MrsPeel55

@Victoria2 thanks for this. Am I right thinking Specialist service is Dry Cleaning?

Hello again 🙂 The whole of Cruise Critic has been beyond helpful in helping us making the best of our sailing and transfers, so here is another need for info/opinions, thankful in advance for any input. I'm gonna try to make this as compact as possible! Realistically, we only have one entire day in Rome, beginning of September (making it in 10 day from today, approx.) We had already decided to make it about the food. I am not completely wheelchair bound, is long distances what I cannot do. The wheelchair is the transit type, four little wheels that my daughter pushes. We did Seville in Spain in June for a week and were able to manage even though most roads/streets are cobbled. Have any of you done a Rome Food Tour that is worth going? Do you think most of Rome's streets are doable with my wheelchair? Once again, thanks so much for any advice/recommendations!

right, I only read the very first few posts, will come back tomorrow, mainly because is 05:11 am in the UK and I had no sleep (our living room is taken by two big suitcases open with piles of clothes and shoe boxes) but also my daughter wont forgive me for reading on my own (gelato passionate, she is) I keep counting my blessings, each and every day, and at this point in time, having found Cruise Critic is very high on the list. I am a bit more emotional and talk (a bit? LOL) more than average English speaker, but I have to say, my heart is full of gratitude for all of you who share your time, info, experiences which is making my life so much easier. ❤️ Thank YOU!!!!

@Girr Thank you so much!!!!!!! ❤️ will do, makes sense!!!!!

HI guys, I am trying to book for 2 transfers, from Airport to Rome Hotel , then couple of days later from hotel to Civitavecchia to board the ship. I have been already recommended here Roma Cabs, I wrote to them explaining about the trips and my wheelchair (as couldn't find anywhere to add it, they do ask for pieces of luggage) but didn't get a reply yet. I love the transparency in the site, they explain costs very very clear, I think it was either PORT ROYAL or Pushpit who recommended them to me? Then in yesterday I was a different thread in this area of the boards (can't remember what the thread tittle was), the recommendations were split between Roma Cabs and Rome Limo, or Rome in Limo can't remember exactly. Couldn't find the thread so I googled it (Rome Limo), but it turns out there are many combinations on Rome in Limousines or just Limo.... could someone give us the link for the one most of you have used? I just looked up Bob's Limo (link in one of the firsts posts here) prices are good, but would have to email or call to see about the wheelchair, and they make it for full online payment... After reading the first few posts in this thread, I looked at the HABI and is the cheaper so far, plus he details @Girr mention are more than perfect .... I'm just looking for confirmation that I am in the right place and would love to know if any of you have used it recently? so, just to confirm is this the service? https://romehabicabs.com Thanks in advance!!!

that was the musical, we saw it that year too 🙂, it was the year we travelled the most, I was pregnant, we thought we wouldn't travel for a while with a baby....destiny proved us wrong, she was 7 month old when we crossed the pond again 🙂 Lloyd Webber is staging for the West End to open next month, I'\m not sure bout going, as much as we love musicals, not sure about Nichole Scherzinger .....

@NE John we do indeed keep moving!!!! Oh the disc!!!! I feel you!!!!! yes to alternative therapy, I did a few sessions of acupuncture at the Royal Homeopathic in London in the early 90s, it does indeed depends on getting the right professional, reflexology most definitely works for me, and we already have the massages in our list, didn't book before hand as we want to see how we feel, probably will do after a port day! Can't wait to do a crossing, we are leaving to book on board so we get the perks...is the kind of cruising we enjoy, the sea life is what appeals to us the most. One of my daughter's friends cruises Marella, we had a look here in the boards (wasn't among the ones we looked before we booked Cunard) the minute we saw is full of port's stops, we knew is not for us. We have 5 itineraries that we want to cruise, but the crossing and something that will take us to Bruges are first on the list.... not long to go now for us to board!!! I also feel blessed with all of you who share your info and experiences (and put up with all my talking LOL!) it is making the whole thing a much better experience already ❤️

Thanks @paulco !!! We are most definitely staying!

Oh my! never apologise to me!!!! you have been a wonderful source off info from day one!!!!!! I welcome all the recommendations you can give us, so, thanks again!!!! will have a look!

very true the thing about gelato's appearance 🙂 Was your Food Tour something you booked with the cruise line? or something you booked independently? If so, would love a link... I went to Rome before in what feels like centuries ago... we are sailing with my daughter first week of September, booked a couple of days in Rome pre cruise, more than anything because of her being an Italian Food fanatic, as to do a city properly we would book 5 days to a week (and probably need to go back many times still!!!), finding a food tour (one that someone has experienced before would be great!) would be the perfect thing for us! Tried to change the hotel after reading some posts here....The one we booked a few months ago when we booked the cruise, is in the Termini area because we were going to take the train to Civitavecchia.... but after high recommendation with very detailed info (thanks @PORT ROYAL !!!) and seeing many of you here also eco the quality of the service, we will book transfer with Roma Cabs. After reading some of the posts here, I did try the Albergo del Senato, Santa Chiara and another one mentioned here....no vacancies for the 2 nights we will be in the city... I first tried in the hotel's websites, then went to Booking.com (we have booked other European cities with them) also no vacancies 😞 As we only will be there for a couple of nights, more than anything to have a rest from the flight as I have mobility issues and to eat, eat and eat a bit more..... I reckon I will keep the hotel booking 🙂 A friend off mine who travels regularly to Rome made a face when I told her the hotel location, need to research how much taxis would cost to get to city centre or maybe to a stop for one of those double decker buses tours, I would only be looking to change hotel if taxis are at a price that would make worth it paying for a more central hotel - Anyone has an idea of prices? @cruisemom42 My daughter grades cities we visit by the quality of their ice cream.... I'm sure she would be delighted to read about your Rome knowledge! (not sure if you have posted yet or not, I just realised there are over 20 pages after the post.... will try read through some more posts!

@Host Hattie thanks! I didn't even registered there are separate boards for Ports! off to have a look 🙂

@terry&mike thanks 🙂 Yes, I had a look at the link last night, love it that they have precise info to go with prices, it seems reasonable price if you compare that other searches quoted us average 130 Euros for a normal taxi, we will definitely use them if we take the suitcases with us 🙂

Hey "Someone from Australia!!!!! LOL I did remember looking at the price for the other company you gave Thank you so much for this ❤️ I thought I would get a more honest opinion here, but you are right, I will go have a look at Trust Pilot... when shopping Amazon Prime, I have a look at the negative reviews first, I'll have a look at there, the difference in the amount of money we would be spending if we travel with the cases makes Luggage Forward not that expensive at all, but the uncertainty, especially being first sailing with Cunard, makes it difficult to make my mind up!!

@Lanky Lad Stephen you are a star! Thanks!!!!! they ll have The Drifters Girl which we have not seen, now staying is definitively what we' ll do!!!

thanks, yes, that is why I re-consider the using Luggage Forward. When you guys first pointed out, we had seen it in the Cunard website but only went into the LF site after you guys told us here. At first, my daughter complained and insisted we always get help from airports assistance and she would be willing to find a way if I gave her instead the money/gave her a mini cruise for her birthday. That was until we realised the amount of luggage we will have and started making calculations. My only reluctance is that we had airlines lost our luggage more than once, and the anxiety I suffered, both when my daughter was a toddler and I was not using any walking aids, and after, which made me feel even more powerless and angry... That's why I was looking into feed back from people who have used the Luggage Forward company, £340/350 is a good price to have the 2 22kg suitcases delivered from my home to the ship......actually wonderful price, even if we decide to do a bus instead of the train (there are buses for 13 Euros onward, is an hour, easy to do if we have no big luggage, I' am not a full time wheelchair user) or even if we decide to take the cab which, granted, is a much much better option..... I'm just trying to make a decision and keep doubting myself... Thanks for the info, once again!!!!!

@PORT ROYAL LOL Thank God for that!!!! I have mentioned many times how grateful I am to you guys for all the info. Honestly, The fact that so many of you are willing to help is already points up to Cunard from where I see it, we did considered other lines but came to the conclusion Cunard, though being more expensive, was exactly what we want, I wasn't looking for forums with people to answer my questions when I found these boards, I googled Cunard balcony cabins and found it, reading the extensive knowledge and willingness to help, as I said, put the company on ever higher ground. I will have a look at the link for the cabs, thanks again. Thing is, when I looked for price from Fiumicino to the hotel the quote was £70 but that was for a normal car, in London our usual guy (who would help us with taking the cases to the check in) his car would take one case & wheelchair in the boot and one suitcase has to go in either front seat or one of us in front seat and the other suitcase in the back sit with one of us.then there are the cabin suitcases. That would mean paying the cab fare which is usually £70 to £90. Then I will have to give a tip to this guy plus pay his parking short stay fee, which if I am not mistaken we payed almost £15 when we took my brother to Heathrow last time (May). Then say there is another £70 or more from Fiumicino to Hotel, plus tip to whoever helps us, sometimes the airport assistance people will come with us to a taxi, but not always they would lift the cases... Same at the arrival at hotel. We will be very near Termini and were going to grab a bus but then the train is a fiver (£5) to Civitavecchia. I assume then we will need to grab a cab to the Port Terminal.... if you take into account that Luggage Forward quoted me US$438 which translates into £340 give or take..... Having said that..... All the info you have given me before has been actually wonderful, so I will go in a bit to look at the Roma cabs link, it maybe that will work on more or less the same, and we wont have to freak out about the cases not arriving before sailing! Once again, THANK YOU so so very much EVERYONE here @ Cruise Critic, the articles I have read and the posts you all make, ALL of you who have helped and answered my questions and shared your experiences from onboard. I know I''m a bit of a pain and talk/type a lot 🤣 but not only one of the main things I have learned in my almost 65 years off life is that prevention is better than cure & knowledge is power, but also, worry not, very little to go, you wont have anymore typing from me very soon. Once again, thank you.

thanks Victoria 🙂

@NE John thanks so much!!! yes, I think definitely worth staying then!!!! Oh we always have a look at all the details before booking hotels, we discovered it by own experience like you did.... So sorry to hear about the surgeries....I know well how dealing with chronic pain can affect us... I had 9 operations as a child (birth to 8yo) didn't walk till I was 5, normal ish life, very active until I had pain in my knees when I was 15/16, family doctor said not to worry, take aspirin, there is an operation on experimental phase now, will be routine when you need it. All of it was in South America, then in my early 40s (here in England) at one of London's best hospitals, a failed hip replacement followed by 3 more surgeries trying to fix the initial error which failed miserably, have been living with the consequences for 20 years 😞 Hope you have good pain relief to deal with it.

Thanks @Victoria2 & @PORT ROYAL 🙂 I will have a look at the others, I got a quote from Luggage Forward pick up home> deliver to cruise ship, otherwise would be useless for us, we can have help from home to Heathrow, what is problematic for us is the Fiumicino to hotel- then hotel to Civitavecchia with two heavy suitcases, two cabin ones plus me in the manual wheelchair, then getting from wherever the train or bus would leave us and making our way to Cunard's terminal/ check in place (which we haven't got a clue right now, may night to get a cab?) I remember looking at Luggage Forward when I first came ti the boards, I am almost sure it was you @PORT ROYAL who gave me the links among other superb info, so thanks again! 🙂

Thanks Hattie, off to read again.

We will be sailing from Rome. flying with Cunard, but a couple of days early as their original schedule would mean I would be extremely tired and in no condition to get through boarding, Our sailing is 7 nights West Med, then disembarking in Southampton, for what I have read of many of you here, most of the time disembarking is early morning. I have mobility issues, can move around a bit, still not completely wheelchair bound but have other health issues that mean I can't stand up for longer than a few minutes, can walk a bit with the crutches at home, sometimes 2, sometimes one, in a very, very good day I can do without, but after I had on Thursday evening two falls, one after another in our kitchen (which is quite small), I'm not keen on trying again, so at least one crutch is with me all the time. So anything that wont require a lot of energy or queuing (even though some places do give priority to disabled people, pregnant women and the elderly, I think this is more common in Europe and around the world than what I have seen in almost 35 years in London) we would not hesitate if it wasn't for the manual wheelchair... We have done a few places that have cobbled bits but also some flatter roads, can cope with my daughter pushing the chair reasonably, latest we did was a week in Seville in June and hardly ever got a taxi, only at the end of the day to go back to the hotel if we were far from the Alameda At a glance, I see walking tours of the old town, I know the city's history and the Sea Museum are worth it, but considering we are coming back from a couple of days in Rome + 7 nights on Queen Victoria....all of the above considered: Is it worth us staying the day and sleeping over going back to London outside the rush hour? Is the Titanic model worth exploring/ accessible for wheelchair? what would you do in a day before getting a night sleep to return to Central London? As always, grateful for any info/opinions.

I know many have stated using them, but it will take me hours to find the posts (as I am almost sure was within other subjects apart from one post from someone (if I am not mistaken) based in Australia which I can't find now, would be grateful for answers, so thanks so much in advance. Main thing is: has any of you had problems? or have heard of luggage not arriving to the ship before embarkation/sailing? We live in Central London, I thought the price is a bit stiff but after thinking through the fact that we need to get to Heathrow, then from Fiumicino to hotel, hotel to ship with not just the luggage but my manual wheelchair, it will be costing more or less the same, so, once again, hugely grateful in advance for any feedback.

see what the issue here is with moving threads? @majortom10 my upcoming sailing is in September and in 80% of the posts I made, I explained very VERY clearly that I have a manual wheelchair which MY DAUGHTER PUSHES, I even made comments about our June land holiday in Seville for a week and how she pushed me every day. The scooter thing was in the fact talking about future SOLO sailings, if we actually confirm that we want to keep sailing with Cunard after this one, I thought about doing TA crossing on my own, because she is 27, when we go to the US we have lots of family and friends and would mean staying for a period of time that she can't take off from work. I asked Winnifred22 about her experiences traveling solo as a female as I have seen many males traveling solo (posting in this Cunard board ) and wanted a bit of feed back from the female point of view. Then 3rdGenerationCunarder very kindly showed me a thread in HAL about people traveling solo which was very informative. The wheelchair I have is a transit wheelchair, meaning is one with 4 little wheels, I cannot use it on my own. The mobility scooter is something a friend of ours built especially for me, I am a very, very tiny woman, my weight fluctuates from 48 to 52 kilos but stable most of the time at 50kg, The battery is detachable and it closes to the size of a 23kg suitcase. Is permitted in flights with the major airlines, I only use it when I am alone, which is not often. I honestly doubt that Cunard employees tell you one thing and then another tells you something else, it has not been our experience, we have spoken to many and the info they actually give has been consistent. The same measurements the girl on the phone asked us for (my daughter went to measure whilst I was with her on the phone) where exactly the same as the ones in the On Boards Needs questionnaire which she never told us about, I got it from Victoria2. The information was exactly the same the girl had given us. Just in case you are wondering, (this is something I only disclose when I had a glass of wine or two, which I did after I fell twice in my kitchen earlier on, because of my own stupidity) my reluctance to pay for a more expensive cabin (which the accessible ones are) is because my husband was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a wonderful, very, very active, a stuntman in the 80s and 90s here in the UK (in case someone has not read my posts before, he is British as is my daughter who was born in the UK and lives with me) After a few years he was diagnosed with Dementia, my in laws helped minimally, my family travel from overseas (both from South and North America) as much as they could, my family and friends in Spain would also come often when things got a bit too much, got to a point in which we had to move him to a facility, I'm the one who pays for it, plus I have paid for my daughter's excellent education, she has 2 degrees, is an exemplary girl who speaks, reads & writes 3 languages, has a wonderful job, I intend to carry on spending my money in a down to earth way. I know there are people who abuse the system, every country has them, every industry has them. I am not one of them. Last but not least, If I was to ask about the mobility scooter and they approve it, I would ask for it in writing, if they say no, its no and I would go looking for another cruise line, once again, do not worry, Cunard is most definitely not our only choice. I hope this will end the discussion.

you may find that now they do. Thedy sent us the online checking for our upcoming sail, asked to put a credit card details for both of us, I thought was weird as we booked online with my booking so I assume they did have my cards detail... we had to fill in, it reads this Please fill your details to complete online check in and download boarding passes. You can fill this information in parts until 10pm GMT the day before your cruise sails. here is a screen shot

apologies I tried to edit and posted twice, the second post has the edit to add