Live from the Spirit

[redheadednancy]

We had the same experience with Katakolon Express earlier this month. I called them the day before we arrived in Katakolon and was given very explicit directions on the meeting point. But, alas, they were a no show. They tout that "Rick Steves" recommends them, but I wonder if he knows about these shenanigans. We ended up following a crowd to the train station for the train that is no longer in service. However, they offered a coach service as a replacement. I wish we had looked into the rental car option!

Good to know since we will be docking at this port next fall. Didn't Seabourn offer an option to go to Olympia?

[redheadednancy]

I

Back to the cruise! Food is still wonderful and the service brilliant. Shuttle buses today up into Corfu town were free and every half hour. Yesterday we went to Olimpia from Katakolon. Our plans were thwarted when our promised Katakolon Express bus never turned up! Don't bother to book with them as they are obviously unreliable. We rented a car from Avis for 35 euros for the day. No problem getting to Olimpia. And a fabulous experience there. It makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck!

 

 

Margbem: Could you have taken a Seabourn excursion to Olympia? Just wondering since we will be there next year and you said it was wonderful. Was there lots of walking? Thanks. Love your reporting!!

[ab21au]

RHN, just left Katakolon a few days ago and we had been told Olympia wasn't much to see after Ephesus and Athens so we stayed in Katakolon, wandered around the village which isn't very inspiring after some of the previous ports. Swam at the beach which also wasn't as good as most of the other beaches we have been to. Spoke to others who hired a taxi for 4 and split the fare for I think only 20 euro each and they absolutely loved it. If it wasn't the fact that after some big days we needed a more relaxing day and some time to enjoy the ship I was half wishing we had gone to Olympia.

[Prunella1]

I

Back to the cruise! Food is still wonderful and the service brilliant. Shuttle buses today up into Corfu town were free and every half hour. Yesterday we went to Olimpia from Katakolon. Our plans were thwarted when our promised Katakolon Express bus never turned up! Don't bother to book with them as they are obviously unreliable. We rented a car from Avis for 35 euros for the day. No problem getting to Olimpia. And a fabulous experience there. It makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck!

 

 

Margbem: Could you have taken a Seabourn excursion to Olympia? Just wondering since we will be there next year and you said it was wonderful. Was there lots of walking? Thanks. Love your reporting!!

 

Nancy the last time we were there we took a taxi to Olympia for the day and enjoyed it so much that we would like to do it again to catch up with the things we didn't have time to see. There is a very good museum as well, so I would say it is definitely worth doing. I think the taxi cost 100 euros.

[Prunella1]

Forgot to mention Seabourn do offer excursions to Olympia, at least they did from the Quest when we were there two years ago.

[margbem]

Hi again from the Spirit.

 

To answer a few questions. Yes, there is a trip to Olympia but the people who went on it sId the guide talked too much and didn't give them time to wander and soak up the atmosphere. The taxis were 40 euros each way. Plenty of them both in Katakolon and in Olympia itself.

 

No restrictions on Restaurant 2. We have dined there twice for the Tasting nights. Both excellent. We have booked again for tomorrow night whilst docked in Venice.

 

Today we are in Rovinj, Croatia. It is the most beautiful place. We are going to come back to spend a week here. Yesterday was Split. Very historic but very busy!

 

Food, service etc remain superb.

[MillieMeter]

Margbem

 

You have mentioned Trivia do they also have set times for bridge games ?

Do they have instructors for bridge?

 

And if so do you know if the times overlap?

Thanks for info.

Shirley

 

 

 

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[MillieMeter]

Margbem

 

Also meant to ask about temperatures. Average high/low in Venice?

Shirley

 

 

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[margbem]

Are you getting prizes each day at trivia? Isn't it cumulative any more? Or is this just because there are only two teams?

 

There were only three sessions of Trivia. Presumably because there were only seven of us who wanted to play they gave it up as a bad job. Yes, they did give prizes every game.

[margbem]

Margbem

 

You have mentioned Trivia do they also have set times for bridge games ?

Do they have instructors for bridge?

 

And if so do you know if the times overlap?

Thanks for info.

Shirley

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

 

There was a sign up sheet in the card room for bridge. Don't think they have instructors.

 

The temperatures were HOT all cruise. 75 deg F upwards for our whole 12 days away. We left Venice this morning at 07.45 and it was a little misty. Don't know what the forecast is now.

 

We are now at home and I am just cooking dinner. Terrible!!

 

A word of warning about the ship's internet. We signed up for a 2 hour package for around $20. This is the minimum package now. When our final bill came this morning we had run up a $150 bill for the internet! According to the front desk if using an ipad in your suite it does not always register that you have logged off on the main system. They refunded us with no problem. Be aware, though!

[wripro]

Thanks, Margbem.

[Poppy1966]

 

A word of warning about the ship's internet. We signed up for a 2 hour package for around $20. This is the minimum package now. When our final bill came this morning we had run up a $150 bill for the internet! According to the front desk if using an ipad in your suite it does not always register that you have logged off on the main system. They refunded us with no problem. Be aware, though!

 

.......same thing happened to me recently and we were also refunded and given an extra 2hr package FOC. It seemed to be quite common, one lady ran up a bill of over $2,000 and she too was refunded. We were also charged twice for a couple of spa treatments but this was an internal computer problem and swiftly amended.

[PaulaJK]

Wow...apparently this is happening rather frequently. I had run up $875 overnight! Again, charge was removed. I then began checking my charges each time I opened my internet café account.

[T&C Fulham]

"A word of warning about the ship's internet. We signed up for a 2 hour package for around $20. This is the minimum package now. When our final bill came this morning we had run up a $150 bill for the internet! According to the front desk if using an ipad in your suite it does not always register that you have logged off on the main system. They refunded us with no problem. Be aware, though!"

 

Each time this comes up I mention Truphone.

 

There is something about this forum that despises new ideas, breaking the mould. So I guess this suggestion will be ignored.

 

I'd love someone to challenge me and say 'I have a better idea'. It would be more rewarding than simply being ignored....

[Poppy1966]

"A word of warning about the ship's internet. We signed up for a 2 hour package for around $20. This is the minimum package now. When our final bill came this morning we had run up a $150 bill for the internet! According to the front desk if using an ipad in your suite it does not always register that you have logged off on the main system. They refunded us with no problem. Be aware, though!"

 

Each time this comes up I mention Truphone.

 

There is something about this forum that despises new ideas, breaking the mould. So I guess this suggestion will be ignored.

 

I'd love someone to challenge me and say 'I have a better idea'. It would be more rewarding than simply being ignored....

.............tbh in my case this was a one off as I never bother with internet and turn my 'phone off when on holiday. We had a query recently onboard and guest services had asked us to forward emails I'd received from Seattle earlier in the year so we just bought the $20 package, forwarded the emails and logged off (or so we thought). Otherwise I wouldn't require any internet/'phone usage on holiday. I'm probably one of the few who can do without their gadgets on holidays. Thanks for the info anyway.

[MillieMeter]

Margbem

 

Thanks for your posts! Sorry your trip is over. But sounds like it was fantastic.

 

Maybe by middle of Oct. the temps. will be a little cooler. Of course, where I live 75 degrees sounds pretty good. I would not complain too much. I just hope we don't get into too much rain.

As many excursions as we have planned I doubt if I would play much bridge anyway. And my husband has quit playing so I would have to find a partner so it probably is just as well that there is no scheduled games like last year on the Pride.

Again thank you for all your posts.

 

And especially the warning about the internet and iPad. I may just use the computers in the computer room and not bother with my iPad except in port with free wifi.

 

Hope to meet on a future cruise.

Shirley

 

 

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[T&C Fulham]

Just out of curiosity Poppy - as I am interested in how people use these forum?

 

Did you look at what Truphone does?

 

No problem if you didn't. Simply curious.

 

T&C

[margbem]

"A word of warning about the ship's internet. We signed up for a 2 hour package for around $20. This is the minimum package now. When our final bill came this morning we had run up a $150 bill for the internet! According to the front desk if using an ipad in your suite it does not always register that you have logged off on the main system. They refunded us with no problem. Be aware, though!"

 

Each time this comes up I mention Truphone.

 

There is something about this forum that despises new ideas, breaking the mould. So I guess this suggestion will be ignored.

 

I'd love someone to challenge me and say 'I have a better idea'. It would be more rewarding than simply being ignored....

 

We had a Europasim which we used earlier in the year in the Canaries and it worked fine. Sounds the same type of thing? Unfortunately we were using it on the cruise, again OK, then suddenly we had used up all the credit. We think it was either Greece or Albania that had heavy charges that we didn't know about. I will look up Truphone and see if that system is better.

[ab21au]

I used a Europe sim with Italian number. Got it through Mobisim and it was registered and working before I left home. 500 MB per day for 2 euro in italy and 3 euro per day elsewhere in europe. On days you don't use it you don't pay. Easy topup using Paypal online. Worked well in turkey, greece and italy, even with Skype. The other day from San Marco and another time from the top of the Bell Tower we skyped and it was very good.

 

There were many complaints about the ships wifi. It does depend on when you use it. I had no trouble at most times but did not even try to use it at those times you know every one else will be. Also trying to use it sitting on the balcony is useless and the closer you get to the bathroom the better. Any stuff ups guest services fixed without question.

[T&C Fulham]

That Mobisim deal sounds better than my Truphone.

 

I could not find them on Google. Can you post a URL please.

[margbem]

Margbem

 

Thanks for your posts! Sorry your trip is over. But sounds like it was fantastic.

 

Maybe by middle of Oct. the temps. will be a little cooler. Of course, where I live 75 degrees sounds pretty good. I would not complain too much. I just hope we don't get into too much rain.

As many excursions as we have planned I doubt if I would play much bridge anyway. And my husband has quit playing so I would have to find a partner so it probably is just as well that there is no scheduled games like last year on the Pride.

Again thank you for all your posts.

 

And especially the warning about the internet and iPad. I may just use the computers in the computer room and not bother with my iPad except in port with free wifi.

 

Hope to meet on a future cruise.

Shirley

 

 

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Thank you, Shirley. I hope your cruise is as wonderful as ours was.

 

Margaret

[margbem]

The poured wine has very much improved. We commented on this fact to the Sommelier and he agreed with us. Apart from the Chenet rose everything else was better quality than we found on our last 2 cruises.

 

On a more unpleasant theme, we had a blocked toilet on several occasions. Our stewardess was obviously fed up of this and said it had been and still was quite a serious problem. That was deck 4. Don't know if other decks were affected.

[marchanxiety]

Here in the DC area we consider 75 degrees F to be ideal!

[ab21au]

That Mobisim deal sounds better than my Truphone.

 

I could not find them on Google. Can you post a URL please.

 

Sorry, it was Mobipassport. Here is the URL

 

http://www.mobipassport.com.au/

 

I purchased it, they sent the sim, activated it and sent the phone number a couple of days later. Worked well, I am still using it in Como until I leave Milan next week. I purchased the Europe sim.

[T&C Fulham]

Thanks about that sim card.

 

I need to do some more research about data in the part of the Carribean we are visiting at Christmas.

 

However, I am pretty convinced that local sim cards, though involving a bit more work to set up, are a far better option than the silly prices offered for Seabourn WiFi.

 

As an aside I'll mention that my first download when I arrived in Bologna came via a resident in a nearby room who had connected his cellphone to the internet and had it working as a WiFi hot spot. It was before my own cellphone logged in and it simply picked up my neighbour's transmission.