…u look at the really big ports, like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Barcelona, or Rome, there are lots of ships in there and lots of capacity. So, again, there’s likely to be much more competition and spare capacity. That’s often where you’re going to find the best deals, particularly closer to cruising time. This once again means you can cruise for less money. The other thing to look at are some of the more unusual ports, so you might look at Tampa, for…
…et me know about when people on his cruise fell for it this past summer in Rome. He was on a tour which passed a young guy at the side of a road near the Colosseum. He had a display of Watercolour paintings and next to it was a paint set suggesting he had painted them. My friend, Graham, was suspicious as the paint set looked like it had never been used. Some of the group though bought two of the pictures for €30, that’s about US$30. Later that da…
…an embarkation port, and travellers can only embark in Civitavecchia near Rome. CroisiEurope, which was sailing on many rivers, has announced multiple cancellations and scrapped their entire Christmas season sailings, due to the changing travel advice and restrictions in countries on attractions, opening of hospitality venues and so on. Thirdly, as I covered on my last cruise news update. There is still risk of outbreaks on board despite testing,…
…e with just one sea day and will be doing seven to nine-hour excursions to Rome, Florence and Cinque Terre. So, likely less use of the package, as they would be off the ship a lot and possibly having early nights after tiring days. If they were going on a repositioning cruise, with mostly sea days, they may end up drinking and using the drinks package more. Drink Package Traps: Everyone Pays As his wife drinks less, he was hoping to get different…
…t itinerary for first timers, as you can see iconic cities like Barcelona, Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Monte Carlo in one 7-day trip. Then there’s Eastern Mediterranean, which will often include the Greek Islands, and then Adriatic Itineraries sailing between Venice and Athens. Like the Caribbean, all the lines operate those itineraries during the Mediterranean season, and so while the same approach and choice of lines apply, there are, two big cave…
…with long port days, like in the Western Mediterranean where excursions to Rome, Pisa and Florence are often 8 to 10 hours long. Cruise Buffet Dining – Never Limit Dining Options The other thing that I don’t do when it comes to the buffet is seeing it as limiting my dining options. I think smart cruisers agree with me that the cruise buffet is not the limited dining option. In fact, it’s usually a way to get more choice than eating in the main din…
…st. Not only because it gets scorching hot and sticky, but many ports like Rome, Venice, Barcelona, Pisa, and Florence, get absolutely packed with both land and cruise passengers. It is terrible for sightseeing and not enjoyable. Next, in the Caribbean I avoid the peak March Spring Break. Especially on the big resort-type ships, as they get packed, can have a crazy party crowd and I feel that all those stories of arguments and fights breaking out…
…ea itself. Boarding Although when I arrived at Civitavecchia terminal near Rome for my cruise, I found there was no Haven priority lane until after bag drop off and security. Once through that, there was a dedicated Haven check-in desk, a lounge area with drinks and snacks and then a butler escorted us up into The Haven. The Haven Areas On entering my initial reaction, which remained throughout the cruise, was Norwegian Cruise Lines’ The Haven loo…
…rranean cruise on Norwegian Viva. And three of the ports fitted into this. Rome was a good hour from the port of Civitavecchia. Florence, and Pisa, were an hour and a half from the port of Livorno, and Seville was also an hour and half away from Cadiz, where we docked. My cruise before that was on Regent Explorer and the must-see Kyoto was also an hour and half from Kobe where we docked. I could reel off example after example from my cruises. When…
…hip. Let me explain them more. The loudest and busiest zone was the Royal Promenade. It had the shops, several busy bars, Guest Services, Photo Centre, Excursions Desk, Starbucks, Sorrento’s pizza, and Café Promenade. This was where the parties were held. It was always boisterous here. This was the zone I cared for less as it was too loud and frantic, but was loved by most as it was the happening place. Central Park was a place that I did like. Th…
…you’re in a port like Civitavecchia, where most people will charge off to Rome you might choose an excursion which takes you somewhere slightly different. There’ll be other excursions which are going to other different places, which will be less packed. Stay On Board One of the best things to do, though, is stay on the ship. If you’re going to be in a really busy port or you simply want to avoid the crowds, staying on the ship on a port day is on…
