Rysyonok

On 3/22/2024 at 5:10 PM, Flnative9206 said:

 

Did you happen to capture any of their Dailies? The rosters of day-to-day activities?

On 11/12/2022 at 1:54 PM, matj2000 said:

Try Spirt Airlines.

Oh, that's brutal 🙂

On 11/13/2022 at 11:02 AM, cruisemom42 said:

There are trade-offs with hiring a guide, though. Generally they take you on a rather set route through the ruins so that you see a bit of everything, which can be good if you are only casually interested. However there is something to be said for learning about the site in advance and then spending the better part of a day, map and guidebook in hand, just wandering and making your own discoveries.

 

If you do decide to go with a guide, be prepared to miss some of the more interesting houses. Time and again I've heard people complain after a visit that there is not much to see in the houses at Pompeii. Clearly they are not going to the right ones. There are a number of wonderful decorative elements left in many of the houses, but often the guides only take you to the larger ones that are always guaranteed to be open.

 

 

 

 

I have found your Pompeii comments to be genuinely worthy. May you be willing to share your ideal itinerary through the site? And yes, I've caught onto your passion for the Villa of Mysteries.

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

What really got me was the huge wooden and metal strongbox (like an oversized steamer trunk) that was still sitting in the atrium. This is where the family valuables and extra cash would've been kept.  I'd only ever seen pictures of them before. But seeing it in the house made me stop and think about the volcano erupting and whether the family (and servants) would've been packing up what they could, maybe trying to figure out whether they should empty out the chest or leave it there, locked, for when they could return later -- not knowing that would never be possible.:

Wow. What a way to feel in the moment, to see 2,000 years (or 300, depending on one's beliefs) back. I'm speechless.

On 10/29/2022 at 9:26 AM, cruisemom42 said:

After looking at the last house, we waited while he locked it up again. At that time, we knew just enough Italian to be dangerous, and my friend thanked him, then pointed to the big key ring and said in halting Italian:  "Do you have keys to other houses that are closed?"  The man, who looked -- as an Italian would say -- distinctly furbo (cunning, sly), replied in dialect, which we couldn't understand at all. But over the course of the next few minutes he made it clear that yes, he did have "chiavi" (keys) and if we offered him suitable contributions (universally understood to be money), he would take us to see some of the houses.

 

The next 90 minutes were unbelievable as he offered us the opportunity to enter house after house, some of which had not been opened to the public in years. We felt like characters in some shady movie as he would urge us to hurry between houses, presumably so no one would notice what he was doing. 

 

This lasted until our ability to provide additional cash infusions dried up, but it was certainly memorable!  Whenever I revisit Pompeii I look at some of the houses we entered -- most still locked up with big rusty grates and padlocks -- and it makes me smile every time; it's such an Italian solution.

Such a great story! Thank you so much for sharing this. What house did you enjoy the most - although I imagine all of them were fascinating!

On 10/29/2022 at 3:33 PM, marazul said:

The Villa of the Mysteries for sure. 

Wow, thank you for that tip. Does it require a separate entry, etc.?

On 11/5/2022 at 6:32 AM, dritan said:

From a historical perspective, just that first sense of how expansive the city is.  Even compared to the fantastic Ephesus, the sheer scope of the excavations is somewhat overwhelming.

That's a great point. That place is genuinely huge! And the fact that what, a third of it is still unexcavated is unbelievable.

11 minutes ago, brillohead said:

You obviously haven't been there lately -- South Beach was open to passengers when I was there in the springtime, and it's still open to passengers now (I was on it myself last week).  

Not exactly sure how the water gets slippery, either.... ?????

I was there in March 2022 last, so I admit being a few months out of date.

As for slippery, once you walk into the water a couple of feet, there's a drop-off. It's more obvious towards the cabanas. 

On 11/3/2022 at 9:54 AM, euro cruiser said:

The issue with carrying ID isn't about check points, I can't remember a time when I've been asked for ID other than at an arrival point (airport, train border crossing, ferry port).  The vast majority of tourists will never encounter a situation where it's necessary to produce identification while visiting.  However, if it does happen and you can't produce the ID, it can really ruin your day.  Especially on a cruise, when you have only a few hours in a place, why risk wasting any of them over something so easy to avoid?

 

 

So, coming back to the ship in France I imagine a cruiser has to pass through a checkpoint which is an equivalent of an arrival (departure) point. If a cruiser wasn't a part of a tour, then they to have a passport to reboard, no? 

On 10/8/2022 at 4:20 PM, Choozin Croozin said:

1) Are there strollers to use or do we need to bring our own as it seems like a lot of walking, even with the tram. I booked breezy bay first then found south bay later. Breezy Bay says minimum age is 4, South Bay doesn't say anything. 2) Anyone know why the minimum age is 4 and do they enforce? Would South Beach be a good alternative? I know it is away from everything. 3) Because is is early March, I am assuming the ocean will be chilly? Are the pools heated?  4) Because they allow 4 people per bed, do you think they will also count the toddler? 

Anything additional you can add would be helpful. I will also cross post this on the 'private island" forum too. Thank you!

1. I've seen a couple, although I'm not sure where they had come from. Those strollers had very wide wheels - no other way to traverse the sand. 

2. South beach has a sharp depth drop-off about 2 feet into the water. I would explicitly not go there with a child.

3. Yes, the ocean may be cooler, and no, pools are not heated.

4. Can't help here, however in general RCCL counts every head separately.

On 10/21/2022 at 2:19 PM, Saturngrl said:

The RC Website reported there is a dedicated tram at the Arrival area of the pier to take Beach Club pass purchasers directly to the Beach Club. On Labadee, we had to ask for the tram or take the main one.   Does anyone here have experience with this to explain the process?  

There's a tram that takes you from the boat to the main court of sorts (recognizable by dancers) and there's another one making a counterclockwise trip around the island. Both are the only ones available.

If you don't see the latter one immediately upon disembarkation from the prior one, just turn right and walk along the shore. You're going to be stopped immediately and redirected to the stop as the road quickly turns tram-only access. 🙂

South Beach was the quietest indeed, but it has become for crew only after the known events. Also, following cabana construction, water has become quite treachery and slippery in some places. I wouldn't go there.

So, either pool (straight off the ship - straight ahead, leaving waterpark just on the right) or the crescent-shaped inlets to the left (off the ship - left at the earliest opportunity - cross the bridge - after the bridge do not follow the road but keep going straight).

On 10/7/2022 at 9:45 PM, jamscckmc said:

We do not have a cabana or bed. We will just be finding two chairs and a umbrella near the beach. I know we will use our sail card for drinks. Do we need to bring any cash to tip anyone like the tram driver?

You don't have to, but I've seen beach drink servers get a bill or two.

Has anyone been to Palais Longchamp in Marseille, France? Is it worth a visit, or is it either mediocre or overrun with tourists?

Here's a visual off Internet of what it is:

I would recommend Florence (Firenze). In a way, time has stopped there in the 1500s. Cathedral (Duomo) is gorgeous - do climb to the top. Bridges over Arno are cities in themselves. And even if you aren't into art, strolling past Uffici gallery is majestic, if only to sit down by Michaelangelo's David for a breather.

And you can take a train to Civitavecchia that only takes a couple of hours.

On 10/29/2022 at 8:34 AM, sgmn said:

Chops on symphony on Med cruise next year is selling for over £90 and that's with a so called 15% discount !

I can only wonder whether lack of technical stops is driving up supply chain costs for RCCL. Here, in US, we're accustomed to occasional ports of call that have little value to us, passengers, but they mean everything to the cruise line: ships are filled up with cheap groceries. Hello, Port Canaveral 🙂

That may not be an option in Europe, as a non-Schengen technical stop will instantly make things complicated for all passengers. Thus, higher costs.

Maybe we have all been reduced to waiting for RCCL IT to make it's signature fail in time before we sail 😉

9 minutes ago, Bloomin Onion said:

We're deciding mainly between a 7 day cruise on Oasis that leaves Miami and goes to Labadee, St. Thomas, San Juan, and CocoCay vs a 9 day cruise on Grandeur of the Seas which goes from Miami to the Dominican Republic, San Juan, CocoCay, St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. Maarten. Its my understanding St. Croix is less touristy (and everyone I know who've visited there was there for work at the oil refinery) and not sure how special Puerto Plata is, if the two extra days on the ship can be better spent visiting the Miami Beach and Everglades National Park. 

You've hit it right on the nail head: larger ships are destinations in and out of themselves, but smaller ships get to more interesting places.

Puerto Plata is pretty much the same as Labadee (sight-wise) or CocoCay (swim-up bar and artificial pools).

If you want excitement (and crowds, a necessary fuel for action), go with Oasis.

If you want peace (even if boring), go with Grandeur.

13 hours ago, Bloomin Onion said:

But I'm curious if any of y'all think they're TOO big. Specifically does it take longer than usual to embark and disembark especially at the ports of call? Does the check in process take a lot longer, the lines within the ship for restaurants, stores, etc? The largest ships we've been on previously are Explorer of the Seas and the Norwegian Getaway. 

 

Also I noticed from the pictures a lot of the rooms have balconies overlooking the "Main Street" open area in the middle of the ship courtyard style. Is the soundproofing in these rooms really good enough where the noise from outside doesn't enter the rooms? 

No, Oasis is not too big. It is very well-spaced out, and the variety of venues and events keeps people apart quite nicely.

Now, don't get me wrong. 6,000 pax is something. One learns to book events instantly, not to show up to theater just a few minutes before a performance, and not to board from a port of call just as the ship is ready go set sail. But aren't those the rules of engagement in any midsize city and up nowadays?

6,000 pax capacity has its strength. It's not having to be the only person in a bar, it's lively nightlife, it's a great way to meet people. And crew does help. The ship functions flawlessly. Check-in / check-out lines are fast, disembarkation is smooth, and one can always find space in a hot tub. Frankly, having tried Oasis, I don't know if I can go back to smaller ships.

As for soundproofing, I always book deck 14 central park balconies. Aside from a rare chair scraping, there's no noise pollution at all (and I'm happy to trade solarium proximity for the occasional noise).

Greetings,

How stringent is cruise port border control in Italy (and France with Spain)? How long does it take to go through it?

My partner has to acquire a Schengen visa; however, the question is whether a cruise is considered to be a single journey or, as the ship is flagged in Bahamas, each port of call is a unique entry to EU, requiring individual passport / visa stamps?

The full itinerary is Barcelona, Spain --> Palma de Mallorca, Spain --> Marseille, Frane --> La Spezia, Italy --> Civitavecchia, Italy --> Naples, Italy --> Barcelona, Spain.

43 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

What museum are you referring to?  If the Antiquarium, odds are few of us here have managed to see it since it only reopened in 2016 and again, after a refresh, during the pandemic.  

 

It seems that you're not asking about the public baths (thermae) but rather about the lupanare (brothel).  Two very different places. 

 

And presumably by mummys you mean the plaster casts created in the late 1800's.  Some can be seen at the ruins, others are at the archaeology museum in Naples.

Good feedback, thank you.

I realize I may have missed numerous great sights. So, I welcome comments and ideas. Yours alone has been very fruitful, I'm grateful. 🙂 

- The museum - with all the mummies of citizens captured in their moment of tragedy

- The baths, I mean, bordello: hey, they did belong to a different culture!

- The fact that Pompei(i) is on a hill. Wait, where did lava flow down then?

- The mosaics. Enough said.

- How well they had organized the city, taking advantage of street cobblestones to make them directional arrows.

- That time you got to steal a small souvenir from an area that was (or should have been) closed to public access...

- All the stray pets nearby.

7 minutes ago, lixogab said:

Well, the choice was: book directly with RCCL and get $50 discount or book with a big box online TA and get free gratuity. Hopefully.

In 3 weeks will see how it goes 😉

I genuinely hope it works out for you 🙂

The only reason I'm a RCCL direct loyalist is an ability to change or upgrade rooms at a whim at 10pm. Or whatnot. I don't believe in extra supply chain links.

Not regularly, as in bugging the poor cruise line every 24 hours, of course 😅

12 minutes ago, cruisinqt said:

So if I use Expedia or Kayak or something similar I’ll be lugging bags around. But if I go directly to the website like Air Canada for instance, whatever I book through them even if it’s connecting, the bags will be moved to the connecting flight for us, correct? That’s fine with me because I usually use Kayak to see who has the best fares then I go directly to that carriers website and play around till I find the perfect flight. 

As long as the flight is same airline or a codeshare, your bags should be switched by the airport.

Just try to avoid the recent hotspots for luggage hiccups: Heathrow, Schipnol...

With all the recent stories of air traffic congestions and lost or delayed checked-in luggage and rescheduled flights, my partner and I are going to attempt a barebones trip to our May 2023 cruise. That means packing a carry-on bag only, bringing along only those items whose cheap equivalents cannot be purchased locally in Barcelona, Spain. As in, we're going to be scouting for sunscreen, toothpaste, flipflops, etc., and maybe even some disposable clothing in Spain. And the allowed amount of alcohol, of course.

Now, this would have worked out fine in the US, with a Walmart or Walgreens available all over the place. A European city may be different.

How easy is it to find essentials without paying for them tenfold in Barcelona? Are certain supermarket chains better than others?

On 10/25/2022 at 4:35 AM, dwade1901 said:

Hello everyone - sorry if I sound silly asking this question but does the return ticket for the cruise bus at Barcelona have to be a same day return?

 

In other words, if we are travelling to the cruise ship from las ramblas on one day and then doing the return a week later, do we need to buy 2 singles?

 

thank you

I'm going to have to guess that it's 2 singles. https://www.cruisebus.barcelona/en/ hints that a return ticket would be printed out immediately, likely with the same day for both the initial and the return trip.