lynncarol

Exactly what we do too. Not only for cruising, but independent travel too. I blush to confess the longest trip so far with just a carry-on and a small backpack (our personal item) has been three weeks. Not having checked bags has allowed us to catch earlier flights, be first out of the gate when going through customs, and never having to worry about lost luggage. It is easy to handwash things along the way...the only downside is, in all our travel photos over the years it looks like we have on the same outfits.

If you like to snorkel, I highly recommend Sea Cow's half day trip to Klein Bonaire island.

I don't know how helpful this will be since I have never flown into Bologna. However, we did fly into Rome, then took the train to Ravenna which involved a transfer in Bologna. The latter was a local train, and we bought our tickets at the Rome station. I don't recall it being that expensive. Also, it was not very crowded, so finding a seat was no problem. I would imagine that would be the case for you too since you are arriving in the evening. My husband and I only take carry-on luggage and there were overhead compartments for them. My only advice if you purchase tickets in advance, make sure you don't buy ones that lock you into a certain time of departure. You are, after all, flying in and there's no telling in advance how long it will take to clear customs.

I would suggest you check out the weather before booking a whale-watching tour if at all possible. Been on a number of such tours over the years, including Reykjavik in early June where we saw a lot of minke whales. But on one such tour in Kenai fjord Alaska, the weather was bad, and by the time a pod of orcas was spotted, half the passengers were too seasick to enjoy them. (Thank goodness I was on dramamine).

Remember you are a guest at each port of call. I try to make a point of mentioning to a local that we encounter how much something about their country/island really appeals to me. Even something as simple as "what gorgeous weather you have here" or "your dog is adorable" always brings a smile. (Fortunately, since I am now considered elderly, nobody mistakes my compliments for a 'pick-up' line).

I always learn how to (firmly but pleasantly) say "No thank you" in the local language while I keep walking and avoid eye contact. It always works. The vendors need your money and it is not to their benefit to spend time with folks who have no intention of buying.

True, but since we are both retired now, with so much flexibility, we wait to book until the balcony prices are not much more pp. than an inside cabin. Believe me, for many years we only had inside cabins but eventually decided since we are not night-owls, retire early and love watching the sea, having a balcony was well-worth the additional costs.

If we are thanking those who keep the "cruise line afloat" then we should be thanking all the big gamblers, the heavy drinkers, and everyone who shells out the bucks for the ship's special experiences: spas, specialty dining, excursions etc. If more people were like the two of us (who eat only at main dining, sit on our balcony or take only independent excursions) the cruise lines would indeed be in deep trouble. So thanks, guys!

Years ago, in an attempt to bring our extended family into some semblance of gentility, my sister hosted a 'black tie' dinner at her home. So, I rented a number of black ties and even was able to purchase a big black bow which I reconstructed into a collar for her dog. At the appointed dinner hour, I handed out all the ties to various family members (including children) who donned them over their very casual clothing. My sister and her husband, who were the only ones in formal clothing, were stunned before bursting into laughter. She never again hosted such a gathering for our bunch.

I agree with Hank, the Cisterns are definitely a 'must see'. The last time we were in Istanbul was in 2014, but we had three days there on our own and took the trams everywhere. I remember each time, locals would leap up (unasked) and offer me (an older woman) their seat. I was so impressed because back when I worked in Pittsburgh, even though Pgh. folks are polite and friendly, they rarely gave up a seat on public transportation to strangers.

OK folks...please forgive my ignorance but I have been reading through this thread and also the email from Celebrity and am still confused. Maybe it's because we are elderly and neither my spouse nor I gamble and thus are unfamiliar with Blue Chips. However we are, and have been for years, in Elite status. Do these changes only apply to what goes on in the casino? In other words, will we still get our three free drinks per day?

Ok, this happened 15 years ago, but it was so traumatic, we have NEVER again booked with Celebrity for flights. My husband and I were scheduled for a Baltic cruise that left out of South Hampton via a flight from Pittsburgh to Philly to England. Unfortunately, our flight from Pittsburgh never got off the ground due to bad weather. I phoned Celebrity Air and was told because that was the airline's fault, we were on our own to get rescheduled. Unfortunately, the only flight available was for the next day and had an additional stop-over in Frankford, since we now had to catch the ship in Oslo, But as Celebrity had only authorized one stop-over, we had a terrible time until a ticketing agent finally took pity on us and comped us that extra leg. Also, since we were supposed to meet my elderly folks in Philly who were joining us on the cruise, we had no way of contacting them, since neither of them had a cell phone. Celebrity Air promised to contact the ship and let my folks know what happened, but never did and they so frantic looking for us that my father tripped going down an escalator in South Hampton port and got badly bruised. When we finally made it to Oslo, because we had no ship card, we were refused entrance into the port area. Thank goodness two other couples were in the same situation and between the 6 of us, we made a big enough fuss that one of the ship's officers finally came over to remedy the situation.

Been to Iceland twice. This first time was in May of 2006 when we rented a car for a week. One of those days we did the Golden Circle. There were very few visitors then (it was pretty cold) and we had not seen Yellowstone before so it was magical. Fast forward to 2016 when we were on a September TA cruise that spent 3 days in Iceland. This time we took the Golden Circle by bus and were horrified at how crowded every site had become (and I have heard from recent visitors that it is even worse now). I personally would be un-nerved doing the circle by rental car with such traffic and finding a parking space must be a nightmare. Plus, if you have seen Yellowstone, Geysir pales in comparison. On this same trip, we did an all day tour out of Aukreyri and loved it! Not nearly as crowded as the Golden Circle.

I second the suggestion to take locus bus to Tarquinia. Their museum was fabulous. I don't know whether it is still possible or not, but when we went, from the museum you could take another bus to some of the Estruscan tombs. Afterwards we walked back into the old town and had a nice lunch before returning to Civitavecchia.

Oops. I meant we have Elite Status on Celebrity. I keep confusing that with our Diamond status on RCCl

While I am a long-time fan of Celebrity (reached Diamond status years ago) for our Alaska cruise I chose Princess Cruise line as I really wanted to see Glacier Bay National Park and Celebrity can't include that. Have to say, that park was one of the highlights of our cruise.

We ate at the Posat Restaurant, very near to the Pile gate. That was in 2019, but i googled the place and it is still in business with excellent reviews. They have an outdoor terrace with lovely views, the food was very tasty (we had fish, but there are other menu options) and they specialize in very attentive service. It is rather pricey, but for a special occasion, worth it.

Three of us were on a private all-day tour (with a wonderful guide) in Buenos Aires. While in Recoleta Cemetery an American couple approached us and asked if they could join our tour of the cemetery. I was a bit surprised but they were so polite and hopeful that i agreed. Our guide looked a little stunned, but I assured her that it was OK with us. Were we taken advantage of with this request? Maybe, but so what...it would only be for a small portion of our day. Fortunately, as we parted at the cemetery gates. the couple left our guide with a nice tip.

Have you been to Ostia Antica yet? A short train ride from Rome and sort of like a miniature Pompei, but with shade! Also we loved the Museo Nazionale Romano museum in Rome. It features amazing frescos including one whole room devoted to the famous painted gardens of Livia (related or wife of an emperor, if my memory serves). For some reason, this museum seems to be off the beaten track and when we went just before the pandemic, was blissfully uncrowde)

I'm pretty sure that our friends took this excursion last year when taking Celebrity to Bonaire. (My husband and I booked independently with SeaCow for a snorkel excursion and love it). However, our friends don't snorkel and signed up for the ship's island and beach tour. We learned later that they were not very happy with this tour. Apparently, their time at the beach was significantly truncated as other attractions on the tour made for a late arrival at the beach. Once there, they discovered there was only one bathroom available for each gender and they lost over a half hour waiting in line. My friend claimed they ended up with, at best, 45 minutes actually on the beach.

Anyone who is taking the blood thinner Warfarin, should check the labels of any multivitamin packet to make sure it doesn't contain the Vitamin K.

We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel. It is directly across from a huge lovely park that contains a beer garden. Restaurants are within walking distance. I would recommend you visit the castle (easy to do on your own via a taxi) and take a tour that includes the UNESCO sites of Jeronimos Monastery and the Tower of Belem. Also consider a day trip to Pena Palace in Sintra, which is easily done by a direct train from the Rossio station in Lisbon

La Digue in the Seychelles The Baths in Virgin Gorda. (I don't think cruise-ships go there but it is accessible by boat).

Just wanted to say that my husband and I (as senior citizens) found the Turkish locals in Istanbul to be very warm and accommodating when we were there in 2014. We had the day before our cruise was to start and a day afterwards where we wandered around on our own. Every time I boarded the tram, several folks hopped up to offer me their seat. Back then, Hagia Sophia was still a museum and while visiting the site, I was very impressed with how seamlessly the crowd control went. We also got to see the Cisterns and Blue Mosque thanks to locals who took the time to make sure we found the correct entrance. I would also recommend the Topkapi palace complex which we loved.

I just took a look at the train schedules. You can get from Venice to Ravenna with one change in Ferrara in a little over two hours and the cost is less than 30 dollars. My husband and I (both senior citizens) always travel via trains throughout Italy, including Ravenna. Of course, we don't carry a lot of large luggage and have no major mobility issues but its is a great way of travel if your group meets this criteria