MsAnnMcD

The FFI is kind of far away from the pier. Agree that the Long Wharf is near the Salem Ferry though but considerably pricier.  Seaport is probably still your best bet. It is possible to walk to the T or South Station if you are comfortable with public transport but if not you will be Ubering in and out of the Seaport (although this old gal has walked the 2 or so miles from North Station to the Expo and Convention Center). 

As for the Wild West in the Seaport, it hasn't been that way since the mob run Channel club shut down. 😉 I too miss Anthony's Pier 4. Now you have to go to Legal Seafood Rooftop Bar!

Personally, as a local, I think staying in the Seaport is your best option. The T silver line runs from Logan to there for free. Also there are lots of good places to eat and drink in the seaport. Uber to Faneuil Hall or other tourist sites if need be. That said, the hop on hop off bus for a day isn't a bad thing and you get admission to the Boston Tea Party museum (near the Seaport) with the cost of the ticket (at least you used to). If you do stay dowtown (Copley/Prudential/Newbury Street) the prices will be higher but again lots to see, with good eateries. All depends on how you want to spend your time and money.

There may be luggage storage at South Station as they have Amtrak. Not aware of any luggage storage at North Station. 

Near Boston Logan is a Marriott Couryard that has park and fly rates.

Located at 225 William F. McClellan Highway, Boston, MA. Maybe call and ask. 

There's a water taxi from Logan to downtown waterfront.

Hi! I'm a local who has take the Boston cruise a half dozen times. I know Salem very well. There is a ferry that runs from Boston to Salem. A bit more expensive but it is FAR better than the train which only runs from North Station. If you are staying in Boston in the area near the cruise port/seaport then it is not convenient to get to North Station (never mind that the trains haven't been cleaned in forever, break down often and generally just stink). The Salem Cruise Port has a pub and sometimes music on the weekends in summer. It's walkable to great eateries as well as the House of Seven Gables. Favorites nearby are Mercy Tavern and Witches Brew which has a great Monte Christo sandwich. Also the Ye Olde Pepper home made chocolates. If you don't need booze and cheap eats are your thing then head down to Salem Willows. Its got Salem Lowe's Chinese and has great chop suey and pepper steak sandwiches. There's also pizza, ice cream and a clam shack. Also getting popcorn at the Hobbs is a must. Eat it on the pier and watch the boats and feed the gulls. There's an arcade and pinball machines, skee ball etc. If you want history, go to Peabody Essex Museum. They have the Yin Yu Tang House for an extra fee which is worth it. They imported the house from the mountains of China. Very interesting! It also has a lot of the maritime history as well as artifacts from the east India trade days. If you want more high end dining then the Ledger restaurant's chef was just nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef of the year award. I prefer the Adriatic for a more Mediterranean feel. Behind the Adriatic is another shack Lobster Shanty. Tiny but good! Also on upper Derby Street is Notch Brewing with great session ales and an outdoor beer garden. In the Essex Street walking mall near the museum the Village Tavern has a good bloody mary and wings, pub food. As far as hotels go, there isn't much decent in Salem other than the Hawthorne (over 100 years old and small rooms but great eats in the Tavern on the Green and Nathaniel's) and Salem Waterfront Hotel and Suites.  if you want to get on the ship early Sunday for boarding then get a hotel in the Seaport but avoid South Boston proper. September in Salem does start to get busy as they gear up for Haunted Happenings, all things Halloween, but they do have a web site you might want to check out to see if anything specific is going on. I wouldn't waste money on the kitschy horror museums. The official Witch House and the house tour at Peabody Essex Musuem are worth it along with the house of seven gables. Have fun exploring Salem. So much history, easy to walk and lots of good eats! Enjoy!

Thanks @basicprincess24 for a great cruise play by play. We've done the Bermuda cruise from Boston many times but are looking at the Escape in November for their 5 day cruise as it fits our schedule. What are your overall impressions with the ship? Layout? Cabins? Activities? Ease of embarkation (yours looked quick!) and debarkation (if you've done it yet)? Any hints? Regrets (do overs)? Recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

We went to Garguilio in Sorrento and loved it. They gave you a tour of the groves and showed how it used to be be done before the modern manufacturing process. They intermingle lemon trees in their olive groves to provide a singular taste. They had a tasting room with dozens of infused or enhanced olive oils and sold limoncello as well. Very enjoyable. Plus Sorrento is a great place to eat and shop although this is in the foothills in the agricultural area.

http://www.frantoiogargiulo.com/en/home

First, @cornishpastyman1 thank you for your video's. They are pretty awesome!

Second, I was in Rome, Capri & Positano late May/early June this year. We basically took the train from Rome to Naples and a taxi straight to the ferry port to go to Capri. While Naples has all the museums with the antiquities of Pompeii, I couldn't wait to get out of there.

Capri is delightful. My favorite part was walking from Capri town up to Villa Jovis which is the ruins of the emperor's (Augustus and Tiberius) palace. The nearby Parco Natural was not open the Monday I went. It contains the leap where those who dissatisfied the emperor were plunged to their deaths. We also did a private boat tour around the island and saw all the other grotto's - green, coral, etc - but skipped the touristy blue grotto. Cost of private boat for 2 hours was 160 euro. The gardens of Augustus really shouldn't be missed. Sadly, the Via Krupp was closed due to falling rocks. It's visible from above but you can no longer walk it. People watching with an apertivo in the piazzetta is also great fun with a nice bottle of Anglianico.

Ravello has some great views. Other than visiting the 2 villa's there isn't much else to do there. I did love Villa Cimbrone though and the Infinity Terrace. Their rose garden was pretty spectacular and it wasn't overly crowded. What a great hotel for a weddding.

Positano was our home for 4 fabulous nights. This is a shopping mecca, as is Amalfi. Hand made sandals, white linen. So many great places to eat.

While in Positano, we took a hired car to Pompeii. We had watched the 4G video tours on You Tube and really wanted to visit the Villa de Mysteri which was only offered on a 4 hour tour so did our own self guided tour. We missed the brothel as the line was too long and I never made it over to the amphitheater but saw most of what I wanted to see before it got really busy and did it in 3 hours. From there we went to New Pompeii and visited the Bosci dei Medici winery for a delicious lunch and wine tasting. Its got 3 prices depending on how hungry you are. We found the lowest priced to be more than sufficient for us. The 6 wines from sparkling, white, red and the area's famous Lychrema Christi (tears of christ) was outstanding. Their Anglianico was excellent as well. It was a real highlight of our visit. From there it was off to an an Gargiulo olive oil plant in Sorrento for a tour and tasting. Got a bottle of limoncello there too. The car and driver was 140 euro, before tip, and we paid for the entrance to Pompeii and lunch at the winery. It was a perfect day!

While driving the Amalfi coast was entertaining, I found being in the towns much more fun than the drive. Having a Limoncello spritz and watching the world go by at Marina Grande in Capri or adjacent to the Amalfi ferry pier was really enjoyable. I've tried but can't make a limoncello spritz that tastes as good.

If I had to pick a favorite spot it would have to be Capri because of its singular beauty and history. I would love to go back some day. Whatever you choose - enjoy every second!

Thanks Waterbug123 and FlyerTalker. Maybe I ought to put a fleece jacket in my backpack after all.

Books last August. Got nervous when they went bankrupt! Leaving within the next few days and back in a few weeks. Should be fine!

Thank you Globaliser. I realized after the fact that they are 2 Former Ethiad planes, I-EJGA and I-EJGB. I believe the Air One planes did get reconfigured and include premium economy.

Further research from seat guru has gleaned that while there is no bathroom traffic to cause annoyance the A seat may have to deal with the protrusion of the emergency slide in the exit door. Also there have been some complaints of it being very cold.

I'm with the Geezer Couple as far as trying to make vacation travel as pleasant as possible especially as airlines have made economy barely tolerable. When I fly domestic I have status and get extra room seats. On the few occasions I've been in the back I could not believe how close the seats are. No wonder people buy those recline blocking pillows! Last international flight was on BA in their old 747 and I decided there and then not to do economy overseas. Going over wasn't too bad but coming home was a misery. And here I am. Hope the wine is plentiful! ;)

Thank you Geezer Couple. I would have paid more toget into Magnifica but it's sold out. The next day same issue. Only offer to stay in Premium Economy was a 6:20 AM flight from Naples and a noon flight from Rome to JFK then Delta to Boston. Too many variables and not worth losing our last nights sleep in Positano. So we are sucking it up in Extra Comfort economy seats.

Thanks rugrats. I was told it's the A300-200 and I think the 777 is exit row 32C. The customer service rep said she did not have a seat map for this specific plane configuration. Thus, my confusion.

Globaliser, I purchased direct with Alitalia via phone in August 2017. I don't remember exactly how much more Premium Economy was over Economy. Our friends purchased R/T for $750 so using that as a baseline roughly $1000 more per ticket but we have an additional flight from Naples to Rome in there so round down to $800.

There was an informative thread on a flyer talk forum about these 2 reconfigured Air One 300s flying this route so others have found themselves in the same situation as us. I'll apply for the reimbursement but dont anticipate getting much back. Live and learn I guess.

Dates and flight numbers always help in trying to decipher what is otherwise a very generalized description of your situation.

Sorry. Wasn't sure I could name the airline! It's AZ614. June 2. 3:05 PM Departure FCO arriving BOS 18:25.

I originally posted in Italy but was redirected here. Hopefully some folks have flown Alitalia Rome to Boston and can help us out.

We were booked premium economy Rome to Boston. When checking my itinerary I saw the seats were changed. A call to Alitalia informed me that the plane assigned to the route only had 2 Class of service and no premium economy. I was offered "comfort class" economy seats 32A and C . I can't find it on any seat map!

I have learned they have 2 reconfigured A300-200 planes that were previously Air One. Concerned the exit row will have people standing in front of us waiting for the bathroom and won't have the extra legroom.

Also kind of curious if anyone else has been downgraded and if they got compensation. Thanks in advance!

I would be asking this on the Cruise Air board. Lots of expertise and experience of flying and the various airlines there.

Didn't know there was one. Thanks CruiserBruce! I'll check it out.

Thanks Woody. Not sure how much they will comp since it will be based on full fare conomy. I still have premium on the way over and from Naples to Rome. I will put in the request but don't expect much. I just find the bait and switch annoying. My friends at the airlines call this right sizing of equipment :confused:

I'm trying to decide if we should do our Pompeii tour solo. I dislike being in a large tour group. Has anyone just booked with a tour guide when they arrived to do a private tour? Is it cost prohibitive? Any and all feedback on tours and self-guided walks is appreciated.

We were booked premium economy Rome to Boston. When checking my itinerary I saw the seats were changed. A call to Alitalia informed me that the plane assigned to the route only had 2 Class of service and no premium economy. I was offered "comfort class" economy seats 32A and C . I can't find it on any seat map!

I have learned they have 2 reconfigured A300-200 planes that were previously Air One. Concerned the exit row will have people standing in front of us waiting for the bathroom and won't have the extra legroom.

Also kind of curious if anyone else has been downgraded and if they got compensation. Thanks in advance!

On the Dawn in May we had some rocking and rolling. Saw a few elderly folks with injuries from falling. Veendam is smaller and motion will be more pronounced.

Docking in Hamilton puts you in the middle of the action. Not too many hills until you venture off font street. Same for the dockyard - very flat - and there's a free trolley for getting around the dockyard.

St George is very hilly outside of the town square. NCL offers a free tender from the Dockyard to St George.

Good luck with your decision.

Gotta go with Moderno and I agree with 2Cruise4Ever- don't fill up on the salad bar! My husband and I have done most all the specialty restaurants and each has its own flair. We never did Moderno until 2 weeks ago on the Dawn and loved it. The salad bar had so much good stuff - lobster bisque, prosciutto, cheeses, breads, olives, sushi, roasted peppers, salads - it was hard to hold back. But - the wait staff was great and explained how it would work. There are 11 different skewered meats (beef, pork, sausage, chicken, lamb). They give you a card to put up - green means bring it on. Red means pass by. We tried all 11 including the signature prime rib. It was all really good!

The new location up across from Cagney's is nice. There is a little Mojito bar up there so if you go early maybe you can snag a seat at the bar and watch how it works. We had a table for 2 overlooking the pool and the blue lights added to the ambiance. I'd definitely use this over Los Lobos for an SDP night. That said, go to Los Lobos another night. We saved it for our last night at sea and wish we had gone earlier. the food was outstanding and the a la cart prices reasonable.

Enjoy!

Enjoy the Epic. Love that ship! One of my best cruise ever was last year on the Epic, and I'll be sailing her again in Sept. :D

I'm looking at the Epic cruise to Italy out of Barcelona next year. Not sure about the bigger ships! I loved the Spirit and they our out of Rome with a good itinerary. Also considering the Star from Venice as I'd love to do the Dalmation coast.

What is it about the Epic you love? I'd love to hear. My concern is so many people. We are OV/Balcony type folks and concerned about getting lost in the shuffle. Any insight is appreciated!

Dear Ronmar7

I hope you do a post cruise review as I am looking at this cruise for 2018. Hope you have a fabulous trip!

Ann

We ate there the last night of our cruise a few weeks ago. The server told us apps only at the bar. Know that portion sizes are big and you get salsa and chips complimentary. So for 2 of us we had the table side guac, the 2 mole enchilda's, and the pulled pork dish - all to share. We ate it every bit but had no room for dessert! The margarita was good too although a little on the sweet side. Enjoy!

There is no schedule that I am aware of. It is not listed on the attached link but I am thinking our Cal is the Calworth Fulbert mentioned here. We got our tickets at the Visitor Information Center and I suspect that they radio him but am not sure. There was another couple who were already there when we arrived so perhaps he was returning from dropping them off. When he picked them up he asked us for a time and we agreed on 2 PM. Perhaps he can be contacted in advance.

https://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda_000325.htm