Jenny142

Hi, we are stopping at Koh Samui on Mar 1, can I ask what you decided to do when you arrived, after reading the posts to your question? thank you. 

On 5/20/2023 at 2:43 AM, wongcruise said:

Has anyone been to this beach?  Which section on the beach is the best (clearest water)?  How much is a taxi ride from the Nathon Pier?  Are taxi readily available for going back to the ship?

Just now, Jenny142 said:

 

Thank you Donna, I have messaged her for the same excursion you went on, I’m wondering if she offers semi private too. We are on the Celebrity Sostice leaving Hong Kong on Feb 20. We are also going to Saigon, Bangkok and Ko Sumai, do you have any suggestions for port excursions at those stops? Thank you, Jenny

On 1/26/2024 at 4:01 AM, alwayscruisetime said:

To answer both questions, let me say that we were there earlier this month and it is a 5-10 minute walk from the furthest berth to the cruise terminal (which has a couple of shops, a restaurant, and wifi) but they did run a golf-cart type shuttle back and forth for free.  We were among the first off the ship so we walked in order to meet our guide on time, but rode the shuttle back in the evening when usage was more staggered.

 

In terms of a tour, I felt like we hit the jackpot with this one.  In fact, while booking, I wasn't sure that I was being completely understood because it didn't seem possible that I could pay so little to get a completely private day.  Private guide, private car (with a driver - not the guide) and a private boat - that's right, no other passengers on the full-sized boat that other tours will fill with 40-60 guests.  Just the 2 of us and our guide, plus 3 crew members (the captain, the cook, and someone to handle everything else).  I was afraid to believe it until the boat actually pushed off with just us! 

 

That meant we always had the best seat in the house, whether inside or outside, upstairs or down, if there was a view to be had, we had front-row seats.  It meant that when we stopped to go in the cave or on the beach, we got to decide how long we wanted to stay.  It meant that we could choose to have lunch at whatever time we were hungry - and oh, what a lunch it was!  The food just kept coming!  We didn't eat even 1/3 of what they presented - not because it wasn't good, because it was outstanding, but because they prepared enough for a much bigger group.  Drinks were extra, but the lunch itself was included in the price of our tour.

 

The tour guide, Ms. Gam, was the most attentive, most helpful, and most energetic guide we had during our 28-day cruise.  She spoke excellent English, and as we were cruising, she made phone calls to different shops when we told her what we were shopping for, to be sure we maximized our time ashore.  She arranged a massage at the end of our tour at a quality location (the transportation was included, but not the cost of the massage, just to be clear).  What makes her the perfect guide for this particular tour is her knowledge of the area and the people - she used to live on the water, so rather than just telling what "those people" do, she could speak from personal experience.  And when we were in the cave, we felt sorry for the other people we saw there because they were just traipsing through, while she had a laser pointer and directed our attention to different formations and told stories associated with them.

 

I will say that I specifically chose a non-ship sponsored tour because someone here on Cruise Critic said that you have to do at least a 4-6 hour tour in order to have enough time to go far enough to see enough of the bay.  Anything shorter and you don't get to see enough of the UNESCO-recognized area. 

 

The cruise line's excursion was 3.5 hours total, which included the transportation to and from the cruise ship terminal.  (Ours was 6+ hours)  Their excursion involved a (necessarily) shorter time on the water, with one stop - to tour the cave.  (Our tour included the stop at the cave, one at a beach, and a trip into a smaller cove where you could choose to have a bamboo boat (with pilot) row you around, or you could kayak yourself.  The highlight was seeing the monkeys).  Their excursion touted "drinks and restrooms available on board".  (We had a fully catered lunch, served to us at the time and table of our choosing!)  And theirs involved a bus ride (as my husband and I like to say, "With 45 of your closest friends"), every seat taken on the boat, and a shared tour guide for 45 people.  (We had the car, the boat, and the tour guide to ourselves).  The cruise line offered their tour for $100.  (I believe we paid $125 each).

 

We would absolutely do our tour again, exactly the same way, with the same guide.  You can reach her through WhatsApp at +84 352 403 168 and feel free to say that Donna gave you her info (that way if you'd like to arrange a similar tour, so she'll know what you have in mind - although, of course, it's fully customizable, so you can have her do things differently for you if you'd like!)

 

I haven't yet written up all of our excursions (18-20, all independent, in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia) but I'm happy to share our experience if you're searching at ports in any of those countries - just ask.  

 

 

DH and I recently finished our Western Med cruise on the Epic. Thoughts below...

 

I have no idea what people are complaining about with the Epic! I'll grant that this was my first cruise, but honestly, I had a fantastic time!

 

I did a crazy amount of research before we embarked and kept my eye out for all the things that everyone seems to complain about. I was fully expecting to feel crowded with so many people on board but I never did. The elevators were rarely a problem and I didn't miss having one in the middle of the ship. Every staff member I encountered was extremely nice and helpful! I felt very well taken care of.

 

The food was fantastic! DH and I had 5 meals at specialty restaurants so we mostly ate there, but even the buffet wasn't bad at all. I think a lot of people probably find it hard to understand just how difficult it is to cook for so many people in such a short span of time and that's where too high of expectations come from with the buffet. We ate at Le Bistro, Moderno, Cagney's, and Teppenyaki. We ate at Taste for the MDR but never ate at the Manhattan Room as the menu was the same as Taste.

 

The drinks were delicious! I'll admit that sometimes I had to wait awhile at the bar, but I was a bartender in college and I know how difficult it can be to keep up even when you're running your butt off. The bartenders were always as fast as they could be and never cut corners to put out a great drink. If the bar looked full, I simply walked the very short distance to the next nearest one where the bartenders weren't so swamped.

 

I never planned to write a full review but I just wanted to let anyone who is sailing the Epic soon and might be a little nervous (like I was) at the bad reviews, to not worry. As long as you're not expecting to be treated like you're sailing on your own private yacht, you'll be more than satisfied.

 

If anyone has any questions about the Epic or this sailing I can do my best to answer. Unfortunately, DH threw away the dailies before I had a chance to get pictures so I can't supply those. Happy sailing!

Thank you for such a positive reply. We were on the Star last year out of Venice and it was the first time on a Norwegian Ship. It was fantastic so we booked again. One of the best cruises ever and we've been on at least 10. This time taking our daughter and boyfriend (first time cruiser) on the Epic and was hoping it would be a fantastic trip. Sounds like you enjoyed it and I'm sure we will too.

Be very careful with names. Lots of Rome transfer agencies have very similar names -- and some of them try to capitalize on the positive reviews of others...

 

I too have used Romashuttle (www.romashuttle.com) as mentioned above, a few times. They have a shared shuttle (as opposed to a private car) that is a bit cheaper but you may end up sharing the ride with others, meaning additional pick-ups or drop-offs, so this is less desireable if your timing is tight.

Yes, this is true, thank you for your advice. Jenny

Thank you, good to know.

How many of you are there? We used Roma Shuttle and the price was reasonable, but we had 8. It was only 150E for all of us. Looks like for a shuttle service (not private 2 would only be 70E. https://www.romashuttle.com/

Thank you for your response. There are 4 of us. I have emailed "Rome Airport Shuttle" for more info. I have also looked into Rome Airport Shuttle as someone else in this thread mentioned them too.

We are staying in Civitavecchia after the cruise and are looking for suggestions on how to get to the airport on the 23rd at 8am from our hotel? The hotel is offering to book us a ride for 150E which I find is steep? Thanks for any suggestions.

I think we will take the morning boat to Sorrento, stay for a few hours and take the boat back to the port. Then head into Naples to see the main attractions for a few hours too.

Yes, there are lots of options so it helps to know how you like to travel and be true to yourself.

 

For me one of the most frustrating things is to sit in traffic, under any situation, but especially when I know I'm paying $50/hour (or so) for the privilege. One option, if you decide to go with a car service, is to have them drop you off at the ferry in Sorrento for the ride back, that at least eliminates that last, lost hour (or 90 minutes, on some days) of sitting in traffic getting off the Sorrentine peninsula.

Yes, thank you! :) The last thing we want to do is sit in a car or on another boat and waste the day away.

Yes but your options are more limited.

 

There is only one morning ferry from Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi, departing at 10:30 AM. Given that the ferry from Naples doesn't even arrive until 9:45 AM that doesn't leave you with much time in Sorrento. However, it might be enough for you.

 

The only other sailing, at 2:55 PM, is really too late for you.

 

If you do it this way I would continue on to Salerno and return by train from there, the reverse of my suggestion above. Going back via Sorrento simply takes too much time, the only realistic way to do this is "one way".

Thank you again. I’ve been reading other people’s posts who have booked excursions ahead of time from other companies other than the cruise ship (Victor, etc). Lots to consider before deciding.

Thank you for the quick response. One more question, if we take the ferry to Sorrento can we get to Amalfi from Sorrento and then back to the ship? Will we have time? Jenny

I am on the cruise in August and wanted to know how busy the port in Naples will be to catch a hydrofoil/ferry to Sorrento and/or Amalfi, especially with over 4000 passengers on board. Would any one have suggestions for the following?

What would be the best way to get to either places?

If it's by boat, how can I purchase tickets so I know I have 4 seats available when I disembark the morning we arrive in Naples?

If by car/train, what would you suggest.

Thanks, Jenny