Just Back From Brilliance and Wonder in Europe!

[John&LaLa]

19 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Sounds like Wonder is a no go then for a Europe Cruise since that is all that ship does is inter port.

 

Oasis ships have been interporting in the Med since forever. 

[Jimbo]

6 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Oasis ships have been interporting in the Med since forever. 

Yes, sounds like some people don't like it. I believe someone earlier mentioned the cruise felt "disjointed" 

 

What's the cruise lines reasoning?

Edited June 12, 2022 by Jimbo

[John&LaLa]

5 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Yes, sounds like some people don't like it. I believe someone earlier mentioned the cruise felt "disjointed" 

 

What's the cruise lines reasoning?

 

Commonplace in the Med

 

I interported in the Gulf years ago. Carnival, loaded in New Orleans or Tampa.

 

Nothing overly odd, but there were no apps back in the 90's

[Jimbo]

8 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Commonplace in the Med

 

I interported in the Gulf years ago. Carnival, loaded in New Orleans or Tampa.

 

Nothing overly odd, but there were no apps back in the 90's

So  all their ships interport? Europe?

Wonder, Vision, Brilliance, and Anthem?

Edited June 12, 2022 by Jimbo

[John&LaLa]

2 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

So  all their ships interport? Europe?

Wonder, Vision, Brilliance, and Anthem?

 

No, its just common on some routes

 

You left off Voyager

[Host Jacquelyn]

30 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Yes, sounds like some people don't like it. I believe someone earlier mentioned the cruise felt "disjointed" 

 

It was disjointed in the sense that there was no first day excitement, rather that came on Day 3 of our cruise when the Barcelona guests joined. The app also didn't work for us, and we had some issues with our D+ benefits, but neither of those were huge deals. I am sure the Barcelona guests did not have the same experience, as I would say 3/4 of the pax boarded there. All said, I would certainly book an interport cruise again as the flexibility of being able to board in Civi outweighed any downside

[bearette]

I agree it was weird doing an interporting cruise, though we did it on another line 😮 Cruises that include Rome and Barcelona is very common.  My exiting the ship around 9am in Barcelona was smoothing sailing unlike the OPs. Maybe a day to get a later start.

[little britain]

10 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Yes, sounds like some people don't like it. I believe someone earlier mentioned the cruise felt "disjointed" 

 

What's the cruise lines reasoning?

Interporting allows you to board at the port most convenient to you. 
MSC interport at all ports on their Mediterranean route - so you can board in Barcelona Marseilles Genoa Rome Naples Valletta….  I have often boarded in Marseilles as it is easy and cheap to fly to and boarding will only be a few hundred instead of thousands. 
People mention lack of First day atmosphere but it is always Someone’s first day so I find their excitement rubs off on others. 
 

RCI are going to interport between Barbados and San Juan and also between Colon and Costa Rica ( can’t remember  the port but not Cartagena) I believe 

Edited June 13, 2022 by little britain

[Crazy planning mom]

Yes, I interpreted on a different line in Civi rather than Barcelona because Rome has so much to see and I wanted to spend more time there pre-cruise.  Still had a good time.

[Host Jacquelyn]

4 hours ago, Crazy planning mom said:

Yes, I interpreted on a different line in Civi rather than Barcelona because Rome has so much to see and I wanted to spend more time there pre-cruise.  Still had a good time.

 

Were were in Venice after Brilliance, and it was much easier to Rome via train then to Barcelona. Very convenient.

[bpcleary9]

23 hours ago, hopebh said:

We flew into Bologna and took the train into Ravenna and then the Royal transfer from the train station.  The train from/to Bologna was crowded and generally unpleasant and I doubt I’d go that route in the future.  
 

My son arrived on the train around 11 and ended up waiting at the station for an hour for the buses.  We arrived around noon and there were plenty of busses and we had no wait.

We were on the May 29th Brilliance.

 

OP, thanks for starting this thread.  We are looking at cruises for next spring and although we want to try the O class ships, we are wary about doing so in Europe. 

 

Thanks for this post. We are on the Brilliance this week (June 19). We were planning to take the train from Bologna to Ravenna then taxi to Porto Corsini. Seems that I overestimated the number of taxis. This is the first reference I have seen to a RCCL shuttle from the Ravenna train station. Can you give me more details? I am looking at private car options from Bologna as well. Thanks!

 

[hopebh]

3 hours ago, bpcleary9 said:

Thanks for this post. We are on the Brilliance this week (June 19). We were planning to take the train from Bologna to Ravenna then taxi to Porto Corsini. Seems that I overestimated the number of taxis. This is the first reference I have seen to a RCCL shuttle from the Ravenna train station. Can you give me more details? I am looking at private car options from Bologna as well. Thanks!

 

If we ever do a cruise out a Ravenna again we would go the private car route.  The 11 am train to Ravenna was crowded but the train from the port at the end of the cruise was a lot worst. It felt like we had to make a mad dash which is not all that easy with suitcases.
 

The transfer to/from the train was painless.  We walked out of the train station and I think there was a line or sign directing us to the left.  I just remember that it was very obvious. 
 

There were 2 buses and a lady with a clip board where we wrote our name and room number. We then put our luggage on the bus and off we went. BTW - we were told that it was $10 per person but the charge  ever posted to any of our accounts.

 

We received a card in our card telling us that we needed to reserve our space on day 5(I think).  I used the QR code and reserved spots. Those charges did post. 
 

On the last night we received green tags and instructions that told us to go to the theater to wait. When we got there we were directed to get our luggage and go outside.

 

Outside there was a line that we waited in for about 20 minutes. We then got on the bus and was dropped off at the train station.

[80sGal]

We will be new to cruising the Greek Isles with RCI next year.  Always been in the Caribbean, and Ive learned that August is not for me.  March to May and October to January is my comfort zone.   I have the Greece cruise booked for mid June, but based on some other topics on CC, I'm wondering about the heat.  Would mid to late May be more pleasant, or will 3 weeks make much difference?   What were your daily temps and heat level in May?  We live in the South, so our 90 degree plus humidity feels much different than 90 degrees in Nevada or California.  Just wondering how the Med compares so I can think about whether a date change is warranted.   Stops in the typical ports on both itineraries.   Thanks! 

[dritan]

7 hours ago, hopebh said:

If we ever do a cruise out a Ravenna again we would go the private car route.  The 11 am train to Ravenna was crowded but the train from the port at the end of the cruise was a lot worst. It felt like we had to make a mad dash which is not all that easy with suitcases.
 

The transfer to/from the train was painless.  We walked out of the train station and I think there was a line or sign directing us to the left.  I just remember that it was very obvious. 
 

There were 2 buses and a lady with a clip board where we wrote our name and room number. We then put our luggage on the bus and off we went. BTW - we were told that it was $10 per person but the charge  ever posted to any of our accounts.

 

We received a card in our card telling us that we needed to reserve our space on day 5(I think).  I used the QR code and reserved spots. Those charges did post. 
 

On the last night we received green tags and instructions that told us to go to the theater to wait. When we got there we were directed to get our luggage and go outside.

 

Outside there was a line that we waited in for about 20 minutes. We then got on the bus and was dropped off at the train station.

We were on the same Brilliance cruise.  WE caught the 10.15am train from Bologna which was great and had no crowds, there were a small number of cruisers on that train and we were so thankful to see the RCI shuttle outside the station as we had been planning on seeking out a local bus. 

 

But crikey that experience on the return really made me re evaluate doing a cruise from Ravenna.  With the train strike we had to wait two hours for a train and there were only 3 taxis in that whole time - people were really desperate to get to their flights. 

[hlperez]

12 hours ago, 80sGal said:

We will be new to cruising the Greek Isles with RCI next year.  Always been in the Caribbean, and Ive learned that August is not for me.  March to May and October to January is my comfort zone.   I have the Greece cruise booked for mid June, but based on some other topics on CC, I'm wondering about the heat.  Would mid to late May be more pleasant, or will 3 weeks make much difference?   What were your daily temps and heat level in May?  We live in the South, so our 90 degree plus humidity feels much different than 90 degrees in Nevada or California.  Just wondering how the Med compares so I can think about whether a date change is warranted.   Stops in the typical ports on both itineraries.   Thanks! 

May will definitely be cooler than June.  The high humidity in the Med starts in June.

[Host Jacquelyn]

On 6/13/2022 at 9:27 PM, 80sGal said:

We will be new to cruising the Greek Isles with RCI next year.  Always been in the Caribbean, and Ive learned that August is not for me.  March to May and October to January is my comfort zone.   I have the Greece cruise booked for mid June, but based on some other topics on CC, I'm wondering about the heat.  Would mid to late May be more pleasant, or will 3 weeks make much difference?   What were your daily temps and heat level in May?  We live in the South, so our 90 degree plus humidity feels much different than 90 degrees in Nevada or California.  Just wondering how the Med compares so I can think about whether a date change is warranted.   Stops in the typical ports on both itineraries.   Thanks! 

Hi @80sGal

 

We have been to Greece in mid May and in late June. There is certainly a HUGE difference in temperature. When we were there this year in May, the temps were low to mid 80's, but no breeze and sunny skies. It definitely felt hotter. In late June, temps were mid 90's and scorching. I don't mind the heat, but it was too much for others. Of course, you can always get a heat wave earlier or a cool spell later, but if you are concerned about the heat I suggest booking a bit earlier

 

[artvlay]

There is a lot of good information on this thread but I am a bit confused. Trying to make plans for October Brilliance cruise. 

Here are a few questions:

1. We want to get the shuttle from venice to Ravenna. What is the procedure of booking it? Is it done through a live RC representative or on their site or through TA?

2. Do I do research and find a direct flight # into Venice for the day of the cruise departure? Do I pay and get confirmation when I place the call or go on the RC website? 

3. We are staying two nights pre-cruise in Mestre. Where do we pick up the shuttle? Do they ask for flight information upon boarding shuttle bus?

4. Does the shuttle drop you off at the ship? What is the cost?

5. Post-cruise - we are leaving from Bologna. Is there a RC shuttle from the ship to Bologna? 

6. Some people have said that there is now a shuttle that goes from Ravenna train to ship. Is this now easily accessible both pre-cruise and post-cruise?

Thank you in advance. 

[hopebh]

21 hours ago, dritan said:

We were on the same Brilliance cruise.  WE caught the 10.15am train from Bologna which was great and had no crowds, there were a small number of cruisers on that train and we were so thankful to see the RCI shuttle outside the station as we had been planning on seeking out a local bus. 

 

But crikey that experience on the return really made me re evaluate doing a cruise from Ravenna.  With the train strike we had to wait two hours for a train and there were only 3 taxis in that whole time - people were really desperate to get to their flights. 

My son was on that early train but had to wait about an hour to get the shuttle.  He wasn’t amused.

 

The train into Bologna was a commuter train without assigned seats and was not a pleasant experience for us.  But after hearing that you had to wait 2 hours, our experience wasn’t that bad.  Our train from Bologna to Naples arrived an hour late and we couldn’t understand\catch  the reason.  Maybe it had something to do with the strike. 🤔

 

I will probably cruise from Ravenna again because I really liked the Croatia and the only cruises that go there are out of that port.   I will re-evaluate how we get/to from the port.  Mad dashes are a young person’s game and not something I’m willing to do a second time.  A private transfer would have been about $200, or $50 a piece since there was 4 of us.  Or even less if my son would traveled with us.  It would have totally been worth it for us.

[Host Jacquelyn]

On 6/14/2022 at 10:22 PM, artvlay said:

There is a lot of good information on this thread but I am a bit confused. Trying to make plans for October Brilliance cruise. 

Here are a few questions:

Thank you in advance. 

1. We want to get the shuttle from venice to Ravenna. What is the procedure of booking it? Is it done through a live RC representative or on their site or through TA?

I booked direct with Royal, so I went direct. I suggest calling your TA first if you used one

 

2. Do I do research and find a direct flight # into Venice for the day of the cruise departure? Do I pay and get confirmation when I place the call or go on the RC website? 

I did it live on the phone with the rep. She needed the flight numbers, departure time, arrival time, etc. Any detail you could think of. I found a flight as I was talking to her. I believe the charges were added to my cruise invoice, and I paid once I paid my final balance
 

3. We are staying two nights pre-cruise in Mestre. Where do we pick up the shuttle? Do they ask for flight information upon boarding shuttle bus?
There are 2 places to find the shuttle - either in Venice or at the airport. I heard it was confusing to find the location in Venice, but I am sure someone can give you instructions. We just went back to the airport from our hotel (we also stayed in Mestre). The arrivals hall is very small and it was easy to find the RCCL rep. There were many of them walking around with signs.
 

4. Does the shuttle drop you off at the ship? What is the cost?
Yes, the shuttle drops you right off at "the ship" - there were people right when we got off the bus directing us to the check-in queue. Price was reasonable compared to private shuttle, around $50 per person, per direction
 

5. Post-cruise - we are leaving from Bologna. Is there a RC shuttle from the ship to Bologna? 
Yes, I heard them advertising it onboard. You can probably buy it in advance as well.
 

6. Some people have said that there is now a shuttle that goes from Ravenna train to ship. Is this now easily accessible both pre-cruise and post-cruise?

Someone else can probably reply as we went back to Venice

[xxjulzxx]

Reading all of this is giving me slight anxiety about getting to/from our Brilliance cruise in October 😅

 

Sounds like a private transfer is worth the money to not deal with the shuttle/train situations.
 

Anyone have any recommendations for a private transfer from our hotel in Venice to Ravenna and then from Civitavecchia to our hotel in Rome? 

 

Thanks in advance! 

[Host Jacquelyn]

33 minutes ago, xxjulzxx said:

Reading all of this is giving me slight anxiety about getting to/from our Brilliance cruise in October 😅

 

Sounds like a private transfer is worth the money to not deal with the shuttle/train situations.
 

Anyone have any recommendations for a private transfer from our hotel in Venice to Ravenna and then from Civitavecchia to our hotel in Rome? 

 

Thanks in advance! 

 

The RCCL shuttle from Venice to Ravenna was very smooth, the only hiccup was needing to provide fake flight info. Hopefully that is something they rectified

 

In Rome, we used Civitavecchia Shuttle Express to and from the port. Since you asked, the rules say that I can recommend. They were easy to deal with, very responsive to emails (and even WhatsApp), and above all ON TIME. We had prior experiences in Rome, and the services were unreliable. CSE was great, and the prices reasonable.

[artvlay]

Jacquelyn,

What GREAT advice you provided!!

Called my TA, gave her my flight information and it's done. You were a huge help.

Did you use the bus or taxi to get to the airport? I dont know which is more convenient to getting to the arrivals area?

 

Regarding Rome, Where does the Civitavechia Shuttle Express drop you off in both Rome and Civitavechia? 

After our Rome cruise we are heading to Termini train to catch a train to Venice. Didnt know if it is faster or easier to get a train from Civitavechia to Termini? 

Thanks in advance. 

Marshall 

[regg1216]

12 hours ago, xxjulzxx said:

Reading all of this is giving me slight anxiety about getting to/from our Brilliance cruise in October 😅

 

Sounds like a private transfer is worth the money to not deal with the shuttle/train situations.
 

Anyone have any recommendations for a private transfer from our hotel in Venice to Ravenna and then from Civitavecchia to our hotel in Rome? 

 

Thanks in advance! 

I’m looking for the same thing from Venice to Ravenna. Civitavecchia to hotel in Rome we used Civitavecchia shuttle express last month. Worked great.

[xxjulzxx]

16 hours ago, Host Jacquelyn said:

 

The RCCL shuttle from Venice to Ravenna was very smooth, the only hiccup was needing to provide fake flight info. Hopefully that is something they rectified

 

In Rome, we used Civitavecchia Shuttle Express to and from the port. Since you asked, the rules say that I can recommend. They were easy to deal with, very responsive to emails (and even WhatsApp), and above all ON TIME. We had prior experiences in Rome, and the services were unreliable. CSE was great, and the prices reasonable.

Thank you! We will look into providing a fake flight number from Venice to Ravenna and booked the Civitavecchia Shuttle Express back to our hotel in Rome after the cruise. Appreciate the info! 

[xxjulzxx]

3 hours ago, regg1216 said:

I’m looking for the same thing from Venice to Ravenna. Civitavecchia to hotel in Rome we used Civitavecchia shuttle express last month. Worked great.

That is what we are going to do also- now to find Venice to Ravenna! 🙂 Thanks for the info!