Is anyone doing a "live" thread that is on the NCL Jade that is currently sailing (07/25 sail date)?

[NCLGirl2013]

Good morning!

I tried looking but could only find the roll call for this sailing and I was just curious if there was anyone onboard doing a "live" thread/stream of their experience on the Jade this week? If someone knows of one, do you have the link?

[BermudaBound2014]

There are some people posting live from their roll call, but I haven't seen anything live here.

[Trimone]

They must be sad! First time on a ship in 16 months and want to blog …. Madness enjoy yourselves 

[podgeandrodge]

54 minutes ago, NCLGirl2013 said:

Good morning!

I tried looking but could only find the roll call for this sailing and I was just curious if there was anyone onboard doing a "live" thread/stream of their experience on the Jade this week? If someone knows of one, do you have the link?

You should have looked better - thread a few below yours! 🙂  called "Jade Athens - Pre Board and Trip Experiences"

 

[NCLGirl2013]

22 minutes ago, podgeandrodge said:

You should have looked better - thread a few below yours! 🙂  called "Jade Athens - Pre Board and Trip Experiences"

 

I dont want the experiences all bunched together by different people. I'm wanting what is sometimes done by a individual of the day by day. Thats not what that thread is. I'm looking for something more along the lines of what BirdTravels and JamieLogical post when they are on cruises along with others.

[NCLGirl2013]

24 minutes ago, podgeandrodge said:

You should have looked better - thread a few below yours! 🙂  called "Jade Athens - Pre Board and Trip Experiences"

 

Also, if you look at that thread no one that is actually on the ship has posted any updates on it. Just the one cruiser upset about the kids stuff. No actual information of how things are on the boat. 

[podgeandrodge]

2 minutes ago, NCLGirl2013 said:

Also, if you look at that thread no one that is actually on the ship has posted any updates on it. Just the one cruiser upset about the kids stuff. No actual information of how things are on the boat. 

I thought I saw a video posted from the first night?  Anyway, sorry, was only trying to help.

[classy_cruiser]

I’m hoping we will get one when they get home! 

[Davevics25]

I believe  Adam from cruise critic is on board so we should expect something at some point

[swafly5909]

I'm new to Cruise Critic, so I didn't know live threads were a thing.  Dunno that we would have taken that much time out during the cruise  - and with such limited and unreliable internet - but I'm happy to share now about our experience on the Jade last week.

 

It was our first cruise with NCL, and first cruise NOT out of Florida.  And third cruise ever.  So, we're not the most experienced...but we LOVED it.  The ship was great, felt clean, felt safe.  The crew was fantastic, so kind.  The ports were amazing.  Yes, there were extra Covid precautions, but they were minor things, things we've grown used to over the past 16 months, and totally worth the unbelievable experiences we had.  

 

While our cruise was wonderful, our travel was CHAOS.  We had flights thru NCL - the BOGO deal saved us a significant amount.  We were able to choose seats and the routes were fine.  The trouble was that all our layovers were only an hour and twenty minutes.  So when our first plane couldn't land due to weather, it set off a chain reaction of missed connections.  We ended up getting to ATH at 6pm Sunday - and our luggage was nowhere to be found.  AND we could not get in touch with a single airline employee to help us.  So after a panicked hour of uncertainty in baggage claim, we got a taxi to book it to the port, sans luggage.

 

Check-in at the port was simple.  We showed our QR code from TrustOne/Eurofins and got our covid test swab (super non-invasive and easy, not at all the up-the-brain tests we'd experienced other places).  Sat and waited 20 minutes for our number to pop up on a monitor - and we passed!  So we got wristbands and proceeded to get our room keys and board.  (There were cups of cold water available in the testing tent.). After boarding, you have to check-in at your muster station at some point that day, at your leisure.  It took all of 90 seconds.  

 

Masks are worn indoors until you're seated at a table.  Social distancing signs show which sides of stairs to go up/down, which seats are closed, not too many people in an elevator, etc.  Much like everywhere else you've gone the past 16 months.  Really wasn't a big deal.  Everyone MUST wash hands at the sinks inside the buffet entrances.  Rather than serve yourself, crew members place food on your plates and pour drinks for you.  Frankly, I'd enjoy if that were a forever change - made the buffet feel much cleaner overall!  

 

Menus were available in the main dining rooms and also online.  Freestyle dailies were available on the app, and printed copies were available at Guest Services - but they were not distributed in cabins. 

 

Aside from wearing masks indoors and on buses, our excursions seemed the same as ever.  We did the Scenic Agios Nikolaos tour thru NCL on Monday morning in Crete.  We enjoyed the drive thru the island, the information from our guide, and the villages we stopped at briefly.  We were back on the ship by 2pm.  We ate lunch and headed into Heraklion to see some sights and shop for a few necessities we'd packed in our checked luggage.  (They found one of our bags in Chicago and one in Athens.  The airlines and NCL arranged to have it sent to Rhodes where an NCL rep would collect and deliver it for us.)

 

My kids want to go swim....so I'll add more about our other port excursions later.  Feel free to ask questions if you have any.  🙂

[cruisequeen4ever]

swafly5909, I’m so glad your cruise was good! Did you ever get your luggage? 

[NCLGirl2013]

38 minutes ago, swafly5909 said:

I'm new to Cruise Critic, so I didn't know live threads were a thing.  Dunno that we would have taken that much time out during the cruise  - and with such limited and unreliable internet - but I'm happy to share now about our experience on the Jade last week.

 

It was our first cruise with NCL, and first cruise NOT out of Florida.  And third cruise ever.  So, we're not the most experienced...but we LOVED it.  The ship was great, felt clean, felt safe.  The crew was fantastic, so kind.  The ports were amazing.  Yes, there were extra Covid precautions, but they were minor things, things we've grown used to over the past 16 months, and totally worth the unbelievable experiences we had.  

 

While our cruise was wonderful, our travel was CHAOS.  We had flights thru NCL - the BOGO deal saved us a significant amount.  We were able to choose seats and the routes were fine.  The trouble was that all our layovers were only an hour and twenty minutes.  So when our first plane couldn't land due to weather, it set off a chain reaction of missed connections.  We ended up getting to ATH at 6pm Sunday - and our luggage was nowhere to be found.  AND we could not get in touch with a single airline employee to help us.  So after a panicked hour of uncertainty in baggage claim, we got a taxi to book it to the port, sans luggage.

 

Check-in at the port was simple.  We showed our QR code from TrustOne/Eurofins and got our covid test swab (super non-invasive and easy, not at all the up-the-brain tests we'd experienced other places).  Sat and waited 20 minutes for our number to pop up on a monitor - and we passed!  So we got wristbands and proceeded to get our room keys and board.  (There were cups of cold water available in the testing tent.). After boarding, you have to check-in at your muster station at some point that day, at your leisure.  It took all of 90 seconds.  

 

Masks are worn indoors until you're seated at a table.  Social distancing signs show which sides of stairs to go up/down, which seats are closed, not too many people in an elevator, etc.  Much like everywhere else you've gone the past 16 months.  Really wasn't a big deal.  Everyone MUST wash hands at the sinks inside the buffet entrances.  Rather than serve yourself, crew members place food on your plates and pour drinks for you.  Frankly, I'd enjoy if that were a forever change - made the buffet feel much cleaner overall!  

 

Menus were available in the main dining rooms and also online.  Freestyle dailies were available on the app, and printed copies were available at Guest Services - but they were not distributed in cabins. 

 

Aside from wearing masks indoors and on buses, our excursions seemed the same as ever.  We did the Scenic Agios Nikolaos tour thru NCL on Monday morning in Crete.  We enjoyed the drive thru the island, the information from our guide, and the villages we stopped at briefly.  We were back on the ship by 2pm.  We ate lunch and headed into Heraklion to see some sights and shop for a few necessities we'd packed in our checked luggage.  (They found one of our bags in Chicago and one in Athens.  The airlines and NCL arranged to have it sent to Rhodes where an NCL rep would collect and deliver it for us.)

 

My kids want to go swim....so I'll add more about our other port excursions later.  Feel free to ask questions if you have any.  🙂

Thank you for the awesome info!! 😊

[swafly5909]

1 hour ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

swafly5909, I’m so glad your cruise was good! Did you ever get your luggage? 

Yes!  It was waiting in our room for us when we got back from our excursion on Tuesday in Rhodes.  We also discovered a $200 onboard credit on our account that NCL gave us to help cover us.  That was a very happy surprise!  Our travel agent told us to save our receipts and turn them in to the airline.  We didn’t need to buy much, but we did get sunscreen and a few articles of clothing.  Luckily my husband had all his toiletries in his carryon, and an extra pair of pants.  I had my essential toiletries, an extra change of clothes, and my swimsuit.  What I missed most was my conditioner - the ship has “conditioning shampoo” which is just not a real thing, lol.

[swafly5909]

Monday evening NCL offered the $19.95 laundry promotion - whatever clothes you can fit into the pillowcase-size paper bag.  Laundry had to be in the bag, ready to go by 11am or noon on Tuesday.  I was surprised this promotion happened so early in the cruise, but we definitely took them up on it!  

 

We booked our own excursion in Rhodes thru ShoreExcursions.com.  It was an all-day snorkel tour on a sailboat.  Our driver picked us up by the port gate and drove us to a dock just inside the city walls.  It was us, another couple, and a mom with her three college-age sons - all from the Jade.  We went to three bays on the southeast side of Rhodes - Tragnou, Anthony Quinn, and Kalithea.  We got out to swim and snorkel at each spot, and at the last one our guides provided a yummy lunch of sandwiches/fruit/finger foods/pastries.  Drinks were also provided.

Our driver took us back to port after.  At each port, we had to be back on the ship 30 minutes prior to leaving.

 

Our suitcases were waiting for us when we got back to our room.  (Hooray!  After swimming in the salty sea, I NEEDED that conditioner!)  Our laundry bag was also still there - I’d forgotten to sign the itemized list.  Oops.  But our steward left a note that he’d collect it at turndown - which meant we could add our items from that day.  Laundry was promised to be back by noon (I think) on Thursday - but ours was back by midday Wednesday.  
 

We are simple folk (aka thrifty), ha, so we passed on the food and drink promotions and didn’t do any specialty dining.  We felt like we had plenty of options between the main dining room and the buffet.  We’ve got three young kids at home, so a week of not cooking and no fast food was treat enough for us.  
 

We enjoyed the Grand Pacific.  We never had to wait for a table.  The food was good.  Not outstanding, but good food.  Meals there were never rushed - so if you like to take your time while dining, you’ll be set.  If you’re famished and just want to grab a bite and get on to another activity, it may feel a bit slow.  🙂  But everyone was so kind and seemed genuinely happy to have us onboard.  
 

You don’t have to be “fancy” with NCL’s freestyle cruise.  But after 6pm, there are a few caveats in the main dining room - long pants and closed-toe shoes for men, no shorts or flip flops for women.  I do not believe Alizar’s dining room has the same restrictions.  (They didn’t have as many windows, so we never got around to eating there.  Being able to eat with a gorgeous view is a big reason why I enjoy cruises.)  

 

Our “technical stop” in Turkey was that night after Rhodes.  At dinner time we sailed through a gorgeous area - lush mountains all around us - it looked like a cruise brochure.  We had no idea Turkey was so beautiful!  All we did was sail into a bay area near Marmaris, and a boat came out to meet us.  We never got near land, no one disembarked.  And they never collected our passports, despite sending a letter that they would.  The “technical stop” was kind of a non-event for us, except that we had the bonus gorgeous views.  

[favoritevacation]

Thank you so very much swfly5909!!! I am so happy to hear from you! I live in Florida where the Delta variant is causing the highest number of Covid cases the state has ever seen. How was the long day in the airport and flying wearing a mask? Were most people wearing their masks properly? How did covid testing go on and off the ship? We are so afraid of being positive after the cruise and needing to quarantine and not being allowed to fly home. How was it on the ship? Everyone compliant wearing masks or were you able to spend unmasked time outdoors? Is there a restaurant with outdoor seating? That would be nice! What about on excursions? Now that Greece is on the do not travel unless necessary list, did you feel unsafe because of their covid outbreak? Of course we  are vaccinated, 100% are on NCL….but just trying to decide if it is safe or not. Would love your input and thank you. We are set to sail September 5th.

[swafly5909]

We booked another ShoreExcursions.com trip for for Mykonos.  There were 13 of us on the tour, again all from the Jade.  It was a walking tour, but we started on a bus to visit a village and beach on the south side of the island.  Beaches on the south shore have much calmer waters because they are protected from the north wind.  

 

At the village, we saw a monastery and stopped at an adorable outdoor cafe to taste little Greek donuts and the special creamy Greek cold coffee.  We stopped at Kalafati beach for 15 minutes or so where we saw a crew filming some guy for his music video - but they said they weren’t allowed to tell us who he was so we may never get to see the finished production.  

 

We stopped at an overlook for a photo op, then drove back to Mykonos where we said goodbye to our driver and set out on foot with our guide.  She took us to the windmills for a photos, then led us thru the maze of town (designed to confuse pirates) and into the Maritime Museum for a bathroom break and brief history lesson.  We also stopped to say hello to Petros the Pelican, the mascot of the island.  We finished up our tour at the old port where our guide gave us tickets for the sea bus that would ferry us back to the new port at our leisure.  It was around 1pm, and we had to be back onboard by 3:30.  

 

(Everything we did was included in the price of our excursion - snack, coffee, museum entry, and sea bus ticket.)

 

We walked back to the Little Venice area and enjoyed a nice lunch by the water where we had front row views of Little Venice on our right and the windmills on our left.  After lunch we walked around to get more photos before catching the sea bus back to the ship.  (The boats are scheduled to run on the half hour, but they seemed to be a bit off schedule so to be safe, I wouldn’t plan on the last available time slot.)  

 

We wore masks on the bus and in the little village, but no one in town had them on unless you went into a shop.  It was hot everywhere we went.  (Being from Oklahoma, we are used to it.  But sounds like this week temps have REALLY soared and the wildfires have changed the Jade’s itinerary.)  Mykonos was also super windy, especially by the windmill.  You really got a sense of why windmills were a big thing there!  

 

[swafly5909]

12 minutes ago, favoritevacation said:

Thank you so very much swfly5909!!! I am so happy to hear from you! I live in Florida where the Delta variant is causing the highest number of Covid cases the state has ever seen. How was the long day in the airport and flying wearing a mask? Were most people wearing their masks properly? How did covid testing go on and off the ship? We are so afraid of being positive after the cruise and needing to quarantine and not being allowed to fly home. How was it on the ship? Everyone compliant wearing masks or were you able to spend unmasked time outdoors? Is there a restaurant with outdoor seating? That would be nice! What about on excursions? Now that Greece is on the do not travel unless necessary list, did you feel unsafe because of their covid outbreak? Of course we  are vaccinated, 100% are on NCL….but just trying to decide if it is safe or not. Would love your input and thank you. We are set to sail September 5th.

Traveling from Oklahoma to Athens and back were long days.  We’ve flown to Florida, California, and Arizona during the pandemic, visited Magic Kingdom and Universal Orlando - plus school and church - so we’ve gotten used to masks.  Int’l flight days were maybe the longest consecutive time we’ve spent in masks, though - plus running thru airports trying to catch planes after delays.  So we definitely were deliberate in choosing our mot comfy masks.  Seemed to me that most people were compliant.  

 

On the ship, we could take masks off outdoors and once we sat down at tables in the restaurants and lounges.  There are outdoor snack bars and bars around the pool deck, and the very back of the ship has The Great Outdoors, an outdoor eating area attached to the buffet.  We sat out there often and enjoyed it the fresh air and views.  
 

NCL had a mask and bottle of sanitizer for each passenger in their cabin.  They weren’t the most breathable masks we own, but it was nice to have another one to add to our supply.  People complained online a LOT before our cruise, but it seemed most people complied.  The crew was active in reminding people to follow mask and hand-washing procedures.  
 

Testing was easy.  The swab was not very invasive at all, much gentler than other tests I’ve experienced.  The onboard test before disembarkation happened Friday evening and Saturday morning.  We were assigned at time and location.  It took five minutes.  We did not have to sit and wait like embarkation; we were free to go after being swabbed.  They emailed results to us AND left printed copies in our room for us to use at the airport going home.  
 

EVERYONE had to be tested at the end of the cruise, regardless of if, when or where you were flying afterward.  NCL was very clear that you would not be allowed off the ship in Santorini OR Athens if you did not show up for your test.  And at the end of the testing window, they called no-shows out by name over the PA.  You couldn’t skip it.  

I think the Greece travel recommendations changed while we were there or shortly after, but we felt safe.  As safe or safer than at home in the states where we see people not complying with mask mandates and we go to stores where anyone can enter without proof of test or vaccine.  Granted, we take the pandemic seriously and try to be cautious, but we are definitely NOT the most cautious people we know.  We’ve traveled and met with family and friends several times in the past year.  But we did feel safe on our trip knowing people had to show proof of tests or vaccine or both.  Nothing is 100% but that’s more safeguards than we experience around town at home.  

[swafly5909]

Thursday we took an NCL “3D” excursion to Olympia.  We booked this excursion while onboard; it was not one they offered online before the cruise began.  We bused to Olympia with a guide sharing facts about the area.  Once we arrived, we were each given “whisper” ear pieces to hear our guide and iPads with a program that showed animations of what the ancient site looked like in its heyday.  It was a much bigger area than what it looked like in the few pics I’d seen online prior.  The iPads were helpful in visualizing what the ruins had once been.  

 

After our guided tour we had an hour or so to walk into the little town of Olympia.  We ate lunch at a picturesque outdoor gyro cafe with cool misters under big shade trees.  It was a HOT day but the cafe was very pleasant.  The gyros were big and delicious.  

 

We bused back to the ship.  We had a couple hours left before sailing, so we looked for souvenirs for our kids in Katakolon.  Have to say, it wasn’t our favorite.  If you’re looking for toys to bring home to your kids, there aren’t many options in these ports.  Lol.  There was a bit of a sewer smell in parts of town, and more than one shop owner took an active approach to try to maneuver us into their store.  We were glad we hadn’t planned to spend the whole day in Katakolon.  
 

If you don’t care to visit Olympia and need a break from the port-a-day pace of this cruise, Katakolon would be our recommendation for a make-your-own at-sea day on the ship.  There is a “fun train” that can take you to a beach nearby - maybe that would be nicer than the shops in town?  Everywhere else we went was so great, little Katakolon just didn’t stand a chance of competing.  

[swafly5909]

Friday in Corfu was fantastic.  Maybe my favorite day of the cruise…except that being on Santorini was also pretty unbelievable.  But our time on the water in Corfu felt like a dream.

 

I’d booked a boat rental online in Paleokastritsa, and asked the boat guy if he could arrange a taxi for us to and from the ship since it’s a 30-minute drive and I wanted to get our full 4-hour rental’s worth.  He was very helpful in emailing back and forth with me to coordinate our ride.  

 

Our driver was great.  Picked us up at the port, told us all about Corfu and life on the island, offered to stop at the market near the boat dock so we could grab snacks (we’d ordered room service breakfast and packed up the fruit and pastries from the ship to have on the boat, and we grabbed chips and cokes at the market to round out our picnic).  

 

The boat rental also great.  They supplied us with a small cooler with cold packs and after seeing the refillable water bottles we’d brought from the ship, he gave us another large bottle of water just in case.  After a quick tutorial on the boat, we were ready to go.  We were on the water shortly after 8:30am, and one of the first boats out that morning.  The water was so smooth, calm and clear, it was like glass.  It didn’t even look real.  There were several beaches we went to that can’t be accessed from land. The scenery was like an epic movie.  It was just one of the most beautiful mornings I’ve had.  And it was just us, out on the water in our own private little boat.  Unbelievable. We brought our snorkel gear and snorkeled around a couple sites, swam to a beach, ate our picnic.  It was great.  

 

Our driver was waiting when our boat time was up and drove us on a little tour thru Corfu town before taking us back to the port, stopping to take our photo at a few spots along the way.  I think I could spend an entire vacation on Corfu alone.  

[swafly5909]

Santorini was another highlight day.  We just couldn’t believe we were actually THERE!  It’s so much bigger and taller than pictures can show.  Such a unique place.  

 

Oh - hot tip!  It’s a tender port - you have to take a boat from ship to land.  They started distributing tender tickets on the pool deck Friday morning, I think, and they are FCFS.  So get your tickets ASAP so you can be on one of the first tenders!  

 

(Our covid testing was that morning at 8:30.  It took five minutes.  So easy.  Everyone has to test, no matter what.  You cannot leave the ship in Santorini or Athens until you do.  And they will call you out by name if you no-show.)  

 

Got to Santorini at noon.  I may have cried just a little as we sailed up.  I mean, what a life!  Pinch me.  But from six feet away, please.  Ha

 

We were on tender #2.  After reaching land, you can ride a poor donkey up the cliff, walk it (on the steep, slippery, smelly donkey path with 600 steps straight up), or pay 6 euro each for the cable car.  Take the cable car.  

 

I think another option is to take a ferry boat straight to Oia, which also sounds really nice.  But we rented a car so we needed to go into Fira to pick it up.  

 

We met our car rental people at the McDonalds in Fira.  Easy, fast, nice.  Drove to Red Beach.  Props to my husband for his great driving because those were some steep dirt roads alongside cliffs.  Definitely an adventure to get to Red Beach.  There’s not much actual beach to speak of, but it’s an interesting place to see for sure.  Lots of people!  Most crowded beach we visited all week.  We stayed just long enough to see the sights, cool off in the water, and take some pics.  Then on to Perissa Beach.  

 

Perissa Beach was much easier to access.  Much more beach, much fewer people.  We snorkeled, and while there wasn’t a ton to see, it was a neat view underwater and very easy swimming.  The beach is on a rock ledge that goes pretty far out before a drop off to the sandy bottom.  Again, it was HOT, so a dip in the water was a great refresher.  

 

Heads up, keep in mind that these are European beaches, not American.  So the dress code is a bit different.  Just something to be aware of if you’re prone to shock. 🙂  

 

We took the eastern shore road to Oia.  Parked and had dinner at a delicious restaurant with amazing views.  (Amazing views abound in Oia!)  Explored town, shopped a bit, took loads of selfies.  

 

If you drive, there’s one main road thru Oia towards Fira.  We think, after driving out of Oia on this road in the hour before sunset, that it might be a one-way at this time of day.  Google maps will not tell you that.  So maybe take the eastern shore road back to Fira if you’re headed back at the time that EVERYONE else is headed TO Oia.  You’re welcome.  

 

Dropped off our car at McD’s.  It was a teeny smart car.  Plenty big enough for us, and extremely helpful to have such a tiny car because roads in Fira and Oia can be narrow and parking scarce.  Driving wasn’t awful, but it was definitely more adventurous than driving around town back home.  We enjoyed having the freedom to go where we wanted when we wanted.  

 

The cable car line was much longer headed back to the ship.  But still better than that smelly donkey path, I’m confident.  Lol.  Oddly, although we almost always left ports half an hour AFTER scheduled, in Santorini despite the long lines for cable cars and tenders, we left ON TIME.

 

Definitely don’t miss the view sailing away from Santorini after sunset!  We were on the pool deck, and looked up and BAM! City lights TOWERING over our ship.  What a sight!  What a way to end a cruise.  Like a grand finale light show.  (Plus all the red taillights of cars lined up trying to leave Oia, ha) 

 

I wanted to visit Ammoudi Bay, but we just didn’t have enough time in the day.  But everything we saw and did was great, so no regrets - just a desire to go back one day!  It’s a bucket list location for sure.  ✅🎇🎆

Back to reality…
 

If you want NCL to carry your bags off the ship, they have to be outside your room, ready to go by 11pm Saturday.  But then you just have to find them in the port building as soon as you’re off the ship, so it didn’t seem like a major benefit to me.  To each their own, of course, and if you packed a lot, maybe that’s mega helpful.  If so, they give you color-coded luggage tags.  Otherwise, you can carry your own bags off the ship at your assigned disembarkation time.  We had a bus transfer to ATH thru NCL.  It was an abrupt ending to all the fairy tale magic of the week.  Lol.  The buses were hot, the drive was a solid hour thru the blandest parts of town, and the Athens airport was INSANE.  From what I hear, it’s been that way all week.  So, steel yourself for lines, lines, and more lines.  Get there earlier than you think you need to.  That place is a MESS.  TSA was the easiest, fastest, best part about it, if that tells you anything.  Lol.  But for real.  I wasn’t laughing at the time.  

 

We had the longest travel day.  More hours in lines than at Disney.  Missed our connection.  Ended up exhausted, at 12:30am, in an unscheduled hotel in Atlanta.  More lines the next morning.  More running thru the airport in ATL.   Made our flight with a minute to spare thanks to all the lines.  

 

BUT.  It was ALL worth it for the glorious week we spent in Greece.  Would go thru all the chaos again for that trip.  What an experience!  So, so thankful we had this opportunity!  Enjoy it!!  

[paradiseawaitsme]

What a great review!  Thank you so much for posting your experience.  Your attitude is amazing and it’s so good to read something honest and positive.  I’m glad you enjoyed your cruise, even with all the chaos 🙂

[Muckyduckway]

Thank you @swafly5909 for a such a detailed and enthusiastic review. Enjoyed reading it and got some helpful pointers.

What time did you get to the tender ticket pick-up in order to get #2?

[swafly5909]

4 hours ago, Muckyduckway said:

Thank you @swafly5909 for a such a detailed and enthusiastic review. Enjoyed reading it and got some helpful pointers.

What time did you get to the tender ticket pick-up in order to get #2?

They started handing them out the morning we got to Corfu.  We were there from 7am-3pm.  We met our driver at 8, and picked the tickets up on the way to our room from breakfast…so…maybe 7:15?  We didn’t know to go as soon as they made the announcement, but we were also passing by very soon after.  We were maybe there half an hour after they announced?  
 

It didn’t take long at all to get on the tender in our group.  We got to Santorini at noon and we were off the boat, up the cable car, and waiting at McD’s by 12:45.  We did make sure to have all our gear for the day packed and ready to go and we were waiting in the lobby area on deck 7 when they called our number.  (We met midship on deck 7 to show our ticket and were then directed down to deck 4 to get on the tender.) 

[Muckyduckway]

Thank you, that's helpful.