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Celebrity Silhouette 05 July Adriatic Cruise - 1st-timer Questions!

Gab07969

By Gab07969,
in Celebrity Cruises

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Gab07969

Gab07969

Posted
Posted

Hi All

 

My mom (51) and I (19) are traveling on the 5th of July Adriatic Cruise (Departing from Venice, Italy; Ravenna, Italy; Koper, Slovenia; Split, Croatia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; Bari, Italy; Valletta, Malta; Catania,sicily,italy; Naples, Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy) and as a complete novice I need some advice!

 

In terms of shore excursions, based on reviews, it seems that the tours offered by the ship are somewhat overpriced and it's better to do your own thing? Can anyone confirm this? If so, is it necessary to get hold of local tour guides, or will we be fine just wandering around on our own (armed with a guidebook) ?

 

I'm also a little confused about the drinks packages. Neither of us are big drinkers (I'm from SA - legal drinking age is 18) but we do drink a lot of water. Do we need to purchase a drinks package for water?

 

The ship does offer fitness classes, but I can't seem to find out whether there are any that are complimentary? I know we'll probably be too exhausted from exploring the ports to hit the gym, but I'd like to know, regardless!

 

The cruise is 12 nights long, and I've heard the longer the cruise, the older the crowd. Is this true? Or can I expect more people in my age group because it's Summer in Europe? Are there any entertainment activities offered that would appeal to someone in my age-group? Any night clubs or bar that tend to be frequented by a younger crowd?

 

Any advice would be appreciated!

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Mercury

Mercury

Posted
Posted

Hi Gab

 

Here is a link for your Rollcall:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1382806

 

Lots of wonderful, helpful people! I know because I was booked on the July 5th sailing (had to change to Sep 17th for various reasons).

 

You will be able to find out if anyone is looking to share a private tour and you will also get lots of advice and suggestions!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

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rwr235

rwr235

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hi and Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Follow the link provided above by Mercury...and as you'll see from the first post, there are already young adults your age on the cruise !!....looks like you are in for a great cruise !!

 

A couple of general responses:

 

Since you mentioned the drinking age in SA...The drinking age on Celebrity ships is 21...however, because you are sailing a European itinerary, and traveling with your Mother.....there is a waiver that will allow you to purchase/consume alcohol, should that be a factor. See attached:

 

 

What is Celebrity's Alcohol Policy?

The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on all Celebrity Cruises ships is 21. However, on ships in Europe, South America and Australia, where the legal drinking age is lower than 21, a parent who is sailing with his or her son(s) and/or daughter(s) who is between the ages of 18 and 20, may sign a waiver allowing the 18-20-year-old to consume alcoholic beverages.

 

The 18-20-year-old must agree to comply with Celebrity Cruises' policies, including among other things, agreeing to not provide alcoholic beverages to any other person, regardless of age. Restrictions apply, and this policy is subject to change without notice.

 

There are some free fitness classes...such as Morning Stretch etc...but most structured classes such as Yoga, Pilates, Spin...have an attached fee. The gym however is free for all to use !!

 

As far as tours/excursions....as Mercury stated, your Roll Call is a great place to get info/join others/arrange private/arrange transport etc. That said, some of the most enjoyable times we have spent in new cities is doing just what you mentioned...wandering on our own with one or two guidebooks in hand !

 

Although we have not done your itinerary, our past 2 cruises have been on Celebrity in summer cruising the Med and Baltics, and yes, even though they were 12 nights and 14 nights, there were a large number of young adults on board.....so I think you are in for a great time !

 

Enjoy,

 

Woody

 

and I see that while I was typing this, you already joined your Roll Call....Enjoy !!

Edited by rwr235
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ivori

ivori

Posted
Posted

Hi Gabby, I sent you a friend request and I believe my email will be on there. email me and I will send you attachments for all those ports. just did that cruise and came home sat. and have loads of info.

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suec12

suec12

Posted
Posted

I think on your itinerary many of the ports are pretty good places to do-it-yourself. I would suggest purchasing the book Rick Steves Mediterranean Ports guide - there will be many good suggestions about the logistics of the different ports as well as info on how to spend your time. IMO if you are going to explore on your own, it is still good to have a plan of what you want to see and do. You will also get good ideas from others on your roll call as well as by reading thru the options offered by the ship. Have a great trip!

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Verona Gal

Verona Gal

Posted
Posted

We just finished basically the same cruise except ours was 13 nights instead of 12. We did Ravenna and Dubrovnik on our own using the ship shuttle. The other ports we used the ship excursions and were very happy we did.

 

This is a very port intensive cruise so we were off the ship every day except the one sea day by 9:00 AM and rarely returned until late afternoon. By the time our only sea day arrived we were very tired. It was wonderful to not have to deal with private tour arrangements and problems. We just showed up each morning and enjoyed excellent excursions arranged by Celebrity.

 

I know many cruisers don't have a high opinion of taking ship excursions, but we have had very good luck with them, while we have had some very mediocre days with private tours we set up.

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TSC

TSC

Posted
Posted
I think on your itinerary many of the ports are pretty good places to do-it-yourself. I would suggest purchasing the book Rick Steves Mediterranean Ports guide - there will be many good suggestions about the logistics of the different ports as well as info on how to spend your time. IMO if you are going to explore on your own, it is still good to have a plan of what you want to see and do. You will also get good ideas from others on your roll call as well as by reading thru the options offered by the ship. Have a great trip!

 

We are doing the reverse of your cruise in October. The Rick Steves's Med Ports book is good - but - it's missing many of these ports. It doesn't include Koper, Kotor, Bari, Ravenna, or Catania.

 

I agree with the other posters, that your best bet is to get on your roll-call. Usually there is lots of chatter about private tours.

 

Another option is to check out the reviews of recently returned cruisers from the Silhouette's Med cruises. Often they will post reviews of the private tours they took. I just read one from the Priesmans (I think that's how it's spelled) that was fabulous!! I highly recommend checking out their review - you will get so excited for the cruise. :p

 

Also - another comment about ages of cruisers. Yes, I think any longer cruise has a bit older crowd, but the summer months are less affected by that. You should be able to find others on board that are enjoying the night clubs. What a wonderful trip for you and your mom. Enjoy!

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TSC

TSC

Posted
Posted
Hi All

 

My mom (51) and I (19) are traveling on the 5th of July Adriatic Cruise (Departing from Venice, Italy; Ravenna, Italy; Koper, Slovenia; Split, Croatia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; Bari, Italy; Valletta, Malta; Catania,sicily,italy; Naples, Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy) and as a complete novice I need some advice!

 

In terms of shore excursions, based on reviews, it seems that the tours offered by the ship are somewhat overpriced and it's better to do your own thing? Can anyone confirm this? If so, is it necessary to get hold of local tour guides, or will we be fine just wandering around on our own (armed with a guidebook) ?

 

I'm also a little confused about the drinks packages. Neither of us are big drinkers (I'm from SA - legal drinking age is 18) but we do drink a lot of water. Do we need to purchase a drinks package for water?

 

The ship does offer fitness classes, but I can't seem to find out whether there are any that are complimentary? I know we'll probably be too exhausted from exploring the ports to hit the gym, but I'd like to know, regardless!

 

The cruise is 12 nights long, and I've heard the longer the cruise, the older the crowd. Is this true? Or can I expect more people in my age group because it's Summer in Europe? Are there any entertainment activities offered that would appeal to someone in my age-group? Any night clubs or bar that tend to be frequented by a younger crowd?

 

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

 

Drink package - no need to purchase one - and I don't think it makes much sense on this port intensive cruise. There is tap water, tea, coffee, and usually a fruit type drink (like lemonade) available for free. Everything else is available on a cost per drink. A Coke, a glass of beer, and a glass of wine usually cost about what we'd pay here in the US - (check out the threads on the drink packages - all the prices are posted.) The soda package (all the fountain soda (not cans) you want every day costs about $7 per day and is a good idea if you are a big soda drinker. I've been known to start my day with a diet Coke! :p The alcohol packages (includes sodas, coffees, and special waters too) start at about $45 per day for classic and the premium is about $55 per day (these are estimates - check the threads for actual costs.)

 

We used the classic alcohol one once for my husband on a Carribbean cruise and thought it was a good idea because of the convenience and because it felt good not to think about whether or not something costs extra- BUT - we are not going to purchase for the Med cruise, because we won't be on board long enough each day to get our money's worth. Every day but one, we will be in port - not on the ship.

 

On this cruise, even if he buys a special coffee (about $5) and 3 cocktails (about $6 for his Jack Daniels and water) and a couple of Cokes (about $2) - he can't come close to the $45 per day to break even. I guess if you are a bigger drinker and want the special martinis available on the premium package (the $12 per drink) it might be a deal - but - no way we can drink that much every day and still make it to the tour the next morning. Of course ..... we are not 19!!!

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abbyjack41

abbyjack41

Posted
Posted

Just had to add my 2 cents since we just completed this cruise on June 15.

We didn't have anything planned for Malta and when we arrived it didn't look like there was much to do near the port.

We left the terminal to look around and ran into some people selling tickets to the hop on hop off tour bus.

Best 10 euro we spent on the entire trip!

All the way around the island with stops at many points of interest.

Well worth the price.

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USVI-4-me

USVI-4-me

Posted
Posted (edited)

In addition to the Roll Call, please visit the Ports of Call section of this message board.

 

There's a hop on hop off bus at the port in Naples, you can walk around Dubrovinik on your own (get a shuttle to/from the ship).

 

I'd want to tour Pompeii and/or Herculaneum when docked in Naples.

 

There was a recent thread on the message boards with fabulous photos. Check for the recent review of the Silhouette for lots of information.

 

We have not been satisfied with most Celebrity tours but they are better than not taking any tour..... so get on the roll call asap for alternate choices.

 

Exercise, you will get plenty of exercise on this itinerary. If you need more, go up and down the stairs on the ship.

 

Have a wonderful time. You are going to love every minute. Order a soda at the bars and make friends with the experienced travellers sitting beside you.

 

Marisa (PS below.......

 

I'm not experienced at adding quotes to a thread but here my try at a copy and paste for the review:

 

Thank you to "Mike"

 

Silhouette Med Cruise Review With Lots of Photos and Menus

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

We have just posted a review to our website with lots of photos of our recently completed Mediterranean cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette. Also included are menus from many of the bars and eating venues along with food photos from the main dining room. It was an absolutely wonderful cruise to some great ports. We also took a post-cruise trip to incredibly beautiful Bellagio on Lake Como.

 

 

 

The review is located at http://www.thepreismans.com. I hope it is helpful for those of you that are planning a cruise; and that it brings back some fond memories to those of you who have been able to visit these amazing ports.

__________________

Mike

Edited by USVI-4-me
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MVPinBoynton Great Review Rare

MVPinBoynton

Posted
Posted
.

 

Marisa (PS below.......

 

I'm not experienced at adding quotes to a thread but here my try at a copy and paste for the review:

 

Thank you to "Mike"

 

Silhouette Med Cruise Review With Lots of Photos and Menus

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

We have just posted a review to our website with lots of photos of our recently completed Mediterranean cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette. Also included are menus from many of the bars and eating venues along with food photos from the main dining room. It was an absolutely wonderful cruise to some great ports. We also took a post-cruise trip to incredibly beautiful Bellagio on Lake Como.

 

 

 

The review is located at www.thepreismans.com. I hope it is helpful for those of you that are planning a cruise; and that it brings back some fond memories to those of you who have been able to visit these amazing ports.

__________________

Mike

 

 

Thanks for referencing our website. It is appreciated, since we like to help folks find out about the cruise before they go; as well as recommend some great port excursions.

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  • 1 year later...
NM925

NM925

Posted
Posted
Hi Gabby, I sent you a friend request and I believe my email will be on there. email me and I will send you attachments for all those ports. just did that cruise and came home sat. and have loads of info.

 

I would love this information too! Would you mind?

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