Rhapsody of the Seas Greece/Adriatic Review from a RCCL newbie!

[springaussie]

I was on the same cruise. Enjoyed reading your review.

[BermudaBound2014]

It might be 3 miles between Fira and Oia as the crow flies but it's much farther by any other route (also very hilly). We did notice a couple of folks up in the hills when went by on the bus but have no idea where they were going.

 

Biker, who doesn't mind a long trek but would likely skip the above walk.

 

I did a bit more research. It's 5.5 miles, but I still think we are going to do it. Pictures from the hike are beautiful. It's actually listed on trip advisor as the #1 thing to do in Santorini. Most seem to hike from Fira to Oia, but I think we are going to do it backward. I'll report back.

 

HeatherB: HAve any recommendations for Corfu? We are looking for one island to do snorkeling/boating in and are thinking that might be Corfu. Apparently we dock quite a bit from town though. Not sure where the boats will pick up.

[Biker19]

 

HeatherB: HAve any recommendations for Corfu? We are looking for one island to do snorkeling/boating in and are thinking that might be Corfu. Apparently we dock quite a bit from town though. Not sure where the boats will pick up.

The ship docks about 20 min by foot from town but any boat would be there at the port with the ship.

[BermudaBound2014]

The ship docks about 20 min by foot from town but any boat would be there at the port with the ship.

 

Thanks Biker, you saw catamarans, sailboats, tour boats, etc... right at the port where the ship docks? It looked more industrial from google Earth and it looked like the leisure craft were in a different area farther north.

[Biker19]

I didn't notice many tour boats but any type of boating seemed to be there and don't remember much else between there and town.

[catmandu73]

you are correct the September sailing does stop at Zadar not Ravenna. again thanks for all the information. i have heard horror stories about the Venice airport. so i assume you show up at the airport and have to print boarding passes there or stand in a line to get boarding passes. i have heard you cannot print those at your hotel if you overnight and fly out a day after the cruise is completed. Not looking forward to that if that is the case.

[Biker19]

You can get boarding passes up to 24 hrs ahead for most/all airlines flying out of Venice - trying to drops off bags OTOH might be a mess, depending on the airline.

[Bostonjetset]

I was on the same cruise. Enjoyed reading your review.

 

Glad to hear you enjoyed it! It must be cool to read a review of a trip that you were actually on and see it through another's eyes.

 

you are correct the September sailing does stop at Zadar not Ravenna. again thanks for all the information. i have heard horror stories about the Venice airport. so i assume you show up at the airport and have to print boarding passes there or stand in a line to get boarding passes. i have heard you cannot print those at your hotel if you overnight and fly out a day after the cruise is completed. Not looking forward to that if that is the case.

 

The Venice airport is indeed a mess! Actually, so is the cruise port...and the post office...and anywhere else that has a long wait time but that's for another post LOL.

 

We printed our boarding passes on the ship the day before departure so we could pick better seats if available [they were!]. I think it is $9.99 for 1 hour of internet at the internet cafe on board but that includes free printing. My mom's friend had some leftover OBC that was non-refundable so she paid for it. It only took like 15 min for the 4 of us so we checked emails and facebook, etc with the rest of the time since you had to use the hour all at once...you could not log off and back on again.

 

The real mess at VCE is that they do not allow you to check bags until 3 hours prior to your flight; this is an airport rule and was not specific to Lufthansa [the airline we flew]...it was actually posted at places in the airport. We had a flight at 1.40pm but got to the airport around 8.45am! That meant we had to sit there in the crowded unsecure area for 2 hours before we could check our bags and proceed through security. It is crowded, dumpy, and very grey; we had some cappuccinos and browsed online with the free wifi; we made do, but it was not pleasant. Once you pass security the terminal was much nicer though so at least. VCE is NOT one of the nicer European airports like Madrid or Munich or Frankfurt.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Bostonjetset

[catmandu73]

so let me see if this is accurate from what you have said. You can print your boarding passes 24 hours ahead like normal and if you DO NOT have any luggage to check, you can get through security without the lengthy wait times and into the nicer part of the terminal? If you can believe this, i travel with the largest allowable roller board bag that i carry onto the flight avoiding checking it for a 10 day cruise.

 

thanks.

[heatherb1958]

You are welcome and have a FABULOUS trip in Sept.!!!

Mykonos and Kotor were my two favourite ports [although all of them were wonderful]; be sure to go to the Our Lady of the Rocks in Perast when you call at Kotor...it's a really cool place to see.

 

Thank you , will do.

 

 

Bermudabound2014- I love to snorkel but haven't done it in Corfu.

Paleokastrista on the Northwest side of the island is stunning with sea caves.

The drive along the coast road through Ipsos towards Kassiopi is beautiful with windy roads and sheer drops to the sea.

We love Greece and her Islands , we leave on 23rd June for 2 weeks on Corfu, 3rd time staying at Acharavi which is on the north of the island.

It has been a while since we visited Corfu town so can't remember what boat tours are available from there and you are right the ship docks quite a way from the centre, there will be a shuttle at a cost.

[Truluv]

Thank you so much for your review! This is my #1 bucket list trip, which I hope to book for retirement in 1003 days...not that I'm counting.

 

I did think of a few questions: How did the time difference impact you, or were you adjusted ok after the day in Venice? Did you find that the shops wanted Euros, or would you have been able to use credit cards? Did you get to visit any Orthodox churches? (I'm also Russian/Ukranian.) Did Mum find the ports to be physically taxing? I'll be in mid 60s when I finally get there, and I'm a little worried. Did you find that English was spoken everywhere? Did RCL offer the luggage transfer to the airport at the end of the cruise? What was the mix of nationalities and ages on board?

 

Thank you again for taking the time to share your experiences.

[Bostonjetset]

I finally got the CC app so decided to post a few pics. I always avoided it in the past because it is such a nightmare to post them on the computer.

 

Santorini

 

 

Santorini sailing away at dusk

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Bostonjetset]

Kotor from the tip of the mountain

 

Mykonos

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Bostonjetset]

Some pics of Rhapsody. The centrum, docked in Ravenna, and Viking Crown lounge.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[BermudaBound2014]

.

 

 

Bermudabound2014- I love to snorkel but haven't done it in Corfu.

Paleokastrista on the Northwest side of the island is stunning with sea caves.

The drive along the coast road through Ipsos towards Kassiopi is beautiful with windy roads and sheer drops to the sea.

We love Greece and her Islands , we leave on 23rd June for 2 weeks on Corfu, 3rd time staying at Acharavi which is on the north of the island.

It has been a while since we visited Corfu town so can't remember what boat tours are available from there and you are right the ship docks quite a way from the centre, there will be a shuttle at a cost.

 

Is it possible to snorkel the sea caves? If so, is it feasable to hire a cab from the port to Paleokastrista? How long would the ride be. Thank you so much for helping us out with Corfu. Some of the ports are not well reported on. :)

 

PS: GREAT PICS BOSTONJET!! Keep them coming. I can't see enough and appreciate the time you are taking. I have the CC app on my iphone, but I can't post pics directly from it. How did you manage?

Edited May 31, 2016 by BermudaBound2014

[Bostonjetset]

so let me see if this is accurate from what you have said. You can print your boarding passes 24 hours ahead like normal and if you DO NOT have any luggage to check, you can get through security without the lengthy wait times and into the nicer part of the terminal? If you can believe this, i travel with the largest allowable roller board bag that i carry onto the flight avoiding checking it for a 10 day cruise.

 

thanks.

 

I suppose that would be correct; I beleive only the checking of baggage is regulated to 3 hours pre-flight. I have never traveled for such a long trip with nothing by hand luggage though! How on earth do you do it?!?!? lol

 

Thank you so much for your review! This is my #1 bucket list trip, which I hope to book for retirement in 1003 days...not that I'm counting.

 

I did think of a few questions: How did the time difference impact you, or were you adjusted ok after the day in Venice? We took a red-eye flight from Boston so arrived in Venice around 2pm on Wednesday afternoon. We forced ourselves to stay up until a somewhat normal bedtime in order to make our bodies adjust to their time right away. We ended up going to bed around 9pm that night and woke up around 7am the next morning. Ten hours seems like a lot but we had not really slept at all on the plane. This worked well and we didn't feel fatigued for the trip [although jetlag did kick in when we got back home....luckily I took 2 days post-trip off from work haha.

 

Did you find that the shops wanted Euros, or would you have been able to use credit cards? Almost all shops accepted cards. I used both my Amex and my Mastercard alternately. We did tend to use cash for restaurants and taxis since it is easier when there are four people sharing costs. Not sure if taxis would take cards but most other places do. ATMs are everywhere and my bank does not charge fees for withdrawing at foreign ATMs so it made sense to just take out Euros.

 

Did you get to visit any Orthodox churches? (I'm also Russian/Ukranian.) As you know, in Italy almost everything is Catholic. However, in Greece we saw many Orthodox churches. In fact, on the islands many of the "churches" are just small chapels that one can go inside to say a prayer, light a candle, and admire. There are donation boxes to put change in for the candles. We went in several and they are very nice. They did not actually hold mass in those places but there were also many larger Orthodox cathedrals, especially in Athens. We did not tour any of those larger ones but one could go inside if one wanted.

 

Did Mum find the ports to be physically taxing? I'll be in mid 60s when I finally get there, and I'm a little worried. Mum was okay for the most part. We did not do anything that was overly taxing with the exception of walking down the caldera to the port in Santorini [600 steps!] but we all made it...going up we took the cable car though. Also, we climbed to the top of the old fortress in Corfu...FABULOUS views!...and mum said it was tiring but it didn't hinder her energy for the rest of the day. I think you will be fine assuming you are able-bodied. Many places were not handicapped-accessible for wheelchairs and the like.

 

Did you find that English was spoken everywhere? Just about everywhere you would find someone who spoke English; I've found this to be pretty true almost everywhere in the world I've been unless it is a really remote place. A few shopkeepers in Greece even spoke to DH in his native Chinese [of course when they were trying to sell something! haha]

 

Did RCL offer the luggage transfer to the airport at the end of the cruise? This, unfortunately, I do not know. Perhaps someone else who utilizes this service will chime in.

 

What was the mix of nationalities and ages on board? It was a very well-rounded bunch in terms of nationalities. Mum went to the welcome aboard show and they stated that the largest nationalities on board were English, American, Canadian, and Brazilian...in that order. There was a fairly good amount of Spanish speakers as well...many from Spain but also a few from Cuba. Age-wise I would said the average age was mid-40s to mid-50s but there were definitely people from all age groups. Kids were there but not in abundance.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to share your experiences.

 

You are welcome and thanks for reading!

As far as your questions, I answered in red above. :D

[Bostonjetset]

Is it possible to snorkel the sea caves? If so, is it feasable to hire a cab from the port to Paleokastrista? How long would the ride be. Thank you so much for helping us out with Corfu. Some of the ports are not well reported on. :)

 

PS: GREAT PICS BOSTONJET!! Keep them coming. I can't see enough and appreciate the time you are taking. I have the CC app on my iphone, but I can't post pics directly from it. How did you manage?

 

We wanted to go to Paleokastritsa so did inquire about taxis. It is almost 20 miles [so we were told] and we were quoted 80 Euros each way I believe. It was rainy and grey so we passed but it is on our list of places to go if we ever return to Corfu! Taxis in Corfu seemed to be higher than other places in Greece.

 

To post pics from the iPhone, you click the + next to the reply bar and there is a little window that pops up with a camera and a mountain. The mountain icon is the one to click to post pics already on your phone. It is SO much easier than trying to do it on the computer and finding a host-site for the photos, etc.

[Truluv]

Thank you for all the info!! This is definitely going to be printed out and tucked in my bucket trip folder!!

[luvpoodle]

Thank you for your reviews of Rhapsody. She was our first cruise back in 2005, we loved her so much, I can't remember how many times we cruised on her. I'm looking forward to further updates.

 

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[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[Clarea]

Enjoyed the photos very much.:)

[Bostonjetset]

I'm glad you all enjoyed the reviews and the newly added photos. Here are some of Ravenna, Italy before I head to bed. I'll post some additional photos after work tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[heatherb1958]

Is it possible to snorkel the sea caves? If so, is it feasable to hire a cab from the port to Paleokastrista? How long would the ride be. Thank you so much for helping us out with Corfu. Some of the ports are not well reported on. :)

 

PS: GREAT PICS BOSTONJET!! Keep them coming. I can't see enough and appreciate the time you are taking. I have the CC app on my iphone, but I can't post pics directly from it. How did you manage?

 

We hired a pedalo while at Paleo which you can swim from. There are boat tours. If you Google ' blue grotto Paleokastritsa' you will see many photos of the area.

Have you thought if hiring a car from the port?

Of course the weather is a deciding factor, we hired a car once in Corfu when the weather was miserable and everywhere did look miserable.

Which date do you sail? We are on 16th September.:)

 

Thank you Bostonjetset for the photos. We loved Vision of the seas and Rhapsody is just like her.

I must download the CC app.

[coaletto]

I Will be on Rhapsody in July, from 15 to 26....I'M very happy to read positive report of Rhapsody...My stateroom is 4518, I Hope it will not be noisy...

I greet all the English-speaking cruise friends..from MIlano, Italy

[BermudaBound2014]

We hired a pedalo while at Paleo which you can swim from. There are boat tours. If you Google ' blue grotto Paleokastritsa' you will see many photos of the area.

Have you thought if hiring a car from the port?

Of course the weather is a deciding factor, we hired a car once in Corfu when the weather was miserable and everywhere did look miserable.

Which date do you sail? We are on 16th September.:)

 

Thank you Bostonjetset for the photos. We loved Vision of the seas and Rhapsody is just like her.

I must download the CC app.

 

I'm sailing August 5th. I researched blue grotto last night and I think we may head there. Thanks so much for the tip!! Not too keen on renting a car (we are American drivers ha), but pre-arranged transportation might work. I have a slow roll call. Would love to find another couple to share taxi cost. That would make it only $40.00 pp and that is very reasonable to me. Any other hints you can give us for Corfu would be splendid.

 

Hello Coaletto, from Michigan :).