bubbulz

28 minutes ago, MsCrystalina said:

As noted above, Uniworld has good deals for solos.   They waive the single supplement on most of their itineraries.   Also just love the food and service- are luxurious- definitely in my opinion better than Viking. 

I agree. No comparison, IMO, since Viking has no single waivers, requires up front payment, and is not all inclusive so there are lots of extra fees. 

I am always somewhat amused when I read posts from people not wanting to pack their own boots because they’re concerned about taking home “dirty” footwear. My boots were absolutely spotless every single time they made it to the mudroom. They will be coming with me again on my next cruise. 

24 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

Which boots did you end up liking and keeping?

I kept the ones that are pictured below. A plus was that they were not all black like the rental boots so it made it easier to identify my own although there were individual pegs for them to be hung on for each cabin. The pricing also varied with the different colors and sizes. 
 

34 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

Thank you. I have been looking on Amazon. There are lots of options, including a pretty lightweight, easily packable few. I'm thinking about telling each of the kids that we will pay up to $XX.xx for knee boots, and to order some, sent to their homes, using our credit card. They all have use of our Amazon account. This way, they can try on boots and exchange, if necessary. The oldest, who lives in Montana, may already have appropriate boots. the rest of us only have hiking boots.

I found that Amazon had a lot of ‘try before you buy’ options, which was really helpful. I can be hard to fit and probably tried 7-8 pairs before I found ones that were the most comfortable and the right size. For packing, I stuffed them with hats, gloves, socks, neck gaiters, etc. to make the most of the space. As a bonus, the ones I ended up liking the best and keeping were under $80.

I was on Endeavour last season in Antarctica and they definitely were not included. I brought my own, although it seemed like most people rented the boots. I will take my boots with me again to the Arctic this summer, once again on Endeavour.

Perhaps they are included when one opts to fly the Drake on Endeavour? Just a thought since I know there are some differences with that itinerary.

Uniworld offers a number of itineraries with waived solo supplements each year. They update them periodically. 2024 Solo Traveler Savings | Current Offers | Uniworld River Cruises

I can’t compare the two, but I did Uniworld’s Christmas markets cruises twice since I enjoyed it so much. I did my own extensions in Prague and Budapest and prefer to have the control. 

20 minutes ago, TN_travels said:

We went to (and enjoyed) Al Cantinone (great risotto), Bice, and Trattoria Milanese (known for veal Milanese, and I still think about their butternut squash ravioli)- I believe a cab was required to get to Bice but the others were in walking distance of the Duomo. We also ate some great pizza just outside of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele but don’t recall the name- I can try to look back on my credit card statement. 

11 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

 

 

So we had three nights there. On the first evening, which was the day our arrival, we went to Eataly and had a light dinner on their outdoor patio. 

 

The second night, we had dinner with Chris's friend at their house. 

 

The last night we had dinner at a place by Naviglio Grande. The restaurant was called Osteria della Darsena and we enjoyed the food very much. Fried squash blossoms, veal chop Milanese, osso bucco, Panna cotta, and Pinot Nero. It was so warm that we put the wine in an ice bucket! 

 

 

 

 

 

Delicious food but obviously very heavy. Luckily we had a decent walk back to the Metro station! 

Yum! Thank you both!!!!

1 hour ago, jpalbny said:

I looked, and neither of the places that we had dinner are near that area. Sorry!

Still would love recommendations even out of the immediate area if they were for restaurants that you absolutely loved. Thanks.

Just now, jpalbny said:

I looked, and neither of the places that we had dinner are near that area. Sorry!

Thank you for checking! I appreciate it. 

Any recommendations for a nice dinner in Milan? Not looking for anything particularly fancy but just good food and pleasant atmosphere near the Piazza Fontana.  

3 minutes ago, Daisi said:

@bubbulz, can you transfer credits amongst the different brands?

No idea. I just know that traveling with one of them provides discounts on the others.

On 3/8/2024 at 12:50 PM, Debbie C said:

I would like to establish a relationship with a river cruise company where my credits can also be applied to possible land tours. For example, Avalon is owed by Globus. What other companies have an umbrella of companies ?

Uniworld is a member of The Travel Corporation. https://ttc.com/loyalty/ 

On 3/14/2024 at 12:33 PM, AusMum said:

when are you going?

August for me.

19 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

 

As an aside to people who have this same question, T-Mobile’s regular plans include free data and messaging and voice is $0.25/minute. We switched carriers to them several years ago and only wish we had done so years earlier. 

Also, I’m not sure about other airlines, but T-mobile provides free Wi-Fi for T-mobile customers on United flights. And if I find that I need higher speed Internet than the standard (included) plan and unlimited international voice, I can upgrade for $50 per month. 

3 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

  The ship’s WiFi should be available whenever you are aboard. When you are in towns you can find a lot of hotspots. Assuming you have the ability to use WiFi for voice, there may not be a need to activate an international plan. 
 

As an aside to people who have this same question, T-Mobile’s regular plans include free data and messaging and voice is $0.25/minute. We switched carriers to them several years ago and only wish we had done so years earlier. 

I switched T-mobile about a decade ago and have used it all around the world. The only continent where I have been unable to use it was Antarctica. 😉 (But Starlink and WiFi was amazing!)

Just took another look at the schedule and Row Venice sounds like it could be fun on the last day. Great reviews on TA!

10 minutes ago, TN_travels said:

It was significantly colder in Milan than in Venice. And Venice was cool in the mornings but then got warm and humid (I’d wear a jacket but take it off in an hour). I tracked the weather on Accuweather and kept a spreadsheet so I knew what to expect but it was still so much warmer than I thought it would be in Venice. 

It is really tough to tell at this time of year. I thought I had planned well but when I arrived in late March 2 years ago, I was peeling layers off as quickly as I could when I got off the plane. It stayed warm for a few days after I arrived, but then turned significantly cooler for the remainder of my three weeks in northern Italy. 

This will be my sixth Uniworld river cruise and I have never taken anything formal. My husband usually took a jacket that he wore once or twice but it’s not really necessary and I have rarely seen anyone with a tie. Attire in general tends to be very casual, and only slightly less so for dinner. 

10 hours ago, alithecat said:

@rayho94066 last year when we booked D2D Silversea air routed us from Santiago to Toronto, Canada to San Francisco. This was in January. We would have accepted any of the US airports you mentioned but not that crazy route. We canceled and did our own air, United via Houston. Coming back into the US was no problem from Houston.

Same here. Better flights and Polaris lie-flat seats and lounge.

18 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

We visited this area in June 2022 on our own for a week. I have pictures in my SmugMug albums.

And thank you for this wonderful reminder about your albums. I have enjoyed many of them!

Sounds wonderful, and thank you so much for the tips. And if I had room in my suitcases, I would love to take along friends. ❤️

Thanks for the tips! Winery would always be my choice as well! 😎

29 minutes ago, vada_9 said:

If you decide to visit The Last Supper - remember you need to book in advance. They are timed admissions.

This is from the detailed itinerary: 

Thanks so much, TN. All very helpful, and much appreciated!