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Scottishclover

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Everything posted by Scottishclover

  1. Great photos of Kelvingrove Museum. You’ve reminded me to make another visit next time I’m visiting my daughter at Glasgow Uni. No shortage of great eating places in Glasgow’s West End but you probably hit the most famous one! It’s been there for a while- I remember it from my student days 30 years ago. Enjoying another great review. Thank you.
  2. We took the train straight up to Myrdal and got the bikes at Cafe Ralleren, right at the station. Good idea to book them in advance but if I remember correctly, the booking didn’t open until February for the summer season. The first bit down the hairpin bends was a bit tricky- the bike guys tell you to push your bike down that section - but otherwise it was a gentle downhill or flat ride back to Flam. Waterfalls round every corner. It was awesome!
  3. As others have said, book the train on your own. We saved lots and there’s no way you will miss the ship. I can’t understand why anyone would book this particular excursion with Celebrity. I took this photo from the OV at breakfast so you can see how easy it is to get to the station. You get commentary on the train as well. We took the train up and biked down. I would recommend that option, much better than the train journey. You don’t have to be that fit- it’s downhill all the way.
  4. Cinque Terre is best from La Spezia port. We did this in August and had a great day. However it was so crowded and if we hadn’t been hiking from village to village, the masses would have been too much for me. The trails, which were quieter than we had anticipated, were a welcome respite. A really nice DIY day from Livorno is Lucca. It’s our favourite town in Italy and would be much more relaxing than Cinque Terre. Regarding trains in Italy, relatively easy if you download the Trenitalia App and do everything from there.
  5. Also oat, soya and almond milk at breakfast in the buffet and plant based milk at Cafe al Bacio. Celebrity has definitely improved their vegan offerings in the last couple of years so it should be easy for your group to find plenty of variety.
  6. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to return to the ship and continually check traffic updates. The A82 is a very slow road and is notorious ( along with the A9) for accidents. Closures are often mentioned in the travel news on the radio. Probably caused by frustration from sitting behind the many caravans and motor homes heading to the Highlands. Any diversion would add a lot of time onto your journey. Just something to be aware of.
  7. Fantastic photos from your vaporetto ride at night. I will keep that tip in mind for the next time we are in Venice. Looking forward to reading the rest of your review. Enjoy your cruise.
  8. Enjoying another great review from you👏 You’ve been in Greece a lot lately. Do you have a favourite port?
  9. Lucca is easy from La Spezia. Plenty of different train options with either a change in Viareggio or Pisa Centrale.
  10. Heres my trip report from this year’s Arctic Circle cruise, which might help you decide to book or not. Post 40 is where I start reporting on the actual cruise. We had a great time and were very lucky with weather which I think has a big impact on a cruise like this. There are just 2 ports in the Arctic Circle so keep that in mind. There was no fanfare crossing into the Arctic Circle but there was a party in the Grand Foyer when we crossed back a few days later. Also I should say we are a pretty outdoorsy family but there were lots of other less active things to do in each port.
  11. Another vote for Israeli Toasted Couscous from me. Yum!
  12. OP, please don’t let everyone saying “I couldn’t do it” put you off! We’ve done a couple of 12 nights 4 in an inside cabin with our 19 and 21 year olds ( although Edge class) and it’s absolutely fine. Our daughters are petite mind you so if you have big, burly lads that may be different. We only use the cabin to sleep and get changed so the savings to be had really weigh out the inconvenience. We normally use the money saved to pay for a really great experience in the ports. For just 3 days it’s a no brainier. TIPS: 1) Some kind of magnetic wall organiser /hangers is handy. 2) Nobody is allowed to leave clothes/shoes lying around to clutter up the remaining available space. 3)Stagger getting ready for dinner. We usually have a drink while our daughters get ready and then we swap. Our next cruise we have 2 rooms as it was cheaper than 4 in a room due to the offer when we booked. Something to look out for in future - don’t always assume everyone in the same room is cheaper. I’m sure you’ll make it work for you and have a great cruise😎
  13. Recently in La Spezia but not overnight. We docked at 6:30 am and the first shuttle went at 7am ( which we were on). It’s only a couple of minutes ride and they went back and forward all day. I’d be surprised if they start running before 7 but you never know.
  14. This is good advice. We did assigned dining with the same waiting staff each night on a recent 12 night cruise. Each night the maitre d came over to see if anything needed a special order for the following night, e. g. a pasta dish could be modified gf. It was easy to order from the other MDR specials menu too. It just saves having to explain the coeliac situation each night. On our most recent 7 night cruise we moved round the dining rooms as we wanted a bit more flexibility but my husband only ordered the things which were already marked gf. We sometimes used the buffet in the evenings too . We did notice a few inconsistencies with the buffet labelling though so you do need to be proactive.
  15. If you enjoy designer shopping and all things celebrity then Cannes. If you enjoy culture and more authenticity then Nice hands down. Long story short, we spent 5 days in Nice a few years ago and we could have stayed longer. We had a day in Cannes off a cruise ship the other week and that was enough. It just depends on your own personal preferences. I will say though the Lerins Islands off the coast of Cannes are pretty and worth a visit for a walk or swim.
  16. We did this Runnerbean Tour a couple of weeks ago on the recommendations of posters on Cruise Critic. It was really excellent - well paced with the right amount of history and humour. They also do a Gaudi walking tour, which we plan to do next time.
  17. Glad you have been enjoying it. My photography is not up to your usual standards, but I try😂 Normally, we tend to hike in the Alps in the summer as it’s cooler at the really high elevations. However, this year we were glad to have the opportunity to get some heat and sunshine in the Med as we have had the worst summer in Scotland that I can remember. Hiking has always been a big part of our trips- you get to see some places off the beaten track, it’s cheap and it means you can eat all that “holiday” food guilt-free. Regarding the crowds, other than the tiny villages in Cinque Terre and Portofino, crowds weren’t as bad as I expected. The worst crowds I have witnessed lately were in Edinburgh this past weekend. It was the last day of the festival but that combined with summer tourists made it a truly awful experience.
  18. I think we will revisit Lucca/Italian Riviera/Cinque Terre many times in the future. It is such a beautiful area and quite accessible for us. Portovenere is definitely on my radar. Thanks for the Barcelona recommendation. Our tentative plans are 5 nights in an apartment in Collioure in the south of France for some coastal hikes, then 2 nights in Barcelona before getting on the cruise. We might opt for a hotel in the city as I think the licensing for Airbnbs/apartments is going to be difficult.
  19. Thank you so much or your kind words. I still have a few years to go before retirement… It must be nice to have the freedom to travel at quieter (and cheaper!) times of year. It is especially annoying now that both our daughters are at university and finish for summer in the middle of May. We normally try to get away immediately after the Scottish schools finish at the end of June to avoid clashing with the slightly later English and European school holiday periods.
  20. Enjoying your review so far. Enjoy your break in Lymington. We stayed there for 4 days before our Norway and Arctic Circle cruise this summer and loved it. Watch out for the seagulls down by the quay - they are vicious (learned from bitter experience😩)
  21. @Ciaranaman thank you very much. This was a slightly abridged version compared to normal as I’m a teacher and the new term started last week in Scotland. Glad to be of help. I’ve had lots of ideas over the years from suggestions on cruise critic so I’m pleased it also works the other way round.
  22. Final Thoughts and Cruise Comparison Cabin: We had a guarantee inside cabin and got it at rock bottom price, so absolutely no complaints. It’s not for everyone but we only use our cabin to sleep in and it was just perfect. We’d rather spend the savings on activities in the ports. Drinks Package: After much debate, we decided against the drink package for a few reasons.1) This was a wee extra trip for us so we were trying to do things as cheaply as possible. 2) With it being so port intensive we didn’t think we would be drinking much. We were right! 3) We are not really big drinkers and knew after our Arctic Circle Cruise experience it would be really difficult to get our money’s worth. Did I miss it? Well we had a few pay as you go drinks and it was cheaper just to have a drink/coffee off the ship. I think it really depends on the type of cruise. I would still be tempted on a longer cruise but for a 7 day Med cruise, I’d go without again. Ship: We loved the Ascent! Even though it was a sold out ship , it never seemed crowded in any area. You could walk into any activity/show at the last minute and get a seat. This was a very different scenario from the Apex. I think the different demographics had a lot to do with that. I think the entertainment on the Ascent was maybe a touch better, although we enjoyed the main production cast and Eden cast shows on both ships. All the crew we encountered on both cruises were top notch. They really do work very hard. Food: There were just a few improvements to the buffet that gave it the edge over the Apex. Gluten- free was handled well without the rigmarole of pre-ordering. The MDRs in both ships were excellent, although much quieter on the Ascent, which we liked. Itinerary: This is something which is difficult to compare. I will say it was great waking up in the morning knowing you were going to get good weather on the Med and we particularly liked that we could hike in most of the ports. Cinque Terre from La Spezia was the standout for us. The Arctic Circle cruise felt more like a bucket list cruise and very few places can beat the scenery and nature in Norway. Of course, we had super weather in Norway, had it rained every day, we may have formed a different opinion. So what’s next for us? Well we booked a Malta/Greece/Turkey cruise with our daughters for early next summer as we want them to experience all the Ascent has to offer. The itinerary was their choice- maybe we will manage the Fira-Oia hike on Santorini. We will probably combine it with some days hiking in the Cote Vermeille in Southern France and a couple of days in Barcelona pre-cruise. I wish Celebrity would change up their European itineraries a bit more in the summer holiday period. Thanks to everyone who’s followed along. I’m happy to answer any questions on the ship or itinerary.
  23. We are big DIYers and almost always do our own thing in ports. However, I would highly recommend going further afield than Messina. We did a “In the Footsteps of the Godfathers” tour and it took you up into the mountain villages to the film locations of the various Godfather films. Our daughters had never seen the films, but it didn’t matter as the scenery was jaw dropping and you were away from the tourist crowds. I would recommend it wholeheartedly. On our return, we had a walk around Messina but it was nothing special. It was nice in the area around the cathedral but otherwise it wasn’t picturesque or atmospheric. Definitely try to take a tour here.
  24. Thanks. I will do. I’m usually a bit more on top of these things and book things months in advance. I had been too busy researching all the ports and possible hikes that I kind of forgot about our day in Barcelona. We only really got to scratch the surface of the city but will probably stay a couple of days pre- cruise next year.
  25. @hawkesbaynz here’s the link from the Arctic Circle Cruise, if you’d like to continue reading.
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