Thread: Hi Y'All

Hi,

Rio Brewster here from Austin, Texas!

After several "Europe Through the Back Door" excursions to Europe, we booked a Greek/Turkey cruise on the late, lamented Renaissance cruise line.

Renaissance was wonderful! Adults only, small ship, elegant, understated. I imagine we'd have to pay at least double to have the same experience on any other line. (I think Oceania took over the Renaissance ships.)

Our next cruise was Italy/Greece/Turkey/Egypt on Costa. Costa Romantica was not quite the relaxing, elegant experience of our first cruise, but we got to see the pyramids!

The upcoming cruise is Costa Pacifica, April 18 - Rome - Savona - Katakolon Haifa -Ashdod - Izmir - Athens - Rome. I've been to Israel before (on business) and I'm so excited to go with my husbad this time! A little nervous about a ship more than twice the size of Romantica though...

But it's all about your attitude, right? If you go with the flow and take the whole experience in without a bunch of unrealistic expectations, then you are golden!

Oh yeah - to a web designer/developer - the animated icons are really annoying!

Originally Posted by RioBrewster

Hi,

Rio Brewster here from Austin, Texas!

After several "Europe Through the Back Door" excursions to Europe, we booked a Greek/Turkey cruise on the late, lamented Renaissance cruise line.

Renaissance was wonderful! Adults only, small ship, elegant, understated. I imagine we'd have to pay at least double to have the same experience on any other line. (I think Oceania took over the Renaissance ships.)

Our next cruise was Italy/Greece/Turkey/Egypt on Costa. Costa Romantica was not quite the relaxing, elegant experience of our first cruise, but we got to see the pyramids!

The upcoming cruise is Costa Pacifica, April 18 - Rome - Savona - Katakolon Haifa -Ashdod - Izmir - Athens - Rome. I've been to Israel before (on business) and I'm so excited to go with my husbad this time! A little nervous about a ship more than twice the size of Romantica though...

But it's all about your attitude, right? If you go with the flow and take the whole experience in without a bunch of unrealistic expectations, then you are golden!

Oh yeah - to a web designer/developer - the animated icons are really annoying!

RioBrewster,

Welcome aboard CruiseLineFans - we're so pleased you've found us. I hope you find the site fun, friendly and informative.

Austin, TX - lovely city with awesome food and even better music. I've been once and would love to visit again soon.

Sorry about the funny icons - they're user dependent and not controlled by anyone but the member themselves. Keeps you reading and awake, though. I suggest finding the most annoying one you can and using it for yours everyonce in a while. They're contagious sometimes.

I'm with you though - I like a clean page. I hope you find the rest of the site appealing.

The Pacifica is a Joe Farcus designed interior - so you should expect some brash and bold design while on board - but with that MSC Cruises European flair. The F1 Simulator onboard got a lot of buzz recently, too. And the Calypso pool always earns high marks.

Does the cruise leave from Rome (Civitavecchia)? Are you staying for any pre or post cruise visiting?

I"m so glad you chose to say hello. Please do feel free to start a roll call for your cruise, ask any question you wish or share a cruise review when you have a chance.

Cheers!

Nice to have you here! And great to have someone who likes Costa. Most Americans are real fans of Costa, so it'll be interesting to here what you have to say about them.

Welcome!!

Pete

Ditto what Pete said. I have been both fascinated and repulsed by what I have heard about Costa. Having an Italian ship and crew could be interesting but I have heard a lot of negative about the smoking.

Can't wait to hear about the Romantica.

Yes, I sometimes have one of those crazy animated avatars from time to time, but for the past year, I've chosen to feature a photo from my most recent cruise: my fellow traveler Lady Moo Cowlatta enjoying the beach near Lihue, Kauai. Sitting on a beach towel provided by Princess cruises.

Thanks Everyone!

We're arriving in Rome Monday and embarking from Civitavecchia Wednesday, so we have some time. This will be my third trip to Rome and hubby's second. I love, love, love Rome - in fact it's probably my favorite city in Europe (so far).

As for Costa - it's all about expectations. I think it's jarring for a lot of Americans to not hear English as the number one language and not be catered to the way they may be used to. As an English-only speaker, you can sort of feel like a second-class citizen on a Costa ship.

Like our excursion to Egypt last time. Everyone else got the massive tour busses and a police escort for all two+ hours of the trip to Giza. We got a crowded little van where the AC didn't work, and we had to take bathroom breaks so we lost the rest of the convoy.

But you know what? I'm not going to the Mediterranean because it's just like the US. If you want that - why bother? I'd rather be immersed in a different culture anyway - even if they do smoke and are a little pushy.

Not that I wouldn't love to try a luxury cruise some time...

And the site is visually pleasing and pretty easy to navigate compared to a lot of others I've seen. It was just having a whole box of the icons jumping around while I was trying to introduce myself made me a bit cranky. ;^)

Hi and welcome to www.cruiselinefans.com

I hope you enjoy your cruise on Costa Pacifica. I am not sure I would fancy a cruise on a line where English is not the first language, so I will be interested to hear how it goes.

For a while I had an animated icon where a pale dot would appear every so often in the lower corner. Annoyed the daylight out of one person (which is why I did it, I convinced her that her monitor had a bad pixel....... ) Anyway, pushy? You have not been to New York or know the people I know. Pushy is a way of life. As for smoking, with severe tobacco allergies and a wife who is asthmatic, that is a major obstacle for us. I loved London. They had outlawed smoking in all indoor public places the month before we got there. We adored it!

As for not speaking the local language, you have not been in Texas, have you?

Originally Posted by Lanky Lad

Hi and welcome to www.cruiselinefans.com

I hope you enjoy your cruise on Costa Pacifica. I am not sure I would fancy a cruise on a line where English is not the first language, so I will be interested to hear how it goes.

it's an Adventure Stephen.
I live in a Province where English is not the first language.

Rio, welcome aboard. Do hope you will have a wonderful time here on CLF.
We are more than friendly, so keep on jumping in. The water is fine.