Pantheral

If you don't ride the bike, you can also hike/walk around island, the entire loop is 8.2 miles, but the southern and western sides of the island are much more scenic. IIRC, on the western side about halfway there is a small restaurant that has great ice cream. With regard to Somewhere in Time, truly an under the radar classic. There are many locations from the movie around the island: the hotel (obviously), the meeting tree and the gazebo to name a few. I also found the Fort fascinating.

Jim, first of all, thanks again for your great review. Based on your reviews over the years I have been able to provide the DW with possible cruises of our own!! When will you be arriving here in Milwaukee for your upcoming cruise? My wife was born here and it's been my home since 1981. Happy to answer any questions or make suggestions...

We did private tours in both Messina and Naples. Messina was a van of 6 of us and we went to Taormina where we couple disembark on the opposite of the city from tourist buses and nearer to the amphitheater which is not to be missed. After an informal tour, we drove up the mountain to Castelmola (where the buses cannot travel) where we had an amazing lunch at a small family restaurant. Then it was back to Messina for a quick tour of the town including the Bell Tower at the Cathedral. In Naples we hired a private limo that took us to both Positano and Sorrento in the morning including an incredible pizza lunch in Sorrento, and then Pompei in the afternoon. At Pompei our tour guide hired a private guide and she showed us around 20 different building/sites in the ruins. Those who took the ship's tours only toured the main market and a few other larger buildings, we saw homes, restaurants, brothels, etc. The cost of the Messina tour at the time was comparable to some of the ship's tours. The Naples tour was more, but a) we got a lot more out of it, and b) it was just for the 2 of us. I recall our tour provider could have accommodated up to 6 people which would have made the tour more in line with the ship's tours. Enjoy your trip!

Thanks to everyone for the information!

We are cruising on the Millennium from Anchorage on 6/16. DW enjoys her iced teas, so she is curious what brands and/or flavors of bottled iced teas will be available on board and whether it varies depending on the location on-board. We are in a Sky suite so we will have access to the Retreat Lounge. Any information is greatly appreciated!!!

The Nene can be quite elusive. Best luck we've had in spotting them is on Maui in the uplands around Holi akala in the afternoon when there are less people around.

Thanks for posting the description. In addition to my initial thoughts, the other posters have added great information and make great points. Between Sorrento, Positano and the Pompei archeological site, only Sorrento is likely not to have mobility challenges as it is mostly flat with wide streets/passageways. As mentioned there are numerous stone stairs and steps in Positano as it is built entirely on a hillside on the coast. Other than the central marketplace in Pompei everything is uneven cobblestone pathways with parallel grooves in them for the wheels of carts. Even without mobility challenges, both of these locations are more strenuous than a walk down the a flat street. Hope this is helpful. Best regards for a terrific cruise!

Tried unsuccessfully to find a full description of this tour. Can you please post it here? In general, from experience towns like Positano require navigating a lot of stairs so if your party member struggles with stairs and steps it will probably be a disappointing tour for them.

Mo’orea still ranks #1 on my all-time list, although Santorini is a close second!! IMHO, the greens are greener and the blues bluer on Mo’orea than any other tropic island we've visited.

Forgot to mention after I checked into Murano (Day 6 Recap) walking to the restroom a lady stopped me and asked me to get her a drink. 🧐 She quickly realized I was a fellow passenger and apologized. After using the facilities, on the way back to wait, another lady jumped out of her seat to tell me how great of a job I did today. 🧐 She also quickly realized I was a fellow passenger and said she had a lot to drink and apologized. They both thought I was the Cruise Director. 😂 Not wearing that shirt again this sailing… OK, so enquiring minds are interested in viewing the shirt you were wears so as not to encounter the same issue!!!!!😆

The other big influence on the date line is Kiribati. Since it's a multi-island chain there was an accommodation to keep all the islands on the same day.

I think you will greatly enjoy Reflection. It hasn't been "modernized" and there are plenty of folks who think that is for the better...Its layout is my favorite of any cruise ship I have boarded, there are many wonderful places to go all over the ship and it rarely seems too crowded anywhere except the pool deck on sea days and when there is a popular event in the main atrium. I concur with lola2013, have the partition removed on the balconies. I also would encourage you to seek out a specialty restaurant to your liking for at least one celebratory dinner. Enjoy!!!!

Sydney Harbor is easily some of the most iconic and memorable scenery of our travels!

Nice bourbon line-up!! Haven't seen a bottle of Eagle Rare in our area for quite awhile...

Even with tender priority, I think this would be a stretch, without it, highly unlikely. As others have commented, if you wanted to see all of the areas, I'd recommend booking a private tour. We booked one through Tours By Locals in 2017. We had an excellent tour guide who took us all over the area, including some villages inaccessible by the tour buses. It was 5 of us in a van, tour lasted 5-6 hours and cost per person was competitive with the ship tours. Good luck and enjoy!

"Thank you for following up on this. I am not familiar with Atlantico so I'll have to look into that. On the beverage list they show both Bumbu and Brugal which I am familiar with." Might it have been Diplomatico?

To me, the question by OP is "do I order the filet or the strip steak?". First of all, both are beautiful ships, so it really comes down to preferences and opportunities. The cruise itinerary would factor into my decision as would cabin availability. While Reflection is older, it is anything but old and Apex represents some of the most modern design elements on cruise ships. However, both are well appointed, have many wonderful spaces and great traffic flow. I have never felt crowded on either, except the pool area on Reflection during sea days. Many of previous posters have identified the key differences: style of balconies, restaurant options, Retreat class amenities and their location, etc. To expand on those, Eden and the Magic Carpet are unique spaces that have no equivalent on Reflection. Apex's pool area is bigger, but with the upper deck seating areas on Reflection, it probably has more seating "near" the pool area. If you like a quieter pool experience, the Apex Retreat pool deck is beautiful. Personally, I like the layout of Michaels to the Retreat Lounge, but others differ. The theater in Apex is state of the art with its video screens and allows for more involved production shows. Hope this is helpful and enjoy your cruise!!!

Beer sampler looks great! Did Mr N. find them as delicious as they look?

Thanks for all you efforts in this review! I've never had the fortitude to try a Live review but you have provided a template that I might be able to execute on our Alaska cruise in June!

Thanks for all of your posts taking us along on your amazing journey! The DW is retiring later this spring and it is my hopes I can convince her to do our first B2B cruises either in fall. Having her follow along with you is raising her interest!!!

Enjoy the cocktails! You earned them today!!!

Always has great luck with the lamb at all venues and ships. Standout was the chops at the Lawn Club Grill on Reflection.

We had a group of ten and therefore were seated in the private dining area. Meal was great and as you would expect, we received great, dedicated service. I would agree that the dining atmosphere and noise level can be impacted greatly by whatever activity is happening in the Grand Plaza.

Years ago I was told a joke about the fans of one of my favorite sports teams: Q: "How many of the team's fans does it take to change a lightbulb? A: 50, one to change the bulb and 49 others to talk about how great the old one was!" I am reminded of this joke often when reading reviews/comments on the board. Where things different (and probably better) on the cruises 2,3,5, or 10 years ago, sure. I also have to admit our last cruise was in March 2022, so I cannot personally address some of the recent issues. However, our experience with a Sky Suite on the Edge in March of 2022 was fantastic, mostly for the reasons you have already referenced: food, service and the Retreat. The quiet of the Retreat area was wonderful. If we wanted to be part of the action at the main pool we still could, but we always had the Retreat when we wanted it a bit more mellow. We enjoyed many meals in Luminae, especially having waitstaff who become familiar with your preferences. Add in the extra space in the room with a balcony, amazing Butler and room attendant, the suite's location and the streamlined check-in process and we were extremely satisfied. Depending on your itinerary, this is one other nice perk: priority tendering. Best wishes to you for a wonderful cruise!!

As a disclaimer, we last sailed Reflection in the Med in 2017, so things may have changed in the interim. We thoroughly enjoy our meals at the Lawn Club Grill, especially fun as a group and/or for a special event. Murano is also a great way to celebrate with a more formal dinner and Sushi on 5 is terrific and rarely ever crowded. At one point we enjoyed every bar on the ship depending on the time of day or mood (Sunset bar while leaving port, martini bar for pre-dinner fun, Ensemble Lounge for quiet and jazz...) Silent disco. Sounds and looks strange. Some don't care for it, but most love it once they try it, It's especially fun if they hold it in the Solarium. If you have a suite or Aqua class there are additional venues like Blu and Luminae that are also wonderful. Overall I find the ship's layout to be wonderful for a ship of her size and you rarely will feel crowded anywhere except at our near the Theatre at showtimes. ENJOY!!!