Cruising - Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas

[Boringchap]

We have cruised on the Celebrity Silhouette out of Rome, to the Med and Adriatic seas, late last year. We stayed in Rome, pre and post-cruise.

 

There was so much to write about and photos/videos to share that I had put it all up in a blog page.

http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/p/celebrity-silhouette-med-and-adriatic.html

 

This was our itinerary.

1) Livorno (Florence and Pisa)

2) Corfu, Greece

3) Kotor, Montenegro

4) Dubrovnik, Croatia

5) Venice Part 1 - Sailing In

6) Venice Part 2 - Into Venice, St Mark's Square, Doge Palace

7) Venice Part 3 - St Mark's Square, Basilica, Murano & back to Ship

8) Venice Part 4 - Day 2, Roaming the streets of Venice

9) Catania, Sicily

10) Naples Part 1 - Amalfi Coast, Positano

11) Naples Part 2 - Sorrento

12) Naples Part 3 - Pompeii (AD 79)

Happy to share. Hope you enjoy the review.

[Chowyunfatt]

 

We have cruised on the Celebrity Silhouette out of Rome, to the Med and Adriatic seas, late last year. We stayed in Rome, pre and post-cruise.

 

There was so much to write about and photos/videos to share that I had put it all up in a blog page.

http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/p/celebrity-silhouette-med-and-adriatic.html

 

This was our itinerary.

1) Livorno (Florence and Pisa)

2) Corfu, Greece

3) Kotor, Montenegro

4) Dubrovnik, Croatia

5) Venice Part 1 - Sailing In

6) Venice Part 2 - Into Venice, St Mark's Square, Doge Palace

7) Venice Part 3 - St Mark's Square, Basilica, Murano & back to Ship

8) Venice Part 4 - Day 2, Roaming the streets of Venice

9) Catania, Sicily

10) Naples Part 1 - Amalfi Coast, Positano

11) Naples Part 2 - Sorrento

12) Naples Part 3 - Pompeii (AD 79)

Happy to share. Hope you enjoy the review.

May I ask, what the cost was like?

[Thaiyotakamli]

I still prefer star cruise virgo

 

Simple reason, my family cant live without chinese/asian food for so many days haha

Edited October 18, 2014 by Thaiyotakamli

[Boringchap]

May I ask, what the cost was like?

 

Thanks for your question. It took a lot of planning to make this trip happen. So let me give you more details.

 

We bought each segment separately. First, the flights. We had to fly ourselves to Rome and back, since the ship embarked and disembarked from a port near Rome. We managed to get a very good deal on SwissAir. The cost was under $1,000 per pax.

 

Flight videos, if you are interested. The Swiss product is not bad.

 

Flight to Rome

 

Flight back to Singapore.

 

Rome

We stayed in Rome for 2 nights pre-cruise and 1 night post-cruise. Wife did all the research and found this good value bed and breakfast. I can't rem the exact cost but it wasn't too expensive, on a per night basis, because their room could take the 4 of us. I think it was less than 100 Euros per night, including continental breakfast.

 

http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/2013/12/rome-quod-libet-bed-breakfast-near.html

Edited October 22, 2014 by Boringchap

[Boringchap]

Now the cruise fare. This would be the biggest component. For our family of four, it cost us about usd $6,000 or SGD $7,600. This is the cruise fare for a 13N sailing. I must add that this fare is not typical. This particular cruise was quite empty and the cruise line was running heavy promotions, that is why the fare was very attractive. Usually, the fares on this cruise line are very expensive because they market themselves as a more upmarket type of cruise line.

 

So, we managed to get a very good deal.

 

Now, this cruise fare does not include shore excursions. We researched the ports that we were visiting and arranged for our own shore excursions. For many ports, we hired a local driver to ferry the 6 of us around. 6 of us because my in-laws came alone for the cruise.

 

So in total, for the 4 of us, everything in, I think we spent under $15,000 for quite an adventure.

[Chowyunfatt]

Now the cruise fare. This would be the biggest component. For our family of four, it cost us about usd $6,000 or SGD $7,600. This is the cruise fare for a 13N sailing. I must add that this fare is not typical. This particular cruise was quite empty and the cruise line was running heavy promotions, that is why the fare was very attractive. Usually, the fares on this cruise line are very expensive because they market themselves as a more upmarket type of cruise line.

 

So, we managed to get a very good deal.

 

Now, this cruise fare does not include shore excursions. We researched the ports that we were visiting and arranged for our own shore excursions. For many ports, we hired a local driver to ferry the 6 of us around. 6 of us because my in-laws came alone for the cruise.

 

So in total, for the 4 of us, everything in, I think we spent under $15,000 for quite an adventure.

Wow ... You guys really did your research well ... You are right, these cruises don't come cheap, that's why I was curious about the price ...

 

Thanks for the info ...

[Boringchap]

Wow ... You guys really did your research well ... You are right, these cruises don't come cheap, that's why I was curious about the price ...

 

Thanks for the info ...

 

No problems. We have noticed that cruise prices overall have gone up quite a bit this year, for bookings next year onwards. I think this reflects overall demand for cruising.

 

If you are able to travel on short notice or during off-peak periods, there may still be very good deals. There are all these very good websites online to be able to check up on these prices.

 

For this Celebrity cruise, we thought we had a good deal, but when we went onboard and started talking to the cruise passengers, we found that many of the got an even better deal. Apparently, the ship was very empty and the cruise line was desperate to fill up the rooms. This was the shoulder season and this was the last sailing the ship would make in the Med before re-positioning to the Caribbean.

 

There were more than 700 passengers on board who would do back-to-back, that means sail on this cruise and then continue with the next cruise to bring them back to USA. They told me that they did not plan to do this cruise, but when the prices for them became so cheap, it was irresistable. Almost all were last minute bookings. Most were Americans.

[Spring]

 

No problems. We have noticed that cruise prices overall have gone up quite a bit this year, for bookings next year onwards. I think this reflects overall demand for cruising.

 

If you are able to travel on short notice or during off-peak periods, there may still be very good deals. There are all these very good websites online to be able to check up on these prices.

 

For this Celebrity cruise, we thought we had a good deal, but when we went onboard and started talking to the cruise passengers, we found that many of the got an even better deal. Apparently, the ship was very empty and the cruise line was desperate to fill up the rooms. This was the shoulder season and this was the last sailing the ship would make in the Med before re-positioning to the Caribbean.

 

There were more than 700 passengers on board who would do back-to-back, that means sail on this cruise and then continue with the next cruise to bring them back to USA. They told me that they did not plan to do this cruise, but when the prices for them became so cheap, it was irresistable. Almost all were last minute bookings. Most were Americans.

Thks bro! Nice pics, good price n excellent places of interest! What more can you ask for!!

Hope I'm able to go for one in the near future, cheers!

 

You're certainly not a boring chap lol!

Edited October 22, 2014 by Spring

[Boringchap]

Thks bro! Nice pics, good price n excellent places of interest! What more can you ask for!!

Hope I'm able to go for one in the near future, cheers!

 

You're certainly not a boring chap lol!

 

Thanks for reading my blog.

 

I am blessed that I have a like-minded wife who also loves to travel. In fact, most of our trips are only possible because of her detailed and meticulous planning, as well as hunting for all the good deals.

 

I am also a believer that we should go out to see the world as much as we can. Singapore is a wonderful place, but we are just a tiny red dot.

 

I learn many things from travelling, one of which is how poor some of the previously rich European countries have become. One stunning example is Greece, a very rich nation up till recent times. How she fell into such a state deserves an entire essay, but I think it is quite humbling for everybody and I hope and pray Singapore doesn't go down the same route.

 

We hired a driver plus mini-van for the entire day in Corfu, Greece. They only charged us 90 Euros for the entire day, which included the driver cum guide. Petrol was extra, that cost around 40 Euros. The guide was very happy to see us because during that time of the year, they have much less business as it was off-season. After all this, I dare not take jobs for granted.

 

http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/2013/12/corfu-greece-port-of-call.html

[Kusje]

One thing I don't like about cruise prices is that they have a lot of hidden costs that are not stated upfront (eg port fees, fuel surcharge).

 

How do you calculate and handle that?

[Thaiyotakamli]

One thing I don't like about cruise prices is that they have a lot of hidden costs that are not stated upfront (eg port fees, fuel surcharge).

 

How do you calculate and handle that?

Thought all paid before hand? Before u pay the ticket online, u need to pay all these just like airfare

 

 

Maybe there is no hidden cost except for optional tours or dining in some restaurants in the cruise.

[Kusje]

Thought all paid before hand? Before u pay the ticket online, u need to pay all these just like airfare

 

 

Maybe there is no hidden cost except for optional tours or dining in some restaurants in the cruise.

 

Here's an example of a quote I received.

 

 

*Not Included:

Norwegian Cruise Line Government Taxes, Port Expenses & Fees, arrival & departure transfers, shore excursions, and gratuities.

Norwegian Cruise Line^® reserves the right to charge a fuel supplement without prior notice should the closing price of West Texas Intermediate Fuel increase above $65 per barrel on the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index). In the event a fuel supplement is charged, such supplementary charges are not included in the cruise fare. The fuel supplement charge will not exceed $10.00 per passenger per day.

[Thaiyotakamli]

 

Here's an example of a quote I received.

 

 

*Not Included:

Norwegian Cruise Line Government Taxes, Port Expenses & Fees, arrival & departure transfers, shore excursions, and gratuities.

Norwegian Cruise Line^® reserves the right to charge a fuel supplement without prior notice should the closing price of West Texas Intermediate Fuel increase above $65 per barrel on the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index). In the event a fuel supplement is charged, such supplementary charges are not included in the cruise fare. The fuel supplement charge will not exceed $10.00 per passenger per day.

But if like booking caribbean on their web, they would have include it all in the payment page

 

 

Aiya anyway oil price going down so i assume cruising become cheaper right? Ahaha

[Spring]

 

Thanks for reading my blog.

 

I am blessed that I have a like-minded wife who also loves to travel. In fact, most of our trips are only possible because of her detailed and meticulous planning, as well as hunting for all the good deals.

 

I am also a believer that we should go out to see the world as much as we can. Singapore is a wonderful place, but we are just a tiny red dot.

 

I learn many things from travelling, one of which is how poor some of the previously rich European countries have become. One stunning example is Greece, a very rich nation up till recent times. How she fell into such a state deserves an entire essay, but I think it is quite humbling for everybody and I hope and pray Singapore doesn't go down the same route.

 

We hired a driver plus mini-van for the entire day in Corfu, Greece. They only charged us 90 Euros for the entire day, which included the driver cum guide. Petrol was extra, that cost around 40 Euros. The guide was very happy to see us because during that time of the year, they have much less business as it was off-season. After all this, I dare not take jobs for granted.

 

http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/2013/12/corfu-greece-port-of-call.html

Well said bro! Yes a lot of Singaporeans never faced real economic crisis so takes things for granted n just know the easy life. Property they hold appreciate, jobs aplenty etc. I also pray we don't go down the Greece road. Glad to see that that whilst you are blessed to be able to enjoy a good holiday but your eyes and ears are opened to the surroundings n be grateful of of your opportunity. Cheers!

[Kezg1]

 

We have cruised on the Celebrity Silhouette out of Rome, to the Med and Adriatic seas, late last year. We stayed in Rome, pre and post-cruise.

 

There was so much to write about and photos/videos to share that I had put it all up in a blog page.

http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/p/celebrity-silhouette-med-and-adriatic.html

 

This was our itinerary.

1) Livorno (Florence and Pisa)

2) Corfu, Greece

3) Kotor, Montenegro

4) Dubrovnik, Croatia

5) Venice Part 1 - Sailing In

6) Venice Part 2 - Into Venice, St Mark's Square, Doge Palace

7) Venice Part 3 - St Mark's Square, Basilica, Murano & back to Ship

8) Venice Part 4 - Day 2, Roaming the streets of Venice

9) Catania, Sicily

10) Naples Part 1 - Amalfi Coast, Positano

11) Naples Part 2 - Sorrento

12) Naples Part 3 - Pompeii (AD 79)

Happy to share. Hope you enjoy the review.

 

 

wow.. very informative and enjoy reading and looking at those scenery..Thanks for posting

Sure to go in the near future...Cheers

 

[Boringchap]

One thing I don't like about cruise prices is that they have a lot of hidden costs that are not stated upfront (eg port fees, fuel surcharge).

 

How do you calculate and handle that?

 

Who and where do you book from? For us, when we book, all the charges are included except the gratuities. That one you have to go online to check what the recommended gratuities are and budget. This sum can get quite hefty, e.g. for this cruise about 700 to 800 usd for the four of us.

 

Here's an example of a quote I received.

 

 

*Not Included:

Norwegian Cruise Line Government Taxes, Port Expenses & Fees, arrival & departure transfers, shore excursions, and gratuities.

Norwegian Cruise Line^® reserves the right to charge a fuel supplement without prior notice should the closing price of West Texas Intermediate Fuel increase above $65 per barrel on the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index). In the event a fuel supplement is charged, such supplementary charges are not included in the cruise fare. The fuel supplement charge will not exceed $10.00 per passenger per day.

 

Oh, yes, this will happen only if the price of oil suddenly shoots up by a lot. We haven't got hit by this before.

[Kusje]

 

Who and where do you book from? For us, when we book, all the charges are included except the gratuities. That one you have to go online to check what the recommended gratuities are and budget. This sum can get quite hefty, e.g. for this cruise about 700 to 800 usd for the four of us.

 

Oh, yes, this will happen only if the price of oil suddenly shoots up by a lot. We haven't got hit by this before.

 

Actually I don't understand it because WTI is already above 65 per bbl (around 83 now).

 

Anyway, what about the others like govt taxes, port expenses and fees? Does your cruise line take that into account?

[Boringchap]

 

Actually I don't understand it because WTI is already above 65 per bbl (around 83 now).

 

Anyway, what about the others like govt taxes, port expenses and fees? Does your cruise line take that into account?

 

I guess they just want to reserve the right to impose the charge, if they think it is necessary to do so. But they will not just impose it because their customers will be very angry with them. The cruise lines compete quite intensively.

 

All the other taxes and surcharges and fees are taken care of, other than gratuities for the crew.

 

There was once we had to pay some visa fee to enter a certain country but that was rare.