First time cruiser

[Miriam D]

Firstly hello to everyone , this is an excellent chat board, well done.I am from Malta.We will be cruising on the Gem for a western med on the 28th July.We have 3 kids and hopefully as we have been hearing will find a lot to do while onboard.I have booked very early for this trip and have been doing research from the internet ever since.We are planning to do all the excursions except for Monaco on our own. What do you think about the following:
Naples Will catch a cab to the train station (how far away is it from the port?)and catch a train to Pompeii and back

Civitavecchia Will catch a cab the the train station (how far away is it from the port?) tour around rome ...still figuring it out

Livorno can anyone tell me directions to where is the Friday market.Someone told me that it is near a stadium. Afterwards catch a train to Pisa and back.

Monaco....still figuring it out

Barcelona....still figuring it out

Any help and information would be greatly appreciated...you can send me replies on my email if you want to at tal_bies@onvol.net

Keep up the great work on this website...

[Miriam D]

Also I forgot to ask..my son is 9.Can he wear shorts for dinner since he is still a kid?

[penny3333]

Hi Miriam D, welcome to Cruise-Chat. Congratulations on your upcoming cruise! If you'll look a little further down the main page, you will see a Port Chat section and a FAQ section. There is GREAT infomration there especially on the train. Your children will be so busy, they'll probably ignore you. There is fantastic entertainment, sports, gym, pool, sauna, shops, video games, just so much to keep them busy. NCL is a little more lenient with their dress code. However, I don't think they will allow shorts in the dining rooms. I might be wrong, but in our FAQ section, there is a post on dress codes with links to the cruise lines websites. Hope you have a fantastic cruise! Best wishes!

[Dave]

my son is 9.Can he wear shorts for dinner since he is still a kid?

As is usual, the American NCL site has vague language about dress codes (and most other stuff). However the excellent NCL European website says: Kids under the age of 12 can wear shorts or jeans in all restaurants.

[Mert]

Dear Miriam D ,
For your shore excursions of ITALY I want you to check this site for all the information about the cities http://www.travelplan.it , This site really help me to find some nice places to visit. One of my close italian friend told me to go and see capri island , it said that is a must see place I am also on Aug 9 West Med Cruise but my destinations are little bit different than yours .
Now i have a small question for you I dont want to take a shore excursion for malta , i want to do it myself with my wife . We will be in our honeymoon. Do you have any suggestions for us ? Places to Visit ? Must see places ? Transportation ? Thanks in advence for your help.
Mert

[Miriam D]

Hello Mert
Thanks for replying to my email.

Malta is a very small country and very easy to run about.When you get off the ship you can easily walk uphill to our capital city valletta which is full of shops.Abouts 15 min walk.There are a few museums you can visit in valletta.
Afterwards you can easily catch a bus from the bus terminal in valletta and go to Imdina (half an hour ride), and afterwards go to Zurrieq (blue grotto).
I am from the island of Gozo.You would have to cross the ferry to come over to visit our island because we have the azzure window in dwejra which is beautiful and has been nominated for one of the new wonders of the world.It depends how much time you have on your hands.If you need further assistance, just ask.Have a good honeymoon.