NCTribeFan

The BF prices for the 11/15/23 sailing I wanted was exactly the same as what I had already found except instead of $75 OBC it was only $25, but also get grats, which is considerably more for 17 nights than the "lost" OBC. So I called my PCC and left a message this morning. When she called, she said I have a Private Sale fare, too (which is what I thought I was looking at originally). The price was $300 less. So, I get the cabin I wanted (my fave J large interior) for less money and grats are paid. Then she said that she'd add the Welcome Back OBC to get it back up to $75 although, technically, I was outside the date for that. I did have to make a $600 deposit rather than the $300 that was available before. Fully refundable.

I have my eye on the 17-night PC/SA sailing next fall on Oosterdam. Of course, those fares currently are about $400-$500 more than the sailing for this coming fall (which I can't do; have to slow down since I just finished 10 sailing segments over the past 12 months and have 14 nights in January and 26 nights in April!). Hope the sailing I'm looking at is included in the upcoming sale.

I was on the ship from Oct 11 until Saturday. Yes, disembarkation was very slow. That was fine for me since my flight wasn't until after 4 pm. All immigration lines were open but two were being used for crew members. We didn't even start off the ship until about 9:45 and the lines were still very long. But they moved along quite quickly, imo.

I don't think anyone is having a conniption. It's perfectly reasonable for people to be confused when they get conflicting information. If you aren't concerned about it, then do whatever you want but please don't tell others what they should or should not be concerned about. I'm not concerned because I'll be on a B2B and it will be Carnival's responsibility to test me, if it is needed. Those boarding in Lisbon for the TA are concerned, especially those arriving in Lisbon for a few days prior to sailing. If I were arriving in Bermuda on the very day that the policy is supposed to change, I'd be concerned.

I ordered a 3-pak of BinaxNow tests from Optum (for$99) and got them just before they lifted the testing requirement for Greece (which is on our first leg). So I have proctor tests that i no longer need. I'm taking one with me anyway along with a couple of the non-proctored self tests. Just in case. Here's the link to the Bermuda site that states as of 10/25, testing is no longer required for cruise ship visitors. https://www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation Ignore everything under that statement. That's for the current rules, which expire 10/24. I'd print that out and take it to Norfolk.

Bermuda updated their site about 10 days ago. I figured Carnival hadn't updated their's because they were busy dealing with Ian. Arrival ON October 25th is the magic date when you do not need a test. Carnival has had enough time to update it. They just haven't. Maybe there are no sailings to Bermuda after yours (other than our 1-day stop on our TA). I'm on a B2B2B with Bermuda in the last segment so IF we have to be tested, Carnival will have to do. I'm relying on Bermuda's update that it isn't required. They DO still require the $40 Travel Authorization. Which I have not done and I fly to Rome tomorrow. Oh well. I'll have wifi on the 2nd leg and can do that then, since I expect it will still be required.

The Library of Celsus. THAT is what I want to see the most. Not really interested in the religious sites at all, but The Library!! I can't wait. OK, I have to go pack. 😄

The #1 reason I booked the Vista inaugural was to see Ephesus. My daughter had been there and when I saw her photos, I knew I'd go if I ever got the chance. Well, that stop was cancelled because, I don't know, refugees was the excuse I believe. I'm on a private tour; only 10 of us and we're heading out before the ship's big-bus tours. It's all day but at least it includes a wine tasting at the end! 😁 Yep, looks like packing lots and lots of light layers with a couple of warmer things is going to be the way to go when I pack tomorrow. And sunscreen! That blue sky and sunshine looks so wonderful.

Some of our crowd at flying to Rome right now. I don't leave until Saturday. For January, we're on Spirit. I'm on a B2B, I think some of the others are doing B2B2B. I personally have no desire to sail the newer ships. Too big for me. I sailed MSC Seashore, which is huge. But at least their ships have a large portion that devoted to their Yacht Club, so you don't have full run of a ship that big. I like the Spirit-class size. One of the reasons I'm migrating to HAL. Love their ships.

I fly to Rome on Saturday for 32 nights. The transatlantic leaves Lisbon on 10/30, so we'll be out in the Atlantic for several days. End up in Tampa on 11/12.

I never get any of the credit card offers. Amazingly, I have this one. I'd already planned to make final payment today on my January sailings because I'll be on the Pride in the Med when they're due. Thank you!

Thanks for those pics of Santorini! Looks great. Except looking out of the cable car. Gives me sweaty palms. 😄 I'm totally obsessing over what to pack. Warm-weather clothes for Greece and Turkey. But no idea what it might be like crossing the Atlantic in early November. On my prior Med and TAs (all in late April/early May) there were cool and damp days in Italy, France, Spain, Azores. I can't pack for both hot and cool/wet weather with just a carry-on and a 25" checked bag. I know. Layers. Layers still take up space!

So, you're on your own to get back to the ship but the cable car tix are included. Just no "priority" for it because you paid for a Carnival excursion. Oh well. Maybe I'll check the port schedules and hope there are 5 ships there that day! Not looking good. Odyssey of the Seas (4,819 pax) and MSC Lirica (2,371 pax). Hopefully, my experience will be similar to Jimbo's!

I have no plans for Mykonos (Fri, 10/14), and a ship tour (had to use up some OBC somehow) in Santorini (Sun, 10/16). And the Santorini tour has a wine tasting. 😁 No idea whether a cable car is involved. Hope not. I don't do well on that sort of transportation. Just tried to read the description and can't get into my Carnival account.

Glad you mentioned hotels. I have a room booked near the Colosseum and i need to cancel since we're all at a double-apartment AirB2B. I had totally forgotten that I'd booked a room! I did enough of the "tourist thing" on my one day in Rome on the Vista inaugural. This time, all I want to see is the Colosseum and Forum. And have some good food and wine. And relax. There will be enough touristy things to do in the 17 ports we'll have!

Boarding 10/11. Need ALL the details! Sorry about your home town.

That's great news for me. I'll be on a B2B2B out of Rome on Carnival Pride beginning 10/11. Since the testing requirement for Greece was recently removed, the only testing we were going to need was for the 1-day stop in Bermuda on the TA. But we still get to pay the $40 for the Travel Authorization, correct?

Get yourself a PCC and let them handle things. That's what they do. My long-time guy left while we were in the middle of adding HIA to my Rotterdam TA next spring. I called his old number and got someone who said a new PCC would be assigned to me shortly and would give me a call. She did and, so far, she's been good. Anyone who complains about HAL's customer service has obviously never cruised with MSC. Neither my current TA nor my former TA will even work with them. And it was this way BEFORE the shut down.

16 nights or longer. Is that a single sailing? Or does it mean that if you're on a B2B that is 16 nights or longer that you have to test prior to boarding the first leg? On a B2B2B (total of 32 nights). Was planning on testing in Rome prior to boarding because the first leg was going to Greece. That has been dropped but now we're not sure whether we still have to test or not. And if we do, can we do the non-proctored self-test? Maybe I didn't need to spend $99 to order 3 BinaxNow tests that just arrived last week.

I've been in a few J cabins. Love them. They're very spacious, especially as a solo. So sad they don't have those cabins on the Pinnacle class. I haven't been that far forward. I would think there would be some noise since it's just about beneath the piano bar, but those folks don't play very late. Port side could be under the BB Kings lounge and that's noisy. I use cruisedeckplans dot com for my cabin selections. Use their "deck drag" feature to see just what is above/below your cabin.

I was on Elation out of Charleston (October 2018) and they did have the boarding day Happy Hour at the casino bar (along the interior Promenade walk). I believe that was the only place and time on that sailing.

Not all women who cruise (and we aren't all "ladies" either 🤣 ) do so to shop. This one could not care less about shopping in ports. I did buy a nice red leather bag while in Venice prior to the Vista inaugural sailing, but that was a planned purchase. I'll look around for another bag while in Rome, but I definitely do not frequent the shops in the ports. I don't buy souvenirs. I don't buy cheap t-shirts. Or magnets. Or shot glasses. My house already has too much junk in it. And packing space, when you're going to be gone for over a month, is already at a premium. Now, buying alcohol and consuming while on the trip is a different situation entirely. 😁 They better not run out of beer!! But with our 17 ports, I shouldn't have any trouble finding adult beverages to purchase and carry on. Just in case!

Pisa, the town, looks really nice. All I saw of Pisa on my trip there then on to Florence, was the crammed touristy stalls between the big bus parking and the tower. IMO, one of the biggest tourist traps I've ever seen. Best part of it was taking refuge in a small shop and having a cappuccino and gelato. Dinner looks great. Maybe a good thing I don't read Italian. I'd probably drool all over my keyboard.

My first HAL cruise was Zaandam circle Hawaii, over a decade ago. I absolutely loved it! Three women in an OV. Had enough room even with the sofa bed made up all the time. I was booked on Zaandam for the repo FLL-Montreal in April 2020. That was my first Covid cancellation. I sailed Koningsdam when she first arrived in Florida (Nov 2017, I think). Took a verandah upsale on an 11-night partial Panama Canal sailing. Honestly, I just didn't use that balcony very much. I'm in an inside on Rotterdam next spring for 26 nights (including the TA with 9 straight sea days). I'm very much looking forward to it. I'd love to sail Zaandam again. I love smaller ships. I'm not big on the production shows. My nightly entertainment is usually making donations to the casino. I haven't met a HAL ship that I haven't loved, at this point. Haven't been on that many, but I've really liked each one.

I am so looking forward to seeing Pompeii!!