Celebration - Ancient Wonders

[all-afloaty]

Just booked Ancient Wonders on The Celebration for next September. We have been on The Dream twice but this will be our first time on Celebration. Any advice on the ship, cabins or the itinerary and excursions that are a must-do would be very much appreciated. :)

[Julessmiles]

Just booked Ancient Wonders on The Celebration for next September. We have been on The Dream twice but this will be our first time on Celebration. Any advice on the ship, cabins or the itinerary and excursions that are a must-do would be very much appreciated. :)

 

 

Here are a couple of links for the Ancient Wonders - we have done this twice now; once in 2012 & again in 2013 & managed to see different places both times - it's a great itinerary & a lovely ship; not as big as the Dream but I am told a very similar atmosphere to the Dream:- we have booked for the Dream for next year!

 

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1781728

 

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1844802

[Sailaway487]

Just booked Ancient Wonders on The Celebration for next September. We have been on The Dream twice but this will be our first time on Celebration. Any advice on the ship, cabins or the itinerary and excursions that are a must-do would be very much appreciated. :)

 

It's a lovely itinerary Ancient Wonders, especially the stops in Istanbul and Santorini. For cabin ideas, have a look at our cabin reviews thread:

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803243

 

Just click on the link for the spreadsheet on that thread and you can review cabin reviews there. :)

[Julessmiles]

Here is a review of ports that we did this year on our Ancient Wonders Cruise

 

 

 

Our first week was the Crimean Discovery so I have just copied the bit about Istanbul for that week:-

 

 

 

I would recommend listening to the commentary through the Dardanelles on the way to Istanbul. It is a very moving talk detailing the history of the area as you sail past all the various monuments. We also stayed up for the sail through Istanbul at night too - it was about 1am-ish that we started to go through & we saw the city lit up at night with the Bridges that change their colour. Also, the sail-in back through the Bosphorous that started at 6.15am was well worth getting up for; we had dolphins following us all the way.

 

 

Istanbul

 

This was our 2nd visit to the city - what an amazingingly vibrant, busy & bustling place with so much of interest to see & visit. This year we were docked a good walk from the Galata Bridge - we had to walk quite a way out of the port before we actually got anywhere. We spent our whole day walking, taking in all the sights & sounds. We found our way to the Galata Tower, a pleasant walk through the streets uphill. We paid 15Tkl to get in & go up to the top in a lift - well worth it for the fantastic views all around the city - photographer's heaven!

 

From here, we walked down through the narrow streets & over across the Galata Bridge, around the fish markets then up the hill where we visited the Sulieymane Mosque which was beautiful. This Mosque is set in a lovely area with beautiful grounds & lots of buildings surrounding it. We felt it was much quieter & prettier than the Blue Mosque & not full of people.

 

From here, we walked & spent some time in the Grand Bazaar then walked down to the Hippodrome area seeing Aghia Sophia & the Blue Mosque from the outside. We ended up walking back down & across the Galata Bridge rather than take the tram - it was very busy by the afternoon when we did

 

Ancient Wonders Cruise 12th-19th August 2013

 

Marmaris

 

We spent a lovely day when it was so hot here on our changeover day.

 

We walked from the ship to the old town & harbour which is further than it looks - a good 20 minute walk. From here, we kept following the promenade around until we reached the bay where there were water taxis. Marmaris is a very big, touristy resort & we didn't like the idea of staying there for the day so we caught a water taxi across to Icemeler. It cost 10 Tkl per person each way which was good value as it was a lovely 20 minute ride around the bay.

 

We had a wonderful day at the beach - we hired sunbeds for 5Tkl for the day & could bring in our own drinks so went & bought a supply & enjoyed our day in the warm sea then caught the water taxi back.

 

Other times we have been to Marmaris, we have been on an excellent jeep trip up into the hills & we also did an excellent cycle trip from the ship all the way around to Icemeler & back last year.

 

Istanbul

 

We got off early & walked across the Galata Bridge & spent the morning wandering around the Spice Market & bought some bargains. Had no hassle at all from the vendors; all very friendly & lots of words exchanged in good humour. Istanbul is a place for handbag, shoe, sunglasses & t-shirt bargains. We got back to the ship & enjoyed it while it was peaceful as this was our 4th time here so didn't feel we had to spend a whole day there this time.

 

Lesbos

 

This was a tender port. We had no problem getting tickets & got off quite soon after the tours left. My husband did the cycle tour that day which was very enjoyable; about 17 miles of fairly flat cycling (only 2 hills!) around pretty, scenic countryside & stopping off at a small Greek village & Taverna for a drink & a bite to eat.

 

We took the easiest option & turned right out of the port, followed the coastal road round & spent a lovely day at the beach. It cost 2euros for adults, 1euro for children to access the beach & we had sun loungers & parasols for the day. There was a cafe selling drinks which were reasonably priced as well as food. The beach was pebbly & shingle. We forgot to take our beach shoes but could walk across a pier & walk down some steps into the warm sea - take flip flops or beach shoes!

 

After our day here, we had a little wander around the pretty port town where there were a few shops, restaurants etc before we got the tender back.

 

Piraeus

 

We booked a trip to the Corinth Canal here - can thoroughly recommend if you have already seen Athens. It was an hour's pleasant journey where we stopped at the top of the canal where we took in superb views of the whole of the canal, including some boats sailing through - it looked much shorter than it's actual 6km length & didn't look very high until we saw somebody throw themselves off the top bungy jumping which was great as it gave us an impression of the real height of it!

 

From here, we took the coach down to the 'bottom' entrance to the canal where we got on a boat & had a lovely ride up & down the canal with a commentary. There was an enclosed bottom deck or an open top deck with seating & a few sunbeds. This was a really enjoyable & relaxing boat trip.

 

We had a lovely drive all around the coast back to the port.

 

Last time we went to Athens, we did the 'Athens on your own" trip where we got off, wandered around the top by the Acropolis & took in all the city views, then had a wander around Plaka & watched the Changing of the Guard & walked back through the gardens to the bus. My husband did a cycle ride from Piraeus into Athens centre & saw some lovely sights including the modern Olympic Stadium & the Acropolis from a different perspective.

 

Kudadasi

 

From here, we had booked the all day boat trip. This was a great day out & very good value for money. They picked us up & took us by bus to a little port where we boarded a 2 tiered boat with sun deck for the day. We were with other tourists of all nationalities which was fine. We had 3 swim stops & it included soft drinks & a lovely lunch of chicken, pasta, salad, rice, bread & water melon.

 

The previous time we went to Kusadasi we did the 1/2 day Ephesus & Mary's House which was a very good trip.

 

Mykonos / Bodrum

 

We were supposed to be going to Mykonos but an announcement was made at about 6pm the previous day to say that due to high winds we would be unable to sail there or dock/tender the following day & the Captain told he had secured a berth in Bodrum which we were quite pleased about as we have holidayed many times around Bodrum so know the area really well.

 

The ship docks about 1 mile from the castle & bazaar & there is a water taxi transfer provided by the tourist board from the ship to the castle & return. We didn't see this at all but it was advertised everywhere. About 10 minutes walk from the ship is a smallish beach where a lot of people spend the day. We caught a taxi & spent the day at the nearby resort of Bitez (about 15minutes drive) where there is a lovely big beach with sunbeds, parasols, plenty of restaurants & some lovely shops with genuine fakes at a more reasonable price than in Bodrum.

 

We caught a taxi back to near the castle at Bodrum & had a nice walk all the way through the bazaar & shopping area to the ship.

 

When we went to Mykonos last year, we spent the day on a jeep trip tour driving around the island - this was a good tour with a guide in a self-drive jeep, stopping at various different points & finishing with a beach at the end of the day.

 

We really enjoyed our 2nd time on this itinerary doing the same ports but managing to do and see alternative places to what we had done before. We will return & do this itinerary again in the future but next time have chosen to try the Western Med on the Dream :)

Edited October 9, 2013 by Julessmiles

[Julessmiles]

Here is a link to the review I did too - not sure if I have repeated myself in it from the above links but it's there to read if you want!

 

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=226587

Edited October 9, 2013 by Julessmiles

[all-afloaty]

Here are a couple of links for the Ancient Wonders - we have done this twice now; once in 2012 & again in 2013 & managed to see different places both times - it's a great itinerary & a lovely ship; not as big as the Dream but I am told a very similar atmosphere to the Dream:- we have booked for the Dream for next year!

 

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1781728

 

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1844802

 

 

Thank you so much for all the information you've supplied - I am extremely grateful. :)

[all-afloaty]

It's a lovely itinerary Ancient Wonders, especially the stops in Istanbul and Santorini. For cabin ideas, have a look at our cabin reviews thread:

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803243

 

Just click on the link for the spreadsheet on that thread and you can review cabin reviews there. :)

 

 

Thank you so much for the information - I'm very grateful :)

[all-afloaty]

Here is a review of ports that we did this year on our Ancient Wonders Cruise

 

 

 

Our first week was the Crimean Discovery so I have just copied the bit about Istanbul for that week:-

 

 

 

I would recommend listening to the commentary through the Dardanelles on the way to Istanbul. It is a very moving talk detailing the history of the area as you sail past all the various monuments. We also stayed up for the sail through Istanbul at night too - it was about 1am-ish that we started to go through & we saw the city lit up at night with the Bridges that change their colour. Also, the sail-in back through the Bosphorous that started at 6.15am was well worth getting up for; we had dolphins following us all the way.

 

 

Istanbul

 

This was our 2nd visit to the city - what an amazingingly vibrant, busy & bustling place with so much of interest to see & visit. This year we were docked a good walk from the Galata Bridge - we had to walk quite a way out of the port before we actually got anywhere. We spent our whole day walking, taking in all the sights & sounds. We found our way to the Galata Tower, a pleasant walk through the streets uphill. We paid 15Tkl to get in & go up to the top in a lift - well worth it for the fantastic views all around the city - photographer's heaven!

 

From here, we walked down through the narrow streets & over across the Galata Bridge, around the fish markets then up the hill where we visited the Sulieymane Mosque which was beautiful. This Mosque is set in a lovely area with beautiful grounds & lots of buildings surrounding it. We felt it was much quieter & prettier than the Blue Mosque & not full of people.

 

From here, we walked & spent some time in the Grand Bazaar then walked down to the Hippodrome area seeing Aghia Sophia & the Blue Mosque from the outside. We ended up walking back down & across the Galata Bridge rather than take the tram - it was very busy by the afternoon when we did

 

Ancient Wonders Cruise 12th-19th August 2013

 

Marmaris

 

We spent a lovely day when it was so hot here on our changeover day.

 

We walked from the ship to the old town & harbour which is further than it looks - a good 20 minute walk. From here, we kept following the promenade around until we reached the bay where there were water taxis. Marmaris is a very big, touristy resort & we didn't like the idea of staying there for the day so we caught a water taxi across to Icemeler. It cost 10 Tkl per person each way which was good value as it was a lovely 20 minute ride around the bay.

 

We had a wonderful day at the beach - we hired sunbeds for 5Tkl for the day & could bring in our own drinks so went & bought a supply & enjoyed our day in the warm sea then caught the water taxi back.

 

Other times we have been to Marmaris, we have been on an excellent jeep trip up into the hills & we also did an excellent cycle trip from the ship all the way around to Icemeler & back last year.

 

Istanbul

 

We got off early & walked across the Galata Bridge & spent the morning wandering around the Spice Market & bought some bargains. Had no hassle at all from the vendors; all very friendly & lots of words exchanged in good humour. Istanbul is a place for handbag, shoe, sunglasses & t-shirt bargains. We got back to the ship & enjoyed it while it was peaceful as this was our 4th time here so didn't feel we had to spend a whole day there this time.

 

Lesbos

 

This was a tender port. We had no problem getting tickets & got off quite soon after the tours left. My husband did the cycle tour that day which was very enjoyable; about 17 miles of fairly flat cycling (only 2 hills!) around pretty, scenic countryside & stopping off at a small Greek village & Taverna for a drink & a bite to eat.

 

We took the easiest option & turned right out of the port, followed the coastal road round & spent a lovely day at the beach. It cost 2euros for adults, 1euro for children to access the beach & we had sun loungers & parasols for the day. There was a cafe selling drinks which were reasonably priced as well as food. The beach was pebbly & shingle. We forgot to take our beach shoes but could walk across a pier & walk down some steps into the warm sea - take flip flops or beach shoes!

 

After our day here, we had a little wander around the pretty port town where there were a few shops, restaurants etc before we got the tender back.

 

Piraeus

 

We booked a trip to the Corinth Canal here - can thoroughly recommend if you have already seen Athens. It was an hour's pleasant journey where we stopped at the top of the canal where we took in superb views of the whole of the canal, including some boats sailing through - it looked much shorter than it's actual 6km length & didn't look very high until we saw somebody throw themselves off the top bungy jumping which was great as it gave us an impression of the real height of it!

 

From here, we took the coach down to the 'bottom' entrance to the canal where we got on a boat & had a lovely ride up & down the canal with a commentary. There was an enclosed bottom deck or an open top deck with seating & a few sunbeds. This was a really enjoyable & relaxing boat trip.

 

We had a lovely drive all around the coast back to the port.

 

Last time we went to Athens, we did the 'Athens on your own" trip where we got off, wandered around the top by the Acropolis & took in all the city views, then had a wander around Plaka & watched the Changing of the Guard & walked back through the gardens to the bus. My husband did a cycle ride from Piraeus into Athens centre & saw some lovely sights including the modern Olympic Stadium & the Acropolis from a different perspective.

 

Kudadasi

 

From here, we had booked the all day boat trip. This was a great day out & very good value for money. They picked us up & took us by bus to a little port where we boarded a 2 tiered boat with sun deck for the day. We were with other tourists of all nationalities which was fine. We had 3 swim stops & it included soft drinks & a lovely lunch of chicken, pasta, salad, rice, bread & water melon.

 

The previous time we went to Kusadasi we did the 1/2 day Ephesus & Mary's House which was a very good trip.

 

Mykonos / Bodrum

 

We were supposed to be going to Mykonos but an announcement was made at about 6pm the previous day to say that due to high winds we would be unable to sail there or dock/tender the following day & the Captain told he had secured a berth in Bodrum which we were quite pleased about as we have holidayed many times around Bodrum so know the area really well.

 

The ship docks about 1 mile from the castle & bazaar & there is a water taxi transfer provided by the tourist board from the ship to the castle & return. We didn't see this at all but it was advertised everywhere. About 10 minutes walk from the ship is a smallish beach where a lot of people spend the day. We caught a taxi & spent the day at the nearby resort of Bitez (about 15minutes drive) where there is a lovely big beach with sunbeds, parasols, plenty of restaurants & some lovely shops with genuine fakes at a more reasonable price than in Bodrum.

 

We caught a taxi back to near the castle at Bodrum & had a nice walk all the way through the bazaar & shopping area to the ship.

 

When we went to Mykonos last year, we spent the day on a jeep trip tour driving around the island - this was a good tour with a guide in a self-drive jeep, stopping at various different points & finishing with a beach at the end of the day.

 

We really enjoyed our 2nd time on this itinerary doing the same ports but managing to do and see alternative places to what we had done before. We will return & do this itinerary again in the future but next time have chosen to try the Western Med on the Dream :)

 

 

 

 

Hi julesmiles :) this is the info I was talking about, I was just wanting to copy the 1st paragraph but couldn't find a way so have had to quote the whole lot! In the 1st para you as about listening to commentary which I think you said is early evening. Then you say about the sail-in to Istanbul in the early hours which I really fancy watching, I take it you dock during the night? Then you mention the sail-in back through the Bosphorous with the dolphins which followed the ship, was this when you arrived in Istanbul or as you were leaving?

 

 

 

 

All-afloaty :)

[Julessmiles]

Hi julesmiles :) this is the info I was talking about, I was just wanting to copy the 1st paragraph but couldn't find a way so have had to quote the whole lot! In the 1st para you as about listening to commentary which I think you said is early evening. Then you say about the sail-in to Istanbul in the early hours which I really fancy watching, I take it you dock during the night? Then you mention the sail-in back through the Bosphorous with the dolphins which followed the ship, was this when you arrived in Istanbul or as you were leaving?

 

 

 

 

All-afloaty :)

 

Are you just doing the Ancient Wonders? If so the commentary through the Dardanelles will be early evening. You will arrive into Istanbul early the following morning, which is worth getting up for however you will see the sail out if not.

 

The reason we did all the other bits was because we also did the Crimean (Black Sea) cruise on our first week which is slightly different as we left Marmaris earlier & sailed through the Dardanelles at approx 3pm. We then got to Istanbul at about 1am. The return journey through the Bosphorous was coming back in via the Black Sea. Unless you are also doing the Black Sea then you won't be doing that although you can do a Bosporous boat trip with Thomson however I would advise you to spend as much time in Istanbul itself as it is such a vibrant city! Maybe you could do the Black Sea another year ;)

[CRUISIN LINDA]

All-afloaty - tip for future reference - you can quote and then highlight and delete what is not relevant :)

[all-afloaty]

Are you just doing the Ancient Wonders? If so the commentary through the Dardanelles will be early evening. You will arrive into Istanbul early the following morning, which is worth getting up for however you will see the sail out if not.

 

 

 

The reason we did all the other bits was because we also did the Crimean (Black Sea) cruise on our first week which is slightly different as we left Marmaris earlier & sailed through the Dardanelles at approx 3pm. We then got to Istanbul at about 1am. The return journey through the Bosphorous was coming back in via the Black Sea. Unless you are also doing the Black Sea then you won't be doing that although you can do a Bosporous boat trip with Thomson however I would advise you to spend as much time in Istanbul itself as it is such a vibrant city! Maybe you could do the Black Sea another year ;)

 

 

Thank you julesmiles - we got there in the end!

 

 

All-afloaty :)

[all-afloaty]

All-afloaty - tip for future reference - you can quote and then highlight and delete what is not relevant :)

 

 

Thank you cruisinlinda - is there a way I could have cut/copied and then posted 'for julesmiles' bearing in mind I'm on iPad

 

 

 

 

All-afloaty :)

[Sheila49]

Thank you cruisinlinda - is there a way I could have cut/copied and then posted 'for julesmiles' bearing in mind I'm on iPad

 

 

 

 

All-afloaty :)

 

Hi All-afloaty, I have tried to quote parts of posts several times (using iPad) and the only way I have been able to do it is quote the whole post then delete the irrelevant parts. That's ok if it's a short post but not good for a long one! I find it just about impossible to highlight a short passage to quote it.

[happy v]

All-afloaty - you can quote and then highlight and delete what is not relevant :)

 

I didn't know how to do that :o. I have tried various options in the past but without success.

 

I bow to your superior intelligence.:rolleyes::D:D

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Ah, but I am talking about doing it on a laptop. Not sure if you can do it on a tablet or phone :o :o

[all-afloaty]

Thank you each of you for your help - much appreciated :)

 

 

All-afloaty :)

[kruzseeka]

I find it a bit of a challenge to even Copy and Paste on my Nexus - sometimes it will........... sometimes it won't respond. :confused: I also can't use the 'Search this Forum' feature on the device. As for posting links - I've lost so many posts trying to mess around jumping between posts I've given up trying! If I want to anything more than a basic post it's far safer using the laptop! :rolleyes: Oh and I forgot although I could read the Forum, I couldn't post or interact with it at all with Google Chrome. DH changed it to Firefox which works ok apart from the issues decribed above. I'm totally befuddled by the whole thing! :confused:

[joeholiday2]

Sheila and Kruz are right about Ipads and tablets, they are a pain in the Ar*e for anything other than a basic post.

The Android app doesn't show any polls either, which is annoying.:mad:

 

I try to use the PC most of the time when posting.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Me too Joe. I didn't even know you could copy and paste on tablets or smartphones :o

[happy v]

Ah, but I am talking about doing it on a laptop. Not sure if you can do it on a tablet or phone :o :o

 

Well lucky me!:rolleyes::D

I don't have a tablet or a phone so your information worked for me.:D.........the only problem I have is incompetence.:(

[Jakanne1]

Well I love my iPad. Especially after struggling with my (not so new anymore) Windows 8 laptop. Wouldn't even let me in without me using 3 different passwords. I have incompetence too! :eek: :(

The Ancient Wonders Cruise looks very interesting. Another itinerary to add to the Wish List. :)