wcook

Different people like different stuff. I find the cemeteries at the beginning of the freedom trail to be the best part.

Wow, thanks for this post! I have a bunch of points from years ago, but I’d completely forgotten about myVEGAS. Had no idea MSC was included. All the rewards seem to be for cruises out of Florida. Do they ever offer discounts/free cruises for elsewhere?? Or onboard credit?

I’f you have your heart set on Niagara Falls, flights from Montreal to Toronto can be dirt cheap.

To the aquarium - silver line to south station, then walk the greenway to the aquarium. If you are at all an engineering geek, read up on The Big Dig beforehand.

Note that the LL Bean complex is in Freeport, surrounded by mostly outlet shops. Portland itself had a ton of interesting shops, restaurants and bars in the port area. If it’s me, I’d explore those over taking some sort of excursion.

You can rent a car - I have no idea how much that would cost, but it’s a super easy drive For what it’s worth, I’ve been to Freeport and to Portland many times each. Unless you are some sort of LL Bean groupie, Portland is the much (much!) more interesting place (IMO)

Favorite cruise: my next one 2nd favorite cruise: my last one.

Not a lot of ships cruise to Gettysburg, but I think you guys would love it. It’s one thing to read about Picketts Charge. But it really comes alive when you stand where the Southern lines were and look up across the open fields towards the defensive Union positions.

Another option is renting a car. We rented one from a company that had them waiting right at the pier.

Keep in mind threatened transit strikes in Europe are reasonably common. They often settle, or have given enough advance notice that contingency plans are in place. I haven’t a clue what MSC will do for you if there is a disruptive strike occurs in your dates. But I wouldn’t worry about it.

Of all the places in this world I’ve been, this is the one I least expected to turn up on Cruise Critic.

An excuse to sing Abba songs. That alone makes it worthwhile.

Sorry folks, the Louvre’s closed. Le Moose out front should have told you.

Ironically, I want to see it because it’s the most overrated attraction in the world.

I’ve done December. On ship we mostly stayed indoors. Keep in mind the newer MSC ships generally have a nice indoor pool area. In port, we put on light jackets and had a great time. Earlier sunsets? Honestly didn’t notice or think anything of it.

Excellent. Enjoy.

Just my 2 cents, with slightly different opinions than many of the other posters: If one of your favorite pastimes is laying in the sun, July is the better month. Perfect weather for that. Of course, it’s lousy weather for exploring old ruins, it’s crowded, and flights are their most expensive. The only cruise lines I know that offer topless sunbathing on the ship are German lines. AIDA for instance has a special, isolated adults only area just for that. While July more crowded than April, the big sights (Rome, Venice) are jam packed crowded in April too. To put things in Caribbean terms, the Nassau/San Juan/St Thomas route is Barcelona/Rome/etc. Of course, Rome is about a million times more interesting than St Thomas (IMO) but it’s still packed with people wearing cruise tour stickers and guides holding up paddles. Also, know that many of the most famous European ports, like Rome, are no where near where the ships dock. If you want more off the beaten crowd, the Adriatic/Ionian is a great choice. Including much better beaches (IMO) But you are talking older, smaller ships usually. MSC has a lot of good options. And will likely be cheapest. But while the ship has everything in English (and other languages) most of your fellow passengers will not be native English speakers. Another factor with Mediterranean cruises is they have more port days and fewer sea days. If not every port appeals to you, take a ship-in-port day or two.

Awesome report. Thanks. I’ve wondered what Yacht Club people think about the ships where the restaurant is on the other side of the ship. Is it good to force people outside the bubble now and then, or does that defeat the whole purpose. Anyway, give yourself an extra gold star for spelling out all those Norwegian place names.

CruiseCritics’ unofficial motto is “my line is better than your line.” But while we are loath to admit it, the mainstream lines have much more in common than they are different. I’d focus more on time of year (ie when kids are in school) and which part of the ship you hang out in.

Hope you enjoy Florence! One other option would have been to rent a car and drive to Lucca. When we did this it was super easy as the rental company had cars ready right off the ship.

I’m curious what interests you in Milan? This is just me, but I find Genoa at least as interesting, if not more so.

It is just another seaside city on the French Rivera! Beautiful place to stroll around for a few hours, have lunch and enjoy “la belle vie.” Note than Cannes is usually a tinder port, so you have even less time than you think.

Just my opinion, but Paris is special. If you’ve never been, it’s worth jumping through hoops and long bus rides, even for just four hours. Though if it were me, I’d take the metro from the Eiffel Tower to Norte Dame and walk back along the Sine. That may be pushing it time wise depending on how leisurely you walk. You can always cab the last bit if necessary.

The ride out to Harvard on the T is easy enough. Also note that Harvard has some fantastic museums itself. Me? I love the MFA and the nearby Gardner. Slightly trickier by public transit, which won’t matter if you take Uber.

Awesome post. But people should take this as examples of the wines and prices they might offer, not a guarantee of what any particular bar would have.