carlmm

I didn't see any mention of audio guides or the possibility of joining an English speaking guided tour.

 

Just scroll down far enough on https://www.coopculture.it/en/colosseo-e-shop.cfm and you will get to the audioguide option (add € 6).

Guided English tours are offered for the underground and the belvedere https://www.coopculture.it/en/events.cfm?id=6

I second the idea that Barcelona is the best option as you are staying there and there are city beaches reachable by bus in just a few minutes. (Even walkable.)

If your are looking for swimming during the cruise:

Marseille as some city beaches, too, very popular with local french people, nice, white sands, bars. These are close to the city, a few kilometers to the East and easily reachable by public bus, too. Yet the new cruise port you might dock is several kilometers to the West of Marseille. Thus these beaches are more of an option if you want to combine sightseeing and swimming.

In Civitavecchia there is at least one beach very close to the port, right on the way to the railway station. Yet this is a rather simple one. Nicer ones are to be found further to out, especially to the south.

...our one and only Cunard cruise.....It is a joke of a system,....Without those you would have anytime dining like all other cruiselines.

You sailed once with Cunard and found you prefer other lines - perfect for you.

I and many others sail Cunard year after year and find the Cunard traditional way eg fixed seating just great and the way it should be - perfect for us.

Thank you, Coathanger, this is very helpful!

The train to Lucca is indeed a good option. Just an advice: Choose a connection before on http://www.trenitalia.com/ and be early to allow for potential delays.

Currently there are no direct trains from Pisa to Lucca between 10.20 and 12.20. Being delayed from Livorno to Pisa we once missed our planned train to Lucca. We did not want to wait for two hours and took a taxi from Pisa to Lucca for about 80 Euros.

Kotor itself has a lot to offer and is a charming village (less over rhe years due to the increasing number of tourists and commercialisation but still).

I would recommend just to walk around, get a guide book before or even just a free map from the tourist info right outside the main gate.

Worth to see a cathedrale, its museum, many other churches, the kind of city museum and just the life and scenery.

In Ajaccio many sights and museums concentrate on Napoleon. Personaly I found the hous/Museum where he was Born less fascinating but it draws many visitors.

If you are interested in art I higly recommend the Musee Fesch. If I remember correctly it is even free of charge. Masterpieces include Tizian and many more.

There are two main, and very different Areas, for leisurely walks:

The old town Le Suquet is on a hill to the West of the pier and the modern part. Old quirky streets and an old chateau/castel can be found here. The castle hosts the Musée de la Castre and offers marvelous views.

The modern part is the on with with the glamour. Next to the beach the Boulevard de la Croisette is the place to see and to bee seen. Hotels, bars, restaurants, shops but also small parks.

Le Havre might not be your typical European port with many old buildings but it nevertheless an interesting City on ist own right. It is WORLD HERITAGE SITE thus it is sad that so many people diminish it.

There is a hop on hop off that takes you on a city but one can walk easily, too.

Having been vastly destroyed in world war II, much of the city centre was newly built to the plans by August Perret. The architecture is most interestingly, all in concrete but very different and much to the scale of humanity. A specific highlight is the Eglise St. Joseph.

Historic buildings to be visited are mainly the cathedrale and the Musée Maison de L'Armateur, a wealthy merchant home from 1790. The later is in a neigherborhood right next to the centre part with some more older buildings.

Murano and Burano are often done together. This way you optimize the anyway long travel time on the vaporetti.

Yet to sqeeze all sights around St Marks square into just a few hours would not allow to really see and experience them.

Is this your first time in Venice? If so, I would not waste all the time to go to the remote islands at all, but enjoy Venice proper. There is more than enough to see and do for weeks!

There are NO on the spot shared minivan tours in all Mediterranean ports.

In the absoluteness (...NO... all...) this is wrong, of course...

One example where there are several on the spot options is Katakolon. Just walk off the ship and there are several operators who offer tours to Olympia starting for just 10€ (two years ago). In Olympia we were given the option to enter the museum and/or the excavation site on our own or to take part in a guided tour outside.

I also saw people offering tours in Kotor and Sarande but did not use them.

Yet, in general public transportation and just walking are perfect options in Europe.

Indeed, this is helpful. Thank you very much.

Also, I like to thank you for you chapter about decorum on your web page. If just everybody would behave respectful.

Cunard is quite generous in allowing for example hair straighteners. Several other items are not allowed, including a number of items some people on this board like to bring or even recommend to bring.

In the section "Safety aboard" the rules are given.

"Passengers are not permitted to bring onboard irons, kettles or appliances with heating elements, however hair dryers, straighteners and curling tongs are permitted. Electrical chargers, adaptors and e-cigarette charging devices are to be CE marked and should not be left unattended or left charging overnight or when the cabin is unoccupied. Personal Extension Leads are not permitted onboard unless to be used with essential medical equipment (e.g. CPAP and nebuliser machines). These will be checked for electrical safety along with your piece of medical equipment prior to sailing. Surge protected extension leads are not accepted in any circumstances as they interfere with the ship's electrical distribution."

To answer your question: Yes, I have enough Internet time.

Being a diamond member, too, I never use up my minutes.

Further more, on my last cruise, I did not use a single minute.

Internet access is really a very low priority while being on the seas. (And everybody in and out of office knows that I am on vacation. Point. Not reachable. Away.)

Like Shuffleboard Dude I would rather see some other improvements if any.

Cunard's US web site is quoting a pre-voyage coach transfer from Heathrow to the ship for $80 per person. The rate for a coach transfer from Gatwick to the ship is $100 per person. There are no Cunard transfers offered from London City Airport. Other coach transfer options are from Victoria Coach station for $40 per person and St Pancras train station also for $40 per person.

 

The stated latest scheduled flight arrival time for the Cunard coach transfer from either Heathrow or Gatwick is 11:30am.

Thank you very much for this comprehensive answer!

Can somebody help?

Are the rates the same for the opposite direction? I.e. Heathrow to Southampton?

What is the latest time a flight can come into LHR to be offered a coach transfer?

Are transfers offered from the London City Airport, too?

thanks for that info - I will have to ask them to leave the fridge open on the last day as I am type 2 diabetic and take insulin daily and that needs to be kept in the fridge!

I store medication in the fridge,too, and it never happend to me, that the fridge was shut. Actually, it never occured to me that this could be done. It's your cabin until you leave.

Probably dress variations and accordingly the on board ambiance vary by itinerary, ship, passengers’ background and maybe other factors.

Quite in contrast to a Caribbean cruise on the Equinox last year, I found the passengers on this year’s South East Asia cruise on the Constellation much more dressed up. From my observation I would guess maybe about 10% of men in tuxedos/dinnerjackets, certainly more than 50% in suits and ties. Ladies showed a variety of dresses from cocktail to full length.

Borocay is pretty laid back. Miles of beach and bars and whatever. No need to pre-book things. We just roamed the shops, had fruit drinks, people watched and had a massage rather than hanging out at the beach.

If I recall I think we used the ship's shuttle and got dropped off at McD's.

Lots of activities but you will have to research what interests you.

Thank you for your insights!

Thank you for the review!

Ho chi Minh- we did on your own-excursion with the ship. Worked out great. 6 hours in Ho Chi Minh. Better to take the ship excursion here. I didn't find anything better when it comes to price and possibility to spend maximal time in the city. You can see all the main sights on your own.

 

If you have some questions I'll be happy to answer.

I am booked on this excursion and have a question, please.

Did you need Viernamese currency for the museums, drinks etc? Or which one? Is it easily possible to exchange money right there?

I would lie to inquire about Borocay. Can anybody help with information

- if there are tours available at the port

- prebookable, but not private tours (i.e. I do not need a guide to myself but are happy with a non-ship group excursion one can book into)

- about a shuttle / transportation to White Beach ?

Let's say at least there are companies who are able to provide all the necessary information and who do take responsibiliy when they offer cruises to destinations requiring visas. Thus I do need to disagree with most of you. Celebrity could and should care.

As an example in my printed brochure from Cunard there is a list of all countries visited detailing out the visa requirements if any. Sure with the caveat that you should get additional information if you hold dual passports or a passport from a country other the target market of the bochure. But for "standard" customers, in this case from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, all visa requirements are provided.

Even more, once booked, you get online a tailored and if necessary updated list of immigation rules.

Why can't Celebrity provide the information eg for Americans buying a cruise in the US, their home market?

After a day in port, there is barely enough time to get showered and dressed for 7.30 cocktails and music.

On sea days, I might stay at the pool late and again there is barely enough time to get showered and dressed for 7.30 cocktails and music. If ready earlier, there is usually live music already from 7.00 in at least one of the bars. And of course there is always dancing in teh Queens Room.

....

According to this

If they only keep the interior intact.

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience of evening flights and whether transfer was in the morning, or if there were other options such as staying on the ship longer or excursions that drop you at the airport?

In recent years Cunard indeed offered late transfers for people with late flights. In addition to early morning transfers there were transfers at times like 12, 2, 4 pm. One was allowed to stay onboard and use the facilites but of course not the cabin.

No gurarantee for what will happen this year, though.