rtread

I got so enthused about this itinerary I ordered two National Geographic wall maps, one of the whole Mediterranean and the other of just the Greek Isles, charted the course on both. Quite an itinerary! We are getting to Rome a couple of days early and hitting the high spots. I don't know much about the various islands but it should be interesting! I don't know if Explorer will still be making this cruise in 2021....they seem to move these ships around periodically. Maybe one of the more experienced on here knows the relocation pattern.

We haven't been on this 9 night cruise yet but have it booked for next June. It is on Explorer. We are in a group that did extensive research on which Med cruise to take and this one had what we thought the best itinerary. Can't give a review yet but we are sure looking forward to it! OUR CRUISE

Had second thoughts....

That's one of the main reasons we got The Key. I'm still wondering how many others have The Key......

We'll be on Explorer next year for the 9 day Greek Isles cruise, leaving from Civitavecchia. I'm trying to think out the money issues and how and when to convert US$ to Euros. Can that be done on board ship at all? I plan on taking some Euros with us and I know the banks in Rome will convert....there is a banca in the same block as our hotel in Rome. It seems more convenient to do it on the ship if possible....??

That sounds like a good plan....NASA is a good location as far as going on to Galveston....not far at all.. You will be on I 45 coming in to Galveston, just take the Harborside Drive exit and it goes right to the terminals. Sometimes there is heavy traffic on Harborside, sometimes not.

kadmgs has given a very good rundown on the beaches and I got hungry reading his restaurant recommendations! One thing Texas does not have is nice beaches. A few years ago we went on a road trip to Pensacola when our son was in the service. We went from New Orleans to Pensacola as close to the gulf as we could get.....we saw a lot of beaches. I have been ashamed of Texas beaches ever since.

Just a little more advice....the Johnson Space Center is massive and even if you planned a short in-and-out tour, you will find yourself wanting to see all you can.....just sayin'

If you have your own car, one option is get a hotel room in Houston and drive to terminal the next morning. Very driveable but it is Houston. There are parking options at or near the terminals.

Dittos here. Drive to Galveston, park indoors near cruise terminal.

You are welcome. We've been trying to get a room at the Galvez for years....they are always full. I told them one time they needed to add on big time!

If you are going to get a room at one of the better beach hotels, my advice would be get it sooner rather than later. In January we tried all the top hotels for the Christmas 2019 cruise and they were all full. Found out there was a marathon going on that particular weekend, but there's something going on in Galveston frequently.

Don't go to the casino!!

Thanks for the tip! Downloaded this app and am running it right now.....making me sleepy!

Good to hear! Thanks for reporting this.....there is a growing element in our society that seems to fail to see why this kind of restraint actually benefits them.

Thanks for calling it a ship. Hook 'em Horns!!

We sailed on Rhapsody back in 2004 and they did the ice sculptures. I remember thinking "how on earth did they find the time to do the ice with all the cooking and cleaning they do" so I'm thinking the crew wasn't too unhappy when it faded out....

Sounds like a fantastic cruise with some great ports on the itinerary! We are gathering similar info for a Greek Isles cruise June, 2020. I've never been to the Med so it is all new to me but I keep hearing about pickpockets, especially around Barcelona. For that reason we are going to be wearing RFID blocking money belts for credit cards, ID, passports, cash, etc. The belts will be under our shirts, not on the outside. I'm no chef but I appreciate good food so I'll be watching this thread for sure! Have a great cruise!

I got that same message 5 months before cruise date then saw designated stateroom the next day....

Curious here also. I've never had a Johnny Rocket's milkshake but I've heard about them!

I agree. And sometimes you can log in here and save $600 - $700 dollars just because someone else wanted to share some information that helped them!

I think a lot of it depends on the particular cruise you are going on.... We have 3 upcoming cruises, one on NCL around Hawaii, one Caribbean, one 9 dayer to Greek Isles. The Hawaii cruise we are going to test the lower limits of the "dress code"....mainly Hawaii style tshirts, aloha shirts, jeans. The Caribbean cruise we will lean a little heavy on the dress-em-up. It's my wife's birthday and Christmas. Maybe even a sport coat and TIE! We aren't flying so we can lug more clothes. The Greek Isles cruise we will again pack light and test the low end of the "dress code" This may change as the Activity Director dictates.....

I asked the same question a few months ago. It boiled down to how bad we wanted to see those parts of the ship. We both agreed we wanted to do it bad enough to spend the money so it's a done deal. If you don't do it you will have to depend on someone else's account of it.

This is good info for our 2020 cruise. One question.....do you have to pay them in Euro or can you pay in USD? (Never been to Europe)

If you enjoy the casino, the odds will be against you. The slots and roulette are poor odds, blackjack odds are better IF you play the game right. If you can't afford to lose, stay out! If you get ahead, WALK! The cruise companies are a business. Sure, they want you to enjoy yourself so that you will book more cruises. But they exist to MAKE MONEY, and they are good at it. Many things on the ship have inflated prices. My opinion is the beverage deals top the list. If you are not going to drink much, buy drinks individually. Our first cruise (Rhapsody) we were on a limited budget. I did play a lot of blackjack and got lucky and paid for my cruise but could easily have been the opposite. We didn't do excursions other than self-guided stuff, souvenir buying, etc. That's one way to prevent overspending. Enjoy your cruise! They are all unforgettable!