Huntingdon1701

Don't worry - it's very straightforward to get from Rome to the port, although you do need to leave a decent time. There are a number of providers, including cheaper shared transport, but I like Welcome pickups who will collect you at your hotel and drop you directly at the port. Their drivers all speak very good English and the cars are good. Pick any hotel you want that looks good and is convenient for some pre-cruise sightseeing.

I didn't get to do the South Africa one at the last minute because of the resurgence of Covid - finally doing a version in Jan. The South America one was great, but really stood out because of the Falklands, which can be hit and miss in terms of ships actually managing to land. It would be good but not great without it.

I was planning this one in Covid and there were lots of safari-like excursions available then. I've just done the Santiago to Buenos Aires trip on the Star and that's well worth doing in its own right(although I saw the antarctica issues on the previous one and thought they handled it badly.)

Unlikely everything would be sold out, including the free time ones, if OP has been following since February. Somewhere like Gibraltar does have limited spaces but everywhere else has been quite flexible. You could double check on the roll call to see if anyone else is having this issue. However, I would start looking at some of the other providers so that you don't miss out. Pick a reputable one and there is little risk of missing the ship. You'll also find they're often cheaper and smaller groups than the ship tours. If you google 'shore excursions' a few of the main ones will come up.

I'm not sure the rollout was fleetwide. Last cruise I was told it was the full amount, just after the announcement of its implementation.

They need to be careful. A couple of cruise lines have lost legal cases after misdescribing ports. The Royal Caribbean case actually featured Venice, when they weren't sailing from it but from Ravenna. https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/cruise/hurtigruten-and-royal-caribbean-sanctioned-over-misleading-advertising-claims

Plenty of shelter from rain and sun. Only a couple of full loungers, but a number of very comfy sofas/seats, not just the hard ones you can see in the pictures. It does get crowded at times.

NCL issue tender tickets the night before, usually. Your friends will have to make sure they are first in line to get the earliest tickets. Keep an eye on the daily for when it starts and then get there before the time listed.

Has anyone come across Mary Sanz lately? She was an absolutely brilliant butler.

O'Sheehans works really well for the early tours. They've got an express hot breakfast, but you can also get a fruit plate/toast very quickly.

You could easily fill it with the acropolis and museum on 1 day, then the oracle at delphi, then corinth canal, and then a day to just wander athens and recover. If you've had a busy cruise then you might not want to go as far as corinth and delphi as they're full day tours, albeit not very strenuous coach journeys. Recommend the Athens Gate Hotel if you do stay - fantastically located and the restaurant has the best views of the acropolis at night.

Given the issue was quite a big one, I would. They pull out general trends from the reviews but not always things like this. It's up to you, of course.

I'm not trying to say it. I have said it, several times. I'm sorry you can't grasp things outside of your experience, but we have discussed this enough now.

They have lifeboats - that is apparently not the same as a tender. Most ships have some that double up, but it's by no means the case that all of them can do it.

Yes, I did too, but the Prima captain has stated otherwise. I assume the sister ships are similarly deficient.