Live and Happy from Eurodam October 6 to 30

[Florida_gal_50]

4 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Let's just say that I would eat it again tonight!  It was really, really nice.

Thank you!  I think I will try it.

[VMax1700]

Koper this morning as we docked......

 

 

 

[VMax1700]

I thought of my Cruise Critic friends when I saw this sign in Piran........

 

[VMax1700]

Continuing in the Balanced Diet thought process, we could not decide on Dive Inn Burger or New York Pizza for lunch so compromised 😋 on both!  (and wine!)

 

[Florida_gal_50]

@Vict0rianni do apologize if you have answered this question already.  I did a quick search through your posts but didn’t see it but I didn’t spend hours looking.  Is hal going to administer a pcr  test so you can fly home or are you staying a bit after your final cruise and you are arranging this yourself?  Thank you.

[thecatservant]

Yay — we’re boarding tomorrow!!! We’re here in Venice, spent the day toodling around on the water busses which is interesting in its own self. But now trying to figure out the best way to get to the passenger terminal. Is the people mover the best option? Do they have everything well marked once you get there?

 

[HAL2pal]

1 hour ago, thecatservant said:

Yay — we’re boarding tomorrow!!! We’re here in Venice, spent the day toodling around on the water busses which is interesting in its own self. But now trying to figure out the best way to get to the passenger terminal. Is the people mover the best option? Do they have everything well marked once you get there?

 

Where are you staying?  We are taking a water taxi from the Hilton (as was recommended by the concierge).

[VMax1700]

We stayed in Mestre and took a taxi to the terminal.

Depending on your hotel's location in Venice you can use the People Mover and distance to the terminal from People Mover is about 500m (only working from memory!)

Remember to bring a bottle of water and snacks.

 

[kazu]

14 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

We did get the test, it was midway between the easy one in Victoria and the nasty one in Venice, so, just a tickle at the back of the nose.

 

 

3 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

 I did a quick search through your posts but didn’t see it but I didn’t spend hours looking.  Is hal going to administer a pcr  test so you can fly home

 

Copied and pasted above for you from Ann’s post.  they are testing and on a regular basis as well as to fly home.  

[Florida_gal_50]

7 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

 

 

Copied and pasted above for you from Ann’s post.  they are testing and on a regular basis as well as to fly home.  

It doesn't say if its pcr or antigen though.  I'm not sure if the nasty one means pcr as I've never had one.

[kazu]

Just now, Florida_gal_50 said:

It doesn't say if its pcr or antigen though.  I'm not sure if the nasty one means pcr as I've never had one.

 

I believe when they go up your nose they are pcr 😉 

antigens are a lot less troublesome 😉 

[kazu]

16 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It doesn't say if its pcr or antigen though.  I'm not sure if the nasty one means pcr as I've never had one.

 

And Colin just reported this on another thread about tests.

 

5 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

We are currently on Eurodam in Europe/Med and we needed an antigen test to re enter Italy.  When we went for the test we were asked if an antigen test was ok or if we needed a PCR test.  Both were available and there was no charge.

 

[VMax1700]

15 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It doesn't say if its pcr or antigen though

The standard test was antigen, but they did offer PCR if you required it for onward travel.

 

[Florida_gal_50]

Thank you kazu and vmax 

[Darjeeling]

8 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

I thought of my Cruise Critic friends when I saw this sign in Piran........

 

I saw a tile sign with that saying in Bruges, Belgium a few years ago! ❤️

[Darjeeling]

6 hours ago, thecatservant said:

Yay — we’re boarding tomorrow!!! We’re here in Venice, spent the day toodling around on the water busses which is interesting in its own self. But now trying to figure out the best way to get to the passenger terminal. Is the people mover the best option? Do they have everything well marked once you get there?

 

We arrived in Venice yesterday for our third visit. Coming by train from Padua eight years ago, we used the People Mover. If I recall correctly, you need to drag any luggage a bit of a distance once you get off the PM. Everything is clearly marked. I vote for a taxi this time!😂

[Vict0riann]

19 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

@Vict0rianni do apologize if you have answered this question already.  I did a quick search through your posts but didn’t see it but I didn’t spend hours looking.  Is hal going to administer a pcr  test so you can fly home or are you staying a bit after your final cruise and you are arranging this yourself?  Thank you.

I don’t think I am able to post today, I have logged out and in, turned my iPad off and on, but CC is not liking me.  
 

our tests so far have all been rapid antigen tests.  I plan to go to the Front Desk and check that we can arrange our PCR tests for the day before we disembark in Barcelona.  I imagine we will be having more antigen tests in the meantime!

[hisfirstm8]

We will be on the first sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale on November 16th.  I was  wondering how often they do covid testing on the cruise and if you think we will have testing during our cruise.  Just trying to figure out what things will be like.  Thanks!!

 

BArbara

[Vict0riann]

2 hours ago, hisfirstm8 said:

We will be on the first sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale on November 16th.  I was  wondering how often they do covid testing on the cruise and if you think we will have testing during our cruise.  Just trying to figure out what things will be like.  Thanks!!

 

BArbara

I think a lot of the testing depends on the requirements of the country you are visiting.  It seems to happen quite frequently here in Europe, especially going back into the EU from a country not in the EU.  So I don’t know what the rules will be in the Caribbean.  The crew and staff seem to be tested weekly, and have serology tests monthly to be sure their antibody levels are where they should be.  We were tested to fly to Europe, then again to board the ship, and a couple of days ago when we moved from Croatia to Slovenia.  I imagine we’ll be tested again at least once before we return to Italy, having been in Croatia again, perhaps for France, and a PCR test before we return to Canada. So maybe six over a 24-day cruise.

[Vict0riann]

I have been trying all day, and yesterday, to get on line and post.  Pat has spent hours trying to download his beloved Economist, and failed at that, so I can’t blame it all on CC, but many times, if I do manage to connect to the internet, my attempts at posting are a failure.

 

We bade farewell to Colin and Ellen this morning.  Sad to see them go.  We couldn’t disembark today in Trieste without jumping through multiple hoops, and we had a busy day yesterday, so we didn’t bother.  
 

Yesterday, in Koper, we were met by our great guide, Marko, (this was our third time touring with him).  He had a very comfortable van waiting for the four of us.  We visited three seaside towns, Isola, Piran, and Portoros.  In Piran, we spent some time for shopping and a coffee.  Marko parked the van outside of Piran, at his mother-in-law’s house, and we walked downhill into the town along little cobbled trails, meeting people he knew along the way.  But he walked back uphill to his MIL’s house and drove into the town to pick us up.  Then we left the coast and drove inland to an agro-turismo farm and stables for a lunch of lovely local ham, cheese,  olives and wines.  Other parties were going on as well, with children riding and animals wandering around.  
 

We were approaching Koper again, about 3, and Marko said we had time to visit Trieste, if we wanted.  He said if there were restrictions at the Italian border, we would just turn around, so we agreed.  The border was kind of non-existent so we had a nice drive around and got back to Eurodam around 4:30.  I think the Captain must have circled around the bay all night, the two places are so close!

 

We decided on something very light for supper, so went up to Tamarind for Nami Sushi.  A few new dishes were sampled, and of course, by the end of the meal, there was only space for a little lichee gelato.  Pika sent us a special dish of tempura vegetables.

 

panko  asparagus

I have to look this one up - I’ll come back and edit, if I can - delicious   It’s Hamachi Usuzukuri , I think she said it is yellowtail tuna sashimi.

 

lobster roll - a favourite

 

tempura vegetables

 

 

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by Vict0riann

[LambKnuckles]

I've read through your thread and have LOVED every post and comment and photo!!

 

Does HAL use american dollars as the norm?  Or are those Euros on menus?

 

I read one menu so quickly, and after seeing the photo of Sticky Buns, I thought it said Sticky Buns with Caviar...  🤢  But reread it and it was Steamed Buns with Caviar...  my bad!!!

 

Bless all of you who contributed!!  THANK YOU!!!

[kazu]

35 minutes ago, LambKnuckles said:

 

Does HAL use american dollars as the norm?  Or are those Euros on menus?

 

American dollars is the currency on board the ship.

 

 

[LambKnuckles]

19 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

American dollars is the currency on board the ship.

 

 

 

THANK YOU!!  I thought so...

[rafinmd]

6 hours ago, hisfirstm8 said:

We will be on the first sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale on November 16th.  I was  wondering how often they do covid testing on the cruise and if you think we will have testing during our cruise.  Just trying to figure out what things will be like.  Thanks!!

 

BArbara

 

3 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

I think a lot of the testing depends on the requirements of the country you are visiting.  It seems to happen quite frequently here in Europe, especially going back into the EU from a country not in the EU.  So I don’t know what the rules will be in the Caribbean.  The crew and staff seem to be tested weekly, and have serology tests monthly to be sure their antibody levels are where they should be.  We were tested to fly to Europe, then again to board the ship, and a couple of days ago when we moved from Croatia to Slovenia.  I imagine we’ll be tested again at least once before we return to Italy, having been in Croatia again, perhaps for France, and a PCR test before we return to Canada. So maybe six over a 24-day cruise.

I think the testing requirements are mostly a function of the countries visited and not the ship you are on.  You would probably get a better idea asking on one of the ships currently in the area, possibly Koningsdam (especially if your cruise visits Mexico) or more likely Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

Roy

[VMax1700]

We were very sad to say goodbye to Ann and Pat this morning.

Disembarking itself was smooth but not silent!  Carlyn, the CD was on the PA system from about 6 am as she started to organise those with early disembarkation for flights from VCE. Our slot was between 8am and 8.20 and at about 8.15 we were called and we were then bussed from the gangway across Trieste to the cruise terminal.  There did seem to be a lot of protests underway at the commercial port area.  I hope that the protests do not impinge on the latest passengers boarding experience.

There was only about 20 passengers on our bus, but it was still 11.30am before we arrived to Venice Cruise Terminal, where we were dumped unceremoniously at the watertaxi/taxi stand and left there.

Not a very pleasant morning and the 'End of Term' report for HAL would say 'Must try harder!'