Cruisepm

We are new to Oceania and will be boarding the Vista soon in Miami.  

We have been assigned a boarding time.  Does Oceania strictly adhere to the boarding times or do they accept passengers as they arrive?

Is it possible to get additional dining reservations once you are onboard?  If so, is it better to go to the reservation desk or go directly to the restaurant?

Where is the dining reservation desk located on desk 5?

Thanks for your help. 

We will be sailing on Explora in the Caribbean, which usually is more casual than other destinations.  Are people dressing up for dinner (at the restaurants, not the Emporium Market Place)?  Is a sports coat necessary for dinner?  Will my husband regret not bringing a sports coat because he will be one of the few men not wearing one at dinner?  Or, do most of the men wear long sleeved, collared dress shirts (no tie) and nice slacks? Do you see polo shirts at dinner?  Do women wear dressy dresses or just resort casual? Your answers will be very helpful in deciding what to pack.

In April, I will be on a Western Caribbean cruise sailing out of Miami on Seaside.  As a guest in the Yacht Club, I understand we have priority disembarkation.  Are the guests usually allowed to leave the ship at 7am or perhaps even earlier if the ship is cleared?  Does this priority disembarkation include the Customs line?  I am looking at a non-stop flight home at 9:50am and wonder if I might chance making it.  There is another flight at 10:35am but it is has connections.  (I have cruised out of Fort Lauderdale and Miami with Celebrity and have frequently made it to the airport between 7am - 7:30am, easily making a flight around 10am.)  What is your experience with MSC?  

I am about to book my first MSC cruise on the Seaside in the Yacht Club. I am currently elite plus on Celebrity. I usually purchase unlimited internet on Celebrity and use AT&T wi-fi calling the entire cruise to check in with family. If I purchase unlimited internet on Seaside will I be able to use AT&T wi-fi calling?

Thanks. 

We will be spending some time in Dublin before our cruise. I would like to visit Malahide Castle on our own. Is it better to take the train or the bus?

Thank you for your help!

We will be boarding the Eclipse in April which is to depart Dublin at 10:00 pm.

How early will we be allowed to board the ship?

Thanks for your help!

We will be staying at the Brooks Hotel in Dublin before our Celebrity Cruise. The Eclipse will dock at Ocean Pier 33.

1) Is there any public transportation that we can take from near the hotel to the port?

(Luggage is not an issue. We travel light--back pack and rolling carry-on bag.)

2) The Eclipse is to depart Dublin at 10:00 pm. How early will we be able to board the

ship?

Thank you for your help!

We will be in Livorno on Sunday, November 5. We have "done" Florence and thought we would visit Lucca. Is this ill-advised since this is the last day of Comic Con? Will Lucca be overrun with people attending Comic Con? We were thinking of going to Lucca and then stopping by Pisa on the way back to the ship. We're considering just skipping Lucca if it is going to be extremely crowded. Thanks for your help!

In October, my husband and I will be traveling from FCO to Florence on a high speed train--Frecciargento. From reading other posts I have learned it is not necessary to purchase a first class train ticket. 1) What is the difference between the base fare, economy fare, and super economy fare for a second class ticket?

2) I understand if I purchase a ticket now a change or refund is not allowed, but the cost is less than on the day of travel. Does anyone know what the charge of a second class ticket may be on the day of travel?

Two of the sites I would like to visit are Castell de Montjuic and the Joan Miro Museum. If time permits, I'll visit other attractions in the area.

We will be in Barcelona in early November. We have been to Barcelona before so we would like to visit Montjuic this time. Can anyone give me specific instructions on using public transportation to reach Montjuic from the cruise port (port bus, cable cars, funicular)? Thank you in advance for your help.

My husband and I will be arriving in Barcelona a few days early for a cruise. We will be staying at the Hotel Jazz which is located between Placa Universitat and Placa Catalunya.

1) What is the easiest way to go from the Barcelona airport to Hotel Jazz using public transportation? Does anyone recommend the Aerobus or the RENFE Train?

2) Can anyone recommend how to go from Hotel Jazz to the port using public transportation?

We travel light--a carryon and backpack for each of us.

Thanks for your help,

Tricia

1) Celebrity Silhouette

2) November 1, 2015

3) Disembarked at 7:10am

4) Several taxis were available

5) Taxi to train station--25 euro

6) Did not notice any shuttles

We were very concerned about getting a taxi and going to Livorno on our own. Our ship stopped at Livorno on the first Sunday of the month (when there is no charge to enter museums) and it was also All Saints Day. My husband and I were the first ones off the ship once it was cleared. We went directly to the taxis and took the first one in line. The driver was more than willing to take us to the train station. We had sort of a wild ride as I am sure he wanted to get back to the port to catch another fare. At the train station we found a train waiting to take us to Florence. We left the station shortly after boarding the train. We had plenty of time in Florence. We felt we had much more time than if we had booked a shuttle to and from Florence in advance.

On the train back to Livorno we talked with two other couples and the return taxi fare was 25 euro divided by the six of us. Taxis were available at the train station to take us back to the port. We felt like we had a very inexpensive and enjoyable day in Florence.

We will be arriving at the Salerno Port on the Celebrity Constellation in May. My husband and I would like to go to Pasteum on our own.

1) Can anyone give us detailed instructions on how to get from the port to the

train station and then to Pasteum?

2) How long should we allow to quickly go through the Museum?

3) Can anyone recommend a guide for the Pasteum site? I know there is a list of

guides on the museum website but I would prefer a personal

recommendation.

4) Are there stands along the way from the train station where we could sample

the buffalo mozzarella?

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help!

Cruisemom42,

Would it be possible to get a copy of your Herculaneum notes?

psm6377@hotmail.com

You are very gracious to share your notes.

Thank you so much.

We are arriving on the Celebrity Silhouette at La Seyne-sur-Mer (Toulon.) We are in port from 8am to 6pm. Would there be time to take the train to Aix-en-Provence? (We would prefer to not rent a car.) Since I am trying to maximize the time spent in Aix-en-Provence, once off the ship, should I take the public ferry and not wait on the Celebrity Ferry? Or should I take public bus Number 8 or a taxi to the train station? Any detailed instructions on how to go to Aix-en-Provence on our own would be appreciated. (I think I have to change trains in Marseilles.) In addition to visiting Aix-en-Provence would there be enough time to also visit Cassis? Thank you for your help.

I am planning excursions for a cruise in October 2015. We will be stopping in Livorno on Sunday, November 1. Unfortunately for us, the first Sunday of the month is “free admission” at the museums and I have been told that the lines to get into the Accademia and the Uffizzi could be 3-4 hours long. And, because it is All Saints Day, some churches will have reduced hours. So, I thought I would save Florence for another time. I planned a private tour to Pisa and Lucca. Then I learned there is an international comic book convention ending that day that over 250K attended last year. So now I’m back to going to Florence on my own on the train. I have some questions for you.

1) The Celebrity Silhouette is in port from 7am to 7pm. What is the earliest I can

be off the ship?

2) Is it possible to pre-arrange a taxi from the pier to the train station? If so,

what taxi service have you used in the past that can enter the port and pick us

up at the ship? I understand a taxi costs about 25 euro whether you have 2 or

8 people.

3) Is it possible to just grab a taxi on the pier? I plan to be off the ship by 7:30.

4) If I cannot pre-arrange a taxi or get one on the pier, what time does the

Celebrity shuttle to the center of town start running?

5) I guess another option is to use the city bus at the port to the bus station and

then take another bus to the train station. Has anyone done this? How early

does the city port bus begin to run?

6) I would like to be off the ship by 7:30 and catch an early train to Florence.

(Perhaps we could get into one museum.) I have used the trains in Rome.

Any tips for using the Livorno train station?

7) Any other advice or suggestions?

Thank you in advance for any help!

Here is a review I posted upon our return. We were in cabin 6145 on the Eclipse. You can find my review under the thread S-Class Cabin Information Compilation submitted on September 10th, 2014, 10:35 PM. I hope this helps.

Ship: Eclipse

Cabin: 6145

Deck: 6

Class: 2B Veranda

Area: Forward

Bed near: Balcony

Quiet: Majority of time

Balcony view: unobstructed, excellent

Balcony size: normal

Wind a problem: No

Soot a problem: No

Problems/comments: This was a Baltic cruise. Embarkation and debarkation occurred on Deck 5 immediately below this cabin. We could hear every "ding" as passenger cards were scanned. This occurred again at the port in Zeebrugge. Noise was also heard a couple of hours before arriving in Zeebrugge at 7:00am and Southampton at 5:30am as preparations for disembarkation were made. We heard no noise from the "Crew Only" door located across the hall from this cabin. We did notice some smoke from the smoking area below this cabin on deck 5. We would probably stay in this cabin again if it were the best available. Just be aware of the drawbacks. Would probably not have issues with embarkation or debarkation on Caribbean cruises since these activities take place on decks 2 and 3 in the Caribbean.

Ship: Eclipse

Cabin: 6145

Deck: 6

Class: 2B Veranda

Area: Forward

Bed near: Balcony

Quiet: Majority of time

Balcony view: unobstructed, excellent

Balcony size: normal

Wind a problem: No

Soot a problem: No

Problems/comments: This was a Baltic cruise. Embarkation and debarkation occurred on Deck 5 immediately below this cabin. We could hear every "ding" as passenger cards were scanned. This occurred again at the port in Zeebrugge. Noise was also heard a couple of hours before arriving in Zebrugge at 7:00am and Southampton at 5:30am as preparations for disembarkation were made. We heard no noise from the "Crew Only" door located across the hall from this cabin. We did notice some smoke from the smoking area below this cabin on deck 5. We would probably stay in this cabin again if it were the best available. Just be aware of the drawbacks. Would probably not have issues with embarkation or debarkation on Caribbean cruises since these activities take place on decks 2 and 3 in the Caribbean.

According to several posts, Bruges is easy to do on your own.

Does anyone have a pdf copy of Lair Bear's Walking tour? I have googled "Bruges walking tours" and can not find it.

Or, do you have a walking tour of Bruges that you have used?

I know there is a "Heritage Walking Tour" on the Official Bruges Visitors site, but I can not find a map to go with it.

Thanks for your help.

I am planning to do self-assist debarkation when the Eclipse returns to Southampton at the end of my Baltic Cruise. Does anyone remember what time the ship was cleared to allow those handling their own luggage to disembark? I'm trying to decide what time to schedule transportation back to Heathrow. Many thanks for your help.

baljaffray--Thanks for your very helpful review.

I would appreciate help from anyone who can answer my questions. I will be on the Eclipse in August.

Did you have any delays getting off your ship in St. Petersburg? I have heard it sometimes takes a while to go through the Russian Border Control due to difficulty with paperwork, and these delays have caused problems for tourists trying to get to their independent tours. We are to meet our tour guide at 8:30.

What time should I plan to leave the ship? Is 7:45 early enough?

How long did it take you to debark in St. Petersburg?

Thanks for your help.

Do Cruise Now Reservation perks also apply to Transatlantic Cruises?

I have booked with" Smiths for Airports". I found them on this board. They were highly recommended. I made my reservation through email.

We have a 12:30pm flight on Saturday, August 30. We are not concerned about making the flight. My DH likes to self-disembark early and I just wanted to know what a reasonable time would be. I currently have a taxi scheduled for 6:45 but I think I'll change it to 7:15. Thanks for your help JB!