mapleleaves

I should have added ...the common place to board is at the Piazzale Roma. Then the 1st stop is the cruise port, and the 2nd and final stop is Tronchetto. Where will you be coming from .... will you have overnighted at a hotel in Venice?

The first stop is the Marittima cruise dock, the 2nd is Tronchetto parking lot. I don't know about Azamara, but most cruiselines have been using Tronchetto as their pickup point.

I don't know about Crystal but with MSC the check in process is handled at the Venice Terminal; you can't choose to show up at the ship in Marghera. Call Crystal. Or ask on the Crystal forum. Good luck.

which cruiseline ? If you're being directed to the Venice Cruise Terminal you will probably check in there, but then will be bused or ferried to your ship.

IIRC there are only 3 helicopter companies in Juneau. Northstar Trekking, Coastal, and Temsco. Contact them to see when their season begins. Usually the end of May is when things start to ramp up. And most glacier activities end by mid Aug due to snow melt. A great resource for you to check is the virtual visitor guide provided by Juneau Visitor Information. Pg 74 Juneau Virtual Visitor's Guide | Attractions & Things To Do (traveljuneau.com)

Lots of people complained last summer about the train from Venice to Trieste, but I haven't heard any complaints this summer. Perhaps more carriages were added? I chose to avoid the Regional train out of Venice. I boarded a Frecce train in Mestre instead; Business class, reserved seat, and even got a free coffee and biscuit. 18E. Less than 12 people in our carriage. It was great ! Keep in mind that it's about a 15 minute walk from the train station to the pier.

Your "Oia and Thira" tour sounds like the basic NCL tour I tried to book, $75. I think the tours sell out quickly because it's well known that Santorini is a mess and a tour guarantees a visit to Oia. Sorry to say, but having 2 ships dock ahead of you by one hour is not a good sign. I'd book a tour. If you want to try DIY, I think the boat that leaves from the tender dock is a good option,. Even it sits there for an hr waiting for additional pax, you know it will eventually get you to Oia, plus you will also have a bus seat back to Thira. It was only 25 or 30E. Good luck !

Definitely take a ships tour ! Preferably one that doesn't require you to make your own way back from Fira via the cable car. (I've only read of one such excursion and it was Celebrity). I tried to take a simple tour that went to Oia then Fira, but it was sold out. (in hindsight I should have taken the Spanish speaking version when it was available; at least we would have seen Oia.) This was my experience Sept 28, 2022: Our ship arrived at 1:30pm and the only other ship arrived at 7am. We lined up early and got tender #4, expecting a quick trip on the cable car, then bus or taxi to Oia. Wrong! We stood in line for 2 hrs. Got to Fira at 4pm and spent an hr there. Didn't see any cabs and we just missed the bus to Oia. With that, we decided not to risk going to Oia in case we got stranded there, given the crowds. Had a drink at one of the many bars along the edge, then headed back to the ship to watch the sunset. No line at all for the cable car. My travel companion couldn't do stairs, up or down, so that wasn't an option. We could have taken the boat tho ... it sat there for an hr waiting for more pax. Again, in hindsight, wish I had. Best of luck to you !

Good price for a 2hr journey ! (Ah, so Canada; I assumed Ontario, Calif. I grew up in Orillia. )

BTW, it's about a 15 minute walk from the bus station to the cruise pier. Flat, easy to do.

We took the train to Trieste and used Flix for the return trip. We weren't sure if we wanted to go to Venice or the airport so we waited on buying the tickets. The tickets were 9E when I first looked but buying the day of travel, we had to pay 25E. So if your plans are firm, buy now!

If you prefer to stay in Civi, this link may be helpful.

Do you specifically want to stay in Civi ? as opposed to the airport or to Rome

there will be snow to 'see' !! there will be snow in the mountains around Seattle and all along the coastline of British Columbia and Alaska. Just not enough for dog sledding.

The winter snow pack has melted by Aug. And by Oct there isn't enough snow to reestablish a camp, plus not enough tourists to make that effort worthwhile.

They're usually cancelled by mid Aug due to lack of snow at the lower elevations where 'mush camps' are located.

Unfortunately there is only one line at the cable car entrance so having a prepaid ticket won't get you in any sooner. The bus from Oia to Fira only makes one stop, in Imerovigli. A taxi is around 30E but they are pretty scarce so best to have a reservation.

dup

Check out the Rome forum on tripadvisor. Do a search on "wine tasting" (using the quotation marks) . These 2 companies were mentioned in several threads by a local: Wine Tastings and Food Tours in Rome • VinoRoma , and for food & wine tours Casa Mia Tours | Italy Food & Wine Experiences | Rome Tours Or post your own question and see if any new recommendations appear. Good luck !

That's a lot of sitting in a car when you look at the logistics of it: a 2 hr drive each way, plus 1/2 hr between MP and Pienza. So maybe 1 1/2 hours for the wine tasting in each village? Do you get to visit each town or is the winery on the outskirts ? I spent 3 nites in Montepulciano during a 10 day road trip in May. It was my favorite location. Such a beautiful area. So easy to drive around and explore. Personally I'd save this for another trip when you have more time for Tuscany. But it all depends on your priorities.

Another lite packer here! Whether I'm gone for 1 week or 3, I only take a 22" suitcase. I've been very satisfied with the ship's laundry service. As for the lingerie bag question, I was surprised last yr on the Gem when my items were taken out of the bag and tagged individually, then returned to the bag! That was a first. Maybe they were concerned the bag would open during the wash/dry so they wanted to tag everything? I dunno.

There's a thread at the top of the page called Barcelona Hotels and another just below your's called Barcelona Hotels. Read thru both for suggestions. Prices in Barcelona are pretty high, just as in most major cities. And are usually booked way in advance for pre-cruise nights. Hopefully your trip is 2024. The area around Placa Catalunya is very convenient. First, it is serviced by the Aerobus for only 8E, for 30minute ride from airpoprt. And also, it's just a few minutes to Las Ramblas, so you would have all morning to sightsee ...visit the Boqueria Market, wander down Las Ramblas to Placa Real, a brief wander thru the Gothic Quarter. Also, a cab ride to the ship will only take about 10 minutes/20E. We wanted to squeeze every last moment from Barcelona so we didn't board until 2pm ....bonus, no lines at check in. If your trip is this yr, go to a site like booking.com and use the map to limit your search to the Placa Catalunya area, and use the budget and availability features to limit the search further IF you find a few hotels that appeal, ask for feedback. Good luck !

You and several hundred others will need a taxi, so I'd be on the pier early if you need to be at StCharles by 7. Are you going to CDG ? There's a 10am on OuiGo that gets to CDG T2 at 1:30.

on a 7day cruise, the laundry special is around the halfway point. The bag is about the size of a pillowcase and costs $30. You can cram quite a bit into the bag, but it's paper so be careful not to split it. The steward usually leaves a bag in your room the night before, but since yours is a longer cruise, I would ask the steward which days, (plus sometimes they don't leave the bag and you'll miss out on the special)