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Yes, due to the travel distance we booked through NCL. Our excursion included transportation to Gibraltar, and once there, a guided tour in a mini bus up the rock to the caves and to see the apes. Then we had about an hour free time in town. We loved our time there and would have loved a longer stay.

Lol. No Whataburger in Orlando, or at least that I know of.

That must be a regional thing. It’s not on our McD FL menu. 😒

Oops, I meant Pride. I was following your Pride review at the same time as the first sailing of Venezia and I got confused. Your luggage story convinced me to get air rages for our next trip!! I was so happy you got your luggage before your trip.

My vote is for Blue Heaven. I’m a native Floridian and it’s not key lime pie to me if there is no meringue. The Maas Brothers department stores used to serve the best key lime pie in their Suncoast Restaurant. Piled high with meringue. Blue Heaven is the next best thing. Loved your Venezia review. Looking forward to this one.

I must disagree with the notion that concierge class is not worth the upgrade. I drove from Orlando to Miami the morning of our Summit cruise and after getting through Miami traffic to the port, I really appreciated being served at lunch and not having to go through a buffet line. This was our first time on Celebrity and we were also invited to the helipad sail away, which we greatly enjoyed. Although I’m not sure if this was due to the concierge class, it was a nice introduction to Celebrity. We also let our room steward know that fruit and cheese was our preferred snack and there was always a plate in our room mid to late afternoon, which we snacked on while getting ready for dinner. With Brightline, I will no longer be driving to Miami, but I still think the sit down lunch is a nice perk after traveling. Others may not mind the buffet, but if budget allows, I prefer to book concierge.

Inquiring minds want to know what you thought of Hamilton? We saw the Orlando tour and loved it. Of course, we’ve watched the original cast on Disney Plus also. What did you think? I went to grad school at NYU in the mid 80s. My son attended a musical theater conservatory in NYC from 2013-2016. I’m making my first trip back since 2015 next weekend. I’ve never been to Katz Deli so am planning to eat there after seeing your post. We have tickets to Funny Girl and Norte Dame de Paris. I love the city! Times Square has changed so much since the 1980s. It used to be hookers and porn shops, now it’s like Downtown Disney. I can’t get over all of the chain restaurants in NYC now. I enjoyed your trip report. We love TA cruises, but I don’t think Carnival is for us anymore. I was hoping Venezia would be different enough to lure us back, but the new menus are not appealing. We favor MSC and NCL now. I’ll look for your Alaska trip report.

I really enjoyed your review. Sounds like a great trip. Having lived in England for 4 years, I loved the London parts of your trip too. I really miss a full English breakfast!!

I’m behind in my reading and at this point the debris from the submersible, Titan, have been found in this area. So sad that two sea tragedies occurred at that spot.

Do the specialty coffees count against the Cheers package?

We did a TA from Port Canaveral to Barcelona on NCL Epic in April, 2019. It was smooth sailing the entire way.

They used to give those tumblers to you for free when you purchased a soda package. I had a bunch from when my kids were little that I just donated.

What is the secret to getting a bagel?

Enjoy! It's your vacay! We can wait!!

Do you know about crowds in Sept/Oct? I'm thinking to book for either next May or Sept/Oct. I definitely want to avoid the crowds. I live in Orlando, tourist central, and know what summer crowds are like, lol.

The Anne Frank House. Your kids are the right age to appreciate it. You might need to book ahead. Not sure if it’s past tulip season, but Keukenhof Gardens is a short excursion from Amsterdam.

And forget about ordering a classic champagne cocktail, which has a sugar cube soaked in cognac in the bottom of the glass, topped with champagne, Angostura bitters, and a lemon peel. Celebrity did not have sugar cubes, not that the bartender had the faintest idea what I was asking for. Have never tried on Carnival. Cooper’s Hawk makes the perfect champagne cocktail.

Sorry, I cannot help you. We took an excursion via NCL. With the amount of travel involved, we felt safer with a ship's tour so that we didn't left behind.

I work with people from Granada who told me the Alhambra was not to be missed. But, out TA cruise did not dock in Gibraltar, only Malaga, so we opted to do Gibraltar as an excursion from Malaga to see the monkeys instead. What were your impressions of the Alhambra? I hope to make it there on our next trip. Enjoying the trip report.

This is why I love Europe. A glass of wine is the same price as a soft drink. And, the dollar to Euro exchange is very good now!

Looking forward to your port information, especially Santorini. It's on our list!! Wishing you a wonderful trip. The weather looks great for you!

Was the ship offering excursions to Alhambra from Malaga?

Can you get an EU passport as well as your American one? Would make traveling easier.

It’s so easy to get a bus tour to go up the mountain or take the cable car. The monkeys are not to be missed. They are a riot. I could have watched them all day. I’d skip the caves, but the monkeys are so fun!

I am hoping Venezia is different from regular Carnival cruises. If it is, it just might bring us back to Carnival after a 10 year hiatus. We turned platinum just as we discovered we preferred other lines.