surfer_girl_NJ

On 4/10/2019 at 4:37 PM, mapleleaves said:

you could contact the Consorzio to ask about a price that includes the Grand Canal as a sightseeing extra.   

https://www.motoscafivenezia.it/en/transfers.php 

 

I will look into this also. Thanks : )

22 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

There is plenty of space for luggage on the Alilaguna - you will have no issues should you decide to utilize this option.

FWIW: Gondola rides on the Venice canals other than the Grand Canal are quite lovely - peaceful, serene and, IMHO, a worthwhile experience.

Thank you for the info on Alilaguna luggage situation. If my hubby does not 'spring' for the private water taxi I will most likely use Alilaguna. Also, thanks for the input on the Gondola ride, I will definitely take a ride down a side canal.

15 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

Send me a regular email through our regular e-address (see below in the "signature" section of our post.

I can send you the name of the company we used, and the owner's name.

(IF there is a hard and fast rule about that 2pm, that might not help, but we definitely did it earlier in the day... but that was about 3 years ago or such... not ancient history, but not last month, either.)

 

It WAS worth it, for the extra money.  Although it was "extra", it certainly didn't break the bank, especially given the total cost of such a trip.  We usually splurge on a few "extras" each trip anyway 

 

Ours was a land trip.  But we'd love to have a cruise that ended in Venice, for that sail-in (as long as they still permit them right into the city, for smaller or mid-sized ships, etc.; I don't know what will be allowed in the future).

 

GC

Hi GC

Thanks for the info. I sent you an email. Hopefully you have received it.

Thank you all for your input. I had contacted two companies and It seems, even if I wanted to pay extra for it,  I cannot get a private water taxi to go through the grand canal until after 2 pm if our destination is the cruise port : ( 

Like GC, being our first time here I would have loved to have done this.

Since we will have 2 carrryons and 2 larger pieces of luggage I am not sure how the Alilaguna water bus service will work out. Does anyone know how they handle luggage/ is there space for it?

I'll be looking into taking a gondola ride...maybe down one of the side canals to avoid the congestion on the grand canal during the day. It is on my bucket list even though I am sure it is not what they 'hype' it up to be.

Thanks dogs4fun for the great links. I think we will also be using the vaporetto at least once to get to the Rialto Market. I am hoping Celebrity has a water shuttle to St. Mark's square.

Hi

Looking for information from anyone who has done this. Looking to take a private water taxi from Marco Polo airport to the cruise terminal. Date of travel would be Oct 10th and arrival time of flight would be around 9 am.

1) What was the cost?

2) Did you purchase prior or at the airport?

3) Did they take you through the Grand Canal?

4) Did they drop you off at the P. Roma stop or take you into into the cruise terminal (avoiding the people mover).

5) Suggestions on company to use

6) Was it worth the cost?

Thanks

Hi Cooljay

Did a similar cruise last year. We stayed in rome at the Casa Bonus Pastor Monastery for 2 nights $335 us dollars. Very clean, quiet and near local bus stop (right outside hotel). 2 Euros for bus ticket takes you right into heart of Rome..walking distance to everything (colosseum, trevi, spanish steps, etc.). Hotel is in walking distance to Vatican.

We took a tour with walks of italy to vatican...excellent. Do the underground tour of colosseum if you can. Used Stefano's romeCabs for transportation to port for 110 euros. No issues, very friendly driver.

Lots of walking so wear comfortable shoes.

Be aware of pickpockets...use a moneybelt or pocketbook that is slash proof. We had no issues but keep our eyes open and stayed away from crowds as much as possible (trevi fountain and spanish steps are always crowded). We had no issue on the bus because it was a local bus line ...not many tourist on it to be targeted.

Have fun!

We have air with Celebrity and their transfer to airport and our flight time is 10:50. You should have no problems.

Since you surf did anyone standup Paddleboard?

I did not see anyone but I was off of the ship most of the time doing other activities.

We just sailed on the WindSurf from Civitavecchia to Venice and noticed quite a few cases of water loaded with guest's luggage. I drink a LOT of water and the (glass) bottles of water on the ship were fine but we had three cases of Aquafina in one suitcase (100 lbs) taken to our stateroom. No problems.

 

 

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Hummm :confused: ... maybe I'll just bring a drinker bottle or two and fill them from the glass bottle water.

I think Skitrips posted that, lol. But I'm actually a surfer girl too but in Cali. Of course there are waves in NJ, lol. I used to ride short boards, but now ride a 7 foot board. No way would I ride a 30 foot wave, as I would die. I've been in 15 foot waves here in the winter and barely survived. Fast ride though.

The biggest one I rode was a 10 footer...was doing fine and then bam....all I remember is surfacing and the other surfers around me asking if I was ok. I just got back on my board and paddled back to shore. Still to this day I am not sure what happened. 6-7 foot boards are the shortest I ride. How do you balance on the shorties? I can't...guess I am getting old!

I can tell you the Motu Picnic tour on Huahine gets very high reviews. I know because I was on TripAdvisor researching different off-cruise tours for Huahine and decided to go with Poetaina Day Tours. I contacted them to book a tour that day and found out we couldn't because they are actually the provider of the Windstar Motu Picnic excursion. So we have now booked that through Windstar. You can look at the reviews of Poetaina Day Tours on TripAdvisor to learn about that tour.

 

We were originally considering a tour on the island of Tahiti on our last day, but a little research showed that there were some very worthwhile things to do right near the port and the hotel where we have our day room. So here's what we're planning to do:

 

Have our luggage transported to Le Meridien and stay in Papeete for a few hours to do some souvenir shopping at the big public market and pearl stores. After lunch at the market, we will go to back to our day room at Le Meridien and walk to the Museum of Tahiti and the Isles, which is only 2-3 blocks from the hotel. If we have time, we may also take a taxi to Marae Arahurahu, a 20 minute drive south of the hotel on the main beach road. It's the best restored and most important archeological site on the island.

After checking out of the room (I was told you need to check out by 6pm), we will walk south from the hotel about 5 minutes to the two roulottes (food trucks) at the beach in Punaauia for dinner and the 6:00 sunset. One of the roulottes is called Creperie le Margouillat and is supposed to have great dinner crepes and dessert crepes. A final drink at the hotel bar and it's time for 8:00 pick up to go to the airport and fly home.

Thanks for all the great info. Normally I start planning a year in advance for our trips and do a ton a research. This time around the stars happened to line up and this is a last minute trip for us. I am trying to get as much research done quickly as possible. Your final day plans sound great and I will definitely check into this. Also, thanks for the info on the Huahine trip. I will look at those reviews. I have also looked at the reviews for each of the islands on CC and it also got good reviews.

Oops this was meant for skit rips

Trying to do this on a small device

Hi Surfer_Girl (is there surfing in NJ?)

 

If you're a surfer girl, have you thought about an excursion to Teahupo'o the morning of the 14th? That's the home of the 30+ foot waves Laird Hamilton first surfed with the help of a jet ski entry. You might find it interesting.

 

I can't recommend any of the excursions you're considering as we haven't taken any (although we have been to Tahiti before). However since your proposed excursions seem to be snorkeling heavy and your husband has problems snorkeling, might he/you be interested in an ATV, jet ski tours, or a combination of the two? A guide and no more than four client vehicles.

 

I have been in communication with Matira Jet Tours and they've offered me some pretty attractive pricing [38,000 XPF (about $340) for both tours for two persons sharing a single ATV and jet ski]. Matira has gotten some pretty impressive reviews on Trip Advisor (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g311415-d3668165-Reviews-Matira_Jet_Tour-Bora_Bora_Society_Islands.html) if you want to check them out. And they have availability on Sep. 18 (our arrival date in Bora Bora).

 

We're considering the Anapa Pearl Farm Tour on Raiatea, and the Vallee de la Vanille Tour on Taha'A. Also want to make it to Bloody Mary's in Vaitipe one day for drinks. My wife is a big fan of snorkeling, so we'll probably end up doing one or two excursions involving snorkeling. I'm planning on a good amount of time on Tahiti's incredible beaches. We're planning on 4 days at the Moorea la Ora Beach Sofitel Hotel after the cruise.

 

If anyone out there has recommendations regarding any of these, we would appreciate hearing! Thanks in advance. :D

Hi JaniLuvs2Travel

LOL yes there is surfing in NJ. Not sure I want to take on 30+ waves.:eek: I surf a Longboard, 9'1" , and I like 3-5 footers. I saw his ride...yikes!...not for me!

I will look into the ATV...not fan of jet skis. I have been on them before and did not find them all that much fun but that is just me.

Thanks for the input. See you on board :)

We are going on this cruise in December and first time to FP and Wind Star. My DH also has sealing issues while snorkeling so I ordered him the full face mask off Amazon. I want him to try it out in the lake to make sure it works. Will let you know. I booked a private snorkeling/motu picnic excursion in Bora Bora with Lagoon Services and it's pricey. But we may never be there again, and want it to be special. I wanted to go with Patrick's but it was too much for private. You are going before me, so you can let us know what not to miss.

Yes please let me know how he liked the mask. I am also looking into them. I will check out Lagoon Services...thanks for the tip.

I will post about our trip when we get back. I am sooooo excited!

Can only answer one of your questions since we'll be on this cruise 8/24/17.

 

Since we cannot board the Spirit until 1:00 PM, we're taking a morning half day tour of the East Coast of Tahiti with Tracy Thomas - Uniquetahiti.Com from 8:15 AM - 1:00 PM. They'll pick us up at the hotel and return us to the same and then we'll transfer to the ship. While waiting the half day following the cruise, at the hotel, we're just going to enjoy the hotel grounds, pool etc.

 

Can't help with scuba but with regards to snorkeling, I just purchased one of the full face masks for snorkel usage which would help with the mustache problem. :)

 

Your excursions look interesting, we booked private tours everywhere except Tahaa. I assume you've seen notices regarding the Coral Garden Drift that one should be a strong swimmer!

Thanks for your input. I will be checking out Tracy. A half day tour may just be the perfect thing to do before boarding the ship. I am sure this is my only time to FP and I want to get everything in humanly possible. If I come back exhausted from my vacation I know I had a good time ;)

I am checking into the full face mask. Our last trip we took a few people were using them and had no complaints.

What private tours did you book? I am looking into ocean adventures at moorea to swim with the whales.

Hi Everyone

To all of those seasoned windstar cruisers :D can you give me some input on the following excursions? If you have taken them or if you have taken a similar 'private' excursion and with whom. We are most likely not going to take the internet package so once on board we would have no way of contacting independent vendors. Has this been an issue with anyone.

Also, I'd love to do the discover scuba. Has anyone done this? Also, my DH has issues with his mustache, leaks when we snorkel and he has to continually empty the mask. Any suggestions other than shave or use vaseline (won't shave :eek: and has tried vaseline)? He would love to try this but is hesitant because of the leaking mask.

And one last thing, what have you done on Tahiti on the day of the cruise and the post day while waiting for the midnight flight back? We have the hotel package with windstar for those days.

Much thanks in advance.

Moorea: Snorkel Safari

Raiatea: Anapa Pearl Farm or Harvest Your Own Pearl

Tahaa: Coral Garden Drift Snorkeling

Bora Bora: AquaSafari or Snorkel Safari & Stingray Encounter

Huahine: Motu Picnic or Snorkeling Expedition

Cabins do go on sale as you get close to the sailing date, but then you're (a) taking the risk that airfare will be expensive or flights unavailable, and (b) taking the risk that you;ll be stuck with a less desirable cabin that's right by the engine room, staircase, etc.. It's also an inconvenience and added expense to have to arrange your own transfers, and those can add up. Just food for thought.

Yes, flights were a major concern for us. We also need to book a flight from the east coast to get to LAX. I was able to get the flight to LAX for a good price so we booked the cruise with the air/hotel package. This will be our first experience cruising with having multiply flights and hotels involved.

Am first time CC poster also. I think your pricing is "retail" [regular pricing for a B category cabin is $3,799 +$101 for taxes (port charges are included)]. However if you've already booked, your price is what it is. We booked air 4 months ago when Air Tahiti Nui offered LAX/AKL fares for under $1K w/free stopover in PPT for up to 25 days (this length of a free stopover has only happened twice before to my knowledge). Thus we were able to build in enough of a PPT stopover to take advantage of the Sep. 14 W/S cruise if cruise only pricing dropped (regularly $2.999 for a B category cabin). And then it did, as you know, on May 11. Unfortunately for us there were no B category cabins available at the time. But there were BX cabins, and that's what we were able to book. $200 more/person but our agent was able to give us $100/person in on board credits. The W/S package doesn't give you a last night's hotel room. Rather, you get day use of a room pending your normal P.M. departure back to LAX (assuming that's what you are doing). But it does give you a first night's hotel room we had to purchase. But given your arrival time in PPT, all you need is a clean room close to the airport so you don't have to pay $45 or so in round trip transfers. We were able to book the Tahiti Airport Motel for $93 including a continental breakfast for two. So hopefully this should give you some idea of pricing for comparison. Did you book Sep. 14? If so we'll see you on board!

Yes we did book for the 14th. See you on board :)

Yes, all available and included. If you tell your cabin steward what you like your refrigerator will be well stocked.

 

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Wonderful....on larger cruise ships I have found it is very difficult to get anything even if you are willing to pay extra for it.

Can you get/order fruit juices (pineapple, OJ or cranberry) from the bars or from room service?

Take a look on the Windstar website and in the Terms and Conditions, it explains what their Price Assurance Policy is, the number to call and what different options Windstar can choose to offer you.

Windstar chooses.

This way, you can book a cruise early, get the cabin etc. you want, and they will honour any price-drop with this price assurance policy.

You just have to be aware that you may lose some of the initial offers given at the time you first booked.

It's worked for us regarding the cruise we have booked.

Thanks. I just printed out the info. Fingers crossed for a price drop but either way I am ecstatic that I am going to take this cruise :D

Once you book, do keep an eye on the price. We're doing this cruise on 8/24/17 and did receive a $600 drop in price several months ago. You'll also note on the Windstar website that several cruises, with this itinerary, have some current significant price reductions. I am assuming that these dates have not sold as quickly as others.

In addition, I learned on CC that if there is a price reduction even after your final payment, Windstar does have the option to upgrade your cabin (deck one to deck two, or offer OBC, a nice touch not usually offered by other cruise lines.

Thanks. I'll definitely check the website weekly.

Agreed that is a nice touch to offer options after full payment. The last cruise on a larger line I booked with dropped the price 1 day after final payment was made and offered nothing. To cancel and rebook would have negated any savings. : (

Fare sounds reasonable. I'd get TA to break it down so if WS has a crazy reduction before you sail you can get TA to get OBC for you. If you wait then you may not get airfare deal. We book when we think price is fair and then monitor for drastic changes.

 

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Thanks for the great advice. I will book now and get a break down and keep an eye on the price.

The $1799 noted by 6rugrats doesn't include taxes, fees, and port expenses - it is the posted price on Windstar's web page and in small print notes that taxes, fees, and port expenses are not included. The quote from your TA probably does include these types of fees.

I checked with my TA and the price she quoted does include all taxes and fees. Thanks for heads up.

Thanks for the input : )