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Raisinette

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    Lisbon...Sintra or Belem?

    in Other Mediterranean and Black Sea Ports

    Posted

    3 hours ago, mskaufman said:

    We have an overnight in Lisbon and have our plans set except from noon to 6pm on one day.  Is this enough time to do the DIY to Sintra?

     

    Hmmmm, you could definitely get to Sintra and do a full loop of the tourist bus from site to site, but I'm not sure how  comfortable I'd be getting off at any of the sites for a look around - other than perhaps the town centre.  You'd need to research the train times and journey time (I think about 40 minutes?), the frequency of the tourist bus and journey time to make one full loop. Also the time involved to get between Rossio train station and your ship.  I was on a Princess ship that docked quite west of the city centre but I think some other cruise lines dock in walking distance.  When I did this last fall the tourist bus in Sintra was often very full and people had to wait for a subsequent bus or maybe 2 to move on to the next site.  The bus loop runs one direction only on a very narrow up/down road. Exploring Sintra town itself was moderately interesting; very steep narrow roads, many cute little shops, and I found a public garden at the top of one road that was free to enter and provided some good views. The town is not large. It's possible to walk from town back to the train station if necessary though you'd want a map as all the roads were really twisty/turny!

    Lisbon...Sintra or Belem?

    in Other Mediterranean and Black Sea Ports

    Posted

    3 hours ago, BAYA said:

    Thanks for all of this great information. Now my follow-on question: For someone who is mobility challenged (uneven surfaces and steep hills are not possible), can one still see Pena Palace and enjoy the old part of Sintra? My friend and I are looking into booking a private guide to take us from Lisbon into Sintra for a half-day tour. Many thanks in advance for your advice.

     

    The little shuttle that runs from the entry gate on the road up to Pena Palace drops you off about 100 feet from the palace entry, however it's an uphill walk to the entry.  (I also think there's a slight climb to get to the shuttle bus itself)  I've attached a photo showing the distance and climb from the bus to the palace entry, and another of the interior courtyard area.  If you can do that then you can do the terrace part of the castle.  I didn't go inside the palace.  The central square section of Sintra is quite flat but very compact and parking is extremely limited.  There is a palace right off the central square that was included in some of the bus tours but I don't know it's name and didn't visit it.

    Good luck with your planning!

     

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    Walking tour of Florence

    in Italy Ports

    Posted

    On ‎2‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 5:20 PM, cccole said:

    We are looking for recommendations for a guided walking tour of Florence.  We will have Rick Steves, but sometimes it is wonderful to walk with someone knowledgeable about the city.  We would like to personalize a private tour.  Thank you,  Cherie

     

    On a previous visit to Florence I booked  tours with Viator Tours that were actually provided by this company.   I don't know if they also do private tours but you can only ask!   https://www.walksofitaly.com/florence-tours/ 

    Lisbon...Sintra or Belem?

    in Other Mediterranean and Black Sea Ports

    Posted

    On ‎2‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 4:26 PM, disneykins said:

     

    We arrive in Lisbon at 9 am and stay overnight in port. We went to Belem, Monastery do Jeronimo and the statue of the Discoveries on a previous cruise stop, so we think we will try to get to Sintra on our own. We think we can walk from the port to the Rossio train station and take the train to Sintra (2.25 euros each way) and then catch the 434 tourist bus (6.90 euros) outside the station to take us to Pena Palace. Is this a hop on hop off type bus or is it a separate fare for each trip?

    Am I right that this will eliminate some (but not all) of the hills? After Pena we want to go to Quinta da Regaleira. Is this a short walk or can we hop on the 434 bus to take us there? Or is that a different bus? Then we would spend some time in the old part of Sintra before taking the same train back to Rossio station and visit the Elevador Santa Justa. Do we have time to do all this? Is there anything else we should do when in Sintra?

    Thanks.

    Tony

     

    I was in Lisbon in September and went to Sintra on my own as described above.  I was on a Princess ship, which dock closer to Belem, so paid to take the ship shuttle into town.  It let us off very close to the Rossio train station.  The 434 tourist bus does a one way loop like a hop on hop off; be sure to keep your ticket as you'll need to show it each time you get back on.  I'd been in Sintra town on a previous cruise so this time I got off at the Castello dos Mauros stop first.  The entry fee was 8 euros.  You may already know, but Sintra is exceptionally hilly.  Castello dos Mauros is a ruined fortification with a wall walk you can do.  (the Castello is about 400 meters from the road on an up and down walk through lush forestry with quite uneven stone slab walkway.  Not for the mobility challenged. ) I didn't do the wall walk as I have a bad head for heights now but it looked awesome. Allow about an hour max here I think, then either walk the 200 meters up the road to the next stop - Pena Palace - or wait for the bus.  For Pena Palace there are 2 types of tickets - one is just for the grounds and palace terrace (where there is small café and toilet facilities), the other ticket includes the palace too.  It is a bit of an uphill walk from the entry gate to the palace however there is a small shuttle vehicle for a nominal fee.

    I can't remember if the bus stop in town was before or after the hill route to the castello and palace, however the town is also worth a visit.  Some lovely restaurants, many stores selling cork and textile goods.  There is another palace (the name escapes me at the moment) right in the town centre and many buses of tourists were going there too. You can walk (downhill) from the town back to the train station if you like but I'd recommend looking at the route in Google Maps ahead of time as the route is quite winding!

    Sanctuary question

    in Princess Cruises

    Posted

    I'm considering trying the Sanctuary on my upcoming cruise but am not sure how to book it.

    Can I do it ahead of time somewhere in my personalizer? (I've looked but can't seem to figure this out!) Or can I only book once I'm on board? I read somewhere that it may be possible to book just a couple of days rather than the entire cruise - depending on availability - but am not sure how to do that either. If only done on board, I assume I'd go to Guest Services?

    I think the cost is approx. $20/day, is that correct?

     

    Any information would be greatly appreciated!

    Carnival Horizon Internet

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    I’m booked on the Horizon TA and have access to theirInternet options through my booking. I've pasted the info here for you but I don’t know if thisis the same or different than on other Carnival ships. There are 3 internet options:

    • Social - $4/day
      • Access the most popular social websites andapplications. Includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin,Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, SnapChat and the most popular airline sites. Doesnot include access to most other websites or apps.

      [*]Value - $10.25/day

      • Surf all your favorite sites, including e-mail,news, sports, weather, banking and finance. Note: Does not support Skypecalling or music/video streaming (such as Spotify or Netflix).

      [*]Premium 0 $14.88/day

      • From e-mail to Skype, our Premium plan promisesthe fastest possible connection, at speeds up to 3 times faster than our ValuePlan. Supports Skype video calling, where coverage allows.

      [*]Restrictions – apply to all 3 internet plans:

    •Only one device at a time canconnect to wi-fi.

    •Not all ships have internetavailable for purchase prior to sailing. All internet plans can be purchasedonce onboard.

    •Satellite internet speed mayvary depending on location and time of day

    •Video streaming sites such asHulu and Netflix are blocked

    •Access to certain sites such asmature or violent content is blocked

    •Cellular-network-dependent WiFiCalling and Facetime services are also not supported

    •VPN connections are not supported- discuss your VPN limitations with your company’s IT department if you areplanning to work while sailing. We are not able to change your settingsonboard.

    •No refunds after plan isactivated on board

    •Pricing for plans purchasedpre-cruise vary from plans purchased at time of sailing

    I hope this is helpful!

    Please Help

    in British Isles/Western Europe

    Posted

    Please be aware that not all tube stations have an elevator. There is a chance that you have to carry your lagguage up and down the stairs by yourself.

     

    Safe travels

     

    If you still decide to take the tube...stay on until Green Park station and transfer there to the Jubilee line to go south to Waterloo station. The Green Park and Waterloo stations have elevators!

    Heathrow plane change

    in British Isles/Western Europe

    Posted

    I second Bob++ comments above regarding 'late landing'. I've flown BA from Toronto to Heathrow quite a few times and almost always landed later than scheduled. A few times it was weather related, but generally it was overall airspace/airport congestion that resulted in us circling southern England one or more times before we could land. Personally I would take the longer layover and have the peace of mind. There are lots of eating/shopping opportunities to kill time in Heathrow including good drugstores for any forgotten supplies!

    Amsterdam Airport Advice please -- shops, postal office, travel with a baby

    in British Isles/Western Europe

    Posted

    This is the link to 'Schiphol Plaza' - which is in the airport before security ie after you've collected your luggage and exited the baggage hall area. https://www.schiphol.nl/en/what-to-do-at-schiphol/shop/before-security/list/ There are lots of stores however the main ones for your needs would be Etos (drugstore) and Albert Heijn (but go to the larger supermarket location, not the 'to go' one).

    Caribbean Princess - using coffee card for a la carte ice cream?

    in Princess Cruises

    Posted

    Hello,

     

    I have a number of punches left on the coffee card that I purchased on the Royal Princess last fall. On the Royal the punches could be used for speciality coffees or gelato ice cream. I'll be on the Caribbean Princess this fall and am aware it has the 'Coffee and Cones' venue instead of gelato ice cream. Does anyone know if can use my coffee card punches for the a la carte ice cream options at 'Coffee and Cones'?

     

    Thank you

    Rotterdam - cruise terminal to Central Station

    in British Isles/Western Europe

    Posted

    Hello,

     

    We'll be in Rotterdam on a Saturday and I plan to take the train to Amsterdam to visit family. I'm very comfortable with the train system and have an OV chipcard. I don't however know where the cruise terminal is in relation to the central station in Rotterdam. I'll be on a Princess ship if it makes a difference. Is there a tram line or bus from the cruise terminal area into town? Are taxis available at the terminal?

     

    Thanks in advance!

    Kinderdijk or Delft - One day in Rotterdam

    in British Isles/Western Europe

    Posted

    FYI - there is also a large open air market in Delft (in the square between the Nieuwe Kirk and the Stadhuis) every Thursday.

    There is very frequent direct train service between Rotterdam Central train station to Delft station. The journey takes approximately 15 minutes and costs 3.30 euros each way and the centre of Delft is about a 5 minute walk from the train station. Train info is here: http://www.ns.nl/en .

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