Odyssey to the Greek Isles - 7 to 16 May 2022

[Sarah1974]

Thanks Fiona for a fabulous cruise blog

[FionaMG]

4 minutes ago, Sarah1974 said:

Thanks Fiona for a fabulous cruise blog

My pleasure. I'm glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

[TwinMamainMN]

On 5/14/2022 at 4:56 PM, FionaMG said:

We have an open area with seats just below us. We're on deck 6, starboard. It doesn't seem to be used much.

 

In this next photo, the right-hand balconies you can see are large balcony cabins. 

 

We were on the opposite side of the ship when we sailed in Feb/March. We had Cabin 8232, which has an extended/deed balcony and is the first one on the "hump." It was great location, and we rarely saw anyone using that open seating area, except maybe one or 2 as we were sailing into port.

[jmh2006]

Thanks for the review @FionaMG!  Safe travels home!!

[Carlos A.]

How long did it take to get through Italian customs once yo got off the ship?

[FionaMG]

1 hour ago, jmh2006 said:

Thanks for the review @FionaMG!  Safe travels home!!

Thank you. My pleasure. 🙂

[FionaMG]

52 minutes ago, carlosalonsor said:

How long did it take to get through Italian customs once yo got off the ship?

No time at all. We literally walked off the ship and through the building out to the car park without seeing any customs people. It took 10 minutes at the most from Royal Esplanade to kerbside.

[FionaMG]

11 hours ago, Trixie21 said:

Safe travels home everyone .

Thanks for taking precious time out from your cruise to post all the pictures and information - I've been glued to it and have picked up some useful tips. 103 days to go until we board Odyssey!

Can I ask what was the earliest you could get off the ship if doing self departure?

We have a flight booked home (Ireland) for 11am , and have always made this flight with plenty of time when sailing from Civitivecchia.  Just wondered about now , with all the chaos at airports all around the world. 

It would also be useful if you could let us know what the queue situation was like in Rome airport.

 

So, the airport situation: I was actually surprised at how UN-chaotic it was apart from our airline's check-in desk, which was a mess as usual. For you, I guess that part will depend on who you're flying with. For example, the Air France desks opposite us looked far more organised than ours (TAP).

 

The zig-zag queue for security was quite long but there were lots of stations open and it went very quickly. I think from joining the queue to coming out the other side couldn't have taken more than about 10 minutes.

 

Of course, the time of day might make a difference; we arrived just a little before 3 pm. And since we were flying to a Schengen airport, we didn't have to go through passport control.

 

As far as masks are concerned, they appear to be optional in the airport but Italian law currently requires all passengers to wear them during boarding and on the aircraft. Maybe that will have changed by the time you fly.

[bonsai3s]

FionaMG...if I may... aditional information:

 

* We are back onboard the Odyssey. For those doing b2b's, you'll have 2 options. 1. Meet with other b2b passengers (last week it was at the Seaplex, this morning it was at the Schooner bar) to be processed and get your new seapass cards. Most decided to remain onboard.

2. Disembark early, skip the meeting, and have to check-in as a new passenger when you come back.

 

* We have done the DIY by train to Rome and decided to do it again last week...and again this morning. We chose option 2.

 

* DIY to Rome from Civitavecchia is not as easy as it used to be...for a number of reasons. We were able to disembark quickly, was outside the terminal by 6:30 am. After politely asking, we found the free shuttle to the gate.

And forgive me if I repeat this: DO NOT take the free shuttle to the gate.

 

Last week, with 14 passengers, (some with luggages), the shuttle finally left the cruise terminal at 7am.

 

The drop-off area was new to us and was at least 3/4 of a mile from the "old" gate we remembered. We had to navigate around cyclone fences and literally a maze just to reach the main road in Civitavecchia. (I will find a terminal map and confirm this drop-off spot later)

 

* Able to make the 7:57 train to Rome. 

Our memorable few hours in Rome will have to be written for another day. Took the 12:02 train from San Pietro back to Civitavecchia. We wanted to make sure we made it back on time.

 

* We were told to be back no later than 3:00 pm, to bring all our documents (passports, vax cards, and SetSail pass) because we will be checking in as if we were new passengers. No "In-Transit" card were given to b2b passengers who chose to disembark early.

 

* We (along with many other new passengers) had to again navigate our way back to the free shuttle bus...and made it back inside the cruise terminal at 2:35 pm.

 

* The first statement to us was "We need to see your Covid Test".  We said "We are back to back".  She again said "We need your Covid Test".  We said "We are consecutive cruisers..we were told we didn't need the test". This went on and on and on...supervisors got involved...we were thinking "Oh No, they are not letting us back onboard!"

 

* Fortunately for us, a Royal Caribbean Genie, that we knew from another cruise,...understood the problem, and helped us get back onboard. (YES, we sat down and discussed all the "holes" and flaws to this process...he promi6sed to correct the problems.)

 

* Again, we highly discourage anyone from using the free shuttle. 

 

* For those doing DIY by train to Rome, the better option is to take the buses (2 types, Port Link & Cruise Mobility) from the cruise terminal...stops directly across the street from the train station. 3Euros/person/each way. We also highly encourage passengers to take this bus back from the train station to the ship.

 

 

 

 

[Trixie21]

39 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

 

So, the airport situation: I was actually surprised at how UN-chaotic it was apart from our airline's check-in desk, which was a mess as usual. For you, I guess that part will depend on who you're flying with. For example, the Air France desks opposite us looked far more organised than ours (TAP).

 

The zig-zag queue for security was quite long but there were lots of stations open and it went very quickly. I think from joining the queue to coming out the other side couldn't have taken more than about 10 minutes.

 

Of course, the time of day might make a difference; we arrived just a little before 3 pm. And since we were flying to a Schengen airport, we didn't have to go through passport control.

 

As far as masks are concerned, they appear to be optional in the airport but Italian law currently requires all passengers to wear them during boarding and on the aircraft. Maybe that will have changed by the time you fly.

Thanks for the update - thats encouraging about security , which has been a big problem in many airports.

We are flying with aer lingjs to Dublin,  so hopefully will be fairly straightforward.

[FionaMG]

@bonsai3s, I didn't realize you were staying on. Wish I could have too! Enjoy this next part of your cruise and thanks for this additional information, which I'm sure will be really useful for other b2b-ers. 🙂

[FionaMG]

On 5/16/2022 at 8:09 AM, bigeck said:

Thanks for the review. Safe trip home

My pleasure and thank you. 😊 

We had an eventful arrival at our local airport in Faro as it was swarming with Glasgow Rangers fans, down for the match in Seville. We had to wait for half an hour in a queue for a taxi, when usually there are 50 taxis lined up. And we had told BIL not to bother picking us up because of the late hour. Next time we'll accept his offer just in case! 😄

[FionaMG]

10 hours ago, Trixie21 said:

Thanks for the update - thats encouraging about security , which has been a big problem in many airports.

We are flying with aer lingjs to Dublin,  so hopefully will be fairly straightforward.

🤞

[cruiseboy89130]

12 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

FionaMG...if I may... aditional information:

 

* We are back onboard the Odyssey. For those doing b2b's, you'll have 2 options. 1. Meet with other b2b passengers (last week it was at the Seaplex, this morning it was at the Schooner bar) to be processed and get your new seapass cards. Most decided to remain onboard.

2. Disembark early, skip the meeting, and have to check-in as a new passenger when you come back.

 

* We have done the DIY by train to Rome and decided to do it again last week...and again this morning. We chose option 2.

 

* DIY to Rome from Civitavecchia is not as easy as it used to be...for a number of reasons. We were able to disembark quickly, was outside the terminal by 6:30 am. After politely asking, we found the free shuttle to the gate.

And forgive me if I repeat this: DO NOT take the free shuttle to the gate.

 

Last week, with 14 passengers, (some with luggages), the shuttle finally left the cruise terminal at 7am.

 

The drop-off area was new to us and was at least 3/4 of a mile from the "old" gate we remembered. We had to navigate around cyclone fences and literally a maze just to reach the main road in Civitavecchia. (I will find a terminal map and confirm this drop-off spot later)

 

* Able to make the 7:57 train to Rome. 

Our memorable few hours in Rome will have to be written for another day. Took the 12:02 train from San Pietro back to Civitavecchia. We wanted to make sure we made it back on time.

 

* We were told to be back no later than 3:00 pm, to bring all our documents (passports, vax cards, and SetSail pass) because we will be checking in as if we were new passengers. No "In-Transit" card were given to b2b passengers who chose to disembark early.

 

* We (along with many other new passengers) had to again navigate our way back to the free shuttle bus...and made it back inside the cruise terminal at 2:35 pm.

 

* The first statement to us was "We need to see your Covid Test".  We said "We are back to back".  She again said "We need your Covid Test".  We said "We are consecutive cruisers..we were told we didn't need the test". This went on and on and on...supervisors got involved...we were thinking "Oh No, they are not letting us back onboard!"

 

* Fortunately for us, a Royal Caribbean Genie, that we knew from another cruise,...understood the problem, and helped us get back onboard. (YES, we sat down and discussed all the "holes" and flaws to this process...he promi6sed to correct the problems.)

 

* Again, we highly discourage anyone from using the free shuttle. 

 

* For those doing DIY by train to Rome, the better option is to take the buses (2 types, Port Link & Cruise Mobility) from the cruise terminal...stops directly across the street from the train station. 3Euros/person/each way. We also highly encourage passengers to take this bus back from the train station to the ship.

 

 

 

 

There is a 3€ green bus on the far right every 15 minutes that will take you to the train station nonstop....

You asked for the wrong bus!

Edited May 17, 2022 by cruiseboy89130

[bigeck]

6 hours ago, FionaMG said:

My pleasure and thank you. 😊 

We had an eventful arrival at our local airport in Faro as it was swarming with Glasgow Rangers fans, down for the match in Seville. We had to wait for half an hour in a queue for a taxi, when usually there are 50 taxis lined up. And we had told BIL not to bother picking us up because of the late hour. Next time we'll accept his offer just in case! 😄

If I wasn't going on Vision on June 10th I might have been with them. Rangers played Braga in an earlier round and some sun always is appealing. Seville will be mobbed and they should make a bit money as the prices have trebled. 

I was on Voyager from Barcelona when Frankfurt was playing Barcelona. Placa Catalunya was a mass of fans. I would have went but 116 Eu for a ticket was a bit much.

[little britain]

@bonsai3s doesn’t the free port shuttle drop you by the fire station/mastro titta pizza/hotel Traghetto any more ? 
From there you catch the shuttle to the station ( or walk).   
It’s been many years since it dropped you by the walls opposite macDonalds 

 

So you are saying that the Port Link & Cruise Mobility busses 🚌 pick you up from on the quayside right outside the ship? I think they used to do this years ago but stopped: good if the service is back again! 
 

Just want to be clear for when I DIY next week! 
LBx

 

 

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by little britain

[bonsai3s]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

@bonsai3s doesn’t the free port shuttle drop you by the fire station/mastro titta pizza/hotel Traghetto any more ? 
From there you catch the shuttle to the station ( or walk).   
It’s been many years since it dropped you by the walls opposite macDonalds 

 

So you are saying that the Port Link & Cruise Mobility busses 🚌 pick you up from on the quayside right outside the ship? I think they used to do this years ago but stopped: good if the service is back again! 
 

Just want to be clear for when I DIY next week! 
LBx

 

 

 

Hi LB,

 

The free shuttles now drops off passengers at "Infopoint Varco port mobility" area...see attached google map. Numerous passengers who chose the free shuttles, especially those with luggages, were extremely angry because of this added distance. Frustrated passengers and first-timers to Civitavecchia, ended up taking taxis to the train station.

 

Yes, Port Link (red) & Cruise Mobility (white), both pick up passengers quayside/shipside...very convenient. 

* Walk left as you exit the terminal; corner of the building.

[cruiseboy89130]

4 hours ago, little britain said:

@bonsai3s doesn’t the free port shuttle drop you by the fire station/mastro titta pizza/hotel Traghetto any more ? 
From there you catch the shuttle to the station ( or walk).   
It’s been many years since it dropped you by the walls opposite macDonalds 

 

So you are saying that the Port Link & Cruise Mobility busses 🚌 pick you up from on the quayside right outside the ship? I think they used to do this years ago but stopped: good if the service is back again! 
 

Just want to be clear for when I DIY next week! 
LBx

 

 

 

There is a 3€ green bus that will take you nonstop to the train station at the very left curb when you exit the terminal

[zebra]

2 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

Hi LB,

 

The free shuttles now drops off passengers at "Infopoint Varco port mobility" area...see attached google map. Numerous passengers who chose the free shuttles, especially those with luggages, were extremely angry because of this added distance. Frustrated passengers and first-timers to Civitavecchia, ended up taking taxis to the train station.

 

Yes, Port Link (red) & Cruise Mobility (white), both pick up passengers quayside/shipside...very convenient. 

* Walk left as you exit the terminal; corner of the building.

Are you suggesting/implying that folks staying in accommodations in Civi (with luggage) should also NOT take the free shuttle from the entrance TO the ship for embarkation as well?  Just a question .......... as I am confused.

[Citrons]

On 5/16/2022 at 10:18 AM, Trixie21 said:

Safe travels home everyone .

Thanks for taking precious time out from your cruise to post all the pictures and information - I've been glued to it and have picked up some useful tips. 103 days to go until we board Odyssey!

Can I ask what was the earliest you could get off the ship if doing self departure?

We have a flight booked home (Ireland) for 11am , and have always made this flight with plenty of time when sailing from Civitivecchia.  Just wondered about now , with all the chaos at airports all around the world. 

It would also be useful if you could let us know what the queue situation was like in Rome airport.

Half of our group did this. We did the 20.30 flight as we thought they would miss the 11am flight. They left at 6.30am but we were up same time as them. They took the organised bus to the airport. Gets you to rome in 1 hour. They missed breakfast in the WJ. They took their bags themselves. However the bags are left in a huge hall in groups and you could easily grab your bag if you didnt take it. 

 

They made their 11am Aer Lingus Dublin flight no issues as they being irish and fully up to date in vaccine/booster did not need Covid test. Flight was full of Odyssey cruises. 

 

We had a long wait in the Hilton airport hotel drinking until the 20.30 flight. If it was just the 2 of us we would have planned a day trip to rome perhaps to kill time (seen rome before of course) 

 

Whereas the USA people missed their flights due to the covid test queue being 4 hours long at the airport.

Edited May 17, 2022 by Citrons

[Citrons]

On 5/16/2022 at 3:04 PM, carlosalonsor said:

How long did it take to get through Italian customs once yo got off the ship?

There was zero. You walk off the ship within 10 mins

[Citrons]

On 5/16/2022 at 3:04 PM, carlosalonsor said:

How long did it take to get through Italian customs once yo got off the ship?

 

22 hours ago, FionaMG said:

 

So, the airport situation: I was actually surprised at how UN-chaotic it was apart from our airline's check-in desk, which was a mess as usual. For you, I guess that part will depend on who you're flying with. For example, the Air France desks opposite us looked far more organised than ours (TAP).

 

The zig-zag queue for security was quite long but there were lots of stations open and it went very quickly. I think from joining the queue to coming out the other side couldn't have taken more than about 10 minutes.

 

Of course, the time of day might make a difference; we arrived just a little before 3 pm. And since we were flying to a Schengen airport, we didn't have to go through passport control.

 

As far as masks are concerned, they appear to be optional in the airport but Italian law currently requires all passengers to wear them during boarding and on the aircraft. Maybe that will have changed by the time you fly.

Many USA cruisers missed their flight yesterday due to the chaotic set up in Rome airport. They had to do Covid test at the airport and queue was 4 hours long. We met them as we were having a drink in the Hilton hotel waiting for our flight to Dublin. We had to help a few of them book a hotel in Rome for the night as the hilton was fully booked and noone was helping them

[Citrons]

22 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

FionaMG...if I may... aditional information:

 

* We are back onboard the Odyssey. For those doing b2b's, you'll have 2 options. 1. Meet with other b2b passengers (last week it was at the Seaplex, this morning it was at the Schooner bar) to be processed and get your new seapass cards. Most decided to remain onboard.

2. Disembark early, skip the meeting, and have to check-in as a new passenger when you come back.

 

* We have done the DIY by train to Rome and decided to do it again last week...and again this morning. We chose option 2.

 

* DIY to Rome from Civitavecchia is not as easy as it used to be...for a number of reasons. We were able to disembark quickly, was outside the terminal by 6:30 am. After politely asking, we found the free shuttle to the gate.

And forgive me if I repeat this: DO NOT take the free shuttle to the gate.

 

Last week, with 14 passengers, (some with luggages), the shuttle finally left the cruise terminal at 7am.

 

The drop-off area was new to us and was at least 3/4 of a mile from the "old" gate we remembered. We had to navigate around cyclone fences and literally a maze just to reach the main road in Civitavecchia. (I will find a terminal map and confirm this drop-off spot later)

 

* Able to make the 7:57 train to Rome. 

Our memorable few hours in Rome will have to be written for another day. Took the 12:02 train from San Pietro back to Civitavecchia. We wanted to make sure we made it back on time.

 

* We were told to be back no later than 3:00 pm, to bring all our documents (passports, vax cards, and SetSail pass) because we will be checking in as if we were new passengers. No "In-Transit" card were given to b2b passengers who chose to disembark early.

 

* We (along with many other new passengers) had to again navigate our way back to the free shuttle bus...and made it back inside the cruise terminal at 2:35 pm.

 

* The first statement to us was "We need to see your Covid Test".  We said "We are back to back".  She again said "We need your Covid Test".  We said "We are consecutive cruisers..we were told we didn't need the test". This went on and on and on...supervisors got involved...we were thinking "Oh No, they are not letting us back onboard!"

 

* Fortunately for us, a Royal Caribbean Genie, that we knew from another cruise,...understood the problem, and helped us get back onboard. (YES, we sat down and discussed all the "holes" and flaws to this process...he promi6sed to correct the problems.)

 

* Again, we highly discourage anyone from using the free shuttle. 

 

* For those doing DIY by train to Rome, the better option is to take the buses (2 types, Port Link & Cruise Mobility) from the cruise terminal...stops directly across the street from the train station. 3Euros/person/each way. We also highly encourage passengers to take this bus back from the train station to the ship.

 

 

 

 

It was so confusing with the red/green/and white shuttle bus which was free and which to pay and where to get them. Civitavecchia was the most confusing and not easy to understand how to get around.

 

On our 1st and final day we just walked from civitaveccia to the ship and took 30mins about?? Not easy with luggage but glad you confirmed how slow any of the shuttle bus are. It looked like a 2 hour queue for the shuttle bus...and by the time we walked from the ship to the main port gate...only 1 shuttle bus had left in that 40mins and reached the main port gate/old fort/cafes/mcdonalds in Civitavecchia

Edited May 17, 2022 by Citrons

[bonsai3s]

30 minutes ago, zebra said:

Are you suggesting/implying that folks staying in accommodations in Civi (with luggage) should also NOT take the free shuttle from the entrance TO the ship for embarkation as well?  Just a question .......... as I am confused.

Let me be clear.

 

All my suggestions have been FROM the ship.

 

I am NOT suggesting/implying that folks staying in accomodations in Civi (withluggage) should also NOT take the free shuttle from the entrance TO the ship for embarkation...take the free shuttle if that's what you want to do.

 

* YOU can do what you want.

 

* What I am telling you, (or anyone who wants to listen) is this: The free shuttle drop-off is no where near the "entrance".

[bonsai3s]

30 minutes ago, Citrons said:

It was so confusing with the red/green/and white shuttle bus which was free and which to pay and where to get them. Civitavecchia was the most confusing and not easy to understand how to get around.

 

On our 1st and final day we just walked from civitaveccia to the ship and took 30mins about?? Not easy with luggage but glad you confirmed how slow any of the shuttle bus are. It looked like a 2 hour queue for the shuttle bus...and by the time we walked from the ship to the main port gate...only 1 shuttle bus had left in that 40mins and reached the main port gate/old fort/cafes/mcdonalds in Civitavecchia

Exactly.