MaisonRose

I love the Ryndam (not so experienced, me) because it is much smaller and so I got to know almost everyone, not. Anyway, because of the friends I met, the transatlantic went way too fast and we had incredible fun. My other HAL ship was the Nieuw Amsterdam and that TA attracted a much older demographic, it felt like a nursing home--but I still had a great time.

Last Spring on the Reflection i was shocked to note the much younger crowd and the very high energy level (see the Atrium at 9 30pm when the band is playing).

I had a lot of fun. But it was so big that it was hard to contact nice folks that I met...so try to keep track of interesting dinner partners, trivia team, etc. so you make a home away from home.

I think I am going to have a great time on any ship, seriously, what is not to like?

Celebrity has better ice cream. Celebrity does Apple, HAL does Microsoft. HAL is more sedate. Culinary events and library better, New York Times on line is nice. CREW GREAT. Celebrity crew slightly less organized.

Next: Silhouette TransAtlantic Apr. 20th.

We have always gotten perfectly good cabins and usually better than what we have paid for.

My experience (shh) is to call the Captain Club's special request line and give a reason why i want a certain location and have been assigned on the spot.

In November I asked for as far aft as possible because my bird-watching cabin mate, a first timer, wanted to observe the wake. We were steps from the stairs up to the back deck.

Well. you know the drill: it doesn't hurt to ask.

Our April 20, 2014 TA just had a price drop, post final payment.

I called my online agency and they managed a considerable upgrade

from gty ocean view to C2 Verandah. I am so glad I asked. Still, we paid

more for the OV than the current balcony rate.

It pays to read the threads--had I not done that, I woulda been clueless.

Thanks! CC...

Susan

Install moving sidewalks on the big ships. LOL

Hi Guys

Your ship is in the wrong port.

Sail over to ROLL CALLS

Adieu

Susan

Hi Guys

Your ship is in the wrong port.

[quote name=editor@cruisecritic;18067060

If you have a hankering for books that are cruise-related' date=' check out our book story. It's time for an update but all the recommendations still stand (there's a blend, fun reads, serious stuff, kids' books). It's here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=307.

Carolyn

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic[/quote]

I would like to nominate my favorite cruise novel,

MICHAEL ONDATJE's. THE CATS TABLE, a coming of age sailing adventure of three boys travelling from Sri Lanka to England.

I totally agree and I am thankful that I have the mobility, energy and independence to do so.

We definately feel that the cost is up there in the strata.

But if anyone needs toursofcapri, they did get back to me with a further quote

4 people 140 EU, 6 people 120 EU per person

IF THEY CANT GO INTO THE BLUE GROTTO, they include a boat trip visiting the other grottos, so that could be a plus. I, however, will free lance.

I just inquired and got the reply below from toursofcapri.com. If you want to do this, I can say that a fellow CCer used them and had a wonderful day. She emphasized that her group of 15 were on a boat that visited several grottoes, which was an opportunity that isn't part of the usual grotto experience.

It is pricey, though, at 195 Eu pp. for 2: that could be reduced considerably by enlarging the numbers.

In any case we will be going over there..we have visited all the other places several times but never got to Capri.

Here is what Cristine of Capri Tours wrote today:

we are able to accommodate on 4TH of May 2014, and you can find below our suggested tour of Capri Island:

Meeting point at 7:50 am at exit of your cruise ship with one of our licensed guide, crossing to Capri by fast boat, our wonderful suggested tour starts with the visit of the "Blue Grotto" if the weather permits (because this amazing cave is open 1 day out of four, it depends on the level of the sea and of course also if the sea is little rough is closed because the entrance is about 1 meter high,3feet) by the time we get on the island we plan the best way to reach the entrance SKIPPING the line either by sharing boat or by private convertible car, soon after the visit of the cave we will DRIVE ON THE MAMMA MIA ROAD (OR OH MY GOD ROAD) to reach ANACAPRI the second largest center of the island where you will have the opportunity to enjoy the chairlift to get on the highest point of the island 589 meters high above the sea level (1800 feet),little walking tour to the best view point, free time, lunch time and as soon as we get ready we will go

by private convertible car to Capri the main square this is where the shopping area is, the meeting point of celebrities another walking tour to the Caesar Augustus Garden to see the beautiful view of the bay

of Salerno,free time and as soon as we get ready from the main square we will catch the famous Funicolare (CABLE CAR)to reach the main pier of Capri MARINA GRANDE,to be back in Naples as soon as you wish. This private unique tour for 2 people will cost 195 euros per person and you will pay only at end of the tour, which includes:tickets of the fast boat Naples-Capri-Naples, transportation to the entrance of the blue grotto either by sharing boat or by car,entrance fees for the blue grotto, transportation by private convertible car on the island, tickets for the chairlift,

tickets for the cable car,an english speaking guide at your disposal, (if the blue grotto is closed you can do a sharing boat ride all around the island to see the other caves, or it will be cheaper)

Does anyone have any information or had experience disembarking in the port the day before the end of the cruise? We would like to leave the ship at the port prior to our disembarkment port. Any info would be appreciated.

Hello, My summer home is in Provence and last year I disembarked from the Reflection TA in Toulon (as did about twenty other passengers). I arranged and requested it with Celebrity, it was approved..done and dusted.

The French authorities were not even present to check anything and I went to the cubicle to ask if they needed to stamp my passport and they said, MAIS NON, MADAME and that was because I entered the EU in Lanzarote!

This of course became a problem because you need to show an arrival stamp on departure from the EU. So be warned (lots of cruisers have experienced this).

I loved reading these comments and agree with just about every one of them.

So I will say a few more (I have only done the two, and just got off a GREAT TA on the Ryndam, a ship I loved because I felt like I knew everyone when we got to Tampa). I will go back for that simple reason..well there are many reasons.

But I noticed three main things:

The ice cream on Celebrity is much better.

The energy level (this should appeal to you especially) is more than double what you see on a relatively sedate HAL ship..the demographic is younger on Celebrity.

The service in the MDR on HAL is perfection (well, as close as it can be) whilst on Celebrity I felt like I was in a Chinese fire drill. My take on this is that the HAL crews are mostly from the same region of the world and they work together well (let's say, on the same page) whilst on Celebrity I got the feeling that the waiters couldn't even speak to each other (your drinks can arrive in Croat two minutes before the same drink arrives in Spanish.

Anyway, I would happily go on either line again...for different reasons (listed by other CCers above).

Bon Voyage...

Susan

I loved reading these comments and agree with just about every one of them.

So I will say a few more (I have only done the two, and just got off a GREAT TA on the Ryndam, a ship I loved because I felt like I knew everyone when we got to Tampa). I will go back for that simple reason..well there are many reasons.

But I noticed these main things:

The ice cream on Celebrity is much better.

The energy level (this should appeal to you especially) is more than double what you see on a relatively sedate HAL ship..the demographic is younger on Celebrity. I fondly remember the atrium band on the Reflection that had everyone dancing on the many levels of the tower and in the elevators going up and down.

The service in the MDR on HAL is perfection (well, as close as it can be) whilst on Celebrity I felt like I was in a Chinese fire drill. My take on this is that the HAL crews are mostly from the same region of the world and they work together well (let's say, on the same page) whilst on Celebrity I got the feeling that the waiters couldn't even speak to each other (your drinks can arrive in Croat two minutes before the same drink arrives in Spanish)

.No one has mentioned Tea Time on HAL.

And ditto to the HAL library--really really good.

HAL does Microsoft, Celebrity does Mac.

Anyway, I would happily go on either line again...for different reasons (listed by other CCers above).

Bon Voyage...

Susan

BON COURAGE! la prochaine fois...

Frankly, ladies, don't you find a guy in a tux absolutely irresistable? If your guy hears that you think it is the sexiest thing on earth, a man in a tux, perhaps he would reconsider. Bless my DH for actually going along with the deal (he hadn't worn his tux since we got married 44 years ago!) but "dragged it along" because he felt it a fait accompli. And did he ever look splendid (as do the rest of you guys!)

Do it, do it, do it.

Susan

Hi, I almost had a heart attack, we count on that card so much. So I called the number for customer service and was assured that our card has no surcharges or fees for foreign transactions.

I SHOULD have mentioned that it is

CapitolOne Platinum Visa (pretty sure that there is a yearly charge).

"Although be aware that most credit cards add up to 4% for transactions outside the country. It's why I tend to pay cash when off the ship."

Excellent advice.

Living in Europe part time, I discovered the benefits of the CapitalOne credit card, which has no surcharge on foreign purchases. It is the only one we use.

Also a warning: some merchants will offer you the option of charging in $USD ...INSIST ON EUROS because if you charge in dollars, you are allowing THEM to choose the rate of exchange.

Also, it isn't likely that you will have an opportunity, but use the POST OFFICE ATM in France: it offers the best rate.

I haven't experienced this outdoor movie thing yet, on a cruise. But several times, i.e. snorkeling excursions out of Key West, I have noticed that despite mostly elderly clients, the CREW enjoyed the heavy metal music a lot. Since I am approaching the curmudgeon age, LOL, I have asked the crew to either change the music or turn it WAY down. It never occurs to 20-something's that their music is not our music.

Strangely antibiotic cream and cortisone creams are not over the counter in Euro pharmacies.

Talk to your skin doc about antibiotic creams...mine warned me off triple type creams and insisted on Bacitracin b/c of allergic reactions.

Pharmacists in France (where I live part time) will give you things like Metformin etc without a prescription..it helps to have your prescription bottle.

If you get the chance to pop into a pharmacy, get some PARACETAMOL to bring home. It is a brilliant pain killer. Some say it is like Tylenol, but I think it far better.

The last TA I took, the medical center gave out band aids freely (thank you, HAL) and the antibiotic they gave me cost about $13. Seeing the doc was $90, in case you have ever wondered.

First, I have an American friend who works on contract as a tour guide on the bus that does shore excursions, official ones. She is paid very little, basically minimum wage. It has been my experience, in Europe at least, that it is appreciated to tip something to a guide, even if it is just a euro or two per person. My feeling is not to over tip, it is considered too commercial ...and ESPECIALLY not tip in bars, cafes and restaurants. Just round up..we may leave one euro pp for a Prix fixe (inexpensive) restaurant, or one euro for a group bar bill. Look your server in the eye, be very polite, say Thank You..and if they are nearby, say Goodbye..in France that is Merci! Au revoir! Over tipping is a negative message...Europeans believe that we Americans think money talks. Now where did they get that idea? LOL

On board, last TA, (not with my wine loving husband), I would have come off ship with money left over. A $500 per cabin OBC was hard to spend. I bought a $50 soda card, had 3 glasses of wine, covered the gratuity of 15 days time $12, and basically did all the included activities...oh, and one $25 supplemental dinner on my birthday.

If I hadn't seen the doc for $110 including antibiotics, I would have had an $8 credit. This is of course my half of the OBC.

I am just saying, you can be pretty thrifty and happy on a cruise.

OOPS..I tipped our Lisbon walking tour guide ten Euros.

Check your passports and visas now to be sure they are valid until your return.

Make a list and tape it to your door--the door you use to walk to the car and get in: passport, documents (tickets), driver's liscense, credit card/s, medications, glasses, hat.

May I ask what is a pink luncheon?

 

Dawn

I have no. Idea how it got started but just about every cruise critic on the Reflection, notified via the Roll Call, attended a luncheon in the main DR and there were prizes for wearing the most pink..it was alot of fun and there were a huge number of cc's there. Afterwards there was a cabin crawl, a chance to visit cabins volunteered for veiwing, so we got to see everything from a simple inside to a more posh one, to a balcony and a suite with LR.

The cruise began with sailaway on the aft deck, nametags provided by very organized cruise critic members (read fun, party people with much sailing experience). We had our own trivia teams...just lots if things discussed pre cruise on the Roll Call.

Thank you for the quick responses. Can choice air be used by anyone or only if cruising?

 

Also, anyone have an idea for Rome hotels that won't blow the bank account? :),

Last time there we stayed in a BnB called. Rome Sweet Rome. We really liked it, between the train station and the Coliseum. Don't expect a great breakfast, but the rooms are huge and it is a terrific value. Two good bus lines stop right in front, and there is an elavator.

Hi Beth, i won't forget the chorus' rendition of Hallelujah! And your matching choir gowns. The final talent show was so much fun. Margaret (who is cruising to China as I write this) and I especially enjoyed the single-sailors luncheons and getting to know you better! I am going home from Barcelona on 2 Nov on the Ryndam. At the moment the Celebrity TA schedules are a little too late for me.

You didn't mention the awesome ice cream...best I have had (and I didn't gain any weight!!!)

Send me an email to keep in. Touch..susanmellups@aol

I think our cruise was so much fun because of our hard working cruisecritic meetngreet crew..who ever heard of a pink luncheon?

Cabin D 4 with two sets of bunk beds separated by 20 inches of aisle. Bathrooms down the hall.

Dinner at big benchy tables with ten. Most fellow pax were students going abroad for junior year of college. Rhodes scholars.

The ship rocked, literally, and a British chap named Reg taght me to drink gin and tonics to counteract the sea swells.

I still have that old trunk and the sticker on it!

Will Cunard enroll me in their loyalty program, do you think?

HaHaHaHaHa! New jeans: priceless.

A follow up on my assertion that an over the door shoe holder was the best thing I took.

I was on the Nieuw Amsterdam.

I am a senior cruiser and had everything from pills holders to (3 kinds) of hairbrushes, little shampoo & creme rinse (like many women I have special preferences), cortisone cream, antibiotic cream, tooth stuff, etc., plus DH had shaving gel..etc. His toilet kit would not fit on any of the handy bathroom shelves. I found this door storage perfect for anything that fit (sunglasses, sunblock). I even stowed some jewelry in it. And I am very low maintainance.

What I probably won't take next time: the little things that the infirmary can provide, like cough medicine.

The other thing: I needed more summer clothes on that Nov. transatlantic from Barcelona to Lauderdale.

Another strange thing on that crossing:

I never saw one pair of jeans. Many many men wore tuxes to formal night- more than half. This for me was a major triumph personally, my blessed DH added four more wearings to his formal wear making it $100 per use since 1986! Ha ha.