fdl2020

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/coronavirus-italy

Here we go again. Will be watching the developments with bated breath. While the Mediterranean season is a couple of months away, the cancelation penalties are already kicking in. 

Trying to prepare for our cruise, and I am still confused. I have been all over Amazon trying to find suitable chargers and adapters. All multi-port USB chargers like the Anker unit in post #5 have surge protection. All universal plug adapters like the one in post #31 have surge protection (and some even prominently say so on the device). Seems like there is no guarantee that these will not be confiscated.  

I contacted more companies about transfers or day tours, and I am seeing another theme here. It appears that they all (or most of them anyway) base their services on an 9-hour day, even if it's just a round trip transfer and nothing else. So it's either 8 to 5, or 8:30 to 5:30, or 9 to 6, and so on. 

I think I'm going to do just that. Or bite the bullet and go with one of Oceania's excursions. I just don't like how vague and incomplete their (O's) information is - makes it very difficult to plan or know what to expect. 

So, I contacted the company again and received additional information, which now makes a little more sense. They said that they are allowed through security between 6:30 am and 6 pm, whereas the buses and transfers arranged by the ship can get in up to one hour later (until 7 pm). 

21 minutes ago, Mura said:

Hmmm.  I wonder .... I think O's bus is an hour trip, maybe more.  Of course they probably have a rest stop which could take 20 minutes or so.  We never tried doing Firenze from Livorno since we'd spent several days there not long before our 2011 cruise.

 

But I wouldn't want to push it!  You do NOT want to miss the ship ... so I'd err on the side of caution. A 5pm departure should be fine with a boarding time of 7:30 ...  but as I have found, traffic can suddenly be a problem. 

 

We were once coming back from Jerez to Cadiz on a private tour -- the driver had to park a fair distance away and by the time he got back to us, time was a-wasting.  We returned to the ship at 120km/hour and while technically on time, we missed that half hour boarding time and they were calling our names.

 

At least it wasn't like the time in Oslo on Renaissance when no buses or taxis were running when we needed them  When we finally managed to get to the ship, they were already hauling up the gangway ... They let us onboard anyway ...

 

But if we'd been 5 minutes later, who knows?

 

 

Mura

 

Wow, Mura! Talk about some "thrilling" experiences! Thank you for sharing. We've never been to Florence, so I want to maximize our time there, but I will keep your cautionary tale(s) in mind. 

25 minutes ago, arima22 said:

You do not give dates and ship.  But you can look up the arrival and departure information as registered with the Port Of Livorno on this internet site: http://www.portolivorno2000.it/it/crociere/calendario-orari?y=2020&m=7&d=15

This is the site that tour providers would be looking at for their timing information.

Thank you for the link! It's Riviera on June 3rd, and this site does show it as 8 to 8. I'm wondering if it would be alright to leave Florence at 5 by private car. 

Can anyone who's been to Livorno please comment on the timing of leaving and returning to the ship? Our cruise lists the time in port as 8am to 8pm. The local company that I contacted about transportation told me that the ship arrives at 7, disembarking at 8, and that we have to be back by 5:30, because security closes at 6. I'm having a hard time figuring out how much time we really have for everything.