Port Power

I didn’t have to do anything for arriving by ship. I definitely did not obtain an e-visa myself. The Japanese officials came aboard and set up in the Panorama Lounge. We were called by deck to go in with our passports and have a face to face check. It is all coming back now! It was a bit of a shambles because the computers kept crashing! I remember us talking about it, saying that surely the Japanese should be IT experts! So that’s one less item on your to-do list! Good luck with the rest. I am doing a world cruise next year, January from FLL. I am not looking forward to getting all the visas sorted. At least I know Vietnam is done as a group entry by the ship. I have to do Chile again, but I am definitely not going to use the Melbourne consulate! Indonesia changed the rules again, so I might pick your brain. China I think will be fine using the 72-hour free transit rule. Such a headache, isn’t it?

I think extra care still needs to taken. The virus isn’t necessarily everywhere. Also, the scout zodiac will assess situation ashore. They won’t take passengers if there are a lot of bodies lying about. That is a quote expedition leader on a Silver Wind. We were told that nature will resolve the influenza situation after about two year in the normal life cycle.

However, ships are taking excessive care that there is no transmission from site to site, island to island. I think @bohaiboyis slightly incorrect t about landings as usual. We did some landings in Dec/Jan, but some areas were off limits. There were a few more zodiac cruises instead, which were still great for viewing birds and seals on beaches, ice floes and in the water. The current expedition on Cloud are having a whale of a time!

I’m doing this expedition cruise in June, with the charter flight to Oslo at the end. I’ll report back on my experience.

@highplanesdrifters you are SO lucky! What a fabulous s experience.

@highplanesdrifters you are SO lucky! What a fabulous s experience.

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Thank you for posting the letter. It confirms that Ascent and Icon passengers are not being inconvenienced, so there won’t be any unhappy passengers on those ships. Only the Nova’s guests are being forced to rearrange flights, etc, at great inconvenience. Enjoy your cruise.

I have booked an aft cabin on deck 9 of Silver Ray in 2026. NOT a connecting cabin through careful choice. Friends love aft cabins on NCL and Celebrity, but they book out extremely quickly. With the upgrade offer a few months ago, I decided to give it a try. The more expansive view and larger veranda tempted me. I had not even thought about afternoon sun, but fortunately I will be on a transatlantic from east to west, plus the Caribbean.

I have had this happen, but no flights were included. The ship doesn’t mind if only one person goes, but there won’t be any reduction of the fare, or partial refund. You can also bring a different person in place of one of the original passengers. Of course you have to notify the company prior to boarding. However, you cannot swap both guests for two different people. One of the original booked passengers must be in the cabin. They will need to claim for un-used air fares through their travel insurance, being so close to departure. The airline would charge a cancellation fee if one flight is cancelled, so there might be a bit of a refund there. Again, claim on travel insurance. I claimed through my credit card insurance (Allianz). I never buy insurance from the cruise line.

With not having to pay passenger $$$ for changing flights (plus the rest), your idea would probably actually save RCG money.

My goodness, English is not his first language, so people should not take any offence if something is a bit odd. So often today we aren’t used to seeing words used in their proper meaning. I don’t know who has complained, but they should get over themselves. I am enjoying the thread. And I enjoy the spirit in which it is written.

I’m watching “Whales with Steven Backshall”, an excellent series. As much as we saw, and see, so many whales through Antarctica and South Georgia, this is even closer. A reminder of my expedition. I am enjoying following your journey. Memories!

I’m using my platinum credit card insurance, which activated when I paid my deposit. Allianz is the insurance company. It covers me being overseas for up to six months. Some cards only cover for one month, so you need to read the PDF. I don’t need any warnings, please. I have had to claim on card insurance four times when cruising, including death overseas, missed connections, replacement flights, hotel accommodation and meals. I am under 80 and have no medical issues, but would only need to pay extra if I did have pre-existing medical conditions.

My reasons are only from the perspective of a solo cruiser. Cunard has excellent entertainment, musicians and lectures, and the food is very good. I also like to dress up. Nevertheless, as a solo traveller, the ships are too big. I meet some people and enjoy a chat, but never see them again. Cunard does not hold any solo gatherings. At dinner there is a share table only if you arrive quite early. QM2 last year, booked for 9 nights just to try this iconic ship, was the final straw. Not for me.

It’s a great menu. I do hope the food items were actually authentic? On Silversea a menu stated “Australian meat pie” but what was served was a cottage pie (mince in a ramekin with mashed potato on top). Delicious, but most definitely not as advertised. Presumably a typo and not on purpose, lamingtons are very popular cakes. Very light sponge. Did anyone drink their coffee through a Tim Tam?

Viking seems to include a certain number of shore excursions, but not every port. OBC an ve used to buy more. Regent excludes shorex in every port, and passengers can go on more than one if they wish. Or have the stamina! 😁

Whether you need to leave the ship depends on the local government authorities. Sometimes you only need to tag off and tag on again. But yes, an excursion for B2B guests is offered on changeover day.

If connecting to a domestic flight from an international flight (with the same airline), baggage allowance is usually carried through when the domestic leg is in economy. Have a read of the terms and/or ask the airline.

Under “Cairns” in “Ports of Call”?

I have priced the 2025/26 WC. Not quite double as port fees are removed, but the 180 and/or 138 day cruise prices are comparable pro rata to what I’m paying on RSSC. They only reduced by 12.5%, but there were early booking discounts. Price wise, unless the itinerary is just what I want, Regent provides larger cabins and more luxury for around the same price as Viking. Business class flights are included with Viking though, and that’s worth a lot. Anyway, as I said, I have more information now and will research further.

How wonderful to actually have the time to explore this quaint town. Our bus guides to the airport had been so informative, and obviously loved living in Puerto Williams with all its outdoor activities. You show there is much more to the town than the port.

This itinerary is a regular on Cunard world cruises. I did it on Queen Elizabeth back in January 2016. Cape Town to Fremantle was advertised at a bargain rate, including the flight to SA. It seemed to be the unwanted leg between two half-WC segments. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Because of the number of sea days, QE allowed passengers to buy a bottle of spirits from the duty free shop to drink in their cabins. We bought a slab of mixers in Port Elizabeth and brought it back on board. Cunard still wanted full formal after 6pm, even on hot days. The guest lecturer was able to give all ten lectures in his series about Concord.

I definitely would not do a WC on Princess: boring and repetitive. Nor Cunard. I have had issues every time I have sailed with Cunard (and I’ve been on all three), for all their good entertainment and guest lecturers. There is no need for anyone to defend either line, they are just not for me.

Just click on each cruise line, and then search “world cruise” if you don’t see an appropriate posting listed on the first page. There are plenty of live travel blogs.

After reading six months’ worth of posts here, I am seriously rethinking my choices so that I can sail a world cruise every second year, if not every year for awhile. I am cruising the WC with Regent Seven Seas next year, but have learned a lot on this thread. Although Azamara is high on the list for me, I am going to seriously look at Costa and Viking. I don’t mind five languages, but the announcements did hold up trivia for quite a long time! 🤣 As a solo cruiser, I often need to book very early for the best solo deals. Starting in Europe rather than the USA is also attractive. That you all for your views and experiences. P.S. And if I book a shorter cruise, I can take advantage of booking a WC using the onboard discount.