Just off Celebrity's Galaxy in the Med.....(my 2 cents on the ports)

[tofubeast]

Thought I would add my 2 cents for anyone taking this cruise or at least going to similar ports. These boards were SOOOO helpful for us to plan our cruise, so if I can be of help to anyone, just ask away. Also, if you were on this cruise, feel free to post your thoughts as well! Thx!

 

Cruise overview: This was our honeymoon cruise, and it was hands down one of the best trips we could have booked. I feel like we saw 5 vacations worth in just one trip. While some of your comments about the ship needing a little updating with upholstry etc are true, I barely noticed that for there were too many positive things to take notice. The food and service was incredible, and the ports of call on this 11 night tour of the Easten Med. were even MORE incredible.

 

Here is how we toured the ports:

 

Istanbul and Ephesus: I highly recommend booking a private guide. We toured with Nejat Incedogan (*****@yahoo.com) for all 3 days in Turkey and he was great. People had raved about him on here, and now I know why. His knowledge of the sites and his sense of humor make the tour very enjoyable. Nejat took us to all the main sites. We also decided to do the Turkish dinner in Istanbul through him at a place called the Orient House. It was FABULOUS. The food was great (get the fresh fish) and the entertainment was excellent (even if it was a tad cheesy at times, it was super memorable). The belly dancers were a blast too. I know others who booked private guides as well (don't know the names) and were really happy with it too. It is nicer to see the sites without a huge group. If you can only have a guide for one stop in Turkey, DEFINATELY have a guide for Ephesus. It helps bring the ruins to life.

 

Greek isles: We toured these three ports on our own. Mykanos and Rhodes you can just walk around and fill up your day that way. In Rhodes, I recommend "getting lost"....meaning go down windy roads that are away from the main streets. It is just neat to walk around the residential areas within the old city walls. For Santorini, once up the funicular (yes, do this instead of the donkeys), take a short walk to the bus station. For 2 euros each, you will have a nice quick ride to Oia (pronounced ee-ahh). It is a MUST to see this town. It is where all the quaint postcards off the cliff side homes are taken. I had read posts on here about Oia prior to our trip, and now I know why you all told us to go there. I had tears in my eyes when I looked at that view for the first time. After a few hours in Oia, we took the bus back to the main town, Fira. We walked around and had a nice lunch overlooking the ocean. (When in the greek isles, DO miss lunch on the ship at least once...or twice. Have the fresh feta-filled greek salad, eat the cherry tomatos, drink the wine, and feast on the fresh calamari. Oh, and buy oregano-flavored Lay potato chips. Trust me, they are not to me missed because they don't sell them here.)

 

Athens: We booked the site-seeing trip (4 hr one) through the cruise. I was disappointed with this tour. Having not been there before, I thought it would be good to do the tour and see the main sites. It just felt crowded and rushed. The only time we stepped off the bus, besides at the Acropolis, was to see the old Olympic stadium. Besides that, everything was talked about from within the bus and you could only see it if either you were sitting on that side of the bus, or for a split second as the bus drove by it. In addition, they wasted our time with a half hour stop at some lame trinket shop. It was not even a shop with any speciality (i.e. pottery, cameos, etc..) The people on our tour rebelled and we walked back to the bus! Knowing what I know now, I would have just gotten a taxi from the ship to take us straight to the Acropolis *FIRST thing* in the morning. Then I would have wondered around the Plaka and downtown on my own....taking a cab back to the ship. There is just so much to do in Athens, and you just can't do it all in one trip. We definately plan to go back one day.

 

Naples: We booked a tour with the ship which was to go to Pompeii and the Amalfi Drive. It was cancelled because Pompeii was closed. They found WWII bombs nearby that needed to be detonated so they closed the roads nearby. So we rebooked on another excursion because there was no time to really research something on your own. We booked the Sorrento/Amalfi Drive trip instead. They had us take a hydrafoil to Sorrento and, we walked around on our own there for close to 2 hours. I had stayed in Sorrento years ago and forgot just how amazing it was to be there. I honestly think you could just spend the entire port day there. What a stunning town! But no, off we went to drove down the Amalfi coast which was breathtaking as well. I must say that the tour was nice and there are no real complaints. I am sure a private tour would be even better, but $$$$ was an issue for us. On the tour, they did take us to a very lovely lunch at a gorgeous hotel on the Amalfi drive which was includes in the tour price. I honestly don't think you have enough time to really see Sorrento, Amalfi, and Pompeii in one day. You will have no quality time to do all three. Pick 2 and enjoy them. People also raved about Ischia. From the port of Naples, you can just take your own trip to that island and do it on your own. The cruise trip to Capri looked a little dissapointing. Had we gone to Capri, we would have just done it on our own. Next time!! But this region will be a land based stay for us. Just too much to see and do.

 

Rome: We booked a transfer from the airport to the ship. I am so glad we did this because we were SOOO tired. It was nice to just get on a bus and be taken door to door. Since we were staying 3 nights in Rome after the cruise, there was no cruise transfer to take you to Rome. I have no idea why because there are some serious bucks to be made if they were to offer this! So we took the free shuttle from the ship to the entrance of the port. We then walked from there to the train station. As long as you take the shuttle, the walk from the port entrance to the station is not that bad (honestly). It was a little confusing taking the train to Termini, but oh well. I think there were some language translation issues with the sales office. In Rome, we stayed at the Daphne Inn. (http://www.daphne-rome.com/) I cannot rave about this hotel enough. WOW!! For the price, in comparison to what you would get at other places, this Inn is not to be missed. The rooms are newly decorated and gorgeous, it is located in a nice walking area (near Barbarini and not far from the Trevi Fountain), the included breakfast is great, AND the service is impecible. It was like having a private concierge. Upon check in, Elyssa helped us plan out our site seeing options giving us advice of where and when to go. It was SO helpful. They also gave us great recommendations of where to eat and even booked reservations for us. Trust me, stay at the Daphne. There are enough positive reviews on Trip Advisor to prove me right. Also when in Rome, DEFINATELY go have gellato at San Crispino near the Trevi. It is not to be missed. It is rated by many places as the top gellateria in Rome and I know why! Yum! And book a guide to see the Forum and Colleseum. It brings these ruins to life as well. Otherwise, you don't know the scope and the magnitude of what you are looking at.

 

And that is my 2 cents. The trip was amazing. I am sad it is over, but the memories I have are priceless. Celebrity was incredible. Delta lost one of our pieced of luggage on the way there. Even though we booked the air on our own, the Concierge and Guest Relations helped locate our suitcase and get it on the ship in Mykanos. They washed the clothes that we had so as to make our stay more comfortable. And they even lent a tuxedo to my husband since he had no clothes for formal night. What service!

 

Hope this was of help to you, if you have any questions, ask away!

 

--danielle

[Dan312]

How much did your tours with Nejat Incedogan cost? Is his car big enough for 2 adults and 2 small children? We are leaving on the Galaxy on Monday. Thanks.:)

[tofubeast]

He uses a van....but to be honest with you, I think you have to book him many many months in advance. He books up quite early. Send him an email though.. you never know!

[TravelCouple]

Did you notice any car rental agencies at the port in Santorini? My husband and I are wondering if we should reserve in advance or just rent when we get there. We tried to book ahead but it's proving to be a difficult task (due to time difference, language, requirements). I've been to Santorini before and was with friends when we rented a jeep. I think it was Tony's. It was fairly easy to do since one of my friends knew how to drive manual. My husband and I only drive automatic and i don't think they have plenty of these types of car.

 

Or if not a car rental place, did you see anyone trying to rent out scooters at the port? We'd really love to avoid waiting in line for the cable car up to Fira town. We just want to hop in the car or scooter, and go off right away. I'm so excited to show my husband the sights in Santorini! (and i'd love for us to include a swim at a beach including doing all the other must see attractions).

 

Thanks for your help!

[MJfromCA]

Thanks so much for the detailed review. We will take this cruise July 25th, so it is very helpful in planning the port trips.

 

It sounds like you didn't try to see them, but are the ruins at Akrotiri open again at Santorini?

 

Also, I know it is a little off the topic, but could you say which nights (night#1 being leaving Rome) were formal and informal? We're a little concerned about getting dressed for our early seating given the port departure times, and as you described, we will really want to see these ports. Thanks!

[tofubeast]

MJfromCA: Good news, the ruins are open in Santorini! We are saving them for our next trip there....one day!

 

The formal nights were as follows:

first full day at sea

the night you sail away from Istanbul

2nd full day at sea

 

There were 2 informal nights...and the rest were casual.

 

 

TravelCouple:

I did notice lots of car rental places. I know there were some people who rented on the spot. We did not rent a car, so I do not know what to tell you. I can imagine that as the season kicks in, it could get harder to rent a car on the spot. As we was only our cruise ship there that day, the wait for the funicular was no big deal. It was rather easy.

[TourDeCruise]

My husband and I were on the same cruise as Danielle and her husband. Of 9 cruises (8 Celebrity with 6 on Galaxy, 1 HAL), this was our best cruise yet. What an itinerary! An absolute dream cruise. We are big into ancient sites/civilizations and archaeology, so this was certainly the cruise for us!

 

To answer a couple questions:

 

Dan312: I've heard great things about Nejat from this board and also the group with which Danielle toured. We also did private tours, including in Turkey. If you cannot get Nejat for your Turkey tours, here is the information on the company we used:

 

Meander Travel (website = http://www.meandertravel.com/) (e-mail = istanbultours@meandertravel.com). Our excellent tour guides (Sel in Istanbul and Hakan in Ephesus) were very punctual showing up early on all 3 days, reasonably priced, personable, and professional. Our guide (Hakan) in Ephesus was an archaeologist -- absolutely perfect for us. We plan to use Meander again on a 10-14 day land tour of Turkey. They use mini vans, so no problem with space.

 

MJfromCA: Akrotiri was definitely open when we were there (at 10:00am when we were there), but is closed on Mondays. At some point, it closes for the season -- I believe in October. Fortunately, we were able to tour Akrotiri this time -- it wasn't open in 2003 when we were there. Don’t miss the Fira Prehistoric Archaeology Museum either because it has the murals, pottery, and utensils which were excavated from Akrotiri. The museum is close to the cable car in Fira and not at Akrotiri. When you get off the cable car, head down into town. Turn right when in town and the taxi stand is a couple blocks away on the left. The museum is just before the taxi stand on the right.

 

Below I have included the “attire” schedule (same as what Danielle said, but a little more detail per daily paper I kept) and what we did in each port (in parentheses) in case anyone has questions. We had the early seating for dinner, but warned our waiters that we would be a little late to dinner on some evenings. In Istanbul, we didn't get to the dining room until 7:30pm! But no problem because many people were off the ship on the 1st Istanbul night, plus there was a buffet in the cafeteria that night. At least one other night also had a dinner buffet in the cafeteria (forgot which night that was). Plus there are other dining options, such as sushi bar, pre-arranged meal in cafeteria, room service, and maybe pizza.

 

Galaxy 11-Night Mediterranean (Italy, Greece, Turkey)

Day 1 (Civitavecchia): Casual (2-day pre-cruise in Rome, then 3rd day private transfer to port with a couple countryside towns in route: Orvieto including Etruscan Museum & Civita di Bagnoregio, a "ghost" town)

Day 2 (Sea): Formal

Day 3 (Mykonos): Casual (Delos shore excursion via Celebrity)

Day 4 (Rhodes): Casual (walked around town, Temple of Aphrodite, Archaeology Museum; of Greek Islands, Rhodes has best prices for shopping)

Day 5 (Santorini): Informal (Akrotiri + Oia via taxi)

Day 6 (Istanbul): Casual (pre-arranged private tour of Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Underground Roman Cistern, Grand Bazaar)

Day 7 (Istanbul): Formal (pre-arranged private tour Topkapi Palace with Treasury & Harem, Archaeology Museum)

Day 8 (Kusadasi): Casual (pre-arranged private tour Ephesus, Roman Terrace Houses, photo stop at Temple of Artemis, and Ephesus Museum; passed by St. John’s Basilica but did not tour)

Day 9 (Piraeus): Informal (pre-arranged taxi to Corinth Canal, Ancient Corinth, & Mycenae)

Day 10 (Sea): Formal

Day 11 (Naples): Casual (taxi to Herculaneum then Naples Archaeology Museum)

Day 12: Debarkation -- Celebrity transfer to airport.

 

Have a wonderful cruise! We sure did! Let me know if I can answer any questions.

 

Kathy

[watercruise]

can anyone recommend private driver and van in athens? or is it worth it to take the tour from ship- brilliance of the seas, rccl 7/23/05

thanks for all the info on other ports for drivers and tours..everyone has been very helpful

[Maine Coon]

TourDeCruise,

 

How were Istanbul tours arranged by Meandre travel? Can you give more details? I mean, ship arrives to Istanbul at 2:PM and leaves at 3: PM. How were logistics established? How much tours cost, if you don't mind me asking?

 

Thanks a lot in advance.

[juliejoe]

Kathy,

 

We would appreciate your comments on the Roman Terrace Houses at Ephesus - are they now at the point of being worth the extra time & $ to visit?

 

What were your impressions of Corinth Canal, Ancient Corinth & Mycenae? We are planning a visit there in September, as we have been to the Acropolis.

 

Julie

[MJfromCA]

Danielle and Kathy,

 

Glad to know Akrotiri is open and to hear about the museum in Fira. I just booked Meander Travel for Ephesus.

 

I now have a much better idea of what to expect for this cruise and these ports. Really appreciate the help and your reviews. I'll post with my experiences when I get back in August.

 

-- MJ

[Tania]

travel couple, I've booked an automatic rental car with Tony's for our cruise on the 25th of July. He sent me a map on how to get to his place...and yes, you need to take the cable car to get there.

[TourDeCruise]

Maine Coon: I love your screen name. Maine Coons are beautiful cats. Do you have one? We booked Meander Travel for 2:30pm in Istanbul for 4.5 hours on the first day and at 8:40am the second Istanbul day for around 5 hours. But they were there earlier (both days), we were off the ship earlier, and we began our tour at 2:15pm on the 1st day. As an example, the 4.5 hour (1st) day varied from $80 USD pp for 2 people to $29 pp for 8 people. Prices will depend on the # of people in your party, what you see because the prices vary depending on what you see (ticket prices), and whether or not it includes lunch. Seeing a palace would cost more than seeing a mosque or a museum. The 2nd day we saw the Topkapi Palace with Treasury and Harem (3 tickets) and the archaeology museum, so that drove the price up (but it was certainly worth it) by around $16-20 each. Kusadasi was even more reasonable -- a 7-hour day and the prices were in the same basic range. You can decide what you want to see, customize your itinerary, work with Meander to determine what is feasible given the time, and decide whether or not you want lunch, then they'll be able to quote prices dependent on the number of people in your party. Let me know if there is something else I can answer.

[TravelCouple]

Tania........how much did the automatic car cost you? Does Tony's have a website for booking? Hmmm.......too bad that they don't do drop off service at the port.

[TourDeCruise]

juliejoe: I remember reading your recommendations for Nejat. We almost joined the other party with Nejat but wanted the flexibility to spend more time at the museum and Ephesus and seeing the Terrace Houses. I don't know what the cost was for the Terrace Houses because it was factored into the total price (I think Nejat might have said $12 extra if I remember correctly). There isn't a real lot to see. They are still excavating/restoring. Hakan, our guide, said a lot will happen in the next year and tourists may be able to tour the second floor. We could only tour the ground floor of the houses. It was still worth it to us. First, we got out of the heat for a short while (around 30 minutes) because the houses are in the protected area and number two, we are so interested in ancient sites that this was an extra treat for us. We only had one other person in the house touring, so other than this tourist, our guide, & the custodian, we had the houses to ourselves. The houses were very fascinating and what was there was beautiful (e.g., marble and frescos). I don't know how much was excavated when you were there, so you may feel differently and not feel there is enough to see. You may want to ask Nejat for his impression.

 

As far as the Corinth Canal, Ancient Corinth, and Mycenae -- Wow! We had been to Athens before too, so we planned this trip out into the countryside. The Canal is fine (10 minutes is enough time there), but the other two sites are absolutely fabulous. I will write more about them tomorrow night. I thought nothing would compare to our time at Ephesus or Delos, but then there was Mycenae! Good choice you are making. More later.

 

Kathy

[juliejoe]

Thanks Kathy - I look forward to reading more from you about Corinth etc. It's exciting to hear your enthusiasm for the area.

 

It was several months ago that I asked Nejat what he thought about the Terrace Houses. He answered that he was not sure the extra admission price was justified, there was still a lot of work going on in the area and it would be good to wait until closer to the time we will be there to make our decision. There was not much done on them when we were there in 2001. I know it is slow work to excavate these areas - isn't it fascinating!

[lindaann]

Dear Kathy,

 

We are boarding the Galaxy on Monday to do the same cruise as you. Thank you for all of your insights. We have booked Nejat as well with two other couples for both days in Istanbul and Ephesus. We have also wondered about the Grand Bazaar. What was available to buy besides Persian rugs. Did you see any leather? Was there enough time to wander around through the bazaar?

 

Also we are going to Orienthouse. It sounds like fun. Did you go back to the ship or did you go straight there after touring. Did you change your clothes? What were people wearing at the restaurant?

 

I hope we have as good an experience as you. Thanks.

 

Linda

[TourDeCruise]

Linda: Danielle can answer too because she went with Nejat (we went with Meander). We didn't go to the Orienthouse, but Danielle's group might have gone there. I think they spent more time at the Grand Bazaar. It depends on how much you are seeing in addition to the Bazaar, which is closed on Sunday but open until 7:00pm on the Saturday that you will probably be there.

 

We only spent around 45 minutes at the Grand Bazaar, but they have leather goods and I know they have rugs, wall hangings, jewelry, painted bone boxes, wood-inlaid boxes, enamel boxes, painted wood boxes, silk shawls, souvenirs, etc. You can see what I liked -- the boxes!

 

Kusadasi also has a Grand Bazaar and shopping near to and right by the cruise ship. I saw it from the mini bus, but I didn't stop to shop. I heard they had leather goods there too. Maybe Danielle can tell you more about this if she had time in Kusadasi.

 

Also, do not miss out on the shopping in Rhodes if you like to shop. I found the best prices for the olive oil soap, t-shirts, tapestry pillow covers, leather goods, souvenirs, and Greek silver jewelry there. This is where I did my shopping (along with going to the Archaeology Museum -- couldn't miss that!).

 

juliejoe: More later. If you want enthusiasm, you've got it from me when it comes to the ancient sites. I'm still on an incredible high from the cruise for seeing all the wonderful places.

 

Kathy

[joandbun]

Hi All,

Its always great to see peoples reactions & thoughts. We've just booked this trip for Sept 06. got a great deal on a Concierge cabin. sounds very exciting. some of the ports we are already visiting this year but its gives us the chance to do the bits we missed. by the way - hello juliejoe :) looking forward to meeting you soon !

 

Maybe a silly question - we have a concierge cabin on deck10/penthouse so is there an overhang from the deck above like you get on the M class ships. Its a bit tricky to be sure off the deck plans.

 

thanks

jo

[Maine Coon]

Maine Coon: I love your screen name. Maine Coons are beautiful cats. Do you have one? We booked Meander Travel for 2:30pm in Istanbul for 4.5 hours on the first day and at 8:40am the second Istanbul day for around 5 hours. But they were there earlier (both days), we were off the ship earlier, and we began our tour at 2:15pm on the 1st day. As an example, the 4.5 hour (1st) day varied from $80 USD pp for 2 people to $29 pp for 8 people. Prices will depend on the # of people in your party, what you see because the prices vary depending on what you see (ticket prices), and whether or not it includes lunch. Seeing a palace would cost more than seeing a mosque or a museum. The 2nd day we saw the Topkapi Palace with Treasury and Harem (3 tickets) and the archaeology museum, so that drove the price up (but it was certainly worth it) by around $16-20 each. Kusadasi was even more reasonable -- a 7-hour day and the prices were in the same basic range. You can decide what you want to see, customize your itinerary, work with Meander to determine what is feasible given the time, and decide whether or not you want lunch, then they'll be able to quote prices dependent on the number of people in your party. Let me know if there is something else I can answer.

 

TourDeCruise,

 

Thank you so much for your answer.

Which excursion did you like better, first or second?

I am mostly interested in Constantinopole / Byzantium part and was considering ship tour, but Meander also seems good.

 

You are right: one Maine Coon was kind enough to live in my house and allow me and my family to take care of her needs. She is beautiful, all-black, now 4 years old. Very smart and moody. Can produce no less than 50 variations of basic "meow" depending on circumstances.

[tofubeast]

Lindaann:

 

There is lots to see in the Grand Bazaar. We were there a little over an hour to have free time to wander. There are lots of things to see and it is broken down by section. You can ask Nejat about the sections and he will take you where you want to go.

 

As for the Orient House....we went there for dinner. I highly recommend it. I talked about it in my initial post on here. It is not super dressy, but not a shorts and t shirt kinda place either. We had a break on the ship for a bit before Nejat picked up up to take us there for dinner. When we were there, we got a prime table right by the stage. It was great.

 

Have a blast! I wish I could redo this trip already. I ate at a Turkish restaurant here in Boston for lunch because it seemed like a way to keep my trip going a bit longer!

 

--danielle

[LynnSD]

Kathy - I am also eager to read your review of the Corinth excursion. We have that tour booked with Spiros for July. Do you also have any recommendations about what to read to study up beforehand?

 

I share your enthusiasm for ruins, and can't wait to see the Corinth sights plus Delos, Akrotiri, Herculaneum, etc. So much I haven't seen... My husband's not quite so sure but he's willing to give it a try!

 

Thanks -- Lynn

[TourDeCruise]

Maine Coon: You know what they say – Dogs have owners, cats have staff. My husband and I are the staff to 3 cat boys (a gray “lion” (domestic longhair) and two tabbies). They order us around quite frequently. 50 sounds; it sounds like your Maine Coon has quite a vocabulary! Sorry – but I didn’t know what you were asking about liking the first or second excursion. With Meander, you can customize your tour to do what you want to do. The Topkapi Palace is beautiful and was definitely worth seeing; the Harem was the most interesting part. This weekend I’ll post our story about the Istanbul cat whom you might see outside the Topkapi Palace entrance (his territory for begging food from tourists).

 

Danielle: On the way back home from the airport, we stopped at a restaurant owned by a Turkish family. It serves American and Mediterranean food, so of course you can imagine what I got!

 

Joandbun: Sorry I can’t answer the question about the concierge cabin. I know people on the Celebrity board could answer that though. I've been on the Galaxy 6 times, but have always stayed on the same deck and never paid attention to the cabins on the other decks.

 

 

Watercruise: In Athens, we used a driver sent by Spiros (*****@yahoo.com). We were very pleased with the driver, Takis.

 

 

Juliejoe & LynnSD: I guess I better get busy writing the Corinth / Mycenae part!

 

 

Lindaann: Have a safe trip and great cruise! You’re in for a real treat. Have you seen this post (warning)? http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=186678

 

 

[lindaann]

Thanks for the info and the heads up on the train situation. Luckily we have booked the ship's transfer on the day of debarkation. We don't exactly travel light. (That's an understatement)

 

We leave today at 4:30 and will be in Rome tomorrow. Hurrah!!!!!

 

If anyone has any last minute suggestions, I am going to be checking until we leave for the airport.

 

Thank you.

 

Linda

[juliejoe]

lindaann - Bon Voyage! Hope your cruise is everything you want it to be and then some. The Med is fascinating and beautiful!

 

Julie