mapleleaves

Why not go independently so you have more control over your time. Take the train to Florence first and book a timed entry for David. Visit Pisa on your way back to Livorno. (we used taxis to and from the Pisa train station to order to maximize our time. )

Perfect. Thx again !

Thanks for sharing this info. Very helpful. There have been times that the Gem either arrived OR departed from the commercial pier, and pax were shuttled between the 2 docks. Perhaps the Gem has a permanent spot now .... we can hope. Question ....when you say "passport control for US passengers" do you mean passengers with a direct flight to the US, or, do you mean passengers with US Passports regardless of their flight destination? Thx,

Some MSC ships have been departing from the Marghera port which is just across the causeway from Venice. Pax check in at the old Marittima port then bussed to Marghera. If you drill down on the itinerary where it says Venice it should tell you which port is used for your particular sailing.

The requirements for Spain and Greece are listed on the NCL web site. Basically you must be vaxed AND boosted, OR, take a take a test. https://www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country No one knows what the requirements will be by May 2023. Maybe all restrictions will be gone, OR, maybe there will be a resurgence and even more restrictions will be in place. If you want to travel these days, you need to be prepared to roll with it.

Granted it was 3 yrs ago, but we were on the Epic for a Med cruise in Sept 2019. We loved everything about it !!!!.the food, the shows, the itinerary. We even preferred the bathroom setup as it made things much easier to get ready each morning on such a port intensive cruise. Yes, we read the lousy reviews too, so we were a bit apprehensive. And after our cruise, we read lousy reviews from people who were ON OUR sailing. But we enjoyed every minute and highly recommend it. My cousin is a foodie ( her parents are chefs) and she was very impressed by the food. I could see where the Epic might not be the best option for a Caribbean cruise as the pool area seemed a bit small, but we weren't there to swim, so no problem. We all thought the itinerary was exhausting..... up early every morning, a train/bus to your destinationn, a full day of sightseeing, then back to ship to get ready for dinner, then a show, a drink and collapse into bed ! Go and enjoy !

Different cruiselines have different rules, and their rules can be more restrictive than the country's rules. Most cruiselines implemented a big change for early Sept. NCL's applies to embarkment in Greece, but I believe Princess is for visiting Greece. Covid is still around and rules will be changing..... rules might tighten up or might relax. Who knows what this fall/winter season will bring. If you want to cruise, you need to be able to accept that and deal with the changes as they arise.

Flixbus has a direct run between Marco Polo Airport and Trieste. However, you disembark the bus at Trieste Centrale Train Station which is a 10-15 minute wak to the cruise pier ( or wait for a cab). Flix also departs from Mestre and from Tronchetto in Venice.

Do a search on youtube for ' ncl epic privasea' and you'll find video tours of these cabins.

What a recommendation! Thx so much !

Which restaurant in Santorini ? Would love a recommendation. Also, how was the line to the cable car after dinner ? and about what time was that? Thx so much.

Look at a lengthy trip report done recently on the Jade by BennyBrun. He did several Selfie Tours and seemed to enjoy them. Perhaps his information will provide a better understanding. For my upcoming cruise, Selfies are offered; they are 4- 5 hrs long and include scenic drives with stops at popular and photogenic locations. I think in some ports it would be a great tour, esp an island destination where you would get an overall view of the island plus a few stops at popular locations. Not so good in a location like Barcelona where it would be just drive by of popular sites.

From the Port of Seattle web site: https://www.portseattle.org/page/pier-66-transportation-directions-parking Personally I avoid driving downtown. I'd be tempted to park at a remote lot near SeaTac Airport and take the Light Rail into town.

Thx so much for taking the time to post a review !! Really appreciate it. Sounds like a great cruise, with just a few hiccups and disappointments. Missing Mykonos would be huge but I also know it happens so we're prepared.

Pg 64 has a map of downtown which shows the trail, and sites to see ( incl the totem park) https://viewer.joomag.com/visit-sitka-magazine-2021-22/0839965001621386009?short&

Most towns in the world have a Visitor Information site in order to provide useful information and support local businesses. Many even provide a Visitor Guide. Just Google the town's name and Visitor Information. Sitka Visitor Information = https://visitsitka.org/ Lots to see and do depending on your interests. Highly recommend Fortress of the Bears which is a nonprofit bear rehab center. Sitka Visitor Guide: https://viewer.joomag.com/visit-sitka-magazine-2021-22/0839965001621386009?short&

Thanks so much ! Was it about a 15 minute walk from the train station to the cruiseport? There haven't been any trip reports from the Gem Med cruises. Can you share more information about your trip; such as an overall opinion of the cruise , plus information about the food, entertainment, and especially your activities in each port. Would be greatly appreciated. Thx!

Thanks so much! This is exactly the information I was looking for. Not priority status. I gather you made the flight. Did you have to run to your gate or did you have a few minutes to spare?

Yes, I did a search, but there was nothing recent that addressed a very early departure at VCE. Just the usual complaints.

The ship isn't primary for me. I choose based on the itinerary .... ports that interest me, and with port times that provide enough time to enjoy sights and activities. And price is pretty important also ! I did the EPIC West Med cruise in Sept 2019 and LOVED everything about it. Great ports, food, entertainment and even our inside cabin was great. The cruise is port intensive so quite exhausting; so much to see. And also, most ports were almost an hour away from the sightseeing location so it makes for a very long day. ie CIVI to Rome, Livorno to Florence. It seemed like every day we got up at 6:30am, grabbed b'fast then headed to a train station, ran around all day taking in as much as we could, then back to the ship for a quick shower, change for dinner, then a show, then bed. This Sept I'm on the GEM for Greek Isles. Looks like a more relaxing cruise in that we don't have to travel another hour to get to the sites yet I'm visiting ports I want to see, even tho some are a 2nd visit. The entertainment doesn't appear to be to the same level as the EPIC where we enjoyed Cirque D Soleil, Burn the Floor and Howl at the Moon. But I'm sure I'll enjoy it. In the past I used trip reports as a great resource, but sadly not to many people are posting when they return from the cruise. Good luck with your research and choice !

I've flown out of VCE a few times and it's always chaotic, but my flights were always in the afternoon so it was easy to arrive 3 hrs prior to flight. This time my flight is at 6:30am! I was thinking of arriving around 5am since nothing much is open. But then I thought .... if nothing is open, the queues might be even longer. So has anyone had an early flight out of VCE lately? i'd appreciate hearing your experience. Thx p.s. I should add that the flight is going to Madrid, and no luggage to check

my experience was Sept 2019, so not current. There were lots of taxis waiting at the dock at 7am. It was a 20 minute ride to the airport. The airport itself was a zoo; long lines and people not sure where they should be. We needed that full 2 hrs at the airport. A 10am flight wouldn't be in my comfort zone. If you miss the flight, what would a last minute ticket cost you? My flight was 1pm so no stress.

Are there 2 lines at the cable car when you're ready to come down? One for people buying tickets and a 2nd line for people who got tickets with their excursion?

If you click on gailellens name you can read her past posts. Sounds like the flight situation was a disaster but they made it to the cruise.

yay , a trip report ! Thx for taking the time to post. Look forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.