sunlover757

On 11/1/2019 at 10:39 AM, Bella0714 said:

Thanks to everyone for your valuable help. We finally booked, and after all of our debate about Midnatsol in Feb. 2020 vs. Fridtjof Nansen in 2021, we decided on…neither.

 

We got a great deal on the new ship, Roald Amundsen, for this coming January 27. Departing Punta Arenas. Seven days in Antarctica, three in the Falkland Islands, Beagle Channel and an attempted landing in Cape Horn (I know not to count on that). The extra day in Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and the price (lower than Midnatsol's) overcame my concerns about the new ship's launch problems. We're just going to have to have faith in Hurtigruten, which I feel is an excellent company, to work things out. Besides, by then, it will be the ship's sixth time doing that itinerary.

 

This is more than we'd ever expected to do. I really thought we'd end up on Holland America or Princess because of price concerns. We're very excited. Antarctica kept showing up in my dreams last night!

That's fantastic! We have been looking at a possible Antarctica sailings and the Roald Amundsen's itinerary looks excellent. Where did you find the great deal? Any information that you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help! 

9 hours ago, marazul said:

Gassin is a beautiful Provencal village.  Port Grimaud is a striking, modern (30+ years?) development built on canals.  You will probably get a boat tour there.  There are great views in that drive.  La Garde is also a nice village higher up in the Maures. 

 

You said you will be there "for the day."  You should be able to take one of those tours and still have 2-3 hours to spend in St T.  Saint Tropez is very easy to do on your own.  

Thanks for your insights. The Gassin + Port Grimaud and La Garde-Freinet tours are each about 4 hours long, so we'd probably have 3-4 hours to explore Saint-Tropez. From your comments, it sounds like Gassin + Port Grimaud might be best if we do one of those tours. Your help is greatly appreciated!

On 7/28/2019 at 7:46 AM, CruiserBruce said:

We did a tour to Siena and the Chianti region with Francisco. Interesting guy. Great tasting and food at a winery. Very pretty area. Siena is fun place to visit. We finished with a little driving around the sites of Florence, but Florence wasn't our focus, the Chianti region was.

We're doing this tour with Rome in Limo next month. Really looking forward to visiting Siena and the Chianti region, since we've been to Florence several times. Our ship is in port from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., so we have lots of time. Where did you go in Chianti? Let me know if you have any recommendations or suggestions. Thanks for your help! 

Our ship will be in Saint-Tropez for the day during the first week of September. Any suggestions for tours or things to do on our own? All suggestions are welcome. The ship is offering two excursions that we're considering - one to Gassin & Port Grimaud and another to La Garde-Freinet. Not sure whether to take a tour here or spend time exploring Saint-Tropez on our own. Any insights are greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help! 

On 7/31/2019 at 2:25 PM, slidergirl said:

OK.  Armando al Pantheon.  Reservations are a MUST.  you can go to their website, look at their menu, make a res...

It is a block to the right of the Pantheon (if you are facing the Pantheon).  

 

Also, head up to the rooftop bar at the Grand Hotel della Minerve, behind the Pantheon.   Then, in front of and to the right, there is a wonderful store that sells yummy pastries and makes good sandwiches.   Then, up the Piazza to the right, find Tazzo d' Oro Coffee.  My place for my espresso in the morning and the absolute favorite granita caffe con panna (coffee granita with whip cream).  Figure out what you want, go to the cashier and pay for it, take your receipt to the counter, put it down, wait for one of the baristas to serve you.  

Thank you so much for this information. You just made my day! Can't wait to be there .... 

On 7/29/2019 at 1:54 PM, slidergirl said:

Hey Cruisemom - is the place where you got the excellent artichokes the one you won't mention???  

 

I don't know if I should mention my "always on the first night in Rome" trattoria that is there by The Pantheon - it might be getting a little too much recognition and I may not be able to get my reservation. 😉

I would love to hear about your "always on the first night in Rome" trattoria by the Pantheon if you're willing to share. We'll be staying in that area in a few months. 

Love this so much. Thanks for posting!  

Thank you so much for these great ideas! We've been to San Gimignano in the past, so right now we're planning to visit Siena in the morning with our Rome in Limo car and driver, then head to the Chianti area and hopefully to Volterra. Some towns in the Chianti region that have been recommended by friends are Montefioralle, Greve and Castellina. If you have any more recommendations for our day, I'd love to hear them.  Our ship arrives in Livorno at 7 a.m. and departs quite late, so we should have plenty of time. 

I stayed at the CenterHotel Midgardur in Reykjavik and would definitely recommend it. The accommodations were reasonably priced (for Iceland) and included an excellent breakfast buffet each day. In addition, independent tour buses stop right outside that hotel. From the hotel, it's an easy 15-20 minute walk down Reykjavik's main shopping street into the center of the city. If you'd prefer something right in Reykjavik's city center though, I've heard good things about Canopy by Hilton, the Kvosin Hotel, Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel and the Reykjavik Residence Hotel if you're looking for more apartment-style accommodations. I agree with Nitemare - Iceland is amazing! Do try to allow as much time as you can afford. I wasn't staying too long and did two great small group tours with Hidden Iceland while I was in Reykjavik. Their Golden Circle and South Coast tours were both excellent. Have a fantastic time on your Windstar cruise and enjoy your stay in Iceland!   

16 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

 

 

In Juneau consider the Sealaska Heritage Institute and its store.

Thanks so much! I'll check it out when I'm in Juneau. 

I used Hidden Iceland for two tours from Reykjavik this year. They were excellent and would another great independent tour company option for Roll Call tours. Have a fantastic time on your cruise!  

On 6/28/2019 at 12:55 PM, AKStafford said:

Yep, the Alaska Native Heritage Center is a great place. Another place in Anchorage to authentic artwork is the gift shop at the Alaska Native Medical Center on Tudor.

https://anmc.org/patients-visitors/craft-shop/

I've visited the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the artwork they have there is wonderful. Any recommendations for places that have similar authentic Alaska native art for sale in Juneau, Skagway or Ketchikan? Thanks!  

Our ship will be calling in Livorno in early September. We've visited Florence several times and are interested in other alternatives. We'd like to find a tour (small group or private) that visits Siena and Chianti as well as other memorable places in the region if possible. If anyone has done a similar tour with a private company, I'd love to hear your recommendations. Our ship will be in port from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. We were considering renting a car, but now are thinking a small group or private tour might be better. Thanks in advance for your help!   

On 7/1/2019 at 11:20 PM, gottagoacruzn said:

Took the excursion several yrs ago, an yes we saw four bears, the last bear got within 10 feet of us, then the tour guide said, "ok guys back up." There was nothing between us an the bear, it was more interested in gettin a fish, us. There's a salmon hatchery there, an the guides don't try to stop the bears from takin a salmon, when they want one. Took video of the bears an still have it.

Thanks for posting your experience. We're considering this excursion in Alaska as well. We're looking at bear watching tours in Ketchikan and Juneau, so it's very helpful to get your insights. 

On 6/21/2019 at 6:34 PM, nybumpkin said:

Did they pick you up at the port, or did you have to meet them in town? Thanks!

Hidden Iceland picked me up in town. If you're doing a private tour or a roll-call type of tour with them, I believe they'll pick you up directly at the port. 

I recently did the Golden Circle tour and a South Coast tour with Hidden Iceland in Reykjavik. Both small group tours were excellent. The guides were very informative and it was nice to be able to take in all the views without worrying about driving. Our Golden Circle tour included a number of stops including time to enjoy the Secret Lagoon and a farm-to-table lunch at a family-owned tomato greenhouse, which was delicious. Hidden Iceland also offers customized private tours as well. 

I just returned from Iceland recently and did two small group tours with Hidden Iceland. Both the Golden Circle and South Coast tours were outstanding and our guide was very informative. We went off the beaten path to several little-known spots and visited the iconic attractions as well. Very memorable and highly recommended! I agree with using your half-day to explore Reykjavik on your own. Visit the Perlan museum or take a one hour boat trip out to see the puffins. We saw many of them and they're so cute.  

That looks amazing! Thanks so much for sharing. We'll be heading to Flam in a few weeks. What did you do in Bergen and Geiranger? We're really excited about our upcoming Norway Fjords cruise.

Here's a link for MSC's suggested dress code:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=53212942&postcount=8

 

Jeans are perfectly fine in the buffet and also in the MDR. No need for a sports jacket - you'll find some even wear t-shirts to dinner. On 'Elegance' (formal) nights, some will dress up and others won't.

Thanks so much for letting me know, Beamafar! I had read MSC's dress code information earlier, but wasn't sure if if was followed to the letter on the ships - particularly the part about no jeans after 6 p.m. in any public areas on the ship. I wondered whether things were more casual than that onboard Baltic and Norwegian Fjords cruises. Your help is greatly appreciated!

We'll be cruising with MSC for the first time on a Norway Fjords cruise and are wondering what the dress code is like onboard the ship in the evenings. Are jeans acceptable in the buffet dining area? Does everyone dress up throughout the ship on formal nights? Are sports jackets required in the Main Dining Room? We're starting to think about packing lists now and are wondering how much to bring. We generally just travel with carry-on luggage and know we'll need clothes that can be layered for our Norway ports of call. Any insights and tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help!

Has anyone had any experience getting a taxi from Oceankaj to the airport on a Saturday morning? Our ship will be arriving at Oceankaj at 9 a.m. and Costa Favolosa will have already docked at Oceankaj at 8:30 a.m. that morning. Celebrity Silhouette arrives at Langelinie pier at 10 a.m. There are two of us and we will just have carry-on luggage, so we can get off the ship as quickly as possible. We're trying to decide whether to take a taxi or do a ship transfer if we can get on an early bus. Thanks for any insights you can provide!

We caught a train to Schwerin, had to change at Rostock but very easy and quite cheap I think - it was 4 years ago. Schwerin was fabulous, just walked to the castle.

 

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Thanks for letting me know, susu1001! We're really looking forward to going to Schwerin and going to the castle. It looks like there are some renovations going on right now, but I'm sure it will be fantastic. We're hoping to explore Schwerin a bit before heading back to Warnemunde to walk around there. Really looking forward to this cruise!

Thanks for all this wonderful information on Warnemunde. We're looking forward to being there in a few weeks. I've checked out Travelanni's site and Schwerin looks fantastic too, so I think we're going to try to explore both places when our ship is in Warnemunde. Your first-hand insights are greatly appreciated!

Warnemunde is a tourist town and most cafes and restaurants will be open, so no worries there. It is a quaint fishing village, it has a nice promenade to the beach. You can swim, sit in a "Strandkorb" and just decompress for a day. You can climb the lighthouse.

If you get adventurous have a wander around Wismar and eat a fish sandwich purchased dockside from a boat. Wismar is a medieval town, with town arches and many Brick gothic buildings. If you are diligent you can also find a roman bath off on one of the side streets not too far from the Cathedral.

 

Lots to do if you want a leisurely day.

Thanks for these excellent insights, Sauer-kraut. It sounds like Warnemunde could be a nice, relaxing place to spend the day. The beach looks beautiful. I'll check out information on Wismar as well. Your help is greatly appreciated!

The problem for things to do are the Sunday laws in Germany. The Mollie excursion train that begins in Bad Doberan is one suggestion. Visiting Rostock tourist areas is another.

Thanks for these suggestions, Heartgrove! I'll look into those options in greater detail. Your help is much appreciated.