rjrpar

3 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

Super easy and quick Uber/Lyft from the cruise terminal-- about $12. I would take it to Faneuil Hall and start from there. 

 

For the sake of time there are parts of the Freedom Trail you might not want to walk-- specifically getting over to Charlestown Navy Yard to see the Constitution which can take more time walking than its worth. I would Uber one way and take the MBTA ferry from Charlestown to Long Wharf back for a quick little scenic harbor cruise. 

I was looking at the MBTA website and it offers several options. Will there be people available at their dock to offer assistance?

1 hour ago, princeton123211 said:

Super easy and quick Uber/Lyft from the cruise terminal-- about $12. I would take it to Faneuil Hall and start from there. 

 

For the sake of time there are parts of the Freedom Trail you might not want to walk-- specifically getting over to Charlestown Navy Yard to see the Constitution which can take more time walking than its worth. I would Uber one way and take the MBTA ferry from Charlestown to Long Wharf back for a quick little scenic harbor cruise. 

Thanks, sounds like a good plan

We will be in Boston on 10/1/22 on the Adventures OTS. Would like to know the easiest way to get to the start of the Freedom Trail.  Thanks in advance

On 6/22/2022 at 10:33 PM, Bruin Steve said:

I've done 18 European cruises--on Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Oceania--and have a few more booked for during the next 10 months--Vision of the Seas from Barcelona in August, Celebrity Summit out of Reykjavik in August, Celebrity Infinity (actually a Transatlantic ending with Canary Islands and Portugal) in April and Symphony of the Seas out of Barcellona in April.  I LOVE cruising in Europe.

 

First, the climate in the Mediterranean is fairly identical--in most areas to the climate here in Southern California.  September is usually very HOT.  But, start checking the "30-day forecasts" for your itinerary as you get close.  But, chances are, prepare for warm weather.

 

As to formal attire, just like cruises in this part of the world, things have been getting less and less formal over time.  But, if you like to dress up, go ahead.  BUT, there's one big caveat here:  Unless you are flying First or Business class, airlines will limit you to 50 lbs. of luggage each.  It's hard to pack enough clothes and leave enough space in your luggage for a lot of formal wear.

 

My general advice:  Fly to your embarskation city EARLY.  We always fly in a minimum of two full days early, but most often, much more than that.  Depending on where you live, it's a long flight--or flights--and you give up SEVERAL time zones.   We live on the West Coast, so, for us, it's 9-10 hours off.  We usually end up flying out on one day, flying overnight and arriving the following morning.  We are worn out and tired and need a little time to recuperate.  And we also want a little time to enjoy the embarkation city.

 

Rome has a LOT to see,  You know the old line "Rome wasn't built in a day"??  Well, it isn't toured in a day either.  Plus, the port for Rome is NOT Rome, but Civitavecchia.  It is a pretty good ride from Rome.  So, when we cruise from Rome, we usually book a few nights in Rome (or, for us, since we've been there a lot, one of the nearby towns--Tivoli, Orvieto, or others), then the last night before the cruise IN Civitavecchia--it leads to less stress embarkation morning.

 

Another note:  Join your Roll Call on these boards and see if you can join private small group tours...You'll enjoy it much more and see much more than crowding onto a big bus with 45 others from a shore excursion.  And you'll likely save money as well.

 

Differences onboard?  Not really.  Much is the same...except people are all a little more worn out from long days touring.  Don't expect a lively crowd late into the night.

 

Good luck.  Enjoy!

Good post👍

5 hours ago, Giorgi-one said:

My daughter is sailing on Oasis in July 2022 leaving from Cape Liberty.  There are 5 cruises leaving that week.  Parking garage has 950 spaces which would probably be enough for 2 ships at most.  Can anyone comment on parking availability at Cape Liberty now?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Are you sure about the 5 ships? RCCL only has 2 ships based at CL

On 6/11/2022 at 10:31 PM, TTEllis said:

🙂

Anyone have the email for the st Kitts Marriott?

8 minutes ago, nferr said:

I own a tux. Haven't worn it in years. And I'm certainly not packing it for a cruise. I pack a 24 inch carry on and a small travel bag. To go formal means the suit or tux, dress shirts, dress shoes, ties, different belt, etc. No thanks. Did it many times years ago when cruising with family.  Hated it. Now I wear a nice pair of pants and a collared shirt to "formal" night. And honestly I fit right in IMO.

Good post, I agree 100%. With slacks and a dress shirt, you’re in the top half of the “best dressed”

58 minutes ago, BillHoo said:

I checked in my wife, online with her passport info.

 

Although I had my passport, I figured "Oh Cool!  I can use the REAL ID instead!"  Not knowing Enhanced was something else.

 

Pity other travelers who may not have had any other forms of ID.

I think most travelers know better.  Haven’t ever heard of anyone being  denied boarding.

Spent a week there in 2019. Would not recommend going there from a cruise, nothing to do

I would go with the Equinox

1 hour ago, MagentaandRiffRaff said:

I haven't heard any horror stories about cruises with COVID cases that have ruined a cruise. Has there been any issues on RCI? How do you all feel while on board? Safe? Does it feel like cruising is back to normal (like before COVID) or is it a new normal? 

 

We finally booked a cruise but will not be sailing until 4/23, so we are hopeful there will not be any issues. 

 

Thanks for any input.

We were on the Wonder in early April with 5300 guests.  Seemed normal; no cases reported, limited mask wearing, and ports were wide open.  

We are on the same cruise, although a different date, and just booked a private tour with Oli’s.  After 20 cruises, we never book ship tours - too expensive and too many people in the groups.

On 5/21/2022 at 11:45 AM, BND said:

You mean, that's what you thought.  There are changes and they are for the better.  $40 is not a big deal.  The last minute hassle of uploading your test results were.  Also, I'm assuming the requirement of applying at least two weeks ahead of time came out of so many people having to call and ask for their authorization to be sent.     

Uploading test results is not a big deal.  It can be done anywhere from a phone in 3 minutes

We were on the Wonder last month with about 5300 other cruisers.  The shows did not fill up until well into the cruise.  We made all our reservations at about 5:00 pm on day 1 and got everything we wanted

2 hours ago, mikewomb said:

I totally respect your opinion. Celebrity is not being transparent in the slightest. When I booked there was no mention of people quarantined in draconian cabins. I wish I could afford to walk away from $6000 plus in FCC, but like most people that isn’t the case. They have not treated their guests well at all. Frankly they should have kept the mask mandate, and we passengers should not be left in the dark as to what they will do next. 

Disagree with keeping the mask mandate but you are free to wear one anytime, anyplace. 

On 5/4/2022 at 2:09 PM, Garycruz said:

 

Wow. If someone has a big family going on a cruse to Bermuda, it's going to cost them some real money in application costs.

Just imagine if all the islands instituted the same requirement.

Our stop in Bermuda is October 28th.  Will the restaurant and other concessions be open?

thanks in advance. 

Good discussions on this on the Bermuda Port board.  

15 hours ago, bhall98092 said:

Their travel authorization form is similar to travel visas that many other countries make you get before going there.  Usually it is a result of the US charging people to get visas to come to the US.  Tit for Tat.

 

I don't mind it because if they didn't do it this way, they'll just raise their port fees and make you pay anyways.  

You’re wrong, this is a money grab by Bermuda. 

3 hours ago, runningtide said:

Here is my analysis. I’ve been an engineer my entire life, and as such I’m data driven. I’m leaving next week out of Port Everglades on Equinox. For the past month or more, I’ve been active on CC as I always am before a cruise. Both Linda and I had original Covid-19 before vaccine was available. Not pleasant, but thankfully , home care only and back to normal after a few weeks. 
We are both fully vaxed and boosted. Early 70s , but still active with a few age related issues, but nothing that would keep us from cruising.., especially considering we are both life long sailors who still spend a lot of time on the water.
As for the “data”….there isn’t any reliable data out there. Official comments from RCI and CDC would lend you to believe positive rates on board less than 1% . If you are on the Celebrity board, you are hearing numbers all over the place. This board is crowded with post after post about Covid  positive cases, quarantine protocols, masks issues, etc. Many people would clearly believe it’s to much of a risk to cruise with Celebrity.

Now…let’s look at RCI. Twice the number of ships, and many ships rated some of the largest in the world. Easily twice the number of passengers as Celebrity’s ships. As one would expect, since Celebrity and RCI are managed by the same organization, Covid procedures and protocols would be the same. 
So answer this observation. Why on RCI boards, which are easily several times more active than Celebrity, is there almost no discussion of Covid on board or quarantine fears. Granted, there are threads about testing , vaccines, etc…, but that’s it. I paged back almost 15 pages, and only a few references. You would think with the passenger load so much greater than Celebrity, along with twice the number of sailings, there would be a lot of Covid related activity. 
I understand RCI has a younger crowd, especially families with children. And some of their cruises are a little shorter, but they also offer plenty of 9 to 12 day schedules just like Celebrity. 
 

So why the dramatic difference in Covid discussions between the two boards? I have my own observation, but I’ll keep it to myself. My analysis is…., the data out there is completely inaccurate. Neither Celebrity, RCI, or the CDC, has any factual Covid numbers that are reliable, if offered at all. 
 

Bottom line…I’m still sailing with appropriate precautions. Hopping to still have a safe and enjoyable cruise.

 

All the best my friends………..See you on the next tack !
 

 

 

 

 

Good post.  We just got off the Wonder of the Seas with 5300 guests and no mention of Covid.  Have another cruise in October.  We will not live our lives in fear but would be cautious of international travel due to many uncertainties.  Also agree that any data is very suspect

23 hours ago, mikewomb said:

I would really enjoy reading some positive posts how most of you went on a cruise, and DID NOT get covid. It is getting depressing.

 

We have not cruised since Jan 2020. We did go to Hawaii for a week in November. Had a great time, they had very strong requirements on covid, and felt safe, and enjoyed ourselves. 
 

Now we are going on the Solstice Seattle to Seattle, and would love to hear how other cruisers have managed their cruise experience, and stayed safe. We are vaxed and double boosted, plan to wear masks. Fortunately our move up offer for a Celebrity suite was accepted, so spending more time in a cabin will mean more space and great views. 
 

‘’feedback is appreciated. 

Got off the Wonder of the Seas 2 weeks ago.  Ship had 5300 guests.  We did not wear masks at all, made some( very little) effort to social distance, wore no masks at 4 port stops and did not get Covid or hear of one case onboard. Don’t fall for all the scare tactics, lead your life as normal as possible. 

20 hours ago, mikewomb said:

Frankly people should do what is right for everyone…let’s not be selfish. What each person does effects another and many more. 

We don’t know what is right for everyone

I appreciate all the information on Bermuda’s Travel Form but it is naive to think it’s only about safety.

18 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

It does seem redundent. Bermuda has budgeted recieving revenue of 22 million dollars from the TA fee. You decide if it is only a moneymaker. I don't expect it to go away until April 2023 at the earliest. That is the next budget year. 

Thanks 

Seems like this form only insures that cruisers are vaccinated and tested prior to boarding the ship.  Isn’t this what cruise lines already do?  If every port-of-call insisted on this type of form, it could add several hundred dollars to every cruise.  Am I missing something or is this only a moneymaker for Bermuda?