CruisingGatorGirl

Thank you all for the recommendations and advice. CruiseCritic is the best website!

First off, loved your previous European cruise review! I read and re-read many parts as we planned our last trip to Europe on the Equinox! We now leave in October on the sillouhette out of Rome, 14 night holy land/greece.

 

I thought rome was overwhelming when looking at hotels. We decided on casa campo di fiori. Seemed central location, walking distance, not too expensive, but clean. We are mid 30s and love to walk, but wanted to not waste too much time walking or riding in taxis. We also booked a food tour with bruno that sounds really fun for the one night we are staying post-cruise.

Thank you so much for the nice words! Our previous trip was easier to plan because we used my dads hotel points :) I hope you have a wonderful trip!... I know you will!

There are so many factors involved when looking for a hotel in Rome (or Europe for that matter)….. I use these 3 every time I look for a hotel (Rome or otherwise)

 

1. WHEN are you going ? PRICE - There is high, low and mid season. Prices vary ALOT from one to the other. So always state your dates you are visiting. If you are giving referrals - do not give info on prices unless you stayed around the same time as this can confuse the OP even more when they can't get the same price as you did because it is in a different "season"

 

2. LOCATION ? The closer you get to the good stuff the more you will spend. Also, remember if you suggest a hotel that is "a ways out…" and you have 6 days to spend in Rome - that works. But if you only have 2 days and your list of must dos/sees is long - it is better to stay closer in. Its simple logistics. Many hotels will list how far/how long to walk to the various sites…. look around the website for it. And get a good map - mark in red the sites you want to see/visit and then in green the various hotels you are thinking about booking.

 

3. AMENITIES ? Hotels in Rome are a very different animal than those in USA. The rating system (stars) has more to do with WHAT is offered than HOW NICE it is…… If you want quiet - stay a bit further out or in a more residential neighborhood…… Rome can be a bit noisy in the center. There are exceptions if you have a room say on the back of a hotel away from the street/piazza. Also ask if there is a restaurant/bar in close proximity as those can be really noisy later into the wee hours of the morning especially if they have outdoor seating.

 

As a side note: If you are staying in Rome 3 or more nights - consider an apartment. You can save BIG BIG $$$$$. Plus you get more room usually with a full kitchen etc. One of my favorite things to do after checking in is to head to the nearest grocery (they are tucked in everywhere in the historic area) and buy items for breakfast and snacks. I love having my coffee and danish/breakfast in my jammies and then head out for the day. We have stayed in 2 apartments in central Rome and plan to again next April for our next visit pre cruise.

 

ps: Hotel Golden is a favorite of many cruisers but it is out of the way imo and doesn't have much charm. But clean and cheap (well for Rome)

Thank you for the advice! Here are the answers to your questions, if this helps anyone :)

1.) We would be staying this nights of May 19th and 20th, 2015. I think this is mid season?

2.) We are here only 2 nights, we think location will be important

3.) A/C and hot water, we don't mind not having a lift. We can carry our luggage upstairs. (of course it would be nice, just not required for us)

THANK YOU all again!

We will be on the Reflection next May and are trying to decide whether to do Santorini on our own or take a tour from the ship. Has there been any change with the tendering process? It seems to be about 50/50 on whether to do our own thing or a ship tour.

 

This thread is a little old but I did not want to start a new one.

I am glad you commented on this as I am interested too! We will be on the Equinox in May :)

As of now, our plan is to rent ATV's in Fira and ride them to Oia to explore. We both are experienced ATV's drivers. However that could change...

Will be looking for the replies! :D

How many nights and dates?

Hi!

2 nights, May 19th and May 20th (2015)

Thank you for the help everyone!

Our goal was to stay under $400, but realizing we may have to bump that up now?

Thank you all for the replies! I have a busy day at work today, hopefully tonight I can log back on and check all hotels out!

WOW! Thank you all so much, this was very helpful. I think I just need to get a map out, make the triangle, mark all the sights and go from there :) Good news is I have time on my side... We leave in 300ish days.

Thank you all, I look forward to more responses!

Hi CruisingGatorGirl - I'm not sure I understand what you mean by making your phone international - do you mean you will purchase a data roaming package for Europe?

 

To use apps like Yelp or TripAdvisor on the fly, when you're walking around in Mykonos for example, you will need a data roaming package. For us, here in Canada, a data roaming package for Europe is very expensive, but it may not be with your provider. But I'm not sure it's really necessary. You have a number of other options.

 

You could buy a Wifi packaage on board the ship and then use TripAdvisor or Yelp etc. before you head off the ship.

 

Or, and this is what we did, you can get Apps like MapsWithMe, or OffMaps2 (there are many that are similar) - and download the maps you need to your iPhone before you leave home (like Mykonos).

 

Or yes you can use Google Maps. I used Google Maps in Venice. I loaded my presaved map of Venice on to my iPhone while on board the ship, using the Wifi package we had. Once we were in Venice, Google maps showed me where I was at all time, and if we were heading in the right direction (we often were not :) ). My husband preferred using MapsWithMe or OffMaps2.

 

Once you have the maps on your phone, when you're walking around in a port the iPhone's GPS will know where you are when you're looking at the map - you don't need data roaming or Wifi for this.

 

I hope this all makes sense!

This was VERY helpful, thank you!

Hi all, I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

I am asking for help with a hotel in Rome. When I go on trip advisor I get totally overwhelmed. I was able to find some good suggestions from CC members on the Spain board for Barcelona, and now looking for Rome :)

So, to the amazing CC members! Where have you stayed in Rome pre-cruise that you would recommend? Our number 1 requirement is location, then price. My husband and I are young and "walkers." We enjoy being able to explore a city via foot (we take metros too, just like walking for the exercise).

Ideally we would like to stay under $200 a night, more around $120-$160. However we would go up to $200 if the place was right.

So far I found from the hundreds on TA:

Hotel Grifo

Hotel Aventino

Hotel Golden

Napoleon Hotel

Any experience?

Thank you in advance!

Thank you all for the replies!

As the title states, do you tip the instructors for the fitness classes? What about a private session?

I ask because on my last cruise I signed up for yoga ($12) and I was the only one who showed up, I ended up getting a private yoga session. I didn't think to tip the instructor at the time.

On our next cruise I plan to take more fitness classes, what is typical for tipping the instructors? Is that the "norm?"

Thank you in advance, have a great weekend!

Thank you!

Thank you! I will save all this information :)

Perhaps the hotel staff can help too.

We have booked PK Tours for our transfer in September, we would have loved to do a full day tour but we are splurging elsewhere :( I have heard that the guides they use are phenomenal though and that they are well worth it for the Acropolis portion.

 

Anyway, I'm being nosey but I see that your itinerary has you in Istanbul. We booked Private Ephesus Tours (their web address is the same but no 'e' in private) for our Ephesus tour but they also do Istanbul tours. They have been WONDERFUL to deal with and they are very affordable. The cost of the tour includes a driver and a private licensed guide. If you haven't looked into Istanbul yet I highly recommend these guys, they have been a dream to work with so far and have good reviews. I'll do my own review on the Celebrity board once we've actually had the tour.

 

P.S. Your med report was the first thing I read when we started planning our own cruise and the info was invaluable so thank you!

Thank you for the information! Yes, they did tell me we could book a guide just for the Acropolis section, maybe we will do that :)

Thank you for the recommendation for Istanbul! Istanbul is probably the port I am most looking forward too!

And, thank you so much! I will look forward to your review :D I am hooked on reading them! I still have to write a review from our honeymoon.

Here is what you're looking for.

http://www.bougatsa-chania.gr/index-uk.html

Great, thank you!

Thank you both for the replies!

If anyone is a No Reservations fan, I easily found the shop where Anthony Bourdain enjoyed a breakfast treat of bougasta. It wasn't as delicious as I hoped but was glad to try it out, the pastry was amazingly flaky. Again a short walk away from the old port.

 

 

I know this is an old thread, would you mind sharing more about this? We saw the episode and would love to go! Can you please share the name, and maybe directions?

Thank you!

Thank you all for the reviews! We are considering booking PK for a private tour. Do you think the licensed guide is necessary? We do not mind paying for one if it will greatly enhance our experience. However, wouldn't mind saving money too :rolleyes:

Thoughts?

Thank you!

Hi all, and good morning! (If you live on the east cost of US ;))

As the title says, we are looking for a store similar to the Monoprix in Paris. Monoprix is like a Target or WalMart where you can buy groceries, beauty products, socks, undergarments, umbrella etc.

I would like to buy shampoo, conditioner, body wash, wine, candies/treats, granola bars, socks, undies, etc. once in Rome.

I know it sounds silly, but we bought socks and underwear while in Paris at the monoprix because we ran out. Now, those are my favorite socks because of the memories!

I would like to buy simple, cheap items like that in Rome.

Also, to help with weight on flying, I would like to buy all my hair products over in Italy prior to cruise.

Thank you for any help!

-Ashley

(I did a brief search on google but only found department type stores (like Macy's) that carry expensive brands- we just need inexpensive items)

I hope I am not the only one that likes simple, basic items bought over seas to bring back HAHA ;):D:o

Thank you for the wonderful review! We plan on DIY when we were in Mykonos.

I have a question regarding the iPhone.

We are thinking of making one of ours international just the month we will be gone. Can you use the google maps/map that comes with the phone just like you would at home? We also are big Yelp and TripAdvisor people (like you , it sounds :)) will those work abroad?

Say we are in Mykonos and want to find a good restaurant near by, can we just pull up Yelp?

We would NOT be using our iPhones to call home/e-mail/etc, we WOULD be using them for the map feature and Yelp/Trip Advisor

Thank you in advance :)

looking for a Marriott hotel pre celebrity cruise. Why Marriott??? Because we have points and try and collect points. However, we do want to be in the center of Barcelona, so ?

 

Would anyone one have a suggestion re a Marriott hotel? Many thanks.

We stayed at the Hotel Arts Barcelona, a Rtiz Carlton, and were able to use Marriott points :)

From our experience, the taxi drivers in Barcleona knew more French than English :) I know some French and I was able to communicate better than with English. My husband knows some Spanish so between the 2 of us we got it figured out and the taxi driver had a good laugh with us :D

Does it state anywhere on your confirmation that you getting the 25 bonus CC points?

 

My travel agent added this new 123go to our existing booking so we are happy but he too had to call Celebrity to get it worked out and I was emailing him back and forth all day!

 

Thanks

No. I called back Captains Club. She said it showed on her end I will get the 25 bonus points, after we sail. She did admit they are having a hard time with promo bonus points and they have to manually enter them in. She said a couple weeks after we get back if it is still not showing to call. Our cruise is a year away so hopefully I remember then :)

It's like a feeding frenzy...

 

 

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I was thinking the same thing! My agent at X sounded exhausted! Probably a very long day for them.

We scored on this promo.

Our price stayed the same for May 2015. We now have $475 OBC ($175 from early deployment, $300 123GO!) and free gratuities and the 25 bonus points!

Now we can go to Murano :D:D:D

I booked onboard 2 weeks ago for May 2015 Europe sailing. Since I can now get 2 perks for a European sailing and I Already had $300 as my first perk OBC can I add gratuities to it. We don't drink enough to make drink package worth it for us. I'm reading this thread I don't see anyone choose gratuities and OBC as the two perks?

Thanks

I am on the phone with X now as I type :)

We are picking OBC and gratuities. We do not drink a lot either. We are also combining with our existing OBC of $175

edit: she has to call the resolution department to get it combined. Fingers crossed for no issues!

Did you find that the cruise ship "shut down" by 11? I've been reading that in a lot when people mention Celebrity...though I'll do all of this worrying just to have us fall asleep by 10 every night!

Well we had 2 different experiences.

First, it will be very different than the 4 day, Bahamas, booze-cruises I go on with my friends for a party (Carnival, RCL, etc.). Celebrity will never have that true party, in the "club" until 4 am (which we may or may not have done on my bachlorette party ;)).

On our MED cruise, we were so exhausted from touring Europe all day we found ourselves heading to the cabin pretty early. When you have to get up at 6:45 am and see all of Rome in 8 hours it is tiring.

We went to the Caribbean for our honeymoon on the Celebrity Equinox this past December. We did stay up later than the Med. "I" did not personally see anybody really dancing (like in a bar or club on Carnival) but there were folks dancing in the atrium area. The "hot spots" we noticed were the martini bar and molecular bar. These 2 bars did stay open later, the Martini bar plays music late. We liked the molecular bar and became friends with several of the entertainers on board. Yes, Celebrity DOES attract an older customer base. The staff were our age :rolleyes: We met up with a group of the entertainers several nights for drinks and chit-chat.

With all that being said, if my husband and i want to cruise for a "nicer" experience we sail on X. If we want to party up (go with a group of friends) like we are still in college, we go on Carnival and RCL. They are just 2 different types of cruises... if that makes sense? Food is important to my husband, we find the food better on X, we find the service better. Overall, we like everything better on X. The only thing X is missing is a "party/club" feel. If it is important for you to dance until 2 am, X might not be for you. If you want a nice vacation for you and your husband, I think you would like X.

Sorry for the long winded response, I am tired. Hope this all made sense :) let me know if you have more questions and I would be glad to help!

Hi Jordan, welcome back and thanks for the review. I originally

started your roll call but ended up changing my plans.....glad you

had a good cruise though:)......I went to the Med back in 2012.....

Maybe I will be able to go again in 2015.

You should join us on the Equinox in May next year :)

Thanks for the questions.

 

We had about an hour and a half in Oia. A little longer would have been nice, but it was enough. The winery was good for a snack and a little break, but we did not particularly like the wine. The winery does have nice views. We were let off in Thira with many hours to go. The last tender did not leave Thira until 9:15. We were on the 8:45 tender, and had spent a lot of time in Thira--time to walk around, time to linger over dinner as the sun set, and plenty of time to get through the cable car line and down to the tender. While I do not remember the exact time we arrived in Thira, I would say we spent 3-4 hours there. The cable car line varied in length--it was longer earlier in the evening, and shorter later. It was not a problem at all. If you were to rent ATVs to explore the island, though, I am not sure I would take an excursion.

 

As to weather--we had perfect weather. We were not sure if we would be more warm or more cool. For us, it was more warm, but not so hot that the tours of Ephesus and Athens were hard. We did wear shorts in every port except Istanbul, and that was more for going into mosques than for the weather. We were concerned that going later in the year it could be really hot, and in truth, we really lucked out. It was even warm enough to lie out by the pool on the sea days. A typical day was blue skies and 72. Calm seas the entire time.

 

We did not take the ship's Bosporus cruise. We took one that sold tickets and left from the area between the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. It was the Grand Boat Line, and it cruised the Golden horn and the Bosporus up to the second bridge. Our reservation voucher refers to Bezak Travel. Looking back, this was a highlight of the entire trip.

Thank you so much for the answers. Sounds like beautiful weather. I will hope for the best!

My husband and I, both 28 (well he will be 28 in a couple weeks), love Celebrity because of the food, relaxation, and boutique/swanky style decor. If you are interested in seeing Celebrity through the eyes of someone in their 20's you can read my review in my signature :D. We just booked our 3rd X cruise. (I have sailed on Carnival and RCL previously). We started cruising Celebrity when we were 26. I find the food, relaxation, and decor better on X. Celebrity will not have the "party" vibe, which I am OK with! We love children, but not on our cruises.

After dinner we would hit the martini bar, molecular bar, maybe the late show (depending on times), or we like wandering around. Sometimes we just went back to the cabin early to enjoy the balcony.

Yes, there is trivia on board, we did it on both of our X cruises

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1700095