JMS113

We went straight there as soon as we got onboard and got the last slot! A great time with Colin, Adrian and Webster! I think we broke the tube beer record and forced Colin to brew more. It was ready by the 8 th day.

 

 

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thanks so much everyone!

Red Frog Pub

Thanks Karnyval. We are also interested in this tour. Do we need to pre-book or just inquire re: times/details at the Pub once on board?

If you take the metro, your ticket is valid for 90 minutes so you can hop onto a bus that goes to the port for 1.8€. You can check googlemaps or the greek public transport site for numbers and schedules.

Thank you. I appreciate your help!

We are considering transportation options from our hotel in Central Athens to Piraeus port. I am wondering if anyone has use the X80 bus with luggage- is there luggage storage or is there room to keep luggage beside the seat?

Alternatively, I understand it is about a 30 minute walk from the metro station to the cruise terminal so I am wondering how easy it is to get a cab from the port metro station to the cruise terminal entrance? Our hotel is very close to the port metro line and we have found using the metro/subway systems in other European cities easy.

Wondering if anyone knows which terminal the Vista uses? Looks like there will be several ships in port Oct 11, 2016.

thanks!

Thank you for the great review! I am wondering if you recall which Athen's cruise terminal the Vista departed from?

thanks!

Having done a tour previously we are also considering DIY. Wondering how long the typical return process from Rome to the port will take. Want to be sure we return ahead of schedule to ensure a margin.

Thanks

Hi Len,

Sorry while we haven't used Galveston Express, we have used 2 private shuttles similar to Galveston Express. Based on experience I would like to offer that shuttle pick up delays are not uncommon in Galveston, even with the most reliable shuttle service :( . The traffic line to the terminal pick up location sometimes backlogs quite a bit, so if possible please consider accommodating for about a 1/2 hour pick up delay in case your ride is caught in the terminal traffic. You may need more if a fog delay occurs as the volume of people exiting the ship at once seems to be significantly greater. Unfortunately due to traffic volume the private shuttle drivers are not permitted to wait at the curb side for you to exit customs, they are asked to drive around the block (per se) until you are curbside. While we have never done it, you might find it helpful to discuss with the shuttle company if there is an alternate location you could walk to and meet them (if walking a distance with luggage is feasible for your group).

Hi Trish,

We have cruised a few times with our two children and have spent differently each time depending on our budget situation :rolleyes:.

As noted above if you are wine drinkers you can bring two bottles of wine per cabin at embarkation only. Note: someone registered in the cabin must be over 21 so I was registered in one and my husband in the other. It worked fine having connecting rooms and we were permitted 4 bottles.

Water (tap), lemonade, ice tea (I believe unsweetened), regular coffee & tea is free. My daughter added lemonade to her ice tea to sweeten it :D. The soda package was the most economical option for my son.

Food wise: we find the food in the main dining room very acceptable. Our budget determines if we stick to the main dining room or buffet (Windjammer) or we pay for a night in one of the fee options (typically $25-40/person depending on the restaurant). For things like the cupcake cupboard, Ben and Jerry's, and Johnny Rockets- we discussed budget ahead of time with the kids and they knew if they need to bring money for these expenses or if we would cover a set amount. Pizza, sandwiches, cookies etc are available at the Cafe Promenade for free all the time so our kids certainly weren't hungry :p.

Entertainment- pool, ice rink, wall climbing, flow rider, gym, and evening shows are free and certainly kept us busy. There is a fee for the spa, many exercise classes, casino, bingo, wine tasting sessions etc. If you get an opportunity to search for and review a cruise compass from Navigator of the Seas (currently out of Galveston) it may give you an idea of some of the entertainment with fees as they are noted on the compass.

Ports- we have done almost free days (taken the bus to a beach) and more expensive with excursions (Jetski and stingrays in Grand Cayman). If you are doing excursions I suggest anticipate spending about ~$100.00 (+ or - $50.00) per person at the three ports you mentioned, but there are certainly excellent non-excursion low cost options at these three ports as well. If you haven't already done so, check out the forum for each port on the main page Message Board>Ports of Call> Caribbean. We have also saved money by doing a 1/2 day excursion and returning to the ship for lunch and afternoon pool time :-). If we decide to do an expensive excursion on a tight budget cruise we have given certificates for the excursions to the kids at Christmas and tucked the money we would have spent on something else away.

Gratuities do add up for a family of 5. $13/person per day for a non-suite room is automatically applied to your account by RC. We typically search for a TA where the gratuities for the first two are included (usually only found it on balcony or higher) or negotiate a room credit. We often pre-pay the gratuities b/c its easier to pay them off before and forget about the expense while on the cruise.

IMHO I believe it is certainly feasible to keep the on-ship expenses relatively low. Alcohol on the ship is expensive but if you enjoy it, plan for it, then have it- its a vacation! Be well informed, discuss limitations and spending boundaries with your kids, plan, and accept what a great holiday/opportunity it is- then you won't feel like you are missing out if you don't succumb to the upsell options :D

Sorry for the long post- but hope its informative :-)

thank you everyone. My do not show under order history either. Our cruise is not until Feb but will likely make a call to Celebrity next week just to confirm. While this is our first X cruise, my experience with RC is it is sometimes easier to fix issues in advance than wait until we are the ship. I'll keep you posted:)

I am now able to view my two reservations after logging in to 'My Celebrity'.

No error messages so far.

Do you mind if I ask, is your reservation complete? While I can view our reservation today, it does not show our 1,2,3 perks i.e. drink package and our upgrade or our Select dining reservation times that. We booked our 1,2,3 and drink package upgrade through our TA but our Select dining reservation times through a Celebrity rep.

thanks

J

Hi Cindy,

Thanks so much for the fabulous pics and your inside information! I am really enjoying your review and sincerely appreciate the time you are taking to share everything.

I'm wondering if Phil Anderson is hosting the Schooner piano bar on the Navigator? Don't suppose karaoke is in Two Poets- just hopeful now that the new smoking policy is in place :) Did you get a chance to try out the new Chops' menu?

thanks

My daughter has brought a friend a couple of times. Each time we brought a notary signed letter giving both my husband and/or I permission to supervise and make medical decisions (the "or "is important in case one parent is incapacitated). We are Canadian so it was a formed letter downloaded from the Canadian Foreign Affairs website (Consent Letter for Children Traveling Abroad)- I would presume your State might have something similar. The cruise line did scan the letter and they verified she was with us whenever we returned to the ship.

The girls were under 21 at the time and "their" room was across and two cabins down from us (we booked late so couldn't get directly across). I booked myself and my daughter's friend in the inside room and my daughter and husband in our balcony room. Once we boarded guest services provided an additional room key for each room so we never worried about meeting up or trading keys.

Hope this helps

J

thank you! You made my day...can't wait to board on the 16th :)

Hi Cathy,

We had a our teens in their own room previously (x2) with OBC. Their room was linked to our credit card and their room's OBC was applied to our bill hence applied towards our post boarding onboard expenses.

thank you so much for doing this! We board in 12 more days so I can't wait for your review and OCD pictures :D

MVC where Tulip is a great spot on Eagle Beach - it is 10.00 to rent a chaise per person and use the bathrooms and outdoor showers there. Sorry I can't help you with what bus to take but it is a beautiful quiet beach so I would go there vs. Palm Beach. You can also just bring a couple of towels etc since all beaches in Aruba are open to the public. You don't have to pay unless you want a chaise.

Is it possible to purchase beer and drinks from Tulip to enjoy on the beach?