***LIVE*** From the Carnival Freedom

[7toEleven]

I had a travel purse with lots of hidden pockets that I kept the cash in. I wore it across my chest. It had a good thick strap on it too. I kept my hand on it when I was in crowds and always kept it on in restaurants. I kept the zippered part facing inwards too. Be alert and you wil be fine.

 

 

This is what I used and it worked out great! Always felt secure and having it across my chest my hands were free. I could leave it on while in Restuarants, buses, cabs etc., and didn't have to worry about leaving it somewhere, or of course, having it taken. I would do this again!

[readboat]

We are going on the Freedom On May 22, 2008. Has anyone done a self tour in Cannes going to Eze or Monte Carlo?

Did anyone take the train into Florence?

Did any one go on to Tarimino from Messina on their own?

Are there tour guides at the ports looking for groups?

I posted some of these questions on other threads and didn't get replies.

Our roll call has been very slow so I don't think we will be able to do group tours.

Thanks

[yldwest]

We are going on the Freedom On May 22, 2008. Has anyone done a self tour in Cannes going to Eze or Monte Carlo?

Did anyone take the train into Florence?

Did any one go on to Tarimino from Messina on their own?

Are there tour guides at the ports looking for groups?

I posted some of these questions on other threads and didn't get replies.

Our roll call has been very slow so I don't think we will be able to do group tours.

Thanks

 

We're braving it on the Oct 4th sailing & renting a car in Cannes to tour Nice, Eze & Monte Carlo on our own...I'll let you know how it goes when we get back but we've got our itinerary plotted out & I think it's very doable...

[JanfrWA]

We are going on the Freedom On May 22, 2008. Has anyone done a self tour in Cannes going to Eze or Monte Carlo?

Did anyone take the train into Florence?

Did any one go on to Tarimino from Messina on their own?

Are there tour guides at the ports looking for groups?

I posted some of these questions on other threads and didn't get replies.

Our roll call has been very slow so I don't think we will be able to do group tours.

Thanks

 

Hello!

 

We were on the June 6th sailing. We took the train from Cannes to Nice, some took it all the way to Monte Carlo and I did not hear of any problems. The train station is a bit of a walk from the port in Cannes, maybe 15-20 minutes?

 

We had a private tour/shuttle to Florence.

 

Our CC group rented 2 buses - and filled both of them - for about $10 each for transporation to Taromina. It really worked out well.

 

Probably your CC thread will get busier as it gets closer. I didn't join mine until the spring . . .

 

And there always did seem to be tour guides at the dock, altho I didn't really pay attention to what they offered as we were already scheduled. Maybe someone else who has used them can tell you. Also, have you read thru the reviews?

 

Good Luck! It is a great cruise!

 

Janet

[luvdasea]

Hi Jan, Do you remember the name of the bus company you used to get to Taoromina?

[readboat]

Thank you both for the help. I have read so much on reviews that my eyes are crossing. I can't wait. We still haven't booked airfare. It is around 1400. right now. If you book now for Feb. You can get it for 700. Maybe it is just to early and the cost will go down.

[Bob and Sharon]

Can anyone tell me what the exchange rate on dollars to euros is on the Freedom? We will be on board on Oct. 16. Last time I checked on the computer, it took $1.41 to buy a euro. Sharon

[The4Walls]

We are going on the Freedom On May 22, 2008. Has anyone done a self tour in Cannes going to Eze or Monte Carlo?

Did anyone take the train into Florence?

Did any one go on to Tarimino from Messina on their own?

Are there tour guides at the ports looking for groups?

I posted some of these questions on other threads and didn't get replies.

Our roll call has been very slow so I don't think we will be able to do group tours.

Thanks

 

We just got back from the 17-29 Aug sailing. To answer some of your questions -

We did Cannes & Monaco on our own. Train Cannes station is about 15 min walk. It was very crowded (with cruise passengers) so we had to wait about 30 mins for tickets. As you tender here, I recommend you get off ASAP and to the station to beat the rush. Train costs were reasonable (10 euro I think). Both the castle and the casino are 20 min walk from the Monaco station (in opposite directions).

 

Also did Pisa/Florence by train. Ship docks in a very isolated, industrial port. There is a shuttle to a central point downtown (5 euro return) but you are still a bus ride or 30 min walk to the station. There were taxis on the dock so we hopped in one who took us right to the station. Cost was euro 20 there and euro 15 back, so for 4 of us we paid euro 35 where the shuttle would have been euro 20 + a walk. Worth it in my view. No problems at the station. Trains are frequent and fairly in expensive. About 90 mins to Florence and 20 to Pisa (if memory serves?!). Note that there is an express and a milk run train.

 

We did all ports on our own, so if you have any other questions I would be happy to assist.

[uva1981]

Hi Bob and Sharon. Just got back from the Sept 10 sailing. The exchange onboard was not very good. Closer to 1.50's. Your best bet would be to wait until you are in port and stop in a bank. They tend to give much better rates. Also, you can spread out your exchanges as you need them. It was truly a trip of a lifetime and don't let a few dollars/euros here and there effect your mindset. You are going to have a ball. Get plenty of rest and take advantage of the sea days.:)

[JanfrWA]

Hi Bob and Sharon. Just got back from the Sept 10 sailing. The exchange onboard was not very good. Closer to 1.50's. Your best bet would be to wait until you are in port and stop in a bank. They tend to give much better rates. Also, you can spread out your exchanges as you need them. It was truly a trip of a lifetime and don't let a few dollars/euros here and there effect your mindset. You are going to have a ball. Get plenty of rest and take advantage of the sea days.:)

 

I could be wrong, but I don't believe you can exchange money inside of a bank. You can use an ATM and that seemed to be the best rate. We used our debit cards, you can also use a credit card but check with the cc company for the fees involved.

 

Another option is to buy American Express travelers checks in USD, if you can get them for free at your bank. There is an AE office at the bottom of the Spanish Steps, facing the steps, a block or two to the right. They are open until 530pm; there is no fee to cash the tc for euros; limit of 950 per day.

 

Also, remember to notify your credit card companies and banks prior to going out of the country so they don't turn your card off for suspect use.

 

Janet

[JanfrWA]

Thank you both for the help. I have read so much on reviews that my eyes are crossing. I can't wait. We still haven't booked airfare. It is around 1400. right now. If you book now for Feb. You can get it for 700. Maybe it is just to early and the cost will go down.

 

 

The lower rate is usually good for the winter months; $1400 +/- for the summer months is normal. Check a variety of internet sites and you might find a deal.

[JanfrWA]

Hi Jan, Do you remember the name of the bus company you used to get to Taoromina?

 

Hello,

 

I was not involved in the reservation; I did go back quickly thru our June 6 thread but haven't found the website/email yet. I believe the 2nd bus was scheduled sometime in May so you might read thru ours or an earlier cruise. Our group found out from an earlier cruise. Maybe do a search using taoromina or darthtater, who scheduled the first bus.

 

If I run into it, I will post the info.

[Peanut Patricia]

We used

[Peanut Patricia]

sorry-- hit the wrong button!

 

We used sicilylife to charter a beautiful full sized coach bus from Messina with excellent driver plus guide. Hope this helps!

[Peanut Patricia]

Thank you both for the help. I have read so much on reviews that my eyes are crossing. I can't wait. We still haven't booked airfare. It is around 1400. right now. If you book now for Feb. You can get it for 700. Maybe it is just to early and the cost will go down.

 

My experience on airfare from EWR direct to FCO in July was this:

I checked at least once per day for airfare on several sites, several area airports (PHL, JFK), beginning Sept. before. The airfare NEVER went down. I even checked on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. I heard time and time again, that flights to Rome in the summer are so much in demand that they won't bring the fares down. I booked in mid January, because once the plane filled up we would not get on it or have the seats I wanted (2 adults, 2 children).

 

Have a great time!

[JanfrWA]

sorry-- hit the wrong button!

 

We used sicilylife to charter a beautiful full sized coach bus from Messina with excellent driver plus guide. Hope this helps!

 

 

I think we had 40 or 50 people per bus at a cost of 10 euro each, including tip, just to give others a idea of price range.

 

good luck!

[luvdasea]

Was Sicily Life ok? I read previous postings where the cruisers had alot of problems with this company! Have you heard anything about Bluestone tourism?

[luvdasea]

ps Jan fr Wa- and Patricia peanut--thank you!

[Kacruiser]

We just got back from the 9/22 cruise and all I can say is wow! It's almost surreal to think of all of the different ports, excursions and countries that we visited. We had room 6456, an aft balcony room and had no problems. Some of the days there was some ash on the deck and salt water residue on the rail but our steward cleaned it every day. I loved having an aft room and will probably continue to book these. We loved sitting out on our deck and enjoyed several meals out there.

 

We had a bird's eye view when we went by Stromboli and the sunsets in the various ports were majestic.

 

While on our cruise there were over 50 people that did not get their luggage. We divided our luggage in case one got lost, both of us would have clothing.

 

Several people did get robbed. In Rome, prior to the ship leaving a gentleman from New York was hit by a cab and joined the ship after having surgery. THE VEHICLES DO NOT STOP FOR PEDESTRIANS!!

 

A woman was thrown to the ground and a theif tried to take off her Rolex watch. She was with a group and the theif came up on her on a scooter, she did not hear a thing. She screamed and the theft was thwarted. DON'T WEAR ANY EXPENSIVE JEWELRY OR WATCHES IN ANY OF THE PORTS.

 

In Greece there were a couple of men who had their wallets stolen with all of their ID and credit cards. DON'T KEEP YOUR WALLETS IN YOUR BACK POCKETS!! We used money belts and my husband had a small wallet that fit in his front pocket. He also wore cargo pants that had a zipper and buttons on the pockets. I also had a small wallet that held my sign & sail card and I kept a small amount of euro on the other side. (see picture below) I was able to tuck that inside my blouse and pulled it out as needed.

There were also a number of people who had their wallets stolen out of their backpacks. One couple was robbed in Greece shortly after visiting an ATM.

 

We took 500 in euro and used our ATM card for the majority of our purchases. We notified our bank of the dates and cities that we would be visiting and had also put a celing on the purchase amounts. The ship has a horrible exchange rate so just be prepared if you plan on using ship for more euros.

 

For those of you taking your own excursions make sure you are back on the ship. At almost every port people were not on board when they should have been, personally, I thought it was rude. We waited at one port for almost 40 minutes. I think the Captain was angry and in Greece we left four women behind who had to meet the ship in Katakolon. They had to pay for transportation and lodging for the night. Not everyone that goes on excursions carrys extra money or credit cards. I'm sure that was an expensive lesson for them.

 

It was a wonderful cruise and I wish I had done the back to back. In Livorno, we did Medieval Lucca instead of the Florence/Pisa because of a recommendation from a friend. I fell in love, it was this truly remarkable city where time has stood still. I'd like to go back and spend a week there. If you do that tour, don't bother with the stadium part of it, ditch the group and hit the shops. We loved going in and out of all of the wonderful shops. We purchased an assortment of salamis, cheeses, olives, breads, desserts and wine at various shops and enjoyed that for dinner that evening on our deck with our friends. It was pure heaven.

 

Another friendly tip, wear comfortable shoes. I ditched fashion for comfort and glad I did. Don't know how those Italian women wear the heels all day long. The hop on, hop off bus in Rome was the best.

 

If any of you have questions, I'd be glad to answer them.

[Curler61]

Wow - can't believe it, but I finally made it through this whole post. Thank you to all the previous cruisers who have provided such a wealth of information. It is always fine to make plans, but it is so helpful for others to post what they tried and what worked and what didn't. Thanks to all these contributions, I think we have pretty much planned what we want to do in each port. We'll be sailing the Grand Med. itinerary August 2008. I hope that people will keep posting trip reports and answering questions from us newbies.

[bunnyette]

Wow, the stories of all the thefts in Greece are horrible. We were fortunate that we didn't experience any robbery. I had a travel purse as well as "Tilley" pants and shorts that had a secret pocket. Absolutely fool & thief proof. But the travel purse was great. I wore it across my chest with the flap that covered the opening facing inward. Everytime, I went to an ATM - DH stood guard. I then slipped most of the money into the secret pocket. DH never put his wallet in his back pocket. We only brough one credit card and enough cash for the day.

 

Having said this, we remained vigilent and if we saw a gypsy, we heightened our guard. DH has a habit of falling asleep on buses and trains, I ensured that he didn't.

 

I never used the ship to exchange money - the ATMs worked just fine. Just don't go alone - make sure you have someone with you.

 

Having said that, all I encountered were friendly locals and wonderful experiences. As the Girl Guides/Scouts say "Be Prepared".

 

On a final note, for those doing private excursions, plan to be back at least 45 minutes before the ship says you have to be back (i.e. if the ships says 5:30 - plan 4:45). Then you have some wiggle room. Same goes if you are taking public transit.

[CruisinCindy55]

I asked this earlier, but I'm sure it was in the wrong thread. I was looking at the deck plan for the Carnival Freedom. We are booked aft on the Verandah deck and there are what looks to be a set of stairs between the "L shaped" rooms 2465 and 2473, and on the port side, from the Main Deck all the way up to the Panorama Deck. Are they really stairs, and IF they are stairs, are they for staff use only? It would be great if they really ARE stairs and for public use.

[richcrow]

I asked this earlier, but I'm sure it was in the wrong thread. I was looking at the deck plan for the Carnival Freedom. We are booked aft on the Verandah deck and there are what looks to be a set of stairs between the "L shaped" rooms 2465 and 2473, and on the port side, from the Main Deck all the way up to the Panorama Deck. Are they really stairs, and IF they are stairs, are they for staff use only? It would be great if they really ARE stairs and for public use.

 

Cindy,

 

We were on the May 1st Freedom cruise. If I'm not mistaken, the stairs that you are talking about do take you from the Main Deck to the Panorama Deck, but do not stop on the Lido Deck. I have attached a photo that I took on the Panorama Deck which shows the top level of that stairwell. I do believe that I went from the Panorama Deck to the Verandah Deck. I don't believe that I would care to climb from the Main Deck to the Panorama Deck:eek: The elevator would be just fine with me.:D . You will love the Freedom. Of course we were in Europe where I do believe I would love any ship.:)

[CruisinCindy55]

Cindy,

 

We were on the May 1st Freedom cruise. If I'm not mistaken, the stairs that you are talking about do take you from the Main Deck to the Panorama Deck, but do not stop on the Lido Deck. I have attached a photo that I took on the Panorama Deck which shows the top level of that stairwell. I do believe that I went from the Panorama Deck to the Verandah Deck. I don't believe that I would care to climb from the Main Deck to the Panorama Deck:eek: The elevator would be just fine with me.:D . You will love the Freedom. Of course we were in Europe where I do believe I would love any ship.:)

 

Good, at least I know they are stairs and public for a distance. Do you remember if they are available for public use down near the cabins? I did find one mention of a set of "crew stairs" near the "L shaped rooms" in a review of the Valor.

[richcrow]

Good, at least I know they are stairs and public for a distance. Do you remember if they are available for public use down near the cabins? I did find one mention of a set of "crew stairs" near the "L shaped rooms" in a review of the Valor.

 

I did not use the stairwell below the Verandah Deck. So, I can't say if the are for public use on decks below the Verandah Deck. It is my understanding that the Carnival cruise directories do not indicate crew only stairwells and passages. So, based on that I would say that those stairs are for public use.