Midship Verandah 920 on Silver Whisper

Has anyone had use of this suite on the Silver Whisper? I am curious as to location, noise, etc??? Thank you.

We were in that exact cabin for 17 days last spring through the Panama Canal. I had wondered about noise from above -- traffic to the spa, lounge, etc. There was none whatsoever. We had no complaint about the cabin -- plus it's VERY convenient to the pool!

Very interesting, GrayWolf.

Let me ask you this: While looking at the deck plans - it looks as if there is a "balcony" of sorts going aft of the suites overlooking the pool. AM I correct? If so, how is this configured, i.e. are there pool chairs, etc?

Very interesting, GrayWolf.

 

 

 

Let me ask you this: While looking at the deck plans - it looks as if there is a "balcony" of sorts going aft of the suites overlooking the pool. AM I correct? If so, how is this configured, i.e. are there pool chairs, etc?

There's a small deck are at the end of the corridor leading to 900's. At the other end of the corridor is the the entry door to the bridge. From recollection there are chairs there. On bbq nights the band sits there and plays.

Sorry, Crazy-sue, I've been absorbed in a family reunion and couldn't respond sooner. But UK1 is exactly correct. There is a small deck where the combo plays on bbq nights. It leads to the upper deck of the pool, where we usually enjoyed the sun. There are plenty of deck chairs there, and also plenty of service from the pool bar.

It's part of what we liked so much about that location -- we could go straight from our cabin to the upper pool deck where there was little traffic. We also liked being in a short corridor of cabins -- it makes it seem like an even smaller ship.

Thank you for your replies. We have been planning this trip for so long, and it is finally becoming a close reality.

We leave in 4 days - first to see Florence, Tuscany and Venice, then on to the ship for Greek Island touring and then to Athens and Rome.

Thanks to all of you (yes, you too, UK1) for all of your information.

Thank you for your replies. We have been planning this trip for so long, and it is finally becoming a close reality.

 

We leave in 4 days - first to see Florence, Tuscany and Venice, then on to the ship for Greek Island touring and then to Athens and Rome.

 

Thanks to all of you (yes, you too, UK1) for all of your information.

If you are in Rome for a night you MUST go to Alpheus. The bestest thing in the whole wide world.

http://www.alpheus.it/

Please elaborate - I went to the website and it is only in Italian. Looks like a musical genre of some sort.... what is it - where is it, etc??

Please elaborate - I went to the website and it is only in Italian. Looks like a musical genre of some sort.... what is it - where is it, etc??

It's a sort of very large club in a commercial area south or Rome town center - but a taxi ride. From recollection via de commercio or something. Every night form around 11:00' ish there are (again from recollection) around 5 6 or 7 sound stages within the club each having different types of music. So one area will be Salsa, another might be blues, another Jazz, another punk (urgh) etc. Once I found music from the Andes with a group of kids with the varoius fairly simple instruments making wonderful music. And it's a wander around type of thing. You pay on the door - can't remember but perhaps around 15 to 20 euros and then you wander. After I went there the first time I asked Romans about it - but they didn't know about it themselves (us old guys) and then I suggested a web site - this evolved. They are closed for a break but when open they are wonderful. I've taken Mrs UK1 to Rome for a couple of days just to go to Alpheus for a couple of nights. Then on Sunday (after a long saturday at Alpheus) - you must go to Ostia Antica ........ look it up -that is truly a world wide under-known gem.

Are you saying that they are closed now - and won't reopen until when? We leave Rome on 8/14. Thanks!!

By the way, you surprise me with your ecclectic taste. From all of your posts I've read, I would never have thought of you as an after-11 sort of "clubber". Sorry... I guess we all type with one tone in our minds, and people read with another. It's all in the perception, I guess. Myself, however, you have pegged correctly.. I am a 40-ish music lover who will be sad if your "club" isn't open - now that you got me all excited about it.

I've just looked on the web site and it says

"Programma Settimanale - APERTURA DELLA PROSSIMA STAGIONE SABATO 4 SETTEMBRE - BUONE VACANZE A TUTTI!!! "

which means roughly that the "next season" opens on Saturday 4th September, have a great holiday! So it isn't useful to you. I use to work as a broadcasting DJ in the Uk so music has always been a great love - music of all tastes.

Some other clubs in Rome:

http://www.romexplorer.com/club.html

There's open air Swan Lake on 12th August at the baths of caracalla

http://www.hoteldesartistes.com/music-in-rome.html

Theres also a Jazz festival

Mille e Una Nota. in Rome, from 08/08/2004

8-29 Aug 2004. For the 12th year this successful musical initiative takes place in Bramante’s beautiful cloister in the heart of Rome. The programme includes performances by jazz ensembles, tango, trios, quartets and chamber orchestras.

http://www.milleunanota.org./

If you have two or three days in Rome I'd definitly advise most of one of those days be spent at Ostia Antica just outside Rome:

http://www.ostia-antica.org/

Think of Pompeii - but abandoned a couple of thousand years ago when there was a plague (I think) - and it was preserved in sand rather than volcano lava. You can see blocks of Roman flats several stories high and climb the stairs and have a look. The main tip is to go there very early in the day - I think it opens at 08:30'ish and walk right to the end of the site (20 to 30 minute walk) and walk back in the opposite direction of other tourists. It is a wonderful place and worth going to Rome to just to see. As I said an unknown gem.

Whilst I'm all for going to see the vatican - in my view the vatican museum is a waste of time particularly as you probably won't get in before it shuts unless you start queuing very early say 07:30'ish. People that arrive at 09:00 join a queue that doesn't reach the front door until around mid-day when they slam the doors shut - when I was there last it shut at 11:30am.

The collesseum is another place to go to first thing and walk right to the part opposite the entrance to get a real feel for the atmosphere. Then cross the road and have a look at the forum. Most people can see most of what they want to see of Rome in a decent days walk.

Thank you for so much for the information. It looks like Swan Lake would be available while we are in Rome, but "Mr. Cruzy-Sue" would definitely not be interested. I have been looking for an opera either in Florence or Rome, however, many of these venues are closed at the time we will be in Italy. But your last post has given me a wealth of information.

I have arranged for a tour of the Vatican on the 13th- supposedly "private" - but I'm not sure exactly what that means. Other than that, we will have one other full day in Rome, and although I would love to see Ostia Antica and/or Pompeii, my love is to simply walk the streets of Rome to see its architecture, people and, of course shops.

As far as the cruise goes, we are going to Korcula, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Itea (Delphi), Santorini and Athens for only a day.

I think I will need a vaction when all of this sightseeing is over...

A private visit to the vatican may (or may not) be what you think it is. It's normally a private guide using normal opening times. Normally nothing more than that - although it does of course sound grand. Still .... managing ones own expectations is the easier part of ensurung satisfaction!

As you have such a short period in Rome - I strongly recommend you arrange to meet the guide early and make the museum the first stop. I'm seriously suggesting you arrange to be up very early enough to be first or second in the queue. When you go through the doors - there's a queue for tickets and a group entrance. I'd suggest you tell your guide (in advance) that you expect him to already have the tickets. You can then shoot through the group file. I'd suggest to you that you ask hme to take you to the Sistine Chapel first - and tell him his mission is for you and MrCruzy to be the first there. To have the chapel to yourselves for 10 minutes or so is worth it's wheight. A few minutes after that moment you'll be surrounded by italian schoolchildren and groups of flash-snapping japs all taking pictures of each other with varying backgrounds. In the Vatican itself the most important this is Michelangelo's Pieta

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=Piet%C3%A0&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

You must remember that the Vatican is the center of the world for a very large percentage of it - so Rome is ALL about queing - and my view is you can sleep at home - so get out of bed and be first in the queue. If you don't you'll always regret it.

With your other day - you could fit walking in Rome and Ostia - Pompeii is impractical from Rome and to be frank I wouldn't suggest it even if you were in Sorrento etc - the normal kicking off point. It's a place to "tick off" but unless you like being swamped by tourists - then it's missable. Ostia is a better alternative.

Walking around Rome for a day sounds good in the planning stage - but it's - how do I say this in a loving way - dusty, dirty and crossing the road is much more dangorous than wearing a stars and strips T-shirt in Baghdad - only joking! There are shops - but not good enough to give up other stuff for. And you could give it evening room ie don't go to Italy to buy. Then that frees up the day.

It sounds strange but on your "full day" assuming that none of this free day is Vatican - then I'd go to the Collesseum as it opens - cross the road to the Forum. I'd then take the train (or a taxi if your flush) to Ostia at around lunch time - spend around 2 hours there and then have them drop you back in Rome at Trastevere for lunch - then spend the rest of the day walking ie the Trevi and the rest. To me that seems to work.

I think your idea of Colluseum/Forum a.m. and Ostia Antica sounds great - and I do want to spend some time in Trastevere... I think I will try that - and I will report to you afterwards.

Since you seem interested, I will tell you what I have planned for my entire Rome trip. We will be picked up at the airport by Bob's Limousines and brought to our hotel around noon on the 11th.That night we are doing a night tour of Rome, (fountains, Spanish steps, etc.). The following day is the free day - and then the 13th is when I arranged to see the Vatican - at 11:00 - I may try to change that at your adamant suggestion. ANd that's it. Wish I had more time, but we are leaving kids home with Nana for 19 days...

I'm glad we are frinds now... and thanks again for your help!

I didn't realise we'd fallen out -always happy to help.

The reason why the full day works is that much of Rome is shut at an extended mid-day. You'll get back to Trastevere late for lunch but dinner that evening should be late as well. I think you'll be back at trastevere by around 3'ish. Then wander back perhaps taking in the Pantheon.

If you get to that Vatican at 11:00 - - the danger is that you'll probably waste the time before 11:00. What will you do? You might go to the colleseum that day to tick it off. But if you do do it that way you must ensure that the guide DEFINITELY has entrance tickets to the museum and you don't have to queue to pay. No misunderstandings. To be frank I'm not convinced that the private visit buys you anything that can't be bettered by a bit of planning, a good guide book and being first in the queue might do for you. A good guide book will illustrate (some in 3d type exploded pictures) the layout of the museum. When you get through the entrance there's a type of spiral walkway one upwards and one outwards. Most people want to see the chapel and feel the rest of the museum is a bit dissapointing. But luckilly the chapel is at the end of the recommended visit - so you could go the opposite way! So just go there first and wander back against the crowd. As I say the sistine chapel would be wonderful if you were in it by yourself or almost. It's a shame that they misuse the phrase "private" because I spend most of my time when I travel working out how I can see things without people around me.

Do remember that when you buy a coffee in most of the normal or anything other than the tiddly coffee bars in Rome - you go to the bar ask for the coffees - the barrista gives you a bill - you take it to the cashier and pay - then you go back to the bar with the approved paid bill and hand it back for your coffees. If you are smart you add a few coins on top of the bill to signify in advance the tip. That way you may get served a bit quicker ...... Many people find it perplexing.

Hope you enjoy Rome and ask if you have any other questions.

OK - next question...

I arranged for our driver to pick us up at 8:00 a.m. - and a "Vatican guide" will meet us there with tickets in hand. (I told him UK1 said so...just kidding). But now, here's the question: Do you think a cost of 230Euros is exorbitant for 2 people?

Sorry for the abundance of questions.

No problem.

I think you'll be pleased that your starting early. The Varican will be chaos at 11:00.

Let me ask you?! If I'm right - and all that you have is a guide who is taking you around the vatican as a group of two rather than say 20 - do you consider 230 euros good value even if he picks you up at the hotel? You can get a taxi from your hotel. But sometimes you pay for soemthing because you can afford it and its convenient - but you know its bad value and your content with it. Its not something I can answer for you.

Part of it depends on what you want. If for example you are Catholics and this is a pilgrimage and perhaps a highlight of your life for you, and you want to see every detail then it might be excellent value and not doing it this way would be regrettable.

Personally I suffer from attention deficit disorder and get bored very quickly. I'm very bad at guides and I NEVER take organised tours.

Personally if I were limited to the 230 euros - I'd take myelf to the vatican by myself by taxi - or walk if I'm staying close - and think of using a taxi and then use the euros to get a taxi and asking him to wait for me at Ostia - as this is a train trip. Its 15 miles from Rome. That's a better use of those euros in my view.

I've not used them - but you can avoid queues and buy some tickets in advance:

http://www.goporta.com/tickets/Purchase_Tickets.htm

Here is a private visit where you meet at the vatican and it's 88 euros for two.

http://www.initaly.com/regions/artists/vaticnew.htm

This guy may take you to Ostia

http://www.astheromansdo.com/private_tours.htm

This one looks like it can combine the Vatican and then take you to Ostia?

http://www.affluentromaservices.com/

Half day chauffeur to Ostia at 125 euros

http://www.romeinsight.com/trasporto.htm

Hello again.

Yes, I am Catholic, but a pilgrimage to the pope is not what I'm all about. Husband is Jewish but is into art, museums, etc. And by the time we get to Rome, frankly, I may be museum-ed out.

I checked one of the links where you told me the cost of tour is 88e for two. No, it was 245e for two. Were you referring to a herd tour? That's not in the cards for me. Yes, we can afford the 230euros - but I don't like to feel I am getting ripped off.

I had my husband read your posts to me about Rome and he is interested in Ostia, too. We will definitely go there - but I did read that in the summer it is squelchingly hot and not too much shade to be had. Oh, well, the price we pay for culture.

Thanks, UK1 for all your help.

Well, agonise no more and enjoy the guide.

Ostia will be squelchingly hot. Mrs UK1 and I both feel that Ostia is one of our travel experiences we most treasure. Don't take a tour guide, just soak in the atmosphere by yourselves. When you get a plan of Ostia you'll see at the far end of the Town is a synagogue which will interst Mr Cruzy. It's overgrown but has a real atmoshere.

There's also a roman shopping area where the tiles denote what's sold ie Fish -= fishmonger etc

I really hope it has the same effect on you two it has on us.

If you watch Gladiator you'll hear him say when he's locked up - "Meet me at Ostia ....."