May 2- Lirica Trans-Atlantic crossing from FLL..anyone?

:o Considering doing this crossing and was wondering if anyone else is considering it also. I just read some posts were some folks will be doing the Dec. 27th from Genoa to Fort Lauderdale, wich I am sure will be nice also, but I seem to be attracted to the going back to Europe crossing and ending in Genoa, Italy. Please let me know if anyone is going. Thanks so much.....:)

Hi

I am on the Westbound crossing on Dec 27th. I don't know what you have been quoted for your propsed Eastbound in spring but I think I did well on skyauction for mine.

Just watch out for the extra $433 taxes and charges, and the $15 mail cost.

How can the taxes etc amount to $433? Its more than the cruise ticket!

Hi- Well..since I will be travelling "solo" and as we all know, single travelers get "penalized" for being ONLY one passenger, the Spring sailing is close to $1600.00 and this is in an inside cabin!....but it is also for 17 days. I did not know about the added expense...:eek: ...of $433.00.....I may have to re-consider this after all. You sound like you got yourself a "fantastic deal" and good for you. I have never tried Sjyauction but then again, I will still be cruising solo and those internet consolidators are usually for two.(!)..wish me luck....:)

I am sorry if I was not clear. The $433 is an amount levied by skyauction - not the cruise line or other agent.

I don't believe the port taxes etc are that much and hopefully your $1600 will be inclusive of all charges.

Also as far as skyauction are concerned I am quite unhappy with them - I won an auction for an inside cabin on another cruise - paid for it - today they emailed me saying they were sorry all the insides were gone but for an extra $500 we could have an outside.

Is that called bait and switch?

Hmmmmm...it does sound very suspicious. how can they assign a cabin to an individual who has bidded and paid for it ...just to turn around and say there is no availability and you will have to go for an outside cabin instead AND for an additional $500.00???....absurd. One of my friends swears by Skyauction.com as she does get pretty good deals.(!)...I am still working on the Eastbound Trans-atlantic crossing. I wanted to do it last year, but when I went to inquire into it, the ship was completely SOLD OUT. So...I thought I would give it another try this year. I do think the $1600.00 includes all taxes and port charges. Thanks for your input just the same and have a good evening. :)

Well...Geeee Whizzzz!...I am the only ONE going across to Genoa?..FANTASTIC! I shall have the attention of the entire crew! No long lines...anywhere and the pool all to myself. Don't be shy..speak up and tell me if you are boked. :D Bye

Sorry LL your not going to have all those Italians to yourself. A few of our friends are thinking of this one. Best price so far for Cat 6 is $1469. haven't tried Sky..... yet.

Marge

Why not travel 2nd April instead on Opera? So far Cod and her hubby and us 2 are booked for that one!!

Through cruisecomp...e I am paying USDollars 1828.50 per person for a category 11 balcony cabin. I am a happy person indeed. After arranging all flights myself thru lastmin... I am almost 50% under the prices that the Austrian travel agent is at long last able to offer.

LL, there are others who will be aboard with you, maybe even from as far afield as downunder, but I'll still leave it up to you rather than me to be entertained in the Italian way unless of course there are to be senoratamers both entertaining and/or to be tamed.:rolleyes:

:rolleyes: We're booked Marge!:rolleyes:

We are part of the group who cruised transatlantic before with wwwmarge - (who we will miss as she has booked the April trip on Opera!) we had a great group and are stillin touch well after the cruise.

We are English, but have a house in Spain - so are looking forward both to some new caribbean ports and familiar ports in Spain!

Has anyone any hints on the ports in the caribbean?

thanks

Kathy and Andrew

Has anyone any hints on the ports in the caribbean? thanks

Kathy and Andrew

Hi Kathy,

I'll answer and give them all to you. Marge

San Juan 7p to 2p next day

St Thomas

St Lucia this one is great 1p to Midnight.

Martinique

Barbados

5 sea days

Funchal

sea day

Malaga,

Barcelona 9p - Noon next day

Genoa

Have fun!!!

:confused: I think Kathy may have been seeking info on the ports themselves rather than on timing?:cool:

Am I right?:o

;) It's all gone very quiet! Are you all still looking forward to the crossing?:confused:

Thanks Marge, yes I was really looking for further ideas on the islands we haven't been to before!

I agree this string is a bit quiet, hopefully we will get some others in nearer the time

We just gor back from our Splendour of the Seas med cruise and we passed Opera in port at Naples. She looks beatiful so I'm sure Lyrica will be lovlely too!

Cheers

Kathy

I guess I'll just post a reply to myself to see if this gets the thread nearer to the top of the message board list - there must be somebody out there who wants to talk to us!!!!!!

Hi, my wife and I will also be on the May 2, 2005 cruise to Genoa. Hope to meet lots of nice Cruise Critic members. Really enjoyed thsir company on another cruise we were on.

My husband and I are booked on this cruise. My husband will be celebrating his birthday during the cruise so we hope to have made lots of new friends to party with.:)

Hi Kathy

We will be doing the 02 May Trans Atlantic crossing, like you the Caribbean ports are new to us. I have had some messages back to my original enquiry on another thread, where I have gained some information. Also if you go to the CC information on destinations on this web site you will find a host of interesting facts about the islands that we will be visiting.

We too are English and we are in the process of purchasing a house in Spain (Murcia province) with the view to living there in about 18-24 months time. It would be very nice to meet up with you. Irene & Roger

 

Has anyone any hints on the ports in the caribbean?

 

thanks

Kathy and Andrew

Hello,

Maybe I can help

San Juan has a quaint "Old Town" immediately adjacent to some of the cruise ship docks, possibly one where we will dock. If so, it's a short walking distance.

Old San Juan has beautiful 18th and 19th century architecture, lots of shopping and dining, and is home to the original Pina Colada cocktail. Yum! Many of the streets in Old San Juan are paved in blue slag stone, which arrived as ballast in sailing ship holds. Very close by are gorgeous beaches, and an interesting fort used by US military during the Spanish/American war.

NOT worth while, in my opinion, is a visit to the Bacardi Rum factory not far out of town. I found it a useless waste of time.

St. Thomas is generally considered to be the best place in all of the Caribbean for jewelry shopping. Also beautiful beaches, snorkeling, and sailing.

St. Lucia, I have not been ashore, but on Christmas Day 2004, on QE2 enroute from St. Thomas to Grenada, we approached St. Lucia at sunset. The captain gave us a treat by sailing very close to the shore, and paused while the sun set, and the moon rose, over this gorgeous island. It was positively a stunning sight. I've heard that St. Lucia is considered to be the most beautiful of the Carribean islands.

Martinique is France in the Carribean. French is the language here, and the town is very Colonial French. Very nice sailing and snorkeling.

Barbados also has very nice sailing and snorkeling. Very close by taxi to the the cruise ship docks is a place called "The Boat Yard". It is very popular with locals, cruise ship passengers and crew on shore leave. It is a bar, restaurant, nightclub, with a very nice, large beach with all sorts of water activities. There is a door charge, how much I don't remember, but not much. The monitary unit is the Barbados Dollar, about half the value of the US dollar, so my bar tab there was very low, while my bar intake was very high. *hiccup* A fun place to go.

I found all the locals in all these places to be very friendly, especially those operating the shore excursions.

I love the water, so my excursions tend to be sailing and snorkeling, rather than shore excursions. I don't have any experience there, other than don't waste your time in San Juan at the Bacardi Factory. (but the rum punch and daquiri's included in the price were, um, delicious.)

I hope this helps you out.

Kyle

Hi Irene and Roger and Kyle

Thanks for the advice. We are just back on line, having moved house (from Brussels to Spain) and had a catalogue of disasters getting a good connection! Now I have got nearly all my boxes unpacked I can do some research on the ports. I notice from the "Lirica - transatlantic" thread that people have already mentioned it is a lot cheaper to do you own thing ashore. However we find the cruise company trips useful to get a flavour of the place if you have limited time ashore.

Does anyone know of MSC organise a cruise critic party like RCL - or do we have to do our own thing?

The last time we sailed transatlantic we met up with a group from the CC message board just after we boarded the ship and found them much more fun than the "official" party! On a long cruise it's nice to know a few people. There are lots of opportunities to chat without living in each others pockets!

BTW it's our 30th wedding aniversary this year so we also have something to celebrate!

Cheers

Kathy