Scottishclover

Enjoying your review- you have a nice writing style and I like your tips in the red. DH and I were on Ascent last summer in the Med and had a great time, so much so in fact that we are bringing our adult daughters with us this summer. Same ship, but different itinerary. 
 

Regarding the song - I know it. It was a hit here in the UK for The Beautiful South. Not sure if the band had much international appeal but they had some great songs and a unique style.

If you decide on St Andrews there’s a distillery just outside at Kingsbarns with award winning Scottish Lowland whisky and options for tours and tastings. 

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Blush... Blush.... I've been using the new iPhone clean up tool to get rid of those pesky Tourists that get in the way of my photos.    Even removes an occasional car that get's in the way. 

I did wonder how Cascais was so quiet! Now I know😂 We were there a year past in April and the place was hoachin’ . Did not help that there was an International Youth football tournament on. You captured a whole different side to it that I did not notice. Great photos.

On 11/7/2024 at 6:26 PM, Jenjohncourt said:

Alesund shore excursion help, please:

Small group Wildlife RIB Safari or Destination Highlight: Hjorundfjord Boat Cruise

Trying to decide what to do in Alesund. Looking at these options on Celebrity. 
 

Also, not sure what to do in Stavanger. 

Perhaps the Lysefjord cruise? 
 

Appreciate any suggestions. THANKS!
 

 

Do the RIB tour with Fjord Events along the Lysefjord rather than the cruise - it was really fun and also informative. Our teens were buzzing after it! It was their favourite thing we did on our Arctic Circle Cruise.

On 8/20/2024 at 3:20 PM, SusieMN said:

Nordfjordeid Excursion Advice:

 

My May, 2025 Celebrity cruise offers a tour to Westcape and Selja from the Nordfjordeid port. Does anyone have any experience with a similar excursion?

Loen skylift is also offered and is the same duration (5 hours). If the weather is cloudy, I think this one wouldn't be very interesting. 

 

 

We were on a Celebrity Cruise to the Arctic Circle in July. We waited to see the weather forecast before deciding on the Skylift. We just got off the ship and booked at one of the tents there. It was pretty expensive for such a short ride ( there were 4 of us) but we spent a lot of time hiking at the top. The ride is quite an experience if you have never been on a cable car before. We normally hike in the Alps so nothing exciting for us. We enjoyed our day as the trails were very peaceful but not sure it was worth the money. We hiked Hauren in the afternoon for free. 

My family plan to this hike next summer. I’ve watched a couple of good YouTube videos about the hike and it gives you an idea of the terrain, toilet facilities etc. I’ve read that the best views are Fira to Oia direction but after  John Bull’s suggestion, we might get the water taxi to Oia to try and beat the crowds and then walk back to Fira. 
 

I think if you are planning on doing the hike, then I’d just walk up the donkey path. It will be a nice little warm-up!

If you are doing this before next July, please report back on the hike.

From La Spezia you have some nice options. The big one is obviously Cinque Terre ( a must if you like to hike or are a fan of gorgeous scenery) but Pisa and Lucca aren’t too far away either.

We spent some time in Lucca pre- cruise the last two years and loved it. It’s a bit of a hidden gem. Even in high season, it’s not crowded. We went to Florence for the day and honestly, the crowds made it really unpleasant. On the other hand, we found Pisa and the Square of Miracles remarkably peaceful and laid back. 

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. 

4 hours ago, cruizingOmi said:

Did you hike down to Myrdal and got the bikes there? 

That's our plan for September.

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! 

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

Enjoying another great review from you👏 You’ve been in Greece a lot lately. Do you have a favourite port?

On 9/12/2024 at 11:03 AM, villauk said:

 

Where did you go on the train? We’re overnighting in La Spezia and would like to return to Lucca for a visit. Wondering if it’s pretty easy to do from La Spezia Centrale independently.

Lucca is easy from La Spezia. Plenty of different train options with either a change in Viareggio or Pisa Centrale.

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. 

Another vote for Israeli Toasted Couscous from me. Yum!

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😎

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. 

On 8/31/2024 at 6:19 PM, hcat said:

With a special diet, it might be better to pick one dining  rm  for dinner and try for same staff who can cater to any special needs..  it is mostly the decor that differs. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

9 hours ago, Jazzbo said:

Thank you for another enjoyable review! One of our favorite vacations was 2 weeks outside of Lucca. My Mum and I planned it. We had a group of 12 friends and family members the first week and 10 the second. We couldn’t get one villa for both weeks so we moved from one in the flat farmland area outside of Lucca to the second in the foothills of the mountains nearby. My husband’s and my day trip to Cinque Terre was a highlight. 
For Barcelona next year, you may want to check out Aspasios.com. We have rented apartments from them for a couple of days pre-cruise in 2022 (pre- Transatlantic) and in 2023 (pre-Med, 9-days to Rome). The apartments were basic, but clean and in great locations (one was steps from Placa Reial). Good value for money and we kept fruit and yogurt for breakfasts and snack items in the apartment.

 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.