First cruise... Voyager of the Seas... Europe?

Question

Can someone, whose traveled on this cruise, provide some advice and suggestions.

My biggest concern is, of the 6 ports we land on, I've only made plans for Barcelona and Rome, but have no plans made for Nice, Florence/Pisa, Naples/Capri, and Sicily. Any ideas??? I hear the tours are not necessary since these are not dangerous countries, and there's always the fine print that you might not get to do everything written on a tour ititerery.

Any heads up on anything I should be aware of while onboard that you wish you knew ahead of time... stuff you forgot to bring onboard, unexpected expenses, etc...

I will post this 3 times since I want as much detail as possible. Respond on all 3 and best answer gets 30 points!

Answer 1

Some folks has crazy ideas! Post the thing three times is plain stupid.

But to answer your question: If you have any interest in history I would choise a Pompeji tour for your Naples stop. Its amazing to walk among 2000 year old ruins.

As for Sicilly I was on a trip to Etna, a vulcano that was preaty amazing. I think we got to an altitude off something like 3000 metres (9000 ft) and that was still 1000 metres/3000 ft away from the top. (maybe it was 2000 metres we were at, It was a long time ago). And this was done by bus travelling! Amazing.

As for packing number one rule is to dont pack to much. If youre think you not gonna need it then dont take it is the rule. The cabins on cruise ships is preatty smal and the storage room is scare to the best. But key items is ofc bathing clothes and excursion cloth and good walking shoes. You gonna walk alot! Johan.

Answer 2

PACKING TIPS:

Always pack your passport and cruise documents in your carry on bag ONLY.  Travel insurance is also a good idea. I have done 3 European cruises and got travel insurance each time (I use Travelex) and it did pay off on one of my cruises when the ship had to make a detour to a different end port and I had to make other arrangements to get to the airport.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM, so take:

-swim wear (at least 2),

-shorts, tank tops and "T's"

-sandals,

-beach shoes,

-your snorkel equipment if you have it,

-sun glasses and sun screen,

-lotions,

-a cap or big hat for the sun,

-a book if you are a reader,

-your music player,

-sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym,

-good walking shoes,

-your camera, and

-other personal toiletries including tooth paste, mouth wash or lotions.

Your cabin will have towels and soap provided, including pool and beach towels, and a hair dryer. It will also have a generic hair shampoo so you do not need to bring that unless you like a specific brand.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports or resort casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, (like a bank employee), shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc. Don't over pack , take clothes that you can mix and match tops and bottoms and plan to wear each piece twice. If you are going to the Caribbean you will likely be in shorts and/or swim wear most of every day so evening clothes don't usually get much wear.

Your cruise will have a formal night or two when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. You will not be denied entry to the main dining room if you decide not to dress up, as long as you are at least sports casual. But most people do dress up. A gown or party dress for women and a suit or tux for men. Some people dress up both formal nights, some don't.

Packing Tips

- Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage.

- Pack using the vacuum clothing bags (about $20 for 3 at Target) so that you can get more in your bag AND so that if the TSA at the airport opens your bag they can see what's inside without rummaging through your things.

-Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and your clothes that you sleep in.

- If you can take a six-pack of bottled water and soft drinks in your carry-on for your cabin. You will have to pay for both on the ship and its nice to have those handy in the cabin.

- If you are taking your cell phone, MP3 player or other item that needs to be plugged in, take an extension cord because the one plug in your cabin is usually not in a good place.

- Take a small bottle of hand sanitizer and/or hand wipies. There are generally sanitizer dispensers at the entrances of restaurants, the buffets and dining room, but some times the are not there or not working. The sanitizer helps prevent the spread of the Norwalk Virus that sometimes occur on cruise ships.

- Take a can of air freshener for your cabin bathroom.

- If you want to use the pool, hot tub, or gym as soon as you get on the ship, take clothes for these in your carry on bag because your checked luggage will likely not get to your room until much later in the afternoon, maybe by @ 6:00 PM.

If you decide to do Rome on your own, here are some links:  

http://www.raileurope.com/us/train_stati...

http://www.viator.com/Rome/d511-ttd?pref...

http://www.limousinesystem.com/?gclid=CO...

http://www.limoservicesrome.com/

http://goitaly.about.com/od/romeitaly/a/...