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Maria63

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Posts posted by Maria63

  1. On 10/29/2024 at 5:35 PM, SailorJack said:

    We are in Malta and ran into several passengers from the Statendam who reported that they are now on virus protocol.

     

    Currently on Statendam. Strictly speaking, there has been no mention of any virus-outbreak, only an announcement that "several guests have reported gastrointestinal symptoms...". As a precaution, there is now no self-serve in the Lido etc, but otherwise things go on as usual.

  2. We are currently in the northern part of the Adriatic, and the weather this week has so far been glorious. Last week was a bit windy and unstable though. Generally, I would definitely avoid the summer months in Greece, if you want to primarily see the sights and tour the cities. October-November and March-May would be my personal choice, but you have to be prepared for unpredictable weather.

     

    As for the cruise line, I would look beyond the big names in the Caribbean, and also consider the lesser known (in the US) regional companies. Depending on your budget, you can of course go with Viking, Explora, Seabourn or similar. Then you will have a great onboard experience and also a smaller ship that is more likely to get to places where the bigger ships cannot go, and/or get the prime locations in the ports. On the other hand, if you cruise primarily for the itinerary and the schedule is very port intensive, you will perhaps not have neither the time nor the energy to enjoy everything that the ship has to offer, so it may make sense to chose a more budget-friendly option.

     

    One important aspect is also the flight connections, and whether you want to combine your cruise with pre- or post cruise land travels. For instance, Italy is fairly easy to DIY if you rent a car, you get to see a lot on your own pace, when you drive around the countryside and explore the small historic towns.

  3. It´s not at all unusual for small hotels and b&b:s in Italy to not have elevators. Especially if the building itself is old and only later converted into a hotel. If an elevator is essential for you, it is best to make sure beforehand. I hope the situation works out for you, and perhaps it´s not too late to cancel the booking and look elsewhere?

  4. Regardless of the season, I would recommend long pants for the gentlemen and something that covers the knees & shoulders for the ladies, if you plan to do city-sightseeing in Italy. Then you don´t need to worry about being properly dressed when you enter churches and cathedrals. As others have pointed out, it can rain in late  October so bring an umbrella or a light rain jacket. The sidewalks and pavements in the historic centers can turn very slippery when wet, so you need shoes with a good sole grip.

    • Like 1
  5. 10 hours ago, Eno said:

    I thought that the room that they had must have been some strange discounted category but I looked up the room layouts - why why why would you not have a door to the bathroom.  That is just a gross layout - sorry don't want to watch someone washing up or brushing their teeth with the sink in front of the bed.  And to dry off from the shower in front of the cabin door.... words can't describe it.  I am booked on the Aqua for 2026 and quickly checked the balcony room layout - looks like just the Epic has this.  Glad for the videos as would never have thought that such a strange layout existed.  

     

    We spent 14 nights in this kind of cabin back in 2022. The bathroom design is certainly very awkward, and one issue is that once you step out of the shower, you will inevitably make the entrance floor wet, unless you make sure to arrange towels to step on. We were lucky to have a cabin with the bed close to the balcony and the sofa next to the sink, and I would highly recommend that you pick this configuration. There´s slightly more space to move around and the bed is not quite next to the sink.

     

    Seems that every now and then, ship designers decide that it would be fun to play around with the bathroom and come up with new ideas. It seldom works out well in the end. For instance, the major Italian line Costa cruises (part of Carnival) has two fairly new mega-ships, the Toscana and Smeralda. These are great in many ways and have premium cabins with an extra outdoor space that is fantastic - but they have replaced the bathroom wall with a semi-see through glass panel, covered only by a curtain that is operated from the bedroom side.

    • Like 3
  6. On 9/13/2024 at 6:56 AM, Rotnam said:

    Just for perspective, I did RC Oasis and Celebrity Summit before that one. So I don't have other cruise lines to compare yet but we were 11 in our friends group, many of them with a tons of cruises.

     

    (7 night, ocean cay, costa maya and cozumel) 1-7 september.

     

    We were very disappointed overall, I'm curious at other peoples experience.

     

     

     

     

     

    I can understand your disappointment if you come from RCI and Celebrity and expect a similar experience. Still, MSC is very budget-friendly and appears to be steadily improving with their newer ships. We´ve only done MSC outside the US, in the Med and also a couple of Suez-repos pre-covid on their older ships. Imo, it is essential when considering MSC and doing your research, to keep in mind when reading reviews that the YC-experience in no way reflects the reality on the rest of the ship. 

     

    Still, MSC can be a very good choice if you for instance want to do the Mediterranean on a limited budget (though I would caution against going during the summer months, but that goes for all cruise lines).

    • Like 3
  7. On 9/9/2024 at 11:17 AM, Captain-John said:

    I called it out on these boards a few years ago - and some people defended the condition of the Epic at the time/were happy to accept the condition and suggested I was being overly critical. Others shared my surprise and disappointment.

     

     

    Based on the video and recollection of my own experience, Epic is really poorly maintained which is a shame as have never seen this with any other ship in the NCL fleet (including much older ships). It's almost like they have given up. Too many things to cover but it's not a good advert for the ship. But, for as long as people are willing to pay to go on Epic, NCL don't have any incentive to do anything about it.

     

    We did a B2B on Epic right after your sailing, and I was one of those who had to agree with your general assessment. We still had an enjoyable cruise overall though, the itinerary was great, the weather was lovely and as it was late October the ship was not at full capacity by far. 

     

    The Ben & David video unfortunately indicates that there are still some serious issues with the general maintenance, and it is obvious that the person / persons responsible for these things on Epic do not care very much. Regardless of what you think of Ben & David and vloggers in general, the video-footage is what it is. Poor ship design and general wear and tear due to aging are one thing, but a serious lack of cleanliness in the public areas is another matter altogether. If they can´t be bothered to clear the tables, wash windows, and sweep the decks in a long while, then who knows what goes on in the kitchens with food hygiene & storage, and can they be trusted to properly monitor the bacteria levels in the pools? On land, I would not eat in a restaurant or stay at a hotel that appears to be severely neglecting general cleanliness, but on a ship you have no options once you are onboard.

    • Like 7
  8. 10 hours ago, Jiima said:

    I am from starbucks country and need to figure out if we bring our own teabags and instant starbucks coffees.

    We did World Europa non-YC last fall, and they did not have Starbucks nor Starbucks-style takeaway coffee. If I remember correctly, they have partnered with Segafredo which is a major Italian brand. We brought our own instant coffee and added it to the coffee I used to bring to our cabin from the buffet, their coffee mugs are of a decent size. I don´t remember the tea brands but bringing your own instant coffee and tea bags is certainly a good idea.

  9. 19 hours ago, Monochrome said:

    Anyone know if Perrier or Pellegrino is available for sale in the Barcelona terminals?

    thx

    I can´t say for sure about Perrier or Pellegrino, but if unavailable I would recommend the local brand "Vichy Catalan". Last October they had it in 6-packs of 1 liter bottles. Tastes are subjective of course, but we found it to be at least as good as Pellegrino.

  10. My DH & I are in our early 60s, and our favorite lines are Celebrity & RCI (due to loyalty benefits), but we have also cruised with Viking, Azamara, Cunard, HAL, Princess, Costa, and MSC (both YC and non-YC).

     

    To be blunt, I would recommend that you do a thorough research before booking, and you need to be aware that the YC-reviews and experiences do in no way reflect the experience on the rest of the ship. MSC is a very different product than Celebrity, and generally much more lively, noisy, and crowded. On the newer MSC-ships with the Galeria-design (for instance World Europa) you will struggle to find a quiet lounge, and as the YC takes up most of the front of the ship, there is nothing like an observation lounge in the front for non-YC.

     

    However, if the itinerary is port-intensive and you plan to do lots of excursions, MSC can be a very sensible choice budget-wise, as the experience on the ship itself might then be a secondary consideration. In the Mediterranean MSC allows you to embark in most ports along the itinerary, so you have lots of flexibility and choices in how you plan your flights and pre- & post-cruise travels

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
  11. 6 hours ago, ChinaShrek said:

    Wow. I didn't even realize that. I have been to Vietnam and Thailand in December and thought the weather would be similar. 

    I´m no expert on the monsoon patterns by far, but if I´ve got it right it is somewhat complicated. For instance, in Thailand, Phuket on the west coast is usually fine in late December, while Koh Samui on the east coast gets rains and high winds until around February. Singapore also has more or less daily showers until at least February.

  12. On 1/10/2024 at 6:13 AM, GSTgst said:

    Can I bring a small case of diet iced tea aboard my ship (Costa Smeralda)?  I don’t like soda because of the fizz.  Most cruise lines will let you bring 10-12 cans/bottles aboard, but after reading all this mess about Costa and them not even serving tap water free at dinner, it makes me think they’ll probably not allow it. I’m from the USA if that makes any difference.  Your thoughts?

    I would say it depends on your embarkation port. At least in Barcelona, on embarkation day your carryons are scanned by port security, and they do not (in our experience) enforce cruise line -specific regulations about bringing alcoholic- or non-alcoholic drinks onboard. Besides, after the security-scan at the terminal, there is a duty-free where you can buy soft drinks, wine & spirits, and bring them onboard without any interrogation or further checking of bags on embarkation day.

    • Like 1
  13. On 1/18/2024 at 6:56 AM, ChinaShrek said:

    I am a history teacher, so I am thinking of sailing around around Christmas when i have two weeks off.

    One thing to keep in mind is that December is in the middle of the rainy season in much of Indonesia, so it´s a less-than-ideal time to visit for instance Bali. The scenery in the interior is absolutely breath taking, but when shrouded in clouds & rain you don´t get to see any of it.

    • Like 2
  14. DH & I did the Indonesian Discovery in 2023 on Westerdam, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in history & culture as it takes you to places you would not normally get to visit on a holiday trip to the region. In Jakarta we took a private tour with a local guide, and had ample time at the Jakarta History Museum and the Old Town. The cultural tour of Lombok was also fascinating, to name just a few of the interesting places. Komodo dragons on the other hand are perhaps somewhat overrated, but the scenery in these parts is very beautiful.

    • Like 1
  15. 3 hours ago, drewlavelle said:


    I've never heard anyone, ever, ask that question. Nor have I ever heard of that system. Some cultures just think it’s ok to push in. You see it at airports, bus stops, bars, everywhere. People just walk into a queue near the front, trying not to look like the uncivilised brute that they are. It does my head in.

    It´s true that rude and inconsiderate people exist in all cultures. But as for the "who is the last one?" -system, I had it explained to me by my native Spanish language teacher when I lived there. I then also experienced it in real life for instance in the post offices in Spain. 

  16. DH & I went through the Suez the first week of this December on Costa Toscana and did not notice any unusual security arrangements. Later on, some 2 weeks ago, we witnessed NCL Dawn being grandly welcomed into Doha, Qatar, with water cannon salutations. We are currently in Dubai and tourism is in full swing, though there appears to be significantly fewer American or Western European visitors than before.

  17. There´s no need for a taxi or other form of transport if you just want to have lunch in town. There are very good food courts within easy walking distance from the cruise pier.

  18. If your embarkation is at the Marina cruise terminal, there are duty free shops that sell both wine and spirits, so taking alcohol onboard is not an issue for the local authorities. Dubai is nowadays not very restrictive regarding alcohol, you are for instance allowed to bring some 4 liters into the country for personal use and the law that allowed drinking only at licenced venues (not for instance in private apartments) has also been dropped for now. 

     

    On embarkation day, cruise ships do not usually scan your bags when you enter the ship itself, but the scanning is handled by port security. I would recommend you carry the alcohol in its original bottle in your hand luggage. If the cruise ship does not allow it, they will confiscate it and give it back to you at the end of the cruise. 

  19. On 12/19/2023 at 1:41 PM, ConnieTact said:

    We will be in this ship in three weeks time and we have a complimentary dine as diamond members. We are used to taking them in Butchers Cut but, with this new offering we are thinking if a change! Does anyone have a menu for the restaurant? I looked online and can’t find anything. 
    has anyone dined there and if so, can you me know what you thought of it. MrCT not keen on fish, so I’m wondering what he may find.

    Thanks in advance!

    We were on World Europa in November as diamond. The complimentary dinner only includes Hola Tacos, Butcher´s Cut and the Sushi place, but not Chef´s Garden or the fish restaurant. We did Chef´s Garden as part of the dinner package and had the limited menu, and found it to be a bit overly fussy and only so-so taste wise. Our preferred choice would still be Butcher´s Cut.

  20. On 12/18/2023 at 8:54 PM, Happychappie said:

     

     

    Finally, and this is a slightly contentious question re the onboard food. I read lots of complaints about the MSC food compared to other lines. Lots of RC passengers rave about how great RC food is compared to MSC even though I dont think RC food is anything special at all in the main dining room. We tend to do a full speciality dining package for that reason. If you can offer any of your thoughts on the food it would be appreciated as it may just be that americans have a different expectation on food styles and it has nothing to do with quality. Is it worth paying the extra for speciality dining on MSC and if so does it feel quite upscale? 

    My DH & I have during the past 15 yrs crused a lot with RC (our preferred line due to the loyalty benefits) & Celebrity, but also with everything from Viking, Azamara and Cunard to the older MSC and Costa ships. Last November we did a b2b on World Europa and were actually pleasantly surprised regarding the food. In our opinion MSC is steadily improving food-wise, though crowd management is still something of an issue. If you do book Aurea you get to dine in a more peaceful MDR-environment, but if not, speciality dining is worth considering if you want a more upscale feel to the dining.

     

    We had a dining package and did Hola, Chef´s Garden, Sushi and Butcher´s Cut and enjoyed them all. The package-menu in Butcher´s Cut is limited but this was not an issue in our opinion and we were quite happy with what was included in the package. We found it to be at least as good as Chops on RC. One thing worth noting if you want a good table inside and not in the rather noisy Galeria, is to book a time as soon as they open at 18.30 and be there a few minutes before opening time. They don´t do reservations for specific tables but operate on a first come, first serve -basis.

     

    Chef´s Garden is the most upscale experience in our opinion, but we found it to be a bit overly fussy regarding the food presentation, though the taste of the food was fine. In Chef´s Garden the limitation of the package-menu is also more noticable than in Butcher´s Cut.

    • Like 2
  21. 9 hours ago, Tri-cruiser said:

    We also dock in Hambantota. Is Cinnamon Island easier to reach from Hambantota? Thank you for all of your help. I haven't been able to find much information on the location

     

     

    I would say yes, because Hambantota is not very densly populated but the roads are still surprisingly well developed in this part of the country. There is much less traffic than if you start your trip from Colombo. However, I would advise you to discuss your plans in detail with a local tour operator and ask their opinion.

  22. On 12/16/2023 at 7:42 PM, cruisemom42 said:

     

    I take it even further. I put the money, credit cards, etc. that I absolutely must carry with me inside a "secret pocket" and then use a safety pin to pin that pocket INSIDE a zipped pocket INSIDE my purse.

     

    I don't like to use the Travelon or PacSafe bags, but this solution has worked for me so far.

     

    This is very good & sound advice. Personally, having once had my shoulder handbag snatched from me in Spain (won´t go into details, but I was lucky to get it back with the help of some young, alert, and fit locals who caught the perpetrator) I always carry a PacSafe bag and wear it across my body. I also try not to come across as an attractive target by avoiding wearing expensive-looking clothing & accessories while sightseeing and city touring.

     

    Other than pickpockets and petty thieves though, I can´t see that there are any other safety issues to be concerned about in Europe if you travel as a cruise tourist.

  23. On 12/21/2023 at 6:56 AM, RuthC said:

    No, there is no separate CO dining area on the non-Pinnacle Class ships. 

    No, you are not wrong that you have read it several times on this board. It has been posted many times by people who have 'heard' the same thing, but have never actually experienced it. They continue to spread the incorrect information, and likely never read the corrections. 

    My DH & I had CO on Westerdam last February. The dining arrangement for us worked more or less like this: At the entrance to the MDR there was a separate CO-concierge and a separate line. We got a very nice window table for 2 and had the same table every night. My impression was that this area in the MDR was designated for CO, but I can´t be sure whether non-CO guests also at times dined in the same area as it did not matter to us. We were very pleased with the dining experience and happy that we had the CO as the MDR generally could get rather noisy and crowded.

    • Thanks 1
  24. On 12/18/2023 at 5:16 PM, Tri-cruiser said:

    Hello. My husband and I are planning a shore excursion in Sri Lanka. We will be there in April. We would like to go to Cinnamon Island and then come back to town. With all we want to see, the tour operators are encouraging us to spend overnight at a hotel. We feel much safer on the boat. Do you know how far it is from the port to the gate where we would be picked up? I understand the tour operators are not allowed within the port gates. Would you happen to know when the shuttles stop operating? Thank you.

    Sorry, I have never visited Sri Lanka on a cruise, though my DH & I have stayed there for extended periods of time during the past 20 years. If you mean Cinnamon Island on Koggala Lake in the very south, it is quite a long drive to get there and back, and the traffic in Colombo and its outskirts (if your cruise stops in Colombo and not in Hambantota) can be pretty horrendous, frankly. If you stay overnight in a reputable hotel or B&B, I can´t see that there would be any exceptional safety issues to worry about. But this is of course a very personal matter and not something someone else can decide for you. 

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