Atlantis Med 2010 Venice - Athens; August 16 2010 (Celebrity Equinox)

[NYMetsFans]

My partner and I just put our deposit down today on this cruise. We are excited about it and happy to see some people from prior cruises are going to be on it, like Brian and Paul, who were on the Barcelona-Rome cruise in 2008! We are really interested in exploring Istanbul and are looking for suggestions there. Can't wait to get on board!

Bill and Bob

[greenwichguy]

@stevespryte - thanks for the tips and info... seems door decor and costumes for the parties are de rigeur!

[baq]

hey boys; love the advice. Me and a friend are on the second week of this cruise from Athens to Barcelona. I hope we have as much fun as you guys' do :D

[PutneySW15]

Hi Bill and Bob, we are really pleased to learn we will be seeing you on board again, do you still have our e mail address, if so please e mail us, Paul and Brian.

 

If you don't have it let us know will send via here.

[PutneySW15]

@stevespryte - thanks for the tips and info... seems door decor and costumes for the parties are de rigeur!

 

Hi, no they aren't de riguer, quite a lot of the guys especially from the US decorate their doors and they are great fun to look at when going down the corridors. You can attend the parties in therned costume or in your normal gear nobody judges you, all you have to do is have a good time.

Not sure how I can get you my e mail address.

Paul

[NYMetsFans]

Hi Bill and Bob, we are really pleased to learn we will be seeing you on board again, do you still have our e mail address, if so please e mail us, Paul and Brian.

 

If you don't have it let us know will send via here.

Hey guys, can't find your address but sent you a message on the Atlantis alumni site. Can't wait for the cruise and looking forward to seeing you again.

[greenwichguy]

Hi, no they aren't de riguer, quite a lot of the guys especially from the US decorate their doors and they are great fun to look at when going down the corridors. You can attend the parties in therned costume or in your normal gear nobody judges you, all you have to do is have a good time.

Not sure how I can get you my e mail address.

Paul

 

Hi Paul, are you on facebook? I've joined the Atlantis group and am on the Venice to Athens cruise page...

[Capebreton12]

Hi Guys

I'll be on the March Cruise as well as the Venice to Athens this summer. Looking forward to both. Maybe our paths will cross.

[nsdfw68]

Hey guys -

 

My partner Greg and I will be on this cruise. Looking forward to meeting everyone on board.

[Guyab815]

Hi David I have done Atlantis as a solo and had the best time on a Med Cruise, i also had them set me up with a room mate and it was great i had a great room mate. You will love the Equinox I did Solstice last year and am doing Equinox in March not a gay cruise, the ships are wonderful. I am trying to decide on the Venice to Athens with Atlantis or Princess cruise in the Med, because I am going alone but after reading the posts and remembering how much fun I had, I decided on Atlantis. You will have a great time. Guy

[ddmontreal]

That tour sounds really interesting and myself and my friend might be interested to join in if you have some additional information about what the tour will cover etc. but it sounds better than the standard tourist tours which is what we're looking for. you can email me directly if you wish at ddmontreal@hotmail.com Cheers!

[BostonBud]

Hey Guys, just got off the Solstice with Atlantis and now I can start getting excited about the Med. since we've never done a European cruise before. The ports for this cruise seem incredible and is the main reason we chose this leg of the Med. cruise.

[greenwichguy]

Hey Guys, just got off the Solstice with Atlantis and now I can start getting excited about the Med. since we've never done a European cruise before. The ports for this cruise seem incredible and is the main reason we chose this leg of the Med. cruise.

 

So how was the Solstice cruise? Any tips for us novices out here???

[BostonBud]

So how was the Solstice cruise? Any tips for us novices out here???

 

The March cruise was a great time. It was my 2nd time on the Solstice and Equinox is supposed to very similar with a few minor design changes.

 

This is our first Med. cruise and I've heard that they are different than the Caribbean since the Med. cruises are more about the ports and the Caribbean, well, lets just say a lot of the people never leave the ship.

 

Celebrity has many different speciality restaurants onboard. For the first time we tired the Silk Harvest one (they all charge extra from $25-$35). It was good, however one of the best things about the Atlantis cruises is meeting the people onboard and the best way to do that is to eat in the main dining room. While we've tried the speciality places, I think we'll stick to the MDR from now on. Also ask for a large table. The best advice our travel agent gave us before our first cruise was 'you have each other all year, sit at the large tables and meeting all sorts of people', we did and we highly recommend it. Of course it could be tricky if not everyone speaks the same language but we've gotten by.

 

Lots of people brings lots of costumes for all the parties, however, if you're costume challenged I'd suggest bring something white for the White party (with the temps expected to be high, less is definitely more) and a camo shirt/tank top for dog tag tea or just go shirtless, most people end up that way anyway.

 

While we also find that all we wear is tshirts and shorts we do wear long pants and a dressier shirt at dinner time just because we like to get more dressed up however right after dinner it's back to the shorts. it can also get colder in the air conditioning so the long pants and/or shirt can help with that.

 

Say Hi, good morning, etc... to everyone you meet on the elevators or in the hallways. We're all on the same vacation and everyone is incredibly friendly.

 

I'm sure I'll think of more.

[ddmontreal]

Thanks for all the information. Being my first Cruise and first Atlantis cruise, there seems to be a lot to take in. We;ve booke the flights from Montreal and now are looking at eth other arrangements. Trying to decide if we shoudl go for a private tour in Istanbul or go with what could be provided through the cruise. Any suggestions either way?

 

We're also trying to decide about pre and post cruise arrangements. I know Atlantis sometimes arranges packages with hotels but nothing seems available yet, and I don't want to wait too long to book a hotel in Venice as I'm arriving on the 14th, and I'll be staying in Greece for about a 5 days after the cruise. I figure 1 day in Athens to see the expected sites and then off to either Santorini, Mykonos or Crete for the rest of the week. Woudl be thrilled to knwo what everyone else is doing.

 

Cheers, and see you on teh ship!

David

[MedicReg]

Hey Guys. Bob and William here, Between Boston Ma and Providence RI. We are looking forward to the cruise and glad to see the thread here. If anyone wants to chat or drop us a note with info on what to expect, that would be great. See ya all on board :eek:

 

Bob and William

[greenwichguy]

Thanks for the info BostonBud... Will take it all on board (<groan>!!!).

 

Can't wait for the cruise now - 4 months today and we'll arrive in Venice. Staying at the Hilton...

[MedCruise2010]

Hi everyone!

 

My partner and I are thinking about booking this cruise for later this summer. We still have some questions and thought this was a good place to ask.

 

1. I know that Atlantis usually lowers their cruise prices closer to departure - Has this happened for this cruise yet?

 

2. What is the usual Alumni Discount?

 

3. Does the cruise line offer the same alcohol etc packages that are provided on a non-chartered sailing?

 

4. While I know in general you are not allowed to bring alcohol on board acquired from ports visited we had no problem takings tons of booze on board when we sailed with Atlantis in 2003 (Caribbean) - Any feedback on how strict the cruise line is with enforcing this?

 

Thanks for any help

[Wogtopus]

Hi everyone!

 

My partner and I are thinking about booking this cruise for later this summer. We still have some questions and thought this was a good place to ask.

 

1. I know that Atlantis usually lowers their cruise prices closer to departure - Has this happened for this cruise yet?

 

2. What is the usual Alumni Discount?

 

3. Does the cruise line offer the same alcohol etc packages that are provided on a non-chartered sailing?

 

4. While I know in general you are not allowed to bring alcohol on board acquired from ports visited we had no problem takings tons of booze on board when we sailed with Atlantis in 2003 (Caribbean) - Any feedback on how strict the cruise line is with enforcing this?

 

Thanks for any help

 

1. I know that Atlantis usually lowers their cruise prices closer to departure - Has this happened for this cruise yet?

No... I'm not sure it will. Not sure if it's just propaganda, but Atlantis is saying they expect this cruise to sell out. There are pretty decent airfare deals being offered tho.

 

2. What is the usual Alumni Discount?

We received $100 PP on this cruise and the Allure in Feb. Not sure if that's usual or not.

 

3. Does the cruise line offer the same alcohol etc packages that are provided on a non-chartered sailing?

Yes.

 

4. While I know in general you are not allowed to bring alcohol on board acquired from ports visited we had no problem takings tons of booze on board when we sailed with Atlantis in 2003 (Caribbean) - Any feedback on how strict the cruise line is with enforcing this?

I don't know fer sure since I've never bothered. But my hunch is the cruise lines might be a little more lax on charters like this. I think the cruises always make more $$$ regardless on this charter. Like I said just a hunch, don't know fer sure.

[sfgoguy]

1. I know that Atlantis usually lowers their cruise prices closer to departure - Has this happened for this cruise yet?

No... I'm not sure it will. Not sure if it's just propaganda, but Atlantis is saying they expect this cruise to sell out. There are pretty decent airfare deals being offered tho.

 

2. What is the usual Alumni Discount?

We received $100 PP on this cruise and the Allure in Feb. Not sure if that's usual or not.

 

3. Does the cruise line offer the same alcohol etc packages that are provided on a non-chartered sailing?

Yes.

 

4. While I know in general you are not allowed to bring alcohol on board acquired from ports visited we had no problem takings tons of booze on board when we sailed with Atlantis in 2003 (Caribbean) - Any feedback on how strict the cruise line is with enforcing this?

I don't know fer sure since I've never bothered. But my hunch is the cruise lines might be a little more lax on charters like this. I think the cruises always make more $$$ regardless on this charter. Like I said just a hunch, don't know fer sure.

 

This will be my 5th Atlantis cruise and I've brought booze on board (from the duty-free shop at the airport) each time. The cruise lines have been: Oceania, Celebrity, Regent Seven Seas and HAL. I think they are very lax for our group - the bar tabs still far exceed anything they've seen on a regular cruise. Now if you had a case of wine or something really egregious, all bets are off. :eek: I can't speak to bringing booze on board from a port stop, though. I think they may be more restrictive on that since they check/x-ray your carry-on when you return to the ship.

 

BTW, Atlantis already lowered the price once on this cruise because they shortened it by one day (eliminated the Kusadasi port stop). And an e-mail a couple of days ago to Alums indicated, as others have said, they think this one will be near capacity. So, better go for it while there's still a decent selection of cabin options. Or, alternatively, go for the Athens/Barcelona cruise immedately afterwards. That one is not selling out and they're offering, I believe, a free cabin upgrade by 4 or 5 categories to alums.

 

But, we'd love to see you on Venice/Athens, fellows. :)

[MedCruise2010]

This will be my 5th Atlantis cruise and I've brought booze on board (from the duty-free shop at the airport) each time. The cruise lines have been: Oceania, Celebrity, Regent Seven Seas and HAL. I think they are very lax for our group - the bar tabs still far exceed anything they've seen on a regular cruise. Now if you had a case of wine or something really egregious, all bets are off. :eek: I can't speak to bringing booze on board from a port stop, though. I think they may be more restrictive on that since they check/x-ray your carry-on when you return to the ship.

 

BTW, Atlantis already lowered the price once on this cruise because they shortened it by one day (eliminated the Kusadasi port stop). And an e-mail a couple of days ago to Alums indicated, as others have said, they think this one will be near capacity. So, better go for it while there's still a decent selection of cabin options. Or, alternatively, go for the Athens/Barcelona cruise immedately afterwards. That one is not selling out and they're offering, I believe, a free cabin upgrade by 4 or 5 categories to alums.

 

But, we'd love to see you on Venice/Athens, fellows. :)

 

Thanks for all of the information - In regards to the duty free purchases - did you have the merchandise in your checked or carry on luggage (for check-in on the cruise ship)

[sfgoguy]

Thanks for all of the information - In regards to the duty free purchases - did you have the merchandise in your checked or carry on luggage (for check-in on the cruise ship)

 

Usually, I carry the booze on board the ship in my carry-on since I purchased it after checking the big luggage. But, on one occassion I did open the checked luggage after getting it at the airport and put the booze inside. It was still there upon delivery to my cabin.

 

On this cruise, I'll probably have it in my big luggage since I'm arriving a couple of days early and likely will have a nightcap or two from the duty free bottle before packing and heading to the ship.

 

Hope this is helpful, guy. See you at a T-dance! :p

[BobEspungy]

Hi everyone!

 

My partner and I are thinking about booking this cruise for later this summer. We still have some questions and thought this was a good place to ask.

 

1. I know that Atlantis usually lowers their cruise prices closer to departure - Has this happened for this cruise yet?

 

2. What is the usual Alumni Discount?

 

3. Does the cruise line offer the same alcohol etc packages that are provided on a non-chartered sailing?

 

4. While I know in general you are not allowed to bring alcohol on board acquired from ports visited we had no problem takings tons of booze on board when we sailed with Atlantis in 2003 (Caribbean) - Any feedback on how strict the cruise line is with enforcing this?

 

Thanks for any help

Based on previous replies, I will only address item 4 above. I have had mixed experiences bringing alcohol onto Atlantis cruises on Celebrity boats. I successfully brought alcohol onto the ship in my checked luggage on all cruises. Also, I successfully brought wine onto the ship at day ports-of-call when cruising in South America(Celebrity Constellation) and Western Europe(Celebrity Infinity). Unfortunately, I had issues in Summer 2009 when cruising the Eastern Med on the Celebrity Solstice. I bought 1 bottle of wine on the island of Rhodes and Solstice security attempted to take it from me when I boarded the ship. I protested a bit and told them it was for dinner only. This is allowed according to the ship policy. After some haggling, I was allowed to take the bottle with me to my room. The Solstice is a new boat and it has an obvious sense of enhanced security everywhere. In particular, multiple security personnel were visibly present in EVERY public space at all hours. I did not see this on the Celebrity Constellation and Infinity, but they are older boats. .... Also, several friends were on the Atlantis cruise in March 2010 from Ft Lauderdale. This was also on the Celebrity Solstice. Alcohol was confiscated from the checked luggage of 2 of my friends. They told me several hundred people had the same experience. It's hard to say if this activity was initiated by the Port of Ft Lauderdale or Celebrity security. I've heard similar stories from cruises that leave from Miami. Just food for thought.

 

I look forward to meeting everyone on the Equinox this summer.

[MedCruise2010]

Thanks for all the info! Really looking forward to figuring out some good pre/post cruise and excursion plans!

[rmerlo]

Hi there, I am also traveling on this cruise alone. Maybe we can talk.