NCteacherlovescruising

32 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

I don't understand the appeal of carry on only.  Everyone I know who does carry on only will wax on like they've converted to a new religion, evangelizing for the cause.   In decades of traveling my luggage was only lost once, more than twenty years ago, and was delayed a couple of times.  As a percentage of my travel it's miniscule.  

 

Seems easier than dealing with luggage with all the moving around we will be doing. Also, don’t really want to wait around the airport for it or risk losing it. Also, we would have to pay for the extra bag on our flight to Athens. 

32 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

There are plenty of times when I have only a carry on size bag but I still check it, because a few minutes of waiting for the luggage to come up is preferable to me than having to deal with it and force it up over my head into storage on the plane (I'm really short).

 

I’m tall, and my husband will be traveling with me, so lifting my bag won’t be an issue. 
 

32 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

If you'd only have an issue with the liquids on the return, couldn't you check the bag for that flight only?

Yes and more than likely we will have a checked bag on the return home for all my purchases. Lol

6 minutes ago, marazul said:

@NCteacherlovescruising

Do you still have a flight to Madrid, then a flight BCN-FCO, or are you flying directly to FCO? We were talking a while back about complicated flight itineraries. I forget what you decided to do.

 

We are flying from Clt-JFK, JFK-FCO with a 7 hour layover. We have lounge access with our credit card so it shouldn’t be too bad. 
 

6 minutes ago, marazul said:

If directly to FCO, even changing flights in the US, I would agree on checking, especially when you are going to be six days in Rome after the flight. They will get the bags to you at the hotel. My only concern would be if we had tight connections or if we were moving to a different location or ship the next day. Going home we always check the suitcases.  

 

Having said all of that, we just flew to Florida.  We checked two identical bags at the same time.  One went on our flight, the other one went on the following flight, so we had to sit at the airport to wait for it. Go figure. (Other than that, we have never had any problems checking bags.) 

 

Make sure you put airtags in your bags whether you check them or not.

 

The Clarins would probably be cheaper in Europe than here.  Check the prices as suggested above in amazon.it.

 

We have 4 AirTags for the bags we’re planning on taking and will buy more if needed. I will check out the price of Clarins there. I use several of their products. 

6 hours ago, marazul said:

For sure they have it. Check out the pharmacies as you walk past them.  Specific items may be available in different stores. Also look for a "profumeria" or perfume store. They also carry beauty supplies. I even think I saw a Sephora somewhere in Rome.

 

It's a bit expensive though and I would have the same issue on the return flights.

On 4/30/2024 at 8:44 PM, euro cruiser said:

You shouldn't have a problem finding a salon for a wash and blow out.  If you are staying in a hotel, ask them to recommend someone and make the call for an appointment.

Great!  That will eliminate the need for several products. 
 

9 hours ago, marazul said:

@NCteacherlovescruising

If you use any European products, shop for them there.  Pharmacies usually stock high end beauty products.  Throughout Europe, pharmacies are identified by a green cross sign, usually in neon.  

 

I do. My skincare is all Clarins. 
 

9 hours ago, marazul said:

Don't forget to post about your adventures.  

Bon voyage!

Will do!

8 hours ago, BethesdaSC said:

I just returned from Rome, traveled thru Phoenix, Dulles and Rome.  At no time was I asked to remove my liquids from my carry on.  As long as they’re the right size, I wouldn’t worry about the quart size bag.  If you are, use 2 and split between personal item and carry on.  The screener doesn’t know they’re both yours.  My contact solutions were with my glass case and my liquids were all together in a gallon bag but folded.  

Good idea!

7 hours ago, buckeye7 said:

I don't know if you wear contacts, but you are allowed to use 2 quart-sized bags if you bring contact-related products. Sooo.... I use the 2nd bag for a small saline and eye drops, then use several contact lens cases filled with products (face lotion, etc...) I have honestly included a few other liquids in that bag and never been questioned (been doing this for years.)

 

I did just purchase these containers as I saw them recommended on another site. Haven't tried them yet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZB81N4X/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A34U6OVSB8M3KV&psc=1

 

Also, there are nice drug stores all over in Europe with every product you would need! Common brands too.

Thanks for sharing!  I do wear contacts so this is extremely helpful!  Most of my skin care products are on the pricy side so I wouldn’t want to purchase them there and toss them out before coming home. But, toothpaste, cleanser and my husband’s shampoo could easily be purchased anywhere. 
 

I will check out those containers. 
 

4 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

When I was in Rome in November I discovered that my go-to store for all personal care products (and a lot more) for more than twenty years had closed!!  They're putting in yet another restaurant.  

 

That must have been terribly disappointing!

4 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

Here's what I'd suggest, go through your things and separate out the items that are very specific and hard to find and carry those, then buy the more common items once in Rome.  Unless you are leaking money out of every orifice, don't count on buying anything at all in Amalfi.  The few people who actually live there don't, so what is stocked is for tourists and priced accordingly.

Unfortunately , I’m not leaking money out of any orifice!  Lol I wasn’t planning on purchasing necessities in Amalfi. We will be in Rome several days prior so we could buy anything left behind there. I was wondering about getting a blow out so I wouldn’t need to bring any liquid hair products. Is that a thing there. On my last couple of cruises I got them so I didn’t have to mess with it. I assume aerosols count as liquids too, like dry shampoo. I’m sure that would be easy to purchase there.  
 

4 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

Here are a few of the bigger pharmacies that have websites, maybe page through and see if you can find your brands:

 

Farmacia Centrale | Dott. Di Gioacchino (farmaciacentraledigioacchino.com)

 

Farmacia online autorizzata dal Ministero della Salute - Farmacie Mariani

 

Igiene E Cosmesi (farmaciamacedonio.it)

 

FARMACIA INTERNAZIONALE - Piazza Barberini ROMA (farmaciainternazionaleroma.it)

Thanks for the links!  I will check them out. 

I did a "practice pack" using only my carry-on and personal item.  I was quite shocked to find I can fit everything in those two bags for nearly a month in Europe.  However, I don't think I could possibly get all my girly products there in a 1-qt. bag.  (serums, face wash, lotions, cleanser, liquid foundation, cleansing balm, hair products, etc.)  If that would be the only reason to check a bag, what could I easily buy there instead?  Hotel shampoo/conditioner is a no go because my hair is highlighted so I'm very picky about hair products.  Is it easy to find a place for a blow out in Rome and/or Amalfi?  I don't mind leaving my hair products behind if so, because I only wash once per week anyway. However, dips in the Mediterranean will change that.   Now if dh can't do the same, we may check a bag and this won't be an issue.  We will most likely need to buy something cheap to get new purchases home so for the return flight this won't be an issue.

Edited to add:  Looking for suggestions for good containers for these products that won't leak

3 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

Why do you need a tour boat for this?  You can simply use the public ferries.

 

Schedule here:  Visit the Amalfi Coast - Travelmar Fast Ferries in Amalfi Coast

Because the boat tours make stops where we can get in and swim for a bit. I watched a video where a lady said it was the best day they had on the Amalfi Coast but I can’t find it again, nor do I recall who she used. Would you get the same view from the ferries?

We will be spending 3 nights in Amalfi. Can someone recommend a good boat tour of the coast?  Something similar to below but not private so we can keep the cost down. We want to see the AC from the sea and make stops along the way. 

15 hours ago, bellaone said:

We were 4. 

 

How much was it?  

2 hours ago, edinburgher said:

No tour is actually need, because if you google something along the lines of "self guided walking tour of GOT locations Dubrovnik", you should find several options you could either take with you or access them when there. (gypsmycity being one of them)

 

And if you google without the words "self guided" you should find several companies offering the tour. You could then look at their reviews to help you decide which one, or if you would be better with the ship shorex..

 

On that topic, as your question is specific to NCL, consider cross posting on the NCL forum where NCL passengers who did this tour would be more likely to see it and reply.

Thanks!  I had considered asking there but assumed they would just move it here. However, since you recommended I do so, I did. Hopefully someone that’s been on it will chime in. 

Has anyone done this Game of Thrones tour with NCL?  Our friends want to do it but it’s much more expensive than the one with get your guide. If you have been on it, was it worth the money?

In Ravena they want to do one of these, but someone else recommended just staying in Ravena to see the mosaics. Has anyone tried either of these tours?

I have already asked in the Europe forum but would like to hear from someone that has done one of these. 

Our friends are interested in booking the NCL GOT tour in Dubrovnik. Is this worthwhile or could someone recommend a private tour company that does it better?  

Our cruise changed Venice tender to a stop in Ravena. We are staying in Venice two days post cruise so aren’t interested in traveling to Venice from there. Has anyone tried either of these excursions?  NCL doesn’t have any reviews for them. 
 

7 minutes ago, Dgshooter said:

We booked a cruise on the World Europa Jan 11-18, 2025. it will be my wife's first trip to Europe. We're planning to take some kind of excursion in each port.

I hope you tell us all about it!  We are going to Europe for the first time this summer. I’m super excited!  

11 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Cruisedeckplans.com is your friend.  EM

I looked there before posting this but didn’t look at enough decks.  I didn’t realize they would be so far away!  They are on decks 19-22.  Last time we sailed we were on the same deck as Top Sail Lounge and the concierge desk, but on a much smaller ship.  I realize there’s an elevator so it’s not a big deal. 

19 minutes ago, orangemini said:

As Essiesmom said, lots of good information on that website, including this video of your cabin. I was on World Europa in November in 18016 and found it to be a little bit of a long walk to the YC elevator. Maybe I missed a shortcut? No biggie, but on my next cruise in July I chose 18009 on the other side of the ship.

Thanks for sharing!  Since we just booked this I hadn’t even looked for videos yet. Actually, it wasn’t considered a “new booking”. We had booked onboard last summer for this summer but we moved it out to next summer. Our TA had to jump through some hoops to make this happen but she’s amazing and got it done at no cost to us. I didn’t choose the room, she did, but we won’t mind the extra steps. 

12 hours ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

 

We are travelling in our 2nd MSC ship in 21 days, World Europa out of Barcelona cant wait tbh. 

 

 

We just moved out our World Europa cruise out of Barcelona from this summer to next, but very much look forward to it. I hope you will post a review. 

We just booked this ship for June 2025. Can someone tell me what floors are yacht club and where the YC sundeck, restaurant and lounge are? Our cabin is 15018. Is that in the 15th floor?  

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

 You should include the cash value of the point used as well.

We’re looking at it strictly from what we have to pay. This trip is costing us a fortune so saving on airfare was a huge bonus!  The points wouldn’t have had that big of a cash value had we chose to fly economy, but we want to be able to hit the ground running when we arrive in Rome so we didn’t.  

On 3/6/2024 at 11:11 AM, RocketMan275 said:

Most booking via NCL are doing so for the cost savings.  The question is, how much of a savings remains if one  has too book a room in Vancover, a tour, plus other expenses for the day?

I agree with the point about the availability of flights. Many destinations from Vancouver require routing through Seattle.  I recently cancelled our second Alaska cruise because of the terrible flights.  

I wouldn’t necessarily look at that as a con. They have the bonus of enjoying a beautiful city an extra day. That’s worth a lot IMO. 

On 3/8/2024 at 11:46 AM, mistertomatoe said:

I'm finding it's not really free or not even 50% off for 2 or 1 in the case of a solo fare. It's more like 33% off based on the flights I can find. Anyone find the same?

We scored on ours. We used miles to book our air to Europe but using them to fly from Venice to Clt for both of us was only $1,000 total. 

19 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

 

Bottom line. You have another chance at making restaurant reservations on embarkation day. If any of your party is boarding early, they can go to the reservation desk (Teppanyaki restaurant on big ships), and make reservations for the group. There are no reservations if you embark early at any port other than the embarkation port, Athens. I have been on cruises where Cagney's was sold out for all nights all times by 1 pm on embarkation day. 

 

There is no penalty for no showing to Cagney's. But, as a courtesy to your fellow passengers, especially since you have a big group, cancellation would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Restaurant reservations open 120 days prior to departure at 12 midnight eastern time. Folks who would like the best time or have larger groups like yours will log on the minute reservations open at midnight to get their tables. (Suites reservations open 130 days prior to departure, Club Suites and top tier Latitudes members can make reservations at 125 days). Most reservations are for 2-tops and 4-tops and there are not that many larger tables in any of the specialty restaurants. 

Yeah, I don’t want to risk not getting a reservation there. I’m sure my husband and I will make it on time for the 5:30 reservations. If our friends don’t, I will just let them know it will only be the two of us. If they don’t make it, we wouldn’t be opposed to joining them another night if they can get reservations. We’ve only sailed NCL once before but I recall liking it. With it being al a carte, how much is our free dining voucher worth?  

10 hours ago, JandC_Cruising said:

There are no penalties for no shows. 
even if the whole party misses the reservation, you will not be charged. 

Good to know!  I assume we’ll be able to make it. My husband and I will have been touring Italy for 9 days and Athens 2.5 prior. We will be ready to sit in air conditioning, relax, and not pay for food and drinks!  lol

9 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

Did you book on the app or did you call NCL?  I would give them a call or use the chat to see if you can change to another date and time. Failing that, I would do it once onboard. 

I booked on the app. 
 

9 hours ago, UKstages said:

in practice, there is no penalty for a no show, particularly on embarkation day and particularly if it's only one or two members of a larger party. but NCL's actual rule about restaurant reservations is that they require 24 hours notice to cancel and that you will be charged if you don't show.

 

"Cancellations of dinner reservations must be made 24 hours prior to the scheduled dining time. If cancellation occurs with less than 24 hours' notice, the full price of the cover per guest will be charged. We strive for excellent service; therefore, we can only hold your dinner reservation for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the unclaimed reservation will be released and the full price of the cover per guest will be charged to you. In the case of pre-paid reservation, no refunds will be issued for cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice."

 

 

I will share this with our friends. 
 

7 hours ago, gizfish said:

Don't settle on going on embarkation day if that's not what you want.  You will almost certainly be able to get a reservation on some other day.  Just make the reservation on board asap.  Worst case you go the day you want and wait till they can accommodate you, or you keep an eye on the reservation screens throughout the ship that show availability at that specific time.  

I just want to make sure we can get reservations there and we won’t want to embark early at one of the ports to do so. 
Normally I enjoy starting our cruise this way but I’ve never been to Athens. 
 

7 hours ago, European_CruiseGirl said:

I would like to know how they charge something if you are a no show if the place is a la carte. For a place like Teppanyaki I understand, they could just charge the cover. So in other words = for a la carte restaurants they definitely do not charge anything. 
 

I just yesterday needed to change a restaurant reservation and chatted with an NCL agent about it. As we are 3 I asked her to book for 4. She gave me this big lecture that as soon as we get on the ship I must go to the restaurant and tell that we are only 3. Otherwise we will be charged for a fourth person. That restaurant being Le Bistro. Didn’t start to argue with her but just laughed in my mind of the thought that if someone would try to charge something (they don’t)  I’d point towards the empty chair and tell the waiter ”…and for my friend over here, he will just get some ice water, thank you”. 
 

 

Best response!  😂

31 minutes ago, itsnotjustme said:

If someone misses, have that person pay a la carte.  They ordered nothing.

 

p.s. If someone misses, they have bigger problems than a missed dinner.

I made reservations for 5:30. We don’t leave until 10 PM so I believe we have until 8 to board. Since we will be in Athens, I’m not sure if everyone will make it on time. 
 

29 minutes ago, Anoynmous Phoenix said:

@NCteacherlovescruising

 

Remember that they only put about 30% of the placings on the internet and the rest are available on board.   When you board you will be able to find that there is a place to make your booking.

 

I wasn’t aware of this. 

29 minutes ago, Anoynmous Phoenix said:

That will have places at all times but some will go very quickly

But I wouldn’t want to miss out. 

17 minutes ago, JandC_Cruising said:

 

@NCteacherlovescruisingNo worries.  Just book for the 6 people and show up with 5.  We've done that exact thing multiple times since they only show even number reservations.

You will not get charged.  The host will ask if each of you plan on using a specialty meal credit or if you are paying a la carte when you check-in for the reservation.

Enjoy.

What if we don’t make it at all or if only part of our party does?  Unfortunately, this was our only option before 9:30. 

It’s been years since we’ve sailed NCL. We are traveling with friends, each of us have one free dinner with the free at sea offer. The only date I could book earlier than 9:30 was the day of embarkation. Reservations were only available for even numbers and there will only be 5 of us. Is it ok to just tell them there’s only 5 when we get there or will we be charged for the 6th person?  Also, if some or all of us don’t board in time to make the reservation will we be charged?

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

You’ll have to go to the Scavi Office website.  There are no other resellers of tickets and you must purchase them yourself.  Marisa cannot do this for you and only official Scavi tour guides will conduct the tours. 

Ok, I’ll ask her what time we could plan on. 
 

1 hour ago, marazul said:

You can only book here:

www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en/prenotazione.html

Thank you!

8 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

What has been excavated is a Roman street, multiple necropolises, the original church built upon the spot where Peter was crucified.  You will also see his tomb and a glimpse of what is believed to be his bones.  That is the Scavi tour.  It is extremely limited in the number of people allowed per day and well worth the trouble of booking.

That sounds like something I’d enjoy!  Thanks!

5 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

If your tour ends in the vicinity of the Colosseum, I think either one of these sites (in close walking distance) would be a nice addition:

 

The Basilica of San Clemente -- it's not just a church, it's a time capsule. You can explore the 3 different levels, starting with the Roman era (1st c.), a second layer built in the 5th c. and destroyed in the 11th c, and the "newest" layer, which is still nearly 1,000 years old and has beautiful mosaics. This video gives you a good idea. Darius Arya, a leading expert on ancient Rome calls it the best underground site in Rome. It really helps you understand the long history of the city and why modern Rome exists on top of ancient Rome.

 

You need to book a reservation in advance here.

 

They do close daily for a long lunch break (12-2), so if your Colosseum tour is in the morning, look for a place to eat lunch (I can recommend the Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, but you probably need a reservation.)

 

Baths of Caracalla -- These are probably the best preserved ancient Roman imperial baths that I have ever visited. Imperial = built in the time of the Emperors, but also they are imperial in size and scope. You can easily walk there from the Colosseum/Palatine Hill area. (They also offer a great audioguide or, for more $$ you can rent their VR headset and have the opportunity to see virtual footage superimposed on the existing site that shows how it would have looked in antiquity. As a plus, you can also visit the vast underground area where slaves would have been busy stoking the furnaces and doing other maintenance work for the baths. Video here. 

I had forgotten about the Baths of Caracalla. We had watched a video about it and thought it looked like a cool place to see. I will watch both videos you linked. Thanks!

5 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I agree with others that you should plan to see St. Peter's while you are there. It sounds like you've already booked your tour, but there are tours offered that include St. Peter's as well as the Vatican museum and Sistine chapel.

 

Getting back -- since you're staying at Albergo del Senato, the metro isn't super handy. I would just get a taxi. It won't be very expensive maybe 12-15 euro plus or minus. You can find taxis at the bottom of the colonnade around the Piazza in front of St. Peter's. If for some reason you're ending at the museum entrance, you can often find a few taxis there but it's not an official taxi stand.

 

 

I emailed Marisa last night. Our tour includes the museums, and Saint Peters. She said she will email us in May with more details. Would that be too late to book the scavi tour?  I’m sure Marisa will tell us where we can locate a taxi. We’ll plan on using one, especially since we will need to bring our passports.