05.26.2007 - LIVE Mediterranean Questions/Answers

[cruisinluver]

How about lowering the drinking age?

 

[winotracy]

How about lowering the drinking age?

On the ship? No.

 

[winotracy]

Glad Alan found you. He said he would take care of you since I wouldn't be there. He is a great guy. Tell him hi for me! Also, Parag in Shutters said just to let him or Costin know if you want any group pictures.

Looked for you when we got off the ship, walked around the whole terminal, but no site of you and Bill, Celeste, or Peter and Jenn. What did you guys do.....sleep in?

Actually, we had breakfast included at our hotel so we had to stay for it. Would have been there on time but they had this cute little coffee machine

 

[earpiemom]

Does anyone have any information on the pin trading on the Med cruise? Just wondering if they did it daily and if they had special pins. Thanks

 

[seema]

Are there tourist maps/brochures (incl. transportation (subway, bus, train etc) routes) of the various cities on the cruise ships? I ask, because if we want to go explore ourselves at some of the ports of call, these maps and brochures would be very helpful.

 

[winotracy]

Are there tourist maps/brochures (incl. transportation (subway, bus, train etc) routes) of the various cities on the cruise ships? I ask, because if we want to go explore ourselves at some of the ports of call, these maps and brochures would be very helpful.

Yes, they had their usual maps for the ports and some information on transportation. Keep in mind that the information given was limited. For instance, the train schedule given for Civitavecchia only went until 5:00 pm, but we were in port until 10 pm. They didn't indicate that there were other times so some in our group thought the trains didn't operate after 5pm. Much of the information you are talking about is online. When we were in Naples we had neither a train schedule or good map to the train station, but we were able to find it with little trouble. Trains are very regular in Europe so we just went to the station and a train was available within 30 minutes (it was much less than that, but seemed to operate every 30 minutes).

 

[seema]

How much free time do we get? What can we see, either on foot, or by using a taxi, or by using a bus, or by using a subway?

 

[momma4v3]

Has anyone done Rome and/or Florence on your own? Either through Disney or truely on your own. We reserved Florence on your own but are thinking about doing it completely on our own either through a private guide or completly by ourselves. We have been to both cities before and are comfortable by ourselves in Italy eventhough we do not speak Italian.
I have emailed a few tour companies in Rome and Florence to compare but would appreciate some first hand experience.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Linda

 

[winotracy]

We did Rome on our own. It was very easy to do. We took the train and did the hop on/hop off bus. We saw the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Forum, Collisseum (from a distance), tomb of the unknown soldier, and the Vatican. We had a great lunch near the Trevi Fountain. We took the train back at 5:30 pm because we were exhausted (did more walking than riding the bus).

 

[Kouris_Family]

We did Rome on our own. It was very easy to do. We took the train and did the hop on/hop off bus. We saw the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Forum, Collisseum (from a distance), tomb of the unknown soldier, and the Vatican. We had a great lunch near the Trevi Fountain. We took the train back at 5:30 pm because we were exhausted (did more walking than riding the bus).

Hi
I am very interested in the hop-on/hop-off bus, can you tell me about this bus. Where it goes, what the stops are anything, cost? Thanks so much you are so full of information, we all appreciate this. Did I read earlier that you are a Travel Agent? Our only concern with on our own with the train is people are freaking us out about possible train strikes, what do you think about that thought. Beacause then we would be stranded and we have kids on board that day.
Kay
7-7-07

 

[winotracy]

Hi
I am very interested in the hop-on/hop-off bus, can you tell me about this bus. Where it goes, what the stops are anything, cost? Thanks so much you are so full of information, we all appreciate this. Did I read earlier that you are a Travel Agent? Our only concern with on our own with the train is people are freaking us out about possible train strikes, what do you think about that thought. Beacause then we would be stranded and we have kids on board that day.
Kay
7-7-07

Hi Kay,

Yes, I work for Dreams Unlimited. If the train workers do strike when you are there, you can also get a taxi or a driver. There were many taxi drivers at the entrance to the port asking us if we wanted a ride to Roma. Sorry, I didn't check the cost of this since I wasn't going there. We did find though that most taxis we came in contact with charged a flat fee for the vehicle or a metered amount, not per person. You could negotiate with the drivers to make sure you are getting a fair price. By train, Rome was about 1 hour away.

As for the hop on/hop off bus, there are a number of companies (and you will find this in most of the ports we went to). The one we used was the red bus. There is a Christian one, plus we saw a couple other ones. There is no need to purchase this in advance, though you can for some of them. The price was around 14 Euros to 20 Euros (depending on who you are and which line ). Some had multiple routes with transfer points. Others just took you around everywhere. We still had to walk a bit for the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Pantheon, but they were all in the same general area. There are signs for the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon (not sure about the steps and we found it a weird way).

Here are some links:

http://www.rexervation.com/romeopentour.asp
http://www.viator.com/tours/Rome/Rome-Open-Top-Double-Decker-Bus-Hop-On-Hop-Off-Tour/d511-3523ROMOPEN
http://www.city-sightseeing.it/eng/index_italy.htm

This last one is the one we used. They also offered discounts on multiple cities by showing your receipt. They have buses in Rome, Sorrento, Florence, Naples, Palermo and Pisa. Here is a link to the list of where they went http://www.roma.city-sightseeing.it/eng/index.htm, plus there is a link on that page to the brochure with the maps in it.

Hope this helps!

 

[UMTerp]

Hi Tracy!

Thanks for all of the great info! You are the best!

UMTerp

 

[catjammies]

Are there any other chances/ways to see the Acropolis (with DCL)-
other than the "Selinunte" excursion?

Anyone do "the farm" tour in Palermo? Recommend it? or a waste?

 

[skibum]

Tracy -

First, thanks for all the great info.

Regarding Rome on your own, what did you do at the Vatican? How did you get tickets? Long lines? Any more info for us? Thanks!

 

[vegs1]

Has anyone done either of the above tours? We've signed up for these and are thinking of changing the Timeless Pompeii and Flavor of Sorrento to a private tour. These were picked by our 9 year old as they included making your own pasta and learning about making mozzarella cheese? Just wondered if they are actually any good?

Thanks for any help!

 

[winotracy]

Tracy -

First, thanks for all the great info.

Regarding Rome on your own, what did you do at the Vatican? How did you get tickets? Long lines? Any more info for us? Thanks!

We just walked through St. Peter's Basilica and also saw the places where the popes are entombed. There was a line going along the entire side of the pillars and extending a bit past that. We weren't sure about waiting in line, but it went very fast. The line was basically for security. We went through metal detectors and then could walk into the Basilica. There was another place where they checked your clothing, but we pretty much just all walked through there. You only need tickets to get up into the dome, which we didn't do, so I can't answer that question. The lines do go very quickly so don't be swayed by that. If you want to go to the Sistine Chapel, that is a different entrance and line. They close in the afternoon (around 2:30?) so you should do that in the morning.

 

[skibum]

Do any of your returning Med experts have any insight into the VAT?
How much did it cost you, and how much are you expecting to get refunded?
Thanks!

 

[winotracy]

Do any of your returning Med experts have any insight into the VAT?
How much did it cost you, and how much are you expecting to get refunded?
Thanks!

I actually had planned to say something about this. I personally think the VAT refund was a waste of time.

You need to make sure that only one person in your group makes the purchases (at least on the ship). Only unused items qualify for the refund. If you wear the new t-shirt you buy before you return home, it won't count. You need to get a refund form from each country. DCL will help you with purchases on the ship. Each country has a different VAT % and minimum purchase amount. On the ship they have given you envelopes to use. You must keep Shutters separate from the other shops. You need to itemize all purchases and then add up the VAT. You will receive a portion of the total VAT paid. I stood in line for a while and relized I was missing one purchase (already packed and taken from our room so I couldn't get the receipt) and my DH purchased one thing so that wouldn't count. My total VAT tax would then be about $20. I had to wait in line to get the refund cheque (not the money yet, but what the form is called) and then you are supposed to get it stamped by customs too. You may have to prove that your items are new and then you can apply for the refund either at the airport or from home by mail. Both ways you will be charged a processing fee. If you get the money at the airport, you will get it in Euros. I saw somewhere (though I can't find it at the moment) that the refund is a small percentage of the actual tax paid. In my opinion, it was a waste of time.

 

[UMTerp]

Tracy,

Can you clarify about keeping shutters receipts separate? Do you mean we should keep the shutters receipts and the receipts from the other on-board shops separate from each other or just group all on-board purchases together?

Thanks!

UMTerp

 

[Kouris_Family]

Hi Kay,

Yes, I work for Dreams Unlimited. If the train workers do strike when you are there, you can also get a taxi or a driver. There were many taxi drivers at the entrance to the port asking us if we wanted a ride to Roma. Sorry, I didn't check the cost of this since I wasn't going there. We did find though that most taxis we came in contact with charged a flat fee for the vehicle or a metered amount, not per person. You could negotiate with the drivers to make sure you are getting a fair price. By train, Rome was about 1 hour away.

As for the hop on/hop off bus, there are a number of companies (and you will find this in most of the ports we went to). The one we used was the red bus. There is a Christian one, plus we saw a couple other ones. There is no need to purchase this in advance, though you can for some of them. The price was around 14 Euros to 20 Euros (depending on who you are and which line ). Some had multiple routes with transfer points. Others just took you around everywhere. We still had to walk a bit for the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Pantheon, but they were all in the same general area. There are signs for the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon (not sure about the steps and we found it a weird way).

Here are some links:

http://www.rexervation.com/romeopentour.asp
http://www.viator.com/tours/Rome/Rome-Open-Top-Double-Decker-Bus-Hop-On-Hop-Off-Tour/d511-3523ROMOPEN
http://www.city-sightseeing.it/eng/index_italy.htm

This last one is the one we used. They also offered discounts on multiple cities by showing your receipt. They have buses in Rome, Sorrento, Florence, Naples, Palermo and Pisa. Here is a link to the list of where they went http://www.roma.city-sightseeing.it/eng/index.htm, plus there is a link on that page to the brochure with the maps in it.

Hope this helps!

Thank you so much all this information is a huge help in making our decisions.
Kay