyone who has taken either one.

Hi we are also booked towards the end of November from Budapest to Amsterdam 16 days flight time inlcluded as stated on Gate 1 itinerary. Any body familiar with Budapest river docking location for Gate 1, are they on random first come basis.

Any tips on Hotels in Budapest. Any tips on self service laundry, we are traveling Europe and we will have about 10 days of dirty laundry prior to boarding and most hotel laundry services very very expensive.

Do MS Monarch Empress have laundry facility.

Thanks

When we first saw our ship it was the day before boarding and we were on the Buda side on Gellert hill. It was double parked in between the Elizabeth and Liberty bridges. When we boarded the next day, it was single parked very close to the Elizabeth bridge.

We stayed at a B&B called Butterfly Home. Loved it. Inexpensive. Fabulous breakfast with extensive offerings. I believe they will do laundry but not sure of cost. No elevator, if that is an issue. Very helpful staff.

We walked to the Central market (at Liberty bridge) and that is also the pick-up for the HOHO bus. We also walked to the ship. There is a shopping street right there that has many name brands and souvenirs. We used H&M.

There was a laundry sheet in one of the drawers onboard but didn't look at it to give you costs.

Ceetee, may I ask another question, please? Which port were you in when you went to Cesky Krumlov? We want to go but we would also like to see Passau but our itinerary calls for that day to go to CK. I hope it is wrong!

We docked at Linz for our Cesky Krumlov tour. In Passau we had a morning walking tour included, went back to the ship for lunch, then went out on our own for the afternoon.

Ceetee,

Can you advise how the passengers dressed at dinner? I'm trying to follow Rick Steves' advice and not pack too much, and thus, don't want to pack another set of clothes to wear in the evening at dinner. Thanks for any advice you can provide.

Very casual. Husband wore golf shirts and dockers. Pants and silky tops for me. The last night, Captains dinner, I wore a little more fancy top. We traveled with a 21" carry-on and backpack.

We are booked for the Monarch Empress on 8/21. The transfers through Gate 1 from Munich Airport to Regensburg are are $95 per person.

I have checked and we can use a shuttle through Airport Liner that would only be around $45 per person which is a substantial savings.

 

Has anyone used transportation to/from Regensburg other than what is provided by Gate 1? Obviously I don't want to have issues with getting to the ship, but Gate 1 even seems to admit their fare is high.

 

Thanks for any information or suggestions.

Check out the trains on DB Bahn. Terminal 1 to Regensburg is 20 euro pp. 1 1/2 hr trip. We took the train to Venice, Italy with a quick change in Munich for 50 euro pp.

The train station in Regensburg is about a 20 min walk but took a cab (7.20 euro)on the recommendation of our CD who was leaving on a train that day too.

Thank you, ceetee, for the detailed info on walking in the towns and on the excursions. Hope we are up for it! The last time we did a trip with this kind of walking was the Baltic Cruise several years ago. We were so tired in the evening we skipped most of the shows but it was by far our favorite cruise.

We did the Baltic also and I agree on the extreme fatigue after the second day in St. Petersburg but so worth it.

Thank you so much for the invaluable information. That will help us make some decisions. In Regensburg, was there any transportation available to get you into town, cab, etc.? Hope you don't mind all the questions!

Depending on where the ship docks, the town is right there on the river. The stone bridge is in sight. Do eat at the Wurstkuche. The ship can call you a cab which they did for us to go to the train station. Pretty reasonable 7.20 euro.

Please don't hesitate to ask anything. I had wished there were some postings before we sailed.

Thanks, CeeTee. Appreciate the information. We will have adapters and won't need converters with what we are bringing so we should be good to go.

We are thinking about going to Cesky Krumlov. It is my understanding that there is a lot of uphill and hence downhill walking. Wondering if my DH can manage. What do you think?

In Cesky, the bus parks at the top and the walking is all downhill, through the castle and into town. Great photo ops along the way. My husband has been having some leg and knee issues and didn't have a problem here. Some up and down in town but not long or severe. Try the local fried dough pastry for 2-3 euros. Lunch is provided in a medieval cave like restaurant that was very good. Choice of trout or pork. Had one of each. Whole trout was the best.

Durnstein, we tried to walk up to the castle ruins but only made it half way. Steep and uneven staired path. Folks who made it raved about the view. Make sure to go in the cemetery in town. A good 15-20 minute walk back to ship.

Passau, the castle across the river is walkable or a shuttle is available for 6 euro. We didn't go since it wasn't open and just for the view but after lunch we did a nice leisurely walk to the point which is a confluence of two different color rivers.

Melk Abbey, bussed up and down. One set of stairs up & down from the parking lot and one set inside with the rest level. Fascinating library. Gorgeous church.

Bratislava, another castle on a hill we didn't go to. The town had slight grades.

Pretty lit up at night as we sailed out.

Regensburg, the ship parked the furthest from town, maybe because it stayed overnight. It was a good hoof back and forth twice, once for the walking tour and then after lunch to see the cathedral (it was closed?) and to get a big pretzel we passed on the tour (gone) and an ATM ( good one inside bank with 6 machines).

We are sailing on her in September so wonderful to hear your review. Thanks so much for posting! Wondering if you can tell us your experience on outlets in your cabin. Was there a 110v outlet or just 220v? There seems to be a contradiction in what Gate 1 says and what we have heard from a passenger. Did you do any of the optional tours?

There is one 110 in the bathroom for a shaver. We carry adapters but the ship had a basket full that folks were returning at the end.

We did two optional tours, Vienna evening music and Cesky Krumlov. Loved Cesky Krumlov.I wanted to do a different music one on our own in Vienna but didn't have the departure time prior to arrival. I had read about the venue being small and on one floor, not tiered, which it was. Still enjoyable. The ship left as soon as we returned. There is a train walkable to ship's dock that one couple did take back in the afternoon. Vienna's 1/2 day included tour was half bus and half walking.

I booked the tours onboard. It is 10% more to do so but if I booked them ahead the cost was added into the insurance and it was 10%, so it was a wash. No problem waiting to booking onboard. There will be a talk the first morning on all tours and you are given a form to fill out and hand in by noon.

We just returned from a Budapest to Regensburg sailing on the beautiful Monarch Empress. This was our first river cruise. We could not have asked for anything more. We had a deck 3 cat A cabin. The crew was exceptional. We had 3 cruise directors which each took care of about 40 people for tours. The food was very good and soups exceptional. Local guides were very accommodating to pace and temperature. Lots and lots of walking, not much down time.

One tip if you are not on a prior land tour, your documents say not to check in before 3 p.m. but when we arrived at 2:45 there was sandwiches and soup available from noon to 3. Promptly removed at 3.

Google maps gives directions by bus - just choose the bus icon instead of the car one and it will give you the bus # and route, plus walking distance/time to/from the bus stop.

Great tip. Use Google maps all the time and didn't notice the bus.

We are interested in going to the Swap meet on Saturday morning. We are docked overnight, I believe at pier 11. How far to walk to the bus stop?

Then travel to Punchbowl and back to the ship.

Would it be too confusing to try to do this by bus?

I looked at the bus website but couldn't figure it out.

Aloha Patti,

 

My name is Shawn and I am from Honolulu, HI. Born and raised here my entire life. I can tell you that Dole may not be your best place to visit as many do see it as a "tourist trap." However, do get a car if you are planning on going there.

 

As for the memorial, I assume you mean the Arizona Memorial. Sadly, I haven't been on the memorial yet (have only visited the visitor center). However, I hear it is a life changing and surreal experience. I HIGHLY recommend you get the tickets in advance as they basically run out on a lot of days. Also, do note that the ride to the memorial is weather pending and wont run if the winds are over a certain strength (I believe it's 20-25mph).

 

If you have time, I would strongly recommend visiting the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (us locals call it Punchbowl). It's our version of Arlington and there are some interesting memorials at the top of the hill.

 

Hope this helps a bit! Aloha and enjoy your stay!

Shawn,

We are interested in going to Punchbowl. We will be at pier 2 or maybe 11 for that day. Seems we arrive at 2 and move to 11 as we overnight. Is there public transportation that goes there or would we need to rent a car?

Ceetee - are you on the Allure of the Seas? If so. Were you aware that we have a large and active roll call thread for the transatlantic sailing? Lots of fun activities planned. Take a look!

Maureen

No, we are on MSC Divina. I love CC events. Unfortunately, this sailing has a very quiet roll call. We only have 89 posts to date, none this week so far. I tried to get 6 people to join a tour to Granada with absolutely no luck. So now switching to plan B and excited to find all we can on our first visit to Malaga.

Campolady,

We arrive by cruise ship on Oct 27th, 08:00 to 17:00.

We would like to visit Gibralfaro castle, Cathedral, Alcazaba and amphitheater.

Planning on taking the 35 bus to castle first. If we walk down, how far in distance and time? Or if we bus down, where to get off to visit the other sites. Is the port walkable from there? If so, could you recommend a route with streets names; to visit the sites, take in a bar for tapas and wine, and a stop at Casa Aranda for Churros that would be en route to the port so not to back tract.

When we port at Santos, are goal is to stroll along the beach front garden.

How far is it from the port.

Does anyone know what is available for transportation - taxi or shuttles?

How much would the fare be for that distance?

Are any of the sights such as coffee museum walkable from there?

Mrs Squirrel,

I was surprised to see on your first stop you did the culinary tour that I was looking at. The pictures are great and gave me a better idea if I wanted to booked this tour. Did you feel that you got all that was described on their website? Was the food too spicy as jerk can be? Was it priced well in according to what you got?

Any other hints or tips there?

Hello again ceetee,

 

Madeira Sugar Cane Syrup Biscuits

 

150g cake flour

50g butter or margerine

25g lard

75g sugar

2 tablespoons sugar cane syrup

5ml ground cinnamon

1ml ground nutmeg

1/2ml backing soda

 

Pre-heat oven to 150ºC.

Mix all the ingredients together and make small balls. Place them in a greased baking tray, and let them bake for 20 minutes.

A belated thank-you for the recipe.

I'll just have to make them today!!

I'll have to break open the Poncha we brought home to go with them.

I love looking and re-looking at our pictures of Madeira.

 

Very Nice!! Thank-you

I have the greatest TA and she worked hard to get our room back and DID!!

Yeah.

Norwegiancruiser73 - Do you have more pictures you can post of the other side of the room and bathroom. Much appreciated if you do.