buckeye7

We wore sneakers on our 2-week Mediterranean trip a month ago and we looked like 90% of the people we saw in Spain, France, and Italy. My husband even bought a new pair while there.  Wear the comfortable sneakers!!!

I’m just off the Enchanted and heard a bit of coughing but nothing extreme. We took the stairs 99% of the time and wore masks on shuttles, buses, etc… I washed my hands and carried Prime Defense hand sanitizer which we used a lot. I’m now in Italy for a few days and have a cold, despite all that : ) I tested myself to make sure it isn’t covid and got a negative. (We never saw any of the tell tale tables outside cabins, so I don’t know if there was much covid on the ship.) 

We’re onboard now. We have enjoyed live music in O’Malley’s and had a few nice cocktails there. (Drink menu below.)

We’ve had one formal night so far. I thought most people looked very nice. A wide variety of dresses, pantsuits, jackets, suits, just dress shirts, etc…. I wore black pants and top with a caftan and husband wore black pants and black button down. I felt we were on par in those clothes.

We have enjoyed Gigi’s pizza for lunch each day.

We did have a very disappointing meal in Sabatini’s. Food was average at best. Food in MDR was waayy better. 

On 5/19/2023 at 12:16 PM, nolatravelgirl said:

It isn't the most beautiful solution but I bought some of the small ziploc bags for jewelry and just pack those in a bigger ziploc baggie. You can see everything easily and nothing gets tangled with other items. 

Same! This works so well!

I am loyal to LandsEnd for swimsuits as well. I did, however, just buy this suit at Costco for a very low price and it’s surprisingly well- made. Thicker like Lands End and a very nice fit. I have a black short sarong that I’ll wear with it. https://www.amazon.com/Nautica-Womens-Cross-Swimsuit-Castaway/dp/B09TJTTJHZ/ref=asc_df_B09TJTTJHZ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=596474166135&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11683808765871562679&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1023640&hvtargid=pla-1657886612825&psc=1

This is very doable. We’ve never cruised in Europe (or anywhere) with any more than a 21” roller and a backpack or tote. I would suggest doing some practice packing a couple weeks beforehand so you can figure out exactly what fits in your case and giving yourself time to think it through. Try for pieces that serve more than one purpose — black pants that can be worn for dinner and sightseeing. We also bring some laundry detergent sheets so we can do laundry on the ship or wash things out in the sink if needed. Liquids are the trickiest so we think this through (ie. We bring sunscreen sticks instead of lotion.) It’s so nice not to have so much stuff to drag around and keep track of! Have a great time!

This happened to us for our upcoming cruise. We had booked with onboard credits, and suddenly the excursion was just gone. We never got an email explaining why, but our credit came back so we used it to book a different, but similar, excursion. I would have liked to have gotten an email so I wouldn't have thought I had lost my mind.

6 hours ago, crewsgirl said:

 

Thought I would share this informative link that details what the stairs look like in the descent mode

 

Wow. Glad you shared. We have tickets to do this in a few weeks and I had no idea this is what the steps are like. I wonder how long it takes to descend. My husband and I are in good health, but that looks scary to me! 

I can’t compare different lines, because we have mostly done Princess, but just wanted to suggest checking out the Princess itineraries. They have one that seems to match your wishes. We loved our Princess Mediterranean cruise and we saw the ports you are hoping to see! (Heading back in a few weeks, as a matter of fact!)

I bought some Prime Defense at CVS. I can’t find anything that confirms that it works against Norovirus. Does anyone have a source that confirms this? Thanks!!

1 hour ago, jsn55 said:

Suggest that you haunt the discount stores (Ross, Marshall's, WalMart) to find just what you need

Agree with checking out Marshall’s and TJMaxx. I’ve found several great travel pieces there. One that I use a lot is a black quilted bag. It’s like the one pictured but a different brand and I got it at TJMaxx. You can carry it over your should or crossbody.

Thanks so much all! I googled and lo and behold, I got FB ads! LOL! None of my current socks have the silicone strip and I think that was my problem!

Does anyone know of a brand of no-show socks that don’t slide down under your foot? Drives me crazy!! Thanks!

On 4/7/2023 at 4:11 PM, GoDucksNation said:

Make sure you have Purell Prime Defense that has 85% alcohol. The 68% doesn’t work on Noro

Can you tell me where to buy this? Is Amazon the only place to find it? Thank you for any guidance!

Oh wow, thank you, John Bull. That’s great info and super helpful. We will plan on this way to see Gibraltar since it’s still less money and time than the other options I’ve seen. Thank you so much for this helpful update!!

2 hours ago, Senga said:

we really don’t want a 7 hour tour.

Agree! We don’t even want the longer of these two tours. An hour and a half sounds good to me! Other ports will take more of our time, money, and energy — so a light day sounds great!

16 minutes ago, Senga said:

We're going in September but had the same lack of response from Gibraltar Taxi Association.  I'd be very interested in hearing about your experience when you return

I will report back and tell you about our experience. I think we have decided to just hire a taxi when we exit the ship. This website described that option and it sounds good to me. Here is a screenshot.

8 hours ago, edinburgher said:

there may be other sightseeing options you could explore, including boat trips to the Chateau d'If or to the calanques of Cassis?

Can I jump in and ask a question here? We will be in port in Marseille in late May (the current trouble will likely be resolved, but Plan B is always good.)  We planned to take a train to Cassis. Are there other options for transportation to get there? Thank you!

On 3/9/2023 at 3:50 AM, justafem said:

I just bought my first discounted princess GC from AARP.  I would have never known about the discount and would have paid full price.  

Same! We saved quite a bit. I so appreciate all that I learn on these boards!

Such helpful answers, so thank you all! I was considering jeans since they are heavier and I thought I might keep them out of my suitcase. But I think my black slim-legged pants will be much more comfortable. Good point about wearing my walking shoes, rather than have them take up space in the suitcase. We are doing carry-on only.  And I’m thinking compressions socks or sleeves is a great idea as well. 

What do you all like to wear for your travel day? I’m particularly thinking about what to wear for a late May, overnight flight to Barcelona. Thanks for any input!

Congrats!! What a great trip!

There are some deluxe balconies that have enlarged balconies —- like on Deck 8 near the front of the ship and some “obstructed view” balconies with larger decks as well, if that matters to you.   Here’s a website where you can see what the view is from various balconies.  I’m getting so excited for our trip as well : )

To me the biggest reason someone might choose the 2nd option is Jerusalem. Some people choose an itinerary just to get to that city, so that may weigh in your decision. We are cruising the Enchanted in the Med in May. It will be our first time on the Enchanted, but have cruised Princess in the Med before and it was wonderful.

Thank you for this review! We sail the Enchanted in May and love reading a positive review!! Glad you had a great trip! 

On 2/20/2023 at 9:50 AM, Cruise Raider said:

bacarrat martini

I had never heard of this so had to Google the recipe and it (of course) took me to a CC post! This does sound so good and I will be ordering one for myself in May! Thanks for sharing!

Baccarat:

4 Parts Abolut Rasperri

3 Parts Frangelico

3 Parts Blackberry Brandy

2 Part Cream

Chilled Over Ice - Garnish with Raspberry