ollienbertsmum

On 7/15/2023 at 3:59 PM, RBCal said:

Is Ajaccio incredibly crowded and the Musee Fesch mobbed during port days?  Private tours are insanely expensive and hoping to DIY.  The hop on hop off 'train' bus looks to be fun but I worry if I hop off I won't be able to hop back on if Ajaccio is mobbed with tourists.

I cannot recall how many ships were in when we used the train back in 2012.  We didn’t  have to worry about not getting back on though.  We took the train that went on a single route along the coastline.  We got off at a Napoleon monument and then at the end stop.  Train gave us a time to explore, get back on the train (same seatS) and then continued the journey.  It was a nice little outing.   Not sure about timings of queues to actually get on,  I am sure that we would not have queued.  

I have read that there is a route that tours the town.  Ajaccio is walkable. 

There are mixed reviews on Trip Advisor - I found a few photos of the trip to give you an idea.  

8 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

I have enjoyed photography for a long time.  I also have used Photoshop since the 90s to retouch.  I have been going through old pics which I may overshare.  In 2006 a friend wanted me to retouch some of the photos he took while visiting Cambodia.  Here is one of the originals.

 

I wanted to surprise him by removing all the people from his temple picture.  Back then it was not an easy task but once started I would be determined to get it done.  It took hours to get it right.  Here was the finished product from 2006.

 

I was curious how long it would take me with Photoshop now.  A reminder, a lot is new to me now so if I try this a few months from now it would probably take half the time but I spent about 30 minutes on the original today and this is how it came put.  So fun.

That is amazing.  I love the way you have changed the sky too.  

My only experience of removing objects was when youngest was called to the bar and her boyfriend took photos.  He didn’t notice that besside her was one of those yellow slippery surface warnings that cleaners leave around.  I found a free app that did a bit of a removal job.  Nothing as smart at this.  

11 hours ago, singinalot said:

ok, all, I've been asked by a couple of people whether I'll be doing a trip report from Istanbul, Cappadocia, Rome, Positano & Florence next month.  My questions to you guys are: 1) do people actually want this given that once again it's not a cruise 2) if so, should I do a semi live or a full report at the end like I used to do? 3) do I post from the Turkey port forum on cc?

I love as much as you have time to share.  Vicarious travelling is not quite as good as the real thing, but I enjoy it. 

I was randomly trying to find something on tv to pass the time while i was checking my emails.  I found Joseph’s amazing technicolor dreamcoat (Donny Osmond was Joseph).   It reminded me of why this thread was started.  We used to have free streaming of plays and musicals to keep us entertained. Joseph was one of the shows i watched.   I loved this endeavor, but really such a long time ago.  How far we have come. 
 

I have been through Malaga airport several times this year.  No mention of COVID.  No mention at the Gibraltar Spain border either.    I cannot recall the last time I travelled and COVID was an issue.  Was it 2022?  

First I think I didn’t post properly and then twice.  Sorry.  

7 hours ago, ollienbertsmum said:

 

I have to agree that swimming in the  Med is a good way to spend a couple of hours on a port day.  For me it is preferable to trying to squeeze into the pool on the ship.  When we used to go in the middle of the summer it never failed to amaze me how families seemed unprepared for the fact that there are beaches in Med ports.    I have seen numerous children from ships who end up bathing in their underwear.  I used to wear my bikini under my day wear when I knew that a swim might be an option, I also always carry one of those very light travel towels in my bag.  I do always run for the shade, but we have never stayed long enough to need an umbrella or beach beds.  

 

What I am trying to say is that I do not think you need to spend a whole day at the beach, in some port stops you could have a lie in,  do a wander around a port and still have time to relax and swim.  

 

Cannes is a place that we have stopped for a dip, we have also had nice swims in Palma, Civitavecchia (although swim shoes to cope with the rocks are needed), Valencia, Ajaccio, Cagliari and Capri.   We could easily have bathed in Sorrento but chose to eat a pizza instead! 

 

The picture below is however in Cannes from our trip mid July 2011.  The weather was not for bathing, we were actually lucky that the tenders were running.   It does show some of the facilities.  These cheaper beds are situated  along La Croisette.  The first beach clubs are supposedly expensive.  We never asked how much.  

 

One of our trips to Cannes was in November.  Obviously not beach weather either but we took a boat trip to Ile St Marguerite.  That would be a place for bathing in the summer.  

I have been on a quest to tidy up my photo album since retiring at the end of last august.  Today I have come across photos from exactly ten years ago.  This is me on the very pebbly beach at Capri while waiting for the ferry to take us back to Naples.  It was hot but a good day.  Capri is beautiful (I know this is the France board, but I thought it was appropriate given the thread). 

On 7/15/2023 at 1:22 AM, tony s said:

Credit card friendly. Mainly Visa or Mastercard not so much Discover or Amex 

I know this is true, but i still always ask if I know the card is my only form of payment.  I always think ‘what if the machine is not working today’.  It has never been the case though! 

On 7/14/2023 at 6:35 PM, KJMommy04 said:

I actually completely agree with you! I am notorious for giving no rest days when we travel, and my kids know this. (Last summer we spent two weeks in the UK and Ireland and I apparently wore everyone out.😆 ) However, I feel like swimming in the Med is an experience they need to have. Perhaps we can do a half-day tour in Cannes and spend a few hours at the beach in the afternoon. Thank you for your input!

I have to agree that swimming in the  Med is a good way to spend a couple of hours on a port day.  For me it is preferable to trying to squeeze into the pool on the ship.  When we used to go in the middle of the summer it never failed to amaze me how families seemed unprepared for the fact that there are beaches in Med ports.    I have seen numerous children from ships who end up bathing in their underwear.  I used to wear my bikini under my day wear when I knew that a swim might be an option, I also always carry one of those very light travel towels in my bag.  I do always run for the shade, but we have never stayed long enough to need an umbrella or beach beds.  

What I am trying to say is that I do not think you need to spend a whole day at the beach, in some port stops you could have a lie in,  do a wander around a port and still have time to relax and swim.  

Cannes is a place that we have stopped for a dip, we have also had nice swims in Palma, Civitavecchia (although swim shoes to cope with the rocks are needed), Valencia, Ajaccio, Cagliari and Capri.   We could easily have bathed in Sorrento but chose to eat a pizza instead! 

The picture below is however in Cannes from our trip mid July 2011.  The weather was not for bathing, we were actually lucky that the tenders were running.   It does show some of the facilities.  These cheaper beds are situated  along La Croisette.  The first beach clubs are supposedly expensive.  We never asked how much.  

One of our trips to Cannes was in November.  Obviously not beach weather either but we took a boat trip to Ile St Marguerite.  That would be a place for bathing in the summer.  

On 7/7/2023 at 5:57 PM, Jenmars23 said:

If I am going to do walk off with a 6am arrival time, what time should I book my car service?

You don’t need to book.  Taxis are plentiful at the cruise port in Barcelona.  I think you could slow yourself down by trying to work out the meeting point.  

If we are trying to get off early, we take snacks to our room the day before.  One person has gone to the buffet to get coffees but this avoids the breakfast queues which  can really slow you down. 

On 7/12/2023 at 4:12 AM, jlovely said:

Nothing worse than the pickpockets all around Italy and Greece. Just be smart, use a crossbody in front of you, don't leave your bag on the back of a chair or on the floor, etc, etc. 

Being smart - so important.  

About ten years ago on the BCN metro system I noted how the local women were sitting with bags held tightly on their laps.  The train was not really that busy, they were clearly just used to it.  

I hope that we all stay safe, but do not let these stories of thieves take away the joy of travelling. 

Your question was “was it worth it”.  I have been into the Basilica a couple of times.  I think going into the Basilica was more impressive than the towers. I reallly remember the former, not got much of a recall of the latter.  Could just be me.  

6 hours ago, edinburgher said:

due to the deadly heatwave (Cerberus) spreading across much of Southern Europe, with a second one (Cheron) due to arrive next week

 

This only a "heads up". More detailed info can be found online included  where, and how to cope with extreme heat situations. 

 

Probably a good idea not to overplan sightseeing days and to keep well hydrated.

I live in the southern med, but we benefit from sea breezes.  Even so the heat at the moment is brutal.  Take your water, take your umbrellas and put your heath first when it comes to planning your day in southern europe.  

4 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

We have nurses, anesthesiologists and plenty of patients 😊

I am a recently retired speech and language pathologist.  Happy to give an opinion when needed.  

5 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Oy, Susan is the 3rd person catching Covid in the last 2 days that I know of...

 

I thought that, finally, this "pest" is a thing of the past 😢

 

Hopefully, Susan got cut some slack, being a virgin and all 😉, and she's getting the milder version 🤞

I have not heard of any positives for some time.  A good reminder that we have to remain vigilant.  I especially worry about visiting my 94 yr old parents (now about 4 times a year and I have to fly there).  They have never been positive because neighbours have been so good with the support for shopping (and they still do, what great neighbours my parents have).  

3 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Looks lovely.   Happy Birthday to your Vicar

Aww that is so lovely.  My brother in law is a priest and I know how much this sort of event means to him.  

On 7/13/2023 at 7:33 AM, Coralc said:

Try Alaska. When we went to bed at 4:30...it was still light out. ☺️

Same in Norway and the Baltic.  Wonderful places in the summer if you want to get no sleep at all. 

21 hours ago, brookmill18 said:

Since there's been a lot of talk about Celebrity, just wanted to share something we learned about their basic WiFi and iMessages on iPhones (not sure if it applies to Android--it does NOT apply if you have upgraded WiFi). My mom sailed B3B on Edge in Europe in the fall and had nightmare issues with iMessages which was her primary way of keeping in touch. Hate to admit it, but I was really thinking she kept messing it up! We just did our first sailing on Celebrity in June and on day 3 iMessages wouldn't work and it was saying that my apple account didn't recognize the phone number. DH looked at it, we couldn't figure it out and right before I was set to try and spend hours with Apple Support, I remembered there was some sort of iLounge on board so I went to Guest Services to ask if was ever staffed. They said no, but as I started to explain my issue, they asked for my phone, typed away on it, asked me to restart the phone (I did while telling them I tried this a dozen times already) and then they took it back, typed away again and then told me to log back into my Celebrity wifi account and I'd be set! 

 

I asked them what they did and they said I couldn't replicate it because it required staff passwords, but the guy said it happens all the time to people who have the basic WiFi. I told them that they really should post a warning about it because the error messages you receive are related to your apple account--I doubt anyone would think it was Celebrity related. Guest Services said it happens constantly but they can fix it immediately and it rarely happens twice in one cruise. Happened on my husband's phone 2 days later, but never on DS who had the upgraded WiFi. Just really annoying that you could spend hours contacting Apple thinking it's related to your account!

That is good to know if you are going to cruise with Celebrity, but how many times does it happen that there are technical issues on phone/tv whatever and you assume that it is you (or your Mum). Then when it is finally resolved it is nothing to do with you.  The default is always “my fault”.  We should have more confidence.  

On 7/8/2023 at 4:24 PM, NCteacherlovescruising said:

That’s a given!  Lol However, we will be there in July. It’s going to be extremely hot so our clothes will most likely get sweaty while walking around in the heat all day. 
 

 

I couldn’t understand why people were saying it’s hard to cross the bridges with suitcases until I saw the pictures and they are steps. I pictured a smooth surface. I asked dh and some of our suitcases have 2 wheels and some are 4. I’m trying to envision why 4 wheels would be harder than 2.  Maybe dh’s idea of a wheeled suitcase and a backpack would work better here than two wheeled suitcases.

I would absolutely agree with your DH.  Two lots of wheeled luggage are fine on flat surfaces but not if you are in a city.  Saying that, I can cope with around 7 or 8 kilo in a back pack if not too much standing around is needed.  

We did self assist getting off our cruise last week and I had no issue wheeling one suitcase. However my backpack was way too heavy so I placed it over the handle of my suitcase (it had all our shoes and our dirty clothes). That made it harder to steer but I wasn’t navigating steps so it was no issue. I could always buy a smaller backpack. By the way, I realize I will not be able to take 7 pair of shoes on this trip!  
 

I  am comparing two wheelers which have fixed wheels to the spinner wheels on the 4 wheelers.  I just don’t think that the 4 wheels go up and down pavements as easily.  Maybe it is just that what I am used to - 25 years of wheeled luggage.  

 

 It is a good job that I had more than just a single pair of shoes.  Just not 7.  I think I went back to my skechers and bought a $10 pair of sandals on the ship.  I still use them for the beach.    I did not want to do shoe shopping in Venice.  After walking for half a day I thought that my feet were not fit to visit a shoe shop. 
 

 

The hotel we’re looking at is in front of a stop too. I’ve read conflicting information on whether or not we can bring on luggage with us on the vaporetto. We plan to buy a 24 hour pass. 

 

We didn’t take luggage.  Not sure.  Perhaps if it is very busy it is hard to get on ??  
 

I have no idea what time we will get there but I doubt it’s early. Our ship docks in Trieste at 6:30. I have no idea what NCL’s policy is for early disembarkation, or if they will allow it but I’ve read where others have. Fingers crossed it’s no issue!  
 

We have never been stopped getting off any of our NCL ships at not long after the time of arrival.  I suppose it  depends on whether or not there is a paperwork issue.  

 

I’m so sorry you missed it!  
 

 

Oh my!  We’re there plenty of stores around where you could buy a new pair of shoes?  I typically wear Birkenstocks, Chacos, or Danskos when I know I will be doing a lot of walking. That’s what I wear to work all the time since I spend so much time on my feet. Comfort is number one!  
 

Thw further away you got from St. Marks the more expensive the food was?  I would have thought it would be the opposite.

We were somewhat confused about the change in prices too.  In the end we ate well.  Bank was not broken.  

We will most likely just find something that looks good when we get hungry, but we will only have about 24 hours there. 

On 7/8/2023 at 4:24 PM, NCteacherlovescruising said:

 

 

Good to know the second morning we would have time to do something without the crowds, before catching our train to Rome.  Had you dh been to Venice before?  

 

I had never been to Venice.  When I got there I was surprised that this wonderful city had passed me by.  I think it is that it is so easy to get to Barcelona, we did not feel the need to do an Eastern Med trip.  It is also that flights from Malaga are not direct.  So many places to go to that are direct why not stick to that.  

 

I am pretty sure that you will end up feeling that you have got to see a good part of Venice.  

I just went to the App Store to download this. It appears to be free. Is it? 

Not sure what is being referred to, it has not come out.   If you are referring to the rick Steves App - yes it is free.  The audio guides are free too.   

On 7/8/2023 at 4:24 PM, NCteacherlovescruising said:

 

 

I plan on seeing both. I was also planning on a guided tour. Do you think you would have enjoyed it more had you done so?  If you had it to do over again, would you have stored your bags or taken them with you?

 

I had an audio guide for the Doge’s Palace.  That was fine.  I don’t think a real life guide would have changed thing.  I think that what spoiled it for me was a friend who told me that this was a ‘must see’. I could not quite see what she was so enthusiastic about.  Maybe she had gone into St Marks Basilica too.   I think that she raised my expectations to much !!!

 

We didnt really struggle with bags - only one bridge was crossed.  We were of course leaving for our cruise from Venice.   We stored our luggage near the people mover (and bus station) on the last day.   
 

So many of you are saying after getting there they didn’t have any desire to ride a gondola. I still have a romantic vision of dh and I riding one with a bottle of wine.

DH has never had been that good at ‘iconic romantic experiences’.  Sitting in a restaurant with a great view suits us better.  

Maybe it would be better at night after all the day trippers are gone.  I would try that.  Of course, that is still dependent of NCL allowing us to disembark early. 
 

It sounds like you enjoyed just wondering around town more than seeing the tourist sites. I wish we could have more time there, but to do that I’d have to cut Rome short and there’s so much I want to see and do there!  

 

You will have plenty of time to get the flavour of Venice in that 24 hours.  Of course we can always do more if we have more time.    I would for sure spend  an extra day in Rome over an extra day in Venice.  
 

Thanks so much for sharing your experience!    It is actually fun to recall it. I keep a short diary on my phone so that I can annotate my photos and remember the number of steps walked!

I hope that you have a great trip

I think that I have put on this thread or somewhere near, that we stayed at La Locanda di Osaria when we went in September 2019.  The location was perfect, hotel was the most expensive I think I have ever been in, but it was not the poshest.   I would stay there again for the location.  It was fun having a real key to open the room door.   We did not have  view of anything - perhaps a wall, I can’t recall. I did not feel that this was important.  There was no point that I would have wanted to sit in the hotel.  We had lovely views walking around and when we stopped for refreshments.  

We were just one bridge over from the train station.  It was not that much of an effort, but I have a two wheeled case.  Four wheels might have been harder.  My luggage comes out at about 15 kg.  I can just about carry that for short distances.  

We were right in front of the second Vaporetto stop for the line 1.  We stayed for 2 nights prior to a cruise (which at that time left from Venice ).  We had a 24 hour pass  which we used from the morning of our full day.  

I will now tell you more about my experiences.  Cant recall if I ever did a review.  

So when we travel, I like to get up early and DH prefers to set off at around 10 am. First morning I went off to work out how to get the vaporetto pass and how we would get on to the people mover the next day.   Came back for him.  We went out to get on the vaporetto because we wanted to see Murano and Burano.  By this time the queue for the vaporetto had got much longer.  We had a wait, got to Murano and loved it.  

I had booked a restaurant on Burano (Trattoria al Gato Nero).  So about 90 mins prior we went to get to boat that would get us there.  Walked round the corner and found the mother of all queues.  We waited for ages until it was clear that we had missed our booking and was wasting our day in Venice in a queue so we went back to the main island.  

After listening to other reviews, the only way we could have done this would have been DH getting up early.  

We strolled around, getting to the Arsenale area.  I broke the sole of my shoe with the walking.  Passed through St Mark’s Square where it was crowded with tourists.  Didn’t linger.    We wanted to find food and drink, so mindful of reviews we bypassed St Mark’s Square.  We really still could not find anything cheaper than 7 euro for a beer (our yardstick for the day).  In fact further away seemed more.  So we just stopped somewhere and ate and drank.  The only high part of the bill was the imposed 20% tip (we are europeans).  

On the morning of the cruise (a Sunday) I had a couple of hours to explore a bit more while DH slept.  He always opts out of the tours, so at about 8.30 I was on vaporetto 1 - it was not crowded so  I sat near the front and listened to my downlloaded Rick Steves audio tour of the Grand Canal.  We really interesting.  

I got  out at St Mark’s Square.  I had 9 am tickets for the Doge’s Palace.  In fact that early pre booked tickets were not needed.  I did the tour with an audioguide.  I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest.  I think that I should have gone to the Basilica instead.  However the prison part was eerily unpleasant in a way that has stayed with me.  I  went out to the Square, Noticed that the Bell Tower queue was getting longer.  I could not have climbed and still got back to the hotel in time for check out.  Our bags were not in storage.  

I listened to Rick Steves telling me about the square in another audio guide.  Interesting again.   Back on the Vaporetto and back to hotel.  

On disembarkation day of the cruise we had time in Venice before an early evening flight.  We left our bags in a storage and went off to pass the time.  Walking around Venice is just so wonderful.  Kodak moments at every turn and you cannot get lost (for long).    Google maps was usually helpful, but I think being among so many buildings affected the signal.   I get confused navigating anywhere so I recall being confused in Venice.  

I had booked 15 minutes on the viewing terrace of T Fondaco dei Tedeschi.  we did not have to pay, but booking ahead meant we did not have to wait.  Views were lovely and the whole department store was lovely.  

We were not interested in a gondola ride.  Looked too corny and there were traffic jams of gondolas.  The only tourist gondola photo that looked lovely was  when my youngest went in July 2020.    She and her friend paid 50 euro.  They had no queues but it was not the most sensible time to travel.  

So getting an early start seems to be the best advice when it comes to St Mark’s Square.  I dont think going to the islands is wise for a single day in Venice  but there is plenty of time to wander around this glorious city and  get a sense of the history of Venice.  I will never forget that short trip.  

On 7/7/2023 at 4:52 AM, NCteacherlovescruising said:

I’m sure we will, but may need it again. If not, we can always wait until we’re on the second cruise. 

Let a sink and a bar of soap be your best friends.  

We stayed near to the two transport hubs, Santa Maria train station and Piazzale Roma.  This required us walking over just one bridge to our hotel when arriving on the bus from Venice airport.  It was then convenient for travel in and out of Venice.  It was also right opposite the Vaporetto stop.   The hotel was called La Locanda di Orsaria.  It was quite basic but clean and comfortable, good breakfast and i loved the location.   We went to St Marks Square a few times (some intentionally and some by accident as we were just wandering around Venice).     I just searched it and notice that it is currently much cheaper than we paid in Sept 2019.  I suspect there are fewer overnights in Venice.  

Spending the last night of the cruise in Venice makes complete sense.  I am sure that you will not be alone.  

I am trying to decide if I would spend a night in Florence and then move on to Rome, but think that you would then be moving on to Naples rather than Civitivecchia.  It does seem like a lot of travelling.  It will only work if you travel light.  Here I mean Rick Steves type rolling luggage.  You will be an outfit repeater in your photos but it will make a great deal of difference as you are moving about.  

Where is your second cruise going??  Sounds like a fantastic summer. 

Another suggestion is to stay in Villefranche.  I have to admit that I have never been, but I have seen enough photos from other people that make me disappointed that I have not yet been.  There clearly is lots to do - and assuming that you are going in the summer, there will be the opportunity for the children to swim.  It is on my wishlist.  

I have just been reading up about how pickpocketing is viewed in the law in different countries.  I didn’t realise the difference.  I certainly did not realise that in Britain it was once punished by hanging.  

For sure prevention is certainly the best way.  I recall one time in the BCN metro that I was probably being targetted.  It might have just been begging.  We had arrived by train, clever me thought that we could get to our hotel by the metro.  We could but it required taking our luggage via steps and long corridors.  Not sure why but DH and I were looking at different ticket machines.  Possibly we were each buying our own ticket ????    A middle aged man came up to me to give me information about how to buy a ticket.  I may speak to my DH in English but I can read Spanish and did not need help.  I recall being confused like ‘why is he telling me this’ because I could see that he was not an employee.  We got rid of him, but I felt rude in doing so, after all he may just have been a helpful bystander.  To this day I wonder what his motivation was.  

Having had my purse stolen in the Malaga taxi on the way to catch a cruise, I am wary.   I was so lucky that my passport was not in the bag that was stolen because for sure we would have lost the cruise.    

This makes me think that when people are asking for advice about getting to their hotel, lugging cases should not be only a consideration from a weight point of view.  Using taxis while you have luggage and orientation of the city to work out may be a sensible way of reducing vulnerability to thieves.