dolfans0704

You are including compasses as well, YAY! Loving this review! :)

Dolfans from Miami

I am looking forward to reading your review. We are on the Serenade sailing in May doing the same itinerary that you all did. Sounds like you hit a few bumps along the way but I was happy to see that all worked out. Hope you are feeling better and thank you for taking the time to share your vacation with us! :)

Dolfans from Miami

We are looking forward to our tour with PK Travel in May. We have arranged 2 groups of 16 from our Roll Call based on the wonderful reviews on CC and must agree with others that Potoula has been great with addressing all our questions. Very much looking forward to our upcoming tour! :)

Dolfans from Miami

It went great but I don't rmemeber our guides name but it is the privatesantorinitours...I can find out but I think they charged us $55.00 per hour. I will check with the person who booked it to find out for sure.

Hi midwestchic

Thank you so much for posting your experience with your tour. I was wondering if you can tell me approximately how much time you spent in Oia and if you all took a lunch break? Were you in Oia in the morning? Greatly appreciate your feedback. :)

Dolfans from Miami

Hi midwestchick, sounds like a great tour, how did it go off? Would be interested in knowing who the tour operator was as well as the cost, we'll be in Santorini next June and I'm looking for something like this.

 

Am also considering renting a car, can Virtual Rain ( thanks for a terrific thread and super pix! ) and others tell me how tough it might be to find parking in June, also get around the island.

 

Thanks a ton!

It's Private Santorini Tours. Here is the link: http://www.privatesantorinitours.com/

We are doing this same tour the end of May. Great reviews on TripAdvisor and they have been really helpful and responsive to emails. Enjoy!

Dolfans from Miami

Here's a shot I got of Brilliance of the Seas' aft as she sailed off into the sunset yesterday:

 

Now that's a nice looking aft! ;)

Love the Radiance Class afts! :)

Dolfans from Miami

Not sure what it looks like now but these are a few pics from November last year also you can see some additional balcony pics on page 13 post 250

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for posting these pics of JS 1100. We will be sailing in this cabin on the Serenade in May for our Med/Greek Isles cruise and looking forward to our first corner aft! Really excited! :)

Dolfans from Miami

With 15 you get a guide on the van who talks about where you are going and some of the locations, etc. But I don't think those guides handle Pompeii and the Vatican, which require special permits. I would check with Jany to make sure.

I didn't organize the tours, but Jany did say that it was a driver and licensed guide which takes you into all the sites. I will double check with RIL. Thanks! :)

Dolfans from Miami

Those Baltic tours would have been better with eight or less. For the Hermitage we did it with four and that was the greatest! Heaven. The larger group had to go through wearing headphones to hear the guide. I have done many private tours and the smaller the group the better. Some places 16 is ok because you just want an overview. Like Berlin. A large group was fine there. Of course most want to share some of the cost so six or eight is perfect for sharing costs and getting a good tour. Best not to go higher than that.

 

And for Italy a vehicle that holds eight or less is the best size. Also you don't want to do the Vatican Museum with 15 people. Might as well book with the cruise line!

All great points. Thanks for the advise and tips!

Dolfans from Miami

I would advise that eight is the maximum amount of people you would want on a tour. Over that you are going to get slowed down, it's harder to manage, and it gets harder to hear the guide or driver.

All our tours for the Baltics (including St. Petersburg) were groups of 16 and we thought it was perfect!

Dolfans from Miami

Doesn't RIL include the guides on their tours for 15? That is what we have signed up for through our roll call and I am pretty sure the guide is included.

Dolfans from Miami

We were booked in 9660 on the aft for our Med/Greek Isles cruise next May when 1100 became available! Upgraded immediately and looking forward to our first corner aft! Hope it was worth the $$!

Dolfans from Miami

Am following a LIVE thread now from a Mediterranean cruise...rain, wind, cool temperatures and flooding in Venice...and one missed port due to high winds.

Ouch, that doesn't sound like fun! We are sailing the Med out of BCN in late May next year. . Did the Baltics earlier this year around the same time and really enjoyed not having large crowds in ports and temps were not so hot.

Dolfans from Miami

We have 1100 on Serenade for our upcoming Med cruise in May and hoping that it is as wonderful as everyone has said! We switched from aft 9660 when 1100 became available and hopefully it was a good choice! We love the aft and have never had a corner. Really excited! :)

Dolfans from Miami

I think this may have to do with the promotion that RCI is now offering if you book a Europe cruise and use Choice Air, you will receive $1,000 off of your cruise booking a balcony or higher. Not sure, just a guess.

Dolfans from Miami

I have been reading the threads about visiting St Petersburg along with warnings of grueling long days, cobblestone walks and great endurance required.

 

I also see that some companies offer a "comfort" tour for those not at 100% of the activity/endurance requirements.

 

But what about those of us that are not in great shape? No mobility devices, but less than perfect balance and endurance. Is anyone aware of a LOW impact tour of St Petersburg? (see my signature) We will be there two days and prefer private tours.

 

I hope we have not been too optimistic, thinking we can see this remarkable city. We will try harder to build up our endurance on the treadmill, but will never be athletes!

 

TIA

Hi TIA

You are really in for a treat! St. Petersburg is a fabulous city and we enjoyed our 2 day visit in May. We did Alla's Grand Tour and can't say enough about our experience. Although the days were long, I didn't find the tour too strenuous. Yes, a lot of walking over cobblestone pavement but the tour went at a comfortable pace. Alla also offers a Comfort Tour that omits visits to 2 sites if you are really concerned about not keeping up. We are in our late 40's/early 50's but do not consider ourselves in "tip top" shape. We hold our own and kept up with the tour with no problem. Enjoy! :)

Dolfans from Miami

Me, too! We have it booked for 2014 Med cruise. Would love to see pics of the balcony and room!

Wow, so do we! Want it to get here already!

Dolfans from Miami

Great pics....which aft is this?

Wondering if anyone has recent pics of 1100 Serenade of the Seas. Thanks!

Dolfans from Miami

I really love this thread and the pics are amazing! Thanks to everyone who has contributed! I was wondering if someone can tell me if there is a high top table/chairs on Serenade JS 1100 so we can have breakfast on the balcony. Also, if there are 2 or 3 lounge chairs. Greatly appreciate anyone who can provide additional info/pics as well. Thanks!

Dolfans from Miami

Don't forget the beautiful fountains, parks and canal/boat rides! Museums and Churches aren't really my thing but WOW! SPB was over and beyond my expectations and Alla's Tour manage to bring this city to life...far from boring!

Dolfans from Miami

I agree with previous postings ... easily done on your own.

You can purchase your tickets at the TI in Plaza Cataluña (or online before you go).

Websites:

Step by step guide to taking train to Montserrat:

http://www.montserrat-tourist-guide.com/en/transport/barcelona-to-montserrat-train.html

BCN Tourist Office:

https://bcnshop.barcelonaturisme.com/Tot-Montserrat/_vf-SMlY1yIuKQTV1aq49kDsdISBNb-j_iKSld-d1GKjchCTK2Rch2w

 

http://wikitravel.org/en/Montserrat_%28Spain%29

Ticket Options:

Tot Montserrat = €42.65 (includes metro, train, cable car or rack, funicular, monastery, museum & lunch)

Trans Montserrat (everything above except lunch & Montserrat Museum) = €26.60

Thank you for the detailed information, Jill! As always, you have provided me with such great assistance in my travel planning! :)

Dolfans from Miami

You could go to your hotel and drop off your bags. Then go to the train station and buy the Monserat travel package...train tickets, tram tickets, etc. You can buy this at the railway store at Plaza Cataluña if you wish.

 

This can easily be done on your own.

That sounds like a great option. Do you know how much the package is or where I can get the info from? Thanks for the tip! :)

Dolfans from Miami

You could go to your hotel and drop off your bags. Then go to the train station and buy the Monserat travel package...train tickets, tram tickets, etc. You can buy this at the railway store at Plaza Cataluña if you wish.

 

This can easily be done on your own.

That sounds like a great option. Do you know how much the package is or where I can get the info from? Thanks for the tip! :)

Dolfans from Miami

We are planning on doing the same 1/2 day tour when we come off of our cruise in June. Since we will not be able to check-in to our hotel until 2:00 or so, we thought it would be a wise choice to utilize the time. We were going to do it as you are planning but thought we would be to tired after an overnight flight. I guess it depends on the type of flyer you are. Enjoy!

Dolfans from Miami

We are going with alla tours brillance of the seas 8/7/2013

do they provide head sets for all the tours they offer.. Thanks

We toured with Alla off the Brilliance as well last month. GREAT cruise and beautiful ship! We had headsets in SPB which really came in handy. They are the ones that hook on around your earlobe with a small speaker that rests on your ear. Not the uncomfortable ear buds. We did not have headsets or needed them on her tours in Stockholm, Helsinki or Tallinn. They were a huge convenience and very well needed in SPB. All of Alla's tours were fabulous. You are in for a real treat! Enjoy your cruise!

Dolfans from Miami