cruisefan123

On 12/19/2023 at 5:48 PM, YourWorldWithBill said:

Last month (November) we stayed at the H10 Catalunya Plaça Boutique Hotel, which is also right across from the Plaza. We chose that as the prices seem more reasonable, and we liked the hotel and its great location.

 

By the way, there is a tapas restaurant about two blocks away that is excellent, Cuitat Comtal.

Anyone staying in the area: don't miss it!

Thank you for your information Bill.  We are staying here in November 2024 and have noted the restaurant recommendation! 

13 minutes ago, Boxersma2 said:

I’m looking for any information from cruisers that have experience using an eSim that would cover stops in the Caribbean including Aruba, Curaco, Antigua and Bahamas. 

I have used Airalo ESIM in Europe twice this year with great coverage.   They have an Island Hopper package that might be worth a look.  

On 11/2/2023 at 1:59 AM, kiwichick62 said:

At random times and not for all sailings.  It is possible the next sale will be for Black Friday.  If you have a classic drink package and want to upgrade many of us recently got the upgrade at 53% off.  This sale could still be running.

 The sale is indeed still on.  We upgraded for our TA next November.   Thanks for posting this. 

2 hours ago, NateUpNorth said:

Looking at flying to Europe for first time out of YYZ into Rome.
Just asking if anyone has recent experience and where the flight costs fell for you?

We flew to Rome last October from YYz.  It was about $800 Cdn one way ( we were embarking on a transatlantic) on Air Canada.    Great flight.  No issues with luggage.   Not sure when you are going or what current fares are.  I recently flew Air Transat from Dublin to YYZ in June.    About $700  Cdn one way.  Another great flight. 

On 8/12/2023 at 3:00 PM, LDL1220 said:

Thank you once again. I think I will book to put my mind at ease. I am worried (a worrier by nature 😭) that I will not have time to book transfers because my air is with the cruise line (60 days notice) and we are a party of 4.  I look forward to hearing about your stay. 

We spent 5 nights at Hotel Smeraldo last October.   We had a fabulous stay.  We booked with hotel directly and our rooms were great( small but welcome to Rome).  I highly recommend them and would stay here again.    If you need transfer from airport/to cruise port we used Rome Cabs - highly recommend them as well.  Have a fabulous trip.  

3 hours ago, crusinmomwithtwo said:

Hi all, such great information on here. I’d love to get suggestions for my scenario.  I will be in Rome in July pre-cruise for one night and post-cruise for 3 nights.  It is just myself and my two daughters (11&13). We are from Las Vegas, so spoiled when it comes to hotel offerings, and have a suite booked for the cruise. I realize I’m not going to get the same modernity and size in Rome but I’d like to find somewhere that 1) is pretty central for walking purposes, 2) is safe, 3) has an elevator, 4) as modern (upgraded, new)  as possible.  I am willing to go up to around 800-ish a night.  Right now we have the Hotel Nazionale booked for the night before and Terrace Pantheon Relais for after, but booked all refundable so we can change.  
 

thoughts??

We stayed at the Hotel Smeraldo in Rome last year.  Centrally located, close to Campo De Fiori, Piazza Navona, etc., elevator and most rooms were renovated recently.  Wonderful breakfast as well.  Keep in mind hotel rooms in Rome are small.  We were able to walk everywhere including back from the Colosseum and Vatican.  Great restaurants nearby.  Roscioli  bakery across the street.   No issues with safety.   Hope this helps. 

We are late 50’s as well and prefer Celebrity.   We did NCL when our children were younger but find Celebrity more to our liking now.   There is lots to do if you are up for it, with plenty of relaxation spots if you are not.  

We have used Manulife in the past.  Will be using again for upcoming cruise.

Happy Canada Day!!!! 🇨🇦

On 12/30/2021 at 8:19 AM, Roxxy said:

Well, it happened .... We missed our cruise on the Reflection😣

We all (4 of us) tested negative upon leaving Canada on Dec 24th. Long story short ... 2 delayed flights and a whole lot of rebooking transportation to/from different airports finally got us into Ft.Lauderdale at midnight on the 24th.

Had 2 different Covid appointments we had to miss on the 24th but luckily had a 3rd one pre-booked for the morning of the 25th.

Received confirmation by text , showed up but the clinic was closed !!

Now what? Time is running out. Another $40 ON ANOTHER UBER and arrive at FLL for 10 am, only to line up for 2 1/2 HRS.

UBER to A1A Fort Lauderdale beach while we have breakfast and results by text come in. Negative,Negative,Negative, and POSITIVE 😮😮.

5 minutes later call from Florida State Health who says to go get PCR Test to confirm.

It's Christmas Day!!  Finally find a roadside tent and literally 5 1/2 HRS later of lining up in the hot sun ... Confirmed.  Positive !

 

So we don't board on the 27th, rent a car and get A quarantined in his own room in hotel. Today is day 6 and we have tested negative on 4 occasions now. 

Both Celebrity (our cruise) and Royal (his cruise) have advised no problem we will all be refunded.

We had Covid insurance thru Manulife so our accommodation is covered too.  Just wish we were on the Reflection right now!

 

We have managed to get all of our tests at n/c but it has been a lot of waiting.  The RAPID PCR Test did cost $400 but Will be reimbursed for that from Manulife.

 

Just wanted to share.

 

Would we do this again soon ? Not in your life ! 

 

Thank  you for sharing this with us and wish your SIL a quick recovery.   Hope it hasn’t migrated to the rest of your family.   Our group cancelled our Feb Equinox 12 day Caribbean cruise.  We were concerned this exact thing would happen.  

Happy Cruise Day!  We are booked in February 2022 with the same itinerary.  Wishing you a fabulous holiday with smooth seas and fair skies!!!

Grand Mariner Soufflé !

Thank you Turtles06 for your post.   We have been looking for Fall 2022 TA cruises and unable to find any information.  Gives us something to look forward to!

On 12/18/2020 at 4:26 PM, Turtles06 said:

 

You can see the fall 2022 TA itineraries right now by going to post 60 in the thread linked below and clicking on the links in that post; as others have noted above, while they've been loaded in the system, they aren't yet open for booking.  As for "usual itineraries," no way to know what will be "usual" in the post-pandemic world.  Some of these itineraries are a little short on ports (not a huge deal for us, as we love TAs for the sea days).  

 

 

Having had less than stellar experiences with AC in the past we usually fly out of a nearby US city.  We were booked on a Westjet flight from Barcelona to Toronto in April but we had booked through ChoiceAir and were refunded without issue.   Hope you end up with a positive resolution. 

We did the snorkelling excursion with Seacow through Celebrity in February.   It was an incredible experience.   We drift snorkelled along the reef with a belt flotation for buoyancy so if you are not a strong swimmer you felt safe. Each group has a leader to help guide you along.  Prescription  face masks are also available for those whose vision is not 20/20.    Seacow is very professional, informative and fun (also serve a great rum punch on the return trip)!!.   A photographer will accompany you who takes great pics and it was not overly expensive.  We did the early excursion which left us time to change on board and then go into town to browse and have lunch.    

It will be crowded.   There were 3 ships in port when we were in Grand Cayman.  We opted to rent a cabana at the Royal Palms Beach Club and were glad we did.   Hope this helps. 

Bonaire!  We snorkelled with Sea Cow.  They were amazing and would definitely recommend them!

We did not eat.  We had a bucket of beer and some prepackaged snacks (nuts, pretzels, etc) that we brought with us.  

We didn't ask for a specific spot but we were happy with Coco Loco beach bar.   We wanted a less busy section of beach with some amenities and that's what we had.  I didn't research it too much before we left but we were satisfied.

On 3/24/2019 at 11:08 PM, cruznduo said:

Cruisefan123 ~ Thanks for your reply.  I have always thought of an emerald as darker green, but are those more expensive and more rare than the blue green ones?  I actually would be fine with either, as my favorite color is more blue than green.  Sorry if that is confusing, but I guess I am confused.  I would not want to spend more than what you did for sure, and would be happy if I found something I liked in a lower price range!  From your input I do know that I can afford to buy something nice and not break the bank. We like to travel, so I would not want to put a ton of money into a piece of jewelry at this point.  I would rather upgrade my diamond another time...lol!  I have looked on the Mr. Emerald site at their designs and have seen some very nice ring styles. Sorry, but another question.  Is Mr. Emerald located in the old, walled city?  I was just looking at ways to get around in Cartagena to do our shopping. We are considering the hop on, hop off trolley.  Did you do a land vacation?  We are doing a Panama Canal cruise at the end of September.  It's my husband's bucket list trip...mine was the Mediterranean, totally different, but I think I will end up liking mine better!!!  Except for maybe buying an emerald ring that is!

We were on Celebrity Reflection twice In the past year that had a port stop in Cartagena.   Mr. Emerald is in the old walled city.  It is just off the main square.  If you are going to San Pedro Claver church it's a short walk from there.  The hop on hop off trolley would certainly take you there.   Wishing you luck in your search and please let me know how you make out!  Bon Voyage!

On 3/14/2019 at 10:37 PM, cruznduo said:

SimplyMarvie ~ Just wondering how expensive rings are as I am thinking of purchasing an emerald ring on our trip in October.  Is the price for a decent ring in the $1000 range, or would I need to think more in the $3000 range?  Also, did you feel that Mr. Emerald was more reputable than the Emerald Museum, or was it just the hard sell that helped you decide?  Is the selection pretty good at both places?  I have also read about Lucy Jewelry, but their merchandise looks pretty upscale and maybe out of my price range?  Thanks for any info.  Linda

Crznduo - they come in all sizes and price points. I had a really good idea of what I was looking for before I cruised as I didn't want to be overwhelmed.   Do you want a solitary Emerald or with diamonds? Light green or blue green?  I chose a solitary Emerald that was blue green in a bezel setting ( emeralds are softer than diamonds so I wanted to protect it).  I paid $3000 for it.   I think it was close to 1 carat and in a 14 k setting.   I had a tough decision as I really liked another ring that had a smaller light green Emerald with diamonds that was $1400.  I liked Mr. Emerald for its reputation and service.   Not pushy and they answered all my questions.  They have a website that might give you an idea of style and price.   What  I didn't like about the other stores is that it was a hard sell without giving me time to look without interruption - constant barrage of "you like" "buy now" etc.  Hope this helps.  Happy to answer any more questions.  

Your proposition is not stupid.   Jewelry in Colombia is not cheap.  You could purchase an unpolished or rough Emerald ( cheaper than polished) and bring it back with you for future design.  Most jewelry stores carry both.     I found my ring at Mr. Emerald.      Several of the stores have websites where you  can look at their inventory and prices.  The Emerald museum is attached to a jewelry store and its hard sell all the way.  They have classes here and  It was so pushy that I could not wait to leave.  Cartagena is such a beautiful city. So much to see and do.  Hope this helps.  

We were on Reflection last week.  Movies are shown in theatre during the day and on the lawn later in evening.  Current titles that I remember are Christopher Robin, Bohemian Rhapsody, Mission Impossible, Beauty and the Beast, Papillon. They do offer some current  movies in room free in addition to some on demand for a fee.   Hope this helps.  

We rented a beach cabana at RP last week for $125 ( 4 people).  Beach cabanas have a table and 4 chairs inside and 4 loungers in front.    There were three cruise ships in port and the beaches became very crowded, so we were happy to have made a reservation.  A storm blew in unexpectedly so we had shelter from the rain as well as from the sunshine.  Taxi was $5 pp from the port.  We ordered drinks and snacks that we found somewhat pricey but the service was great.  We would go to RP again.  

We were on Eagle Beach last week, next to Coco Loco beach bar.  Cost for taxi from Pier was $15.   Cost for Umbrella and 2 chairs was $40.   It's a beautiful beach, very relaxing.