navelgunner

Over the years, I’ve found that withdrawing Euros from an ATM on the Cirrus or Plus networks has worked best for me.  My home bank (Bank of Montreal) does not charge me foreign transaction fees for this access.   Same for credit card purchases, so I tend to charge my purchases to avoid carrying large cash amounts.

If I have euro notes or coins when I return home, I don’t bother to re-convert to C$.  I just set them aside for the next trip.

Unfortunately,  non-US travellers don’t have access to the TMobile plans, so here’s a thought - many later model phones have the ability to use both an e-sim and a regular SIM card.  Put your home carrier on the e-sim, and pick up a European sim with lots of data.  Make the European sim your primary number, but have the ability to answer your home number if someone calls you.  Use WhatsApp, Skype, Facetime etc to call home.

the advantage of this is that you only pay a roaming fee IF someone calls you!

Looking at Oceania’s web site, I take this to mean that all cruises for June 2023 are cancelled.  (Trieste -> Athens, Athens -> Istanbul and  Istanbul -> Rome, ending June 25 2023).

Is it likely that there will be further delays?  

I used to go to Portsmouth frequently on business, flying from Canada to Heathrow, and then making my way by train.

First, there is no direct train from Heathrow to Portsmouth.  My option when travelling was to take the Heathrow Express to Paddington, then take the tube to Waterloo Station and the Southern Railways train to Portsmouth.  Not optimal when dragging luggage after a trans-Atlantic overnight flight.

There may be more modern options - i saw one routing which suggested the bus to Woking, and then catch the train to Portsmouth.  If you’re not familiar with the area this could  cause a little bit of arrival time anxiety.

I finally gave in and did the mini-cab experience with a car and driver to meet me.  Overall, it was not that much more expensive and removed the worry factor.



 

14 hours ago, ORV said:

Not at all, you might be told no, but a Butler with clout could make it happen for you. 

Am I to understand that not all butlers are created equal? And that the level of service you can expect varies depending on the luck of the draw?  So you and I could in theory pay the same amount for a cruise with a butler and have different results in getting reservations or whatever service?  

Seems like a strange way to run a railroad or cruise line.   How do I know if I’mg getting a butler with clout nor one who has no clout?  Should we start rating the “Cloutiness” of butlers?

34 minutes ago, Guppy99 said:

please sail on Carnival

You obviously missed my sarcasm.  The wording from O’s web site says “Recommended” and “Request”.  Neither of these terms imply a mandatory rule.   If the policy is to exclude specific items of wear, then the policy should say “wearing of these items are prohibited in the restaurants after 6pm:”

On 5/3/2022 at 9:18 AM, edgee said:

In terms of dining dress code, here is the language. 

 

"Recommended on board clothing is resort or country club casual. For evening dining, elegant casual resort wear is suggested. We request that casual jeans, shorts, t-shirts, baseball caps, or tennis shoes not be worn in the restaurants after 6 PM. Baseball caps may be worn in the Terrace Café after 6 PM. "

 Playing the devil's advocate, with that wording, perhaps the response should be -  " I'm on my vacation and I've heard your request.   Please show me to my table" 

15 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Bottom of the O web home page: click on Guest Services and select “update marketing preferences.” Easy!  And you can stop ads without blocking important communications.

That hasn't worked yet.  Did it 2 months ago, and I'm still getting paper copies of all marketing,

Why does this kind of thread pop up every 2 or 3 weeks.  If the question has already been answered, do you really need to ask it again?   

I must  admit, I really don't understand all the fuss over masks.  If i'm on board, and the captain says wear a mask, then "aye-aye sir".   If I want entry to a port, and the condition to get into that port is wearing a mask, then I'll wear a mask.    If I'm around people that I don't normally socialize with, I wear a mask - not just for my benefit, but for theirs too.

Its not a political statement - it's about reducing the risk of spreading infection.

For others who may be tempted to take a cab from FCO to downtown Rome, please be aware that the white registered taxis have a regulated maximum fare of about 48 Euros for a part of up to 4 with luggage. The same fare applies for a return to the airport.  Watch out for non-registered drivers who will accost you inside the airport terminal and will try to tell you that they are licensed - they will charge you amounts far in excess of the legal limit. 

https://www.rometoolkit.com/airport/fiumicino_airport_taxi.htm

25 minutes ago, navelgunner said:

I've already cancelled out of that one.  There are not many alternate ports up there.   Perhaps a visit to Iceland, or the Shetlands could be added.  I'm sure the folks at O are looking at multiple options.

 

As for the Med, on 21 Feb the Russian navy has a surface action group in the Ionian Sea, and another in the Eastern Mediterranean.   With their support base in Tartarus, these vessels do not have to transit the Bosporous to return to the Black Sea.

That should have said Tartus, not Tartarus... Sorry.

4 hours ago, pinotlover said:

The single cruise previously going over the top of Europe to Marmesk, Archangel, and the White Sea is really going to be affected. Nordkapp and turn around!

I've already cancelled out of that one.  There are not many alternate ports up there.   Perhaps a visit to Iceland, or the Shetlands could be added.  I'm sure the folks at O are looking at multiple options.

As for the Med, on 21 Feb the Russian navy has a surface action group in the Ionian Sea, and another in the Eastern Mediterranean.   With their support base in Tartarus, these vessels do not have to transit the Bosporous to return to the Black Sea.

Looks like it is now an issue.  21 Feb 2022

There is a lot of judging going on here.  Please consider that not all people wear size 6, and some have health issues that limit the type of shoes they can wear comfortably.

4 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

Does it have to be Bi-lingual.... En France aux?

In the province of Quebec, French is definitely the preferred language (e.g. French signage has to be larger than English). But in Quebec City, you’ll find that most people also speak English.

As for proof of vaccine - I’m pretty sure QR codes are language neutral.  I just don’t know if a non-Canadian proof of vaccine will be accepted.

While many grocery and corner stores (depanneurs) do sell wine, the selection may be limited.   If you're looking for some higher quality wines, check out the  SAQ Signature or Cellier collections at the government-run Societe des alcools du Quebec

https://www.saq.com/en/

Be aware that right now, you have to be fully vaccinated  and show your QR Code proof of vaccinatin and  photo id to enter a SAQ store.

4 minutes ago, Cruisedreamer1 said:

Thanks!! Now I can put together something to count my laps. Paper strips, coffee stirrers come to mind. Any other ideas? 

 

I try to walk 5 miles a day so you can see trying to keep track of 50 laps is a bit of a burden.

Wear a Fitbit or Apple Watch and let it count the the number of steps you take.  Don't use the GPS function to measure distance because that will be affected by the ship's movement.  For many people 5 miles is about 10 or 11 thousand steps - your mileage may differ.

I find these threads on drink packages fascinating.  They remind me of the old trope that if you can afford a very expensive car, you can afford the price of premium gasoline to run it. 😃

We went to Greenland on a HAL cruise in  July 2019.  Had a great guided talk through Prins Christian Sund, and a good visit to Qaqortoq.  The General Store was an interesting spot to see.    Didn't make it into our second port because of thick fog and the risk of ice bergs.

Tendering was required.

If by some chance, you end up in Salerno and don't get to Amalfi or Positano, there are some other options. Don't miss the Castello di Arechi which dates back to the Byzantine era.  The Giardino della Minerva dates from the15th century, and was laid out according to the traditional 4 humors of the body to grow medicinal plants and herbs.  The museum of the Medical School (Scuola Medica Saliterna)  is also worth a look.  

If time permits, you might want to consider a tour to Paestum to see the magnificent Greek Temples.

Finally, for military history fans, the beaches south of Salerno were the site of the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943

Wow - I can't believe the markups on those wines.  For example, i googled  the Inglenook Rubicon Red shown at a list price of US$650 in your picture.     The most expensive price I found online for a 2010  was CA$188 or about US$150.   Maybe it's a nice wine, but at those prices, I'll drink it at home!

I haven’t been aboard the Riviera so can’t answer your specific question.  However, on a west-to-east trans-Atlantic cruise, the starboard side will generally face south, and get more direct sunlight than the port side.  

I agree with KatieBelle’s assessment above.  The Amalfi Coast Road is extremely narrow and twisty., and it is not unusual to see tour coaches get hung up on the corners.  I won’t mention the fatal motorcycle accidents every weekend.

I got stuck at one spot in a torrential rainstorm when the driver said it was not safe to proceed, and we were there for two hours unable to go forward or backwards as 12 inches of water flowed down the road.     Photos of this are on my travel blog at  https://rbarrywalker.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/a-rainy-friday-on-the-amalfi-coast/.  

The small cruise tours from Amalfi to Salerno will take you into spots you can’t see from the road.   Don’t miss Positano - the tiles on the Duomo (Cathedral) are amazing.

In many years of visiting Portsmouth for work, I found it best to book a mini-cab or car and driver to get to LHR for my flight home.  Taking the train into London and then the express back to the airport was not a viable option.   The mini-cab would pick me up at my hotel and the driver had all the joys of getting me to the airport on time.   Estimated transit time from Southampton to LHR is about 90 minutes, but can get worse at peak traffic times.