texasstar

Thanks to those that replied. I found another website that is secure and does not require my passport #. It is http://www.venice-museum.com. The tickets cost 4 euros a piece more, but worth the peace of mind. For those that are asking, it is a tour of the Doge's Palace that takes you into rooms not open to the public. The tour does not include the palace's main hall, but you can visit it afterward on your own.

I was trying to secure tickets for the Secret Itineraries tour using the Vivaticket website.

I am concerned because it is not a secure website and in order to order tickets you have to create a login that requests your passport and birth date. Does anyone have information on how to get tickets without providing this information?

Thank you.

We will probably do the same. Thanks for the reply.

Thanks Minidonuts, that looks better. We will put this trip on our "to do list".

Does anyone have suggestions on this port? I am considering visiting Positano. Has anyone taken the ferry from Amalfi to Positano? Is the ferry dock in Amalfi near where we will be tendered to? Is it easy to get from the ferry dock in Positano to the town?

Thank you for your suggestions.

We were very interested in this cruise, but were having a difficult time finding flights that didn't take forever to get there. We would be coming from the West Coast. Anyone have any insight on this?

The price will not include airfare unless it says it does. If you want to use miles, just go to the airline site you have miles with and see if that will work. I believe that the air options to Tahiti are limited. Delta (Air France), Air Tahiti Nui both leave out of LA. We flew on Air Tahiti Nui, and it was the most uncomfortable flight I have ever flown. Our friend flew on Air France, and said it was fine. There may be a flight that connects through Hawaii, but only on certain days.

We were on Windstar in May 2016 and loved it. As to when to book it, there are usually good sales over the Thanksgiving weekend and around Christmas. Windstar does have a policy that they will match the price if it goes lower after you purchase it with either lowering the fare, an upgrade or on board credit. They decide what you get, and there has been much discussion on these boards from people on this.

Have a great time.

I would suggest making your own hotel arrangements in Prague. We stayed at the Old Town Hilton, and you can walk from there to all of the sights, if you are reasonably fit. The price will be less than booking the ships post excursion. The hotel can book you a ride to the airport for about $40. I have not traveled with Viking, but AmaWaterways. You will love river cruising. It will be easy to meet people. Enjoy!

We booked Patrick's motu tour on Bora Bora which was amazing. He takes you to several snorkeling sites where you swim with the black fin sharks and stingrays. He ends with a traditional Polynesian meal cooked on his family's private island.

On Moorea we booked Albert's 4WD tour that took us to Belverdere. It was a blast. We booked both of these online before our cruise. They were less expensive than similar cruise trips and less people.

We were on this cruise in 2015. We flew in to Nice, stayed a few days, rented a car drove to the Luberon area and the Cote du Rhone area for about 5 days prior to the cruise. We loved the self-tour part as much as the cruise. We then departed from the Lyon airport. You will love this cruise and AMAWaterways.

Ginger gum if you can find it, if not, ginger chewy candies I bought at the health food store.

I too have a tendency for sea sickness. When we were in Tahiti on Windstar this past May, we went through an area where many were sick. I used the pressure point wrist bands and ginger, and did not get sick. I always thought those were bogus, but now am a firm believer in them. You don't get the side effects with them like you do with Dramamine or scopalamine.

Check out Windstar cruises. They do a Costa Rica, Panama Canal combination. They start in Colon and end in Puerta Caldera, or vice versa. You will love the Windstar experience. I have not been on the Panama cruise, but have done the Greek Islands and Tahiti with them.

They do have a special on now.

You will be welcomed. We went on this cruise in May 2016. Our friend and his girlfriend had planned to join us. She was not able to come, but he came anyway. He had a great time anyway. Windstar passengers are generally very friendly and fun-loving people. So sorry for your loss, but glad you are going ahead with your plans. You will not be sorry.

We were there in May 2016 and were allowed to board around 1 PM. We flew in the night before and stayed at the Manava Suites. It is a nice smaller hotel, with a beautiful view of Moorea. We did reserve a dayroom at the IC at the end of the trip. It was expensive, but a beautiful way to spend your last day in Tahiti before the long flight back. If you can, I would recommend flying on Air France. The trip on ATN was the most uncomfortable flight I have ever flown.

Have a beautiful trip.

I agree. They are the most civilized airline if flying in coach.

You will love your cruise. It was a gem. Just a tip about the flight over... Unless you are flying business class, I suggest you fly Air France rather that Air Tahiti Nui. We were on the Air Tahiti Nui this past May. The seats are the smallest I have ever flown, and very uncomfortable.

SB44, Be sure and report on your European Waterways barge trip. We did a barge trip in the Alsace area of France in 2001 and loved it. We are considering the Shannon river trip for 2018 so would love to hear your report.

We stayed there last May prior to a Windstar cruise. We did not stay in a kitchenette room, but a regular hotel room. It is a smaller hotel and the pool area is very nice. Beware of the drink prices at the pool bar though! We enjoyed our stay there.

We too love AmaWaterways and Windstar. We have been on 2 cruises on each line and have our third Windstar trip planned next May. We have cruised the Greek Islands on Wind Star, and Tahiti on the Wind Spirit. These are their smallest ships. We loved both trips. There is something special about a deck bbq in the caldera of Santorina. I agree with everything Strenz said about Windstar. You will have a fabulous trip.

Great job Dan! You are such an entertaining writer. When you retire, maybe you could get a job doing travel writing and then you could travel for free...just a thought!

Ditto on Patrick' on Bora Bora. Great experience, expensive but worth it.

Dan, I am considering renting a car, but I didn't know how safe a driver I would be after flying for 14 hours. We are coming from the west coast. I had decided I would be OK, until I read a post from someone that said, it was like driving the NJ turnpike during rush hour! We did rent a car in France last year, and I did fine once I got out of Nice. If we do take a train to Verona, I will rent a car there. Thanks for all of your advice.

Thanks for a great report! It is so fun to read your posts. We too are going on the Venice/Rome cruise next May.

Strenz, I think we are on the same cruise. (Windsurf).

Dan, we are planning on a pre-cruise trip to Verona and Lake Garda. I will email you concerning the shuttle service. I think after a long flight, I won't want to deal with a train to Verona.

A must see is the Parliament tour. The ship does not cover this. Book online in advance to make sure you get the English tour.