alserrod

AFAIK, after november 2023, GBP isn't used by MSC. It rules as - America: Dollar except cruises in Antilles (Euro) - Europe: Euro - South Africa: Dollar - Middle East: Euro - Japan: I do not know - World Cruise: Dollar (I am not sure, I read dollar) - Grand Voyages: depending departure (America to Europe in dollar, Europe to America in euro) For tips... I would tip always "useful money". Just guess what about going to your homecity, grabbing a taxi and.... tipping in another currency. What would taxi driver do with those notes? This is... can a MSC employee cash his money in the bank (and ask it to be refunded)?. I am not sure but if he could... it should be in local currency, isn't it?

I guess I will buy tickets in advance (maybe last night) just to avoid queues in the station

I am willing to read about your comments. I will sail on Seaview three weeks after you

Ask your bank about fees for using ATM in Europe. If is a minimum plus a percentage, ask for 200 euro If it is just a percentage, ask for the minimum possible (50 euro and you could ask for less money indeed) This is, ask for 50 euro in an ATM. If you need more, you will always find an ATM

that was the reason I asked port of departure. He/she hasn't said if he's going to go on a MSC cruise departing Florida, Athens, South Africa or wherever....

Hi Crhis I guess you mean Pinhao. I was there last summer. Trains departs from Porto (all trains from Porto-Campanha, some of them from Porto-Sao Bento too, be sure where to take it) and they drive up to Pocinho. They aren't definitely luxurious but enough for travelling. I was in the area (not in Porto but upper Douro valley) and I took them from Regua to Pinhao. It was enough having return ticket and I could choose which train to take. Riverscape is awesome from the train at all!!!. I just copy some of my pictures. There is a small pier in Pinhao with different boat excursions. I took the singlest one, just one hour (my daughter tends to get sick on boats... one hour is enough) but there are longer. Two hours and up to Spanish border, the last corner before a big damm where ships cannot sail more. There's a historical train from Regua to Pocinho. I would not take it. It is very expensive and it doesn't offer too much after single trains. This is Douro river arriving to Pinhao (you will see these views from the train) And here you are the small Pinhao pier to take a boat for 1-2-... hours trip both pictures are mine

Hello: There are some things you should know about cruises in the Mediterranean. The ship will remain the same but the people who hire it do so paying close attention to the ports in which it stops. They always look for some very relevant ports and others that are not so important (be careful, it does not mean that they have nothing, but that after visiting Rome or Barcelona, perhaps a smaller town does not attract as much attention). People plan excursions a lot (you can do them with the boat, with other companies or on your own) and the boat is possibly emptier during ports than in other places in the world. The animation will come when the ship leaves the port and everyone is on board. Of course, some of the ports where you will stop are destinations for a week's vacation for some people. That is, places with a lot of heritage, culture and history. Obviously, if someone doesn't want to get off the boat, they don't have to. Keep in mind that there is a multicultural variety on cruises in the Mediterranean. It always ships in various ports. You make a loop and two days after starting your cruise there will be those who leave and those who enter again at that port as well. For your planning it is indifferent. You will have Day1, Day2, Day3, etc... and they will start on Day3 until Day2. The shows, parties, dinners, surprises, etc... are designed for seven days and, in one order or another, all travelers can enjoy them. There will be many fewer messages over the public address system but the ones they say will be multilingual (some people find it annoying but let's remember that the European Union is 27 countries with 24 official languages and if English is official it is because... it is the second official language from Ireland). You will hear the public address system multilingual, the signs and information, as the case may be, you will read them only in English (the MDR menu can be personalized for each one, the notes in the cabin too, and they will put it in your language) or in several languages in a row, a sample of multiculturalism. Differences in food and restaurant... those who have tried say that the portions at MDR are smaller but, on the other hand, you can repeat for free in Europe (in the United States they charge you $5 per repeat). There are those who say that if it has less salt..... and I remember a comment from someone who said that desserts in the Mediterranean have less sugar. Everything is relative. Istanbul is in the eastern Mediterranean. You go there, order some pastries, and everything you try afterwards will be low in sugar.

Hi, No....with Easy pack beer is MAINLY BUT NOT ONLY Heineken. as draft beer, definitely you will only have Heineken But as bottle beer, in Sports bar they have a longer beer menu and some out of them are also included in Easy Pack. Depending on where you are travelling (port of departure) you will have one or other offer. This is.... not only heineken in some bars (only heineken in pool bar, buffet or so)

Hi, on which company are you sailing? I didn't know Ferrol was a port of call too. From La Coruña it is not hard to go to Santiago but from Ferrol it is more difficult. There are some trains Ferrol-Madrid that calls in Santiago but not useful for a day visit. I have found this taxi trade webpage http://teletaxiferrolterra.es/tarifas/ It seems 1,10 euro/km 14,57 euro/hour waiting Ferrol-Santiago are 100ish km, so 110 euro (and 110 return) Asking to wait for 6 hours, it seems, 310 euro a taxi

hi, on which dates do you sail with Seaview?

I had to think and remember.... - in my last hotel definitely there wasn't - but.... I have them at home and do not use (use larger ones, different sizes but larger ones)

Hi, we have posted this information in the "Ports of call" section. It could help. Nevertheless, Uber has barely business in Barcelona. Another company, Cabify, has a larger number of cars. Cabify just operates in some European and American countries. Surely you will not know them but they work quite near to Uber system. Most of taxis in Barcelona have a rate per kilometre, not a fixed rate. Exemption: port to airport cost 39 euro with all supplements included.... and I must said that providing you travel on weekend (a bit more expensive) and you get some traffic jam... it should be a bit cheaper than 39. But as said, it is a fixed rate. You can calculate approximate fares for a taxi in Barcelona and you are entitled to choose the itinerary. Sometimes taxi driver will offer you some options, it is your choice (you can point in google maps, show him and ask for that itinerary). By default, they will choose faster itinerary (that could be a bit more expensive)

Official and Fake webs A curious tip to know that one webpage you are visiting is the "official page" (well at least to discard some unofficial webs). First All official web MUST have a Spanish version. It could happen that, because cookies, computer configuration or whatever, webpage appears directly in your own language. OK.... but first of all, try to search the Spanish version of that web.... It if doesn't exist.... 100% possibilities it is not an official web. I guess this tip runs in other countries too Second... All official webs located in cities with a second language MUST have another local language too. This is.... Barcelona, Tarragona, Palamos, Palma, Mahon and Ibiza must have Catalan version of webpages Valencia and Alicante must have Valencian version Bilbao and San Sebastian must have Basque version La Coruña and Vigo must have Galician version and all Canary islands ports and Andalusian ports (Malaga, Cadiz...) will not have another version. For instance, Sagrada Familia official webpage is in Catalan, Spanish and English https://sagradafamilia.org/es/home Touristic ho-ho bus in Barcelona is in English, Italian, German, French.... Spanish and Catalan https://www.barcelonabusturistic.cat/ca If I were you I would distrust about any "official" webpage in Barcelona (for instance) without a Spanish version and a Catalan version. It is common to have any Spanish version, but unofficial webs do not translate into Catalan. Hope it helps

Hello You can go to www.amazon.it and check if the product you order is distributed in Italy (or the specific website of another country that you want to check). If you find it on Amazon, you will surely find it in pharmacies, department stores, specialized stores and, as the case may be, even in supermarkets. It may be sold under a different trade name, it may be different quantities than what you know (and it may be measured in liters and not gallons, for example), etc... but you will surely have it.

I agree.... please scroll these threads for a bit of information

It is not easy to know when and where you will have them (and definitely there will not be under a private spectacle, nor with a dinner on table for visitors) but real heritage in Barcelona (and all Catalonia) are "castells" (castles in Catalan). They are human towers, not easy to build. There are a lot of very important parts. For instance, the force done by people in the base, accuracy of people climbing and.... they have a director who gives indications through drums sounds (people in the tower cannot understand voices but can hear drums, according to drums they will know what to do). You have more information in wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castell

About dances and flamenco. You have to keep in mind that looking for flamenco in Barcelona is like looking for a place in Venice that offers you a Tarantela show. Is tarantella Italian? Yes, but from the Calabria area, quite far from Venice. I mean by this.... you have to know that flamenco is a dance typical of southern Spain (Granada, Seville, Malaga, etc...), an area where this type of dance is more present in popular celebrations and has a lot of roots. In Barcelona, families do not learn or teach this dance, there are no popular flamenco festivals, nor are there flamenco schools (beyond private teachers who can teach it). Since there is interest in demanding this show, there are those who offer it (also in Madrid and it has no roots in these cities) but.... yes, you can have a pleasant time but know that they will not exactly be the best dancers in the world and neither will they. They are continually learning since there is nowhere to practice it outside of tourist sites. With absolute certainty there will be no Spanish tourists among the public. However, in Granada there is a neighborhood with a multitude of cave restaurants and flamenco shows where you will see Spanish tourists. It's quite popular there. (the dance of Barcelona and all of Catalonia is the Sardana)

Hello: Tapas. ANYWHERE, no matter where. Search on Google, TripAdvisor or wherever. If you want something quite genuine, don't expect to sit at the table but rather stay at the bar counter (maybe in a chair there but at the bar), small places and certainly not luxurious. If what matters to you is having good tapas, don't go for ostentatious places but for places with a lot of bustle. Although it may seem strange to you... if they only have the price and product menu written in Spanish, the better (you translate it with your mobile phone or simply point out what you want from the bar). It means that they are mainly aimed at a Spanish client (and if they only have it written in Catalan, even better). Remember that in Spain you eat at 2:00 p.m. and have dinner at 9:00 p.m. According to customs, before that time, ONE tapa is taken to wait for lunch/dinner time. What I mean by this, if you go to dinner at 10:30 p.m. (don't be surprised at the time, they will give you dinner without any problem) at a place where the menu is not in English and you have to take out your phone, it will be very different from if you come at 7:00 p.m. and the menu is in four or five languages. There will be tapas in everyone, but it seems to me that you are looking for something more specific and to taste the entire cuisine. From there, let yourself be carried away by all the flavors they can offer you. Remember that it's okay to move from bar to bar, and it's okay to spend the whole night in the same place. That is your choice.

MDR open everyday not because opening in Europe but because multi-embarkment port. If I have embarkment today, for me it is Day1.... but for people who embarked yesterday it is Day2 and MDR is open for them (and for all passengers who embarked in previous days). Information given in embarkment will drive you to the buffet..... but MDR is open and nobody will ask you when did you had embarkment

I agree These cities are nice heritage. Do not change them for a day at beach In the case of Barcelona, Barceloneta beach can be reached by metro. It is in the own city. Casteldefells, by commuter every 15 minutes but I would visit Barcelona

Airport >> Hotel BY TAXI About 27-30 euro on weekdays before 20:00 More than 30 on weekends and after 20:00 Airport >> Hotel BY SUBURBAN About 25-30 minutes to Pl.Catalunya station which it is located 400m ahead from the hotel 4,90 euro a single ticket (it is hard to have a mistake inside, trains are prepared for a lot of baggage and loudspeakers are in English too) It is valid only if you arrive to Terminal 2 in the airport Airport >> Hotel BY METRO 5,50 euro each ticket from the airport (never mind if terminal 1 or terminal 2) 1 hour by metro from the airport to Catalunya station

and some niceties about Venice. Those things that definitely you will not visit on a fast guided tour Have a look above. There's a water trail in the right. It was a firemen boat on an emergency . They had their sirens. It is very important because boats have a maximum speed on the canals. The maximum speed is that one it avoids trails because they would make fall to all gondolas. Obviously an emergency boat can have overspeed. They had sirens not only to have free pass but to advice also to gondolas to stop (otherwise they could fall down) I have ever seen before a garage like this one in the right. It has enough space for several gondolas!!! and do not forget there are a lot of houses that can be reached only by a gondola as this one in the picture. all these pictures are mine. If you go to Venice, with or without a Gondola I would recommend you to walk to those unknown canals

Well, they are different things and what you see is different too - CRUISE, Before, they passed in front of the Giudecca canal and you saw the Cathedral of Saint Mark in the background. Since there was a serious accident with a cruise ship, they were banned (you have to go much further away). Since Venice has restrictions due to the increase in tourism, even leaving on a cruise from Venice is complicated (they are starting to leave from Ravenna or Trieste). I have also been there on a cruise and the views are beautiful - TRAGHETTO It is exclusively to go between both banks of the Grand Canal and where there is distance to the nearest bridge - VAPPORETO It is exclusively along the Grand Canal or to the nearby islands - WATER TAXI You can go to any destination. Of course, in the narrower channels they will charge you a supplement (it is indicated where) - GONDOLA It will take a circular route and try to pass through the smallest canals where you can see the essence of Venice. The two times I have used it it has been from the Rialto area and I remember always passing in front of Marco Polo's house. In my passage I have seen some boats distributing things to businesses but not water taxis (these pass through the Grand Canal whenever they can. Only if they have to go to a specific destination will they deviate at the end)

Taxi. Never mind if you arrive to Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 of Barcelona airport. Just go outside and you will have (in both cases) a taxi stand. Get first available taxi (there will be waiting taxis definitely). Price will be according to night or weekend. About 35 euro to your hotel.

Information, not opinion. I have been surprised to see the spending people plan on vacations depending on where they come from. I review various forums from various sites to learn things that will allow me to better prepare for my next cruise. And a curious thing.... Europeans in general - they barely travel in YC - they hire the Easy drink pack only - if they can save the taxi (using public transportation that is effective) to get to the boat they will do it - .... but everyone has ridden a gondola at some point In any case and in case it helps, here are the official prices of the means of transport in Venice - GONDOLA A gondola ride costs 90 euros according to the official website of the Venetian government. The walk is 30 minutes. If you travel after 7:00 p.m. it is more expensive. Up to FIVE people can go up - WATER TAXI A tour between two points in Venice costs 70 euros (there is a supplement of 20 euros if it involves traveling through certain marked canals that are difficult to access). The trip will last just as long as it takes the boat to reach the designated destination. There are more possible destinations. For example, from anywhere in Venice to the airport it is 140 euros Up to TEN people can go up - VAPPORETO (vappor in Italian means "steam", vapporeto is a steam-powered boat) They are public transportation lines. Lines 1 and 2 cross the Grand Canal. Line 1 stops at all possible stops and line 2 only at some. A single ticket costs 9.5 euros and the unlimited 24-hour pass costs 25 euros. Within the islands of Venice, the only possible route is along the Grand Canal and bordering them (when making an S, there will surely be a stop that will leave you nearby). However, they can be used to go to the other islands. - TRAGHETTO (Traghetto in Italian is something like "To transport") The Grand Canal can only be crossed by four bridges along its entire length: Two next to the train station, the Rialto bridge and the Accademia bridge. There are large gondolas in specific places that are moved by two people and make it easier for you to go to the opposite side of the Grand Canal (and avoid you going to the nearest bridge which... is probably not close). They cost 2 euros per person (to cross from one place to the other on the Grand Canal) I have been to Venice three times and I think I have ridden a gondola on two occasions and I have used Vapporeto line 1 on two other occasions. My impressions - The gondola is very expensive... but no one who hopes to go to a unique city in the world should believe that things are cheap. The gondola is the essence of the city and I think it is worth riding it and then exploring that unknown Venice full of canals and far from the Grand Canal. See how there are some "garages" in the houses for the gondolas, for example, how the streets adapt to the water, etc... - I consider the vapporeto a means of transportation. A way to get from San Marco to Piazzale Roma. The two times I took it it turned out to be line 1 and from so many stops, starts and stops I ended up dizzy. The last time it was also very full of people. I do not recommend it as an alternative to saying that you have navigated the Grand Canal because after five minutes, if it is full you will not enjoy it and you will want to arrive as soon as possible. - Use Italian translations and decide "Gondola" Vs "Water taxi" Vs "steam-powered boat" Vs "people transporting boat"