LadyStone50
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Posts posted by LadyStone50
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Sorry - I was asking about the "Folly Too" sailings. Here are the links I have found:
http://www.rent-follytoo-boat.com
I just wanted to see if any cruisers have tried the company and what they thought of the experience. A day of sailing sounds fantastic - but I am saying this now, before I have boarded a 14 day cruise. LOL not sure if I will be as keen to go 3/4 of the way through the cruise.
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I stumbled upon this and thought it looked amazing. Has anyone sailed with them and if so could you share your thoughts on your experience?
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The top of the list was at a winery near San Gimignano and the seafood on the Amalfi Coast was terrific!
Kade
Kadey -
Can you give me the name of the winery you visited? We are Spending a few days in that area exploring the vineyards. San Gimignano is one of my favorite cities and a great meal outside the walls there would be a fabulous addition to our trip.
By the way - I agree with you about the seafood on the Amalfi - spectacular!
lisiamc - Your advice about pizza on the menu is spot on!
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We went last year in September. Missed the heat, but bumped into the rainy season at the end of the trip. The rain was not bad but we didn't see the beautiful blue italian skies all that often. We also missed the sunflowers blooming:(. It made for spectacular sunsets though :).
There must be a "sweet spot" in there just after the heat but before the rain!
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My husband and I are interested in renting a car in Livorno and driving to Lucca for the day and sightseeing along the way at our leisure. I am having a hard time finding a car rental that is open on Sundays (that is the day our ship will be at port in Livorno) Any suggestions would be welcome.
From my research, it would be worth your while to arrange a rental car before you go. You will also be advised to acquire an international drivers license before leaving home. Note: We have been on the autostrada in Italy - not a place for the faint hearted. They drive FAST!
Some interesting and beautiful side trips from Pisa if you have a rental car: visit Torre del Lago Puccini; a small town on the shores of Lake Massaciuccoli where Puccini lived. Another cool site is the town of Barga, north of Lucca on the edge of the Garfagnana region and the Apuane Alps. It is said to be one of the most beautiful medieval walled cities in Tuscany, and it does not get the tourist crowds of some of the other cities.
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We just received a quote from privatetourinitaly.com for a full day tour from Livorno and another one in Messina that were very reasonable. Researching the reviews of this company, it looks great and they have been very quick to respond to questions via email.
They were also responsive to some itinerary changes we wanted to make and super flexible. If you do not see the exact tour you want on their site, contact them and they will work with you.
We are also using RomeInLimo in Rome - they offer tours in both ports also but are a little more expensive. I am interested in comparing the two companies.
I will definitely post a review when I return - I am hoping the tours are as good as they sound!
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We are booked on a 14 day cruise that is actually two 7-day cruises back to back (I believe) on the Jade next summer. We are planning a private tour in Rome, which is the day the first cruise ends and the second begins. This will mean people getting off and on board with luggage, etc.
My question is, what should be a reasonable time to give the tour company as a pick up time? Will they let us off the ship early or will we have to wait for departing guests leaving the ship at the end of their 7 day cruise to disembark first?
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tagging thread
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:) That is actually most excellent news. Thanks!
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How many formal nights are there on a typical sailing on the Jade?
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I saw this tour (the land portion) offered through Go-Today tours at an amazing price, but only for certain weeks during the year. I liked the idea because Rome is easier to fly into than Venice and a tour through Italy to Venice sounded fun before the cruise. Has anyone done this?
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Froggit and ILOVESAILING -
Did you feel safe touring there? My DH and I really want to see Ephesus.
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ILOVESAILING -
I know what you were saying, and the research I found supported it. That's what I meant when I said I should have done my research before I asked the question in the first place.
grin - we are both on the same page here.
1stcarnival - according to the US site, we will be OK - cruise travelers are exempt from the visa as long as they do not stay in Turkey more than 72 hours. The way I read the US travel site, it looks like there will be someone at the port of entry in Turkey when we disembark that will give us some sort of paper that allows us to travel within the country of Turkey for 72 hours.
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I am late finding your trip report - lovely read :) We are doing a cruise in 2015 aboard this ship so I am very interested in all of it.
We flew into Rome last September. Sure wish we would have known about the Teravision Bus then.
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I found this on the US govt. travel website: (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1046.html)
ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S. CITIZENS: You need a passport and visa to travel to Turkey. Passports should be valid for at least 90 days from the date of entry into Turkey and must have enough blank space to allow for Turkish entry and exit stamps. If there is not enough space for entry and exit stamps in your passport, you will be denied entry into Turkey. If you are traveling as a tourist, you can purchase a tourist visa at a Turkish Embassy or Consulate outside of Turkey, or you can purchase a sticker visa at the Turkish airport or other port of entry for $20 (U.S.) cash. There is one exception: foreigners who are traveling to Turkey by cruise ship are allowed to enter Turkey without a visa for a maximum period of 72 hours, with permission given by the local security authorities at the port of entry. For additional information, please visit the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Frequently Asked Questions website.
Thank you though for your input!
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Here is the current fleet wide wine list as posted on their site:
http://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/WineList_Fleetwide_071513.pdf
We always put it in our rollaboard/carry on. Wrap a t-shirt or socks around them, but since WE always have the bag, we know it does not get tossed around. We wheel it to lunch in the MDR, and then to our room.The socks are a brilliant idea!
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It's not one or the other... there's a happy medium there. If prices drop and the agreement or contract allows you to take advantage of a lower price or a better category, that's called being an educated consumer. If your agreement or contract does not allow you to take advantage of a lower price and you jump online and scream "unfair" well, that makes you a baby.
Well said
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Will passengers be required to have a visa in Kusadasi if they are planning on visiting the ruins at Ephesus? I read recently that visas are needed if you leave the port city.
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Didn't mean to spark a controversy here.
I always check and recheck prices - its a stewardship thing. And, like alwalaska, I too usually have a voucher or two for airfare.
The hotels I book through Wyndham properties have a window where, if you check back during that window, if upgrades are available they will give them to you as a courtesy.
I would not have normally asked the question I did, but I kept seeing posts on this site where people are talking about upgrades they received and thought NCL had a similar window and a similar policy.
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It is going to be really tough getting her onto a whale watching vessel. My advice is to contact the tour companies directly (I HIGHLY recommend "Harv and Marv's - they are wonderful people and very accommodating) and let them know your sister's limitations. Their boats are smaller than the ones the cruise ships generally use so the draft is less and there will be fewer stairs. and ... BONUS .. smaller vessel = fewer people = better whale watching. They might even have one with a handicap platform - but I don't remember for sure.
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We bought a really cheap collapsible luggage carrier at Walmart (I think it cost $5) and put the case of wine on the carrier and a couple carry on bags on top of it. One of the best purchases we made - we used that cheap carrier to tote baggage all through Italy and England on our last trip - It lasted the entire trip, and we abused it mightily (tromping to and from B&B's on cobblestone roads just about everywhere)
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The salmon will bring the wildlife - especially bears and eagles. We have gone twice;
once in early August (spectacular salmon run that trip - I am talking phenomenal!)
Once in late June (salmon were just starting to run so not as much wildlife and not as many whale sightings as the previous trip)
A great idea, if you are really interested in wildlife viewing is to take the ferry to Haines if you are in Skagway. Bears are frequently seen along the Chilkoot river there, and the Kroschel Wildlife Center is there also - amazing places:
Note* Ferry tickets sell out so buy before you leave for your vacation.
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Some things to consider when cruising Alaska:
1) The salmon run in mid July through mid August. There is more than one type of salmon and each one has a different run time so you never know quite when it happens, but you want to be there when it happens (you definitely do NOT want to be there right after a big one finishes - the entire port area smells like rotten fish!) The salmon in the rivers are amazing to see, and they are what attracts the other wildlife; bear and eagles especially. So when the fish come, everything else shows up also.
2) Balconies are lovely on Alaskan cruises. We usually do not get one but for Alaska they are amazing. Like I said before, the star of this cruise is Nature - and it is everywhere to be seen through almost the entire cruise. The inside passage is narrow enough so it really does not matter which side of the ship you are on - it's all good.
3) Due to the latitude, days are LONG in the summer in Alaska - especially in July/August. Plan accordingly.
4) It is cloudy a lot in Alaska but that is not necessarily a bad thing. On overcast days, you can really see the deep blue color of the ice on the glaciers that you don't see on sunny days.
5) This is the most important thing of all. Attitude is everything. If you look for the bad, you will always find it. Same thing with looking for the good. Every single vacation has the potential to be magnificent or a disaster. If you actively look for moments of magnificence, you will ALWAYS find them.
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Loved the review, can you tell me a little bit about the scooter, I need one for my sister for our alaskan cruise. Can you tell me about how much they cost, where do you pick them up at, etc? Thanks
Hollon:
Check the link for prices. The company will deliver the scooter directly to your cabin onboard the ship. After the cruise they will pick it up, you just leave it in the cabin. Very easy. Prices change, so I suggest you go to the scooter rental site. The thing you need to know is how wide the door is into your cabin and how much the person weighs to determine the best scooter for you. We have never had trouble with them running out of power in port, but as you read, my mom does not go off ship often. She really loves hanging out on the ship once most of the people clear out - she gets treated like the princess she is (grin).
Also, in Alaska, the ports are not super scooter friendly. Make sure you research them before you venture out for accessibility. If they are wheelchair accessible you are usually good to go.
Another thing to do: If she cannot walk far, make sure you note that in your reservation so they seat you in a good spot in the dining room. One little step up or down to your table can be a big deal. It never hurts to go and give the maitre'd a heads up when you first board also.
On the plus side; Traveling with a handicapped person gets you big cabins with HUGE bathrooms. My mom's bathroom is frequently larger than my entire cabin when we cruise together (I kid you not!).
Also - there are always wheelchairs available for embarkation and disembarkation. They are not always easy to find though so your first cruise challenge will be to snag a wheelchair ASAP when you are checking in. In my experience, you need to be really proactive with this because every time we have gone, it is kind of a free for all when you are talking wheelchairs. If anyone from the cruise line is reading this - this is something y'all need to work on. It can get ugly! (Carnival especially - they are the absolute worst when it comes to disabled services of ANY kind)
The scooter service I like best is: Special Needs at Sea
Their link is: http://www.specialneedsatsea.com
They are great about knowing door sizes and whatnot (the cruises shave a little off the size of the door opening when you ask - and I always panic because the scooter is larger than the dimensions the cruise line gives us; but we have not gotten stuck yet!)
Something else to note: If your sister needs to keep medications cold, if you inform the cruise line they will usually arrange for a small fridge to be put into the cabin for your use. The was very handy for us last cruise!
Amalfi Coast - Favorite restaurant
in Italy Ports
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It has been a year since we went to Italy and I still cannot forget the meal we had at the Trabocco Cungarelle on the coast near Vasto, Italy.
The Restaurant is built on top of a very old fishing platform out over the water. So much fun - the views were beautiful and the seafood was so fresh and varied and tasty. A highlight of our time in that part of Italy.
... Just thought I would share :p
Anyone else have favorites from that area?