paradiselivin1

Thanks, Karen. Had thought about that as a possible idea but it seemed a pricey way to go & was hoping that wasn't the only option.

Ok. I already know this sounds crazy but we arrive in Athens at 9AM & cruise does not depart until 8PM. Hate to waste an entire day when we could be seeing the sites of Athens before heading to Piraeus. How can we do this as we will, naturally, have luggage? I was thinking of taking the express bus to the port from the airport but there doesn't seem to be anything drawing me to Piraeus early in the day.... Any suggestions would be appreciated.

We left the ship at 3:00 am for a 6:30 flight. We pre-arranged a taxi and the drive at that time of night was about 45 minutes. Give yourself at least 15 minutes to get down the gangway. Yes, there is a line and you must go through immigration in the pier terminal. Be sure that you have your Turkish visa in hand. You also have to go through a luggage scanner at the airport entrance before you check in with the airline, then another immigration check at the airport. After that it's a lovely new terminal and all the shops and lounges were open. (This was in September 2014)

Looking to book at 10:35am flight out. Would we be ok if we left by 7AM? Princess says we shouldn't book a flight prior to 11AM which is crazy as we arrive in port the previous morning at 8AM. Any body have a problem getting off early in the same situation?

Thanks, John. The ship's transfer costs don't seem that out of line based on our numbers as it also includes getting me to the port in Athens. I guess I just need to make sure they get me to the airport for my desired flight time.

 

But if you need a taxi from ship to airport you need to book that too.

Taxi drivers at the port are sharks who will be looking for twice as much. If you walk down the road away from the port & hail a passing cab it'll be cheaper than the sharks but its a lot of hassle & probably still more than pre-booked. It's far better to pre-book a fixed price return transfer, perhaps fix up that return trip through the driver if you're happy with the service.

 

JB :)

Hey John~

Do you have an idea of the cost from the cruise port to Ataturk airport? I would like to pre-book; not sure how to do it; but would like an idea before checking. I can get the transfer via the ship but expect it would be more costly and on their schedule. Looking for an early flight out back to Athens which should work as we arrive in Istanbul a full day prior to disembarkation. Thanks for any advice!

Does anyone know what the typical cab fare from the airport to the cruise docks would be? I'm debating about paying for the Princess transfers but know they generally charge twice what you would normally pay. Thanks for any guidance.

Glad to see the mostly positive reviews about the Emeraldas I am about to book a cruise at the end of August. I also like to check and see how old the ship is as well as the last time it was REFURBISHED! Easy enough to do. I understand that this is a sister ship to the Ruby which I absolutely loved more so than the new ship we just sailed in December! As other posters have indicated ~ everyone has a different opinion! Mostly, enjoy the fact that you can afford to take these wonderful trips!:D

True. You do not need to be online after downloading your book(s) on your Nook. I have an old Nook Color and used to download several books before the cruise. My husband has taken over the Nook & I simply use my Samsung tablet & the downloaded Nook app. I have a sizable library which we share when traveling together. I've also downloaded the Kindle app.

Wow. Did not know there was a book club. I guess you really have to search that out ~ never remember seeing in the Patter but so much in there I guess it would be easy to miss. May have to check it out but keep my expectations low so as not to be disappointed.

Thanks for your honesty. Glad you turned it into a good time, but, been there done that & there must be something we didn't see when we spent a week there years ago.

Thanks for a great mini review. A week to go & can't wait for our Christmas cruise!:D

Loving your review ~ thanks for taking the time. Hope our cruise is as much fun as yours obviously was & sure it will be with a chocolate martini or three..:D

I had to go back and check the original post from the OP as I am signed up for AT on my upcoming cruise. Have any of you EVER considered the possibility that some of us are AT because TD is full????:confused: Here I thought I might learn something, but, nope, just as lively as the tip debates.

Thanks for a great review so far. Bummed after seeing the soot photos. Our cabin is just a few removed from yours & we're going in a few weeks so don't expect it to be resolved by then. Can't wait to follow the rest of your review.

Glad I jumped onto this thread. Mostly curious about the phones as I had the same problem several times this morning. But also learned that we weren't the only ones with the inability to login to our accounts. The person I spoke with last night had no clue why we weren't getting in ~ guess some CS agents were given the update and others were not. Will try again.

You can take a 1/4 mile walk to the right of the tender dock and snorkel at Eden Rock. There are some pet tarpon that will swim right in your face.

Love Eden Rock & hope to get there this Saturday. Last time we did a shore dive and saw THE biggest fish of all time hanging on the bottom. This will be a quick snorkel if the conditions are right. Good spot!

So sorry that happened to you and is a good reminder as we are about to head out. So sad that people feel the need to help themselves to something that is not theirs. Will make a concerted effort to lock up all electronics, jewelry & money!

The gelato at the International Cafe and "Once Upon a Dream" in the theater. The molten chocolate dessert in the Crown Grill.

Ahh...my kind of cruiser! Thanks for the heads-up. Molten chocolate lava cake is my absolute favorite. Sounds like a trip to the Grill is in order! And, gelato, too? Heck, yeah!:D

You'll hopefully get lots of good advice from people who have cruised Alaska many times. When I went, I broke the trip up into two different segments ~ 10 days touring on land followed by the cruise. I flew into Anchorage, picked up a car & immediately hit the road racking up more than 2,000 mile before it was all over, trekking down to Homer and all the way up to Fairbanks. Picked up another travelling companion in Anchorage & then back north to Denali. You should figure out the places you really want to visit; research & then make it happen. I did extensive research & had an awesome trip & booked everything myself. Denali is a must & think you should do any land touring first and then relax on the cruise. Glad I structured it that way ~ especially after driving 2000+ miles!:eek: Enjoy. One trip I can't wait to repeat!

That's just crazy! Sounds odd that a browser could make the difference. Sounds like Chrome needed a "refresh"...

I will be glad when I can retire and take advantage of some last minute deals. :D

Me too! Some of our friends are able to do it but we have a few years to go ~ bummer.:(

Me too! Aft all the way!

Thank you. Terrace pool here we come! ;)

 

Paradiselivin1 enjoy your cruise!

You too, gator582. Sounds like we have lots to look forward to! Can't wait!!

Sounds good to me, too. Keep those ideas coming, folks!:)

MSNBC currently showing as a tagline that over 100 sick. Not sure what else a cruise line can do when people don't follow good personal hygiene.:eek: